J. EDWARD KETZ is associate professor of accounting in Penn State's Smeal College of Business Administration ---
http://finance.pro2net.com/x36098.xml

There's another Bob Jensen in the world who seems to find a whole lot more time for fishing.

Forensics software on display at an annual gathering of IT and security pros gives corporations more powerful tools to track workers' electronic exploits -- and even predict who's most likely to break the rules --- http://www.wired.com/news/infostructure/0,1377,56826,00.html

Selected Articles from The Fall 2002 Edition (Volume 3) of the Journal of the Academy of Business Education (these are not online). You can join the Academy and obtain this journal by contacting Jean Heck at Villanova --- http://www.cf.villanova.edu/faculty/jheck.html
The Academy meets once each year in some very attractive site (Bermuda, Grand Tetons, Key West, etc.).

Assessing Marketing Journals: A Mission-Based Approach pp. 70-86
by Jon M. Hawes and Bruce Keillor
This article has some nice comparative tables.

Work Hours and Academic Performance pp. 99-105
by Marilyn Dutton and Omer Gokcekus

Bridging Liberal And Professional Education: Management Studies And The Liberal Arts pp. 1-7
by Kathy Gardner Chadwick and Mary Emery
Jensen Note: This article describes a very limited management studies concentration in a high quality liberal arts college (St. Olaf in Northfield, Minnesota) that consists for three basic courses chosen from four options (basic economics, basic accounting, basic management, and basic finance) and two elective courses outside of business and economics.

Marilyn's Errors in Probabilities, Finance, and Education

Forwarded by Mark Shapiro

Marilyn Vos Savant publishes the popular "Ask Marilyn" column in Parade Magazine, which is distributed with the Sunday morning editions of many major newspapers. Marilyn's claims to fame are her high score on IQ tests that she took as a child (she claims to have the highest IQ on record), and her knowledge of probability theory. She frequently provides answers to counter intuitive probability questions posed by her readers, and her answers are almost always right. But like a lot of very intelligent people she sometimes overreaches when providing answers to questions where a correct response requires a knowledge of the facts as well as a keen intellect. In fact, software engineer Herb Weiner has made a specialty of catching errors in the columns that Marilyn has published. Here is recent pedagogical gaff by Marilyn.

Commentary of the Day - December 16, 2002: Don't Ask Marilyn! Marilyn Vos Savant publishes the popular "Ask Marilyn" column in Parade Magazine, which is distributed with the Sunday morning editions of many major newspapers. Marilyn's claims to fame are her high score on IQ tests that she took as a child (she claims to have the highest IQ on record), and her knowledge of probability theory. She frequently provides answers to counter intuitive probability questions posed by her readers, and her answers are almost always right. But like a lot of very intelligent people she sometimes overreaches when providing answers to questions where a correct response requires a knowledge of the facts as well as a keen intellect. In fact, software engineer Herb Weiner has made a specialty of catching errors in the columns that Marilyn has published. Here is recent pedagogical gaff by Marilyn.

In Marilyn's December 15, 2002 Parade Magazine column, reader Zina Yost Ingle of Vineland, N.J. asks the following:

On a geometry test, Mary devises a set of steps to solve a problem. Her solution is shorter and more elegant than the method taught in class. If you were her teacher, how would you score her answer?

Marilyn responds: I'd ask her to solve the problem by the method that was taught. If she could, I would give her full credit plus extra credit for the extra solution. If she could not, I would give her no credit at all: She doesn't understand what was taught in class. Methods of teaching are not necessarily the shortest and most elegant. Instead, they may simply be a good way for students to learn the principles of the subject. Marilyn's knowledge of probability theory may be vast, but her understanding of teaching and learning is only half-vast. Mary clearly deserves full credit for her answer to the problem that the teacher posed; and, she should be praised for coming up with a shorter, more elegant solution. The reason is that the teacher did not ask that the problem be solved by any particular method, at least as far as the reader's question indicates. To be sure, a teacher may want to see if his or her students understand how a particular method works. In that case the question should be posed appropriately: "Using Gauss's Law show that ........". And, sometimes the teacher does want to check that the student is learning material covered in the course. In that case, the question can be posed as follows: "Using one of the methods that we have discussed in class, show that .......". However, in absence of such caveats, it seems to the IP that we advance Mary's education far more by praising her correct (and creative) answer than by punishing her because she dared to walk outside the lines of a rigid pedagogy.

Note from Bob Jensen Herb Weiner's links to genuine calculation errors by Marilyn are at http://www.wiskit.com/marilyn.html
This is highly educational reading. I thank my lucky stars that Herb Weiner does not take out after Bob Jensen's stuff.

December 16 reply from Patricia Doherty [pdoherty@BU.EDU]

Unfortunately, Marilyn's answer to this reflects the "memorize and regurgitate" school of thought in education. Give them a long list of material to memorize, put a part of the list on the exam, and if they pass, they've "learned." I would have expected someone who is supposed to be "intelligent" and "creative" to have recognized that education is more than that, but I guess I gave her too much credit. Despite the efforts many, many educators have made to turn education into a collaboration, and into an exercise in thought and analysis, I guess some people still "don't get it." Those with young children still going through "the system" can only hope for a few of this latter in their children's future - hopefully in time so the children's minds aren't "turned off" to the process.

December 16, 2002 reply from Speer, Derek [d.speer@auckland.ac.nz]

This story reminds me of something which happened to my daughter Amanda earlier this year. She is extremely bright and has a MA (Honours) and was studying for a grad Teaching Diploma (basically a requirement for licensing as a high school teacher). She had an assignment which, in part, required demonstrating to a freshman French class the difference between sur (on) and sous (under). The lecturer in charge, an experienced 60ish former high school teacher had suggested using a drawing showing one child standing on a table and another one under it. My daughter, who is not good at drawing, elected to do a demo using puppets instead, and got an F for her pains. She then drew the poster as suggested and got an A on resubmitting it. Obviously this guy, like Marilyn, is a natural stifler of creativity. Amanda learned one thing from this, when Jim says "jump though a hoop" you jump through it, not decide that you may have a better way.

Derek

Question
What are the CERIAS programs in assurance services?

Answer
Certified Public Accountants over the past decade have be actively promoting the branching out of financial attestation services (especially auditing) into wider ranging "assurance services." Especially noteworthy is the new service SysTrust where pubic accountants in the U.S. and Canada have partnered to extend assurance services into the areas of computing services and information systems. For details and links, see http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/ecommerce/000start.htm#AssuranceServices

I mention this because, unlike auditing services by public accountants, where there is an SEC-mandated monopoly under SEC rules, there is no such monopoly on extended assurance services. In assurance services other than auditing, CPAs face increasing competition from other professional bodies. One such area is in the entire area of Information Assurance and Security. I mention this, because an education and training center at Purdue University is generating courses and graduates in a program that is not a part of the Accounting Department or the School of Business. I will now briefly summarize the CERIAS Center at Purdue University --- http://www.cerias.purdue.edu/

What I found interesting is the extent to which students can get both MS and PhD degrees in Information Assurance and Security.

The Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance and Security, or CERIAS, is the world's foremost University center for multidisciplinary research and education in areas of information security. Our areas of research include computer, network, and communications security as well as information assurance.

Mission Statement
To establish an ongoing center of excellence which will promote and enable world class leadership in multidisciplinary approaches to information assurance and security research and education. This collaboration will advance the state and practice of information security and assurance. The synergy from key members of academia, government, and industry will promote and support programs of research, education, and community service.

Vision Statement
The Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance and Security will be internationally recognized as the leader in information security and assurance research, education, and community service.

Internal Vision
Build a well-supported community of scholars actively involved in: Evolution and offering of educational programs in information assurance and security. Solving fundamental questions of science, engineering and management as they relate to information security and assurance. Transfer of expertise and technology to organizations with real world needs. Assuming leadership roles in appropriate community and government organizations. Activities to enhance the public's understanding and acceptance of information protection. To accomplish this, the Center promotes research, education and community service programs in conjunction with various key groups. It also brings synergy to these diverse groups (consisting of members from academia, government agencies and industrial partners) to advance the philosophy of information security and assurance.

Education

K-12
We have compiled resources for students, parents, and teachers on a host of topics including copyright, safe surfing, acceptable use, cryptography, and much more; we also offer teacher and student workshops on a variety of security topics, at a variety of levels.

Graduate Program
Information about our graduate studies, including the Scholarship for Service program.

Post-Secondary Education
The post-secondary education site contains information about formal and informal information security and assurance educational initiatives, including workshops, multimedia product offerings, certification and faculty development efforts, and awareness activities.

Indiana Information Security Web
A site created by CERIAS and several partners to raise awareness of Information Security in the state. Includes information for K-12, Home Computing, and Business and Industry.

Infosec Graduate Program --- http://www.cerias.purdue.edu/education/graduate_program/

Introduction to CERIAS
So, you are interested in graduate studies in Information Security at Purdue University? That's great! You can take advantage of the infosec expertise present at Purdue and associated with CERIAS, but you can't actually get your degree from there. CERIAS is a research center, and not an academic department. However, there are other ways to get your degree and be associated with CERIAS.
There are currently 3 different approaches to graduate study in infosec here:

The interdisciplinary MS specialization
A standard MS in one of the involved departments, with a focus on infosec topics
A PhD course of study in one of the involved departments, with a dissertation topic in infosec

Interdisciplinary MS
We are currently offering an interdisciplinary Master's specialization in InfoSec. This is offered as an MS through a participating department, not CERIAS. While the program is multidisciplinary and requires (and recommends) courses in Computer Sciences as well as other fields, admission to the program is handled administratively by a participating department. The specialization on your diploma will, however, read "Information Security," independently of what department handles the admission. As of September 2000, the only department ready to admit students to the program is Philosophy. Computer Sciences, Education, and Electrical & Computer Engineering are all in the midst of the administrative process to join the program.
You can apply for the Program electronically for future sessions. Please select "Philosophy" on the application and indicate "Information Security" as your area of interest. Your default contact professor in the next field of the application is Eugene H. Spafford, Director of CERIAS and of the Program. Feel free to mention in that field any other professor in information security that you would like to work with if you have established such a contact already. You will eventually be contacted by the graduate school about your admission status.

Standard Grad Programs
Students can also receive graduate degrees in existing programs with a specialization in infosec areas. To do this, the students enroll in a traditional major, take a core of common courses, and then are able to take electives related to their interests. Masters students may choose to research and write a Master's thesis that involves further study in a particular area of interest, or they may simply take 30 or more credit hours of coursework. PhD students must choose a specialized topic for their dissertation research. The most common major for students interested in information security is Computer Sciences, but degrees are also associated with Electrical & Computer Engineering, Management, Philosophy, Political Science, and many other departments associated with CERIAS.
Note that specific requirements for individual department degrees are given in the course catalogs and on some departmental WWW pages. What follows is a summary of the requirements for a CS graduate degree, serving as an example of what is expected. You need to consult one of the definitive references to get the whole picture. (CS graduate degree requirements are available on the WWW; information on other graduate programs can be found by starting at the main Purdue WWW page.)

MS in CS Program
MS students are required to take a course in operating systems or networks (CS 503 or CS 536), one in programming language design or compilers (CS 565 or CS 502), and algorithm analysis (CS 580), plus another 7 courses of electives, or 5 courses and the thesis option. Normally, for infosec study, MS (and PhD) students would take CS 502 and CS 503, plus the courses in computer security (CS 526) and cryptography (CS 555) as electives, and consider taking the advanced security (CS 626) and cryptanalysis courses (CS 655), too.
There are many electives available to graduate students, including graphics, databases, numerical methods and distributed systems. Each year, several faculty also offer special topic courses in their areas of interest. Opportunities for directed reading or research courses are also available. In the last few years, we will have had seminars in Intrusion Detection and Incident Response, Penetration Analysis, Firewalls, Electronic Commerce, Network Security, and Security Tools. Additionally, we have had seminar courses in Wireless Networks, Advanced Operating Systems, and Internetworking.

PhD in CS Program
Normally, a PhD program starts with 2 years of graduate study and passing a series of general exams in the area of study (the "qualifier exams"). The candidate then decides on an area of study, chooses an advisor, and takes an in-depth exam in the area of specialization (the "preliminary exam"). Next, the candidate performs in-depth research under the guidance of the advisor for a period of time ranging from 6 months to as many as 5 years. Finally, the candidate writes a detailed scientific account of his or her research (the dissertation) and defends it in a public exam before a committee of faculty, visitors, and members of the community. The average time to complete a PhD in CS at Purdue (assuming the student already has a good undergraduate background in CS) is 5 years.
Required courses for PhD students in CS include courses in operating systems, algorithm analysis, compilers and programming languages, numerical analysis, and theory of computation; this is a superset of the courses required for the MS degree, and almost all PhD candidates obtain their MS degree during their candidacy for the PhD.

MS & PhD Research
Currently, there is a large range of projects being conducted in information security at Purdue. We have almost 40 projects involving over 30 faculty in a dozen different academic departments. You can get a more complete picture of the faculty and research projects via the CERIAS WWW pages. These projects are normally open to graduate students and can be used to satisfy research requirements towards MS and PhD thesis work. Not all infosec projects are offered through CERIAS, either, and there is no requirement that students work on a CERIAS project to get an infosec-related degree.

Special Notes for CS
Students coming in to the graduate program are expected to be ready to pursue the degree upon arrival. There are limits as to how many semesters may be spent in residence before completing each of the steps towards the degree.
In particular, students are expected to:

have strong, basic skills in mathematics, including working knowledge of statistics, calculus and linear algebra
know how to write programs in some advanced computer language (C/C++/Java are languages of choice; Perl is also encouraged)
have mastery of spoken English sufficient to understand lectures and presentations, and to discuss assignments with faculty and TAs
have mastery of written English sufficient to document programs and write grammatical research papers. This is especially critical for MS and PhD
students who need to write a thesis and research papers

Students without adequate preparation, or who fall behind in assignments, may be tempted to take "shortcuts" on assignments to keep up. Cheating, plagiarism, and falsifying work are severe violations of both the student code of conduct and academic honesty, and discovered incidents are dealt with particularly harshly by faculty in the infosec arena. Graduate students in violation of these rules are routinely recommended to the dean of students for expulsion from the university; foreign students in this situation will lose their visas. Thus, it is strongly recommended that applicants be sure they have mastery of these basic skills prior to applying to graduate school at Purdue.

Financial Aid
Financial aid for graduate students is based on both scholarship and need. Some fellowships are available to exceptional incoming students. Others are supported by the departments or by research projects. It is unusual that a new student will get support from a faculty member's research funding; indeed, most faculty do not support students prior to their completion of some of the qualifying exams. Some incoming students qualify for selection as teaching assistants, however. Other information about financial aid is in the graduate student information documents.
For financial aid, contact the admitting department and not individual faculty members.

Purdue Graduate School Admissions --- http://www.purdue.edu/GradSchool/Admissions/admissions.html

Disclaimer
The above is not an official document of Purdue University, but Professor Spafford's interpretation of Purdue policy. Interested parties should consult official University documents, available through the graduate school.

From Syllabus News on December 10, 2002

Compsec Firm Funds Purdue Info Assurance Degree

Internet security firm Symantec Corp. has endowed a fellowship for a student pursuing a degree at Purdue University’s Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance and Security (CERIAS. The Symantec Fellowship will provide up to $50,000 to cover the full tuition costs for two years and a stipend for a degree-seeking student enrolled at Purdue and working with CERIAS, a center for multidisciplinary research and education in information security. Applications will be accepted immediately with a deadline of March 1, 2003. The Fellowship recipient will be announced April 8, 2003 at the annual CERIAS Spring Symposium held on the West Lafayette, Ind., campus of Purdue University. The Fellowship will begin during the 2003-2004 school year and will be expanded to include a second student beginning the Fall of 2004.

December 11, 2002 reply from J. S. Gangolly [gangolly@CSC.ALBANY.EDU]

Bob,

I wanted to brief AECMers on the happenings, with respect to Information Assurance in Albany.

The Department of Accounting & Law at SUNY ALbany is starting with the Fall semester 2003 an MBA track on Information Assurance (IA) based on our earlier efforts in AIS in the MS program in Accounting with an emphasis in AIS. When we have prepared the materials about the program, I'll post them on this listserv.

We have re-engineered all courses in AIS to have security/assurance permeate throughout the curriculum. This is now receiving the last review by us to ensure compliance with the curriculum recommendations of the National Security Agency.

The above is a part of our campus-wide forensics initiative (Departments of Accounting & Law, Management Science & Informatrion Systems, Department of Computer Science, School of Information Science & Policy, and in the future hopefully our very well regarded School of Criminal Justice) which has already received funding from the US Department of Education and is in partnership with the New York State Police, and CERIAS is also our partner in the efforts.

We are hoping to apply and receive next year the designation of Center of Excellence in Information Assurance Education. We hope more Accounting Departments will be hospitable to this "diversion" from our perceived central mission of educating future CPAs (currently there is no curriculum on IA in any Accounting Department that I am aware of).

It is important for me to brief the AECMers on the issue of "accountingness" of the curriculum in this respect, particularly since it became quite an issue even at Albany where our Department has traditionally been hospitable to off-the-wall curricular innovations. 'Accounting content' in much of the Information assurance curriculum usually is (and probably should be) expected to be very meager even though the assertions-based philosophy is rather similar.

I had a quite difficult time convincing my dyed-in-the-wool accounting colleagues (specially in Financial Accounting) that Information Assurance education can coexist peacefully in our Department. (Many Financial Accounting colleagues rightfully asked: since accounting content is minimal, why not have it in the MSIS or some other Department? My arguments were: 1. Such other departments do not have the tradition of scepticism that we in accounting/auditing have, and 2. we were better poised to offer a computationally intensive Information Assurance curriculum in the department because of the sophistication of our existing AIS curriculum). Ultimately, we did win the confidence of the department faculty, though in some instances it might have been grudging acceptance because of what we would lose in the long run if we chose to not have the program.

Jagdish S. Gangolly,
Associate Professor (j.gangolly@albany.edu)
Accounting & Law and Management Science & Information Systems
State University of New York at Albany, Albany, NY 12222.
Phone: (518) 442-4949 Fax: (707) 897-0601
URL: http://www.albany.edu/acc/gangolly

December 11, 2002 reply from Bob Jensen

Hi Jagdish,

I appreciate your informative reply. It appears that Albany has avoided the vexing problem that Notre Dame and the University of Virginia faced with their Masters of Assurance Services Programs for Ernst & Young employees --- http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/255wp.htm#ErnstandYoung

The vexing problem arises when one of the goals is to have the graduates of the assurance services program also be eligible to sit for the CPA examination. It appears that assurance services masters programs at Albany and Purdue have no CPA examination goal. Hence there can be very little accounting, tax, and auditing in those programs. This was not the case for Notre Dame and the University of Virginia where a major goal is for the graduates to be eligible to sit for the CPA examination in most states.

This begs the question about what career paths students will take after graduating from assurance services programs. It would seem that Albany and Purdue University are envisioning graduates joining consulting firms, computer systems companies, etc. Graduates of the Notre Dame and UVA programs already work for the accountancy divisions of Ernst & Young.

It seems to me that for a career path in the accountancy divisions of a public accounting firm, there is very little future without becoming a CPA.

Hence, I anticipate two types of assurance services degree programs. One type is more focused on computer science and information systems. The other type is more focused on accountancy and accounting information systems.

I think there's room for both types of emerging programs.

Bob Jensen

December 12, 2002 reply from Calderon,Thomas G [tcalder@uakron.edu]

Our entire grad program (at the University of Akron) is built around an IT security and assurance theme. Each course taught by acct dept faculty has security and assurance content and we attempt to tie everything together in our capstone IS Audit & Control Project (a hands-on project organized as a mini-internship and supervised by a faculty member and a "competent" professional in the field.)

Courses, 3 hrs each, in the program are: 1. Business Application Development (taught by MIS) 2. Applications Development for Financial Systems (taught by accounting -- uses skills learned in BAP to address assurance type problems) 3. Enterprise Resource Planning & Financial Systems (uses Oracle 11i to expose students to architecture, business process issues, & security and assurance issues in ERP environments) 4. Financial Data Communications & Enterprise Integration (focus on XML, XBRL, and security/assurance issues associated with enterprise integration) 5. Advanced Information Systems (database/data warehouse design/assurance issues; use Oracle 8i) 6. e-business foundations (general management issues in a distributed network environment--taught by MIS) 7. e-business technologies (exposure to networks, internet technologies, and application development for a web environment; use Windows OS, Cold Fusion, Oracle--taught by MIS) 8. e-business risk, control & assurance (business risk assessment, security, & assurance for entities that use distributed networks such as the Internet for business critical activities) 9. Assurance Services with Data Warehousing & Data Mining (a hands-on course that uses Classification & Regression Trees (CART), Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines (MARS), neural networks, and ACL to identify red flags in quantitative data). 10. IS Audit & Control Project (the capstone hands-on project, structured as a mini-internship with a very specific deliverable).

All students admitted into the program must take the following courses if not taken in their undergrad program: 3 hrs of accounting information systems 3 hrs of intermediate accounting 3 hours of auditing 3 hours of cost & management accounting (beyond principles)

We encourage students to prepare for and take the CISA exams and CITP. The program does not attempt to prepare students for any specific professional examination.

Bob Jensen's threads on assurance services are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/ecommerce/000start.htm#AssuranceServices

Teaching Cases

December 9, 2002 message from George Lan

Teaching cases to undergraduate students can sometimes feel like pulling teeth. Like you, I spend first some time on the techniques of case analysis and then do a couple of cases in class as examples. I've debated about how much structure or how many guiding questions I should be giving them in subsequent case analysis. I find that if they are given guidelines, many of them tend to follow the guidelines to the letter. I've tried role playing (dividing the class in auditors, managers etc..) and they seemed to work well. However, I find that role playing works well when the case is not too complicated and there are not too many issues to discuss. I would be interested in how much much structure you or other AECM members, who are using the case analysis method, provide the students and other techniques w.r.t. case teaching that have worked well for you. Also, which casebook do you use and do you have to change your cases every semester in case the students have the solutions to the cases?
George Lan
University of Windsor

December 10, 2002 reply from Paul Polinski [pwp3@PO.CWRU.EDU]

George: Thanks for the note. I've also used role-playing with some success; other formats that have worked well include formal debates (which brings out the most in students' oral participation) and group exercises, in which students brainstorm on alternative ideas to achieve objectives from the case, and must make short presentations on their ideas. The other groups then evaluate and discuss the ideas (hopefully without too much prejudice).

There's a fine line to walk with respect to structure. They need just enough to be able to understand what is required of them, but not so much that they have limited freedom to think and present their thoughts. On occasion, I've been on either side of the line a bit too much, but that's part of the learning process for me.

I have used mostly Harvard cases and some short ones I developed based on work-related experiences. When I use the same cases from term to term, I'll change the assigned tasks so that they can't rely too much on their predecessors. Most cases seem rich enough that they allow lots of flexibility in what can be discussed each time they're used.

Paul

Life on the edge
The geek-driven world of new "decentralized" technologies like Wi-Fi, blogging and Web services is more about cutting out the middleman than finding a business model --- http://www.salon.com/tech/col/rose/2002/12/13/supernova/index.html?x

Stock Option Valuation Research Database

From Syllabus News on December 13, 2002

Wharton School Offers Stock Data Via the Web

The University of Pennsylvania's Wharton business school is offering financial analysts access to historical information on stock options over the Internet. The data, supplied by research firm OptionMetrics's Ivy database, covers information on all U.S. listed index and equity options from January1996. The Ivy database adds to the 1.5 terabyte storehouse of financial information from a range of providers now available through Wharton Research Data Services (WRDS). The university said that by making data from the Center for Research in Security Prices, Standard & Poor's COMPUSTAT, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the New York Stock Exchange, and other data vendors accessible from a simple Web-based interface, WRDS hopes to become the preferred source among university scholars for data covering global financial markets.

Note from Jensen: the Wharton Research Data Services (WRDS) home page is at http://www.wharton.upenn.edu/research/wrds.html

Wharton Research Data Services, a revolutionary Internet-based research data service developed and marketed by the Wharton School, has become the standard for large-scale academic data research, providing instant web access to financial and business datasets for almost all top-tier business schools (including 23 of the top 25 schools as ranked by Business Week magazine).

Subscribers to Wharton Research Data Services (WRDS) gain instant access to the broadest array of business and economic data now available from a single source on the Web. From anywhere and at any time, WRDS functions as an application service provider (ASP) to deliver information drawn from 1.2 terabytes of comprehensive financial, accounting, management, marketing, banking and insurance data.

Launched in July 1997, the unique data service's client list of over 60 institutions now includes Stanford University, Harvard University, Columbia University, Yale University, Northwestern University, London Business School, INSEAD, University of Chicago, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and dozens of other institutions. Subscribers to WRDS need only PCs or even less-expensive Web terminals to endow their units with supercomputer capabilities and tap a massive, constantly updated source of data. Users click on the WRDS database and interactively select data to extract. The requested information is instantly returned to the web browser, ready to be pasted into a spreadsheet or any other application for analysis.

To learn more about WRDS or to get licensing information, contact: Nicole Carvalho, Marketing Director Wharton Research Data Services 400 Steinberg Hall-Dietrich Hall 3620 Locust Walk Philadelphia, PA 19104-6302

1-877-GET-WRDS (1-877-438-9737)

Knowledge@Wharton is a free source of research reports and other materials in accounting, finance, and business research --- http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/

Bob Jensen's threads on accounting theory are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/theory.htm

From Syllabus News on December 13, 2002

Web Survey: Recent College Grad Hiring Anemic

Planned entry-level hiring of recent college grads is up 4 percent for 2003, according to an annual survey released last week by CollegeGrad.com. The bad news is that the results are only marginally better than 2002, which was the worst year for entry-level hiring in 20 years. The results profile future hiring plans for more than 500 entry-level employers representing more than 100,000 entry-level positions. While most of the largest employers (over 10,000 employees) are hiring the same or fewer college grads, many medium-sized employers (1,000-10,000 employees) and small employers (under 1,000 employees) are showing increases for 2003, which accounts for the net increase. "It is often the small to medium companies that spur initial hiring demand coming out of a recession, so this is a very good sign of future growth," said CollegeGrad.com president Brian Krueger.

2002: Industry Progress (Electronic Business, e-Comomerce, e-Business)
by Jeffrey Graham, December 11, 2002
http://www.clickz.com/mkt/emkt_strat/article.php/1554901

As survival is a necessary precondition for prosperity, I consider 2002 a good year. No matter what the numbers might indicate, we've grown. The industry matured, and the media environment continues to evolve in ways that suggest an even brighter future.

This column, my last this year, describes what I think were the most important issues that emerged in 2002. In my next column, which will appear after holidays, I will make some predictions for 2003.

In my view, the following are the most important trends of 2002.

Continued at http://www.clickz.com/mkt/emkt_strat/article.php/1554901

Bob Jensen's threads on electronic business are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/ecommerce.htm

LEARN2 GUIDES ARE BACK --- http://www.tutorials.com/catalog/catalog_item_n.asp?showprice=1&ugid=dHV0b3JpYWxz&pid=1977&csid=24&showprice=1

Plagued by both pessimism and hype, can nanotechnology grow up? --- http://www.economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm?story_id=1477445

In many new technologies, it is common to overestimate what can be done in five years' time, and to underestimate what can be done in 50 years' time. Dr Eigler and other optimistic nanotechnologists must hope this rule of thumb applies to nanotechnology as well. However, there is a huge technological gap between molecular cascades and fully-functional nanobots. The rest of the world, then, should not hold its breath.

Bob Jensen's threads on Bob Jensen's Threads on Invisible Computing, Ubiquitous Computing, and Microsoft.Net --- http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/ubiquit.htm

December 12, 2002 message from Bill Spinks.

This AAUP salary database is searchable and fairly comprehensive -- lots of interesting data. You might want to bookmark it:

http://chronicle.com/stats/aaup/2002/

happy grading...................

billspinks ____________________________________
mailto:cspinks@trinity.edu

From Syllabus News on December 10, 2002

CREN Board Votes to Dissolve Net Organization

The trustees of the Corporation for Research and Educational Networking (CREN), the higher-education technology association, have voted to dissolve the organization. Under the directorship of Judith Boettcher, CREN provided a range of services focusing on networking and network security issues to more than 220 universities and colleges in the U.S. CREN was known for its "TechTalk" series of webcasts featuring expert speakers on technology subjects. The Board's decision to recommend shutting down the organization came as a result of a significant decline in membership revenues, together with steadily rising operating expenses. "The decision wasn't easy to make, but it was the responsible thing to do," said Ira Fuchs, President of the Board of Trustees. "The business model wasn't sustainable, so we felt it was in the best interest of the member institutions to close our doors."

For more information, visit: http://www.cren.net

Gateway Teams with Hispanic Higher Ed Group

Computer maker Gateway, Inc. has teamed with the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) to provide technology solutions and educational opportunities to HACU's 300 member institutions, including discounted PCs and a rebate program. HACU member institutions enroll over 1 million of the 1.5 million Hispanics in higher education today. HACU signed the agreement with Gateway at its national conference last month in Denver, Colo. Dr. Antonio R. Flores, HACU President and CEO, said, "Hispanics are the largest and fastest growing minority group in the United States, but continue to have less access to technology than other groups. By providing significant discounts on computers for our member institutions and students, Gateway is not only helping Hispanics gain access to much needed programs and services, but is helping to assure a well-prepared workforce for America's next generation."

For more information, visit: http://www.hacu.net

ONLINE BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS COURSES FROM FATHOM as of December 11, 2002

* Short e-Course
* BUILDING AND MANAGING EMPLOYEE RELATIONS from eCornell teaches Human Resources professionals how to develop a strong employee relations program that inspires people to deliver maximum levels of performance and carry out company strategy. Next 5-week session begins January 8: http://www.fathom.com/course/75813002/1310

* Short e-Course
* INTRODUCTION TO ACCOUNTING FOR BUSINESS from SkillSoft provides business managers, prospective managers, and any other employees seeking competency in the area of accounting, with an understanding of basic accounting concepts and methods. Enroll anytime: http://www.fathom.com/course/42704496/1311

* Semester-Length Course
* INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS MANAGEMENT from New School University covers concepts of business organization, communication, decision-making, planning, motivating, controlling, group dynamics, leadership, and change. Class starts February 3: http://www.fathom.com/course/14701533/1312

NEW BUSINESS & ECONOMICS FEATURES

* Hong Kong as Catalyst: The Future of Business and Trade in China Robin Chiu, regional director of the Americas for the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, explains Hong Kong's role as a catalyst and instigator, as well as a global marketplace with the second largest stock market in Asia, as an essential factor to China's economic growth: http://www.fathom.com/feature/190248/1/1313

* The Venture Law Firm Defined Following the high-tech revolution in Silicon Valley in the early 1990s, many law firms remodeled themselves along the lines of venture capital firms. David Lukens, a postdoctoral research fellow at Columbia University Law School, describes the evolution of such firms that exist at the crossroads of business and law: http://www.fathom.com/feature/121929/1/1314

ONLINE COURSES IN EDUCATION FROM FATHOM

* Short e-Course
* HOW TO CREATE A COMMUNITY ORAL-HISTORY PROJECT from Columbia University offers detailed instruction on how to organize and operate a community oral-history project, with audio and text examples from the rich archives of Columbia's Oral History Research Office: http://www.fathom.com/course/52705001/1317

* Semester-Length Course
* COMPUTERS FOR EDUCATORS LEVEL I from the University of San Diego is designed to provide teachers with the opportunity to learn and practice computer skills so that you can excel in today's technologically advanced world while integrating technology into your K-12 curriculum. Next session begins January 6: http://www.fathom.com/course/12701078/1318

* Semester-Length Course
* APPLIED METHODS IN TEACHING ENGLISH LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT from UCLA Extension considers the theories and methods of bilingual and English language developments. Next session begins January 7: http://www.fathom.com/course/3048/1319

ONLINE COURSES IN HISTORY AND SOCIETY FROM FATHOM

* Free Seminar

* ISRAEL AND THE ARAB COALITION IN 1948 from Cambridge University Press author Avi Shlaim re-examines the traditional narrative about the birth of Israel and suggests that it is time to reassess the portrayal of Jews as victims of the Arab coalition. The seminar is free; simply follow the checkout process to enroll: http://www.fathom.com/course/72810001/1337

* Semester-Length Course
* CONCEPTUALIZING THE 'OTHER': A CRITICAL HISTORY OF ANTHROPOLOGY from New School University examines major ideas and interests that have informed Western anthropological inquiry and knowledge. Through analysis of readings, films, and museum exhibits, students develop a critical lens through which to identify the assumptions, perspectives, and motivations implicit in the construction of anthropological knowledge. Class begins February 3: http://www.fathom.com/course/50705922/1338

* Semester-Length Course
* WOMEN OF THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST from New School University considers the cultures of Egypt, Mesopotamia, Anatolia, and Canaan by examining the woman's position, from queen to commoner (and occasionally pharaoh!). Class begins February 3: http://www.fathom.com/course/76816069/1339

Question
What is deed swapping and why is it becoming a serious scam?

Answer
You think you own the property, but it is unlikely that you will ever really own it. The scam is that balloon payment at the end that the borrower has less than 1% chance of paying. The lender is virtually assured of having his cake and eating it too.
WFMY News Consumer Alert: Deed Swapping Web Producer: Dawn Murphy Modified: 11/30/2002 --- http://www.wfmynews2.com/2wk/2wk.asp?ID=878

Anna Duboise was the perfect target a single mom with three kids, who was desperate for a chance to call somewhere home.

"I always figured if I had the opportunity, just one little opportunity to get me a home, that's what I was going to do."

That opportunity came when Joe Seeman entered her life He had a home to sell and he was even willing to provide Anna a loan.

"I thought it was great, he was like a little God, ya know, thank you very much."

Seeman is a realtor, he says "she was given quite a sweetheart deal."

Seeman's 'deal' offered Anna monthly payments of just under $475 a month. He charted how at that rate, it would take her 30 years to pay off the loan.

But that was not the case. The actual mortgage he sold her expired in just five years at which time Anna's balance was due in full;a balloon payment that totaled more than $40,000.

"It's not fair, it's not right."

It was a financial impossibility right from the start.

"She wasn't that good of a buyer in terms," says Seeman, "of what, for example, a bank would say. "

Simply put: Anna was a high risk borrower. So Seeman found a way to make the deal virtually risk free...to himself.

He had Anna sign the deed of the house back over to him; in effect, retaining control of the house, in case she couldn't make the payments.

It's called 'deed swapping.' "It was a way to protect me."

Anna's attorney calls it something else. "Deceptive. Highly highly deceptive. Ownership is never delivered. It's a phantom idea."

And an idea that's growing in popularity. The Federal Trade Commission now lists 'deed swapping' among the most popular predatory lending schemes. It means every legal right you have as a homeowner is lost. In short the borrower becomes a tenant; and the lender, becomes a landlord."

So when Anna started falling behind in her payments Seeman simply took the house back. "At that point I told her, hey, you no longer own the house, and you have to leave or you're going to be evicted."

Leaving Anna with nothing but questions: "It was never mine in the first place. So what am I striving for? What was it that I got into? Why didn't I pay attention?"

A mistake that may cost Anna everything she's put into her home and leave the lender in a position to put the house on the market again.

Hi David,

You are correct in that deed swapping is not a scam if the buyer has a decent probability of making the monthly payments and the ending balloon payment. But the FTC contends that this is becoming one of the nation's rising scams due to the nature of the lenders and the targeted buyers. With the newer type of "buyer" (typically a person who is very poor, uninformed, and lacking in hope of home ownership under a conventional mortgage), deed swapping becomes a way for a sneaky landlord to extract higher rent.

The scam is that a portion of the payment is supposedly a reduction of the amount owed as in a conventional mortgage. However, the targeted "buyer" never really has a recorded deed to the property (thereby making foreclosure easy) and never really has a chance of making the ending balloon payment. Hence, the monthly payments are really artificially-inflated rental payments because the "buyer" is led to believe that he or she is really "owns" the property. The "buyer" also becomes responsible for property taxes, insurance, and maintenance normally paid by the landlord in a rental situation. When the "owner" cannot make the enormous balloon payment at the contracted time, the property remains with the land "lord" who really had title all along.

I learned about this because of the above story on CBS television. The problem is that deed swapping is a very difficult "scam" to prosecute for the very reasons you state in your message. It can be a very legitimate way of purchasing property when the buyer has a reasonable probability of making all payments.

A somewhat related ploy (but where the buyer has a recorded deed) is reported as follows by the Federal Trade Commission --- http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/homes/eqscams.htm

*********************************************
Hidden Loan Terms: The Balloon Payment
You've fallen behind in your mortgage payments and may face foreclosure. Another lender offers to save you from foreclosure by refinancing your mortgage and lowering your monthly payments. Look carefully at the loan terms. The payments may be lower because the lender is offering a loan on which you repay only the interest each month. At the end of the loan term, the principal-that is, the entire amount that you borrowed-is due in one lump sum called a balloon payment. If you can't make the balloon payment or refinance, you face foreclosure and the loss of your home.
*********************************************

The above warning is only one of various home equity scam warnings described by the FTC at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/homes/eqscams.htm

By the way, I highly recommend the FTC site for warnings about scams and deceptive trade practices. Like most Federal Government Websites, it is outstanding --- http://www.ftc.gov/

Bob Jensen

December 10 reply from David R. Fordham [fordhadr@JMU.EDU]

-----Original Message-----
From: David R. Fordham [mailto:fordhadr@JMU.EDU]
Sent: Tuesday, December 10, 2002 8:00 AM
To: AECM@LISTSERV.LOYOLA.EDU
Subject: Re: Why deed swapping is a growing scam?

This is the first I've heard of "deed swapping", but I wonder if it is similar to what Virginia calls, "Deed of Trust", where the deed is in the name of the lender, "in trust", to be tendered to the buyer once the loan is paid off.

If that is the case, then, I'm not sure I'd call it a scam. I used one of these when I purchased some mountain property with a vacation home on it, a few years ago. The seller sold me the property for a pittance down payment, with a five year balloon loan, using a 30-year amortization to calculate the monthly payment. The monthly payment was tiny. Of course, over 95% of the purchase price would be "due" in five years. Again, this sounds just like what the lady in the WFMY article had.

Unlike the "victim" in the example, however, I made the monthly payments I had agreed to make. The loan was at 8%, which was under the market rate at the time I purchased. Before the balloon payment came due, however, I refinanced the loan, at 5.75%. (Now I wish I'd held off a little longer and gotten a 5.25% rate like I just got on refinancing my primary house!) The new deed of trust is in the name of a new lender, but I've got a 15-year fixed-rate standard mortgage now.

This sounds like the "deed swapping" in Bob's example. If it is the same thing, I'm not sure where the word "scam" comes in. ? This seems like a legitimate, ethical, above-board, financing arrangement. I think of a "scam" as a situation where one of the parties lies, cheats, or steals. In this case, the WFMY article sounds like the buyer should have made out like a bandit because of the precipitous drop in mortgage rates over the past few years. What is the difference between "deed swapping" and "foreclosure", which would happen when the buyer failed to make payments on a traditional mortgage? In fact, it sounds like 'deed swapping' is the same thing as foreclosure, except that that attorneys might not make as much money.

I don't pretend to be a lawyer, and if a lawyer has determined that this practice is illegal or someone lied, well, then, I guess I must have missed something. But in my mind, I can't see where the scam is. Except perhaps that a realtor sold a person some real estate that she couldn't have afforded in the first place, knowing that she couldn't make the payments. But that could happen with a traditional mortgage just as easily, so I still don't see the distinction, or why the financing arrangement is in question? Bob, can you help me out? What am I missing?

David R. Fordham
PBGH Faculty Fellow
James Madison University

Bob Jensen's threads on fraud and scams can be found at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/fraud.htm

The Museum of Broadcast Communications --- http://www.Museum.TV/index.shtml
(Includes the Radio Hall of Fame for us old timers)

The above site has free audio and video downloads. I downloaded a free video of Steve Allen highlights..

Bob Jensen's threads on museums are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/bookbob2.htm#History

When They Were Young (Photography, History, Children, Cultures) --- http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/young/
(Some of the photographs are fantastic.)

Since the birth of photography in 1839, the camera has been used to capture the human experience. For many photographers, childhood, so short-lived in terms of time but lasting in impact and memory, has been an inspiring subject. Preserving fleeting moments of youth on a glass plate or negative film allows them to be remembered and reconsidered. The pictures in this exhibition recall the spirit, vulnerability, playfulness, unpredictability, restlessness, and dignity of children throughout generations and in diverse parts of the world. From the tarnished silver surfaces of early nineteenth-century daguerreotypes, youngsters emerge like miniature adults, straining to remain motionless while their likenesses are preserved. A Civil War era carte de visite glorifies a small boy's role in that very adult conflict. At the turn of the twentieth century, studio portraits of Native American children romanticize a culture in danger of extinction, and in the early to middle decades of the 1900s, prints of children laboring in fields and factories proclaim the unjust burdens inflicted on innocent youth.

These pictures, selected from among thousands of images in the Prints and Photographs Collections of the Library of Congress, capture the experience of childhood as it is connected across time, different cultures, and diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. Whether encumbered by poverty or born into privilege, boys and girls look unflinchingly at the lens and toward the future. Their honest gazes reveal who these children are and how they view themselves and their world—with implications of the vast roads that lie ahead.

Animated Atlas (History Timeline, American History, and links to historical maps) --- http://www.animatedatlas.com
(Includes a free ten minute movie on The Growth of a Nation)

Yin Yu Tang: A Qing Dynasty Chinese Merchant's Home --- http://www.pem.org/yinyutang/

This is a marvelous site from the standpoint of the animations, photography, history, architecture, culture, and art.
Click on the starting link to "Explore the House."

December 18, 2002 reply from sfield@trinity.edu

Thanks Bob,

I was aware of the site but had not taken the time to view it. What a great resource! The Chinese name of the house means “Hall of Surplus Shelter,” but the word “shelter” (literally “shade”) has fengshui implications. It can mean the “blessings” conferred on descendents by the ancestors. Clearly, the original Merchant Huang was well-tutored in the arts of fengshui.

Merry Christmas to you and Erika!

Stephen Field
Professor of Chinese
Trinity University

New Online Services for Texans --- http://www.texasonline.com/
My secretary, Debbie Bowling, renewed her driver license online. She did not need an eye test for this renewal.

Driver License and ID Card Renewals Online --- http://texasonline.state.tx.us/NASApp/rap/apps/dpsdl/jsp/eng/welcome.jsp

Vehicle Registration Online --- http://rts.texasonline.state.tx.us/NASApp/txdotrts/common/jsp/txdot_vtr_main_menu.jsp

Pay Taxes Online --- http://www.texasonline.com/category.jsp?language=eng&categoryId=10.8

Occupational and Professional Licenses Online --- http://www.texasonline.com/category.jsp?language=eng&categoryId=10.5

More Online Services for Texans --- http://www.texasonline.com/category.jsp?language=eng&categoryId=10

Bob Jensen's helpers for San Antonio visitors and residents are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/sanantonio.htm

Unhappy Reports forwarded by The Happy Lady

National Pollen Reports --- http://www.pollen.com/Pollen.com.asp
In San Antonio, there's always some type of pollen in the air. We are now entering the dreaded Cedar season.

Where did Canada get it right?
John's Switch to Canada --- http://bantha.cjb.net/john/
(Of course one reason was for John to erase his credit history.)
His Top 10 reasons (aside from his Canadian girlfriend) are at http://bantha.cjb.net/john/switch/whyswitch.htm
There's a lot of Michael Moore in John Bender. For some Michael Moore stuff go to http://www.bowlingforcolumbine.com/

Where did Canada get it wrong?
John does not mention the dark side of Canadian politics and economics.
Economics 304, Canadian Economic Problems from Robin Neill, PhD --- http://www.upei.ca/~rneill/canecpro/canec_syl.html
State of the Canadian Economy --- http://www.nelson.com/nelson/harcourt/economics/state.htm

In any case, we love our Canadian neighbors and their clean, beautiful, and very friendly nation of hope and refuge.

Now that I'm moving into deep snow mountains, I guess I'll have to trade my 1980 Ford Stationwagon in for a 4X4 --- http://www.howstuffworks.com/four-wheel-drive.htm

Photographs of Record Covers --- http://www.317x.com/

Question
What is the biggest waste of money on your book shelves?

Answer
Probably the books on how to do things such as make repairs, find credit reports, find a good diet, raise your kids, etc. The books are hard to find in the jumble of all your books. The topics are hard to find within a given book. The books are out of date. The books cost you a fortune.

A better solution is to electronically search the free Wow Site of the Week. It is probably better to give a friend this link for Christmas than to buy some expensive “how to books.”

Wow Site of the Week --- How Stuff Works! --- http://www.howstuffworks.com/
What is really neat is that the search engine works very, very well!

I've known about this site for years, but I generally forget to use it. While grading term projects this semester, I was amazed how often my students cited it when answering technical questions about computer and information systems. It is a great site for kids, adults, novices, and experts.

Explanations range from trivia to complex engineering questions. A few examples are shown below:

How does Christmas work around the world? http://www.howstuffworks.com/christmas-tree.htm

When, how, and where did kissing under mistletoe begin? http://www.howstuffworks.com/mistletoe.htm

How does the U.S. Social Security System work? http://www.howstuffworks.com/question385.htm

What and how do diseases affect your body? http://www.howstuffworks.com/category.htm?cat=Dis

How does AIDS work? http://www.howstuffworks.com/aids.htm

What is a nervous breakdown? http://www.howstuffworks.com/question653.htm

How does diabetes work? http://www.howstuffworks.com/diabetes.htm

How do your eyes work? http://www.howstuffworks.com/eye.htm

How does brain death work? http://www.howstuffworks.com/brain-death.htm

What can you learn about good and bad nutrition? http://www.howstuffworks.com/category.htm?cat=Nutr

When, how, and where did tipping begin? http://www.howstuffworks.com/tipping1.htm

How can you pick a lock? http://www.howstuffworks.com/lock-picking.htm

How do mortgages work? http://www.howstuffworks.com/mortgage.htm

How do credit reports work? http://www.howstuffworks.com/credit-report8.htm

How do banks work? http://www.howstuffworks.com/bank.htm

How do DVD players work? http://www.howstuffworks.com/dvd.htm

How does symmetric-key encryption work? http://www.howstuffworks.com/encryption.htm

What are the most popular topics and answers?

TOP 10 ARTICLES

How Car Engines Work
How PCs Work
How Lock Picks Work
How CDs Work
How Cell Phones Work
How Jet Engines Work
How Airplanes Work
How Networks Work
How Television Works
How Dieting Works
30 more top articles

What a great site --- http://www.howstuffworks.com/

December 16, 2002 reply from David R. Fordham [fordhadr@JMU.EDU]

Bob, while I disagree with your premises in the first paragraph under “Answer”, I cannot in any way dispute that the “howstuffworks” site is positively absolutely great and worth having at the top of your bookmark file. I use it extensively, and point it out to all my students the very first week of class in my technology courses.

One “book” that I’ve also found to be very much worth the asking price is the “Computer Desktop Encyclopedia” by Alan Freedman. I got hold of this back when it was a hardcopy paper publication (the Computer Glossary), back in the 1980’s. It is now on CD, and is just what the title says: an encyclopedia of computer and technology terms, including major telecomm and networking terms. I require it as a reference in my tech courses.

In fact, it is so useful, I put it in my startup file. I like having it minimized, so when I come across a new term or acronym having to do with technology (such as ABAP4, CKO, or EFF), I can type it in and read about it.

The two things I like so well about it are: (1) It has practically every acronym you can imagine, such as T3, PSTN, SMA, or even FUBAR. (!) and (2) it is up-to-date, thanks to the quarterly updates: if you buy the CDE, you get a new CD every three months for a year! The website is: http://www.computerlanguage.com and they have a telephone number to call to order. I’m not affiliated with them at all, but it would be nice if you tell “Irma” that David Fordham at JMU sent you! My students report that she is giving them a discount on shipping for mentioning my name! Again, I put my hand on the Bible and say that I’m not affiliated with them at all! I get no commission or anything. I just think this CD is one of the greatest inventions since the Bob Jensen Bookmark page! Certainly more useful than the books which I have on my shelf, even though I find them quite useful and worth the money, too! (Bob, I shop at the Green Valley Book Fair … I hardly ever pay more than a couple of dollars for a book! Which says a lot about the CDE, since it is more than a couple of dollars but still well worth the price!

David R. Fordham
PBGH Faculty Fellow
James Madison University

Where did these crooks go to college?

In the latest iteration of the Nigerian e-mail swindle, scammers pose as buyers interested in big-ticket items for sale on the Net. Thanks to a little-known U.S. banking loophole, they're bilking Americans out of thousands --- http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,56829,00.html

Bob Jensen's threads on fraud are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/fraud.htm

Frequent Flier Nostalgia
Stewardess Uniforms --- http://www.uniformfreak.demon.nl/

Cable executives smack their lips over the potential of video on demand: It includes the chance to take back market share from satellite television services and eat into video rental stores' business --- http://www.wired.com/news/digiwood/0,1412,56729,00.html

December 10, 2002 message from Mbemap, Mamouda [mmbemap@kpmg.com]

Dear Professor Bob Jensen,

I am writing to inform you that a Journal which will be published quarterly in London by Routledge Taylor and Francis and specifically dedicated to derivatives accounting and disclosures issues is is currently in preparation. It will address a wide audience ranging from Academics, standard setters and financial market professionals and will have an international reach.

The Journal of Derivatives Accounting --- http://www.taylorandfrancis.com/

[A portion of this message is not reproduced here.]

I thank you very much for your time and attention and I hope to hear from you soon about being on the Editorial Board.

Mamouda Mbemap

Editor
Frankfurt, Germany

Bob Jensen's tutorials on accounting for derivative financial instruments and hedging activities are at
http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/caseans/000index.htm

From The Risk Waters Group on December 6, 2002

JP Morgan Chase is preparing to launch what will become the largest synthetic collateralised debt obligation (CDO) managed by an Asian fund manager. Singapore's UOB Asset Management will manage the $1.7 billion deal, which will be the third synthetic CDO to be managed by an Asian fund manager and the second to be managed by UOB following its $1.33 billion deal arranged by Deutsche Bank in September. Lehman Brothers launched a $500 million synthetic CDO managed by Hong Kong-based PCI Investment Management in November. Officials at JP Morgan Chase declined to comment on the matter, but an investor said the transaction is likely to close next week.

The Institute for Management Accountants is celebrating a milestone of sorts this month - the thirtieth anniversary of the first testing to award the Certified Management Accountant (CMA) designation. http://www.accountingweb.com/item/96822

The ICMA Board of Regents announced a change in the educational requirement for certification as a CMA and/or CFM. The ICMA will maintain its bachelor degree requirement for certification as a CMA or CFM, but non-U.S. bachelor's degrees will now also be accepted. The bachelor's degree would not need to be equivalent to a 4-year U.S. bachelor's degree. Whatever the candidate's country of origin defines as a bachelor's degree would be acceptable (e.g., Indian BCom). In acknowledgment of the different cultural and educational systems in foreign countries, the regents decided to adopt this policy change effective immediately --- http://www.imanet.org/template.cfm?Section=IMANews&NavMenuID=79

WILL NEW PHONES BOOST NOKIA'S SIGNAL?
The Finnish giant is hanging next year's fortunes on a big product launch. But gaining market share in a crowded field won't be easy http://www.businessweek.com/investor/content/dec2002/pi20021211_3617.htm?c=bwtechdec13&n=link5&t=email

Will Microsoft Develop For Linux?
It's the time of the year when psychics make apocalyptic and outlandish predictions. Analyst firm Meta Group has an eyebrow-raiser of its own: Microsoft will debut Linux apps in '04. http://update.informationweek.com/cgi-bin4/flo?y=eJ2M0BcUEY0V20BoAk0Af

AccountingWeb Book Recommendation on December 12, 2002

Follow the expert advice in this book--the fourth in The Ultimate Consultant Series--and you won't fall victim to the success plateau that undermines many consultants. If you feel that your work has become easier, it may be that you're not climbing "up" but rather moving laterally. And, sooner or later, your plateau will begin to erode and you'll find yourself on a decline. In How to Acquire Clients, Alan Weiss, internationally recognized consultant and author of the best- selling Million Dollar Consulting, shows you how to continue to move "up the mountain." http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0787955140/accountingweb

Bob Jensen's related threads on this issue are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/fees.htm

Personally, I never cared for these soup strainers. But Hercule Perot prized his moustache. (History, Photography)
The Handlebar Club --- http://www.handlebarclub.org.uk/

Mergers and Acquisitions forwarded by Auntie Bev

1. Hale Business Systems, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Fuller Brush and W.R.Grace Co. will merge and become Hale,Mary,Fuller,Grace.

2. Polygram Records, Warner Bros. and Zesta Crackers join forces and become Polly,Warner Cracker.

3. 3M will merge with Goodyear and issue forth as MMMGood.

4. Zippo Mfg., Audi Motor Car,Dofasco and Dakota Mining will merge to become, of course, ZipAudiDoDa.

5. Federal Express is expected to join its major competitor, UPS, and consolidate as FedUP

6. Fairchild Electronics and Honeywell Computers will become Fairwell, Honeychild.

7. Grey Poupon and Docker Pants are expected to become Poupon Pants.

8. Knotts Berry Farm and the Nat'l Org. of Women will become Knott NOW!

otherjokes070.htm

(True Story)

An elderly lady did her shopping and, upon returning to her car, found four males in the act of leaving with her vehicle.

She dropped her shopping bags and drew her handgun, proceeding to scream at them at the top of her voice, "I have a gun and I know how to use it! Get out of the car you scumbags!"

The four men didn't wait for a second invitation but got out and ran like mad, whereupon the lady, somewhat shaken, proceeded to load her shopping bags into the back of the car and get into the driver's seat. She was so shaken that she could not get her key into the ignition.

She tried and tried and then it dawned on her why. A few minutes later she found her own car parked four or five spaces farther down.

She loaded her bags into her car and drove to the police station.* The sergeant to whom she told the story nearly tore himself in two with laughter and pointed to the other end of the counter, where four pale white males were reporting a car jacking by a mad elderly woman described as white, less than 5' tall, glasses and curly white hair carrying a large handgun.

No charges were filed.

True Doctor Stories

A man comes into the ER and yells, "My wife's going to have her baby in the cab!" I grabbed my stuff, rushed out to the cab, lifted the lady's dress, and began to take off her underwear. Suddenly I noticed that there were several cabs, and I was in the wrong one.
Dr. Mark MacDonald, San Antonio, TX
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

At the beginning of my shift I placed a stethoscope on an elderly and slightly deaf female patient's anterior chest wall. "Big breaths," I instructed. "Yes, they used to be," remorsefully replied the patient.
Dr. Richard Byrnes, Seattle, WA
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

One day I had to be the bearer of bad news when I told a wife that her husband had died of a massive myocardial infarct. Not more than five minutes later, I heard her reporting to the rest of the family that he had died of a "massive internal fart."
Dr. Susan Steinberg, Manitoba, Canada
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I was performing a complete physical, including the visual acuity test. I placed the patient twenty feet from the chart and began, "Cover your right eye with your hand." He read the 20/20 line perfectly. "Now your left." Again, a flawless read. "Now both," I requested. There was silence. He couldn't even read the large E on the top line. I turned and discovered that he had done exactly what I had asked; he was standing there with both his eyes covered. I was laughing too hard to finish the exam.
Dr. Matthew Theodropolous, Worcester, MA
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

During a patient's two week follow-up appointment with his cardiologist, he informed me, his doctor, that he was having trouble with one of his medications. "Which one?" I asked. "The patch. The nurse told me to put on a new one every six hours and now I'm running out of places to put it!" I had him quickly undress and discovered what I hoped I wouldn't see. Yes, the man had over fifty patches on his body! Now the instructions include removal of the old patch before applying a new one.
Dr. Rebecca St. Clair, Norfolk, VA
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

While acquainting myself with a new elderly patient, I asked, "How long have you been bedridden?" After a look of complete confusion she answered . "Why, not for about twenty years -- when my husband was alive."
Dr. Steven Swanson, Corvallis, OR
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I was caring for a woman from Kentucky and asked, "So, how's your breakfast this morning?" "It's very good, except for the Kentucky Jelly. I can t seem to get used to the taste," the patient replied. I then asked to see the jelly and the woman produced a foil packet labeled "KY Jelly."
Dr. Leonard Kransdorf, Detroit, MI
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

And Finally . . . . .
A new, young MD doing his residency in OB was quite embarrassed performing female pelvic exams. To cover his embarrassment he had unconsciously formed a habit of whistling softly. The middle aged lady upon whom he was performing this exam suddenly burst out laughing and further embarrassed him. He looked up from his work and sheepishly said, "I'm sorry. Was I tickling you?" She replied, "No doctor, but the song you were whistling was 'I wish I was an Oscar Meyer Wiener'."

An Elderly Woman Gets a Wedding Proposal --- http://www.internet-tips.net/Jokes/otherjokes400.htm

Will You Marry Me?

This is the story of two elderly people living in a Florida mobile home park. He was a widower and she a widow. They had known one another for a number of years.

Now, one evening there was a community supper in the big activity center. These two were at the same table, across from one another. As the meal went on, he made a few admiring glances at her and finally gathered up his courage to ask her, "Will you marry me?"

After about six seconds of 'careful consideration,' she answered. "Yes, Yes, I will."

The meal ended and with a few more pleasant exchanges, they went to their respective places. Next morning, he was troubled. Did she say 'yes' or did she say 'no'? He couldn't remember. Try as he would, he just could not recall. Not even a faint memory.

With trepidation, he went to the telephone and called her. First, he explained to her that he didn't remember as well as he used to. Then he reviewed the lovely evening past. As he gained a little more courage, he then inquired of her, "When I asked if you would marry me, did you say 'Yes' or did you say 'No'?"

He was delighted to hear her say, "Why, I said, 'Yes, yes I will' and I meant it with all my heart." Then she continued, "And I am so glad that you called, because I couldn't remember who had asked me."

Mothers Dictionary

AMNESIA: Condition that enables a woman who has gone through labor to Make love again.

DUMBWAITER: One who asks if the kids would care to order dessert.

FAMILY PLANNING: The art of spacing your children the proper distance Apart to keep you on the edge of financial disaster.

FEEDBACK: The inevitable result when your baby doesn't appreciate the strained carrots.

FULL NAME: What you call your child when you're mad at him.

GRANDPARENTS: The people who think your children are wonderful even Though they're sure you're not raising them right.

HEARSAY: What toddlers do when anyone mutters a dirty word.

IMPREGNABLE: A woman whose memory of labor is still vivid.

INDEPENDENT: How we want our children to be as long as they do everything We say.

OW: The first word spoken by children with older siblings.

PUDDLE: a small body of water that draws other small bodies wearing dry Shoes into it.

SHOW OFF: a child who is more talented than yours.

STERILIZE: what you do to your first baby's pacifier by boiling it and to your last baby's pacifier by blowing on it.

TOP BUNK: where you should never put a child wearing Superman pajamas.

TWO MINUTE WARNING: when the baby's face turns red and she begins to make those familiar grunting noises.

VERBAL: able to whine in words

WHODUNIT: none of the kids that live in your house

Actual Excuses Written By Cool Parents --- http://www.internet-tips.net/Jokes/otherjokes693.htm

~ Dear School: Please excuse John from being absent on Jan. 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, and also 33.

~ Please excuse Johnnie for being. It was his father's fault.

~ Chris will not be in school because he has an acre in his side.

~ John has been absent because he had two teeth taken off his face.

~ Excuse Gloria. She has been under the doctor.

~ Lillie was absent from school yesterday because she had a going over.

~ My son is under the doctor's care and should not take fizical ed. Please execute him.

~ Carlos was absent yesterday because he was playing football. He was hit in the growing part.

~ Please excuse Joyce from P.E. for a few days. Yesterday she fell off a tree and misplaced her hip.

~ Please excuse Ray Friday from school. He has very loose vowels.

~ Maryann was absent Dec. 11-16, because she had a fever, sore throat, headache, and upset stomach. Her sister was also sick, fever and sore throat, her brother had a low-grade fever. There must be the flu going around, her father even got hot last night.

~ Please excuse Blanche from jim today. She is administrating.

~ George was absent yesterday because he had a stomach.

~ Ralph was absent yesterday because he had a sore trout.

~ Please excuse Lupe. She is having problems with her ovals.

~ Please excuse Sara for being absent. She was sick and I had her shot.

Out of the Mouths of Young Children --- http://www.internet-tips.net/Jokes/otherjokes517.htm

Give me a sentence about a public servant," said a teacher. The small boy wrote: "The fireman came down the ladder pregnant." The teacher took the boy aside to correct him. "Don't you know what pregnant means?" she asked. "Sure," said the young boy confidently, "means carrying a child."

Her 7-year-old grandson surprised a grandmother one morning. He had made her coffee. She drank what was the worst cup of coffee in her life. When she got to the bottom, there was three of those little green army men in the cup. She said, "Honey, what are the army men doing in my coffee?" Her grandson said, "Grandma, it says on TV- "The best part of waking up is soldiers in your cup."

Susie Sunshine asked her Sunday School class to draw pictures of their favorite Bible stories. She was puzzled by Jimmy's picture, which showed four people on an airplane, so she asked him which story it was meant to represent. "The Flight into Egypt," said Jimmy. "I see...and that must be Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus," Ms. Susie said, but who's the fourth person?" "Oh", said Jimmy, "that's Pontius-the-Pilot."

An exasperated mother, whose son was always getting! into mischief finally asked him, "how do you expect to get into heaven?" The boy thought it over and said, "well, I'll just run in and out and in and out and keep slamming the door until St. Peter says, "for heaven's sake, Jimmy, come in or stay out."

A Nursery School Teacher was delivering a station wagon full of kids home one day when a fire truck zoomed past. Sitting in the front seat of the fire truck was a Dalmatian dog. The children started discussing the dog's duties. "They use him to keep crowds back," said one. youngster. "No," said another "he's just for good luck." A third child brought the argument to a close saying, "They use the dogs, "she said firmly, "to find the fire hydrant."

Little Johnny watched, fascinated, as his mother smoothed cold cream on her face. "Why do you do that, Mommy?" he asked. "To make myself beautiful," said his mother who then began removing the cream with a tissue. "What's the matter?" asked little Johnny, "Giving up?"

Kids in Church

A little boy opened the big and old family Bible with fascination, and looked at the old pages as he turned them. Suddenly, something fell out of the Bible, and he picked it up and looked at it closely. It was an old leaf from a tree that had been pressed in between the pages.

"Mommy, look what I found," the boy called out.

"What have you got there, dear?" his mother asked.

With astonishment in the young boy's voice, he answered: "I think it's Adam's suit!"

***************************
Six-year-old Angie and her four-year-old brother Joel were sitting together in church. Joel giggled, sang, and talked out loud. Finally, his big sister had enough. "You're not supposed to talk out loud in church."

"Why? Who's going to stop me?" Joel asked. Angie pointed to the back of the church and said, "See those two men standing by the door? They're hushers."

**************************
One Sunday in a Midwest city a young child was "acting up" during the morning worship hour. The parents did their best to maintain some sense of order in the pew but were losing the battle. Finally the father picked the little fellow up and walked sternly up the aisle on his way out. Just before reaching the safety of the foyer the little one called loudly to the congregation, "Pray for me! Pray for me!"

*************************
And this particular four-year-old prayed: "And forgive us our trash baskets as we forgive those who put trash in our baskets."

**************************
During the minister's prayer one Sunday, there was a loud whistle from one of the back pews. Gary's mother was horrified. She pinched him into silence, and after church, asked: "Gary, whatever made you do such a thing?"
Gary answered soberly: "I asked God to teach me to whistle...And He just then did!"

***************************
One night Mike's parents overheard this prayer. "Now I lay me down to rest, and hope to pass tomorrow's test, if I should die before I wake, that's one less test I have to take."

**************************
A little boy was overheard praying: "Lord, if You can't make me a better boy, don't worry about it. I'm having a real good time like I am!"

Forwarded by Barbara

Subject: Church Gossip

Sarah, the church gossip and self-appointed supervisor of the church's morals, kept sticking her nose into other people's business. Several residents were unappreciative of her activities, but feared her enough to maintain their silence. She made a mistake, however, when she accused George, a new member, of being an alcoholic after she saw his pickup truck parked in front of the town's only bar one afternoon. She commented to George and others that everyone seeing it there would know that he was an alcoholic. George, a man of few words, stared at her for a moment and just walked away. He said nothing. Later that evening, George, quietly parked his pickup in front of Sarah's house............... and he left it there all night.

Some great things about getting older

Your investment in health insurance is finally beginning to pay off.
Kidnappers are not very interested in you.
If you've never smoked, you can start now and it won't have time to hurt you.
Your secrets are safe with your friends because they can't remember them either.
Your eyes won't get much worse.
Things you buy now won't wear out.
No one expects you to run into a burning building.
There's nothing left to learn the hard way.
Your joints are more accurate than the National Weather Service.
In a hostage situation you are likely to be released first.

Forwarded by George Lan

Why God Never Received Tenure at any University

01. He had only one major publication.
02. It was in Hebrew.
03. It had no references.
04. It wasn't published in a refereed journal.
05. Some even doubt he wrote it himself.
06. It may be true that he created the world, but what has he done since then?
07. His cooperative efforts have been quite limited.
08. The scientific community has had a hard time replicating his results.
09. He never applied to the Ethics Board for permission to use human subjects.
10. When one experiment went awry he tried to cover it up by drowning the subjects.
11. When subjects didn't behave as predicted, he deleted them from the sample .
12. He rarely came to class, just told students to read the Book.
13. Some say he had his son teach the class.
14. He expelled his first two students for learning.
15. Although there were only ten requirements, most students failed his tests. 16. His office hours were infrequent and usually held on a mountaintop.

CHRISTMAS CAROLS FOR THE PSYCHIATRICALLY CHALLENGED

SCHIZOPHRENIA:
Do You Hear What I Hear?

MULTIPLE PERSONALITY DISORDER:
We Three Kings Disoriented Are

DEMENTIA:
I Think I'll be Home for Christmas

NARCISSISTIC:
Hark the Herald Angles Sing About Me

MANIC:
Deck the Halls and Walls and House and Lawn and Streets and Stores and Office and Town and Cars and Busses and Trucks and Trees and Fire Hydrants and......

PARANOID:
Santa Claus is Coming to Get me

BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER:
Thoughts of Roasting on an Open Fire

PERSONALITY DISORDER:
You Better Watch Out, I'm Gonna Cry, I'm Gonna Pout, Maybe I'll tell You Why

OBSSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER:
Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells...

Memo forwarded by the Happy Lady

To: All Concerned
From : Santa Clause
December 24, 2002

I regret to inform you that, effective immediately I will no longer serve the States of Georgia, Florida, Virginia, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi, Texas, and Arkansas on Christmas Eve. Due to the overwhelming current population of the earth, my contract was renegotiated by North American Fairies and Elves Local 209. As part of the new and better contract I also get longer breaks for milk and cookies so keep that in mind. However, I'm certain that your children will be in good hands with your local replacement, who happens to be my third cousin, Bubba Claus. His side of the family is from the South Pole. He shares my goal of delivering toys to all the good boys and girls; however, there are a few differences between us.

Differences such as:

1.
There is no danger of the Grinch stealing your presents from Bubba Claus. He has a gun rack on his sleigh and a bumper sticker that reads:"These toys insured by Smith and Wesson."

2.
Instead of milk and cookies, Bubba Claus prefers that children leave an RC cola and pork rinds [or a moon pie] on the fireplace. And Bubba doesn't smoke a pipe. He dips a little snuff though, so please have an empty spit can handy.

3.
Bubba Claus' sleigh is pulled by floppy-eared, flyin' coon dogs instead of reindeer. I made the mistake of loaning him a couple of my reindeer one time, and Blitzen's head now overlooks Bubba's fireplace.

4.
You won't hear "On Comet, on Cupid, on Donner and Blitzen.," when Bubba Claus arrives. Instead, you'll hear, "On Earnhardt, on Andretti, on Elliott and Petty."

5.
"Ho, Ho, Ho!" has been replaced by "Yee Haw!" And you also are likely to hear Bubba's elves respond, "I her'd dat!"

6.
As required by Southern highway laws, Bubba Claus' sleigh does have a Yosemite Sam safety triangle on the back with the words "Back Off."

7.
The usual Christmas movie classics such as "Miracle on 34th Street" and "It's a Wonderful Life" will not be shown in your negotiated viewing area. Instead, you'll see "Boss Hogg Saves Christmas". And Finally,

8.
Bubba Claus doesn't wear a belt. If I were you, I'd make sure you, the wife, and the kids turn the other way when he bends over to put presents under the tree.

Sincerely Yours,
Santa Claus
Member of North American Fairies and Elves, Union 1225

Forwarded by Auntie Bev

New Rules for the Holidays!

I hate this time of year. Not for its crass commercialism and forced frivolity, but because it's the season when the food police come out with their wagging fingers and annual tips on how to get through the holidays without gaining 10 pounds. You can't pick up a magazine without finding a list of holiday eating do's and don'ts. Eliminate second helpings, high-calorie sauces and cookies made with butter, they say. Fill up on vegetable sticks, they say. Good grief. Is your favorite childhood memory of Christmas a carrot stick? I didn't think so. Isn't mine, either. A carrot was something you left for Rudolph. I have my own list of tips for holiday eating. I assure you, if you follow them, you'll be fat and happy....

1. About those carrot sticks. Avoid them. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. Like fine single-malt scotch, it's rare. In fact, it's even rarer than single-malt scotch. You can't find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnogaholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello? Remember college?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. You can't leave them behind. You're not going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple. Pumpkin. Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or, if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10. And one final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Reread tips. Start over.

But hurry! Cookieless January is just around the corner. May your holidays be filled with goodness and cheer!!

Forwarded by Barbara

Speed Trap A state trooper spied a car puttering along at 22 MPH. So he turned on his lights and pulled the driver over. Approaching the car, he noticed that five old guys were inside, and they looked wide-eyed and terribly pale. The driver pleaded with him, "Officer, I don't understand, I was doing exactly the speed limit! What seems to be the problem?"

"Sir," the officer replies, "You weren't speeding, but driving slower than the speed limit can also be dangerous."

"I beg to differ, Officer, I was doing the speed limit exactly: twenty-two miles an hour!" the old man said.

The trooper, chuckling, explained to him that "22" was the route number, not the speed limit. A bit embarrassed, the man grinned and thanked the officer for pointing out his error.

"But before I let you go, Sir, I have to ask... Is everyone in this car ok? These guys seem awfully shaken."

"Oh, they'll be all right in a minute," the old man said. "We just got off Route 119."

Christmas has been cancelled and it is all your fault because you told Santa you had been good this year.

He died laughing!

Rudolf does this if you give an honest answer --- http://www.jingandmike.com/pages/xmas.html

This is me in retirement when I shift to writing novels.
NotWriting.com --- http://www.notwriting.com/

Happy New Year!

Animated Holiday Card --- http://www.castlemountains.net/flashdec/xmas_house.swf

Musical Holiday Card (Click on each deer) --- http://web.icq.com/shockwave/0,,4845,00.swf

Holiday Greetings from Bob & Erika --- http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/NHcottage/XMAS2002.htm

And that's the way it was on December 31, 2002 with a little help from my friends.

Paul Pacter maintains the best international accounting standards and news Website at http://www.iasplus.com/

Professor Robert E. Jensen (Bob) http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen
Jesse H. Jones Distinguished Professor of Business Administration
Trinity University, San Antonio, TX 78212-7200
Voice: 210-999-7347 Fax: 210-999-8134 Email: rjensen@trinity.edu

Holiday Greetings from Bob & Erika --- http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/NHcottage/XMAS2002.htm
Anyone interested in buying our nice San Antonio home my read about the details at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/house.htm

Quotes of the Week

After 10 years of sustained economic growth, a 4-year bubble where salaries, expectations, and retirement dreams increased dramatically, and a number of decades of relative 'safety', a number of Americans are trying to find the meaning of life.
Mitchell Levy, Author, E-Volve-or- Die.com --- http://ecnow.com/2003Top10TrendsArticle-withQuotes.pdf

Employees will become increasingly disgruntled because the sluggish economy reduces their employment options. Managers will have more power and will become more overtly evil.
Scott Adams, Dilbert Cartoonist --- http://ecnow.com/2003Top10TrendsArticle-withQuotes.pdf

The recent events, unfortunate as they are, clearly demonstrate the value of straight-arrow accounting and highly skeptical auditing. Leaders are now talking about the "value" of an audit for the first time in years, rather than implying that an audit is a necessary compliance-oriented evil, and other services are the "value added services." Many leaders seem to understand the need to rebuild confidence and trust in the profession through high quality work; that rhetoric won't do it.
David Pearnson, Case Western Reserve University --- http://ey.com/GLOBAL/content.nsf/US/EY_Faculty_Connection

The preface is the most important part of a book. Even the critics read it.
Guedalla Philip

Opulence is the ruin of the rich and augments the misery of the poor.
Diderot Denis

Highlighting Texas' $800 billion economy, a print ad declares "Texas is between Italy and Canada. (Thanks in part to CPAs.)"
Part of an advertising campaign in Texas to restore faith in CPAs --- http://www.smartpros.com/x36169.xml

A politician needs the ability to foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month, and next year. And to have the ability afterwards to explain why it didn't happen.
Winston Churchill

What is past is prologue.
William Shakespeare

You will have plenty of time if you don't waste it.
Bernard de Fontenelle

Yale Law School Professor Proposes Reform, Repeal of Income Tax
http://www.yale.edu/opa/newsr/02-11-21-02.all.html (Forwarded by Scott Bonacker)

Bob Jensen's December 15, 2002 updates on the accounting and finance scandals can be found at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/fraud121502.htm

It is important to encourage whistle blowing.
The AccountingWeb now provides a free report that can help with your training process by providing you with crucial legal information and perspectives on whistleblowing and how it can be both a godsend and a curse to your business. http://www.accountingweb.com/item/96760

Petition for a Change of Leadership in the AICPA --- http://www.petitiononline.com/AICPA/petition.html

The FASB issued Interpretation No. 45 to improve disclosure requirements for guarantees. This interpretation may help investors avoid surprises like the sudden revelations of executive loans at Adelphia. http://www.accountingweb.com/item/96787

Check out the top ten trends for 2003 with quotes from luminaries such as the creator of Dilbert, the CTO of GM, authors of top business books and executives from companies such as: HP, Cable & Wireless, CSC, Salesforce, Nielsen/Netratings, Bowstreet, Zapthink and Infravio: http://ecnow.com/2003Top10TrendsArticle-withQuotes.pdf

Top ten trends for 2003 --- http://vms3.info/Dec2002/feature.article.htm

Top level news stories via the lenses of the Value Framework(tm) --- http://vms3.info/Dec2002/management.perspective.htm

Bob Jensen's threads on electronic business are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/ecommerce.htm

"Now Here This: Wall Street's Research Stinks. Here's How to Fix It.," by Bill Alpert, Barron's, December 2, 2002, pp. 23-26

. . . Wall Street, and the institutions that issue its analysts their MBAs and CFAs, have trained stock analysts to discount future earnings four different ways. But they have failed to teach them skills like how to design financial models that can be proved or disproved with real-world research. Analysts make detailed forecasts for a company's products, for example, in the mistaken belief they're supplying the reasons for their stock-price target. But given their paltry real-world data on those products, analysts can't possible show why their forecast is more reasonable than any number of contradictory forecasts. The phony precision in most 2010 sales estimates, for example, betrays how few analysts understand what inferences their data will bear.

.We suggest improvements in research methods that would be clearly visible in an investment report. That way, investors need not rely on the assurances of Wall Street--and its regulators--that analysts have gone straight; investors will be able to look directly at the report for evidence of good work.

. . .

The Morgan Stanley analysts wouldn't talk to us, so they did not explain to us how they--or anybody--could make so many simultaneous estimates. Using algebra or astrology, it is simply impossible to pin down so many answers with so little input. "People who try to predict so many variables fall into a trap," says Wharton finance professor Simon Benninga. "They think that more detail is actually going to clarify the picture, when sometimes the best picture is a very sketchy picture." Benninga didn't review the Morgan Stanley report, but he counsels his students to keep their models simple enough, so as not to miss the forest for the trees.

. . .

Instead of overloading spreadsheets with variables plucked from the air, stock analysts should spend some time collecting original data on the few things that matter. Brokerage firms leave their analysts little time to go out in the field. The analysts are too busy marketing stocks and publishing research tomes.

The above quotations are only excerpts from the article.

"Accountancy Firms Face Grim 2003: KPMG Warns That Growth Will Suffer in Wake of Financial Scandals," Financial Times, December 3, 2002, Page 1 --- http://news.ft.com/home/us/

Accountancy firms are facing a grim 2003 as the auditing profession struggles to maintain growth following the wave of financial scandals in the US, KPMG warned yesterday.

Mike Rake, KPMG chairman, said the days of regular double-digit revenue increases were over for now. The accountancy firm, one of the four biggest in the world, announced 3.9 percent revenue growth to $10.8bn, down from 9 percent last year. "I would be overwhelmed with joy if we saw 5, 6 or 7 percent growth in this coming year," he said.

The figures come at the end of a turbulent year for the accounting profession, which has been fighting to restore its reputation.

Andersen collapsed after being found guilty of obstructing justice in the Enron scandal. The US passed legislation to overhaul regulation and the integrity of audit work has come under scrutiny amid a record number of financial restatements.

The biggest firms, under client and regulator pressure to eliminate potential conflict of interests, have split off or are about to break out the bulk of consultancy operations--for years the fastest-growing and most lucrative parts of their business.

Mr. Rake said the lack of consultancy was making growth hard. Uncertainty over a po ssible war with Iraq and low customer confidence added to the gloom.

"Growth has been stymied by the separation of consultancy but I still see enormous opportunities in selling non-audit services to non-audit clients and in mid- and small-sized clients."

Mr. Rake also said there were high-growth regions, such as eastern Europe and China, that were promising.

But the environment had worsened in the past three months, he said, pointing out that KPMG's financial year to the end of September stood up well against competitors whose financial years ended earlier and whose figures had therefore not captured the latest slowdown.

PcW's revenues were up 1 percent to the end of June while Deloitte Touche Thomatsu posted the same growth to the end of May. Ernst & Young was up 2.7 percent to the end of June.

Mr. Rake said KPMG was becoming more reform-minded. "All accountancy firms should be very open and transparent. They have to ensure consistency and quality across their global operations. We need better independent oversight... and we can't let the relationship people override the technical people [on audit opinions]."

However, the drop in consulting revenue (due to new regulations and laws on auditor independence) is not as great as most people think. There will still be heavy consulting revenue rolling in after the economy pulls out of the current slump.
"Even Without Consulting Arms, Accounting Firms Still Consult," by Cassell Bryan-Low, The Wall Street Journal, September 23, 2002, PAGEC1 --- http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB1032736856302232033.djm,00.html
You can see a summary (with a graph) of the above article by scrolling down deeply into http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/fraudVirginia.htm

Battelle: Technology Forecasts --- http://www.battelle.org/forecasts/default.stm

Accounting education research has never been a priority in curricula of accounting doctoral programs vis-à-vis the typical topics of capital markets, behavioral, and analytical research.

I am forwarding David's request to my good friends to see if something turns up. I am asking them to reply directly to David with a copy to me.

David's email address David.Stout@villanova.edu
David Stout is a former Editor of Issues in Accounting Education

Bob Jensen

-----Original Message-----
From: David E. Stout [mailto:David.Stout@villanova.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, December 04, 2002 3:40 PM
To: Jensen, Robert
Subject: Ph.D. seminar in accounting education research?

Hi Bob.
Hope all is well. Are you aware of anyone who will be offering a doctoral seminar on accounting education research next semester (Spring 2003)? If so, please forward to me this information. If you are unaware of anyone doing this, can you post something on your website, asking anyone who fits this description to contact me? I would be most appreciative.

Best regards. ----------------
David E. Stout
Villanova University
(610) 519-4048 (tel.) (610) 519-5204 (fax)

Are accounting researchers really seeking truth?

Richard Sensing wrote:

>The trend toward more joint work has several possible explanations.
>The most obvious one is technological. Electronic file transfer has
>made joint work with colleagues at different institutions much
>easier than before. Joint work also probably increases with
>experience, as one gets to know more potential co-authors over
>time. Is the average research faculty member more or less
>experienced than the average research faculty member 30 years ago?

Richard C. Sansing

Reply from Bob Jensen

I agree with everything Richard said about co-authoring trends in this age of networking.

However, when I did two (co-authored) studies about accounting research publication trends, it seemed that the co-authorship trend was virtually zero before 1950 and then rose steadily to where it became over 50% by the late 1980s. I suspect it is much higher in this decade, but I’ve not studied authorship in this decade.

Figure 1 on Page 212 of the Part 1 paper is shown below:

Source: "An Analysis of the Contributors to Accounting Journals, Part I: The Aggregate Performances," by Jean Louis Heck, Robert E. Jensen, and Philip L. Cooley, International Journal of Accounting (University of Illinois), 1990, pp. 202-217.

Part 2 is entitled "An Analysis of the Contributors to Accounting Journals, Part II: The Individual Academic Accounting Journals, 1991, pp. 1-17.

Note that in the above graph, computer networking did not exist (e.g., the World Wide Web did not commence until 1990) for most of the growth years of co-authorship. I think the real explanation for the explosion of co-authorship was that criteria for tenure and promotion changed dramatically after the Ford Foundation’s Gordon and Howell Report (Columbia University Press, 1959) significantly raised expectations that business schools have higher concentrations of researchers with doctoral degrees. To be respectable within the total university culture, business schools in the 1960s and especially in the 1970s then forced doctoral faculty to be more prolific in publishing in research journals. Pressures mounted every year thereafter.

More importantly, faculty were held accountable for research performance each year! Thus began the trend for getting more research publication “hits” each and every year. Co-authorship made it possible to get credit for more papers and more frequent papers. Having more submissions increased the odds of journal acceptance. For example, rather than have a 10% chance for publishing a solo paper, the odds increased when three authors submitted three joint papers where each paper had a 10% probability of acceptance.

That was game we played in the Gordon and Howell Report aftermath, a game in which the number of publications counted more than the quality of publications in performance evaluations. Although this was not necessarily the case when building an academic reputation (i.e., quality counts among your all-knowing peers), article counting was the case among administrators allocating the small bundles of faculty raises each year. The game was to get a paper published in a top journal no matter how many authors were on the paper and no matter what the real contribution was in all honesty.

For example, in the 1970s, operations research papers were sometimes printed in accounting journals even when the contributions were entirely esoteric and/or technical rather than substantive for accountancy. For example, some papers on finer points of mathematical optimization appearing in accounting journals had no business being in accounting journals.

The other game was to get a top accounting journal to publish an economics/behavioral paper that top economics/psychology journals would not accept. In my personal opinion, this game is much harder to play these days where editors prefer more direct linkage to accountancy (but not necessarily practice).

The sad part in all of this is there will never be another Carl Devine in the 21st Century. Carl Devine was a professor who spent most of his life writing accounting essays without being pressured annually for “hits” in journals. He could spend years on an essay and not be pressured by annual “countings” of the number of hits. He could focus on quality of deep scholarship over his lifetime rather than the annual average number of journal hits.

That leads me to my main criticism of the “hits” that we read in accounting journals and to editorial policy. Two weeks ago I conducted a workshop on accounting for electronic commerce at the annual Asian-Pacific Accounting Conference (which was in California this year).

The BAMBERs

I was responsible for an afternoon workshop and enjoyed the privilege to sit in on the tail end of the morning workshop on journal editing conducted by Linda and Mike Bamber. (Linda is the current Editor of The Accounting Review).

I have great respect for both Linda and Mike, and my criticism here applies to the editorial policies of the American Accounting Association and other publishers of top accounting research journals. In no way am I criticizing Linda and Mike for the huge volunteer effort that both of them are giving to The Accounting Review (TAR).

Mike’s presentation focused upon a recent publication in TAR based upon a behavioral survey of 25 auditors. Mike greatly praised the research and the article’s write up. My question afterwards was whether TAR would accept an identical replication study that confirmed the outcomes published original TAR publication. The answer was absolutely NO! Accounting research journals do not publish replications unless they have contradictory outcomes or approach the problem with more interesting methodologies.

Now think of the absurdity of the above policy on publishing replications. Scientists would shake their heads and snicker at accounting research. No scientific experiment is considered worthy until it has been independently replicated multiple times. Science professors thus have an advantage over accounting professors in playing the “journal hits” game for promotion and tenure, because their top journals will publish replications. Scientists are constantly seeking truth and challenging whether it’s really the truth.

Thus I come to my main point that is far beyond the co-authorship issue that stimulated this message. My main point is that in academic accounting research publishing, we are more concerned with the cleverness of the research than in the “truth” of the findings themselves.

Have I become too much of a cynic in my old age? Except in a limited number of capital markets events studies, have accounting researchers published replications due to genuine interest by the public in whether the earlier findings hold true? Or do we hold the findings as self-evident on the basis of one published study with as few as 25 test subjects? Or is there any interest in the findings themselves to the general public apart from interest in the methods and techniques of interest to researchers themselves?

Bob Jensen

-----Original Message-----
From: Richard C. Sansing [mailto:Richard.C.Sansing@DARTMOUTH.EDU]
Sent: Wednesday, December 04, 2002 9:29 AM
To: AECM@LISTSERV.LOYOLA.EDU Subject: Re: Hours students spend studying

--- Bob Jensen wrote:

>What was interesting is that their performance reports claimed that 50%
>of their time was spent on research when in reality the study concluded
>that less than 10% of their time was spent on research.
>I mention this because my gut feel is that this is also the case today,
>especially in this era of joint projects and co-authorship. I know I
>save a considerable amount of time by pawning off work on research
>partners relative to my early years in academe in an era when solo
>efforts were much more the norm than in research since the 1980s.

An interesting issue. One question is what you do with the time you save due to co-authorship. I think I spend about the same time on research now that I did ten years ago, but I have a lot more papers in the pipeline due to "pawning off work on research partners" as you put it.

The trend toward more joint work has several possible explanations. The most obvious one is technological. Electronic file transfer has made joint work with colleagues at different institutions much easier than before. Joint work also probably increases with experience, as one gets to know more potential co-authors over time. Is the average research faculty member more or less experienced than the average research faculty member 30 years ago?

Richard C. Sansing
Associate Professor of Business Administration
Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth
email: Richard.C.Sansing@dartmouth.edu

A December 5, 2002 reply from David Stout about the replications thing --- an AAA journal editor’s inside perspective!

Note that I think that a big policy weakness is that the policy of accounting research journals to not publish confirming replications (even in abstracted form) is that this policy discourages efforts to perform confirming replications.

But the most serious problem is that the findings themselves may not be interesting enough for researchers to perform replications whether or not those replications will be published. Are the findings so uninteresting that researchers aren’t really interested in seeking truth?

Bob Jensen

-----Original Message-----
From: David E. Stout [mailto:david.stout@villanova.edu]
Sent: Thursday, December 05, 2002
To: Jensen, Robert
Subject: Re: Are we really interested in truth?

I read through the material you sent (below)--one thing caught my eye: the issue of REPLICATIONS. This is a subject about which I am passionate. When I assumed the editorship of Issues, I had to appear before the AAA Publications Committee to present/defend a plan for the journal during my (then) forthcoming tenure. One of my plans was to institute a "Replications Section" in the journal. (The sad reality, beyond the excellent points you make, is that the lack of replications has a limiting effect on our ability to establish a knowledge base. In short, there are not many things where, on the basis of empirical research, we can draw firm conclusions.) After listening to my presentation, the chair of the Publications Committee posed the following question: "Why would we want to devote precious journal space to that which we already know?" To say the least, I was shocked--a rather stark reality check you might say. The lack of replications precludes us, in a very real sense, from "knowing."

I applaud your frank comments regarding the whole issue of replications, and their (proper) place within the conduct of "scientific" investigations. You made my day!

------
David E. Stout
Villanova University

Making a Profit from Unrealistic Consumers In agreeing to things like a cell phone contract or an introductory credit card interest rate, most consumers overestimate how much self control and common sense they have. The result, say Ulrike Malmendier (GSB) and Stefano Della Vigna (Haas), is that they may make some questionable economic decisions. November 2002 http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/news/research/finance_unrealconsumers.shtml

Question
U.S. productivity keeps growing -- right through the bust. So what's wrong with Europe?

Answer
See http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/10.12/view.html?pg=5

Important notice for accounting students:
The CPA Examination now tests current FASB, AICPA, IRS, and SEC pronouncements within the six months of issuance of the pronouncements. Are your instructors making you access current pronouncements electronically via such services as FARS from the AICPA or Comperio from PwC? Are they making you track current summaries in the Journal of Accountancy (which is free online at http://www.aicpa.org/pubs/jofa/joahome.htm )?

I think that accounting instructors sometimes focus too much on textbooks that can be years out of date even for current editions because of delays in the publication and revision process. Your instructors should be assigning monthly readings from latest pronouncement summaries in the Journal of Accountancy. Also they should be recommending that students frequently access their textbook's supplemental online service provided by the publisher.

This advice may sound obvious, but I think that instructors sometimes need reminders to build the free Journal of Accountancy and textbook publisher Websites into their syllabi. This is becoming more evident to me while I scan online syllabi that often only assign chapters from a textbook. Remember that it only takes six months for the latest pronouncements to commence appearing on the CPA examination. The latest pronouncements are not likely to be covered in published textbooks.

Trinity University students can request free access to Comperio by sending me an email at rjensen@trinity.edu

A monster that lurks behind funny accounting, ready to pounce on unsuspecting investors!

Question
Where is the next black hole sucking up corporate profits? (I apologize for mixing my metaphors.)

Answer
"Beware of the Pension Monster," by Janice Revell, Fortune, December 9, 2002. pp. 99-106 --- http://www.fortune.com/fortune/investing/articles/0,15114,395147,00.html

Like the unseen menace that stalked Elm Street, the pension monster has been hidden in the shadows. Now it's stepping out into the light. And is it ever one mammoth ugly creature: Big corporate pension plans in America owe some $1.2 trillion to their current and future retirees, and for the first time in years companies don't have enough money stashed away to pay for those benefits. The size of the current shortfall? $240 billion. To put that in perspective, that's more than half of what they're expected to earn this year.

It's the day of reckoning in corporate America. You've probably read that companies are restating their pension assumptions and will take a hit to earnings as a result. You've no doubt seen how the stocks of some huge, widely held companies like General Motors, Ford, and American Airlines' parent, AMR, have been pummeled, in no small part because of concerns about their underfunded pension plans. But what you may not realize is the extent of the havoc this monster can wreak. The debit is not just an accounting mirage; companies will have to start pumping cash--some $29 billion next year alone--into pension funds. That's real money. Money that won't be going to dividends or research or new plants. In other words, the monster is going to suck the blood out of those corporations.

That loss of blood could be enough to push ailing companies over the edge into bankruptcy. Exhibits A and B: Bethlehem Steel and TWA. It's quite possible that more companies will follow. Even the most optimistic scenario assumes dozens will be forced to redirect billions in cash from shareholders to retirees. And as in any edge-of-the-seat horror flick, you can expect more hair-raising scenes before the final credits.

How did we get to this point? At the root of today's problem was a historic advance for American workers: the widespread adoption of so-called defined-benefit pension plans. First flourishing in the industrial boom of the 1950s, when corporations were flush with cash but short on workers, defined-benefit plans give employees a guaranteed annual payment upon retirement--$2,000 a month, say, for an employee with 25 years of service. The company put up all the money, and workers gained real retirement security.

Today, with many companies opting for much cheaper pension alternatives, such as 401(k) plans, in which employees themselves put up cash, many people think of defined-benefit plans as a quaint relic of a more paternalistic era. But in fact the plans are still a huge presence in publicly traded companies. According to a recent study conducted by Credit Suisse First Boston, 360 of the companies that make up the S&P 500--more than 70%--offer defined-benefit pension plans or are obligated to pay retirees the proceeds of legacy plans. While that's great for employees, it's becoming an increasingly risky financial proposition for corporations.

Here's why: Companies are required by law to set aside money for pensioners. If a pension plan's assets don't generate enough income on an annual basis to pay for those retirement benefits, the company must make up the shortfall. Thanks to the double whammy brought about by the unrelenting bear market and falling interest rates, much of corporate America is now faced with the prospect of doing just that--in a big way. An estimated 90% of those pension-paying corporations in the CSFB study now have underfunded plans (that is, the value of the assets has sunk below the estimated cost of the pension obligations). That's 325 big American companies, four times the number in 1999.

Why are the funds in such distress? The same reason, no doubt, that your own 401(k) is: the punishing stock market. Most plans hold about two-thirds of their assets in stocks, and they have been no more successful than individual investors in avoiding the carnage of the past three years. Even factoring in the plans' bond holdings, most analysts estimate that pension-plan assets have lost, on average, about 10% of their value in 2002 alone. In total, some $300 billion of pension assets have been wiped away since the bull market ended in 2000, according to David Zion, a research analyst who co-wrote the CSFB report. Those companies with the largest plans, including GM, IBM, and Verizon, have been hit the hardest--each has lost an estimated $15 billion or more since the end of 2000.

As if the hit to assets weren't bad enough, falling interest rates have also hammered companies on the liability side of the pension equation--that is, the money they owe to current and future retirees. To figure out how much money needs to be in the pension plan, a company's financial officers must calculate the present value of its obligations, or what it would cost in today's dollars to make good on its promises to workers when they retire. To determine this minimum funding level, companies factor backward using a so-called discount rate. In other words, if you know you'll owe $1,000 in 20 years and you assume you'll get interest of x% on the money you salt away each year, x is the discount rate. For pensions, companies generally use a rate that tracks the yield on high-quality corporate bonds.

Simply put, the lower the discount rate, the more a company must set aside today. Trouble is, as interest rates have plunged, so too has the discount rate. The current yield on investment-grade corporate bonds, for example, has dropped to 6.5%, down roughly half a percentage point since the end of 2001. If you're drifting off right about now, lulled to sleep by all the math, this number may wake you up: $80 billion. That's the extra "balance due" that S&P 500 companies inherited merely from that half-point decline in the discount rate, says Ron Ryan, president of New York-based asset management firm Ryan Labs.

The article below runs counter to the argument that we are stressing out students with work outside the classroom.

"Homework? What Homework? Students seem to be spending less time studying than they used to," by Jeffrey R. Young, The Chronicle of Higher Education, December 6, 2002 --- http://chronicle.com/free/v49/i15/15a03501.htm

The tip given most consistently by professors and college officials is that students should simply do their homework. The most commonly prescribed amount is at least two hours of class preparation for every hour spent in the classroom -- meaning 25 to 30 hours a week for a typical full-time student. The idea is that students should consider college their full-time job, and that class time and preparation should take about 40 hours each week. That's long been the conventional wisdom.

But many students across the country say they don't come close to following that study regimen. Results from the latest National Survey of Student Engagement, released last month, found that only 12 percent of last year's freshmen at four-year residential colleges reported spending 26 or more hours per week preparing for classes, while the majority, 63 percent, said they spend 15 or fewer hours on class preparation, which the survey defines as "studying, reading, writing, rehearsing, and other activities related to your academic program."

"Students are studying about one-third as much as faculty say they ought to, to do well," said George D. Kuh, director of the survey and a professor of higher education at Indiana University at Bloomington.

The most striking statistic: Nineteen percent of full-time freshmen say they spend only 1 to 5 hours per week preparing for classes. Many education experts say that is well below the minimum needed to succeed. And seniors who answered the same survey reported studying even less than freshmen, with 20 percent studying 1 to 5 hours per week.

Are students today studying less than those of past generations? It's difficult to say, in part because the student-engagement survey, the most comprehensive source of data on the topic, is only three years old.

Continued at http://chronicle.com/free/v49/i15/15a03501.htm

Wow Technology of the Week --- I'll Take a New One if You Don't Mind

Face Transplants "Possible Within the Year" --- http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?d=ns99993118

Identity Theft Made Easy

"Lax Security: ID Theft Made Easy," Wired News, December 2, 2002 --- http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,56623,00.html

The people charged last week with stealing the identities of at least 30,000 Americans weren't criminal masterminds.

They simply took advantage of sloppy security practices that allowed them easy and unrestricted access to sensitive data.

Security experts worry that the slipshod safety measures haven't been corrected, and warn that unless companies get serious about security, identity thefts will continue to rise.

Investigators in Manhattan said they have identified about 12,000 additional people whose credit reports may have fallen into criminal hands during the almost three years that the New York-based identity fraud ring was active. The scam was first detected eight months ago.

But victims and potential victims wonder why it took authorities so long to nab the criminals, whom federal prosecutors described as "brazen" and "sloppy."

Consumers suggest the credit bureaus that failed to protect their personal data from the criminals are equally at fault.

"Credit report companies act like they own the data they collected about me and can use it however they want," said Nicholas Pastore, a New York graphic designer who was a victim of identity fraud two years ago.

"I've had a hellish time fixing their screwup, and have lost a job and been turned down by a landlord due to my wrecked credit," Pastore said. "Shouldn't the credit report companies have notified me before they released my data? Shouldn't they bear the cost of fixing the problems they caused?"

"Consumer privacy and corporate accountability are the major issues here," said Harvey Jacobs, a Washington, D.C., attorney. "The credit bureaus have to reevaluate how they release information, and they have to be held financially and legally accountable if the information is misused."

Some also see a conflict of interest in the fact that credit bureaus profit from consumers' security concerns. The three major credit-reporting bureaus each sell consumer services they promote as protection against identity fraud.

For $80 a year, Experian's Credit Manager, for example, scans a subscriber's credit report daily and sends alerts of "potential fraudulent items and other critical changes" in the report. Credit bureaus Equifax and TransUnion offer similar services.

"It's kind of like an e-commerce site that stores my credit card number, and then offers me a fee-based service to protect that information," fumed Tina Bechon, a secretary in Illinois who was a victim of identity theft last year.

Bechon said she's spent about $1,000 "in registered mail, notary and phone fees," but her fraud-impaired credit report still haunts her.

"The first bit of advice you get is to put a fraud alert into your credit bureau records," Bechon said. "But once you do that, all your credit accounts are frozen for a few months, and it's insanely difficult to get new credit for a few years after."

Story continued at http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,56623,00.html

"Some Simple Solutions to Identity Theft Credit agencies must be more vigilant. A first step: quickly and routinely alerting consumers that their credit histories have changed," by Alex Salkever, Business Week, November 27, 2002 --- http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/nov2002/tc20021127_4748.htm

So it has come to this. On Nov. 25, federal prosecutors charged three men with operating an identity-theft ring that had stolen credit reports of more than 30,000 people -- the largest case in history. The defendants include a computer help-desk employee at a Long Island software outfit who had access to sensitive passwords for banks and credit companies. The ring allegedly emptied bank accounts, took out loans with stolen identities, and ran up fraudulent charges on credit cards.

The most appalling part of the whole mess? Most of the damage could easily have been prevented if the credit agencies adopted the common-sense practice of directly notifying individuals whenever a change on his or her report occurs, and whenever a third party accesses their credit report. Yes, it might cost the credit agencies more in overhead. But credit agencies spread such costs around to customers, banks, car dealerships, and others that pay to access consumer credit ratings. How hard is that?

GLARING HOLES. This criminal case has many security experts worried because it points up some glaring weaknesses in credit reporting. Your credit information -- in effect, your financial identity -- can easily be stolen by alert thieves with access to sensitive information. Yet, credit agencies don't share with individuals what's going on with their credit reports -- unless consumers ask. This anomaly will become a national economic issue as identity theft grows.

That's the bad news. The good news is that the solution is pretty simple. Tighten up internal handling of credit information, while making individual reports even more transparent to consumers -- in real time if possible, with password-protected access, just like banks and other financial institutions.

Truth is, identity theft remains more an offline problem. Someone steals your mail. A restaurant worker double-swipes your credit card. That's theft, pure and simple, and not the stuff of a national crisis. But when identity thieves get sophisticated and use the power of the digital revolution to leverage their operations, such fraud could become massive. Many financial institutions pull thousands of credit reports each day. And most of them have Web access to credit reports. So if a thief were able to score a password from a big bank, it would be fairly simple to write a computer program allowing someone to log in with the bank's ID and download thousands of these reports in a heartbeat.

INEXCUSABLE RESISTANCE. Identity theft's direct cost is already considerable -- police estimated that the latest ring defrauded victims of at least $2.7 million, and investigators aren't done counting. Indirect costs could be even higher in lost productivity. If the problem isn't checked, many thousands of victims over the next decade will have to take on the equivalent of a second full-time job cleaning up their credit histories. This latest case had 30,000 victims -- that's the size of Cisco Systems' workforce.

Consumers can now pay between $70 and $80 a year to receive timely e-mail updates of any activity on their credit report. An important step toward fuller disclosure, yes, but more should be done. There are three main credit agencies today -- TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian. As anyone trying to get a credit card these days can attest, credit approvals and denials are coming faster and faster thanks to high-speed data links.

A savvy thief could do a lot of damage by applying for a credit card or loan and using a report through, say, TransUnion, but not Equifax or Experian. Even if you're paying Equifax for the updates, you might not find out until it's too late. Yet, the three credit agencies have resisted creating a unified format to allow consumers to easily observe changes in any of the three profiles. If credit agencies won't act, then the federal government should step in and mandate changes.

Then, there's the issue of snail mail vs. e-mail for notifying consumers of suspicious activity involving their credit history. More than half the U.S. population now has an e-mail address, and such correspondence is free. The rest of the country could be contacted via regular mail -- an expensive process, but one that should be considered a cost of doing business.

On their Web sites, each of the three credit-reporting agencies should offer to send consumers an e-mail notification whenever their credit reports change. They could even charge a nominal fee for the service. The fees that Equifax and Experian now charge for timely updates are way too high. This shouldn't be a profit center. In the Digital Age, this should be a universally available service, just like a dial tone.

SECURING ACCESS. As I have pointed out in past columns, American Express provides an ideal model. Whenever someone makes an account change, Amex sends a letter informing its customer of it. If the customer changes address, Amex sends a letter to both the old and the new addresses. That would tip off a customer to any untoward changes. Applied to e-mail, the same principle works beautifully. Yet credit agencies don't collect e-mail addresses. That, too, should change. All credit agencies would have to do is send out letters to consumers requesting their e-mail address. A consumer response would be voluntary.

None of this is to say the credit-reporting outfits aren't concerned. Equifax played a major role in helping to break up the Long Island identity-theft ring. After years of consumer complaints and government prodding, they're allowing individuals easier access to their credit histories than ever before. But the age of ubiquitous connectivity and high-speed information movement means high-speed identity crime will likely become more damaging. The best way to combat this scourge is by making access to credit histories tougher for thieves -- and easier for individuals.

December 2, 2002 reply from Linda Kidwell [lak@NIAGARA.EDU]

Having been a victim of small-scale identity theft myself, I always use the experience as a teaching tool in auditing. It points out the dangers of using social security for identification and the cost of poor internal controls for banks. If you like war stories, read on . . .

When I applied for a mortgage in 1996, I was told there was an $8,000 charged off account on my credit record. I did some detective work and figured out the story. While a faculty member at LSU-Shreveport in 1994, I went to LSU-Baton Rouge to visit the library. Seeing that we honored their faculty tags in Shreveport, I incorrectly assumed that Baton Rouge did the same. Of course I got a parking ticket, which I threw away in disgust. Because I had been a doctoral student, though, they had my license in their system and began sending bills to my old address. The problem? I didn't live there anymore, my forwarding order had expired some three years before, and worst, the billing contained my student i.d., which was my social security number.

At about the same time, Capital One (I still won't do business with them, and tell my students so) started sending credit card applications to that same address. Whoever lived there got both pieces of mail, put two and two together, and got a credit card in my name. She ran up several thousand dollars of debt and skipped out on the bill. I never heard of the account until I started applying for a mortgage here in New York.

So what were the internal control lapses at Capital One? First, they used severely outdated mailing lists, as I had not been living there for 3 years. Second, they obviously did not do a credit check on my social security number, as my name changed in 1991 and I had taken out a mortgage in Shreveport earlier that same year. This information was clearly stated on my credit report. Third, they made no effort to find me to collect the bill, since there were no records on my credit report that they had checked my report in the period following the fraudulent application. Fourth, after I had filed my affadavit disclaiming the debt and received a letter from Capital One absolving me (so I could get that mortgage here), they started trying to collect the debt from me. I received about five phone calls at work and at home from their collections department.

Perhaps I shouldn't have been, but as an accountant I was stunned by the compounding of fundamental failures of internal control at Capital One.

Of course now I staunchly refuse to give my social security number to anyone who does not have an absolute need to know, and I will not allow anyone to use it as the basis of an i.d. number for me.

And how about LSU? Did they get paid for the parking ticket? Once their bills found me in 1995, I wrote to dispute the bill three times and never heard back. I finally paid it to get a transcript! But I'm saving my snide letter to their development office until I know they've spent at least that much money trying to get some out of me. I save my alumna contributions for Smith College.

Whew! It always feels good to get that off my chest!

Linda Kidwell
Niagara Unversity

Bob Jensen's threads on identity theft are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/fraud.htm#IdentityTheft

December 3, 2002 message from David R. Fordham [fordhadr@JMU.EDU]

I am constantly entertained by the whimsy exhibited by the designers of "internal controls" and "security measures" at major corporations.

Using "mother's maiden name" as a security measure is laughable. Give me an idea of what part of the country they are from, and give me ten minutes in a public library in that part of the country, and I can get you the maiden name of almost anyone you want. And for the last 10% of the population that I can't get from a public library, $5 at a state department of health will get it for me in less than 15 minutes. The time goes down if the individual in question (not his/her mother!) has an unusual last name. Foreign-born nationals might be a bit harder, however, but being near Washington DC, I still believe that within a day or two, I could get it if they have become U. S. Citizens in the last 50 years. If I had evil intent, I'd surely be willing to spend the 10 minutes or day or two it would take to abscond with someone's mother's maiden name.

Ditto with previous addresses. Most Americans are unaware of a reference book titled, "City Directory", which used to come out every year or two, for every single city in the country of any size. (Even Hagerstown Maryland!)

This series of directories started back before the turn of the century, and practically all public libraries have their old copies in their archives. The City Directory lists every house, by street and number, and gives the owner, renter, and current occupant, their occupation(s) and employer(s), children's names, and in many cases, lots of other information, too.

Most city directories are cross-indexed by name. I have used city directories in Savannah GA, Hagerstown MD, Statesboro GA, Atlanta, Greensboro NC, Spartanburg SC, and Jacksonville FL to ascertain a LOT of information about my ancestors. Baltimore Maryland even has their 1864 city directory on-line... I used it a few days ago to discover that my great-great grandfather was a "hatter" whose haberdashery was located at 329 Broadway in 1864. On the Internet! Take a look at: http://www.bcpl.net/~pely/1864/

By using city directories in sequence, you can discover the approximate dates (year) your relatives moved, married, divorced, had children, and died. With the approximate dates, you can then go to state offices and get copies of the certificates of birth, death, marriage, divorcement, and other stuff. You can find deeds, property transfers, liens, loans, judgments, and wills at the courthouses. You can look in newspapers for

announcements of births, marriages, movements, etc. Many old

newspapers' society columns even reported on vacations, trips to Europe, kids going to college (including which college and what major) and lots of other neat stuff.

(The public libraries keep microfilm copies of newspapers, in some cases, all the way back to the 1700s!)

As I've said before, so-called "Privacy advocates" in general, make me laugh (or scoff would be a better word) at their ignorance, not because I don't value privacy, but because the "information" they want to "keep secret" isn't secret at all. The analogy is that of "closing the barn door after the horse is gone." Depending on the city, lots of city directories are available right up to last year! You don't have to prove relations to get a copy of vital statistics certificates, either.

And calling from the home phone to ascertain identity is just as laughable. How many "tombstones" (or "pedestals") are there in your neighborhood? These are the little green boxes sticking up out of the ground containing telephone connections. Buy a $10 phone from radio shack, cut off the end of the modular cord, and put alligator clips on the red and green wires. Then, go to the tombstone nearest your "Target's" home, and under cover of darkness, use a screwdriver to get into the tombstone. If you are lucky, your target's phone wire pair will be identified. If not, it might take a couple of tries to find the right one. Clip your alligator clips onto the connection, and presto, you are "calling from the target's phone". (It helps if you drive a white minivan and dress in coveralls!) This is trespassing, and it is against the law. But it is almost as easy as running a red light, if you have criminal intent and blatantly disregard the laws, as do most individuals bent on stealing identity, stealing credit cards, and stealing other things!

I'm reporting this tongue-in-cheek. I don't actually do any trespassing, and I definitely do not suggest you try it. I merely want to make everyone aware of how easy it is for a rogue evil-doer to overcome the farcical "controls" which today's companies are passing off as "security measures".

Teaching our information security class is so rewarding because so many people take these "security measures" at face value and assume they are being protected when in fact, their environment is full of situations, like in the Snow White movie, where Dopey locks the vault and then hangs the key on a nail beside the door. Only by being aware of the ease with which an evil-doer can operate can we begin designing workable protections and controls.

David R. Fordham
PBGH Faculty Fellow
James Madison University

The University of Wisconsin is the site of the first higher education program in "product management" --- http://www.bus.wisc.edu/centerforproductmanagement/default_f.asp

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A December 1, 2002 message from one of my students on the topic of privacy on the Internet

I'm not sure if you've ever been to their site or not, but Double-Click is one of the companies that records the things people do and sites they visit. They claim that they don't actually record names or anything to allow them to identify you specifically. I think they use IP addresses. But on their website ( http://www.doubleclick.com/us/corporate/privacy/privacy/default.asp?asp_object_1=& ) they give you the ability to "opt-out" and no longer have your activities monitored by Double-Click and it's partners. I stumbled upon this a few years back and just thought I'd share it. Hope you had a good holiday.

Lonnie

Bob Jensen's threads on network security are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/ecommerce/000start.htm#SpecialSection

December 5, 2002 message from Jianwei Wang gta@chinagtait.com

Dear Prof. Robert E. Jensen :

Re: China Accounting, Finance, and Economic Research Databases and Customized Research Service

I am pleased to inform you a series of China-related accounting, finance (stock markets and banking), and economic databases for researchers have been developed by China Shenzhen GUOTAIAN Information Technology Co. (GTA), a specialized data supplier. GTA's databases are developed according to international standards with full consideration given to the peculiarities of the China environment.

In addition to developing and providing standardized products, GTA also offers a customized research service (CRS) for researchers around the world. Especially for PHD or Master student, we provide data and analysis according to your thesis's requirement with low costs in line with international standards. GTA provides all types of customized research data - from stock price data and the financial data of listed and non-listed firms to micro- and macro-economic data - according to specific requirements or needs. With high efficiency and very reasonable costs, GTA can become your RESEARCH ARM or ASSISTANT in China. Over 1100 professors, researchers, and Ph.D. students have been extensively used GTA's database and services. Quality and credibility are the most important commitment that we offer to all of our clients.

The example GTA standard databases include:

1. China Stock Market & Accounting Research (CSMAR) Trading databases

The CSMAR databases provide comprehensive trading and financial statement data of all listed companies in China since their IPOs (1990-2002), and rigorously follows international standards. All of the source data have been rigorously checked and validated to ensure accuracy. Real-time tracking and updating ensure the continuity and comprehensiveness of the databases. The CSMAR databases were developed in co-operation with the CAFR Center of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

The CSMAR Trading Database is comparable to CSRP, and has the following special characteristics:

(a). It provides the rate of return for individual stocks, the market rate of return, and the comprehensive market rate of return.

(b). It provides detailed changes in share capital for individual stocks.

(c). It details the allocation of individual stocks after listing.

(d). The trading data have been adjusted for the effects on share prices due to rights offerings and cash dividends, etc. The comparability and consistency of trading data are guaranteed.

2. China Stock Market & Accounting Research (CSMAR) Financial Statement database

This database is comparable to Compustat, and contains the following special characteristics:

(a). It takes into consideration the peculiarities in development of accounting standards for China listed companies.

(b). Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy, reliability, compatibility, and user friendliness of the database.

(c). It records the detailed history of all data adjustments.

3. China Securities Investment Fund Research (CSIFR) Database

CSIFR database contains all of the useful data of China's investment funds, such as trading (volume and prices), financial data, fund holders, portfolios, returns on individual funds, daily (monthly) market returns adjusted in line with international standards, and premium (discount) ratio.

4. China's IPOs Research (CSIPOR) Database

CSIPOR database contains all of the detailed information and data items that are associated with over 1,000 China IPOs (compiled from over 1,000 original prospectuses).

5. China Listed Firms' Corporate Governance Research Database

The database covers executive compensation and ownership, changes of shares outstanding, changes of executives, and basic information about executives and board directors, etc.

6. China Disclosure System (CDS)

CDS system covers all of the annual reports, interim reports, list announcements, prospectuses, and temporary announcements of listed companies, as well as securities law and regulations. The system divides temporary announcements into 11 categories and 28 sectors.

7. China Mergers and Acquisitions Database

China mergers and acquisitions database provides detailed information that is associated with mergers and acquisitions, equity acquisitions, assets acquisitions, equity transfers, asset divestitures, swaps, and debt restructuring.

Other databases are: China commodity futures, stock market intra-day data, and various macro-economic and banking data. We can collect any data (if legal) requested by you. We can also conduct surveys and field studies in China for you according to your request. Or help you arrange interviews in China.

GTA has been serving over 1,100 international scholars and researchers from more than 70 prestigious educational and professional institutions, such as Shanghai Exchange£¬ Yale University, New York University, University of California at Irvin, University of Reading(UK), San Francisco State University, University of Pittsburgh, the National University of Singapore, University of Waikato(NZ), Sydney University£¬the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the University of Hong Kong, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Open University of Hong Kong£¬City University of Hong Kong£¬Tsinghua University, Peking University, Fudan University, Renmin University of China, the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Zhongshan University, Jilin University, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, South Western University of Finance and Economics, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xiamen University, Jinan University, Sichuan University, Nanjing University, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, Hunan University, Guangzhou University, Fuzhou University, Jiaxing Collegue, Tianjin University.

For free sample databases, manuals, brochures, and more information, please contact us or visit our website: http://www.chinagtait.com/

Sincerely yours,
Mr. Jianwei Wang
Vice President for Marketing and Customized Research Service Shenzhen Guotaian IT Co.
Tel: 86-755-83940081
Fax: 86-755-83940070
Email:gta@chinagtait.com

Online greetings were once considered a free and relatively harmless alternative to paper cards. Now companies are charging users to send them, and recipients have to worry about fake e-cards that carry viruses --- http://www.wired.com/news/holidays/0,1882,56462,00.html

Nearly two weeks after posting a faulty patch for several security vulnerabilities in its RealPlayer and RealOne software, Real Networks has yet to release a working fix for the problems. And a security researcher says he has discovered five more vulnerabilities in the media players --- http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,3959,743296,00.asp

A new global index dishes the dirt on government dishonesty. Can the Net help clean it up? --- http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/10.12/view.html?pg=4

Merely passing laws won’t wash away the grime. Effective local ordinances scatter seeds of crime offshore, sprouting child porn in Japan (7.2), email scams in Nigeria (1.6), and desktop gambling everywhere from the UK (8.7) to Trinidad and Tobago (4.9). And “Internet ordinances” is an oxymoron.

The only antidote to bad information is good information coupled with the tools to tell one from the other. In this respect, the Net can hobble the slouching beast even as electronic communication extends its reach. Whistle-blowers who stand beyond the reach of repression can call the finance chief an extortionist – and they can do it on the Internet, for all to see. Internal reforms can also take advantage of the Net. In 2000, Chile started letting companies bid for government contracts online. Initial cost savings ranged from 2 to 10 percent, and everyone knows who’s supplying what to whom, and for how much.

Sunlight is indeed the best disinfectant. We may see a new arsenal of tools for civilized retaliation invented on the Net, for the Net. Not just Transparency.org (a good start), but online bribe tallies, Web-based maps that redline corrupt districts, and sweatshop databases keyed to product barcodes so consumers can make informed choices. Corruption has become globalized – but so has the power to defeat it.

Hi Bill,

Here are a few quotes and links on double swiping scams:

Waiters and store clerks can buy "skimming" devices to wear on their belts for purposes of "skimming" your credit card number and name on the way to a cash register --- http://www.techtv.com/cybercrime/print/0,23102,2583624,00.html

The world is a swipe away --- http://www.spectacle.org/497/auren.html

Unscrupulous store owners can also double swipe your card. Look for "double swiping", which may indicate you will be charged twice for an item, or that your credit card's magnetic stripe is being copied for counterfeiting ---- http://www.efc.ca/pages/media/globe.16feb98.html

Nor is the creation of counterfeit credit cards. Through a technique known as double-swiping, a crooked merchant can duplicate the data on a credit card through an illegal device the size of a cigarette lighter that transmits the information and allows it to be copied. --- http://www.efc.ca/pages/media/globe.10dec99.html

Unscrupulous merchants have been "double swiping" cards or using other unsavory methods to rip-off debit card holders --- http://www.langleyadvance.com/01201/top5.htm

Hultquist said, citing the more-real possibility of a waiter double-swiping a Visa. He noted that most out-of-the-box servers have a built-in capacity for stringent security --- http://www.bcbr.com/dec3199/ereport2.htm

There are countless other such stories on the Web.

Bob Jensen

I read Bob's identity theft piece and it raised a question. How does double swiping of your credit card leave you vulnerable? It happens to me all the time. Usually with the excuse "it didn't read."

William.Mister@colostate.edu

The AccountingWeb offers the following advice to protect your identity --- http://www.accountingweb.com/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=86179

Don't carry your Social Security card, birth certificate, passport or extra credit cards. Carry only what you absolutely need.

Make sure your mail box is secure. If it isn't, rent a P.O. Box and have your new checks and credit cards sent to that location.

Cancel all credit cards you do not use. Keep a list or photocopy of all your credit cards so you can contact the company if the card should become lost or stolen. Remember, never give your credit card information out over the telephone unless you initiated the call and it is a company you trust.

On the back of your credit cards write the words 'Show ID' instead of signing them.

Order a credit report once a year. Study it! Make sure you know each company listed.

Add security fraud alerts to your credit reports from the three major credit bureaus.

Order your Social Security Earnings and Benefits Statement once a year. Review it for any fraud.

Shield that screen when using an ATM machine. Criminals may be watching with binoculars or a camera. CAREFULLY select your PIN. Don't use obvious numbers like birthdays, social security numbers or consecutive numbers.

Ask your financial institution for extra security on your account. Pick a special word or code that only you would know (no, not your mother's maiden name).

Never print your Driver's License or Social Security number on your checks.

Review credit card statements and phone bills (including cell phone bills) for any unauthorized use.

Shred or tear into small pieces all of those pre-approved credit offers. If you fill out credit or loan applications, find out how the company disposes of those forms. You would be amazed how many businesses and banks don't shred documents that are filled with your important information.

When filling out checks, use a fine-point permanent marker. This prevents check washing, which erases your writing and allows the criminal to write his own check that has already been signed by you.

Pay your bills by electronic bill payment. They are assured to be paid on time without ever having to write a check.

Bob Jensen's threads on identity theft are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/fraud.htm#IdentityTheft

Good Teaching is Like Healthy Eating

Hi XXXXX

My threads on learning and assessment are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/assess.htm

You have asked an extremely difficult question. It is difficult mainly because success of any pedagogy is about 95% dependent upon context and instructor interaction with the pedagogy. Take the case method to the extent that it is the dominant pedagogy at the Harvard Business School. Harvard generally will hire and retain only business professors who are masters at the case method (virtually no lectures). In general Harvard professors can pull off the case method pedagogy that may fail miserably with more than half of the other business professors around the world. One reason is the mature age and business experience of the typical business student at Harvard. Another reason is the tremendous support staff at Harvard for both developing cases and helping professors do a better job teaching via use of the case method.

My point is that use of any learning and teaching technology, including PowerPoint, depends upon both the context and the instructor. A great lecturer may pull of use of PowerPoint as an aid, but the lecture may contain only about ten slides, particularly slides with graphic images. It is very difficult for students if the instructor presents a succession of many slides such as 20 or more slides, especially slides filled with text. There is evidence that occasional images in a lecture, including short video clips, help student retention in long-term memory. Rapid succession of PowerPoint images or long video clips in the classroom may destroy this retention advantage.

My own experience is that lectures and PowerPoint aids are things that I increasingly want to get away from in the classroom. Fortunately, I teach in an electronic classroom where each student has a computer. I try to only lecture for a bit and then put the students to work to show me what they have learned. Instead of PowerPoint, I usually teach from Excel, Internet Explorer, or some other software relevant to the class topics for the day. Increasingly I try to devote class time to active rather than passive learning.

But reduced lectures in the classroom do not mean that I do not lecture more than ever. I do lecture using Camtasia. I assign my Camtasia video lectures before class, but most of my video lectures are optional. Students can play the videos before or after class at their own discretion and learning paces. I have a Camtasia tutorial and some sample lectures available online at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/HelpersVideos.htm

There is very little evidence that technology improves grades, although there is evidence from some serious experiments like the SCALE project at the University of Illinois that students who never meet in traditional classrooms perform as well (and sometimes better) using distance education technology than students who are assigned to traditional classrooms (where the same instructors teach both the online and live classrooms). See http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/255wp.htm#Illinois
You can also listen to Dan Stone's MP3 audio evaluation and download his PowerPoint slides about the SCALE experiments --- http://www.cs.trinity.edu/~rjensen/000cpe/00start.htm

There is some evidence that technology includes the pace of learning. If highly motivated students know what is expected of them for high grade, they will generally learn by any means at their disposal such that it becomes very difficult to conduct double blind studies showing that students consistently get higher grades under one pedagogy versus another. Even if such results were found for Professor X teaching Class Y under alternative pedagogy, it is extremely difficult to extrapolate the research outcomes to any other professor or any other course.

If anything can be said about technology aids to learning it is that, when properly used, technology aids tend to increase the pace of learning such that students may learn faster but not necessarily perform better on examinations for the course. But overuse of a good thing may destroy the benefits. For example, PowerPoint may be a terrific lecture aid as long as it is not used to a fault. Lectures themselves can be a good thing as long as they are not used to a fault. Cases can be a good thing as long as the students have the backgrounds and resources to solve the cases on their own. Camtasia and other video aids can be a good thing as long as they are high quality and students have access to computers that can play the videos.

I suspect that what I am saying is that good teaching is like healthy eating --- all good things in moderation. Variety can make the mind and the body more healthy and fulfilled. You are correct in thinking that PowerPoint can improve your lectures and help students retain what you are teaching providing you use both the lecture method and the number of slides in moderation. Do consider putting more of your live lectures and PowerPoint shows into Camtasia such that students use these lectures outside the classroom at their own learning paces. Consider using more classroom time for student feedback where students show you and other students what they have learned before class on very technical issues.

And lastly, I want to warn you that good teaching is not always popular teaching. Good teaching generally requires that professors pass more and more of the learning responsibilities to the students, i.e. by forcing students to learn more and more on their own. Students prefer that their instructors do all of the hard work.

Popular teaching generally requires more spoon feeding. Spoon feeding increases the probability of high student evaluations and worse long-term knowledge retention --- http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/265wp.htm

My advice to teachers is at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/000aaa/newfaculty.htm

Hope this helps!

Bob Jensen

-----Original Message-----
From: XXXXX
Sent: Monday, December 02, 2002 9:40 PM
To: Jensen, Robert Subject: Information

Looking for articles on the effectiveness of power point presentations in the classroom (community college/nursing) I am being highly critized by my supervisor for using power point and furnishing my students with hand outs of the presentation as well as emailing my students lecutres ahead of class. In a environment that would rather make the students write every thing that the lecture says than have them highlight important concepts or information. Some students like the power point, others are bored with handouts and power point

So I am looking for information that might help me with meeting the needs of all my students as well as get my supervisor off my back.

If you don't mind and would have the time, could you give me some suggestions. Attaching a presentation for your review.

Found your web site and articles on line in my search.

XXXXX

December 3, 2002 reply from Professor XXXXX (Repeated here because it is informative about the culture of higher education.)

Yes, your words of wisdom do help. I can see it from an objective view point. If anything I want to be the good teacher not the popular one and constantly strive to improve and make the necessary adjustments. I entered the community college teaching at a late age in life. I have been teaching 3 1/2 yrs at the CC level and prior to that the high school level. I have learned so much in the last three years. What works well at one school doesn't necessarily mean it will work at the next. Have taught in Miami, Hawaii and now here in Gainesville Fl. You would think being in a university town that the cc would be more progressive but not so, at least not in the school of nursing. Some faculty will not even open their email unless forced to do so. They simply don't like computers. Most have been here for 25 to 30 yrs. Looking back I kind of wished I never left Miami. The campus I was on was very progressive with technology and urged the faculty to reach for the sky. Now find myself in a non progressive environment. You would think at my age (57) when one should be retiring I would be glad but I am only getting started and get excited with leaning how to use technology in the classroom. Have been looking into the Capella and Nova programs for Instructional Design for ONline learning. Don't know which program I will go with. I would very much like to teach online courses. Guess I will be walking across the stage with my cane when I finally earn the PhD. I will check out your web sites that you mentioned in the email and will reevaluate my use of PowerPoint. Honestly have become so comfortable with it (kinda like a security blanket) to keep me on tract when I lecture. Again thanks for the words of wisdom.

December 9, 2002 reply from Paul Polinski [pwp3@PO.CWRU.EDU]

Bob:

Your thoughts brought to mind a column from the most recent issue of MIT's Technology Review about Innovation and Teaching. A snippet of this column (the only part of it that is "free" content for nonsubscribers at this point in time) appears below. The snippet clearly summarizes the tone of the column: Innovations are not successful and aren't widely adopted without training on how to use that innovation.

This seems to apply equally to innovations in teaching itself. Good teaching indeed does require that students take on more of the effort and responsibility in learning. However, when using innovative methods that enable students to do this, we tend to have to do much more work up front. As with the palm pilot, this is effectively done when we enable students to learn by providing the richness of class environment needed for such learning and effective use.

In my experience, students realize that using innovative and more effective teaching methods involves an investment from teachers, and reward the effectiveness where it is warranted. When I first tried to teach cases to students who hadn't seen much of them, I simply required students to read the case, and then tried (in vain) to induce discussion. My evaluations were quite low. The second time around, I took the time to introduce the learning method to the students and introduce different structures to the discussions that "magically" turned similar students into interested discussants. Evaluations for that term were much better.

"In the Weeds" column By Michael Schrage December 2002/January 2003
MIT Technology Review --- http://www.technologyreview.com/articles/schrage1202.asp

Ease of Learning: An innovation isn't any good if it's a bad teacher.

My cell phone has taught me nothing. On the other hand, my Palm personal digital assistant has been an excellent tutor. Both gadgets are loaded with features I have yet to tap. Both come with instruction manuals thicker than the devices themselves.

But unlike my phone, the Palm helps me learn how to use it better. The cleverly designed Graffiti training function encourages me to practice my digital penmanship so that I can enter data faster. My cell phone gives me virtually no cues or clues for using it. I have to read the poorly written manual or badger friends. I am sure that I use less than 20 percent of the phone’s capabilities.

December 2, 2002 message from http://ey.com/GLOBAL/content.nsf/US/EY_Faculty_Connection

Welcome to the second issue of EY Faculty Connection-an electronic newsletter distributed to faculty and business school administrators at Ernst & Young's strategic campuses.

As you may have seen in our first issue, sent in June 2002, our goal is to present information that's relevant to you and your colleagues. If we could "hit closer to home" on a subject of interest to you, please let me know by replying to this e-mail.

To launch your copy of EY Faculty Connection, click on the link below, or copy and paste the address into your Internet browser.

http://ey.com/GLOBAL/content.nsf/US/EY_Faculty_Connection

There are other Ernst & Young resources available to you as well--at your fingertips. For up-to-date information that you might find useful in working with your students, planning your curriculum, mentoring or counseling, or just keeping up with what's going on around Ernst & Young, please visit our Web site: http://www.ey.com. You will find a wealth of information there.

As always, we appreciate your interest in Ernst & Young and look forward to working with you and your university.

All of us here hope you have a fulfilling and successful academic year.

Best regards,

Lisa P. Young
Americas Director of Recruiting
Ernst & Young

A pioneering -- and maligned -- Internet-only law school debuts its first graduating class. Despite the school's lack of bar association accreditation, its grads look forward to practicing law.

"Law Grads Online, Bar None," by Julia Scheeres, Wired News, November 21, 2002 --- http://wired.com/news/business/0,1367,56512,00.html

Despite the traditionalists who pooh-poohed its very existence, the country's pioneering Internet law school will debut its first class of Juris Doctorates on Thursday at a graduation ceremony in Los Angeles, where the virtual institution has a physical office.

The event marks the third time the students and faculty of Concord Law School have met face-to-face in four years. Ten of the 14 graduates are expected to attend the ceremony, which will feature media mogul Barry Diller as the keynote speaker and will be webcast on Concord's website.

Both the American Bar Association and the California Bar Association have refused to accredit the school, charging that law students can't get a proper education online. This lack of recognition means that Concord students can only ply their trade in the handful of states that don't require attorneys to graduate from ABA-accredited schools.

But that impediment didn't phase Roberto Lee, a 62-year-old general surgeon from Wytheville, Virginia, who studied law at night after long days stooped over operating tables, often subsisting on three hours of sleep.

Like many Concord students, Lee plans to use his legal knowledge to complement an existing career, counseling patients on handling tight-fisted insurance companies.

"This is a dream come true," said Lee, who will attend the graduation with his wife and four kids, two of whom are lawyers themselves. "Hopefully this will allow me to help my patients get the care they need."

Concord students convened in California to take the First Year Students' Law Exam (aka the "baby bar") and to attend a career forum. In February, they'll meet a final time to take the state's grueling three-day General Bar Exam. (California is unusual in that the state doesn't require law students to attend an accredited school to take the exam.)

Continued at - http://wired.com/news/business/0,1367,56512,00.html

Note: The following paragraphs are only excerpts from the entire article.

Those of us in U.S. colleges and universities have had the luxury of experimenting with new ways to use these technologies to engage students in academic activities, and we have learned a great deal. But I believe there are several trends that will influence the next stage of what we do with these technologies. Because of radical shifts in the economy and because of the flexibility offered by e-learning, both students and the institutions that serve them are approaching education differently. This suggests that we need to rethink some of our fundamental practices and we need to consider the most critical roles of e-learning in the mission of the U.S. educational system.

Although I do not anticipate immediate radical changes, right now higher education expenditures are being reduced at both public and private institutions. Most states are facing either revenue shortfalls or projected overspending in areas like Medicaid. Some states are facing both. The most vulnerable areas for state cuts in spending are typically transportation and higher education. In a survey conducted by the State Higher Education Executive Officers (http://www.sheeo.org) in June 2002, only twenty-three states had finalized budget information available. Of these twenty-three states, 39 percent had cuts to the postsecondary budgets from the levels of the previous year. Another 30 percent had a less than 1 percent increase in the appropriations. Though the survey did not reflect information on what will happen in the other twenty-seven states, it is unlikely to be very good for higher education budgets. To make matters even more interesting, historical precedent suggests that the cuts could keep coming. In an audio briefing, staff at the National Conference of State Legislators (http://www.ncsl.org/) pointed out to WCET members¹that even though the recession of the early 1990s was declared over in 1991, the effects on state budgets were most profound in 1992.

It is not only the public higher education institutions that are being affected by the current economy. Dartmouth University announced that it will be cutting its budget for the next fiscal year to make up for losses in its endowment.² The endowment investments lost money, whereas the budget planners had assumed a reasonable return on those investments. Smaller private institutions are seeing their costs rise, and many are finding it difficult to raise their fees at a concomitant rate while competing for the best students.

Sharing Academic Materials

The current economic situation may well push those in higher education to be more creative in how they develop new electronically mediated learning materials. Colleges and universities may be reaching a point where not everyone can afford to do everything. Not every member of a faculty needs to develop and support electronic course materials. Campuses need to find ways to share electronic courses. Although faculty members have experience using the same textbook at several campuses, few have experience using imported electronic course materials. A couple of decades ago, the Annenberg/CPB Projects developed an impressive array of electronic course materials, some of which have been updated and are still in use at institutions through arrangements with their public broadcasting stations. These materials supplement textbooks, instructors' guided support of students, and their assessment. The creation, dissemination, and support for these course materials were centralized.

Banding Together

Another response to the economic realities of designing and supporting electronic learning resources has been the formation of consortia. Over the last five years, there has been an explosion in the number of institutions that are working together to share resources in e-learning. These consortia are taking many forms. Many are based on state geographical boundaries. Some are designed to assist the institutions in the availability of on-line services. Some are focused on ensuring that the citizens of the particular state have all the services they need. For example, a Connecticut consortium was formed to help institutions save resources as they entered the e-learning world. Among other activities, the consortium staff arranges collective buying services from vendors so that each institution saves some money but also a lot of time by not having to go through individual procurement processes.⁸

Shifts in Student Mobility

Even a decade ago, about half of U.S. students did not take all their classes from a single institution. By 1994, almost half of students who had begun college in 1989 had enrolled in more than one institution.⁹ Examining national transcript data only a few years later, Clifford Adelman found that 54 percent of those students who ultimately earned baccalaureate degrees had attended two or more institutions; 19 percent had attended three or more. He also found many instances of simultaneous enrollment at multiple institutions and of "reverse transfer" from four-year to two-year institutions.¹⁰ This tendency to move among institutions has been called "swirling," and the colleges and universities through which such students "swirl" may not even be aware of one another. The phenomenon is hard to track because most of the data on student enrollment behavior in higher education come from institutions, not students. But it seems highly unlikely that the trend has slowed in recent years.

Critical E-Learning Goals

In his report for the academic year 2000-2001, the president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Charles M. Vest, considered the following question: "How is the Internet going to be used in education, and what is your university going to do about it?" Part of his answer was to declare that "inherent to the Internet and the Web is a force for openness and opportunity that should be the bedrock of its use by universities." Vest added: "We now have a powerful opportunity to use the Internet to enhance [the] process of conceiving, shaping, and organizing knowledge for use in teaching. In so doing, we can raise the quality of education everywhere."¹²

MIT responded to this opportunity by beginning the OpenCourseWare (OCW) project (http://www.web.mit.edu/ocw/index.html). Through OCW, over the next ten years MIT will post on the Web the substance of more than two thousand courses. It will make the course materials available to anybody, anywhere in the world, at no cost thanks to support from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. OCW will not, however, offer online courses. The typical content for a course will consist of lecture notes, course outlines, reading lists, assignments, and similar course elements, as well as experiments, demonstrations, and students' work. A critical aspect is that the course materials will be in their context of course sequences and programs. MIT's academic offerings will be fully exposed to the world.

Summary

There are three critical trends on the state, national, and international educational horizon. The first trend relates to the level of e-learning activity in colleges and universities: it seems to have reached a threshold point. Institutions have moved way beyond a few courses being available at a few campuses. Crossing the threshold has resulted in serious attention being paid to e-learning by state and national policy-makers. They are expressing concerns about quality assurance and fiscal accountability. The U.S. Congress will be considering new higher education reauthorization legislation and may open up financial aid to e-learners in ways not previously available. The World Trade Organization (WTO) has education services, including e-learning, on its negotiation docket.

In the second trend, institutional planners are beginning, just beginning, to sort out the complexities of using Web tools to restructure many campus services. This is true not just of the academic programs but of all the nonacademic as well. Campus leaders are beginning to rethink the whole support structure for students, requiring some serious adjustments of traditional management systems.¹⁵

The final trend involves the growing interest in finding a way to share online academic materials. Replicating everything that has been done online not only is costly but also makes very little sense. Planners at smaller or less-well-financed institutions are seeking ways to get access to these materials through partnerships, consortia, and licensing agreements. In several developing countries, college and university personnel are already passively using Web-based academic materials, created by individuals who never envisioned that particular use of their materials. The international academic community is starting to find ways to create interactive relationships around these resources.

Each of the above trends has implications for how colleges and universities "do business." As in all times of radical change, many different approaches are being tried. Some will fail, but some will show promise and will suggest steps beyond the ones now being contemplated. I feel certain that in twenty years, the U.S. higher education system will look quite different. I suspect that overall, it will be more diverse in scope, offering students more options. I also think that individually, most institutions will have a narrower set of activities. Finally, I anticipate that institutions will have much more formal sharing relationships, which I hope will not be limited by national boundaries. I will check back in 2022.

Notes

¹    WCET (Western Cooperative for Educational Telecommunications) was founded by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) in 1989. WCET's members are higher education institutions, state agencies, and non-profit and for-profit organizations from forty-six states and six countries.

²    Martin Van Der Werf, "Endowment Losses Force Dartmouth to Cut Its Budget," Chronicle of Higher Education, August 26, 2002.

⁸   Rhonda Epper and Myk Garn are currently developing a report on these statewide "virtual universities." The study, jointly sponsored by SHEEO and WCET, should be available early in 2003.

⁹    Alexander C. McCormick, Transfer Behavior among Beginning Postsecondary Students: 1989-94, OERI Publication #NCES 97-266 (Washington D.C.: National Center for Education Statistics, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education, 1997).

¹⁰    Clifford Adelman, Answers in the Toolbox: Academic Intensity, Attendance Patterns, and Bachelor's Degree Attainment (Washington, D.C.: Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education, 1999).

¹²    Charles M. Vest, "Disturbing the Educational Universe: Universities in the Digital Age--Dinosaurs or Prometheans?" Report of the President for the Academic Year 2000-01 (MIT, 2001), <http://web.mit.edu/president/communications/rptoo-01.html> (accessed September 12, 2002).

¹⁵    For further information about campus restructuring of student support services, see "Beyond the Administrative Core: Creating Web-Based Student Services for Online Learners," developed from a U.S. Department of Education, Learning Anytime Anywhere Partnerships (LAAP) grant to WCET, <http://www.wiche,edu/telecom/projects/laap/index.htm> (accessed September 13, 2002).

From Syllabus News on November 29, 2002

Vanderbilt Holds MBA eHealth Strategy Contest

Vanderbuilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management opened its 2003 eStrategy Contest last week, a competition to award $25,000 to a team of MBA students which develops the best e-health care strategy based on a select case. The contest, co-sponsored by Roche Diagnostics, an Indianapolis company specializing in diagnostic systems, is open to graduate students around the world. The winner will be announced during the final round of competition in Nashville in February 2003. Bill Christie, dean of the Owen school, said e-Health was chosen as the focus on the contest this year, “due to the rapid speed with which the Internet is transforming the healthcare industry. We believe the healthcare industry can benefit from the strategic insights from graduate students who truly understand the future of the Internet.”

For more information, visit: http://www.estrategycontest.com

Dreamer of the Week
A university professor wants to create a catalog of human ideas. Not just a few choice ideas, but all of them. He believes this "mental map" will help bridge the gaps between the world's cultures.

"Now Here's a Really Big Idea," by Kristen Philipkoski, Wired News, November 25, 2002 --- http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,56374,00.html

The scope of human ideas is infinite, some might say. But one researcher says he can count them, and he intends to do just that.

Darryl Macer, associate professor at the Institute of Biological Sciences at the University of Tsukuba in Japan, plans to create a human mental map -- a database that would contain a log of every human idea.

Macer formally proposed in the November 14 issue of Nature that researchers from various disciplines, including genetics, sociology and history, meet next year in Japan to discuss the project.

"If we define an 'idea' as the mental conceptualization of something -- including physical objects, an action or sensory experience -- then the number of objects in the universe of a living being is finite," Macer said in an e-mail interview from his Tokyo office.

But at least one expert believes Macer's premise is flawed. The notion that people can think of an unlimited number of ideas is part of what keeps humans -- and scientists, in particular -- going as they strive to understand the world around them, said Robyn Shapiro, director of the Center for the Study of Bioethics at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

"I think that's inaccurate and depressing and certainly not what drove us to move from Galileo to Jamie Thompson (the first scientist to isolate stem cells)," Shapiro said.

But Macer believes that the number of ideas is, in fact, finite and that they should be counted.

As globalization increases, the geographic, economic and cultural barriers between nations become less significant, while international agreements and treaties become more important, he said.

That's where he believes his mental map can offer help.

Continued at http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,56374,00.html

New books and other publications from EDUCAUSE --- http://www.educause.edu/pub/

December 5 message from Jianwei Wang gta@chinagtait.com

Dear Prof. Robert E. Jensen :

Re: China Accounting, Finance, and Economic Research Databases and Customized Research Service

I am pleased to inform you a series of China-related accounting, finance (stock markets and banking), and economic databases for researchers have been developed by China Shenzhen GUOTAIAN Information Technology Co. (GTA), a specialized data supplier. GTA's databases are developed according to international standards with full consideration given to the peculiarities of the China environment.

In addition to developing and providing standardized products, GTA also offers a customized research service (CRS) for researchers around the world. Especially for PHD or Master student, we provide data and analysis according to your thesis's requirement with low costs in line with international standards. GTA provides all types of customized research data - from stock price data and the financial data of listed and non-listed firms to micro- and macro-economic data - according to specific requirements or needs. With high efficiency and very reasonable costs, GTA can become your RESEARCH ARM or ASSISTANT in China. Over 1100 professors, researchers, and Ph.D. students have been extensively used GTA's database and services. Quality and credibility are the most important commitment that we offer to all of our clients.

The example GTA standard databases include:

1. China Stock Market & Accounting Research (CSMAR) Trading databases

The CSMAR databases provide comprehensive trading and financial statement data of all listed companies in China since their IPOs (1990-2002), and rigorously follows international standards. All of the source data have been rigorously checked and validated to ensure accuracy. Real-time tracking and updating ensure the continuity and comprehensiveness of the databases. The CSMAR databases were developed in co-operation with the CAFR Center of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

The CSMAR Trading Database is comparable to CSRP, and has the following special characteristics:

(a). It provides the rate of return for individual stocks, the market rate of return, and the comprehensive market rate of return.

(b). It provides detailed changes in share capital for individual stocks.

(c). It details the allocation of individual stocks after listing.

(d). The trading data have been adjusted for the effects on share prices due to rights offerings and cash dividends, etc. The comparability and consistency of trading data are guaranteed.

2. China Stock Market & Accounting Research (CSMAR) Financial Statement database

This database is comparable to Compustat, and contains the following special characteristics:

(a). It takes into consideration the peculiarities in development of accounting standards for China listed companies.

(b). Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy, reliability, compatibility, and user friendliness of the database.

(c). It records the detailed history of all data adjustments.

3. China Securities Investment Fund Research (CSIFR) Database

CSIFR database contains all of the useful data of China's investment funds, such as trading (volume and prices), financial data, fund holders, portfolios, returns on individual funds, daily (monthly) market returns adjusted in line with international standards, and premium (discount) ratio.

4. China's IPOs Research (CSIPOR) Database

CSIPOR database contains all of the detailed information and data items that are associated with over 1,000 China IPOs (compiled from over 1,000 original prospectuses).

5. China Listed Firms' Corporate Governance Research Database

The database covers executive compensation and ownership, changes of shares outstanding, changes of executives, and basic information about executives and board directors, etc.

6. China Disclosure System (CDS)

CDS system covers all of the annual reports, interim reports, list announcements, prospectuses, and temporary announcements of listed companies, as well as securities law and regulations. The system divides temporary announcements into 11 categories and 28 sectors.

7. China Mergers and Acquisitions Database

China mergers and acquisitions database provides detailed information that is associated with mergers and acquisitions, equity acquisitions, assets acquisitions, equity transfers, asset divestitures, swaps, and debt restructuring.

Other databases are: China commodity futures, stock market intra-day data, and various macro-economic and banking data. We can collect any data (if legal) requested by you. We can also conduct surveys and field studies in China for you according to your request. Or help you arrange interviews in China.

GTA has been serving over 1,100 international scholars and researchers from more than 70 prestigious educational and professional institutions, such as Shanghai Exchange£¬ Yale University, New York University, University of California at Irvin, University of Reading(UK), San Francisco State University, University of Pittsburgh, the National University of Singapore, University of Waikato(NZ), Sydney University£¬the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the University of Hong Kong, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Open University of Hong Kong£¬City University of Hong Kong£¬Tsinghua University, Peking University, Fudan University, Renmin University of China, the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Zhongshan University, Jilin University, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, South Western University of Finance and Economics, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xiamen University, Jinan University, Sichuan University, Nanjing University, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, Hunan University, Guangzhou University, Fuzhou University, Jiaxing Collegue, Tianjin University.

For free sample databases, manuals, brochures, and more information, please contact us or visit our website: http://www.chinagtait.com/

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Vice President for Marketing and Customized Research Service Shenzhen Guotaian IT Co.
Tel: 86-755-83940081
Fax: 86-755-83940070
Email:gta@chinagtait.com

"Students Learning to Evade Moves to Protect Media Files," by Amy Harmon, The New York Times, November 27, 2002 --- http://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/27/technology/27SWAP.html

As colleges across the country seek to stem the torrent of unauthorized digital media files flowing across their campus computer networks, students are devising increasingly sophisticated countermeasures to protect their free supply of copyrighted entertainment.

Most colleges have no plans to emulate the Naval Academy, which last week confiscated computers from about 100 students who are suspected of having downloaded unauthorized copies of music and movie files. But many are imposing a combination of new technologies and new policies in an effort to rein in the rampant copying.

For our institutions this is a teachable moment," said Sheldon Steinbach, general counsel of the American Council on Education. "This is the time for them to step forward and demonstrate the value of intellectual property."

Some students may well emerge from educational sessions on copyright laws and electronic etiquette with a higher regard for intellectual property rights. But many of them are honing other skills as well, like how to burrow through network firewalls and spread their downloading activities across multiple computers to avoid detection.

"If you don't know how to do it, other people will just tell you," said Lelahni Potgieter, 23, who learned her file-trading techniques from an art student at her community college in Des Moines. "There's not much they can do to stop you."

Nevertheless, university administrators are trying, spurred on in part by a barrage of letters from entertainment companies notifying them of student abuses. Many entertainment concerns have hired companies to search popular file-trading networks for unauthorized files and track them to their source.

More pragmatic motivations, like the expense of large amounts of university's network bandwidth being absorbed by students' proclivity for online entertainment, are also driving the renewed university efforts.

Schools have closed off the portals used by file-trading services, installed software to limit how much bandwidth each student can use, and disciplined students who share media files. But nothing, so far, has proved entirely effective.

"It's an ongoing battle," said Ron Robinson, a network architect at Bradley University in Peoria, Ill. "It's an administrative nightmare trying to keep up."

In a typical game of digital cat-and-mouse, Mr. Robinson said one of his first moves was to block the points of entry, or ports, into the network used by popular file-trading software like KaZaA.

But the newest version of the KaZaA software automatically searches for open ports and even insinuates itself through the port most commonly used for normal Web traffic, which must be kept open to allow some e-mail reading and other widely used applications to take place uninterrupted.

Even without KaZaA's help, students say they can easily use so-called port-hopping software to find a way past the university's blockades. So Mr. Robinson has rationed the amount of bandwidth that each student can use for file-trading activities.

Continued at http://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/27/technology/27SWAP.html

The KaZaA homepage is at http://www.kazaa.com/us/index.php

KaZaA Media Desktop is the number 1 peer-to-peer application which allows people around the world to share files.

Peer-to-peer (P2P)

Sharing and the P2P philosophy

How Kazaa Media Desktop works

Supernodes

Participation level

Security and viruses

Ratings and file integrity
Skins

Bob Jensen's P2P threads are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/napster.htm

Bob Jensen's threads on plagiarism are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/plagiarism.htm

November 29, 2002 message from CompAcct Solutions Ltd. [csl@COMPACCTSOLUTIONS.COM]

Our company has recently developed an entry level computer accounting program called Breeze Basic Bookkeeper. We have received a positive responce from educators who have tried the program. The program is designed around GAAP using an approach that you might find in a 1st year accounting textbook. The program was designed by an accountant to do basic bookeeping without the glitz and glitter that a lot of programs use to purposely hide basic accounting principles. You will see no flashy invoice or check screens in this program. Journal entries are made in standard Debit/Credit format in an easy to use Journal Form. The program has a Debit/Credit Helper to assist the beginner get orientated into the proper use of debits and credits.

You can download a Free Demo at http://www.compacctsolutions.com

The price of a single user license is US$69.95. However, Lab Discounts, which combine a volume and educational discount, are available by request for qualifying Educational Institutions. The lab discounts range from 45% to 65% depending on the number of users starting at a 5 user license. Send an email to csl@compacctsolutions.com for complete information on the discounts available and how to take advantage of the discounts.

Bryan

Bob Jensen's bookmarks on accounting software are available at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/bookbob1.htm#010303Software%20and%20Instructional%20Aids

Microsoft seems to have gotten security religion, but its initiatives to convince users to blindly install every patch could create even more problems --- http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,56490,00.html

Are Some Cognition Scholars Out of Control?

There's a smarter way to sell ketchup -- and cognitive scientists, la Jean Piaget, think they can show marketeers what it is --- http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/10.12/start.html?pg=2

Hitching all this academic horsepower to the commercial marketplace can seem pretty sinister, and some in the field are worried. Julie Sedivy, a professor of cognitive psychology at Brown, says her colleagues have gone too far into the pockets of advertisers and marketers – and she’s fighting back. She uses psycholinguistics to teach "critical thinking about language processing and advertising." The goal is to get students interested in the regulation of advertising, especially ads aimed at kids.

It’s not hard to imagine where cog-sci research may be leading us. Fieldwork at Ford dealerships? A Toys "R" Us Department of Cognitive Science? On a dark day not too far in the future, there may well be a team of academics monitoring the effect of Gogurt on the hippocampus. And you can bet KidLeo account executives will be taking notes.

Continued at http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/10.12/start.html?pg=2

December 2, 2002 message from datamining@rti7020.etf.bg.ac.yu

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY's Director of Graduate Programs in Management & Systems at the School of Continuing and Professional Studies, Prof. Anthony R. Davidson, invites you to e-attend the next SYNCHRONOUS VoiceOverIP lecture in the "DISTINGUISHED e-LECTURER ON e-BUSINESS" series.

TUTORIAL ON DATAMINING FOR E-BUSINESS by PROF. DR. VELJKO MILUTINOVIC, Fellow of the IEEE, UNIVERSITY OF BELGRADE, and associates.

AN NYU/SCPS CERTIFICATE WILL BE RECEIVED BY ALL WHO ATTEND

This tutorial is a must for all those who intend to use DATAMINING tools and algorithms to enhance the strategic management of their business. The lecture starts with introductory concepts and concludes with highly sophisticated solutions! Ideal for practitioners from the real world of business, as well as for students and teachers of any related subject. The only prerequisite is a rudimentary familiarity with the Internet. Prof. Dr. Veljko Milutinovic is known through his pioneering work on the 200MHz RISC microprocessor for DARPA, about a decade before Intel. He also created a number of novel algorithms and related accelerators (hardware, software, and system) for efficient datamining in e-business, and published over 20 books for major publishers in the USA.

Please, sign up for one of the following four identical 90-minute sessions (all times East Coast USA):

Section 1: DECEMBER 18, 2002 @ 6:00pm EST for East Coast USA Section 2: DECEMBER 19, 2002 @ 4:00am EST for Far East Section 3: DECEMBER 18, 2002 @ 12noon EST for EU Section 4: DECEMBER 19, 2002 @ 9:00pm EST for Pacific Coast USA

Please visit URL: http://www.scps.nyu.edu/departments/course.jsp?courseId=33791 for more information and to enroll. SPACE IS LIMITED TO 100 participants per session.

You will also be able to view the demo slides from the lecture, the demo learning text, and download 2 related papers of V. Milutinovic (from IEEE COMPUTER).

The full set of slides can be downloaded within 24 hours of the lecture.

IMPORTANT: SOUNDCARD AND SPEAKERS REQUIRED TO LISTEN TO THE LECTURE. IF YOU WISH TO ASK QUESTIONS THEN A MICROPHONE IS ALSO REQUIRED. YOU MUST HAVE A MINIMUM 56K CONNECTION TO THE INTERNET.

Deadline: December 13, 2002, at noon EST. After your credit card payment is processed, you will receive the URL for the session, your login/password, and the related cold-start guidelines.

If you have questions about the tutorial or for further details please reply to: datamining@rti7020.etf.bg.ac.yu

To call New York University in the USA: +212-998-9149

December 1, 2002 message from Dr. Mark H. Shapiro [mshapiro@irascibleprofessor.com]

"In time, the Cherokee would lose their Paradise to the settlers who came to the mountains of Appalachia. But long after they were gone, they would live on in the settlers hearts and minds and in the dark-brown eyes and the long black hair of mountain men and women.".... ...Tom Cordle, The Disappearing Cemetery (2002).

Cordle ... is a master story teller. Very few can make history come alive so vividly as Tom does. Read our review of his recently published book at:

http://irascibleprofessor.com/comments-12-02-02.htm

Sincerely,

Dr. Mark H. Shapiro
Editor and Publisher
The Irascible Professor http://irascibleprofessor.com

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum (American History) --- http://www.alincoln-library.com/Apps/default.asp

November 27, 2002 message from Tracey Sutherland [tracey@aaahq.org]

KPMG/THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS BUSINESS MEASUREMENT AND RESEARCH PROGRAM http://accounting.rutgers.edu/raw/aaa/facdev/research/KPMG-UIUC2003.pdf

KPMG LLP, the KPMG Foundation, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) are pleased to invite research proposals to the Business Measurement Research Program (Program). The Program supports scholarly research on concepts, models, and practices in business measurement and assurance. KPMG LLP and the KPMG Foundation have pledged financial support for the Program's initial three-year term. The amount of the typical research grant awarded under the Program is expected to range from $50,000 to $100,000 (USD). The first submission period deadline is February 1, 2003.

As a part of the program, a number of teleconferences have been scheduled to facilitate the efforts of prospective authors. The second of the scheduled telephone conferences will take place on December 6th at 2:00 pm Eastern time. If you would like to participate, please contact Michelle Loyet at (217)333-4545 or mloyet@uiuc.edu to reserve a space. You will also be provided with a toll free number and a pass code to enter the call. For more information, see www.cba.uiuc.edu/kpmg-uiucresearch/index.htm .

"Three Criticisms of the Online Classroom: An examination of a higher education online course in computer-mediated communication,"
by Jennifer A. Minotti Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC) Newton, Massachusetts, USA ---
http://lttf.ieee.org/learn_tech/issues/october2002/index.html#3

Learning Technology [ISSN 1438-0625] is published quarterly by the IEEE Computer Society Learning Technology Task Force (LTTF). It is available at no cost in HTML and PDF formats at http://lttf.ieee.org/learn_tech/

Technological expertise, access to technology, additional time associated with participation, and the changing role of the instructor a just a few of the many issues the online classroom has changed (and often times inhibited) the ways students learn (Baym, 1995, Berge & Collins, 1996, Harasim, Hiltz, Teles, & Turoff, 1996). The three largest issues found to affect the way students participated in a single graduate level online course, are described below.

1. Large Time Commitment

Too much time was the biggest complaint heard by students. Nearly every participant in the class commented about the large time commitment the course required. Most all of the students also seemed surprised at how much more time the online class took up over traditional face-to-face courses. In addition, I observed that nearly every participant was late in completing at least one assignment. In fact, many students were late multiple assignments.

"Having taken previous online courses in addition to this one, I definitely feel that online courses, though they provide access otherwise not available, require much more of a time commitment than face-to-face classes. Not only do we have weekly assignments, but the added 'checking in,' dialoguing through the week, and often troubleshooting our technology is much more demanding than in a traditional classroom setting, where the class meets once or twice per week."

"…We might think it would be more convenient to participate in class wherever and whenever we wanted by means of the Internet. However…we are not free of having a location in learing--in fact we are more hinged to one spot (in front of the computer), because it is there that we must do all of our work for the class (course exploration of web sites, class projects, particpation in the newsgroup, reading of submissions to newsgroup). It does also seem to take more time to accomplish all that needs doing for an on-line course."

2. Dealing with Technical Problems

Technical and access issues remained the second largest criticism and a major challenge to students, despite the best laid plans for designing this course. In this class, students knowledge of and access to technology varied greatly. This presented huge obstacles to students, some of whom experienced trouble accessing the course right from the beginning. Other students experienced problems at different points in the class, which often made their learning experience frustrating.

"I'm a bit frustrated and caught by the technical setup and requirements. Feedback on the process of the course to date: We could have used the month of February to get this behind us. I have allocated 10 hours a week to this course, using a formula of three times the amount of face time, assuming a typical three hour per week class. My time has been eaten up by the technical setup. I'm having a technical glitch with my company firewall."

"Ugh…I feel like I have overcome some HUGE obstacles just by getting into this newsgroup. The frustration and anger levels have been high and I have recently caught myself yelling at my computer."

3. Lack of Facilitation by the Instructor

Lastly, a lot has been written about the critical role the instructor plays in ensuring online courses are successful (Baym, 1995, Harasim, Hiltz, Teles, & Turoff, 1996, Jones, 1995). In this class, students really wanted, needed, and valued an active instructor, one who was visible online providing feedback to their work, supporting and questioning their statements, encouraging participation, and keeping the class on track. When not online for several weeks at a time, several classmates become disheartened. In response to the survey question, "What were you most disappointed/surprised by?" two students wrote:

"The lack of interaction from the professor. We really only got 'guidelines' twice this semester which was odd. Given the topic of our class, computer-mediated communication with the professor should have been examined. …I never knew if I was 'wrong' or totally off-base."

"…It's lonely out here in VirtualLand. …I am missing our teacher in this space. I understand his desire for a logos however I'm not exactly sure that this group in in syn and heading toward the same goal."

Conclusion

Indeed, we have a long way to go before the higher education online classroom is as successful as our face-to-face classroom. This will of course take time and perseverance. It will also take a critical evaluation of what is working and not working in each course we design, deliver, and participate in.

References

Baym, N. (1995). The emergence of community in computer-mediated communication. In S. Jones, CyberSociety: Computer-mediated communication and community. California: Sage.

Berge, Z.L., & Collins, M.P. (Eds.) (1996). Computer mediated communiation and the online classroom, Volume III: Distance learning. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press.

Harasim, L., Hiltz, S.R., Teles, L., Turoff, M. 1996). Learn/ing networks: A field guide to teaching and learning online. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.

Jones, S.G. (1995). CyberSociety: Computer-mediated communication and community. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Jennifer A. Minotti Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC) Newton, Massachusetts, USA jminotti@edc.org

Student Technology Assessment at the Global Level

Executive Summary

The goal of the Computer Literacy Project is to gain a better understanding of student perceptions on the nature of computer literacy. The Computer Literacy Project Survey was developed over the last three years as the foundation of research into advanced technology use in education research. I have been particularly interested in the nature of computer literacy at the university level and in differential notions of computer literacy across disciplines. The survey has been electronically distributed to universities in nine states in the U.S and five countries outside the U.S., see Table 1. This is the first time in the history of education research that such a systematic study on computer literacy has been carried out using the Internet and web-based technology that has reached international proportions. Reported here are preliminary results from two Australian universities, one university in Hong Kong and one university in the US.

Continued at http://lttf.ieee.org/learn_tech/issues/october2002/index.html#3

Bob Jensen's threads on the dark side of technology in education are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/000aaa/theworry.htm

Fed's computers feebly protected (November 2002) --- http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,56474,00.html

A server glitch makes internal Microsoft documents, including a massive database of customer names and addresses, accessible online (November 2002) --- http://www.wired.com/news/infostructure/0,1377,56481,00.html

Bob Jensen's threads on Internet security are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/ecommerce/000start.htm#SpecialSection

Kid Writers Writing Studio --- http://www.kidlink.org/KIDPROJ/Kidwriters/index.html

Although forecasters predict a lackluster holiday shopping season, many online retailers remain upbeat. Even if people are spending less, they predict a greater portion of dollars will be spent online --- http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,56549,00.html

Everything is beautiful at the ballet --- http://ballet-ballett.com/

Murder Mystery

The Black Dahlia Solution --- http://blackdahliasolution.org

From Yahoo Picks of the Week on December 3, 2002

blo.gs http://www.blo.gs/

Weblogs continue to grow in popularity, no doubt in part to their immediacy. Denizens of the Internet enjoy the opportunity to drop by and catch an up-to-the-minute account on their favorite blog. However, nothing is more frustrating than encountering a cobwebbed blog that hasn't been updated in weeks. To remedy such situations, this site offers a minute-by-minute account of over 50,000 weblogs. It doesn't get fresher than this! For utility's sake, the site offers a tiny java applet that sits on your desktop and continually refreshes, keeping the weblogs whirring. You can also stop by the most popular blogs to see what kind of content is piquing the interest of others. Whether you're a neophyte or veteran blogger, you're sure to find an intriguing site or two to scour.

Bob Jensen's threads on Weblogs and blogs are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/245gloss.htm

AbiWord 1.0.3 --- http://www.abisource.com/
A free open-source word processor that will run on virtually any computer.

"Teaching as a Clinical Profession: A New Challenge for Education," by Michael deCourcy Hinds, The Carnegie Corporation, 2002 --- http://www.carnegie.org/pdf/teachered.pdf

Facing the Challenge

In some ways, the timing could not be much better for remodeling the profession as a modern clinical one. Education remains a top public concern and, more than ever before, is considered both a key to the middle-class and a ladder out of poverty. At long last, the school reform spotlight is finally focusing on teaching. And with research clarifying the critical importance of teaching, it is no longer politically or morally acceptable to respond to the chronic shortage of qualified teachers by lowering standards for new teachers. Consequently, the urban teacher shortage and the very high attrition rate of beginning teachers nationwide are putting enormous pressure on policy- makers to raise teaching standards and salaries and improve working conditions.

President George W.Bush, in a recent radio address to the nation, put it simply:" The effectiveness of all education reform eventually comes down to a good teacher in a classroom. And America ’s teachers are eager to put higher standards into action, and we must give them the tools to succeed. My administration has set a great goal for our public schools: a quality teacher in every class- room."

The major barriers to an innovation of this scale include time, money, politics, public opinion and bureaucratic inertia. In addition,our highly decentralized education system —2.8 million teachers working in 90,874 public schools in 16,928 school districts —increases the magnitude and complexity of the challenge involved in remaking the teaching profession.

The challenge, of course, is greatest in poor urban and rural areas, says Levine at Teacher ’s College. To a limited degree, he says, affluent suburban school districts already treat teachers as modern clinical professionals, for these suburbs get their pick of the best prepared candidates and provide them with relatively good working conditions, supports and salaries. But poor rural and urban districts have the least to offer in terms of salary, working conditions and support —and consequently, they can ’t find enough well-qualified teachers. "Over the last 20 years of school reform," he says, "we have done a marvelous job of improving American suburban schools, but with a couple of debatable exceptions we have never succeeded in turning around any urban school system. We have a dual system of education, and the students who need the best teachers are faced with the least able teachers."

Unfortunately, inner city schools will not likely be staffed by modern clinical professionals until federal law requires it, Levine believes. "I ’ve come to favor an Education Bill of Rights that assures every child a qualified teacher, a safe school, a record for academic accomplishment and so on. Politicians know they need to talk about this issue, but don’t think they need to do anything about it, "Levine says. "People in the inner city don’t vote, and they are not on the street saying,‘I ’m mad as hell! I won ’t take it anymore! I won ’t send my kids to this school!’We need the same kind of response to inner city schooling that we had to voting."

Although the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1973 that schooling is a state responsibility, there is a federal precedent for stepping in —the government requires schools to provide children with disabilities an adequate and appropriate education. Do children from disadvantaged families have a disability? Levine thinks so. No matter how change comes about, says Stanford ’s Darling-Hammond, the heart of the political problem is a lack of public understanding about the demands of teaching and the knowledge, skills and training that teachers need today. To change attitudes, she sees the need for lots of good research that stimulates public discussion about the impact of different policy choices and strategies. "Many policies have not been built on proof; we have got to have better data," she says. As an example, she says, "State and federal policymakers throw billions of dollars into quick fixes and silver bullets. If we spent as much on improving teacher quality as we currently do on expanding testing, we would have much higher student achievement. Not a single one of the top ten ranked states for student achievement on the National Assessment of Educational Progress had a high-stakes testing program in place during the 1990s,yet most of the states at the bottom of national rankings had high-stakes testing and it didn’t help them get out of the basement."

But teaching reforms of the kind advanced by Teachers for a New Era also require major investments. If beginning teachers, for example, start off with a lighter teaching load during their residency years, more teachers would have to be hired. If residency programs expand, schools of education would need to hire more faculty members. "It takes an enormous amount of faculty resources and there are already so many demands on people ’s time for running a good teacher education program, "says Elaine M. Stotko, chair of the Department of Teacher Preparation at Johns Hopkins University. "Steps for professionalization have got to be tied to more money. "And prospective teachers, she adds, can ’t be expected to pay any more, given what it already costs them to prepare for a generally low-paying profession.

Interestingly, Fallon, at Carnegie Corporation, believes the greatest obstacle to making teaching into a modern clinical profession will not be money, but bureaucracy. "I think there are enough funds in the system that could be reallocated for new priorities," he says. "The real challenge is to create a learning community where good practice gets replicated. Most school systems are not built to replicate success. Where there is innovation, these systems tend to stamp it out, even when that isn’t the intention. Innovation is threatening in a large bureaucracy."

In a similar vein, Fallon does not expect schools of education to swarm over Teachers for a New Era as a brilliant model for renewing the profession. More likely, Fallon says, if the initiative is successful, it will be because more and more K-12 schools seek to hire teachers in residency programs —as residents and their sponsoring institutions develop a record for improving student achievement. Over time, he says, residency programs could become commonplace if states require them as a component of teacher certification.

It ’s quite a challenge: remaking one of the nation ’s largest, most neglected and under-appreciated occupations into an elite, research-based profession capable of providing all children with a first-class education. Given the limited public understanding of what it takes to be an effective teacher today, the term "modern clinical professional "may strike many people as meaningless wordplay —and that confusion goes to the heart of the problem. Our misunderstanding about the value of teachers, and the demands and challenges they face, may be the biggest problem in American education. Solving it won ’t be easy, but an informed discussion is a good place to start. The strategy of strengthening colleges of education, as envisioned by Carnegie Corporation’s initiative, Teachers for a New Era,will help to focus the debate.

Find out who is accessing your Website!

NetChimes --- http://download.birnamlabs.com/index.php#netChimes
This is a free download!

The British Library: Turning the Pages --- http://www.bl.uk/collections/treasures/digitisation.html#
(Note the clever animations.)

Use these pages to discover more about the British Library's award winning interactive display system Turning the Pages:

About Turning the Pages: find out more about this project
Treasures: information about British Library treasures currently available in Turning the Pages.
History: a brief history of the Turning the Pages project.
Turn the pages online in Shockwave, with examples from Sultan Baybars' Qur'an and the Sherborne Missal.
(Download the latest version of Shockwave.)
News: the latest developments in Turning the Pages.

US Banking in the Last Fifty Years: Growth and Adaptation (History, Finance, Economics) --- http://www.ssc.wisc.edu/econ/archive/wp2002-19.pdf

DJs' Favorite Old Platters
Record Check --- http://www.turntablelab.com/features/record_check/rcmain/rc-main.html
(Navigate from the bottom of the screen.)

Geographic Gets in the E-Picture Society to Sell Its Images Online --- http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A38826-2002Nov25.html

Celebrating Twenty Years of Frontline (PBS Television) --- http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/twenty/

You can listen to free rock music if you're into that junk (am I getting old or what?)
Ishkur's Guide to Electronic Music --- http://www.ishkur.com/features/music/guide.htm

The men accused of stealing thousands of Americans' credit reports and selling them to crooks who then looted bank accounts and racked up debt, apparently didn't know to stop when they were ahead --- http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,56593,00.html

Harvey Jacobs, a Washington, D.C., attorney, said the case highlights the need for major changes in the way credit bureaus handle consumer information.

"The fallout should certainly be much, much tighter controls over this information and who is allowed to access it," he said.

Jacobs suggested that all credit bureaus be required to fund an ombudsman-type consumer panel in each state to hear and try to resolve all credit-related fraud cases. The industry also needs to take responsibility for security breaches, he said.

"Without some form of major monetary incentive for credit card and/or credit bureaus to safeguard our credit info, like major fines and/or being held liable for the damages they cause, this is likely to happen over and over again," Jacobs said. "Yesterday's arrests prove how easy it is to access consumer credit information."

According to subpoenas released on Monday, Phillip Cummings (PDF), a help-desk worker at TCI, a company that provides hardware and software to credit reporting bureaus, was allegedly contacted in the summer of 2000 by a suspect (PDF) who introduced Cummings to the idea of accessing and then reselling consumer credit reports.

Under the guise of helping the customers work through software and hardware problems, Cummings obtained the codes companies used to request credit records.

Cummings is charged with selling those records to 20 "individuals of Nigerian descent living in New York," according to court documents.

Cummings left TCI in March 2000, but was still able to download credit reports using the codes he had obtained as an employee.

At one point Cummings set up at least three laptops with lists of purloined access codes and passwords, and passed the computers on to at least one cohort. Those who had access to the laptops could use the codes to easily request consumer credit records stored by the three major credit bureaus.

This easy access -- no longer did the criminals have to wait for Cummings to download and then pass along credit reports -- apparently encouraged them to get sloppy. The first crack in the case came when more than 15,000 credit reports were ordered over a very short period of time, ostensibly by Ford Motor Company.

Continued at http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,56593,00.html

Warning
"Identity thieves strike eBay," by Paula Festa, Wired News, November 22, 2002 --- http://news.com.com/2100-1017-966835.html

When Deborah Fraser's credit card number was stolen, the thief didn't use it to buy a new car or a high-end laptop. Instead, the number was used to buy something potentially much more valuable--a domain name with the word "ebay" in it.
In Fraser's case, that was the domain name "change-ebay.com," a scam Web site where an unknown number of eBay users may have been tricked into handing over their eBay username and password.
"Somebody fraudulently used my credit card (Thursday) to buy the domain name that ended in 'ebay,'" said Fraser, a pharmacy technician in Lockport, N.Y., who until midday Thursday was listed as the registrant and administrative contact for the domain. "It's very upsetting to think that someone had my credit card. I don't know if I'm ever going to go on eBay again, because I don't know if it had anything to do with purchasing something there, or what."

While Fraser's credit card number could have been filched anywhere, the fact remains that con artists are using stolen numbers to set up a growing number of increasingly convincing scams intended to part eBay buyers and sellers from their usernames and passwords.

Once a con artist has commandeered an account, the process of defrauding buyers out of potentially tens of thousands of dollars while evading detection becomes that much easier.

While many of the eBay spoof sites are intended just to take over an eBay identity, others appear designed to grab the whole identity kit and caboodle.

One site attempts to glean not only the eBay user's name and password, but the visitor's complete credit card information, billing address, phone numbers, bank account routing number, checking account number, social security number, debit card PIN, mother's maiden name, date of birth, and driver's license number.

One expert in the area of identity theft said that the eBay scams fit a classic mold of identity theft schemes. Other organizations that have dealt with the problem include PayPal, the IRS, America Online, and other Internet service providers, said Linda Foley, executive director of the Identity Theft Resource Center in San Diego.

"It's not just eBay," Foley said. "Nor are people in danger of just having their credit card account taken over. The moment you release your social security number (SSN), you have put yourself in danger of identity theft. The SSN is the golden key."

Continued at - http://news.com.com/2100-1017-966835.html

Antarctic Meteorology Online --- http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/met/metlog/

"Copyright test in San Jose Russian expected to take stand in Adobe E-book code case," San Francisco Chronicle, December 2, 2002 --- http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/12/02/BU206051.DTL

After a year of delays, the government is finally set to try in San Jose this week the first criminal case stemming from a law designed to bring copyright into the 21st century.
The United States of America vs. ElcomSoft Ltd. pits the need to protect intellectual property in the age of Internet file-trading and CD burning against the public's traditional right to use media they buy any way they want to.
The defendant, ElcomSoft, is a Moscow softwaremaker accused of violating Adobe Systems' intellectual property rights, by writing a computer program that disables the copy protection on the San Jose company's electronic books.
When the case was first brought in July 2001, it garnered international attention because it was the first criminal test of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, a 1998 law eagerly sought by entertainment and software companies and bitterly opposed by cryptography researchers and free-speech advocates.
The case also grabbed headlines because the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of California actually jailed a Russian graduate student, Dmitry Sklyarov, for allegedly writing a computer program that violates the law.
To many, locking up a skinny, pale-faced student for writing a computer program was as ridiculous as incarcerating people who tear the "Do not remove" tags off mattresses. But to protesters who surrounded the San Jose jail, Sklyarov's incarceration was no laughing matter. His supporters believed -- and still do -- that Sklyarov's program represents free speech protected by the First Amendment.
Now, Sklyarov, 27, is expected to serve as the government's star witness.
In December 2001, Sklyarov agreed to testify in the case in exchange for having the charges against him dropped. Actually, he is expected to testify for both the plaintiff and the defendant, said Judy Trummer, spokeswoman for both Sklyarov and ElcomSoft.
"He has a single story to tell, and it doesn't differ with who calls him to the stand," Trummer said.

Continued at http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/12/02/BU206051.DTL

The suspect in the slaying of a California police officer surrenders in New Hampshire after the FBI uses his online confession to track him down --- http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,56616,00.html

"Risk of Internet Collapse Rising, BBC News, November 26, 2002 --- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/2514651.stm

Simulated attacks on key internet hubs have shown how vulnerable the worldwide network is to disruption by disaster or terrorist action.
If an attack or disaster destroyed the major nodes of the internet, the network itself could begin to unravel, warn the scientists who carried out the simulations.
The virtual attacks showed that the net would keep going in major cities, but outlying areas and smaller towns would gradually be cut off.
The researchers warn that the net has become more vulnerable as it has become more commercialised and key net cables are concentrated in the hands of fewer organisations.
Cutting the ties
The simulations were carried out by a trio of scientists from Ohio State University led by Tony Grubesic, Assistant Professor of Geography at the University of Cincinnati.
Dr Grubesic compared the net to US air traffic system.
"If weather stops or delays traffic in a major airport hub, like Chicago's O'Hare, air passengers throughout the country may feel the effects," said Dr Grubesic, "even if they are not travelling to Chicago."

In its early days the net was as decentralised, as possible with multiple links between many of the nodes forming it. If one node disappeared, traffic could easily flow to other links and route traffic to all parts.

However, said the researchers, the increasing commercialisation of the net has seen the emergence of large hubs that act as key distribution points for some parts of the web.

As a result, the net has become much more vulnerable to attack.

"If you destroyed a major internet hub, you would also destroy all the links that are connected to it," said Morton O'Kelly, Professor of Geography at Ohio State University.

"It would have ripple effects throughout the internet"

Small worlds

US cities such as Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, Dallas, Chicago and Washington DC are large net hubs and have several connections to the web.

An attack on one hub could have ripple effects

As a result any attack would bump up traffic levels on these links, but the larger cities would probably maintain net services.

By contrast, warn the researchers, smaller cities that rely on the large hubs to keep them connected cut see their links severed by an attack on their routing centre.

The researchers said the attack on the World Trade Centre revealed how disruption could spread.

Continued at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/2514651.stm

From InformationWeek Daily on December 6, 2002

The Wireless Way To Do Business
Three industry powerhouses--AT&T, IBM, and Intel--are betting that a wireless LAN technology will fundamentally change business communications. http://update.informationweek.com/cgi-bin4/flo?y=eJxX0BcUEY0V20BnmU0AN

Home Depot Adds Self-Checkout To IT Initiatives
The home-improvement retailer says the time for more IT investments is now. http://update.informationweek.com/cgi-bin4/flo?y=eJxX0BcUEY0V20BnmV0AO

Microsoft Targets Small Business Accounting Market
Small Business Manager 7.0 offers more than basic accounting without forcing users to lay out big bucks. http://update.informationweek.com/cgi-bin4/flo?y=eJxX0BcUEY0V20BnmW0AP

City Stories (History, Sociology, Culture)--- http://citystories.com/
You can choose the city that you want to read about.)

December 1, 2002 message from TIME Magazine [editor@newsletter.time.com]

The Age of Arthritis:
Doctors expect that osteoarthritis will affect 40 million Americans by 2020, up from 20 million affected at present, TIME's Christine Gorman and Alice Park report. TIME's cover package looks at the coming "Age of Arthritis" and the latest treatments involving drugs, surgery, exercise and alternative therapies. TIME also offers tips on keeping joints healthy, such as avoiding high-stress exercise, keeping slim and building muscle. It's almost as if we were watching the formation of an epidemiological perfect storm. First you have the demographic bulge of the baby-boom generation heading into its 50s-prime time for arthritis. Add five decades of jogging, high-impact aerobics and fast-breaking sports like football, soccer, tennis and basketball, whose quick stops and sharp pivots do maximum damage to the knees and hips. Gen Xers can look forward to the effects of videogames on the thumbs, another body part that's particularly prone to osteoarthritis. Finally, top it all off with a generation of Americans who are heavier than ever and whose weight is literally squeezing the life out of their joints, TIME reports.

December 1, 2002 message from Michael Gasior [newsletter@afs-seminars.com]

Yesterday as I began to sit down to write this month's edition I scanned Yahoo for the "most popular" stories to be certain I wasn't missing anything obvious.

Well yesterday morning, THE most popular story was:

"Handcuff Sales to Women Booming"

According to the story, one of the largest adult chains in Europe, Beate Uhse, which was founded in 1946 and recently went public on the Frankfurt stock exchange, opened 5 shops catering primarily to women. Well starting the very first day, the shops struggled to keep handcuffs in stock daily.

With all the negative stuff I read every single day, what a wonderful story for me to hear. Although you might be thinking I'm being sarcastic I'm actually not. Just the idea that there might be scores of women walking around with a newly purchased pair of handcuffs in their purse is a terrific distraction from the daily grind for me. This is true barring any sudden correlating increase in the purchase of stun guns, baseball bats or hammers by women of course.

A PRETTY DECENT BRAIN TEASER

I got MANY fewer complaints last month that the brainteaser was too easy which pleased me. This month the premise seems simple enough, but you need to give this once fair consideration.

How many parts can you split a circle into using only 4 lines?

Give yourself a chance to figure it out yourself before going to look at the answer. You will find the solution at the following URL.

http://www.afs-seminars.com/brainteaser_Nov2002.shtml

Frustrated Germans are sending their chancellor the shirts off their backs in response to an e-mail campaign launched after a post-election tax hike --- http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,56690,00.htmlb

HUMOR

The creator of Roger & Me and Bowling for Columbine predicted in an online essay a resounding victory for Democrats in the Nov. 5 elections. But the piece has since been taken down, and critics are having a field day --- http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,56524,00.html

Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel --- http://www.vivalasvegasweddings.com/

You might be a redneck if (with music) --- http://www.angelfire.com/tx/DUK23/yamightbe10.html
Other redneck jokes --- http://4laughs.members.easyspace.com/rednecks.htm
Reasons you might be a redneck --- http://www.hehe.at/funworld/archive/jokes14.php?view=1391

BillySolEstes.com (thanks Tom) --- http://billiesolestes.com/

You might be a (an) __________ if --- http://www.youmightbe.com/
In particular try filling in the blank with "accountant" --- http://www.youmightbe.com/pages/accountant.html

your idea of trashing your hotel room is refusing to fill out the guest comment card.
you refer to your child as Deduction 214 3.
you deduct Exlax as "Moving expenses"
at the movie Indecent Proposal you did a NPV calculation.
you decide to change your name to a symbol and you choose the double underline "=========="
you had no idea that GAP was also a clothing store
you consider it normal not to see your spouse or children from February to April 15th. (Laura Cole)
you've ever made a joke about a double-entry bookkeeping method. (Alicat, alicat@aeneas.net )
you know what the acronym MACRS stands for. (Alicat)
you have a petty cash box at home and actually refer to it as such (Amy R.).

Other pages:

Dull Men's Club --- http://www.dullmen.com/account.htm

Arthur Andersen . . . changing light bulbs

How many Arthur Andersen accountants does it take to change a light bulb?

Eleven.

One to reach up and change the light bulb.

Ten to try to find out why they didn’t know until now that the bulb was burned out.

Arthur Andersen . . . good new, bad news from Saddam Hussein

Good news: Saddam Hussein says he'll let arms inspectors back into Iraq.

Bad news: He says they must come from Arthur Andersen.

[Overheard at the World Economic Forum in New York, February 2, 2002, according to CNN]

What's the definition of an accountant?

Someone who solves a problem you didn't know you had in a way you don't understand.

Songs Accountants Like
"Don't Be Accrual",
"Account Your Many Blessings", and
"Adjust Called to Say I Love You"

What are the two types of accountants?

Those who can count . . . and those who can't. [Kelvin, thanks for this.]

What does an accountant use for birth control?

His personality.

When does a person decide to become an accountant?

When he realizes he doesn't have the charisma to sell insurance.

What's an extroverted accountant?

One who looks at your shoes instead of his own shoes when he's talking to you.

What's an auditor?

Someone who arrives after the battle and bayonets all the wounded.

Why did the auditor cross the road?

Because he looked in the file and that's what they did last year.

There are three kinds of accountants in the world.

Those who can count and those who can't.

How do you drive an accountant completely insane?

Tie him to a chair, stand in front of him and fold up a road map the wrong way.

What's the definition of a good tax accountant?

Someone who has a loophole named after him.

An accountant is having a hard time sleeping and goes to see his doctor. "Doctor, I just can't get to sleep at night."

"Have you tried counting sheep?"

"That's the problem. I make a mistake and then spend three hours trying to find it."

Peter Masullo --- http://www.cpa-taxlawyer.com/Accountant_humor.htm

Bob Jensen's threads on Enron-related humor are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/fraud.htm#humor

Forwarded by Dick Haar

The Harvard School of Medicine did a study of why Jewish women like Chinese food so much. The study revealed that this is due to the fact that WonTon spelled backwards is Not Now.

There's a big controversy on the Jewish view of when life begins. In Jewish tradition, the fetus is not considered viable until after it graduates from medical school.

Q: Why don't Jewish mothers drink?
A: Alcohol interferes with their suffering.

Q: Have you seen the newest Jewish-American Princess horror movie?
A: It's called "Debbie Does Dishes."

Q: Why do Jewish Mothers make great parole officers?
A: They never let anyone finish a sentence.

Q: What's a Jewish American Princess' favorite position?
A: Facing Bloomingdales.

When the doctor called Mrs. Liebenbaum to tell her that her check came back, she replied, "So did my arthritis."

A man calls his mother in Florida. "Mom, how are you?"
"Not too good," says the mother. "I've been very weak."
The son says, "Why are you so weak?"
She says, "Because I haven't eaten in 38 days."
The man says, "That's terrible. Why haven't you eaten in 38 days?"
The mother answers, "Because I didn't want my mouth to be filled with food if you should call."

A Jewish boy comes home from school and tells his mother he's been given a part in the school play.
"Wonderful. What part is it?"
The boy says, "I play the part of the Jewish husband."
The mother scowls and says, "Go back and get a speaking part."

Q: Where does a Jewish husband hide money from his wife?
A: Under the vacuum cleaner.

Q: How many Jewish mothers does it take to change a light bulb?
A: "(Sigh) Don't bother, I'll sit in the dark, I don't want to be a nuisance to anybody."

Q: What's the difference between a Rottweiler and a Jewish Mother?
A: Eventually, the Rottweiler lets go.

Jewish telegram: "Begin worrying. Details to follow

Forwarded by Dr. D.

A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul. --- George Bernard Shaw

A liberal is someone who feels a great debt to his fellow man, which debt he proposes to pay off with your money. --- G. Gordon Liddy

Foreign aid might be defined as a transfer from poor people in rich countries to rich people in poor countries. --- Douglas Casey (1992)

Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys. --- P. J. O'Rourke

Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it. --- Ronald Reagan (1986)

If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs when it's free. --- P. J. O'Rourke

In general, the art of government consists in taking as much money as possible from one party of the citizens to give to the other. --- Voltaire (1764)

Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you. --- Pericles (430 B.C.)

The government is like a baby's alimentary canal, with a happy appetite at one end and no responsibility at the other. --- Ronald Reagan

The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of the blessings. The inherent blessing of socialism is the equal sharing of misery. --- Winston Churchill

The only difference between a tax man and a taxidermist is that the taxidermist leaves the skin. --- Mark Twain

There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences. --- P. J. O'Rourke

We contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle. --- Winston Churchill

And my favorite....

What this country needs are more unemployed politicians. --- Edward Langley

Forwarded by Dee Davidson

LONDON (Reuters) - A British woman may have discovered the ultimate in car security when she started her vehicle with a hi-tech electronic key -- lodged inside the belly of her one-year-old son.

The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported on Tuesday that 34-year-old Amanda Webster called for roadside assistance when her car refused to start after a shopping trip near her home in west London. Her son Oscar had been sucking on the key.

A patrolman sent to help noticed that part of the key -- a pill-sized radio transponder that acts as a security device -- was missing and guessed that Oscar might have swallowed it.

"She sat him on her lap and made sure that his tummy was pressed up against the wheel," Keith Scott told the Telegraph.

"She turned the key and the car started," he said. "I guess this was the ultimate in car security."

The paper reported that Oscar was none the worse for wear and the chip was recovered after nature had taken its course. It still worked.

Forwarded by Dick Haar

The good old days!

Subject: HOW DID WE SURVIVE??

Looking back, it's hard to believe that we have lived as long as we have. As children we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a pickup truck on a warm day was always a special treat. Our baby cribs were painted with bright colored lead based paint. We often chewed on the crib, ingesting the paint.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors, or cabinets, and when we rode our bikes we had no helmets. We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle. We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on. No one was able to reach us all day. We played dodge ball and sometimes the ball would really hurt. We played with toy guns, cowboys and Indians, army, cops and robbers, and used our fingers to simulate guns when the toy ones or the BB gun was not available. We ate cupcakes, bread and butter, and drank sugar soda, but we were never over weight; we were always outside playing. Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't, had to learn to deal with disappointment. Some students weren't as smart as others or didn't work hard so they failed a grade and were held back to repeat the same grade. That generation produced some of the greatest risk-takers and problem solvers. We had the freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all.

Almost all of us would have rather gone swimming in the lake instead of a pristine pool (talk about boring), the term cell phone would have conjured up a phone in a jail cell, and a pager was the school PA system.

We all took gym, not PE... and risked permanent injury with a pair of high top Ked's (only worn in gym) instead of having cross-training athletic shoes with air cushion soles and built in light reflectors. I can't recall any injuries but they must have happened because they tell us how much safer we are now. Flunking gym was not an option... even for stupid kids! I guess PE must be much harder than gym.

Every year, someone taught the whole school a lesson by running in the halls with leather soles on linoleum tile and hitting the wet spot. How much better off would we be today if we only knew we could have sued the school system. Speaking of school, we all said prayers and the pledge (amazing we aren't all brain dead from that), and staying in detention after school caught all sorts of negative attention for about the next two weeks. We must have had horribly damaged psyches. Schools didn't offer 14 year olds an abortion or condoms (we wouldn't have known what either was anyway) but they did give us a couple of baby aspirin and cough syrup if we started getting the sniffles. What an archaic health system we had then. Remember school nurses? Ours wore a hat and everything.

I thought that I was supposed to accomplish something before I was allowed to be proud of myself. I just can't recall how bored we were without computers, PlayStation, Nintendo, X-box or 270 digital cable stations. I must be repressing that memory as I try to rationalize through the denial of the dangers could have befallen us as we trekked off each day about a mile down the road to some guy's vacant 20, built forts out of branches and pieces of plywood, made trails, and fought over who got to be the Lone Ranger.

What was that property owner thinking, letting us play on that lot. He should have been locked up for not putting up a fence around the property, complete with a self-closing gate and an infrared intruder alarm. Oh yeah... and where was the Benadryl and sterilization kit when I got that bee sting? I could have been killed!

We played king of the hill on piles of gravel left on vacant construction sites and when we got hurt, mom pulled out the 48 cent bottle of mercurochrome and then we got butt-whooped. Now it's a trip to the emergency room, followed by a 10-day dose of a $49 bottle of antibiotics and then mom calls the attorney to sue the contractor for leaving a horribly vicious pile of gravel where it was such a threat.

We didn't act up at the neighbor's house either because if we did, we got butt-whooped (physical abuse) there too... and then we got butt-whooped again when we got home.

Mom invited the door to door salesman inside for coffee, kids choked down the dust from the gravel driveway while playing with Tonka trucks (remember why Tonka trucks were made tough... it wasn't so that they could take the rough berber in the family room), and Dad drove a car with leaded gas.

Our music had to be left inside when we went out to play and I am sure that I nearly exhausted my imagination a couple of times when we went on two week vacations. I should probably sue the folks now for the danger they put us in when we all slept in campgrounds in the family tent. Summers were spent behind the push lawnmower and I didn't even know that mowers came with motors until I was 13 and we got one without an automatic blade-stop or an auto-drive. How sick were my parents?

Of course my parents weren't the only psychos. I recall Donny Reynolds from next door coming over and doing his tricks on the front stoop just before he fell off. Little did his mom know that she could have owned our house. Instead she pick him up and swatted him for being such a goof. It was a neighborhood run amuck.

To top it off, not a single person I knew had ever been told that they were from a dysfunctional family. How could we possibly have know that we needed to get into group therapy and anger management classes? We were obviously so duped by so many societal ills, that we didn't even notice that the entire country wasn't taking Prozac!

How did we survive??????????

More Wonderings Forwarded by Auntie Bev

There are three religious truths:

1. Jews do not recognize Jesus as the Messiah.
2. Protestants do not recognize the Pope as the leader of the Christian faith.
3. Baptists do not recognize each other at Hooters.

If you take an Oriental person and spin him around several times, does he become disoriented?

If people from Poland are called Poles, why aren't people from Holland called Holes?

Why do we say something is out of whack? What's a whack?

Do infants enjoy infancy as much as adults enjoy adultery?

If a pig loses its voice, is it disgruntled?

If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?

When someone asks you, "A penny for your thoughts" and you put your two cents in... what happens to the other penny?

Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker?

Why do croutons come in airtight packages? Aren't they just stale bread to begin with?

When cheese gets its picture taken, what does it say?

Why is a person who plays the piano called a pianist but a person who drives a race car not called a racist?

Why are a wise man and a wise guy opposites?

Why do overlook and oversee mean opposite things?

Why isn't the number 11 pronounced onety one?

"I am" is reportedly the shortest sentence in the English language. Could it be that "I do" is the longest sentence?

If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen defrocked, doesn't it follow that electricians can be delighted, musicians denoted, cowboys deranged, models deposed, tree surgeons debarked, and dry cleaners depressed?

If Fed Ex and UPS were to merge, would they call it Fed UP?

Do Lipton Tea employees take coffee breaks?

What hair color do they put on the driver's licenses of bald men?

I thought about how mothers feed their babies with tiny little spoons and forks, so I wondered what do Chinese mothers use? Toothpicks?

Why do they put pictures of criminals up in the Post Office? What are we supposed to do, write to them? Why don't they just put their pictures on the postage stamps so the mailmen can look for them while they deliver the mail?

If it's true that we are here to help others, then what exactly are the others here for?

You never really learn to swear until you learn to drive.

No one ever says, "It's only a game" when their team is winning.

Ever wonder what the speed of lightning would be if it didn't zigzag?

Auntie Bev forwarded these.

Especially note the last item in this time of controversy between the women versus The Augusta National GOLF Club. I emphasize the word “GOLF.”

I really do not know if any of these are actually true or whether they are just clever plays on words.

Did you know....

Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history:
      Spades - King David,
      Hearts - Charlemagne,
      Clubs -Alexander, the Great
      Diamonds - Julius Caesar

If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the
air,
the person died in battle.
If the horse has one front leg in the air the person
died as a result of wounds received in battle.
If the horse has all four legs on the ground,
the person died of natural causes.

In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes.
When you pulled on the ropes the mattress tightened, making the bed
firmer to sleep on. Hence the phrase "goodnight, sleep tight."

In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts. So in old England,
when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them mind their
own pints and quarts and settle down.
It's where we get the phrase "mind your P's and Q's"

Many years ago in England, pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the
rim or handle of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill, they
used the whistle to get some service.
"Wet your whistle" is the phrase inspired by this practice.

In Scotland, a new game was invented.
It was entitled Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden
and thus the word GOLF entered into the English language.

Reply from an English professor at Trinity University

Actually the OED thinks the term "golf" come from the word for "club" but it notes the "origin is obscure."

See http://www.snopes.com/language/acronyms/golf.htm for information on the urban legend of this rather conveniently gendered acronym

back to grading papers................. thanks for the diversion....

billspinks

Reply from Dan Stone at the University of Kentucky

HI Bob,

From Golf History and Antiques, http://www.home.aone.net.au/byzantium/golf/golf.html#origin

The Origin of the word "golf" This is the most common question I get asked. It is not, as is widely supposed, an acronym for "Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden"! Here's the story:

The word "golf" is recorded as long ago as 1457, in the statutes of the Scottish Parliament, when the sport was banned because it interfered with archery practice. The word was also spelled "gowf", reflecting the way the Scots pronounced it. Some say the word derives from an Old Dutch or Old German word "kolb, kolven" meaning club, clubs.

Best,
Dan Stone

But what Bill and Dan don't know is that it was a "Gentlemen's Club."

Not a Good Year for the Dallas Cowboys

Q. What do the Dallas Cowboys and Billy Graham have in common?
A. They both can make 60,000 people stand up and yell "Jesus Christ."

Q. How do you keep a Dallas Cowboys player out of your yard?
A. Put up goal posts.

Q. Where do you go in Dallas in case of a tornado?
A. Texas Stadium - they never get a touchdown there.

Q. Why doesn't Fort Worth have a professional football team?
A. Because then Dallas would want one.

Q. Why was Dave Campo upset when the Cowboys playbook was stolen?
A. Because he hadn't finished coloring it.

Q. What's the difference between the Dallas Cowboys and a dollar bill?
A. You can still get four quarters out of a dollar bill.

Q. What do you call 47 people sitting around a TV watching the SuperBowl?
A. The Dallas Cowboys.

Q. What do the Dallas Cowboys and possums have in common?
A. Both play dead at home and get killed on the road.

Q. How can you tell when the Dallas Cowboys are going to run the football?
A. Emmitt leaves the huddle with tears in his eyes.

Forwarded by Auntie Bev

If you know the Bible-even a little-you'll find this hilarious! It comes from a Catholic elementary school. Kids were asked questions about the Old and New Testaments. The following statements about the bible were written by children. They have not been retouched or corrected (i.e., incorrect spelling has been left in).

1. In the first book of the bible, Guinessis, God got tired of creating the world, so he took the Sabbath off.
2. Adam and Eve were created from an apple tree. Noah's wife was called Joan of Ark. Noah built an ark, which the animals come on to in pears.
3. Lot's wife was a pillar of salt by day, but a ball of fire by night.
4. The Jews were a proud people and throughout history they had trouble with the unsympathetic Genitals.
5. Samson was a strongman who let himself be led astray by a Jezebellike Delilah.
6. Samson slayed the Philistines with the axe of the Apostles.
7. Moses led the Hebrews to the Red Sea, where they made unleavened bread which is bread without any ingredients.
8. The Egyptians were all drowned in the dessert. Afterwards, Moses went up on Mount Cyanide to get the ten amendments.
9. The first commandment was when Eve told Adam to eat the apple.
10. The seventh commandment is thou shalt not admit adultery.
11. Moses died before he ever reached Canada. Then Joshua led the Hebrews in the battle of Geritol.
12. The greatest miracle in the Bible is when Joshua told his son to stand still and he obeyed him.
13. David was a Hebrew king skilled at playing the liar. He fought with the Finklesteins, a race of people who lived in Biblical times.
14. Solomon, one of David's sons, had 300 wives and 700 porcupines.
15. When Mary heard that she was the mother of Jesus, she sang the Magna Carta.
16. When the three wise guys from the East Side arrived, they found Jesus in the manager.
17. Jesus was born because Mary had an immaculate contraption.
18. St. John the blacksmith dumped water on his head.
19. Jesus enunciated the Golden Rule, which says to do one to others before they do one to you. He also explained, a man doth not live by sweat alone.
20. It was a miracle when Jesus rose from the dead and managed to get the tombstone off the entrance.
21. The people who followed the lord were called the 12 decibels.
22. The epistles were the wives of the apostles.
23. One of the opossums was St. Matthew who was also a taximan.
24. St. Paul cavorted to Christianity. He preached holy acrimony, which is another name for marriage.
25. Christians have only one spouse. This is called monotony.

Forwarded by Auntie Bev

25 Signs You've Grown Up

01. Your house plants are alive, and you can't smoke any of them.
02. Having sex in a twin bed is out of the question.
03. You keep more food than beer in the fridge.
04. 6:00 AM is when you get up, not when you go to bed.
05. You hear your favorite song on an elevator.
06. You watch the Weather Channel.
07. Your friends marry and divorce instead of hook up and break up.
08. You go from 130 days of vacation time to 14.
09. Jeans and a sweater no longer qualify as "dressed up."
10. You're the one calling the police because those darn kids next door won't turn down the stereo.
11. Older relatives feel comfortable telling sex jokes around you.
12. You don't know what time Taco Bell closes anymore.
13. Your car insurance goes down and your payments go up.
14. You feed your dog Science Diet instead of McDonalds leftovers.
15. Sleeping on the couch makes your back hurt.
16. You no longer take naps from noon to 6 PM.
17. Dinner and a movie is the whole date instead of the beginning of one.
18. Eating a basket of chicken wings at 3 AM would severely upset, rather than settle, your stomach.
19. You go to the drug store for ibuprofen and antacid, not condoms and pregnancy tests.
20. A $4.00 bottle of wine is no longer "pretty good stuff."
21. You actually eat breakfast food at breakfast time.
22. "I just can't drink the way I used to," replaces, "I'm never going to drink that much again."
23. 90% of the time you spend in front of a computer is for real work.
24. You no longer drink at home to save money before going to a bar.
25. You read this entire list looking desperately for one sign that doesn't apply to you.

Holiday Greetings from Bob & Erika --- http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/NHcottage/XMAS2002.htm

And that's the way it was on December 10, 2002 with a little help from my friends.

In March 2000, Forbes named AccountantsWorld.com as the Best Website on the Web --- http://accountantsworld.com/.
Some top accountancy links --- http://accountantsworld.com/category.asp?id=Accounting

For accounting news, I prefer AccountingWeb at http://www.accountingweb.com/

Another leading accounting site is AccountingEducation.com at http://www.accountingeducation.com/

Paul Pacter maintains the best international accounting standards and news Website at http://www.iasplus.com/

How stuff works --- http://www.howstuffworks.com/

Bob Jensen's video helpers for MS Excel, MS Access, and other helper videos are at http://www.cs.trinity.edu/~rjensen/video/
Accompanying documentation can be found at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/default1.htm and http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/HelpersVideos.htm

November 30, 2002

Bob Jensen's New Bookmarks on November 30, 2002
Bob Jensen at Trinity University

We're moving to the mountains on July 15, 2003 --- http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/NHcottage/NHcottage.htm
Anyone interested in buying our nice San Antonio home my read about the details at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/house.htm

For earlier editions of New Bookmarks, go to http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/bookurl.htm

Click here to search Bob Jensen's web site if you have key words to enter --- Search Site.
This search engine may get you some hits from other professors at Trinity University included with Bob Jensen's documents, but this may be to your benefit.

For date and time, try The Aggie Digital Clock --- http://yugop.com/ver3/stuff/03/fla.html
Time anywhere in the world http://www.worldtimeserver.com/

Bob Jensen's Dance Card
Some of My Planned Workshops and Presentations --- http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/resume.htm#Presentations

A sad song for the anniversary of September 11 --- http://www.link4u.com/littledidsheknow.htm
U.S. flag lovers should note the animated cartoon at http://www.beetlebailey.com/images/flag.swf
Awesome fireworks over the Statue of Liberty (Click on the Black Sky) --- http://doody36.home.attbi.com/liberty.htm
Some nice midi music forwarded by Don and LaDonna --- http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/audio/nice01.mid

Quotes of the Week

You know? You've got a nice place here, but when you leave, leave a winner.
Advice from Red Sox slugger Ted Williams to one of my best friends from years back --- Bill Zoidus. Bill owns and operates a most elegant restaurant called Pilots Grill in Bangor, Maine. The above quotation is at the end of a headline story ("Saying Goodbye") in the November 5, 2002 edition of the Bangor Daily News, where it was announced that Bill's closing Pilots Grill after 62 wonderful years of operation next to an airport that, during the Cold War era, was the Dow Field U.S. Air Force Base for the Strategic Air Command. Pilots Grill was founded in 1940 by Bill's father and two uncles. At age 72, Bill is leaving a winner.

Success is getting what you want. Happiness is liking what you get.
Jackson. H. Brown

Money is a good servant but a bad master
Dumas Alexandre

October is one of the peculiarly dangerous months to speculate in stocks. The others are July, January, September, April, November, May, March, June, December, August, and February.
Samuel.Clemens (as quoted by Aaron Gathmann in The Bottom Line, a Trinity University Newsletter, Volume 5, Issue 2).

Man ruins things much more with his words than with his silence
Mahatma Gandhi

That man is the richest whose pleasures are the cheapest
David Thoreau

Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning.
Rich Cook (as forwarded to me by Norm Meonske

Youth is not a time of life;
it is a state of the mind,
It is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and supple knees;
It is a matter of the will,
A quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions; It is the freshness of deep springs of life.
Rabbi Samuel Ullman (as forwarded by George Lan)

Click on this music and try to sit still! http://www.qnet.com/~pontius//smile/smilelmp_1[1].htm

Bob Jensen's November 30, 2002 updates on the accounting and finance scandals can be found at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/fraud113002.htm
Warning: This update has full frontal nudity.

In a surprising and controversial move, accounting standard-setters and regulators in the U.S. and Europe have jointly announced an agreement to stamp out any differences between FASB and IASB standards that may remain by January 1, 2005. http://www.accountingweb.com/item/95087

Global Accounting Rules Will Cut Two Ways --- http://www.smartpros.com/x36045.xml

On average, starting salaries for accounting and finance professionals should remain little changed from 2002. Find out about the numbers in a just-released 2003 Salary Guide. http://www.accountingweb.com/item/96441
Get a free copy at http://www.accountemps.com/ResourceRequest?salaryGuide=true

Starting Salaries in Public Accounting to Increase
Professionals in public accounting are expected to see the biggest increases in average starting salaries next year as accounting firms compete with private industry for top applicants.

Managers and directors at large public accounting firms (more than $250 million in annual sales) will see average starting salaries rise 4.1 percent, to the range of $78,500 to $116,500.
Entry-level accountants at midsized public accounting firms ($25 to $250 million in annual sales) can expect base compensation of $32,000 to $38,500, a 3.7 percent increase over last year.
Senior accountants at small public accounting firms (up to $25 million in annual sales) can anticipate a 3.5 percent increase in average starting salaries, to the range of $41,750 to $53,750.

Corporate Accounting Salaries Remain Stable
While average starting salaries in corporate accounting should remain consistent with 2002 levels for most positions, small gains are forecast for payroll supervisors and managers (up 2.9 percent overall); assistant controllers and assistant treasurers (up 2.2 percent overall); controllers (up 1.9 percent overall); and general, audit, tax and cost accounting managers (up 1.7 percent overall).
At small companies, base compensation for payroll supervisors will be 4.0 percent higher than 2002, the biggest increase for any single position in corporate accounting. Assistant controllers and assistant treasurers at small and midsized firms will see starting salaries increase an average of 2.7 percent over last year. These same positions at large companies ($500 million or more in annual sales) should see average starting salaries of $90,750 to $114,250, a 2.5 percent gain over 2002.

From FEI Express 108 on November 25, 2002

In a year of intense pressure and scrutiny of earnings and corporate reporting, pay for CFOs and controllers remained virtually unchanged, according to a new survey by Mercer Human Resource Consulting. Meanwhile, however, executives a rung or two lower on the finance ladder did considerably better. Mercer's 2002 Finance, Accounting & Legal Compensation Survey, which gathered data from nearly 1,400 mid-sized and large employers nationwide, examined base pay, short-term incentives and long-term incentives for 130 jobs in the corporate finance, accounting and legal areas.

The survey found that CFOs received median total cash compensation (base salary and short-term incentives) of $351,000 in 2002, up just 0.9 percent from $347,900 in 2001. Corporate controllers had an even smaller increase, to a median of $172,400 this year from $172,100 the year before.

From SmartPros --- http://www.smartpros.com/x35962.xml

Nov. 13, 2002 (Partner's Report) — Colleges are reporting increased interest in accounting courses.

Selected examples:

* Emory University's Goizueta Business School (Atlanta) reports that the number of students who signed up for the fall CPA-track senior courses rose by 35%.

* Baylor University (Waco, Texas) has registered about 30% more women students than previously for the introductory accounting course.

* Western Michigan University's Haworth College of Business (Kalamazoo) saw a 13% leap in the number of accounting majors.

What's the explanation for the change? It could be a growing appreciation for what accountants do, in the wake of the recent accounting scandals, said Robert Keith, director of the University of South Florida's School of Accountancy (Tampa).

Another reason: a perception that it is relatively easy to find an accounting job at a good salary in times of economic weakness. Business schools note that the CPA exam is the only professional designation available to undergraduate business students and as a result is believed to provide job seekers a greater edge in a difficult economy.

"The CPA distinguishes a subset of students as having expert-level knowledge in accounting," said Andrea Hershatter, director of the bachelors of business administration program at Emory. "Job prospects for students who complete the CPA track are essentially 100% in both strong and weak economies. There is never a shortage of jobs for qualified auditors."

Source: Reuters.com

But here’s the real reason for the increased interest in accountancy --- Twice as Much Sex
From the August 11, 2002 edition of the Daily Telegraph (as forwarded by Andre Priest)

GREY STEREOTYPE COUNTED OUT BY
THE 'COLOURFUL' ACCOUNTANT

by
Sarah Womack
Social Affairs Correspondents

The image of the dull, grey accountant has been shattered by a survey that claims to have evidence that they are more interesting and adventurous than other people.

They are more likely to socialise, they watch less television and enjoy more sex, according to a "monotony monitor" aimed at exposing those whose life was more rut race than rat race.

A hundred people in different jobs kept a diary for a fortnight to show how they spent their time.

Hairdressers spent most time in front of the television, watching up to 36 hours over 10 consecutive evenings, followed by advertising executives. Construction engineers went to the gym the least. They also went to bed the earliest.

All admitted to lethargy when it came to a social life, watching television nine nights out of 10 rather than drinking or meeting friends.

Most of those surveyed (60 percent) could not name a single highlight to their day, although secretaries cited "office gossip".

By contrast, accountants watched less than an hour's television in two weeks. They had sex an average of six times in a fortnight, compared with the average three, and most played some kind of sport.

Nearly half socialised at least once or twice a week, and more than half went to the gym. They also went to bed later and were the keenest to change their routine.

Researchers said the face of finance had changed so much that accountants often had front-office roles, inter-personal skills and the presence to succeed outside number-crunching, making them more sociable. They had also become the "champions of making life more enjoyable".

The survey was conducted for Lindemans, the wine producers.

Exploring the Future of Learning http://www.futureoflearning.org/efl/sj/

IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO TEACH
For career changers keen on teaching, rising demand, improving wages, and shorter qualification programs offer many opportunities http://www.businessweek.com/careers/content/nov2002/ca20021119_1892.htm?c=bwinsidernov27&n=link1&t=email

Important Site of the Week --- Syllabus Radio at http://www.syllabus.com/radio/index.asp

Syllabus Radio is on the air!
You've read it in print and experienced it live at the conference ... now hear it on the Web!!! Syllabus Radio brings you interviews from our Fall 2002 conference. Hosted by Judith Boettcher.

Check out Syllabus Radio every week for exciting fresh content.

Discuss key issues and hot topics with the experts and your colleagues in the Syllabus Forums.

Find out what Syllabus visitors are thinking about today's issues in our new Quick Polls

Software for Online Examinations and Quizzes

Hi Bob,

I recommend that you take a look at Exam Builder 4 at http://www.exambuilder.com/

Web-based interface, works like Hotmail

No programming or html required
Muliple choice, Fill-in-the-blank formats, and True or False question types
2 Exam Types: Click and Learn Exams force students to answer the answer correctly before they can continue to the next question. Educators can optionally provide instant feedback. Certification Exams allow student to skip questions, flag questions, review questions answered, and change answers prior to submitting exam
All questions are delivered to students in random order and multiple choice answers are scrambled to guard against cheating
Multiple Question pools per exams to evaluate knowledge gaps with remediation reports available for students based on performance
Document Library to offer instant feedback on incorrect questions
Ability to upload graphics to be incorporated in questions
Students can easily be grouped into classes
Detailed reports on both student results and exam statistics. Every answer a student clicks on is recorded in the database
Data archiving and storage with tape backup for compliance ready solutions

Create a FREE evaluation account today and be up and running in 5 minutes with no obligation!

My threads on assessment are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/assess.htm

Hope this helps!

Bob Jensen

Bob,

I've scheduled a health economics class in a computer lab this spring. The PCs are configured with their CRTs tightly packed. I'd like to be able to use the machines to give quizzes and exams, but the proximity of the CRTs makes at least casual "peeking" almost a certainty.

Can you suggest or point me to any software into which I could insert quiz or exam questions that would > shuffle the order of questions on the screen > shuffle the order of multiple choice questions > randomize the numbers in quantitative problems > keep track of the answers > automatically score the responses and send me a file of grades?

Back in the Apple II days, there was SuperPilot. But that language does not seem to have been successful enough to be ported to the IBM PCs say nothing about revised and improved. ??

Thanks for whatever thoughts you might be able to share,

Bob XXXXX

Quizilla --- http://www.quizilla.com/

This is Quizilla. A place for those who like to take quizzes and especially for those who like to make them. From here you can see what quizzes are in stock and take a few of them -- if you're feeling creative you can even register, log in and make one to give to all your friends.

Go on, you know you want to.

You can download (for free) hours of MP3 audio and the PowerPoint presentation slides from several of the best education technology workshops that I ever organized. --- http://www.cs.trinity.edu/~rjensen/002cpe/02start.htm

A great site for hikers!
The Trail Database --- http://www.hejoly.demon.nl/

Pick A Trail (hiking, travel, recreation, geography) --- http://www.pickatrail.com

Travel and sniff in the back streets of famous cities
Ruavista Signs of the City --- http://www.ruavista.com/

Bob Jensen's bookmarks on travel are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/bookbob3.htm#Travel

The Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies http://orb.rhodes.edu/

From Syllabus News on August 21, 2001

Questia 2.0 Nearly Doubles the Size of Its Collection

Recently, Questia—provider of an online library complete with search and writing tools--launches its version 2.0. Version 2.0 includes a collection of more than 60,000 full-text titles— nearly double the size of its version 1.0 collection launched January 2001. Version 2.0 also improves Questia's tools, which enable users to personalize books by electronically highlighting and making notes in them and to write better papers by automatically creating footnotes and bibliographies in various for- mats. New features include new tools for subscribers, including an automatic view of the most recently used books, a personal bookshelf for storing and retrieving favorite books, and a customizable home page; re-organization of tools and functions around the three main areas of search, read, and work to improve the site's usability; and faster search and navigation between books and within books. The Questia service is also useful, both as a source for teaching materials and as an effective anti-plagiarism tool. Using the search function to look for a phrase, professors can check a student's paper for material copied but not cited. For more information, visit http://www.questia.com .

As of November 2002, Questia claims to be "The World's Largest Online Library."

I was doing some research and stumbled on this site --- http://www.questia.com/

Patrick Charles

From Syllabus News on November 22, 2002

A northern Virginia-based training firm is capitalizing on the growth of distance education by offering a training course on "How to Be a Successful Distance Learner." Linda Kidder, vice president of program development at Educational Resources Inc., said, "With all the attractive benefits of eLearning, a critical component often overlooked is empowering the distance learner with the skills and tools to ensure success. With the emergence of eLearning, remote, or distance learning, I have noticed a gradual decline in completion ratios within our core clientele. Even if a client has meticulously designed their strategy, assiduously worked with their IT department to configure the technology platform, and anticipated the most common stumbling blocks, each [client], including myself, overlooked the organizational backlash component which never addressed preparedness of the distance learner."

For more information, visit: http://www.educationalres.com

From Syllabus News on November 26, 2002

U. Maryland, NSF, to Build Children's Digital Library

A partnership of government, non-profit, industry, and academic organizations have announced a five year, $3.3 million plan to build a digital library of 10,000 children's books drawn from 100 cultures as part of a long term research project to develop new technology to serve young readers. Built by The Internet Archive, the largest library on the Internet, and The University of Maryland's Human-Computer Interaction Lab, a leader in children's interface design, the International Children's Digital Library (ICDL) will serve children and libraries worldwide by providing a large scale digital archive of literature for readers ages three to thirteen. "This is the beginning of a long term project to provide children around the world with access to literature from different cultures in a way that is intuitive and accessible," said the ICDL's Director, Jane White. "This collaborative effort by government, commercial, academic, and non-profit organizations will change the way children learn about other cultures, and strengthen libraries worldwide."

For more information, visit: http://www.icdlbooks.org

Microsoft Certification Recommended for Credits

Certifications for Microsoft Word 2002, Excel 2002, PowerPoint 2002, Access 2002, Outlook 2002 -- collectively, "Office XP" -- and Microsoft Project 2002 have each been recommended by the American Council on Education (ACE) for one semester hour of lower division college credit. The Project 2002 exam is also recommended for upper division credit. Students who hold or are pursuing Microsoft Office Specialist certification for Office XP (2002) applications or Microsoft Project may apply via the ACE Transcript Service for use as possible college credit. "With the advance of computer technology, Microsoft Office skills are now essential to enter and succeed in nearly every job market," stated Jo Ann Robinson, director, ACE College Credit Recommendation Service. "This college credit recommendation validates Microsoft Office Specialist certification skill requirements for Office XP and Microsoft Project as being equivalent to college-level skills needed to succeed in school and at work."

For more information, visit: http://www.acenet.edu

Rice, HP to Build Texas's Fastest Supercomputer

Rice University's Computer and Information Technology Institute (CITI) and HP said they plan to build Texas' fastest academic supercomputer, the Rice Terascale Cluster (RTC). Scheduled to come online early next year, RTC is to be built on clusters of HP's Intel Itanium 2-based workstations and servers. RTC is expected to be the first computer at a Texas university with a peak performance of 1 teraflop, or 1 trillion floating-point operations per second. More than 30 researchers from fields as diverse as biochemistry, political science, physics and computational engineering have already booked time on RTC. The computer will be composed of 132 HP Workstations zx6000 and four HP Servers rx5670. "Since RTC is a shared resource, it has to have the flexibility to meet a diverse set of high-performance computing needs -- be they computationally demanding, data intensive or mathematically complex," said Moshe Vardi, director, CITI.

Even a D student can gain life-changing information from a high school algebra class.

Read Roberta Beach Jacobson's humorous guest commentary on the issue at: --- http://irascibleprofessor.com/comments-11-25-02.htm

Here Comes the Inter-State Sales Tax

Tax officials and legislators from 31 states and the District of Columbia met in Chicago on Tuesday and voted unanimously to proceed with a plan to simplify their respective tax laws in order to position themselves to collect sales tax on Internet sales. http://www.accountingweb.com/item/96658

Free
The Works of Edgar Allen Poe http://www.pambytes.com/poe/poe.html

Guide to Gay and Lesbian Resources: A Classified Bibliography Based upon the Collections of the University of Chicago (History) http://www.lib.uchicago.edu/e/su/gaylesb/glguide.html

Nazi Persecution of Homosexuals 1933-1945 (History) --- http://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/online/hsx/

THE LAW OF DIMINISHING RETURNS, by Lisa Bergson, Business Week, November 11, 2002
Dealing with lawyers is to understand why jokes about the profession are so vicious. Here's a guide to getting the last laugh http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/nov2002/sb20021111_5590.htm?c=bwfrontiernov19&n=link2&t=email

You have to laugh to keep from crying over the hours and dollars wasted and the pain caused by the bogus lawsuits, the endless negotiations, and the petty squabbling many lawyers live off. Sad to say, we need them, if only for self-defense. Over the years, I've gone from using a solo practitioner, who served my father, to a corporate counsel affiliated with one of the major downtown firms. Through him, I enjoy access to a fleet of specialists -- labor, estate planning, litigation, you name it. Separately, I estimate we keep at least one lawyer fully employed at the office of our patent attorney.

So many lawyers, so little time -- experience has taught me a few things about how to use these clever folks to navigate the complexities of modern business. As with any powerful weapon, you must be sparing, decisive, and focused. To whit:

Avoid litigation. This is my rule No. 1, and for a very good reason. I watched my father erode MEECO's assets in a prolonged and futile lawsuit with Dupont. "If we'd realized how small your company was, we wouldn't have fought so hard," one of Dupont's executives told me years later. My father played large, but he played foolishly. He ran through scores of lawyers, claiming each was bought out by Dupont when they counseled him to settle. In the end he lost, not just the case, but so much more. That and other similar escapades left me with an almost visceral abhorrence of lawsuits. Nonetheless, if sued, I will defend myself. Look out.

Don't let your lawyer talk to other lawyers. There are two kinds of lawyers, in my experience. At least in Philadelphia, you find the very genteel variety, the so-called white-shoe variety, who belong to clubs and prefer to conduct business in a benign fashion. Trouble is, their clients wind up getting screwed. That's what happened to me when a former lawyer blew a merger deal by giving in one time too many to the outrageous demands of my prospective buyer's Pittsburgh law firm.

Now I have the opposite. I think of my lawyer as a large, well trained attack dog, who I would sic on the other guy's lawyer only if I were ready for war. For most business transactions, I find it's better to avoid lawyer-to-lawyer contact if you want to get anything done, which brings me to my next point.

Avoid letting your lawyer talk to anybody. In the past, I made the mistake of having my lawyer handle disputes with customers and other business associates. My father always hid behind his lawyer, and I found it convenient to do the same. What I learned, though, is that introducing a lawyer to disputes tends to up the ante. It's seen as a very aggressive move. I lost one of my biggest customers that way. Over the years, I've learned to consult with my lawyer, but keep my own counsel.

If your lawyer isn't 100% in your corner, get another. Your lawyer should definitely tell you when he thinks you're making a mistake. But, assuming you are a reasonable, fair-minded sort, if you decide to follow a particular course of action, he or she should be there for you 100%. My then-lawyer encouraged me to settle out of court after we discovered a former employee embezzled over $60,000. The perp's father-in-law offered $50,000. Even my husband felt was a good deal.

Meanwhile, my lawyer insisted I didn't have a chance, saying these cases are almost impossible to prove. She didn't even bother to show up for court, instead sending a spike-haired junior, who arrived late -- and with an attitude. (I sent her back.) But, thanks to an excellent district attorney and my own victim-impact statement, we won. The scoundrel got time and had to make full restitution -- not the probation my lawyer predicted. I haven't used that lawyer's services since.

If your lawyer doesn't get back to you in 24 hours, his time is up. I recently fired my lawyer, yet stayed with his law firm. They're a good bunch on the whole, and so was my lawyer -- in the beginning. But he became so engrossed in his personal political interests that he lost a sense of urgency regarding my little business. This went on for a while, with him promising to change and then blowing it again. It was like having a bad boyfriend. When I finally ended the relationship, he still tried to wheedle his way back. To his credit, though, once he realized it was truly over, he helped me find a great replacement.

Think billable minutes. One lawyer I know has the annoying habit of slowly, v-e-r-y slowly, repeating every word you utter. You get the sense that he's trying to be careful and make sure he understands exactly what you're trying to say. But those minutes can really mount up. So, in self-defense, I rarely call a lawyer before thinking through and listing exactly what I want to cover. I keep the conversation on point and as brief as possible. Most good lawyers will mind the time as well.

WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH
many turn to financial counselors, who can advise small-business owners how best to reconcile careers, family, and security http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/nov2002/sb20021114_6644.htm?c=bwfrontiernov19&n=link5&t=email

Bob Jensen's threads on finding a financial consultant are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/fees.htm

The Media Center for Art History, Archaeology, and Historic Preservation [Flash, Quicktime] http://www.learn.columbia.edu/index.html

Historic Cities (History, Geography, Religion, Archaeology) --- http://historic-cities.huji.ac.il/historic_cities.html

Archaeological Collage (features photographs) http://www.reed.edu/~cosmo/AC.html

Bob Jensen's bookmarks on history are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/bookbob2.htm#History

Einstein (Science, History) 000 http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/einstein/

A video tour of the White House (History, Travel, Art) --- http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/life/

FAIR WEATHER FOR FAIR ISAAC
The credit-scoring giant has built a profit machine around its industry-standard financial analytics, earning S&P's highest rating http://www.businessweek.com/investor/content/nov2002/pi20021115_4060.htm?c=bwtechnov19&n=link4&t=email

Forwarded by Aaron Konstam on November 26, 2002

A NEW WEB SITE ALLOWS STUDENTS nationwide to anonymously accuse their professors -- who are named -- of political bias. Nearly all of the postings complain about a pro-liberal bias among professors, but the site's founder says she is against bias of any kind. She also argues that preserving the students' anonymity is necessary to protect them from retaliation. --> SEE http://chronicle.com/daily/2002/11/2002112605n.htm

History of the University of Georgia http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/reed/

Language Site of the Week (including foreign language translation)

Google Language Tools http://www.google.com/language_tools

Set the Google homepage, messages, and buttons to display in your selected language via our Preferences page. Google currently offers the following interface languages:
Afrikaans Albanian Amharic Arabic Azerbaijani Basque Belarusian Bengali Bihari Bork, bork, bork! Bosnian Bulgarian Catalan Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Traditional) Croatian Czech Danish	Dutch Elmer Fudd English Esperanto Estonian Faroese Finnish French Frisian Galician Georgian German Greek Gujarati Hacker Hebrew Hindi Hungarian	Icelandic Indonesian Interlingua Irish Italian Japanese Javanese Kannada Klingon Korean Latin Latvian Lithuanian Macedonian Malay Malayalam Maltese Marathi	Nepali Norwegian Norwegian (Nynorsk) Occitan Persian Pig Latin Polish Portuguese Portuguese (Portugal) Punjabi Romanian Russian Scots Gaelic Serbian Sinhalese Slovak Slovenian Spanish	Sundanese Swahili Swedish Tagalog Tamil Telugu Thai Tigrinya Turkish Ukrainian Urdu Uzbek Vietnamese Welsh
If you don't see your native language here, you can help Google create it by becoming a volunteer translator.

Language Translation Device of the Week

infoScope from IBM --- http://www.almaden.ibm.com/

infoScope is a handheld device equipped with a digital camera that can take snapshots of text in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian and Chinese and translate the image to another language in a matter of seconds. The device displays characteristics of augmented reality, by presenting the real world in the form of a captured image, such as a restaurant sign, and merging it with virtual data, by providing a translation of the image as an overlay to the PDA's screen. infoScope is not intended for lengthy translations, but more for speedy hits of three or four lines of text.

Details are provided at http://www.almaden.ibm.com/software/user/infoScope/infoscope_2001.pdf
Note that the grammar below suffers a bit from translation.

Abstract.
We describe an information augmentation system (infoScope) and applications which integrates handheld devices, such aspersonal digital assistants, with color camera to provide enhance information perception services to users. InfoScope uses a color camera as an input device by capturing scene images from the real world and using computer vision techniques to extract information from real world, convert them into digital world as text information and augment them back to original location so that user can see both the real world and information together in display of their handheld devices. We implemented two applications: First one is an automatic sign/text translation for foreign travelers where user can use infoScope whenever they want to see texts or signs in their own language where they are originally written in foreign language in the scene and extracted from scene images automatically by using computer vision techniques, second one is Information Augmentation in the City where user can see information, which is associated with building, places or attraction, overlaid onto real scene images on their PDA's display.

Language Translation Site of the Week

November 15, 2002 message from lina [lina@smartlinkcorp.com]

Please add us on your page: http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/searchh.htm#ForeignLanguage

Our site is www.smartlinkcorp.com

Thank you,

Lina Douglas
Smart Link Corp.
www.smartlinkcorp.com
www.paralink.com
800-256-4814
fax 949-552-1699
18401 Von Karman Ave. Ste 450
Irvine, California 92612

A few weeks ago, I featured the following site:
Lost in Translation --- http://www.tashian.com/multibabel/

What happens when an English phrase is translated (by computer) back and forth between 5 different languages? The authors of the Systran translation software probably never intended this application of their program. As of April 2002, translation software is almost good enough to turn grammatically correct, slang-free text from one language into grammatically incorrect, barely readable approximations in another. But the software is not equipped for 10 consecutive translations of the same piece of text. The resulting half-English, half-foreign, and totally non sequitur response bears almost no resemblance to the original. Remember the old game of "Telephone"? Something is lost, and sometimes something is gained. Try it for yourself!

Bob Jensen's threads on foreign language translation are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/searchh.htm#ForeignLanguage

November 15, 2002 message from Risk Waters Group [RiskWaters@lb.bcentral.com]

Despite a surge in European lending activity in the past three months, many banks have decided not to hedge their risk with credit default swaps (CDSs), according to new research by Morgan Stanley this week. Morgan Stanley's London-based credit derivatives strategy team suggests the sharp jump in loan activity has had "no visible impact" on CDS spreads. Bank hedging of new loan facilities would tend to push the default swap/cash basis wider. But between August and October, the basis between five-year CDS and asset swap spreads for European non-financial corporates tightened from 50 basis points to around 20bp, for example.

Credit swaps are discussed at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/acct5341/speakers/133glosf.htm

From Syllabus News on November 15, 2002

Penn State Deploys Web-Based Attendance System

Pennsylvania State University is using a Web-based labor management system to track attendance and associated labor costs for over 4,000 university employees on 10 campuses statewide. The system, called Attendance Enterprise from InfoTronics Inc., calculates payroll, schedules employees and manages employee attendance. The application is built on Microsoft's SQL database architecture and is accessed via a Web browser. Joel Weidner, associate director of information systems operations for Penn State, said the system was chosen because it "integrates tightly with our existing technology infrastructure and strategic plan."

Integrator Delivers Real-Time Student Loan System

Systems integrator Edgewater Technology Inc. will help the loan guarantor American Student Assistance customize ASA's student loan processing system for the Missouri Department of Higher Education. The new student loan processing system will be a flexible, real-time student loan processing system that will save the state an estimated $16 million in administrative costs over the life of the partnership. Last year, ASA was awarded a contract to provide the Oregon Student Assistance Commission with a customized, Web-based loan processing system based on the ASA Enterprise System. Edgewater Technology partnered with ASA to provide data conversion and system deployment services on that system as well.

Added by Bob Jensen
You can find out more about Edgewater Technology at http://www.massecomm.org/directory/directory.asp?MeID=331
The American Student Assistance home page is at http://www.amsa.com/

From the Internet Scout Project on November 22, 2002

Young Americans Still Having Difficulty with Global Geographic Knowledge Where in the World are We? Young People Have No Clue http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-geography21.html

National Geographic 2002 Global Geographic Literacy Survey http://geosurvey.nationalgeographic.com/geosurvey/

National Geographic Map Machine http://plasma.nationalgeographic.com/mapmachine/

Royal Geographic Society: Geography: An Education for Life [.pdf] http://www.rgs.org/pdf/summarystatement10.pdf

History of the US Cultural Environment http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/ENVI/cult.html

Foreword to Historical Geography http://www.colorado.edu/geography/giw/sauer-co/1941_fhg/1941_fhg_body.html

You'd Think It Only Courtesy to Know Exactly Where Eye-rack Was http://news.scotsman.com/archive.cfm?id=1300282002

The greatest danger from the myths that Alfie Kohn propagates is that they deflect attention from more important questions such as how to ensure that our grading procedures are both fair and effective -- fair both in the sense that they provide a rich range of opportunities for a student to demonstrate learning and fair in the sense that the playing field has been leveled as far as possible -- effective in the sense that the process provides timely information both to the instructor and to the student.
Mark H. Shapiro, Irreverent Commentary on the State of Education in America Today --- http://irascibleprofessor.com/comments-11-18-02.htm

We have commented frequently on the issue of grade inflation. Most recently, The Irascible Professor highlighted an extensive report on grade inflation that was issued by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences earlier this year. This report, which was authored by Henry Rosovsky, former Dean of Harvard's Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and Matthew Hartley, a lecturer in the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania, was notable both for its detailed discussion of the available data on the phenomenon and for an extensive examination of both the causes and consequences of the practice. The IP's commentary addressed both of these issues in some detail.

Meanwhile, author Alfie Kohn who has published books such as No Contest - The Case Against Competition; Punished by Rewards - The Trouble with Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, A's, Praise and Other Bribes; The Schools our Children Deserve - Moving Beyond Traditional Classrooms and "Tougher Standards"; and The Case Against Standardized Testing - Raising the Scores, Ruining the Schools, among others, has weighed in on the issue in an essay published in the November 8, 2002 issue of The Chronicle Review entitled "The Dangerous Myth of Grade Inflation". From the titles of Kohn's books, it's clear that he is not a person who has much use either for standards or for competition. Indeed, the No Contest book is something of a polemic against all forms of competition in society, not just competition in school settings.

Thus, it comes as no surprise that Kohn is particularly troubled by recent suggestions that grade inflation is something to worry about. However, the thrust of his argument in "The Dangerous Myth of Grade Inflation" is more than a bit curious. First he argues that there really has not been all that much grade inflation in the past few decades, but then he argues that if there is grade inflation it's not anything to worry about because grades are intrinsically bad to begin with.

Thus, it comes as no surprise that Kohn is particularly troubled by recent suggestions that grade inflation is something to worry about. However, the thrust of his argument in "The Dangerous Myth of Grade Inflation" is more than a bit curious. First he argues that there really has not been all that much grade inflation in the past few decades, but then he argues that if there is grade inflation it's not anything to worry about because grades are intrinsically bad to begin with.

Kohn makes four arguments against the use of grades in college courses. First he argues that it should not be the professor's job to sort students for employers or graduate schools. Second he argues that students should not be set against one another in a race for the artificially scarce rewards of high grades. Third he argues that lower grades do not imply higher standards. And, finally he argues that grades do not motivate. Kohn, feels that these basic issues should be at the heart of any discussion of grade inflation.

The IP thinks that Alfie has set up a series of straw men, and that both his facts and logic are faulty. Let's examine each of Kohn's arguments in turn. Kohn's first contention is that some in academia are concerned about grade inflation (or compression as Kohn terms it) because it makes it "harder to spread students out on a continuum, ranking them against one another for the benefit of post college constituencies." Kohn asks if it the professor's job to "rate students .... for the convenience of corporations, or to offer feedback that will help students learn more skillfully and enthusiastically?"

When Maine Gov. Angus King presented his laptops-in-schools plan, reaction from the state's teachers was mixed. Now most teachers are excited about how well the program is working --- http://www.wired.com/news/school/0,1383,56284,00.html

One analysts subjective comparison of life in the U.S. versus Germany (Culture, Economics, Labor, Politics, Sociology) --- http://math-www.uni-paderborn.de/~axel/us-d.html

"Facing the Bear: The 2002 Compensation Survey: With stock options under scrutiny, companies are once again seeking the elusive link between pay and performance," byTim Reason, CFO Magazine, November 07, 2002 --- http://www.cfo.com/Article?article=8037

"I'm willing to lay it all on the line in terms of performance." Four years ago, that was what WorldCom's Scott Sullivan — at the time the highest-paid CFO in our compensation survey — told us when he chose a cash bonus over a base-pay increase. Two years later, our biennial survey showed that CFOs were enjoying the fruits of new, CEO-style compensation packages laden with stock options, but also that the booming stock market was rewarding leaders and laggards alike.

How times change. Both Sullivan, now under indictment for securities fraud, and the market have since gone seriously awry. Thanks to the havoc wreaked by both, corporate boards are once again pursuing the elusive goal of tying executive pay more closely to individual company performance. Much of the consequent reshuffling of CFO pay packages will likely involve rethinking the use of stock options, which have become a singular focus of reform efforts.

Much of the consequent reshuffling of CFO pay packages will likely involve rethinking the use of stock options, which have become a singular focus of reform efforts. But CFOs have already felt the pain of the bear market in their short-term pay, according to the 2002 compensation survey, conducted by Mercer Human Resource Consulting. Total CFO cash compensation (salary and paid bonuses) stayed flat this year, averaging $432,400. The lack of growth — a sharp contrast with the 9.6 percent increase the previous year — is testament to frozen salaries and lower or unpaid bonuses, even as other finance functions saw their pay go up. And as the stock market has gone south, "options have also shown significant erosion in value to executives," says Mercer analyst Lee McCullough.

To Have and to Hold It isn't just the market that is eroding the value of options. The features that made them so wildly popular — grants don't affect earnings, and companies get a tax deduction when they're exercised — are under heavy fire. Many companies have already opted to expense them under FAS 123, and the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) now may have the moral clout to win a rematch with Congress, which killed its 1995 effort to require expensing of options. And should expensing become mandatory, options will lose a key advantage over other forms of incentive-based compensation.

None of this suggests that options are going away. Indeed, the survey shows that a slightly higher percentage of CFOs were eligible for stock options this year than last. Options have the benefit of being exempt from Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code, which limits the tax deductibility of cash compensation over $1 million. And serious issues still stand in the way of a universal expensing requirement. In October, FASB issued a draft of rules meant to clarify the process for companies making a transition to expensing from footnote disclosure. But that's an administrative fix that ignores, or at least lags, growing questions among businesses about the accounting problems inherent in expensing options. Without a provision for truing up the estimated "fair-value" expense of options with the actual expense when they are exercised, option expensing in a down economy could ultimately skew the bottom line in much the same way pension gains did during the boom.

Until the accounting and tax-treatment changes, options still carry hefty advantages over stock and cash, argues Jack Dolmat-Connell, vice president of Clark/Bardes Consulting, an executive compensation and benefits consulting firm based in North Barrington, Illinois. And although they are no longer perceived to have unlimited upside, options doled out in a bear market have room to grow. "People say options are dead, cash is king," he says. "That's bunk. Companies aren't in the position these days to give lots of cash."

But turning options into cash may get harder for CFOs. Already it is nominally more expensive. Until the Securities and Exchange Commission clarifies the rules for the Sarbanes-Oxley Act prohibition on corporate loans to executives, most companies have suspended cashless exercise programs, forcing executives to pay the strike price out of pocket or seek financing.

Bob Jensen's threads on options are linked at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/theory.htm

A former tech exec is photographing California's 1,100-mile coastline and posting the shots online. The database has already helped environmentalists catch polluters, and that has some property owners worried --- http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,56213,00.html

While so many others are still struggling to make the Web pay, Walt Disney's Internet ventures are thriving --- http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,56314,00.html

LOS ANGELES, November 11, 2002 -- Last year, the Walt Disney Co. surrendered in the Internet portal wars after spending hundreds of millions of dollars to compete against Yahoo!, America Online and others.

But it didn't give up entirely. In a strategic retreat, the company refocused on Web projects that highlighted its core brands, such as ABC News and ESPN, which is the exclusive provider of sports on the MSN service.

That strategy has started to pay off. Last week, Disney announced a modest milestone -- its Internet properties are profitable.

The company doesn't report the results of its Internet properties as a group, so Disney did not provide any profit figure when it reported fourth-quarter earnings. But the company said profits from individual sites, led by ESPN and Disney's online store; from licensing content to other Internet sites; and from advertising and subscriptions pushed online operations into the black.

Disney's Internet ventures contribute only about several hundred million dollars to the company's $25 billion in annual revenue. Nonetheless, Disney can say it is profiting online while so many others are still struggling to make the Internet pay.

"I feel good that we've been able to sort of figure it out," said Steve Wadsworth, president of the Walt Disney Internet Group.

What Disney learned and other companies are discovering is that it's best to abandon a one-size-fits-all approach to the Web.

"There is not one single formula that is going to work," said Charlene Li, principal analyst for Forrester Research, a technology consulting firm based in Cambridge, Mass. "What works for Disney.com and its characters isn't the same thing that will work for ESPN. Even The New York Times and The Boston Globe are completely different. They're owned by the same company, but they use completely different approaches."

Disney's announcement of its modest profit is a victory of sorts for chairman and CEO Michael Eisner. During the heyday of e-commerce, he resisted pressure to merge with Yahoo or Microsoft, even after AOL merged with Time Warner.

Today, AOL is struggling, weighed down by declining advertising revenue and a government investigation into its accounting practices. Chairman Steve Case reportedly has considered separating the companies.

Continued at http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,56314,00.html

Bob Jensen's threads on electronic business are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/ecommerce.htm

From Fathom Newsletter in November 2002

ONLINE COURSES

* Degree Program * iMBA from Penn State World Campus is an online MBA program designed especially for you--a professional ready for an MBA but wishing not to give up your job, move your family or leave your friends. The iMBA program is composed of 22 online courses, totaling 48 credits, and takes 24 months to complete. Learn more: http://www.fathom.com/course/69809635/1285

* Short e-Course * PROSPECTING FOR BUSINESS INFORMATION from The New York Public Library is designed to help small business owners, job-hunters, grant seekers, investors, advertisers and others navigate Web- and library-based company information services for business research. The 30-day course includes trial access to databases from infoUSA and Standard & Poor's: http://www.fathom.com/course/49704700/1286

* Short e-Course * FINANCE FOR NON-FINANCIAL MANAGERS: BUILDING AN OPERATING BUDGET from SkillSoft (formerly SmartForce) is designed for managers and those within an organization involved in making business decisions with financial implications. Learn how to assess financial plans, organize a strategic budget, and manage the preparation of a cash budget. Enroll anytime: http://www.fathom.com/course/42704428/1287

NEW BUSINESS & ECONOMICS FEATURES

* Corporate Response: Learning from IRA Terrorist Attacks in London In 1992 and 1993, London's financial center was struck by two massive IRA bombings. In addition to loss of life and physical property, these terrorist attacks hit hard the heart of London's information, communication and business infrastructure. In a lecture at Columbia University, Jonathan Liebenau of the London School of Economics looks at corporations in London before and after the bombings: "I began to think about what happened in London, and what London learned..." http://www.fathom.com/feature/190162/1/1288

* A Question of Energy: Fossil Fuels, Renewables, and Wind Ben Russell of the Science Museum takes stock of the current energy situation by discussing the use of fossil fuels in contemporary society. Presenting alternatives whose use may be far more sustainable in the long term than our current reliance on oil, Russell looks at the past uses and future prospects for wind energy: "Global oil consumption stands at 75 million barrels every day.... However, oil supplies have proved far from secure..." http://www.fathom.com/feature/190165/1/1289

ARTS & HUMANITIES

* Short e-Course * THE SHAKESPEARE YOU NEVER KNEW: THE EARLY HISTORY PLAYS from University of Michigan Professor Ralph Williams explores the key themes and dramatic elements of Henry VI (Parts 1, 2 and 3) and Richard III. Actors from the Royal Shakespeare Company bring Shakespeare's language to life, and students have access to a range of materials that provide historical background and context for the plays. Enroll anytime: http://www.fathom.com/course/73811500/1279

* Free Seminar * HISTORY THROUGH A FILMMAKER'S LENS from the American Film Institute examines how films released during World War I, the Great Depression and World War II--from 'King Kong' to 'Casablanca'--addressed, however subtly, these major world events. The seminar is free; simply follow the checkout process to enroll: http://www.fathom.com/course/21701723/1280

* Short e-Course * THE FUTURE OF ENGLISH from Cambridge University Press author and language expert David Crystal examines the history of English since 1600, the question of Standard English, American English versus British English, and the death of minority languages. The first 1,000 enrollees in this new e-course will also receive a free copy of The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language: http://www.fathom.com/course/56756013/1281

HISTORY & SOCIETY

* Free Seminar * REMEMBRANCE: RECORDING VETERANS' ORAL HISTORIES from AARP and the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, will take you through the steps necessary to record a veteran's history, including how to find a veteran to interview, how to prepare for the actual interview and what to do once you've completed the interview. The seminar is free; simply follow the checkout process to enroll: http://www.fathom.com/course/21701741/1297

* Short e-Course * THE SHAKESPEARE YOU NEVER KNEW: THE EARLY HISTORY PLAYS from University of Michigan Professor Ralph Williams explores the key themes and dramatic elements of Henry VI (Parts 1, 2 and 3) and Richard III. Actors from the Royal Shakespeare Company bring Shakespeare's language to life, and students have access to a range of materials that provide historical background and context for the plays. Enroll anytime: http://www.fathom.com/course/73811500/1298

* Free Seminar * ANCIENT EGYPTIAN SOCIETY AND FAMILY LIFE from the University of Chicago describes the surprising similarities between ancient Egyptians and people today--a strong emphasis on the nuclear family, the love for social activities, and an attachment to appearance and fashion. The seminar is free; simply follow the checkout process to enroll: http://www.fathom.com/course/21701778/1299

Bob Jensen's threads on distance education are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/crossborder.htm

Note the NYU Virtual College online training and education courses --- http://www.scps.nyu.edu/landing/index.jsp?wfId=142

NYU's School of Continuing and Professional Studies (SCPS) where you'll find a wealth of programs to meet your career needs.

As the leader in adult education, SCPS offers:

World-class education at a prestigious research university

Specialized instruction by a faculty of renowned leaders

An opportunity to study in New York City, home to some of the fastest-growing global industries

Courses and degree programs that accommodate your busy schedule, including our online offerings from
The Virtual College

Bob Jensen's listing of online courses is at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/crossborder.htm

From Fathom on November 21, 2002

Enroll in any of our free seminars created by experts at 14 top institutions--we have over 100 free seminars to choose from! http://www.fathom.com/link.jhtml?cid=N12&page=l_p/free/

Visit our professional development center for courses in finance, computer skills and more http://www.fathom.com/link.jhtml?cid=N22&page=professionals/

From The Scout Report on November 15, 2002

Video Game Serves as Inspiration for Criminal Activity

Teen Car Thief Blames Video Game http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=519&ncid=757&e=10&u=/ap/20021114/ap_on_re_us/theft_spree

Video Game Violence and Public Policy http://culturalpolicy.uchicago.edu/conf2001/papers/walsh.html

Video Game Research http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~sherryj/videogames/index.htm

Entertainment Software Rating Board

http://www.esrb.org/

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Special Report: Violence and Video games http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/videogameviolence/

Statement of the Federal Trade Commission: "Marketing Violent Entertainment to Children: Self-Regulation and Industry Practices in the Motion Picture, Music Recording, and Electronic Game Industries" http://www.ftc.gov/os/2002/10/marketing021001.htm

EDUCAUSE Review NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2002 Volume 37, Number 6

FEATURES

"Signs of the Times: Change Is Coming for E-Learning" by SALLY M. JOHNSTONE
With students beginning to approach education differently as a result of economic and technological changes, colleges and universities must rethink their fundamental practices and must consider the critical roles of e-learning in the mission of the U.S. higher education system. http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0260.pdf

"Mind over Matter: Transforming Course Management Systems into Effective Learning Environments" by COLLEEN CARMEAN and JEREMY HAEFNER
Integrating best practices for "deeper learning" with the robust tools provided by course management systems creates an incredibly effective, engaging, and student-centered learning environment. http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0261.pdf

"EDUCAUSE Services in Information Technology Policy" by MARK A. LUKER The EDUCAUSE
Policy Program works on two levels: (1) tracking federal laws and regulations that may affect the course of IT in higher education and coordinating initiatives to shape federal IT policies, and (2) helping individual institutions interpret the federal environment in order to establish appropriate IT policies on their own campuses. http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0262.pdf

"An AAUP Response to 'Dirty Little Secrets'" by MARY BURGAN and SUSAN MEISENHELDER
Faculty members attending an AAUP Summer Institute seminar analyze the five higher education "secrets" identified by Laura Palmer Noone and Craig Swenson in the November/December 2001 EDUCAUSE Review. http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0264.pdf

"The Next-Generation Infrastructure" by ED LIGHTFOOT and WELDON IHRIG
Higher education needs a next-generation infrastructure that will allow colleges and universities to be user-centered, to establish and maintain lifelong relationships with individuals, and to provide personalized, secure, seamless connections with all constituents. http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0263.pdf

DEPARTMENTS

techwatch Information Technology in the News http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm02611.pdf

Leadership "Moving Beyond the Rhetoric" by LEE HIGDON http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm02610.pdf

E-Content "Building Good Digital Library Collections: A Dynamic Framework" by TIMOTHY W. COLE http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0269.pdf

New Horizons "The Evolution of Converged Communications Services in Higher Education" by E. MICHAEL STAMAN http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0268.pdf

policy@edu "Identity, Privacy, and Information Technology" by JOE F. THOMPSON http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0267.pdf

Viewpoints "'Free Love' and Secured Services" by VACE KUNDAKCI http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0266.pdf

Homepage "Make Mine Vanilla" by RICHARD N. KATZ http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0265.pdf

Here's an interesting article about the design of a first accounting course. http://www.nysscpa.org/cpajournal/2002/1002/dept/d105802.htm

Now add the Camtasia and it will be even more terrific.

Free research papers from The Hoover Institute at Stanford University
The Hoover Institute http://www-hoover.stanford.edu /

CAN ELEPHANTS DO MORSE CODE?:
Some $3 million in grants were awarded earlier this month by Stanford's Bio-X program to 21 new interdisciplinary research projects. This year's recipients include a surprisingly wide range of interdisciplinary projects - from experiments on how individual brain cells communicate in mice to research on how elephant herds communicate long distances by stomping their feet. http://www.stanford.edu/dept/news/report/news/november6/bioxawards-116.html

Webledger alternatives are becoming a much bigger deal in accounting information systems. I suspect that many accounting educators are not really keeping up to date with the phenomenal growth in vendor services.

I am a strong advocate of Webledger accounting and information systems.
In my viewpoint they are the wave of the future for small and even medium-sized business and other organizations. The main obstacle is overcoming the natural tendency to fret over having data stored with a Webledger vendor. But the advantages of cost savings (e.g., savings not having to employ technical database and IT specialists. savings in hardware costs, and savings in software costs), advantages of worldwide access over the Internet, and advantages of security (due to the millions invested by vendors to ensure security) far outweigh the disadvantages until organization size becomes so overwhelming that Webledgers are no longer feasible for accounting ledgers, inventory controls, payroll processing, billings, etc.

Webledger software and databases offer accounting, bookkeeping, inventory control, billings, payrolls, and information systems that can be accessed interactively around the globe. Companies and other organizations do not maintain the accounting systems on their own computers. Instead, the data are stored and processed on vendor systems such as the Oracle database systems used by NetLedger.

Free Video on Netledger Systems
A short video is very informative at http://www.netledger.com/portal/home.jsp
To run the video, Click on the link in the upper right side of the Netledger home page:

Take a Quick Tour "Get an overview of our products." (This is the video.)

As a project in Fall of 2000, a team of my students set up an accounting system on Netledger. This team's project report is available at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/acct5342/projects/Netledger.pdf

November 18, 2002 reply from Todd Boyle [tboyle@ROSEHILL.NET]

Bob,

I've been obsessed with webledgers for several years, and worked directly with countless users, developers, designers and some of the CEOs of these firms.

First of all please uncouple the idea of a webledger, from the particular applications and use cases that most benefit from hosting on an XSP on the Internet. We can get most of the valuable things (a selling presence, a transaction inbox, etc.) without a comprehensive hosting of the root ledger and all of its modules on a single, monolithic provider.

Please give me a chance to argue, some functions really benefit from *decentralization*. http://www.gldialtone.com/P2Paxes.htm#conclusion

IMO you've under-weighted the costs to the individual or SME of monolithic XSP, and overestimated the cost savings. The vast majority of companies are paying peanuts for their Quickbooks or other setup, often have not upgraded hardware or software in years. The relative stability of Win2000 and mature Win32 apps gives users crucial market power to extract better terms from software vendors.

The law of software is that once you're immobilized on a platform, the software vendor can raise prices. The role of competition only arises when there are efficient markets, low barriers to exit, etc.

The behavior of NetLedger, IntAcct, Intuit, Sage/ePeachtree, SAP, and "every" webledger to date, demonstrates an unmistakable intention to immobilize their customer and capture above-normal returns. My communication with them is 6 to 18 months old, but they do *not* adopt standard semantic vocabularies or methods. They shun interoperability with each other's functions. Instead they work to aggregate communities of VARs and ISVs in a battle for domination. This behavior is perfectly consistent with the previous generation of software, obviously I am referring to Win32 applications we're all completely immobilized on. Do these webledger providers even have a choice? --NO. Not until consumer awareness increases, and demand for open interfaces is measurable in market behavior.

As a result, when you subscribe to these webledgers, ironically you're just getting a standalone accounting system in a browser. It is designed *only* to be sticky. It is a financial venture to make money. All of the potential for automatic reconciliation or improvement in settlement etc. is avoided by these capitalist ventures. The software industry is willing to waste countless millions of hours, of useless manual processing, just to make $1 for themselves because if they had open standards necessary for electronic business, that would allow users to migrate to other platforms.

Normal returns, in the computing environment, *should* manifest as in any other market: the marginal cost of any given computational function and its networking and infrastructure costs. Those marginal costs should become quite small of course.

The software market doesn't behave like a normal market of course, because of our diseased IP laws, which have been corrupted by a generation of legal strategy and lobbying by such people as Jack Valenti, and Bill Gates, scion of a wealthy Seattle lawyer.

The software market appears to exhibit some other behavior, a mixture of cartel phenomenon and coasian efficiency. Prices approach marginal costs, eventually, if well-informed buyers of software avoid getting themselves needlessly trapped. Businesses should of course, stick with their current LAN-ledgers for the time being, until the lifetime-cost of accounting web services becomes much lower.

That cannot happen until web accounting software products appear, having thoroughly standard interfaces for both their semantic content and their methods/APIs for the sales journal, purchase journal, AR/AP, and settlement. Sooner or later, one of the vendors will blink. They will adopt a comprehensive open interface for interoperability. This can happen on the desktop, or it can happen on an XSP. SAP right now is far ahead of any of the others in Open Source, as they have actually released a free version of the SAP DBMS, and have contributed some great engineering to ebXML and the UBL Technical Committee on OASIS. UBL was founded by Jon

Bosak one of the inventors of XML to provide a working e-business vocabulary. UBL is near completion, and set to become the first integrated library of ebXML Core Components. The UN/CEFACT library is looking like many years in the future.

Intuit's recent joining of the UBL TC could be the first crack in the dam, as far as I can see, but they are neither contributing visibly, nor standardizing their semantics in any way.

I would recommend, forget about NetLedger, Intacct, and Quickbooks/Web for now. They have completely incompatible XML interfaces and are competing only to build large, incompatible communities. It is almost like a deliberate effort to create English measures and Metric measures just to sell more wrenches. Even the developers of SMBXML, Intacct XML and QBXML are not allowed to harmonise their functions by their capitalist bosses. Folks-- I am committing professional suicide in my business, to tell you the unpleasant facts, as I see them.

Forget about the open source accounting projects as well. From GNUE to SQL-Ledger. I have communicated at length, with many of the developers of these software projects. All of them, place nearly zero priority on standards-based APIs or methods, or semantics at the interface. They are building precisely what functionality they need, for themselves, in their own assessment. The linux accounting developer is, in my experience, openly hostile to ISO, OMG, UN/CEFACT, EDI, etc. and to UML modeling itself,

Finally-- the importance of avoiding capture by Microsoft cannot be overstated. They've bought the best midrange software and are spending $5.2 Billion/year figuring out every move on the future chessboard. http://www.google.com/search?q=microsoft+%22R%26D+budget%22

From, http://news.google.com/news?q=microsoft+quarterly+results+2002

Business Solutions, Microsoft's new business software division that includes the Navision and Great Plains acquisitions, had an operating loss of $68 million on revenue of $107 million Hmmm that means, their costs for the division were $175 million? hmmm that's $700 million per year, going into just the business software. And this, they are confident they will recover in the future --from us!

Todd Boyle CPA

http://www.gldialtone.com/

Todd refers to "Coasian Efficiency." You can read about this at http://law.gsu.edu/wedmundson/Syllabi/Coase.htm
A slide show called "The Coase Theorem and the Net Monetary Benefit Efficiency Criterion is available at http://www.humboldt.edu/~envecon/ppt/423/unit5b/tsld005.htm

Bob Jensen’s threads on Webledgers can be found at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/webledger.htm

The Science Museum in the United Kingdom (Exhibitions, History, News, etc.) --- http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/

One of the highlights is "Body Talk" at http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/education/science_year/bodytalkpoem.asp
For example, the Talking Teeth Exhibit (that features a cell phone embedded in a molar) was featured on Page 78 in the November 18, 2002 edition of Time Magazine --- http://www.time.com/time/2002/inventions/

From the FEI Research Foundation Newsletter (PrivateNet) on November 25, 2002

WHAT CAN PRIVATE COMPANIES EXPECT FROM WASHINGTON?

The November 5, 2002, election was a Republican victory of near historic proportions. What can private companies expect from the next Congress? We asked Bob Shepler, FEI's Director of Federal Affairs and staff support for FEI's Committee on Private Companies, and he gave us some insights on several issues to watch, starting with the most important ones for private companies.

"Perhaps the most important legislation for private companies in the next Congress will be S-Corp reform," according to Shepler. Readers of Private Net will remember that we last discussed "The Subchapter S Modernization Act of 2001" in the June 2002 issue: http://www.fei.org/newsletters/privatenet/pnet0602.cfm

Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) introduced S.1201 in July 2001, which proposed an increase in the number of allowable S-corporation shareholders from 75 to 150. While the bill garnered significant support from the business community, Democrats were reluctant to support the bill without concessions on the minimum wage issue.

Now that there will be a Republican majority in both the House and Senate, there is a good chance that this legislation will pass. "FEI believes that it is very important for employees to have an ownership stake in their company," adds Shepler. "Increasing the number of shareholders allowed in an S-Corp is an ideal way to do this."

If you are not familiar with the "Subchapter S Modernization Act of 2001," S.1201, Senator Hatch's web site provides a brief summary of the bill's goals and a definition of S Corporations: http://www.senate.gov/~hatch/scorp.htm

The senator's site also has a section-by-section description of the proposed legislation: http://www.senate.gov/~hatch/scorp_section-by-section.htm

"Another priority for the next Congress will be to make the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act (EGTRRA) of 2001 permanent." This was the "tax cut" passed in 2001, but, because of budgetary law, it will be subject to sunset provisions after 10 years. Shepler believes that "the reason that this legislation will be so important to private companies is because it will permanently repeal estate taxes. Whether a company is owned by a family or small group of shareholders, estate taxes make ownership transition difficult and very expensive."

Here is a summary of the effective dates of some of EGTRRA's provisions as provided by the Brookings Institution: http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxfacts/individual/egtrra_schedule.cfm

Here is a link to H.R. 1836, the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d107:HR01836:@@@T|TOM:/bss/d107query.html|

And here is the full text of EGTRRA: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=107_cong_public_laws&docid=f:publ016.107

"A third issue to watch is a renewed push for Association Health Plans." Association Health Plans, or AHPs, were discussed in the September 2002 issue of Private Net: http://www.fei.org/newsletters/privatenet/pnet0902.cfm

On September 13, 2002, the Department of Labor (DOL) announced its support for pending legislation (H.R. 1774 / S. 858), which would establish federally regulated AHPs. Citing a Congressional Budget Office analysis of the pending legislation, Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao stated that small businesses could expect to reap savings averaging 9% to 25% of their health insurance premiums.

"The President has expressed interest in this legislation," reports Shepler, "and we expect it to get a lot of attention in the next session of Congress."

For further information on FEI's Committee on Private Companies, or pending legislation, contact Bob Shepler at bshepler@fei.org or (202) 626-7806.

NEW OPPORTUNITIES WITH 401(K)S

Last year's passage of EGTRRA enhanced the 401(k), a favorite retirement plan of many private companies. According to John Mancuso, director of PricewaterhouseCoopers' (PwC) global human resource solutions group in Boston, "many companies are still evaluating the discretionary 401(k) provisions available before adopting the ones that will best suit both employer and employee."

Here are some of the new provisions that employers should be aware of:

* The Tax Act now requires faster vesting for employer matching contributions. After three years, these contributions must be 100% vested.

* Employers can now deduct up to 25% of pay for retirement contributions by sponsoring one plan in lieu of a combination of plans. "Increasing this deduction reduces the administrative burden on employers who seek to maximize their deductible contributions by offering the single plan option," says Mancuso.

* Plans now may recognize compensation up to $200,000 per year, a jump from $170,000. However, the increase in compensation will affect non-discrimination testing.

* A new safe harbor formula eliminates the need to perform non-discrimination testing, thereby imposing fewer limits on highly compensated employees. The formula requires a minimum employer contribution of 3% of compensation and immediate vesting.

This article was taken from the November/December "Year-End Tax Planning Issue" issue of PwC's publication, "Growing Your Business": http://www.pwcglobal.com/Extweb/pwcpublications.nsf/docid/C60FA6EAD39A75A0852569ED007FA244

Here is a summary of EGTRRA's provisions relating to pension and profit sharing plans as provided by the Society of Actuaries: http://www.soa.org/sections/egtrra.html

Wow Technology of the Week

Congratulations to high school student Ryan Patterson, who noticed a deaf woman having difficulty ordering food in a Burger King. This inspired Ryan to dream up a hardware device embedded in a glove that tracks hand movements into readable text in a tiny monitor held in front of viewers such a order takers at Burger King. For that discovery, Ryan won the top prize in Siemens Westinghouse Science and Technology Competition --- http://www.siemens-foundation.org/

Wow Hardware of the Week --- Virtual Keyboards --- http://www.canesta.com/index.htm

With the release of the Canesta Keyboard Perception Chipset, manufacturers can now offer their customers the Integrated Canesta Keyboard which offers the convenience of a full-sized keyboard and mouse created "out of thin air" by projected beams of light. The Chipset consists of a set of tiny components that can be integrated into such mobile products as smart phones, PDAs, tablet PCs, and cell phones

Tax Guide Recommendation from the AccountingWeb
The Motley Fool Tax Guide 2002, by Roy A. Lewis and Selena Maranjian
Format: Paperback,
Publisher: Motley Fool
Pub. Date: December 2002

With the rules often conflicting and confusing, and even the IRS offering disclaimers about the validity of its advice, it's no wonder that so many people are terrified of taxes. This annually revised guide, now in its fourth year, makes simple sense of this complex area. Experts Roy Lewis and Selena Maranjian have included all the recent tax law changes as well as assembled a wealth of tips for managing not only the yearly chore of tax filing but also day-to-day activities that have tax implications. Included is sound advice on investment-related tax issues; the 2001 tax cut; and how to maximize tax savings opportunities that come with marriage, children, education, retirement, buying a home, and running a home office. A tax calendar and resource section helps readers plan for April 15 all year round. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1892547244/accountingweb

OPEN-SOURCE SECURITY IS OPENING EYES
From out of nowhere in just two years, this once unimaginable segment is gaining credibility, venture-capital backing, and sales http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/nov2002/tc20021119_3974.htm?c=bwtechnov21&n=link1&t=email

Date Rape Protection Technology for $0.40 Per Drink Coaster --- http://www.drinksafetech.com/

The Official Drink Safe Technology Website Drink Safe Technology provides products to help detect the presence of illicit Date Rape drugs (such as GHB) in beverages. These colorless, odorless and tasteless drugs were impossible to detect until now.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, "Date Rape", is one of the fastest growing drug-facilitated, sexual assault crimes in America today. In most cases, this is how it happens: Illicit drugs are unobtrusively slipped into beverages of unsuspecting victims at dance parties, bars or nightclubs. These substances are colorless, tasteless and odorless so the victim has absolutely no way of knowing that the drink he or she is about to consume will cause severe impairment and leave him or her defenseless. The victim is then left at the mercy of the perpetrator, led away to somewhere private and ultimately raped. But now, through the development of our newly invented Drink Safe Coaster™ and Drink Safe Test kit...

...this despicable crime can be stopped before it begins.

November 18, 2002 reply from Richard C. Sansing [Richard.C.Sansing@DARTMOUTH.EDU]

Date-rape coaster spotty BY MARGIE MASON Associated Press SAN JOSE -- Colleges around the country are buying millions of coasters that test for "date-rape" drugs in drinks. But some experts say the coasters are ineffective and could lead to more assaults by creating a false sense of security.

The manufacturers -- who also make fake snow and party foam -- say the 40-cent paper coasters are 95 percent accurate. The coasters have test spots that are supposed to turn dark blue in about 30 seconds if a splash of alcohol contains drugs often used to incapacitate victims.

In tests at the Michigan State Police Crime Lab, however, the coasters failed to react clearly to drinks spiked with gamma hydroxybutyrate, a major date-rape drug known as GHB, said forensic scientist Anne Gierlowski.

"We tested red wine, cola, whiskey and orange juice and because three out of the four have color already, it was very hard to decipher a color change," she said. "It's a nice idea, but it's probably a nicer idea for the people selling them because they've probably made a lot of money."

The coasters' labels promise they will help "identify the presence of illicit drugs in beverages." But in response to questions from The Associated Press, co-inventor Brian Glover, a New York dentist who dabbles in chemistry, acknowledged that the coasters can identify just two of the many date-rape drugs -- GHB and ketamine.

My Life Is Beer! (the finer art of drinking beer) --- http://www.mylifeisbeer.com/

Outstanding animations of imploding buildings!
ImplosionWorld --- http://www.implosionworld.com/
Sort of reminds me of the public image of corporate CEOs, CFOs, CAOs, and their auditors.

2002 Best Inventions (From Time Magazine) --- http://www.time.com/time/2002/inventions/

Bad Astronomy --- http://www.badastronomy.com/
Includes reviews that address ridiculous science presented in movies.

High Tech Skis --- http://www.head.com/ski/378_ENG_HTML.php# (Click in "Inventions" for a video)
The i.c 300 skis from Head have a computer chip in each ski that allows the ski to make an educated guess about the condition of the snow and how hard your are turning. Now if the chip would just hold me upright at all times.

New from Ira Kawaller in the Area of the Economics and Accountancy of Hedging (including FAS 133)

Management Guide for Preparing Hedging Documentation" --- http://rd.bcentral.com/?ID=359567&s=10871555
Order the "Guide"
Kawaller & Co. Home Page

Bob Jensen's threads on hedging and hedge accounting are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/caseans/000index.htm

And to think that I thought they were all poets!
The Irish Scientist (History) --- http://www.irishscientist.ie/p33.htm

The Irish Scientist was set up in 1994 to provide a means for Irish scientists and technologists to describe – to colleagues, legislators and the general public –what they are doing. The first two issues were published in January and September 1994, and since then it has been issued annually as a Year Book. Growth has been substantial, from 64 pages in the 1995 Year Book to 264 pages in the 2001 Edition. The publication constitutes an ever-more comprehensive view of scientific and technological activities in the island of Ireland (North and South).

Hi Francisco,

First you click on (File, Save as) and near the bottom of the menu window where it reads "Save as type," click on the tiny arrow and choose "Save as a Web Page (*.htm, *.html).

Next you will see a pop-up window that gives you options to save the entire Excel workbook versus saving just one spreadsheet. You will also see a check box to "Add Interactivity."

Have you been checking the box to "Add Interactivity?"

Bob Jensen

-----Original Message-----
From: Francisco Robelo [mailto:frobelo@lycos.com]
Sent: Wednesday, November 13, 2002 6:47 PM
To: Jensen, Robert Subject: Web Publishing Excel Interactive

Bob,

I can tell you that the most useful source to learn how to publish an Excel workbook/charts interactive on the web is your website. Even though that I couldn't do it yet. I have a question and I would appreciate your knowledge and help.

I can test the interactivity of your Excel workbook in your website with no problems. When I follow the steps to publish a page, even though I check the interactivity box, I can only view it.

To give you a little bit of background info, I have Windows XP and Office 2002 in the computer that I have problems publishing with interactivity. As I said before I can test the interactivity of your spreadsheet, I can also use an interactive spreadsheet that I published using another computer with Windows 98 and Office 2000. For some reason, I am not able to interact with spreadsheets done in my combination (Windows XP and Office 2002). The same happens to a colleague of mine with this combination (XP and Office 2002), he can't interact with the spreadsheets that he publishes (he can only view them) but he can interact with yours without any problem. Are you aware of any problem of this kind on the versions that I am using? I would like to hear your comments or suggestions? Thank you in advance.

Regards,
Francisco Robelo

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WEB ASSURANCE SEALS: HOW AND WHY
THEY INFLUENCE CONSUMERS' DECISIONS

Marcus D. Odom
Anand Kumar
Southern Illinois University

Laura Saunders
Deloitte & Touche, LLP

ABSTRACT: Internet commerce is exploding and predicted to continue growing at a rapid rate for several more years. Online businesses that have a desire to tap into this Internet commerce explosion are seeking ways to convince online browsers to become online purchasers. To achieve this goal, businesses need to find ways to alleviate consumers' fears and concerns about making online purchases. This paper reports on a series of three studies focused on (1) determining the fears and concerns that online consumers have, (2) examining whether the leading brands of web assurance seals (Verisign^©, TRUSTe, Good House Keeping, and CPA WebTrust) can help alleviate those fears and concerns, and (3) gaining insights into the process by which web assurance seals can influence consumers' online purchase decisions.

This study identified seven distinct concerns that consumers had with purchasing goods/services online. Factor analysis revealed that these concerns were along two dimensions: concerns about the firm and concerns about technology. It was found that the leading brands of web assurance seals addressed only a few of the online purchasers' fears and concerns, and there was a big gap between consumers' needs for assurance and what they felt was being offered by the web seals. Further, it was also found that the process by which web assurance seals influenced consumers' online purchase behavior involved recognition of and familiarity with a particular web assurance seal, and possibly the number of associations consumers made with a particular web assurance seal.

Keywords: web assurance seals; CPA WebTrust; web assurance; online purchase behavior; familiarity.

Bob Jensen's threads on assurance seals are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/ecommerce/000start.htm

What political photographs need is something equivalent to the assurance seals mentioned above.

"Dubya, Willya Turn the Book Over?" by Wired News, November 16, 2002 --- http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,56430,00.html

Phony photographs have become a permanent part of the online political landscape, traveling around the Internet, from inbox to inbox. Ranging from displays of subtle, technical virtuosity to crude and tasteless frippery, digitally altered photographs are becoming one of the most prevalent forms of political commentary.

"The whole doctored photo thing is going to become a bigger and bigger phenomenon," said Zack Exley, creator of the parody site gwbush.com, which features a host of presidential multimedia mockery.

It comes as no surprise that President Bush is the day's most common political target of digital manipulation. In addition to holding books upside down, Bush has also been "photographed" holding a "victory bong," earnestly studying Politics for Dummies and snuggling with Al Gore.

Steve DeGraeve created Wgirls, a series of nearly convincing images of Bush on female bodies, as a joke for friends. Wgirls has since cropped up in Esquire and across the Internet.

The availability of image-editing technology such as Adobe Photoshop has given people the power to color reality like never before.

But as voters are increasingly besieged with information -- and misinformation -- sorting the real from the fake has become ever more challenging.

Bill Clinton peers through a set of binoculars, unconcerned that the lens caps are still on. Reading to a classroom of children, President Bush obliviously holds his book upside down. On an anonymous city street, Hillary Rodham Clinton impetuously lifts her shirt and flashes the camera.

Rhodes scholarships and Ivy League educations notwithstanding, our political leaders are imbeciles and we've got the pictures to prove it.

David Mikkelson is the co-creator of snopes.com, a site dedicated to debunking urban legends. Snopes has become ground zero for setting straight these visual myths of the Internet.

He analyzes questionable photographs, searching for "artifacts" -- "blurry spots, things that don't match" and other "evidence of digital manipulation."

While most of the pictures he comes across are obvious fakes, a few are so convincing that they end up widely held as legitimate. The Bush shot with an upside-down book is one of these.

Such is the growing blur between real and fake, Exley says, that, "in a few years, everybody will start ignoring photos."

Mikkelson disagrees. "People have been manipulating photos since photography was invented," he said. Pictures "just reinforce what the believers want to believe. They don't convince the skeptics."

But how much political influence can a picture exert?

"Events have shown that parodic activity can be a consequential factor in national campaigns," writes Barbara Warnick in Critical Literacy in a Digital Era: Technology, Rhetoric, and the Public Interest.

A professor of Media Criticism at the University of Washington, Warnick said in an interview that since the 2000 elections, campaigns have become much more diligent about "reviewing what is out there and trying to contain it."

Continued at http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,56430,00.html

A TOPSY-TURVY INFO TECH 100
Some of last year's losers are back on top--as a few Internet and telecom stars emerge from the rubble http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/02_47/b3809091.htm?c=bwinsidernov15&n=link3&t=email

Consumer confidence is one of the most closely watched indicators of future economic trends. The latest figures on consumer sentiment are reported routinely in the press, incorporated into many macroeconomic forecast models, and included in the Index of Leading Economic Indicators devised by the US Department of Commerce. Richard T. Curtin discusses the roles that consumer expectations play in the economy in "Consumer Confidence and the Economy" on Fathom: http://www.fathom.com/feature/190151/1/1284

Web Informant:
Is Dell IT's New Monopolist? Just as Microsoft set the terms for the desktop in the 1990s, Dell is aiming to control more and more hardware markets this decade. --- http://update.internetweek.com/cgi-bin4/flo?y=eJc70Bdl6n0V30Bl5W0A3

Business Week Cover Story
THE NEW FACE OF PHILANTHROPY
Today's donors are more ambitious, get more involved, and demand results http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/02_48/b3810001.htm?c=bwinsidernov22&n=link1&t=email

National Environmental Data Index http://www.nedi.gov/

US Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women --- http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/vawo/

The measure, which bans the publication of material that promotes racism and violence online, clashes directly with U.S. laws protecting such speech --- http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,56294,00.html

A new report from SRI finds that handhelds can be effective tools in the classroom. Over 90 percent of teachers who used them with their classes say that handhelds can have a positive impact on learning --- http://www.wired.com/news/school/0,1383,56297,00.html

Duke Ellington (History, Jazz, Music) --- http://www.dukeellington.com/

Pitchfork: Top 100 Albums of the 1980s (Music) --- http://pitchforkmedia.com/top/80s/

THE GREAT PALL OF CHINA
Once you get used to Shanghai's smothering pollution, it's the spectacle of a society in transition that really takes your breath away http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/nov2002/sb20021122_9276.htm?c=bwfrontiernov26&n=link1&t=email

London's Churches --- http://www.cityoflondonchurches.com/

The Mammal Species of the World (Biology, Animals) --- http://nmnhgoph.si.edu/msw/

"Always-on" employees waste bandwidth and download potentially destructive programs. Employers are now being shown tools to monitor said employees. Michelle Delio reports from the Computer Security Institute conference in Chicago --- http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,56324,00.html

WHY THE BABY BELLS AREN'T CHEERING
Republicans are local-phone outfits' traditional allies. However, despite its midterm sweep, the GOP will have few favors to dispense http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/nov2002/tc20021119_3799.htm?c=bwtechnov21&n=link5&t=email

The Freud Museum of Vienna --- http://freud.t0.or.at/

"What Freud Got Right," by Fred Guterl, Newsweek --- http://www.msnbc.com/news/829644.asp
His theories, long discredited, are finding support from neurologists using modern brain imaging

Sigmund Freud has been out of the scientific mainstream for so long, it’s easy to forget that in the early-20th century he was regarded as a towering man of science—not, as he is remembered today, as the founder of the marginalized form of therapy known as psychoanalysis.

AT THE START of his career, he wanted to invent a “science of the mind,” but the Victorian tools he had were too blunt for the task. So he dropped the “science” part and had his patients lie on a couch, free-associating about childhood, dreams and fantasies. This technique yielded the revolutionary notion that the human mind was a soap opera of concealed lust and aggression, of dark motives, self-deception and dreams rife with hidden meaning. The problem was, Freud had lots of anecdotes but almost no empirical data. With the invention of tools like the PET scan that can map the neurological activity inside a living brain, scientists discounted the windy speculations of psychoanalysis and dismissed Freud himself as the first media-savvy self-help guru.

But a funny thing happened to Freud on the way to becoming a trivia question: as researchers looked deeper into the physical structure of the brain, they began to find support for some of his theories. Now a small but influential group of researchers are using his insights as a guide to future research; they even have a journal, Neuropsychoanalysis, founded three years ago. “Freud’s insights on the nature of consciousness are consonant with the most advanced contemporary neuroscience views,” wrote Antonio Damasio, head of neurology at the University of Iowa College of Medicine. Note that Damasio did not refer to psychoanalysis or the Oedipus complex. Instead the work is going on at the fundamental level where emotions are born and primitive passions lurk in the shadows of dreams.

HOW THE MIND WORKS
Beyond the basic animal instincts to seek food and avoid pain, Freud identified two sources of psychic energy, which he called “drives”: aggression and libido (the latter encompasses sexuality but also had a more expansive meaning, involving the desire for stimulation and achievement). The key to his theory is that these were unconscious drives, shaping our behavior without the mediation of our waking minds; they surface, heavily disguised, only in our dreams. The work of the past half-century in psychology and neuroscience has been to downplay the role of unconscious universal drives, focusing instead on rational processes in conscious life. Meanwhile, dreams were downgraded to a kind of mental static, random scraps of memory flickering through the sleeping brain. But researchers have found evidence that Freud’s drives really do exist, and they have their roots in the limbic system, a primitive part of the brain that operates mostly below the horizon of consciousness. Now more commonly referred to as emotions, the modern suite of drives comprises five: rage, panic, separation distress, lust and a variation on libido sometimes called seeking. Freud presaged this finding in 1915, when he wrote that drives originate “from within the organism” in response to demands placed on the mind “in consequence of its connection with the body.” Drives, in other words, are primitive brain circuits that control how we respond to our environment—foraging when we’re hungry, running when we’re scared and lusting for a mate.

The seeking drive is proving a particularly fruitful subject for researchers. Although like the others it originates in the limbic system, it also involves parts of the forebrain, the seat of higher mental functions. In the 1980s, Jaak Panksepp, a neurobiologist at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, became interested in a place near the cortex known as the ventraltegmental area, which in humans lies just above the hairline. When Panksepp stimulated the corresponding region in a mouse, the animal would sniff the air and walk around, as though it were looking for something. Was it hunger? No. The mouse would walk right by a plate of food, or for that matter any other object Panksepp could think of. This brain tissue seemed to cause a general desire for something new. “What I was seeing,” he says, “was the urge to do stuff.” Panksepp called this seeking.

Continued in the article

Sigmund Freud Museum http://freud.t0.or.at/freud/index-e.htm

Listen for the cowbells in rock music --- http://www.geekspeakweekly.com/cowbell/

Top dog among search engines in the Net's early years, AltaVista wants that distinction back. A new look and a promise to provide more relevant results could be steps in the right direction --- http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,56335,00.html

November 13, 2002
In a bid to recapture its former status as the Web's top-ranked search engine, the Palo Alto, California, company rolled out a dramatic overhaul of its site and indexing methodology this week.

Executives said the revamped site, which includes a pared-down front page and more frequent updates of indexed links, is part of a broader effort to restructure the company.

"The company tried to become a portal too late in the game, and lost focus," said Jim Barnett, AltaVista's CEO. "What we've done over the past year is focus the company back on our core strength and our roots, which is search."

The redesign comes amid a difficult period for AltaVista, a company that SearchDay editor Chris Sherman said "was once considered the king of search engines."

While the company enjoyed a brief spell of Internet stardom in the late 1990s, its fortunes abruptly reversed when the dot-com bubble burst. Over the past two years, AltaVista has weathered multiple rounds of layoffs and withdrew a stock offering once expected to net $300 million.

Meanwhile, the company's popularity among search engine users is also slipping. Although AltaVista still has a large following, with an estimated 33 million visitors a month worldwide, it trails behind rivals Google and Yahoo.

In the November ranking of most-visited U.S.-run Internet sites, tabulated by NetRatings, AltaVista did not make the top 25.

Still, search engine experts say it's not too late for AltaVista to make a comeback.

"They've had a history of making changes and hyping the changes and not really living up to the hype," Sherman said. "But this time it feels different. I get the impression they really are serious about getting back to being a serious player in the search industry."

Sherman said that while he's only done a few searches on the new AltaVista, he's getting better results than he used to. AltaVista now does a better job separating paid listings from genuinely relevant search results, he added.

AltaVista's Barnett believes the revamped site will help bring back many of the search engine's former fans.

In addition to a feature that refreshes more than half of its search results daily, the company is offering an established advanced search tool, Prisma, in four additional languages: French, German, Italian and Spanish.

AltaVista also claims to have vastly improved its ability to weed out duplicate pages, spam and dead links.

But Shari Thurow, marketing director at Grantastic Designs and author of the upcoming book Search Engine Visibility, isn't so sure.

"The look and feel is a million times better," Thurow said. "But I'm hoping their search results are more relevant, too, because the look and feel doesn't change that."

Like many early Web junkies, Thurow was an avid user of AltaVista. She claims that back in 1997 it was her favorite site.

Nowadays, Thurow says she usually prefers to conduct searches on Google, Fast and AskJeeves. She still uses AltaVista, but largely for software-related research and to find images, for which the site has a dedicated search function.

Continued at http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,56335,00.html

New York Times: Standoff with Iraq --- http://www.nytimes.com/pages/world/worldspecial/index.html

"The Secret Life of Markup," by Steve Champeon, Webmonkey, October 11, 2002 --- http://hotwired.lycos.com/webmonkey/02/42/index4a.html

The average reader — one not raised by wolves, or, worse, by rabid advocates of Standard Generalized Markup Language during the heyday of SGML — may not clearly understand the concepts of Semantics, Structure, Markup, Content, Style, Transformation, and Presentation. Heck, I'm not sure many of us did back then either, but we've had a few years to think about it.
When Web designers talk about how the concepts are related (or how and when they should be kept separate, or even what technologies actually implement them) things get especially confusing. And more's the pity, because these very concepts comprise the very foundation of the Web, past and future. So let's take it slow. We'll carefully introduce these ideas one at a time, so that we can put a stop to the endless butchery of the terminology and the confusion that results from same.
Most Web designers who have peeked at the source of their documents understand the most basic concept we will discuss in this article: markup. But we'll cover it anyway. You'll thank us later, as it will clarify the relationships markup has with the rest.

Continued at http://hotwired.lycos.com/webmonkey/02/42/index4a.html

A review of SGML, XML, and other markups can be found at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/XBRLandOLAP.htm

American History
Monticello --- http://www.monticello.org/

A wonderful site with a global perspective.
Frontline/World from PBS --- http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/

The New Wealth Package: Generating Value in Distressed Urban Communities --- http://www.newschool.edu/milano/cdrc/pubs/wp/wp.2002.03.pdf

Guess Who Yahoos?

Yahoo evidently provides a free e-mail account to Saddam Hussein's eldest son, who also has a .NET Passport from Microsoft -- which would be a violation of U.S. law --- http://www.wired.com/news/conflict/0,2100,56292,00.html

My response to an inquiry about FAS 133 tutorials:

Angela asked me to reply to your message. In the late 1990s there were quite a few alternatives for FAS 133 training around the nation. I was asked to chair several of these myself and have some audio modules that I captured from speakers that I lined up for these various training workshops. See http://www.cs.trinity.edu/~rjensen/000overview/mp3/133summ.htm

Since then the momentum for such training workshops has died down, although some accounting firms are still providing some workshops. For live workshop information, I suggest that you contact Ira Kawaller --- http://www.kawaller.com/

I have a tutorial guide section near the top of my glossary on derivatives and FAS 133 terminology --- http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/acct5341/speakers/133glosf.htm

I also have my own free tutorials and cases at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/caseans/000index.htm

In particular, you might note the 133ex01a.xls and other Excel workbooks at http://www.cs.trinity.edu/~rjensen/

Hope this helps!

Bob Jensen

Some possible reasons for the poor showing of Democratic candidates in the Year 2002 elections in the U.S.

Forwarded by Brent Carper in Egypt

AMERICAN DISASTERS - DON'T FORGET!

A little political review---time to think & remember!!

After the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, which killed six and injured 1,000; President Clinton promised that those responsible would be hunted down and punished.

After the 1995 bombing in Saudi Arabia, which killed five U.S. military personnel; Clinton promised that those responsible would be hunted down and punished.

After the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia, which killed 19 and injured 200 U.S. military personnel; Clinton promised that&nbs p; those responsible would be hunted down and punished.

After the 1998 bombing of U.S. embassies in Africa, which killed 224 and injured 5,000; Clinton promised that those responsible! would be hunted down and punished.

After the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole, which killed 17 and injured 39 U.S. sailors; Clinton promised that those responsible would be hunted down and punished.

Maybe if Clinton had kept his promise, an esti mated 3,000 people in New York and Washington, D.C. that are now dead would be alive today.

AN INTERESTING QUESTION: This question was raised on a Philly radio call-in show.

Without casting stones, it is a legitimate question. There are two men, both extremely wealthy.

One develops relatively cheap software and gives billions of dollars to charity. The other sponsors terrorism. That being the case, why is it that the Clinton Administration s pent more money chasing down Bill Gates over his eight years in office than Osama bin Laden? THINK ABOUT IT!

Questionable Hardware of the Week (But if it works, all auditors and teachers should carry this Handy Truster device)
Think of the possibilities is you ask if a student is aware of cheating in your class!
Your own personal hand-held lie detector that claims to reveal when someone is telling you a lie over the phone or face-to-face --- http://store.yahoo.com/special-offers/truster.html

Find out the TRUTH with the World's first Handheld, Portable Lie Detector! Just ask your question and the Handy Truster will analyze the truthfulness of the response.

With the Handy Truster, you can find out if your lover has been faithful, what your co-workers and boss really think, and how honest your friends and family truly are!

Do you want to know the truth? Just ask! The Handy Truster can be used

Sounds to me like Miss Cleo has formed a new company --- http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2002/02/accessresource.htm

Advice to Internet Junkies --- http://media.smilepop.com/smilepop/flash/06_2002/may02-smilepop-soapbox2.swf

Forwarded by the Happy Lady

A woman brought a very limp parrot into a veterinary surgery. As she lay her pet on the table, the vet pulled out his stethoscope and listened to the bird's chest.

After a moment or two, the vet shook his head sadly and said, "I'm so sorry, Polly has passed away". The distressed owner wailed, "Are you sure? I mean, you haven't done any testing on him or anything. He might just be in a coma or something?" The vet rolled his eyes, shrugged, turned and left the room returning a few moments later with a beautiful black Labrador. As the bird's owner looked on in amazement, the dog stood on his hind legs, put his front paws on the examination table and sniffed the dead parrot from top to bottom. He then looked at the vet with sad eyes and shook his head. The vet thanked the dog and took the dog out but returned a few moments later with a cat! The cat jumped up and also sniffed delicately at the ex-bird The cat sat back, shook its head, meowed and ran out of the room.

The vet looked at the woman and said, "I'm sorry; but like I said, your parrot is most definitely 100% certifiably . dead." He then turned to his computer terminal, hit a few keys and produced a bill which he handed to the woman. The parrot's owner, still in shock took the bill. "$150!" she cried. "$150 just to tell me my bird is dead?!"

The vet shrugged. "If you'd taken my word for it the bill would only have been $20, but... what with the Lab Report and the Cat Scan..."

Forwarded by Dr. B

A dedicated Teamsters Union worker was attending a convention in Las Vegas and decided to check out the local brothels. When he got to the first one, he asked the Madam, "Is this a union house?"

"No," she replied, "I'm sorry, it isn't."

"Well, if I pay you $100.00, what cut do the girls get?"

"The house gets $80.00 and the girls get $20.00."

Mightily offended at such unfair dealings, the man stomped off down the street in search of a more equitable, hopefully unionized shop. His search continued until finally he reached a brothel where the Madam responded, "Why, yes, sir, this IS a Union House."

The man asked, "And if I pay you $100.00, what cut do the girls get?" "The girls get $80.00 and the house gets $20.00."

"That's more like it!!!" the Teamster said. He handed the Madam $100.00, looked around the room and pointed to a stunningly attractive blonde. "I choose her for the night."

"I'm sure you would, sir," said the Madam. Then pointing to an 85 year-old gaga woman in the corner, "but Ethel here has both tenure and seniority.

DRIVING OURSELVES CRAZY, by Jenny Dickason --- http://www.cybertrails.com/~arrowhd/

Fraud Follies from http://www.cfenet.com/media/follies.asp

Fraud Follies

The business of fraud isn't always serious. Below are some of our favorite funny stories. If you would like to share one with us, please send it to fraudfollies@cfenet.com.

Ten Commandments for Con Men
Mug Shot - Cheap Shot
From Fake Bills to Publicity Thrills
Got a Light?
Two Wrongs Will Get You Ten Years
Married to a Dead Man
Give Him the Checkbook, Too
All Guilty Parties - Please Step Forward
Diving for Dollars
Celebrity Con Man
A Fraud by Any Other Name Would Still Stink
Bribes are Taxable, Too
Straddling Both Sides of the "Fence" Is Risky
The Pizza Man
Someone's Going Straight to Hell

Some are old and some are new. Most of them are dumb, dumb, dumb!

Forwarded by Barbara (who's more gray than blonde)

0 1.) What do you call an eternity:
Four Blondes in four cars at a four way stop.

02.) Why do Blondes have TGIF written on their shoes?
Toes Go In First.

03.) Three Blondes were driving to Disneyland. After being in the car for four hours they finally saw a sign that said "Disneyland Left" so they turned around and went home.

0 4.) What do SMART Blondes and UFO's have in common?
You always hear about them but never see them.

05.) What did the Blonde say when she opened the box of Cheerios?
Oh look, Daddy...Doughnut seeds.

06.) Why did the Blonde stare at the can of frozen orange juice?
Because it said concentrate.

07.) Why do blondes always smile during lightning storms?
They think their picture is being taken.

08.) How can you tell when a Blonde sends you a fax?
It has a stamp on it.

09.) Why can't Blondes dial 911?
They can't find the 11 on the phone!

10.) What do you do if a Blonde throws a pin at you?
Run, she's got a grenade in her mouth!

11.) How can you tell if a Blonde has been using your computer?
There is white-out all over the monitor.

12.) Why shouldn't Blondes have coffee breaks?
It takes too long to retrain them.

13.) A brunette goes to the doctor and as she touches every part of her body with her finger she says, "Doctor it hurts everywhere.My leg hurts, my arm hurts, my neck hurts, and even my head hurts!"

The doctor asks, "Were you ever a Blonde?"

"Yes I was." she replies. "why do you ask?"

The doctor answers, "because your finger is broken!"

14.) A Blonde and a brunette were walking outside when the brunette said, "Oh look at the dead bird."

The Blonde looked skyward and said, "Where, where?"

15.) A brunette is standing on some train tracks, jumping from rail to rail, saying "21" "21" "21"

A Blonde walks up, sees her and decides to join her. She also starts jumping from rail to rail, saying "21" "21" "21"

Suddenly, the brunette hears a train whistle and jumps off the tracks just as the Blonde is splattered all over the place.

The Brunette goes back to jumping from rail to rail , counting "22" "22" "22"

16.) How do you drown a Blonde?
Put a scratch & sniff sticker at the bottom of the pool.

17.) Why does it take longer to build a Blonde snowman as opposed to a regular one?
You have to hollow out the head.

18.) How do you get a twinkle in a Blonde's eye?
Shine a flashlight in her ear.

19.) Why don't Blondes like making KOOL-AID?
Because they can't fit 8 cups of water in the little packet.

20.) Did you hear about the two Blondes that were found frozen to death in their car at the drive-in movie theater? They went to see "Closed for Winter".

21.) Why won't they hire Blondes as pharmacists?
They keep breaking the prescription bottles in the typewriters.

22.) A Blonde walks up to a Coke machine and puts in a coin. Out pops a coke. The blonde looks amazed and runs away to get some more coins. She returns and starts feeding the machine madly and of course the machine keeps feeding out drinks. Another person walks up behind the blonde an watches her antics for a few minutes before stopping and asking someone else could have a go. The blonde spins around and shout in her face, "Can't you see I'm winning?!"

23.) Too dumb to repeat.

24.) Two blondes were in a parking lot trying to unlock the door of their Mercedes with a coat hanger, but they couldn't. The girl with the coat hanger stopped for a moment to catch her breath, and her friend said anxiously, "Hurry up! It's starting to rain and the top is down!"

25.) A young blonde woman is distraught because she fears her husband is having an affair, so she goes to a gun shop and buys a handgun. Then one day she comes home and finds her husband in bed with a beautiful redhead. She grabs the gun and holds it to her own head. The husband jumps out of bed, begging and pleading with her not to shoot herself. Hysterically the blonde responds to the husband, "Shut up...you're next!"

26.) Hear about the blonde that got an AM radio?
It took her a month to realize she could play it at night.

27.) What happened to the all-blonde Ice Hockey Team?
They drowned in Spring Training.

28.) What did the blonde say when she saw the sign in front of the YMCA? "Look!
They spelled MACY'S wrong!"

29.) Why did the blonde scale the chain-link fence?
To see what was on the other side.

30.) How do you make a blonde laugh on Saturday?
Tell her a joke on Wednesday.

Forwarded by Auntie Bev

A good pun is its own reword.
A man's home is his castle, in a manor of speaking.
Dijon vu - the same mustard as before.
Practice safe eating -- always use condiments.
Shotgun wedding: A case of wife or death.
A man needs a mistress just to break the monogamy.
A hangover is the wrath of grapes.
Dancing cheek-to-cheek is really a form of floor play.
Sea captains don't like crew cuts.
Does the name Pavlov ring a bell?
Condoms should be used on every conceivable occasion.
Reading while sunbathing makes you well-red.
When two egotists meet, it's an I for an I.
A bicycle can't stand on its own because it is two-tired.
What's the definition of a will? (It's a dead giveaway.)
Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
A backward poet writes inverse.
In democracy your vote counts. In feudalism your count votes.
She had a boyfriend with a wooden leg, but broke it off.
A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.
If you don't pay your exorcist, you get repossessed.
With her marriage, she got a new name and a dress.
Show me a piano falling down a mine shaft, and I'll show you A flat minor.
When a clock is hungry, it goes back four seconds.
The man who fell into an upholstery machine is fully recovered.
A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart.
You feel stuck with your debt if you can't budge it.
Local Area Network in Australia: the LAN down under.
He often broke into song because he couldn't find the key.
Every calendar's days are numbered.
A lot of money is tainted. It taint yours and it taint mine.
A boiled egg in the morning is hard to beat.
He had a photographic memory that was never developed.
A plateau is a high form of flattery.
The short fortuneteller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.
Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in the end.
Once you've seen one shopping center, you've seen a mall.
Those who jump off a Paris bridge are in Seine.
When an actress saw her first strands of gray hair, she thought she'd dye.
Bakers trade bread recipes on a knead-to-know basis.
Santa's helpers are subordinate clauses.
Acupuncture is a jab well done.
Marathon runners with bad footwear suffer the agony of defeat.
The poor guy fell into a glass grinding machine and made a spectacle of himself.

Forwarded by Bob Overn

SIGNS

Spotted in a toilet of a London office:
TOILET OUT OF ORDER. PLEASE USE FLOOR BELOW.

In a Laundromat:
AUTOMATIC WASHING MACHINES: PLEASE REMOVE ALL YOUR CLOTHES WHEN THE LIGHT GOES OUT

In a London department store:
BARGAIN BASEMENT UPSTAIRS

In an office:
WOULD THE PERSON WHO TOOK THE STEP LADDER YESTERDAY PLEASE BRING IT BACK OR FURTHER STEPS WILL BE TAKEN

In an office:
AFTER TEA BREAK STAFF SHOULD EMPTY THE TEAPOT AND STAND UPSIDE DOWN ON THE DRAINING BOARD.

Outside a secondhand shop:
WE EXCHANGE ANYTHING - BICYCLES, WASHING MACHINES, ETC. WHY NOT BRING YOUR WIFE ALONG AND GET A WONDERFUL BARGAIN.

Notice in health food shop window:
CLOSED DUE TO ILLNESS

Spotted in a safari park:
ELEPHANTS PLEASE STAY IN YOUR CAR

Seen during a conference:
FOR ANYONE WHO HAS CHILDREN AND DOESN'T KNOW IT, THERE IS A DAY CARE ON THE FIRST FLOOR

Notice in a field:
THE FARMER ALLOWS WALKERS TO CROSS THE FIELD FOR FREE, BUT THE BULL CHARGES

Message on a leaflet:
IF YOU CANNOT READ, THIS LEAFLET WILL TELL YOU HOW TO GET LESSONS

On a repair shop door:
WE CAN REPAIR ANYTHING.(PLEASE KNOCK HARD ON THE DOOR. THE BELL DOESN'T WORK

Forwarded by Aaron Konstam

MONA LISA'S JEWISH MOTHER: "After all that money your father and I spent on braces, that's the biggest smile you can give us?"

COLUMBUS' JEWISH MOTHER: "I don't care what you've discovered, you still could have written!"

MICHELANGELO'S JEWISH MOTHER: "Can't you paint on walls like other children! ..Do you have any idea how hard it was to get that sheiss off the ceiling?"

NAPOLEON'S JEWISH MOTHER: "All right, if you aren't hiding your report card inside your jacket, take your hand out of there and show me."

ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S JEWISH MOTHER: "Again with the hat!! Can't you just wear a baseball cap like the other kids?"

GEORGE WASHINGTON'S JEWISH MOTHER: "The next time I catch you throwing your gelt across the Potomac, you can kiss your allowance good-bye!"

THOMAS EDISON'S JEWISH MOTHER: "Of course I'm proud that you invented the

electric light bulb, now turn it off and gey schlaffin!"

PAUL REVERE'S JEWISH MOTHER: "I don't care where you think you have to go, boychik, midnight is past your curfew."

And, of course, these two, who really did have Jewish mothers:

ALBERT EINSTEIN'S JEWISH MOTHER: "But it's your senior picture, couldn't you do something about your hair?"

MOSES' JEWISH MOTHER: "That's a nice story, now tell me where you've really been for the last forty years ...and, again, why is it you haven't called?"

These "wonderings" are forwarded by Dick Haar

Who was the first person to look at a cow and say, "I think I'll squeeze these dangly things here, and drink whatever comes out."?

Who was the first one who thought that the white thing that came from a hen's butt looked edible?

Why do toasters always have a setting that burns the toast to a horrible crisp, which no decent human being would eat?

Why is there a light in the fridge and not in the freezer?

If Jimmy cracks corn and no one cares, why is there a song about him?

Can a hearse carrying a corpse drive in the carpool lane?

If the professor on Gilligan's Island can make a radio out of coconut, why can't he fix a hole in a boat?

Why do people point to their wrist when asking for the time, but don't point to their crotch when they ask where the bathroom is?

Why does Goofy stand erect while Pluto remains on all fours? They're both dogs!

What do you call male ballerinas?

If quizzes are quizzical, what are tests?

If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from vegetables, then what is baby oil made from?

If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons?

Is Disney World the only people trap operated by a mouse?

Do illiterate people get the full effect of Alphabet Soup?

Why is it that when someone tells you that there are over a billion stars in the universe, you believe them, but if they tell you that there's wet paint somewhere, you have to touch it to make sure?

Forwarded by Dr. B

Little girl walks into a pet shop and asks in the sweetest little lisp:

"Excuthe me, mithter, do you have wittal wabbits?"

The shopkeeper gets down on his knees, so that he's on her level, and asks: "Do you want a wittle white wabby or a soft and fuwwy black wabby or maybe one like that cute wittle brown wabby over there?"

The little girl in turn puts her hands on her knees, leans forward and says in a quiet sweet voice: "I don't think my python weally givth a thit."

Forwarded by Auntie Bev

World's Easiest Quiz

(Passing requires 4 correct answers)

01) How long did the Hundred Years War last?    0
2) Which country makes Panama hats?
03) From which animal do we get catgut?
04) In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution?
05) What is a camel's hair brush made of?
06) The Canary Islands in the Pacific are named after what animal?    0
07) What was King George VI's first name?
08) What color is a purple finch?
09) Where are Chinese gooseberries from?

All done? Check your answers below!
ANSWERS TO THE QUIZ
01) How long did the Hundred Years War last?   *116 years
02) Which country makes Panama hats?   *Ecuador
03) From which animal do we get cat gut?   *Sheep and Horses
04) In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution?   *November
05) What is a camel's hair brush made of?   *Squirrel fur
06) The Canary Islands in the Pacific are named after what animal?   *Dogs
07) What was King George VI's first name?   *Albert
08) What color is a purple finch?   *Crimson
09) Where are Chinese gooseberries from?   *New Zealand

Reply from John Rice

You might want to inform the guy who started this that the Canary Islands are not located in the Pacific Ocean. They are approximately 100 miles west of Morocco (North Africa) in the Atlantic. So the answer is: There are no Canary Islands in the Pacific.

These "wonderings" forwarded by Auntie Bev

I was thinking the other day ........ that women should put pictures of missing husbands on beer cans.
I was thinking......about old age and decided that it is when you still have something on the ball but you are just too tired to bounce it.
I thought about....... making a movie for folks my age and call it "Pumping Rust."
I have found at my age.....going bra-less pulls all the wrinkles out of my face.
I was thinking about........ how people seem to read the Bible a whole lot more as they get older then it dawned on me - they were cramming for their finals!
You know...... when people see a cat's litter box, they always say, "Oh, have you got a cat?" Just once I wanted to say, "No, it's for company!"
I've thought about..... those employment applications and that blank that always ask who is to be notified in case of an emergency. I think you should write ...Good Doctor!
I've always wondered........... why they put pictures of criminals up in the Post Office? What are we supposed to do.. . . write to these men? Why don't they just put their pictures on the postage stamps so the mailmen could look for them while they deliver the mail?
I thought about being rich...... and it doesn't mean so much. Just look at Henry Ford, all those millions and he never owned a Cadillac!
If you jogged backward ... would you gain weight?
I wonder........ what you call a pocket calculator in a nudist camp?
I wonder....... if Adam ever said to Eve, "Watch it! There are plenty more ribs where you came from!"
I have decided....... that Nostalgia is the VCR of our minds.
I have noticed........ when you blow in a dog's face he gets mad at you? But when you put him in a car he sticks his head out the window!
Also: you have to fight to give a dog a bath, yet they'll sit out in the rain for hours on end.
I'm not into working out! My philosophy: No pain, no pain.
Have you ever noticed... that anybody going slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?
I think the reason that... most people play golf is to wear clothes they would not be caught dead in otherwise.
I'm desperately trying to figure out... why kamikaze pilots wore helmets! ! !

Thanksgiving Humor --- http://www.humormatters.com/holidays/Thanksgiving/thanksgiving.htm

And a happy Thanksgiving to everybody inside and outside America today!

Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire.
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?
Be thankful when you don't know something,
for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times. During those times you grow.
Be thankful for your limitations,
because they give you opportunities for improvement.
Be thankful for each new challenge,
because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes. They will teach you valuable lessons.
Be thankful when you're tired and weary,
because it means you've made a difference.

It's easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who
are also thankful for the setbacks.
Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles,
and they can become your blessings.

Author unknown.

And that's the way it was on November 30, 2002 with a little help from my friends.

For accounting news, I prefer AccountingWeb at http://www.accountingweb.com/

Another leading accounting site is AccountingEducation.com at http://www.accountingeducation.com/

Paul Pacter maintains the best international accounting standards and news Website at http://www.iasplus.com/

How stuff works --- http://www.howstuffworks.com/

November 15, 2002

Quotes of the Week

But in contemporary United States, something happened to the national memory. In the last ten years, top executives of a stunning number of very large corporations committed fraud and theft, doctored their books, created false entities designed to let insiders rake in billions when many of them knew their corporations were in crisis. For numerous firms the crisis was fatal and hundreds of thousands of their workers lost their jobs and were cheated of their old-age pensions. It was not only the Enrons and WorldComs but some of the most prestigious monuments of American capitalism — some of the country's oldest and largest banks and accounting firms.
Ben Bagdikian (See the message below from Don Mathis)

If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything.
Mark Twain
But Surprise! Surprise!
How Did You Meet? If Answer Is "Online," Couples Tend to Lie
Jennifer Saranow, The Wall Street Journal, November 6, 2002 --- http://online.wsj.com/article_email/0,,SB1036533515435168988,00.html
Note from Jensen: One of my good friends, a professor in Florida who's almost as old as me, met his new wife online. And he's telling the truth about it! But if this formerly dedicated bachelor had invited his former girl friends to the wedding, it might've been necessary to rent a football stadium. And I bet they would have all shown up to cheer him on --- sigh!

Amusing yourself almost always means a different way of being bored.
Charles Régismanset

The public good consists of a great number of private evils. (Ask the San Antonio City Council members headed for jail.)
Anatole France

There is a more terrible weapon than calumny: the truth.
Charles Maurice de Talleyrand Périgord

Duty is what one expects from others.
Oscar Wilde

Art is a hammer to beat the world, not a mirror to reflect it
Vladimir Majakovskij

Love is eternal while it lasts.
Henri de Régnier

The year is 1901, one hundred and one years ago. . . . what a difference a century makes. A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year, a dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.
Bill Kozy as forwarded by Jagdish Gangolly

Bob Jensen's November 15, 2002 updates on the accounting and finance scandals can be found at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/fraud111502.htm

International accounting standards board (IASB) to propose expensing options --- http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/local/4463619.htm
Bob Jensen's threads on this controversy are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/theory/sfas123/jensen01.htm

CLEANING UP THE MESS IN CORPORATE AMERICA
Who is to blame for the meltdown of Enron, the crashing stock market and other disturbing events in corporate America? Everyone from the accounting industry that cannot police itself to individual investors who chose not to ask too many questions say Stanford Business School faculty members. Stanford Business magazine, November, 2002 http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/community/bmag/sbsm0211/feature_econ_scandal1.html

Don Sends this Link to "Whence The National Epidemic Of Greed, Fraud, And Rush To War?" by Ben Bagdikian

Dear Dr. Jensen, I enjoy reading many of your links. Here's one for you: http://www.zmag.org/sustainers/content/2002-10/28bagdikian.cfm

Don Mathis
Trinity University Coates Library Circulation Dept

The World of a Favored Colleague, Scholar, and Mystery Writer
The World of Bill Breit http://www.trinity.edu/departments/economics/bill%20breit/breit%20index.htm

Years ago I wrote a tribute to Bill Breit --- http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/acct5341/speakers/muppets.htm#Scene1

The drop in stock prices has created unusual circumstances for tax planning that can possibly save you money if you plan ahead now.

KPMG Offers Year-End Strategies and Tips To Help Reduce Your 2002 Tax Bill --- http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/11-06-2002/0001836171&EDATE=

The following is a list of 12 tax-planning strategies and tips, offered by the Personal Financial Planning unit of KPMG's Tax Practice, that should be considered before December 31, 2002:

1. Think about harvesting your investment losses in the stock market. Review your stock portfolio to determine if it's advisable to recognize capital losses to offset capital gains. Also, keep in mind that a net capital loss of up to $3,000 can offset ordinary income.

2. Consider turning your stock market loss into a charity gain, if you have stocks that decreased in value this year. By donating proceeds of the loss to charity, you can claim a capital loss and a charitable contribution.

3. Take advantage of the new contribution limits for both traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs, which increase to $3,000, up from the long- established $2,000. If you're 50 or older, you can make that $3,500, under new "catch-up" provisions.

4. Enhance tax-savings opportunities through contributions to a 529 college-investment plan or a Coverdell education savings account. Coverdell accounts -- formerly called Education IRAs -- have undergone a major expansion with contribution limits raised by $1,500 to a new limit of $2,000, higher income-eligibility limits for married couples, and withdrawals allowed for pre-college expenses. With 529 plans, many states give residents a tax deduction and distributions are tax-free, if used for qualified higher-education expenses.

5. If you're financially able, consider establishing a gift-giving program for children and grandchildren to take advantage of the tax-exclusion increase. This year, certain individual gifts of up to $11,000 per recipient have no gift and estate taxes, up from $10,000 last year. You may give as many individual gifts as you like and, if married, so may your spouse.

6. Give particular thought to charitable contributions. To enhance the value of the contribution, confer with your tax professional to determine if the contribution should be made in property or cash.

7. If you have self-employment income, start a Keogh plan by December 31, 2002. Much like an IRA, these tax-deferred savings plans allow annual contributions of up to $40,000, which can be deducted from personal income.

8. Enroll in an employer-sponsored dependent care program to earn federal tax-exclusion benefits of up to $5,000 and/or a medical expense reimbursement plan, which allows employees to use pre-tax dollars for medical bills not covered by their insurance.

9. Learn about the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), which will affect more taxpayers beginning this year. Meet with your tax adviser or invest in income-tax software (unless you are intimately familiar with tax law and comfortable with higher math) to determine what normal deductible expenses will either not be deductible at all or only partially deductible. Be especially sensitive to the AMT if you live in a high-tax state.

10. Pay the final installment of state-estimated tax by December 31, 2002 to receive a deduction for this year, rather than 2003. But be aware of possible AMT ramifications.

11. Accelerate deductions into this year by prepaying some of next year's deductible expenses, and defer income, where possible, until next year. This can work particularly well for self-employed individuals and others who have some degree of control over when they get paid.

12. If you are one of the many individuals who experienced a job loss in 2002, tally up all job-search-related expenses. You may be eligible for a deduction if your expenses exceed 2 percent of your adjusted gross income.

"MIT's Superarchive," by Sally Atwood, Technology Review, November 2002 --- http://www.technologyreview.com/articles/atwood1202.asp

A digital repository will revolutionize the way research is shared and preserved.
Every year MIT researchers create at least 10,000 papers, data files, images, collections of field notes, and audio and video clips. The research often finds its way into professional journals, but the rest of the material remains squirreled away on personal computers, Web sites, and departmental servers. It’s accessible to only a few right now. And with computers and software evolving rapidly, the time is coming when files saved today will not be accessible to anyone at all.
Until recently there has been no overall plan to archive or preserve such work for posterity. But true to its problem-solving nature, MIT has come up with a solution. In September the Institute launched DSpace, a Web-based institutional repository where faculty and researchers can save their intellectual output and share it with their colleagues around the world and for centuries to come. The result of a two-year collaboration of the MIT Libraries and Hewlett-Packard, DSpace is built on open-source software and is available to anyone free of charge. But it’s even more important to note that many believe this groundbreaking effort will fundamentally change the way scholars disseminate their research findings.
Continued at http://www.technologyreview.com/articles/atwood1202.asp

I added this to my Technology Glossary under OKI at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/245gloss.htm

From UC Berkeley
Free Digital Library of Books, Audio, and Films (Thank you Richard Campbell for leading me to this great site)
WayBack Machine --- http://www.archive.org/

The Internet Archive, working with Alexa Internet, has created the Wayback Machine. The Wayback Machine makes it possible to surf more than 10 billion pages stored in the Internet Archive's web archive. The Wayback Machine was unveiled on October 24th, 2001 at U.C. Berkeley's Bancroft Library. Visit the Wayback Machine by entering an URL above or clicking on specific collections below

Browse the Internet Archive --- http://www.archive.org/mediatypes-browse.php

The Internet Archive is collaborating with various collectors, community members, and film-makers to provide easy access to a rich and fascinating core collection of archival films.

Prelinger Archives
Computer Chronicles (This is one of my favorite TV shows)
Net Café
Orphan Films at USC
World at War

Jagdish Gangolly informed me about the free Open Source book links shown below:

1. Online books at the Digital Library of U Pennsylvania
(a real treasure trove) http://digital.library.upenn.edu/books/index.html

2. If you are interested in old grammar books, Latin & Greek classics and e-books: http://www.textkit.com/index.php

Bob Jensen's links to other Internet libraries can be found at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/searchh.htm#LibraryAndReference

November 13, 2002 message from BusinessWeek Online [bwduke@emailprovider.net]

Duke University's Fuqua School of Business is recognized throughout the world as a premier institution of higher education and is consistently ranked as one of the leading providers of advanced business degrees.

BusinessWeek recently ranked our daytime program No. 9 and our executive MBA programs No. 4. U.S. News & World Report ranked our daytime program No. 6 and our executive MBA programs No. 3. The Financial Times ranked Fuqua's executive MBA programs No. 6.

Please find attached a brief multimedia video highlighting our 4 MBA program formats. Each format is specially designed to fit a students unique career stage and lifestyle.

http://clks.com/c.asp?id=514975&l=1

Lifting Literature on New Hope for Economic Recovery and Growth
From Stanford University

INNOVATION WILL LIFT ECONOMY BE PATIENT
In this op/ed piece Tim Bresnahan, Stanford Business School professor of economics, by courtesy, claims that the technology industry has not lost its vital role. San Jose Mercury News, October 20, 2002
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/editorial/4327038.htm

NEW VISION OF ECONOMIC EDUCATION
Stanford Business School economist Paul Romer, the leading proponent of New Growth Theory, now spends his days trying to prove in the business world what he's taught for years—technology, along with capital and labor, is the third ingredient underlying modern economic growth.
San Jose Mercury News, October 19, 2002
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/bayarea/business/4320983.htm

LISTED ON FORBES' 20 MOST INFLUENTIAL BUSINESS BOOKS
Among Forbes Magazine's list of 20 most influential business books is "Built to Last" by former GSB faculty member James C. Collins and GSB faculty member emeritus Jerry I. Porras. Hispanic Business, October 18, 2002
http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/news/newsbyid.asp?id=7629

SEECOMMERCE COLLABORATES WITH DR. HAU LEE TO PROVIDE IN-DEPTH INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE ON BUSINESS BENEFITS OF SCPM
SeeCommerce, a provider of supply chain performance management applications (SCPM), announced a collaboration with GSB faculty member Hau Lee who has developed the first comprehensive academic paper to define SPCM.
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/10-15-2002/0001819235&EDATE=

The University of California San Diego offers an online writing course for high school students --- http://writing.ucsd.edu/

This site is dedicated to providing information and resources for the UCSD Online Writing course offerings. Both UCSD's 6th College and UCSD Extension offer writing courses that are currently available on this site.

Through our proprietary "online classroom", students study and learn the same content present in our "face-to-face" courses, while still benefiting from substantial personal contact with both instructors and classmates. Upon attending any of our online classes, students become part of an innovative, unique and dynamic educational community.

Update on Cheating Scandals at the University of Virginia

An earlier November 26, 2001 CBS television segment called "Cheating Scandal at U. of Virginia," --- http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2001/11/26/national/main319035.shtml

Eight University of Virginia students have left school for plagiarism, and a student committee is preparing to investigate 72 more alleged honor code violations in what has become the school's biggest cheating scandal in memory.

Since May, 148 students have been accused of copying term papers in Professor Lou Bloomfield's introductory physics course. Bloomfield referred the students to the university honor committee after a homemade computer program detected numerous duplicated phrases in his students' work during the past five semesters.

"That was a real shock," said Thomas Hall, chairman of the honor committee, whose staff has been under enormous pressure to finish its investigation before graduation this May. "The largest number of accusations I'd seen from any one professor was maybe five."

Sixty Minutes aired an update with Mike Wallace on November 10, 2002 --- http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/60minutes/main3415.shtml
At the time I am writing this early in the morning on November 11, CBS has not yet posted the update version at its Website.

Here are some of the highlights I noted while watching Mike Wallace's update last night

Question:
How many students have been expelled from the University of Virginia over the approximate period of one year and how many are still awaiting a decision on whether or not they will be expelled due to Honor Code violations at the University of Virginia?

Answer:
The number is now up to 40 students expelled with 120 others still awaiting a decision as to their fate. I might note that this is after the scandal made national headlines almost a year ago when eight students were expelled.

Question:
What is the most absurd claim made by a UVA student interviewed on campus by Mike Wallace?

Answer:
That faculty investigations of honor code violations are violations of trust that students have in faculty when students sign the honor code. Students are led to believe that faculty in an honor code system will not snoop into cheating even if there is evidence of such cheating.

Question:
What is the most innovative way students are cheating in examinations using water bottles?

Answer:
Write crib notes in microscopic print on the back of a label pasted to the outside of a water bottle. The print becomes magnified when looking through the water on the opposite side of the label.

Question:
What is an earlier CBS 48 Hours show in which the School Board of a high school overturned the grades of a biology teacher who failed students for cheating by downloading their main project papers from the Internet?

Answer:
Plagiarism Controversy Engulfs Kansas School --- http://www.edweek.org/ew/newstory.cfm?slug=29piper.h21

It all started with a 10th grade biology project about leaves. But the dust-up over the handling of a student-plagiarism incident in the normally tranquil Kansas City, Kan., suburb of Piper doesn't appear likely to subside any time soon.

So far, the teacher at the center of the controversy, Christine Pelton, has resigned. Another teacher resigned last month in support, and several others are contemplating whether they want to stay with the 1,300-student district. The latest casualty is Michael Adams, the principal at the 450- student Piper High School, who announced last month that he would resign at the end of the school year. He cited "personal and professional" reasons, but added in an interview: "You can read between the lines."

In addition, the district attorney has filed civil charges against the district's seven-member school board, accusing the members of violating the Kansas open-meetings law last December when they reduced the penalties for the 28 students accused of plagiarism. And three board members now face a recall drive.

"All of us have gotten tons of hate mail, from all over the country," said Leigh Vader, the Piper school board's vice president. "People are telling us we're idiots and stupid. ... Moving on—I think that's the goal of everyone."

But that may be difficult. The dispute, which has drawn national attention, will return to the national spotlight in May, when the CBS newsmagazine "48 Hours" is expected to air an investigative report on the Piper plagiarism case.

"For a lot of people," said David Lungren, the president of the Piper Teachers Association, "the feeling is we can debate the decision to death or figure out what we need to do to move on. If we can all agree that this did not work out well for us, what could we figure out to prevent this from occurring again?"

Question:
What is the major conclusion drawn by commentators of on all of these CBS shows about cheating?

Answer:
That a rapidly-growing proportion students no longer consider cheating a bad thing to do as long as you don't get caught. And their parents do not consider cheating a bad thing and will even go to school officials and even court to defend against punishments for cheating.

Question:
What are the most popular sites for term papers?

Answer 1: SchoolSucks.com --- http://www.schoolsucks.com/
Note that this site purportedly has a minimum of 250,000 hits per day according to the November 10, 2002 Sixty Minutes show.

Need a Paper

Welcome back to School Sucks!! Ya ready?
Time to get out those dusty notebooks, the whoopie cushions, the notes you got from the kid who took the same classes last year and get your asses back to school!

We're ready.

We got a new site for you. A chat room so you can talk homework with students from all over the world. Message boards, games and polls. If you sign up, you can send instant messages.

We're giving a $250 high school scholarship this semester. But you have to prove that you're not an A student to participate!

Let us know what you think and keep spreading the word:

School Sucks!

Answer 2 --- Termpapers R Us --- http://www.termpapersrus.com/

Do you need help and need it fast? Then you have found THE BEST SITE on the entire Internet. Our guarantee to you... is that you will find what you need on this site and you will find it fast.... if it isn’t in our database of more than 25,000 sample term papers, essays, and research studies, then we will write one for you just as fast as you need it.

Try a keyword search through our database of more than 25,000 sample term papers, essays, and research studies... if you can't find something on your topic... then we will write one for you just as fast as you need it. Take advantage of the expertise and wealth of talent that the staff of researchers and writers have to offer at TermpapersRus.com.... They work around the clock 24 hours per day... 7 days per week... 365 days per year and do nothing but assist students with their term projects and research reports.... NO matter what the topic ..nor the time of day.. TermpapersRus is always available to assist you with all your writing needs.

"Term Papers ‘R’ Us"! ..we assist students with Term papers... and we are THE BEST!

Check the Termpapersrus.com database -- RIGHT NOW!! -- and you’ll see what we mean.... there are more than 25,000 example term papers listed there ...and they are all available for immediate delivery by email, fax or Federal Express! ...each of the thousands of papers in the Term Papers ‘R’ Us database cost only $[] per page and the bibliographies are FREE??!! ...this straight-forward-no-hassle rate allows
Term Papers ‘R’ Us to help you become "Term Papers ‘R’ Me!" Need it FAST!! then simply place a "RUSH ORDER" and receive it even faster ...
in ONLY a few hours!!!
Click here to ORDER NOW!!

TermPapersRUs.com is so confident in the quality of our work... that we offer you the unique opportunity to actually preview excerpts from a paper (for FREE) in order to see if it offers the appropriate direction for your research and studies.

Didn't find anything in our database??

NO PROBLEM!!!! You can have one of the research writers complete a customized example paper for you.... and this way we can show you the very best techniques for writing your own paper and you'll learn how to approach any topic. All customized research is ONLY $19.95 per page with a FREE bibliography and a guaranteed completion date!! So search our database NOW.. or you can Click HERE or the purple balloon for Custom research... either way you'll have TermpapersRus.com quality staff to show you the way for all of your writing needs!!!

Answer 3 (Some others mentioned on the May 10, 2002 Sixty Minutes show)

CheatHouse.com --- http://www.cheathouse.com/ (Free papers)

PaperWizards.com --- http://www.paperwizards.com/

Question:
The most disheartening revelation by two young spokesmen for the School Sucks service on the Web was the answer to the Mike Wallace question: Who besides students downloads papers from School Sucks?

Answer:
Professors wanting to pad their resumes and annual performance reports.

Bob Jensen's conclusion: Listening to the above revelation that some professors are using the same cheat sites as students will not not exactly help convince students that this is a wrong thing to do in education and in society. But then again, students and their professors get even more cynical about cheating morality as they watch leaders in corporate governance, auditing firms, churches, charities, and government being accused daily of massive frauds and influence peddling.

A site not mentioned by CBS is very disturbing. This service from Google Answers is the pits.
Students can now pay to have their homework answered by experts.
Some claim using the Net to do homework shows that today's kids are resourceful. But a rise in content cribbed straight from online sources, like Google Answers, has teachers on alert.
"Thin Line Splits Cheating, Smarts," by Dustin Goot, Wired News, September 10, 2002 --- http://www.wired.com/news/school/0,1383,54963,00.html

Bob Jensen's threads on cheating and plagiarism are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/plagiarism.htm

In spite of the recent scandals being exposed about honor code violations at the University of Virginia, students purportedly cheat less often at schools with an honor code and a peer culture that condemns dishonesty "Honesty and Honor Codes," by Donald McCabe and Linda Klebe Treviño, Academe, January/February 2002 --- http://www.aaup.org/publications/Academe/02JF/02jfmcc.htm

November 11, 2002 reply from Chuck Pier [texcap@HOTMAIL.COM]

I received this email (which I have edited) from a student last Thursday:

"I am a student that will be taking your exam tonight and it has come to my attention that some people are going to try to cheat using calculators that have stored programs in them. ... The model of choice are the TI 82 through 89 series (the big fat ones). I don't want to name names either because I believe that keeping people honest is better than punishing people. thanks"

I did not open the email until after every student, except one, had finished the exam.

My emotions regarding this issue vary from a) doing nothing and satisfying myself that they are only cheating themselves to b) wanting to exact the maximum punishment possible. I realize that the appropriate response is somewhere in the middle. This happened despite a stern warning at the beginning of the semester with regard to academic dishonesty and the penalty they would pay for its detection. Unfortunately I was unable to discern which students, if any, actually cheated by grading the exams.

What I have decided to do is require that from now on only four function calculators be used, a similar solution to what we did on the CPA exam years ago (and maybe still does today). Has anyone had to resort to similar measures?

While I might expect some of this in my Principles classes, I must admit that I am more than a little disappointed that this happened in my Intermediate I class. I would have hoped that accounting majors would realize the potential harm that can be done by a lack of integrity and ethics.

Charles A. Pier
Assistant Professor Department of Accounting
Walker College of Business
Appalachian State University Boone, NC 28608
email: pierca@appstate.edu
828-262-6189

November 14, 2002 reply from David R. Fordham [fordhadr@JMU.EDU]

Back when I was at Florida State, we had trouble with students taping their cheat sheet to the underside of the bill of their baseball caps. We were instructed to have all students turn their caps around before starting a test so that the bill was in the back, "Catcher-style".

Sheeesh, back when I went to school, you had to take your hat OFF when you came indoors. Shows how old I am...

David R. Fordham
PBGH Faculty Fellow
James Madison University

November 14, 2002 reply from Dave Albrecht [albrecht@PROFALBRECHT.COM]

Note cards, water bottles, caps, programmable calculators, cell phone text mail, body art, etc.? I'm sure someone has experimented with wireless computerized lenses on the face of a test taker who has a confederate able to research any question and then send the answers to the lenses of the test taker (Dan, will you try to replicate this for me?).

This is enough to get me to consider changing my testing methods to all written assignments. Oh wait! I can't do that either because of the proliferation of test writing services on the Internet and databases of published articles.

As long as deceit and evil abound in the world and as long as it is impossible to know for sure what lurks in the hearts of men (and women) it will be impossible to do away with all cheating.

So, what level of cheating can we live with?

David Albrecht
Bowling Green State University

Hi Dan,

Now let's wait a minute on the "Wait a minute" If your entire future rides on getting an A in a course, you might be tempted to crib for competitive advantage. Or you may be a geek who just takes clever cheating up as a challenge.

As Rchard Sansing pointed out, if you print on the back of the label of a water bottle and paste it back on the bottle, your can read it easily in magnified print from the other side of the bottle. It is not necessary to reverse the printing. However, if you want to use a mirror up a pant leg or skirt, you may need to reverse the printing.

It is pretty easy to get small print. Simply try Font Size 8 in MS Word.

I am told that MW Word “has a somewhat hidden backward printing feature.”
--- http://www.euronet.nl/users/mvdk/wordprocessors.html
I’ve not been able to find it, but I’m certain that if anybody could find it, it would be my students.

Actually a somewhat better approach would be to type whatever you want, paste in whatever graphs and tables you want, capture the screen, then reduce the size to whatever it takes to fit inside the water bottle, and then create a mirror image in your graphics or MS Word software. However, you may want to wear a special kind of spectacles for magnification. You can read the following in the Help file of MW Word:

Create a mirror image of an object

Click the AutoShape, picture, WordArt, or clip art you want to duplicate.

Click Copy and then click Paste

On the Drawing toolbar, click Draw, point to Rotate or Flip, and then click Flip Horizontal or Flip Vertical.

Drag and position the duplicate object so that it mirrors the original object.

Note You may need to override the Snap-To-Grid option to position the object precisely. To do this, press ALT as you drag the object.

Bob Jensen

-----Original Message-----
From: Dan Stone [mailto:dstone@UKY.EDU]
Sent: Thursday, November 14, 2002, 5:04 A.M.
Subject: Wait a minute....

Now help me out here friends....

I've been bothered since I first heard about this...

If I write on a water bottle in tiny print and then read through the water, the print will be bigger but it will be BACKWARDS. A middle of the night experiment confirms this. Would it really be that helpful to have a tiny print, written-backwards cheat sheet?????? I doubt it.

My point is that the media may be "over the top" in reporting some of the evidence on the cheating problem in today's University. Yes I believe there is a cheating scandal, but to paraphrase from Charlotte's Web, "people believe anything that they read." Let's not make this mistake.

Best,

Dan Stone
Univ. of Kentucky

November 15, 2002 reply from mseckman@rockwellcollins.com

I saw your message on Bob Jensen's web site. Cheats, frauds and hackers have the same thing in common, they continually push the envelope until they are caught. While I have no classroom proof, this is a classic "better mouse trap" challenge to my audit skills. I envision the actual practice is a bit different than you or Bob imagined.

Most students would use a standard laser printer, with a reduced font to print the note. You do not need to print backwards. The printed side is against the bottle because you read through the bottle, not through the paper. My actual thought was to wrap the note around the bottle and cover it with one of those foam gizmos that keeps the drink cold to keep the bottle from condensing and smearing the note. I was amazed at what fits on a 3x3 note that is smaller than the palm of my hand. Using MS Word, I repeatedly typed "test" across a 3x3 square and found that I could put 312 words on 24 lines at 8 point type. With only 1.5X magnification from the bottle, you view 12 point type. If I print 6 point type, it was 585 words on 32 lines. At 1.5X magnification or 9 point, this is readable, but a little small. So if you tilt the bottle and view across the surface of the water, you find a higher magnification. and this becomes a hefty cheat sheet. Using an ordinary clear soda bottle, you could wrap a 3X6 note around and still have plenty of room to read across the surface.

Maybe I watch CSI too often.

Mark S. Eckman

Warning:
Students may be clever enough not to copy a purchased term paper verbatim. But they might avoid part of the learning task that you wanted most in your assignment, i.e., the task of learning to search for references and concepts. For instance, the following paper can be purchased that contains 12 references that can be used to bypass the hunt for references as well as basic concepts.

I found a link to the following paper that students or professors can buy at http://www.termpapersrus.com/

Enron Accounting: Special Purpose Entities
A 6 page paper answering 5 questions about what SPEs are, why they exist and how Enron abused the tool in its accounting. The paper reviews the FASB rules under which Enron first – and legitimately, early on – began using the SPE as an accounting and functional tool. It provides examples of Enron’s abuses and Arthur Andersen’s failure to require that Enron consolidate its SPEs on Enron’s balance sheet. The paper reviews the legitimate use of the SPE and concludes with a letter from a large business to the FASB requesting that FASB consider that SPEs constitute a class of tools useful to large businesses and beneficial to the larger economy. Bibliography lists 12 sources.
Filename: KSacctEnronSPE.rtf

November 13, 2002 reply from Ramsey, Donald [dramsey@UDC.EDU]

Try requiring students to submit all their notes, rough drafts, xeroxes of sources, etc. (returnable, of course).

Donald D. Ramsey, CPA,
Associate Professor of Accounting,
School of Business and Public Administration,
University of the District of Columbia,
4200 Connecticut Avenue, N. W., Washington, D. C. 20008.

Look Before and After You Make an Accounting Term Paper Assignment

I did not expect there to be too many accounting term papers at the term paper mills. This turns out to be naive. For example, there are over 200 papers on some very interesting accounting topics at http://www.termpapersrus.com/
Include the following in your search:

SchoolSucks.com --- http://www.schoolsucks.com/

Termpapers R Us --- http://www.termpapersrus.com/

CheatHouse.com --- http://www.cheathouse.com/ (Free papers)

PaperWizards.com --- http://www.paperwizards.com/

Moral of Story --- Check out what the term papers have available on the topic you assign to your class.

Possible Assignment: Have students critique a term paper mill product.

November 8, 2002 updates on electronic commerce and assurance services --- http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/ecommerce/assurance.htm

The AICPA's main site of interest --- http://www.aicpa.org/assurance/index.htm

Risk Advisory Services by CPA Firms --- http://www.aicpa.org/assurance/risk/index.htm

What are Risk Advisory Services and Why Should I Get Involved?

Risk Advisory Services Task Force
Learn about the Task Force's mission, its members and highlights of meetings.

How to obtain a free copy of the new thought leadership document on Risk,
MANAGING RISK IN THE NEW ECONOMY

Download URL --- http://ftp.aicpa.org/public/download/Managing%20Risk.pdf

Update on SysTrust --- http://www.aicpa.org/assurance/systrust/index.htm
The AICPA/CICA Trust Services principles and criteria will be released January 1, 2003. The effective date of the new Trust Services principles and criteria will be effective for engagements beginning on or after January 2003. Earlier implementation is encouraged.

What are SysTrust Services and Why Should I Get Involved?
A Brief Introduction on SysTrust Services

SysTrust Principles & Criteria

What Skills Do I Need to Provide SysTrust Services?
Find out what skills are necessary and what resources are available to enable you to offer SysTrust Services.

Getting Started
Learn about SysTrust licensing agreement and training opportunities.

Marketing and Managing a SysTrust Practice
Tips on Marketing and Managing Your SysTrust Practice.

What's New with SysTrust Services?
New standards, product developments, etc.

Systems Reliability Assurance Services Task Force
Learn about the Task Force's mission and its members.

Frequently Asked Questions about SysTrust

Press Room
Press Releases, Product News, Fact Sheets, Q&As, Case Studies, Spokesperson Biographies, etc.

Contact the AICPA

Give feedback on assurance services.

**Update on WebTrust --- http://www.aicpa.org/assurance/webtrust/princip.htm**
The AICPA/CICA Trust Services principles and criteria will be released January 1, 2003. The effective date of the new Trust Services principles and criteria will be effective for engagements beginning on or after January 2003. Earlier implementation is encouraged. Trust Services Principles and Criteria Exposure Draft Click here to view the Trust Services principles and criteria The Trust Services Principles and Criteria are intended to address user and preparer needs regarding issues of security, availability, processing integrity, online privacy and confidentiality within ecommerce and nonecommerce systems. The Principles and Criteria contained in this program supersede Version 2.0 of the SysTrust Principles and Criteria and Version 3.0 of the WebTrust Principles and Criteria and are effective for examination periods beginning after August 31, 2002. The new and improved WebTrust 3.0 family of services provides best practices and eBusiness solutions for Business-to-Consumer and Business-to-Business Electronic Commerce, for Service Providers, and for Certification Authorities. Please review each to determine which would be best for your clients and their customers.

**Update on EderCare Assurance Services --- http://www.aicpa.org/assurance/eldercare/index.htm**
What are ElderCare Services and Why Should I Get Involved? A brief introduction to ElderCare Services CPA ElderCare Testimonials from Members and Their Clients What Skills Do I Need to Provide CPA ElderCare Services? Find out what skills are necessary and what resources are available to enable you to provide ElderCare Services. Getting Started Learn about ElderCare Training Opportunities, ElderCare Conferences and Practice Tools. Marketing and Managing an ElderCare Practice Tips on Marketing and Managing Your ElderCare Practice. Resources & Links Learn about the product and publications you need to assist you in performing ElderCare engagements including useful links to other Web sites. What's New with CPA ElderCare Services? Press Releases, new products, etc. AICPA/CICA ElderCare Services Task Force Learn about the Task Force's mission, its members and highlights of meetings. Frequently Asked Questions about CPA ElderCare Services Contact the AICPA! List Names of ElderCare Team Members with Title, address, email and phone numbers. Give feedback on assurance services.

Bob Jensen's threads on assurance services --- - http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/ecommerce/assurance.htm

The University of Texas has an extensive online training and education center --- http://www.utexas.edu/conted/

Those Longhorns also have some short informal courses --- http://www.utexas.edu/student/txunion/ae/iclass/

Not to be outdone, Texas A&M University (TAMU) also has an extensive training and education center --- http://www.tamu.edu/ode/disted/
TAMU even offers a doctoral (Ed.D.) degree in Agricultural Education.

But the number of degree programs online is larger from Wisconsin --- http://www1.uwex.edu/topics/Degree_programs.cfm

Bob Jensen's threads on distance education are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/crossborder.htm

AACSB New Doctorate Salary Data --- http://www.aacsb.edu/publications/enewsline/archive_data/V1I2Salaries.asp

B-School New Doctorate Salaries 1997-2001 Click on an image to see it full size

Accounting/Taxation

CIS/MIS Economics/ Managerial Economics

Finance/Banking /Real Estate /Insurance

Management/ Behavioral Science/ International Business/ Strategic

Marketing

Production/ Operations Management

Quantitative Methods/ Operations Research/Statistics

Combined (all fields/disciplines, including those not listed above)

For Accounting and Taxation, the graph is as follows for 1998-2002:

Bob Jensen's Comments
The above AACSB results are averaged for all regions of the nation. In addition, they are averaged across small teaching colleges and major research universities. In both instances, there is a wide variation in compensation.

Starting salaries in academe are always difficult to evaluate and compare. They vary greatly from region to region with the lower salaries being in some of the nicest places to live such as in the Pacific Northwest or the Rocky Mountains. Cost of living varies greatly with the highest cost of living being in the largest urban cities.

In today's age of skyrocketing medical costs and downward trends in the medical insurance coverage of college health plans, salary is only part of the increasingly complex compensation packages. There are many other factors such as the amount and probability of summer research grants and the level of compensation for summer teaching. Major research universities sometimes provide expense budgets as high as $20,000 for each accounting researcher in excess of that person's base salary and summer stipend for research.

Question:
What new magazine (for a subscription fee) is published by the AACSB?

Answer:
BizEd --- http://www.aacsb.edu/publications/bized/default.asp

Finally — a magazine for management education/business school leaders and stakeholders. BizEd, AACSB International’s new print magazine, covers trends, practices, ideas, issues, and hard facts related to management education. BizEd’s practical, news-oriented format puts you in touch with the movers and shakers, and zeroes in on what you need to know – right now, and from the unique perspective of business schools.

BizEd brings you into the community of business schools worldwide. It’s the magazine for anyone and everyone who needs to know what’s happening in management education, from deans to distance learning coordinators, from corporate university directors to career planning specialists, from faculty to fundraising directors, and all points in between. BizEd gives you the insights and information you need to optimize your program and your own professional development.

Question
What AACSB publications is your business school dean probably reading?

Answer --- http://www.aacsb.edu/publications/bized/default.asp

BizEd Magazine

BizEd Online Media Kit

eNEWSLINE

Data Direct Archive

Dean's Corner Archive

FUNDING ALERT

Newsline Library

"A Radical Proposal for Accounting Education," by Bruce H. Nearon, The CPA Journal, October 2002 --- http://www.nysscpa.org/cpajournal/2002/1002/features/f102802.htm

A Radical Proposal for Disruptive Innovation

My radical proposal is this: First, elimate undergraduate accounting programs and replace them with four-year liberal arts, pre-accounting programs similar to pre-med and pre-law programs, which stress reading, writing, mathematics, research, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. Second, complement the undergraduate program with a three-year Doctor of Accounting (DAc) program, similar to the graduate programs that lawyers and medical doctors must complete before sitting for their professional certification exams. The DAc would be required in order to sit for the CPA exam. Finally, emphasize the applied-research model rather than the social-sciences model in academic accounting research.

A comprehensive general education for accountants. The most important benefit in this disruptive program would be the increase in the value of entry-level accountants. If the value of entry-level accountants is increased, then firms can offer higher starting salaries commensurate with entry-level lawyers and medical doctors. Hence, accounting programs can better compete with these professions and other fields for the best and brightest students.

Doing away with undergraduate students learning tasks now performed by technology leaves time for students to acquire solid foundations for building critical-thinking skills and preparing them for lifelong learning. A full college experience of general subjects gives students a basis for tackling the kinds of difficult and complex problems that must be mastered in graduate programs. After obtaining a comprehensive general education, accounting students will ultimate better understand and respond to society’s needs. Perhaps most important, a general or liberal approach to the accountant’s undergraduate studies will result in greater intellectual achievement than can be achieved by narrowly focusing on antiquated methods and rules. By focusing on the pursuit of knowledge and the capacity to think rather than on practice techniques, we will develop professionals rather than technicians. Without the knowledge gained in a general education program, accountants are not likely to have the perspective needed to solve information-age problems and deal with constant change in the social context where they work.
The advantages of a terminal doctorate degree. One issue on which most practitioners agree is that academic accounting research is impossible for them to understand, and, as a consequence, irrelevant to their work. The fields of medicine and law, on the other hand, do not suffer from this problem since practicing medical doctors and lawyers share a common terminal degree, and possess the educational training required to understand research published in their field. Over time, unifying accounting with the same terminal degree would close the schism between academics and practitioners.

The advantages of applied research. Some academics do not believe that research is irrelevant, and they can point to several studies showing that, at least for auditing, some academic research has made a difference because it has shown auditors how to apply knowledge in focused areas. Applied research seeks to commercialize new knowledge. In accounting, this means advancing practice by making it more efficient or more effective. Academia’s lack of focus and reward for applied research seems self-defeating in a group that suffers from so many academic and practical problems. Indeed, to paraphrase Carey (1974), how can we even call ourselves a profession, when accounting practitioners are at “sword’s point” with accounting professors?

Deal with the Root Problem

The 150-hour rule is not the root of the many problems facing accounting education and practice. Resolving the differences between academia and practice can go a long way in solving what ails the accounting profession. This is impossible as long as the status quo prevails. Moving to an undergraduate general-education model followed by a three-year Doctor of Accounting program for CPAs, and a corresponding emphasis on applied research, is an innovation desperately needed to deal with the seriousness of the issues we face.

"In Defense of Accounting Education," by Steven J. Kachelmeier, The CPA Journal, October 2002 --- http://www.nysscpa.org/cpajournal/2002/1002/features/f103402.htm

Nearon’s Radical Proposal

Nearon presented a radical proposal to replace our current accounting education model with an alternative system that combines a liberal arts undergraduate degree with a Doctor of Accounting professional degree stressing applied research, similar to the programs offered in medical or law school. One benefit of Nearon’s proposal is that professional accountants would attain a deep-seated value for keeping current with research developments, much as medical doctors do. Of course, the research Nearon envisions is different from the research described in this counterpoint. He favors an applied-research model, in contrast to the more esoteric social-science model he claims characterizes the current academic research literature.

Nearon has a point, but as with most such dichotomies, reality cannot be so neatly divided between “applied” and “social-science” research. Indeed, accounting is by its very essence an applied discipline. Viewed in this perspective, even what Nearon calls social-science research in accounting is in fact an application of underlying theories from other disciplines, such as economics and psychology, to the issues that face accountants. Of course, researchers want practical applications from their research. The academic tradition also demands rigor: To be publishable, research must make substantive advances defended by compelling evidence. To see the value of this perspective, one need look no further than the question of whether academic research by accounting professors benefits teaching or hurts it. We can tell deceptively convincing stories about imagined professors who care only about publishing and not about educating their students, but the research study by Bell, Frecka, and Solomon (Accounting Horizons, December 1993) suggests otherwise. Data speak louder than opinions.

More basically, the split between social-science and applied research that concerns Nearon is not that problematic, at least not in accounting. The social sciences give us a rigorous model for conducting research, and accounting researchers are responsible for applying that model to research questions of interest to an accounting audience. These applications may vary in level of detail and their immediate usefulness, but ultimately everyone cares about practical accounting questions. Nearon is quite correct in lamenting the fact that professional accountants are not as closely aligned to applied research in accounting as perhaps they could be. Improving this state of affairs is a two-way street. Educators have an obligation to communicate their research in a practical, understandable manner (an obligation not always met), and practitioners have an obligation to listen and engage the material in the manner that Nearon says characterizes other professions.

Two quick examples illustrate some of the frustration professors feel. First, in 1987, the American Accounting Association launched Accounting Horizons, a journal devoted to narrowing the gap between academic research and accounting practice. The articles in Accounting Horizons are for the most part excellent and readable. Nevertheless, its readership remains largely academic. We can provide the resource, but we cannot make people read it. For a second example, consider the widely read Journal of Accountancy. In the early 1970s, the Journal of Accountancy published many thought-provoking articles consistent with Nearon’s ideal of applied research, such as “The Accountant’s Social Responsibility” (January 1970) and “Some Thoughts on Research Needs in Accounting” (September 1970). In the past decade, however, this journal has become a trade publication of how-to interpretations of rules and notes on practice development and management, such as “The Importance of Customer Focus” (April 1997) and “Surviving Soaring Insurance Costs” (May 2002). This may help to explain why in a survey among professors of journal quality, the Journal of Accountancy ranked 20th out of 44 accounting publications listed (Brown and Huefner, Contemporary Accounting Research, summer 1994).

Could Nearon’s applied-research – based radical proposal improve the situation? Maybe, but pragmatically we may be better served by incremental changes to the present model. Many of those incremental changes are by no means trivial. Whereas Nearon sees a static accounting education model, this author sees a dynamic process that is challenged anew each semester. This is not to advocate complacency, nor to deny that there is room for much improvement in both accounting education and practice. As evidenced by the recent business debacles, we face serious problems in our profession, and this is no time to rest on our laurels. The typical accounting professor really does care about students and about accounting practice, however, and is continually striving to produce the well-rounded graduates the profession demands. The tenor of Nearon’s comments, and those from Albrecht and Sack, is that we need a wake-up call. The wake-up call has already been heard—certainly since the Accounting Education Change Commission initiatives of the early 1990s—but our efforts are far from complete. Let us work together to achieve common goals.

November 8, 2002 reply from Charles Stivason [cstivaso@CNU.EDU]

I'm usually a silent member of the list server on most debates but this proposal raises my interest level. As a faculty member at a institution that has rewritten its mission to that of a liberal arts school from a comprehensive university, I find it most difficult to believe that the last two years of a liberal arts degree would really enhance an individual's research, critical thinking and problem-solving skills. These seem to be the areas that would be stressed in the 3 year DAc and should be currently emphasized in the additional 3 years required for the 150 hour requirement.

The only change that I see advocated is to make students take an additional 2 years of coursework that appears to add little value beyond the current model. Where is the cost/benefit analysis of this model? I see the costs far outweighing the benefits.

This model may worsen the shortage as only those people wealthy enough to afford 2 additional years of cost would want to be CPA’s. I know that had I been an undergraduate student faced with this scenario I would have not chosen this field. I would have gone into marine biology or nuclear engineering.

Chuck Stivason

From Syllabus News on November 8, 2002

U. Michigan Awards Grants to Student-Led Start-Ups

University of Michigan's Samuel Zell & Robert H. Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies awarded $25,000 through its Dare to Dream program to support viable student-led businesses located in southeastern Michigan. Wolverine Real Estate Investments LLC and Voila Crepe Cafe topped this year's applicants. Each will receive $12,500 to establish their businesses. This is the second distribution of the grant funds. Last spring $80,000 was given to six student businesses, which included a medicine opener, smart video technology for security systems, a miniaturized CAT scanning technology, advancing soft-shell blue crab production, mixed-signal technologies and software solutions for the fitness market. In addition to funding, Dare to Dream winners are also provided free office space for one year and receive course credit.

For more information, visit http://www.zli.bus.umich.edu/

Newsplex Opens at the University of South Carolina

The University of South Carolina's College of Mass Communications and Information Studies will be the recipient of Newsplex, a $2 million newsroom of the future. The facility, which will open Nov. 13, will help train journalists and students, as well as provide a research base in new technologies and techniques for handling news in the converged newsroom of the future. Ifra, an association of newspaper publishers, designed the news lab and is donating it to the University of South Carolina. Newsplex is a 5,700-square-foot micro newsroom. The facility, which is almost entirely wireless, will feature a wall of video monitors that will display a topographic map of the day's news, as well as sophisticated systems that will manage and retrieve information. "The journalist of the future will need to be adept at filing stories for multiple delivery platforms," said Charles Bierbauer, College dean. "With Newsplex, our college and our students will be at the forefront of this revolution in news handling and information management."

Do you need a good attorney? Try http://www.martindale.com/xp/Martindale/home.xml
Message from Wilbur Mills

When it comes to attorneys...I always refer to www.martindale.com ...this is the Martindale-Hubbell site and is THE site to search for a given area. Martindale-Hubbell also "rates" the attorneys...which is what I like about it.

W. O. Mills III
Dallas, Texas
wom@womills.com

Accounting Professional Site Links and Related Links --- http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/fees.htm

Contact Congress --- http://capwiz.com/fei/home/

Computer Chronicles Online (a great TV show except that it often repeats shows over a year old that are somewhat dated) --- http://www.computerchronicles.org/

REDESIGNING SCHOOLS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY In a new joint initiative, Stanford's Graduate School of Business and the School of Education have launched an effort to redesign schools for the future, encouraging educational entrepreneurs to lead the way. The joint venture known as SELI (Stanford Educational Leadership Institute) opened October 23rd with a symposium called "Developing Educational Entrepreneurship: Redesigning Schools for the 21st Century." October 2002 http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/news/headlines/seli_conf_102302.shtml

Live it Up Kids
You can be six years old and get wine, cigarettes, pornography, and some drugs like Viagra without any intervention from adults. The only restraint is that you must have a credit card number, but even a dog can get a credit card online. It's a tad harder to get a gun, but just a tad. Some illustrative sites are shown below.

Get a Credit Card in 30 Seconds --- Credit Card Menu - Browse the list of card offers and Apply Today!

MadamTobacco --- http://www.madamtobacco.com/

Search By Category Members: Helpful Links Shopping & Fun:

Cigarettes Member Login Mailing Tobacco Legal? Home Office

Cigars Special Brand Discounts About Us Electronics

Pipes Special Product Request Join Our List Home & Garden

Tobacco Join Smoker's Co-op Advertise Travel

Chew/Snuff Coming in 2003 Submit a Site Auctions

Roll Your Own Getting Your Coupons Affiliates Lingerie

Grow Your Own Brand & Price Search Add Search to Your Site Alcoholic Beverages

Ashtrays The Jenkins Act Discussion Boards Casino's

Humidors/Cutters Reservation Supplier List Tobacco News Sports Betting

Cigarette Cases Free Stuff Contact c

Cigarettes Holders Product Reviews Feedback Smoker's Chat

Antiques - Tobacciana Buyer's Beware Add to Favorites Expand Your Search

Lighters

Alcoholic Beverages --- http://www.searchwho.com/meta/search.pl?keywords=alcoholic+beverages&partner=AF276703317

Fine wine delivered direct to your door --- http://www.finewineonline.co.nz/wineonline/

OnlinePhysicians --- http://www.onlinephysicians.com/

All you have to do is claim that you consulted a physician to buy Viagra --- Tell them a lie and your on your way to becoming the CEO of your first drug peddling operation from a coaster wagon.

If you know someone who is sad or lost or sick or lonesome, suggest the following messages of hope accompanied by some beautiful photographs. This link was forwarded by one of my best friends in life, Dr. Wolff

Click on the hyperlink below. It is beautiful.
Dick

http://dailymotivator.com/memberflash/rightnow.html

There are some university faculty members and administrators who may indeed want to find solace in the above site for sad and the sick persons.

"Boom's End Is Felt Even at Wealthy Colleges," bu Late Zernike, The New York Times, November 5, 2002 --- http://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/05/education/05COLL.html?ex=1037504356&ei=1&en=bb027b3be7cb2cc9

Suffering the worst investment losses in three decades, the nation's wealthiest universities are cutting spending sharply, postponing new buildings, imposing hiring freezes and preparing to lay off faculty members.

The cuts signal the end of the flush period that peaked in the late 1990's, when some universities saw their investments earn nearly 60 percent in one year. In the headiness of the gains, they expanded programs and campuses, building student centers designed by big-name architects and planning new dormitories and classroom buildings

Like individual investors, many universities believed the boom would last — or at least, last longer than it did — and planned their new campuses and programs based on the gains they anticipated.

"There was a sense we had unlimited potential," said Randall S. Livingston, the chief financial officer at Stanford University. "We're all returning to a greater sense of reality."

Universities lost an average of 3.6 percent on their investments in the year ending in June 2001, according to the National Association of College and University Business Officers. Based on reports from individual universities, the association says, the 2002 losses will be as large or larger, perhaps in the double digits, when they are reported next month.

The 2001 losses broke a streak of often-huge investment gains that started in 1984, and the expected declines this year will make it the first time since the early 1970's that universities have lost money on their endowment investments two years in a row.

Universities generally derive their budgets from a mixture of tuition and endowment income. But with tuition already rising at twice the rate of inflation, colleges and universities are reluctant to ask for even larger increases. So they are forced to look for budget cuts.

Stanford imposed a hiring freeze two weeks ago as part of a plan to cut 8 percent from its general budget. It is asking departments to cut 5 percent to 10 percent from their individual budgets, which officials say may mean layoffs. It has scaled back a $1.5 billion three-year capital plan to $1 billion and postponed building dormitories, classrooms and athletic facilities.

Duke, which lost about 4 percent on its investments in each of the past two years, expects to cut about 20 faculty positions in arts and sciences, and a report issued last month said that, at worst, the university might have to lay off 50 faculty members — or nearly 10 percent of the total — over the next three years.

The decline in endowments is also affecting construction projects.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which lost $775 million, or about 13 percent, of its $6.1 billion endowment last year, cleared land for its expanded Media Lab, but has halted construction.

Dartmouth has postponed building two residence halls and two academic buildings and several renovation projects. Last week, President James Wright told faculty members that the college would have to cut up to 80 nonfaculty staff positions, and it is also asking departments to cut back on travel to conferences or for speakers coming to campus.

Emory University's endowment, the country's eighth largest, declined 14 percent in 2001, from about $5 billion, and 4 percent in 2002, from $4.3 billion, prompting the university to put off the planned expansion of its theology and business schools. It has told departments that the general fund will not pay for merit raises this year, and officials say they are looking into more economical ways to buy toilet paper for the campus and its two hospitals to meet projected budget cuts.

"This is an across-the-board phenomenon," said Larry Goldstein, a senior fellow with the business officers' association. "I don't think there are any campuses, and especially those that are heavily endowed, that aren't experiencing some form of belt tightening."

The economy has hurt all of higher education, but in different ways. States have cut financing for public universities, forcing increases in tuition. Some small colleges, dependent on tuition because of small or nonexistent endowments, have closed as students have chosen cheaper public institutions. Among 34 to close since 1995 are Bradford and Aquinas Colleges in Massachusetts and Trinity in Vermont.

But wealthy private universities, because they depend on endowments for a greater share of their budget, have been most hurt by the stock market's decline.

Universities generally look at the average return on investment for the past three years when deciding how much to spend out of their endowment, to keep them from spending too lavishly if they have one exceptionally good year. The same rule generally cushions one bad year. Two consecutive bad years forces significant changes in spending.

Universities had planned on continued gains when they drew up strategic plans for the next few years. Dartmouth, for example, planned on 10 percent annual growth. "People figured that would be a conservative number," said Barry P. Scherr, the provost.

In an earlier context, it seemed conservative. In 1997, the average gain hit a high of nearly 21 percent, according to the business officers' association. In 2000, Duke and M.I.T. earned 58 percent; Dartmouth, 46 percent; and Stanford, 40 percent.

More doom and gloom at http://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/05/education/05COLL.html?ex=1037504356&ei=1&en=bb027b3be7cb2cc9

I believe that's Ingram and Peterson [1991]. The accounting profession and the market for accounting teachers. Accounting Educator's Journal (Winter 1991) 1-8.
Baldwin, Amelia [abaldwin@CBA.UA.EDU]

-----Original Message-----
From: Linda Kidwell
Sent: 11/7/02 9:23 AM
Subject: Re: Do Ph.D. Programs Develop Teaching Skills?

Robert Ingram wrote a fabulous essay on this very topic about 10 years ago. I can't locate the reference though -- does anyone else know it? I believe he also proposed giving doctoral students a feel for the job to come, by having them shadow faculty on academic committees. Of course that might lead to dangerous shortages! But it was such a well-written essay that I was inspired to write him a personal thank you. I wish I knew where to find it again.

Linda Kidwell

November 8, 2002 reply from Rob Ingram, University of Alabama [ringram@CBA.UA.EDU]

I'm flattered that someone remembered the paper. The citation you are looking for is Ingram, "The Role of Doctoral Programs in the Improvement of Accounting Education," Accounting Education Change Commission Symposium on Models of Accounting Education, 1991. I had to search a bit but found a copy. If anyone is interested, it can be obtained in Word format at http://www.cba.ua.edu/accounting/ringram/papers . If you have any trouble downloading it, let me know. Thanks.

"Why Share Online Course Materials?" by Sally M. Johnstone, Syllabus, November 2002, Page 20 --- http://www.syllabus.com/article.asp?id=6904

Faculty need to learn to use each others' online course materials, instead of replicating the effort over and over again. There are many different ways this can be done. The simplest involves sharing "learning objects." These can be short animations or demonstrations of a particular point that an instructor wants to share with students. An example might be the actions of sodium and potassium in neuronal transmissions. Thanks to projects like MERLOT (www.merlot.org), these only need to be created once. Instructors can just direct their students to the demonstration.

There are more comprehensive ways to share materials as well. Whole courses can be shared. For example, the nursing faculty at the Community College of Denver was on a very tight schedule to mount a statewide eLearning program for potential nurses this past year. Given the scarcity of time and resources available to build this program, it made sense to look for opportunities to import parts of the curriculum. Rhonda Epper, who had worked on the MERLOT project as it was being developed, was able to find other institutions that were willing to share online nursing curricular materials. The institutions did not "officially" exchange courses, but the nursing faculty at the cooperating institutions allowed viewing privileges to one another's courses in an effort to accelerate the course development process.

This past summer, WCET staff surveyed a very unscientific sample of institutions throughout North America to get a sense of what was going on regarding course sharing. We found that several institutions across the country are using courses developed at other institutions. This is particularly the case in two situations. One is when there is a need to expand the number of courses rapidly in order to meet state mandates or student demand. The second is when expertise in a specialized subject area is not available at that campus.

If we consider the cuts to higher education budgets in many states, the rising demand for postsecondary educational services, as well as the average age of our current college and university faculty members, it makes sense to me that we will be seeing more and more cases of the second situation mentioned above. As more high-quality academic content comes online, it makes little sense to have every person who teaches students in an online environment produce their own materials. It may well be that my acquaintance in Connecticut who asked such telling questions is already looking over the course materials that MIT posted online in October for gems she can incorporate in the materials she shares with her students.

Continued at http://www.syllabus.com/article.asp?id=6904

Bob Jensen's threads on education technologies are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/000aaa/0000start.htm

Language Translation Site of the Week

Lost in Translation --- http://www.tashian.com/multibabel/

What happens when an English phrase is translated (by computer) back and forth between 5 different languages? The authors of the Systran translation software probably never intended this application of their program. As of April 2002, translation software is almost good enough to turn grammatically correct, slang-free text from one language into grammatically incorrect, barely readable approximations in another. But the software is not equipped for 10 consecutive translations of the same piece of text. The resulting half-English, half-foreign, and totally non sequitur response bears almost no resemblance to the original. Remember the old game of "Telephone"? Something is lost, and sometimes something is gained. Try it for yourself!

Bob Jensen's threads on foreign language translation are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/searchh.htm#ForeignLanguage

Innovative Language Site of the Week

Visual Thesaurus (Warning: it loads very slowly) --- http://www.visualthesaurus.com/
The Visual Thesaurus displays the interrelationships between words and meanings. After you type a word into the search box, the Visual Thesaurus displays the word at its center. Then when you click on a word, you create an entirely new web of words.

Cartoon Site of the Week

The Big Cartoon DataBase --- http://www.bcdb.com/

Studios:

Columbia( 974 Cartoons.)

A Color Rhapsody, Krazy Kat, UPA..Disney (3008 Cartoons.)
Characters, Feature Films, Shorts, TV...
Filmation (1478 Cartoons.)

Feature Films, A-G, H-R...

20th Century Fox (1040 Cartoons.)
The Simpsons, TerryToons, Heckle and Jeckle...
Hanna-Barbera (6469 Cartoons.)
Flintstones, Jetsons, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?
MGM (366 Cartoons.)

Barney Bear, Droopy, Features, Tom and Jerry.

Other Studios (22914 Cartoons.)

DiC, Rankin-Bass, PEANUTS, Van Beuren Paramount (1566 Cartoons.)

Famous Studios, Fleischer Studios, Bra

Universal (1239 Cartoons.)

Television, Theatrical Releases, Walter Lantz

Warner Bros. (3160 Cartoons.)
Features, Looney Tunes & Merrie Melodies, TV...

Bob Jensen's threads on business valuation are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/roi.htm

Results of a study released by several professors helps to answer the question: "Are women more ethical then men?" It shows that women are less likely to cheat than men and less tolerant of others who admit to cheating on their taxes. http://www.accountingweb.com/item/94608
The study's abstract is at http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=342401

This is an excellent study in management and motivation based upon the experience of one of the world's leading law firms that is not performing very well in either management or motivation --- http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1032128826242

In a scathing 13-page memo sent last week to Clifford Chance's New York partners, the firm's associates explained why Clifford Chance came in last in The American Lawyer's 2002 Associate Survey, and further charged that the survey "captured neither the breadth nor the depth of associate anger and frustration."

Continued at http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1032128826242

Perhaps all members of this firm should read the following new book:

The Power of Positive Confrontation: The Skills You Need to Know to Handle Conflicts at Work, at Home, and in Life
by Barbara Pachter, Susan Magee (Contributor) --- http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1569246084/ref=ase_accountingweb/103-2052209-7033449

Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Marlowe & Co; ISBN: 1569246084; (January 27, 2001)

Bob Jensen's Camtasia Tutorials are linked at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/HelpersVideos.htm

I am a fond user of Camtasia. This is probably the most useful education content software ever developed! I might note that I rarely use PowerPoint because PowerPoint’s designed more for in-class lecturing. Camtasia is designed for teaching outside the classroom where students can learn at their own paces and repeat segments as needed. Camtasia is one of the easiest software packages to learn that I ever encountered.

Note that you can now add flash videos to your Web documents in the easiest manner that I can imagine. However, I still prefer the compressed video.

Camtasia Studio Versus Camtasia --- http://www.techsmith.com/products/studio/comparison.asp

How does your current version of Camtasia compare to the new Camtasia Studio available from TechSmith? Use this chart to find out what's new!

Features Added	Camtasia Studio	Camtasia 3.0
Macromedia Flash (.SWF) Output	X
QuickTime .MOV Output	X	X
Launchpad	X
Add A Second Audio Track	X
Audio Editing Built-In	X
Add Annotations After Recording	X
Camtasia MenuMaker	X
Windows XP support	X	X
Add Text Notes While Recording	X	X
TSCC Codec Built Into Camtasia Player	X
ScreenDraw	X	X

Hi Don,

The distance education model that you mention with one professor developing a distance education course having the student cummunications being handled by tutors who may not be as experienced and/or do not have doctoral degrees is entirely possible and is being used in some programs.

However, some corporate models have a somewhat different take on this. UNext Corporation reasoned that its distance education program, particularly its online MBA degree, would be more attractive if the courses were developed by professors from the prestigious universities of Carnegie-Mellon, Columbia, Chicago, Stanford, and the London School of Economics.

In fact the above universities technically own and monitor the courses to be delivered by UNext. However, the "instructors" up to this point in time are not exactly tacky. If fact some of them like Dr. Michael Maher from UC Davis have more established reputations worldwide than the professors from the prestige schools who developed the courses. UNext sought out veteran professors with established teaching experience and doctoral degrees to deliver the courses developed by the "prestige" universities.

You can listen (MP3 Audio) and watch the UNext PowerPoint show at http://www.cs.trinity.edu/~rjensen/001cpe/01start.htm

Mike Kirschenheiter discusses how he developed Columbia University's contribution to the UNext curriculum. This was followed by two UNext staff members. What was interesting is that two members of the audience (including Mike Maher) were the course instructors who delivered Kirschenheiter's course.

UNext is one of the survivors in the dot.com crash largely because of its choice of a business model. It obtained some enormous training and education contracts including a contract delivering distance education worldwide to General Motors Corp. managers and a contract with Thomson Learning. There is also a pretigious contract with the American Marketing Association for its 38,000 members. The UNext homepage is at http://www.unext.com/

Bob Jensen

-----Original Message----- From: Ramsey, Donald [mailto:dramsey@UDC.EDU] Sent: Wednesday, November 06, 2002 7:26 AM To: AECM@LISTSERV.LOYOLA.EDU Subject: Re: Full-Time vs. Part-Time, or Dr vs. non-Dr.or good vs. bad tea ching

This is a small issue compared to the potential impact of distance learning.

Imagine a scenario where there are a large handful of people who originate costly course material (essentially similar to today's authors of textbooks), plus a very large number of tutors. The tutors might be mostly graduate students, but there would be a smaller number of graduate students because there is little demand for doctorally qualified professors. Those with doctorates would do research, teach non-distance courses, and train their replacements.

It's difficult to imagine Ph.D's functioning as tutors, and more difficult to imagine budgets that would support them as such.

Donald D. Ramsey, CPA,
Associate Professor of Accounting, School of Business and Public Administration,
University of the District of Columbia,
4200 Connecticut Avenue, N. W.,
Washington, D. C. 20008.
Department of Accounting, Finance, and Economics, Room 404A, Building 52 (Connecticut and Yuma St.)

EDUCAUSE 2002 Materials Now Available

We missed you at the EDUCAUSE annual conference this year! Many of the EDUCAUSE 2002 proceedings are now available online (formats include PowerPoint presentations, PDFs, and RealMedia audio for some sessions), as well as recorded netcasts and 2002 awards information. You can also order session video tapes, audio cassettes, or compact discs.

2003 Learning and Networking Opportunities

EDUCAUSE places great emphasis on the face-to-face meeting experience, offering you numerous conferences and educational activities throughout the year and across the country to meet and learn with your colleagues.

November 4, 2002 message from Liv Watson [lwatson@EDGAR-ONLINE.COM]

My name is Liv A. Watson and I am working on a project here at EDGAR Online converting the whole SEC database into XBRL. We are basically rolling the financials in to 75 XBRL data points built on the recent draft release of the XBRL US GAAP taxonomy.

Best regards,

Liv

The EDGAR online site is at http://www.edgar-online.com/

Bob Jensen's threads on XBRL are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/XBRLandOLAP.htm#XBRLextended

Question
How large is the gap between the fourth and fifth largest CPA firms?

Answer
$2,738.5 million but the gaps between the largest firms will change significantly next year when revenues from former Andersen clients are redistributed.

Public Accounting Report has published its annual ranking of America's Top 100 Accounting Firms, and it's no surprise that Andersen, last year's number five ranked firm, is no longer on the list. http://www.accountingweb.com/item/95611

AccountingWEB US - Nov-5-2002 - Public Accounting Report has published its annual ranking of America's Top 100 Accounting Firms, and it's no surprise that Andersen, last year's number five ranked firm, is no longer on the list. Although the former Big Five firm technically still exists, it was removed from the pool of eligible firms for this year's ranking due to its conviction on federal obstruction of justice charges. Holding on to first place, PricewaterhouseCoopers leads the pack, followed by the rest of the Big Four and six more familiar names that fill out the top 10 spaces on the list. A few firms switched places from last year: Ernst & Young moved ahead of KPMG, and Grant Thornton moved ahead of BDO Seidman. The top 10 firms, with their reported revenue, are as follows:

PricewaterhouseCoopers: $8,056.5 million

Deloitte & Touche: $6,130 million

Ernst & Young: $4,485 million

KPMG: $3,171 million

Grant Thornton: $432.5 million

BDO Seidman: $353 million

BKD: $210.9 million

Crowe, Chizek & Co.: $204.7 million

McGladrey & Pullen: $203 million

Moss Adams: $163 million

November 8 reply from James Borden [james.borden@VILLANOVA.EDU]

Here are a couple of web sites that track info about former Andersen clients:

http://www.forbes.com/2002/03/13/0313andersen.html
this lists defections by month, in alphabetical order by name of client.

At http://www.accountingweb.com/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=74745
the list is done by Big 4 firms, with the names of the clients that have gone to those firms.

Jim Borden
Villanova University

From CIT Infobits on October 31, 2002

ONLINE TEACHING AND COPYRIGHT

The provisions of the Technology Education and Copyright Harmonization Act (TEACH), which are likely to be passed this fall, would amend the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976 to give schools and higher education institutions new rights to use copyrighted materials for distance education. The bill would give educators "fair use" rights that are already in place for regular classroom use.

New rights covered include:

-- "Expanding the range of works that may be transmitted over electronic systems to nearly all types of materials -- although only portions of some works could be transmitted."

-- "Allowing the content to be transmitted to students at any location, rather than just to classrooms, as is legal under current law."

-- "Allowing educators to store transmitted content and give students access to it, if only for short periods."

-- "Allowing the conversion to digital form of analog works, such as printed or videotaped material, but only in cases where the material is not already available in digital form, such as on DVD."

For more information about TEACH, read Andrew Trotter's article, "Bill Would Ease Copyright Limits For E-Learning" (EDUCATION WEEK, October 30, 2002), available online at http://edweek.org/ew/ewstory.cfm?slug=09copyright.h22

Bob Jensen's threads on the DMCA are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/000aaa/theworry.htm#Copyright

From CIT Infobits on October 31, 2002

DISTANCE EDUCATION BEST PRACTICES

"The Best of the Best -- From a Distance: A Report on the MIT Conference on Distance Education and Training Strategies" (ELEARN MAGAZINE, October 2002) shares some of the conference panelists' best practices. Their advice includes:

-- Begin with a clear and worthy strategic mission

-- Deliver content in multiple modes

-- Design from the audience perspective.

The complete article is available online at http://www.elearnmag.com/

eLearn magazine is published by ACM (Association for Computing Machinery, Inc.), a not-for-profit educational association serving those who work, teach, and learn in the various computing-related fields. For more information, contact: eLearn magazine, 1515 Broadway, 17th Floor, New York, NY 10036 USA; Web: http://www.elearnmag.com/

The theme of the September 2002 MIT Office of Corporate Relations Industrial Liaison Program's Series on Technology and the Corporation conference was "Distance Education and Training Strategies: Lessons from Best Practices." For more information about the MIT Office of Corporate Relations Industrial Liaison Program, go to http://ilp.mit.edu/ilp/

Bob Jensen's threads on distance education are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/000aaa/0000start.htm

What is even more important is for the nations of the world to stamp out enforcement inconsistency. At the present time enforcement is highly inconsistent with nations like Germany and Japan having virtually no enforcement. Laws, rules, standards, and regulations don't mean much if they're not enforced.

Dueling Banjos and Other Great Things

Gerald Trite's homepage from Canada is at http://www.stfx.ca/people/gtrites/ (includes a midi rendition of Dueling Banjos --- Great Music Jerry)

Jerry and I will be doing a workshop on Accounting for Electronic Commerce, Internet Reporting, and Intangible Assets and Liabilities at the Asian-Pacific Conference on November 23, 2002 --- http://www.craig.csufresno.edu/apc/
The two workshop summaries are at http://www.craig.csufresno.edu/apc/2nd_ws.html

While preparing for this, I noticed that Jerry has a great set of bookmarks at http://www.stfx.ca/people/gtrites/Docs/bookmark.htm

Various universities have relatively new degree programs in electronic commerce. I updated my introduction to electronic commerce to include links to education and training at various universities. Go to http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/ecommerce/000start.htm#SampleCurriculum

Response to a question regarding whether principles-based accounting standards will lead to greater consistency in financial reporting.

Hi George,

That's a good question, but I think the courts and juries have a difficult time without some bright lines. Eventually, the courts and juries paint in the bright lines when the bright lines are not in the statutes.

For example, suppose the principles-based law simply states "Thou shall not kill."

Without some bright lines, courts will become highly inconsistent with respect to interpretations. To achieve greater equity and consistency, bright lines have been written into detailed statutes that partition killings into various types of felonies (Murder 1, Murder 2, etc.) and even down to various types of manslaughter that carry highly reduced penalties. Also there are instances where killing is rarely prosecuted such as in accidental deaths or self defense. It would be absurd to have only one principles-based standard "Thou shall not kill." Common law would eventually paint in the bright lines, but it would be a long and unfair period of chaos until the bright lines are painted into common law decisions.

Bright lines, even fuzzy ones, serve as deterrents for more serious crimes as well as promoting greater consistency with respect to punishment. Bright lines are never perfect, but in my viewpoint they're absolutely essential if we are to have some degree of consistency and equity. FAS 133 is the current whipping post for promoters of principles-based standards. I think some of those swinging the whips really do not fully understand the complexities of actual derivative financial instruments contracts encountered in the real world. Without some bright lines, accounting for these contracts becomes carte blanche.

That is not to say that bright lines are not a problem. For example, I think some of the bright lines in FAS 13 on leases were put into the standard to allow airlines and other large leasing companies to avoid capitalization of financing debt. The problem is not the principle of bright lines. The problem is deciding which bright lines to put into the standards. For this we rely upon the good judgment of our top men and women setting accounting standards. But these good men and women are generally subject to heavy lobbying pressures when trying to paint in the bright lines. The problem is that we can never seem to create a sufficient degree of independence from the rich and powerful private interests in society. About the only thing holding them in check is the media. The media often makes mistakes, but it is the most powerful light that we have to shine down upon where bright lines are needed. Painting them in via the common law is very slow, inefficient, and unfair along the way.

Bob Jensen

The National Women's Health Information Center (Medicine) http://www.4woman.org/

Business-Process Outsourcing And The Offshore Advantage This InformationWeek Executive Briefing for business-technology professionals examines the critical elements of the decision to outsource business processes, how to identify a location, what to look for in a vendor, and necessary processes and infrastructure for a successful offshore program. http://update.informationweek.com/cgi-bin4/flo?y=eJeS0BcUEY04e0Bkvo0Am

"Irreverent Commentary on the State of Education in America Today," by Dr. Mark H. Shapiro, The Irascible Professor --- http://irascibleprofessor.com/comments-10-28-02.htm

Clever Idea of the Week for Fighting Telemarketing Evil --- Give Them That Zapping Tone

I use the $50 Zapper and find that it really works most of the time, but not all of the time. Here’s a free alternative.

It's not your imagination: Telemarketers are becoming ever more relentless. And it's technology, in the form of predictive dialing, that drives the $270 billion industry.
"Why Telemarketing is Evil, by Neil McManus, Wired News, November 2002 --- http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/10.11/start.html?pg=9

How to Fight Back

Junk mail can be tossed and spam can be filtered, but telemarketing has always had a technological edge. At least until the TeleZapper. The device — AS SEEN ON TV! — promises to erase you from telemarketers’ lists and stop the unsolicited solicitations. And it works, at least until the industry devises a workaround. But why spend $50 for uninterrupted evenings? The fledgling Telemarketing Resistance has banded together online to help you do it for free. Just follow the steps below.

1. Get the Audio The TeleZapper fools telemarketers’ autodialing equipment by emitting the ascending three-note special-information tone you hear before, “We’re sorry, the number you have reached has been disconnected.” You can download this tone from the Web. Do a Google search for “sit.wav” to find one of these audiofiles.

2. Chop It Down Open sit.wav in an audio-editing program like Microsoft Sound Recorder. Edit out the second and third notes. (You don’t actually need those, and they’re sure to annoy family and friends.) Save the WAV file.

3. Press Record Play that one note on your computer and record it as the first sound on your answering machine’s outgoing message. Follow with an oh-so-witty greeting.

4. Enjoy the Silence Now sit back and screen those calls. Over time, telemarketers will get the “zapping” tone and take you off their lists.

New Technology of the Week
No sooner does the ink dry on the FDA's curiously quick approval of an implantable human chip than the company that produces it launches a national marketing campaign.
"Implantable Chip, On Sale Now," Wired News, October 25, 2002 --- http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,55999,00.html

The maker of an implantable human ID chip has launched a national campaign to promote the device, offering $50 discounts to the first 100,000 people who register to get embedded with the microchip.

Applied Digital Solutions has coined the tagline "Get Chipped" to market its product, VeriChip.

The rice-size device costs $200. Those implanted must also pay for the doctor's injection fee and a monthly $10 database maintenance charge, said ADS spokesman Matthew Cossolotto.

The VeriChip emits a 125-kilohertz radio frequency signal that transmits its unique ID number to a scanner. The number then accesses a computer database containing the client's file. Customers fill out a form detailing the information they want linked to their chip when they undergo the procedure, Cossolotto said.

Earlier this week, ADS announced that the FDA had ruled that the VeriChip was not a regulated device when used for "security, financial and personal identification/safety applications."

The agency's sudden approval of the microchip came despite an FDA investigator's concern about the potential health effects of the device in humans. (Microchips have been used to track animals for years.)

The company is marketing the device for a variety of security applications, including:

* Controlling access to physical structures, such as government or private sector offices or nuclear power plants. Instead of swiping a smart card, employees could swipe the arm containing the chip.

* Reducing financial fraud. In this scenario, people could use their chip to withdraw money from ATMs; their accounts could not be accessed unless they were physically present.

* Decreasing identity theft. People could use the chip as a password to access their computer at home, for example.

Continued at http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,55999,00.html

November 10, 2002 reply from Roberta Lipsig [rlipsig@OSWEGO.EDU]

Have you seen the New York Times article on implanted chips? http://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/10/technology/10SLAS.html

Roberta Lipsig

Department of Accounting, Finance & Law

SUNY Oswego

"Voices in Your Head? Check That Chip in Your Arm," by Matt Richtel, The New York Times --- http://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/10/technology/10SLAS.html

INUSCULE mobile telephones, tiny electronic organizers and portable DVD players are nice. But they'd be so much less cumbersome if they were surgically implanted under your skin.

Paving the way is a company in Palm Beach, Fla. called Applied Digital Solutions, which recently started a program to implant subdermal microchips based on the same radio-frequency identification technology used in E-ZPass.

The chip, called the VeriChip, is about the size of a grain of rice, carries a number that identifies you and, the company says, may eventually provide a way to make sure that only the right people gain access to secure sites, corporate offices or even personal computers. The chip could also carry access to personal data, like medical information. Implantable microchips have already been used over the last several years to track pets.

The company is still developing the applications, yet there has been no shortage of critics, who assert that this is an example of technology run amok. They apparently aren't grasping how fashionable, and useful, an electronic bar code can be. Besides, think how much easier John Ashcroft's job would be with such an electronic database.

The critics are apparently overlooking another reason to act now.

"It's cool to have one," said Matthew Cossolotto, the spokesman for Applied Digital Solutions, and one of the few people to already have a chip implanted under his skin. Who wants to be the last person on the block to get the latest in piercing?

There is more good news. This nascent fusion of corpus and computer may pave the way for further integration of circuitry and self. After all, things can become only so convenient if we wear or carry tiny headsets, radios, televisions, phones and pagers.

If silicon, not silicone, becomes the favored implant of the future, we could bridge the final divide that keeps us from being truly wired. Think of the applications: e-mail transmitters lodged under your skin; remote controls that let you change the channel with a thumb click; global positioning systems that tell you, your spouse and your government where you are at every moment.

"You're taking me down a road I've never speculated about," Mr. Cossolotto said when asked to consider future possibilities.

Indeed, the answers may not yet be clear, but once we give away our bodies to silicon, the potential is endless:

THE VIRUS SCAN Few things are more frustrating than watching your computer screen lock up for no apparent reason. But what happens when your arms freeze up?

Computer chips, of course, can mean viruses. Maxi Virus Scan will protect you against the common bugs, like the nasty "I love you" virus, which causes you to utter intimacies while in the express aisle at Safeway.

Version 2.0 will update your internal clock for daylight saving time.

Continued at http://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/10/technology/10SLAS.html

Bob Jensen's Threads on Invisible Computing, Ubiquitous Computing, and Microsoft.Net --- http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/ubiquit.htm

Related New Technology of the Week

November 1, 2002 message from David R. Fordham [fordhadr@JMU.EDU]

Being a professor of information technology, page 133 of the October 14 issue of Business Week caught my eye. Hitachi's mu-chip (less than a quarter of a square millimeter -- smaller than the head of a pin!) holds 128kb of "intelligent" data for authentication and identification purposes.

It is a self-contained, "unpowered" radio-frequency ID tag. RFID is a passive device which receives a radio signal, and the internal circuitry modifies the "reflection" of that signal in a way that is unique to the data encoded on the chip. This permits the chip to serve as authentication & identification for almost anything, from a dollar bill, a check, a sheet of paper, passport, credit card, your wedding ring, eyeglasses, practically anything which needs to be identified uniquely. (Even you...)

This technology has been in widespread use for almost two decades. At one end of the spectrum, it is used for identification of railroad cars. At the other, it is used in hospitals to identify patients before surgery or administration of medicine.

Accountants are using it for inventory control, libraries are experimenting with it for "self-checkout" at the circulation desk, tollbooths are using it to avoid stopping drivers, -- I even received one (called a Speedpass) from an oil company to speed my credit-card transactions at their pumps! I imagine grocery stores will be on the bandwagon soon (replacing the UPC code with this chip imbedded in the label to eliminate the need to "scan" items individually across a laser).

Does anyone else feel that the expansion of this technology might mean some changes (minor? major?) in the traditional "audit trail" approach of assurance services? Should audit research be looking into how such technology will affect audit design, say, BEFORE its adoption? Or should we take the historical "wait until it happens" stance, and hope that necessary changes will be minor?

The size of this new chip (for its storage capacity) is what makes it worth note. A passive RFID tag the size of a period at the end of a sentence in a newspaper article is, if Hitachi's ad is correct, "going to revolutionize security and authentication".

http://global.hitachi.com/inspire/small_usa/small_usa.html

(If the URL doesn't work, go to:

http://global.hitachi.com/inspire and click on the USA, then click on the ad with the egg.)

David R. Fordham
PBGH Faculty Fellow
James Madison University

November 4 Message from Mark Shapiro

From: Dr. Mark H. Shapiro [mailto:mshapiro@irascibleprofessor.com]
Sent: Monday, November 04, 2002 9:59 PM
Subject: Part-time Faculty - Higher Education on the Cheap

Dear Urascible Professor Readers, Writers, and Colleagues:

The American Council on Education (ACE) has just released a report on the dramatic rise in the numbers of part-time and non-tenure track full-time faculty members in American higher education. Today, on average, only about 38% of American college and university faculty members hold tenured or tenure-track positions. Part-time faculty members and full-time, nontenure-track faculty members (lecturers), who now make up the majority of those who teach college and university classes earn significantly less and have significantly fewer benefits than full-time tenured/tenure-track faculty.

The Irascible Professor analyzes the impact of this trend on the quality of higher education.

Read our comments at: http://irascibleprofessor.com/comments-11-05-02.htm

Sincerely,

Dr. Mark H. Shapiro
Editor and Publisher The Irascible Professor
http://irascibleprofessor.com

November 5, 2002 reply from J. S. Gangolly [gangolly@CSC.ALBANY.EDU]

The report makes a few points:

1. The increasing dependence of schools on non-terminally qualified, non-tenure track, and/or part-time teachers.

2. Economic exploitation of part-time teachers.

3. Almost exclusive evaluation of part-time teachers based on student evaluations, and the impact on grade inflation.

4. Non-tenure track and part-time teachers are not involved in the administration of the schools and programs. Tenured/tenure-track faculty form the institrutional memory of the schools.

5. Even at private institutions, the story is similar.

Having been in the teaching business for a long time (at private as well as public schools), I find it difficult to argue against the evidence staring in our faces. Education has become a lot more commercial than it used to be, and now most administraters think and act like managers and businessmen rather than as educators. Schools have become profit centers.

I think the controversial aspect of the report has to do with its assumption that doctoral qualifications are essential for maintaining the quality of education. In some ways, I can sympathise with those who criticise this assumption.

In most disciplines, I would tend to agree with the assumption that doctoral qualification is necessary. At college level, it is my firm conviction that one can not be a good teacher unless (s)he is also a lifelong learner who is active in researching the discipline.

However, accounting is a practice discipline, just as medicine or law. And I see a world of difference between accounting on the one hand and medicine & law on the other. Medical education has blended academia and practice in the concept of clinical education within schools and the concept of teaching hospitals. In law, you have moot courts and the like. Often, in both of the fields, clinicians do conduct "research", through most of it is by way of reporting on clinical trials in medicine, and through publications in law reviews and the like in law. In both of these fields, except in non-clinical fields it is rare to see a non-licensed individual delivering clinical education. It is inconceivable in a medical school to have a course in surgery taught by a Ph.D who has never operated and is not licensed to practice medicine.

In accounting, the situation is very different. It is my understanding that a substantial percentage of faculty never spent any time in practice, and the percentage is even higher among the "research" oriented faculty. Also, there is virtually no cross-fertilisation between the academia and the practice except by way of part-time instructing, retired practitioners teaching upon retirement, and the distribution of largesse by some of the firms to conduct research.

Professor Steve Zeff has observed that Col. Montgomery (of Lybrand, Ross Bros & Montgomery) tried his best to prevent the fracture of the profession into academia and practice in the US a long time ago. Perhaps he was right. Now it might be just about beyond repair.

I am surprised that the concept of teaching hospital has not been emulated in accounting education.

Jagdish

What is the future of digital television now that the Republicans have control of Congress? Most likely, it's business as usual. That means tough challenges for legislators trying to move the technology forward. --- http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,56244,00.html

"IBM chief sets 'e-business on demand' strategy," by John K. Waters, November 4, 2002 --- AppDevTrends@101communications-news.com

What do you get when you cross "e-business" with "computing-on-demand"? If you're IBM chief Sam Palmisano, you get a far-reaching enterprise computing strategy dubbed "e-business on demand" -- and an opportunity to take your predecessor's vision to the next level and make it your own.

Palmisano outlined IBM's latest big idea last week in a speech to corporate customers, business partners and analysts at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. "It's a phenomenal opportunity for us to drive the next technology agenda," he said.

IBM is betting on the enterprise appeal of the so-called utility computing model, which allows companies to buy only the computing services they need, without investing in expensive hardware and software. IBM will provide these services through distributed networks that appear to users as single machines, Palmisano said. The networks would be able to adapt to spikes and disasters by drawing from resources across the network. They would provide the precise processing power needed, while automating routine configuration and maintenance tasks.

"It's a bold bet, no doubt about it," Palmisano said. "Is it a risky bet? I don't think so. We've been at it. The technology is now there. It's ready. We understand it."

From the FASB in October 2002 --- http://www.fasb.org/fasac/results2002.pdf

Results of the 2002 Annual FASAC Survey

FASAC's annual survey on the priorities of the FASB provides valuable perspectives and observations about the Board's process and direction. The 2002 survey asked Council members, Board members, and other interested constituents to provide their views about the FASB's priorities, the financial reporting issues of tomorrow, principles-based standards, and the FASB's international activities.

Key observations and conclusions from the responses to the 2002 survey are:

Council members most often mentioned revenue recognition as one of the five most important issues that the Board should address currently. All seven Board members also included revenue recognition as one of the most important issues for the Board.

FASAC members most often cited valuation issues, such as the implication of using fair value measurements in financial statements, as one of the issues of tomorrow that the Board should start thinking about today.

FASAC members generally are prepared to accept differences in interpretation of principles-based standards. They also are prepared to make the judgments necessary to apply less-detailed standards despite the risk that their judgment will be questioned. Some noted that for principles-based standards to become a reality, the SEC is the primary organization that needs to support the initiative.

Nearly all FASAC members agree that the Board's international activities are an appropriate use of resources. All Board members also believe that those activities are an appropriate use of resources.

Twenty-two current Council members, 7 Board members, and 9 other constituents responded to the survey.

Bob Jensen's threads on accounting theory are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/theory.htm

Bob Jensen's threads on accounting fraud are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/fraud.htm

Bob Jensen's threads on accounting for electronic commerce are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/ecommerce.htm

Everything is super at Iowa State

From Syllabus News on November 5, 2002

Iowa State to Test Most Powerful Supercomputer

Iowa State University agreed to test software developed by Cray Inc. for its new X1 system, expected to be the world's most powerful supercomputer. A two-year agreement calls for Iowa State's High Performance Computing Group to develop advanced software analysis tools, and to use these to test the performance and functionality of the software Cray is creating for the new supercomputer. In return, Cray will donate a variety of high performance computing equipment to Iowa State. The Cray X1 will be formally announced later this year. Last week, Cray announced that five early-production Cray X1 units were shipped to undisclosed customers, and that real work was already taking place on the new supercomputers.

May 30 Advertisement from 3M Company
Bob Jensen does not accept advertising revenues. The advertisement below is a public service to educators.

INTRODUCING A MEETING TOOL THAT STAYS ONE STEP AHEAD OF YOUR MEETINGS.

How many hours are in your typical day? 28? 31? You get the point. You have to be productive--and get more work done than ever before. That not only applies to the classroom, but meetings, too. And unfortunately, today's meetings are getting more and more complicated, with a variety of tools necessary to make them effective.

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THE INTERACTIVE DESIGN LETS YOU WORK AND CAPTURE YOUR EFFORTS ON THE SPOT.

The multi-function capability ensures that you're always ready to use whatever tool will enhance your presentation the most.

And talk about well-connected. The 3M Digital WallDisplay connects directly to your network or the Internet quickly and easily through your computer, and is compatible with audio and video from a variety of systems. Plus, it can capture, replay, print or email the results of your work immediately.

SO SIMPLE, YOU CAN FOCUS ON YOUR PRESENTATION, NOT YOUR EQUIPMENT.

You're never productive when you have to waste valuable time setting up for a meeting. The 3M Digital WallDisplay can be up and running in under a minute, with the touch of a single button. With a 60-inch flat-screen that's only 4 inches deep, it's simple, unobtrusive and ready to go when you are. No distractions, no clutter, just power and productivity.

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Now, whether they're local, remote or global, everyone that you need to participate, can. Using their computer or a second 3M Digital WallDisplay, they can view presentations and even make digital edits--in real-time--that can be shared and seen by everyone else. No more expensive, time-consuming travel to bring people together.

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The Association for Financial Professionals (AFP), The Hackett Group, and CFO magazine has announced the winners of the 2002 Best Workplaces for Finance Professionals. http://www.accountingweb.com/item/95525

The Association for Financial Professionals (AFP), The Hackett Group, and CFO magazine have announced that the winners of the 2002 Best Workplaces for Finance Professionals are:

Kraft Foods North America, Inc.

CNA Financial Corporation

The Vanguard Group, Inc. These companies were recognized for their dedication to providing satisfying and innovative work environments that attract and retain top-notch finance talent.

From CPA Update News on October 30, 2002

2. C P A n e t F i n d s

Every so often you come across a site or article that makes you stop and take notice...

Portfolio Management

Journal of Portfolio Management - http://www.cpanet.com/up/s0210.asp?ID=0606

Portfolio Management Forum - http://www.cpanet.com/up/s0210.asp?ID=0607

Portfolio Knowledge - http://www.cpanet.com/up/s0210.asp?ID=0608

The Small-Cap Alpha Myth - http://www.cpanet.com/up/s0210.asp?ID=0609

Multistyle Rotation Strategies - http://www.cpanet.com/up/s0210.asp?ID=0610

myCFO - http://www.cpanet.com/up/s0210.asp?ID=0611

Legal Research Portals

Law & Legal Research Center - http://www.cpanet.com/up/s0210.asp?ID=0575

FindLaw - http://www.cpanet.com/up/s0210.asp?ID=0576

AllLaw - http://www.cpanet.com/up/s0210.asp?ID=0577

FindForms - http://www.cpanet.com/up/s0210.asp?ID=0578

LawInfo - http://www.cpanet.com/up/s0210.asp?ID=0579

LawyerExpress - http://www.cpanet.com/up/s0210.asp?ID=0580

Technology for Nonprofits

Nonprofit Technology Planning - http://www.cpanet.com/up/s0210.asp?ID=0581

Technology Funding - http://www.cpanet.com/up/s0210.asp?ID=0582

The CTC Movement - http://www.cpanet.com/up/s0210.asp?ID=0583

Hiring Consultants - http://www.cpanet.com/up/s0210.asp?ID=0584

Computer Networks - http://www.cpanet.com/up/s0210.asp?ID=0585

Recycled Hardware - http://www.cpanet.com/up/s0210.asp?ID=0586

Web Building - http://www.cpanet.com/up/s0210.asp?ID=0587

Database Management - http://www.cpanet.com/up/s0210.asp?ID=0588

Project Finance

HBS Project Finance Portal - http://www.cpanet.com/up/s0210.asp?ID=0589

Project Finance InfoSite - http://www.cpanet.com/up/s0210.asp?ID=0590

Project Finance Glossary - http://www.cpanet.com/up/s0210.asp?ID=0591

Int'l Project Finance Assn - http://www.cpanet.com/up/s0210.asp?ID=0592

Project Development Disciplines - http://www.cpanet.com/up/s0210.asp?ID=0593

Project Finance Magazine - http://www.cpanet.com/up/s0210.asp?ID=0594

Enron Affect on Project Finance - http://www.cpanet.com/up/s0210.asp?ID=0595

College Funding & 529 Plans

529 Plan Center - http://www.cpanet.com/up/s0210.asp?ID=0596

IRS Code 529 - http://www.cpanet.com/up/s0210.asp?ID=0597

529 Plans - http://www.cpanet.com/up/s0210.asp?ID=0598

Maximize College Funding - http://www.cpanet.com/up/s0210.asp?ID=0599

Savings Plans Come of Age - http://www.cpanet.com/up/s0210.asp?ID=0600

Upromise - http://www.cpanet.com/up/s0210.asp?ID=0601

SavingforCollege.com - http://www.cpanet.com/up/s0210.asp?ID=0602

Paying for college - http://www.cpanet.com/up/s0210.asp?ID=0603

529 Plans Explained - http://www.cpanet.com/up/s0210.asp?ID=0604

Financial Aid: 529 Plans - http://www.cpanet.com/up/s0210.asp?ID=0605

Bob Jensen's bookmarks for accounting and finance are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/bookbob1.htm

Bob Jensen's threads on portals and vortals are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/000aaa/portals.htm

October 30, 2002 message from JerryFeltham [gerald.feltham@commerce.ubc.ca]

Peter Christensen and I are pleased to announce that the first of two volumes on the fundamentals of the economic analysis of accounting has been published by Kluwer. This two volume series is based on two analytical Ph.D. seminars I have taught for several years, and is designed to provide efficient coverage of key information economic models and results that are pertinent to accounting research.

The first volume is entitled:

Economics of Accounting: Volume I - Information in Markets.

The attached file provides the table of contents of this volume, plus the preface - which gives a brief overview of the two volumes. The second volume is

Economics of Accounting: Volume II - Performance Evaluation.

We expect to complete it in the next few months.

The two volumes can be used to provide the foundation for Ph.D. courses on information economic research in accounting. Furthermore, it is our hope that analytical researchers, as well as empiricists and experimentalists who use information economic analysis to motivate their hypotheses, will find our book to be a useful reference.

We plan to maintain a website for the book. It will primarily be used to provide some problems Peter and I have developed in teaching courses based on the two books. In addition, the website will include any errata. The website address is:

http://people.commerce.ubc.ca/faculty/feltham/economicsofaccounting.html

Also attached is a flyer from our publisher Kluwer. It announces a 25% discount in the price if the book is purchased prior to December 31.

The publisher has also informed us that: "If students buy the book through your university bookstore (6 or more copies) they will receive an adoption price of $79.95 US."

Information regarding discounts on this book for course use and bulk purchases can be obtained by sending an e-mail message to kluwer@wkap.com (their customer service department).

Jerry Feltham
Faculty of Commerce
University of British Columbia
2053 Main Mall
Vancouver, Canada V6T 1Z2
Tel. 604-822-8397 Fax 604-822-9470 jerry.feltham@commerce.ubc.ca

Bob Jensen's threads on accounting theory are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/theory.htm

Controversies of Fair Value Accounting

From The Wall Street Journal Accounting Educators' Review on October 11, 2002

TITLE: Should J.P. Morgan Set Rules for J.P. Morgan?
REPORTER: Jonathan Weil
DATE: Oct 08, 2002
PAGE: C1
LINK: http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB1034029819451438720.djm,00.html
TOPICS: Accounting For Investments, Accounting Theory, Accounting, Fair Value Accounting, Financial Accounting Standards Board, Securities and Exchange Commission, Standard Setting, Valuations

SUMMARY: The Emerging Issues Task Force failed to support a change in the way that energy-contracts are valued. Questions focus on the standard setting process and issues surrounding mark-to-market accounting.

QUESTIONS:
1.) What are the roles of the Emerging Issues Task Force, Securities and Exchange Commission, and Financial Accounting Standards Board in the standard setting process? Briefly describe the standard setting process. Who do the members of the Emerging Issues Task Force represent? Discuss any potential conflicts of interest in the current membership? How could these conflicts of interest be minimized?

2.) Briefly describe mark-to-market accounting? List the advantages and disadvantages of mark-to-market accounting.

3.) What type of assets are marked-to-market? What, if anything, makes energy contracts different from other assets that are marked-to-market?

4.) Refer to the related article. How does the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board fit into the standard setting process? How do the candidates for the new Board differ from the members of the Emerging Issues Task Force?

Reviewed By: Judy Beckman, University of Rhode Island
Reviewed By: Benson Wier, Virginia Commonwealth University
Reviewed By: Kimberly Dunn, Florida Atlantic University

--- RELATED ARTICLES ---
TITLE: SEC Widens Hunt for Audit Board
REPORTER: Michael Schroeder
PAGE: A8
ISSUE: Oct 08, 2002
LINK: http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB1034033854329435160.djm,00.html

October 23 message from Roger Debreceny [roger@DEBRECENY.COM]

A new and completely updated US GAAP XBRL Taxonomy for US GAAP has been released by the US Jurisdiction of XBRL. Rob Blake of Microsoft and Jeff Naumman of the AICPA and many others worked hard to bring out the "US Financial Reporting Taxonomy Framework", which is now in the public review phase. The new taxonomy takes full advantage of Version 2 of the XBRL Specification. Check it out at: http://www.xbrl.org/Taxonomy/us/TaxonomyFrameworkOverview.htm Rob, Jeff and the team will welcome your feedback in the 45 day review process.

Roger Debreceny

Bob Jensen's threads on XBRL are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/XBRLandOLAP.htm#XBRLextended

THE presidents of Stanford and Yale hope their switch to nonbinding “early action” policies will prompt other top colleges to end their binding early decision programs, which have been criticized for putting too much pressure on high school students. Debbie Bowling led me to this article.

Stanford joins Yale on early entry

Students accepted early won’t have to commit right away.

The MSNBC news article is at http://www.msnbc.com/news/831440.asp

Question
By now most accounting professors know about XBRL, but what is VRXML?

Answer
"New York Stock Exchange and FISD Develop Vendor Reporting eXtensible Markup Language (VRXML) --- http://xml.coverpages.org/ni2002-07-22-a.html

In cooperation with the SIIA's Financial Information Services Division, the Market Data division of the New York Stock Exchange is developing a new formal structure for vendor fulfillment of billing and reporting obligations. The new Vendor Reporting Extensible Markup Language (VRXML) is "based upon the original VARS format but adds additional functionality and efficiency." Under the old system, vendors would send data files to TCB Data Systems, which would provide one level of processing and extraction, then disperse the files to the appropriate markets including NYSE Market Data. The teams are developing more efficient, industry-accepted data transfer methodologies to enable direct reporting via straight-through-processing. The new system also supports the transformation of an existing VARS file into a VRXML file. The June 2002 draft of Vendor Reporting Extensible Markup Language (VRXML) includes, in addition to prose specification, a conceptual model diagram in UML, an independent XML schema file defining standardized reporting and billing data elements, and sample XML instance. This draft "deals with NYSE reporting obligations but could be extended to cover a broader set of industry requirements."

Bibliographic information: Vendor Reporting Extensible Markup Language (VRXML). New York Stock Exchange, Inc. Market Data Division. Draft. June 2002. 9 pages. With acompanying conceptual model (UML), XML schema, sample XML instance.

Problem statement: "Multiple requirements/formats make reconciliation and payment processing difficult. The solution is to develop standard reporting/billing data elements (both content and format). NYSE has developed a Vendor Reporting eXtensible Markup Language (VRXML). The exchange is working with FISD to collect evaluation feedback from the global industry. We are particularly interested in how well the NYSE requirements match up with the requirements of the rest of the industry."

The XML structure is a new format that the Market Data division of the NYSE has developed. The working name of this new structure is Vendor Reporting eXtensible Markup Language (VRXML). The XML structure is based upon the original VARS format but adds additional functionality and efficiency. The capability to transform an existing VARS file into a VRXML file is a requirement... We would hope that this proposed Vendor Reporting eXtensible Markup Language (VRXML) schema will be available for use by the end of the year 2002. Working with the FISD, we wish to gather comments and feedback prior to our implementation."

About FISD: "The Financial Information Services Division (FISD) of the Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA) provides a balanced and neutral business forum for exchanges, market data vendors, specialist data providers, brokerage firms and banks to address and resolve business and technical issues related to the distribution, management, administration and use of financial information. Over 130 organizations, representing all segments of the information distribution chain, are active members of FISD. They use the forum to exchange ideas, build business relationships, establish new levels of mutual understanding and improve the business climate associated with the worldwide flow of financial information. Participants are responsible for their own strategic and commercial interests within FISD. Our role is to act as a neutral facilitator of the discussion and manager of the consensus agenda that emerges as a result."

Principal references:

Vendor Reporting Extensible Markup Language (VRXML) Main Document. [cache]
Appendix A: Conceptual Model of VRXML Vocabulary. UML. [cache]
Appendix B: Draft XML schema [cache]
Appendix C: Sample VRXML file [cache]
VRXML contact: Michael Atkin, +1 202.789.4450
SIIA Financial Information Services Division (FISD)
Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA)
TCB Data Systems, Inc.

Conceptual Model --- http://xml.coverpages.org/VRXMLConceptualModelV5.pdf

Bob Jensen's threads on XBRL and VRXML are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/XBRLandOLAP.htm#XBRLextended

Perspectives on Urban Education http://www.urbanedjournal.org/

SOCIAL DIMENSIONS OF CONSUMER DISTINCTIVENESS
Targeting advertising to special minority groups makes sense. But, warns Professor Sonya Grier, it's also important to pay attention to how this consumer identifies himself when charting an ad campaign. October 2002
http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/news/research/mktg_distinctivenesstheory.shtml

Controversial Software of the Week

SuperBot 3.1 http://www.sparkleware.com/superbot/index.html

SuperBot is a controversial program that downloads entire Web sites automatically and saves them on your computer. I dare you to have enough disk space and Internet time to download Bob Jensen's Websites on two servers.

TUCC Server http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/

TU Computer Science Department Server http://www.cs.trinity.edu/~rjensen/

Actually it is a bit of a waste of time and space to download Websites, because the downloaded ones are locked into time and will not have the updates. However, downloading does overcome the problem of documents on Websites that are removed before you download those documents.

For the past 4 years, BusinessWeek readers have been testing their crossword acumen through the Lincoln-sponsored puzzles, Mixing Business with Pleasure. Now you can access the crossword puzzles through your PDA. Simply click the link below and enjoy 8 puzzles over the next 2 months --- http://clks.com/c.asp?id=514630&l=1

Hi Steve,

The basic questions to ask are as follows:

What is your objective?

If the objective is to rank students in terms of what they have learned, then an answer that is 90% correct is certainly better than the 0% received by a student who never had a clue as to how to approach the problem. In general, partial credit will provide useful information for evaluating how much a student learned.

Even in George Wright's excellent example (ship navigation) that might be extended to pilot student training, there might be some basis for partial credit. A student pilot who makes a quick and clever reaction to avert a terrible crash landing certainly gets more credit in my book than the student pilot who freezes in the same crisis.

How many questions and problems?

If an instructor has only one problem or question on the exam, then I think that part credit for a wrong answer is essential. If the instructor has 20 short problems on a one-hour examination, then there might be some basis for not assigning part credit since there are so many problems upon which to evaluate learning. This is how we generally justify not giving part credit on multiple choice examinations.

Is there a good answer that the instructor overlooked?

Context can vary a great deal. On occasion a creative student may derive a good solution that the instructor did not anticipate. Or the question may have incomplete or vague wording that leads a student into some wrong assumptions when answering a question or problem. I hate to admit it, but this frequently happens to me, and I must in fairness give full or partial credit if the student's assumptions are perfectly reasonable in such circumstances.

Do the above "answers" get partial credit with respect to your question Steven?

Bob Jensen

-----Original Message-----
From: Steven White [mailto:steven.white@WKU.EDU]
Sent: Thursday, October 17, 2002 9:15 AM
To: AECM@LISTSERV.LOYOLA.EDU Subject: Dilemma

I had an interesting discussion with a CPA partner last night. He reminded me that when he was in school, the mean old professor graded only the "bottom line" answer. If that was wrong, no points were earned. When the students dared to question this process, the professor responded that even if the process is correct and the answer is wrong, in business, the client may fire you as his/her CPA. What do you folks think of this as an alternative to the "show your work to receive partial credit" world we operate in?

Steve White

October 17 reply from George Wright [geo@LOYOLA.EDU]

Can't help reminiscing over this :-).

My undergrad years were spent at the U.S. Naval Academy where, among other things, we were taught navigation. The year I took nav, there was a major policy change.

In prior years, partial credit was given. If your original fix (called the datum, your location as determined by astronomical navigation) was incorrect, your whole estimated course (based on speed, direction, time, current, winds, etc.) would be incorrect, as would your final position. But if everything but the original datum were correct, you'd get partial credit, called CFD, ``Correct For Datum.''

In 1962, the decision was that, if you ran aground, you ran aground, regardless of where the problem occurred, original datum or not. So the slogan became, ``There's no CFD in the fleet!'' Navigation exercises were graded on bottom line only.

Sometimes I'm tempted to tell students that there's no CFD in the fleet, but it would require too much explanation to be effective :-).

Geo

October 17 reply from Richard C. Sansing [Richard.C.Sansing@DARTMOUTH.EDU]

Chris Olsen (Whatever happened to Chris? He's not at Notre Dame any more) argued that partial credit violates two principle of accounting: materiality and objectivity.

Suppose I'm teaching a class how to do a three part task. Each part has an outcome of one (success) or zero (failure). Success in the task requires success in each part of the task.

Student #1 does the first two parts correctly and the third part incorrectly. Student #2 fails to accomplish any of the tasks correctly. Both fail to do the task because 1x1x0=0x0x0=0.

Time for performance evaluation. I would not assign identical grades to these two students; nor would I be indifferent if my task was to hire one of them. Having said that, the "old school" approach has an advantage in that it promotes virtues of thoroughness and completeness.

Richard C. Sansing
Associate Professor of Business Administration
Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth
email: Richard.C.Sansing@dartmouth.edu

A Dictionary of Philosophical Terms and Names http://www.philosophypages.com/dy/

American Transcendentalism Web http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/transcendentalism/

The Old Farmer's Almanac http://www.almanac.com/index.php

The World Fact Book 2002 http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/

Bob Jensen's threads on encyclopedias are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/bookbob3.htm#08051Glossaries

Crossfade (Music) http://www.sfmoma.org/crossfade/index.html

The latest version of peer-to-peer file sharing application Freenet is easier to use -- all part of its creators' goal to reach more people interested in using P2P to promote free speech --- http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,56063,00.html

Bob Jensen's P2P threads are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/napster.htm

From Fathom on October 8, 2002

* Short e-Course *
THE FUTURE OF ENGLISH from Cambridge University Press author and language expert David Crystal examines the history of English since 1600, the question of Standard English, American English versus British English, and the death of minority languages. The first 1,000 enrollees in this new e-course will also receive a free copy of The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language: http://www.fathom.com/course/56756013/1199

* Free Seminar *
A CLASH OF IDEOLOGIES? AL QAEDA, AMERICA AND ACADEMIA From Vietnam to the IRA and the PLO, such challenges to the international order have often enjoyed a degree of sympathy from Western progressives. Is the radical Islam of Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda a comparable revolutionary movement? Explore the debate in this free seminar from the London School of Economics and Political Science. http://www.fathom.com/course/21701759/1200

* Semester-Length Course *
READING ACROSS THE CURRICULUM: COMPREHENSION IN THE CONTENT AREAS Reading comprehension is a prerequisite for academic achievement in all content areas, across all grade levels. This online course from the University of San Diego enables teachers to build their instructional practices for higher-order comprehension. Class starts October 25: http://www.fathom.com/course/61705324/1201

* Free Seminar *
THE SPECTACULAR FEMALE BODY: DRESS, FASHION AND MODERNITY IN VICTORIAN WOMEN'S MAGAZINES, a seminar from the Science Museum's "Locating the Victorians" conference, explores the rise and social impact of women's fashion through examples of four particular items: the fashion plate, the corset, the bloomer and the bicycle. The seminar is free; simply follow the checkout process to enroll: http://www.fathom.com/course/21701733/1217

* Short e-Course *
THE INTELLECTUAL AND CULTURAL HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES, 1890-1945: PRAGMATISM AND ITS CRITICS from Columbia University Professor Casey Nelson Blake explores the philosophy of pragmatism, the lives and contributions of James and Dewey, and the critiques of pragmatist thought. Enroll anytime: http://www.fathom.com/course/56756027/1218

*
Semester-Length Course * ONLINE ANTIQUE MARKET In this online course from New School University, students will examine the impact of online auctions such as eBay and Sothebys.com on the antique and collectibles market. Class begins October 21: http://www.fathom.com/course/58705258/1219

NEW ARTS & HUMANITIES FEATURES

* Seeing Things: Photographing Objects 1850-2001*
Victoria & Albert Museum curator Mark Haworth-Booth presents a selection of six photographs from the recent exhibition "Seeing Things." By turns inventive, descriptive, and demonstrative, these examples break boundaries in assessing this relationship and moving beyond the concept of still life: "Seeing Things is a homage to many kinds of creativity and to the thrilling variousness of the photographic medium..." http://www.fathom.com/feature/122651/1/1220

* Cutting for Coppola: A Conversation with Anne Goursaud*
Expert film editor Anne Goursaud's sure hand has made her highly sought after by some of the most respected directors in America, including Francis Ford Coppola, Hector Babenco and Jack Nicholson. In an AFI seminar held in 1991, Goursaud spoke of the translation and selection skills key to expert editing: "To me, the biggest compliment was when Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson saw an early cut of Ironweed. They didn't ask for one performance change..." http://www.fathom.com/feature/122258/1/1221

Winning Essay: "Accounting: a Pillar of the Free Market" --- http://www.smartpros.com/x35605.xml

Oct. 14, 2002 (Pennsylvania CPA Journal) — In an effort to encourage accounting students to improve their writing abilities, the Pennsylvania CPA Journal Editorial Board sponsors an annual Student Writing Competition. This year, for the first time, the contest was open to all business majors attending Pennsylvania colleges and universities, as well as to Pennsylvania residents who attend school out-of-state.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The 2002 topic was Accounting's Role in the Creative Destruction Process. Harris Arch, a student at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, placed first and received a cash award of $2,000. The Wharton School also received $1,000 for his achievement. Andell Lewis of Ursinus College placed second and received $1,200. Justin Stolte, also of Ursinus College, placed third and received $800. Ursinus College was awarded $1,000 ($600 and $400, respectively) for its students' achievements.

Special thanks go to contest chair and judge Frank Farina and to judges Steve Blum and Rose Marie Bukics--all members of the Pennsylvania CPA Journal Editorial Board-for their hard work and dedication to this program.

Winning Essay: The following is an excerpt from the Student Writing Competition's first-place essay, written by Harris Arch from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. To read the complete paper, please visit CPAzone.org, click on Contest & Awards, then go to Student Writing Competition.

Accounting: A Pillar of the Free Market By Harris Arch, The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania

Joseph Schumpeter's "creative destruction" theory is critical to the understanding of the role of accounting within the free market. In his famous text, Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy, Schumpeter wrote, "The fundamental impulse that sets and keeps the capitalist engine in motion comes from the new consumers, goods, the new methods of production or transportation, the new markets, the new forms of industrial organization that capitalist enterprise creates."

Schumpeter's observations demonstrate keen insight because the history of the American free market has consistently supported the force of change. Businesses must be able to adapt to markets that are dynamic and be responsive to consumers' changing habits or new methods of production. ... Schumpeter argued that innovation would always remain in the free market economy, and consequently the old structure and processes would be "destroyed" by new, more efficient ways of business. Schumpeter's theory is a powerful force in the free market economy and a reminder that innovation will never become obsolete as the economy develops...

One of the questions of interest in this paper is how the role of accounting affected the dot-com boom of the late 1990s. To support the growth of the technological businesses, these companies needed an infusion of capital. These investments could have come from venture capital, initial public offerings in the stock market, loans, or various other financing vehicles. Regardless of the financing choice, investors needed a way to accurately value the operations of the company and determine the growth potential. The role of accounting is to provide these investors with reliable information about a company's earnings and balance sheet accounts.

The accounting profession's responsibility should not be taken lightly, because investing decisions hinge upon the provided numbers. When an investor reads that earnings grew 25 percent from the previous quarter or revenues decreased 10 percent year-to-date, the investor needs to have the ability to assume that information is correct to the best of the knowledge of the accountant. Without this crucial assumption, investors would inefficiently allocate capital in companies that are not optimal and the innovation of the free market that Schumpeter described would become undermined. ...

For Schumpeter's "creative destruction" to occur, true technological innovators need investment to support their fledgling companies. Recently, there have been serious issues about companies overstating their earnings, such as Sunbeam, Waste Management, and Enron. Investors need to have confidence that earnings reports are correct. If the worries over accounting continue, the free market and the ability to raise funds will become seriously constrained. When earnings are reported, investors will not be certain that these numbers are correct and may be hesitant to invest. Without capital, our free market will not be able to develop sufficiently and fund enterprises that provide value to the economy. ...

The beauty of the free market is its own self-sustaining capabilities. The market can function by itself without strong intervention from the government, but some regulation is needed to support the self-sustainability. Accounting is one such pillar of strength for the free market. For investors to be able to develop proper investing decisions, the accounting numbers must be accurate. If not, our economy will suffer from poor capital allocation decisions based upon faulty numbers. Schumpeter's idea of "creative destruction" in the economy is a testament to the strong innovative character of our society. That innovation cannot occur without support from the accounting profession and standards. Without innovation, our economy will overlook potential growth opportunities, and the dreams of a better standard of living in the future may not see fruition.

And then there is the dark side --- http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/fraud.htm

Politics as Usual on the Beltway

October 21, 2002 message from Craigpolhemus@aol.com

Unfortunately, partisan Democrats went even further in both politicizing and personalizing the process by attacking SEC Chairman Pitt a month before the election. And now Congress recesses without appropriating funds for the SEC and the President calls for a reduction in the SEC enforcement funds included in Sarbanes-Oxley and in the Senate Appropriations Committee bill! Politicians of both parties are politicizing the SEC as never before.

As I noted in my very first PCAOB article submitted to the Washington Times ("Mary Poppins vs. the Chamber of Commerce"), which you posted at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/000aaa/polhemus/commentary01.htm , the lack of PCAOB independence from government may well prove a fatal flaw:

Craig

You can read more about Craig at http://www.geocities.com/craigpolhemus/index.html

MICROSOFT'S SECRET ANTITRUST WEAPON: LUCK Several strokes of fortune -- nothing more or less -- saved the software giant from a far harsher fate http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/nov2002/tc2002116_2105.htm?c=bwtechnov8&n=link1&t=email

Times are Tough in the European Economy

November 1, 2002 message from Risk Waters Group [RiskWaters@lb.bcentral.com]

French reinsurer Scor ran into difficulties this week after it revealed it would probably make a net loss of €250 million this year due in part to losses from its writing of credit derivatives. The cost of senior debt protection on Scor ballooned to 850/1,000 basis points over Libor on Thursday from just 100bp three months back. Rating agency Fitch slashed Scor's financial strength rating to BBB from A+ and placed it on 'watch negative'. Standard & Poor's lowered Scor's financial strength to A- from A and Moody's placed it on review for possible downgrade. Scor issued its profits warning ahead of a planned rights issue to shore-up its financial reserves. Scor's woes come as Standard & Poor's issued a report stating that defaults by EU companies now outpace those of their US counterparts. A total of 20 rated EU entities have defaulted on rated debt worth $8.7 billion in the first nine months of 2002, already exceeding the total number of companies that have defaulted since 1990, when S&P started to monitor European defaults.

Find A Grave http://www.findagrave.com/
This site is free and supposedly has a huge database. However, my relatives are all buried in small towns, and I could not find a single one of my deceased relatives in the database.

But is there a conscious being in those remains?
Despite mounting anecdotal evidence, conventional scientists still reject the notion that a person can remain conscious after being clinically deceased. Now a pair of researchers want to prove them wrong --- http://www.wired.com/news/medtech/0,1286,55826,00.html

United States Small Business Administration http://www.sba.gov/

Bob Jensen's helpers in this area are as follows:

Mobile Junkies Reshaping Society? --- http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,55561,00.html

An upcoming art exhibit teases the bounds of legality by incorporating copyright-protected images, sounds and words. Organizers timed it to coincide with a landmark Supreme Court copyright case --- http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,55592,00.html

Museum of Contemporary Art-Chicago http://www.mcachicago.org/

Lower East Side Tenement Museum --- http://www.thirteen.org/tenement/

Bob Jensen's threads on museums are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/bookbob2.htm#History

NotComing.com (Old Movies Worth a Second Look) --- http://www.notcoming.com/

The Nation's Report Card: Geography 2001 http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pdf/main2001/2002484a.pdf

Slang City (English, Literature, Culture) --- http://www.slangcity.com/

National and Local Profiles of Cultural Support (Art, Music) --- http://www.pewtrusts.com/pdf/culture_policy_profiles.pdf

The Top Sample Lists (Music) http://www.sloth.org/samples/

From the Smithsonian for Kids of All Ages: Invention at Play (Science, History) --- http://www.inventionatplay.org/

The global consulting firm Hewitt Associates has analyzed recent trends in health care and the news is not good. Health care costs are projected to increase 15.4% in 2003, which comes on top of a 13.7% increase in 2002. This represents the highest increase in health care costs since the early 1990s. http://www.accountingweb.com/item/93541

Health Care Costs to Increase 15.4 Percent in 2003

AccountingWEB US - Oct-16-2002 - The global consulting firm Hewitt Associates has analyzed recent trends in health care and the news is not good. Health care costs are projected to increase 15.4% in 2003, which comes on top of a 13.7% increase in 2002. This represents the highest increase in health care costs since the early 1990s. "Unless there is a fundamental change in the way health care is delivered, costs will double in the next five years," according to Jack Bruner, national health care practice leader at Hewitt.
This translates into big dollars for corporate America. The average corporate cost per person for health care in 2003 is expected to increase from $5,157 to $5,982 for HMOs (Health Maintenance Organizations), $5,545 to $6,367 for PPOs (Preferred Provider Organizations), $5,639 to $6,485 for POS (Point-of-Service) plans, and $6,304 to $7,249 for indemnity plans.
"Employers simply cannot afford to continue to absorb these types of rate hikes and, unfortunately that means employees will have to pay a lot more for health care," Said Mr. Bruner.
Employers are looking for alternative ways to provide health care benefits to employees and at the same time cut down on costs. Here are some options to consider:

Increasing payroll contributions

Reducing support for dependents

Charging extra for spouses

Increasing penalties for using services outside the provider network

Increasing co-payments for medical services

Increasing co-payments for prescription drugs

Customizing prescription drug options

Re-evaluating existing plans for ways to simplify administration and consolidate coverage

Offering programs that specialize in frequently-used medical services

Combining high-deductible plans with health care reimbursement accounts

The bottom line is that "companies have to help employees take more responsibility and become more active health care consumers," said Mr. Bruner.

History of the Workhouse --- http://www.workhouses.org.uk/

Under U.S. law, visitors to porn, alcohol and tobacco sites must be of legal age. But even the companies that develop age verification systems admit they don't work --- http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,55338,00.html

FROM TIME: Asia: Asian Journey (History, Travel, China, Railroads) --- http://www.time.com/time/asia/features/journey2002

Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment http://www.sage.wisc.edu/

November 13, 2002 message from SStanb@aol.com

Hello Bob,

My name is Scott Stanberry. The purpose of this letter is to tell you about a book I have written titled Federal Contracting Made Easy. It is basically a "Dummies" book for how to sell to the federal government. Check out this Web site:

http://www.managementconcepts.com/publications/acquisition/fedcontracting.asp

I really think this book would be of interest to you and your organization. Here are some reviews on the book:

http://www.govtusa.com/fed_con_easy_review.html

http://www.brucestjohn.com/ideas/stanberry.html

http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0301/031401p1.htm

Could you link the above site to your Web page? If you are interested, I will be glad to send you a copy of the book to review.

Thanks,

Scott Stanberry, CPA

Scientists at Stanford University have demonstrated tangible proof that scientific experiments can be conducted using thousands of low-end PCs wrangled together into loosely linked networks --- http://news.com.com/2100-1001-963024.html?tag=fd_top_2

This is a very flashy multimedia site that may be useful in some Trinity University courses.

From PBS: Borders Virtual Series (Migrant Workers and the U.S. Border featuring Webcams) --- http://www.pbs.org/pov/borders
A 10-week interactive drama told through the eyes of three teenagers near the U.S./Mexico border

New Hardware of the Week --- The Tablet PC

Link --- http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,3959,673993,00.asp

"Vote Still Out on Tablet PCs," eWeek, November 7, 2002

By John Taschek

Despite a huge campaign by Microsoft, most voters remain undecided about the Tablet PC, and turnout appears to be light. That may change today when Microsoft officially launches Windows XP Tablet Edition to the masses. Dozens of hardware and software providers are lining up to support the new operating system that promises to bring a new mobile computing paradigm to the general public and, in particular, vertical markets.
In contrast to every other major Microsoft operating system release, the Tablet Edition won't be sold separately. This unfortunately places the operating system in the same category as the Xbox, though the Tablet Edition is clearly geared toward business professionals.
Instead, it is licensed solely to platform vendors, including Toshiba, Hewlett-Packard, Acer and NEC. In addition, an SDK has been available for nearly a year that allows third-party software vendors to provide supporting applications. eWEEK Labs has taken a preliminary look at several of the devices and applications and found they work fairly well. However, whether Microsoft can sell a million units in a year as it estimates it can remains a big question.
One of the challenges to the Tablet's success is price. The cheapest Tablet design will be about $1,600, with the average price coming in at about $2,200. These prices more or less are in line with premium ultraportable notebooks. To get the costs down on a machine that includes things such as a digitizer, Microsoft has lowered the cost of Tablet Edition operating system to the vendors so that it's only marginally more than Windows XP. In addition, the digitizing companies, such as Wacom, and the notebook vendors are taking a hit to spur on sales.
The second challenge is general practicality. There's no compelling reason for most consumers to move toward the Tablet design—pen input is a luxury, perhaps even a frustrating luxury.
On the other hand, Microsoft and its partners have eliminated most of the technical challenges that killed early pen-based designs. And vertical organizations, such as hospitals, may develop specific applications that take advantage of the Tablet design. Those who prefer to write in Cyrillic and Kanji may prefer pen input over keyboards.
There are two general kinds of Tablets: the slate model, which has no built-in keyboard, and a clamshell design that is more or less a notebook replacement. However, all the slate devices we looked at include USB keyboards and usually feature a stand so that the Tablet can be viewed as if it were a monitor.
The first unit eWEEK Labs looked at was the Acer Travelmate 100—a clamshell design. Acer appears to be the most committed vendor in the Tablet space, sending Chairman Stan Shih to New York for the launch and putting its manufacturing power to work months ahead of time. In fact, Acer had full functioning prototypes months ago. The Travelmate is about the size of a small notebook and is indistinguishable from one in appearance.
HP (the division that was Compaq) has a more unique design with its slate-based Tablet design. Clearly, HP believes that there will be a flood of similar Tablet PC designs and styling will be a major selling point. Because of its design, the HP device also appears to be targeting consumers and not the potentially more lucrative enterprise vertical market.
One of the more anticipated Tablet designs is from Fujitsu, which has had a strong penetration in health care with pen-based computers based on more proprietary operating systems and applications. The Fujitsu device that we looked at will have strong consumer and enterprise appeal, and if there is a crossover hit, it will be the Fujitsu device.
A device from startup Motion Computing also looks promising. The most notable aspect of the Motion device is its larger screen, which is highly suitable to Tablet designs.
One unit that looks to be promising is Toshiba's Portege 3500—a clamshell device. Toshiba officials said that the company has spent 24 months working on prototypes and that the company's research showed little interest in the slate form factor. The Portege's main differentiators include a strong hinge to support the screen and an Intel Pentium IIIm running at 1.33MHz. Most Tablets are running at slightly slower speeds. Toshiba officials boasted that the company will sell more units than any other vendor, but those numbers will probably be only in the tens of thousands through the end of the year. eWEEK Labs looked at prototypes of a pen-based computer (based on Linux) back in January and even then felt they were nearly ready for prime time, but Toshiba said it's sticking with Windows XP for the time being.
The operating system itself is simply Windows XP plus some additional capabilities, notably the ability to capture pen input, including pressure, stroke and other geometry functions, at a high resolution. This allows Microsoft's Digital Ink recognizer to translate input into text. It's technically sophisticated but error-prone. It will both amaze people with its accuracy and frustrate the same people with its inability to translate simple words.
All Tablets also have a speech input capability, making the Tablet PC a versatile device. However, enterprises concerned about rampant ink use should think twice about deploying them. Ink takes up 10 times more space than text, which could create bloated Outlook files and bog down Exchange servers.

Continued at http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,3959,673993,00.asp

Will Apps Make or Break the Tablet PC?
Unlike the ill-fated Microsoft "Bob," the success or failure of the Tablet is dependent on the PC vendors and ISVs writing the apps that will run on top of Windows XP Tablet PC Edition. Read the story

Commentary: Tablets Are Ready for, Um, What?
Microsoft faces challenging odds in betting that its Tablet PC will win wide acceptance. Read the editorial

"What Freud Got Right," by Fred Guterl, Newsweek --- http://www.msnbc.com/news/829644.asp
His theories, long discredited, are finding support from neurologists using modern brain imaging

Sigmund Freud has been out of the scientific mainstream for so long, it’s easy to forget that in the early-20th century he was regarded as a towering man of science—not, as he is remembered today, as the founder of the marginalized form of therapy known as psychoanalysis.

AT THE START of his career, he wanted to invent a “science of the mind,” but the Victorian tools he had were too blunt for the task. So he dropped the “science” part and had his patients lie on a couch, free-associating about childhood, dreams and fantasies. This technique yielded the revolutionary notion that the human mind was a soap opera of concealed lust and aggression, of dark motives, self-deception and dreams rife with hidden meaning. The problem was, Freud had lots of anecdotes but almost no empirical data. With the invention of tools like the PET scan that can map the neurological activity inside a living brain, scientists discounted the windy speculations of psychoanalysis and dismissed Freud himself as the first media-savvy self-help guru.

But a funny thing happened to Freud on the way to becoming a trivia question: as researchers looked deeper into the physical structure of the brain, they began to find support for some of his theories. Now a small but influential group of researchers are using his insights as a guide to future research; they even have a journal, Neuropsychoanalysis, founded three years ago. “Freud’s insights on the nature of consciousness are consonant with the most advanced contemporary neuroscience views,” wrote Antonio Damasio, head of neurology at the University of Iowa College of Medicine. Note that Damasio did not refer to psychoanalysis or the Oedipus complex. Instead the work is going on at the fundamental level where emotions are born and primitive passions lurk in the shadows of dreams.

HOW THE MIND WORKS
Beyond the basic animal instincts to seek food and avoid pain, Freud identified two sources of psychic energy, which he called “drives”: aggression and libido (the latter encompasses sexuality but also had a more expansive meaning, involving the desire for stimulation and achievement). The key to his theory is that these were unconscious drives, shaping our behavior without the mediation of our waking minds; they surface, heavily disguised, only in our dreams. The work of the past half-century in psychology and neuroscience has been to downplay the role of unconscious universal drives, focusing instead on rational processes in conscious life. Meanwhile, dreams were downgraded to a kind of mental static, random scraps of memory flickering through the sleeping brain. But researchers have found evidence that Freud’s drives really do exist, and they have their roots in the limbic system, a primitive part of the brain that operates mostly below the horizon of consciousness. Now more commonly referred to as emotions, the modern suite of drives comprises five: rage, panic, separation distress, lust and a variation on libido sometimes called seeking. Freud presaged this finding in 1915, when he wrote that drives originate “from within the organism” in response to demands placed on the mind “in consequence of its connection with the body.” Drives, in other words, are primitive brain circuits that control how we respond to our environment—foraging when we’re hungry, running when we’re scared and lusting for a mate.

The seeking drive is proving a particularly fruitful subject for researchers. Although like the others it originates in the limbic system, it also involves parts of the forebrain, the seat of higher mental functions. In the 1980s, Jaak Panksepp, a neurobiologist at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, became interested in a place near the cortex known as the ventraltegmental area, which in humans lies just above the hairline. When Panksepp stimulated the corresponding region in a mouse, the animal would sniff the air and walk around, as though it were looking for something. Was it hunger? No. The mouse would walk right by a plate of food, or for that matter any other object Panksepp could think of. This brain tissue seemed to cause a general desire for something new. “What I was seeing,” he says, “was the urge to do stuff.” Panksepp called this seeking.

Continued in the article

November 11, 2002 message from Dr. Mark H. Shapiro [mshapiro@irascibleprofessor.com]

The American Council on Education (ACE) has just released a report on the dramatic rise in the numbers of part-time and non-tenure track full-time faculty members in American higher education. Today, on average, only about 38% of American college and university faculty members hold tenured or tenure-track positions. Part-time faculty members and full-time, nontenure-track faculty members (lecturers), who now make up the majority of those who teach college and university classes earn significantly less and have significantly fewer benefits than full-time tenured/tenure-track faculty.

The Irascible Professor analyzes the impact of this trend on the quality of higher education.

Read our comments at: http://irascibleprofessor.com/comments-11-05-02.htm

Sincerely,

Dr. Mark H. Shapiro
Editor and Publisher
The Irascible Professor
http://irascibleprofessor.com

Advertisement Message from Alex von Rosenberg [alex@atomicdog.com]

See Atomic Dog’s unique ability to develop online books that were interactive and customizable, but that were also translated to print products that met the needs of those that preferred that medium. An additional factor was the potential long-term impact of improving access to education by dramatically lowering the cost of a substantial student expense (textbooks) while simultaneously improving the overall quality. The final and most critical factor was the global impact that Atomic Dog’s products are already making along with the one-of-a-kind capabilities home grown in the State of Ohio. In less than two years Atomic Dog textbooks have gone from being used in 50 schools to over 550 schools in over 70 countries.

To learn more, visit: http://ecom-ohio.org/success_stories/AtomicDog.pdf

Bob Jensen's threads on electronic books are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/ebooks.htm

Get that Call! Get that Fax! While You're Online! With just ONE Phone Line! --- http://www.alltvstuff.com/em1.html

People from all over the world -- including the United States -- e-mail Saddam Hussein with advice on how Iraq can defeat America in a war, offer moral support and even broker business deals --- http://www.wired.com/news/conflict/0,2100,55967,00.html

Did Newton Get It Wrong? Evgeny Podkletnov's antigravity technology may sound far-fetched, but it's attracting serious interest from the likes of NASA and Boeing --- http://www.business2.com/articles/mag/0,1640,43531,FF.html

The American Society of Women Accountants recognized an Ernst & Young partner with the Woman of the Year award at the ASWA's annual conference in New Orleans --- http://www.smartpros.com/x35659.xml

October 11, 2002 Advertisement Message from Charles Wankel [cxx@BELLATLANTIC.NET]

Robert DeFillippi and I have edited a book of cutting-edge approaches to business education that I think you will find stimulating and even useful:

Charles Wankel and Robert DeFillippi, editors
Rethinking Management Education for the 21st Century
Greenwich: Information Age Publishing, 2002.

It has chapters on the latest approaches to implementing SERVICE LEARNING, to creating an ONLINE MBA program, to ARTS-BASED LEARNING IN MANAGEMENT EDUCATION, on CORPORATE UNIVERSITIES, DOCTORAL LEVEL BUSINESS education in the 21st century, the globalization of the CRITICAL MANAGEMENT perspective, EMERGING COMPETITORS IN EXECUTIVE EDUCATION, E-LEARNING BUSINESS MODELS, and developing POLITICAL SKILLS through management education in the 21st century.

Contributors include: William Anthony, Florida State University; Elena Antonacopoulou, Manchester Business School; Kathy Lund Dean, Idaho State University; Robert DeFillippi, Suffolk University; Eric Dent, University of Maryland, University College; Gerald Ferris, Florida State University; Ellen Foster-Curtis, Pennsylvania State University; David Gilmore, University of North Carolina at Charlotte; Veronica Godshalk, Pennsylvania State University; Michael Harvey, University of Oklahoma; Michael Kolodinsky, James Madison University; Ann McCarthy, University of Baltimore; Thomas Moore, Babson College; Nick Nissley, University of St. Thomas; Darryl Reed, York University; Sabine Seufert, Universität St. Gallen; Mary Tucker, Ohio University; Charles Wankel, St. John's University.

This volume lists $29.95 paperback and $63.25 hardback and is available at:

USA: http://www.amazon.com

Canada: http://www.amazon.ca

Europe: http://www.amazon.co.uk

Japan: http://www.amazon.co.jp

You can obtain it directly from the publisher at 20 percent discount in the USA by phoning them at 203-661-7602 and asking for the "virtual community" discount.

Far East distribution is through Taylor and Francis in Singapore info@tandf.com.sg   .

Cybercollaborating,
Charles Wankel
St. John's University, New York City

A CURE FOR KLEPTOMANIA?:
Researchers at Stanford Medical Center are calling for volunteers in the first-ever trial of a drug to treat kleptomania, a mental illness characterized by uncontrollable urges to steal. The study will examine whether a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor currently on the market for treating depression can reduce stealing in kleptomaniacs. http://www.stanford.edu/dept/news/report/news/october9/kleptomania.html

NO CURE FOR TAXPAYERS OF NORTH CAROLINA

FAQs http://www.dor.state.nc.us/faq/use.html

October 23, 2002 message from Richard C. Sansing [Richard.C.Sansing@DARTMOUTH.EDU]

Consider the hypothetical case of SKIPPY and May Bardun, (not her real name), who live in Connecticut. SKIPPY and May are scrupulously honest and donate a lot of time and money to charitable causes. They also do a lot of mail order shopping.

April 15 comes around and SKIPPY and May are to declare their purchases subject to the Connecticut use tax on their state income tax return. They know compliance is nearly non-existent, detection is nearly impossible, the amount of tax is small, and they have no idea what they might owe. Figuring out the right amount will take a lot of time and effort that is worth far more than the tax at stake. Sigh. They falsely declare "zero" taxable purchases, put their tax return in the mail, and go off to serve tofurkey dinners at the homeless shelter. When they get back home, twelve new mail order catalogs have arrived. Time for shopping!

Now put SKIPPY and May in North Carolina. By offering an alternative of "deemed sales subject to use tax" equal to 1% of taxable income, their primary reasons for noncompliance-- they don't know the right amount and it is hard to determine-- have vanished, for North Carolina is willing to stipulate a statutory amount. Although the economics of the situation have not changed--SKIPPY and May could still declare zero taxable purchases, pay no tax, and be virtually assured of not being caught--they may well be willing to pay $62.50 on $100K of taxable income to avoid making a false declaration on their tax return.

Pure catalog retailers LAWFULLY ignore (collecting) sales taxes in states in which they lack substantial nexus
[Quill v. North Dakota, 504 US 298 (1992); National Bellas Hess v. Illinois, 386 US 753 (1967)].

Richard C. Sansing Associate
Professor of Business Administration
Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth email: Richard.C.Sansing@dartmouth.edu

Reply from Charles Pier pierca@appstate.edu

Taxpayers must either keep records or use an estimated amount based on their income. The "Use Tax" is a line item on the individual state income tax return. The estimation manner is similar to the way we used to calculate the sales tax deduction on the federal income tax form years ago, only in North Carolina we are not getting a deduction we are adding to our tax liability. (Being new to North Carolina I have yet to go through the process, but have already discovered it in working through a hypothetical return to set up my monthly withholding.)

The NC department of Revenue appears to be very creative. It may not rival Mass's or California but it will give them a good run for the money (pun intended).

Charles A. Pier
Assistant Professor
Department of Accounting
Walker College of Business Appalachian State University Boone, NC 28608 email: pierca@appstate.edu
828-262-6189

Reply 1 from Paul Williams [williamsp@COMFS1.COM.NCSU.EDU]

Not really so amazing -- we have sent Jesse Helms to the Senate for 30 years yet elected Jim Hunt governor 4 times. Like all places we have our paradoxes. This state relies heavily on sales taxes to finance a system of higher education that is universally acknowledged as a bargain (although the privatization of public universities is occurring here as everywhere else in the country because citizens appear to find giving away their universities a preferable alternative to not cutting their taxes -- as Joni Mitchell noted, "Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got til it's gone"). The NC legislature had to deal with the impact that Hurricane Floyd had on the state -- the eastern half of the state was almost entirely underwater -- and to settle a lawsuit brought by federal retirees who claimed (and won) paying NC income tax on federal pensions was illegal -- nearly a $600 million tax refund. Find revenue where you can; the use tax line on our state income tax return was simply a response to the alleged importance of e-commerce and the perception that use taxes were becoming a far more significant element in the sales tax equation. There are far more serious injustices in the world than the NC use tax; we take our motto (Esse Quam Videre) seriously -- it's no big deal.

Besides, North Carolina is a wonderful place to live.

PFW

Reply 2 from Paul Williams [williamsp@COMFS1.COM.NCSU.EDU]

The rhetoric of the U.S. has always masked the extent to which the government is an active participant in providing the public wealth essential to private wealth. (For an interesting analysis of American political rhetoric, see, B.F. Skinner, Beyond Freedom and Dignity). Sydney Harris, a syndicated columnist of many years back, once wrote a column about this phenomenon. Marx fastidiously avoided a blueprint for a socialist society; Marxism is a method of analysis. He wrote the Manifesto allegedly under duress at the insistence of Engels. Harris noted that the Manifesto contained a list of what a socialist society would minimally have. Harris noted: a central bank, got one; universal public education, got it; laws limiting the length of the work day, got them; laws banning child labor, got them, etc. Harris noted that by the only document which Marx produced, which specified conditions, the U.S. was a socialist society. (Does anyone seriously believe that the 19th century was the good old days?) Through the system of publicly supported universities, the National Science Foundation, the National Institute for Health, etc. the U.S. has, for many years, socialized knowledge production (anyone who works for a state university knows this is the case -- how many physics professors at good old state U. own the means by which they produce their discoveries). Rush Limbaugh gets to blather endlessly about the evils of government (and has become a very wealthy man as a result) over a frequency owned by us all and usable by old Rush only because there is an FCC that prevents others from drowning Rush out with greater megawattage. Ironic? Just a bit. And how many of us rather well off accounting professors would be where we are were it not for the state subsidized system of higher education, access to which was not based on who your parents were (some of you are probably old enough to have done it on that epitome of socialist engineering, the GI Bill)? And then we bitch about taxes! (And also bitch about the low salaries and lack of raises at good old state U.). To refuse to acknowledge public wealth and its importance in a democracy, to continue to believe in the myth that only private wealth is good, or that in our unLockean, interdependent economy anybody truly "earns" what they receive (the philospher Thomas Nagel makes some interesting observations about this in his book Mortal Questions), may be why accounting scholarship needs "reinvigorating." Politically correct science is seldom good science.

PFW

Democracy in Frustration: Feedback from the Crooks

May 24, 2002 message from Frank Schwarz [freedrinx@outgun.com]

I am writing to you in a desperate sense of help for my village.

Our Village council and Mayor have gone completely out of control. Theft in office; Ignoring residents’ concerns; other minor/major criminal acts.

I am asking everyone that this message reaches, to look at our website, write or fax a note of support to the citizens of our village.

http://www.neighborhoodlink.com/valleyview/vvvillage

Look at the “talk about it” section. You will be amazed by the postings by our council and their minor child. I do not believe that in the history of our village, that any of this has ever happened.

Please email me if you have anything that can help us overcome this major road block we seem to be facing.

Thank you; Frank Schwarz A Valleyview Resident

NEW HOPE FOR CELIAC SUFFERERS:
A team of investigators at Stanford has discovered the cause and a potential treatment for celiac sprue, an autoimmune disease that leads to an inability to digest gluten, a major protein in wheat, rye and barley products. Chemistry and chemical engineering Professor Chaitan Khosla led a team of Stanford researchers in identifying a fragment of gluten called gliadin as the culprit in celiac disease. http://www.stanford.edu/dept/news/report/news/october2/celiac.html

Do you use Microsoft Word to draft letters and other documents? An average business enterprise has to draft at least 2-3 letters a day, means 500-600 letters every year. A possible solution to this problem may be eSecretary, an outgoing correspondence management system, which can manage all your outgoing correspondence electronically and help you to manage files more systematically. http://www.accountingweb.com/item/90698

From the Library of Congress
Music for the Nation: American Sheet Music http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/mussmhtml/

October 11 message from Ira [kawaller@lb.bcentral.com]

If you, your colleagues, or your customers have hedge effectiveness testing requirements under FAS 133, and you're having difficulty designing regression tests for this purpose, this article (co-authored with my friend and client, Reva Steinberg of BDO Seidman, and originally published in "AFPExchage")should be of interest:

http://www.kawaller.com/pdf/AFP_Regression.pdf

Otherwise... never mind.

In either case, visit the Kawaller & Company website to find other articles/information dealing with a host of issues relating to derivatives.

I hope you'll find this material to be useful and would welcome your questions, comments, or suggestions.

Ira Kawaller
Kawaller & Company, LLC
http://www.kawaller.com
kawaller@kawaller.com
(718)694-6270

Bob Jensen's threads on effectiveness testing can be found at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/acct5341/speakers/133glosf.htm#E-Terms

"Too User-Friendly," b y Yochi J. Dreazen, The Wall Street Journal, October 21, 2002 --- : http://online.wsj.com/article_print/0,,SB1034892040246343428,00.html

PayPal, the spunky online money-transferring service, has survived the high-tech collapse and intense competition from better-funded rivals, to become one of the rare success stories of the post-dot-com age. The question now confronting the company is this: can it survive the government's war on terrorism?

PayPal provides a service that makes it easy for individuals to make payments to one another or to online merchants through e-mail. The company currently has 17 million registered users, and adds another 28,000 per day. The terrorism related challenge facing PayPal, is that legislation passed post-Sept 11, 2001, called the USA Patriot Act, has expanded the nation's money-laundering rules, in an effort to make it harder for terrorists to launder money or quickly transfer it from account to account without attracting suspicion or attention. For PayPal, whose entire business model revolves around making it easy for users to send money to each other over the Internet, the legislation has the potential to force the company to radically and quickly reconfigure the way it does business, at potentially great cost. While no links between PayPal and terrorists have been found, as the biggest online money-transfer operation out their, PayPal could be hard hit by increased government scrutiny over the electronic transfer of funds.

"Like all financial-services companies, PayPal was created to do good and make things easier and more convenient for consumers," says Don Temple, an industry observer. "Unfortunately, those are just the qualities that terrorists and money launders look for when they want to hide money and take advantage of the system."

The increased government scrutiny of the electronic transfer of funds goes beyond PayPal, and involves the bulk of financial service firms. The problem for most firms is that the new regulations are difficult to comply with. Among the provisions, companies are required to designate a special compliance officer, train employees to detect money laundering, commission independent audits, and establish policies and procedures to identify risks and minimize opportunities for abuse. "For a small company these are incredible burdens from a paperwork standpoint and from a standpoint of trying to stay in business and not run afoul of the law while at the same time continuing to grow the company," one observer noted. "It's really asking quite a lot of them.'

A particularly important area in which the Patriot Act could change the way PayPal and similar companies do business involves overseas accounts, which are of particular concern to federal law-enforcement officials. The Patriot Act already requires companies to take extensive precautions in dealing with overseas accounts, and new rules may become even more burdensome.

From The Wall Street Journal Accounting Educators' Review on October 11, 2002

TITLE: Hiring a Hacker Brings Headache to a Security-Card Maker
REPORTER: Bruce Orwall
DATE: Oct 09, 2002
PAGE: B1 LINK: http://online.wsj.com/article_print/0,,SB1034095410990317156,00.html
TOPICS: Accounting Information Systems, Information Technology

SUMMARY: Orwall reports on NDS Group and its employment of ex-hacker Christopher Tarnovsky. It is alleged that, while employed by NDS, Tarnovsky has helped pirate TV signals from competitors. NDS manufactures "smart cards" that are supposed to allow access to TV signals to subscribers only.

QUESTIONS:
1.) Why is it important for businesses to ensure that access to their information system is secure? What is the difference between identification of a potential user and authentication of a user? Give some examples of identification commonly used. Why are those examples not necessarily sufficient to guarantee authorization?

2.) If someone should attempt to access a firm's database and has the proper ID name and password, what suggested authentication procedure might you propose to ensure only authorized access?

3.) What is a biometric security measure? Why do such things as iris-scanners, fingerprint and/or palmprint readers, face scanners, key-stroke pattern analysis, signature-scan, and voice-recognition technology offer a higher degree of security than keys, ID names, or tokens? Why does a passwords add one degree of security over a key, for instance, but less than an iris scanner?

Reviewed By: Judy Beckman, University of Rhode Island
Reviewed By: Benson Wier, Virginia Commonwealth University
Reviewed By: Kimberly Dunn, Florida Atlantic University

Forwarded by Auntie Bev

This has got to be one of the most clever e-mails that I have ever seen. The following are exceptionally clever. Someone out there either has far too much spare time or is deadly at Scrabble.

(Wait till you see the last one!)

George Bush:
When you rearrange the letters: He bugs Gore

Dormitory:
When you rearrange the letters: Dirty Room

Evangelist:
When you rearrange the letters: Evil's Agent

Desperation:
When you rearrange the letters: A Rope Ends It

The Morse Code:
When you rearrange the letters: Here Come Dots

Slot Machines:
When you rearrange the letters: Cash Lost in em

Animosity:
When you rearrange the letters: Is No Amity

Mother-in-law:
When you rearrange the letters: Woman Hitler

Snooze Alarms:
When you rearrange the letters: Alas! No More Z's

A Decimal Point:
When you rearrange the letters: I'm a Dot in Place

The Earthquakes:
When you rearrange the letters: That Queer Shake

Eleven plus two:
When you rearrange the letters: Twelve plus one

And for the grand finale:

PRESIDENT CLINTON OF THE USA: Bob Jensen deleted this one

Inferior in what way?

We must be modest and at the same realise that others are inferior to us.
Oscar Wilde

An Actual Recipe Forwarded by The Happy Lady (or should I say Stinky Lady)

Kitty Litter Cake

Serving Size: 24

Notes:
This is a fun cake! It might look gross, but it does taste good!

Ingredients:

1 (18 oz.) box spice or german chocolate cake mix

1 (18 oz.) box white cake mix

1 pkg. white sandwich cookies

1 large box vanilla instant pudding mix

12 small tootsie rolls

1 litter box (preferably a NEW one!)

1 plastic scoop

green food coloring

<http://www.kidskuisine.com/images/recipe/104.jpg>

Preparation:

Prepare cake mixes and bake according to directions (any size pans). Prepare pudding mix and chill until ready to assemble. Crumble white sandwich cookies in small batches in blender, they tend to stick, so scrape often. Set aside all but about 1/4 cup. To the 1/4 cup cookie crumbs, add a few drops green food coloring and mix using a fork or shake in a jar.

When cakes are cooled to room temperature, crumble into a large bowl. Toss with half the remaining white cookie crumbs and the chilled pudding. You probably won't need all of the pudding, mix with the cake and "feel" it, you don't want it soggy, just moist; gently combine. Put mixture into clean litter box.

Put three unwrapped Tootsie rolls in a microwave safe dish and heat until soft and pliable. Shape ends so they are no longer blunt, curving slightly. Repeat with 3 more Tootsie rolls and bury in mixture. Sprinkle the other half of cookie crumbs over top. Scatter the green cookie crumbs lightly over the top, this is supposed to look like the chlorophyll in kitty litter. Heat remaining Tootsie Rolls, three at a time in the microwave until almost melted. Scrape them on top of the cake and sprinkle with cookie crumbs. Place the box on a newspaper and sprinkle a few of the cookie crumbs around. Serve with a new pooper scooper.

BELOIT COLLEGE "MINDSET LIST" FOR THE CLASS OF 2006 --- http://www.beloit.edu/~pubaff/releases/mindset_2006.html

Most students entering college this fall were born in 1984.

1. A Southerner has always been President of the United States.

2. Richard Burton, Ricky Nelson and Truman Capote have always been dead.

3. South Africa's official policy of apartheid has not existed during their lifetime.

4. Cars have always had eye-level rear stop lights, CD players, and air bags.

5. We have always been able to choose our long distance carriers.

6. Weather reports have always been available 24-hours a day on television.

7. The "evil empire" has moved from Moscow to a setting in some distant galaxy.

8. "Big Brother" is merely a television show.

9. Cyberspace has always existed.

10. Bruce Springsteen's new hit, Born in the USA, could have been played to celebrate their birth.

11. Barbie has always had a job.

12. Telephone bills have always been totally incomprehensible.

13. Prom dresses have always come in basic black.

14. A "Hair Band" is some sort of fashion accessory.

15. George Foreman has always been a barbecue grill salesman

16. Afghanistan has always been a front page story.

17. There has always been an heir to the heir to the British throne.

18. They have no recollection of Connie Chung or Geraldo Rivera as serious journalists.

19. Peter Jennings, Dan Rather, and Tom Brokaw have always anchored the evening news.

20. China has always been a market-based reforming regime.

21. The United States has always been trying to put nuclear waste in Nevada.

22. The U.S. and the Soviets have always been partners in space.

23. Mrs. Fields' cookies and Swatch watches have always been favorites.

24. Nicholas Cage, Daryll Hannah, Eddie Murphy, and John Malkovich made their first major film impressions the year they were born.

25. The GM Saturn has always been on the road.

26. The "Fab Four" are not a male rock group, but four women enjoying "Sex and the City."

27. Fox has always been a television network choice.

28. Males do not carry a handkerchief in a back pocket.

29. This generation has never wanted to "be a Pepper too."

30. Ozzy's lifestyle has nothing to do with the Nelson family.

31. Women have always had tattoos.

32. Vanessa Williams and Madonna are aging singers.

33. Perrier has always come in flavors.

34. Cherry Coke has always come in cans.

35. A "hotline" is a consumer service rather than a phone used to avoid accidental nuclear war.

36. The drug "ecstasy" has always been around.

37. Genetic testing and DNA screening have always been available.

38. Electronic filing of federal income taxes has always been an option.

39. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has always been available to doctors.

40. Trivial Pursuit may have been played by their parents the night before they were born.

41. The U.S. has always maintained that it has a "clear right to use force against terrorism."

42. The drinking age has always been 21 throughout the country.

43. Women have always been members of the Jaycees.

44. The center of chic has shifted from Studio 54 to Liza's living room, live!

45. Julian Lennon had his only hit the year they were born.

46. Sylvan Learning Centers have always been an after-school option.

47. Hip-hop and rap have always been popular musical forms.

48. They grew up in minivans.

49. Scientists have always recognized the impact of acid rain.

50. The Cohen Brothers have always been making films.

Forwarded by Dr. D.

An elderly Italian man asked the local priest to hear his confession: "Father, during WW2 a beautiful woman knocked on my door and asked me to hide her from the Germans. I hid her in my attic."

The priest replied, "That was a wonderful thing you did and you have no need to confess."

"It's worse, Father. I was weak and told her she must repay me with her sexual favors."

"You were both in great danger and would have suffered terribly if the Germans had found her. God, in his wisdom and mercy, will balance the good and the evil and judge you kindly.

You are forgiven."

"Thank you, Father, That's a great load off my mind. I have one more question."

"And what is that?" asked the priest.

The old man replied, "Should I tell her the war is over?"

Forwarded by Dick Haar

An elderly couple who were childhood sweethearts had married and settled down in their old neighborhood and are celebrating their fiftieth wedding anniversary. They walk down the street to their old school. There, they hold hands as they find the old desk they'd shared and where he had carved "I love you, Sally." On their way back home, a bag of money falls out of an armored car practically at their feet. She quickly picks it up, but they don't know what to do with it so they take it home. There, she counts the money, and it's fifty thousand dollars.

The husband says, "We've got to give it back."

She says, "Finders keepers." And she puts the money back in the bag and hides it up in their attic. The next day, two FBI men are going door-to-door in the neighborhood looking for the money and show up at their home.

They say, "Pardon me, but did either of you find any money that fell out of an armored car yesterday?"

She says, "No."

The husband says, "She's lying. She hid it up in the attic."

She says, "Don't believe him, he's getting senile."

But the agents sit the man down and begin to question him. One says, "Tell us the story from the beginning."

The old man says, "Well, when Sally and I were walking home from school yesterday..."

The FBI guy looks at his partner and says, "Let's get out of here."

Forwarded by The Happy Lady

Three sisters ages 92, 94 and 96 live in a house together. One night the 96 year old draws a bath. She puts her foot in and pauses. She yells to the other sisters, "Was I gettin' in or out of the bath?"

The 94 year old yells back, "I don't know. I'll come up and see." She starts up the stairs and pauses. "Was I going up the stairs or down?"

The 92 year old is sitting at the kitchen table having tea listening to her sisters. She shakes her head and says, "I sure hope I never get that forgetful." She knocks on wood for good measure. She then yells, "I'll come up and help both of you as soon as I see who's at the door."

Please Bow and Say a Silent Prayer for Ceil!

It is with the saddest heart I must pass on the following news. Please join me in remembering a great icon of the entertainment community. The Pillsbury Doughboy died yesterday of a yeast infection and complications from repeated pokes in the belly.

He was 71.

Doughboy was buried in a lightly greased coffin. Dozens of celebrities turned out to pay their respects, including Mrs. Butterworth, Hungry Jack, the California Raisins, Betty Crocker, the Hostess Twinkies, and Captain Crunch.

The gravesite was piled high with flours.

Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy and lovingly described Doughboy as a man who never knew how much he was kneaded.

Doughboy rose quickly in show business, but his later life was filled with turnovers. He was not considered a very "smart" cookie, wasting much of his dough on half-bakedschemes. Despite being a little flaky at times he still, as a crusty old man, was considered a roll model for millions.

Doughboy is survived by his wife, Play Dough; two children, John Dough and Jane Dough; plus they had one in the oven. He is also survived by his elderly father, Pop Tart.

The funeral was held at 3:50 for about 20 minutes.

Terribly Sad News from my Norwegian Relatives

There will be no more Ole and Lena jokes. Lena died last week and she requested she be buried at sea.

Ole drowned while digging the grave.

Archives of Ole, Lena, Svsn, and Lars Jokes --- http://oaks.nvg.org/se6ra2.html

Sven and Ole --- http://www.hehe.at/funworld/archive/sortedjokes.php?category=svenandole

OLE AND Lena were up in years and Ole passed on to his heavenly reward.

Pastor Sven had the funeral service and offended Lena a bit in his sermon comments, especially when he said, "Here lies Ole but it is not really Ole. It is just the shell of Ole. The nut, Ole, has gone on to heaven."
Pastor Roy A. Steward, Vice President, Lutheran Ministerium and Synod.

The Divorce --- http://www.huumor.com/joke_2168

Also see http://www.huumor.com/joke_1514

Humor Site --- http://www.huumor.com

If someone is bugging you, send them the link at http://media.smilepop.com/smilepop/flash/10_2002/sept02-smilepop-bugseren2.swf

And that's the way it was on November 15, 2002 with a little help from my friends.

For accounting news, I prefer AccountingWeb at http://www.accountingweb.com/

Another leading accounting site is AccountingEducation.com at http://www.accountingeducation.com/

Paul Pacter maintains the best international accounting standards and news Website at http://www.iasplus.com/

How stuff works --- http://www.howstuffworks.com/

Quotes of the Week

From Where the Stress Falls, by Susan Sontag (New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2001)

So I'm supposed to be what I write? No more? But every writer knows this isn't so.

I write what I can: that is, what's given to me and what seems worth writing, by me. I care passionately about many things that don't get into my fiction and essays. They don't because what's in my head seems to me to lack originality (I never thought I had anything compelling to say about Shakespeare), or because I haven't yet found the necessary inner freedom to write about them. My books aren't me---all of me. And in some ways I am less than them. The better ones are more intelligent, more talented, than I am; any way, different. The "I" who writes is a transformation----a specializing and upgrading, according to certain literary goals and loyalties---of the "I" who lives. It feels true only in a trivial sense to say I make my books. What I really feel is that they are made, through me, by literature; and I'm their (literature's) servant.
From "Singleness" on Page 259

Employees who try to bring to light unethical or illegal practices by their employers are often criticized, treated like outcasts, fired, or worse.
CFO.com --- http://www.cfo.com/article/1,5309,7778,00.html
To read about an employee who got fired for refusing to cook the books, see http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/FraudConclusion.htm#WhistleBlowing

Every workday evening, 95% of our assets (employees) leave the gates of our company. I want to make sure that they come back the next day.
James Goodnight, CEO of SAS. The SAS Software giant arguably sets the standard for both employee and customer relations. Employee turnover is nearly zero. The employee relations are so fantastic that these relations were featured in an eye-opening Sixty Minutes CBS Television show on October 13, 2002. The company provides its own great doctors, nurses, and a health clinic for employees and their families. Medical care is convenient and free at the clinic, and when outside specialists are required, SAS pays 80% of the billings. This shows what imagination and caring can do for employee morale. Employees claimed they would not leave for double their salaries. There are no shareholder relations, because there are no shareholders except for the owner and founder of SAS --- James Goodnight. He turns down all offers to take the company public, because he says Wall Street will ruin the company. The SAS homepage is at http://www.sas.com
This was one of the best Sixty Minutes segments that I have ever viewed. Bravo to SAS and James Goodnight!
AIS students may want to especially note http://www.computerworld.com/news/1999/story/0,11280,43216,00.html
Also note the product links at http://www.sas.com/products/index.html

October 14 reply from

Bob, SAS (originally Statistical Analysis Systems) is an excellent employer and produces wonderful statistical software (I am a long-time user). But contrary to what 60 Minutes might say, it could not have "nearly zero" employee turnover (the economy-wide private sector average of quits exceeds 20 percent per year, and turnover includes quits and dismissals, plus more). It hires many young workers (young workers have high quit rates) with strong statistical skills. These workers are highly mobile throughout the U.S. and among other employers at Research Triangle Park and elsewhere in the Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Durham area. I have had at least two of my former students take jobs at SAS and later leave for jobs elsewhere. Airlines (the majors, not the regionals) and the U.S. Postal Service may have "nearly zero" turnover (quit rates of about 2% per year), but not SAS. -Barry

Barry Hirsch, Stevens
Distinguished Professor Department of Economics
Trinity University 715 Stadium Drive San Antonio, TX 78212-7200
Office: (210)999-8112 Fax: (210)999-7255 e-mail: bhirsch@trinity.edu
homepage: http://www.trinity.edu/bhirsch/

October 17 reply from Scott Bonacker, CPA [scottbonacker@MOCCPA.COM]

There are many ideas on the what's and why's of increasing costs, but in general it seems to be like business ethics - "It's not me that is causing the problem" or some sort of justification based on situational ethics.

One idea is that consumers are not adequately conscious of the costs of their choices. These two sites describe one of the approaches to solving that problem.

http://www.mcol.com

http://www.definedcare.com

Where all men think alike, no one thinks very much.
Walter Lippmann

When a man wants to murder a tiger, it's called sport; when the tiger wants to murder him, it's called ferocity.
George Bernard Shaw

The end sprouts from the means, as the tree germinates from the seed.
Mahatma Gandhi

Forwarded by Don and LaDonna

So, stop waiting ...

Until then end of the semester
Until you win the lottery
Until your car or home is paid off.
Until you get a new car or home.
Until your kids leave the house.
Until you go back to school.
Until you finish school.
Until you lose 10 lbs.
Until you gain 10 lbs.
Until you get married.
Until you get a divorce.
Until you have kids.
Until you retire.
Until summer.
Until spring.
Until winter.
Until fall.
Until you die.

There is no better time than right now to be happy. Happiness is a journey, not a destination.

So work like you don't need money, love like you've never been hurt, and dance like no one's watching.

What I regret about the follies of youth is not having committed them but not being able to do so again.
Pierre Benoit

An Egyptian court's final verdict sentences a man to one year in prison for posting his father's satirical poem online. But the son will evade incarceration by staying in Russia.
The father is a famous poet in Egypt. The poem in Arabic is at http://www.indexonline.org/news/20020718_surur.shtml Updates are at http://www.wadada.net/
Wired News --- http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,55889,00.html

I did my homework, but the dog pressed control-alt-delete!
Forwarded by Auntie Bev

Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got til it's gone.
Joni Mitchell (as quoted in an email message from Paul Williams.)

Tell the truth every now and then so that they believe you when you lie.
Jules Renard

My September October 30, 2002 updates on the accounting auditing, and corporate governance scandals are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/fraud103102.htm

The FASB is looking for your advice on whether to dim the bright lines in accounting standards and move to a "principles-based" approach that leaves financial reporting choices much more in the hands of professional judgment of management and their auditors --- http://www.fasb.org/proposals/principles-based_approach.pdf

The main arguments for principles-based standards are that they will be less complex and will lead to less game playing (such as when firms purchase19.99% of the equity in another company rather than 20% in order to avoid the equity method of accounting under FAS 115 and 124). But, in my viewpoint, principles-based standards are a disaster.

Anybody that thinks that principles-based standards will reduce the chances for Enron-like scandals is also willing to vote that there will be total peace on earth without first destroying most of mankind. Some naive theorists point to international IASB standards before the IASB (formerly IASC) started adding bright lines to newer standards. But IASB standards tend to avoid controversial issues, and even if there are some newer principles-based standards on controversial issues, such standards will not do much to improve transparency in financial reporting. International standards have been a bad joke, because international accounting standards are rarely enforced. Many major nations like Germany do not even have an infrastructure for enforcing any type of accountancy standards, including their own standards and/or IASB standards. International standards are selectively followed and avoided at will, and virtually no pressure is brought to bear on corporations to follow all international standards. In the U.S., pressure is much greater to follow FASB accounting standards, because the U.S. is a litigious society with plaintiff attorneys armed with the bright lines of accounting and auditing standards (although the AICPA has tended to avoid some badly needed bright lines in auditing standards).

Principles-based standards are favored by accounting firms and corporate auditing clients, because such standards will make it much more difficult for investors to sue for damages attributed to misleading financial reporting. In these troubled times when accounting firms are trying to restore their reputations and corporations are trying to restore confidence among equity investors, each move toward principles-based standards is a step backwards. This is a time to get tough with auditing and accounting standards. Unfortunately, hopes of reform of auditing standards in the U.S. were badly dashed by recent evidence that corporations and large accounting firms virtually own the SEC and the AICPA. I am referring in particular to how obvious it became that the Big 4 firms, with the help of the AICPA leadership, stacked the new Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. Anybody who believes that SEC Chairman Harvey Pitt is "fiercely independent" is probably also in favor of principles-based standards. The selection process was most certainly not in the best interest of investors. Newsweek reported the following on October 24, 2002 --- http://www.msnbc.com/news/826101.asp?0si=-

SEC Chairman Harvey Pitt was joined by fellow Republicans Cynthia Glassman and Paul Atkins in voting for Webster and the other four board members. Democrats Harvey Goldschmid and Roel Campos voted against Webster. And while the vote was officially for all five accounting board members, Campos added he was voting for all but Webster.

In an unusually rancorous SEC open meeting, Pitt rejected suggestions he had been swayed by the accounting industry to support Webster over Biggs, saying he was “fiercely independent” and “beholden to no one.” But Goldschmid criticized the selection process as inept. “Until this morning, for example, I was not informed as to which 5 individuals would be presented to this commission at this meeting. To my knowledge, none of the individuals have been properly vetted,” he said.

I think Goldschmid's statement is incorrect. Chairman Pitt, with the aid of corporate lobbyists adamantly opposed to the appointment of John Biggs, carefully vetted the slate of candidates that he (Pitt) intentionally selected to inhibit major reforms and bright lines in the best interest of investors. It was typical smoke and mirror politics in Washington DC. Outwardly there seemingly was a glimmer of hope for reform that, when push came to shove, was dashed by powerful lobbyists.

November 6, 2002 Update: Harvey Pitt resigned from the SEC on November 5.

Reply from Elliot Kamlet SUNY Account [ekamlet@BINGHAMTON.EDU]

I think it's even worse. John Biggs is sitting in his job at TIAA-CREF. One day Harvey Pitt comes to his door to inform him he's number one for the leadership of the new Board and he'd better prepare. So he quits his job (and gets replaced immediately) and submits himself for nomination. Then Pitt said "who me? I never offered him the job" (not a direct quote). The rest Bob has shared with us. It's the pitts.

Elliot Kamlet
Binghamton University

Reply from Todd Boyle [tboyle@ROSEHILL.NET]

In my opinion, companies should start with fact-based reporting, based on objective facts in arms-length dealings as to date and character of transactions. Once having reported those transactions into their natural aggregates and breakdowns, and reported them honestly to stockholders, one would be very surprised if stockholders need CPAs or the FASB to tell them "This is regarded as above- the-line income from operations, while, according to generally accepted principles, this other thing is regarded as below the line... "

The effort to spin everybody's attention to "principles" is essentially, an effort to turn back the clock, a return to the dark ages by placing subjective judgment and discretion over objective facts.

The FASB and the big CPA firms are advocating this position for one of two reasons. It is possible they may be advocating discretion overruling fact, just to protect their business. Or, they could be advocating "principles" in good faith, out of ignorance that there might any such thing as standard semantics for transactions, which can be rolled up into objective aggregates.

When CPAs start insisting both parties (e.g. buyer and seller) agree on the facts of transactions, instead of promoting various schemes to recharacterize them, I will regain some of my lost faith in the profession. At present, the accountancy profession is wholly absent from standards bodies where the semantics of business transactions are maintained. And that ought to tell you something: CPAs *want* to see mush in the GL because we make a living cleaning up mush,

Todd Boyle CPA
Kirkland WA

Book, Audio, and Video Recommendations:
Title: Take On the Street: What Wall Street and Corporate America Don't Want You to Know,
Authors: Arthur Levitt and Paula Dwyer (Arthor Levitt is the highly controversial former Chairman of the SEC)
Format: Hardcover, 288pp. This is also available as a MS Reader eBook --- http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/ISBNinquiry.asp?userid=16UOF6F2PF&isbn=0375422358
ISBN: 0375421785
Publisher: Pantheon Books
Pub. Date: October 2002
See http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=16UOF6F2PF&isbn=0375421785

This is Levitt's no-holds-barred memoir of his turbulent tenure as chief overseer of the nation's financial markets. As working Americans poured billions into stocks and mutual funds, corporate America devised increasingly opaque strategies for hoarding most of the proceeds. Levitt reveals their tactics in plain language, then spells out how to intelligently invest in mutual funds and the stock market. With integrity and authority, Levitt gives us a bracing primer on the collapse of the system for overseeing our capital markets, and sage, essential advice on a discipline we often ignore to our peril - how not to lose money. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0375421785/accountingweb

Don Ramsey called my attention to the following audio interview:
For a one-hour audio archive of Diane Rehm's recent interview with Arthur Levitt, go to this URL: http://www.wamu.org/ram/2002/r2021015.ram

A free video from Yale University and the AICPA (with an introduction by Professor Rick Antle and Senior Associate Dean from Yale). This video can be downloaded to your computer with a single click on a button at http://www.aicpa.org/video/
It might be noted that Barry Melancon is in the midst of controversy with ground swell of CPAs and academics demanding his resignation vis-a-vis continued support he receives from top management of large accounting firms and business corporations.

A New Accounting Culture
Address by Barry C. Melancon
President and CEO, American Institute of CPAs
September 4, 2002
Yale Club - New York City
Taped immediately upon completion

My new and updated documents the recent accounting and investment scandals are at the following sites:

Bob Jensen's threads on the Enron/Andersen scandals are at  http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/fraud.htm  
Bob Jensen's SPE threads are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen//theory/00overview/speOverview.htm  
Bob Jensen's threads on accounting theory are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/theory.htm  
Bob Jensen's Summary of Suggested Reforms --- http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/FraudProposedReforms.htm

Bob Jensen's Bottom Line Commentary --- http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/FraudConclusion.htm

The Virginia Tech Overview: What Can We Learn From Enron? --- http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/fraudVirginia.htm

Some nice midi music forwarded by Don and LaDonna --- http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/audio/nice01.mid

Awesome fireworks over the Statue of Liberty (Click rapidly and repeatedly on the Black Sky) --- http://doody36.home.attbi.com/liberty.htm

Online Gaming Industry Proves P.T. Barnum Right
Despite the long arm of the law, there's no doubt about it: sin sells. And on the Internet, there are plenty of buyers. http://ecommerce.internet.com/news/insights/trends/article/0,,10417_1487421,00.html

The Learning Channel (TLC) explores America's obsession with sex.
(Includes a timeline of sexual evolution, sexy facts pop-ups, and instructional videos.)

Sex in Our Century --- http://tlc.discovery.com/convergence/sex/sex.htm

Microsoft Adds e-Postage to MS Office 11
Microsoft turns to its relationship with Stamps.com to seamlessly power new functionality in Office 11.

Microsoft Airs Office 11 --- http://ecommerce.internet.com/news/news/article/0,,10375_1487001,00.html

This is a great WSJ Web service!
Program professors can search past editions of The Wall Street Journal Educators' Reviews at http://ProfessorJournal.com . Go to the Educators' Review section and click on "Search the Database." You can also change your discipline selection or remove yourself from the mailing list.

Contact Congress --- http://capwiz.com/fei/home/

A great U.S. Postal Zip Code Site --- http://www.usps.com/ncsc/lookups/lookup_zip+4.html

Using Technology to Reduce Fraud --- http://www.smartpros.com/x35666.xml

Oct. 21, 2002 (Internet World) — These are not the best of times to be sitting in the chief executive's chair of a lot of companies. If a bear market weren't bad enough, chief executives are being put directly in the bull's eye of public and political ire over financial accounting scandals that at their worst have sucked billions of dollars out of the market, and at the least have depressed the market rebound.

That pressure will be felt far beyond just the 947 public companies whose CEOs and CFOs have been forced by the Securities and Exchange Commission to certify the truthfulness of their financial reports. And though that move by the SEC was largely a publicity stunt (you can even go to the SEC's Web site and view the sworn statements from these executives), the question arises about whether technology can play a part in providing protection for investors and company executives.

"It's quite an interesting topic," says Kraig Haberer, a former CPA at Price Waterhouse who now serves SAP AG as director of product marketing for its mySAP Financials suite. "Technology can be an enabler; however, it cannot replace good judgment." He notes that the situations that have blackened corporate images today are primarily caused, not by a lack of technology, but by bad judgement by a few key executives.

"However, I do think technology can help minimize the chance of occurrences of either outright fraud or purely overlooking something in an account," Haberer says. "To some degree, the more automated you can make your processes and your financial reporting and accounting, the better off you are because technology can be that independent third party. You have a lot of companies with multiple data feeds they are pulling from. That process of recording, processing, and reporting on that information is not automated, and you can introduce the likelihood of just pure error, nothing fraudulent. So technology can be that third party that can automate and integrate that process and minimize the opportunities for error."

The mySAP response is to give the finance department a number of automated tools for handling the complexity of financial reporting in the modem global enterprise. That can make it more difficult for an unscrupulous person somewhere in the mix to introduce unethical practices, but it still may not be enough to let the CEO relax. "You also have to empower that chief officer with the information at his desk," Haberer says. MySAP offers an executive dashboard, where you can specify the key indicators you want to track at a high level and see their performance over time. Simply by having lowerlevel executives know they're being watched may not eliminate the threat, but if you sense a problem, you will at least know what questions to ask.

To others, the problem is a security matter related to protecting the integrity of the data in the enterprise's financial systems. In August, Datum Inc. and WetStone Technologies Inc. jointly announced a new subscription service, called Time Lock for Microsoft Word that lets users embed secure and auditable digital time stamps into their work. They then have a document that can be verified for authenticity and time accuracy.

"If I was a CEO of a company and I had to sign off on the financial statements, I would want to know that my records are absolutely protected," says Steve Corie, who is in fact the CEO and president of a company, Perimeter Data Inc. Perimeter recently began selling a product that takes Datum's idea to its logical conclusion: it makes it so that any files-email, video, a series of sequential documents, voice mail, etc.-are stamped, signed, and archived in a way that makes it impossible to delete or modify. "CEOs have a fear, that if they do sign off on something, they have to rely on people down the organization," he adds.

For Comrie, the key point is that the data is viable and can be proven legally in a court of law, if necessary. He sees a future in which a brokerage house under investigation might say certain e-mails being sought by investigators have been deleted or don't exist, but their auditor steps in with the records it keeps from its collaboration with its brokerage client, and produces the digitally signed, time stamped, and sealed files. That might actually create a headache for an unscrupulous chief executive, but that headache, at least, would be well deserved.

"There's no way even an administrator with access can go in and delete or manipulate data" with Perimeter's system, says Comrie. "We believe there is a vulnerability most corporations will never talk about, that at the end of the day some of this stuff will be challenged in a court of law-some will be brought forward as evidence."

The ultimate answer for corporate financial accountability is not technological, of course. If a company's executives or directors are concerned about their financials, the answer lies in the integrity of the people managing the financial records. But company leaders can invest in certain technology that can help them detect problems before they become disastrous headaches, whether the problem was man-made or a simple result of people tripping over too-complex financial regulations.

-- Zipperer, John

The MySAP Solutions homepage is at http://www.sap.com/solutions/

mySAP.com delivers a comprehensive e-business platform designed to help companies collaborate and succeed -- regardless of their industry or network environment. mySAP.com solutions include:

mySAP.com Solutions

Industry Solutions

Solutions for Small and Midsize Businesses

mySAP Enterprise Portal

mySAP Supply Chain Mgmt.

mySAP Customer Relationship Mgmt.

mySAP Supplier Relationship Mgmt.

mySAP Product Lifecycle Mgmt.

mySAP Marketplace

mySAP Business Intelligence

mySAP Financials

mySAP Human Resources

mySAP Mobile Business

mySAP Technology

Flexible Solutions for Any E-Business Problem
mySAP.com solutions are open and flexible, supporting databases, applications, operating systems, and hardware platforms from most major vendors. They also uphold the highest quality standards and deliver unparalleled levels of performance. And they're appropriate for virtually any organization, from global enterprise to small and midsize business.
What's more, SAP provides Business Maps to help you visualize, plan, and implement a coherent, integrated, and comprehensive solution.
To learn more about the mySAP.com e-business platform, check out "Solutions for the Best-Run E-Businesses" (PDF, 643 KB).
To find out how some of SAP's most successful customers are using mySAP.com to improve their businesses, check out "SAP E-Business Success Stories 2001 Edition" (PDF, 238 KB).
Want to learn more? Contact SAP for additional information.

Bob Jensen's threads on electronic commerce can be found at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/ecommerce.htm

Bob Jensen's threads on fraud are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/fraud.htm

From Syllabus News on October 10, 2002

Survey: Internet Trumps Library in Student Success

A survey by McGraw-Hill Ryerson found that Web technology is considered by higher-ed faculty to be the most effective resource in encouraging student success, outweighing traditional resources such as the library and tutoring. The survey, which followed three years of data collection at U.S. and Canadian universities, found that 83 percent of higher-ed faculty believe Web technology is a key contributor to student success. The survey said that 62 percent of faculty now use Web content for course preparation, 56 percent use the Internet to supplement textbooks and 51 percent use the Web to ensure up-to-date course content. The use of the Internet in course preparation jumped to first place in terms of importance, with 91 percent of faculty ranking it extremely important. McGraw-Hill said this reflects the increasing amount of current Web-based information available and students' expectations about it being used in their courses.

To order copies of the survey, contact Marlene Luscombe, (905) 430-5130 or marlenel@mcgrawhill.ca .

Video Distance Learning

Texas Tech University is using interactive video conferencing technology to help manage its distance-learning program. The system, Polycom Inc.’s ClassStation, integrates the software and hardware for enabling classroom video communications in one package. With the system, the university’s Hill County Initiative is providing students who are not located near a Texas Tech campus access to the school's faculty. The university also uses video extensively in its College of Education, allowing students working on teaching credentials to observe K-12 classroom behavior before they begin student teaching.

From Syllabus News on October 22, 2002

For-Profit Ranked as Fourth Best Small Company

Corinthian Colleges, Inc., a private, for-profit company specializing in post-secondary education, was chosen as the fourth best small company on the 2002 Forbes magazine 200 Best Small Companies list. The companies were ranked based on five-year average and most recent 12-month return on equity and growth in sales and earnings. Corinthian operates 64 colleges in 21 states, including 16 in California and 12 in Florida. The company says it serves the large and growing market of those seeking to acquire career-oriented education to become more qualified and marketable in their professions.

MIT Launches Center for Technology Innovation

MIT last week launched the Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation, a grant-giving organization that will use a $20 million endowment to support research by MIT faculty and students and facilitate collaboration among entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and business innovators. The center will support emerging technology, including biotechnology, information technology, new materials, tiny tech, energy, and environmental innovation. "Reducing the disconnect between academia and the marketplace … promises to accelerate the rate that technological innovation reaches communities well beyond the boundaries of MIT,” said Prof. Charles Cooney. The Center plans to award $15 million in program grants over the next five years, including nine grants already selected from a total of 47 proposals.

For more information, visit: http://web.mit.edu/deshpandecenter

Speech-to-Sign-Language Application Unveiled

Two imaging, speech and language technology developers last week unveiled a product to convert speech into video-based sign language in real time. The iCommunicator, developed by ScanSoft, Inc. and Interactive Solutions, Inc., is designed to help people with hearing loss, as well as others without hearing loss, interact even if they do not know how to sign. The application uses ScanSoft Dragon NaturallySpeaking for automatic speech recognition, and ScanSoft RealSpeak for converting text into synthesized human speech. In a classroom setting, a teacher wears a wireless headset thatrelays what is spoken to a PC used by a student. The program converts the speech into text, and simultaneously presents video sign language from a database of more than 9,200 video clips. Developers said the application would help meet requirements for equal access to information required under Section 508 of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

From SyllabusNews on August 16, 2002

DePaul Develops Sign Language Translator

A team of faculty and students at DePaul University's School of Computer Science has created a computer-generated synthetic interpreter capable of translating spoken English into American Sign Language (ASL). The program, dubbed "Paula," uses speech recognition and sophisticated animation. Using the system, a hearing person speaks through a headset connected to the computer. The animated figure of Paula then translates into ASL through hand gestures and facial expressions on the computer screen. The project required four years and more than 25,000 hours worth of work by the project team. "Most people are not aware that ASL is not simply a signed form of English," said Rosalee Wolfe, professor of computer science at DePaul and one of the leaders of the research team. "It is a series of hand configurations, hand positions, body positions and movement and facial expressions that are used in certain specific combinations. Hence, creating an animated translator is a very intricate and detailed process."

For more information, visit: http://asl.cs.depaul.edu

A symposium in Israel uses computer chess as a starting point to examine the burning question of the Internet age: Who's superior, humans or machines?

"Chess: Man vs. Machine Plays Out," by Tania Hershman, Wired News, October 21, 2002 --- http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,55839,00.html

HAIFA, Israel -- As world chess champion Victor Kramnik sat down to play the Deep Fritz chess program in Bahrain this week, Haifa University held a two-day symposium to address one question: What's the point of all this computer chess?

Back in 1997, IBM's Deep Blue beat world champion Garry Kasparov amid much fanfare.

2002 is a big year for computer chess, with the best human players taking up the challenge for the first time since Kasparov's defeat. Following Kramnik vs. Deep Fritz, in December Kasparov will try again against Deep Junior, the reigning International Computer Games Association world computer chess champion, in Jerusalem. (Controversially, Deep Fritz did not compete in the ICGA championship, but beat Deep Junior in a separate match in April 2001 to earn the right to play Kramnik.) A million dollars is at stake in each game.

So why wasn't the Kasparov-Deep Blue match enough to settle the issue of who's superior, humans or machines?

"As a scientist, a single data point that is unrepeatable (because Deep Blue has since been dismantled) is useless," said Jonathan Schaeffer of the University of Alberta Department of Computer Science's Games Group at the symposium, Man vs. Machine: The Experiment. "Now we have two more matches ... and we will get new data to see whether the machine is better than the man."

Brute force search has been the strength of the chess computer. Deep Blue processed 200 million positions per second.

But grandmasters don't play that way. They instantly discount bad moves, considering only good ones -- and psychologists are attempting to model how they do this.

Fernand Gobet, a psychologist from the University of Nottingham who specializes in intelligent systems, spoke in a videoconference about the chunking theory. It postulates that a grandmaster sees the chessboard as patterns or "chunks" of pieces, then as groups of these chunks -- not as individual pieces.

Such research may help software developers who are progressing from brute force search to something more sophisticated.

Deep Junior, authored by Israelis Amir Ban and Shai Bushinsky, has already implemented move-evaluation measures. Junior operates at a "depth" of 15 -- computer chess parlance for seeing 15 moves ahead.

"Junior measures depth in a different way to other programs," said Bushinsky during the symposium's exhibition match between Israeli international grandmasters, each using Junior as an assistant. (The match ended in a draw.)

"Junior counts plain, ordinary moves as two, while an interesting move is one or even less," Bushinsky said. "Fifteen is the weight of all the moves along the line."

Opponent modeling is another tactic.

"Sometimes the best move objectively is not the best move in a particular game, if you know your opponent's weaknesses," said Jaap van der Herik of Maastricht University's Institute for Knowledge and Agent Technology.

Several research groups are working on this, and it is proving "very, very difficult," said van der Herik. "(You are trying to) model your opponent's thought and follow the strategy your opponent is following." If it is possible, he suggested, then perhaps other "opponents" in, say, the political arena could also be modeled. In other words, a computer could run for election.

But will any of these developments persuade people to call a computer "intelligent"? Jonathan Schaeffer, for one, thinks it's possible.

"My (chess) program doesn't meet my definition of intelligence," Schaeffer said. "It plays chess but it can't do anything else. You need a program that is capable of solving more than one problem -- not just games but driving a car, writing a poem, carrying on a day-to-day conversation."

Schaeffer, who is the author of the world-champion checkers computer program, believes that researchers should broaden their game-playing horizons.

"If you want to understand intelligence, the game of Go is much more demanding," he said. "It doesn't have the silver bullet: deep search. Chess has somewhat outlived its usefulness. It turned out to be easier than we thought."

The literature and short story link below is becoming one of my top favorites.

Professor Barnhardt's Journal (Literature, Short Stories, Humor) --- http://www.professorbarnhardtsjournal.com/

From Syllabus News on October 18, 2002

PBS Launches First Web-Only Non-Fiction Series (With audio and video)

The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) launched its first program to run exclusively on the World Wide Web. The series, P.O.V. Borders, was webcast on Oct. 9. It was the first of 10 weekly installments of the series, which discusses the idea of physical and metaphysical borders that challenge peoples’ ideas about individual, cultural, and geographic boundaries. The series is a prototype for an expanded project set to begin in 2003. The producers said they hope the initial webcast will appeal to Internet users interested in point-of-view perspectives and educators in search of issue-based materials. "P.O.V.'s Borders is an extension of our continued interest in … innovative, interactive methods of presenting non-fiction film," said P.O.V. executive director, Cara Mertes. "It is our hope that the series will [be] a model for high-quality, compelling and sustainable storytelling that inspires civic engagement online.”

For more information, visit: http://www.pbs.org/pov/borders

Take a quiz on your knowledge of the changes in fair use and copyright laws.

"The Educator's Guide to Copyright and Fair Use," by Hall Davidson, Tech-Learning, October 16, 2002 --- http://www.techlearning.com/db_area/archives/TL/2002/10/copyright.html
The summary chart is at http://www.techlearning.com/db_area/archives/TL/2002/10/copyright_chart.pdf
The quiz is at http://www.techlearning.com/db_area/archives/TL/2002/10/copyright_quiz.html (and there is a link to the answers)

This is the way it happens: You're a teacher. You find the perfect resource for a lesson you're building for your class. It's a picture from the Internet, or a piece of a song, or a page or two from a book in the library or from your own collection. There's no time to ask for permission from who owns it. There isn't even time to figure who or what exactly does own it. You use the resource anyway, and then you worry. Have you violated copyright law? What kind of example are you setting for students?

Or you're the principal. You visit a classroom and see an outstanding lesson that involves a videotape, or an MP3 audio file from the Web, or photocopies from a book you know your school doesn't own. Do you make a comment?

The Original Intent
Were the framers of the Constitution or the barons of Old English law able to look over your shoulder, they would be puzzled by your doubts because all of the above uses are legal. Intellectual property was created to promote the public good. In old England, if you wanted to copyright a book, you gave copies to the universities. According to Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, "The primary objective of copyright is not to reward the labor of authors...but encourage others to build freely upon the ideas and information conveyed by a work." In other words, copyright was created to benefit society at large, not to protect commercial interests.

Nowhere is this statement truer than in the educational arena. In fact, educators fall under a special category under the law known as "fair use." The concept, which first formally appeared in the 1976 Copyright Act, allows certain groups to use intellectual property deemed to benefit society as a whole, e.g., in schools for instructional use. However, it deliberately did not spell out the details. Over the years, fair use guidelines have been created by a number of groups-usually a combination of educators, intellectual property holders, and other interested parties. These are not actual laws, but widely accepted "deals" the educational community and companies have struck and expect each other to follow.

What follows is a new version of "The Educators' Lean and Mean No FAT Guide to Fair Use," published in Technology & Learning three years ago. As you take the quiz on page 28, you will learn that no matter the technology-photocopying, downloads, file sharing, video duplication-there are times when copying is not only acceptable, it is encouraged for the purposes of teaching and learning. And you will learn that the rights are strongest and longest at the place where educators need them most: in the classroom. However, schools need to monitor and enforce fair use. If they don't, as the Los Angeles Unified School District found out in a six-figure settlement, they may find themselves on the losing end of a copyright question.

Know Your Limitations-and Rights
It has never been a more important time to know the rules. As a result of laws written and passed by Congress, companies are now creating technologies that block users from fair use of intellectual property-for example, teachers can't pull DVD files into video projects, and some computers now block users from inputting VCRs and other devices. In addition to helping schools steer clear of legal trouble, understanding the principles of fair use will allow educators to aggressively pursue new areas where technology and learning are ahead of the law, and to speak out when they feel their rights to copyright material have been violated.

Now, take a quiz that will assess your knowledge of what is allowable-and what isn't-under fair use copyright principles and guidelines. There's also a handy chart that outlines teachers' fair use rights and responsibilities. Good luck.

The quiz is at http://www.techlearning.com/db_area/archives/TL/2002/10/copyright_quiz.html (and there is a link to the answers)

The chart is at http://www.techlearning.com/db_area/archives/TL/2002/10/copyright_chart.pdf

From Syllabus News on October 18, 2002

MIT, Elsevier, Wiley Sue Coursepack Producer

MIT Press, Elsevier Science Inc., and John Wiley & Sons Inc., three major publishers of scientific, technical, and medical materials, filed suit against Gainsville, Fla.-based Custom Copies Inc., charging the company with unauthorized mass photocopying of material from the publishers' books and journals. The complaint alleges that Custom Copy produces coursepacks for sale on the campus of the University of Florida at Gainesville, without authorization from the copyright holders. "When a coursepack producer engages in mass photocopying of rightsholders' materials for its own profit, without clearing rights … [it] severely harms both the creators and the publishers of those materials," said Mark Seeley, general counsel of Elsevier Science. The suit is being coordinated by Copyright Clearance Center Inc., a licenser of text reproduction rights.

For more information, visit: http://www.copyright.com

Bob Jensen's threads on copyright issues can be found at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/000aaa/theworry.htm#Copyright

Neurologists at the American Neurological Association convention compare notes on the best ways to view -- and figure out -- how the brain works.

"This Is Your Brain on Magnets," by Michelle Delio, Wired News, October 17, 2002 --- http://www.wired.com/news/medtech/0,1286,55824,00.html

NEW YORK -- Neurologists happily shared stories this week, vividly depicting their virtual journeys deep into human brains at a scientific symposium that occasionally felt a bit like a medical peep show.

But attendees at the American Neurological Association's annual meeting aren't cerebellum-snooping just for the sheer joy of it. They are using investigative technology to treat conditions ranging from memory loss to schizophrenia and general human snarkiness.

Scanners, magnets, radioactive solutions and sensors allow the scientists to observe and graphically map the ways their human subjects' brains process every thought and motion.

By scrutinizing how normal human brains behave, neurologists can evaluate how a diseased brain differs from the norm. They can also determine the particular brain system that's responsible for the disease and then monitor the response of that system to treatment.

Evidently, there is indeed such a thing as a normal human brain. Most people fall well within a standard response range, according to neurologists who scan as many brains as they can get their hands on.

Scan volunteers are needed and neurologists were urging people who are curious about how their brains work to sign up for a scanning session.

Typically, no payment is involved, but almost all the labs tempt subjects with promises of presents such as a high-resolution image of the volunteer's very own brain.

Some labs even offer T-shirts "and the comforting knowledge that your brain has been examined by professionals."

People who have been scanned reported interesting experiences.

"I felt like I'd fallen asleep while sucking on tinfoil," said one volunteer from California.

"I had a metallic taste in my mouth for hours. But it was cool to see how my brain ordered my legs to move, how it worked and processed data when I read a book, spoke or touched different objects."

Another anonymous volunteer said he saw flashes of light and felt "loopy" for a half hour after the scan.

"The doctor who did my scan said they'd seen some research where mice that had been scanned ran around wildly in circles counterclockwise for 10 minutes after the procedure, so I was kind of relieved that I didn't do that," the volunteer said.

Continued at http://www.wired.com/news/medtech/0,1286,55824,00.html

I have just completed my dissertation (which will be defended on 11/25) which was a qualitative study of accounting students learning two topics of an introductory accounting course via a multimedia tutorial. The design included choosing students that represented the four learning styles developed by David Kolb, and attempting to ascertain whether the students felt that the tutorial exhibited social presence, which is defined as the ability of a communications medium to approximate face-to-face communication. I collected think-aloud protocols, observed, and interviewed the eight students.

Sheila Handy
Lafayette College Easton, PA

DICKENS IN DOSES:
When Great Expectations was first published 142 years ago, it appeared in serial format. In December, installments of Dickens' masterwork will be published in its original typestyle, complete with maps, illustrations and background notes, both online and in print, as part of Stanford's collaborative program "Discovering Dickens: A Community Reading Project." http://www.stanford.edu/dept/news/report/news/october16/dickens-1016.html http://www.stanfordalumni.org/learningtravel/alumnied/stanfordreads/home.html

The rise in popularity and prestige of Executive MBA Programs: Although some top MBA schools like Harvard and Stanford only offer executive training programs, other top MBA programs around the world offer EMBA degrees in addition to training programs.

There is also a rise in popularity of online e-EMBA degree programs.

Financial Times Business Education Special Report on October 14, 2002 --- http://news.ft.com/surveys/businessed
Includes the FT's ranking of the world's top executive MBA programs.

The second Financial Times Top 50 ranking of Executive MBA (EMBA) programs is based on the responses to two questionnaires: one for the business schools; the second for alumni who have been in the workplace for three years since graduation.

TOP 12

University of Pennsylvania (Wharton)

Columbia Business School

New York University (Stern)

London Business School (U.K.)

Instituto de Empresa (Spain)

Duke University (Fuqua)

University of Chicago GSB

Northwestern University (Kellogg)

GSBA Zurich

Emory University (Goizueta)

University of Western Ontario (Canada)

Imperial College Management School (U.K.)

Business education news
Strict lessons in good behavior
When four into two goes nicely
Canals steers a long-term course
A pan-African training in integrity
Wharton turns its mind to Latin America

The number of EMBA programs is on the increase. Many of the top schools are partnering with overseas universities to deliver online EMBA programs, including such U.S. schools as Duke, Northwestern, Columbia, NYU, and UNC (Kenan-Flagler). Top foreign universities are also providing EMBA programs, including the London Business School and Rotterdam. The hefty tuitions for online EMBA programs are mostly being paid by employers of the students. This is a strong sign of value added for the employers. However, an informal U.K. study shows that about 17% of the graduates of EMBA programs change employers within a short time after obtaining an EMBA degree.

Executive Courses See Rise in Pulling Power: The number of EMBA programs is on the increase

The number of EMBA programmes is on the increase, writes Della Bradshaw

As recently as five years ago, executive MBA programmes were the Cinderella of the MBA world: a low-cost niche alternative to the full-time MBA programme, widely regarded as the gold standard. Even today, many of the world's top business schools--Harvard, Stanford, MIT and Insead--do not run these degrees for working managers.

However, EMBAs are rapidly gaining credibility and the number of programmes is growing rapidly. This year, 17 additional business schools participated in the Financial Times EMBA 2002 rankings, many of which became eligible for the first time.

The breakthrough has been in the innovative format that business schools have adopted for delivering their EMBAs. When part-time MBA students attended classes in the evening after work, programmes could only attract local participants.

When business schools introduced programmes with weekend or week-long blocks of study--the global executive MBA at the Fuqua school at Duke University was the first to introduce the latter--the schools automatically expanded their pulling power.

These days, it is quite common for EMBA participants to cross continents to study. At London Business School, for example, 13 of the 104 students on its EMBA live outside the UK (49 of the participants are non-British by nationality).

On Duke's global executive programme, the percentage is even higher: 30 of the 100 participants live outside the US (though only 18 of the 100 are non-US citizens).

USC's EMBA Program (Page v of the FT Special Report on Business Education)
Keep-it-simple approach pays off
There are times when age and experience triumph over youth and glamour. This explains why the executive MBA program offered by the University of Southern California - now in its 18th year - scores consistently high marks from students and employers.

There are times when age and experience triumph over youth and glamour. This explains why the executive MBA programme offered by the University of Southern California--now in its 18th year--scores consistently high marks from students and employers.

There is nothing flashy about the programme. Classes are held at USC's main Los Angeles campus--one day a week for 21 months. Almost all students work in the local economy, there are no intercontinental alliances and distance learning is kept to a minimum.

This keep-it-simple approach appears to work. USC's Marshall School of Business is ranked consistently towards the bottom of the first division for its full-time MBA. It is a good school, but not outstanding.

The executive MBA programme, in contrast, is ranked among the best in the world, placing 19th in the FT's latest global ranking, and sixth in the most recent survey of US schools by Business Week.

So what is the secret?

Consistency is certainly a factor. The academic approach, based on broad themes rather than business functions, was put in place 20 years ago by Larry Greiner, professor of management and organisations and academic director of the EMBA.

There is also a rise in the popularity of online e-EMBA programs. You can listen to Nancy Keeshan from Duke University describe the incredible history of Fuqua's two top e-EMBA programs called the "Global Executive MBA Program" (formerly called GEMBA) and the Cross-Continental MBA Program headquartered in Frankfurt. Scroll down to Nancy Keeshan at http://www.cs.trinity.edu/~rjensen/002cpe/02start.htm

Bob Jensen's summary of online training and education programs can be found at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/crossborder.htm

Guess What Happened to Professor Jane Reimers at Florida State University? How to Guard Against Identity Theft and Pretexting

After hearing about what happened to Jane, the most important thing that I am doing is to start paying for a credit report notification service that will send me email messages whenever my the data about me in a credit database changes. The second thing I am going to do is to have my credit card companies notify me by email whenever charges of over $500 are received by my credit card companies. The next thing I will do is hide in New Hampshire's White Mountains where nobody can find me!

I especially recommend that you go to http://www.identityrestoration.com/identity_securitynet.htm

On October 4, 2002 at Indian Rocks Beach in Florida at a conference of the Florida Association of Accounting Educators (FAAE), my presentation on education technology followed an eye-opening presentation on Identity Theft by John W. Joyce, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service in the Tampa Field Office of the Secret Service. He revealed how theft of identity has become a truly scary organized crime.

The first thing I did when I got home is to photocopy every card in my billfold and my wife's purse. Be certain that you copy both sides of each card. Then carry a copy of your copies on trips and well has keeping copies filed in your home and office. Make it as simple as possible to report lost cards!
What to do if your purse or wallet is stolen --- http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/fraud.htm#ThingsToKnow

One of the most common check writing frauds is really simple. Criminals simply find your bank account number (which is not difficult) and then duplicate our checks using VersaCheck printing software and supplies --- http://www.g7ps.com/
Of course you can detect this if you reconcile your bank account regularly.
You should learn more about 'pretexting" and the Gramm Leach Bliley Act --- http://www.ftc.gov/privacy/glbact/

What amazed me is the rising frequency in which our identities are being stolen for crimes ranging from illegal use of our credit cards to borrowing money in our names. In an audience of roughly forty people, I was amazed at the number who had their identities actually stolen in one way or another, including Professor Jane Reimers from Florida State University who discovered in a credit report that a huge amount of money had been borrowed using her social security number (but not her name). She discovered this in a credit report. You should start ordering credit reports.

You may want to get improved services by paying a fee. You can read the following at eCreditLibrary at http://www.acreditlibrary.com/articles/eligibleFree_reports.shtml

How to find out if you qualify for a Free Credit Report

According to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the only way that you can receive a Free Credit Report is if you meet the following conditions:

You have been denied credit, insurance, or employment within the past sixty (60) days as a result of your credit history.
You can certify in writing that you are unemployed and intend to apply for employment in the 60-day period beginning on the date in which you made the certification.
You are a recipient of public welfare assistance or have reason to believe that your file at the agency contains inaccurate information due to fraud.

Residency Clause:
If you are a resident of Colorado, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, or Vermont, you may receive one free copy of your credit report each year from the each of the credit bureaus. If you are a resident of Georgia, you may receive two free copies of your credit report each year from the credit bureaus.

If you meet the above conditions, here is the information that you will need to receive a Free copy of your Credit Report:

To obtain a copy of your credit report from Experian --- http://www.experian.com/
Mail request to: P.O. Box 2002, Allen, TX 75013
Or call toll-free (888) Experian (888-397-3742)

To obtain a copy of your credit report from Equifax --- http://www.equifax.com/
Mail request to: P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374
Or call toll-free (800) 685-1111

To obtain a copy of your credit report from TransUnion --- http://www.transunion.com/index.jsp
Mail request to: 2 Baldwin Place, P.O. Box 1000, Chester, PA 19022
Or call toll-free (800) 888-4213

What to do if you do not meet the above requirements
There are a variety of inexpensive online Credit Report Services that you can choose from. Here are some of the benefits that you will receive:

Online access at the time of purchase - usually viewable within 5 minutes from the time you start filling out the application.
Your Credit Score - free credit reports from the Credit Bureaus do not include a credit score option.
Overall better service and experience - Credit Bureaus are run just like any other company, and are not interested in giving products away. They only do this because the FCRA requires it; this means that their level of product support is limited. Other companies are looking to keep you as a customer, and thus provide an elevated level of service.

For more information on fee-based credit report options, visit our Credit Report section, or select a service from the box presented below.

Related Topics:
Are "Free Credit Report" offers really free?
"Free" vs. "Fee" - Which is better?
Why do some reports cost money, and what is a fair price?

Note especially the Free vs. Fee link at http://www.acreditlibrary.com/articles/freeVfee_reports.shtml

When evaluating Free Credit Reporting options, it is important to consider how far you are willing to go in order to receive a "free" credit report. It also depends on what you consider to be free! Many services such as Consumer Info or Privista offer a Free credit report with a trial subscription to their Credit Monitoring Service. The "Free" aspect of this offer is that you have the option of canceling your subscription over a specified trial period for a full refund. Sounds good, right?

Well, that depends. First off, you should not discount your personal time as "Free" (remember the saying "time is money.") If your are a busy person, you might not be too interested in taking the time to contact a Credit Provider to cancel a Monitoring Service.

Furthermore, when you call you should expect various questions regarding why it is you want to cancel the service, and plenty of reasons why you shouldn't. Many of us would put this task off, possibly beyond the trial period (AKA refund period) - which incidentally is what these companies are counting on. This is not a big secret folks; it's called marketing.

So what should you do?
You have a decision to make. First off, are you truly interested in receiving a "Free Credit Report"? If you answer yes to this question, make sure you factor in the time it will take to cancel the $40-$100 subscription before it is billed to your credit card (usually 30 days from the purchase date). Also, don't expect to receive any free add-ons such as a Credit Score or detailed analysis - these companies will give away as little as possible to get your business.

Finally, if you do go for the Free Credit Report, and fail to cancel your subscription thinking that it will only cost you the initial price - think again! Most of these companies have automatic renewal policies built into their service agreements (read "Free" Credit Reports really free?), so after a year your card will get hit with an additional yearly fee - OUCH!

If this doesn't sound too good, consider the alternative; part with the $8.50 that it will cost for a online Credit Report. Affordable services are offered below, or you can view additional options in ACL's Credit Report Section.

In short, don't underestimate your time, and be aware that nothing comes for free - there is always a catch. Keep in mind that you are entitled to a Free Credit Report directly from the Credit Bureaus if you meet these requirements.

Related Topics:
Are "Free Credit Report" offers really free?
Why do some reports cost money, and what is a fair price?
Do you qualify for a genuine "Free Credit Report"?

You may want to check out the site at http://www.freecreditagencyreport.com/

October 21 message from Linda Specht
(Linda and Don chose to pay for email notification of any change in their credit database at Equifax.

Bob:

Here is the text of the info that is sent to us periodically. As you can see, we use Equifax.

Linda

********************************************************
Equifax Credit Watch is your front-line defense against identity theft. Over

the past month, we have monitored your credit file daily. CREDIT WATCH DID NOT DETECTED ANY CHANGES TO YOUR FILE DURING THIS PERIOD. Please consider this your "No News is Good News" report. If there are any changes in the future, we will send

you an e-mail notification within 24 hours.

Please call us at 1-888-532-0179, 7 days a week between the hours of 8:00am - 12:00 midnight Eastern Time Zone. You may email us anytime at customer.care@equifax.com

We look forward to continuing to serve you.

Your Equifax Customer Care Team

What are you doing to protect yourself against identity theft? Try Equifax

Credit Watch(TM) FREE FOR 30 DAYS! Equifax Credit Watch monitors your credit file and provides you with email notification of changes - which could be a sign of identity theft. Credit Watch also includes unlimited access to your

credit score, credit report and FREE identity theft insurance. Click below for more information. http://www.creditalert.equifax.com
********************************************************

October 21, 2002 reply from David R. Fordham [fordhadr@JMU.EDU]

Bob (and the group):

What amazes ME is the utter blindness of the population at large for not embracing the already-proven technological solutions to this problem: biometric identity authentication. It’s here, it’s proven workable and reliable, it’s economically feasible, and it’s being shunned by an ignorant and populace which is paranoid about the *wrong* problem.

Anyone familiar with security (especially information security) knows that there is no such thing as total (100%) security. But proven, workable biometric identification technology is on the market today, and has been for several years, and is even affordable at the individual consumer level. (In my advanced technology class, student groups present the “state of the art” of commercial, off-the-shelf (COTS) biometric solutions (as some of their student research presentations). In some cases, students have demonstrated the workability of these products – for at least five years!) Why the heck aren’t they catching on? Plain and simple: Luddites who have been fooled into believing that George Orwell was a prophet rather than a writer of fiction stories.

Fingerprint recognition devices are now being offered as options on the IBM thinkpads. While retinal scans have been used for years in government applications, it is the iris scans which appear to be more efficient and just as effective. Palm-geometry solutions are now workable and on the market. Voice-print recognition has been around in commercial HP products for about five years. Facial geometry, while not yet perfected, is advanced enough to at least be used for “elimination” purposes in a commercial environment. Handwriting analysis (speed, pressure, relationships) has its problems, but is already being used in some applications. There are a plethora of commercial companies marketing these products, but the public seems disinterested and skeptical at best, adamantly paranoid at worst.

Six years ago, a student group reported on the commercial availability of reliable fingerprint identification devices, and predicted that the days of “may I see your driver’s license please” were limited to less than five years. I see it as poignant that had the students prediction been accepted by society, perhaps the events of 9/11 might be different.

Nothing, I repeat, nothing, is ever going to be 100% secure. To quote Shrek from his movie, the secret is “layers”. You add layers of security, and at each layer, you eliminate some of the criminal element. Biometric identification is a very thick layer. You have to be very sophisticated to get through it. Estimates are that identify theft will become less common than lightning deaths if we were to widely adopt the existing levels of technology, let alone what’s coming down the pike.

When will the world wake up and smell the coffee?

David R. Fordham
PBGH Faculty Fellow
James Madison University

October 21, 2002 reply from George Wright [geo@LOYOLA.EDU]

One problem with biometrics, as Bruce Schneier says, is that, although biometric indexes are unique, they're not secure. With respect to fingerprints, see T. Matsumoto, H. Matsumoto, K. Yamada, S. Hoshino, "Impact of Artificial Gummy Fingers on Fingerprint Systems," Proceedings of SPIE Vol. #4677, Optical Security and Counterfeit Deterrence Techniques IV, 2002. (Some slides from the presentation are at

http://www.itu.int/itudoc/itu-t/workshop/security/present/s5p4.pdf.)

The paper shows how $10 worth of household supplies can fool fingerprint readers. A summary is available at http://www.counterpane.com/crypto-gram-0205.html#5.

Geo

October 21, 2002 reply from David R. Fordham [fordhadr@JMU.EDU]

George, the paper is well-known in Information Security circles, and is used as an example of "old technology used to support paranoia". The gummy-bear works on the older fingerprint sensors which detected only shapes and patterns. The current ones also detect pressure patterns, relative heat distributions, conductivity, and a host of other biometric measurements, combining them all in a heuristic, moving-average type of mathematical model similar to the voice-recognition moving-average algorithms.

Again, **anything** can be fooled, faked, and forged. But the more layers you add, the more security you provide. Iris scans are more secure than fingerprints. Handwriting analysis, palm geometry, etc. may not be as secure. But when you COMBINE them, you then exponentially increase the trouble that a mischiefmaker has to go to in order to forge or fake an identity. Criminals, while often ignoring risks and chance, often do consider certain costs vs. benefits.

Yep, George, I agree with most of these points.

One argument that I laugh at is those well-meaning, but apparently clueless types who are worried about "Big Brother" getting their information! Anyone who has done any genealogy already knows that there is no such thing as "private" information anymore. Big brother, little brother, aunt, nephew, they all have it! Already! Some paranoid types are worried that government will get access to something that ANYBODY, government or non-government, probably already has!

I wrote a very-distant relative this past summer to ask if she had saved any photos which might have been in possession of a deceased ancestor of hers who was also a distant relative of mine. This lady asked me to prove my relationship to her by giving her some details that she would recognize.

Say what?

So, since she asked, I wrote her with some of the info I had on her: addresses of her previous residences, former husbands, all her children's names and birthdates, marriage dates and locations, where her ancestors were buried, what occupations she had held and for how long, her husbands' (plural) occupations and employers and position titles, her old apartment numbers, old phone numbers, schools attended and graduated, the ancestors we share in common, etc. etc. I even gave her the social security number of our common deceased relative, and the post office box number where his last social security check had gone.

She was shocked, but convinced. Of course, none of this, not one iota, "proved" my identity. All of this information had been gained from public sources! All of it. About 90% came from the Savannah public library and Savannah Historical Society public archives, coupled with some DAR references. Newspaper microfilms and the City Directories together provided about 75% of it. And if I had done some internet searches, I could have found lots more, such as the lawsuit she had filed over a traffic accident two years ago, and won a $500,000 judgment, along with the appeal and remanding of the case! The court disposition record even had the name of her bank! Yes, on the Internet! Found with a simple Google search!

What makes me laugh till my sides hurt are people who list the types of above-sampled information, and then say, "if Big Brother ever gets access to personal information like this, kiss your liberty goodbye! The "Government" will screw you with it." Ha, ha. Jokes on them. Government already *has* the information, and I haven't yet met anyone who's been screwed by the government with it.

George Bernard Shaw is reported to have once said about New York Harbor, "How utterly ironic that a statue commemorating Liberty should be provided by the French, who suffer from too little of it, to the Americans, who are suffering from too much of it."

Yep, identity theft will continue until we wake up and come to our senses. I will gladly trade a government database of my iris pattern and palmprint for better sleep at night knowing that another layer of security has made it just a little bit harder for someone to pose as me to an airline attendant. And made it a little harder for the mischievous gentlemen in the third row to pose as someone he isn't.

I can personally name names of my friends who have died because of lack of security. I can't name one acquaintance who has died because of misuse of government information. I go with the odds of fact rather than a blind Orwellian disciple's crying wolf.

David R. Fordham
PBGH Faculty Fellow
James Madison University

October 21, 2002 reply from Ramsey, Donald [dramsey@UDC.EDU]

May I recommend the video feature film comedy, "Hot Millions", starring Peter Ustinov and Maggie Smith (then a cutie and now Dame Maggie), as well as Karl Malden and former CPA Bob Newhart. Ustinov gets out of prison (after doing the warden's income tax return), and steals the identity of a computer expert who is on a sabbatical. Involves computer security, phony payees, building security, corporate ethics, and much more. A great film.

There are several copies available from Amazon.com and a couple at Half.com. I usually show some scenes for the chapter on Internal Control in Principles I.

Donald D. Ramsey, CPA,
Associate Professor of Accounting,
School of Business and Public Administration,
University of the District of Columbia, 4200 Connecticut Avenue, N. W., Washington, D. C. 20008.
Department of Accounting, Finance, and Economics, Room 404A, Building 52 (Connecticut and Yuma St.)

How to report a loss, theft, or crime --- http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/fraud.htm#ThingsToKnow

What to do if your purse or wallet is stolen --- http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/fraud.htm#ThingsToKnow

Stay Safe Online --- http://www.staysafeonline.info/

How can you restore your identity if it has been stolen?

Carl Hubbard suggested Identity Restoration, Inc. --- http://www.identityrestoration.com/
There are various pricing options. If you really need the full service, the $60 per hour fee seems to be a pretty good deal according to some San Antonio attorneys who are outsourcing work to this company.

It’s the fastest-growing crime in America; this year alone, law enforcement agencies will be overwhelmed with an estimated 750,000 to 900,00 cases. Statistically, it could easily happen to you.
Maybe it already has?

What do you do now? Whom do you contact first? Can you get your hands on the information they’ll need right away? How do you get your life back?

If you’ve already been victimized, Identity Restoration can streamline the monumental job of clearing your name, or show you how to do it yourself. If you’re taking steps to prevent this crime from happening to you, we can simplify the process. . .

► My identity’s been stolen and I don’t know what to do! --- http://www.identityrestoration.com/identity_securitynet.htm

► I’m interested in Identity SecurityNet ™ software to restore my stolen identity. http://www.identityrestoration.com/identity_securitynet.htm

► I’d like to protect my identity from future theft.http://www.identityrestoration.com/identity_securitynet.htm

The most thorough, user friendly identity protection software on the market

IDentity SecurityNet is your simplest way to route critical personal information to all the organizations that need it now - before more damage is done.

Password-protected, encrypted IDentity SecurityNet . . .

Outlines measures to take to prevent identity theft

Walks you step by step through the process of clearing your name and credit

Organizes and tracks your vital information

Completes letters and forms required to clear your record

Provides a complete report for law enforcement

Links you directly to the Internet, and all necessary websites

Bob Jensen's threads on identity theft are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/fraud.htm#IdentityTheft

Forwarded by J. S. Gangolly [gangolly@CSC.ALBANY.EDU] on October 21, 2002

JUDGE SAYS WEB SITES NOT SUBJECT TO ADA

In a case involving a blind man and Southwest Airlines, a federal judge ruled last week that the airline is not compelled by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to make its Web site more accessible to those with disabilities. According to judge Patricia Seitz, the ADA applies only to physical spaces, not to "virtual" spaces like Web sites. The advocacy group Access Now had filed the suit against the airline on behalf of Robert Gumson, who argued that, although he was able to use the Web site to buy plane tickets, it was "extremely difficult." The suit asked Southwest to modify its site, particularly the graphics, so Gumson could more easily use the site. The judge's decision presumably has significance for many other businesses, whose Web sites could have been subject to ADA standards of accessibility. CNET, 21 October 2002 http://news.com.com/2100-1023-962761.html

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UNIVERSITY NULLIFIES DEGREES OVER DISTANCE EDUCATION CHEATING

The governing board of the University of Mississippi has nullified the degrees of three students it said had credits for distance-education courses the students did not take. The incident dates to 1999, when evidence of the cheating first came to light. An employee of the university was fired after evidence surfaced that the employee had changed transcripts for eight students. Of the eight, one presented what university officials called a "persuasive case" and was exonerated. Of the others, three were expelled, one lost credit for the suspect courses but did not lose her degree, and the remaining three lost their degrees based on the loss of credits for those courses. Chronicle of Higher Education, 18 October 2002 http://chronicle.com/free/2002/10/2002101802t.htm

William F. Ezzell was elected chairman of the AICPA. The theme of his chairmanship will be "restoration." Separately, the Institute released a draft of the XBRL taxonomy framework that is expected to help restore transparency in U.S. financial reporting. http://www.accountingweb.com/item/94425

Barron's Rankings of Websites for Investors

"Despite a tough environment, the best Websites for investors get even better," by Kathy Yakal, Barron's, October 19, Page 1 --- http://online.wsj.com/barrons/barrons_cover

Your Internet investments may have shriveled and died, but investment Websites are more robust than ever. The bursting of the Internet bubble and collapse of online advertising has culled the herd of investment sites. Some surviving sites have added premium services to bring more dollars in, but a surprising number of very good ones remain free. Even in these tough times for all media, the top Websites have been honed and improved, and that's about the best news online investors have had this year.

Before delving into the particulars, a bit of disclosure: This year for the first time, we ranked two sites operated by our corporate cousins, the Wall Street Journal and SmartMoney. The Journal and Barron's are owned by Dow Jones; SmartMoney is a joint venture between Dow Jones and Hearst. We haven't done so in the past to avoid the appearance of any conflict of interest, but to continue to omit them would make our ranking of the Best Websites for Investors a misnomer. If this decision brings the wrath of self-important journalism reviews upon our heads, so be it. We think it best serves you, the readers.

Back to the rankings. We use the same system as the Electronic Investor column, grading based sites only on areas applicable to them. For instance, judging a charting site by its news and analysis would be like looking at a relief pitcher's batting average. In that case, we gave them a Not Applicable, and averaged the relevant scores out. All of the winners' Web addresses are listed in the accompanying tables.

Here, then, is the Best of the Web for 2002.

BONDS

Yahoo Bond Center

Briefing.com (Honorable Mention)

With stocks set to rack up their third losing year, and cash equivalents paying yields not visible to the naked eye, investors rediscovered bonds this year. When looking at bond sites, we sought educational information and commentary, current rates, and effective tools.

Yahoo Bond Center was our overall favorite. It had the clearest opening screen, showing at a glance what's offered. You can get the latest composite rates on U.S. Treasury, municipal, and corporate bonds. News and analysis are featured. There also are numerous tools, including a bond screener and calculators. Links to Yahoo's bond message boards help you learn what other people are thinking and post ideas of your own. An educational section pulls informative articles from other top sites, and a glossary also helps you learn.

The supplier of Yahoo's bond commentary came from our Honorable Mention in this category, Briefing.com. To get most of the skinny on bonds, you'll have to subscribe at Briefing.com's Professional level, at $25 a month, though the site's free services offers bond coverage three times a day. Professional subscribers get live bond coverage and briefs as news breaks, as well as bond quotes. Tools are in short supply at this site, as are educational tools, but Briefing.com's live commentary is worth it for the serious follower of bonds.

CHAT AND MESSAGE BOARDS

Silicon Investor

Some good advice and access to breaking news can come from fellow investors, on chat and message boards. The problem is knowing how credible the source is, which is why we recommend you never take something you read on a board as gospel. But these virtual conversations can serve as springboards to your own further research.

Message boards are generally more reliable than live chat, and also contain more serious content with less inane chatter. Our favorite once again is one of the oldest, Silicon Investor, which still hosts some of the most serious investment conversations. The site's opening Stocktalk page displays a list of subject categories; click on one and you can drill down to find related discussion threads. You can also get a list of new subjects and hot subjects, and view messages in threads and from people you designate. And of course, you can search using your own keywords.

We didn't pick a favorite chat room, since no one excels in all areas, though there are several that we'd recommend. AvidTrader aimed at serious, active traders, hosts a chat room as a part of its package of investment research tools ($135 per quarter for each of two channels; 50% off on the second if you buy both). Another site that attracts intelligent, in-depth discussion is Financial Chat's Active Trader room (www.financialchat.com), which is free.

COMMENTARY

TheStreet.com (tie)

Wall Street Journal (tie)

Briefing.com (Honorable Mention)

CBS MarketWatch (Honorable Mention)

What do all the numbers and news mean? We gave high marks to sites with regularly updated commentary from folks who have been around the block a few times.

Two sites got top scores for different reasons: The Street.com and the Wall Street Journal both have been around practically since the Web opened its doors, and both sites scored a perfect four stars in this category.

TheStreet.com posts numerous analytical pieces every day from a large stable of professional traders and journalists, including the ubiquitous James Cramer. The site has three subscription levels. A smattering of news and analysis and a palette of investing tools are available free. A RealMoney subscription ($19.95 per month or $199.95 annually, 30 days free) packs in more real-time commentary and a columnist message board. RealMoney Pro, geared towards professionals, is $250 monthly or $2,200 annually, with two weeks free.

The Wall Street Journal has its own impressive slate of contributors who weigh in on a variety of financial and market topics. Your best bet is to click the Columnists link on the opening page to see who's covering what beat. For $79 ($39 for Journal or Barron's print subscribers), you get a year's access to the Wall Street Journal and Barron's Online.

Briefing.com isn't as slick, but its writers and analysts break in frequently throughout the day with terse comments to market events, including those in the credit and currency markets. Some live coverage is free, and the $9.95 a month subscription level provides more commentary and news, with the $25 a month level best for the pro.

CBS MarketWatch has the advantage of being free, but it can't quite match the depth of commentary of our two winners. Daily specialty columns cover topics like the Internet, market analysis, and the tech sector.

COMPANY RESEARCH

Multex Investor

Hoover's (Honorable Mention)

If more investors (and analysts) slogged through dry reports and company fundamentals, we wouldn't be in the fix we're in. We looked for sites that provided easy access to the nuts-and-bolts numbers investors need with a bucket load of reports available from a variety of sources, free and for fees.

The winner again is Multex Investor. Aside from pop-up ads at every turn, we had few complaints. Enter a ticker symbol or company name, and links take you to myriad pieces of the company's picture, ranging from expanded quotes and charts to earnings estimates to income statement/balance sheet/cash flow. Many other mini-reports are available, on topics such as insider trading, institutional ownership, and significant developments. Additional research reports by major firms are also available, mostly for a price.

Hoover's is a close second. You can get some company information free here, including abbreviated financials, annual reports, SEC filings and company press releases. Reports can be purchased. More in-depth company information is available by subscription. Hoover's Lite costs $49.95 a month or $399 a year, and Professional subscriptions, which include things like multi-user access, downloadable financials, contact information, and much more company information begin at $1,995 a year.

For crucial Securities and Exchange Commission filings, the best place to go is still EDGAR Online. The $14.95 monthly fee includes real-time access to current filings, and 25 filings a month. Additional documents are available at $2 each. If you need basic fundamentals in real-time, there are many places to go. We like Money.net. Its streaming real-time quote system ($14.95 a month) lets you track up to 500 stocks simultaneously, with 38 data columns.

ECONOMIC DATA

Economy.com

Economist.com (Honorable Mention)

We looked at sites that provided access to raw data, general economic news worldwide, and commentary to interpret it all.

The winner again is the network of sites located at www.economy.com. This site and its subsidiaries provide a massive amount of information. But it doesn't all come cheap; many reports cost hundreds of dollars. The Dismal Scientist (www.dismal.com), one of its subsites, is more affordable --$16.95 a month or $159 a year. It provides news, commentary, data, and tools covering over 100 economic indicators in 15 countries. Its FreeLunch site lets you search for over 900,000 economic and financial data series, gratis.

Honorable mention here goes to the Economist's Website. Much of the site's national and international content is free; premium content costs $19.95 a month or $69 a year. Premium subscribers get access to The Economist before it hits the newsstands, and to archives going back to 1997.

EDUCATION

The Motley Fool

SIA Investor (Honorable Mention)

Two sites rose to the top. The Motley Fool, which has focused on educating investors from the beginning of its long life on the Web, is our overall favorite. All the educational information and tools are easily accessible from one section of this supersite, the Fool's School. Two core sections offer most of the site's teachings: the founders' 13 steps to investing, and a guide to several elements of market education.

SIA Investor, a service of the Securities Industry Association, takes advantage of the long-time involvement of many experts. Special sections cover specific topics like managing your retirement nest egg. A dictionary of financial terms and tools and other interactive features make this site a good starting point for new investors, as well as more seasoned ones.

Two other sites are worth checking out. The American Association of Individual Investors, which requires a subscription to get access to all of its editorial content ($49, or $79 for the enhanced membership), offers publications as well as online tutorials covering issues like mutual funds, stocks and portfolio management. The SEC site has a haven for new and seasoned investors (www.sec.gov/investor.shtml). Rather than a primer on investing basics, this subsite provides education on how to protect yourself as an investor.

FINANCIAL NEWS

Wall Street Journal

CBS MarketWatch (Honorable Mention)

Yahoo Finance (Honorable Mention)

Almost every investment Website offers financial news. The more the better, but we also looked at the quality of that reporting.

The Wall Street Journal does the best job overall of covering U.S. and global financial events in depth. Links on the opening page take you to news by region and topic. Much of the financial news can be found under the Markets and Your Money links.

CBS MarketWatch also does a great job of posting voluminous financial news quickly and accessibly and garners an Honorable Mention this year. The site has its own reporting staff, so stories sometimes fly fast and furiously on turbulent days. You can also browse through stories provided by major news services and recent press releases. Speed and the volume of stories set CBS MarketWatch apart.

We also gave Honorable Mention to Yahoo Finance for pulling together some of the best financial news content on the Web and making it easy to find. Click the Financial News link on the opening page for headlines from AP, CBS MarketWatch, Financial Times, and Investor's Business Daily.

You can also go to the horse's mouth -- PR Newswire and Business Wire --for press releases as they're available.

GLOBAL MARKETS

Financial Times (tie)

Wall Street Journal (tie)

The Financial Times was recently awarded four stars by the Electronic Investor, and it shares top honors with the Wall Street Journal. The site is beautifully designed, and it's easy to find what you're looking for at a glance. Major news is displayed up top, followed by links to commentary and links to additional world market news. Most content is free, but premium subscriptions give you access to exclusive news and commentary, industry-specific analysis and reports, in-depth data on more than 18,000 listed companies, a world press monitor, and more (two subscription levels: $95 and $225 a year).

Not surprisingly, the Wall Street Journal scored equally well. Links on the opening page take you to a region's page, like the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Sublinks on each region's page take you to the news page for each country covered within that region. Market data is available for countries covered.

MUTUAL FUNDS

Morningstar

You'll find lots of help with mutual funds on the Web. Many general-interest sites have sections devoted to funds, and many of them license information from our four-star winner, Morningstar. Its QuickTake reports are about the most effective use of space we've seen on the Web; you get a one-page rundown on each mutual fund. More in-depth research is available, including analyst reports and Morningstar ratings. Tools are plentiful. A premium membership, which includes features like portfolio optimization, reports, and alerts, costs $11.95 a month or $109 a year.

SmartMoney has some unusual tools to help you get a handle on the mutual fund market. The Fund Map 1000 provides a graphical representation of the 1,000 most important mutual funds, color-coded to indicate fund performance. And for easy, accessible fund research, check out CNBC on MSN Money or Quicken.com.

PORTFOLIO TRACKERS

CNBC on MSN Money

SmartMoney (Honorable Mention)

Even if you're using a desktop portfolio - tracking system, you probably want to have a home for your portfolio on the Web, for quick updates during the day. In this category, we looked for sites that gave us the most options and information.

CNBC on MSN Money again tops this category. Its portfolio tracker's clean display makes it easy to find the tools you need. You can enter your holdings on a simple screen, or import data from desktop Quicken or Money, the Yahoo Website, or some brokers. MSN's portfolio tracker really shines when it comes to setting your own criteria. Click on a security and drop down the Analysis menu, and you have easy access to pertinent data, like a snapshot, historical chart, recent news, and analyst information.

A close second was SmartMoney's portfolio tracker. Like MSN's, it's heavy on analysis tools. You can see an overview and performance chart, view a visual map and analysis using several factors, and check out your portfolio's allocation.

SCREENING TOOLS

CNBC on MSN Money

SmartMoney (tie)

Wall Street City (Honorable Mention)

A staple of many major and minor investment Websites, securities screeners let you select from numerous parameters or use prefab screens. As always, too, we considered the way the tools and results were presented.

CNBC on MSN Money was one of our top two here. The stock screener lets you build your own searches, selecting from many dozens of variables. The resulting list contains links to more information about each company. Mutual fund screeners work much the same, only with fewer building tools.

SmartMoney's securities screeners work similarly, letting you select from variables in categories like Price/Price Changes/Volume, Ownership, Historical Growth, and Margins, and assign operators and values. Several prefab screens including Bottom Fishing, Insider Buying, and Profitability do some of the work for you, and a heat map displays the 1000 least risky stocks.

Next, by a nose, is Wall Street City. Screening variables are quite versatile and allow for very complex searches, and prefab screens give you insightful looks into related subgroups of the market for $9.95 a month.

Also worth a look:b4utrade offers standard screening tools, but also lets you sift through very time-sensitive parameters, like stocks on the move today. Cost: $25 a month. Check out Stockworm, too, one of the most skillfully designed sites we've ever seen. Part of its $15 per month subscriber fee pays for access to several screening tools ranging from very simple to moderately complex.

SUPERSITES

Yahoo Finance

CNBC on MSN Money (Honorable Mention)

SmartMoney (Honorable Mention)

Last year, we expanded beyond just ranking supersites on the theory you could readily bookmark where you wanted to go for bonds, screening, news and so forth. Still, we look at omnibus sites that aim to provide all your investment information needs.

This year, Yahoo Finance takes the crown as the best overall site, moving ahead of MSN-related sites for the first time since we began ranking them. Yahoo's text-based interface makes navigation simple and fast. The opening page provides a brief market update and easy access to all of the site's content. Links take you to more in-depth market updates and news from respected outlets like Briefing.com, Business Week and Financial Times. The Stock Research link takes you to an exceptional collection of research tools covering stocks, mutual funds, options and bonds. Tools include screeners and a portfolio, with the option of real-time streaming data ($9.95 a month). International news is also available as are message boards and chat rooms. You may never need to go elsewhere.

CNBC on MSN Money gets an Honorable Mention this year. The site's slick, easily navigable interface helps simplify your investing chores. With the top screener and portfolio tracker, it also excels at original editorial content and stock ratings.

SmartMoney also receives an Honorable Mention. As with MSN Money, tools like its portfolio tracker and screeners help move it ahead of the pack. Its market maps give you a little different perspective on what's happening. Bond coverage is exceptional, as is its educational content.

When we only ranked supersites, several sites earned top honors, and remain excellent places to retrieve your market information though they don't excel in one particular area. AOL Personal Finance (on the proprietary service) and Quicken.com, for example, still rank high in all categories. Quicken has even added integrated brokerage services to its site this year. CNNMoney (money.cnn.com) is a great place for breaking and in-depth news, as well as investor tools and research. Lycos Finance (finance.lycos.com) just added streaming live charts, with a streaming portfolio and news, to its investment offerings. The Thomson Financial Network (www.thomsonfn.com) offers an effective blend of market news and research tools.

TECH NEWS

C|NET News

Wall Street Journal (Honorable Mention)

Where once we looked for tech stocks that would double and triple, now we're searching for survivors.

C|NET News is still our favorite. The site is good at breaking technology business news, as well as covering events in the technology sector that may eventually affect the market. And C|NET News gathers top tech stories from other outlets on the Web and provides links.

Long before the Web, the Wall Street Journal covered tech news thoroughly and continues to do so. In-depth special reports have dealt recently with stories like AOL's shakeup and WorldCom's fall.

Among other sites, The San Jose Mercury News (www.siliconvalley.com), reports on local Silicon Valley news, as well as the rest of the tech industry. The New York Times (www.nytimes.com) is also a good place to catch up on news and analysis. And IDG.net is a compendium of content pulled from IDG's high-tech publications.

TECHNICAL ANALYSIS

Prophet.net

ClearStation (Honorable Mention)

The Web is rife with chart-making tools. Many sites provide simple chart builders as a part of their research packages, but to do serious technical analysis, you'll have to visit a site that specializes in providing sophisticated tools for a variety of indicators.

We selected Prophet.net, formerly Prophet Finance, as our top dog this year. The new site is easier to navigate than before, and focuses on creating a variety of charts. Several specialized charts are available, offering up to 130 indicators and 40 years of historical data. Three subscription levels are available: $9.95 a month for delayed market data, $19.95 a month for real-time charts, and $34.95 adds futures and options data in addition to other tools for advanced traders. Limited tools are available free.

ClearStation gets our nod for Honorable Mention this year. It takes a bit of study to understand this site's methodology. Once you do, it's simple. The site takes a three-pronged approach to investment research, combining technical analysis, fundamentals, and community sharing; one view on this site combines all three on the same page, which is a great snapshot. All free.

Other sites handle technical analysis admirably. One of Decision Point's claims to fame is that it provides investors with pre-built charts and chart books for dozens of indexes and market sectors and indicators, in addition to other specialized charts. And BigCharts still is one of the best places to go to build your own quick charts.

A section on the ratings criteria is not included in the above quotation.

Bob Jensen's choices for top Websites for investors are listed at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/bookbob1.htm#Investments

From Syllabus News on October 15, 2002

Central Michigan U. Opens High-Tech Incubator

Central Michigan University has opened a high-tech incubator at its Center for Applied Research & Technology (CART), a facility designed to offer emerging start-up companies flexible lease options, access to a powerful supercomputer, high speed Internet connections, geographic information systems, and data mining technologies. Tenants of the 12,000-square foot, $1.5-million facility will also have access to business advice and services from a corporate-university partnership of the CMU, Dow Chemical Co., and IBM Corp. The resulting CMU Research Corp. will provide forums, capital pre-qualification, and assistance in marketing, financial planning, business plan development and support and technology.

For more information, visit: http://www.thecenter.cmich.edu

Wow Technology of the Week

University of Arizona researchers are fine-tuning a nanotechnology that could allow soldiers to see field maps on the fabric of their fatigues --- http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,55528,00.html

By donning fatigues made out of special fabric and a pair of nighttime goggles, soldiers could discreetly view detailed field maps as infrared images on the surface of their uniforms.

The military suit is one of the real-world applications of a technology project at the University of Arizona, where a team of scientists is designing electronic pictures that can be printed onto flexible, organic nanofilm. The process enlists a regular inkjet printer and a charged battery.

The nanofilm is made out of layers of conduction polymer containing light-emitting polymers (LEPs) that glow green when excited by a charge.

"You start with a layer of the conduction polymer," said Ghassan Jabbour, associate research professor of optical sciences at the university and member of the design team. "You need an electrode layer to connect to the positive side of the battery. You put this layer into the inkjet."

Instead of plain ink, however, Jabbour uses an organic solution. The chemicals in his ink react with the conduction polymer to print the desired design onto the material.

"We're able to print the patterns by modifying the conductivity of sections of the conduction polymer," Jabbour said. "Where there is no pattern printed it won't work as an emitter of light -- the polymer cannot receive the current so cannot emit light."

Continued at http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,55528,00.html

Bob Jensen's threads on nanotechnology and ubiquitous computing can be found at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/ubiquit.htm

Wow New Gadget of the Week (Debbie Bowling clued me in on this new gadget.)
Ultra Cordless Optical Mouse --- http://www.gyration.com/

Airborne computer mouse unveiled --- http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/ptech/10/21/airborne.mouse.ap/index.html

The difference is, this one's airborne.

Meaning, like all optical mice, it doesn't need a desktop mouse pad. But it also doesn't need a desk.

The $79.95 Ultra Cordless Optical Mouse from Gyration, Inc., of Saratoga, California, uses gyroscopic sensors to control the cursor movement as you move your wrist, arm, whatever through the air.

And, says the specs, it will do it from 25 feet away. Could be — the review unit was only tested from 10 feet, because farther than that, the reviewer couldn't see the cursor anyway.

When it's sitting on a surface, the Ultra Cordless functions like most other opticals, with left-click, scroll and right-click buttons. But when you lift it, the usual red optical glow disappears and the gyroscopes take over when you depress a big button on the underside.

Warning 1:
I found this product priced much higher from various "supposed" discount vendors.
I did find the $79.95 price at http://www.gyrationdirect.com/

Warning 2:
You must have a USB port.
Connect the recharging cradle to an AC outlet and the cell-phone-sized, flip-up-antenna radio receiver to your computer's USB port, then press a "Learn" button on the receiver and "Teach" buttons on the corner of the keyboard and underside of the mouse.

October 16, 2002 message from Kathy Krajco [kathy361@earthlink.net]

Hello Dr. Jensen: As a more powerful but perhaps harder to learn alternative to The Brain™, The Literary Machine would make an excellent addition to your "Threads on Knowledge Portals" page at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/000aaa/portals.htm

The Literary Machine's front-end is an intelligence center with the power to analyze and compose. You can use it to process information — strain out the relevant bits and piece them together. Aimed at critical thinking and creativity (especially in writing), it features a powerful, no-nonsense text-based keyword matrix for concept mapping, idea generating, and brainstorming. LM's back-end is a new kind of word processor — a front-end word processor for composing documents, not for proofreading and formatting them.

LM is uniquely designed as a freeform, flat relational database that lets you hybridize keywords. But it doesn't sacrifice the convenience of hierarchical organization to get that power. For, you can also organize the information in a treelike subsystem that outlines topics, chain-links related texts, and exports them as drafts. You can save multiple versions of a draft to experiment with different outlines or scenarios. LM also features automatic XML import and export. It can even store sound and pictures, create file albums, and integrate external data (such as Web pages and local documents). So, though the author does not aim to create the "Swiss Army Knife" of information managers, many users claim that LM serves all their PIM needs as well as their creativity needs.

There are two editions of The Literary Machine. LM 2000 is freeware you can download at many trusted freeware sites. LM Professional sells for the low introductory price of $20 at ShareIt.com.

Author: Gunnar Sommestad Web site: http://www.sommestad.com/lm.htm

Gunnar and I will be happy to answer any questions you might have.

Best wishes,

Kathy Krajco
kathy361@earthlink.net
Gunnar Sommestad
gunnar@sommestad.com

Bob Jensen's threads on portals and vortals are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/000aaa/portals.htm

The latest lawsuit seeking to apply the Americans with Disabilities Act to the Internet, a blind man takes two airlines to task for not making Web-only fares and other perks --- http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,55708,00.html

Susan Spencer's presentation on implications of the ADA for college course development can be downloaded free from http://www.cs.trinity.edu/~rjensen/002cpe/02start.htm#2002
(Scroll down to Susan's links.)

Top Ten Emerging Technologies According to CFO Magazine

THE NEED-TO-KNOW LIST
1. XBRL
2. Business Intelligence
3. Wireless Connectivity
4. Grid Computing
5. Multivariable Testing (MVT)
6. Digital Cryptography
7. Rich Media
8. Internet2
9. Biometrics
10. Small Technology

XBRL tops the list. Bob Jensen's threads on XBRL are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/XBRLandOLAP.htm#XBRLextended

October 15, 2002 reply from Dee Davidson [dgd@MARSHALL.USC.EDU]

It's interesting to note that Wireless Connectivity is # 3 for CFO's, yet the problems with the technology seem to outweigh its corporate usefulness. This is what Richard Clarke, chairman of President Bush's critical infrastructure protection board had to say about them: "I stand by my statements," Clarke said Friday. "The vast majority of wireless LANs in this country are wide open. It's very irresponsible of people to put up wireless LANs and not make them secure because it throws open the entire company behind the firewall and makes them vulnerable. "CIOs often don't even know that there is a wireless LAN" in use at their company, Clarke said. http://www.crn.com/Sections/BreakingNews/breakingnews.asp?ArticleID=37966

I wonder if the CIO's would rate wi-fi # 3? Or maybe having knowledge about the (weakness of the) technology will be the protection?

dee davidson
Accounting Systems Specialist
Marshall School of Business
Leventhal School of Accounting
University of Southern California 213.740.5018

dee.davidson@marshall.usc.edu -

A reply about Cringley's Law from Neal Hannon, University of Hartford [nhannon@COX.NET]

A recent Web-based Power Point presentation on Web Services by the Stencil Group ( http://bit.bransje.net/snddata/Modules/SOI_Folder/Foredrag_studietur_San_Francisco_2002_1736/Stencil_Group_ved_Brent_Sleeper.ppt ) contained a slide (number 16) referring to Cringley's law. Cringley's law indicates that new technology acceptance typically lags behind the public's expectations but quickly goes well beyond all projections as unintended uses and users enter the picture. I believe this will be the case for XBRL as well.

Last night, a friend of mine asked if I had ever used the email package called PINE. I replied that it was the only thing available back in 1993 when I received my first email account. In less than ten years, we have certainly come a long, long way. Just five short years ago, some accountants were just realizing that the wire going into a phone could, in fact, become an Internet connection. Now the Internet is an indispensible tool for many primary business and life activities.

Will XBRL be around in ten years? The underlying question seems to be is time well invested in learning new technologies? My opinion is yes. Look at the disadvantage some of our collegues have placed themselves by refusing to learn simple tools like email. Evolve, learn and adopt.

Neal

Bob Jensen's accounting software bookmarks are at
http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/bookbob1.htm#010303Software%20and%20Instructional%20Aids

From Syllabus News on October 18, 2002

Online Nurse Ed Service Accredited in 50 States

eMedicine Inc., an online service for health care professionals, said it received approval to offer accredited nursing continuing education in California, and can now offer accredited nursing continuing education courses in all 50 states. The service offers over 40,000 hours of continuing education for nurses, physicians, pharmacists and optometrists, of which 10,000 hours are available for nurses. Accreditation for eMedicine nursing CE is provided through the University of Nebraska Medical Center's College of Nursing Continuing Nursing Education program. Catherine Bevil, director of continuing nursing education in UNMC’s College of Nursing, said the service’s “large audience and commitment to creating current clinical information … provides an effective outlet for delivering UNMC's College of Nursing continuing nursing education courses.”

Bob Jensen's threads on accreditation are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/assess.htm

From The Wall Street Journal Accounting Educators's Review on October 18, 2002

TITLE: Motorola's Profit: 'Special' Again?
REPORTER: Jesse Drucker
DATE: Oct 15, 2002
PAGE: C1
LINK: http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB1034631975931460836.djm,00.html
TOPICS: Special Items, Pro Forma Earnings, Accounting, Earning Announcements, Earnings Forecasts, Financial Analysis, Financial Statement Analysis, Net Income

SUMMARY: Motorola has announced both pro forma earnings and net income as determined by generally accepted accounting principles for 14 consecutive quarters. Ironically, pro forma earnings are always greater than net income calculated using generally accepted accounting principles

QUESTIONS:
1.) Distinguish between a special item and an extraordinary item. How are each reported on the income statement?

2.) Distinguish between pro forma earnings and GAAP based earnings. What are the advantages and disadvantages of allowing companies to report multiple earnings numbers? What are the advantages and disadvantages of not allowing companies to report multiple earnings numbers?

3.) What items were reported as special by Motorola? Are these items special? Support your answer.

4.) Are you surprised that all the special items reduced earnings? What is the likelihood that there were positive nonrecurring items at Motorola? How are positive nonrecurring items reported?

Reviewed By: Judy Beckman, University of Rhode Island
Reviewed By: Benson Wier, Virginia Commonwealth University
Reviewed By: Kimberly Dunn, Florida Atlantic University

Bob Jensen's threads on pro forma reports can be found at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen//theory/00overview/theory01.htm

Putting ROI Through The Wringer
Today's smartest companies are measuring a complex mix of business objectives, costs, and risks--and holding managers accountable for results that maximize returns. http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20021017S0013

Companies are taking a hard look at returns on IT investments, using complex valuation models linked to business goals. by Eileen Colkin, October 21, 2002

Tough competition and even tighter budgets mean that IT projects must go through a rigorous ROI wringer. And that wringer is getting tougher all the time. Forget on time and on budget, and don't even think about using a vendor's ROI tool. The smartest companies are measuring a complex mix of business objectives, costs, and risks, and holding managers accountable for results that maximize returns. "It used to be the 'ta-da' strategy," says John Howell, VP and program director of Internet solutions for Citibank Global Securities Services. "We'd put the project together and throw it out there and say, 'Ta-da! It must be successful.' We didn't look to maximize ROI, we looked to measure it."

Citibank Global Securities Services has moved beyond the easy approach to ROI with a methodology that looks to maximize returns, Howell says.

The new frontier is "more acuity in computing ROI," says Howard Rubin, a principal at Meta Group. Companies categorize IT initiatives by specific goals, such as raising the stock price, increasing market share, or lowering operating costs, then use historical and other data to quantify what returns can be expected. "IT departments need to look at the big picture," says Calvin Braunstein, president and executive research director at advisory firm Robert Frances Group. They're also tightening the links between IT investment and its impact on a company's sales and profit. Spending should go up only when revenue is headed in the same direction or costs are going down. "It has to impact either the top or bottom line," Braunstein says.

Still, only a few companies are using broader definitions of ROI. About 8% of all businesses examine IT investments through these more complex valuation filters, Rubin says. And those that are doing so use a variety of methodologies.

Chris Lofgren, president and CEO of Schneider National Inc., a $2.4 billion-a-year trucking and logistics company, has embraced the move to a more complex approach to ROI. "The emergence of the ROI metrics came from a realization in the tech community that sometimes they built things that were neat and cool because they could, even though there wasn't much value," Lofgren says. "Now there's an evolution to the extent that if companies want to push capital into a technology, IT has got to compete for that capital with proven valuation."

Project valuation has become more of an art than a science at Schneider National, president and CEO Lofgren says.

Lofgren puts IT investments into strategic buckets. Those that will lower costs go in one bucket, revenue creators in another, and those expected to simplify business processes in a third. He then considers different factors for each category, consulting the executives and business units relevant to each set of projects. But these sorts of valuations are still more of an art than a science. "You can't take away judgment, business strategy, and insight," Lofgren says.

Citibank Global Securities has made the transition away from the "ta-da" strategy to a more comprehensive approach to assessing the potential returns on IT projects. The company, which sells stocks and bonds to institutional investors, is building an executive portal that will let it act as a central information source and value-added service provider for C-level executives at the 350 largest financial institutions in the world. Having such a small target market leaves little room for error. One lost customer for the division is equivalent to a global retailer losing a million consumers. But the potential for gains is also huge: If the portal wins favor, Citibank's market share should increase, and it will be positioned to sell other products to this elite group, Howell says.

Continued at http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20021017S0013

Bob Jensen's threads on ROI are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/roi.htm

October 14, 2002 message from Paul Polinski [pwp3@PO.CWRU.EDU]

Robert X. Cringely writes a weekly web column on technology. (He also has a show on PBS.) His latest column considers the current state of basic vs. applied technological research in organizations (business and universities). Might there be a parallel in the accounting research realm? The column appears at

http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/pulpit20021010.html

Paul Polinski
Assistant Professor of Accountancy
Case Western Reserve University

"Eating Our Seed Corn How We'll Be Hurt in the Long Run by Declining Basic Research. Also, Help Bob Predict 2003!" by Robert X. Cringely, PBS KLRN San Antonio, October 10, 2002 --- http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/pulpit20021010.html

What I write about here tends to be technology and business, two very different enterprises that tend to feed each other. Business provides the money to develop new technologies that lead to more business, or at least that's the idea. I'm worried, though, that this traditional relationship is becoming skewed. I'm worried that we are doing too much business and not enough technology.

On the technology side, there is basic research and then research and development. The purpose of research and development is to invent a product for sale. Edison invented the first commercially successful light bulb, but he did not invent the underlying science that made that light bulb possible. Basic research is something else - ostensibly, the search for knowledge for its own sake. Basic research provides the scientific knowledge upon which R&D is later built. If a product ever results from basic research, it usually does so 10 to 15 years down the road, following a later period of research and development.

The companies that can afford to do basic research (and can't afford not to) are ones that dominate their markets. They have both the greatest resources to spare for this type of activity and the most to lose if, by choosing not to do basic research, they eventually lose their technical advantage over competitors. It's cheap insurance, since failing to do basic research guarantees that the next major advance will be owned by someone else.

Since their true product is insurance, not knowledge, basic researchers in industry often find their work is at the mercy of the marketplace and their captains-of-industry bosses. In the business world, just because something CAN be built does not at all guarantee that it WILL be built, which explains why RCA first invented and then dropped the liquid crystal display. RCA made this mid-1960s decision because LCDs might have threatened its then-profitable business of building cathode ray picture tubes. Forty years later, of course, RCA exists only as a brand name licensed from GE by Thomson, the French electronics giant, and LCD displays -- nearly all made in Asia -- are everywhere.

This explains why researchers at Xerox Corp. invented in the 1970s lots of computer technology Xerox never used. Computer workstations, networks, and graphical user interfaces were all invented by Xerox just in case the world traded paper for computer screens. And since the world is still hooked on paper, the only result of this research that Xerox bothered to exploit was the laser printer -- the only part that actually involved paper.

So we have idealized basic research (knowledge for the sake of knowledge) and real basic research (knowledge to maintain market dominance). But this only describes industrial basic research. Lots of basic research is also done at universities, where the real motivation is often to get tenure and/or brownie points for bringing-in research grants. And a fair amount of basic research is done at national laboratories and NASA.

If you are reading this outside the United States, I am sure there are equivalent organizations in your country. Please don't feel slighted because I am referring to outfits I know much better.

Now here is my complaint: Basic research is dying. I spent a day recently at IBM Research after it had experienced its first-ever layoffs. IBM, even IBM, can't afford to continue doing basic research at historic levels. If IBM is worrisome, Bell Labs -- birthplace of the transistor, the communications satellite, lasers, and so many other things that can zap you -- Bell Labs is a train wreck. Supported now by the decrepit Lucent Technologies instead of the equally decrepit AT&T, Bell Labs is a shadow of what it once was.

What about the universities? They, too, have learned a new game, and that game is patent exploitation. Led by the University of California, MIT and the University of Texas, these schools are building patent portfolios using the exact same rules followed by giant Japanese corporations. They are secretive and withhold information not only from the rest of the world, but even from their own organizations. Patent licensing is such a big deal and university patent attorneys are so clueless about the real purpose of research, that progress is being slowed, and in some cases, stopped altogether for a few years just to let the paperwork catch up.

So what we have is less and less basic research. In time, this will lead to less research and development, and ultimately to fewer and poorer products. We're eating our seed corn. It may not show for a few more years, but the result of this behavior will eventually be a shift in global scientific power.

This is not a good thing.

Now, while you are digesting that, I'd like to ask a favor. I'd like to next week take a look at where high-tech business is going in the next year and I'd like your help to do so. What is hot? What is not? I'm looking for good news and bad, and I am counting on you to give it to me so I can give it, in turn, to everyone else.

Is your company doing especially well? Are there sectors that are especially exciting, where products are bubbling to the surface and companies feel like they are about to show the world just how good they are? Tell me about it.

Or does your company or a company you know have about it the smell of death? Tell me about that, too.

It is relatively easy to predict the future five years from now, but much harder to look only 12 months ahead, but that's what I want to do.

Take wireless networking for example. The mobile phone companies are hurting and will continue to do so for another couple of years. Too much building too fast is the problem, too much debt, and no 3G customers to go with those half built 3G networks. WiFi (802.11a, b, and g) is coming on strong, though, and I think the new rage will be mesh networks where every node is also a router and a repeater. But we'll shortly see fallout even among the mesh companies with Nokia reworking its Rooftop product, MeshLAN faltering a bit, MobileMesh playing an uncertain role as the Open Source offering and a new player, SkyPilot, entering the business.

SkyPilot, run by one of the founders of Covad, is following the Covad model of bringing broadband services to incumbent ISPs, though this time the broadband is wireless. And it is high-speed, too, with most of the original mesh guys from SRI International now doing mac-level protocols for 802.11a backbones. SkyPilot is going to be a very big deal a year from now.

See, that's how it is done. Now it is your turn. Send me what you have and I'll compile it all and report back next week with a look at what 2003 will be like. But be honest. Only engineers, or those with the hearts of engineers, need reply.

Reply from J. S. Gangolly [gangolly@CSC.ALBANY.EDU]

I found the article fascinating.

Cringely, as I read him, makes two points.

1. Basic research is dying

2. Companies don't exploit their work. His argument reminds me of an article we read in marketing courses way back. I think the idea used to be called "marketing myopia".

I entirely agree with his point 2. Xerox is a textbook example -- just about every major advance in computing came out of Xerox-PARC, but the myopic managers at Xerox goofed. One can say the same thing, to some extent, about Bell Labs at Lucent -- look at their stock prices (Deregulation probably did basic research at Bell Labs in. One company that has really been able to exploit their advantages is GE. (I have a folksy theory to explain it -- they had, until recently, an engineer-manager at the helm).

I must respectfully disagree about dying of basic research. Unlike in many countries where most basic research is conducted outside of universities, in the US it is conducted in the Universities and at major national labs (Oakridge, Coldspring Harbour, Lawrence-Livermore, Argonne, Los Alamos,...). So long as there are fascinating questions and there are curious people, basic research will go on except in areas that require major investment of funds. Such investments are a necessity in hardware, but not in software research (I have seen no dimunition of scientists at IBMs Almaden or Watson Labs,...).

In accounting, unfortunately, most research, in my opinion, has been ABOUT accounting rather than IN accounting. We have virtually no theory OF accounting as an information discipline, but only sociological and psychological theories about accounting.

I certainly do not mean to suggest that research about accounjting is not important (in fact I consider them to be as important as research in accounting). But we need to distinguish between Physics as distinguished from the sociology and psychology of physicists.

I would consider research IN accounting to be basic research in accounting (and auditing). And that research seems to have been still-born (see what happened to the work of stalwarts like Ijiri and Mattesich). It is tragic but true, in my opinion.

Jagdish

"MIT offers courses for free on the Web," by Linda Rosencrance, CompterWorld, October 11, 2002 --- http://computerworld.com/news/2002/story/0,11280,75085,00.html
(I thank Stacy Kovar for pointing me toward this article.)

While MIT's OpenCourseWare (OCW) project isn't quite a free education, it is a new approach to the open sharing of knowledge over the Internet.
Launched two weeks ago, anyone with an Internet connection and a Web browser can access the syllabus, assignments, exams and answers, reference materials and, in some cases, video lectures of MIT courses.
First announced in 2001, the idea behind OCW is to make course materials used in almost all of MIT's undergraduate and graduate subjects available online, free of charge, to users anywhere in the world, according to Jon Paul Potts, spokesman for the OCW project.
Potts said the goal of the project is to advance technology-enhanced education at MIT and to serve as a model for university dissemination of knowledge in the Internet age.
However, Potts said, MIT isn't putting its current semester course offerings online; rather, it is putting up course offerings from previous terms.
There are 32 MIT courses in 17 disciplines available on the Web, including Introduction to Experimental Biology, Problems of Philosophy, Linear Algebra and Macroeconomics Theory II.
Potts said MIT plans to put most of the materials from its 2,000 courses online by the 2006-07 academic year.
He said OCW will allow faculty from other institutions and other people to observe teaching methods and resources used by MIT's faculty. "This is not distance learning," Potts said. "The goal is to provide the content that supports an education."
Since the site went live, more than 130,000 users from around the world, including Africa, Algeria, Canada, Finland and Latvia, have accessed the site, and 1,700 of them have sent e-mails offering comments about the site, Potts said.
Currently, individual course sites and the course materials for the pilot phase of OCW use HTML. The course sites are static Web pages, he said, but they use a number of additional formats, including PDF files, Java Applets and video files.
Potts said OCW is still working on the technology infrastructure and studying other potential platforms to determine what the project will use in the long term. He said OCW is intended to be built using a full-featured content management and publication production system.
The initial phase of the project, which cost $11 million, was funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

Bob Jensen's OKI and OCW threads are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/000aaa/updateee.htm#OKI

Bob Jensen's threads on portals and vortals are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/000aaa/portals.htm

"Missed Connections Online colleges complain about traditional institutions' tough credit-transfer policies," by Dan Carnevale, The Chronicle of Higher Education, October 18, 2002 --- http://chronicle.com/free/v49/i08/08a03501.htm
(I thank Jane Buck for pointing me to this article.)

TAKING CREDIT

Students who take courses from online colleges that have national accreditation, rather than the regional accreditation held by most traditional colleges, often have difficulty transferring their credits to traditional colleges. Here are some of the institutions that have granted transfer credit, or have agreed to transfer credits in the future, for courses taught at American Military University, which is nationally accredited but not regionally accredited:

Bellevue University

Blue Ridge Community College

Boston College

Capella University

Coastal Carolina Community College

Community College of the Air Force

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Excelsior College

Fielding Graduate Institute

Hillsborough Community College

Hinds Community College

Liberty University

Northwood University

Potomac College

Strayer University

Texas A&M University System

United Nations Institute for Training and Research

U.S. Air Force Officer Training School

U.S. Army Management Staff College

U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Global Maritime and Transportation School

University of Oklahoma

Western Baptist College

West Virginia University

Many colleges refuse to grant credit for courses at American Military University, including the following:

Northcentral University

Park University

University of Maryland at College Park

University of Maryland University College

University of Virginia

Continued at http://chronicle.com/free/v49/i08/08a03501.htm

October 15, 2002 message from Jane Buck

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

* THE LOUISIANA BOARD OF REGENTS has voted to force four unaccredited distance-learning institutions that are based in Louisiana to leave the state. The decision will rid the state, once known as a haven for diploma mills, of poor-quality higher-education institutions, officials said. --> SEE http://chronicle.com/free/2002/10/2002101501t.htm

--> FOR MORE about information technology in academe, including news headlines from around the Web and a daily featured Web site, go to http://chronicle.com/infotech

Bob Jensen's threads on assessment and accreditation issues can be found at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/assess.htm

October 13 message from J. S. Gangolly [gangolly@CSC.ALBANY.EDU]

I have been a regular follower of the Xerox-PARC site for years, and have been fascinated by how they have transformed their interests from technology to content.

My own feeling is that Xerox-PARC, and Microsoft's Bill Labs have at long last realized that the marginal productivity of efforts in technology have dropped like a rock while that of efforts in content representation and management have skyrocketed. I think we technology buffs have a very important lesson to learn. It is that we put more efforts in utilizing whatever technology we have in order to DELIVER content more efficiently and effectively. This means that we channel our research efforts in the representation of our domain knowledge in a way that machines can deliver it to large audience. Some specific suggestions I have include:

0.
Develop lexical resources to support accounting. Such resources include vocabularies, dictionaries, thesauri, corpora for research on the evolution of our language.

1.
Representation of our knowledge of the accounting domain formally as ontologies expressed in various ways (semantic networks, Petri-nets, concept maps, conceptual graphs, predicate logic models, what ever)

2.
Keep an eye on the developments in Ontology Markup languages (aka conceptual knowledge markup languages -- ckml), ... which will be crucial from the point of view of delivering instruction.

It is precisely the above that has been the preoccupation of Xerox-PARC (and more recently that of Microsoft Bill Labs) for many years.

I would say that even putting 1 and 2 above 0 is like putting the cart before the horse. I have been dismayed that virtually no research is being done to develop lexical resources in accounting to support practice as well as education. The people who wrote the wellknown dictionary and language thesaurus have passed on, and the person who wrote the only retrieval thesaurus for accounting in existence was bid good bye by his firm (i was told this by the person himself in an e-mail message).

It is not a happy situation.

Jagdish

"How to Avoid the Goodwill Asteroid," by Jon D. Markman, TheStreet.com, May 24, 2002 --- http://www.thestreet.com/funds/supermodels/10024147.html

One of the gravest fears of investors today is being totaled by an "asteroid" event -- moments when a stock gets pushed to the edge of extinction by a bolt from the blue, such as a drug application rejection, a securities probe revelation or a surprise earnings restatement.
Yet many shareholders seem blithely unaware that at least one asteroid speeding toward their companies is entirely foreseeable: the likelihood that management will have to write down a decent-sized chunk of their net worth sometime this year and perhaps rather soon.
This unfortunate prospect is faced, potentially, by companies such as AOL Time Warner (AOL:NYSE - news - commentary - research - analysis), Allied Waste Industries (AW:NYSE - news - commentary - research - analysis), Georgia-Pacific (GP:NYSE - news - commentary - research - analysis) and Cendant (CD:NYSE - news - commentary - research - analysis) that have accumulated a great deal of goodwill on their balance sheets over the past few years. That's accountant-speak for the amount a company pays for another company over its book value because of expectations that some of its intangible assets -- such as patented technology, a prized brand name or desirable executives -- will prove valuable in a concrete, earnings-enhancing sort of way.
New Accounting Rules
Companies carry goodwill on their balance sheets as if it were an asset as solid as a piece of machinery, and therefore it is one of many items balanced against liabilities, such as long-term debt, to measure shareholder equity or book value. Just as hard assets are depreciated, or expensed, by a certain amount each year to account for their diminished value as they age, intangibles have long been amortized by a certain amount annually to account for their waning value.
The value of machinery rarely dissipates quickly, but the value of goodwill can evaporate in a flash if a company determines that it paid too much for intangible assets -- e.g., if a patent or brand turns out not to be as defensible as originally believed, or demand for a new technology falters. As you can imagine, companies typically don't want to admit they overpaid. But once they do, they must write down the vanished value so that the "intangibles" lines on their balance sheets reflect fair-market pricing. If the writedown leaves a company's assets at a level lower than liabilities, the company is left with a negative net worth, which, as you would expect, is frowned upon, and often results in a dramatically lower stock price.
Until last year, companies tried to avoid recording goodwill after acquisitions by using a method of accounting called "pooling of interests." In these stock-for-stock deals, companies were allowed to record the acquiree's assets at book value even though the value of the stock it had given up was greater than the amount of real stuff its shareholders received. The advantage: No need to drag down earnings each quarter by amortizing, or expensing, goodwill.
The rulebook changed this year, however, and pooling went the way of the dodo; now companies are forced to record goodwill on their books. As a compromise to serial acquirers, who have a powerful lobby, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) decided that companies would no longer have to amortize goodwill regularly against earnings. Instead, a new standard -- encompassed in Rule 142 -- requires companies to test goodwill for "impairment" periodically.
Essentially, this means that while the diminished value of goodwill won't count against a company's earnings annually anymore, companies might need to write down huge gobs of it from time to time when accountants decide they can't ignore the fact that an acquisition didn't turn out as planned. It also means that because FASB 142 does not dictate a set of strictly objective rules for calculating impairment, writedowns will be somewhat subjective in both timing and amount.
Don't Fall for These Three Ploys
As a result, many market skeptics believe that FASB 142, which was intended to improve earnings transparency, may in some cases actually result in more egregious earnings manipulation than ever. Donn Vickrey, vice president at Camelback Research Alliance, a provider of analytical tools and consulting services for financial information, says he sees three ways that companies interested in managing their earnings could end-run shareholders using the new rule.
The big bath. In this approach, companies will write off a big portion of the goodwill on their books, telling investors it is an insignificant "paper loss" that should have no impact on the firm's share price. The benefit: Future write-offs would be unnecessary, and the company's earnings stream could be more effectively smoothed out in future periods. This approach would work only if it does not put the company at risk of violating debt covenants that require it to maintain a certain ratio of assets vs. liabilities.
Cosmetic earnings boost. Under FASB 142, many companies will record earnings that appear higher than last year's because of the elimination of goodwill amortization. However, the increase will be purely cosmetic, as the company's underlying cash flow and profitability would remain unchanged. Investors should thus ensure they are comparing prior periods with the current period on an apples-to-apples basis by eliminating goodwill amortization from comparable year-earlier financial statements. The amount might be buried in footnotes to the balance sheet, though Kellogg (K:NYSE - news - commentary - research - analysis) explains the issue clearly in its latest 10-k in the section devoted to its acquisition of cookie maker Keebler in March 2001. Kellogg says it recorded $90.4 million in intangible amortization expense during 2001 and would have recorded $121 million in 2002 had it not adopted FASB 142 at the start of the year.
Avoid-a-write-off. Some companies might take advantage of the new rule by avoiding a goodwill write-off as long as possible to prevent the big charge to earnings. Since the tests for impairment are subjective, Camelback believes it will not be hard for firms to avoid write-offs in the short run -- a strategy that could both help them avoid violations in debt covenants and potentially provide a boost in executive compensation formulas.
While any public company that does acquisitions will find itself facing decisions about how to account for goodwill impairment, companies with the greatest absolute levels of goodwill -- as well as ones with the greatest amount of goodwill relative to their market capitalization -- will be the most vulnerable in the future to having their earnings blasted by the FASB 142 asteroid.

Continued at http://www.thestreet.com/funds/supermodels/10024147.html

Bob Jensen's threads on goodwill impairment testing are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen//theory/00overview/theory01.htm

The latest in techno fashion -- from the sublime to the ridiculous -- hits the runways at the sixth annual International Symposium on Wearable Computers --- http://www.wired.com/news/gizmos/0,1452,55669,00.html

Study and/or Teach Abroad

GoAbroad.com --- http://www.goabroad.com/
This site is deeply rooted in services to academe. One of the main founders, Troy Peden, is a former Study Abroad Coordinator at the University of Colorado at Denver. The site is heavily focused upon over 14,000 study abroad package deals, although there are many other package deals for teaching, internships, language study, and volunteer work.

Study Abroad
Intern Abroad
Language Schools
Volunteer Abroad
Jobs Abroad
Teach Abroad
Eco/Adventure
US Universities

State Dept Travel Warnings
Travel Guides
Embassies
Currency Converter
Travel Insurance
Hostels/Accommodations

Global Phone Cards
Student Flights
Round the World Flights
Rail Passes

About us
Newsletters
Partners
Advertise

New CollegeAbroad.com site at http://www.collegeabroad.com/

What is CollegeAbroad.com?
CollegeAbroad.com is a website directory designed for prospective students considering full degree programs abroad. CollegeAbroad.com lists full degree programs (taught in English) in the following countries: Australia, Canada, the UK (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland). Later this week, we will add Ireland and New Zealand program directories. Over time, more listings, more languages, and more countries will be added.

CollegeAbroad.com Resources
As a comprehensive directory of full degree programs abroad, the CollegeAbroad.com site enables prospective students to find and review Institution Profiles that match their desired criteria. All CollegeAbroad.com Institution Profiles feature Contact Information (urls and e-mail addresses) so contact(s) can be easily made. As well, prospective students can register within the CollegeAbroad.com StudentProspector system and be contacted by the types of programs for which they are looking.
Adminstrators: Update your Institution's Listing --- http://www.collegeabroad.com/updatemenu.html

Bob Jensen’s education bookmarks are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/bookbob.htm
In particular, note the Study or Teach or Volunteer Abroad section at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/bookbob2.htm#SutdyTeachAbroad

A satellite-based monitoring system that uses current crime data is being used to track those on parole and probation, and the ACLU even thinks it's a good idea --- http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,55740,00.html

American Heritage Magazine (history) --- http://www.americanheritage.com

Invention and Technology (Including an Inventor's Hall of Fame) --- http://www.americanheritage.com/it/index.shtml

What is underrated and what is overrated? http://www.americanheritage.com/AMHER/2002/05/over-under.shtml

Amendment to the Constitution
Architect

Automobile

Bridge Builder

Detective Novelist

Dog

Explorers of America

Feminist

Food Fad

Highway

Historical Novel

Indian Leader

Lincoln Quote

Monument

Movie Villain

Novel

Pirate

Poet

Political Reform

Roosevelt

Songwriter

Teen Idol

Traitor

World War II General

Bob Jensen's threads on history are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/bookbob2.htm#History

I really like Vanguard and invest a great deal of my savings in what I view as the high integrity Vanguard Group --- http://flagship.vanguard.com

Vanguard Chairman Jack Brennan has written a book designed to cut through the clutter of information--and misinformation--so prevalent in today's investment environment.

"Straight Talk on Investing: What You Need to Know" is just that: a straightforward guide to finance for people who'd like to learn to develop a successful investment plan, stick to it, and get on with their lives--not spend their spare time poring over ticker symbols, flow charts, and balance sheets.

"Straight Talk on Investing" contains helpful information for every investor. Those with some experience will glean valuable lessons from Mr. Brennan's insights, while newer investors will appreciate his reliable, understandable guidance on getting started. Mr. Brennan will donate all proceeds from the book to charity.

You can learn more about "Straight Talk on Investing," including how to order your copy, at http://www.vanguard.com/jumppage/jjbjump/index.htm

AICPA Hall of Fame additions for Year 2002 (no academics this year) --- http://www.ajilonfinance.com/news/hall_of_fame.asp

This year’s winners are an exceptional group comprised of:

Don L. Blankenship, President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Massey Energy Company, America’s 5th largest producer of coal and the number one coal producer in the Central Appalachia region.

Vernon D. Evans, Executive Vice President – Finance and Chief Financial Officer of the Dallas Fort-Worth International Airport Board in Fort Worth, Texas.

Larry Weber, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Bauer Built, Inc., one of the largest distributors of tires, batteries, and automobile and truck accessories in the country located in Durand, WI.

Joseph T. Wells, Founder and Chairman of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, a 26,000-member international, professional organization in Austin, TX.

Honorees were selected based on their ability to:

Create value by managing technology & resources
Lead by example & commitment
Provide vision using knowledge of broad business issues
Understand business issues beyond the numbers
Effectively manage shareholder & customer expectations
Champion new methods & solutions
Inspire & motivate others to excellence

ComputerScienceWeb http://www.compsciweb.com/compsciweb/show/Index.htt

- An integrated search of journal articles and preprints
- Services to facilitate research in twelve categories in computer science

Bob Jensen's search helpers are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/searchh.htm

At last research indicates that putting your foot in your mouth may be a good thing. Researchers are testing a treatment for multiple sclerosis that involves transplanting cells from the ankle into the brain. The procedure has been called "extreme," but doctors say the potential payoff is worth it --- http://www.wired.com/news/medtech/0,1286,55833,00.html

"For Google, innovations withstand downturn," by Dan Gillmor, The Mercury News, October 15, 2002 --- http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/business/columnists/4293569.h

Ask Eric Schmidt, chief executive of Google, when Silicon Valley and the technology industry will return to robust growth. All he knows is it won't be in the immediate future, and he makes a persuasive case.

That's the big picture. But Schmidt's smaller picture, Google itself, is one of those grand exceptions that proves the valley's longstanding rule -- that technological innovation continues no matter what the larger economy is doing.

I caught up with him at the annual Agenda conference, a gathering that has been a staple of the tech elite's autumn schedule. This year's gathering, a drastically downsized affair, reflected overall industry trends.

A grim, confused mood prevailed here, and the momentary pleasure of Tuesday's market surge was doused by Intel's disappointing earnings report after the market's close. Few people here seemed willing even to speculate on when technology spending would rebound.

Schmidt isn't predicting any immediate boosts.

Is the current gloom overdone? That depends, Schmidt says, on ``whether you think we are at a bottom.'' Are we? ``We're nearing one.''

Not Google, which has become one of the Internet's essential services. A couple of years ago, when I spoke publicly, I started asking people in the audience who was not using Google as their primary search engine. It has been a long time since more than several people in any crowd raised their hands.

One smart idea has followed another at the Mountain View company. Recently, Google created a news-oriented search, culling and ranking news stories from a variety of sources. Google works in teams of three people, and one of those teams created Google News (http://news.google.com), which is rapidly becoming one of my online addictions.

Innovation happens no matter what markets do, Schmidt says, a common refrain. ``Innovation comes from universities,'' he says, ``and it's producing enormous step-ups in wireless, chip design, Linux and information mining,'' among other areas. But most of the innovations he sees tend to be interesting technologies without a persuasive business case.

Google gets its share -- its pick, really -- of smart university graduates, Schmidt says. The company is doing cool projects. It's probably at the beginning, not the end, of its serious growth.

Google doesn't give out the precise numbers, but Schmidt says it has been profitable since March 2001. Its principal business is what he calls a ``positive surprise'' -- the effectiveness of the little advertisements that appear on the pages showing the result of users' searches.

A fascinating wrinkle is how the company sells the ads it places on the right side of the Web page. These are auctioned off, unlike the ads that show up above the search results. It would not surprise me to learn that Google is making more money on the Web than any auction site except eBay. Google sells fewer items, but it keeps all the money from these auctions.

Many have wondered how long it will take for Google to do what so many other valley companies have done in recent years -- sell shares to the public. Schmidt has bad news for those who want it to be soon: ``We have no plans to go public,'' he says. Is Google even talking with investment banks? ``No.''

This is a lousy time for an initial public offering. The economy is stagnant, and a couple of weeks of stock-market surges should meet more suspicion than joy. The murky financial landscape gets worse when you consider problems that transcend the economy.

War is one, Schmidt notes. ``The papers are writing about war as opposed to the economy,'' he says. ``As long as that goes on, there is a sense of not being focused on the problems at hand.''

Only when America gets beyond its showdown with Iraq will government and businesses refocus on economic matters. And only then will businesses start buying technology again in a serious way, he says.

But don't imagine that they'll restore the industry to the joy ride of the late 1990s. The tech sector is maturing, Schmidt says, and maturing businesses cannot sustain rates of growth that younger growth businesses expect. Large sectors can't continually grow faster than the overall economy, because -- as is happening with tech -- they effectively become the economy. Regulatory and political influences, for good and bad reasons, become a larger part of the action.

Continued at http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/business/columnists/4293569.h

Bob Jensen's search helpers are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/searchh.htm

FASB announced its decision to add a project designed to reduce or eliminate differences between U.S. accounting standards and those issued by the International Accounting Standards Board. But a new capital market survey shows big institutional investors don't see the need. http://www.accountingweb.com/item/92879

AccountingWEB US - Oct-10-2002 - The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) announced it will undertake a short-term project to reduce or eliminate differences between U.S. accounting standards and those issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). But a new capital market survey shows big institutional investors don't see the need for major revisions to U.S. accounting principles or replacement with international accounting standards.

FASB's Project. According to FASB's announcement, it will issue a final statement by December 31, 2003 setting forth the differences to be eliminated. The specific issues to be addressed in the project have not yet been identified, but the Wall Street Journal reports that the issues could possibly include transitions to new accounting rules, extraordinary items and smoothing mechanisms in pension accounting.

Survey of Big Investors. Makinson-Cowell interviewed 22 U.S. institutions that collectively manage over $2.5 trillion assets. Reacting to recent accounting scandals, these investors said they don't see the need for major changes in U.S. accounting principles or replacement by international accounting standards. They say U.S., U.K., and IASB standards are all robust systems, but no accounting standards can prevent criminal behavior. They are more troubled by inadequate disclosures, particularly by European companies whose filings are characterized by a lack of detailed reporting by business segment and the undisclosed use of extensive provisions. The more valuable reforms, in their view, would be added disclosure requirements.

The good news is that FASB Chairman Robert Herz told Reuters FASB is forming a new advisory group with representatives from "top mutual fund complexes and Wall St. powerhouses" that will offer advice on projects the board tackles. But the jury is still out on whether another advisory board can make up for the lack of an opportunity for others to comment on potential new projects. In the past, it was FASB's practice to prepare prospectuses on new projects and expose them for public comment.

Accounting for Intangibles: An index where intangibles are aggregated into a human capital index that assesses the levels of value or risk in a company's management practices.

From Watson Wyatt Worldwide
Human Capital Index - European survey report 2002: Where is value found?

Watson's Human Capital Index has always been about how good people management adds value for businesses. This year's study shows that 36 key human capital variables (practices and policies) are associated with an almost 90% increase in value. These are grouped into six globally consistent dimensions, each contributing to the total as shown in the chart below.

Full details of the 36 variables included in these dimensions can be found in the 2002 survey report
To purchase a copy of the full 24-page 2002 HCI European Survey Report please complete this form. The report is available for €400 OR £250. --- http://www.watsonwyatt.com/europe/research/hci_report2002/order.asp

Bob Jensen's threads on accounting for intangibles are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen//theory/00overview/theory01.htm

Deferred Taxes Related to FAS123 Expense – Accounting and Administrative Issues on New Trends in Stock Compensation Accounting
PWC Insight on FAS 123 --- http://www.fei.org/download/HRInsight02_21.pdf
A recent PWC HR Insight discusses the applicable rules and answers questions raised on accounting for income taxes related to FAS 123 expense (for both the pro forma disclosure and the recognized FAS 123 expense). Per PWC, the rules are complex and require that the tax benefits arising from stock options and other types of stock-based compensation be tracked on a grant-by-grant and country-by-country basis.

Bob Jensen's threads on pro forma disclosures are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen//theory/00overview/theory01.htm#ProForma

Bob Jensen's threads on accounting theory are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/theory.htm

The Best Versus the Worst Deals in (1) Long Distance Phone Service and (2) Wireless Phone Service

Long Distance Rate and Wireless Rate Comparisons --- http://www.lowermybills.com/tld/index.jsp?sourceid=seogoo8kld1a0222
(But watch for the lies mentioned below and constantly changing deals!)

IDT Rate Comparison Center --- http://www.idt.net/products/ld/compare.asp

"America's Worst Phone Service, And Some Unexpected Options," by Jane Spencer, The Wall Street Journal, October 3, pp. D1-D2 --- Click Here
Thumbs Up: Best in Long Distance

IDT Domestic Long Distance
VarTec Voice

Thumbs Down: Because They Lie About the Long Distance Deals and Service

AT&T One Rate
Capsule 3KissLD
Verizon State Saver
Sprint Nickel Anytime

Double Thumbs Down: Avoid at All Costs as a Long Distance Service

MCI WorldCom

Thumbs Up: Best in Wireless Phone Service

Cingular Preferred Nation 450
US Cellular
Verizon Wireless 550

Thumbs Down: Because They Lie About Wireless Deals and Coverage

AT&T Wireless National Network Plan
Nextex National Connect

Double Thumbs Down: The Really Big Liars

Qwest Wireless Deluxe
Sprint PCS Free and Clear
T-Mobile Get More Plan

As the industry crumbles under slowing growth, criminal-fraud probes and the largest bankruptcy in history, consumers are feeling the aftershocks. The Federal Communications Commission received 10,182 complaints from consumers frustrated with wireless and long-distance service in the first quarter of this year alone. And as industrywide layoffs approach the half-million mark, companies from wireless carrier Sprint PCS to AllTel have shut down some customer-service call centers.

Are there any good options? We did a wide-ranging analysis of major nationwide phone services, including 10 long-distance carriers and eight wireless companies. The assessment began by examining a year's worth of complaint data from the FCC and matching it up with Public Utility Commission data from more than a dozen states. We also looked at so-called churn rates, the number of times customers move from carrier to carrier, to see which ones people tend to dump most frequently.

From there, we evaluated plan offerings and rates that vary as much as 8.2 cents a minute on average at T-Mobile to 14.8 cents a minute at Verizon Wireless, according to research firm Yankee Group. And we did our own testing of services around the country, including everything from the ease of getting credit for a wrong number to whether you can check online to see how many minutes are left in your cellphone plan.

The results weren't particularly encouraging, as many consumers know firsthand. Ivan Goldstein, a retired accountant from Springfield, N.J., spends a good chunk of his life trying to untangle his phone service. When he switched his residential service to MCI last year, the first bill came to $680. (They were billing him for other people's numbers.) Then Sprint PCS recently convinced him he could save money with a $79 family-share plan. He switched, and the first bill came to $400.

Mr. Goldstein thinks incompetence is part of the industry's business plan. "Today you talk to Jane, tomorrow you talk to Mary, the next day you talk to Harry," he says. "You get caught in this maze and it's just too time consuming to fight it, so you just eat it and walk way."

Our analysis found that, when it comes to choosing a long-distance company, smaller is often better. That's because customer service isn't anything to call home about at almost any long-distance company. So you may as well go for the small discount carriers rather than the big-brand names.

In our survey, the better options for long-distance service were two discount carriers many people have never heard of: VarTec Telecom and IDT Corp. -- both of which offer cheap rates and tolerable customer service. There are literally hundreds of discount carriers that offer long-distance service at cut-rate prices. Consumers can track them down through Web sites, like TollChaser.com. But the worst options were the big carriers, particularly MCI.

On the other hand, when it comes to wireless, you generally don't want to go for the cheapest carrier. The reason: When you pay more, you are often getting more. Verizon Wireless, one of the two better options in our survey, is by some estimates the most expensive cellphone carrier. But they also have the strongest nationwide network -- a key factor in avoiding dropped calls -- and the strongest customer service of anyone in our tests. The other wireless option that ranked high on our list was Cingular, a joint venture of SBC Communications Inc. and BellSouth Corp., which also has a strong network and lets customers on some plans bank minutes from one month to the next.

At the bottom of our wireless ratings: T-Mobile, Sprint PCS and Qwest. VoiceStream, for example, offers the cheapest prices of any carrier -- but has one of the worst complaint records in the industry. The FCC has received 1,443 complaints about the company, which amounts to one for every 55,000 subscribers. A key problem is that the company has a notoriously weak network.

One caveat: In cellphone service, everything is local. T-Mobile customers in New York and Washington D.C., where the company has a relatively strong network, report high satisfaction with the carrier.

Below are our own assessments of various phone services -- grouped in categories ranging from "worst" to "less bad" to "better."

Long-Distance Worst:

MCI WorldCom

WorldCom's accounting troubles don't end with its financial statements. Customers have been complaining about WorldCom's billing problems ever since it went through a frenzy of acquisitions in the late '90s, buying up dozens of smaller phone companies with incompatible computer systems.

In addition, canceling service may not be enough to end the bills. One class-action suit against MCI alleges that the company intentionally sent customers bills, even after they had canceled their service. MCI won't comment on pending litigation. MCI is the long-distance unit of WorldCom Inc., which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy-court protection earlier this year.

Like most major carriers, MCI's bills are crammed with extra costs like high monthly fees that can jack up a bill. In our analysis, the MCI WorldCom "Anytime" plan, which advertises a rate of seven cents a minute, could wind up costing closer to 15 cents a minute for intrastate long distance, once you include additional charges such as the $2.95 flat monthly fee. Customer service at MCI is less than helpful. We had to call five times to get a basic answer about taxes, and went through numerous transfers and busy signals. However, the company was exceptionally responsive to our e-mail inquiry and sent us a detailed personal response in eight hours.

Long Distance Less Bad:

AT&T

The rates for AT&T, the largest long-distance provider, are on the high side. That includes not just basic rates, but creative fees as well. One example: It can cost $4.24 to call directory assistance from a pay phone using certain AT&T calling cards. AT&T describes the fee as "an exception."

The company's bills also include other high fees, like an 11% Universal Service Charge, which can tack more than $5 onto a $50 bill. (All carriers are required to levy the fee, but many charge a smaller percentage.)

The company's customer service representatives were knowledgeable. But getting through required the usual touch tone maze and an eight-minute wait for a representative, who proved much more zealous in selling AT&T local-phone service than answering the phone.

On the Web, the company offers "Allie," a virtual service representative that can scan text of a typed question for key words and instantly produce an automated response. She couldn't explain the taxes on our bill or recommend a cheaper plan. But when we typed in "Are you married?" she shot back "No, I'm married to my job!" (Further questioning determined that Allie has no kids, no pets, and strongly disapproves of profanity.)

Sprint

Sprint lost points for high rates and a number of so-called "anytime" plans, but most come with additional charges that significantly jack up the per-minute rate. The SprintNickelAnyTime plan, for example, can cost 10 cents a minute for in-state calls, and it includes a $8.95 monthly fee.

For a typical 250-minute-a-month caller (we used a hypothetical Atlanta resident to keep things consistent), the additional fees can bring the effective rate of the NickelAnyTime plan to 9.4 cents a minute for state-to-state calls and 13.9 cents within the state.

Capsule Communications

In a nutshell: rock-bottom prices but no-frills customer service. With anytime long-distance rates of three cents a minute, Capsule Communications offers unbeatable prices on state-to-state calling. In addition, it bills in six-second increments -- as opposed to the usual one-minute -- which can provide additional savings.

A fairly standard caller could save nearly $20 a month over the big boys. (Capsule's intrastate rates vary, so potential customers should check on that before signing up.)

The company's customer service wasn't nearly as impressive as its prices, however. When we asked one representative to explain the taxes on our bill, she responded "Oh come on!" We asked for a supervisor, who informed us that "taxes are taxes." In addition, Capsule never responded to some of the e-mails we sent inquiring about billing practices.

Long Distance Better:

VarTec Telecom

VarTec now controls 9% of the residential long-distance market and is one of the aggressive upstarts eating into the market share of the dominant carriers. In our experience, VarTec combined relatively low rates with an acceptable level of customer service.

The company offers a number of plans with charges that stay the same no matter what time of day you call, including a seven-cents-a-minute rate with no monthly fee. The only extra charge added to the bill we examined was a flat 75 cent fee tacked onto the company's 7% Universal Service charge. It's not the cheapest out there, but a moderate caller could save close to $10 a month compared with the bigger companies. A frequent caller could save more.

IDT

In an age of impossible-to-decipher bills, IDT stands out as an exception. The discount carrier's rate structure is so simple (five-cents-a-minute round the clock) reading the bill doesn't require a calculator to weed out hidden fees and charges. And the tax section includes only actual taxes, not added fees that go to the carrier. Finally, the company charges in six-second increments rather than rounding up to the closest minute.

Like VarTec, IDT offers cheap rates and tolerable customer service. The company controls about 4%-7% of the residential long-distance market. They offer excellent discount international options, but prices on intrastate can be high in some areas.

The representatives were friendly, but unpolished, and we had to wait five to 10 minutes each time we called.

Wireless Worst:

Sprint PCS

Sprint PCS is the cellphone company people love to hate. It got more per complaints per subscriber than any of the top five carriers over the past year.

As its customers drift away, the company is adding new fees and restrictions. Since the start of the year, it has rolled back the time night minutes start to 9 p.m. on some plans, and has started charging customers airtime for checking how many minutes they have left on their plan. Some customers, typically those with poor credit, are even charged a $3 fee to speak with a customer-service agent.

At Sprint, there is a specific target for customer frustration: Clair. She is the "virtual service representative," that answers customer calls. Clair can transform even the most basic customer query or billing question into a nightmarish chase, with her tendency to misunderstand speech commands and direct customers to the wrong departments.

"I'd like to egg her virtual house," says Daryll Rhoades, a standup comedian from Atlanta who has been frustrated by his inability to find human assistance at the company.

Qwest Wireless

Qwest Communications, which is under fire for allegedly overstating its revenue last year by more than $1 billion, has also had trouble keeping its customer accounts straight. In Colorado alone, the state Public Utility Commission has received 1,550 complaints about Qwest's wireless, long-distance, and local services.

"Consumers ought to be able to get their bill fixed without calling the attorney general," says Janet Napolitano, Arizona's attorney general. Her office has filed suit against the company over marketing and billing practices. Qwest acknowledges that it had service problems in the past, but says it has made big improvements recently.

T-Mobile

T-Mobile is in the midst of a massive makeover. In recent months, the company changed its name and launched an ad campaign featuring Ms. Zeta Jones.

The company has a history worth hiding. T-Mobile, a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom, is known for having a weak national network, and the FCC received 1,466 complaints about the company in the past year, giving it one of the worst complaint rates in the industry. T-Mobile says their complaint rate has tapered off and that they have made substantial network improvements.

But T-Mobile is the cheapest wireless provider, available, with an average cost of just 8.2 cents per minute. (Verizon, by contrast, costs 14.3 cents per minute.)

Wireless Less Bad:

AT&T Wireless:

AT&T Wireless is the only major wireless company to provide a consumer-friendly perk: an automatic "dropped call credit" under which customers are reimbursed for any call that was cut off midconversation and immediately redialed by the caller.

Such civility comes at a price. AT&T's rates are on the high side, with a typical cost per minute of 12.5 cents. But the company is a good choice for high-volume users in parts of the country where their next-generation network is available. In those markets, the company is leading the current round of pricing wars, with a plan that offers unlimited minutes for $99 a month.

But like many of its competitors, the company has been adding new fees. The cost of directory assistance, for example, has jumped to $1.25, and the company bills you for airtime if you make a call that rings for more that 30 seconds, even if it's not answered.

Wireless Better:

Verizon Wireless:

You pay for what you get. At 14.3 cents a minute, Verizon is the most expensive wireless carrier. But it also has the strongest nationwide network, a lower complaint rate and the strongest customer service of anyone in our tests.

E-mails we sent to the company were answered in less than half an hour, and helpful customer service reps came on the phone in less than a minute. (Compare that with a 15-minute wait at Sprint.)

There were some flaws, including a charge for receiving text messages, whether you read them or not.

October 18, 2002 message from Business Week Online

information technology
VERIZON: A LEADER AMONG BELLS? CEO Seidenberg has assembled the pieces to grow nationwide http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/oct2002/tc20021014_8832.htm?c=bwtechoct18&n=link1&t=email

commentary
TELECOM: WHEN REGULATION = COMPETITION Despite the Baby Bells' howls, states are wisely slashing the access rates that Bells charge their local-service rivals http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/oct2002/tc20021017_9875.htm?c=bwtechoct18&n=link2&t=email

*******************************************************
So what does Bob Jensen like in the way of long distance service?

My home service is Southwestern Bell, but for long distance I almost always dial [10-10-811-1 (Area Code) Number] for a $.50 minimum per long distance call up to ten minutes and $.05 per minute afterwards. This is a much better deal than the heavily-advertised alternative for a $1.00 minimum long distance call up to 20 minutes since I rarely talk for more than ten minutes on the phone. Note that the 811 alternative is billed automatically on the billing that you receive from your regular phone service. There are no separate billings.

In other words, if I were dialing phone number 515-555-555 from my home in San Antonio, I would dial as follows for five cents a minute domestic rate at any time:
10 10 811 1 515 555 5555
This will not work from my office or from hotels.

So what does Bob Jensen like in the way of wireless service?

None of the above! I like SOS Emergency Wireless Communications for my wife and myself --- http://www.sosphone.com/
(But then I really don't feel that I need a more expensive wireless telephone.)

IDT Rate Comparison Center --- http://www.idt.net/products/ld/compare.asp

10 10 Rates (including international rates) --- http://10-10phonerates.com/

October 11, 2002 reply from Elliot Kamlet SUNY Account [ekamlet@BINGHAMTON.EDU]

If we are looking at favorites, mine is USA Datanet. It's only available in CT,DE,DC,FL,MD,MA,NH,NJ,NY,PA,RI, & VA. Keep checking, they are adding states all the time. Not a 10 10 number but you dial a local number, put in access code (unless you call from home) and call the number. Rate within the Northeast is 10¢ per minute up to 99¢, the rest of the call is free and the time is unlimited. Outside of the above states, maximum is $1.99. Alternatively, they have a 4.9¢ rate. The numbers may be used from any phone (cell, hotel, etc.) You can use it wherever they have an access number. They have good international rates too starting at 8.9¢ per minute to Western Europe. See their website www.usadatanet.com or call 1-877-532-8263.

Elliot Kamlet

Message from Business Week on October 15
Here's a sample of this year's top 25 e.Biz wizards. For the complete list, please click here http://www.businessweek.com/technology/tc_special/02ebiz25.htm

Jeff Bezos: Finally Relaxing? http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/oct2002/tc2002101_9694.htm?c=bwebiz25&n=link2&t=email

Pierre Danon: Wireless Warrior http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/oct2002/tc2002101_7082.htm?c=bwebiz25&n=link6&t=email

Barry Diller: Online Travel Wiz http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/oct2002/tc2002101_6079.htm?c=bwebiz25&n=link7&t=email

Michael George: Super Customer Service http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/oct2002/tc2002101_7238.htm?c=bwebiz25&n=link9&t=email

Rob Glaser: Real Close http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/oct2002/tc2002101_6717.htm?c=bwebiz25&n=link10&t=email

Reed Hastings: Movies by Mail http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/oct2002/tc2002101_0566.htm?c=bwebiz25&n=link11&t=email

Kaz Hirai: Getting Games Online http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/oct2002/tc2002101_5814.htm?c=bwebiz25&n=link12&t=email

Thomas Holtrop: Net Business Builder http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/oct2002/tc2002101_2112.htm?c=bwebiz25&n=link14&t=email

Subrah Iyar and Min Zhu: Meetings on the Web http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/oct2002/tc2002101_3868.htm?c=bwebiz25&n=link15&t=email

Kim Taek Jin: Lineage's Father http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/oct2002/tc2002101_2505.htm?c=bwebiz25&n=link16&t=email

Max Levchin: Online Fraud-Buster http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/oct2002/tc2002101_0628.htm?c=bwebiz25&n=link17&t=email

Don Logan: Black-Hole Filler http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/oct2002/tc2002101_6475.htm?c=bwebiz25&n=link18&t=email

Dev Mukherjee: IT Service, a la Carte http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/oct2002/tc2002101_2686.htm?c=bwebiz25&n=link19&t=email

Suresh Ramasubramanian: Anti-Spam Man http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/oct2002/tc2002101_2645.htm?c=bwebiz25&n=link20&t=email

Eric Rudder: .Net's General http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/oct2002/tc2002101_3287.htm?c=bwebiz25&n=link22&t=email

Eric Schmidt: Super Searcher http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/oct2002/tc2002101_6280.htm?c=bwebiz25&n=link23&t=email

Terry Semel: Rebuilding a Portal http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/oct2002/tc2002101_3365.htm?c=bwebiz25&n=link24&t=email

Dave Vucina: Wi-Fi Everywhere http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/oct2002/tc2002101_4987.htm?c=bwebiz25&n=link25&t=email

Meg Whitman: Making PayPal Pay http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/oct2002/tc2002101_8636.htm?c=bwebiz25&n=link26t=email

The Internal Revenue Service has issued Revenue Ruling 2002-62 that may help certain taxpayers whose retirement funds are at risk of being depleted by a drop in stock values. http://www.accountingweb.com/item/92437

AccountingWEB US - Oct-7-2002 - The Internal Revenue Service has issued Revenue Ruling 2002-62 that may help certain taxpayers whose retirement funds are at risk of being depleted by a drop in stock values. The ruling addresses a concern of taxpayers who are required to withdraw a fixed amount from their retirement fund and who may find they are depleting retirement funds more quickly than anticipated due to a drop in the value of their investments.
The ruling applies to taxpayers who have chosen to take distributions of substantially equal periodic payments from tax-deferred retirement savings, and these distributions are to span the life expectancy of the taxpayer. These taxpayers who have elected to withdraw a fixed amount over their life expectancy may now fear a rapid depletion of their retirement savings due to the current drop in the stock market.
This new ruling permits taxpayers who chose either a fixed amortization method or a fixed annuitization method of determining annual payments under the previous rules to make a one-time switch to the required minimum distribution method. Using the required minimum distribution method, the annual payment for each year is determined by dividing the account balance for that year by the number from the chosen life expectancy table for that year. Under this method, the account balance, the number from the chosen life expectancy table and the resulting annual payments are redetermined for each year.
Once a taxpayer chooses to change to the required minimum distribution method of determining the annual withdrawal from a retirement plan, the new method applies for all future years.
This ruling applies for all tax years beginning in 2003 and thereafter and may also be used for calculating retirement distributions in 2002.

Improve your touch typing skills I added this module to http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/000aaa/newfaculty.htm#Resources

TypingTips --- http://www.typingtips.com/Special/Home1.asp

You may contact Roy Oron [info@typingtips.com]

Patent Trouble Pending
What would you do if someone sued you for infringing on a patent on all of E-commerce? It's happening, and some companies are fighting back. http://update.informationweek.com/cgi-bin4/flo?y=eJNY0BcUEY0V20BkWd0AW

October 12, 2002 message from Scott Bonacker, CPA [scottbonacker@moccpa.com]

I don't know anyone that is using this yet, but this product may be of interest. It doesn't seem to be all that expensive."...a fund accounting software solution that's designed to meet the specialized needs of nonprofit organizations. Designed as a companion application to Intuit's popular accounting programs

QuickBooks Pro 2002..."

http://www.nonprofitbooks.com/qbpro_info.asp

http://www.nonprofitfinancial.org/sw/

http://quickbooksusers.com/nonprofit.htm

http://www4.compasspoint.org/p.asp?WebPage_ID=385

http://www.smallbusinesscomputing.com/biztools/article.php/1025041

Bob Jensen's bookmarks for accounting software are at
http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/bookbob1.htm#010303Software%20and%20Instructional%20Aids

The Fitzwilliam Museum at Cambridge University (History) --- http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/

Museum of London http://www.museum-london.org.uk/

Brittannia http://www.dalton.org/groups/rome/Britannia.html

Bob Jensen's bookmarks to history and museums can be found at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/bookbob2.htm#History

Carnegie Mellon is battling Internet crime with the help of a five-year grant from the Defense Department. The university believes their new inventions will fight hacker attacks and enhance security --- http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,55649,00.html

"Search for an index that can be counted on," by Andrew Balls, Financial Times, Oct 09, 2002, Page 8 --- http://search.ft.com/search/article.html?id=021009000531&query=%22Search+for+an+index%22&vsc_appId=totalSearch&state=Form

Now, in response to the latest round of scandals and disappointment, Stern Stewart has come up with a new measure of performance: the wealth added index (WAI), which aims to measure corporate performance from the shareholder's perspective.

The new index judges a company's return on equity against the its cost of equity, using the Capital Asset Pricing Model, the foundation of modern portfolio theory. While EVA is based on accounts, the simple WAI is based on share price performance. This allows cross-border comparisons between companies - and hence a global ranking.

To create wealth for shareholders, a company must provide returns that exceed the cost of equity. Earnings may go up, quarter after quarter, or following an acquisition. But that does not guarantee that a company is creating wealth. Rather, supranormal returns, above the cost of equity, create wealth; sub-par returns destroy wealth.

The WAI equation, put simply, measures the change in market capitalisation plus dividends, minus shareholders' required returns and net shares issued. To see what this means in practice look at the tables, which show the top and bottom 40 companies in the WAI.

Between 1997-2001, Wal-Mart's enterprise value increased by $215bn and Vodafone's enterprise value increased by $184bn. Yet, according to Stern Stewart's measure, Wal-Mart created almost $150bn (ý97bn) of wealth for its shareholders while Vodafone destroyed $105bn of shareholder wealth.

The difference is largely explained by capital Vodafone raised to deliver the growth in enterprise value - a total of almost $242bn. This included roughly $170bn of shares issued to acquire Mannesman and the debt raised to buy third-generation mobile phone licences.

Unsurprisingly, there are a number of telecommunications and technology companies at the bottom of the table. International Business Machines and Nokia stand out as technology companies that have created value for shareholders despite the bursting of the technology bubble. Many acquisitive groups also fared badly but Pfizer stands out as a company that made a large acquisition during the period but remained at the top of the table.

So is the WAI the tool that investors have been waiting for?

One drawback is that because the index measures wealth created or destroyed in cash terms, rather than in percentage terms, it is skewed towards big companies at the top and bottom. A second problem is that an index based on share prices - like the stock market itself - can be volatile.

Looking at the breakdown by each of the five years, Vodafone, NTT, Lucent, and JDS Uniphase created a large amount of shareholder wealth between 1997 and 2000. The destruction of shareholder wealth all came in 2000, when the bubble burst. The WAI provided little clue of what was about to happen.

The table was calculated up to December 2001. Since then, there have been significant market movements. Citigroup ranked fifth, having created $82.6bn of shareholder wealth between 1997 and 2001. This year its share price has dropped almost 40 per cent, more or less wiping out the wealth created in the previous five years.

"The value of prospects dominates the composition of the score and this is based on changes in share prices. As a performance measure, I am not sure it adds much," says Neil Darke, head of Quest, Collins Stewart's cash-flow-based investment analysis service.

Stern Stewart acknowledges these shortcomings but argues that wealth added should not be seen just as an index. According to Erik Stern, managing director of Stern Stewart in Europe, the real value of the WAI comes in the analysis of the four pillars of wealth added represented on the table - and what this tells you about the company.

The first column measures what Stern Stewart calls the change in the value of profits. This takes the current level of profits, measured by net operating profit after tax, and values it as if this level of profits were to be earned indefinitely, using a simple formula. The change over the period measures the difference in the perpetuity value of the level of profits prevailing at the start and the end of the period.

The second column subtracts the value of profits from the company's enterprise value. This represents the value embedded in the share price for future growth - called the value of prospects. Again, comparing 1997 and 2001 gives the change in the market's valuation of the company's future growth prospects. Since profits tend to be fairly stable, most of the observed change reflects changes in the value of prospects, which amounts to a re-rating or de-rating of the stock.

For some, the terminology will be irritating. The current value of profits is what Stern Stewart normally refers to as current operations value; the expected value of prospects it terms the future growth value. Consultants are paid, in part, for packaging and repackaging their ideas and techniques.

More fundamentally, one of the claims made about the WAI is that it does not rely on accounts. But analysing the value of profits - and the residual value of prospects - reintroduces accounting numbers, with the associated problems and adjustments.

Linking management compensation to the WAI is no doubt better than simple share price targets. But is the WAI the perfect measure of management performance? The index captures how much richer a shareholder is relative to expectations; it does not really capture whether this is the result of performance or market movements.

The expected return on equity, derived from the capital asset pricing model, is made up of the risk-free rate, the equity risk premium (the expected excess return over Treasury bonds for equities) and the stock's beta (its movement relative to market movements). Substituting actual market returns rather than the equity risk premium may give a very different picture.

A company, then, may fail to miss its cost of equity but still perform better relative to the market than predicted by its beta.

"From the shareholders' perspective you might not beat the cost of equity. The point is whether it is the managers' fault or not," says Henri Servaes, professor of finance at the London Business School. "When people measure mutual fund performance they make an adjustment for the beta of the fund. Why shouldn't you do this for a manager of a corporation?".

Nor is it clear that the WAI provides a better gauge of management performance than total shareholder return - which measures capital appreciation plus dividends reinvested in the company's stock - benchmarked against a group of peers.

"If one is compelled to look at relative stock market performance, I don't see why the WAI is materially better than per share measurements," says Rick Escherich, head of mergers and acquisitions research at JP Morgan Chase in New York.

If investors have learnt not to focus on one metric in isolation, they may decide not to focus on just one measure of corporate performance. Even so, the $500bn of wealth destroyed over five years by the bottom 15 companies in Stern Stewart's ranking is striking - and likely to generate lively debate.

Foreign Language Translation Software

My colleagues in the language department tell me that language translation software leaves a lot to be desired. Having said this, however, I provide a few links below:

Tango Web Browser --- http://www.alis.com/en/indexfl.html

Online Stores for Translation Software --- http://www.allvirtualware.com/

IWA Review --- http://www.iwanet.org/languagecentre/resources/

Etaco --- http://www.travlang.com/tlstore/gold511/

J.B. Miles --- http://www.gcn.com/21_22/software/19500-1.html

What works? --- http://www.the-infoshop.com/press/ab3365_en.shtml

You can get free language translation from search engines like Altavista --- http://www.altavista.com/

October 18 reply from Baldwin, Amelia [abaldwin@cba.ua.edu]

Bob,

a direct link to altavista's language translation is http://www.babelfish.altavista.com/

Amelia

Bob Jensen's search helpers are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/searchh.htm

Field Expeditions: Mozambique (Travel, Photography, History, Culture) --- http://www.worldwildlife.org/expeditions/mozambique/

Photojournalistas.com (Photography) --- http://www.photojournalistas.com/

Apple's Titanium PowerBook costs more than other Macintosh laptops, but its built-in wireless card isn't up to snuff --- http://www.wired.com/news/mac/0,2125,55742,00.html

Center on Religion and Democracy at the University of Virginia http://religionanddemocracy.lib.virginia.edu/

American Jewish Historical Society http://www.ajhs.org/

Insultingly Stupid Movie Physics --- http://www.intuitor.com/moviephysics/

Technonerds go to movies strictly for entertainment, and of course, the most entertaining part comes after the movie when they can dissect, criticize, and argue the merits of every detail. However, when supposedly serious scenes totally disregard the laws of physics in blatantly obvious ways it's enough to make us retch. The motion picture industry has failed to police itself against the evils of bad physics. This page is provided as a public service in hopes of improving this deplorable matter. The minds of our children and their ability to master vectors are (shudder) at stake.

I didn't know whether to say thank you or that my feelings were hurt.
Vicki Silvers on learning her study of highlighted textbook passages won an Ig Nobel Prize for Literature, which dubious research.
Newsweek, October 14, 2002, Page 19

Harvard's Ig Nobel Prizes for 2002 dubious scientific awards have been announced --- http://www.improb.com/ig/ig-top.html

The 2002 Ig Nobel Prize Winners

BIOLOGY
Norma E. Bubier, Charles G.M. Paxton, Phil Bowers, and D. Charles Deeming of the United Kingdom, for their report "Courtship Behaviour of Ostriches Towards Humans Under Farming Conditions in Britain." [REFERENCE: "Courtship Behaviour of Ostriches (Struthio camelus) Towards Humans Under Farming Conditions in Britain," Norma E. Bubier, Charles G.M. Paxton, P. Bowers, D.C. Deeming, British Poultry Science, vol. 39, no. 4, September 1998, pp. 477-481.]

PHYSICS
Arnd Leike of the University of Munich, for demonstrating that beer froth obeys the mathematical Law of Exponential Decay. [REFERENCE: "Demonstration of the Exponential Decay Law Using Beer Froth," Arnd Leike, European Journal of Physics, vol. 23, January 2002, pp. 21-26.]

INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH
Karl Kruszelnicki of The University of Sydney, for performing a comprehensive survey of human belly button lint -- who gets it, when, what color, and how much.

CHEMISTRY
Theo Gray of Wolfram Research, in Champaign, Illinois, for gathering many elements of the periodic table, and assembling them into the form of a four-legged periodic table table.

MATHEMATICS
K.P. Sreekumar and the late G. Nirmalan of Kerala Agricultural University, India, for their analytical report "Estimation of the Total Surface Area in Indian Elephants." [REFERENCE: "Estimation of the Total Surface Area in Indian Elephants (Elephas maximus indicus)," K.P. Sreekumar and G. Nirmalan, Veterinary Research Communications, vol. 14, no. 1, 1990, pp. 5-17.]

LITERATURE
Vicki L. Silvers of the University of Nevada-Reno and David S. Kreiner of Central Missouri State University, for their colorful report "The Effects of Pre-Existing Inappropriate Highlighting on Reading Comprehension." [ PUBLISHED IN: Reading Research and Instruction, vol. 36, no. 3, 1997, pp. 217-23.]

PEACE
Keita Sato, President of Takara Co., Dr. Matsumi Suzuki, President of Japan Acoustic Lab, and Dr. Norio Kogure, Executive Director, Kogure Veterinary Hospital, for promoting peace and harmony between the species by inventing Bow-Lingual, a computer-based automatic dog-to-human language translation device.

HYGEINE
Eduardo Segura, of Lavakan de Aste, in Tarragona, Spain, for inventing a washing machine for cats and dogs.

ECONOMICS
The executives, corporate directors, and auditors of Enron, Lernaut & Hauspie [Belgium], Adelphia, Bank of Commerce and Credit International [Pakistan], Cendant, CMS Energy, Duke Energy, Dynegy, Gazprom [Russia], Global Crossing, HIH Insurance [Australia], Informix, Kmart, Maxwell Communications [UK], McKessonHBOC, Merrill Lynch, Merck, Peregrine Systems, Qwest Communications, Reliant Resources, Rent-Way, Rite Aid, Sunbeam, Tyco, Waste Management, WorldCom, Xerox, and Arthur Andersen, for adapting the mathematical concept of imaginary numbers for use in the business world. [NOTE: all companies are US-based unless otherwise noted.]

MEDICINE
Chris McManus of University College London, for his excruciatingly balanced report, "Scrotal Asymmetry in Man and in Ancient Sculpture." [PUBLISHED IN: Nature, vol. 259, February 5, 1976, p. 426.]

Forwarded by Auntie Bev

Click here: A.R.S.E. --- http://www.sunbelt-software.com/stu/eye.htm
THIS IS REALLY WEIRD. PUT YOUR CURSOR ON THE EYE!

Forwarded by Don Mathis (for Trinity University employees)

The Perfect Job - And What to Do When You Find It

My first job was squeezing oranges for Mabee Dining Hall, but I got canned…couldn't concentrate.

I worked for a while in Campus Security, but I couldn't shake the feelings of insecurity.

Then I helped cut down the trees for the new Northrup Hall, but I just couldn't hack it, so they gave me the axe.

After that I tried to be a tailor for the Drama Department, but I just wasn't suited for it…mainly because it was a so-so job.

Next I tried installing mufflers for Physical Plant but that was too exhausting.

Then I tried to be a chef at the Skyline, figured it would add a little spice to my life, but I just didn't have the thyme.

I attempted to work for Aramark, but anyway I sliced it, I couldn't cut the mustard.

My best job was in the Music Department, but eventually I found I wasn't noteworthy.

I studied a long time to become a doctor, but I didn't have any patience.

One summer I worked in a shoe factory; I tried but I just didn't fit in.

The Tennis Courts were OK for a while, but I got tired of the same old racquet and discovered I couldn't live on my net income.

I managed to get a good job working for pool maintenance, but the work was just too draining.

So then I got a job in the Bell Center, but they said I wasn't fit for the job.

I used to operate the elevator in Chapman, but there were too many ups and downs. Also, Dr. Brazil wanted to go to the fifth floor one day... but that's another story.

After many years of trying to find steady work, I finally got a job as an historian, until I realized there was no future in it.

My last job was working at Java City, but I had to quit because it was always the same old grind.

So I came to Coates Library and found I had found the perfect job. The faculty treats me with respect, the students call me 'sir,' and the books - they don't talk back.

I want to give back a portion of my pleasure - so I give to United Way.

***********************************************************************
Don Mathis Trinity University
Coates Library Circulation Dept
210-999-8189 mailto:dmathis@trinity.edu
(Please accept my apologies if I neglected to mention your department. I will accept any suggestions. :- )

Halloween tale forwarded by Dr. D.

Being from Sleepy Hollow, he never should have left his horse.

Tony A man was waiting for his wife to give birth when the doctor came in and informed the new dad that his son was born without a torso, arms, or legs. The son had only a head! But the dad loved his son anyway, and raised him as well as he could, with love and compassion.

After 21 years, the son was old enough for his first drink. Dad took him to the bar and tearfully told the son he was proud of him. Then Dad ordered up the biggest, strongest drink for his boy. With all the bar patrons looking on curiously, and the bartender shaking his head in disbelief, the boy took his first sip of alcohol.

Swoooop! A torso popped out of the bottom of the son's head! The bar was deadly silent; then burst into a whoop of joy. The father, shocked, begged his son to drink again. The patrons began chanting, "Take another drink!" The bartender stood still, shaking his head in amazement.

Swoooop! Two arms popped out. The bar went wild. The father, crying and wailing, cried for his son to drink again. The patrons continued their chant: "Take another drink!"

But the bartender turned his back at this point, ignoring the whole affair.

By now the boy was getting tipsy, but with his new hands he reached down, grabbed his drink, and guzzled the last of it. Swoooop! Two legs popped out.

By now the bar was in chaos, with the father on his knees, thanking God. The boy stood up on his new legs and stumbled to the left, then to the right, then right through the front door, and into the street, where a truck ran smack into him, killing him instantly.

The bar fell silent. The father began to softly moan in grief. The bartender picked up the boy's empty glass, and began to clean it, muttering, "That boy should have quit while he was a head."

Forwarded by Auntie Bev

Subject: Yard work as viewed from Heaven

God : Frank, you know all about gardens and nature; what in the world is
going on down there in the U.S.? What happened to the dandelions, violets,
thistles and the stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect no-maintenance
garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought, and
multiply with abandon. The nectar from the long-lasting blossoms attracts
butterflies, honey bees, and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast
garden of color by now. All I see are patches of green.

St. Francis: It's the tribes that settled there, Lord. They are called the
Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers "weeds" and went to great
lengths to kill them and replace them with grass.

God: Grass? But it is so boring, it's not colorful. It doesn't attract
butterflies, bees or birds, only grubs and sod worms. It's temperamental
with temperatures. Do these Suburbanites really want grass growing there?

St. Francis: Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it has grown a little, they
cut it....sometimes two times a week.

God: They cut it? Do they bale it like hay?

St. Francis: Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags.

God: They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?

St. Francis: No sir, just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.

God: Now let me get this straight...they fertilize it to make it grow and
when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?

St. Francis: Yes, sir.

God: These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on
the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a
lot of work.

St. Francis: You aren't going to believe this Lord, but when the grass stops
growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it so they
can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it.

God: What nonsense! At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer
stroke of genius, if I do say do myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring
to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the autumn they fall to the
ground and form a natural blanket to keep the moisture in the soil and
protect the trees and bushes. Plus, as they rot, the leaves become compost
to enhance the soil. It's a natural circle of life.

St. Francis: You'd better sit down, Lord. As soon as the leaves fall, the
Suburbanites rake them into great piles and pay to have them hauled away.

God: No way! What do they do to protect the shrubs and tree roots in the
winter to keep the soil moist and loose?

St. Francis: After throwing the leaves away, they go out and buy something
called mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves.

God: And where do they get this mulch?

St. Francis: They cut down the trees and grind them up to make mulch.

God: Enough! I don't want to think about this anymore. Saint Catherine,
you're in charge of the arts. What movie have you scheduled for us tonight?

St. Catherine: "Dumb and Dumber," Lord. It's a really stupid movie about....

God: Never mind--I think I just heard the whole story from Saint Francis!

I was driving with my three young children one warm summer evening when a woman in the convertible ahead of us stood up and waved. She was stark naked! As I was reeling from the shock, I heard my five-year-old shout from the back seat, "Mom! That lady isn't wearing a seat belt!"

My son Zachary, 4, came screaming out of the bathroom to tell me he'd dropped his toothbrush in the toilet. So I fished it out and threw it in the garbage. Zachary stood there thinking for a moment, then ran to my bathroom and came out with my toothbrush. He held it up and said with a charming little smile, "We better throw this one out too then, 'cause it fell in the toilet a few days ago."

On the first day of school, a first grader handed his teacher a note from his mother. The note read, "The opinions expressed by this child are not necessarily those of his parents."

A woman was trying hard to get the catsup to come out of the jar. During her struggle the phone rang so she asked her four-year old daughter to answer the phone. "It's the minister, Mommy," the child said to her mother. Then she added., "Mommy can't come to the phone to talk to you right now. She's hitting the bottle."

I love the outdoors, and because of my passion for hunting and fishing, my family eats a considerable amount of wild game. So much, in fact, that one evening as I set a platter of broiled venison steaks on the dinner table, my ten-year-old daughter looked up and said, "Boy, it sure would be nice if pizzas lived in the woods."

A mother was showing her son how to zip up his coat. "The secret," she said, "is to get the left part of the zipper to fit in the other side before you try to zip it up." The boy looked at her quizzically... "Why does it have to be a secret?"

When my daughter was three, we watched Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs for the first time. The wicked queen appeared, disguised as an old lady selling apples, and my daughter was spellbound. Then Snow White took a bite of the poisoned apple and fell to the ground unconscious. As the apple rolled away, my daughter spoke up. "See, Mom. She doesn't like the skin either."

A little boy got lost at the YMCA and found himself in the women's locker room. When he was spotted, the room burst into shrieks, with ladies grabbing towels and running for cover. The little boy watched in amazement and then asked, "What's the matter --haven't you ever seen a little boy before?"

Forwarded by Cec and Dick (You have to have Norwegian ancestors to appreciate this one.)

A couple of elderly Norwegian gentlemen met on main street one morning, Sven was walking his dog and Gunnar was walking his cane. They chatted amicably for awhile , Gunnar kept looking at Svens dog, who continually licked his butt . Eventually after discussions of ailments, funerals attended, and upcoming church socials had been thoroughly discussed, Gunnar said, Sven I tink your dogs got some vorms,he yust keeps lickin his butt wit a passion I haint seen since old lady Thorsen caught her husband Haakon wit dat young waitress Gundren at da local vall mart parkin lot. Sven looked down at his equally elderly dog Rolf and said,Gunnar dis dog dont got no vorms,ve yust had Lutefisk last night and Rolf got all de leftovers and hes yust trying to get da taste out of his mouth .

Forwarded by Auntie Bev

Nuns At The Game:

Sitting behind a couple of nuns at the football game, three men decided to badger the nuns in an effort to get them to move.

In a very loud voice, the first guy said, "I think I'm going to move to Utah, there are only 100 Catholics living there..."

The second guy spoke up and said, "I want to go to Montana, there are only 50 Catholics living there...

The third guy spoke up and said, "I want to go to Idaho, there are only 25 Catholics living there..."

One of the nuns turned around, and looked at the men, and calmly said, "Why don't you go to hell, there aren't any Catholics there...

Forwarded by Auntie Bev

A Russian scientist and a Czechoslovakian scientist had spent their lives studying the majestic grizzly bear. Each year, they petitioned their governments to allow them to go to Yellowstone. Finally, their request was granted. But at Yellowstone, rangers told them it was mating season. It was much too dangerous. But this was their only chance, so the rangers relented. They were told to report in daily.

For several days they called in, and then nothing was heard from them. The rangers mounted a search. They found the scientists' camp ravaged, with no sign of the missing men. They followed the trail of a male and a female bear. They found the female and killed her. Cutting her open, they found the Russian's remains.

One ranger said, "You know what this means, don't you? "

(Are you ready for this? My wife, Erika, was raised in Munich, but she lived the first five years of her life in Czechoslovakia.)

Get ready! Here' the punch line!

Of course," said the other ranger, "the Czech is in the male."

Forwarded by Auntie Bev

IT'S A WONDER WE SURVIVED!

Looking back, it's hard to believe that we have lived as long as we have.

As children we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a pickup truck on a warm day was always a special treat.

Our baby cribs were painted with bright colored lead based paint. We often chewed on the crib, ingesting the paint.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors, or cabinets, and when we rode our bikes we had no helmets.

We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps, then rode down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times we learned to solve the problem.

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on. No one was able to reach us all day.

We played dodge ball and sometimes the ball would really hurt.

We ate cupcakes, bread and butter, and drank sugar soda, but we were never overweight; we were always outside playing.

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment.

Some students weren't as smart as others or didn't work hard so they failed a grade and were held back to repeat the same grade.

That generation produced some of the greatest risk-takers and problem solvers.

We had the freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all.

Forwarded by Bob Blystone

Life¹s Ironies

Recently, when I went to McDonald's I saw on the menu that you could have an order of 6, 9 or 12 Chicken McNuggets. I asked for a half dozen nuggets. "We don't have half dozen nuggets," said the teenager at the counter.

"You don't?" I replied.

"We only have six, nine, or twelve," was the reply.

"So I can't order a half-dozen nuggets, but I can order six?"

"That's right."

So I shook my head and ordered six McNuggets.

************

The paragraph above doesn't amaze me because of what happened a couple of months ago. I was checking out at the local Foodland with just a few items and the lady behind me put her things on the belt close to mine. I picked up one of those "Dividers" that they keep by the cash register and placed it between our things so they wouldn't get mixed.

After the girl had scanned all of my items, she picked up the "Divider" looking it all over for the bar code so she could scan it. Not finding the bar code she said to me "Do you know how much this is?" and I said to her "I've changed my mind, I don't think I'll buy that today. " She said "OK" and I paid her for the things and left. She had no clue to what had just happened.....

*****************

A lady at work was seen putting a credit card into her floppy drive and pulling it out very quickly. When inquired as to what she was doing, she said she was shopping on the Internet and they kept asking for a credit card number, so she was using the ATM "thingy".

************

I recently saw a distraught young lady weeping beside her car. Do you need some help? I asked.

She replied, "I knew I should have replaced the battery to this remote door UN-locker. Now I can't get into my car. Do you think they (pointing to a distant convenient store) would have a battery to fit this?"

"Hmmm, I dunno. Do you have an alarm too?" I asked. "No, just this remote thingy," she answered, handing it and the car keys to me. As I took the key and manually unlocked the door, I replied, "Why don't you drive over there and check about the batteries. It's a long walk.

*************

Several years ago, we had an Intern who was none too swift. One day she was typing and turned to a secretary and said, "I'm almost out of typing paper. What do I do?" "Just use copier machine paper," the secretary told her.

With that, the intern took her last remaining blank piece of paper, put it on the photocopier and proceeded to make five "blank" copies.

**************

I was in a car dealership a while ago, when a large motor home was towed into the garage. The front of the vehicle was in dire need of repair and the whole thing generally looked like an extra in ³Twister." I asked the manager what had happened. He told me that the driver had set the "cruise control" and then went in the back to make a sandwich.

**************

Police in Radnor, Pennsylvania, interrogated a suspect by placing a metal colander on his head and connecting it with wires to a photocopy machine. The message "He's lying" was placed in the copier, and police pressed the copy button each time they thought the suspect wasn't telling the truth. Believing the "lie detector" was working, the suspect confessed.

Forwarded by the Happy Lady!

Why God made women
Men are like a fine wine.
They start out as grapes, and
it's up to women to stomp the pulp out of them
until they turn into something acceptable
to have dinner with.

Note from Bob Jensen
Not only does this end with a preposition, it might be more meaningful to say that a man starts out as an "apple" and a woman runs him through the cider press! Remember why Adam faltered in the Garden of Eden?

Then again the fruit could be a "fig" and the woman "canned" him. I recall that the fig leaves were in fashion in the Garden of Eden.

I think the Happy Lady has just been "ribbing" us.

And that's the way it was on October 30, 2002 with a little help from my friends.

For accounting news, I prefer AccountingWeb at http://www.accountingweb.com/

Another leading accounting site is AccountingEducation.com at http://www.accountingeducation.com/

Paul Pacter maintains the best international accounting standards and news Website at http://www.iasplus.com/

How stuff works --- http://www.howstuffworks.com/

Quotes of the Week

An intellectual is someone whose mind watches itself.
Camus, Albert

By coming to resemble what we are not, we cease to be what we are.
Jünger Ernst

Where is the knowledge we have lost in information? Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?
T.S. Eliot, "The Rock," Chorus 1 (at the bottom of an email message from Charles Kendall)

Art washes from the soul the dust of everyday life.
Picasso, Pablo

Merrill Lynch’s new email training (wow that has got to be fun!) came under fire from CNN’s Lou Dobbs. Dobbs correctly claims that the firm is just trying to prevent from being sued later when the wrong email was saved.
http://money.cnn.com/2002/10/02/commentary/dobbs/dobbs/index.htm
Quote from an October 5, 2002 message from FinanceProfessor [FinanceProfessor@lb.bcentral.com]

Overall, about 1.5 million out of 19 million postsecondary students (in the U.S.) took at least one distance education course in the 1999-2000 school year. These 1.5 million distance education students differ from other postsecondary students in a number of respects. Compared to other students, they tend to be older and are more likely to be employed full-time and attending school part-time. They also have higher incomes and are more likely to be married. Most students take distance education courses at public institutions, with more taking courses from two-year schools than from four-year schools. The Internet is the most common mode of delivery for providing distance education.
Testimony of Cornelia M. Ashby, Growth in Distance Education Programs and Implications for Federal Education Policy, GAO, September 26, 2002 --- http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d021125t.pdf

Two poems forwarded by Paul Williams

I hate to follow and I hate to lead.
Obey? Oh no! and govern? No, indeed!
Only who dreads himself inspires dread.
And only those inspiring dread can lead.
Even to lead myself is not my speed.
I love to lose myself for a good while.
Like animals in forests and the sea.
To sit and think on some abandoned isle,
And lure myself back home from far away,
Seducing myself to come back to me.
(from page 53-54 of Walter Kaufmann translation, Vintage Books, 1974)

Do not stay in the field!
Nor climb out of sight.
The best view of the world
Is from a medium height.
(from page 43 of Walter Kaufmann translation, Vintage Books, 1974)

My September October 14, 2002 updates on the accounting auditing, and corporate governance scandals are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/fraud101402.htm

I really enjoyed the presentation (actually a dinner talk) by Chuck Landis, Director, AICPA Audit & Attest Team. I have made his PowerPoint slides available at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen//theory/00overview/landes.ppt

Hi Bob,

So nice to meet you yesterday and to share ideas. As promised, here is my presentation from last night. Feel free to use it or share it any way you wish. Good luck in Fla. with the weather and please let me know if we can be of any assistance at the AICPA.

Chuck Landes, CPA
Director, AICPA Audit & Attest Team
212-596-6127 clandes@aicpa.org

My presentation earlier in the day is at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/fraudVirginia.htm

Linda Specht at Trinity University forwarded this ethics Website that may be of considerable interest --- http://www.ethicsweb.ca/codes/

Update on What's Right and What's Wrong With Special Purpose Entities (SPEs) --- http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen//theory/00overview/speOverview.htm

Two SPE Papers by Benston and Hartgraves
"The Evolving Accounting Standards for Special Purpose Entities and Consolidations," by Al L. Hartgraves and George J. Benston, Accounting Horizons, September 2002, pp. 245-258. "ENRON: what happened and what we can learn from it ," by George J. Benston and Al L. Hartgraves, Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, 2002, pp. 125-127

Learning Basic Financial Accounting at Brigham Young University (BYU) From Homegrown Videos
Developer and Instructor: Norman Nemrow [nemrow@byu.edu]
Title of Package of Eight CDs: Introduction to Accounting: The Language of Business
Textbook: I think this package can be used along with virtually any basic accounting textbook
Pedagogy: Students learn from video lesson modules before each class. The video lessons display
                  the course instructor in video as well as accompanying PowerPoint displays that are auto-
                  matically sequenced with the video. Students have nifty options to both replay the previous
                  five minutes and to play the videos a double (2x) speed that is an outstanding option
                  for reviewing previously-learned material.
Classes: Classes are more inspirational than perspirational (e.g., frequent use of visiting speakers)
Outcomes: Purportedly students perform better vis-à-vis previous lecture pedagogy without video.
                   See the following evaluation of learning:

"Variable Speed Playback of Digitally Recorded Lectures: Evaluating Learner Feedback," by Joel D. Galbraith (joel_galbraith@byu.edu ) and Steven G. Spencer --- http://www.enounce.com/docs/BYUPaper020319.pdf

Cost:

Student purchase of CD set for around $45. Colleges can negotiate pricing with BYU.
$19.99 for download and installation of the Enounce 2xAV video plug-in --- http://www.enounce.com/

Bob Jensen's Bottom-Line Conclusion:
Bravo Norm! This is a tremendous pedagogy for all levels of accounting education

Bob Jensen's Recommendations for Improvements:

Flash video is restricted to video of PowerPoint slides accompanying a talking head. I
prefer a Camtasia video development that allows an instructor to easily make video and
audio lesson modules from other software such as MS Excel, MS Access, accounting software
like Intuit, tax software, simulation software, etc.
The product could be greatly improved if instructors could customize lessons by adding their own
video modules. This is especially exciting for instructors using Camtasia.
See http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/HelpersVideos.htm#Video
The 2xAV plug-in allows students to make use of the tremendous double speed advantage when
there are a lot of video modules to learn and re-learn. However, this is a pain for campus
computing labs that have to install such a plug-in all lab computers. I recommend an option that
will allow video playback on computers that do not have the 2xAV plug-in.
There is also a minor glich for Windows XP operating systems. I got the video lessons to work
wonderfully on my old computer having a Windows NT operating system. The lessons did not
work initially on my new computer running under Windows XP

October 8 message from Cameron Earl [byu@burgoyne.com]

Bob,

I know exactly what your problem is. We have identified a problem with Windows XP and our CDs due to a legal dispute between Sun Microsystems and Microsoft. I have attached a small document, which will fix your problem. Four files are needed for the fix. Unfortunately, they are too big for me to send with my current internet connection. I will go to campus soon and send them. Please call me anytime (even after normal business hours) if you have any questions. 801-836-5649

Cameron Earl

Find out more about ordering options from Cameron at 801-836-5649 or by email at Cameron Earl [byu@burgoyne.com]
A Website for this product is still under development at the Marriott School of Business at BYU.

Helper Site of the Week

Education Index --- http://www.educationindex.com/

Welcome to the Education Index®, an annotated guide to the best education-related sites on the Web. They're sorted by subject and lifestage, so you can find what you're looking for quickly and easily. There's also a place to find out more about us, and about all that the Education Index has to offer.

The Web Weasel^SM is here to guide you through the site; you'll find "The Weas" (as we affectionately know it) mixing it up in the chemistry lab, providing health care, and running for office.

This section is a topic-by-topic breakdown of the best sites on the World Wide Web. We're continually reviewing new sites and adding resources, and appreciate your comments and suggestions.

Agriculture Finance Military Technologies

Anthropology General Reference Music

Archaeology General Science Parks & Recreation

Architecture/Design Geography Performing Arts

Art Geology Personal Services

Astronomy Health & Medicine Philosophy

Biology/Life Sciences History Physical Education

Botany Home Economics Physics

Business Interdisciplinary Studies Political Science

Chemistry Language Protective Services

Communications Law Psychology

Computer Science Liberal Arts & Sciences Public Administration

Conservation Library Science Sociology

Construction Trades Literature Statistics

Economics Manufacturing Technology

Education Marketing Theology

Engineering Mathematics Transportation

Environmental Science Mechanics Women's Studies

Ethnic/Cultural Studies

Bob Jensen's summary of distance education sites is provided at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/crossborder.htm

Bob Jensen's education bookmarks are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/bookbob.htm

"LENS ON THE FUTURE: Open-Source Learning," by Anne H. Moore, EDUCAUSE Review, September/October 2002, pp. 42-51 --- http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0253.pdf

The Current Open-Source Movement

Underpinning the current open-source courseware and knowledgeware movement in higher education and elsewhere is a belief in the advantages to be gained through the open development and exchange of ideas. For this discussion, open-source development falls into two categories: (1) open-source knowledgeware development (the tools); and (2) open-source courseware development (the content). MIT's partnership with Stanford on the Open Knowledge Initiative ( http://web.mit.edu/oki/ ) is an example of a project designed to develop a learning management system, or open-source knowledgeware--Web-based tools for storing, retrieving, and disseminating educational resources and activities. In contrast, projects such as MIT's OpenCourseWare effort ( http://web.mit.edu/ocw/ ), which aims to make instructional materials available free on the Web, and the MERLOT project ( http://www.merlot.org/Home.po ), which endeavors to place on the Web knowledge objects that have been evaluated for quality, represent variations on an open-source courseware-development process.

Open-source software development has traditions that date to the beginnings of the Internet nearly thirty years ago. According to Eric S. Raymond, recent technical and market forces have drawn open-source software out of its niche role in Internet development to a larger role in defining the computing infrastructure of the twenty-first century. Raymond also suggests that the idea of open-source development is pursued and sustained by "people who proudly call themselves 'hackers'--not as the term is now abused by journalists to mean a computer criminal, but in its true and original sense of an enthusiast, an artist, a tinkerer, a problem solver, an expert."¹ Even among such rugged individualists as these, most abide by certain principles of good practice in development and an unwritten code of ethical development and dissemination behavior.

Similarly, many faculty who have developed course materials for the Web have done so in an open-source environment. Frequently, faculty have shared technology-enhanced materials informally with colleagues, tailoring the material for each learning situation and improving on materials in the exchange. The MERLOT project has sought, with some success, to build on faculty values that prize open exchanges and the peer review of materials. Extending these values to a Web-based teaching environment, faculty from across the nation are participating in MERLOT by creating digitized knowledge objects (modularized materials that can be used in teaching and learning), peer-reviewing them, and storing them in a searchable repository that is organized by content areas and is easily accessible for use in teaching. Like the software-development enthusiasts in the "hacker" community, most faculty abide by certain principles of good practice and an unwritten code of ethics. Whether or not projects like MERLOT are long- or short-term phenomena, it is likely that faculty will continue in the long term to devise their own teaching materials, with and without technology, and to seek trusted colleagues' advice in the process. Such practices are a historic tenet of academic culture.

MIT's OpenCourseWare (OCW) project underscores this tenet. Phillip Long notes that OCW is often viewed as "the educational content equivalent to the open-source software movement." Long explains that the application of open-source principles has one intent: "to allow people to read, improve, adapt or modify, fix, redistribute, and use open-source software." He adds, "The definition recognizes that improvements to complex code are made exponentially faster if more people can look at it and lend their intellectual input toward making it work better."² And so it is with OCW. In aiming for an ideal of open scholarship and free access to course materials and resources online, OCW formalizes the historic process of collegial interaction and review for a new age. The technologies employed in this open-educational content process serve at once as catalysts and tools for expanding access to information in many new forms and for encouraging broad participation in the process.

The Open Knowledge Initiative (OKI), which provides the tools that underpin OCW, is a more direct application of the same open-source principles. OKI developers are seeking to create a flexible, scalable knowledge management system that allows for innovative contributions from users in an advanced learning arena. OKI includes collaborating institutions such as Stanford, MIT, Dartmouth College, North Carolina State University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Wisconsin, Madison. These developers are taking aim at improving the technology-assisted teaching environment by providing tools that are modular and easy to use. So when faculty, staff, or students seek to access, deliver, rearrange, or reassemble information, they can do so with the flexibility and customization required to support many approaches to teaching and to learning.³

Working in either of these open-source environments (tools or content) has several benefits for higher education institutions. First, doing so results in products that supplement and compete in healthy ways with proprietary products, either in the learning management systems arena (knowledgeware) or in the publishing world (courseware). Second, working in these environments encourages the use of standards so that users, whether institutions needing knowledgeware or individual faculty needing courseware, can adapt products to particular needs. Finally, participation also creates and nurtures expertise in knowledgeware and courseware development in the academy, complementing commercial efforts and providing alternative models and materials.

Continued at http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0253.pdf
________________
NOTES

¹   Eric S. Raymond, The Cathedral and the Bazaar: Musings on Linux and Open-Source by an Accidental Revolutionary (Cambridge, Mass.: O'Reilly, 1999), xii.

²   Phillip D. Long, "OpenCourseWare: Simple Idea, Profound Implications," Syllabus 15, no. 6 (January 2002): 16.

³   Charles Kerns, Scott Stocker, and Evonne Schaefer, "CourseWork: An Online Problem Set and Quizzing Tool," Syllabus 14, no. 11 (June 2001): 27-29.

Bob Jensen's threads on education technologies are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/000aaa/0000start.htm

Bob Jensen's commentary on the importance of sharing is at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/000aaa/AAAaward_files/AAAaward02.htm

The current "Top Picks" books as chosen by Stanford University Graduate School of Business Alumni have a few surprising winners --- http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/alumni/lifelonglearning/suggested_reading/alumni_top_picks.html

The featured book is as follows:

Current Feature

Nine Parts of Desire: The Hidden World of Islamic Women by Geraldine Brooks

This book written by a news correspondent provides a view into the lives of Middle Eastern women, who are more often than not, are not being forced, but are choosing to veil and cover their bodies. Although Brooks is not a Muslim, she was able to give me an excellent overview of the lives of these women by immersing herself in the culture, dressing according to local custom, and befriending Muslim women in each country she visited. I found it changed many of the stereotyped views I had of the lives of women from the Middle East. Erica Richter, MBA 1979

Book suggestions are posted alphabetically.

Beowulf: A New Verse Translation by Seamus Heaney
"If Jim March was still teaching Organizational Leadership, he'd have to add this book to his class. It's got everything for the modern manager: strategic alliances, competitive strategy, leadership and delegation, rewards systems and motivation, managing with power, teamwork, succession planning, etc. It's a quick read, surprisingly relevant, and guaranteed to start a conversation on long airplane trips."
Leo Linbeck III, MBA '94

Bound Feet and Western Dress by Pang-Mei Natasha Chang (yes my sister) Published by Doubleday
"Inspirational book for Stanford's strong women of the GSB. Recounts the first Westernized divorce in Mainland China. Story of a remarkably strong woman who was married to one of China's most famous romantic poets, Hsu Chih-Mo who then decides to revolutionize China by having a Westernized divorce. Book has been translated into 7 languages, and recently part of a popular TV series in Asia." Nicole Chang, JD/MBA '94/'95

Five Days in London: May 1940 John Lukacs
"Here's the amazing inside account of what went on inside the British War Cabinet in May 1940. France was falling to the German panzer divisions and the British were retreating to what looked like certain annihilation at Dunkirk. Winston Churchill had just been made prime minister but his shaky authority was being challenged by Lord Halifax who led those who wanted to make a deal, thus leading to Hitler's victory and a Nazi world. In that fateful moment in history Churchill beat Halifax and the appeasers and -- despite the immediate battlefield defeat -- truly won the Second World War. This book is a great lesson in the meaning of leadership." Arthur Roth, MBA '49

John Adams by David McCullough
"A fascinating, highly readable account of our second president which transforms him and his famous contemporaries from statues to human beings. All the great names leap to life -- his wife Abigail, his great friend and opponent Tom Jefferson, and Washington, Franklin, and the rest of the amazing crew who literally put their lives on the line -- not to mention their fortunes and sacred honor -- to launch a new nation which for a while didn't look as though it had much chance to survive." Arthur Roth, MBA '49

Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie
"I did not read this month but it is still excellent. The command of language is unique making the story both very poignant and very funny. At the same time the overview of pre and post independence India is sweeping." Alex Pustilnik, MBA '94

Patton, A Genius For War by Carlo D'Este
"Wonderful revisionism history by a great writer. I'm sure most of you have seen the famous movie with George C. Scott - this book gives a much more complete picture of a man who believed he was destined to be a great war leader and practically created a dual personality to do so. Patton was at once a barbaric, cruel man and a hopeless romantic. Also paints Omar Bradley in what I believe is a much more accurate light." Joe Welsh, MBA '94

Plutarch : Lives of Noble Grecians and Romans by A. H. Clough (Editor), John Dryden (Translator)
"This book contains several dozen dramatic biographies of ancient leaders, highlighting the interaction of their character with their particular circumstances. (Also called History.) Shows how character is indeed fate (--unlike prevalent views that environment is fate). Plutarch compares several great Romans to some Great Greeks, pairing similar characters and leadership styles in striking biographies. He's a great story teller too. Read the chapters about generals who took risks; those who didn't; those who made the right decisions, and those who made the wrong ones, some on purpose. Anyone living today whose soul is larger than the average should read Plutarch. Be forewarned, though: Plutarch can be habit forming, since he is better than almost any other case study in leadership you may have ever gotten in Biz School, or most modern biz books." Avner Mandelman, MBA '76

Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
"Wife of missionary accompanies her husband to African Congo. Relive her traumatic experiences of survival there as she tries to raise her four girls amidst the poverty and customs of Congo." Nicole Chang, JD/MBA '94/'95

The Blue Nowhere by Jeffrey Deaver
"I've read about four or five of his books. He wrote the Bone Collector, among others. The book is about a 'wizard' hacker who uses his skills to gain access to well protected people and kill them. It's set in Silicon Valley. The killer is pursued by a local detective, who arranges to temporarily release an imprisoned 'wizard' hacker to help with the investigation. Deaver's other books are also excellent, including The Bone Collector, Coffin Dancer, and The Empty Chair. Happy reading." Hercy Moore, GSB '94

The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed by Sara Gay Fordena
"I read this a few months ago. It is a very interesting book for anybody involved in family-held businesses. It also ties nicely to the current news on the Gucci, LVHM and Prada groups. The story is well documented and thorough, but still fun to read (it probably helps to like their merchandise...)" Christine Morris, MBA '94

The Perfect Store, by Adam Cohen, former Time magazine reporter
Adam recounts how in eBay’s early days, Jeff Skoll , MBA ’95, “was convinced that no matter how well eBay was doing, its success could evaporate at any time.” Skoll, the firm’s first full-time employee, held this cautious outlook, informed by observations of the too-rich-too-fast mistakes made by fellow GSB alumni with their own Internet startups. His conservative approach allowed Skoll to steer the fledgling company through uncharted territory at the dawn of the Internet age. Erica Richter, MBA 1979

The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
"Although we often think of 'viral marketing' as a phenomenon of the Internet Age, examples of social epidemics have a long history. Paul Revere's historic ride is one example featured in Malcolm Gladwell's book. Gladwell has put together a broadly-researched study of how ideas, fashions, and diseases can spread rapidly through a population. Those familiar with Gladwell's articles in The New Yorker will know he has a very captivating style, even when covering scientific topics. Learn why Revere is revered in the history books and not William Dawes (he was another midnight rider with the same revolutionary message that night). Gladwell has put together a bestseller in this, his first book. He must have applied the principles he covered in the book to achieve that!" Kimathi Marangu, MBA '93

The Weight of Dreams by Jonis Agee
"I read quite a bit on airplanes after using up my computer batteries. This is one of the best in a few months. Set in the Sandhills of Nebraska, each page evokes both the cruelty and compassion of people in a harsh, unforgiving environment that nevertheless is home." Thane Kreiner, MBA '94

Archives of recommended reading are at http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/alumni/lifelonglearning/suggested_reading/top_picks_archive.html

Question:
What research hero has fallen from grace due to suspected research fabrication?

Answer:
Jan Hendrik Schön was a super hero at Bell Labs. His nanotechnology work is renowned the world over. But some of his peers begin to suspect he fabricated some work. Those suspicions appear to be true --- http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,55410,00.html

Wow Technology Article of the Week --- A Great Article About Interacting With MS Access and Excel Files Via the Web

"Run Your Business on the Web," by Terryann Glandon, Journal of Accountancy, October 2002, pp. 49-60 --- http://www.aicpa.org/pubs/jofa/oct2002/glandon.htm

In “Do It on the Web,” JofA, Mar.01, page 43, we demonstrated how to create a basic Web site with Microsoft’s FrontPage. In this article we’ll go several steps further: To demonstrate a Web site’s flexibility, we’ll show you how to set up a site that lets customers determine whether what they want to buy is in your inventory, verify orders and change an order if need be, and convert an order’s format to Excel because some accounting data are best handled in a spreadsheet.

While this workshop focuses on enhancing customer service, with some adaptation, you can modify it for many other uses.

VIEWING ORDERS
In order to track this tutorial, you’ll need to download the Access database and the FrontPage file we created in the earlier article. You’ll find them at http://ftp.aicpa.org/public/download/GardenDelights.exe and at http://ftp.aicpa.org/public/download/ExoticFoods.mdb. Once they’re downloaded, create a folder called webs7 in the C:\My Documents\My Webs folder (assuming C:\ is your root directory). Unzip GardenDelights.exe to C:\My Documents\My Webs\webs7, and now you’re ready to begin. Add a table to ExoticFoods.mdb by opening the database and double-clicking on Create table in Design view . . .

Continued at http://www.aicpa.org/pubs/jofa/oct2002/glandon.htm

Bob Jensen's threads on accounting information systems can be found at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/acct5342/index.htm

"Smart Stops on the Web," Journal of Accountancy, October 2002, Page 23 --- http://www.aicpa.org/pubs/jofa/oct2002/news_web.htm

THE INTERNET

SMART STOPS ON THE WEB

E-BUSINESS SITES

Articles, Archives and Links
www.business2.com
The online version of Business 2.0 offers CPAs timely reading material on e-businesses and dot-com companies as well as lighter fare such as the article, “The 101 Dumbest Moments in Business.” The site links to archived issues of the magazine and to other business, e-business, finance and management Web sites.

Express Yourself
www.iconocast.com
For CPAs interested in tracking trends in marketing and technology, this site offers a gratis weekly newsletter and the Iconocast Forum—a community of discussion threads on topics including the Internet market, interactive marketing and segmentation. Other sections of interest are the Search Engine Optimization Guide and archived Iconocast Web pages back to 1998.

Net News
news.com.com
Brought to you by CNET, this site offers tech-savvy professionals news and information on technology issues, as well as market quotes and product reviews. The e-business tab on the home page links to current articles on Web-based companies and on general information technology topics such as dot-com stock options and values.

Insights From Inside
www-3.ibm.com/e-business
For CPAs who dabble in technology consulting, the e-business page of IBM’s Web site focuses on software implementation strategies. Users also can find case studies—including IBM’s solution to Chase Manhattan Bank’s data warehousing problem—and a list of resources with links to timely articles such as “Government Finance—Compliance and Customer Service.”

The Business of E-Business
www.ebcenter.org
PricewaterhouseCoopers and the University of Navarra’s IESE Business School in Barcelona have joined forces to form the E-Business Center Web site. Technology consultants can keep abreast of the latest IT industry news with articles, case studies, expert commentary, news items and research.

Worth a Second Look
techupdate.zdnet.com
This site, previously featured in this column as www.zdnet.com/enterprise/e-business (see JofA, Jun.01, page 21), deserves another visit as it is continually refreshed with current news in the Tech Update Today section. Visitors can find resources such as the E-business Update with articles and commentaries on B2B, customer-relationship-management software and global Internet topics. Other areas of the site offer free newsletter subscriptions via e-mail and free software downloads.

GENERAL INTEREST SITES

“Accountability, Integrity, Reliability”
www.gao.gov
The GAO home page offers the profession a lengthy list of downloadable resources including the report, “FDIC Information Security: Improvements Made But Weaknesses Remain,” and publications on accounting and financial management. Visitors to the site can access FraudNET to “facilitate reporting of allegations of fraud, waste, abuse, or mismanagement of federal funds.”

Tips to Run a Smoother Office
www.shrm.org
Small business owners and HR consultants will want to visit the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) home page to get its HR tip of the day as well as the latest industry news. Users can click on the nonmembers section to read articles such as “Office Romance: HR’s Role” and “Ten Tips for Managing Telecommuters.” Also, CPAs can access any article in the e-version of HR Magazine not labeled “Members Only” for free.

Knowledge Is Power
www.savewealth.com
Estate planners and PFP and tax specialists can find news stories on estate and retirement planning as well as suggestions for reducing taxes here. Articles such as “Retirement Plans With Pass-Through Annuities” and “Avoiding the Perils of Probate” offer guidance on building and preserving wealth. The travel section gives advice on trip planning as well as a link to the State Department’s Web page on travel safety outside of the United States (www.travel.state.gov/travel_warnings.html).

Free E-Tips
www.dummiesdaily.com
Register here and receive free tips via e-mail on topics including health, lifestyle, money, recreation, technology and travel. Each section includes how-to articles for just about anything—from backing up your pocket PC files to downloading online music. Also, for each topic, the Dummies Express feature offers quick fixes and timely advice.

Not Just for Mathematicians
www.actuary.org
The American Academy of Actuaries site offers peer-reviewed documents, such as comment letters and issue briefs, as well as news and task force findings on banking and financial services, professionalism and Social Security, for example. Users also can view the online versions of Contingencies magazine and the “Actuarial Update” newsletter.

Bob Jensen's threads on e-Commerce and e-Business are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/ecommerce.htm

Growth in Distance Education Programs and Implications for Federal Education Policy, Testimony Before the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, U.S. Senate, by Cornelia M. Ashby, September 26, 2002 --- http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d021125t.pdf
(Thanks to Ed Scribner for informing me about this document.)

Bob Jensen's threads on distance education are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/000aaa/0000start.htm

BBC Learning --- http://www.bbc.co.uk/learning/courses/

BBCi are launching a new way of learning. As this is a new service we only have a small (but perfectly formed) list of courses on offer. If you experience any problems with them, or have any suggestions for future courses send us an email.

Our list of online courses is always growing, so sign up for our Learning Update if you would like us to tell you when new courses are launched.

What is an Online Course?

Whether you want to build your confidence, learn how to do your own historical research or discover the Internet, you can develop your skills and increase your understanding from the privacy of your own PC.

Whatever your subject, learn online at your own pace and get a solid start in an area that interests you.

Computers & the Internet
Becoming Webwise Get to grips with the Internet and find out about getting connected, e-mailing, searching, bookmarking, making your own address book and the very basics of building your own web page. Learn at your own pace and it could lead to a nationally recognised qualification.

Design & Technology
Build-A-Bot Techlab Enter the Build-A-Bot Techlab. Discover the basic skills needed for building robots and get started building a unique breed of robots including roller-robots and walkers. Discover the technology behind sensors and circuits with Sensor-Bot and Robo-Voyageur, your latest robot building assignments.

Gardening
How to be a gardener This online resource, prepared in collaboration with the Royal Horticultural Society, will bring life to your learning in the garden in eight practical modules.

Health
First Aid Action Would you know how to react to a road accident, a case of food poisoning or a diabetic emergency with a child? People's lives could depend on your knowledge so take some First Aid Action today.

Get Confident An online course with information, quizzes and tools to help you develop a greater understanding of yourself and make better use of your strengths in challenging situations.

History Top History Trail
Follow one of the seven trails and see how postcards, cartoons, ancient manuscripts and official documents all have a story to tell.

Archaeology Join Julian Richards on a guided tour of archaeology that takes in its origins and tracks its progress to the present day.

Conquest When was England, England? Find out more about the crisis that sparked off the catastrophic events of 1066.

Family history Unravel your family tree and get an insight into some of the specialist fields that will help you unlock the secrets of your ancestoral past.

How to do history Follow in the footsteps of professional historians and find out how they do history. Discover how documents, tapestries and people's memories of the past are all valuable sources for the historian.

Local history On this trail you can get first hand tips from enthusiasts and experts who have already taken their first steps as local historians.

Victorian Britain Find out how heroic cartoons and the novels of Charles Dickens can help the historian piece together a picture of the past.

Wars & Conflict Discover more about the personal experience of battle and how life changed for those left behind on the Home Front. You can also chart the emergence of a British standing army.

Languages

Top French French Fix Motivational language learning which takes whatever knowledge of French you have and challenges you to improve it on the spot. French Steps Learn how to converse, order in a restaurant and ask for directions in French with this online beginners course that's easy-to-use. Language Gauge - French Find your level in French. This tool will let you find out how much you know and what's best for you to take your it further. Talk French A language course for absolute beginners, with video and audio clips and activities to help you learn. The French Experience A series of multimedia activities for beginners, building on the absolute basics of Talk French, but can be used on its own to learn and practise the language.

German Language Gauge - German Find your level in German. This tool will let you find out how much you know and what's best for you to take your it further. Deutsch Plus A dynamic introduction to German taking you through the basics of the language.

Italian Language Gauge - Italian Find your level in Italian. This tool will let you find out how much you know and what's best for you to take your it further. Talk Italian The ideal introduction to Italian. Basic language covering essential topics in manageable chunks. Italianissimo Multimedia activities for beginners, using video and audio clips to teach the basics of Italian.

Spanish Language Gauge - Spanish Find your level in Spanish. This tool will let you find out how much you know and what's best for you to take your it further. Spanish Steps Kick-start your Spanish with this short course for beginners. With video clips, online activities and a personal progress chart that keeps track of the activities you have completed. Talk Spanish A language course for absolute beginners, with video and audio clips and activities to help you learn. Suenos World Spanish A series of multimedia activities for beginners, building on the absolute basics of Talk Spanish, but can be used on its own to learn and practise the language.

Nature
Top Blue Planet Challenge Your chance to travel across open oceans and into the deep abyss, with seven challenges that explore places you can only imagine, and connect you with an amazing wild world that comes right to your doorstep.

See also Fathom at http://www.fathom.com/

Bob Jensen's links to online training and education alternatives are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/crossborder.htm

Bob Jensen's threads on portals and vortals --- http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/000aaa/portals.htm

From Infobits on September 30, 2002

RECOMMENDED READING

"Recommended Reading" lists items that have been recommended to me or that Infobits readers have found particularly interesting and/or useful, including books, articles, and websites published by Infobits subscribers. Send your recommendations to carolyn_kotlas@unc.edu for possible inclusion in this column.

Two free, electronic newsletters devoted to distance learning issues came to my attention recently:

DESIEN [Distance Education Systemwide Interactive Electronic

Newsletter]

http://www.uwex.edu/disted/desien/

Infobits subscriber Rosemary Lehman <email: lehman@ics.uwex.edu> edits DESIEN. The newsletter is published monthly by the University of Wisconsin-Extension <http://www1.uwex.edu/>. Each issue offers original articles which emphasize distance education themes. News, updates, conference information, and contributions by subscribers are also regularly included. Subscription information is included on the DESIEN homepage.

[Note: the August 2002 issue includes the article, "Electronic Content Accessible for Distance Learners with Disabilities," by the CIT Infobits editor. The article is available at http://www.uwex.edu/disted/desien/2002/0208/focus.htm]

---

SIDEBARS

http://online.bcit.ca/sidebars/index.htm

Infobits subscriber Glenn Millar <email: Glenn_Millar@bcit.ca> co-edits SideBars. The newsletter is published by the Learning Resources Unit of the British Columbia Institute of Technology to provide "useful information and news items for instructors, course developers, educational technologists and anyone else who has an interest in distributed learning in its various manifestations." Subscription

information: http://online.bcit.ca/sidebars/subcribe.html

More on the Next Big Thing: Grid and Cluster Computing --- http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/000aaa/updateee.htm#Future

From Syllabus News on September 24, 2002

Stanford Online Press Gets 'Clustering' Software

Stanford's HighWire Press, an online publisher of scientific and medical publications for researchers and institutions, has licensed "clustering" software that will allow it to organize its content into easy-to-navigate clusters for end-users. HighWire licensed the Clustering Engine and Enterprise Publisher from Vivisimo, Inc. to organize search results and publish larger document subsets on its master site. HighWire will offer the products to its own publishing customers for use on their journal websites. "HighWire Press now has 13 million online articles, so researchers need tools to reduce, refine, and tunnel into search results," said John Sack, director of HighWire. The new software, he added, "will help liberate readers from the need to make overly specific queries. Instead, they can recognize interesting topic clusters and drill down from there, in the `I know it when I see it' style."

For more information, visit: http://highwire.stanford.edu .

Also see http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/000aaa/updateee.htm#Future

From Syllabus News on October 8, 2002

Cornell Opens ‘Theory Center’ in New York City

Cornell University opened a branch of the Cornell Theory Center (CTC) in New York City last week. The solutions center, which was also named a Center for Research Excellence by Dell Computer, is using high-performance computing techniques to help research social problems. CTC is involved in modeling the potential impact of tsunami waves on coastal communities; creating "fingerprints" for bacteria to track outbreaks of food-borne diseases; developing methods for computing risk factors affecting complex financial portfolios; and modeling failures in machine parts that lead to aviation disasters. In doing so, it is using high-performance computing clusters (HPCC), which link large numbers of standards-based servers and storage systems to act as a single resource in solving complex computational problems. Dell chief Michael Dell cited CTC’s "groundbreaking research and … pioneering role in the use of clustering technology" in giving its award.

Authoring Interactive Web Pages
"Rugged ASP." by Adam DuVander, August 23, 2002, Webmonkey --- http://hotwired.lycos.com/webmonkey/02/35/index4a.html

A warm wind wafts through the desolate streets of Webtown, lifting dust into your eyes. You hop off your trusty steed, Effteepee, and check to make sure your six-shooters are still hanging gently at your hips. You are a drifting maverick of the Wild Wild Web, and you're rarin' to rustle up a feisty dynamic website. But you don't want to spend a lot of money, and you don't want to spend too much time learning yourself none of that fancy, city-boy database-engineering know-how.

No prob, pard.
Dynamic websites let you offer your visitors revolving content that can be served up on the fly. So whether you're building a database for looking up gunslingers, or an online ordering system for grandad's backyard moonshine shop, a dynamic site is the way to go. Lucky for you, it doesn't take all that much to get started.
Let's say you have access to some Windows 2000 server space with ASP and database support, but there's a slight problem: you don't have Microsoft Access or any fancy development products (e.g., Visual Studio). Developing the "Redmond way" may not even be an option. You may have armed yourself with a Macintosh for its simplicity and pretty colors. Or you went with Linux for the power and all-around good time. But whatever the reason, you're lacking the requirements.
Fear not. All you need to become a Web-swingin', Web-slingin' bandito are some simple tools you might already have:

A text editor to write your ASP. If you run Windows, get your Wordpad going. On Macintosh, you cannot go wrong with BBEdit Lite. Got Linux? Then you might want to know a little something about our friend vi.
An FTP program to transfer files. There are lots of cheap and user-friendly FTP programs out there that make it easy to upload and download your files. If dots and slashes are your bag, check out your FTP command.
A Web browser to view your mastery. Unless someone printed this article for you, chances are pretty good you're using a browser right now. It doesn't matter which one it is (Internet Explorer, Netscape, Opera, Mozilla, or even Lynx), so long as it can view Web pages.

Got it? Then meet me here at high noon and we'll start you on your way toward shootin' Rugged ASP.

Continued at http://hotwired.lycos.com/webmonkey/02/35/index4a.html

Bob Jensen's summary of authoring alternatives can be found at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/290wp/290wp.htm

From EduHound, T.H.E. Journal, September 2002, Page 40 --- http://www.thejournal.com/magazine/vault/A4144.cfm

Community Service Resources:

America's Promise - The Alliance for Youth
www.americaspromise.org
This site mobilizes people from every sector of American life to help build the character and competence of our nation's youth.

Youth Service America
www.ysa.org
An alliance of more than 300 organizations committed to increasing opportunities for young Americans to serve locally, nationally or globally.

SERVEnet
www.servenet.org
Users can enter their ZIP code, city, skills, interests and/or availability, and then be matched with organizations that need help.

National Youth Leadership Council (NYLC)
www.nylc.org
NYLC is a prominent advocate of service-learning and national service for today's youth.

VolunteerMatch
www.volunteermatch.org
This nonprofit online service is dedicated to helping anyone find a great place to volunteer.

20 Ways for Teenagers to Help Other People by Volunteering
www.bygpub.com/books/tg2rw/volunteer.htm
As an online resource for The Teenager's Guide to the Real World by Marshall Brain, this site provides a useful list that tells teens about the advantages of volunteering. The site also lists 20 volunteering opportunities suited for different personalities.

Bob Jensen's education bookmarks are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/bookbob2.htm

From Infobits on September 30, 2002

ELECTRONIC SCHOLARLY PUBLISHING ARTICLES

Recent articles and papers on the topic of electronic scholarly publishing include:

"Talking Past Each Other: Making Sense of the Debate over Electronic Publication" by David J. Solomon FIRST MONDAY, vol. 7, no. 8, August 2002 http://firstmonday.org/issues/issue7_8/solomon/index.html

The paper discusses how electronic dissemination affects the three core functions of the peer-review system for scholarly publications: "the ranking of scholarship, facilitating interactive communication among scholars, and creating a comprehensive archive of scholarly and scientific knowledge."

First Monday [ISSN: 1396-0466] is an online, peer-reviewed journal whose aim is to publish original articles about the Internet and the global information infrastructure. It is published in cooperation with the University Library, University of Illinois at Chicago. For more information, contact: First Monday, c/o Edward Valauskas, Chief Editor, PO Box 87636, Chicago IL 60680-0636 USA; email: ejv@uic.edu; Web: http://firstmonday.dk/

---

"The Use of Electronic-Only Journals in Scientific Research" by Richard D. Llewellyn, Lorraine J. Pellack, and Diana D. Shonrock ISSUES IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LIBRARIANSHIP, Summer 2002

http://www.istl.org/02-summer/refereed.html

The article surveys the state of "e-only" journals and their growing acceptance in the scientific research community. The authors touch upon the perceived impermanence of electronic materials, problems with citing these materials, and considerations, especially for libraries, for further study.

Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship [ISSN: 1092-1206] covers materials of interest to science and technology librarians. It is published quarterly by the Science & Technology Section of the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL). For more information, contact: Andrea L. Duda, Editor; email: aduda@istl.org;

Web: http://www.istl.org/

For more information about ACRL, link to http://www.ala.org/acrl/

---

"Scholarly Reviews Through the Web" by Sarah Milstein

NEW YORK TIMES, August 12, 2002 http://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/12/technology/12NECO.html

The article describes how publishers of peer-reviewed journals are using the Web to streamline the review process.

For more online New York Times articles, link to http://www.nytimes.com/

---

The October 2002 issue of CITES & INSIGHTS: CRAWFORD AT LARGE includes several articles on scholarly publication:

"Who's Going to Preserve E-Zine Content?"

"Ebooks and Etext"

"The Access Puzzle: Notes on Scholarly Communication"

The issue is available on the Web (in PDF format) at http://home.att.net/~wcc.techx/civ2i13.pdf

Cites & Insights: Crawford at Large [ISSN 1534-0937] is a free, online newsletter self-published by Walt Crawford, a senior analyst at the Research Libraries Group, Inc. Current and back issues are available on the Web at http://home.att.net/~wcc.techx/ For more information contact: Walt Crawford, The Research Libraries Group, Inc., 1200 Villa Street, Mountain View, CA 94041-1100 USA; tel: 650-691-2227; email: wcc@notes.rlg.org; Web: http://walt.crawford.home.att.net/

"Lofty Grant Program Benefits Learning-Disabled Students," by Anne Kim, T.H.E. Journal, September 2002, pp. 16-18 --- http://www.thejournal.com/magazine/vault/A4123.cfm

Premier Programming Solutions, a software company that specializes in assistive-technology products for learning-disabled students, is giving away its products to schools, with the goal of installing its products in every U.S. school by 2003. The only requirement is that applicants must be a nonprofit organization, school, library, college or university. As of July, Steve Timmer, president and founder of Premier Programming Solutions, who is himself legally blind, said $6.5 million worth of software had been given away to about 500 educational and nonprofit organizations, including individual schools and entire districts. The grant program is set to end Oct.1, 2002.

Based in DeWitt, Mich., Premier Programming Solutions (517-668-8188; www.premier-programming.com) is giving away its Accessibility Suite to any school that cannot afford to buy assistive software for its learning-disabled students. But they don't have to prove it. We worked on the honor system, says Timmer. "We asked educators if they could afford to pay for it to do so. Because if they were given a grant, some other school who truly needed it may not get it."

Schools receiving the software package will get applications that convert printed materials into audio files, a talking word processor, a screen magnifier that enlarges screen images from 2X to 16X, and a talking Web browser and calculator, among other tools. The programs assist students who are diagnosed with learning disabilities - a broad term that includes vision and mobility impairments to learning. For now, the products focus on reading and writing, but Timmer says the company is planning to release products that cover math and assist the hearing impaired.

Timmer says he hopes to get his programs in every school in the United States over the next year - a considerably lofty goal. But according to the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs, schools nationwide have a need. More than 6 million children and youths currently receive special education and related services, while nearly 200,000 infants, toddlers and their families qualify for early intervention programs and services provided under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Continued at http://www.thejournal.com/magazine/vault/A4123.cfm

"Here They Are, Science's 10 Most Beautiful Experiments," by George Johnson, The New York Times, September 24, 2002 --- http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/24/science/24BEAU.html

Young's double-slit experiment applied to the interference of single electrons (Ranking 1)

Galileo's experiment on falling objects (Ranking: 2)

Millikan's oil-drop experiment (Ranking 3)

Newton's decomposition of sunlight with a prism (Ranking: 4)

Young's light-interference experiment (Ranking: 5)

Cavendish's torsion-bar experiment (Ranking: 6)

Eratosthenes' measurement of the Earth's circumference (Ranking 7)

Galileo's experiments with rolling balls down inclined planes (Ranking: 8)

Rutherford's discovery of the nucleus (Ranking 9)

Foucault's pendulum (Ranking 10)

Continued at http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/24/science/24BEAU.html

September 25 reply from J. S. Gangolly [gangolly@CSC.ALBANY.EDU]

I think the title of the article was very misleading. The following quote from the article should convince one of that:

"When Robert P. Crease, a member of the philosophy department at the State University of New York at Stony Brook and the historian at Brookhaven National Laboratory, recently asked physicists to nominate the most beautiful experiment of all time, the 10 winners were largely solo performances, involving at most a few assistants. Most of the experiments which are listed in this month's Physics World took place on tabletops and none required more computational power than that of a slide rule or calculator."

You are probably right that physicists often tend to appropriate the term "science" unto themselves. Even one of my favourite physicists, Richard Feynman, once made the following rather intemperate remark:

" From a very long view of the history of mankind - seen from, say, ten thousand years from now - there can be little doubt that the most significant event of the 19th century will be judged as Maxwell's discovery of the laws of electrodynamics. The American Civil War will fade into provincial insignificance in comparison with this important scientific event of the same decade. "

We accountants do not have a monopoly on parochialism.

jagdish

September 26, 2002 reply from Bob Jensen

Hi Richard, Jagdish, George, and Others,

These types of research or researcher rankings always beg the question: What are the ranking criteria? Each of us will bring our own biases into any type of ranking. Then it becomes like arguing religion where no arguments can be decidedly "won."

One thing that is clear is that the profession pretty much ignores academic financial accounting and modeling research except when the outcomes bolster some conclusion already drawn from normative methodologies. What bothers me about many of our most prized empirical and analytical studies is how much they draw upon earlier works of economists and how economists pretty much ignore the accounting research papers that we hold so dear.

I'm beginning to sound like a GOP --- Grumpy Old Professor. I really am not one of those. I am, however, upset with the failure of many of our best minds to break out of the methodology molds of their favored economics professors. Accounting problems in many instances are far more difficult due to the necessity of needing to help real decision makers with real problems. That is not to say that top economics and finance professors do not have real decision makers in mind, but their esoteric studies typically suffer drastically from omitted variables and overly simplified or overly complex structures.

For example, the seminal portfolio theory discovery of Harry Markowitz ( http://www.nobel.se/economics/laureates/1990/markowitz-autobio.html ) suffers from an overly complex structure and giant matrices that super computers cannot invert. Along came Bill Sharpe with the CAPM simplification that with only one variable (index) was overly simplified and led to a lot of bad research. Options pricing models that followed are extremely elegant, but generally these have assumptions that are unrealistic in practice.

And when put into practice, options pricing theories may lead to giant disasters like the largest failure in investment history --- the Long Term Capital disaster that blackened the reputations of leading winners of the Nobel Prize in Economics. Options pricing theories assumed something crucial away in their analytical models. LTC and other derivative instruments disasters are documented at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/fraud.htm#DerivativesFraud

You guys are too young. Us old timers recall Canning, Hatfield, Devine, Bill Cooper, and such Hall of Fame selections as shown below. Not all were noted for research in terms of modeling methodologies, but apart from the professional leaders in the list, many of those below are greatly admired researchers whose best works have stood the test time.

1950
George Oliver May
Robert Hiester Montgomery
William A. Paton

1951
Sir Arthur Lowes Dickinson
Henry Rand Hatfield

1952
Elijah Watt Sells
Victor Herman Stempf

1953
Arthur Edward Andersen
Thomas Coleman Andrews
Charles Ezra Sprague
Joseph Edmund Sterrett

1954
Carman George Blough
Samuel John Broad
Thomas H. Sanders
Hiram Thompson Scovill

1955
Percival Flack Brundage

1956
Ananias Charles Littleton

1957
Roy Bernard Kester
Hermann Clinton Miller

1958
Harry Anson Finney
Arthur Bevins Foye
Donald Putnam Perry

1959
Marquis George Eaton

1960
Maurice H. Stans

1961
Eric Louis Kohler

And there are others at http://fisher.osu.edu/acctmis/hof/chrono.html

Then there are some that do not quite fit the mold of TAR, JAR, and JAE researchers, but have probably had more impact on the profession than most other researchers, including Bob Kaplan and Robin Cooper.

And in the modeling department, where is Jim Ohlson and some of the other winners of the AAA Competitive Manuscript Award? --- http://accounting.rutgers.edu/raw/aaa/awards/awrd3win.htm

The really interesting question to ask is where our academic research has led to improved accountancy? Apart from valuation of the firm consulting, tax, and case methodology research, it is very difficult to directly link an academic research finding with improved accountancy that would not have taken place without the research discovery. And most of our case methods researchers build upon the seminal ideas of practitioners (e.g., case writers in ABC and ABM topics).

I guess what bothers me the most is that we tremble in fear of really taking a good look at the research record of academic accountants in history. Much of it is what I would call "beautiful," but very little, if anything, is something worthy of a Nobel Prize. Perhaps that is why we're ignored by the Nobel Foundation and those who find research in physics more "beautiful."

Bob Jensen, GOP

--- George Lan wrote: Given the limitations, arbitrariness, presumptuousness, controversies and dangers of trying to list financial accounting's most beautiful and/or successful ideas, which ones do you think have stood the test of time and could be considered classics?

1. Luca Pacioli's "Double Entry Accounting "(obvious). 2. Edward's and Bell "Theory and Measurement of Business Income" 3. Myers' " Revenue Recognition and the Critical Event" 4. Thomas' " The Cost Allocation Fallacy" 5. Zeff's " The Rise of Economic Consequences" 6. Solomons' " The Politicization of Accounting" 7. Watts and Zimmerman' "Positive Accounting Theory" 8. Feltham and Ohlson's " Clean Surplus Theory" 9. Brown and Warner's " Measuring Security Price Performance" 10. Beaver's " Financial reporting : an accounting revolution" --- end of quote ---

What a great question! Let me offer five additional classics for the group to consider.

1. Beaver and Demski, "The Nature of Income Measurement"
2. Ball and Brown, "An Empirical Evaluation of Accounting Income Numbers"
3. Scholes and Wolfson, "Taxes and Business Strategy"
4. Demski and Feltham, "Cost Determination: A Conceptual Approach"
5. Feltham, "The Value of Information"

Richard C. Sansing
Associate Professor of Business Administration
Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth email:
Richard.C.Sansing@dartmouth.edu

September 26, 2002 reply from David Johnstone [djohnsto@uow.edu.au]

Jagdish, Bob et al.

I enjoyed J's comments on the respectability and in fact dominance of normative/prescriptive research in operations research, in contrast with the imposed 2nd class status of this class of work in accounting (post-1970 or1975). The same is very much true in statistics, where the idea that we would be more concerned with how people do reason statistically rather than with how they should reason statistically (by normative criteria) is something of a joke. There is a passage in the famous book by Harold Jeffreys The Theory of Probability 1939 making fun of the notion of positive research on statistical method, along the lines that if we take this approach then we will rewrite the laws of arithmetic upon watching a 4 year old add 2 plus 2 to get 3.

In statistics the debate is about which criteria should be applied in developing normative methods of inference and decision, and in which priority. For example, Bayesians argue that error frequencies per se are not the be all and end all, and indeed can lead to blatantly silly procedures - e.g. so-called randomised tests, which are either Test A or Test B decided by the spin of a wheel, can have better long run error frequencies than both Test A and Test B individually. They argue for overriding criteria such as coherence, by which is meant logical/mathematical consistency between all probability assessments held at a given moment (based on a given set of information). They also argue for a principle of conditionality, which would dictate that a "randomised test" which was actually Test B should be interpreted as such rather than as a notional mixture of A and B. etc etc

There is an interesting analogy between the debate in stats (about how to do statistical inference) and that in old fashioned accounting (about how to measure accounting profit). Both are really about how to "do the numbers". Many of the points of dispute are the same. e.g. relevance vs "objectivity", whether "subjective" considerations should be excluded, etc. Differences are only by degree - in stats the debate over appropriate normative criteria has less direct political and commercial consequence and is more scientific "looking" (e.g. the criteria involved and their corollaries are very mathematical).

Ironically, positive research in accounting/finance - or even just a quick look at the newspaper - is now indicating how imperative normative research is, rather than implying excuses for why it is unnecessary. For example, if observation tells us that markets are not able or too stupefied to see through spurious accounting representations of economic substance, and that market prices can be based on child-like overconfidence in reported numbers and misinterpretations thereof, then the need to think prescriptively about what should be measured, reported and taught to analysts becomes undeniable. Previously we could play down this requirement by arguing that the market was smart enough and motivated enough to get it right with little normative intrusion (did anyone ever say that markets were so smart that we could stop teaching accounting altogether?). The results of behavioural finance research have also revealed the open-endedness of innate human fallibility.

The mistake that statisticians never made was to consider that innate human attributes such as self-interest and utility maximisation would be sufficient to allow individuals or groups to correctly assess, extract and express the evidence in data sets without first thinking very hard about complicated techniques developed on purely prescriptive criteria. Much of the theory of statistics was developed in WWII and in other contexts (such as agriculture and medicine) where outcomes were evident and really mattered. In these circumstances, faddish research cultures such as have prospered in accounting do not take root. We have probably only got away with a lot of what has been published in accounting because (i) it has had relatively very little public consequence, and (ii) what might have been under alternative research cultures is unobservable.

David

September 26, 2002 replies from J. S. Gangolly [gangolly@CSC.ALBANY.EDU]

Bob,

> These types of research or researcher rankings always beg the question: What are the ranking criteria? Each of us will bring our own biases into any type of ranking. Then it becomes like arguing religion where no arguments can be decidedly "won."

I could not agree more. Years ago, Robert Sterling spoke about research ABOUT accounting and research IN accounting. Most of these probably are of the former variety --about the sociology of accounting. My concern is the lack of a model underlying the ranking derivation.

> One thing that is clear is that the profession pretty much ignores academic financial accounting and modeling research except when the outcomes bolster some conclusion already drawn from normative methodologies. What bothers me about many of our most prized empirical and analytical studies is how much they draw upon earlier works of economists and how economists pretty much ignore the accounting papers that we hold so dear.

I think you are reading my mind, Bob. The transformation whereby normative work started getting denigrated in accounting really began during the early seventies when I was in graduate school. As a refugee in accounting from Operations Research (which is primarily normative), I found the transformation distasteful enough to decide to concentrate on the fringes of accounting.

Theories on the pricing of stocks or pricing of accounting services does not a theory OF accounting make, at least in my opinion. That would make us realise the price of everything and the value of nothing (as a wellknown English economist once said). We should be congizant of the fact that the word accounting has to do with accountability, and not counting (or merely pricing).

> For example, the seminal portfolio theory discovery of Harry Markowitz ( http://www.nobel.se/economics/laureates/1990/markowitz-autobio.html ) suffers from an overly complex structure and giant matrices that super computers cannot invert. Along came Bill Sharpe with the CAPM simplification that with only one variable (index) was overly simplified and led to a lot of bad research. Options pricing models that followed are extremely elegant, but generally these have assumptions that are unrealistic in practice.

Bob, actually, the situation is far brighter than you think, I think. As a researcher in the area of language use in accounting, I routinely work with large matrices (not unusual to work with 10000+ X 10000+). Methods for handling large datasets and developments in statistical methodologies have just about been totally ignored by accounting researchers. Use of supercomputers also is easier now because of their accessibility. So, we really have no excuses left.

Developments in eliptical algorithms for linear programming, and developments in computational complexity and combinatorial optimisation over the last 30 years or so have made decisions on the feasibility of computation with models no longer an artform.

It is no wonder that sophisticated models are used routinely by investment houses, banks, broker/dealers, in fact the entire financial community as well as the transportation community. The developments in computing the past 20-30 years have been nothing short of astounding. It is just that we accountants have our heads buried in the linearly regressive sand.

The models can always fail in the sense that the assumptions did not hold. however, modern computational methods permit extensive use of what-if scenarios to blend analytics with good old crystal-gazing. And that is what decision-makers in the "real world" are looking for.

> I guess what bothers me the most is that we tremble in fear of really taking a good look at the research record of academic accountants in history. Much of it is what I would call "beautiful," but very little, if anything, is something worthy of a Nobel Prize. Perhaps that is why we're ignored by the Nobel Foundation and those who find research in physics more "beautiful."

Yes, we should have an accounting of the academic research in accounting.

Regards from a (much younger :-)) GOP.

Jagdish
URL: http://www.albany.edu/acc/gangolly

September 27, 2002 reply from Paul Williams [williamsp@COMFS1.COM.NCSU.EDU]

Thank you both.

This is the kind of conversation that should occur at AAA meeting plenary sessions; speakers should be invited who can challenge what is now the conventional wisdom. But even David's observations are predicated on the premise that Information is what accountants are about, i.e., that the institutions comprising the system of financial reporting have as their main focus providing information to investors to facilitate their decision making. I am teaching a module of a masters class where I am having them read the first two chapters of Paton and Littleton (one of the pieces that made the list of classics). In chapter 1 they assert a much more humble role for accounting than to facilitate the efficient allocation of global capital, i.e., to facilitate social controls. In a word: accountability. Once we interpreted accounting standards as recipes for making economic measurements, which rational expectations theory claims we cannot do, we started down the road to our troubles (e.g., if we actually could measure the value of stock options when granted, we wouldn't need option markets or stock markets, would we? If accountants can perform the valuation miracles they claim, we don't need a market system at all; we can rely on accountants to tell us the "price" of everything (though of course not its value) [an observation I mistakenly always thought was attributable to Oscar Wilde]. Perhaps, the professional role of accountants is protecting us all from the behavior of the Andy Fastows of the world by writing behavioral prescriptions of how business is conducted (e.g., perhaps the problem is not measuring derivatives, but having certain kinds of them exist at all). That task will of course be essentially normative and the understandings necessary for it will not come exclusively from the discourse of new classical economics.

PF Williams

September 27 message from Craig Polhemus [Joedpo@AOL.COM]

Bob,

Although everyone knows about Professor Divine's published essays [including Studies in Accounting Research Volume No. 22. Essays in Accounting Theory, By Carl Thomas Devine, in five volumes. Published 1985, Volume I, 172 pages, Volume II, 160 pages, Volume III, 144 pages, Volume IV, 192 pages, Volume V, 224 pages, AAA Members $20.00 each, Nonmembers $30.00 each], I wonder how many of you know that there was a proposed Volume VI never published by the AAA?

The proposed volume VI was submitted (unfortunately I cannot recall by whom, except that it was a third party) in the late 1990's and not accepted for publication. I have no more information about these materials -- just that they existed.

Craig

September 27 reply from Paul Williams

Craig,

This information is very instructive. Volume VI was published by Routledge Press; it was edited by Harvey Hendrickson. There is a volume vii, which Harvey was unable to finish before he died; I am currently finishing Harvey's work and Volume VII will also be published by Routledge. The AAA would not have published the first five volumes either had it not been for the efforts of Yuji Ijiri. I could tell you a story about how hurtful to Carl was The Accounting Review's treatment of him when he submitted a piece on the contributions of William Paton to accounting. The AAA is run by people with no respect for their elders, and contempt for their betters.

Paul

September 30 message from Paul Williams [williamsp@COMFS1.COM.NCSU.EDU]

Linda, et al,

The Arrington "wing" is more like a building than a narrow hallway. It houses an odd assortment of people whose intellectual interests in accounting range beyond the rather narrow confines of new classical economics. I teach a module on theory in our masters of accounting program and I have used various articles to capture the essence of what some of the rooms in the Arrington "wing" house. I don't know if they are classics because classics are also a social construction and in accounting the power to bestow classic status on these works doesn't exist. That said, here are just a few.

Start with Ed himself: Arrington and Francis, "Letting the Chat Out of the Bag: Deconstruction, Privilege and Accounting Research," AOS, 1989, v. 14(1/2), pp. 1-28. (A Derridian inspired demonstration of deconstruction using Jensen and Mecklings' original Principal/Agent formulation as it object. Ed is a writer by training and this paper is wonderful for its creative use of the English language as much as for its content. A good example that some accountants, at least, have not lost the literary flair that early classic writers had, and a delightful deflating of the pretentiousness of positive theorists in accounting).

Another little noted accounting scholar (at least in the U.S.) who wrote some remarkably insightful things about accounting is Trevor Gambling. His book, Societal Accounting (George, Allen and Unwin, Ltd., 1974) was an inspiration to me to pursue an academic career in accounting. In my masters class I have the students read his article, "Magic, Accounting and Morale," AOS, 1977, v2(2), pp.141-152.

Another paper that provides an excellent way to discuss the rhetorical turn in the social sciences is Ruth Hines, "Financial Accounting: In Communicating Reality, We Construct Reality," AOS, 1988, v13(3), pp. 251-261. (If your students are really energetic, you might try having them read the first 3 or 4 chapters of John Searle's (a noted Realist philosopher of language) The Construction of Social Reality where he provides (from a Realists perspective) an excellent distinction between brute (or natural) facts and social facts (e.g., money is not a natural fact, but a social fact that depends on the existence of social institutions, created by humans, for its "factual" status). This really gets students to thinking about what is the meaning of "representational faithfulness" in a decidedly different way. It establishes a new context within which to go back and look at the early controversies over the proprietary and entity theories of income. Income, the ultimate social construction. Paton certainly recognized the problematics of the corporate form of business for accounting; problematics that are still, apparently, with us and unresolved.

Just a few more:

Cooper (David) and Sherer, "The Value of Corporate Accounting Reports: Arguments for a Political Economy of Accounting," AOS, 1984, v9(3/4), pp. 207-232

Miller and O'Leary, " Accounting and the Construction of the Governable Person," AOS, 1987, v12(3), pp. 235-265.

Tinker, Merino, and Neimark, "The Normative Origins of Positive Theories: Ideology and Accounting Thought," AOS, 1982, v7(2), pp. 167-200.

Another suggestion: When your library receives its copies of Critical Perspectives on Accounting; Accounting, Auditing and Accountability; Advances in Public Interest Accounting; Research on Accounting Ethics; AOS, scan through the table of contents and read some of the articles that catch your eye (Bob Jensen referred to this practice as his random walk through the library). Please also take a look at the August issue of AOS (no, not for the very good paper by Reiter and Williams)-- read Teri Shearer's paper, "Ethics and Accountability: from the for-itself to the for-the- other." It is excellent, and illustrates the kind of folk who inhabit Ed's wing.

PF Williams

On 29 Sep 02, at 13:17, Linda Kidwell wrote:

I, like George, am learning of Devine's importance for the first time here. A good illustration of Bob's argument that AECM is a vital tool >for the accountant to learn and provide information. I'm also getting some great ideas for the next time I teach Accounting Theory to our masters' students. Thanks to all for your great suggestions.

I also ask for another. If one wants to capture the Ed Arrington wing of the accounting research hall of fame, what would be a few good articles there?

Linda Kidwell

Bob Jensen's online accounting theory documents are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/theory.htm

A new research report from Bear Stearns identifies the best earnings benchmarks by industry. GAAP earnings are cited as the best benchmarks for a few industries, but not many. The preferred benchmarks are generally pro forma earnings or pro forma earnings per share. http://www.accountingweb.com/item/91934

AccountingWEB US - Oct-1-2002 - A new research report from Bear Stearns identifies the best earnings benchmarks by industry. GAAP earnings (earnings prepared according to generally accepted accounting principles) are cited as the best benchmarks for a few industries, but not many. Most use pro forma earnings or pro forma earnings per share (EPS).
Examples of the most useful earnings benchmarks for just a few of the 50+ industries included in the report:

Autos: Pro forma EPS

Industrial manufacturing: Pro forma EPS shifting to GAAP EPS

Trucking: Continuing EPS

Lodging: Pro forma EPS, EBITDA and FFO

Small & mid-cap biotechnology: Product-related events, Cash on hand, Cash burn rate

Advertising & marketing services: Pro forma EPS, EBITDA, Free cash flow

Business/professional services: Pro forma EPS, Cash EPS, EBITDA, Discounted free cash flow

Wireless services: GAAP EPS, EBITDA

EBITDA=Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.
FFO=funds from operations.
The report also lists the most common adjustments made to arrive at pro forma earnings and tells whether securities analysts consider the adjustments valid. Patricia McConnell, senior managing director at Bear Stearns, explains, "Analysts rarely accept managements' suggested 'pro forma' adjustments without due consideration, and sometimes we reject them... We would not recommend using management's version of pro forma earnings without analysis and adjustment, but neither would we blindly advise using GAAP earnings without analysis and adjustment."

Bob Jensen's threads on pro forma earnings are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen//theory/00overview/theory01.htm#ProForma

Bob Jensen's accounting theory documents are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/theory.htm

This is an especially interesting accounting case in terms of FAS 133 rules.
Hint: FAS 133 Paragraphs 230 and 432 prohibit a firm's own equity shares from being hedged items for accounting purposes.

From The Wall Street Journal Accounting Educators' Review on September 27, 2002

TITLE: EDS Makes Losing Bet on Stock, Raising Concern About Liquidity
REPORTER: Elliot Spagat and Gary McWilliams
DATE: Sep 25, 2002
PAGE: A1
LINK: http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB1032875687911665113.djm,00.html
TOPICS: Cash Flow, Stock Options, off balance sheet financing, Advanced Financial Accounting

SUMMARY: EDS entered into put options in its own stock in December 2001 to reduce the cost of employee stock options as they are exercised. The contracts were written at exercise prices above $60 per share. The company's stock closed at $11.68 on Tuesday, September 24, 2002.

QUESTIONS:

1.) What is a put option? What right is acquired when someone buys a put option? What obligation is assumed when someone sells a put option? What did EDS do-buy or sell put options?

2.) Name two reasons why EDS management thought that these contracts would reduce the cost of its stock option plan. Couldn't the company simply have issued new shares to employees exercising stock options, rather than satisfying stock option plans by transferring to employees shares that EDS had bought in the market?

3.) Given the statement that EDS entered into these put contracts to reduce the cost of its employee stock option program, do you think that stock options granted to employees should be considered an expense in the employer's income statement? Support your answer.

4.) Do you agree with EDS's Treasurer's Scott Krenz's assessment that the company did not disclose these put option transactions because they wouldn't affect earnings or free cash flow? In your answer, define free cash flow.

5.) Describe the impact you expect on EDS's balance sheet of the transactions described in the article. How are these transactions also expected to affect future earnings prospects?

6.) In your own words, explain the business's cash flow planning needs as they are described in the article. How are the stock put/employee stock option transactions affecting the business's cash needs?

7.) "If the company were buying and selling puts in another company's shares, it would have to adjust the puts' value each quarter..." What accounting standard requires this treatment? Further, what disclosures must be made about activity in derivative securities during the year? Why does that treatment not apply to the transactions described in this article?

Reviewed By: Judy Beckman, University of Rhode Island
Reviewed By: Benson Wier, Virginia Commonwealth University
Reviewed By: Kimberly Dunn, Florida Atlantic University

Bob Jensen's documents on accounting for derivative financial instruments and hedge accounting are linked at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/caseans/000index.htm Solutions files problems and cases for FAS 133 are listed at http://www.cs.trinity.edu/~rjensen/

From The Wall Street Journal Accounting Educators' Review on September 27, 2002

TITLE: Goodwill as a Banker's Weapon
REPORTER: Michael Rapoport and Jonathan Weil
DATE: Sep 23, 2002
PAGE: C1 LINK: http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB1032735581465309073.djm,00.html
TOPICS: Accounting, Debt, Debt Covenants, Goodwill, Impairment

SUMMARY: The impairment of goodwill can result in a large charge to earnings and a reduction in net assets. Investors are encouraged to ignore the financial statement changes that result from goodwill write-downs. However, bankers may not be forgiving of violations of debt covenants that result from goodwill charges.

QUESTIONS:

1.) What is goodwill? When does a company recognize goodwill on its balance sheet? Prior to Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Statement No. 142, how was goodwill expensed?

2.) What changes in accounting for goodwill resulted from FASB Statement No. 142? Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of these changes.

3.) What is a debt covenant? What is the purpose of a debt covenant? Why do lenders have leverage against borrowers if a debt covenant is violated?

4.) Prior to FASB Statement No. 142, were companies required to reduce the value of goodwill if it was impaired? Is the argument that the violations in debt covenants are the result of an accounting change valid? Support your answer.

Reviewed By: Judy Beckman, University of Rhode Island
Reviewed By: Benson Wier, Virginia Commonwealth University
Reviewed By: Kimberly Dunn, Florida Atlantic University

From The Wall Street Journal Accounting Educators' Review on September 27, 2002An Outstanding Site About Calculating Machines (Mathematics, History, Calculators) --- http://www.webcom.com/calc/

What's this site all about? The history of mathematics goes a long way back with devices and methods of calculation. Starting with the ancient Abacus, the slide rule and the logarithms, the mechanical calculating machines, the electromechanical calculators and finally the electronic computer. This site deals mainly with the mechanical calculating machines from a collector's point of view. I hope you enjoy this site and find it as useful as many other cyberspace citizens have.

Latest feature: Operate an 1885 "Felt" adding machine. This Java applet will enable you interactively to operate the machine the way it was used

A chronological description. This includes an historical review of the subject (1623 - 1970), the inventors and their machines.
Classification and pictorial view. In this section I have made a brave attempt to classify most of the machines. It includes dozens of color photographs.
Advertisements from the good old days. These advertisements (1937 - 1954) seem rather outdated nowadays (;-). See what a "computer" ad looked like. Many color photographs !!
The early devices: Abacus, Slide Rule.

ROI CALCULATOR
No doubt, you could do lots of things with 100 grand and two years of your life besides investing it all on business school - and some of them might pay better. Or they might not. How could you know? Use our ROI Calculator to find out. http://bwnt.businessweek.com/roi/enter.asp

Bob Jensen's bookmarks on online calculators can be found at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/bookbob3.htm#080512Calculators

October 1, 2002 message from Paul Williams on the Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH)

George,

You're right that efficient markets has become the mantra of accounting, but it isn't necessarily so in economics. The emergence to some prominence of behavioral finance (e.g., Robert Shiller's Irrational Exuberance) and Greenspan's acknowledgement of a bubble seems to indicate that the market was out of whack, i.e., stocks were "mis-priced." I think there are good reasons to believe the concept of market efficiency, as we have formulated it, is incoherent. There is also the political agenda to consider, and to not recognize that is to be naive. Why is it that EMH emerged from the Center for the Study of Security Prices at the University of Chicago, funded by Merrill/Lynch? If a scientist claimed that cigarette smoking was good for your health and he was employed by RJ Reynolds, wouldn't you be skeptical? Why haven't we been sufficiently skeptical of a theory about efficient markets that comes out of the University of Chicago? As we've shortened the time period over which return is measured, the certitude about semi- strong form efficiency becomes more shaken. Besides that we are learning that there was a good deal of insider trading going on and if markets aren't efficient with respect to insider trading then they are not "efficient" regardless of how much publicly available info there is -- it isn't a "fair" game (apparently it is a different game if you are able to attend parties with the beautiful people in the Hamptons as opposed to moonlight bowling at the Bowlerama).

EMH emerged from the observation that stock prices behaved in a random fashion (the classic Higgledy, Piggledy Growth - the work of a physicist, not an economist). The unpredictability of stock prices could have led us to the random market hypothesis, the unpredictable market hypothesis, or the Brownian movement market hypothesis. Randomness doesn't necessarily imply that capital markets allocate capital efficiently (recalling Keynes observation that it is absurd social policy for a society to trust the capital formation of the country to a bunch of gamblers). (As Kevin Phillips notes in his latest book, Wealth and Democracy, the origins of the stock market as an organizational form can be traced to the medieval carnival). Stock prices are the outcome of an institutionalized process; prices are not "natural" phenomenon, but are in a very real sense created by the stock market. There are no stock prices in nature; they do not come into existence until the Market creates them. The analogy I have used in other places (if you read obscure accounting journals you can find them) is that of how a society establishes guilt in criminal cases. If the mob establishes guilt or innocence and the mob lynches someone, it would be absurd for me to claim the mob was wrong. Guilt is the end result of the mob process; if the mob hangs the guy, he is guilty. The market sets prices; there is nothing else, so it is impossible to argue that the market could in any sense be "wrong." There is no right, because the only standard for what the market does is what the market does. To earn an "abnormal" return consistently with publicly available information, one would need to know what the mob believed about itself today and what that mob would believe about itself tomorrow, and that would be an insuperable task (perhaps of course unless I was a party to writing the rules about how the market will function, and, just as the casinos in Vegas, I might write the rules to favor the "house"). Try to predict the movement of a school of fish; when will they panic and turn? Multiply that by the thousands of objects (companies) about which they might move and market efficiency simply defined as the inability to beat the house every time doesn't seem all that instructive or insightful. Perhaps we should call it the EfFISHent market hypothesis? Jim Boatsman made the cogent observation years ago (Why Are There Tigers and Things) that without an independent definition of "information" market efficiency is impossible to test. We do not have such a definition. What is information -- it is only what the market reacts to. That analysis could be extended to note that we don't have an independent definition of what an allocatively efficient market would look like. Economists have yet to be able to tell us what an efficient allocation of resources is other than one that we can attribute to the workings of market mechanisms as opposed to government mechanisms (how in this modern era we can separate the two seems practically impossible -- when is a solution a market solution as opposed to an administered solution? From my observations, it largely depends on your political point of view -- if you're a free marketeer outcomes you like are market outcomes, ones you don't are always the result of government interference.) Since you only can observe interaction effects there is no way to test for only main effects (market effect vs. administrative effect). Market efficiency becomes like god, you can believe it you want to and are perfectly justified in not believing it if you don't want to.) All tests of market efficiency that we have observed in the accounting literature have been tested using prices that the market created during a period of intense government regulation (SEC, FASB). Even if we conclude markets are efficient, we cannot conclude that they would be in the absence of constant vigilance.

The EMH slight of hand that accountants have succumbed to contains a more significant issue than the mere technical debates over information and prices, and that is the significance we attach to it. How significant is it to us; is it so significant that no other idea conceived by man nor beast is worthy of consideration. We have simply elided over whether the notion that someone can't earn an abnormal return (fair game idea) is sufficient technical or moral justification for our single minded focus on it. I don't really care if markets are efficient in the semi-strong sense. Even the fact of that efficiency does not logically lead to many of the conclusions that EMH proponents think we should come to. Even if markets are efficient in the sense Beaver claims they are, that doesn't mean there aren't other reasons for "interfering" with the institution. It also doesn't mean accounting can't have social purposes other than being the agent for efficient capital markets. Putting our trust in market mechanisms over the last 20 years through deregulation, tax cuts, welfare reform, etc. hasn't exactly produced a bonanza for the majority of Americans. Median real income hasn't changed appreciably since 1979 and the number of Americans who are estimated to be "asset" poor, not income poor, is at 40%. Markets may facilitate wealth creation, but they also effect wealth distribution. Though John Stuart Mill believed the production and distribution problems were separate (i.e., you can divide up the social product any way you want), the reality seems to be that the two are inextricably linked. Distributing wealth is as important a problem for a society as creating it and for a democracy it should be of concern when more and more of the wealth gets concentrated into fewer and fewer hands. And markets do this not necessarily by rewarding the most virtuous, but simply by the work of chance (Lester Thurow remarks on the role of luck in amassing fortunes by observing there are very few people who have made two of them; this same observation can be made about CEOs, many who got credit (and huge stock compensation) for the success of companies later ran that same company as it slid into bankruptcy (while still getting huge stock compensation)). Like the card game War (which requires no skill other than the ability to hold on to and play cards), if played long enough, will result in one person getting all the cards. Maybe accounting scholars should think about other values and how accounting may contribute to their fulfillment other than just as "information useful for predicting the timing, amount, and uncertainty of cash flows" (which by the way we have no evidence accounting information actually does). It's risky for a profession to put all of its eggs in to one basket by saying only it is an agent of efficient capital markets, because if we ever find out they are not efficient or they are regarded, efficient or not, as a positive harm then we could be in even more trouble than we are in at the moment.

Per my earlier comment on derivatives. I did not mean to suggest that accountants should have the power to nullify them. I believe accountants have too much power now. What I meant to suggest is that transparency and full disclosure are not necessarily always the answer. Not all business inventions are necessarily good ones just because they were invented by business. There may be legal remedies that are more efficient than complex accounting rules about measuring the unmeasurable. We must contemplate the possibility that there can come into existence an institutional form that can not be made accountable through the technology of accounting because accounting technology is simply not up to the task and can never be. Derivatives may be an example where their "measurement and disclosure" is simply not a sufficient solution for holding institutions accountable. Some derivatives may be too mischievous and too potentially damaging to people who have no say or even knowledge that the outcomes could have substantial effects on their lives. There are certainly many examples in our society where people, individually and collectively, are accountable to the law rather than only to the market.

PFW

On 1 Oct 02, at 9:35, glan@UWINDSOR.CA wrote:

The concept of efficient markets has become ingrained in North > America. The FASB in its Video ( "The FASB: An agent for efficient capital markets") argue that the accounting standards are sound and the markets efficient. Many texts discuss market efficiencies in its various forms and argue that there is evidence for the semistrong form despite incidences of market anomalies.

Reflecting on the Enron and WorldCom and other debacles of the past year and the lack of price protection of the naive investor (and sophisticated ones as well-- how many accounting and finance profs > have not witnessed the erosion of their investments?), do these really imply market inefficiency?

Beaver (1998), states that "it is not valid to evaluate the efficiency of a set of security prices in the light of information that only became available after those prices were formed ("Financial Reporting : An Accounting Revolution", p. 148). In the case of Enron and WorldCom, could one not argue that relevant information was not > disclosed?

Paul, I will attempt to read the articles that you have mentioned yesterday (Trevor Gambling's, in particular- I also recognize some of the other names). You mentioned some time ago about perhaps limiting > the types of derivatives which could be used by the firms? Can ccounting have such power?

Thanks,

George Lan
University of Windsor

"Trophy Husbands," Fortune, October 14, 2002, pp. 78-114 --- http://www.fortune.com/lists/women/househusbands.html

Trophy Husbands
Arm candy? Are you kidding? While their fast-track wives got to work, stay-at-home husbands mind the kids. They deserve a trophy for trading places.

Full Story

List: Most Powerful Women

Quiz: No Man’s Land

Wives With Big Pay Checks

Not All Women Cry the Baby Blues

Masters Of Innovation Find out what the nation's largest and most-innovative users of information technology are doing to maximize IT investments in the 2002 InformationWeek 500 research report --- http://update.informationweek.com/cgi-bin4/flo?y=eIy80BcUEY04e0Bink0AQ

Web Ferret 5.0 http://www.zdnet.com/ferret/download.htm

Key New Features:

NEW INTERFACE is more compact (the ad banner space has been completely removed) allowing users to view more results and matches Microsoft's new WindowsXP interface.
SUGGESTED KEYWORDS based on the original query provides users with follow-up search suggestions. COLUMNS are adjustable / selectable including showing abstracts with results.
VALIDATION and RANKING allows users to verify the page exists and/or query is on page before visiting it. [PRO only feature]
DEEP SEARCH has been added to allow users searching for example 'truck' with an initial search to then re-search (1-all) of the results for 'red' independent of the search engines. The second follow up search goes directly to each page selected and checks the page for 'red'. [PRO only feature]
RIGHT CLICKING on mouse provides quick access to options and advanced features.
MANY MORE tweaks and features have been added. Go to view -> options on the menu for advanced configuration. Reading the help file provides full explanations of features and provides tips for efficient searching.

Bob Jensen's search helpers are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/searchh.htm

GMAT & TOEFL PREP
Looking to improve your scores? To help you prepare as thoroughly as possible, BusinessWeek Online has developed an area that focuses on the ins and outs of these exams. You'll find expert advice, sample questions, and more http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/gmat/

From Syllabus News on September 27, 2002

Services: College Board Delivered 30K e-Tests Daily

The College Board this fall delivered more than 1.7 million electronic tests to place entering college students in appropriate courses for the fall semester. The organization's Accuplacer program delivers more than 4 million tests annually to support accurate placement of students into college courses. The program uses the Vantage Learning Platform to deliver the tests online. More than 30,000 tests per day were delivered on average during the month of August. Entering students completed their assessments in several subjects, including reading, writing and mathematics and received immediate feedback on their performance online. Many responded to essay-type questions and received immediate feedback using Vantage's IntelliMetric AI scoring engine.

I had the honor, along with my colleague John Rice, of having an article in the first edition of New Accountant many years ago.
"The Times are Changing," New Accountant, Vol. 1, September 1985 (Lead Article in a New Journal, pp. 7-14)

This magazine's target market is accounting majors about to make career decisions. I just received the following message announcing a new Website for New Accountant.

New Accountant Magazine Website

Over 100 articles and growing!

Click on logo or link http://www.newaccountantusa.com

If your school is not listed, please let us know and we will add the link.

If you prefer to be removed from our email list, please email us let us know. We apologize for any inconvenience.

New Accountant Magazine
3550 W. Peterson Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60659
Toll free: (888) 641-3169 Fax: (773) 866-9881 Email: RencPublishing@earthlink.net

Bob Jensen's bookmarks on accounting careers are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/bookbob1.htm#010304Careers%20in%20Accountancy

AARP's listing of the best employers for workers over 50 years of age --- http://www.aarp.org/bestcompanies/

AARP is pleased to honor our 2002 Best Companies for Workers Over 50. These companies are ahead of the curve in recognizing the value of the mature worker, and are leaders in aggressively recruiting, retaining and promoting them.

They've given their mature workforce the opportunity to innovate, contribute and be productive. In return, they've benefited from the wealth of talent and value that only work and life experience can offer.

Howard University is the only college in the Top 10.

ABN AMRO North America, Inc.
Adecco Employment Services
Baptist Health South Florida
CALIBRE
DaVita Inc.
Howard University
Mitretek Systems, Inc.
New York Life Insurance Company
Principal Financial Group
Prudential Financial
QUALCOMM, Inc.
The Aerospace Corporation
The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.
The Stanley Group
Ultratech Stepper

FEI RESEARCH REPORT - CORPORATE REPORTING AND THE INTERNET-UNDERSTANDING-AND USING- XBRL An evaluation of how XBRL will help CFOs manage their businesses. Several companies are asking for additional quantities for their staffs, and hard copies are limited. Order http://www.fei.org/rfbookstore/PubDetail.cfm?Pub=122 your copy today! Member price $15, Non-Member price $40

Bob Jensen's threads on XBRL are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/XBRLandOLAP.htm#XBRLextended

QUESTION:
"Under the recently passed Sarbanes-Oxley legislation, management must assess the effectiveness of a company's internal controls. Does the FEI Research Foundation have any sample internal control questionnaires on file?"

ANSWER:
FEI RESEARCHER: Back in 1992, the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) published a four volume set titled "Internal Control - Integrated Framework http://www.cpa2biz.com/cs2000/products/product+detail.htm?cs_id=%7b1dc6f23c%2d70c6%2d4816%2da3cd%2dae70236b7992%7d&cs_catalog=cpa2biz&cs_category=acct%5faud%5fgeneral

To my knowledge, this is still the standard for evaluating a company's internal control, and is now available to AICPA members at $26.40 and others at $33.00.

Empowering the Way Out of Poverty: Why It Matters, How It Works --- http://www.ezec.gov/About/EmpoweringtheWayOutofPoverty.pdf

Philanthropy Journal http://www.philanthropyjournal.org/front.asp

From Working Mother Magazine in September 2002 --- http://www.workingmother.com/list.shtml

The 100 Best Companies for
Working Mothers List 2002

Abbott Laboratories *Top Ten, *Best in Industry
American Express *Top Ten
Bank of America, N.A. *Top Ten
Booz Allen Hamilton *Top Ten, *Best in Industry
Bristol-Myers Squibb *Top Ten, *Best in Class
Colgate-Palmolive *Top Ten
Computer Associates *Top Ten
Fannie Mae *Top Ten
General Mills *Top Ten, *Best in Industry
IBM *Top Ten, *Best in Industry

Also included in the Top 100 companies are the following:

Deloitte & Touche
Ernst & Young
KPMG
PricewaterhouseCoopers

Bob Jensen's bookmarks for careers can be found at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/bookbob1.htm#010304Careers%20in%20Accountancy

VENTURE FUNDING'S VANISHING ACT
VCs insist they still have high hopes for data-storage startups, but their shrinking investments testify to a mood of extreme caution
http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/oct2002/sb2002101_6663.htm?c=bwfrontieroct8&n=link1&t=email

HOW MUCH ARE YOU WORTH?
Profits and perks, taxes and take-home salary -- they are some of the things an entrepreneur mulls when cutting his or her own paycheck
http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/oct2002/sb2002102_0308.htm?c=bwfrontieroct8&n=link4&t=email

CAN APPLE KEEP ROLLING?
Every time it appears to have things going its way, something -- like a PC industry stuck in a slump -- seems to slow it down
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/aug2002/tc20020827_6960.htm?c=bwtechoct8&n=link8&t=email

September 25, 2002 message from Van Ness, Paul [Paul.VanNess@thomsonlearning.com]

Bob,

You might be interested to know that South-Western has business text books in ebook format available in
Adobe Acrobat eBook format ( http://ebooks.swcollege.com ) and
Rovia's ebook format ( http://store.rovia.com/?usca_p=t ).

You'll find titles in Accounting, Business Communication, Business Law, Economics, Finance, Management, Marketing, Real Estate, and Tax.

Sincerely,
Paul Van Ness Technology/Marketing
South-Western/Thomson Learning http://www.swlearning.com

Bob Jensen's threads on college textbook eBooks can be found at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/ebooks.htm#College

Wonder Bound
Rare books on early museums --- http://www.sil.si.edu/Exhibitions/wonderbound/

Bob Jensen's museum bookmarks are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/bookbob2.htm#History

In a move that marks an image makeover for Palm, the handheld computing pioneer on Monday releases a sleek, affordable personal digital assistant for first-time buyers --- http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,55555,00.html

Great photography of Richard Avedon
http://www.metmuseum.org/special/se_event.asp?OccurrenceId={36C7411F-EEF8-11D5-9414-00902786BF44}

Richard Avedon: Portraits September 26, 2002–January 5, 2003 Special Exhibition Galleries, The Tisch Galleries, 2nd floor

Although Richard Avedon first earned his reputation as a fashion photographer, his greatest achievement has been his stunning reinvention of the genre of photographic portraiture. Featuring approximately 180 works, this exhibition will span the artist’s entire career, from his earliest portraits in the late 1940s through his most recent work. At the core of the installation will be a powerful group of portraits of many of the key artistic, intellectual, and political figures from the late 1950s through the early 1970s, including several large murals, perhaps the grandest photographic portraits ever staged. Also featured will be boldly scaled photographs from the ambitious series "In the American West" and a poignant sequence of portraits of the artist’s father taken shortly before his death. Avedon’s portraits of artists and intellectuals of the last 20 years, including John Cheever, Roy Lichtenstein, and Harold Bloom, complete this artist’s collection of individuals who have shaped our world. Accompanied by a catalogue.

"Evaluating Tax Software," by Stanley Zarowin, Journal of Accountancy, October 2002, pp. 38-47 --- http://www.aicpa.org/pubs/jofa/oct2002/zarowin.htm

Tax-preparation-software products generally received higher marks from practitioners this year than last year. That’s the conclusion of a survey conducted by the National Association of Tax Professionals (NATP) and shared with the JofA.

A total of 977 NATP members responded to the survey, reporting their experience with the products they had used to prepare 476,000 tax returns earlier this year. Respondents prepared an average of 497 returns each.

Although NATP members assessed 26 different software packages for the survey, only 14 were included in the final report (see exhibit 1). Products that received less than 10 assessments were excluded because their results would not be statistically valid.

Users ranked tax software products from 5 (very satisfied) to 1 (very dissatisfied). Based on these rankings, users responded with satisfaction ratings averaging 3.99, up from 3.84 a year ago (see exhibit 2). The product to receive the highest score was Dunphy System’s 1040 Professional Tax Prep. Interestingly, Dunphy also showed one of the biggest year-to-year improvements—rising to 4.50 this year from 3.43 last year, when the average for all the products was 3.81.

Customer support also gained. The average score in this category for the 14 products was 3.91, compared with 3.75 the year before. The product with the highest support rating was Taxslayer with a score of 4.39; it was not rated last year.

Network support mightily improved this year. The average rating rose to 3.95 from 3.07 last year, with Dunphy once again leading the pack.

More preparers offered clients the use of electronic filing this year: 89%, up from 79% last year (see exhibit 3). The survey respondents reported that 60% of their federal returns were filed this way. Some 49% charged their clients for e-filing, up a bit from 48% last year (also see exhibit 4: Software Product Details).

Bob Jensen's bookmarks on accounting software are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/bookbob1.htm#010304Accounting%20Software

Bob Jensen's bookmarks on taxation are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/bookbob1.htm#010304Taxation

Arizona State Museum (at Arizona State University) --- http://www.statemuseum.arizona.edu/

Bob Jensen's links to museums are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/bookbob2.htm#History

Consumer Reports subscribers can access an excellent helper site for personal finance --- http://finance.ConsumerReports.org
A separate subscription for online access is available that also provides a discount to the hard copy magazine subscription.

Investments
Bond funds 1/02 R
Domestic hybrid funds 8/02 R
Exchange traded funds update 10/02 R
Investing in bear market 8/00
Investing online help 3/00
Managing your portfolio 3/00
Mutual-fund families 3/01 R
Rollover rules 1/00
Shoring up your 401(k) 3/02
Short-term bond funds 6/02 R
Stock mutual funds 3/02 R

Shopping & spending Better baseball caps 5/01
Booksellers 1/02 R
Cell-phone calling plans
CR Gift Guide 11/01
Eyeglasses 6/01 R
Groceries online 9/00
Long-distance calling plans
Megastores 7/02 R
Online auctions 5/01 R
Online auctions: Sellers 7/01
Online shopping 11/00 R
Returns 1/99

Banking
Financial privacy 5/01
New face of banking 6/00 R
Online banking 2/02 R

Insurance
Life insurance premiums 12/00
Life settlements 2/01

Lifestage transitions
2nd marriage finances 6/02
College-loan debt 7/02
Midlife career changes 9/02
Raising baby on a budget 10/01
When a parent moves in 10/02
Working past age 65 8/02

Saving
Budgeting ideas 8/01
College on credit cards? 7/01
Electricity meter 1/02
How to cut phone bills 2/00
Phone-service wars 3/00
Prepaid phone cards 2/01
Saving for college 2/00
Saving options 9/01

10/7/2002

Keeping track of your pension
Employees have seen once-lush 401(k) retirement accounts--already whipped by two years of stock market losses--shrink even more in the summer's market slide. But some 44 million workers have another asset: a defined-benefit pension plan

Index funds you can trade
We provide details on exchange-traded mutual funds, and how they might save you money on your year-end income taxes.

529 college saving plan
Our expert advice and recommendations for the many families who can benefit from this plan.

The "crime tax"
Here, the details on retail theft and how consumers are paying the price.

Shopping online
Now that you know what to buy, find the best places to buy it, with our e-Ratings.

Key

* indicates a product that is part of our continual-testing program.

R indicates a Ratings report.

A indicates an archive Ratings report. Many of the tested models may no longer be available.

The Consumer Reports home page is at http://www.consumerreports.org

A complete index of all reports is available at A to Z index

Bob Jensen's investment helpers are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/bookbob1.htm

"Roxio's Complete Guide to Buying a Digital Camera," by Michael Murie --- http://www.roxio.com/en/interest/music/digitalcamera_win.html

If you're still using a film camera, or have an older digital camera, it's time to upgrade. Technology has moved even faster in the digital camera arena than with PCs in the last couple years. Digital offers many advantages over film, such as direct computer download, no film or developing costs, immediate review of pictures to be sure you got the shot, and the ability to edit your images with software like Roxio's PhotoSuite. And the latest digital cameras even rival film for quality and features.

Perhaps the only catch is the staggering variety of options from which to choose. So here's a guide to help you decide if it's time to buy, and the key features to look for.

Category

Before looking at the details, decide on the general price range that's right for you.

Basic point-and-shoot digital cameras that are excellent for families, taking on trips and other uses can be had for $200-$400. These cameras are typically in the 1.3-to-3.3 megapixel range, and often quite compact in size.

Mid-to-high-end cameras with more resolution (typically 3.3-to-4 megapixels) and features such as manual controls, powerful zoom lenses, and flash hot shoes, cost about $400-$800.

At the top end of the spectrum, digital SLR cameras with interchangeable lenses just like their film counterparts, are starting to appear in the $2,000 price range and should continue to decrease in price. These cameras offer true film-like flexibility for the serious hobbyist, and resolutions up to 6 megapixels that rival that of film. If you don't need interchangeable lenses, cameras in the $1,000 price range offer similar features and image quality.

Continued at http://www.roxio.com/en/interest/music/digitalcamera_win.html

EDUCAUSE Review --- http://www.educause.edu/pub/er/erm02/erm025w.asp
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2002
Volume 37, Number 5

FEATURES

"The Personalization Debate"
What are the implications of personalized Internet use for news, for education, and for society? http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0250.pdf

"Twenty Years of Personalization: All about the 'Daily Me'"
by WALTER BENDEROver twenty years, the "Daily Me" has evolved from the means to enhance an individual's access to news to a mechanism for active engagement in critique, reflection, and learning. --- http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0251.pdf

"MyUniversity.com? Personalized Education and Personalized News"
by CASS R. SUNSTEIN
The power to personalize enables people to learn far more than they could before, but the increasing ability to filter in, and also to filter out, information and opinions carries significant risks as well --- http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0252.pdf

"Lens on the Future: Open-Source Learning"
by ANNE H. MOORE
Can higher education institutions use the open-source model as they come to terms with the changing academic landscape--as they work to integrate technology across content areas and scrutinize the impact on faculty roles and student learning? --- http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0253.pdf

"The Black Box Theater and AV/IT Convergence: Creating the Classroom of the Future"
by MARK S. VALENTI
To provide opportunities for learning on students' terms, the contemporary college or university must plan, program, and design flexible, technology-enabled learning environments that slip easily between real and virtual learning spaces --- http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0254.pdf

"The Net-Enhanced University"
by WILLIAM A. SEDERBURG
The "net-enhanced university" is a useful metaphor to provide a conceptual basis for information technology strategies and to focus attention on the real power of IT for higher education institutions: the networking of computers through the Internet --- http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0255.pdf

"Musings on the Internet"

by VINTON G. CERF

This look at the Internet world today considers not only its technology--including higher speeds, wireless communication, and Net-enabled appliances--but also its policy, its economics, and its philosophy. http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0256.pdf

DEPARTMENTS

techwatch
Information Technology in the News http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm02513.pdf

Leadership
"Digital Security in a Free Society"
by JAMES WRIGHT--- http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm02512.pdf

E-Content
"Print and Electronic Information: Shedding New Light on Campus Use" by DANIEL GREENSTEIN and LEIGH WATSON HEALY http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm02511.pdf

New Horizons
"9/11 Legislation and Technology: The Academic Impact"
by PAULA T. KAUFMAN and PETER M. SIEGEL http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm02510.pdf
policy@edu

"Interconnecting Worlds"

by TERRY W. HARTLE and JAMES R. BURNS --- http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0259.pdf

Viewpoints
"Campus Networks, Post-Napster"
by MICHAEL A. McROBBIE --- http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0258.pdf

Homepage
"The NLII's Shifting Agenda"
by CAROLE A. BARONE --- http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0257.pdf

Over 200 manuscripts spanning over 5000 years (art, history. literature) ---
The Schoyen Collection --- http://www.nb.no/baser/schoyen/

Asian Population 2000 (distribution within the U.S.) --- http://www.census.gov/prod/2002pubs/c2kbr01-16.pdf

Don't think a lackluster economy scares mobile product makers from releasing new wares --- http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,55298,00.html

Despite a slumping economy, there's plenty going on in mobile technology. That is, if the number of big-name wireless companies and fresh-faced startups at this year's DemoMobile is any indication.
Not only did they plunk down money to attend the trade show held in La Jolla, California, some even flashed attention-grabbing products.

Get it in writing: Input device maker Logitech (LOGI) released a digital pen, marking the company's entrance into a slightly different market.

While similar products work like the styli that come with palm-size handhelds, the Logitech pen, called io, has ink and lets users write on paper as they normally would. The pen contains an optical sensor that captures the handwriting and transfers it to a PC when the pen is synched in a USB cradle. The pen can store up to 40 pages of handwriting.

The pen hits store shelves in the United States and some European countries in November. Its suggested retail price is $200.

Microsoft everywhere: As part of its Information Anywhere and Anytime campaign, Microsoft (MSFT) released a series of home networking gear for wireless Internet access.

The new wireless base station ($150), USB adapter ($80), notebook adapter ($80), desktop kit ($220) and laptop kit ($220) claim to make setting up a Wi-Fi (802.11b) wireless Ethernet network a piece of cake. In a key feature, the system automatically sets up security measures. Most Wi-Fi setups force customers to activate the security features themselves.

Microsoft, covering its bases, also introduced wired versions of the products, available for half the price of the wireless ones.

Microsoft also partnered with AT&T Wireless to show off location-based services during one of the event's live demos.

Your boss is watching: Don't tell privacy advocates, but Newbury Networks was at DemoMobile showing off its location-tracking software.

The company's platform, which is already being used by "select customer sites," can pinpoint the location of users surfing the Web on a Wi-Fi network.

Hello, Captain Kirk: Vocera Communications showed off a wearable, 2-ounce badge similar to the one worn on Star Trek that lets users communicate instantaneously over a Wi-Fi network.

The badge, which will be available next month for $400, has a Wi-Fi radio, microphone, speaker and LCD display for text messages.

September 24 message from Auntie Bev

This may take a little time to load but it is worth the wait. Takes a little while to view also. You can fly to Mars and through the Universe! It's free and fun for all ages! This This is awesome!!!

Click here: SpaceWander Roundtrip First Class http://www.spacewander.com/USA/english.html

Bev

An "urgent business proposition" and requests for "urgent assistance" from a so-called Nigerian official were heeded by a Detroit bank secretary in the latest example of how the ubiquitous e-mail scam actually works --- http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,55329,00.html

From Nature, September 22, 2002 --- http://www.nature.com/nsu/020916/020916-20.html
A new electrode material for rechargeable lithium batteries could mean smaller, lighter, longer-lasting laptops and cell phones

Multimedia from the National Gallery of Art (History, Archaeology)
The Quest for Immortality: Treasures of Ancient Egypt --- http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2002/egypt/index.htm

Great Zip Code Site --- http://www.usps.com/ncsc/lookups/lookup_zip+4.html

I stumbled on a great site from the U.S. Postal Service. You can write the street address, city, and state entries and click on "Process." The site will then give you the address complete with the full zip code (usually in nine digits).

You need not fill out the name of a firm unless you are sending the item to business.

For residents of San Antonio, I have some other helpers at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/sanantonio.htm

"The Impact of FAS 133 on the Risk Management Practices of End Users of Derivatives," Association for Financial Professionals, September 2002 --- http://www.kawaller.com/pdf/AFP_2002.pdf

The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued new accounting rules for derivatives and hedging transactions (Financial Accounting Statement 133, or FAS 133) in June 1998 that were effective on June 15, 2000. Most companies, however, did not implement the standard until the first quarter of 2001. Because the transition from the previously accepted accounting treatment was dramatic and controversial, many reporting entities — along with FASB and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) — were concerned about the impact that these new rules might have on the hedging activities of corporations. To gain a clearer perspective on the impact of FAS 133, the Association for Financial Professionals (AFP) surveyed its members in January 2001.

This original survey had several major conclusions.

First, two-thirds of respondents believed that FAS 133 had imposed an "excessive burden" on reporting companies.

Second, a quarter of respondents indicated that they expected to apply regular derivatives accounting—as opposed to applying special hedge accounting — to a significant portion of their derivatives holdings.

Third, the new accounting requirements fostered a small reduction in hedging activity.

Fourth, only a quarter of respondents believed that FAS 133 imposed a beneficial discipline on risk management activities.

The 2001 survey was conducted in early January, just a few months after companies started complying with FAS 133 requirements, but since then, FAS 133 has continued to evolve. FASB has posted additional guidance on its web site ( http://www.fasb.org ); and on May 1 2002, released a new exposure draft containing proposed amendments to FAS 133. AFP decided to survey its membership again, to see whether companies have altered their use of derivatives two years after the effective date of FAS 133.

Survey Methodology

AFP mailed an eight-page questionnaire to select corporate practitioner members¹ in May 2002 and received 175 valid responses. Respondents represented a wide variety of companies throughout the United States, with respondents typically working for company with annual revenues between $1 and $5 billion Treasury and finance professionals of varying job titles completed the questionnaire. Most survey respondents identified themselves as treasurers (29 percent), assistant treasurers (25 per-cent), CFOs (19 percent), and risk managers (10 percent). Respondents also identified the person charged with overall responsibility for FAS 133 implementation as controller/comptrollers (25 percent), CFOs (20 percent), treasurers (19 percent) and assistant treasurers (15 percent).

Footnote 1
Surveys were sent to corporate members holding titles of CFO, treasurer, or controller and to members who identified any of the following as one of their five primary job responsibilities: accounting/financial reporting, hedging, risk management, and financial risk management.

Executive Summary

The 2002 survey asked many detailed questions concerning the use of derivative tools and the impact of FAS 133 on company behavior. The principal findings and conclusions are as follows:

Sixty-three percent of companies report that they use derivatives to address interest rate and currency exposures, respectively. However, only a third of responding companies indicate that they hedge commodity or raw material price exposures.

Respondents report lower levels of hedging activity for the vast majority of derivatives tools and strategies, compared to levels reported in last year’s survey.

Despite this reduced hedging activity, seven out of 10 respondents claim that their company’s use of derivatives has not changed as a result of FAS 133.

Some of the decline in hedging activity may be due to a perception that market conditions have mitigated the need for hedging activities over the past year. This perception was likely based on relatively lower interest rates, mild currency fluctuations and smaller commodity price swings.

Even after the process of initial implementation of FAS 133 accounting had been completed — a process that imposed special, one-time time start-up costs — nearly half of the respondents still report that complying with FAS 133 rules is “excessively burdensome.” This result is especially significant in that it comes despite an overwhelming reliance and preference for the simplest, most plain vanilla derivatives.

Almost a quarter of the respondents say that their company has decided to forgo hedge accounting on “significant portions” of derivative positions as a result of FAS 133.

Companies generally use hedge accounting. However, when they decide to avoid hedge accounting, it is because either they feel it is not necessary (i.e., the cost and effort outweigh the benefits) or that the companies’ exposures are not eligible for hedge accounting.

Significant portions of companies who were eligible for special accounting treatments described in DIG issues G20 and H15 — treatments that would likely lead to less income volatility — choose not to avail themselves of this opportunity. This choice may reflect a per-ception that more onerous documentation and valuation requirements are associated with these treatments.

Bob Jensen’s documents (including audio and video) on FAS 133 are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/caseans/000index.htm

Researchers at MIT are designing a new distributed, self-healing Internet infrastructure that they hope will be resistant to attack and failure.
"MIT at Work on Resilient Internet," by Dennis Fisher, eWeek, September 25, 2002 --- http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,3959,554451,00.asp

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in collaboration with scientists from several other universities and organizations, are designing a new distributed, self-healing Internet infrastructure that they hope will be resistant to attack and failure.
The project, known as IRIS (Infrastructure for Resilient Internet Systems), aims to take some of the properties of current distributed computing systems--such as redundancy and decentralization--and integrate them into a more secure, reliable architecture. The project will announce Wednesday that it has received a $12 million Information Technology Research grant from the National Science Foundation to fund its research.
IRIS researchers say their ultimate goal is to implement a large-scale network of self-reliant nodes that needs no administrator and has no centralized controller, and therefore no single point of failure. Users will be able to store data anywhere on the network, and the data will then be replicated dozens, or even hundreds, of times on other nodes. Each copy of a file will be digitally signed to ensure integrity.
"The assumption is that we'll make so many copies of it, it will be impossible to take it out," said Frans Kaashoek, professor of electrical engineering and computer science at MIT in Cambridge, Mass., and one of the principal investigators on IRIS. "No one node will be more important than another node. If one fails, another can take over with just a little bit of coordination."

The Kazaa file-trading network, reportedly 120 million strong, is establishing worldwide reach -- and offices around the globe. For now, there's little U.S. media companies can do about it --- http://www.wired.com/news/mp3/0,1285,55356,00.html

In a war with media conglomerates hoping to shut down its Kazaa file-trading service, Sharman Networks has flipped the familiar slogan, "think globally, act locally."

Despite an ongoing American copyright-infringement lawsuit, the Australian company has so far evaded the international recording industry's attempts to shut down Kazaa by setting up operations around the globe. It has offices in the United States, the South Pacific island nation Vanuatu and the Netherlands.

On Monday, Italian ISP Tiscali agreed to advertise its broadband services through Kazaa.

The agreement could make the recording industry's attempts to shutter Kazaa that much more difficult because individual countries are responsible for regulating the Internet within their borders. Stronger ties between ISPs and file-trading companies could bolster Kazaa's defenses.

The international recording industry, however, was quick to condemn the move.

"I am shocked that Tiscali ... believes that by entering into an agreement with an unauthorized service it will promote the development of legitimate online offerings," said Jay Berman, chairman of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, a global music industry organization. "By subsidizing Kazaa, Tiscali is jeopardizing the development of legitimate online services, and it is important that Internet service providers everywhere understand this."

Berman's words have more bark than bite. International copyright laws vary widely, and courts outside America have not been particularly aggressive about prosecuting companies distributing file-trading software.

The World Intellectual Property Organization hoped to stop this type of nation hopping when it enacted the WIPO Copyright Treaty and the WIPO Performance and Phonograms Treaty. Each outlines in very broad terms the type of copyright legislation countries should adopt.

However, many of the world's largest economies, including Italy and the rest of the European Union, didn't sign on, which means they are free to draft -- or not draft -- whatever legislation they choose.

On top of that, some lawyers contend the treaties don't apply to companies distributing peer-to-peer software.

Napster was knocked offline because it provided the software that its 70 million members used to share music. The concept is called "contributory infringement," but it doesn't exist in many countries -- and the WIPO treaties won't change that.

"Many countries don't have a version of contributory infringement, and the treaties don't make any mention of it, so it's hard to imagine that they will have any real effect on any file-trading networks," said Jonathan Band, an intellectual property lawyer with the Washington, D.C., branch of Morrison & Foerster.

That makes it less likely Kazaa will meet the same fate as Napster because if Sharman Networks gets run out of one country, it can simply relocate its headquarters to a place like the Netherlands, where a Dutch appeals court ruled that distributing software didn't amount to copyright infringement.

Continued at http://www.wired.com/news/mp3/0,1285,55356,00.html

Rep. Howard Berman insists his new bill -- which could exempt copyright owners from computer-fraud laws if they disrupt peer-to-peer networks -- is "self-help technology," not vigilantism --- http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/10.10/view.html?pg=3

What will constitute probable cause for a copyright owner to take action? If a company can take action against a network unilaterally, isn’t that a violation of due process?

I don’t need the government’s permission to lock my doors. And you don’t need the government’s permission to encrypt your own communications. All this legislation does is empower private property owners to use that sort of technological self-help. This is not an effort to take the government adjudicatory process and delegate it to private parties.

There’s a big difference between dead bolts and dirty tricks.

What’s the dirty trick? I thought the dirty trick was downloading something you don’t own, didn’t buy, didn’t rent. And doing so in a fashion that no one could possibly think is within the reasonable definition of fair use. That, to me, is the dirty trick. Some of these methods, like spoofing and interdiction, aren’t dirty tricks at all but sensible, reasonable, and appropriate ways to protect property.

Continued at http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/10.10/view.html?pg=3

Bob Jensen's P2P threads are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/napster.htm

Trashlog (Photography) --- http://www.trashlog.org/

From Syllabus News on September 24, 2002

eCollege Upgrades Synchronous Teaching Tool

Course management system provider eCollege said it improved its ClassLive Premium offering, a synchronous tool suite that provides real-time instructor-student sessions and record them for future use. The tool set integrates live audio/visual functionality typically found in collaboration software directly into the eCollege course management system. The new suite includes 'One-Way Broadcast Audio,' allowing an instructor's voice to be transferred over the Internet for office hours, online tutoring or live lectures with PowerPoint slides. 'Two-Way Audio' enables students and instructors to speak to each other and in groups without additional conference call technology. 'Synchronized Archives' enables ClassLive sessions to be played back as a streaming video.

Bob Jensen's review of course management systems can be found at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/290wp/290wp.htm

The online auction business has spawned a cottage industry of so-called sniping services that allow users to muscle in at the last second with winning bids --- http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,55204,00.html

Then suddenly, with seconds to go, someone else swoops in with an even higher offer. Before the novice has time to retaliate, the auction closes.

In eBay jargon, the second-to-last bidder has been hit by a sniper.

"It's a phenomenon that can only exist in the online auction world," said David Steiner, president of AuctionBytes and a buyer and seller of collectibles on eBay. Steiner said it's not uncommon to see moderately priced items surge several hundred dollars in the final seconds of bidding.

Although sniping has existed in one form or another almost since the inception of eBay, Steiner said the practice has grown increasingly prevalent of late, fueled by experienced auction buyers competing for bargains.

The popularity of sniping has in turn created a cottage industry of sniper services offering tools for auction addicts. Offerings range from downloadable software to hosted services that charge a fee for placing a bid.

"Now everyone snipes," said Tom Campbell, president of eSnipe, a hosted service that charges users 1 percent of each winning bid, up to $10. "If you put something up for sale, it just sits there until a few minutes before the end of the auction."

Campbell should know. He purchased eSnipe on eBay in 1999 by sniping.

Other services simply offer software that automatically places last-minute bids, up to a predetermined maximum. One advantage of using sniping software is that it's generally cheaper for active bidders than using hosted services, said Dan Hite, developer of a sniping program called Auction Sentry that sells for $10.

Companies that sell hosted sniper services say a disadvantage of do-it-yourself sniping software is that users have to monitor the auction themselves. With a hosted service, bidders can simply submit their maximum acceptable bid, and let the company handle the rest.

Continued at http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,55204,00.html

Perhaps some of you have helpful suggestions for Amy that you can add to my suggestion. The Website referred to by Amy is at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/HelpersVideos.htm#Excel

Hi Amy,

I don't have any solutions off hand. However, you might find some innovative clues in the Excel sections of a great article by Terry Glandon at http://www.aicpa.org/pubs/jofa/oct2002/glandon.htm

The above article does not directly deal with your question, but the article does a great job showing how to make MS Access and Excel interactive on the Web. Dr. Glandon's approach may be more efficient in terms of size. It also deals with password protection.

Bob Jensen

-----Original Message-----
From: Hauser Amy-cah006 [mailto:Amy.Hauser@motorola.com]
Sent: Friday, October 04, 2002 1:04 PM
To: Jensen, Robert
Subject: Excel spreadsheets as interactive HTML documents

Hi Bob,

I found your website while trying to find some answers to a problem I am having. I am hoping you could help or put me in the right direction.

I work for Motorola and I have a spreadsheet that has about 20 sheets in it. There are links and calculations between the sheets. I only want to display about 3 input sheets and 3 output sheets with the rest being hidden from the user on the web. I tried using Excel 2002 saving it as an HTML document with interactivity but when the file saves as an HTML file, it grows from 1 MB to 10 MB!! I cannot post this on the web because it is to big. Do you know of any alternatives for this?

I appreciate any advise you could give.

Thank you,

Amy Hauser

October 7, 2002 reply from Damian Gadal [DGADAL@CI.SANTA-BARBARA.CA.US]

I don't think you need to go to all of this trouble.... Just use VBA and set the sheet properties to Very Hidden! You can even password protect them.

hth
DPG
Waterfront Accounting

October 7, 2002 reply from David R. Fordham [fordhadr@JMU.EDU]

Bob, does the file have to be in HTML? Why not save it as an Excel file? If you left it as an Excel file, then…

(a) the file size is tiny compared to the dynamic code you get when you convert to HTML; and

(b) you can merely “hide” the sheets you don’t want the user to see.

The user can download an excel file off the web just as easily as they can an HTML file, the only difference is they must have a copy of the Excel program on their computer in addition to a browser.

Amy, to hide an entire sheet, select the sheet’s tab, then on the menu bar select Format … Sheet … Hide. Presto, the sheet “disappears” from view, but is still there for calculations and such.

Unless your end user is very very sophisticated, they probably won’t think about the Format-Sheet-Unhide option, unless they go dibbling around inside the formulas and see some of your sheet references to the “missing” sheets…

Just my $0.02 worth…

David R. Fordham
PBGH Faculty Fellow
James Madison University

October 7 reply from Laurie Padgett [padgett8@BELLSOUTH.NET]

I use this hidden feature for my job in which I have a master sheet that I do not want all eyes to see. To take David's advise a step further, after you Hide the workbook then go to "Protect" "Workbook" (check "structure") which is located under "Tools". Now, in order for them to be able to unhide the sheet they must first unprotect it. You can set a password for this. I hope this helps.

Laurie

October 9, 2002 reply from Nanyang Polytechnic [WOON_Hin_Keng@NYP.GOV.SG]

I tried setting the sheet property to Very Hidden using the VB Editor and the Properties Window. It seemed to work rather well as you cannot Unhide the sheet using the Format...Sheet...Unhide command. The option is just greyed out, so that the user has no shadow of a hint that a sheet has been hidden. You can then set the Tools...Protection...Protect Workbook property and check the Structure box. This will not allow any user to Change the sheet property back to Visible.

Thanks Damian for the suggestion. I could use this for one of my test.

WHK,
Nanyang Poly

From the AccountingWeb on October 2, 2002 --- http://www.accountingweb.com/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=86764

Eight Tips for Effective Cocktail Conversation

AccountingWEB US - Oct-2-2002 - by, Etiquette International
"A gossip is one who talks to you about others; a bore is one who talks to you about himself; and a brilliant man is one who talks to you about yourself." (Lisa Kirk)
Listen before jumping into a conversation. You may not want to deal with those people.
Make eye contact with one person in the group, smile and listen until they include you.
Introduce yourself when there is a pause in the conversation.
If you have something relevant to add to a group's conversation, jump in, then introduce yourself afterward.
To initiate a conversation, you can talk about the situation, talk about yourself, or talk about the other person.
Avoid taboo topics:

off-color or discriminatory jokes
personal relationships and sexual proclivities
health
diets
personal tragedies
cost of anything personal
income
controversial topics like politics or religion
free advice from professionals

Don't blend; circulate. Spend five to seven minutes with each person or group.
Always remember to close a conversation. Shake hands and take your leave.

The U.S. Justice Department insists online gambling is against the law. And some credit card companies won't finance gaming habits. But that's not stopping online bettors from rolling the dice --- http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,55202,00.html

I am forwarding this interesting message forwarded by the Reference Librarian at Trinity University.

Note in particular the quote:

"But since students often get their material through a Google search, it makes sense that that's a first port of call in detection."

Bob Jensen's threads on plagiarism are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/plagiarism.htm

Bob

-----Original Message-----
From: Nolan, Chris
Sent: Thursday, September 26, 2002 7:34 PM
To: Jensen, Robert Subject:
FW: Instructions for Google as Plagiarism Checker

Bob,

I thought you might find this interesting...

Chris

-----Original Message-----
From: Edward J. Leach [mailto:leach@LEAGUE.ORG]
Sent: Thursday, September 26, 2002 4:19 PM
To: COLLIB-L@ns1.WOOSTER.EDU
Subject: Re: Instructions for Google as Plagiarism Checker

Along that same line, the course below is one of the many sessions on this topic being presented at the 2002 Conference on Information Technology.

http://www.league.org/2002cit/index.html

Say It Isn't So: Plagiarism in the Digital Age Participants in this interactive, hands-on session explore the prevalence of plagiarism in academia and learn ways in which modern technology can be used to commit and deter plagiarism. Strategies for preventing plagiarism, such as designing effective assignments, as well as strategies for detecting plagiarism, such as using free and commercial detection services, will be examined. Real-life examples are used, including opportunities to identify problem assignments that might trigger student plagiarism, guidelines for providing assignments that reduce the likelihood of plagiarism, and a comparison of plagiarism detection services. This session will benefit anyone involved in assigning and grading students' written work, as well as those educators involved in enforcing academic honesty policies.

Carla Levesque, Librarian; Melisandre Hilliker, Head Librarian, St. Petersburg College, FL

-----Original Message-----
From: mchijiok@GUILFORD.EDU
Sent: Thursday, September 26, 2002 2:02 PM
To: COLLIB-L@ns1.WOOSTER.EDU
Subject: Re: Instructions for Google as Plagiarism Checker

It's amazing how often a specific phrase produces results. Very often the suspicion of plagiarism is triggered by an usual phrase using terminology and/or constructions that would not be expected from a particular student. Several of our faculty have in fact had great success with a well-chosen Google search (using a "[string]" + [word] search in the basic search mode). That doesn't mean that old-fashioned means aren't still relevant. In one case last year, the professor recognized the writing and pulled the book from the shelf. But since students often get their material through a Google search, it makes sense that that's a first port of call in detection.

Our faculty development committee is sponsoring a panel next week that includes representation from the Academic Dean's Office, the Library, the Academic Skills Center, honor board, and classroom faculty who have worked on designing personalized assignments that make plagiarism difficult. I'll be sharing a handout with a lot of wisdom from librarians (all fully cited, of course!)

It's another example where a partnership between librarians and classroom faculty pays off.

Mary Ellen Chijioke Director,
Hege Library Guilford College
5800 W. Friendly Ave. Greensboro, NC 27410
Phone: (336) 316-2129 Fax: (336) 316-2950 mchijiok@guilford.edu

"Charles T. Kendall"
To: COLLIB-L@ns1.WOOSTER.EDU
Subject: Re: Instructions for Google as Plagiarism Checker
Sent by: COLLIB-L <COLLIB-L@ns1.WOO STER.EDU>

The specific programs would be more precise, but I think what some professors are doing is just to type a chosen phrase from a suspect paper into Google to see if the search pulls up a hit.

On 26 Sep 2002 at 16:14, paul wiener wrote:

> I'd be interested too. My guess is that it's impossible. There are > specific programs written for tracing plagiarized material. I know > Google can point you to them.

-- <ckendall@sterling.edu>
Charles T. Kendall, Director of Library Services
Mabee Library Sterling College (125 West Cooper) P.O. Box 98 Sterling Kansas 67579 Telephone: 620-278-4233 Fax: 620-278-4414

"Where is the knowledge we have lost in information? Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?" T.S. Eliot, "The Rock," Chorus 1.

Hi Duke,

When the FASB originally proposed the booking of employee stock options at fair value, all hell broke loose in the Silicon Valley where it was asserted that this would destroy the technology industry in the U.S. Powerful companies like Intel arm twisted Washington DC, and bills were introduced in both the House and Senate back around 1993 that would have allowed industry to ignore the FASB's requirement to book employee stock options.

Bowing to political pressure, the FASB salvaged as much as they could in the finalized FAS 123. This requires disclosure of current values of employee stock options but does not require bookings that would impact on eps.

In the wake of the Enron scandal, there is more public pressure to book stock options. In fact, the folks at Standard & Poors are booking these options in their "core earnings" revisions of GAAP-reported earnings. See The S&P revised GAAP core earnings model alluded to in the above quotation can be examined in greater detail at http://www.standardandpoors.com/Forum/MarketAnalysis/coreEarnings/index.html

Hope this helps,

Bob Jensen

-----Original Message-----
From: XXXXX
Sent: Monday, September 23, 2002 7:43 PM
To: Jensen, Robert Subject: Stock options

Sir, I am fairly conversant with the current regs about accounting for stock options. I am not clear on the current trend for expensing options. How is this different from the current regs. Pls explain. Thank you,

XXXXX

Accounting for Employee Stock Options

FASB Exposure Draft on Employee Stock Options --- http://www.fei.org/download/FASB10_2.pdf

FASB Issues Exposure Draft on Accounting for Stock Options,
Amends Transition and Disclosure Provisions Norwalk, CT,
October 4, 2002

The FASB has issued an Exposure Draft, Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation—Transition and Disclosure, that would amend FASB Statement No. 123, Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation. The purpose of the proposed amendment is twofold:

•To enable companies that choose to adopt the preferable fair value based method to report the full effect of employee stock options in their financial statements immediately upon adoption.

•To make available to investors better and more frequent disclosure about the cost of employee stock options.

The proposed changes would provide three methods of transition for companies that voluntarily adopt the fair value method of recording expenses relating to employee stock options. In addition, the FASB proposes clearer and more prominent disclosures about the cost of stock-based employee compensation and an increase in the frequency of those disclosures to include publication in quarterly financial statements. Currently, companies are not required to present stock option disclosures in interim financial statements.

The FASB plans to issue the amendment to Statement 123 by the end of this year and its provisions would be effective immediately upon issuance. The proposed disclosures to be provided in annual financial statements would be required for fiscal years ending after December 15, 2002. The proposed disclosures to be provided in interim financial information would be required as of the first interim period of the first fiscal year beginning after December 15, 2002, with earlier application encouraged.

A copy of the Exposure Draft is available on the FASB’s website at www.fasb.org . The comment period concludes on November 4, 2002.

File Transfers Across the Internet: The following article reviews the history and FTP options:
"FTP: For The People," by Michael Calore, Webmonkey, August 30, 2002 --- http://hotwired.lycos.com/webmonkey/02/36/index4a.html

A ONE-STOP SHOP FOR ASPIRING TYCOONS
Experience is a great teacher, but is it a good earner? Rosalind Resnick explains "the H&R Block model" behind her small-biz advice center
http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/sep2002/sb20020916_4823.htm?c=bwfrontiersep24&n=link4&t=email

Examples of Corporate Environmental Reporting --- Johnson and Johnson --- http://www.jnj.com/community/environment/publications/index.htm

Environment-Publications

Johnson & Johnson is committed to environmental excellence, instilling high environmental values in all employees, utilizing the best environmental practices in all products and processes and contributing to global sustainable development. These publications provide information about our efforts to attain these goals.

2001 Environmental, Health and Safety Sustainability Report Part 1 (PDF)

2001 Environmental, Health and Safety Sustainability Report Part 2 (PDF)

2000 Environmental, Health and Safety Sustainability Report (PDF)

Healthy People, Healthy Planet Explorer – August 2002 – Designing for the Environment (PDF)

Healthy People, Healthy Planet Explorer – April 2002 – Sustaining the Environment (PDF)

Healthy People, Healthy Planet Explorer – October 2001 – Water (PDF)

Healthy People, Healthy Planet Explorer – July 2001 – Global Warming (PDF)

The Internal Revenue Service has announced the optional standard mileage rates to use for 2003 in computing the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical or moving expense purposes --- http://www.accountingweb.com/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=90979

The amounts for the various deductible costs for use of a car will be effective January 1, 2003, and are as follows:

The standard mileage rate for the use of a car for business purposes is 36 cents a mile for all business miles driven, down from 36.5 cents a mile in 2002.

The standard mileage rate for the use of a car when giving services to a charitable organization remains at 14 cents a mile.

The standard mileage rate for the use of a car for medical reasons is 12 cents a mile, down from 13 cents a mile in 2002.

The standard mileage rate to use when computing deductible moving expenses is 12 cents a mile, down from 13 cents a mile in 2002.

Bob Jensen's taxation bookmarks are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/bookbob1.htm#010304Taxation

September 23, 2002 message from Isabelle Rivoal [media@copernic.com]

Dear Mr. Jensen,

My name is Isabelle Rivoal. As the Public Relations Manager at Copernic, I am contacting you since you have shown interest in search engines and advanced Internet technologies.

Next October, we will be launching the greatest upgrade to Copernic 2001 ever: Copernic Agent Professional.

It is the only tool that goes beyond simple Web search engines by letting you Search, Manage, Analyze and Track information on the Internet.

It is my pleasure to offer you a free copy (a US $79 value) of our product for your evaluation.

To download Copernic Agent Professional (requires Windows), go to:

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CC01-053424-610672

Important notice : If you write about Copernic Agent before its official launch, please do not forget to specify that the product will be available only on October 8^th 2002.

If you have any questions or comments about our product, please do not hesitate to contact me.

I have also included some information on the product at the bottom of this message.

Best regards,

_____________________
Isabelle Rivoal
Public Relations Manager

Copernic

418-527-0528 ext. 1010

media@copernic.com

www.copernic.com

Search

Copernic Agent gives you the power to cover more of the Web and obtain all available relevant results.

Manage
Copernic Agent provides an environment in which you may organize, filter, group, annotate, archive and share your results.

Analyze
Copernic Agent gives you the tools to summarize, analyze and understand results so that you may keep only those of interest.

Track
Information on the Web is a never-ending circle of creation and change. Copernic Agent allows you to automatically track Web pages and find new results.

What can Copernic Agent Professional do for you?

Monitor Web pages for changes
Track your searches to inform you of new results
Create intelligent summaries of your search results
Filter your results by language, domain, status, etc…
Remove irrelevant and duplicate pages

What's new in Copernic Agent Professional?

New redesigned user interface (Windows XP style)
Complete seamless integration with Microsoft Internet Explorer
Redesigned search categories for more targeted results
Automation of search operations
Different choices of search results layout
Ability to create custom search categories to suit your needs
Grouping of search results by domain, status, etc…
Integration with Microsoft Office
And much more!

Bob Jensen's search helpers are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/searchh.htm

From Richard Campbell [campbell@RIO.EDU]

Here is the link to download the various Windows Media v9 products:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/download/default.asp

I'm experimenting with the above - Here my first encoded file:

http://easylink.playstream.com/virtpub/B_actr-1.wvx

I picked encoding at the highest quality which led to a large file size. It is best viewed using Windows Media Player v9 beta. The original avi was filmed using Camtasia.

Yes I know I misspelled Peachtree.

Bob Jensen's Camtasia tutorial is linked at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/HelpersVideos.htm#Video

Hi Paul,

I have been out of town and have not seen either the Trinitonian article or most of the threads on this issue. What I have not been able to find is a rebuttal from Brown University or other universities claiming that the survey really was "a sham" and that the reported data are badly in error. I hesitate to superficially call the report "a sham" when a leading commentator like George Will relies upon the report. But I do agree that we need to more facts about the source of the data and more rebuttals from the named universities.

The following August 27, 2002 Boston Herald editorial claims that voting registration data were used --- http://www2.bostonherald.com/news/opinion/edta08272002.htm

**************************************
George F. Will's commentary on ABC-TV's "This Week" show Sunday deplored the dominance of liberals on university faculties. This is not news; what set Will going was a report of voting registration figures for professors at several leading universities in the September issue of The American Enterprise, a magazine published by a conservative Washington think-tank, the American Enterprise Institute.
***************************************

Although I respect George Will's integrity, I worry about the following suspect and biased articles that purport to summarize outcomes at various universities. What is sad is that commentators may be assuming that there are top-down conspiracies for politically correct hiring. If and when political biases do affect hiring, I suspect biases arise more at the local level (e.g., biases of existing faculty in a given department that initially screens faculty candidates). In some cases, departments take pride in their biases such as the pride that seems to be associated with the conservative economic theorists hired by the Economics Department at the University of Virginia (although UVA has not to my knowledge totally excluded liberal economists). Conservative bias is not something the UVA hides, and the well-known economic conservatism attracts students, particularly doctoral students to the economics program at the UVA.

What is sad is that "fighting back" at Brown University and elsewhere may be more dysfunctional than helpful, because it may lead to top-down conspiracies to achieve diversity for the sole purpose of diversity that shuts out the most qualified candidates.

"Missing Diversity," by David Horowitz, Townhall.com, June 18, 2002 --- http://www.townhall.com/columnists/davidhorowitz/dh20020618.shtml

Time to Fight Back By Kenneth Lee The American Enterprise | September 4, 2002 http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/Printable.asp?ID=2661

"One Party Campuses," by Ellen Sorokin, The Washington Times --- http://www.washtimes.com/culture/20020905-94412890.htm

Hard Left Dominates Campuses: Time to Fight Back? Wes Vernon, NewsMax.com Washington Editor Thursday, Sept. 5, 2002 --- http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2002/9/4/202945.shtml

Bob Jensen

-----Original Message-----
From: J. Paul Giolma [mailto:paul@engr.trinity.edu]
Sent: Tuesday, October 01, 2002 12:12 PM
To: TIGERTALK Subject:
RE: Left-leaning professors still deliver balanced education

I'd like to see the source article (I couldn't find a reference to it at the AEI Website). I was struck by the skillful combination of Democrat (apparently the survey asked for party affiliation), liberal and left-wing.

Also, the Republican Party was clearly differentiated from Green and Working Families parties, but the Democratic was lumped together with those two.

Finally, Democrat replaces Democratic....but Republic doesn't replace Republican.

I'd really like to see how the survey was done--if the Trinitonian article is substanially correct, the survey was a sham.

jpg

Dog noses --- http://www.dognoses.com/

Marriage Tips forwarded by Maria

The secret to making a marriage last:

Two times a week, we go to a nice restaurant, have a little wine, some good food and companionship.
She goes Tuesdays, I go Fridays.

We also sleep in separate beds. Hers is in Sydney and mine is in Melbourne.

I take my wife everywhere, but she keeps finding her way back.

I asked my wife where she wanted to go for our anniversary.
"Somewhere I haven't been in a long time!" she said. So I suggested the kitchen.

We always hold hands. If I let go, she shops.

She has an electric blender, electric toaster and electric bread maker.
Then she said, "There are too many gadgets and no place to sit down!".
So I bought her an electric chair.

Remember.... Marriage is the number one cause of divorce.

Statistically, 100% of all divorces started with marriage.

I married Miss Right.
I just didn't know her first name was Always.

I haven't spoken to my wife for 18 months. I don't like to interrupt her.

The last fight was my fault. My wife asked, "What's on the TV?"....I said, "Dust!"

In the beginning, God created earth and rested. Then God created man and rested.
Then God created woman. Since then, neither God nor man has rested.

Why do men die before their wives?
'Cause they want to'.

Huh?

Forwarded by Bob Overn

Subject: INTERESTING STATISTICS

a. The number of physicians in the US is 700,000.

b. Accidental deaths caused by Physicians per year is 120,000.

c. Accidental deaths per physician is 0.171. (US Dept. of Health & Human Services)

Then think about this:

a. The number of gun owners in the US is 80,000,000.

b. The number of accidental gun deaths per year (all age groups) is 1,500.

c. The number of accidental deaths per gun owner is .0000188.

Statistically, doctors are approximately 9,000 times more dangerous than gun owners.

FACT: NOT EVERYONE HAS A GUN, BUT ALMOST EVERYONE HAS AT LEAST ONE DOCTOR.

Bob Hope and American Variety --- http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/bobhope/

From the Library of Congress
Note that many of the "documents" at this site are photographs (digital scans) of pages of text typed and then edited in pencil. These photographs are very difficult to read on a computer screen. They are a bit more readable if you print the photographs.

Exhibition Overview - Object List
Public Programs - Credits

EXHIBITION SECTIONS:
Early Life -
Vaudeville -
The Bill -
Moving On -
Bits & Sketches -
Motion Pictures
Radio -
Television -
Joke File -
On the Road: USO Shows
Public Service -
Faces of Bob Hope

The complete Bob Hope Joke File -- more than 85,000 pages -- has been digitally scanned and indexed according to the categories used by Bob Hope for presentation in the Bob Hope Gallery of American Entertainment. --- http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/bobhope/jokes.html

To comedians, "material" -- their jokes and stories -- has always been precious, worthy of protecting and preserving. On stage, a good vaudeville routine could last years as it was performed on tour across the country. In radio, a year's vaudeville material might be fodder for one week's broadcast. Bob Hope used new material not only for his weekly radio series, but also for the several live charity appearances he made each week. In the beginning of his career, Bob Hope wrote his own material, adapted jokes and comic routines from popular humor publications, or commissioned segments of his vaudeville act from writers.

Over the course of his career Bob Hope employed over one hundred writers to create material, including jokes, for his famous topical monologs. For example, for radio programs Hope engaged a number of writers, divided the writers into teams, and required each team to complete an entire script. He then selected the best jokes from each script and pieced them together to create the final script. The jokes included in the final script, as well as jokes not used, were categorized by subject matter and filed in cabinets in a fire- and theft-proof walk-in vault in an office next to his residence in North Hollywood, California. Bob Hope could then consult this "Joke File," his personal cache of comedy, to create monologs for live appearances or television and radio programs.

The complete Bob Hope Joke File -- more than 85,000 pages -- has been digitally scanned and indexed according to the categories used by Bob Hope for presentation in the Bob Hope Gallery of American Entertainment.

Bob Hope's home page is at http://www.bobhope.com/
Not much free stuff here!

Forwarded by Betty Carper

WANTED FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER (The actual AP headline)

Linda Burnett, 23, was visiting her in-laws, and while there went to a nearby supermarket to pick up some groceries. Several people noticed her sitting in her car with the windows rolled up and with her eyes closed, with both hands behind the back of her head.

One customer who had been at the store for a while became concerned and walked over to the car. He noticed that Linda's eyes were now open, and she looked very strange.

He asked her if she was okay, and Linda replied that she'd been shot in the back of the head, and had been holding her brains in for over an hour. The man called the paramedics, who broke into the car because the doors were locked and Linda refused to remove her hands from her head.

When they finally got in, they found that Linda had a wad of bread dough on the back of her head. A Pillsbury biscuit canister had exploded from the heat, making a loud noise that sounded like a gunshot, and the wad of dough hit her in the back of her head.

When she reached back to find out what it was, she felt the dough and thought it was her brains. She initially passed out, but quickly recovered and tried to hold her brains in for over an hour until someone noticed and came to her aid.

And, yes, Linda is a BLONDE.

Forwarded by Auntie Bev

Why Men Are So Darned Cheerful --- it's good to be a man...

Your last name stays put.

The garage is all yours.

Wedding plans take care of themselves.

Chocolate is just another snack.

You can be president.

You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park.

Car mechanics tell you the truth.

The world is your urinal.

You never have to drive to another gas station because this one's just too icky.

Same work, more pay.

Wrinkles add character.

Wedding dress - $5000; tux rental - $100.

People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them.

The occasional well-rendered belch is practically expected.

New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet.

One mood, ALL the damn time.

Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat.

You know stuff about tanks.

A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase.

You can open all your own jars.

You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness.

If someone forgets to invite you to something, he or she can still be your friend.

Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack.

If you are 34 and single, nobody notices.

Everything on your face stays its original color.

Three pairs of shoes are more than enough.

You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt.

You almost never have strap problems in public.

You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes.

The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades.

You don't have to shave below your neck.

Your belly usually hides your big hips.

One wallet and one pair of shoes, one color all seasons.

You can "do" your nails with a pocketknife.

You have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache.

You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives, on December 24, in 45 minutes.

Forwarded by Ben Plummer

The owner of a well-established, very well respected, third generation family-owned garment business met with his Board of Directors. Due to the recession, business had been very bad. Sales were down and costs were up.

The owner and his wife had poured every penny they had back into the business in the hope of keeping it afloat, but still things looked very precarious.

The Board of Directors offered no solutions, so as a last resort the owner decided to seek advice from his Rabbi. He poured out the story, with tears running down his face about the three generations of family sacrifice that had gone into building this once-thriving business. He ended by asking plaintively, "So Rabbi, what should I do?"

The Rabbi, a very old and wise man, said nothing for a long time, and then quietly intoned: "So here's vat I vant you should do. Get a beach chair, and a Bible. Put dem in your car. Drive down to the water's edge Sit in dis beach chair vit the Bible open on your lap, and let the vind from the sea rifle the pages of the open Bible ..."

"Yes Rabbi ...yes?!..." encouraged the business owner, completely at loss for any better ideas.

"... and ven the pages stop turning in the vind I vant you should look down at dat page, and read the first thing you see. And dat vill be vat you must do." pronounced the Rabbi with great certainty.

A year passes ... and the business owner (not a very religious man) returns to pay a visit to the Rabbi. The man is wearing a brand new $2000 handmade Italian suit; his wife looked stunning in her new mink coat; they had driven to see the Rabbi in their brand new BMW 740i Sedan. The business owner discreetly pulled the Rabbi aside and slipped an envelope to him, stuffed with money. "Rabbi" he whispered, "this is a little something for you and your wife, and here's also a check for $25,000 toward your congregation."

The Rabbi, although very old, remembered the man. "So, you did vat said?"

"Absolutely!"

"You vent to the beach?"

"Yes I did!"

"And you sat in the beach chair vit the Bible open on your lap?"

"Yes Rabbi. Absolutely!"

"And you let the vind rifle through the pages until they stopped?"

"Absolutely!"

"And vat vere the first words that you read on that page?"

"Chapter Eleven."

Forwarded by Roger Holmes

"We Were Kids In The Fifties....

" Everybody makes fun of our childhood! Comedians joke. Grandkids snicker. Twenty-somethings shudder and say, "Eeeew!"

But was our childhood really that bad?

Judge for yourself:

In 1953, the US population was less than 150 million... Yet we knew more people then, and knew them better... And that was good.

The average annual salary was under $3,000... Yet our parents could put some of it away for a rainy day and still live a decent life... And that was good.

A loaf of bread cost about 15 cents... But it was safe for a five-year-old to roller skate to the store and buy one... And that was good.

Prime-time meant I Love Lucy, Ozzie and Harriet, Gunsmoke and Lassie...So nobody ever heard of ratings or filters... And that was good.

We didn't have air conditioning... So the windows stayed up and half a dozen mothers ran outside when we fell off a bike... And that was good.

Our teacher was either Miss Matthews or Mrs. Logan or Mr. Adkins... But not Ms. Becky or Mr. Dan... And that was respectful and good.

The only hazardous material we knew about... Was a patch of grassburrs around the light pole at the corner... And that was good.

We loved to climb into a fresh bed... Because sheets were dried on the clothesline... And that was good.

People generally lived in the same hometown with their relatives... So "child care" meant grandparents or aunts and uncles...And that was good.

Parents were respected and their rules were law... Children didn't talk back... (and we weren't confused about our place in life)... And that was good.

TV was in black-and-white... But all outdoors was in glorious color... And that was certainly good.

My dad knew how to adjust everybody's carburetor... And the dad next door knew how to adjust all the TV knobs... And that was very good.

Your grandma grew snap beans in the back yard... And chickens behind the garage... And that was definitely good.

And just when we were about to do something really bad...Chances were we'd run into our dad's high school coach... Or the nosy old lady from up the street...Or our little sister's piano teacher... Or somebody from Church...ALL of whom knew our parents' phone number AND our first names... And even THAT was good!

We were taught to respect people in uniforms... The uniform did not register attack" in our minds... And that was good.

From the Internet Scout Project on October 5, 2002

British Research Leads to World's Funniest Joke

The World's Funniest Joke-Official --- http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=573&ncid=757&e=1&u=/nm/20021003/od_nm/life_joke_dc

The British Association for the Advancement of Science --- http://www.britassoc.org.uk/the-ba/page.asp

LaughLab --- http://www.laughlab.co.uk/

Dr. Richard Wiseman --- http://phoenix.herts.ac.uk/PWRU/RWhomepage.html

Philosophical Humor --- http://www.u.arizona.edu/~chalmers/phil-humor.html

The New York Friars Club --- http://www.friarsclub.org/

The World's Funniest Joke -- Official ---
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=573&ncid=757&e=1&u=/nm/20021003/od_nm/life_joke_dc

LONDON (Reuters) - After a year of painstaking scientific research, the world's funniest joke was revealed on Thursday.
In a project described as the largest-ever scientific study into humor, the British Association for the Advancement of Science ( news - web sites) asked Internet users around the world to submit their favorite jokes and rate the funniness of other people's offerings.

More than 40,000 jokes from 70 countries and two million critiques later, this is it:
"Two hunters are out in the woods when one of them collapses. He doesn't seem to be breathing and his eyes are glazed. The other man pulls out his phone and calls emergency services.
He gasps to the operator: "My friend is dead! What can I do?" The operator in a calm, soothing voice replies: "Take it easy. I can help. First, let's make sure he's dead."
There is a silence, then a shot is heard.
Back on the phone, the hunter says, "Ok, now what?"
Researchers found significant differences between nations in the types of jokes they found funny.
People from the UK, the Republic of Ireland, Australia and New Zealand preferred gags involving word play, such as:
PATIENT: "Doctor, I've got a strawberry stuck up my bum."
DOCTOR: "I've got some cream for that."
Americans and Canadians favored jokes where people were made to look stupid.
TEXAN: "Where are you from?"
HARVARD GRAD: "I come from a place where we do not end our sentences with prepositions."
TEXAN: "OK -- where are you from, jackass?"
Meanwhile, many Europeans liked gags that were surreal or made light of serious subjects such as illness, death and marriage:
A patient says, "Doctor, last night I made a Freudian slip, I was having dinner with my mother-in-law and wanted to say: 'Could you please pass the butter?'
"But instead I said: 'You silly cow, you have completely ruined my life.'"
Marriage-mocking also featured in the top American joke:
"A man and a friend are playing golf one day. One of the guys is about to chip onto the green when he sees a long funeral procession on the road next to the course.
"He stops in mid-swing, takes off his golf cap, closes his eyes, and bows down in prayer. His friend says: 'Wow that is the most thoughtful and touching thing I have ever seen. You are truly a kind man.'
"The man then replies: 'Yeah, well, we were married 35 years.'"
Death earned big laughs in Scotland:
"I want to die peacefully in my sleep like my grandfather. Not screaming in terror like his passengers."
And animals figured prominently. Take the number one joke in England:
"Two weasels are sitting on a bar stool. One starts to insult the other one. He screams, 'I slept with your mother!'
"The bar gets quiet as everyone listens to see what the other weasel will do.
"The first again yells, 'I SLEPT WITH YOUR MOTHER!'
"The other says: 'Go home dad, you're drunk.'"
The survey revealed other fun facts:
-- Of the countries rating the highest number of jokes, Germans, perhaps surprisingly, laughed the most. Canadians laughed least.
-- If you want to tell a funny animal joke, make it a duck.
-- The most frequently submitted joke, at 300 times, was: "What's brown and sticky? A stick."
Researchers said no one ever found it funny.
The findings can be read at www.laughlab.co.uk

And that's the way it was on October 10, 2002 with a little help from my friends.

For accounting news, I prefer AccountingWeb at http://www.accountingweb.com/

Another leading accounting site is AccountingEducation.com at http://www.accountingeducation.com/

Paul Pacter maintains the best international accounting standards and news Website at http://www.iasplus.com/

How stuff works --- http://www.howstuffworks.com/