20 August 2018
Question: According to MSN:Money, what are three (3) reasons you’re not making more money at work?
Beijing orders banks to support exporters as trade war fears rise – Pg. 1
– China’s banking regulator has ordered banks to boost lending to infrastructure projects and exporters as Beijing seeks to counter mounting concerns about the intensifying trade war between the world’s two biggest economies
– …disrupting US banks’ plans to expand in mainland China. US lenders fear the dispute will hamper their scramble to take advantage of new rules allowing them full control of their mainland Chinese subsidiaries
– China’s currency and stock markets have fallen since then, reflecting investor nervousness about slowing growth and the impact of the trade war
– Pressure has been building on the renminbi, which fell almost 7% against the dollar….on August 15
– So far about 10% of China’s annual exports to the US have faced punitive tariffs, …
– (Prof Note: I do worry about this trade war. In the last five years I feel as if much of the US educational system has been based on Chinese students. If the students stop coming to the U.S., I am convinced many U.S. educational systems will implode!)
Mental health – Pg. 14
– I could not have imagined how bad it would be for my self-esteem to be the only man in the school parents’ groups – recipient of emails routinely addressed to “Girls!”
– He [the accountant] said he had done worth 25,000 (sterling), but had written off 50%. (Prof Note: You MUST stay on top of bills and play experts off each other, e.g. How long should “X” have taken. This is why, and I do realize this takes $$$, I always run legal bills through other counsel. It is also easier to negotiate when one is on top of the bills. I have found VERY unscrupulous lawyers and accountants that absolutely place their thumb on the scale when weighing their smelly fish!)
– Nobody had seen this coming, because I had hidden my struggles from everyone
– I resolved to do everything possible to get better: group therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, drama therapy and art therapy, yoga and qigong
– Being self-employed had been wonderful for several years, and in adversity I lost focus and felt alone
– Sharing financial difficulties was excruciating, but I have learnt that if I need help I should have the humility to ask for it
– (Prof Note: Mental health is important. It is real and it is serious. When my family was murdered and my five-year saga began the first thing I did was take my own, very difficult to take, advice. I raised my hand, phoned trusted peers, and said, “I am in trouble, I need help.” Without exception each provided me that help. Some agreed to take payment as I insisted I needed to be a priority in their lives (I was/am blessed). Occasionally I am blasted by a list-serve member, that is summarily deleted, for pushing everyone to earn and build and protect wealth. Just as in this case, please read the entire article, assistance, the best assistance, often must be purchased. Build your war chest, protect your war chest, it may be your recovery, your justice, your medical care, and can lead, in my opinion, to your finding happiness. Just my opinion.)
How AI can spot exam cheats and raise standards – Pg. 11
– Technology is being deployed by those who set and mark exams to reduce that fraud – which remains overall a small problem – and to create far greater efficiencies in preparation and marking, and to help improve teaching and studying
– Coursera has patented a system to take images of students and verify their identify against scanned documents
– Online publishers in some subjects, such as mathematics and finance, create unique questions by randomly changing the numerical variables used in exam questions
– Isabelle Bajeux-Besnainou, dean of McGill University’s Desautels Faculty of Management, says algorithms can be used to update tests (Prof Note: I MISS ISABELLE! How we let her go at GWU is a mystery! How many GWU finance professors/deans have been featured in the FT? This is the second time for Isabelle! Go Isabelle, GO!!!)
Answer: (1) You’re not boosting your skills (Prof Note: I am a huge proponent of increasing skills so that employers fear one leaving rather than the employee fears being made redundant, etc.); (2) You don’t take initiative (Prof Note: Be strategic in the initiatives taken. Does this advance both the corporation and my personal skill set(s)? If you spend 5 years learning a proprietary system whose skills are non-transferable, have you placed your career and family finances at risk?); (3) You haven’t actually asked for a raise (Prof Note: I do not agree with this either. I think the employer needs to be aware of market value and skills value. Annual compensation should be reviewed and discussed and adjusted, as necessary. Employees are the best asset!)