Update | 11:08 p.m. Read an article by Steve Lohr on keeping abreast of innovation in the Continuing Education special section.
Noah Berger for The New York Times Tyler Kennedy, 9, searches the Web at home in California.
The report examined the comparative research on online versus traditional classroom teaching from 1996 to 2008. Some of it was in K-12 settings, but most of the comparative studies were done in colleges and adult continuing-education programs of various kinds, from medical training to the military.
Over the 12-year span, the report found 99 studies in which there were quantitative comparisons of online and classroom performance for the same courses. The analysis for the Department of Education found that, on average, students doing some or all of the course online would rank in the 59th percentile in tested performance, compared with the average classroom student scoring in the 50th percentile. That is a modest but statistically meaningful difference.
“The study’s major significance lies in demonstrating that online learning today is not just better than nothing — it actually tends to be better than conventional instruction,” said Barbara Means, the study’s lead author and an educational psychologist at SRI International.
This hardly means that we’ll be saying good-bye to classrooms. But the report does suggest that online education could be set to expand sharply over the next few years, as evidence mounts of its value.
Until fairly recently, online education amounted to little more than electronic versions of the old-line correspondence courses. That has really changed with arrival of Web-based video, instant messaging and collaboration tools.
The real promise of online education, experts say, is providing learning experiences that are more tailored to individual students than is possible in classrooms. That enables more “learning by doing,” which many students find more engaging and useful.
“We are at an inflection point in online education,” said Philip R. Regier, the dean of Arizona State University’s Online and Extended Campus program.
The biggest near-term growth, Mr. Regier predicts, will be in continuing education programs. Today, Arizona State has 5,000 students in its continuing education programs, both through in-person classes and online. In three to five years, he estimates, that number could triple, with nearly all the growth coming online.
But Mr. Regier also thinks online education will continue to make further inroads in transforming college campuses as well. Universities — and many K-12 schools — now widely use online learning management systems, like Blackboard or the open-source Moodle. But that is mostly for posting assignments, reading lists, and class schedules and hosting some Web discussion boards.
Mr. Regier sees things evolving fairly rapidly, accelerated by the increasing use of social networking technology. More and more, students will help and teach each other, he said. For example, it will be assumed that college students know the basics of calculus, and the classroom time will focus on applying the math to real-world problems — perhaps in exploring the physics of climate change or modeling trends in stock prices, he said.
For K-12, online classes may translate to more face-to-face instruction. We pulled our son out of a useless junior high, let him play guitar and video games at home all day, and used an online charter school to teach him ourselves at night. The online curriuculum was definitely superior to what the local school offered, and the 1:1 instruction was very efficient. After one semester, he’s ahead of all his old classmates, rather than failing, and he’s enjoying life. Most people probably can’t arrange their lives to do this, but it sure can work when it works.
If you resonate with the studies conclusions, consider that we’ve only begun to scratch the surface. Imagine what we’ll begin to see when the generation that’s been “bathed in bits” begins building learning communities?
Imagine a mash-up of stumbleupon (randomizing), plus freerice.com (rewards/incentives), plus websites only slightly tweaked to deliver the core content required by states’ NCLB-mandated standards. The most successful (digital) charter school in history.
Great to see the validation from SRI.
Learning is an independent activity Mr. Reiger to the contrary… We all decide what we want to learn — 1st decision and then for different people there are different ways to learn things… The computer which can repreat things forever — and is very patient is a good method for that reason… It can also talk to us and put up something for us to read concurrently — this is where much teaching falls down — on the visual component..A few things do need hands on practice.. say dissection but having had lots of trouble with the instruction from the human instructor on the dissection of the baby pig – I now wonder how I would have done with computer directions to guide me…. sort of like operating long distance via video hookups which are now done…..
and thank heavesn for Wikipedia. — there are some good people out there.
One problem with saying that students in online classes do slightly better than students in traditional classes goes back to the old comparing apples and oranges thing. Online classes have their own assessments that may not parallel traditional assessments. The very technology tends to skew what can and cannot be assessed. Was there any standardization in the compared assessments, I wonder?
I’m halfway through an online master’s program with SJSU’s SLIS. It’s incredibly individualist, timely, and convenient. While the difference between an instructor that can effectively utilize the technology and also bridge the gap of disconnect between students and one who cannot is literally the difference between day and night, I think that the future of education is not as “scary” as it used to be.
p.s. I assure you Hetty, that it costs much more than you think to run these types of programs well.
I wonder to what degree the comparisons are skewed because online learners tend to have more access to technology etc in general. There could be a real effect, but dubious about the magnitude.
Isn’t it a self-selecting group that would want to learn online? Could this be a reason why those taking online courses do better? There’s a certain drive and motivation necessary to force yourself to learn something you don’t have to.
Perhaps by giving business, civics, math and the sciences over to online learning, truly significant time in the classroom can be given over to the arts and humanities.
Fascinating. When it came to college instruction, did the study consider whether older learners did better than traditional college students?
In my experience, on-line learning can work with motivated adults who already possess the BA or BS and take on-line classes to get a credential or a salary boost at work.
Traditional-age college students need the classroom interaction. For that matter, college-level learning is NOT an individual experience. It’s totally dependent upon dialogue and discussion. Otherwise, we might as well say that all we ever need to know we can get by gazing at our navels.
I’m very disturbed by Hetty Greene’s comment. Wikipedia may provide answers, but a college education is designed to help people ask questions and to analyze. The internet is a wonderful tool, but it does not teach analytical or critical thinking. If you don’t want those things, don’t go to college. And if you want a good lawyer, you best make sure he or she does not see the world in terms of answers and quick facts rather than in terms of questions and analysis.
College students, especially those aged 18-24, need to be challenged by the professor and fellow students in person, because they are far too sheltered and naive to seek challenges to what they already think to be true. Those over the age of 24 are not much better, but if they’ve already gone to college they know to ask questions. Young people, now raised in Hetty Greene’s world in which answers and not questions are touted as the end all and be all, are especially in need of the critical thinking skills that a college education provides.
For that matter, most of my on-line students failed their courses and the university knew they’d fail. On-line courses are cash cows *designed* to take advantage of irresponsible, parent-shielded child-adults who, while by no means dumb, are too lazy to drop courses in which they lose interest. Students in my classroom rarely fail because they stop attending class. Students on-line, however, quickly lose interest and are so enamored of their new independence that they forget to drop the course. The F stays on their record and the university gets the cash.
I have personally been the student in a variety of settings, including online, traditional college, foreign universities, community college, etc. What I have found is 1 year later, my retention rate of the material I learned is about the same, irrespective of the delivery method.
That said, I found the online learning drudgery. No live interaction with students & teachers, no debates, etc. No camaraderie, no life-long friendships formed, etc. Not good for extroverts. Living on campus with fellow students is more valuable, and leaves greater impressions, than what you learn in the classroom, particularly 30 years later. So for young people, I definitely recommend the college campus experience, living away from home starting at 18. What you learn about life & getting along with other people will never be reproduced online.
On the plus side, driving to class after work to listen to a bored adjunct for 90 minutes, then driving home is a waste of time. I could read that material myself in 20 minutes in the comfort of my home AND get a higher score on the test. You can move at your own speed and don’t waste time doing stuff that’s redundant. You can do assignments at 2 a.m. if you want – it’s your schedule. In these regards, online learning is superior. Much better for working stiffs trying to get ahead.
The subject matter is also important. Much easier to learn computer programming online than brain surgery. Anything involving people, like physical therapy, needs a large “live” component. OTH, accounting can likely be done easily online.
Bottom line is the motivated learner or student can do well in a variety of settings. As #3 pointed out, it’s cheaper to do online. Just record the professor’s lecture one time, and you’re done, even if s/he dies.
It’s also good for people who live in Timbuktu. You can still have access to the famous professor from home, something that was impossible before.
From this overview that has been presented, it would appear that the research has discovered a correlation rather than a causation in their results.
More bluntly, people taking online courses are a self selected group of people who want to learn. In a regular college environment, that just isn’t there – there are plenty of deadbeats who get weeded out, or people who realize that this isn’t for them, or people who were pushed into college by mom and dad and just aren’t too terribly bright.
Comparison of test scores doesn’t validate the results that Ms. Means and her team has drawn from their research. Their results are interesting, but the essential point still stands; they’ll need more data on the students themselves to draw any form of conclusion about the real efficacy of online teaching.
Just throwing online tools at people does not mean they will engage in meaningful learning. And many course management systems — Blackboard is the notorious biggest offender — are closed, proprietary, and their online media are decades behind the curve.
It’s free and open source software and all the curricular materials are free for others to use.
Yes, I strongly agree. As a teacher, I want students to have individualized learning experiences, especially students who are already 2-3 years behind.
Right now in Florida we actually have a state law that says students who have already been retained “2 or more years” in public schools are required to be in an “alternative placement” — but no one bothered to fund any alternative placement settings for those students already left back 2 or more years who are not eligible for special ed because they do not score low enough to qualify.
What these kids need is an online alternative placement classroom; one like the online classrooms now being used in NYC over the summer to teach math as recently profiled in the NY Times.
By offering students an online alternative, in school, the school still gets the money to educate the student, and the student has a chance for an individual online experience that may even enable the student to catch up.
And, the student could still attend music, art and PE classes with their actual age peers, which is not what happens now.
This is not a good situation for that student, or for the other students who are actually only 10 years old.
And the larger student does not like taking 4th grade art, music and PE three years in a row either.
So, I am looking forward to more online learning in schools, especially for situations like the above. This would really be a tremendous help to all students and teachers.
While enrolled in a mixed media course, where lectures were delivered online through Blackboard with weekly discussion/quiz sessions in a classroom, we quickly found that the best way for many of us to watch the lectures was, in fact, together. This gave everyone a chance to ask questions in the middle of the lecture, and have a possible answer. However, having the ability to go straight to lectures during review helped in studying for finals, or doing homework. Nonetheless, given the complex content of the course, I feel that at least some human interaction was necessary for conceptual comprehension.
On the contrary, Buzz, I think most people can rearrange their lives to allow their kids the best education. There’s no law, biological or otherwise, that says kids can only learn between 9 and 3 or between September and June. Teenagers in particular are more awake in the afternoon and evening than they are at 7am. Why not allow them to adjust their educational schedule to fit their circadian rhythm by implementing more asynchronous learning?
Being in a doctorate program at Boston University, I can certainly attest to the rigor and depth of the educational experience. I have degrees and certification from several prominent institutions (Kenyon College, University of Colorado – Boulder, University of TN – Knoxville, University of Memphis), and would put my on-line experience at BU against any of my excellent live classroom experiences. Being able to continue to work while attending graduate school has been a major plus. I am able to remain in my house, no travel time, and can archive lectures and classes.
On the down side, one misses the informal exchanges of student-to-student and student to faculty personal contacts.
I agree with the last paragraph completely. I have studied in online only, classroom only, and an online/classroom hybrid. While I learned a lot from all of them, logic in online classes and political science and all the drama that entails in classroom classes, I did like the hybrids. Sharing thoughts online and then meeting in person.
I completed an accredited online graduate course in the Humanities at the age is 83! Independent study is the way we all learn, and through the graded discussions and a good professor, it is the only way of the future for working people who cannot travel for their studies, and saves the enormous expense of dormitory life.
It is truly astounding that schools do not offer more online courses..
JS17 seems to have more varied experiences than I have; and seems to capture several facets of the argument. I think certain subjects and basic disciplines could be taught on-line; but others wouldn’t lend themselves to it. Hetty Green thinks one could become a lawyer for $100. Good luck with that. How is one going to participate in a Socratic dialogue amongst ones peers? Maybe when videoconferencing improves and becomes cheaper.
I wonder if what could also be happening, with regards to college students participating in online courses, is that those people voluntarily taking these courses are self-selected to be students with more tenacity and self-discipline than students who would not be able to make that commitment. Just a thought. I could be way off-base here.
Math *is* a humanity. It is not a science. It is an art in itself, not a tool, although it can be used as a tool, much as the English language can be used as a tool though it is not *merely* a tool.
And the best way to learn it is through wide ranging mathematical conversation with an actual mathematician, as opposed to “problem sets”. Unfortunately there is little to no math (proofs, methods of proof etc), and next to no mathematicians, below university level in this country so most people are not exposed to this fact.. Perhaps an inherent flaw of forced “education”.
As to the original article, I suspect again that, because correllation is not equal to causation, there is quite a bit of self-selection in the study. Whether this be true or not, however, the lower cost of online instruction will drive increased use of online education systems in the future.
animation clips, virtual field trips, QTVRs, sound clips to help convey information and concepts. Much better for teachers to SHOW & TELL rather than to just TELLl information to students like our ancestors did in the Bronze Age…and assume the students know what you’re talking/telling about.
chalkTALK to them in an attempt to convey information.
students for the early 1900s?
YouTube, Toyota etc. say we should be teaching our kids to prepare them for the workplace of 2015-2050? Or should we teach them to farm using electric tractors and combines?
online eSchool. And provide free “brick & mortar” preschools for all 3 and 4 year-olds who live below the poverty line.


The Public Service Commission on Wednesday approved a pilot program intended to create up to 350 megawatts of long-term renewable power within the next three years, a move that state officials and environmentalists say could help establish a permanent guideline that utilities would use to generate or purchase electricity from renewable sources.
The decision, which followed an eight-hour meeting in Covington, comes four months after the commission announced its support for the program, which is aimed at bolstering the Louisiana's fuel mix while adding resources that contribute to its reliable and economic long-term power supply.
For years, state officials have considered creating a renewable portfolio standard that would require regulated electricity utilities to acquire a portion of their energy from generators that use renewable sources. Some environmentalists and renewable energy advocates say the pilot program that has been approved will also encourage growth and potentially fast-track testing of smaller-scale renewable sources, which would then be sold to in-state utilities.
Details of the program were released for public comment in August, and based on the feedback that was received, state officials made several changes to its guidelines, including one that allows some woody biomass products to be turned into fuel.
The program is intended to create enough long-term renewable power supply 2 percent of the state's energy needs, by way of a request for proposals that would spur research and development of renewable energy technologies, such as biomass, geothermal, hydro, solar or wind.
The board met in executive session for a half-hour before returning to vote on the pilot program, with commissioners indicating that talk centered on opening the program to out-of-state resources.
Discussion on the pilot program, nearing the end of the day, drew a back-and-forth dialogue between Commissioner Eric Skrmetta, the lone vote against the proposal and the most vocal member of the Public Service Commission at the meeting, and several of his colleagues.
"In the future, who knows what will happen," said Skrmetta, of Metairie, who took issue with the program, set to run over several years, being considered an experimental trial. "I don't think it's a pilot, I don't think it passes the smell test on being a pilot for me, and I think it's the wrong way to go."
Other commissioners, including the board's chairman, Lambert Boissiere III of New Orleans, said the program, while not perfect, should move forward.
After the meeting, Jordan Macha, a conservation organizer for the state chapter of the Sierra Club, praised the pilot program as an important step in putting Louisiana in the company of other states attempting to move away from fossil fuels in producing electricity.
"With anything of this magnitude, the devil's in the details," Macha said.
Meanwhile, a day after New Orleans-based power provider Entergy Corp. said that the company was cooperating with a Justice Department investigation into its competitive practices, several commissioners, including Lambert and Foster Campbell, said they believed Entergy should have provided details about the inquiry in the weeks since the probe began.
"I'm real concerned about it," said Campbell, of Elm Grove, who added: "We need to be up to date about this investigation, exactly what's involved. I hope it's nothing bad, but I'd like to know everything about it."


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What do Indy Mayor Joe Hogsett and Manual student have in common?
Jose Bravo was dressed neatly in a suit as he rode up the elevator to the 25th floor of the City-County Building. The 17-year-old was about to meet Mayor Joe Hogsett, and he wasn't sure what to expect.
No need to worry. The incoming senior at Manual High School and the mayor hit it off immediately. They bonded over a shared love of lifeguarding, football and Netflix.
"I was nervous before this, but he's like a friend," Bravo said. "We're a lot alike."
The teen is the Boys & Girls Club of Indianapolis youth of the year, and Hogsett was serving as a mentor for the day. The same thing was supposed to be happening across the city for 200 other teens, but the push for volunteers for this year's Take a Boy/Girl to Work Day came up significantly short, said club director Rick Whitten.
Hogsett agreed to keep his commitment to host Bravo at his office Wednesday as a way to encourage others to step up to volunteer. A new date for the citywide initiative has not been set.
"If more people would take the time to mentor young people in our city, I don't think there's any question that would be transformative," Hogsett said. "I think our community would be invaluably enriched. Jose is the mentor of tomorrow."
After a tour of the city-county offices, Bravo and Hogsett sat down to a lunch of sandwiches and chips in the mayor's conference room. They talked about college, family and how the Boys & Girls Club shaped them.
Bravo has been a member of the Keenan-Stahl Boys & Girls Club, 1949 E. Troy Ave., for 10 years. He works at the club after school and is a lifeguard in the summer.
Hogsett, 60, grew up in Rushville, where he was active in the Boys Club and worked seven years as a lifeguard and manager at the city pool.
"He is me 43 years ago," the mayor said. "I got started at the Boys Club, much like Jose has done. I worked my way up to junior leader, refereed ball games, coached sports teams."
The clubs have a "profound" impact on the quality of life for children in neighborhoods served by them, he said. There are 11 Boys & Girls Clubs in Indianapolis.
Bravo asked Hogsett about his efforts to get guns off the streets, just as news of another double-fatality shooting was breaking on the city's north side.
As U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Hogsett said he took an aggressive approach to fighting violent crime but acknowledged the serious challenges the city faces when it comes to gun violence. "We're doing all we can."
He then asked the teen if he watches Channel 16, the public access channel where government meetings can be viewed. Bravo politely said, "when I can," while Hogsett's communications director Taylor Schaffer laughed out loud and said, "No one watches it except you, sir; he's just being polite."
Hogsett admitted he is glued to Channel 16. That and Netflix, which he just discovered last fall.
When Bravo asked what the mayor watches, Hogsett ticked off his favorite shows: "House of Cards," "Orange Is the New Black," "GLOW," "13 Reasons Why" and "Bloodline."
"I think if I was the mayor, I wouldn't have time to watch Netflix," Bravo said, more as a question than anything.
"I binge-watch, six or seven hours at at time" on the weekend, Hogsett told him. "When I watched the first season of 'House of Cards,' I thought it was over the top, unbelievable. But with what is going on in Washington today, it's like reality TV."
When Bravo said he would probably start watching it, Hogsett laughed and said, "You shouldn't, you're too young."
Before the two headed off to a news conference, Hogsett promised to come to one of Manual's football games in the fall, where Bravo is a linebacker. The teen hopes to attend Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis to study business and communications and plans to be a mentor himself.
Later, Whitten said the mayor served as a great example for the teen. "We hope to encourage lots of local professionals to volunteer for a day of mentorship."
To learn more, call (317) 313-8411 or email lharris@bgcindy.org.


Heath Herring is a colorful personality in the world of mixed martial arts, known for his Dennis Rodman-esque hairstyles, entertaining fights and a New Years Eve kiss in 2005 from an unlikely person  his opponent Yoshihiro Nakao. Though he grew up in Amarillo, Texas, Herring has traveled the world fighting in promotions such as Pride and K-1. Herring will return to his home state April 7 to fight Brad Imes in a heavyweight matchup at UFC 69 in Houston.
I spent 20 minutes talking to Herring by phone on March 27. We discussed his UFC debut earlier this year -- a stunning loss to Jake O'Brien at UFC Fight Night 8 -- his upcoming match against Imes, and the news that the UFC owners had just purchased Pride.
UFC Fight Night 8You lost a fairly one-sided decision to O'Brien at UFC Fight Night 8 on Jan. 25. That was your debut fight with the promotion and you were brought in with a lot of fanfare. Why do you think you lost the fight?
I think I learned a lot at that fight. I had to realize that the UFC isn't the same organization as what I was used to fighting [for] in Japan. And the end result was that I came up short on the judges' cards. And that's what happens sometimes. You start playing a new game with little bit different rules -- sometimes those new rules will kind of catch ya.
When you say new rules, what is different about the UFC compared to Pride?
Just a lot of minor differences, I would say. Like the referee standing the fight up at different times. I think here in the states, they put a lot of credit on [what happens] once the fighters hit the ground, even if there's not a lot of action being done. I think they let the fight continue on the ground for a long time. As opposed to Japan, [where] I've been in fights where we were on the ground 10, 15 seconds [and] they'd stand us up.
But, I'm by no means trying to put that blame on the referee or anything else. That's absolutely my ignorance and that's why I'm taking full responsibility for that fight.
In hindsight, how do you feel about that performance?
win and like I said afterward, I like to give the fans what they want -- that's an exciting fight. I look at it as my job to be in shape and be able to go the full 15 minutes, as hard as I can. And if you get caught with a punch or get caught with a cut or something like that, that's part of it. But to lose to a guy who wasn't doing a whole lot and he was picking away the points -- yeah, that sat a little bit badly with me. But, you're going to be a little bit smarter next time and learn how things go.
After your loss to O'Brien, you mentioned you had an MCL injury. First, which MCL was it?
I think there was some stuff that did come out but I never officially came out and said either way.
About the injuries, I sure hate when people make excuses about fights. And just to sum it up real quick, I went in there and I knew what the score was when I got in the fight and I still chose to get in there so I'm not going to sit back and make up an excuse for an injury. I hate when guys to do that.
If you read stuff -- and I'm not saying it wasn't so and it didn't happen -- but I sure hate to make that as an excuse for why I had such a poor performance.
Are you completely healed from that injury as you prepare for UFC 69?
Yes sir. If I'm getting in the ring, [then] I'm healing up. I am feeling really, really good on it. I'm able to kick again and everything so it's [a lot] better than it was.
I noticed that when you entered the Octagon, you puffed on an inhaler. I haven't noticed too many fighters doing this, at least not right before entering the Octagon. Is this something you do before every fight?
Yes sir. I've actually had asthma since I was a child. I think it might be a little bit more psychosomatic than anything. I can't even tell you the last time I really had to take a puff on an inhaler but I kind of just do it right before the fight more out of habit than anything. I've been fighting for 10 years and there was a time when I used to have to [use] a breathing machine before I'd fight. I'm real fortunate now that I'm able to really not have too much of a problem with my asthma. That's more of a preventative measure.
You also mentioned after the O'Brien fight that you wanted to give the fans excitement and you seemed to imply that wrestling doesn't deliver this excitement.
The point I was trying to stress was, we were in there for a fight. I don't feel I'm out of line to interpret my opponent's actions as he was taking me down, kind of just holding me down, and not doing a whole lot.
That was more me venting my frustration.
Even on the ground, I think I threw more punches than he did [and] I was on my back. I was out there trying to finish the fight and I can't necessarily say the same thing about my opponent. I think he was trying to survive the fight and win on points, which is a valid strategy and obviously he won that fight. Like I said before, that was something I've had to go in and re-analyze and understand that's part of the game.
Do you consider ground skills and takedown defense a strong part of your game?
Normally, my ground skills are actually very, very good. And if anybody has a history of my fights, I do have very good ground skills and very good ground defense.
Unfortunately, I was unable to show those at the athletic level I normally have this last fight.
For those who may not be familiar with your fights, how would you describe your fighting style?
[Laughing] Normally? Normally, it's a very fast paced style -- I do a lot of kicking, a lot of punching. And I'm looking to end the fight on the ground [or] standing up. I've actually won probably the majority of my fights by submission, believe it or not. I'm always looking for that finish. I was a mainstay in Japan for a lot of years because I think a lot of the fans over there realized that there was always something to watch with me. I was always an exciting fighter. I wasn't known for these long, drawn out, boring fights that unfortunately sometimes seem to pepper through this sport.
UFC 69You've traveled the world, fighting in Pride and K-1. How does it feel to now be fighting in Houston in UFC 69, near where you grew up in Amarillo, Texas?
I'm really excited about it. I'm glad to be fighting back in my home state of Texas. It's also double-edged because it's going to be the first UFC ever in Texas and I think the fans are really, really looking forward to that. When I got the opportunity to fight on that card, I accepted right away. And I knew it was something that would be important for me to be on and be a part of.
Houston's real far away from Amarillo but considering all the places I've been on God's green earth, it's not too far away from where I grew up. [laughing] So, I'm looking forward to it.
Your opponent in UFC 69 -- Imes -- is a former TUF fighter who is a little taller and a little heavier than you and is also a grappler like O'Brien. What else do you know about Imes as a fighter?
Well, to be honest with you, I don't really see him as being much of a grappler. I think he's going to come out and try to punch a lot more. But, he might surprise me. I think he's more of a stand-up kind of guy -- he likes to throw a lot of punches and do a few kicks. I know he trains with Tim Sylvia -- he's one of Sylvia's sparring partners and he comes from the Miletich fight camp.
So, we are looking for him to come out there and give me a good fight. And I think it'll be an exciting fight. He'll also be fighting in front of a hometown crowd as well.
How do you feel you will match up against him?
I feel I match up very good against him. I'm actually really excited about this fight. I think it's a good opportunity for both of us to get out there and showcase what our skills and abilities are to the fans.
It's a chance for me to get a little bit of vindication after that last disappointment. [laughing] And it is for him as well. So, it's actually a good fight for both of us.
Given that you lost your first fight in the UFC, do you feel you are at a crossroads in your UFC career with this upcoming match?
You could interpret that in many ways. I've had several people ask me that question. I think if I sat down and I really let the pressure get to me, it could. But, I just have to trust in my abilities, where I've been, what I've been through. I know what I've gone through. I know all the opponents that I've faced. And I know what my abilities are. So, I'm really not too worried about it. I know I've got a place in the sport for a long time to come. Unfortunately, I feel that people weren't able to see me fight at the top of my abilities at that last fight. So, I need to come out and show everybody what I am capable of as opposed to seeing half of a performance.
If you do defeat Imes, who would you like to fight next?
I've never even considered opponents to be honest with you. In Japan, that was a favorite question of all the interviewers. And I never really had a good answer for them. Whoever the organization offers up to me at the time, I'm going to take and accept. I like to stay active. I like to stay busy obviously. I just fought. I'm trying to fight again. I've had a year, year-and-a-half layoff due to some legal issues in Japan so I'm actually glad to be back in the swing of things.
So, as far as an opponent that I would want to face, probably the quickest fight that they'll give me after this one -- if everything goes the way I want it to -- then I'll probably say yes to [that matchup].
You're known for interesting haircuts and hair dye jobs. Do you have a special haircut that you have planned for this fight, your return to Texas?
You know what, I'm going to talk to the girl that does it. I have a girl here in Vegas -- her name's Valerie -- she's the one that does my hair. If you saw me right now, my hair's long, I've got a long beard. I just grow everything out and then I go in the week of the fight and give her free reign to do whatever she wants. I think it's a little bit like artistic freedom. I think if you're someone doing that everyday -- day in and day out -- you don't get many opportunities [where] someone just comes in and says "Do whatever you want"
Usually I'm pretty open with the people who do it and they've always done a really, really good job. In Holland, I had a different guy who used to do my hair. I think they really enjoyed it. This time I might try to sway her a little bit and see if she's got something planned just for Texas. But, I think when you have an open and creative license with things, sometimes you do your best work.
Pre-UFC CareerWhy did you leave Pride at the end of 2004?
Unfortunately I was being managed by someone who I thought was looking out for my best interest and they decided it would be better for me to move over to K-1.
We had a little bit of differences with K-1. Then I was forced to be in legal limbo until my contract came up as of last year.
As you mentioned, after you left Pride, you went to K-1. When you fought in K-1, you were part of a memorable occurrence Dec. 31, 2005. During the pre-fight staredown, your opponent, Nakao, leaned in and kissed you on the lips. You retaliated by punching him and the fight was eventually ruled a no-contest. Has Nakao ever explained why he did what he did?
So, neither he nor anyone else in his camp has ever apologized for the kiss?
Do you regret reacting to that kiss with a punch -- would you have rather taken it out on him during the fight?
No. In hindsight, I think that's the reason that image has become so popular among people. I think people like to think that under the circumstances they would have done the same thing. And I think sometimes it's kind of hard not to be uncompromising.
I think he learned his lesson. I don't think he's been doing that again, so I think that's a good thing.
As you mentioned, the video footage of that kiss has become pretty famous and UFC used footage of that kiss to promote your entry into the UFC. Were you OK with UFC doing that?
Absolutely, I had no problem with it. And actually, to speak kindly of K-1, they let us use that image, very kindly, without any problems.
Everything seems to be clicking together now finally and if we start winning some fights, there won't be a problem. That's the most important thing.
How would you compare UFC as an organization to Pride as you knew it back then and K-1?
Well, if you're going to do a comparison, I don't know if anybody who's ever traveled overseas or been in Japan -- you have to get used to that cultural difference. There's a significant cultural difference. [I'm] not saying if it's good or bad, it's just a difference -- you have to learn how to deal with it.
Also, I would say me having a little condo out here in Vegas for my training purposes, it's been really easy to be able to drive down and take care of things with the UFC people here.
I can't say necessarily that I like one better. People in the UFC have treated me like gold and I've got nothing but a lot of good words to say about them. Same with the people in Pride. And I won't say anything bad about the people in K-1 either. There were a lot of good people in K-1. Just because we had a couple of contractual differences doesn't mean that the organization as a whole wasn't a good organization.
And as someone who has fought in both Pride and UFC, what are your thoughts on the news that the owners of UFC  Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta -- are buying Pride?
I don't know. Mixed feelings. I think the Fertittas have done a great job with UFC here in the states. They've helped the sport really grow. As somebody who competes and loves the sport -- as an athlete in it -- I'm hoping it's not going to be a bad thing. I think it's going to be a good thing. I'm just going to keep my fingers crossed.
How many fights do you have left on your UFC contract?
After this one, I'll have three.
So you signed a five-fight contract with them?
Pramit Mohapatra covers mixed martial arts for baltimoresun.com. Visit his blog, MMA Insider, for frequent updates on the sport.


Talk to the average Joe on the street and he’ll tell you the world is coming undone… And he’s right.
Yet even with stocks at highs, people know there’s something terribly wrong… and they can’t seem to put their finger on why it’s happening and what it all means. The market tanked after Brexit, but it was hitting all-time highs again shortly after. What gives?
After the recent terrorist attack in Nice, the odds of Frexit jumped higher in Las Vegas. France is being torn apart by the EU’s open borders immigration policy. And France is on the verge of a civil war over it. The EU might survive Brexit. But it won’t survive Frexit. And neither will the global financial system.
The problem’s epicenter is Italian banks. Italy’s banks are broke. Many are insolvent. They’re sitting on $400 billion in bad loans. That makes up more than 18% of the country’s loans. In comparison, Britain’s bad loans only make up 1.5% of total loans. And there’s no easy way out. The crisis is spreading to the wider Italian economy. And Italy’s the third-largest economy in the eurozone.
Italian politicians are being pressured to take action. The problem is their desired solutions most likely mean the end of the EU’s banking union… and the entire European project. A taxpayer bailout would put Italy on a collision course with Eurocrats in Brussels and would threaten the EU’s very existence. EU rules state that bank investors must pay up before the banks can be bailed out.
This drama pits taxpayers versus banksters versus hapless bureaucrats. And the big European banks with exposure want Italian taxpayers to make them whole.
Who will win this showdown? And then what? What are the next dominos to fall?
I traveled to Singapore recently for an important conversation with one of the most legendary investors in the world, Jim Rogers. Rogers has seen it all and done it all. His perspective on history and global finance is unmatched. That’s why I ventured to see him for his take on the great global unraveling taking place right before our eyes.


The family of a 3-year-old girl who died in October after falling into a grease trap outside an ice cream shop in Auburn joined Gov. Kay Ivey today for a ceremonial signing of a bill intended to prevent such tragedies.
The Sadie Grace Andrews Act requires grease traps to be secured with a bolt or lock or be heavy enough to prevent access by children, and to be able to withstand expected loads.
Sadie was playing with her brothers and sisters when she stepped onto the lid of the grease trap, which apparently was not secured, fell in and drowned. The lid closed back on top of her, the Lee County coroner said at the time.
The Andrews family lives in Auburn. Sadie left behind her parents and five siblings.


Jews and Arabs clashed repeatedly in the mixed Mediterranean coastal city of Akko (Acre) during the Yom Kippur holiday. Police are on high alert.
An Arab driver nearly ran down a group of Jews in the street, the latter - fearing a terror attack - stoned him, and Arabs rioted and vandalized Jewish property in the mixed northern coastal city of Akko (Acre) during the Yom Kippur holiday and fast. Clashes began Wednesday evening and lasted through Thursday night. Police are on alert to prevent further provocations or acts of vengeance.
The day of violence began Wednesday evening, just after the start of the Yom Kippur fast, when an Arab driver from Akko's Old City entered a majority-Jewish neighborhood at high-speed. The vehicle raised suspicions, as in Israel it is considered unacceptable for anyone other than emergency vehicles to drive on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, although it is not forbidden by law. The driver had to bypass a barrier set up to block traffic at the entrance to the neighborhood.
A resident of the city told Israel National News that the motorist was spotted driving at a high speed towards a park where a group of Jewish youth had gathered. Fearing they were the target of a vehicular terrorist attack - of the type that has been perpetrated several times in recent months - the youths pelted the car with rocks and called for help. Jews from the neighborhood gathered and the driver took refuge with his relatives, a local Arab family.
At that point, Akko Arabs were called to come to the aid of the driver and his family, with the help of a rumor that Jews had killed an Arab resident of the Old City. Arabs began smashing cars and "everything in their way," one eyewitness said. A police officer, the Arab driver and another person were lightly injured as hundreds of people, Jews and Arabs, clashed.
Police, representatives of Akko City Hall and local Arab leaders managed to end the clashes, but the violence continued as Arabs heading back to their neighborhoods ran riot through Jewish areas of the city. Calling "Death to the Jews" and Allah hu akbar ("Allah is great"), the rioters vandalized hundreds of Jewish-owned shops and vehicles, and threw rocks at people on their way to or from Yom Kippur prayers.
According to an eyewitness, "The Arabs threatened Jews that if they left their home they'd be attacked. The Arabs began vandalizing Jewish-owned cars in the street and smashing windows. Afterwards, we saw them coming with axes and slashing tires. It was awful. Residents were afraid to leave for the synagogue."
Sources in the Akko municipality claimed that among those inciting the Arab mobs were known Islamist activists. Police arrested eight people on suspicion of involvement in the violence. Four people were arraigned Thursday, the others will see a judge on Friday.
Clashes resumed Thursday night after the fast ended, with demonstrations by hundreds of Jews and Arabs near the train station in the eastern section of the city and near the housing projects in the northern neighborhoods. Jewish youths set fire to an empty lot and attempted to make their way to other parts of the city.
Police blocked the eastern entrance to Akko and have been pushing Jewish protesters back towards a local first aid station. To disperse the crowds, police used stun and gas grenades, as well as water hoses, but had difficulty controlling the demonstrators. Clashes with the police continued sporadically into the night, as the Northern District Police Chief, Shimon Koren, is personally overseeing the crowd control operations.
Police are deploying hundreds of officers, patrol cars and special forces in the city's hot spots. "We know that Jews intend to carry out acts of revenge, but we are not talking about an organized initiative," a police spokesman said. "The force will prevent any such interaction."
Public Security Minister Avi Dichter is monitoring the situation closely; he arrived in the city for a visit on Friday morning.


BAGNERES-DE-LUCHON, France (Reuters) - The Tour de France is set for its moment of truth on Wednesday as the peloton prepares for a brutal 17th stage that could decide whether leader Geraint Thomas or defending champion Chris Froome will wear the yellow jersey in Paris.
It could, however, also open the door for a challenger to emerge and Dutchman Tom Dumoulin is one of those lying in wait for the top two to slip up.
Should he gain time on Thomas, the world time trial champion could still pip the Team Sky duo in Saturday’s solo effort against the clock. Thomas leads fellow Briton Froome by 1:39, with Dumoulin 11 seconds further back before Wednesday’s savage 65-km trek that ends with the much-feared climb up the Col du Portet, a lung-busting 16-km ascent at an average gradient of 8.7 percent. “This stage is going to be massively decisive, there are going to be big gaps,” said Thomas. “You can’t get carried away at the start because the last climb is one of the hardest of the Tour.” Riders with an outside chance of winning, or making it to the podium on the Champs Elysees, will, however, be tempted to blow up the race from the start, with Frenchman Romain Bardet, fifth overall and an excellent descender, the main suspect.
“It will be important to be steady on the descents, you can easily make a mistake,” warned Thomas. “Everyone is a bit apprehensive about this stage.” Team Sky have said that Thomas and Froome will not race against each other, but the four-times champion is a far better descender than the yellow jersey holder, and knows he must take time off of his team mate to stand a chance of winning the race for a record-equalling fifth time. “In that final climb anything can happen,” said Thomas. “We may find ourselves having to chase someone or together in front. There could be big gap, and different scenarios, as long as we don’t race against each other.” To spice things up, as the stage begins with a climb, organisers have decided that the riders will line up at the start in a grid formation based on the overall standings.
The idea, however, has been dubbed as purely cosmetic by riders and team staff.


MGM Resorts International (MGM), the largest casino and hotel operator on the Las Vegas Strip, is looking for a rebound in the famed gambling resort.
MGM’s Vegas properties include the Bellagio, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, and The Mirage. The Strip accounts for 74 percent of the company’s revenue, and both convention business and consumer travel to Las Vegas suffered during the recession. MGM would greatly benefit, of course, from a sustained U.S. recovery.
About 20 percent of the company’s cash flow now comes from Macau, a special administrative region of China, and the casino business there is going gangbusters, Morningstar reports. Betting in Macau surged 45 percent in the first 10 months of 2011.
In June, MGM gained a majority stake in a joint venture MGM China Holdings that owns the MGM Macau, a casino and resort. Earnings before interest, taxes, and depreciation (EBITDA) for MGM China soared 65 percent in the third quarter to $139 million, compared to a year earlier.
Standard & Poor’s analyst Esther Kwon sees MGM Resorts revenue rising 19 percent in 2012, the first full year that will include results from MGM China.
Revenue soared 38 percent in the third quarter to $2.2 billion from a year earlier, figures which don’t include MGM China. The company posted a net loss of $123.8 million in the quarter, narrowing from $318 million a year earlier.
Kwon has a hold rating on MGM shares. “We see Las Vegas trends improving on an increase in higher margin convention business, and we see improved liquidity at MGM,” she writes.
The improved liquidity stems from the company’s 2010 move to extend the maturity of much of its $4.7 billion in senior debt to February 2014 from October 2011. MGM issued 41 million common shares in October 2010.
“We expect asset sales to provide further balance sheet improvement,” Kwon writes. MGM has placed its 50 percent interest in the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa, in Atlantic City, N.J., in a divestiture trust and says it plans to exit the state.
MGM shares dropped 29.8 percent last year.
The company next reports earnings Feb. 13.


Yet more members of law enforcement have made the acquaintance of Lindsay Lohan.
Lohan was arrested Wednesday morning in New York City after allegedly clipping a pedestrian with her Porsche and leaving the scene, TMZ reports.
The alleged victim, described as a man in his 30s, was hospitalized, but didn't have any visible injuries at the scene.
Lohan was pulling in to the Dream Hotel in downtown Manhattan when she allegedly hit the passerby. Lohan's friend got out to check for damages, and then Lohan and her entourage went into the hotel. Someone called police, and when Lohan left the hotel around 2 a.m., she was arrested, according to TMZ.
Lohan was charged with leaving the scene of an accident and released. The charge is a misdemeanor, and it could trigger a violation of her probation on theft charges, as her probation hinges on her obeying all laws.


Earth requires fuel to drive plate tectonics, volcanoes and its magnetic field. Like a hybrid car, Earth taps two sources of energy to run its engine: primordial energy from assembling the planet and nuclear energy from the heat produced during natural radioactive decay. Scientists have developed numerous models to predict how much fuel remains inside Earth to drive its engines -- and estimates vary widely -- but the true amount remains unknown. In a new paper, a team of geologists and neutrino physicists boldly claims it will be able to determine by 2025 how much nuclear fuel and radioactive power remain in the Earth's tank. The study, authored by scientists from the University of Maryland, Charles University in Prague and the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, was published on September 9, 2016, in the journal Nature Scientific Reports.
"I am one of those scientists who has created a compositional model of the Earth and predicted the amount of fuel inside Earth today," said one of the study's authors William McDonough, a professor of geology at the University of Maryland. "We're in a field of guesses. At this point in my career, I don't care if I'm right or wrong, I just want to know the answer."
Detecting antineutrinos requires a huge detector the size of a small office building, housed about a mile underground to shield it from cosmic rays that could yield false positive results. Inside the detector, scientists detect antineutrinos when they crash into a hydrogen atom. The collision produces two characteristic light flashes that unequivocally announce the event. The number of events scientists detect relates directly to the number of atoms of uranium and thorium inside the Earth. And the decay of these elements, along with potassium, fuels the vast majority of the heat in the Earth's interior.
To date, detecting antineutrinos has been painfully slow, with scientists recording only about 16 events per year from the underground detectors KamLAND in Japan and Borexino in Italy. However, researchers predict that three new detectors expected to come online by 2022--the SNO+ detector in Canada and the Jinping and JUNO detectors in China--will add 520 more events per year to the data stream.
"Once we collect three years of antineutrino data from all five detectors, we are confident that we will have developed an accurate fuel gauge for the Earth and be able to calculate the amount of remaining fuel inside Earth," said McDonough.
"Knowing exactly how much radioactive power there is in the Earth will tell us about Earth's consumption rate in the past and its future fuel budget," said McDonough. "By showing how fast the planet has cooled down since its birth, we can estimate how long this fuel will last."


Kissinger, echoing the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group, also called for diplomatic talks with countries that neighbor Iraq, including Iran and Syria. He was joined in that sentiment by Madeleine Albright, the secretary of state during the Clinton administration, who also testified at the hearing. “I think we need a surge in diplomacy,” she said.


SKIERS and riders can start off the new year right by improving their skiing and racing skills at one of the many events that are taking place at ski resorts in the Northeast.
Jan. 6 marks the first in a series of women’s ski seminars for all ability levels at Belleayre Mountain in the Catskills. The classes are geared toward women who would like to increase their skills and expand their comfort zone using techniques and methods sensitive to women’s needs.
The cost of the three one-day women’s seminars for beginners is $125. Intermediate dates are Jan. 27 and March 3 and the cost is $100. An advanced two-day seminar is offered Feb.9-10 for $200. The Mogul Clinic will be held March 10 for $100. You must register by calling (845) 254.5600 x 339.
Okemo Mountain Resort in Vermont is offering skiers and riders a way to end the year with style and win some great prizes at the same time. On Saturday, the SoBe Superpipe competition, an Okemo Series free-ride event, will be open to skiers and riders of all ages.
Registration for the competition will take place in the Okemo Base Lodge from 8-9 a.m. on Saturday. Entry fee is $20. For more info, call (800) 786-5366 or visit http://www.okemo.com.
Hunter Mountain will host the Chevrolet Alpine Super Series – Men’s Nor-Am Cup USA from Jan. 2-5. This event brings some of the best male racers from the U.S., Canada, New Zealand and many other countries to Hunter and all competing for a spot at the World Cup and the 2006 Winter Olympics in both GS and slalom disciplines.
Hunter will also play host to Salomon Oasis and the Ultimate Hook-Up on Jan. 7-8. This 15-stop tour will bring a weekend full of free equipment demos, tons of giveaways and a terrain park jam session.
Pathfinders, a six-week learn to cross-country ski program for kids, will be offered this winter to local children ages 5 and up at the Verizon Sports Complex in Lake Placid.
The six-week program begins on Saturday and ends Feb. 11. The cost of the program is $35 per child. For more information, contact Rebecca Dayton at (518) 523-8824.
The Snowboomer Club, an athletic and social ski club for skiers 50 years and older is being offered at Whiteface and the Verizon Sports Complex. The program includes Alpine as well as Nordic coaching sessions, plus a variety of free events and discounts.
The Snowboomer Club meets on Tuesdays at Whiteface and Thursdays at the Sports Complex from January to March. A membership pass for the Snowboomer Club is $199. For more info, log on to http://www.whitefacelakeplacid.com.
The Next Snow Search, put on by Sports Illustrated for Kids, will be held at Jiminy Peak in the Berkshires on Jan. 7. Skiers and snowboarders ages 9 through 13 are eligible to compete to win a trip to Killington, Vt., for a chance at the finals.
The Next Snow Search, is a national talent hunt to find young athletes who best represent the next generation of extreme skiers and snowboarders. The finals will be held at Killington March 2-5.
Factors such as community involvement and grades will gain bonus points for competitors. Additional points will be earned by finishing a modified GS race and a Slopestyle Challenge.
For more information and to register, visit http://www.jiminypeak.com or call (413) 738-5500 ext. 3060.


(CNN) — Elephants are giant, cancer-battling super creatures that destroy damaged cells long before they become cancerous, scientists say.
In a study released this week, scientists said elephant genes may provide a crucial clue in the fight against human cancer.
The mammoth mammals rarely get cancer, which has long bewildered scientists considering elephants have 100 times as many cells as humans.
“They should be 100 times more likely to have a cell slip into a cancerous state and trigger the disease over their long life span of 50 to 70 years,” scientists at the University of Utah said.
Yet they don’t. The cancer mortality rate for elephants is less than 5% compared with 25% in people, the study said.
A team of scientists from the University of Utah and Arizona State University said they can explain the lower numbers.
In their search for answers, they combed through elephant DNA and found a few deviations.
Elephants have extra genes that stop tumors long before they form.
They have “at least 40 copies of genes that code for p53, a protein well known for its cancer-inhibiting properties,” scientists said. In comparison, humans have only two copies of such genes.
The massive animals also detect damaged cells preemptively, which they then repair or kill.
“Elephants may have a more robust mechanism for killing damaged cells that are at risk for becoming cancerous,” the study said.
During the study, scientists extracted white blood cells from elephants and damaged the cells’ DNA.
“It’s as if the elephants said, ‘It’s so important that we don’t get cancer, we’re going to kill this cell and start over fresh,'” said Joshua Schiffman, one of the study’s author and a pediatric oncologist at the University of Utah School of Medicine.
The study involved work by researchers from the two universities, and the Ringling Bros. Center for Elephant Conservation. The results were published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Without the genetic cancer-fighting ability, elephants would be long gone.
While there are other contributing factors that make humans more at risk of getting cancer, experts said, the study provides insight on treatment.
“Nature has already figured out how to prevent cancer,” Schiffman said.


Last night’s (February 7) Super Bowl 50 saw an inspired halftime show: Beyonce somehow surpassed impossibly-high expectations with a ferocious performance of her African-American empowerment anthem “Formation," Bruno Mars delivered in equal measure, solidifying his reputation as a stellar live act with minimal screen time. Coldplay were also there, reminding viewers of epic halftime performances of years past with help from a video montage. The show, overall, was a good one, and yet some viewers are miffed that it wasn’t 100% live.
A Reddit user posted a photo showing DJ and "Uptown Funk" producer Mark Ronson using unplugged equipment, indicating aspects of the show may have ben prerecorded, as though this were a revelatory discovery. But the Super Bowl halftime performance is never 100% live because, logistically, it can't be.
Flea's letter to fans was something of an eye-opener for viewers — but, again, it's nothing new.
"A lot of the (Super Bowl) bands want to play live, but you just can't do it,” Super Bowl music audio supervisor Mike Stahl told the San Diego Tribune back in 2003. “The only reason they won’t be live is we can’t do a line check (of all the amplifiers and monitor speakers). If you were going to do it live, it would take an hour to go through every instrument to make sure all the lines were perfect. So you have a live vocal to a canned track, simply because we don't have enough time -- we have 3 1/2 minutes to get the sound system set up (for the halftime show)."
Let's try remember this for Super Bowl 51, okay?


Today was a good day. A package from San Francisco artist Doctor Popular arrived in the mail. Inside were eight tiny publications, what he calls the Mini-Comics Mixtape.
He writes, "All 8 comics were drawn in under 24 hours with no planning in advance, so the stories can get a little out there." They're so good -- funny, offbeat and engaging!
Plus, he used a Risograph to print the comic books in two colors, which makes them look extra neat.
He's selling the set for $12 over at Etsy or through his site DoctorPopular.com.


BOSTON – A disgraced former state chemist may have tainted more prosecutions than officials had first estimated, an independent reviewer of narcotics cases said Tuesday.
More than 40,000 defendants may have been affected by the chemist's mishandling of samples, said David Meier, an attorney appointed by the Massachusetts governor to review prosecutions connected to the state lab scandal.
Meier, who led a file-by-file review of narcotics cases in which Annie Dookhan tested samples, said he'll meet with prosecutors, defense lawyers and judges to discuss how to best use the findings.
Authorities had previously estimated publicly that Dookhan had tested samples involving about 34,000 defendants.
They have alleged that Dookhan tampered with evidence and faked results during her nine years at the now-closed Boston lab. The 35-year-old Franklin resident has pleaded not guilty to a 27-count indictment related to her alleged wrongdoing in cases stemming from six counties.
Gov. Deval Patrick thanked Meier for his work to try to help resolve the legal morass.
"Now, with this detailed information, the many participants in the criminal justice system can do the work of getting each individual case right," Patrick said in a statement Tuesday.
Officials also said Tuesday that the state had spent $7.6 million to date in dealing with the crisis. The Legislature has authorized up to $30 million to cover costs incurred by the court system, prosecutors, public defenders and other state agencies.
A year ago, Patrick ordered the lab closed after state police took over the facility through a budget directive and uncovered what they called Dookhan's failure to follow testing protocols and her deliberate mishandling of evidence.
The scandal sent a ripple through the state's criminal justice system, exposing thousands of convictions to legal challenges.
Meier, who previously served as a prosecutor in Middlesex and Suffolk counties and is a partner at Boston law firm Todd & Weld, started his review by generating a list of 690 people in state prisons and 450 in county jails who were serving sentences based at least partly on Dookhan-related drug tests.
But the list didn't include thousands of people who were awaiting trial, were on probation or were serving federal sentences in cases that Dookhan tested samples.
Police arrested Dookhan last September, and a grand jury issued an indictment in December that charged her with crimes including obstruction of justice and perjury.
Her attorney filed a motion last week seeking to have statements she allegedly made to state police thrown out.
Dookhan said police didn't give her a Miranda warning while doing an interview at her home in which authorities have alleged that she admitted to wrongdoing that included making negative drug samples into positive ones and "dry labbing," or testing only some drug samples and assuming the rest were positive.
A state spokesman said last week that least 337 state prison inmates have been let out of custody as a result of the lab scandal, and the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association said at least 1,115 cases were dismissed or not prosecuted because of Dookhan's involvement or due to problems with producing documents because of the lab closure.
Court officials also set up drug lab court sessions that special magistrates have been presiding over to handle motions brought by defendants claiming to be wrongly incarcerated due to Dookhan's alleged misconduct.


Yogis may be enjoying a surprising benefit when they unroll their mats and strike a pose. A new study finds that just 20 minutes of hatha yoga stimulates brain function.
Researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign enlisted 30 subjects to take tests of working memory and inhibitory control, two measures of brain function associated with the ability to focus, retain, and use new information, the researchers said.
Subjects who took a single, 20-minute yoga session were significantly faster and more accurate on their tests than subjects who walked or jogged on a treadmill for 20 minutes.
Participants on the treadmill exercised with the goal of maintaining 60 to 70 percent of their maximum heart rate throughout the exercise session. "This range was chosen to replicate previous findings that have shown improved cognitive performance in response to this intensity," the researchers said.
"Yoga is an ancient Indian science and way of life that includes not only physical movements and postures but also regulated breathing and meditation," said study lead Neha Gothe. "The practice involves an active attentional or mindfulness component but its potential benefits have not been thoroughly explored."
Subjects who practiced yoga performed a 20-minute sequence of seated, standing, and supine yoga postures, with the class ending in a meditative posture and deep breathing.
"It appears that following yoga practice, the participants were better able to focus their mental resources, process information quickly, more accurately and also learn, hold and update pieces of information more effectively than after performing an aerobic exercise bout," Gothe said.
"The breathing and meditative exercises aim at calming the mind and body and keeping distracting thoughts away while you focus on your body, posture or breath," she said. "Maybe these processes translate beyond yoga practice when you try to perform mental tasks or day-to-day activities."
Findings, announced June 5, appear in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health.
A separate study published last month finds that twice-weekly yoga sessions can reduce high blood pressure. In the study, researchers led by Dr. Debbie Cohen of the University of Pennsylvania tracked 58 women and men, aged 38 to 62, for 24 weeks.
Another study published earlier this year in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry found that the practice may soothe depression and help sleep problems.


New analysis shows 22 of Australia’s largest companies are actively working to undermine the Paris agreement targets, betting shareholders’ money on strategies that assume global climate change action fails.
Investor action group Market Forces says those companies – worth a combined $121bn and representing 7% of the ASX300 – are “out of line and out of time” and has called on shareholders to divest their holdings.
The group’s legal analyst, Will van de Pol, said it was the first time Market Forces had “named names” and called out companies whose business strategies relied on the world failing to meet the Paris targets to restrict the global temperature rise to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.
“A handful of Australian companies are undermining efforts to limit global warming by pursuing new fossil fuel projects, or basing their business plans on energy projection scenarios that would doom the Paris agreement to failure,” the report says.
The list of “uninvestables” includes mainly resource and energy companies, but also diversified investment vehicles including WH Soul Pattinson and Seven Group Holdings.
The Market Forces study found that 199 ASX300 companies, representing 64% of total market capitalisation, faced heightened transitional climate risk but had not yet demonstrated business strategies consistent with the Paris agreement.
There were 143 companies with policies “not overtly inconsistent with Paris”, and just eight had aligned their strategy with the agreement.
Three companies – AGL, Origin and BHP – earned a reprieve from the list of the worst offenders, despite acting in a similar manner, because Market Forces said they had shown some progress towards aligning their goals with Paris.
In recent years, the boardroom has become an increasingly important front for climate activism.
This month, Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, the largest in the world, announced it would divest from firms that explored for oil and gas. Last month, Glencore said it would no longer back new coalmines in response to investor calls for the company to act on climate change.
Pressure is also increasing on Australian companies, though many still refuse to even consider the financial risk posed to their businesses by climate change.
In September, a report from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission said “the law requires” relevant companies to “include a discussion of climate risk” in their annual report.
In February, the Asic corporate governance council released new recommendations that directors and companies should make climate risk disclosures.
The Market Forces report singled out “coal cowboys” Whitehaven and New Hope, which it said had plans to establish new coalmines, or expand existing ones, based on forecasts that assume the failure of Paris.
Oil and gas companies Woodside, Santos and Oil Search had each “faced increased investor engagement over climate change in recent years, but this has done nothing to dissuade their plans to increase fossil fuel production”, the report said.


GRAND RAPIDS — Following Friday’s Division 3 semifinal win over Ypsilanti Arbor Prep, Pewamo-Westphalia coach Steve Eklund talked passionately about winning the state championship for all the Pirate teams that couldn’t take the final step in the past.
Ten different times, P-W had played into the final week, falling in three quarterfinals, four semis and three championship games — most recently two years ago.
Saturday, the Pirates finally broke through with a 40-33 win over Flint Hamady at Calvin College.
The girls’ state crown comes just one week after the Pirate boys won a state championship with a last-second win over Iron Mountain.
Droste was a freshman on the P-W team that fell in the 2017 state final by two points to Detroit Edison.
Saturday’s title wasn’t handed to P-W, either. After the Pirates led, 20-14, at halftime, Hamady dialed up its defense in the third quarter. The Hawks got more physical and forced 12 P-W turnovers, including 10 in a row over a five-minute stretch which saw the Hawks pull to 29-24.
Following Hannah Spitzley’s 3-pointer with 3:00 remaining in the third, the Pirates didn’t score another field goal the rest of the way, though they did sink 8 of 12 free throws to prevent Hamady from leading at any point during the game.
And even though the 6-foot Spitzley — P-W’s tallest player — fouled out with four minutes remaining, the Hawks could only play up the height advantage into two more points, as Aryana Naylor posted up with 4.1 seconds left.
It was tough to watch from the bench for Spitzley, who only fouled out of one game before, back in her freshman year.
“This year, I’ve been getting into some bad foul trouble, but we’ll figure it out for next year,” said Spitzley, a Western Michigan commit.
Despite giving a few inches away height-wise, the Pirates were tough on the boards, outrebounding the Hawks 32-19 and limiting Hamady’s 6-2 Naylor to six points and 6-1 forward Treshondra Williams to seven.
Ellie Droste, a Grand Valley signee, had a game-high 18 points. Rachel Huhn had 10, and Spitzley added eight.
Even with the comeback, Hamady missed 14 shots in the low post during the second half.


As the days went on and Trump began to immerse himself more and more into politics in the United States, it became very clear that not only was he serious about running for the position of Head of State in 2012, but that he is without a doubt the man for the job.
Trump is a successful businessman. He went from being one of the most successful and wealthiest businessmen in America to going bankrupt then back to being successful. Not only did he resurrect his career, but also he improved it tenfold. Trump is by far richer, smarter, and more successful today than he ever was.
And right now, that is exactly why America needs Donald Trump. The United States went from being the most prosperous country in the world to struggling with its economy. Right now we are in a time of crucial need for an economic and political overhaul that would reduce the national debt and deficit, as well as completely turn around the economy.
Trump is one of the wisest people in the entire country in terms of economics and finance. So how could he possibly not be fit for that aspect of the job?
Trump also is the only man in the country with the courage to say what others can only have the guts to think.
He called out President Obama on his political tactics and his place of birth.
Sure Obama may have presented a birth certificate, but as President of the United States of America, is it not even slightly possible that he fabricated the document?
The man barely spent his childhood in the country and his father was not even born in this continent. Do people really trust a piece of paper to discount the rest of the evidence? There have been people who have counterfeit more difficult documents.
Imagine Trump dealing with Congress. He won’t allow anyone to push for random measures or spend money frivolously without calling them on their actions. He would rule with an iron “you’re fired” hand.
Trump will get to the bottom of every issue without beating around the bush or sugarcoating his questions.
Trump would handle every issue that comes his way swiftly and effectively.
With both his personal success and his recent political actions, Trump has proven that he is the man for the job of President of the United States of America.
Yep I agree! Trump would fire every imbisol in Congress, turn the US economy around and dominate the world.
1. Psychology -A person of the second order in a former classification of mental retardation, above the level of idiocy, having a mental age of seven or eight years and an intelligence quotient of 25 to 50.
2. a dunce; blockhead; dolt. In other words, Donald Trump.
4. showing mental feebleness or incapacity.


CHICAGO — Newly released U.S. Census Bureau figures show the percentage of Illinois children with health insurance grew between 2008 and 2009. But about 5 percent of Illinois children were still uninsured last year.
Macon County has the highest rate of uninsured children of the 23 largest counties in Illinois. The census data show nearly 14 percent of Macon County children were uninsured last year.
Barbara Dunn directs a community health center in Decatur in Macon County. She says the loss of manufacturing jobs has left many families without health coverage.
Illinois' rate of uninsured children is better than the U.S. rate of 9 percent uninsured children in 2009.
The figures come from the American Community Survey, which is sent to about 3 million households each year.


An Atlanta librarian who appeared on “Jeopardy!” Wednesday was unable to beat a Colorado music teacher on a five-day winning streak.
Jordan Moore, a Cincinnati native, works at the Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library. She lost to Kyle Jones, but snagged 2nd place from Jonathan Lau, an actuarial consultant from New Jersey.
Moore and her wife live in Stone Mountain, close to where Moore volunteers with the refugee service organization, New American Pathways. She also teaches English as a Second Language with the Latino support group, La Amistad.
Moore said being on the popular quiz competition was a bucket list event, adding that she couldn’t believe it was happening until she was holding the buzzer.
Moore joins the ranks of metro Atlanta contestants, such as a Georgia Tech student who retweeted his haters, the chairman of the DeKalb County GOP and an archivist at the Breman Museum.


Mukesh Ambani plans to sell Reliance Gas Transportation Infrastructure Ltd (RGTIL), a company that builds pipelines to carry natural gas across the country. Bankers have been sounded to help RIL sell this privately business that could be worth a $1 billion, even though the proposal is at an early stage.
An RIL spokesperson refused comments without denying the move.
RGTIL, which has set up the pipeline network for transportation of RIL gas from its D6 field, moved out of the RIL fold to become a subsidiary of Reliance Utilities Pvt Ltd in 2006.
The transaction took place for Rs 5,00,000, an insignificant sum considering that RGTIL had right of use for setting up major pipeline networks.


Pharrell Williams married his girlfriend of 10 years, Helen Lasichanh, in Miami this weekend.
The producer/performer has enjoyed huge success in 2013 after appearing on both Daft Punk’s ‘Get Lucky’ and ‘Blurred Lines’ by Robin Thicke. He wed Lasichanh in a Miami ceremony on Saturday (October 12) according to the New York Daily News.
Paparazzi picture show the couple having their picture taken on a yacht by photographer Terry Richardson. The couple, who have a four-year-old son, Rocket Man Williams, have dated for many years. Williams was linked to Jade Jagger, daughter of The Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger, prior to meeting Lasichanh.
Earlier this year, Black Eyed Peas member and The Voice coach will.i.am was claimed to be counter-suing Pharrell Williams over his ‘i am OTHER’ YouTube channel. The suit comes after Pharrell filed a lawsuit against will.i.am earlier this year, asking the judge to protect his right to use the ‘I Am’ moniker.


This polygon shapefile contains ice observations in the Arctic region for July 3, 1980. This layer is part of the Arctic Climate System (ACSYS) Historical Ice Chart Archive. The earliest chart in the data set comes from 1553, when Sir Hugh Willoughby and Richard Chancellor, commanders of two expeditions sent out by the Company of Merchant Adventurers, recorded their observations of the ice edge. Early charts are irregular and infrequent, reflecting the remoteness and hostility of the region. The frequency of observations generally increases over time, as the economic and strategic importance of the Arctic grew, along with the ability to access, observe and record information on sea ice. The Norwegian Meteorological Institute in Tromsø used a combination of satellite imagery and in situ observations to produce daily digital charts each working day. These show not only the ice edge, but also detailed information on the range of sea ice concentrations and ice types. The Norwegian Meteorological Institute is continuing this series, and more recent charts may be obtained from this source.The ACSYS Historical Ice Chart Archive presents historical sea-ice observations in the Arctic region between 30ºW and 70ºE. The earliest chart dates from 1553, and the most recent from December 2002.


Composting is the ultimate win-win-win for gardeners.
It is recycling at its most basic, turning yard and kitchen waste into rich, organic planting material. It saves money on fertilizer and pesticides. It keeps earthworms working and off the street.
There are several types of composting that involve varying degrees of commitment. Aerobic, which uses air to compost, is quick, but high maintenance because your heap needs frequent turning; anaerobic, both low-maintenance and very slow, is done without air and involves letting waste sit undisturbed for years; vermicomposting employs red worms, bacteria and insects to break down matter (medium maintenance and speed).
But, as Brett L. Markham points out in his excellent "The Mini Farming Guide to Composting" (Skyhorse Publishing), nature is on your side: No matter which method you choose, it's nearly impossible to screw this up. "Nature loves compost," he writes, "and will turn anything that was once alive (or produced by something living) into compost all by itself."
So let's set up an aerobic composting bin.
What you need: Markham recommends chicken-wire bins: four posts (six is better, so you can have two side-by-side bins) and 48-inch-high chicken wire. Why two bins? One for new material, and the other for compost that's farther along in the decomposition process.
Find a location: Practically speaking, try to set up near the garden where you'll be spreading your compost. Moving vast amounts across your property will wear you out. In their book "The Complete Compost Gardening Guide" (Storey), Barbara Pleasant and Deborah L. Martin note that you may have to strike a balance: Compost heaps do better in shade, but gardens are in the sun.
What's in? What's out? For a basic aerobic compost heap, grass clippings, leaves (run them through a leaf grinder, if you can, to reduce their size and speed up the process), twigs and other plant materials are all welcome. Indoor fodder can include coffee grounds, tea bags, fruit and vegetable scraps, even freezer-burned vegetables. No meats, no fats. Bones, though, if thoroughly cooked, are fine (they provide calcium and phosphorous). But bury them at least 3 inches down.
Critters: Worms and insects help break down the compost material. Other garden-helpful insects, such as crickets, take refuge in the compost heap. If you add bones and they get exposed, you may have to fend off raccoons (or, more likely, the neighbor's poodle). The chicken wire should be a sufficient deterrent.
Maintenance: When starting fresh, you may want to buy a bag of commercial compost — its bacteria and other microorganisms are already cranked up — and toss it in to get your bin percolating. Once you're up and running, add some of your own mature compost to your second bin. Turn your material every couple of days. To get air into the mix — this is aerobic composting, remember — drive a short length of rebar into the pile and wiggle it around to make a hole and promote air penetration. Do this at several points. Monitor the temperature. As the decomposition process accelerates, the temperature will rise. (Specially made thermometers are sold at garden centers.) If the temp gets above 150 degrees, the process can slow down or stop. Frequent mixing will prevent that from happening.
Moisture is a must for successful compost. For aerobic, the material should feel damp and clump together, but not be so wet that water can be squeezed out. If your aerobic pile is too dry, turn it and add water.
When is it ready? Markham says that immature compost produces chemicals that prevent germination. When you see earthworms thriving in your pile and weeds are starting to sprout, your compost is ready.


WASHINGTON, Jun 4 2013 (IPS) - President Barack Obama tried Monday to jumpstart a new national discussion on mental health, sponsoring a conference with Vice-President Joe Biden aimed at reducing social stigma around the issue.
The event took place five months after two-dozen schoolchildren were killed in a shooting spree in the state of Connecticut by a killer who allegedly suffered from psychological problems. Since then bipartisan supporters have urged greater government focus on overhauling the country’s creaky mental health infrastructure.
Fitzpatrick called the United States’ current system of care for young adults dealing with mental health issues “abysmal”.
According to President Obama, speaking Monday at the opening of the conference, one in five adults in the United States experiences some form of mental illness. In addition, some 22 veterans of war commit suicide each day.
President Obama announced the launch of the new website, mentalhealth.gov, a clearinghouse of information for those seeking mental health services. The site will also host stories of those who have overcome mental health-related problems.
Alongside the website, U.S. media outlets across the country are set to start a coordinated national campaign aimed at destigmatising mental health. According to organisers, the campaign will start by focusing simply on getting those suffering from mental health problems to feel comfortable talking about their experiences.
“If someone had cancer in your family or diabetes, you wouldn’t be afraid to seek help or talk about it,” Dennis Wharton, a communications executive for the National Association of Broadcasters, told IPS.
Wharton says the new ads will not star celebrities, but instead feature a cross-section of U.S. society. “Because mental health knows no gender or race boundaries – this affects all walks of life,” he says.
Significant resources will be aimed at people who have served in the U.S. military.
For instance, Blue Star Families, an advocacy group for military families, will be producing a series of ads featuring country music stars urging veterans with mental health problems to seek help.
According to Barbara Van Dahlen, president of Give an Hour, a mental health advocacy group for veterans, says it’s unsurprising that many veterans suffer from mental illness, given their wartime experiences.
Van Dahlen stresses the need for trauma and substance abuse to be included in the category of mental illnesses. Advocates emphasise that substance abuse is an indicator of deeper problems, often mental health issues – and that dealing with those problems often helps with the substance abuse, as well.
President Obama announced that in coming months more than 150 “summits”, similar to Monday’s conference, would take place across the country. Hosted by the Department of Veteran Affairs, these will be held between July and September.
“What we ultimately want to do is take the conversations we are having today in the White House, and take them to school auditoriums, community centres, houses of worship, living rooms and kitchen tables across this country,” Health Secretary Sebelius said.
Nonetheless, she also warned of the presence of significant barriers to the new initiative, particularly given years of cost-cutting and the current environment of financial austerity.
The president’s 2014 budget, for instance, has a request for the training of 5,000 new mental health providers, particularly those who can work with people to transition into university.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Health’s Fitzpatrick, the United States currently requires a massive effort to train practitioners and other medical professionals to be able to offer some form mental health care. Currently, he says, many who are actively seeking help simply cannot find it.
First, however, the new Obama administration push on this issue is focusing on trying to make people comfortable enough to discuss their experiences in the first place. In closing comments Monday, Vice-President Biden drew on personal experiences to urge others seek out mental health-related help if they need it.


Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani exits following a news conference on the sidelines of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York, US, September 26, 2018. Photo: REUTERS/Brendan Mcdermid/File Photo.
JNS.org – Recent reports that the Iranians have removed their personnel from southern Syria and transferred their main activity hub from Damascus International Airport to the T-4 airbase in the heart of the Syrian desert indicate that the first round of the Iranian-Israeli conflict in Syria has ended in resounding defeat for Tehran.
Some in Israel voiced concern and criticized the government’s decision, which the defense establishment had encouraged, to wage a campaign against Iranian entrenchment in Syria. It is a fact, however, that the determination displayed by Israel bore fruit and its objectives were met without sparking a war on the northern border and while avoiding a diplomatic crisis with Russia.
The important takeaway from the first round is that those who dare, win. Iran blinked first and chose to duck a fight with Israel. It’s also possible it didn’t want to push its luck in terms of its relations with Bashar Assad and Vladimir Putin, the patron of the Damascus regime.
This further evidences the limitations of Iran’s power and certainly that of its Quds Force, the foreign arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, in Syria. The Quds Force couldn’t establish a solid foothold in Syria once Israel began pummeling it and therefore its ability to retaliate, threaten, and mainly deter Israel is still limited.
It’s not for nothing that Quds Force chief Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani wants the current government in Israel to fall. He even believes, according to media leaks, that a strong Iranian response to Israeli attacks in Syria could influence the outcome of the upcoming election in Israel. Iran is possibly behind Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s recent attempts in Gaza to spark another clash with Israel on the southern front. The Iranians want to influence the election results in Israel and at the very least deter Israel’s leadership from continuing the campaign against them in Syria. In the meantime, this hasn’t been working.
As stated, however, this is only the first round. The Iranians won’t throw in the towel so easily. Their presence in Syria, alongside their entrenchment in Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen, is a strategic goal for which they have spilled blood and spent billions of dollars. We can assume Iran will persist with efforts to establish a presence in Syria, even if in the country’s north, in the hope that the Russians will curb Israel’s attempts to uproot them from there as well. After all, in contrast to Israel, Russia doesn’t view Tehran’s presence in Syria as a threat and believes that it can curtail the Iranians.
Meanwhile, Iran last week celebrated the 40-year anniversary of its Islamic Revolution. On Feb. 1, 1979, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returned to Iran riding the wave of protests against the Shah’s regime and wrested control of the country for him and his cohort of clerics. These have been 40 years of uncompromising fanaticism, increasing international isolation, unrelenting subversion in the region and beyond, and burning hatred for the United States and Israel. But more importantly for the citizens of Iran, it has been 40 years of corrupt and violent dictatorial rule that has led the country to the brink of social and economic ruin.
Iran’s only dubious achievements over this time, not coincidentally, pertain mostly to its ballistic missiles, which it touts day and night. The latest — a cruise missile with a range of 1,300 kilometers (around 800 miles) — was unveiled last week to mark the anniversary of the Islamic revolution.
It isn’t clear, by the way, if the reports from Tehran are accurate. To be sure, the Iranians tend to distort and exaggerate such accomplishments even when their missiles are far from being operational. What is pertinent, however, is Iran’s trend and ongoing intention of manufacturing missiles capable of reaching not just Israel but Europe and in the future the United States as well.
The price for these missiles, as we all know, is being paid by the people of Iran; mainly the country’s youth who have essentially been sentenced to a life of economic hardship, poverty, and ignorance and mostly a lack of hope for a better future. The gap between the Iranian people and their leaders has never been larger and another revolution to topple the regime is undoubtedly only a matter of time. This is still quite a few years away, however, because the ayatollahs, similar to their ally Assad, are willing to kill millions before bidding adieu to the global stage.


Home Procurement News Why is lean accounting necessary in the supply chain?
Why is lean accounting necessary in the supply chain?
Knowing how to manage your finances is important for any business. If you aren't sure how much money you have in your accounts, you won't be able to pay your bills. Overseeing cash flow is crucial for keeping your finances in order. However, the processes in the supply chain are changing, and you'll need an accounting method that will accommodate those switches.
What accounting methods are currently used?
Traditionally, there are two main techniques for overseeing the money coming in and going out of a company: accrual and cash. Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages. However, one may benefit the business more than the other depending on the size and income of the company.
With cash accounting, you don't count any transactions until you receive payments or the bills are taken out of your account, explained NOLO, an online legal resource for consumers and businesses. This method is used primarily by smaller businesses and may offer a more accurate account of your finances. Because you don't record any payments coming in or going out of the company until they're actually received, you'll always know how much money you have in the bank. However, this may provide an inaccurate statement of your successes and struggles because sales cannot be recorded until payments are received.
Accrual accounting is the opposite. Revenue and expenses are included in your budget when the services are completed or the products are delivered, according to NOLO. This allows you to keep a more accurate record of your cash flow, as you'll see your sales as they happen. However, this may give the appearance that you have more or less money than is actually in your accounts.
How does the supply chain affect accounting?
In today's society, more emphasis has been placed on conserving resources and protecting the environment. However, with traditional manufacturing methods, that cannot always happen. Both materials and money can go to waste, as companies are thinking in terms of mass production, explained BMA Inc., a lean manufacturing consulting company. This can lead to excess inventory for businesses and higher costs for consumers.
A new workflow has made its way to the market to reduce these results. Lean manufacturing works to reduce waste, meet demand, lower prices and create a more efficient supply chain, the Journal of Accountancy claimed. Processes in production are moved near each other so that the products can switch stations with ease. This cuts lead-time and lowers prices because companies are able to create products when their customers want them. However, this manufacturing process requires a special type of accounting to take these changes into consideration.
Lean accounting allows people to make real-time decisions based on weekly reports and production expenses, Luis Socconini, the founder and director of the Lean Six Sigma Institute, explained to IndustryWeek contributor Michele Nash-Hoff. The method can improve accounts payable and receivable, payroll, inventory and budgets. Lean accounting may even be able to help determine prices and see which products are successful.
Shortened delivery times from three weeks to four days.
Reduction in inventory storage from six months to less than two months.
Increased employee productivity to $2,750 from $1,560.
Despite the benefits, not many businesses have made the switch to the new method. However, Socconini believed lean accounting will be popular in the next five to 10 years.
By switching to lean accounting, you are able to accommodate the changes in the supply chain. The efficiency and speed of the new manufacturing process will need to be accounted for in the financial records, as traditional cash and accrual accounting may not be as accurate throughout all parts of the workflow.