The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit global policy think tank first formed to offer research and analysis to the United States Armed Forces. The RAND was started in 1946 inside the Douglas Aircraft Company. It was set up as an independent corporation in 1948. The name was taken from R&D (research and development), though in fact it did no development.
Since the 1950s, RAND research has helped form United States policy decisions on many issues: the space race, the U.S.-Soviet nuclear arms confrontation, the creation of the Great Society social welfare programs, the digital revolution, and national health care. It was best known for the doctrine of nuclear deterrence by mutually assured destruction (MAD), based upon their work with game theory. Chief strategist Herman Kahn discussed the idea of a "winnable" nuclear exchange in his 1960 book "On Thermonuclear War". This led to Kahn being one of the models for "Dr Strangelove" in "". In the movie, RAND is spoofed as the "BLAND Corporation".
The RAND is now financed by the U.S. government and private endowment, corporations, the healthcare industry, universities, and private individuals.
The organization now works with other governments, private foundations, international organizations, and commercial organizations on a host of non-defence issues. RAND techniques were based on operations research (O.R.) which started in World War II. O.R. is the interdisciplinary application of scientific thinking to problem-solving. It relies mostly on the hard sciences like physics and mathematics, and economics. However, some famous biologists and social scientists have worked with RAND at times, and the importance of social ideas and thinking is more important than ever today.
RAND has about 1,700 employees and three principal North American locations: Santa Monica, California (headquarters); Arlington, Virginia; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The RAND Gulf States Policy Institute has offices in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Jackson, Mississippi. RAND Europe is located in Cambridge, England, and Brussels, Belgium. The RAND-Qatar Policy Institute is in Doha, Qatar. RAND's newest office is in Boston, Massachusetts.
RAND is also home to the Pardee RAND School, which is the world's largest Ph.D.-granting program in policy analysis. Unlike many other universities, all PARDEE RAND Graduate School students receive fellowships in order to cover their education costs. RAND also offers a number of internship and fellowship programs allowing students and outsiders to assist in conducting research for RAND projects. Most of these projects are short-term and are worked on independently with the mentoring of a RAND staff members.
RAND publishes the "RAND Journal of Economics", a peer-reviewed journal of economics.
To date, 32 winners of a Nobel Prize, mainly in economics and physics, have been associated with the RAND at some point in their career.
Siouxsie Sioux
Siouxsie Sioux (born Susan Janet Ballion, 27 May 1957), is an English singer-songwriter. She is best known as the lead singer of rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees (1976–1996). They released 11 studio albums in their career and two UK top ten singles, "Hong Kong Garden" and "Dear Prudence".
In 1981, Sioux and drummer Budgie made a side-project called The Creatures. They released four studio albums and broke up in 2005. In 1994 she released a single with Morrissey called "Interlude". That year she also sang on a Hector Zazou song called "The Lighthouse". In 2004 she started performing on her own as Siouxsie. Her first solo album, "Mantaray", was released in 2007. In June 2013 she performed for the first time in five years at the Royal Festival Hall in London.
She plays guitar, piano, bass, and percussion. Her voice is in the coloratura contralto range.
In 1991 Sioux married Budgie, the Banshees' drummer. She said in an interview with "The Sunday Times" in 2007 that they had divorced. She lives in France.
Brookings Institution
The Brookings Institution is an American think tank based in Washington, D.C. in the United States. One of Washington's oldest think tanks, Brookings conducts research and education in the social sciences, mainly in economics, policy, government, foreign policy, and global economy and development. In the University of Pennsylvania’s "2012 Global go-to think tanks report", Brookings is ranked the most influential think tank in the world.
Its mission is:
Brookings states that its scholars "represent diverse points of view" and describes itself as non-partisan. The media describe Brookings as "liberal-centrist" or "centrist". An analysis of Congressional records from 1993 to 2002 found that Brookings was referenced by conservative politicians almost as often as liberal politicians. It got a score of 53 on a 1-100 scale with 100 the most liberal score. The same study found Brookings to be the most frequently cited think tank by the U.S. media and politicians.
Robert Smith
Robert James Smith (born 21 April 1959) is an English musician. He is best known for being the lead singer of The Cure. He has been the only constant member in the band's 37-year history. They have released 13 studio albums and 10 EPs. Their biggest UK hit so far is "Lullaby", which reached number 5. Their biggest US hit is "Lovesong". He was also guitarist for Siouxsie and the Banshees and in 1982 he released an album called "Blue Sunshine" with the Banshees' Steven Severin under the name The Glove. He has worked with other bands like Crystal Castles. He has also sung songs on his own for movie soundtracks.
Smith can play guitar, bass guitar, double bass, keyboard, violin, flute and trumpet. He has a tenor vocal range. He is married to Mary Poole, who he met at the age of 14 in a drama class.
Smith was born in Salford, Manchester. In 1961, his family moved to Horley, Surrey. In 1963, they moved to Crawley, West Sussex. He was raised Catholic but later became an atheist. His first band, The Crawley Goat Band, was at the age of 14. In 1976, Smith was a member of a punk rock band called Malice. Smith then formed a band with members of Malice called Easy Cure. In 1977 they became The Cure. In 1978 they released their first album, "Three Imaginary Boys". It got good reviews. In 2001, Smith was going to end The Cure but Ross Robinson persuaded him not to.
Tim Burton gave Smith the Shockwaves NME Godlike Genius Award in 2009.
There have been lots of references to Smith in pop culture. In 2004 in episode 11 of series 2 of "The Mighty Boosh" Vince Noir says to Howard Moon that he can spend the evening with two goth girls if he dresses like a goth. Vince gives Howard a can of "Goth Juice: the most powerful hairspray known to man, made from the tears of Robert Smith". Lush made a hair gel inspired by this called Goth Juice that says 'made from the tears of Robert Smith' on the pot, but they don't make it anymore.
Smith appeared in the twelfth episode of season 1 of "South Park", "Mecha-Streisand" in 1998. At the time the episode brought South Park their biggest number of viewers for an episode to date.
Royal United Services Institute
The Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies (RUSI) is a British defence and security think tank.
It was founded in 1831 by the Duke of Wellington. RUSI describes itself as "the leading forum in the UK for national and international Defence and Security". It won Prospect Magazine's Think Tank of the Year Award 2008. In 2009, the same magazine named RUSI "Foreign Policy Think Tank of the Year". In 2011 RUSI celebrated its 180th Anniversary.
RUSI's Director is Michael Clarke and its President is HRH the Duke of Kent.
Zazen
Zazen (literally "seated meditation"; ; ) is a form of meditation in Zen Buddhism. It can calm the body and the mind.
Sarah Fimm
Sarah Fimm is a singer-songwriter from Oklahoma. She lives in Woodstock, New York. She has released six albums. Her first album, "Cocooned", was released in 2001.
Guennol Lioness