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What China has that the United States Doesn’t

30Aug

By rocitoutNo Comments

Business, World

What China has that the United States Doesn’t

It is 1980 and Shenzhen, a Chinese city less than an hour's drive north of Hong Kong, is an unpaved, rutted network of roads filled with homeless people and small farmers slaughtering chickens along the side of the road. Now the city is the reason why the United States will never need to manufacture electronics. From making cheap consumer goods to manufacturing the world's (i.e. Silicon Valley's) latest and greatest electronics, Shenzhen is now a large bustling modern city that rivals that of Shanghai and Hong Kong. What many Americans don't understand is that Silicon Valley doesn't need to manufacture their own products; outsourcing to a foreign country is more cost effective. Electronic design and manufacturing don't always occur under one roof. Shenzhen is to making the product...

Americans are Moving Inland to Cities Like Oklahoma City That Promise More Affordable Living

29Aug

By rocitoutNo Comments

Local

Americans are Moving Inland to Cities Like Oklahoma City That Promise More Affordable Living

Every year, about 36 million Americans pack their worldly possessions into the back of a car or a u-haul and make their trek to a new home. What many people studying the migration paths of Americans notice, though, is that moving is hardly a state of equilibrium. More people are moving to certain areas than others -- and collectively, these moving paths can have a big influence on the fate of city economies.Right now, there is an overall shift taking place from coastal cities to inland cities. As difficulties with securing mortgages and high property costs persist in states like California and New York -- among others -- more people are moving inward, toward urban centers that promise an easier and more affordable lifestyle. Oklahoma City is an example of a city that is benefiting from ...

Private Schools Could be the Solution to India’s Battle with Discrimination

29Aug

By rocitoutNo Comments

Local

Private Schools Could be the Solution to India’s Battle with Discrimination

The caste system penetrates all aspects of life in India, and for grade school children, this can mean an unnurturing and even unsafe learning environment. Even though it is illegal, discrimination is ever present in the Indian government school system, with lower caste children often being separated and teased by students of a higher caste and teachers alike. The work of Gary Becker, a Nobel Prize winning economist, that combined economics and sociology, could provide the country with a solution. Becker's application of economics to discrimination shows that discrimination increases when there is no cost involved. Government school teachers will be paid the same regardless of how they treat their students. The actions of a for--profit private school teacher, however, can impact enrollm...

Beauty Queen Contestant Arrested for Insurance Fraud

29Aug

By rocitoutNo Comments

Lifestyle

Beauty Queen Contestant Arrested for Insurance Fraud

In Riverside, California, a woman has been arrested for workers' compensation fraud thanks to online videos of her participating in beauty pageants. Shawna Lynn Palmer claimed to have fractured her toe last March while working for Stater Brothers in Riverside as a grocery store clerk. As a result of her injury, Palmer said she couldn't wear a shoe or put weight on her foot, preventing her from working. During multiple visits to a doctor, she said she could not move her foot in any direction, and she was ordered to refrain from working. She consequently was granted workers' compensation in March. However, a Youtube video has surfaced of the 22-year-old participating in the 2014 Miss Toyota Long Beach Grand Prix pageant during the time she was receiving compensation -- back in April. C...

Unpakt Online Booking Brings Transparency to the Moving Industry

29Aug

By rocitoutNo Comments

Business

Unpakt Online Booking Brings Transparency to the Moving Industry

Most people are already familiar with Yelp, the popular website which allows users to score and review local businesses like restaurants and hotels. But what if you need to score your moving company? Unpakt is a fairly new comparison site specifically for movers. Through Unpakt, users can already find and book legitimate companies online, but the company recently announced a new and even more useful service. Users will now be able to receive free and immediate price quotes through a calculation tool on the website. The Quick Quotes feature will provide users with price quotes in less than a minute from Unpakt's pre-approved list of companies, and they can select a good offer as soon as they receive it, which guarantees that they'll be charged the offered price. This is possible be...

As Paris Looks to Get Rid of Love Lock Bridges, Lockport Wants to Encourage Them

29Aug

By rocitoutNo Comments

Lifestyle, World

As Paris Looks to Get Rid of Love Lock Bridges, Lockport Wants to Encourage Them

In some parts of the world -- especially Paris -- cities are trying to slowly wean citizens and tourists away from the practice of leaving "love locks." Yet some areas, such as Lockport, New York, are hoping to replicate the love lock's popularity in order to bring new tourism to their area. What is a love lock? About 15 years ago, couples visiting European cities began leaving locks on bridges as a symbol of their love. The locks are often decorated or bear the initials of the couple. Soon, many bridges in popular areas become completely covered with locks. Lockport, NY is hoping that the lock can have special resonance with their namesake. Lockport gets its name from the Erie canal locks within the city, and the new Lockport Beautiful group is hoping that the metal locks, permanently a...

Electric Feel: Special Bacteria Help Detect Water Pollutants

29Aug

By rocitoutNo Comments

Lifestyle

Electric Feel: Special Bacteria Help Detect Water Pollutants

What happens when scientists and governments know that a body of water is polluted, but can't test for toxins due to the expensive equipment? The University of Bath brings in their electric bugs to test the waters. Scientists from the university's Department of Chemical Engineering have recently developed a low-cost and effective device that is intended to be used by developing countries in order to help them monitor their drinking water in real time. This real time data feedback will omit the need for expensive lab equipment. Water pollution cause by industrial waste is a serious problem in developing countries as many governments dismiss the need to monitor environmental impact as production takes top priority to improve the nation's economic standings. More developed countries ...

Car Insurance Basics: Why Switching Insurance Companies is Harder than Ever

29Aug

By rocitoutNo Comments

Business

Car Insurance Basics: Why Switching Insurance Companies is Harder than Ever

UPDATED 10/13/2020 Car Insurance is a topic many adults are familiar with. To the many young and innocent drivers of America, it might be just a strange bit of maintenance they pay their parents $100 a month for. However, it's a lot more complicated than that. What Is Car Insurance? Car insurance's most basic definition is financial protection if you or another driver cause an accident that damages some else's person, car, or other property. Each state has minimum requirements for the coverage you need on the vehicle. Mandatory coverage often includes liability or bodily injuries, property damage, medical payments, personal injury, and uninsured motorist. Which of these you actually need is part of car insurance coverage law in your state. One of the car insurance coverage ...

U.S. Housing Industry Sees Rebound This July; Economics Cautiously Optimistic

29Aug

By rocitoutNo Comments

Business

U.S. Housing Industry Sees Rebound This July; Economics Cautiously Optimistic

Developers, rejoice -- the U.S. home construction industry is experiencing a positive rebound. The data for July has just come in, and the government is reporting that the month saw an eight-month high. Construction increased 16%, equating to a little over one million homes, when adjusted for seasonal inflation. Experts had predicted a less dramatic upswing for July. The better than expected performance can be a good indicator that the economy as a whole is rebounding, and that the housing construction industry itself is experiencing more long-term gains. Economists always hope to find that the housing market is growing stronger, because new-home construction has a positive impact on the national economy. Building spurs demand for raw goods and creates jobs, while new home buyers help o...

27Aug

By rocitoutNo Comments

Business

Creator of the Pop-Up Ad Issues Apology

If you hate pop-up ads with a burning passion, you're far from alone. In fact, Ethan Zuckerman, the man who created the pop-up ad while working for hosting site Tripod.com in the mid-1990s, hates them just as much as everyone else. And in a recent article he wrote for The Atlantic, he blatantly apologizes for creating this internet nightmare at all. According to Zuckerman, Tripod.com struggled for a while as it tried to create marketed content in a way that would reach consumers and result in a share of the revenue. Companies began complaining that their banner ads, which are placed directly on a webpage, could make it seem as though the company supported that particular page's content. After years of experimenting with different platforms, Tripod.com eventually settled on a model where...