People who work fewer hours per week are not only happier, but also more productive at their jobs according to a large-scale pilot program in Iceland.
Between 2015 and 2019, the Reykjavík City Council and Icelandic federal government teamed up with trade unions to test the pros and cons of a four-day workweek.
About 2,500 workers — more than one per cent of the country's workforce — worked between 35 and 36 hours a week, as opposed to the standard 40, with no reduction in pay.
Read more at:
Why Iceland's 4-day workweek pilot was an 'overwhelming success' | CBC Radio
Showing posts with label Success. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Success. Show all posts
7/7/21
11/14/20
African Continent: Coronavirus - updated figures : Africa sees average 8% rise in new virus cases but doing better than US or EU in combatting the virus
Africa’s top public health official says the continent has seen an average 8 percent rise in new coronavirus cases over the past month as infections creep up again in parts of the continent of 1.3 billion people.
John Nkengasong says “we expected it to happen” and warns that when the virus comes back for a second wave, “it seems to come back with a lot of full force.”
The African continent is approaching 2 million confirmed cases, with just over 1.9 million now including more than 45,000 deaths.
Note EU-Digest - however with a population of 1.3 billion people on the African countinent and a total of 4500 deaths, Africa is doing far better at combatting the coronavirus than either the US or the EU.
Read more at: https://egyptindependent.com/the-latest-africa-sees-average-8-rise-in-new-virus-cases/
John Nkengasong says “we expected it to happen” and warns that when the virus comes back for a second wave, “it seems to come back with a lot of full force.”
The African continent is approaching 2 million confirmed cases, with just over 1.9 million now including more than 45,000 deaths.
Note EU-Digest - however with a population of 1.3 billion people on the African countinent and a total of 4500 deaths, Africa is doing far better at combatting the coronavirus than either the US or the EU.
Read more at: https://egyptindependent.com/the-latest-africa-sees-average-8-rise-in-new-virus-cases/
11/27/18
Space exploration NASA: Insight spacecraft lands successfully on Mars
NASA spacecraft InSight lands successfully on the Red Planet NASA's $993 million (€876m) Mars InSight lander has successfully touched down on the Red Planet to listen for quakes and study how rocky planets formed, the US space agency said Monday.
Read more at:
10/16/17
Individual Economic Success: 10 golden rules which can make you a millionaire
Thomas C. Corley of Business Insider has spent years studying the habits of wealthy people.
He completed a "Rich Habits Study" in which he interviewed 233 people each worth more than $3.2 million, 75 percent of whom were self-made millionaires.
He compiled the 10 qualities that stood out to him as most common among—and most important to—those ultra-successful individuals. Firstly, innovation, because your million-dollar idea must be just that.
It needs to have some valuable quality that sets it apart from ideas that have come before. Here's how one designer used her innovation skills to create an invention that helps fight Parkinson's.
1) Have an Edge: It's not just your idea that needs to stand out—it's you. Whatever your strong suit is, it needs to be strong enough to help you rise above the rest of the pack.
2) Be an Expert: You need to make sure you are constantly up-to-date on everything there is to know about the field you want to succeed in.
3) Skill Set: Learning on the job is great and all, but you need to make sure you have valuable skills that you accumulate over many years.
4) Work Ethic:This one's a no-brainer. If you want to be successful, you've got to be willing to work incredibly hard and devote lots of time and energy to your goal.
5) Focus UP: Once you're set on an idea, you need to be able to focus on making it a reality. If you're working on a million-dollar project, it requires your full attention, no matter how long the project takes.
6) Connections, Connections and more connections: You can never have too many connections. Seek out the people who can help you and don't be shy.
7) Don't work alone: It'll be hard to get anywhere without people supporting you.Get people to work with you who believe in you and support your ideas and are not scared to be critical of some of your proposals.
8) Never get discouraged and give up: Persistence, of course, is extremely important. Failure happens and can only help you to start over again with new fresh ideas.
9) Have faith in your ability to succeed: Luck is not what makes things really happen. Vision, a good plan and focused hard work is the only path to success.
10) Blow your own horn: make sure that after you have produced your product or service, people hear about it via a variety of publicity vehicles readily available to you.
EU-Digest
He completed a "Rich Habits Study" in which he interviewed 233 people each worth more than $3.2 million, 75 percent of whom were self-made millionaires.
He compiled the 10 qualities that stood out to him as most common among—and most important to—those ultra-successful individuals. Firstly, innovation, because your million-dollar idea must be just that.
It needs to have some valuable quality that sets it apart from ideas that have come before. Here's how one designer used her innovation skills to create an invention that helps fight Parkinson's.
1) Have an Edge: It's not just your idea that needs to stand out—it's you. Whatever your strong suit is, it needs to be strong enough to help you rise above the rest of the pack.
2) Be an Expert: You need to make sure you are constantly up-to-date on everything there is to know about the field you want to succeed in.
3) Skill Set: Learning on the job is great and all, but you need to make sure you have valuable skills that you accumulate over many years.
4) Work Ethic:This one's a no-brainer. If you want to be successful, you've got to be willing to work incredibly hard and devote lots of time and energy to your goal.
5) Focus UP: Once you're set on an idea, you need to be able to focus on making it a reality. If you're working on a million-dollar project, it requires your full attention, no matter how long the project takes.
6) Connections, Connections and more connections: You can never have too many connections. Seek out the people who can help you and don't be shy.
7) Don't work alone: It'll be hard to get anywhere without people supporting you.Get people to work with you who believe in you and support your ideas and are not scared to be critical of some of your proposals.
8) Never get discouraged and give up: Persistence, of course, is extremely important. Failure happens and can only help you to start over again with new fresh ideas.
9) Have faith in your ability to succeed: Luck is not what makes things really happen. Vision, a good plan and focused hard work is the only path to success.
10) Blow your own horn: make sure that after you have produced your product or service, people hear about it via a variety of publicity vehicles readily available to you.
EU-Digest
4/2/15
Iranian nuclear deal: Barack Obama hails tentative agreement
U.S. President Barack Obama heralded a frameworknuclear understanding with Iran as an "historic" agreement that could pave the way for a final deal that would leave the U.S., its allies and the world safer.
"The issues at stake here are bigger than politics," Obama said during remarks in the White House Rose Garden. "These are matters of war and peace, and they should be evaluated based on the facts."
Obama's statement came as the United States, Iran and five other world powers on Thursday announced an understanding outlining limits on Iran's nuclear program so it cannot lead to atomic weapons, directing negotiators toward achieving a comprehensive agreement within three months.
Note EU-Digest: whatever way one wants to look at the Obama administration, one will have to agree, that it has had some HISTORIC AND DRAMATIC SUCCESSES, INCLUDING; OBAMACARE; THE CAPURE OF BIN LADEN; RESTORATION OF THE US ECONOMY; RE-OPENENING OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS BETWEEN CUBA AND THE US; AND THE IRAN NUCLEAR AGREEMENT. GOOD JOB MR.PRESIDENT.
Read more: Iranian nuclear deal: Barack Obama hails tentative agreement - World - CBC News
1/30/15
India, US Advance Strategic Relations - Success For President Obama
India and the US will initiate co-production of low-end weapons in
India as the two countries renewed their 10-year Defense Framework
Agreement during a visit here by US President Barack Obama Sunday
through Tuesday.
The agreement, which defines steps to be taken in the next 10 years to bolster their bilateral defense partnership, incorporates for the first time a provision to co-produce weapons in India, along with transfer of technology through the Defense Trade and Technology Initiative (DTTI).
Analysts and serving military officers, however, said it is too early to expect co-development and co-production of advanced weapons systems, and the two countries will need to begin with low-end projects to become familiar with how the DTTI will work as bureaucratic hurdles can impede execution of such projects.
At first, the two countries will co-produce such low-end weapons as the Raven UAV, and reconnaissance modules for the C-130J Super Hercules aircraft bought in 2008, said an Indian Defence Ministry source. More products under DTTI will be identified during next month's visit by Frank Kendall, US undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics.
Obama was the first US president to be the guest at the Jan. 26 Republic Day parade. His visit received substantial attention by the media, with analysts describing it as a watershed event and the beginning of a new era in Indo-US strategic relations under the Narendra Modi government.
Read more: ndia, US Advance Strategic Relations
The agreement, which defines steps to be taken in the next 10 years to bolster their bilateral defense partnership, incorporates for the first time a provision to co-produce weapons in India, along with transfer of technology through the Defense Trade and Technology Initiative (DTTI).
Analysts and serving military officers, however, said it is too early to expect co-development and co-production of advanced weapons systems, and the two countries will need to begin with low-end projects to become familiar with how the DTTI will work as bureaucratic hurdles can impede execution of such projects.
At first, the two countries will co-produce such low-end weapons as the Raven UAV, and reconnaissance modules for the C-130J Super Hercules aircraft bought in 2008, said an Indian Defence Ministry source. More products under DTTI will be identified during next month's visit by Frank Kendall, US undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics.
Obama was the first US president to be the guest at the Jan. 26 Republic Day parade. His visit received substantial attention by the media, with analysts describing it as a watershed event and the beginning of a new era in Indo-US strategic relations under the Narendra Modi government.
Read more: ndia, US Advance Strategic Relations
11/12/14
ESA: European space probe lands on comet after half-billion kilometers 10 year trip
 |
| Comet seen from Philae lander after departure from Rosetta mother craft |
The 100-kg (220-pound) lander - virtually weightless on the comet's surface - touched down on schedule at about 11 a.m. ET after a seven-hour descent from its orbiting mothership Rosetta, now located a half-billion kilometers (300 million miles) from Earth.
But during the free-fall to the comet’s surface, harpoons designed to anchor the probe, named Philae, failed to deploy. Flight directors are considering options to ensure the lander does not drift back into space.
“The lander may have lifted off again,” Stefan Ulamec, Philae lander manager at the DLR German Aerospace Center, told reporters. "Maybe today we just didn’t land once, but landed twice. Hopefully we are sitting there on the surface … and can continue our science sequence.”
Scientists hope that samples drilled out from the comet, known as 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, will unlock details about how the planets – and possibly even life – evolved, as the rock and ice that make up comets preserve ancient organic molecules like a time-capsule.
Comets date back to the formation of the solar system some 4.6 billion years ago. Scientists suspect impacting comets delivered water to early Earth.
"How audacious, how exciting, how unbelievable to be able to dare to land on a comet," NASA's director of Planetary Science, Jim Green, said at the European Space Operations Centre in Germany after the successful touchdown.
Read more: European probe lands on comet
2/23/14
Russia: President Vladimir Putin deserves kudos for 2014 Sochi Olympics - a job well done
 |
| President Vladimir Putin |
This was recognized by just about everyone afterwards.
Olympic Committee officials went to great lengths to praise these much-maligned Games in their closing news conference.
"They've done a phenomenal job," said USOC chairman Larry Probst, mentioning everything from smooth transportation to Vladimir Putin's presence throughout the previous 15 days. "Putin has really owned these Games," he said.
Like it or not, President Vladimir Putin deserves to receive Kudos, not only for these Olympic games, but also for doing everything in his power to turn Sochi into a household word and exposing a cultural, warm and friendly face of Russia to the rest of world.
Indeed, Mr. Putin might not be everyone's friend - which great leader ever is- but he will certainly be viewed by historians later as the Russian leader who picked up Russia by the bootstraps, after it was down and nearly out when the Soviet Union fell apart, and turning it into the modern society it is today.
According to Russian public opinion polls, Mr Putin not only remains popular - his popularity is even rising. In the latest poll, taken in December 2013, by the independent research organization, the Levada Centre, 68 per cent of respondents said that if new presidential elections were held this they would vote for Putin. This was up by 10 per cent from December 2012.
Why is Mr. Putin so popular at home? The simple answer is that the Russian population of 144 million is much better off today than it has ever been. Real incomes have risen substantially over the past decade, and the share of the population living below the poverty line has fallen.
The range of available consumer goods is worlds apart from when the Soviet Union fell apart little more than two decades ago. Many of the middle class Russian families are now taking vacations outside their country and in the summer you will now find Russians vacationers just about everywhere in the world with a large contingent in Turkey and Thailand..
During his two terms as president, Putin signed into law a series of liberal economic reforms, such as the flat income tax of 13 percent, a reduced profits tax, a new Land Code and a new edition (2006) of the Civil Code. Within this period, poverty in Russia was cut by more than half and real GDP has grown rapidly.
Some of the main features of Putin's regime so far have been: development of a corporatist system by pursuing close ties with business organizations, social stability and co-optation of opposition parties.
In 2005, Putin launched National Priority Projects in the fields of health care, education, housing and agriculture. In his May 2006 annual speech, Putin proposed increasing maternity benefits and prenatal care for women. Putin was strident about the need to reform the judiciary considering the present federal judiciary "Sovietesque", wherein many of the judges hand down the same verdicts as they would under the old Soviet judiciary structure, and preferring instead a judiciary that interpreted and implemented the code to the current situation.
In 2005, responsibility for federal prisons was transferred from the Ministry of Internal Affairs to the Ministry of Justice.
The most high-profile change within the national priority project frameworks was probably the 2006 across-the-board increase in wages in healthcare and education, as well as the decision to modernize equipment in both sectors in 2006 and 2007.
So far during Putin's government, poverty was cut more than half and real GDP has grown rapidly.
In a rare sign of emotion and patriotism, he once said in an interview with Time magazine: "Russia is an ancient country with historical, profound traditions and a very powerful moral foundation. And this foundation is a love for the Motherland and patriotism. Patriotism in the best sense of that word. Incidentally, I think that to a certain extent, to a significant extent, this is also attributable to the American people."
Kudos Mr. Putin, Sochi was a job well done.
EU-Digest 2/22/14
Russia: Sochi concerns coming in overturned by praise going out from USA officials
After heading into the Sochi, with all the concerns about
security, preparation and politics, U.S. Olympic Committee officials
went to great lengths to praise these much-maligned Games in their
closing news conference.
"They've done a phenomenal job," said USOC chairman Larry Probst, mentioning everything from smooth transportation to Vladimir Putin's presence throughout the previous 15 days. "(Putin) has really owned these Games," he said.
Amid #SochiProblems, big and small, the most expensive Games in history at $51 billion, the U.S. delegation will leave Russia with few complaints. "We are very, very impressed," CEO Scott Blackmun said.
Read more: Sochi concerns coming, praise going out from USA officials
"They've done a phenomenal job," said USOC chairman Larry Probst, mentioning everything from smooth transportation to Vladimir Putin's presence throughout the previous 15 days. "(Putin) has really owned these Games," he said.
Amid #SochiProblems, big and small, the most expensive Games in history at $51 billion, the U.S. delegation will leave Russia with few complaints. "We are very, very impressed," CEO Scott Blackmun said.
Read more: Sochi concerns coming, praise going out from USA officials
12/2/13
Germany - USA: Aldi grocery store: best in America, related toTrader Joe’s - by Rebecca Schuman
Chances are that you have never set foot inside the best grocery store in America: Aldi. And even if you are lucky enough to be in one of the 32 states where Aldi is, perhaps you were put-off by the cardboard boxes in lieu of shelves, or the row upon row of suspicious-looking off-brands. What is this place? Why do I have to put down a deposit to check out a cart? What is the weird giant shelf by the exit? And what do you mean, I have to pay for a bag?
Calm your hormones, meine Schatzis: Aldi, which is short for Albrecht Discount, is the American incarnation of a German grocery chain that is so ubiquitous in the Vaterland that almost 90 percent of Germans shop there. (Not all German imports are luxury cars, beer, and super-cool glasses.)
Aldi is part of a charming subset of Teutonic trade: the brother-run company that cleaves in twain. Shoe aficionados already know the story of the Dassler brothers, Adolf and Rudolf, whose bitter feud resulted in the creation of Adidas and Puma. (Germans pronounce Adidas differently—some might say correctly—AH-dee-das, from Adi Dassler.) But outside Germany, few know about grocery-store kingpins Karl and Theo Albrecht (who was kidnapped in 1971!)—even though Karl, with a reported net worth of more than 17 billion euros, is the richest man in Germany (Theo’s descendants are a close second).
The Brüder founded their discount-store empire together. A disagreement in 1960 over selling cigarettes hastened a partition, and an epic game of grocery-store Risk: Theo would rename his business Aldi Nord, and would control territories north of the Rhine, plus a healthy chunk of Europe. Karl would head up Aldi Süd, and get southern Germany, more of Europe, plus the U.K. and Ireland. But both companies operate stores in the United States—Aldi Süd operates as Aldi, and Aldi Nord as the now ubiquitous Trader Joe’s.
This is why I am hoping for Aldi’s rousing success in Amiland: so that more of our stores, and our culture in general, will incorporate such Teutonic efficiency. First the cost-savings of bagging our own groceries—then the ubiquitous bicycle lanes; immaculate, punctual public transportation; and, finally, required paid vacation and parental leave. It would be ausgezeichnet indeed, meine Lieben.
Read more: Aldi grocery store: best in America, related to Trader Joe’s.
Calm your hormones, meine Schatzis: Aldi, which is short for Albrecht Discount, is the American incarnation of a German grocery chain that is so ubiquitous in the Vaterland that almost 90 percent of Germans shop there. (Not all German imports are luxury cars, beer, and super-cool glasses.)
Aldi is part of a charming subset of Teutonic trade: the brother-run company that cleaves in twain. Shoe aficionados already know the story of the Dassler brothers, Adolf and Rudolf, whose bitter feud resulted in the creation of Adidas and Puma. (Germans pronounce Adidas differently—some might say correctly—AH-dee-das, from Adi Dassler.) But outside Germany, few know about grocery-store kingpins Karl and Theo Albrecht (who was kidnapped in 1971!)—even though Karl, with a reported net worth of more than 17 billion euros, is the richest man in Germany (Theo’s descendants are a close second).
The Brüder founded their discount-store empire together. A disagreement in 1960 over selling cigarettes hastened a partition, and an epic game of grocery-store Risk: Theo would rename his business Aldi Nord, and would control territories north of the Rhine, plus a healthy chunk of Europe. Karl would head up Aldi Süd, and get southern Germany, more of Europe, plus the U.K. and Ireland. But both companies operate stores in the United States—Aldi Süd operates as Aldi, and Aldi Nord as the now ubiquitous Trader Joe’s.
This is why I am hoping for Aldi’s rousing success in Amiland: so that more of our stores, and our culture in general, will incorporate such Teutonic efficiency. First the cost-savings of bagging our own groceries—then the ubiquitous bicycle lanes; immaculate, punctual public transportation; and, finally, required paid vacation and parental leave. It would be ausgezeichnet indeed, meine Lieben.
Read more: Aldi grocery store: best in America, related to Trader Joe’s.
6/29/13
Praise for Irish presidency tempers criticism of Anglo at EU summit - by Arthur Beesley
Biting criticism in Brussels of the Anglo tape disclosures was tempered by high praise for Ireland’s outgoing presidency of the Council of the EU.
Read more: Praise for Irish presidency tempers criticism of Anglo at EU summit - Irish News, World News & More | The Irish Times - Sat, Jun 29, 2013
Although German chancellor Angela Merkel took an unforgiving swipe at errant bankers after the opening session of the summit, she paid tribute yesterday to the Irish presidency.
“I would like to give my heartfelt thanks for an unusually successful presidency in which many dossiers were brought to a successful conclusion,” said Dr Merkel., “I thank Enda Kenny and the whole Irish Government.”
For his part, the Taoiseach praised the “many thousands of hours put in by people whose names are not known publicly in the interests of moving major files across the line”.
Every minister and minister of state did their job exactly as expected, Mr Kenny said. “In that sense I have to say, while the presidency won’t come to Ireland again for many years, this has been a rewarding and challenging experience.”
The baton passes to Lithuania on Monday ahead of a key vote by MEPs on the EU budget. With both the Commission and the Parliament now into the final year of their current mandate, the Irish presidency was under pressure from the off to advance several key initiatives through a complex legislative procedure.
The final act of the presidency is on Tuesday when Mr Kenny addresses the European Parliament in Strasbourg. In addition to the budget deal, he is likely to cite agreements on banking supervision and resolution, a negotiating mandate for EU-US trade talks and the reform of the agricultural and fisheries policies.
Read more: Praise for Irish presidency tempers criticism of Anglo at EU summit - Irish News, World News & More | The Irish Times - Sat, Jun 29, 2013
8/6/12
Business: Wait a sec – your decision will be better for it - by Harvey Schachter
From the tennis court to the board room, patience helps. That’s the conclusion drawn by Frank Portnoy, a procrastinator who decided to explore whether that trait was hurting him; and by actor/writer John Cleese, of Monty Python fame, who now counsels executives.
At this year’s Cannes International Festival of Creativity, Mr. Cleese offered four lessons in creativity, as Rae Ann Fera reports at FastCoCreate.com. In his June presentation, Mr. Cleese talked about Sussex University Professor Brian Bates, who compared the work practices of the most creative and least creative architects, and found the former more willing to defer decisions as long as they could.
“If you have a decision to make, what is the single most important question to ask yourself?” Mr. Cleese told the audience. “I believe it’s ‘When does this decision have to be made?’ When most of us have a problem that’s a little bit unresolved, we’re a little bit uncomfortable. We want to resolve it. The creative architects had this tolerance for this discomfort we all feel when we leave things unresolved.”
Read more: Wait a sec – your decision will be better for it - The Globe and Mail
At this year’s Cannes International Festival of Creativity, Mr. Cleese offered four lessons in creativity, as Rae Ann Fera reports at FastCoCreate.com. In his June presentation, Mr. Cleese talked about Sussex University Professor Brian Bates, who compared the work practices of the most creative and least creative architects, and found the former more willing to defer decisions as long as they could.
“If you have a decision to make, what is the single most important question to ask yourself?” Mr. Cleese told the audience. “I believe it’s ‘When does this decision have to be made?’ When most of us have a problem that’s a little bit unresolved, we’re a little bit uncomfortable. We want to resolve it. The creative architects had this tolerance for this discomfort we all feel when we leave things unresolved.”
Read more: Wait a sec – your decision will be better for it - The Globe and Mail
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