A weekly presentation of downloadable charts and short analyses designed to graphically illustrate important economic issues.Updated every Wednesday.
Snapshot for September 5, 2001.
On net, the economy is in recession Investment in computers, software, and other types of IT (information technology)played an increasingly important role in the growth of the economyover the 1990s boom. Such investment accounted for 19% of the growth in gross domestic product (GDP) between 1995 and 2000. Yet, as the figure below reveals, the increasing importance of IT has an unrecognized downside: faster depreciation.
The figure shows quarterly annualized growth rates of real GDP and net domestic product (N
DP ) -- GDP minus depreciation -- over the past few years. The level of NDP is, of course, lower than GDP at any pointintime, but until the 1980s these two measures grew at almost exactly the same rate. As computers and software came to be more important in the economy, GDP growth began to exceed NDP growth by between 0.2 and 0.3 percentage points annually.
This gap, however, expanded in the recent boom, as the share of IT software and equipment in total investment grew rapidly. Over the past year, the gap has become quite large, with real NDP down by 0.1% from its year-ago level, while real GDP has grown by 1.2%. In the last quarter, real NDP was solidly in the red, falling by 1.3%, while GDP grew 0.2%. Thus, by this measure, which arguably more accurately reflects the value of goods and services available for use, the economy already appears to be in recession.
This week's Snapshot by EPI economist Jared Bernstein and EPI research associate and co-director of the Center for Economic Research Dean Baker.
Check out the archive for past Economic Snapshots.
900-year-old Song dynasty drains save Chinese city from deadly floods
A 900-year-old drainage system has saved a city in south China from severe floods that have left over one hundred people dead and a million homeless across the region.
By Malcolm Moore in Shanghai Published: 4:50PM BST 14 Jul 2010
The drainage system uses the natural camber of the city to quickly channel water outwards
Torrential rain and flash floods have caused £1.9 billion of damage in China. Nearly forty people were killed this week alone in a series of landslides.
But the 100,000 residents of the ancient city of Ganzhou, in Jiangxi province, are safe and dry, thanks to two drains built during the Song dynasty (960-1279), which proved far more effective than modern sewer systems at coping with the downpour.
Two long tunnels, built using bricks from the city walls, cross the city and channel floodwater into two ponds that function as reservoirs. The designer of the system, Liu Yi, named the drains "Fu" or Fortune, and "Shou" or Longevity.
"The ancient residents of Ganzhou were very advanced in hydro-technology," said Wang Ronghong, head of the city's project management and maintenance office.
"They built 12 water gates at the mouth of the drain, which help block rising water during the rainy season. When the river level is lower than the gate, the water from the drainage system flows out, but if the water outside the city rises, the gates snap shut to prevent any of it coming in," he explained.
The drainage system also uses the natural camber of the city to quickly channel water outwards. The original Song Dynasty system used hundreds of ponds across the city as reservoirs.
However, most of these have now been filled in by keen property developers, leaving only the old town's ponds intact. As a consequence, the ancient city is the only one of Ganzhou's 18 districts not to suffer from flooding.
High-ranking official in Vietnam's Communist Party could lose job over sex scandal
By The Associated Press (CP) – 1 day ago
HANOI, Vietnam — Vietnam's ruling Communist Party has asked the government to dismiss a high-ranking official allegedly involved in a sex scandal, state media reported Tuesday.
Nguyen Truong To, chairman of People's Committee in Ha Giang province, was accused of violating the conduct of a party member by having "unhealthy relations" and leading a "self-indulgent lifestyle," the Nhan Dan newspaper quoted the Central Commission for Inspection as saying. Requests by the party are usually carried out.
No details were provided about his alleged affairs, but Dai Doan Ket newspaper said Tuesday they dated back to 2005.
Police said they had evidence To had an affair with a prostitute, including photographs and text messages, and several underaged school students alleged during an unrelated trial earlier this year that the governor had sex with at least one of them.
Nhan Dan newspaper said the scandal "caused discontent among party members and the public" and that the commission had recommended he lose his job.
Senior party officials were not available for comment Tuesday.
"Courage, hard work, self-mastery, and intelligent effort are all essential to successful life." – Theodore Roosevelt, former US president
What do you think when you hear the term "self-mastery"? You might picture someone like a martial arts master – calm, focused, and in control at all times. Or, maybe a person who has their life planned, and is in control of their future.
Do you show these traits on a regular basis? Do you feel in control of your career and your goals? Even if we don't think of it as "self-mastery," many of us would like to take more control of our actions and emotions.
In this article, we'll examine what self-mastery really is – and we'll look at what you can do to develop it within yourself.
What is Self-Mastery?
When you have good self-mastery, you have the ability to control yourself in all situations, and move forward consciously and steadily toward your goals. You know your purpose, and you're disciplined enough to do things in a deliberate, focused, and honorable way.
Self-mastery also means mastering your emotions, impulses, and actions. You could also call this "self-discipline."
Self-mastery is vital if you want to achieve your goals in life. Think about people you know who don't have any self-mastery. They're probably impulsive and rash. They might let their emotions control them, yelling at colleagues when they're angry, and then being overly polite to make up for it later. They're unpredictable and, as a result, people see them as untrustworthy.
When you demonstrate self-mastery at work, you prove to your colleagues that you have the inner strength and steadiness needed for effective leadership. So it's well worth the effort to invest time in improving your self-mastery. You'll likely become a happier, more balanced person – and you never know what opportunities may arise because of this.
Developing Self-Mastery
Self-mastery is a broad term that covers many aspects of your personal and professional life. Improving your self-mastery can mean working on many of these areas. (If so, it may be best to focus on one or two at a time so you don't become overwhelmed.)
Look at the following areas of your life to develop self-mastery:
Goals
Self-mastery starts with a vision of how you want your life to be.
Think about people you know who have incredible self-discipline. Chances are that they know exactly where they want to go in life, and this vision gives them the strength to get there.
This is why it's so important to start with a clear vision of your short-term and long-term objectives. Learn how to set personal goals, and get into the habit of moving towards these every day. The clearer you are about what you want to achieve in life, the easier it is to move forwards calmly and confidently.
Attitude and emotion
Your attitude and emotions play a major role in self-mastery. Those who show strong self-mastery don't let their emotions control them – they control their emotions.
Focus on something positive every day. Be grateful for things, even if it's just something like that fact that you do a job you enjoy, or that the weather is beautiful on your drive to work. Having gratitude and a positive outlook will set the tone for the rest of your day.
Resist the temptation to blame yourself when things go wrong. Self-sabotage is a quick and cruel way to bring yourself down and stop yourself from reaching your true potential. If you find that you're undermining yourself, consciously make yourself stop. Instead, think of something positive and encouraging.
You can also change negative thinking with cognitive restructuring. Write down the situation that is causing your negative thoughts. Next, write down the emotions you feel, and list the "automatic thoughts" you have while experiencing these emotions. Then, list the evidence that supports these negative thoughts, and the evidence that refutes them. Finally, list some fair, balanced, objective thoughts about the situation.
Being able to manage and control your emotions helps you buildemotional intelligence. This is the awareness of others people's needs and emotions, and the knowledge of how your own emotions affect those around you. Those who have good self-mastery are always aware of others, and they work hard to make sure that their emotions don't negatively impact other people.
Willpower
Think about how many times you've set a goal and, for one reason or another, never followed it through because of lack of willpower. It's happened to all of us, and we often feel ashamed or disappointed that we didn't achieve what we wanted.
Willpower is an essential part of self-mastery. It's what pushes you forward to take action, even if you're feeling fear or hesitation. Willpower is also what keeps you moving toward your goals in the weeks or months ahead.
To boost your willpower, make sure you have both rational and emotional motives for what you want to achieve. For example, if your goal is to stop surfing the web in work time, a rational motive could be that it's against company rules, while an emotional motive could be that other people will lose respect for you when they see that you are not working hard.
Tip: Listen to our Book Insight on "Switch" (members only) for more about aligning rational and emotional motives to help you make significant changes.
For many of us, willpower comes in short bursts and is often strongest when we first decide to take action or make a change. So, use your initial burst of willpower to change your environment so that it supports your efforts to reach your goal.
For instance, imagine that your goal is to improve your self-confidenceat work. At the beginning, when your willpower is strong, you could focus on changing the environment in your workplace by making a list of everything that hurts your self-confidence. You could also create a plan for overcoming those obstacles, and post items and affirmations in your office that provide reminders about your goal.
After a week or so, you might find that your willpower is not as strong. But because you changed your environment, you're better prepared to continue toward your goal, because you have a foundation already in place.
Tip: A recent Harvard University study, published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science, suggests that you can improve your willpower simply by doing good deeds. Researchers found we can view others who "do good" as having more willpower. So, when we do good deeds ourselves, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. To improve your willpower, try doing more good deeds in your personal life and at work.
Focus
Improving your focus is also key to self-mastery. For instance, how much time do you waste during your work day? How much time do you spend on the Internet, talking casually with colleagues, or getting coffee? What would you accomplish if you fully used the eight hours available to you?
Start by working on your concentration. Focus on one task at a time, and slowly increase your level of focus.
At first you may find that you can't concentrate on a task for more than one hour at a time, before you get tired and distracted. Try to increase this to two hours by adding 15 minutes of focused work every day. This will allow you to gradually strengthen your focus to two-hour stretches – and then even more, if that's what you require to get things done.
Key Points
Achieving self-mastery takes time and hard work, but it's definitely worth the effort. It's best to work on one or two areas at a time. Start by identifying your life and career goals. Then, focus on maintaining a positive attitude during the day.
Try not to let negative emotions impact anyone else. Other strategies, like building your willpower and strengthening your focus, will help ensure that you keep moving forward toward your goals – while further building self-mastery
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FAITH LAPIDUS: I'm Faith Lapidus.
STEVE EMBER: And I'm Steve Ember with EXPLORATIONS in VOA Special English. Today, we tell about efforts to climb Mount Everest. In May, a thirteen-year-old American boy became the youngest person to climb the tallest mountain on Earth.
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FAITH LAPIDUS: Mount Everest is at the border of Nepal and Tibet. It was named for Sir George Everest, who recorded the mountain’s position in eighteen forty-one. Since nineteen fifty-three, more than ten thousand people have attempted to climb to the top of the world's highest mountain. The summit of Mount Everest is eight thousand eight hundred forty-eight meters high.
Climbers have reached the summit more than three thousand times. However, more than two hundred people died while attempting to get there. Most climbers make the trip in late April and May when weather conditions are the least severe.
All climbers battle extreme conditions: Low temperatures. Wind speeds of up to one hundred sixty kilometers an hour. Dangerous mountain paths. And they all risk developing a serious health disorder caused by lack of oxygen. All for the chance to reach the top of the world.
STEVE EMBER: The first and most famous of the climbers to disappear on Mount Everest was George Mallory. The British schoolteacher was a member of the first three trips by foreigners to the mountain. In nineteen twenty-one, Mallory was part of the team sent by the British Royal Geographical Society and the British Alpine Club.
The team was to create the first map of the area and find a possible path to the top of the great mountain.
Mallory also was a member of the first Everest climbing attempt in nineteen twenty-two. But that attempt was canceled after a storm caused a giant mass of snow to slide down the mountain, killing seven ethnic Sherpa guides.
FAITH LAPIDUS: Mallory was invited back to Everest as lead climber of another expedition team in nineteen twenty-four. On June fourth, Mallory and team member Andrew Irvine left their base camp for the team's final attempt to reach the summit. The climbing team had great hopes of success for the two men. A few days earlier, expedition leader Edward Norton had reached a record height of eight thousand five hundred seventy-three meters before he turned back.
STEVE EMBER: Mallory and Irvine were using bottles of oxygen. Mallory believed that was the only way they would have the energy and speed to climb the last three hundred meters to the top and return safely. Team member Noel Odell saw Mallory and Irvine climbing high on the mountain the following day.
Odell said they had just climbed one of the most difficult rocks on the northeast path. He said they were moving toward the top when clouds hid them. He never saw them again. The disappearance of Mallory and Irvine on Mount Everest remains among the greatest exploration mysteries of the last century.
In nineteen ninety-nine, climbers set off to search for the remains of Mallory and Irvine. They were hoping to find a camera that might contain a picture, which would prove whether or not the men reached the summit. They did not find a camera, but they found the body of George Mallory. The body gave many clues about how Mallory might have died. But the debate continues as to whether this famous team reached the top of Mount Everest.
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FAITH LAPIDUS: During the next twenty-nine years after Mallory and Irvine’s effort, teams from Britain made seven more attempts to climb Everest. Until the early nineteen fifties, British teams were the only foreigners given permission to climb Mount Everest.
On May twenty-ninth, nineteen fifty-three, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers known to reach the summit of Everest. The two were part of a British team lead by Jon Hunt. They had made a difficult climb from the southeast, through recently opened Nepalese territory.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Sardar Tenzing Norgay of Nepal and Edmund P. Hillary of New Zealand, left, were first to climb Everest
Edmund Hillary was a beekeeper from New Zealand. It was his second trip to Everest. He had been on the first exploratory trip to the mountain that had mapped the way up from the southern side. Tenzing Norgay was a native Sherpa from Nepal. His climb with Hillary was his seventh attempt to reach the top.
STEVE EMBER: Hillary said his first reaction on reaching the summit was a happy feeling that he had “no more steps to cut." The two men placed the flags of Britain, Nepal, India and the United Nations. Hillary took a picture of Norgay. They looked out over the north side into Tibet for any signs that Mallory or Irvine had been there before them. Then they began the long and difficult trip back down. The success of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay led to many new attempts on the mountain. Today, Everest has been climbed from all of its sides and from most of its possible paths.
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FAITH LAPIDUS: In nineteen seventy-five, Junko Tabei from Japan became the first woman to reach the summit of Everest.
Reinhold Messner of Italy and Peter Habeler of Austria made another historic climb three years later. The two men were the first to reach the summit without using bottled oxygen. Messner said when he reached the top he felt like a single giant lung.
At the time, scientists believed that a person at the top of the mountain would only have enough oxygen to sleep. Scientists believed that Messner and Habeler would die without oxygen. Scientists now know that two conditions make climbing at heights over eight thousand meters extremely difficult. The first is the lack of oxygen in the extremely thin air. The second is the low barometric air pressure.
STEVE EMBER: Today, scientists say a person dropped on the top of the mountain would live no more than ten minutes. Climbers can survive above eight thousand meters because they spend months climbing on the mountain to get used to the conditions.
Several things have made climbing Everest easier now than it was for the first climbers. These include modern equipment and clothing. They also include information gained from earlier climbs and scientific studies.
Hundreds of people have reached the summit each year during the past few years. Some expert climbers have begun leading guided trips up the mountain.
Some people have paid as much as sixty-five thousand dollars for the chance to climb Everest. However, many of these people have little climbing experience. This can lead to serious problems.
FAITH LAPIDUS: In nineteen ninety-six, Everest had its greatest tragedy. Fifteen people died attempting to reach the top. This was the deadliest single year in Everest history. A record ten people died on the mountain in one day. Two of the world's best climbers were among those killed. Several books by climbers have described the incident and the dangerous conditions. The best known is “Into Thin Air,” a personal story about the disaster by Jon Krakauer. The book sold many copies around the world and increased the interest in climbing Mount Everest.
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STEVE EMBER: This year has been a successful one for Mount Everest climbers. The Website Everestnews.com says over four hundred forty people reached the top of the world's highest mountain.
Last month, thirteen- year-old Jordan Romero became the youngest person to reach the top of the mountain. He was influenced at the age of nine by a painting in his school of the highest mountains on the seven continents.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
A photo from Team Romero showing, from left, Paul Romero, Jordan Romero and Karen Lundgren on the summit of Mount Everest in May. Three Sherpa guides were also among the group
FAITH LAPIDUS: The eighth grader from California climbed Everest with a team that included his father, his stepmother and three Sherpas. Jordan said that on the climb he began to have intense stomach pains. But as he reached the top, he said the pain went away and he only felt happiness. He said the feeling of accomplishment would be with him for the rest of his life. He even remembered to telephone his mother. He told her that he was calling from the top of the world.
Jordan’s next goal is to climb Vinson Massif in Antarctica. After that climb, he will have completed his goal of climbing the seven summits.
STEVE EMBER: Another record was set last month. The Nepali mountain guide Apa is also known as “Super Sherpa.” He reached the summit of Everest for the twentieth time. He dedicated this climb to the effect of climate change on the Himalayan Mountains. He said he is upset by the many changes he sees caused by rising temperatures on Everest. He said the melting snow is making the climb much more dangerous.
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FAITH LAPIDUS: This program was written by Shelley Gollust and Dana Demange who was also the producer. I'm Faith Lapidus.
STEVE EMBER: And I'm Steve Ember. You can comment about this story on our website, voaspecialenglish.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and iTunes at VOA Learning English. Join us again next week for EXPLORATIONS in VOA Special English.
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This is the VOA Special English Education Report.
Car crashes are the top killer of American teenagers. Most of the crashes result from distracted driving -- not paying attention to the road.
Ryan Didone was a fifteen-year-old passenger in a car that hit a tree. He was one of the nation's more than thirty thousand victims of traffic crashes in two thousand eight. Nearly four thousand deaths, about twelve percent, involved drivers age fifteen to twenty.
Ryan's father, Thomas Didone, is a police captain in Montgomery County, Maryland.
THOMAS DIDONE: "It was an inexperienced, immature driver who felt that he was invincible, driving at night with a carload of kids. He was distracted, he was going too fast, and it ended up causing one death and some serious trauma and tragedy for the rest of the community."
Thomas Didone
Ryan Didone
Jim Jennings from the Allstate Insurance Company says the number one cause of distracted-driving accidents is the mobile phone. He says talking on the phone or reaching for it is like drinking four beers and driving.
JIM JENNINGS: "If you're texting while driving, you are twenty-three times more likely to get into an accident than somebody who isn't. Reaching for a cell phone when it's going off, you're nine times more likely to get into an accident than normally driving."
Government and private groups are using public service announcements and events to bring more attention to the problem. For example, the insurance industry recently held a safety event near Washington for teen drivers.
At first, nineteen-year-old Kevin Schumann easily avoided large, inflatable dolls thrown in front of the car to represent children. He also avoided orange cones representing the edge of the road. Then, as part of the test, he started texting. He hit several cones and at least one doll.
KEVIN SCHUMANN: "That's what really opened up the experience for me, to prove how bad it is to really text and drive."
Debbie Pickford of Allstate Insurance says teens are especially at risk from distracted driving -- and not just because they lack experience on the roads.
DEBBIE PICKFORD: "What we know from research on teen brain development, is that teens don't really have fully developed brains until they're twenty-five years old. You put those two things together and you get a much, much higher risk."
New legislation in Congress proposes to require all states to have what is called a graduated driver licensing system. Graduated means teenagers start with restrictions like on night driving and numbers of passengers. They could not get a full driver's license until age eighteen.
Thomas Didone shares the story of his son's death to help educate teens and their families about distracted driving.
THOMAS DIDONE: "We have to start doing things that are going to make a difference to change this behavior, because I really don't want to hear about four thousand more kids dying next year."
And that's the VOA Special English Education Report. You can watch a video of this report by Julie Taboh at voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Steve Ember.
