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Articles by Alex Thomas
Why stadium districts must perform beyond matchday
COMMENT Over the past decade, stadium development has undergone a fundamental shift. What were once single-use venues designed around matchday peaks are now increasingly conceived as anchors for wider mixed-use districts. For cities, clubs and investors alike, the ambition is clear: to create destinations that generate activity and value throughout the year. This evolution is both necessary and overdue. Yet many projects still struggle to sustain momentum beyond the initial surge of interest.
C. T. Kurien
Christopher Thomas Kurien, popularly known as C. T. Kurien was born in 1931. While at school in Kerala, Kurien was struck by the glimpses of Indian socio-economic realities found in Minoo Masani’s Our India, which was a text for his English course. This cultivated his interest in economics. After pursuing his Intermediate (today’s class 11 & 12) from St. Joseph’s College, Bengaluru between 1948 and 1950, Kurien did his B.A. (Honors) Economics at Madras Christian College (MCC).
Don’t be 'trashy,' West Memphis!
Every morning on my way to work, I pass the horses at the Lehr barn on Kessinger Drive. They stand quietly in the field, grazing the same stretch of grass they have for years, a small, peaceful scene tucked into the Arkansas Delta. I have been driving past those horses since high school. Now I pass them every day on my way to teach. Over time they have become something like coworkers. I drive by, nod at them, keep going. kAm%C2D9 2=@?8 E92E 76?46 =:?6 92D 2=H2JD 366? E96C6] (2=>2CE D24<D E2?8=65 :?
Delta Matriarchs: Women Who Built Crittenden County
“If you want something said, ask a man. If you want something done, ask a woman.” — Margaret Thatcher On International Women’s Day, I made a Facebook post asking friends and people across the internet to share stories about women from Crittenden County who helped shape our history. I got answers from GG’s to teachers that shaped lives. kAmw:DE@CJ :? 2 A=246 =:<6 rC:EE6?56?
Music Trainer Pad for Disabled Children
Things used in this project × 1 × 1 × 1 × 1 × 1 π The Challenge Music has always been a universal language β but for many learners with disabilities, especially those with visual or motor challenges, the path to learning music is filled with barriers. Traditional teaching methods rely heavily on sighted notes, hand coordination, and expensive tools that are not designed with inclusivity in mind.
The Politics of Microeconomics
The political underpinnings of mainstream microeconomics are examined by drawing on findings from the history of economic thought. By evaluating foundational concepts and notions, such as perfect competition, diminishing returns, and methodological individualism, it is argued that marginalist microeconomics exhibits several alarming features. The formal teaching of economics in modern universities began with Oxford’s PPE course, where PPE refers to politics, philosophy and economics.
A sustainable garden at Moka
By Alex Thomas This is the sixth edition of a seven-part series featuring secondary school students providing their thoughts on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) issues as part of the HARCON National Youth Sustainability and ESG Pilot Project Nestled in the verdant hills of Moka, Trinidad, Trinity College stands at the forefront of a transformative environmental journey where its Moka initiative, a comprehensive sustainability programme guided by the HARCON National Youth...
Interseeding cover crops with a drone
Crops, Equipment, Top Headlines By Alex Thomas and John Fulton Farmers and custom applicators have quickly adopted agriculture drones for applying fungicides, but their use cases can be expanded to spread other materials. These drones can broadcast granular products and cover 50 or more acres per hour! They have particularly grown in importance for interseeding cover crops.
T.N. Srinivasan
Thirukodikaval Nilakanta Srinivasan (27 March 1933 – 11 November 2018), more popularly known as T.N. Srinivasan, was a prolific economist and contributor to the Indian economic debates. T.N. Srinivasan had a unique educational and professional trajectory. After completing his post graduation in Mathematics from the University of Madras, he enrolled for Professional Training in Statistics at the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), Kolkata.
K.N. Raj
Kakkadan Nandanath Raj was born in Thrissur, Kerala on 13 May 1924. After graduating from Madras Christian College (MCC), Chennai, with a BA (Hons.) in Economics in 1944, Raj enrolled for an MSc in Economics at the London School of Economics (LSE). At LSE, he was taught by Joan Robinson and Harold Laski, among others. Upon reading his MSc dissertation, his supervisor, Frank Paish, suggested that he spend a few more months working on it so that he can submit it for the award of a PhD degree1.
Kanta Ranadive
1960 is an important year for those working in the domain of history of economic thought. This is the year Piero Sraffa published his slim but analytically powerful book Production of Commodities by Means of Commodities, which revived the surplus approach to economics as found in the work of William Petty, Adam Smith, David Ricardo, and Karl Marx.
Housing’s Next Chapter
Though 2024 saw a robust economy and persistently high mortgage rates, the 2025 housing market may echo the mid-1990s as more supply returns amid slow but steady demand By Alex Thomas A Look Back at 2024Healthy job creation, driven in part by elevated immigration and an uptick in capital spending, kept overall economic growth in positive territory in 2024. Yet consumers and businesses alike contended with mortgage rates solidly above 7%, a threshold rarely crossed over the past two decades.
OSU drone spreading research
By Alex Thomas and John Fulton Drone usage in agriculture continues to grow rapidly with farmers adopting for various roles in crop management. Ohio State University has been busy looking at drone use cases for spreading different seeds to understand what settings and setups provide accurate seeding rates and placement. Different agriculture drones are available on the market today that can be equipped with spreader systems.
C. T. Kurien and Rethinking Economics
Born in 1931, C. T. Kurien contributed to rethinking economics through his various writings, particularly books and his vision for a practical B.A degree in Economics at Madras Christian College (MCC), an autonomous college situated in Chennai, a port city in Southern India. Besides MCC, another institution he contributed to was Madras Institute of Development Studies (MIDS), a research-only institute, also in Chennai. Kurien passed away in July 2024 aged 93.
Mortgage Rates and the 2024 Housing Market
Higher-than-expected inflation and strong economic data on mortgage rates continues to bring opportunity to the new home market By Alex Thomas Higher-than-expected inflation data and strong economic data in April are keeping mortgage rates high, likely pushing back rate cuts from the Fed. Mortgage rates soared to 7.5% in April – the highest since November 2023 – on the back of a slew of strong data releases.
Call for Papers | Conference on the History of Economic Thought (HET)
The study of the history of economic thought is a rich and multifaceted field that offers insights into the development of economic ideas, theories, and practices over time. This field encompasses a wide range of perspectives, from classical and marginalist economics to Marxist and feminist economics, and engages with broader intellectual, political, and social debates.
Sraffa’s Political Economy
A Reflection on Sraffa’s Revolution in Economic Theory editedby Ajit Sinha, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan, 2021; pp xxv+601, ¤139.99 (hardcover). Piero Sraffa (1898–1983) made revolutionary contributions to economics. While his critical contributions to the Cambridge Capital Controversy are relatively well known, his constructive efforts in the “Production of Commodities by Means of Commodities” (PCMC hereafter), which revived classical political economy, are not quite.
What You Need to Know about NFT's
NFTs exploded onto the scene back in 2014 and the market has been growing ever since. Because NFTs can be traded directly with consumers, artists with an entrepreneurial spirit and a knack for promoting themselves can even cut out the middleman and retain the majority of the proceeds. One of the biggest incentives that NFTs offer is that you can sell your NFT to other buyers at a price you choose.
Classical Economics and Keynes
Classical Economics and Keynes The author of Macroeconomics: An Introduction responds to the review of his book titled, “Competing Frameworks of Economic Thought” (EPW, 18 December 2021). In Rahul Menon’s largely appreciative review of my book, he states that “there are certain shortcomings in the discussion on Keynes that unfortunately blunts some of the book’s more significant propositions” (p 29).
Tech Policy Storylines to Watch in 2022
Alex Thomas Alex Thomas is a DC-based writer whose work has appeared in Playboy, Air Mail, and The New Republic. The Democrats’ trifecta victory in 2020 marked a significant change in the way Washington views tech policy. The Biden administration has signaled consistently that they’re looking to get more involved in tech policy than their predecessors, whether through regulations or reworking previous legislation.
Capability-based pay on its own will not solve the civil service’s churn problem
How can the government recruit the best people, reduce the merry-go-round of civil service job moves, and get better at keeping officials with real subject expertise in the right posts? An obvious answer is to change the incentives in the civil service pay system. A decade of wage restraint means that median civil service salaries have fallen in real terms by 14-17% since 2009. A civil service director’s base pay is half that of their equivalent in the private sector.
New year, new musical: Shows for secondary schools
Alex Thomas Wednesday, September 1, 2021 A new school year means new opportunities to engage your students through musical theatre. Will you roll out the old classic that everyone knows and loves, or will you try something a little different? Alex Thomas guides you through some new releases. A classic: Magdalen College School's filmed production of Les Misérables Register to the Music Teacher website today and gain access to all the latest news and developments from the world of music education.
Macroeconomics introduction | Macroeconomics and monetary economics | Cambridge University Press
Macroeconomics: An Introduction, provides a lucid and novel introduction to macroeconomic issues. It introduces the reader to an alternative approach of understanding macroeconomics, which is inspired by the works of Adam Smith, David Ricardo, Karl Marx, John Maynard Keynes, and Piero Sraffa. It also presents the reader with a critical account of mainstream marginalist macroeconomics.
Liberals Nostalgic for ‘Simpler Time’ When They Could Freak Out About a Nice Mormon Who Hired Women (Andrew Stiles/Washington Free Beacon)
— WASHINGTON — Trailing in the polls with five weeks to go, President Trump didn't use last night's debate to disqualify his opponent or outline his vision for the next four years. — Instead, he decided to burn down the debate …
Discussing the Potential Health Risks of Sitting Down All Day
Sitting down all day – is it the new killer born from the deadly legacy of 2020? It’s not that humans have just begun to sit all day long since the world has been in lockdown, but, within six months, we can see the drastic effects it has had on our children’s health and wellbeing. Having to stay home from school and not having the regular peer interaction that is so important to their social development, they sit indoors and do their school work, unable to go outside to run around the playground.
Boston Bruins Will Lock Arms For Anthems
Boston Bruins players once again recognized the ongoing movement for racial equality Tuesday by announcing that, starting Thursday with their exhibition game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, they will lock arms in unity for the ‘Black Community’ during both the Canadian and American national anthems. This is not the first time the Boston Bruins or their players have done something in support of the fight against racism but unlike in past statements, they did not mention Black Lives Matter.
Frank Ramsey and the Rate of Interest
I first came across Frank Ramsey in the preface to Piero Sraffa’s classic Production of Commodities by the Means of Commodities: Prelude to a Critique of Economic Theory (1960). My recent interest in Ramsey is primarily motivated by the following news. Cheryl Misak, a philosopher based at the University of Toronto has recently completed a biography of Ramsey. This blog post provides an introduction to Ramsey’s life and his contribution to the growth theory literature.
Brad Pitt Uses Oscars Speech to Take a Shot at GOP-Led Senate Not Pushing for Bolton Testimony
Actor Brad Pitt took a swing at Congressmembers during the Oscars for not bringing former National Security Adviser John Bolton to testify in the Senate’s impeachment trial against President Donald Trump. During the 92nd Academy Awards on Sunday, Pitt dipped his toes into politics as he accepted his award for best supporting actor.
Terry Hunziker Designed 5-Acre Waterfront Compound Just Steps From The Beach – Geek Home of the Week
More About This Home Splendid Southwest Facing Waterfront Property On Market $1,849,000 3148 South Camano Drive, Camano Island, Washington 98282 2 Bedrooms | 1 Full and 1 Three-Quarter Bathrooms 1,759 Square Feet | Plus Separate Historic Guest Cabin Featured in Western Interiors Magazine & designed by renowned interior designer Terry Hunziker for himself, this splendid South-West facing waterfront property offers small modern luxury lifestyle, with a 1,759 sq ft 2-bed 2-bath home that is...
A Post-Keynesian Approach to Understanding the Black Economy
The aftermath of demonetisation witnessed several books engaging with the black economy. However, the seminal work on the black economy in the Indian context is Arun Kumar’s The Black Economy in India (1999). Saumen Chattopadhyay’s Macroeconomics of the Black Economy is an extension of his PhD thesis which significantly draws on Kumar (1999). Chattopadhyay’s book is divided into six chapters.
The forgotten funds
The season of filing tax returns brings with it an increased emphasis on the accountability of the private sector towards the government. In this period of accounting and accountability, as citizens, it is equally important to apply the same principles to the working of the government. A key area is the social accounting of the education cess, which is a compulsory contribution made by all taxpayers, both individuals and firms.
Barboursville, WV: Office worker charged after he brought donuts ‘glazed with his own semen’ to boss’s farewell party
A male office worker in Barboursville, West Virginia faces charges of food tampering after it emerged that he brought donuts ‘glazed with his own semen’ to a farewell party for his boss. Sources says that Adam Richardson, 37, had worked at the accounting firm for over 12 years and for much of that time was managed by his boss Johnathon Keane. Keane recently announced his retirement and his department organized a farewell party.
Review: Reel Love: The Complete Collection (Unbound)
The latest book to come out of the Unbound publishing platform (joining Ram V’s Grafity’s Wall and Rachael Smith’s Isobel and Blodwen) sees Beast Wagon’s Owen Michael Johnson bring us Reel Love: The Complete Collection, a 3 volume semi-autobiographical tale about growing up as a film fan, collected into a glorious hardcover boxset. But will it be a blockbuster or an arthouse flop?
Why Adam Smith favoured public education
The authority of Adam Smith is frequently invoked by supporters of the free market, who argue for extending the market forces to all conceivable goods and services and eliminating any kind of government intervention in markets. However, Smith’s The Theory of Moral Sentiments and An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations make it clear that he was not a laissez faire or free market capitalism apologist.
Demonetisation Made Winners of Companies Like Paytm, The Poor Are Still Counting The Costs
On 8 November 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that higher denomination currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 would be recalled. The aim of this sudden policy shock, we were told, was to curb money laundering. Subsequently, the goal posts of demonetisation kept shifting—from curbing black money to that of transitioning India into a cashless economy—and continues to shift even today, two years after the event.
Political Freelancers Talk About Finding Work in the Age of Trump
There have never been more opportunities for political writers and journalists. New outlets are flourishing as publishers begin to understand how to make money online. Meanwhile, lifestyle publications are finding new ways to incorporate political coverage and commentary into their content. The current political landscape is so divisive, which is problematic in many ways, but it’s also created space and appetite for new voices.
Dem Senator Hits Back at Kavanaugh "If I Acted Like That ... He Would Have Thrown Me Out"
Judge Brett Kavanaugh's Thursday appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee featured a display of emotions, with the judge alternating between crying and shouting. In one of the more tense exchanges, he asked Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) if she ever “blacked out” while drinking. Later in the hearing, Kavanaugh apologized, but it was a back-and-forth that seemed to encapsulate the nasty tone of the hearing and clips of the judge's remarks quickly went viral on social media.
Nikki Haley Says the United Nations Leaders Were Laughing at Trump's 'Honesty'
United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley did some damage control on Wednesday morning, as she appeared on “Fox & Friends” and said that the U.N. leaders were laughing at President Donald Trump's “honesty” during his speech. “When he said that, they love how honest he is and it's not diplomatic, and they find it funny,” Haley told the hosts.
In Bizarre Outreach, Ted Cruz Says That Beto O'Rourke Is Aiming to Ban Texas BBQ If Elected
Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) returned to nonsensical talking points over the weekend; in his latest hit on Democratic challenger Beto O'Rourke, the Texas senator suggested that O'Rourke will ban BBQ if elected. The idea that O'Rourke is anti-BBQ stemmed from a demonstration that PETA held outside a Cruz rally on Saturday in Columbus, Texas.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott Booed Out of Local Restaurant
Florida Gov. Rick Scott was booed out of a restaurant in the Sunshine State after only 10 minutes on Monday. Scott's constituents were lined up outside the eatery when he dashed out a back door and ducked into an SUV before speeding away. They have been upset with the governor, as a red tide has been wreaking havoc on the state's waters, and many feel that Scott isn't doing enough to combat the crisis.
President Trump Warns Ahead of Hurricane Florence: 'It's Tremendously Big and Tremendously Wet'
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he has been briefed on the preparations as Hurricane Florence barrels toward the East Coast and that he will take every precaution, saying that “any amounts of money, whatever it takes, we're going to do.” In one of the stranger bits of political rhetoric, Trump went on to say that “they haven't seen anything like what's coming at us in 25, 30 years, maybe ever.
Seventeen Years After 9/11, Do You Feel Safer?
In the 17 years since that morning, we’ve done a lot to make ourselves feel safe and electing Donald Trump is probably one of those precautions. If you ask enough Trump supporters why they’re backing 45, at some point, one of them will answer with a variation of “he’s going to keep us safe.” But in spite of our new drones and new president, Americans don’t seem to believe that we’re any safer from terrorism.
What Is the Best OCR Extraction Method on Printed Text?
I spotted another interesting question on Quora related to Machine Learning and OCR; here’s my answer: I will give you a consultant’s answer — you may not like it but here goes — “It depends.” The "best" OCR extraction method depends on the context of what you are trying to extract. My guess is that you are not talking about the OCR process itself, but rather how to extract features out of the text that OCR spits out.
Parkland Father Relives The Moment When Brett Kavanaugh Refused to Shake His Hand
Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh's, confirmation hearing kicked off with fireworks on Tuesday as senators sparred with each other and a steady stream of protesters were removed. But one of the most gut-wrenching moments came when a man who lost his 14-year-old daughter in a school shooting in Parkland, Florida tried to shake Kavanaugh's hand and the judge turned away. The man was later identified as Fred Guttenberg, who has become a gun control activist after he lost his daughter, Jaime.
Congressman Tells His Voters That He's Been 'Accessible' — They Couldn't Help But Laugh
Republican Congressman Erik Paulsen of Minnesota turned himself into a punch line on Monday when he told a crowd of voters that he's been “accessible” and pandered, “I get a lot of ideas from people like you” — the audience broke into laughter at the remarks. Paulsen's claims came during a debate with his Democratic opponent, Dean Phillips, in the district where the Republican lawmaker is mostly absent; he hasn't held a town hall event in seven years.
Senate Judiciary Dems Unanimously Ask to Postpone Kavanaugh Hearing
On Friday, all ten Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee requested a special meeting and asked to postpone the confirmation hearing of President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, which is scheduled to begin on September 4. In a letter to committee chairman Sen.
Aerosmith Tells Trump to Stop Playing Their Tunes at His Rallies — Again
Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler sent a cease-and-desist letter to the White House this week demanding that President Donald Trump stop playing the band's songs during his rallies. Tyler sent the letter through his lawyer, writing that by playing Aerosmith's music at his rallies, Trump may be confusing the audience into believing that Tyler supports or endorses the president.
Omarosa Says Trump Might Revoke Melania's Citizenship if Things Go Sour
Omarosa Manigault Newman, the Trump aide-turned-White House villain who is currently holding the news cycle hostage, is back with another outrageous claim excerpted from her new book, “Unhinged: An Insider's Account of the Trump White House.” This time, she's claiming that President Donald Trump may have first lady Melania Trump's citizenship revoked if she does anything drastic.
Trump Threatens to Pull Security Clearance From a DOJ Official
President Donald Trump recently made headlines when he revoked the security clearance of former CIA Director John Brennan and now he seems to have a new target — former Deputy Attorney General Bruce Ohr. Ohr is a career government official who found himself on the receiving end of Trump's Twitter attacks after “Fox & Friends” did a segment on him.
People Really Want LeBron James to Replace Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education
NBA star, LeBron James, has been irking President Donald Trump for months — ever since he called the president a “bum” in September of 2017 — but now, some people are hoping that the basketball star will join the Trump administration as a replacement for Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. A petition calling for James to replace DeVos is making rounds on the web has almost 30,000 signatures.
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