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- Top Countries For Renewable Energy Capacity - The largest increases in renewable energy capacity by country from 2005 to 2010 are: China (up 106%), South Korea (up 88%), Turkey (up 85%), Germany (up 67%), Italy and Japan (up 45%).
- Is Using the Words Resources or Assets When Talking About People the Problem? - What I care about is behavior and organizational systems that embody respect for people. I have never seen much correlation between those and the use of the words resource and asset for discussing the role of people in organizations.
- Productivity Improvement for Entrepreneurs (and Everybody Else Really) - Going and seeing what is really going on with your own eyes takes time, but trying to save time by acting based on reports results in ineffective and therefore unproductive action.
- Oil Production by Country 1999-2009 - The 3 clear leaders in oil and gas production are Russia, Saudi Arabia and the USA (with the USA firmly in 3rd place). Those 3 were responsible for approximately a third of the total oil production in 2009.
- Learn by Seeking Knowledge - Not Just from Mistakes - Being open to new ideas and new knowledge is what is needed to learn. Experimenting, seeking out new knowledge is even better.
- Investment Risk Matters Most as Part of a Portfolio, Rather than in Isolation - It is not less risky to have your entire retirement in treasury bills than to have a portfolio of stocks, bonds, international stocks, treasury bills, REITs... This is because their are not just risk of an investment declining in value. There are inflation risks, taxation risks...
- USA Spends Record $2.5 Trillion, $8,086 per person 17.6% of GDP on Health Care in 2009 - The broken USA health care system costs twice as much as other rich countries for worse results. And those are just the direct accounting costs... [not counting] millions of hours spent on completing forms to try and comply with the requirements of the health care system's endless demand for paperwork, lives crippled by health care bankruptcies...
- Robots That Start as Babies Master Walking Faster Than Those That Start as Adults - "Bongard created both simulated and actual robots that, like tadpoles becoming frogs, change their body forms while learning how to walk. And, over generations, his simulated robots also evolved, spending less time in 'infant' tadpole-like forms and more time in 'adult' four-legged forms."
- Continual Learning - Look at people like Ackoff and Deming. They knew more than pretty much anyone about management. Yet both continued learning until the day they died. They were quick to credit others. They were quick to challenge people but also had an obvious respect and compassion for people.
- Respect for People Doesn't Mean Avoiding Any Hint of Criticism - Personal attacks are not useful. Attacking bad practices and bad thinking is showing respect for people. An environment that is so emotionally immature that criticism of bad practices and ideas is seen as disrespectful is an environment that is in need of improvement.
- Top 15 Manufacturing Countries in 2009 - The big, long term story remains the same. China has continued to grow manufacturing output tremendously. I see very little data to support the stories about manufacturing having to leave China to go elsewhere (especially when you look at the "lower wages" counties mentioned in news stories). The USA is still manufacturing a huge amount and that production has steadily grown over time...