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History of Cenozoic Mammals from South America: A New Model (Springer Earth System Sciences)
By Federico Agnolin. 2024
The Cenozoic history of South America faunas mainly rests on the evidence yielded by the study of fossil mammals. Following…
the seminal work of William D. Matthew, George G. Simpson established the slogan “Splendid Isolation” for describing the evolutionary history of South American faunas. He envisaged South America (as well as other Southern Hemisphere landmasses) as dead ends in the evolution and geographical expansion of animals and plants that since the Mesozoic come in successive migratory waves from the North.More than 40 years passed away from the last important contribution by Simpson (1980). Since then, in spite to the exponential increase in biological, paleontological and geological knowledge, and an incredibly new number of fossils, his scheme remained almost unpolluted and most recent books regarding the palaeobiogeography of South American vertebrates follow this paradigm nearly without criticism.However, the factthat South America was joined to Africa, Australia, Antarctica and India during most of the Cretaceous, and that it was still connected Australia (via Antarctica) and probably Africa up to the Paleogene, together with the large number of shared biotic components between these landmasses, point in favor of a different paleobiogeographical scenario.The book aims to demonstrate that during the Paleogene (and most of the Neogene) the nature and evolutionary history of South American vertebrates is by far much more intricate than previously envisaged. As will be shown, new evidence suggests that southern landmasses may have played an important role in the early evolution and radiation of extant mammal clades. This book is not written to conform with the ideal of a technical manual or a review, and is not carried forward to collect all that has been said before. The main goals are to criticize the current Palaeobiogeographic Model of Vertebrate Settlement of South America, and to propose a new vision based on the evidence provided by the natural world in the last decades.International Trade Finance and Forex Operations: Theory and Application
By Gargi Sanati. 2024
This book bridges the existing gap between the theory and practices related to international finance. It discusses banking theories and…
operational procedures relating to the methods of payment with special reference to Letters of credit (LCs), like revolving LCs, back-to-back LCs, transferable LCs, and standby LCs, with specific applications of documentary discrepancies. Moreover, this book discusses merchanting trade, buyers’ credit and supplier’s credit, and bank guarantees with many practical caselets, linked to the applications of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and other regulatory rules. It also examines the various roles of banks in financing international trade which are extensively discussed through several cases.This volume: Explains in-depth the intricacies and discrepancies relating to the documentation involved in international trade Presents in detail the various steps of executing an export or import deal, right from signing of the contract, managing pre-shipment credit, and booking a forward contract to hedge the exchange rate risk till the closing of the deal Gives a comprehensive account of all trade finance products with processes and procedures, rules, and regulations, and risks and mitigates Discusses the application of ICC rules through detailed case-lets, which helps an exporter take necessary actions when the payment is denied by a party overseas, or how an importer can simply deny the payment if there is documentary noncompliance Scrutinises different types of forex transactions, the regulatory framework within which they take place, and the associated risks and solutions Attempts to resolve the existing disparity in the understanding and interpretation of regulatory guidelines and the practices adopted by banks and corporate houses in implementing them. Accessibly written, this book will be useful to students, researchers, and teachers from the fields of management, business studies, international trade and treasury operations, finance, international banking, trade and commerce, and economics. This will also be an invaluable companion to the professionals working in export–import businesses, foreign exchange businesses, treasury front-office and back-office operations, bureaucrats, and public policymakers.The Road to Freedom: Economics And The Good Society
By Joseph E. Stiglitz. 2024
From one of the world’s leading economists, a compelling new vision of personal and economic freedom. We are a nation…
born from the conviction that people must be free. But since the middle of the last century, that idea has been co-opted. Forces on the political Right have justified exploitation by cloaking it in the rhetoric of freedom, leading to pharmaceutical companies freely overcharging for medication, a Big Tech free from oversight, politicians free to incite rebellion, corporations free to pollute, and more. How did we get here? Whose freedom are we—and should we—be thinking about? In The Road to Freedom, Nobel prize winner Joseph E. Stiglitz dissects America’s current economic system and the political ideology that created it, laying bare their twinned failure. “Free” and unfettered markets have only succeeded in delivering a series of crises: the financial crisis, the opioid crisis, and the crisis of inequality. While a small portion of the population has amassed considerable wealth, wages for most people have stagnated. Free and unfettered markets have exploited consumers, workers, and the environment alike. Such failures have fed populist movements that believe being free means abandoning any obligations citizens have to one another. As they grow in strength, these movements now pose a real threat to true economic and political freedom. As an economic advisor to presidents and as chief economist at the World Bank, Stiglitz has witnessed these profound changes firsthand. As he argues, the failures follow from the elites’ unshakeable dedication to “the neoliberal experiment.” Explicitly taking on giants such as Friedrich Hayek and Milton Friedman, Stiglitz exposes accepted ideas about our political and economic life for what they are: twisted visions that tear at the social fabric while they enrich the very few. The Road to Freedom breaks new ground, showing how economics—including recent advances in which Stiglitz has played such an important role—reframes how to think about freedom and the role of the state in a twenty-first century society. Drawing on the work of contemporary philosophers, Stiglitz explains a deeper, more humane way to assess freedoms—one that considers with care what to do when one person’s freedom conflicts with another’s. We must reimagine our existing economic and legal systems and embrace forms of collective action, including regulation and investment, if we are to create an innovative society in which everyone can flourish. The task could not be more urgent, and Stiglitz’s latest book is essential reading for those committed to the American ideal of an economic and political system that delivers well-being, opportunity, and meaningful freedoms for all.The Everything War: Amazon's Ruthless Quest to Own the World and Remake Corporate Power
By Dana Mattioli. 2024
Most Anticipated by Foreign Policy • Globe and Mail • Publishers Weekly • Next Big Idea Club Must Read April Books&“Will stand as a classic.&” –…
Christopher Leonard "Riveting, shocking, and full of revelations." - Bryan BurroughFrom veteran Amazon reporter for The Wall Street Journal, The Everything War is the first untold, devastating exposé of Amazon's endless strategic greed, from destroying Main Street to remaking corporate power, in pursuit of total domination, by any means necessary. In 2017, Lina Khan published a paper that accused Amazon of being a monopoly, having grown so large, and embedded in so many industries, it was akin to a modern-day Standard Oil. Unlike Rockefeller&’s empire, however, Bezos&’s company had grown voraciously without much scrutiny. In fact, for over twenty years, Amazon had emerged as a Wall Street darling and its &“customer obsession&” approach made it indelibly attractive to consumers across the globe. But the company was not benevolent; it operated in ways that ensured it stayed on top. Lina Khan&’s paper would light a fire in Washington, and in a matter of years, she would become the head of the FTC. In 2023, the FTC filed a monopoly lawsuit against Amazon in what may become one of the largest antitrust cases in the 21st century. With unparalleled access, and having interviewed hundreds of people – from Amazon executives to competitors to small businesses who rely on its marketplace to survive – Mattioli exposes how Amazon was driven by a competitive edge to dominate every industry it entered, bulldozed all who stood in its way, reshaped the retail landscape, transformed how Wall Street evaluates companies, and altered the very nature of the global economy. It has come to control most of online retail, and uses its own sellers&’ data to compete with them through Amazon&’s own private label brands. Millions of companies and governmental agencies use AWS, paying hefty fees for the service. And, the company has purposefully avoided collecting taxes for years, exploited partners, and even copied competitors—leveraging its power to extract whatever it can, at any cost. It has continued to gain market share in disparate areas, from media to logistics and beyond. Most companies dominate one or two industries; Amazon now leads in several. And all of this was by design.The Everything War is the definitive, inside story of how it grew into one of the most powerful and feared companies in the world – and why this lawsuit opens a window into the most consequential business story of our times.Werner Sombart and the 'Spirit' of Modern Capitalism: Rediscovering a Classic (Palgrave Studies in Classical Liberalism)
By Christopher Adair-Toteff. 2024
This book illuminates the work of Werner Sombart, a key contemporary of Max Weber, showing how his writing and thinking…
laid the groundwork for concepts of modern capitalism. Although the notion of the ‘spirit’ of modern capitalism is most associated with Weber, it was Sombart who first used this phrase, with Weber focusing mainly on socioeconomics while Sombart continued to develop his ideas around modern capitalism. This book critically analyses Sombart’s groundbreaking work, “Der moderne Kapitalismus” among his other writings to demonstrate how they may be read as a complementary alternative to Weber, providing a more detailed, sustained, and a comprehensive account of the genesis and nature of modern capitalism. This book will be of interest to a scholarly audience including students and researchers of the history of economic thought, as well as areas of sociology, politics, and political economy.A Quiet Word: Lobbying, Crony Capitalism and Broken Politics in Britain
By Tamasin Cave, Andy Rowell. 2014
Q. What’s worth £2,000,000,000, answers to no-one and operates out of public sight? A. Britain’s influence industry The corporate takeover…
of democracy is no conspiracy theory – it’s happening, and it affects every aspect of our lives: the food we eat, the places we live, the temperature of our planet, how we spend our money and how our money is spent for us. And much more. A Quiet Word shows just how effectively the voice of public interest is being drowned out by the word in the ear from the professional persuaders of the lobbying industry. And if you’ve never heard about them, that’s because the most effective lobbying goes unnoticed. A Quiet Word shines the brightest of lights into one of the darkest and least-understood corners of our political culture. It is essential, urgent, authoritative reading for anyone interested in our democracy and where this country is heading. And by showing how influence is constructed, it puts power back in your hands.Escaping the Housing Trap: The Strong Towns Response to the Housing Crisis
By Charles L. Marohn Jr., Daniel Herriges. 2024
Housing is an investment. Investment prices must go up. Housing is shelter. When the price of shelter goes up, people…
experience distress.This is the housing trap. It’s time to escape. In Escaping the Housing Trap: The Strong Towns Solution to the Housing Crisis, renowned urbanists Charles (Chuck) Marohn and Daniel Herriges introduce a first-of-its-kind discussion of the tension between housing as a financial product and housing as shelter. This is the key insight that’s been missing from the Housing Crisis Conversation; and the insight that can help cities fight back against the crisis from the bottom-up.This book offers a serious, yet accessible, history of housing policy in the United States and explains how it led us to this point in time: where we face a market that is rigged against people who, only a few decades ago, could have been homeowners or stable, long-term rentals. Only local change, on a neighborhood or city-wide scale, can begin to restore balance to the housing market. Escaping the Housing Trap is the must-read resource for everyone with a stake in the future of housing in America—and that means everyone. Readers will find: Discussions of housing as an investment and how the country's neighborhoods are being transformed by the introduction of large amounts of investment Explorations of housing as shelter, including discussions of zoning policy and NIMBYism A comprehensive overview of the Strong Towns approach to solving the American housing crisisThe Politics of Public Fund Investing: How to Modify Wall Street to Fit Main Street
By Ben Finkelstein. 2006
Until now, there has never been a book to help public fund managers direct fixed-income portfolios while simultaneously balancing politics,…
or the need to preserve principal, with economics, or the need to optimize income. The Politics of Public Fund Investing approaches public fund management from the lay perspective, providing much-needed guidance to modify Wall Street strategies to serve the needs of Main Street. If you manage a public fund, if you are an elected official, or if you oversee a portfolio for a foundation or an endowment, you know the traditional money management strategy used every day on Wall Street doesn't necessarily apply to your situation. For you, investing isn't simply about economics. Wall Street strategies do not take into account election cycles, political risk factors, or the unique performance assessments public funds must undergo. When Wall Street builds a portfolio, it doesn't need to consider the opinions and desires of a wide variety of constituents, and the management of the portfolio's performance doesn't carry the same level of career risk. This groundbreaking book is the first resource ever available to the stewards of public fund investing entrusted with the responsibility to make financial decisions in this unique environment. The Politics of Public Fund Investing shows readers how to evaluate and measure their funds' performance through specific techniques, standards, and procedures. It begins by addressing the key differences between Wall Street and Main Street, explaining which methods of Wall Street are unsuited to public fund management and why. The book provides a framework for moving from a static investment policy to a dynamic investment plan, making the important distinction between what is "legal" in terms of policy and what is "suitable" in terms of the objectives of the stakeholders. The book goes on to propose exceptional and beneficial insights into appraising a fund's performance along with providing a four-step process to build a politically correct portfolio. Finally, it shows how to be safe and optimize income within the constraints of acceptable risk. Based on years of experience and invaluable research, The Politics of Public Fund Investing is an innovative, compelling, and much-needed guide to navigating the complex territory where the political environment meets public investing.NEW YORK TIMES and WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLERThe former FDIC chairwoman, and one of the first people to acknowledge the…
full risk of subprime loans, offers a unique perspective on the financial crisis.Appointed by George W. Bush as the chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) in 2006, Sheila Bair witnessed the origins of the financial crisis and in 2008 became—along with Hank Paulson, Ben Bernanke, and Timothy Geithner—one of the key public servants trying to repair the damage to the global economy. Bull by the Horns is her remarkable and refreshingly honest account of that contentious time and the struggle for reform that followed and continues to this day.This textbook provides an introduction to cultural policy in the US, enabling both students and practitioners to understand how government…
impacts the arts and culture.Starting with an historical overview of why and how the US developed a national cultural policy, the book goes on to trace the contemporary system of national, state, and local arts and cultural agencies through which that policy is put into practice. Readers are provided both in-depth frameworks for conceptualizing how government regulation and provision shape the arts and culture and carefully illustrated examples of cultural policy in action. Covering critical issues in US cultural policy such as the Culture Wars, culture-led development and gentrification, and field-wide data and research capacities, the book builds a bridge between theory, practice, and politics in the arts and culture. This new edition includes enhanced visualizations and policy maps, expanded policy labs, and a new section on cultural policy during COVID-19.The result is a text that is essential reading for students and reflective practitioners of arts and cultural management and administration.Descubre fascinantes datos y curiosidades sobre los animales que habitaron la Tierra hace millones de años y sorprende a tus…
amigos y familia.¿Sabías que el dinosaurio más grande que ha existido media tanto como cuatro camiones de bomberos uno detrás de otro? ¿O que el más pequeño pesaba menos que una cucharita de azúcar? ¿Quieres saber cuánto medían las alas del reptil volador más grande jamás descubierto? Sumérgete en las páginas de este divertido libro sobre dinosaurios y descubre todo sobre estas criaturas prehistóricas: cuánto medían las garras del Therizinosaurus, qué dinosaurio tenía el cerebro más pequeño, cuál tenía los dientas más afilados y ¡mucho más!El regalo perfecto para saciar el apetito de saber de los niños de un modo divertido: - Contiene más de 1000 curiosidades en formato de pregunta y respuesta.- Escrito de forma clara, con explicaciones entretenidas e impresionantes imágenes generadas por ordenador.- Con estadísticas alucinantes explicadas por medio gráficos y comparaciones visuales para entender los datos de forma fácil.Un divertido libro ilustrado para niños de 9 años o más, repleto de sorpresas y curiosidades alucinantes para que los jóvenes lectores descubran el maravilloso mundo de los dinosaurios.------------------------------------------Astonish your friends and family with this incredible collection of mind-boggling facts about the scariest animals ever to walk the Earth.Did you know that the largest dinosaur was four times longer than a fire engine but its babies were the size of geese? Or that the smallest dinosaur weighed less than a teaspoon of sugar? Or that the largest flying reptile was as tall as a giraffe with wings the size of a fighter jet? This fascinating first dinosaur book for kids is packed with bite-size nuggets of unbelievable information. Find out which dinosaur had the sharpest teeth, the longest claw and the smallest brain.Dive into the pages of this kids dinosaur book to discover: - 1,000 jaw-dropping, mind-blowing facts to wow your family and friends.- Stunning CGI images to convey statistics in an intuitive way that kids can understand.- Factfile spreads are packed with infographics and key facts on all kinds of prehistoric life.- Photo stories feature the world's spectacular fossils, from dinosaur footprints and nests to complete skeletons.- Fun, accessible text written to excite and entertain children and adults alike.Discover the fastest, the slowest, the deadliest, and the downright weirdest dinosaurs ever to roam the planet, in this dinosaur gift book for children aged 9+.Taxonomists specializing in different groups once based phylogenetic analysis only on morphological data; molecular data was used more rarely. Although…
molecular systematics is routine today, the use of morphological data continues to be important, especially for phylogenetic placement of many taxa known only from fossils and rare or difficult to collect species. In addition, morphological analyses help identify potential biases in molecular analyses. And finally, scenarios with respect to morphology continue to motivate biologists: the beauty of a cheetah or a baobab does not lie in their DNA sequence, but instead on what they are and do! This book is an up-to-date revision of methods and principles of phylogenetic analysis of morphological data. It is also a general guide for using the computer program TNT in the analysis of such data. The book covers the main aspects of phylogenetic analysis and general methods to compare classifications derived from molecules and morphology. The basic aspects of molecular analysis are covered only as needed to highlight the differences with methods and assumptions for analysis of morphological datasets.Corporate Social Responsibility and Governance: Stakeholders, Management and Organizational Performance in the European Union (Routledge Studies in Corporate Governance)
By Panagiotis Dimitropoulos, Efthalia Elia Chatzigianni. 2022
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has developed into a crucial corporate and organizational issue around the world. It has been incorporated…
into various sectors and countries, and includes many types of activities and dimensions. It is a common notion that organizations are more inclined today to broaden and shift their performance focus from short-term goals towards long-term social, environmental, and value-added perspectives.Under the framework of corporate governance, organizations and companies are motivated to promote fairness, transparency, ethics, and accountability in their transactions, while concurrently maintaining enhanced standards of governance. This means that organizations and corporations must align their activities with community aspirations which is an issue falling within the sphere of CSR. Increased attention has been placed on the organizations regarding their approach towards the needs of various stakeholders. However, a crucial issue that this book attempts to address is the association, intersection, and inter-relationship between governance and CSR within the EU region, which are not adequately established in the existing literature. The book will show that governance and CSR are highly connected. With the purpose of studying the association of CSR with legal, managerial and empirical aspects of governance in corporations and not-for-profit organizations, in various sectors of the economy, the book also intends to provide useful policy implications, as well as to offer constructive directions for future research. This book will be of value to researchers, academics, practitioners, policymakers, and students in the fields of CRS and governance, organizational theory, marketing management, business ethics and human resource management.The Private Sector's Role in Disasters: Leveraging the Private Sector in Emergency Management
By Alessandra Jerolleman, John J. Kiefer. 2016
This book examines the role of the private sector in emergency management and how that role is changing through private…
sector intersections with government, government agencies, and the public sectors in all phases of emergency management. It particularly focuses on the areas in which government regulations and guidelines promote or encourage privSustainability Accounting, Management Control and Reporting: A European Perspective traces a picture of innovative performance measurement tools and approaches to…
drive organizations to implement their shared value and sustainability strategy, considering different perspectives around accounting, managerial control and reporting. In recent years, organizations managing their responsible approach with relevance and pressure from stakeholders and regulations has proven to be a major challenge. During the first two decades of the 21st century, many companies have reached a real maturity in this area and have deployed coherent responsible approaches that are integrated into their overall strategy. It is now a matter of steering these responsible approaches from an accounting and managerial standpoint, but also of reporting on them. It requires the simultaneous use of comprehensive accounting, controlling and reporting tools. This book provides an innovative perspective on sustainable management control, comprehensive accounting and integrated reporting, presenting the most recent proposals and the main critical issues. Aimed at researchers, academics, managers, business leaders and advanced students, the book will be especially valuable to those in the fields of corporate social responsibility, strategic management, and accounting.The Great Crashes: Lessons from Global Meltdowns and How to Prevent Them
By Linda Yueh. 2023
'A masterclass in spotting the early signs of a crisis' Nouriel Roubini'This is the historical perspective we need' John Kay'A…
first point of entry for anybody who wants to learn how the world sleep-walked into multiple crashes' Daron Acemoglu'Fascinating, well-written and authoritative' Tim Harford-----------------------------------------------------------------The global economy has weathered the most tumultuous century in modern financial history. Since America's Wall Street Crash of 1929, the global economy has weathered the most tumultuous century in financial history. From the currency crises of the 1980s, to Japan's housing meltdown, the dot com boom and bust, the global financial crash and the COVID pandemic, crash after crash has sent shockwaves through our world.The Great Crashes tells the stories of ten of these historic financial events. They serve as a series of cautionary tales, each with their own lessons to be learnt. With clear-eyed analysis, renowned economist Professor Linda Yueh uses these meltdowns to extract a critical three-step framework to help recognise the early signs of a crash, mitigate the effects and even prevent them in the future. There is very little that is certain in economics, except for this: there will be another financial crisis.Combining her in-depth knowledge with compelling storytelling, The Great Crashes is essential reading that offers urgent lessons for the modern world.-----------------------------------------------------------------'An important contribution that can help society anticipate and tackle potential crashes in the future' Christine LagardeThe Fossil Detectives: Discovering Prehistoric Britain
By Douglas Palmer, Hermione Cockburn. 2008
Fossils provide us with a tantalizing glimpse of Britain's prehistoric past and hold the key to unlocking the secrets of…
life's history and evolution. Since the appearance of primitive organisms in Britain more than a billion years ago, oceans, deserts, swamps and vast mountains have come and gone in our corner of western Europe; forests of long-extinct trees, flowers and grasses have covered the land, and dinosaurs and other strange creatures have roamed across it. How do we know? The evidence is all around us - in the rocks and fossils that lie beneath the landscape.In this highly informative and practical book, which accompanies the BBC series, presenter Hermione Cockburn and renowned palaeontologist Douglas Palmer take an in-depth look at the most exciting fossil stories from around the country. When and why were dinosaur fossils first discovered in Britain? How was the biggest fish ever to have swum in the sea unearthed near Peterborough? What do modern medical techniques have to offer fossil hunters?Packed with colour photographs and illustrations, Fossils Detectives is full of surprising facts and features. And for those who want to try their hand at some fossil detecting of their own, the book includes an extensive regional gazetteer of fossil-hunting sites and places to visit, and guidance on identifying your fossil finds.Get ready for some time travel around Britain, with the Fossil Detectives!'Fascinating' Fintan O'Toole, Irish Times'It's a fascinating book. I ended up reading it till about four in the morning. It…
gives an incredible insight.' Shane Coleman, political editor, Newstalk'Excellent' Sam Smyth, Irish Mail on Sunday'A great read and I'd recommend it' Hugh Linehan, Irish Times'One of the best journalists I ever worked with ... his tell-all book is absolutely fascinating' Matt Cooper, Today FM'Like pulling back the curtains and getting a sneaky peak inside ... fascinating' Sinéad Desmond, Ireland AM, TV3After over forty years in national journalism, John Walshe thought he had seen and heard it all. That was until he got a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work in government and see how decisions are really made ...Having spent most of his career as an education correspondent, Walshe did not have to think twice about accepting incoming education minister Ruairi Quinn's invitation to become his special adviser. So in a matter of weeks he found himself in the seat of power in Government Buildings and up close and personal with some of the country most powerful decision-makers. It was heady stuff.An Education is John Walshe's revealing, surprising and entertaining inside account of what it's like be part of a government trying to get to grips with a country and an economy in free-fall. It is an anatomy of how choices are made, particularly when the choices are between swingeing cuts and drastic savings. And it is a gripping description of the ferocious day-to-day territorial battles and face-offs between the coalition parties and their backroom staff.Ruairi Quinn knew this would be his last cabinet post and he was determined to leave a legacy. Walshe documents the triumphs and disasters of Quinn's mission to reshape Irish education. In doing so he gets to the heart of the mix of idealism, egotism and pragmatism that ultimately drives those who govern.John Walshe's forty-month education on the corridors of power him left him much wiser about those who set out to do the state some service. His conclusions are sometimes encouraging and sometimes dismaying. But they are always enlightening. An Education is both lively and essential reading for anyone who wants to understand Irish politics in the raw.'An invaluable primer to some of the underlying tensions behind contemporary political debate' Financial TimesIt has always been an important…
part of British self-image to see the United Kingdom as an ancient, organic and sensibly managed place, in striking contrast to the convulsions of other European countries. Yet, as Julian Hoppit makes clear in this fascinating and surprising book, beneath the complacent surface the United Kingdom has in fact been in a constant, often very tense argument with itself about how it should be run and, most significantly, who should pay for what.The book takes its argument from an eighteenth century cartoon which shows the central state as the 'Dreadful Monster', gorging itself at the dinner table on all the taxes it can grab. Meanwhile the 'Poor Relations' - Scotland, Wales and Ireland, both poor because of tax but also poor in the sense of needing special treatment - are viewed in London as an endless 'drain on the state'. With drastically different levels of prosperity, population, industry, agriculture and accessibility between the United Kingdom's different nations, what is a fair basis for paying for the state?