Wired reports on a critique of the TSA by a former security adviser to Delta airlines.
Scary and frustrating reading but, on the plus side, should World War 1 break out again, we are ready with our Maginot Line.
Whew.
9 years ago
Thursday, December 8, 2011
A nation of twits?
The Daily Mail reports that the U.S. National Archives plans to retain every public tweet ever sent on Twitter.
So, watch what you say ...
Hat tip: Charlie Brown, who also suggested the title of the post.
So, watch what you say ...
Hat tip: Charlie Brown, who also suggested the title of the post.
WIA is wonderful, or not
Actually, WIA - the Workforce Investment Act - appears to be wonderful only if you do not understand that the performance measures that the government uses for quantitative monitoring of the program have nothing to say about whether or not the program adds value.
Some people called FutureWork Systems, who I think make their money providing services to local WIA programs, have produced a web site, called the WIA dashboard, the neatly summarizes the performance measures. For example, if you click through, you will learn that WIA provided services to about 2.75 million people in the last four quarters for which data are available. At the bottom of the table, the site claims that this is the number of people who "benefit from" the program, but in fact this is wrong on two counts. First, some of the people who benefit from the program are not counted, such as the people who run businesses like FutureWork Systems.
More importantly, providing services is not the same as producing a benefit. The statistics in the table are all about inputs and outcomes, and not at all about impacts, which must be measured relative to the counterfactual of what would have happened to the service recipient had he or she not participated in the program. The data from earlier experimental (i.e. wannabe participants were randomly assigned to the offer of participation or not) evaluations of similar programs make clear that outcome levels and impacts are very different indeed. At the extreme, the predecessor to WIA, the Job Training Partnership Act, was estimated to reduce the average earnings of its male out-of-school youth participants relative to the counterfactual.
The site will also tell you that about 900,000 adult and dislocated worker participants were "placed" in employment. Of course, if you click on the definition at the bottom, you will learn that "placed" here does not really mean placed, it just means that they somehow found a job. In many cases, that job will have nothing to do with whatever services they received from WIA.
Sadly, one must conclude that the people at FutureWorks are either clueless about the difference between outcome levels and impacts relative to a counterfactual, or they know the difference, but are deliberately trying to mislead the innocents who happen to find their website. In either case, shame on them.
And you know, just as an aside, this topic is so important that someone ought to write a book about it.
Hat tip: Carolyn Heinrich, who forwarded an email about the site from someone misleadingly called "Geoff Smith". That email begins with "WIA Matters! Let's show 'em our impact". Too bad they have no impacts to show.
Some people called FutureWork Systems, who I think make their money providing services to local WIA programs, have produced a web site, called the WIA dashboard, the neatly summarizes the performance measures. For example, if you click through, you will learn that WIA provided services to about 2.75 million people in the last four quarters for which data are available. At the bottom of the table, the site claims that this is the number of people who "benefit from" the program, but in fact this is wrong on two counts. First, some of the people who benefit from the program are not counted, such as the people who run businesses like FutureWork Systems.
More importantly, providing services is not the same as producing a benefit. The statistics in the table are all about inputs and outcomes, and not at all about impacts, which must be measured relative to the counterfactual of what would have happened to the service recipient had he or she not participated in the program. The data from earlier experimental (i.e. wannabe participants were randomly assigned to the offer of participation or not) evaluations of similar programs make clear that outcome levels and impacts are very different indeed. At the extreme, the predecessor to WIA, the Job Training Partnership Act, was estimated to reduce the average earnings of its male out-of-school youth participants relative to the counterfactual.
The site will also tell you that about 900,000 adult and dislocated worker participants were "placed" in employment. Of course, if you click on the definition at the bottom, you will learn that "placed" here does not really mean placed, it just means that they somehow found a job. In many cases, that job will have nothing to do with whatever services they received from WIA.
Sadly, one must conclude that the people at FutureWorks are either clueless about the difference between outcome levels and impacts relative to a counterfactual, or they know the difference, but are deliberately trying to mislead the innocents who happen to find their website. In either case, shame on them.
And you know, just as an aside, this topic is so important that someone ought to write a book about it.
Hat tip: Carolyn Heinrich, who forwarded an email about the site from someone misleadingly called "Geoff Smith". That email begins with "WIA Matters! Let's show 'em our impact". Too bad they have no impacts to show.
Modern ruin: mini-golf edition
Is there anything sadder than an abandoned miniature golf course?
This one is actually in Sweden, which one might of thought would have some sort of preservation mechanism for these important cultural institutions.
This one is actually in Sweden, which one might of thought would have some sort of preservation mechanism for these important cultural institutions.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Ann Arbor's dumbest criminals
A man walked into the TCF Bank at 125 Briarwood Circle about 10 this morning and demanded money, Ann Arbor police Sgt. Pat Hughes said. A teller gave him an undisclosed amount of money, and he left the bank on foot, Hughes said. Reports indicated the man got on an AATA bus headed for Ypsilanti, Hughes said.
The suspect, a 30-year-old man from Ypsilanti, got off the bus in the area of Hawkins and Franklin Streets and was arrested by Ypsilanti Police Department officers, Hughes said. The money the man had taken from the bank was recovered at the scene, Hughes said.Full story here. How does one get past thinking "and then I'll make my getaway on the bus" without breaking into gales of laughter and giving up on the whole idea?
Hat tip: Charlie Brown, who noted that perhaps he should have stolen a bike first.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Italy, where anyone can be minister of agriculture
A comedy of errors ensues as Italy assembles a new government.
Special bonus Canadian content!
Hat tip: Charlie Brown, who suggests that a similar model may explain how some of our friends ended up becoming associate deans.
Special bonus Canadian content!
Hat tip: Charlie Brown, who suggests that a similar model may explain how some of our friends ended up becoming associate deans.
Lost in translation: alcohol edition
Via Arthur Robson on Facebook, who adds "the pleasure was mine".
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