Utah Another Step Closer to Ending Bi-Yearly Time Change
SALT LAKE CITY – S.B. 59 Daylight Saving Time Amendments, sponsored by Sen. Wayne Harper, proposes Utah stay on Mountain Daylight Time year-round, pending congressional approval and at least four other western states pass similar legislation. Utah is already on Mountain Daylight Time seven-and-a-half months each year. Keeping the time “forward” year-round has many advantages.
“Twenty-six other states so far have introduced similar bills based on these findings,” said Sen. Harper. “After studying the best available data on the pros and cons, avoiding bi-yearly clock changes is best for Utah citizens as long as there is uniformity in surrounding states.”
Research indicates the clock change each spring leads to decreased workplace productivity, avoidable accidents and teachers report that our young children have the most difficult time adjusting. A study published in the American Economic Journal found that vehicle accidents found a 6 percent increase the day after the springtime change, which led to over 300 deaths. All these issues concern Utah legislators and citizens.
Maintaining Mountain Daylight Time year-round will provide Utah citizens more daylight hours after work. Brighter evenings benefit our retail and tourism industries and allow our state’s outdoor enthusiasts more convenient participation in sports and recreation.
S.B. 59 passed the Senate 25-2 on February 11, 2020. It will be sent to the House for consideration.
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For Immediate Release
Contact: Justinas Baltrusaitis
LearnBonds.com
St Magnus House
3 Lower Thames Str
London
EC3R 6HE
In a recent interview with Learnbonds.com, Credits.com Chief Executive Igor Chugunov stated that there is a need for more complex blockchain services to meet the market demand. He noted new solutions will bring fresh air into the market.
“Ethereum lost its positions”
During the interview, Igor added that Ethereum had lost its position as the go-to solution for dapps due to the evolving blockchain ecosystem. The Credits.com team explained that Credits.com was better due to improved transaction speeds. Currently, Ethereum transaction speeds range between 14-17 seconds while the Credits platform stands at 0.1 seconds.
According to Igor:
“The inability to develop qualitative products due to technical features of the blockchains of the old generation leads us to the solutions that will bring fresh air to the market and allow devs to develop complex services that will really satisfy the needs of the masses worldwide”.
Furthermore, Igor explained the motivation behind the ongoing ERC-20 CS token swap to CS coin as the platform moves towards creating demand for Credit native token.
He further shared insights into Credits.com's expansion plans. The platform is currently exploring different markets in a bid to increase the user base.
From the pool of products offered by Cedits.com, Igor noted that the system for the supply chain industry and origin of goods has the highest demand. Currently, the platform is exploring the loyalty industry.
The full interview can be read here: https://learnbonds.com/news/credits-chief-executive-blockchain-needs-more-complex-services-to-satisfy-the-masses/
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*For a review copy of NOISE or BRIEF or an interview with Joe McCormack, please contact Dottie DeHart, DeHart & Company Public Relations, at (828) 325-4966 or simply reply to this email.
Why Is Everyone Tuning Me Out? Six Ways to Be Heard at Work
Joe McCormack says the more you say, the less people hear. He explains why this happens at work and shares some advice to help you "be brilliant, be brief, and be gone."
Hoboken, NJ (February 2020)—You're full of great ideas; you just know it! So why do your contributions at work frequently go unnoticed by colleagues, clients, and bosses? You speak up—or maybe share your ideas in emails—but it feels like people tune you out. How can you start getting heard at work?
Joe McCormack says part of the problem is the workplace is so inundated with what he calls "noise"—text alerts, rambling emails, endless meetings, social media notifications, and so forth—that it's tough for any message to get through. If you want people to hear you, you need to revamp your communication style.
"Clarity and brevity are key," says McCormack, author of NOISE: Living and Leading When Nobody Can Focus (Wiley, January 2020, ISBN: 978-1-119-55337-3, $25.00) and BRIEF: Make a Bigger Impact by Saying Less (Wiley, 2014, ISBN: 978-1-118-70496-7, $24.00). "If you want to be heard, you need to get very sharp in your thinking and intentional in how you communicate it. Be brilliant, be brief, and be gone."
First, he says, consider why people may be tuning you out.
You've forgotten to answer WIIFM? (What's in it for me?) When talking to a prospect, a client, or a manager, do you discuss their needs first, or jump to talking about your products or ideas?
You're long-winded. You lack the discipline to make a concise point and stop talking. People ignore or instantly delete your emails. Over the course of your career, your knack for being long-winded impedes your career growth.
You talk at them versus with them. Speeches and monologues don't capture an audience's attention. No one wants to sit through a one-sided conversation and be talked at for a long time.
When you commit to keeping your communication brief and clear, you're taking the first step in joining McCormack's "Just Say No to Noise" movement. A few suggestions:
First, know your (exhausted, distracted) audience. Your coworkers and bosses (and even you, yourself) almost certainly have shortened attention spans. Consider these statistics from McCormack's website, The Brief Lab:
"The first step of learning to be heard is being aware of where the listener is coming from," says McCormack. "They're fatigued, frustrated, and have little capacity to listen. Don't underestimate the impact of noise on a person's attention span. Plan for it, and don't be part of the problem."
Prepare ahead of time. There is no substitute for doing your homework. Assemble your thoughts in advance. This gives you confidence and allows you to speak intelligently about an issue rather than rambling, getting lost in the weeds, and leaving listeners asking, "What is this person talking about?"
Don't overexplain. People speak 150 words a minute, yet our brains can process 750 words a minute, says McCormack. When your message isn't on target, those 600 leftover words—what McCormack calls "the Elusive 600"—will surely distract them and they'll start thinking of other things.
Think and speak in headlines. Lead with your most important idea before going into the details. For example: "I have a solution for the problem we were discussing at lunch." Most people skip headlines and force their listeners to search for the point.
Cut the jargon and say what you mean. Call a moratorium on phrases like "strategically leverage platforms to scale growth" or "turnkey solutions to optimize enterprise impact." These words are meaningless, and what's worse, they trigger the Elusive 600 in employees and cause their eyes to glaze over.
Use active listening to replay the conversation. When you converse with another person, are you actually listening or are you just waiting for your turn to speak? There's a big difference between these two. A great way to make sure you're listening actively is to say, "So let me make sure I'm hearing you..." and then repeat what you heard.
"It's not too late to become one of those people whose words have incredible power to make things happen," concludes McCormack. "Imagine being able to easily close a sale, get a manager's attention, or win a promotion. Brevity is not just a skill people are born with. It's a muscle that you can use to streamline your communications and change your life."
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About the Author:
Joseph McCormack is the author of NOISE: Living and Leading When Nobody Can Focus. He is passionate about helping people gain clarity when there is so much com¬peting for our attention. He is a successful marketer, entrepreneur, and author. His first book, BRIEF: Make a Bigger Impact by Saying Less (Wiley, 2014), sets the standard for concise communication.
Joe is the founder and managing director of The BRIEF Lab, an organization dedicated to teaching professionals, military leaders, and entrepreneurs how to think and communicate clearly. His clients include Boeing, Harley-Davidson, Microsoft, Mastercard, DuPont, and select military units and government agencies. He publishes a weekly podcast called "Just Saying" that helps people master the elusive skills of focus and brevity.
To learn more, visit www.thebrieflab.com.
About the Books:
NOISE: Living and Leading When Nobody Can Focus (Wiley, January 2020, ISBN: 978-1-119-55337-3, $25.00) and BRIEF: Make a Bigger Impact by Saying Less (Wiley, 2014, ISBN: 978-1-118-70496-7, $24.00) are available at bookstores nationwide, from major online booksellers, and direct from the publisher by calling 800-225-5945. In Canada, call 800-567-4797.
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Silicon Valley Bank to Expand in Cottonwood Heights
SALT LAKE CITY (Feb. 13, 2020) — The Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) is pleased to announce that Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) will expand its operations in Utah, creating up to 116 jobs in the next three years.
“The expansion of Silicon Valley Bank in Cottonwood Heights will create many high-paying jobs well above the average county wage,” said Val Hale, GOED’s executive director. “The company will also support many Utah-based technology and life science companies. We are excited to have a Silicon Slopes location of Silicon Valley Bank in Utah and wish them success as they continue to grow.”
Silicon Valley Bank serves innovative companies and their investors around the world in the technology, life science and healthcare, private equity and venture capital, and premium wine industries. SVB banks half of all venture-backed companies in the U.S. and is one of the fastest-growing companies in the world. By providing innovative banking products with an entrepreneurial spirit and advancing issues that align with its mission, SVB fosters innovation around the globe.
“We’re pleased to expand our presence in Utah with the support of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development,” said Phil Cox, chief operations officer of Silicon Valley Bank. “At SVB, we have the opportunity to grow and collectively make an impact on the world by supporting the innovative clients and communities SVB serves. We look forward to welcoming local talent primarily to our global operations, private bank and wealth advisory, risk and IT teams.”
SVB may earn up to 15% of the new state taxes it will pay over the three-year life of the agreement in the form of a Utah Legislature-authorized Economic Development Tax Increment Finance (EDTIF) tax credit. The GOED Board has approved a post-performance tax credit not to exceed $346,714. Each year that SVB meets the criteria in its contract with the state, it will earn a portion of the total tax credit.
“Utah employs more than 82,100 people in financial services and has experienced employment growth of 20.8% in the financial services industry over the last five years,” said Theresa A. Foxley, president and CEO of the Economic Development Corporation of Utah. “This is comparable to our fast-growing tech industry. Silicon Valley Bank straddles both sectors, and we’re gratified they are expanding here to capitalize on the ‘Utah opportunity.’”
State of Utah Tax Credit By the Numbers
Tax revenue: $2,311,428
Wages: $31,967,346
Jobs: 116
Capital investment: $4.8 million
Timeline: 3 years
About Utah Corporate Incentives
The Utah Legislature has authorized economic development incentives in the form of post-performance tax credits. Eligible companies work with the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development to outline specific performance criteria. Once GOED confirms those criteria have been met, according to statute (U.C.A. 63N-2-106(2)), companies can receive a refund of up to 30% of the state taxes they paid for up to 20 years. The contract with the state is post-performance; it only provides a state tax credit if the company meets its obligations.
About the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED)
Under the direction of Gov. Gary Herbert, the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) provides resources and support for business creation, growth and recruitment, and helps drive increased tourism, film production and outdoor recreation in the state. Utilizing state resources and private sector contracts, GOED administers programs in economic areas that demonstrate the highest potential for development. Learn more at business.utah.gov or by calling (801) 538-8680.
About Silicon Valley Bank
For more than 35 years, Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) has helped innovative companies and their investors move bold ideas forward, fast. SVB provides targeted financial services and expertise through its offices in innovation centers around the world. With commercial, international and private banking services, SVB helps address the unique needs of innovators. Learn more at svb.com.
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Winners of the 6th Annual Utah Senate Art Contest Announced
SALT LAKE CITY – Today, 20 students in grades 9-12 from around the state filled the Senate chamber as the Utah Senate recognized the winners of the 6th Annual Utah Senate Art Contest on the Senate Floor. Sen. Kathleen Riebe read the names of the winners during morning floor time.
With no designated theme, students were encouraged to use their creativity, and the variety of work received was superb. Over 200 unique, personal works of art were submitted that depicted many different subjects ranging from Native Americans to women’s suffrage to landscapes.
President Stuart Adams, his wife Susan Adams, Sen. Ann Millner, Sen. Riebe, Sen. Deidre Henderson and two professional judges selected 20 winners for the exhibition.
The artwork will be displayed in the halls on the third floor of Utah State Capitol building until the end of the legislative session.
The 20 student winners will receive scholarship awards deposited in a My529 account, which is a Utah educational savings plan. 1st place winner will receive $5000, 2nd place will receive $3000, 3rd place winner will receive $1000, the remaining top 17 will receive $500. The first-place piece will remain permanently in the Utah Senate suite.
The competition is sponsored by Senate President J. Stuart Adams and the Utah State Senate. It is made possible because of the support My529, the Division of Arts and Museums in the Department of Heritage and Arts, as well as the generous donations from Art Works for Kids, Comcast, Key Bank, Zions Bank and The Lockhart Group.
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In a new interview with C.M. Rubin, Founder of CMRubinWorld, Head of Marketing from Norwegian based Kahoot, Sean D’Arcy, discusses the future of game-based learning in classrooms.
Using digital game-based learning is on the rise in schools and learning organizations globally. Kahoot! currently has over 2 billion players, according to D’Arcy - including teachers, students, parents, and even corporate users. With over 60 million interactive games, the platform has developed the nickname, “The Netflix of Education.”
“Technology is becoming more and more important in 21st century classrooms, where students can learn from anywhere at any time and have access to the world’s information,” says D’Arcy. He believes that while traditional classrooms will continue to exist in the future, “they will be supported with the use of interactive and social learning environments so that they can accommodate all kinds of learners and make learning a fun, gamified experience.”
Read the full article here
Kahoot is a game-based learning platform that makes it easy to create, share and play fun learning games or trivia quizzes. Kahoot! is used in a variety of settings: in K-12 and university classrooms, corporate offices, social settings, and major sporting and cultural events. In 2018, Kahoot! had over one billion participating players in more than 200 countries. Launched in 2013, the company is headquartered in Norway with offices in the US and the UK.
CMRubinWorld’s award-winning series, The Global Search for Education, brings together distinguished thought leaders in education and innovation from around the world to explore the key learning issues faced by most nations. The series has become a highly visible platform for global discourse on 21st century learning, offering a diverse range of innovative ideas which are presented by the series founder, C. M. Rubin, together with the world’s leading thinkers.
For more information on CMRubinWorld
Follow @CMRubinWorld on Twitter
