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The purpose of this paper is to develop an analysis of the improbable events of housing market bubbles occurring in a period when US and UK central bankers were responding to perceived risks of a new deflation.

The methodology focuses on how the anti-deflation policies implemented by the Federal Reserve and the Bank of England contributed to the housing market bubbles. The central bankers perceived the deflation as a Keynesian short-run deficiency in aggregate demand, triggered by a financial crisis. Indications are that the deflation is in the nature of long-run aggregate-supply-driven trend as explained in Veblen’s theory of “chronic” deflation driven by cost-reducing advances in technology and globalization.

The Keynesian anti-deflation policies of the Federal Reserve and Bank of England failed to counter the deflation risks while contributing to housing market bubbles. Moreover, the policies failed to address the structural problems of unemployment and income inequality associated with long-run aggregate supply deflation.

Effective policies must be based on a correct theoretical understanding of the problems. The chronic nature of the new deflation points to the need for new approaches to deal with the negative income and employment effects that exclude an increasing number from the housing markets.

High‐tech, low‐tech, and no‐tech, there are ways business travelers can stay connected without cramming the whole office into carry‐on luggage.

Reports of a number of countries imposing a limited ban on the use of D.D.T. have appeared from time to time in the B.F.J., but in the last few months, what was a trickle seems to have become an avalanche. In Canada, for example, relatively extensive restrictions apply from January 1st, permitting D.D.T. for insect control in only 12 agricultural crops, compared with 62 previously; there is a reduction of maximum levels for most fruits to 1 ppm. Its cumulative properties in fat are recognized and the present levels of 7 ppm in fat of cattle, sheep and pigs are to remain, but no trace is permitted in milk, butter, cheese, eggs, ice cream, other dairy products, nor potatoes. A U.S. Commission has advised that D.D.T. should be gradually phased out and completely banned in two years' time, followed by the Report of the Advisory Committee on Pesticides and Other Toxic Chemicals recommending withdrawal in Britain of some of the present uses of D.D.T. (also aldrin and dieldrin) on farm crops when an alternative becomes available. Further recommendations include an end to D.D.T. in paints, lacquers, oil‐based sprays and in dry cleaning; and the banning of small retail packs of D.D.T. and dieldrin for home use in connection with moth‐proofing or other insect control. The Report states that “domestic users are often unaware that using such packs involve the risk of contaminating prepared food immediately before it is eaten”.

Considers the success Lucas sites are having in achieving increased competitiveness through taskforces using a systems engineering approach to manufacturing business redesign. Discusses the stages in manufacturing systems design and corporate best practice that have evolved the methodology employed by taskforces. Surmises that success is due to: setting out objectives, planning, communication, project selection, budgeting for change, reviewing and maintaining standards.

Jane Barrow, CEO of Caprica Energy, must recommend to the board which of three potential “unconventional ” natural-gas development sites in different parts of the United States the company should pursue. The case takes place in January 2011, when the “low-hanging fruit ” of natural-gas production in the United States had essentially been picked. All three of the potential sites (shale, coalbed methane, and tight sands) would require hydraulic fracturing, a process of removing gas that was formerly considered inaccessible by injecting water and chemicals into the ground. Because of emerging concerns about the potential harm “fracking ” can do to drinking water, Barrow must not only analyze which site might be most profitable but also what the potential risks to the environment and area residents might be.

Business Information Technology (BIT) is a relatively new and still developing concept, which is offered as an under‐graduate programme of study at an ever‐increasing number of educational institutions. Kingston Business School has been at the forefront of such developments and offers a four year ‘thick’ sandwich BSc (Hons) BIT course, which has a one year industrial period and consists of the following three central study themes: — Business Strategy, Operations and Environment — Information Systems/ — Information Technology (IS/IT) — Quantitative Decision Methods and Analysis This paper concentrates on the Business and IT aspects of the course and considers the experiences and lessons learnt over the last six years in order to attempt to answer the question: ‘what exactly is BIT?’ It concludes that the essence of BIT is the close integration of the above study themes in order to produce knowledgable, adaptable graduates, who have the technical and inter‐personal skills to work successfully in a rapidly changing business environment. The author is involved in course development, collaboration with business partners and a significant amount of BIT course teaching, particularly on the final year.