text:
Spending Too Much—On Purpose
I have a hand-thrown salad bowl that never fails to draw compliments when I use it at dinner parties. It's a gorgeous shade of greenish-blue that sets off the colors of a salad beautifully. It isn't "perfect" by industry standards. There are variations in the glaze, and the shape is perhaps not quite round. That makes it perfect to me. I love it for those exact characteristics because they mean it's handmade. I love it because I know its creator and was surprised to learn that pottery was one of his talents.
I also know the creator of a hand-knit wool afghan that graces my bedroom and warms me on cold nights. Made in the style of an Irish fisherman sweater with honeycomb, diamond, and cable patterns, I marvel every time I pull it around my shoulders or over my legs at the patience and skill it took to make it.
At this time of year I often think fondly on an autumn weekend I spent with my family in Amish country. We walked to the nearby dairy farm to show the girls where milk comes from. They were far more interested in the new barn kittens than they were the cows. I enjoyed the conversations we had while helping to prepare meals. I was dumbfounded by the pitch-black night.
I remember a laughter-filled dinner for eight lovingly prepared by a good friend from the freshest possible ingredients all from scratch all vegetarian. I don't remember what was so funny, but I do remember the laughter.
All these goods and services have one thing in common: I overpaid for every single one. That's right overpaid, and I loved doing it. I bought them all at fundraising auctions where getting a bargain wasn't the point. I bought them all at dinner events surrounded by friends and strangers who became friends – amidst laughter and friendly competition and encouragement to spend. Or even overspend.
Because the point was not to get a bargain. The point was to support the causes we care about.
Jamestown Audubon connects people to nature and promotes environmentally responsible practices through education at its center and throughout the community. Audubon owns and operates two sanctuaries which are open to the public 365 days a year for hiking and nature appreciation. Its center offers educational, hands-on exhibits with something for all ages, as well as meeting spaces and a nature store. The programming ranges from classroom and field trip opportunities that reach more than 16,000 school children a year to public programs on many topics to festivals and events that offer a wide range of activities while teaching about important environmental issues.
If this is a cause you care about, I encourage you to get involved in Jamestown Audubon's Falling for Nature Dinner and Auction. Perhaps you have an item or service to contribute. Perhaps you would enjoy joining us for a delicious dinner prepared from locally produced ingredients followed by the lively fun of a live auction.
As of this writing, the menu is still in the works. Contributed items to date include original artwork, the biography "Willie Horton: The People's Champion" – signed by Willie Horton himself, a night's stay at the Edwards Waterhouse Inn in Fredonia, an evening of harp music (a sampling of which you will hear during dinner), and much more. Last year, there were a couple of paintings by none other than Lincoln, our resident (and now famously artistic) Box Turtle. Rumor has it, he may be contributing again this year.
Jamestown Audubon's Falling for Nature Dinner and Auction will be held on Saturday, Nov. 2, beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Conewango Club in Warren, Pa. Reservations are required and seating is limited. You can see scenes from the 2012 auction, this year's menu so far, and a sampling of contributed items at the auction website jasauction.weebly.com/ where you can also contribute an item and/or buy tickets.
Jamestown Audubon is located at 1600 Riverside Road in the town of Kiantone, one-quarter mile east of Route 62 between Jamestown and Warren.Learn more about the center by calling 569-2345 or visiting jamestownaudubon.org.
Jennifer Schlick is the program director at Audubon.


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by Anton Shilov
Microsoft announced on Tuesday that the company's server software, which is currently licensed by the number of processors in the server, will continue to be licensed in that model for server hardware that contains dual-core and multi-core processors, and will not be licensed according to the number of processing engines within the central processing unit.
"Microsoft's licensing strategy will help facilitate the broad adoption of multi-core server technology," said Brent Callinicos, corporate vice president of Worldwide Licensing and Pricing at Microsoft Corp.
Microsoft's move is applauded by AMD, who has already showcased working dual-core x86-64 processors and is expects to release them in mid-2005. Additionally, the Sunnyvale, California-based chipmaker will offer its customers dual-core chips for desktops by the end of 2005.
Multi-core processors are a logical evolution in performance improvements for multi-tasking environments, and dual-core AMD64 processors with Direct Connect Architecture are expected to more efficiently support those multi-tasking demands. Dual-core AMD Opteron processors are expected to be socket compatible with the 90nm single-core AMD Opteron packaging.
The licensing policy from Microsoft will allow the enterprise not to spend additional funds on software for systems running dual-core chips or reinstall operating systems. However, one of the main advantages of AMD Opteron processor – 64-bit capability amid full 32-bit compatibility – is not currently used in Windows environments, as Microsoft plans to roll-out its operating systems for x86-64 chips sometime in early 2005.
"I haven't spoken with a single IT manager who wants to swap out their current servers just to upgrade to multi-core technology. With AMD Opteron™ processor-based hardware, the upgradeability to upcoming dual-core AMD Opteron processors, and Microsoft's software licensing plans, the IT community will be able to reap the rewards of multi-core technology without the pain of upheaval," said Marty Seyer, corporate vice president and general manager for AMD's Microprocessor Business Unit, Computation Products Group.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Best Practices in Internal Communications
February 1, 2012
Kara Bullock, senior vice president and account director, Tribe, and Lindsay Podrid, vice president and creative director, Tribe, provided case studies from brands that excel in internal communications and discussed tips for success in this area.
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text:
Larry Fountain Appointed Executive Vice President and Director of Commercial Banking
View as PDF
WALNUT CREEK, CA, May 7, 2014 — Mechanics Bank today announced the appointment of Larry Fountain as Executive Vice President and Director of Commercial Banking.
Mr. Fountain has more than 25 years commercial banking experience and most recently held the role of Executive Vice President and Regional President for the San Francisco Bay Area Market at Torrey Pines Bank in Oakland. Larry's extensive and diverse leadership experience in business, commercial, corporate and international banking has led to his proven track record of success. He was responsible for growth and profitability with a focus on credit delivery, risk management and business development.
"Larry is a veteran banker who comes to Mechanics Bank with a well diversified background in commercial and industrial, construction, real estate and agricultural lending," says Christa Steele, Mechanics Bank CEO. "His industry expertise and customer focus is a welcome addition to our executive team."
Mr. Fountain received his BS in Agricultural Economics and Business Management from University of California, Davis and an MBA in Finance from Golden Gate University, San Francisco. He is also a graduate of Pacific Coast Banking School, Washington.
A resident of the Bay Area, Larry and his family are actively involved in many local businesses and civic organizations.
About Mechanics Bank
Media Contacts


text:
Urologic Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndromes (UCPPS)
Cutting edge information on Chronic Prostatitis and Bladder Pain Syndrome/Interstitial Cystitis
Potent time-release formula!Q-Urol contains the same chief active ingredients as Prosta-Q, with the addition of Pollen Extract in a higher potency time-release formula.
Exclusive offers from Farr LabsGet special offers from Farr Labs, exclusive to this site. Get pain reduction (Prosta-Q and Q-Urol). Repair your sex drive with Triverex and Trinoboost. Use MultiRight™, a low-acid, bladder-friendly multivitamin. Treat every aspect of the condition without taking dangerous or addictive drugs!
I had CPPS since 2005, and like all of you I went through hell, mostly because of not knowing what was going on. The best thing that could have happened to me was to find this site, and to read "Headache in the Pelvis", thus starting my road to healing
I started with Prosta-Q, twice per day, and had relief after a few months, I took it for 3 months then switched to Q-Urol for 2 months twice a day, now I just went to 1 per day. My bladder issues are totally gone, still having a slight burn once in awhile tho. But I happy to say no more bladder issues! Have faith, I never thought I'd get to this stage!!
I've continued to experience incremental improvement from month to month. What's been my strategy in achieving this improvement? I've followed the Stanford/Wise-Anderson Protocol unwaveringly. In my opinion, the Wise-Anderson Protocol relaxation, stretching, trigger point, and psychological therapy are responsible for the improvement.
I noticed that many sites advertised something called Prosta-Q. I saw that the active ingredient was something called Quercetin. I popped down to my local pharmacy and picked up 120 tabs and thought I'll give it a go. to be honest I'm GLAD I did. It may be placebo or may not but I've found since taking one of those each morning it got me to my 95% stage. I now no longer feel the need to do internal trigger point therapy and just continue with my stretches and external massage.


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Callinectes sapidus
Callinectes sapidus (from the Greek calli- = "beautiful", nectes = "swimmer", and Latin sapidus = "savory"), the blue crab, Atlantic blue crab, or regionally as the Chesapeake blue crab, is a species of crab native to the waters of the western Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, and introduced internationally.
C. sapidus is of significant culinary and economic importance in the United States, particularly in Louisiana and in the Chesapeake Bay. It is the Maryland state crustacean and is the state's largest commercial fishery.[2]
Callinectes sapidus may grow to a carapace width of 230 mm (9.1 in). It can be distinguished from a related species occurring in the same area by the number of frontal teeth on the carapace; C. sapidus has four, while C. ornatus has six.[4]
Males and females of C. sapidus can be distinguished by the sexual dimorphism in the shape of the abdomen (known as the "apron"). It is long and slender in males, but wide and rounded in mature females; one popular mnemonic is that the male's is shaped like the Washington Monument, while the female's resembles the dome of the United States Capitol.[3] A female's abdomen changes as it matures: an immature female has a triangular-shaped abdomen, whereas a mature female's is rounded.[5]
The blue hue stems from a number of pigments in the shell, including alpha-crustacyanin, which interacts with a red pigment, astaxanthin, to form a greenish-blue coloration. When the crab is cooked, the alpha-crustacyanin breaks down, leaving only the astaxanthin, which turns the crab to a red-orange or a hot pink color.[6]
Callinectes sapidus is native to the western edge of the Atlantic Ocean from Nova Scotia to Argentina and around the entire coast of the Gulf of Mexico.[7][8] It has been introduced (via ballast water) to Japanese and European waters, and has been observed in the Baltic, North, Mediterranean and Black Seas.[9] The first record from European waters was made in 1901 at Rochefort, France.[10] In some parts of its introduced range, C. sapidus has become the subject of crab fishery, including in Greece, where the local population may be decreasing as a result of overfishing.[10]
The natural predators of C. sapidus include eels, drum, striped bass, spot, trout, some sharks, humans, and cownose sting rays. C. sapidus is an omnivore, eating both plants and animals. C. sapidus typically consumes thin-shelled bivalves, annelids, small fish, plants and nearly any other item it can find, including carrion, other C. sapidus individuals, and animal waste.[11] C. sapidus may be able to control populations of the invasive green crab, Carcinus maenas; numbers of the two species are negatively correlated, and C. maenas is not found in the Chesapeake Bay, where C. sapidus is most frequent.[12]
Callinectes sapidus is subject to a number of diseases and parasites.[13] They include a number of viruses, bacteria, microsporidians, ciliates, and others.[13] The nemertean worm Carcinonemertes carcinophila commonly parasitizes C. sapidus, especially females and older crabs, although it has little adverse effect on the crab.[13] A trematode that parasitizes C. sapidus is itself targeted by the hyperparasite Urosporidium crescens.[13] The most harmful parasites may be the microsporidian Ameson michaelis, the amoeba Paramoeba perniciosa and the dinoflagellate Hematodinium perezi, which causes "bitter crab disease".[14]
Life cycle[edit]
In the Chesapeake Bay, C. sapidus undergoes a seasonal migration. Female blue crabs mate only once in their lifetimes. After mating, the female crab travels to the southern portion of the Chesapeake, using ebb tide transport to migrate from areas of low salinity to areas of high salinity.[15] fertilizing her eggs with sperm stored during her single mating months or almost a year before.[16] Up to two million eggs may be produced in a single brood, and a single female can produce over 8,000,000 eggs in her lifetime.[10] After brooding the eggs as an orange mass on her pleopods for around two weeks,[17] the female crab releases her eggs in November or December. The crabs hatch into larvae and float in the mouth of the bay for four to five weeks, after which the juvenile crabs make their way back into the bay.[16]
Commercial importance[edit]
Range of Fisheries[edit]
Fisheries for C. sapidus exist along much of the Atlantic coast of the United States, and in the Gulf of Mexico. Although the fishery has been historically centered on the Chesapeake Bay, contributions from other localities are increasing in volume.[18] In 2002, around two-thirds of the total U.S. market of C. sapidus came from four states – Louisiana (22%), North Carolina (17%), Maryland (14%), and Virginia (13%).[18] No other state contributed more than 3%, with 17% of the market being supplied by imports, especially from Indonesia (6% of the total U.S. market) and Thailand (4%); no data are available on the amounts exported from the U.S.[18]
Louisiana Fishery[edit]
Louisiana has the world's largest blue crab fishery. The industry was not commercialized for interstate commerce until the 1990s, when supply markedly decreased in Maryland due to problems in Chesapeake Bay. Since then, Louisiana has steadily increased its harvest. In 2002, Louisiana harvested 22% of the nation's blue crab. That number rose to 26% by 2009 and 28% by 2012. The vast majority of Louisiana crabs are shipped to Maryland, where they are sold as "Chesapeake" or "Maryland" crab.
Chesapeake Bay Fishery[edit]
Recent Decline[edit]
The Chesapeake Bay, located in Maryland and Virginia, is famous for its blue crabs. The crab harvest constitutes the most important economic fishery for both states. In 1993, the combined harvest of C. sapidus was valued at around US$100 million. Over the years, the population of C. sapidus has dropped,[19] and the amount captured has fallen from over 125,000 t (276,000,000 lb) in 1993 to 81,000 t (179,000,000 lb) in 2008.[1]
In the Chesapeake Bay, the population fell from 900 million to around 300 million, and capture fell from 52,000 t (115,000,000 lb) in the mid-1990s to 28,000 t (62,000,000 lb) in 2004, with revenue falling further, from $72 million to $61 million.[20]
Efforts to Manage Fisheries[edit]
Because of its commercial and environmental value, C. sapidus is the subject of management plans over much of its range.[8][21] In 2012, the C. sapidus population in Louisiana was recognized as a certified sustainable fishery by the Marine Stewardship Council.[22]
See also[edit]
- Beautiful Swimmers – a Pulitzer Prize-winning book with an extensive discussion of the crabs and their life cycle
- Chesapeake - a novel by James Michener with a story about C. sapidus titled "Jimmy the crab".
- Crab cake
- She-crab soup
- Soft-shell crab
- ^ a b "Species Fact Sheet: Callinectes sapidus (Rathbun, 1896)". Food and Agriculture Organization. Retrieved November 28, 2010.
- ^ "Maryland State Crustacean". Maryland State Archives. 2005-12-27.
- ^ a b c "Callinectes spiadus". Field Guide to the Indian River Lagoon. Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce. Retrieved September 12, 2012.
- ^ Susan B. Rothschild (2004). "Sandy beaches". Beachcomber's Guide to Gulf Coast Marine Life: Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida (3rd ed.). Taylor Trade Publications. pp. 21–38. ISBN 978-1-58979-061-2.
- ^ "Blue crab, Callinectes sapidus". Maryland Fish Facts. Maryland Department of Natural Resources. April 4, 2007. Retrieved February 17, 2011.
- ^ "Blue Crab Frequently Asked Questions". Blue Crab Archives. December 2008.
- ^ "Callinectes sapidus". Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce. October 11, 2004.
- ^ a b "Blue crabs". National Geographic. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
- ^ "Callinectes sapidus". CIESM: The Mediterranean Marine Research Network. August 2006.
- ^ a b c A. Brockerhoff & C. McLay (2011). "Human-mediated spread of alien crabs". In Bella S. Galil, Paul F. Clark & James T. Carlton. In the Wrong Place – Alien Marine Crustaceans: Distribution, Biology and Impacts. Invading Nature 6. Springer. pp. 27–106. ISBN 978-94-007-0590-6.
- ^ "Blue Crab-About The bay". The Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
- ^ Catherine E. DeRivera, Gregory M. Ruiz, Anson H. Hines & Paul Jivoff (2005). "Biotic resistance to invasion: Native predator limits abundance and distribution of an introduced crab" (PDF). Ecology 86 (12): 3367–3376. doi:10.1890/05-0479.
- ^ a b c d Gretchen A. Messick (1998). "Diseases, parasites, and symbionts and blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) dredged from Chesapeake Bay" (PDF). Journal of Crustacean Biology 18 (3): 533–548. JSTOR 1549418.
- ^ Gretchen A. Messick & Carl J. Sindermann (1992). "Synopsis of principal diseases of the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus" (PDF). NOAA Technical Memorandum. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NMFS-F/NEC-88.
- ^ James L. Hench, Richard B. Forward, Sarah D. Carr, Daniel Rittschof & Richard A. Luettich (2004). "Testing a selective tidal-stream transport model: observations of female blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) vertical migration during the spawning season". Limnology and Oceanography 49 (5): 1857–1870. doi:10.4319/lo.2004.49.5.1857.
- ^ a b "Migration". SERC: Smithsonian Environmental Research Center.
- ^ Michelle Sempsrott (March 8, 2011). "Florida's Commercial Blue Crab (Callinectes sapidus) Fishery: Managing Harvest with Output Control" (PDF). Oregon State University. Capstone Project – FW 506.
- ^ a b c Alice Cascorbi (February 14, 2004). "Seafood Report: Blue Crab, Callinectes sapidus" (PDF). Seafood Watch. Monterey Bay Aquarium. Retrieved September 12, 2012.
- ^ "Number of blue brabs in Bay remains below long-term average". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. July 28, 2008.
- ^ Yonathan Zohar, Anson H. Hines, Oded Zmora, Eric G. Johnson, Romuald N. Lipcius, Rochelle D. Seitz, David B. Eggleston, Allen R. Place, Eric J. Schott, John D. Stubblefield & J. Sook Chung (2008). "The Chesapeake Bay blue crab (Callinectes sapidus): a multidisciplinary approach to responsible stock replenishment". Reviews in Fisheries Science 16 (1): 24–34. doi:10.1080/10641260701681623.
- ^ Vincent Guillory, Harriet Perry & Steve VanderKooy, ed. (October 2001). The Blue Crab Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico, United States: a Regional Management Plan (PDF) 96. Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
- ^ Benjamin Alexander-Bloch (March 19, 2012). "Louisiana blue crab earns a blue ribbon". The Times-Picayune. Retrieved March 19, 2012.


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What if we told you that revolutionizing your health was as simple as strapping on a bracelet or clipping on a heart rate monitor? Cutting-edge fitness trackers�such as Jawbone Up and Adidas MiCoach�give users instant access to vital data such as heart rate, daily calorie expenditure and even sleep quality at the touch of a button. Tune in to learn how these devices are empowering millions of individuals to improve their lives. Brought to you by: Spry Living
Location, ST | website.com


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Here's how RW members rated this race in the past (593 votes).
In short: The one race all year that i dont look at clocks just get stuck i with a really big smileDate of review: November 12, 2007
In short: YIPPEE!In full: A glorious day for a super race. Weather changed for the better just in time for the start. Enough mud to keep everyone happy and my wife kept her shoes on this time! What more could you ask for! And yes I did beat her!! The big banana was a bit brown by the end! I think everybody's was! (Did anyone see my brother in law accidently moony in the portaloo? Dodgy lock apparently!!)Date of review: November 12, 2007
In short: What a real cross country race should be like!In full: My first visit to this race. Well worth it!Will definitely be back next year. Can't fault it. Date of review: November 12, 2007
In short: Fantastic mud, atmosphere and camaraderieIn full: Excellent organisation again, even stopped the rain just in time. Was looking forward to a rest at the top of the hill but the gate had been taken out. Thanks to the guy with the fire at the end too - just what I needed at the top of the slope!Date of review: November 12, 2007
In short: Some of the best fun I have ever had in a race.Date of review: November 12, 2007
In short: Excellent fun, can't wait for next yearIn full: We're all so obsessed with times and performance, this was brilliant because there was no way you could do anything but have fun! It reminded me why started running and when the sun broke through the clouds over that magnificent view, it made my heart sing.Date of review: November 12, 2007
In short: Brilliant. When do entries open for 2008?In full: Not a race for the majority but a great event for all. I love hearing the shrieks coming from the lake as you come down the hill towards it.Excellent marshals - big thanks to Gordon, BRR and local Round Table for all your work.Date of review: November 12, 2007
In short: A rompIn full: Relatively dry this year, but still enough mud to keep things interesting.Even with more competitors than ever before the organisation still coped admirably.Date of review: November 12, 2007
In short: Good, muddy fun!In full: What a lark this race is! Marshalls brilliant; jelly beans being handed out were just the tonic. Excellent organisation and goody bags, as usual.Date of review: November 12, 2007
In short: Mucky funIn full: Brilliant organisation. They even switched the rain off as soon as the race started.The two minute silence was very well observed and moving.Well done all!!Date of review: November 12, 2007
Visit the official Runner's World page
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Newspapers in Florida report the locals are excited about competing for the location of a new Icon Aircraft light sport aircraft factory. Most recently, Icon officials were in Tavares, "The Seaplane City," but city fathers in DeLand are hopeful, too. The company could go into production in Los Angeles as soon as January, and have a decision by spring on a new factory. Reports indicate the company would like to move in by the end of 2013. However, the company says it could be a year sooner than that. Officials in California, Arizona, Nevada, and Texas are also hopeful of attracting the Icon factory to their states.
Tags: Icon, Icon Aircraft, Icon factory, light sport


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After 11 years as host, Meredith Vieira is leaving the U.S. syndicated version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire, TVGuide.com has confirmed.
Vieira opted not to renew her contract, which is in its final year, because she plans to launch her own YouTube channel to feature people's life stories, a source close to Vieira told The Associated Press.
ABC Midseason Shows: Get all the scoop
New Millionaire episodes will air through May and reruns featuring Vieira will be shown throughout the summer, an ABC spokesperson told Reuters. The new host will take over in the fall.
Are you disappointed Vieira won't be returning?
View original Meredith Vieira Leaving Who Wants to be a Millionaire at TVGuide.com
Other Links From TVGuide.com
- Meredith Vieira
- Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
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Location, ST | website.com


text:
School AYP Performance Report
For confidentiality and reliability, results may be based on data from this year,
or on an average of up to three years of data.
Performance measures may be met using Confidence Intervals, Safe Harbor, the Growth Model or through the Appeals process.
Read more about how the Confidence Interval (C.I.) and Growth Model are used in AYP decisions.
|Student Group
|Students Overall
|White non-Hispanic
|Black/African American non-Hispanic
|Asian/Pacific Islander
|American Indian/Native American
|IEP-Special Education
|English Language Learners
|Economically Disadvantaged
|Group met measure
|Group met goal using Confidence Interval
|Group met target using Safe Harbor
|Group met target using Safe Harbor with Confidence Interval
|Group met measure using Growth Model
|Group met goal or target using an Appeal
|Group did not meet measure
|Fewer than 40 students tested
|Percentage includes two consecutive years of data
|Percentage includes three consecutive years of data
- Bar may not reach goal line, but may still meet AYP either with a confidence interval, by Safe Harbor, by the Growth Model, or by Appeals.
- The Safe Harbor (S.H.) target is met when there is at least a 10% reduction in percentage of students who scored below Proficient from the previous year. This target is only shown for groups that did not meet the state target.
- To evaluate Academic Performance, a margin of error is added to the percentage of Proficient students. The margin of error is based on a 95% Confidence Interval when used to meet state goals, and is based on a 75% Confidence Interval when used to meet Safe Harbor targets.
- In Pennsylvania a school or district/LEA can make AYP by using two or three consecutive years of data if the result is better than a single current year calculation. Two or three years of data is only used if the single current year calculation doesn't meet the goal and the two or three year calculation does.
How is the Confidence Interval (C.I.) used in AYP decisions?
Confidence intervals take into account the fact that the students tested in any particular year might not be representative of students in that school across the years. Confidence intervals control for this sampling error or variation across years by promoting schools or subgroups that come very close to achieving their performance goals, thus meeting their specific goal. In 2004, the United States Department of Education approved a 95% Confidence Interval (C.I.) in Pennsylvania for AYP performance calculations. A 95% C.I. can be used for meeting the state performance goal, while a 75% C.I. can be used for meeting the Safe Harbor target.
How is the Growth Model used in AYP decisions?
The Growth Model recognizes the efforts of schools and districts/LEAs whose students have not achieved proficiency but are on trajectories towards proficiency on future PSSA exams. The Growth Model will be calculated for Performance Indicators (i.e., the all student group and up to nine subgroups). Projected scores are calculated for all students - including students who are proficient. If a projected score cannot be calculated for a particular student, the student's actual score is used. The Growth Model will be applied to an AYP Performance Indicator only if the indicator cohort has not met AYP performance by any of the existing goals or targets. Actual, not projected, PASA scores, PSSA-M scores, 3rd grade scores, and 11th grade scores are always used, as well as the scores for any students with insufficient data points to make a projection.
|Grade Last Tested
|Scores used in Growth Model Calculation
|Actual Grade 3 Scores
|Projected Scores in Grade 6
|Projected Scores in Grade 7
|Projected Scores in Grade 8
|Projected Scores in Grade 8
|Projected Scores in Grade 11
|Actual Grade 11 Scores


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- Candylicious Bubbles
- Moji-Mi
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- SpongeBob Squarepants
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The No-Spill Big Bubble Bucket lets 3 kids play without spilling any bubble liquid - perfect for play dates! The wide base improves stability, and the patented No-Spill design eliminates bubble spills. Features a twist open top for easy filling & easy-to-carry handle for on-the-go bubble fun!
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Need more bubble wands? Add some to your order! >
Replacement bubble wands for the No-Spill® Big Bubble
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New Markdowns
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Midnight By Carole Hochman
Forever & Always PJ Set
Style: 570060140
Out of Stock
Refined simplicity fits all occasions, and can be utterly elegant when it's as beautifully designed as this PJ set in the silkiest jersey knit. Comfortable to sleep in and just as wonderful to lounge in.
- Tunic-length top with satin-twist neckline.
- Gathers in the front create a pretty drape and easy fit.
- Full-length pants have elastic waist and roomy legs.
- From Midnight by Carole Hochman.
- 95% Modal, 5% Spandex. Machine wash, cold. Imported.
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You limited your search to:
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
Resource Type: Poster
Country: United States
Collection: World War Poster Collection
College women in the WAC.
Date: [1944]
Creator: United States. Army. Women's Army Corps.
Description: Poster of three photographs with text descriptions, each showing three young women (seniors from the Vassar College Class of 1944) involved in various Women's Army Corps recruitment activities: trying on a WAC hat, signing up for WAC, and pledging the oath of enlistment. The young women wear cardigan sweaters, skirts, and loafers. Older women in WAC uniforms appear in two of the photographs. The three students who appear in the photos are: Marjorie Maddox, Maud Banks, and Joan Trumbull. The two servicewomen are: Private First Class Gladys A. Francis, Major Lucille Van Bolt, and Second Lieutenant Elizabeth M. Whitmore.
Contributing Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
Eat the Basic 7-- every day! : eat a lunch that packs a punch!
Date: 1943
Creator: United States. War Food Administration.
Description: Contains a circular chart showing seven basic food groups surrounded by cartoons demonstrating the benefits of each food group. In the center of the wheel chart is a red and blue logo of a family, with the caption: "U.S. needs us strong, eat the Basic 7 every day".
Contributing Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department


text:
Great interview on the crisis of capitalism with Leo Panitch, Sam Gindin, Greg Albo
great interview from Znet, check it out!
I like that views such as the following are clearly expressed ...
I think there's a real bankruptcy of ideas among liberals and social democrats.
... and, obviously, needs to be said. However, views such as the following ...
Certainly, its clear that the political forces in no part of the world have been able to break out of the neoliberal political policies or the balance of power that has backed neoliberalism, that is, the way that finance and industry have supported neoliberal policies at the level of the state.
... is followed by something like this ...
I think the continuing momentum and the breakthrough in the Andean countries as challenges to neoliberalism-not that either Bolivia or Venezuela have managed to break-through neoliberalism, but they have been combining, developing new political forces with anti-neoliberal and anti-capitalist political agendas-is helping to reform the left across the continent of Latin America and it's a very positive development globally.
This is misleading as the group of countries belonging to ALBA (Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Brazil to some degree in non-gov organizing, and so on) seems to be trivialized. That's something the other side would do.
However, it makes interesting reading as long as the Eurocentric, North American centric premises are understood.
This arguably is the fourth. The first great crisis of capitalism was from 1873-1896, it's often argued. The second was the Great Depression of the 1930s. The third was the crisis of Keynesianism and of profits in the 1970s. And we may be entering the fourth. Each of those crises had different causes and different outcomes. They are not all caused by the same thing and they don't all lead to the same type of outcome.
And Panitch goes on to describe post-WW II globalizing capitalism, and back on track post-1970's crisis etc. I don't think he mentioned the VietNam war, which some economists say today was the larger reason for inflation of the 70's and not so much lavish social spending pointed to by political conservatives at the time. They were printing money so to speak in order to fund an immoral war in Vietnam and carried through by the doctor and the madman bombing the daylights out of Cambodia.
I think that today's globalizing capitalism really is in trouble. The IMF is warning of debt crisis spreading to Asia. Europe is essentially bankrupt. The situation could leave the IMF and USA as sources of capital for lending to first world and developing economies. But the IMF is running out of money, and the USA is essentially insolvent and dozens of States essentially bankrupt. They've offshored a lot of heavy industry and means of generating hard currency to pay down debts run-up by the world's most energy intensive and most unsustainable economy in world history. There will be no real recovery this time by printing money. The world's leading economy based largely on war will probably look to more war as a solution to this debt crisis. Liquid war and terrorism financed by the west is already a reality in Central Asia. There are ongoing threats againts Iran by nuclear armed NATO gangsters. And US Military continuing to surround Russia and China with military bases and weapons and communications installations. There has been no real reduction in US military spending since 1991. It appears to me as if capitalists have every intention of turning to war capitalism, once again, as a solution to this fourth crisis. But printing more money will not be a solution this time.
Uncle "Capital" : "The rumours of my death are greatly exaggerated. And tell that babbler Fidel that I, in no way, resemble low hanging fruit. Dream on, dipper."
I know what you mean about capital having nine lives. For now, see this, this, and this.
German Giants Flee Wall Street
As Leo says, this is probably a unique crisis among capitalist crises. Last century saw the end of a half dozen or so empires. I think it's the USSA's turn this time. Economic historian Michael Hudson says that the foundations of capitalism are weaker today than even Marx predicted.
I will agree that the global financial crisis may have signalled the waining of the USA's neoliberal empire, but the final death of it will not come in this century. I don't even think, to be honest, that we have seen the climax of the American empire. I think that the USA is still in it's adolesence. The political and economic power of the USA, in my honest opinion, has yet to be fully realized. The French and British Empires also had this same adolesent period that saw them struggle, and then be reborn more powerful then before. I'm not happy about this, becuase the USA is still that same Manifest Destiny led merchantile nation it has always been. They, and we, are still living our lives of the backs of the LDC's and DC's and this isn't going to change in my life time.
I will agree that the global financial crisis may have signalled the waining of the USA's neoliberal empire, but the final death of it will not come in this century. I don't even think, to be honest, that we have seen the climax of the American empire.
I think America is about where Britain was by the mid 1950s with respect to influence over its former colonies slipping away. The USSA peaked in 1980 wrt being the largest military and economic power in the world. Today America is the largest military power and will increasingly have to choose between maintaining bloated military budgets and funding public sector spending on necessities, or that part of the USA's economy that has little or nothing to do with free market capitalism. The problem for American empire today is that other countries rich and poor are losing faith in laissez-faire financial capitalism, and that their central banks have actually been financing US Military buildup all around their borders and especially so since 1971 with the rise of petrodollar imperialism. Countries like China and Russia and a few more are not so keen on putting their eggs in one basket so to speak with buying more US debt. Something has to give.
US imperialism went past its apex after the Vietnam War. Until that point, occupations had a beneficial role for the US, and the US could spend lots of money on reconstruction for mutual benefit.
Now, that's just not the case. The US military is geared purely for destruction, with not much of a reconstruction apparatus.
I think there's a real bankruptcy of ideas among liberals and social democrats....
It's forming a left that is more open for new political initiatives, is more open to longer term organization-building, and I think is breaking from the lock that has been on the left both in Canada and in the U.S. of trying to fight our politics either through the Democratic Party or the some combination of the Liberal Party and New Democratic Party in Canada. I think that's very positive for us being able to build a new left in North America over the next couple or years.
Is it my imagination or does Albo makes it sound as if the NDP have been in federal power in Ottawa for too long?
It certainly sounds good that workers in general need to fight back. And Leo Panitch does say that he could go on listing the ways in which neoliberalism has changed the ways in which workers organize and battle for things like living wages and rights etc. Economic historian Michael Hudson says that Marx believed that finance capital would eventually be subordinated to the needs of industrial capitalism, and eventually paving the way for socialism. Marx and others of his century were quite optimistic about the future of industrial capitalism (the older state-capitalism) and how it would lead to worker ownership of the means of production, and socialism.
I believe as Michael Hudson believes that if workers want to regain lost footing in the battle for a better quality of life, we have to do as Marx suggested we do. And that is to fight for democracy. We must win the battle for democracy. And we must fight for a return to industrial capitalism and capital formation in the real economy and not concentration of capital in a parasitic Disneyland economy of finance capital. Hudson says that reading volumes II & III of Capital reveal this to be true in modern times.
And we social democrats will continue to push for government ownership of the responsibilities for funding public programs and pensions etc and not sloughing people off toward increasing reliance on "the market" for necessities like housing and food on the table and annual incomes fit for human beings. And this is basically what the NDP adocatesm which is pushing Ottawa to take back the responsibility for these things they have told Canadians they could no longer afford to finance since 1993-1995. As Marx said people must do, we must fight for and win the battle for democracy. That means working toward unseating those two parties that have had tight grips on federal power ih Ottawa since 1867 through today and non-stop.
From Marx to Goldman Sachs: The Fictions of Fictitious Capital Michael Hudson
The battle "for democracy" does not end with Parliamentary cretinism. Albo and others like him point out that social democrats, such as yourself Fidel, typically underestimate the amount of struggle required even for the very modest gains that an NDP administration MIGHT enact.
As for the much more difficult and PERMANENT gains associated with, say, a Canadian version of socialism, I really believe that's it's beyond your imagination entirely. But, hey, the orange-flavoured team is better than the red-flavoured team, or that nasty blue-flavoured team. Most of the time, that is. :)
The battle "for democracy" does not end with Parliamentary cretinism. Albo and others like him point out that social democrats, such as yourself Fidel, typically underestimate the amount of struggle required even for the very modest gains that an NDP administration MIGHT enact.
The NDP doesn' promise that they MIGHT reverse Liberal Government rollbacks of social gains and funding of social democracy to 1940's levels across Canada. The NDP is promising that they WILL fight tooth and nail to achieve exactly that with enough NDP MP's in Ottawa. And the NDP says that replacing the tens billions of dollars in core funding removed from everything from health care to education is doable. As I was saying before a hundred times in other threads, social funding as well as total federal tax take is well below the OECD capitalist country average. It's been the dynamic duo Bay Street parties in power and sharing power in Ottawa that have made Canada into a rightwing US Libertarian's dream come true. The NDP has done more opposiing of the neoliberal agenda in Canada since trudeau's time in the sun than some people are willing to give them credit for and not naming any names here.
As for the much more difficult and PERMANENT gains associated with, say, a Canadian version of socialism, I really believe that's it's beyond your imagination entirely. But, hey, the orange-flavoured team is better than the red-flavoured team, or that nasty blue-flavoured team. Most of the time, that is. :)
I think that a national opinion poll says you're lacking in imagination yourself, and that Canadians really do want health care and education and uI-Ei-oh? and the post-war social lien in Canada funding at pre Shawinigan Strangler and Paulie Pockets levels. You might turn your nose up at these hard-fought for social gains made by Canadian workers, civil society groups, the CCF and NDP in the last century, but I think you're wrong as to how much Canadians value those gains which made living in a capitalist system bearable for several generations of people in Canada.
All powerful industrial capitalists of Marxian theory have since been overthrown by a parasitic financier elite over the last 35 years or so which Marxists never expected might occur. Down is now up and vice versa. It's a new world order and class struggle redefined by finance and banksters. How can trade unionists wield the same bargaining power today with so much of the real economy offshored, sold off and pawned off? What we have today is oligarchy and class struggle even farther behind the eight ball than Marx predicted, N. Beltov. Workers need to get in the game and stop pointing to social democrats as being responsible for the neoliberal voodoo and place blame directly on the shoulders of those two Bay Street parties that tied Canada's economic wagon of fortunes to corporate America since St Laurent and Diefenbaker through to Mulroney and Chretien. The arithmetic of the thing is simple - we need Venezuelan style MMP to catapult Hugo Chavez of the North into the halls of power, and not in Winnipeg but Ottawa where we have enjoyed Washington style lobbying and rightwing think tanks bending the ears of our useless senators and politicos since Brian Mulroney.
Well N.B. may prefer this quote from Hudson's Critique essay, because he, too, comes down on social democratic and Labour parties:
Many Social Democratic and Labour parties have jumped on the bandwagon of finance capital, not recognizing the need to rescue industrial capitalism from dependence on neofeudal finance capital before the older conflict between labor and industrial capital over wage levels and working conditions can be resumed. That is what happens when one reads only Volume I of Capital, neglecting the discussion of fictitious capital in Volumes II and III and Theories of Surplus Value.
I like Panitch's call for nationalising the means of money creation and credit. I also like Jack Layton's knowledge of marauding capital. I think Layton would be a good guy to have in Ottawa in the event that there is a political challenge to international capital.
I'm sorry but Fidel's pie in the sky is just too tempting for me to resist. I agree with Hudson entirely, and have actually studied much of Panitch as a social historian. Here's the point, a return to industrial capital WILL NOT HAPPEN! The longer and longer the Canadian left, or the North American left, fights to reinstate this anachronism, the longer we will be mired in old battles long since won by the neoliberals. Come on Fidel. Seriously, neoliberalism has won the game. There is nothing that drives prices lower, makes consumer's happier and uses up our resource base more (to the smiles of Liberals and Conservatives alike) the our current system. It's rock solid and it isn't going to change. We on the left need to pull our heads out of the sand and realize ourselves that we are still stuck in the good ole-days when we had it good, when industrial capital had our backs, when we were organized and had a proud and strong voice. THAT VOICE IS GONE! It's been broken since the 70's-80 and it isn't coming back.
We need a new directive, a new plan, a new way to bring our voices together because, my brother in arms, industrial capital isn't it. I agree with many of the speakers we are discussing about in this thread that the left is lacking good ideas and cohesion. Why is it that our social investments are lower than the OECD average I wonder? Could it be because the OECD, like the World Bank, like the IMF, is a neoliberal engine that strives to decrease the tax burden and pillage LDC's and DC's alike for the benefit of low prices? The NDP isn't going to change this. They are neoliberal-lite, to quote one my fiancées poli-sci professors.
The NDP will not gain a powerful hold because Canadians, by and large don't trust them. Proportional representation isn't coming now, or ever, because the business elite know it will not benefit them. Canada now, more than ever, is a business paradise BECAUSE neoliberalism has won out here, more than anywhere else. Even in the states they are able to collect together and oppose things. I envy the Tea Party movement. At least they have cohesion. We in the left in Canada have nothing. We aren't cohesive because we are so busy vying for the scraps at the neoliberal table we haven't looked to see just what we have given up and how useless it is to fight the fights of old.
I admire your stick-to-itiveness Fidel, I really do. And I admire your ability to look at the discouraging future we have and think "we will do better." But unfortunately, I've lived too long and seen so much in so few years, and been so involved in the political process. I know it's useless to fight it. I hate it, ya know. Really I do! I was once like you and felt that we on the left, if we just banded together, could bring back the glory days and make them the most shining example of social fortune that ever was. But I hit a wall and realized that breaking neoliberalism is, in a word, impossible. I won't be beaten, it can't be beaten. To try to is to waste your time. Eek out your own social change and make it good. Use less plastic, and don't buy products that aren't socially conscious. Beyond that, we are the dystopia. God help us.
I'm sorry but Fidel's pie in the sky is just too tempting for me to resist. I agree with Hudson entirely, and have actually studied much of Panitch as a social historian. Here's the point, a return to industrial capital WILL NOT HAPPEN! The longer and longer the Canadian left, or the North American left, fights to reinstate this anachronism, the longer we will be mired in old battles long since won by the neoliberals.
Well I believe Marxian insight is required to understand what's happening today. Basically neoliberalism is another version of laissez-faire state capitalism, or that which failed in North America after a 30 year run by 1929. Marx described contradictions inherent to both industrial as well as financial capitalism. Marx didn't believe that the parasitic form of capitalism would overthrow industrialism due to the destructive nature of finance and usury. What rightwing ideologues have done since 1980, which was to prop-up finance and banking at the expense of productive labour economies in a number of countries defies all logic. But this is what has unfolded over the last 30-35 years or so. As Michael Hudson and others have said, I don't believe there will be a real economic recovery of western world capitalism until a massive write-down of debt takes place on a scale of the financial deal between nations that took place by the latter half of the 1940s at Bretton Woods. The inherent contradiction today is exactly how Marx described it but with world wide debts integrated in what is now a globalizing economy and exceeding whole nations' ability to repay them. It's a giant Ponzi scheme gone bad. What can not be repaid won't be. There will be a major overhaul of the international monetary system within the next ten years with the current political capital of neoliberal ideologues on the wane everywhere. Change for better or worse is in the pipeline I believe. But generally they prefer small and profitable war as a solution to crises of capitalism as opposed to world war as the latter tends to lead to chaotic upheaval and most importantly, revolutions.
You and Saruman the White, Ryan! Quite the capitulating pair, having "lived too long and seen so much in so few years"! Thirty something?
I don't think Ryan is all that far off when he claims that a return to some state run industrial capitalism from the current dominance of finance or finance-industrial capital is a fantasy. However, when we discuss ideological matters, like neoliberalism, then a philosophy of capitulation seems counter-productive. The other side does a fine job of that already.
Could you explain why your age group tends not to vote? Is the defeatism a general malaise of the twenty-somethings?
p.s. Be well.
To be honest GV I don't know. I've voted since I was of age and truth be told, the first thing I did when I turned voting age was joined the NDP and sought out the federal contituency association to figure out how to become a member. It baffles my mind that people have the opinion that because they have the right to say no, that means they should. Voting is an obligation, a responsibility and the malaise or disinterest that follows around the twenty-something group continues to keep me in awe.
They start by saying the left needs 'new ideas' - no, the 'left' needs to open its eyes and accept certain facts they (or most of the left 'leaders' at any rate) seem uninterested in acknowledging. I speak mainly and specifically of the central issue underlying every economic problem in the world today - the simple fact that for the last 35 years we have allowed private banks to create virtually our entire money supply, with next to no (real) government regulation. All else follows.
This comment of Panich - '...That can't happen unless the portion of the surplus, if I can use that term, that passes through the financial system and gives us the funds for credit in...' - indicates to me that he either does not understand that private banks create our money, or it's something he does not wish to talk about - either way, he needs, along with pretty much every other 'person of influence' on the mainstream left, to wake up. It's not 'surplus' which gives us funds for credit, credit is created out of thin air by banks punching numbers into computers - and when our entire money supply is created as debt by private banks, and they expect interest on that money every year - well, it is a matter of great puzzlement to me how so few people seem to understand the problems with this (problems for 'we the people', that is to say - it's obviously a pretty great system for the few who control it ..). There is, of course, an alternative - a democratically controlled money supply created debt-free - which, of course, would kick capitalism square in the nuts, so it's obvious why their mainstream media don't want to go anywhere near this idea - by why leading influential 'lefties' refuse to go there, since it is not at all a difficult idea to grasp - well, it makes one wonder, at times, if there isn't a bit of change being passed around in plain brown envelopes.
I won't get into it here - but I write about it at some length here, with more explanation as to exactly why allowing banks to create our money leads to the current type of situation - What Happened? http://www.rudemacedon.ca/what-happened.html .
Talking about ways to negotiate for workers etc to have a bit more free time and other 'demands' we can make of our capitalist masters to try and ease the tightness of the chains a bit is really completely in line with the old 'rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic' analogy - and certainly everything said in this piece has nothing whatsoever to do with the 'new ideas' they say are necessary. It's not 'new ideas' that are needed - it's waking up. And I fear I am in some agreement with Ryan here - any kind of mass waking up - after 100 years of increasingly sophisticated mass indoctrination - isn't looking very likely these days. I keep fighting - but it's hard not to very seriously consider the idea that they have, indeed, won. Next stop - feudalism redux (new essay coming soon, for those who are capable of thinking beyond what their 'leaders' tell them is ok to think ...)
I think Ryan may not realize the scope of the crisis of neoliberalism today. And it's not just one crisis or one over-inflated bubble but a number of them. I think that they believe the conservative right and centre-right are going to regain their former electoral glory of phony-majority support just as soon as the North American and western world economies come out of this swan dive. It won't happen without a major overhaul of the financial system. Liberals/Liberal democrats and Conservatives and Republican conservatives in power or phony opposition are going to face crisis after crisis until such time as a new international monetary deal. There will be no inflating their way out of it this time. It's finished. Kaput. As in game over insert another loonie and no more false economies to buy voter support with. There will be no more sweetener added to the neoliberal kool aid. Their lawnmowers have been running on ginger ale all along, wink-wink say no more eh.
hah! Your rambling missive makes perfect sense now! No, really! All this talk of socialism really needs to stop. The NDP is the way and the light.
Well, at least the light does reflect off the shiny head of the great, moustached helmsman anyway. Hell, yea! And what was that about NDP soup? Please Sir, I want some more! etc.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch... our colonial administrativeship in Ottawa continues handing the country over to rich Americanos, banks and money speculators.
Hey let's go throw eggs at "the moustache" who has a shiny head. And if we throw rotten eggs, it should really get things rolling for the proles.
I think Ryan may not realize the scope of the crisis of neoliberalism today. And it's not just one crisis or one over-inflated bubble but a number of them. I think that they believe the conservative right and centre-right are going to regain their former electoral glory of phony-majority support just as soon as the North American and western world economies come out of this swan dive. It won't happen without a major overhaul of the financial system. Liberals/Liberal democrats and Conservatives and Republican conservatives in power or phony opposition are going to face crisis after crisis until such time as a new international monetary deal. There will be no inflating their way out of it this time. It's finished. Kaput. As in game over insert another loonie and no more false economies to buy voter support with. There will be no more sweetener added to the neoliberal kool aid. Their lawnmowers have been running on ginger ale all along, wink-wink say no more eh.
I'm sorry Fidel but as much as I'd like to believe I just don't see it. Believe me, I never want to be the one defending neoliberalism. However, it's stranglehold over the world and the continuing domination of transnational corporations that continue to function outside of sub-continental jurisdictions, is far from over. We've had recession, and the state will always turn to periods of socialism to alleviate the problems. Yes the US will bounce back and yes, maybe a new monetary policy will need to be put in place. But needing and actually happening in the political world infrequently meet. Who's to say that a shift will change. The list of billionaires keeps going up, people keep getting richer while the LDC's and DC's suffer. I don't see the change. I hate with a passion Thomas Flannagan but his theory of incrementalism is something that I hold near and dear to my heart, just twisted for a leftist. I will change the things I can, because I KNOW the world will not change for me.
This comment of Panich - '...That can't happen unless the portion of the surplus, if I can use that term, that passes through the financial system and gives us the funds for credit in...' - indicates to me that he either does not understand that private banks create our money, or it's something he does not wish to talk about - either way, he needs, along with pretty much every other 'person of influence' on the mainstream left, to wake up. It's not 'surplus' which gives us funds for credit, credit is created out of thin air by banks punching numbers into computers - and when our entire money supply is created as debt by private banks, and they expect interest on that money every year - well, it is a matter of great puzzlement to me how so few people seem to understand the problems with this (problems for 'we the people', that is to say - it's obviously a pretty great system for the few who control it ..). There is, of course, an alternative - a democratically controlled money supply created debt-free - which, of course, would kick capitalism square in the nuts, so it's obvious why their mainstream media don't want to go anywhere near this idea - by why leading influential 'lefties' refuse to go there, since it is not at all a difficult idea to grasp - well, it makes one wonder, at times, if there isn't a bit of change being passed around in plain brown envelopes.
Some leftists have gone there though:
Financial National-Democratization
"Even the Financial Times now warns in its editorials that it may not be possible to avoid much longer the issue of really taking the whole banking system into public ownership, given its current dysfunctionality. Indeed, there has long been a strong case for turning the banks into a public utility, given that they can't exist in complex modern society without states guaranteeing their deposits and central banks constantly acting as lenders of last resort." (Leo Panitch)
It is interesting to note the market-socialist David Schweickart referred to and approved of the same editorial alluded to by Leo Panitch, one by Willem Buiter, a professor of European political economy at the London School of Economics and the former head of the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development. In The end of American capitalism as we knew it, Buiter wrote:
Is the reality of the modern, transactions-oriented model of financial capitalism indeed that large private firms make enormous private profits when the going is good and get bailed out and taken into temporary public ownership when the going gets bad, with the taxpayer taking the risk and the losses?
If so, then why not keep these activities in permanent public ownership? There is a long-standing argument that there is no real case for private ownership of deposit-taking banking institutions, because these cannot exist safely without a deposit guarantee and/or lender of last resort facilities, that are ultimately underwritten by the taxpayer.
Even where private deposit insurance exists, this is only sufficient to handle bank runs on a subset of the banks in the system. Private banks collectively cannot self-insure against a generalised run on the banks. Once the state underwrites the deposits or makes alternative funding available as lender of last resort, deposit-based banking is a license to print money.
That suggests that either deposit-banking licenses should be periodically auctioned off competitively or that deposit-taking banks should be in public ownership to ensure that the taxpayer gets the rents as well as the risks. The argument that financial intermediation cannot be entrusted to the private sector can now be extended to include the new, transactions-oriented, capital-markets-based forms of financial capitalism.
It should be noted that "bank runs on a subset of the banks in the system" vs. "generalized run on the banks" refers to fractional reserve banking; banks keep only a fraction of deposits in highly liquid reserves, lend out the rest, all the while being legally obligated to redeem all deposits upon customer demand. For all the rhetoric by Milton Friedman, the rest of the Chicago School, the Austrian School further to their right, and other right-wing economists on fractional reserve banking as the main culprit behind debt bubbles, they miss the point: under the present financial system, the amount of public control over M0, M1, M2, and the entire money supply generally is almost non-existent. A national-democratized financial monopoly beyond even the limitations of the former Gosbank SSSR (USSR State Bank), along with the extension of this public monopoly on money supply control into the general provision of commercial and consumer credit, is the only way towards achieving at least substantive public control over the money supply. It is also the only way to make substantive inroads against the massive behemoth of derivatives trading.
In early 2009, political economist Paulo L dos Santos went further in addressing the appropriate purchase prices based on the market capitalization of these financial institutions, particularly those in trouble:
There is a simple, rational alternative that needs urgent public discussion. Expropriate the banks - or, for those partial to more diplomatic language, nationalise them at the market prices that would prevail had the public not poured hundreds of billions into them. Then run the banks under the sole imperative of stabilising the financial system and paving the way for economic recovery, with no constraints imposed by the need to attract private capital or maintain future private franchise value.
Expropriation would lower the fiscal impact of state intervention. It would also curb the massive hoarding currently taking place as banks try to build up capitalisation levels. State banks could maintain lower capital reserves - after all, the only thing maintaining public confidence in the solvency of banks are state guarantees. This would allow additional room for credit creation, and render recent interest rate cuts effective.
State banks would also be able to provide relief on the debts currently saddling many households, helping provide a welcome boost to aggregate demand. Lastly, state banks could curb the more egregious practices of private banks: exorbitant account, overdraft and transaction fees; interest rates on credit to households; gains made on trading and own accounts at the expense of retail savers; and, of course, bonuses.
These measures are unlikely to be taken by currently dominant political forces, even though such policies are neither socialist nor in themselves steps towards socialism. They are just rational attempts to stop the current economic bloodletting. Economic recovery will require taking on the long-term systemic economic imbalances that conditioned the current meltdown. Those include falling real investment by non-financial corporations, mediocre productivity growth, growing private provision of pensions, health and education, and rising inequality. Addressing those issues will require significant socialist inroads into the functioning of the economy and dramatic political changes. They also require an integrated, long-term understanding of the current crisis and secular developments in the real economy. Stay tuned.
Many have tried to contrast the role of financial capital with that of the older industrial capital, usually by resorting to some form of ethics. Keynes himself openly distinguished between the "entrepreneur" and the "capitalist" (financiers, short-sellers of shares and similar speculators in derivatives and currency exchange, etc.), but the market-socialist David Schweickart made the most obvious point in his book Against Capitalism about the system inherently joining the two:
It is true that some capitalists innovate, reorganize, and manage, but it is also true that many do not. This fact, if not its ethical implications, is acknowledged by most economists; it is reflected, for example, in the standard distinction between interest and profit. Profit is the residual accruing to the entrepreneurial after wage, rental, and interest accounts have been paid.
The basic problem for one trying to justify capitalism (noncomparatively) is precisely this category: interest, a return that requires neither risk nor entrepreneurial activity on the part of the recipient.
Time preference need not enter into the explanation of the capitalist's behavior any more than the entrepreneur's. If Marx and Weber are right, the motivational structure for the paradigmatic capitalist is accumulation, not consumption. Moneymaking becomes an end in itself. The capitalist qua capitalist invests now not to have more to consume later but to have more to invest later. As Marx puts it, "Accumulate, accumulate. That is Moses and the prophets."
One last aspect of financial national-democratization should be touched upon, and indeed it is about an ethical position as much as it is about the numerical difference between assets and liabilities: equity. In several pre-industrial societies, there were taboos against charging interest on loans or - to use an older word - usury. There were also equitable rules on secured loans. For example, Exodus 22:25-27, Deuteronomy 23:20-21, and rabbinical literature prohibit the charging of interest to Israelites (except when a life is in danger) as well as the using for loan security items needed by the poor among them to survive (garments needed by the poor among them to survive cold nights or flour-making millstones, but other items are implied as well) - quite a contrast to the Catholic-imposed privilege of charging usury enjoyed by medieval Jewish usurers but for the convenient purpose of anti-Semitic scapegoating later on, and certainly a contrast to the financial practices of modern Israeli society! Meanwhile, the anti-usury Islamic finance has a Sumerian precedent which could be applied today, free of pork and alcohol limitations and applied especially towards venture (read: vulture) capital activities: agreements between the de facto creditor and the de facto debtor whereby the latter would manage the new business venture and the former would invest in the business venture, assuming typical business risk to income stability but deriving income in the form of profits. To revisit what Santos discussed above, a national-democratized financial monopoly should be more than capable of absorbing, say, the higher risk to income stability posed by small cooperatives or small-business proprietorships as it effectively nationalizes those debtors' operations in the financing agreements - only to effectively re-privatize them as equitable profits (and not interest) due the monopoly reduce that monopoly's ownership positions.
From the global crisis to Canada's crisis by Leo Panitch [http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081203.wcopanitch04/BNStory/specialComment/]
The end of American capitalism as we knew it by Willem Buiter [http://blogs.ft.com/maverecon/2008/09/the-end-of-american-capitalism-as-we-knew-it/#more-300]
Bank expropriation is rational, but neither socialist nor sufficient by Paulo L dos Santos [http://political-finance.blogspot.com/2009/01/bank-expropriation-is-rational-but.html]
Against Capitalism by David Schweickart [http://books.google.com/books?id=A_0afomkjQYC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_summary_r&cad=0]
These guys still haven't got the light turned on, although they're at least looking. This quote - "..banks keep only a fraction of deposits in highly liquid reserves, lend out the rest, all the while being legally obligated to redeem all deposits upon customer demand.." - indicates they still do not understand what happens. Banks do not take deposits, and lend some of the deposited money out. They simply create new deposits out of thin air when someone takes out a loan.
And nationalizing 'the banks' is not what is required - it's something of a red herring - the key is to stop banks from creating our money supply and charging interest on it - no private citizens should have that power. Banks that function like 'savings and loans' places are meant to function are fine - properly regulated. No money creation power.
The rest gets into a long story, but people need to rethink the whole idea of money - right now, it is a weapon used by the wealthy to control the citizens. It should be seen more as a controlled pool of credit which is accessible by any citizen, with, of course, appropriate safeguards. I'm working on a longer essay which I'll post when finished.


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Reviewed By David T B (Dallas, TX) Reviewed for a 2008 Chevy Corvette —3/4/2014 10:11 AM
I bought these for my 2008 Corvette Z06. The original factory pads were shot. These replacement pads work just the same - with identical pedal feel and amazing stopping power, BUT they have absolutely no black brake dust (more of a light gray that is not highly detectable), were cheaper than the dealer pads. The only disadvantage is they very infrequently squeak when applying light brake pressure, maybe once a month at most.


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Prep spotlight: MVPs lead Colts stampede
South High School's stampede at Dutch Clark Stadium showcased a number of individuals as the Herd captured 17 gold medals to sweep the girls and boys team titles at the City Meet track and field championships.
None were finer than girls division MVP Jessica Kleven and sprinter Katey Haver. Between them, the duo figured in scoring 70 of the Colts' 290 points.
Kleven, a senior, posted back-to-back in the 1,600 and 3,200 meter distance races and ran legs on the winning 1,600 and 3,200 relays.
Haver, a junior, dashed to victories in the 100, 200 and 400, while taking the baton from Kleven to anchor the 1,600 relay.
Jeremiah Montoya, who was named the boys' MVP, was nearly as successful as he won the 100 dash, ran a leg on the South boys' winning 800 relay and finished second in the 200 and 400.
The meet's lone record was set by South high jumper Nicholas Meihaus with his 6-7 winning leap. He also won the pole vault.
East's Asia-Marie Kelly was the meet's other triple winner. She swept the girls' 100 and 300 hurdles, then added the triple jump to lead the Eagles to a second-place finish in the girls' division.
Pueblo also had an individual winner at the Coronado meet in Colorado Springs when Pueblo West's Zack Retzlaff captured the 3,200 run in 10:05.47.
Canon City hurdler Trenton Stringari also came away a winner at Coronado with his victory in the 110 highs in 15.06.
These swimmers are listed among the top 20 in the Class 4A state rankings: Divers Vitalii Shestakov of East (No. 1/527.70 points), Quetzel Gallagher of Pueblo County (5th/413.50), Jordan Tyler of East (12th/328.00) and David Cruz of South (20th/275.20); South's Devin Trujillo in the 100 butterfly (7th/53.38) and 100 backstroke (18th/1:04.67); South medley relay (17th/1:50.70) and 400 freestyle relay (17th/3:42.03); Pueblo County 400 free relay (19th/3:45.94).
Centennial High School freshman Cara Siegel scored all three of her goals early in the second half to break up a tight game with East and spark the Bulldogs to their 9-0 soccer win that secured a spot in the state playoffs.
East pitcher Ryan Laydon hurled his third shutout of the season with a two-hitter against Centennial in the Eagles' 8-0 win. Laydon struck out six in going the distance for league-leading East. He carries a 0.98 earned run average.
Central's Tyler Arellano smacked a game-winning single in the 10th inning to give the Wildcats a 6-5 win over Pueblo County.
Dolores Huerta sophomore right-hander Damian Doose struck out 14 batters and checked John Mall on two hits in the Scorpions 12-2 baseball win.
Pueblo West lacrosse player Lauren Hurd continues to attack the net with four more goals in the Cyclones 14-11 shootout win over Liberty. She also had two assists in the game.
Canon City's Danielle Hanenberg had a hat trick in the Tigers' 7-0 girls soccer victory over Central.


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There is a shop that I must visit each time I go. The Yankee Trader. Would you like to go on a little tour? Well let's go!
We haven't even gotten inside the door yet and you're totally loving it, aren't you!
Oh and I almost forgot to show you the horse! It stands next to the porch. We are always happy when we drive up and the Open sign is on the horse. See, Yankee Trader doesn't have regular store hours, so I was a happy girl when we drove up Saturday.
I wear Over-All's all the time. I wish these converse would have been my size.
And this sign. I think that will be part of the purchase tomorrow too. I hope she ships....
Her displays are fantabulous. Loved this one.
And I always spend a good amount of time in the Red and White area.
I LoVed these tins! Strawberries and Raspberries use to be big business in these parts.
Growing up we had both in our garden at home. I grew up eating homemade Strawberry and Raspberry Freezer jam. mmmm... So I had to have these tins.
I have the perfect shelf for them to go on. {I'll share that with you soon}.
And I've been collecting Souvenir plates. I want to get all the states I've visited. I totally fell for the yellow band on this Colorado state plate. I'll share my souvenir wall soon too.
I did so good. All three items and didn't even spend $10. Yay for me! If you'd like to see more of the Yankee Trader, I did a post last year. You can find it HERE.


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A show idea for Macca radio: singles only (from all 4 solo Beatles and the Beatles themselves).
What would make this show different?
1) Only official SINGLES mixes could be played, that means the original mono mixes from the 60s. That means, from later, things like the Letting Go of VM/RS singles mixes, the Figure of Eight single remix, etc. Its OK of course to also include songs like Jet that are the same in both formats.
2) It would focus on some hits, but not SUCH familiar hits (there are something like 130 Top 40 hits among the Beatles and solo plus countless uncharting singles).
3) It would let us all hear some interesting mixes.
This is spurred by my recent download of the Letting Go single mix.


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© AB Glasriket
Phone number:
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Partner with us. Contact us and we'll tell you more. In Swedish only!
Go here for press releases, images and press contacts.
Find your contacts for Meetings & Incenitives in Sweden
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Secretary of State John Kerry was welcomed on his first visit to Brussels, the "Capital of Europe," by European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso on April 22. After discussing ways to strengthen the transatlantic partnership, President Barroso and Secretary Kerry engaged in a wide-ranging dialogue with future U.S. and EU leaders who are currently doing young professional "stagiaire" fellowships at the European Commission. Rather than share my own thoughts on the event, I would like to share with you the observations of Alex Gish, a "stagiaire" at the European Commission who posed the first question at the event. Alex writes:
"When Secretary of State Kerry and President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso meet, it is usually in a setting that I and other fellows within the European Union only get to read about. Yesterday, however, we received an exciting offer -- an opportunity to sit down with both leaders to talk about the transatlantic partnership. The invitation was particularly special for me. I am an American living in Brussels who has interned at the U.S. Mission to the European Union and am now completing a professional 'stagiaire' program in the European Commission.
"The most profound thing I will take from the event is, simply, the seamless, easy rapport Secretary Kerry and President Barroso have with each other. Throughout the event, they echoed each other's comments on issues ranging from trade to common foreign policy challenges. President Barroso spoke about the 'rock solid' nature of the transatlantic relationship, while Secretary Kerry was quick to congratulate the EU for the tremendous diplomatic effort needed to finalize a Serbia-Kosovo agreement this past Friday.
"After opening remarks, the floor was opened to questions, and I had the pleasure of posing the first one! I asked about the prospects for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) that the United States and the EU hope to start negotiating soon. President Barroso noted that trade was the 'most efficient way' to respond to our countries' modest growth, and Secretary Kerry confirmed that the TTIP was a great opportunity to 'elevate the rules of the road on a global basis.' Kerry praised Barroso for getting a negotiating mandate by early summer and said the United States was also getting ready 'to sit down and hammer it out.'
"Other questions focused on emerging countries, the role of women in leadership, and U.S.-EU efforts to combat terrorism. On Asia, President Barroso was quick to point out that the transatlantic relationship will not falter as we turn together -- Europe and the United States -- to engage Asia at a deeper level. 'It is not a zero-sum game,' he said. 'Some people believe that if two are doing something, it's necessarily against the others. I completely disagree with that.' Secretary Kerry noted that 'there's much more China and the U.S. and Europe could cooperate on.'
"As Europeans and Americans aspiring to future leadership in our respective countries, my fellow members of the EU 'stagiaire' corps -- a 900 strong body drawn from countries throughout the EU, as well as a few non-European members, such as myself -- were reminded that the points of agreement between the United States and Europe far outweigh the differences between us. We had the opportunity to sit and talk with two of the most high-profile leaders in Europe and the United States, and we realized that the conversation was a unique testament to the truly deep alliance we have.
"As we departed, I thought of what Secretary Kerry told us: 'A fellow by the name of Michael Froman, who is very involved in the trade negotiations, is currently working in the White House, and he's a graduate of this program. So I know we're going to see you all in future roles.' I certainly hope so!"
Special thanks to Alex for sharing his thoughts with us. Stay tuned for more on Secretary Kerry's visit to Brussels by visiting www.state.gov or following @StateDept, @US2EU, and @USNATO on Twitter.


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Early Morning Pipe has been around for 100 years for good reason, it is simply one of the finest English/Orientals you can buy. As the name would suggest it is on the mild side, if you want something "heavier" go for the Nightcap. EMP is a good all day smoke, burns cool and has just the right amount of sweetness. I buy EMP by the pound (not here) and always have plenty stashed away
It smells very strong in the tin I almost didn't smoke it due to the smell but I did smoke some and it wasnt bad not strong at all doesn't taste like it smells... Which is a plus in my book! When I finished smoking I noticed that the tin smell seemed to stick with me the rest of the day and it left the same after taste which I didn't like, personally I wouldn't buy it again I don't think I like the orientals at all... I'm new to pipes and thought I would give it a try I think I just like the aros more. I would however recommend this tobacco to someone who likes low vitamin n and likes the orientals and Latakia I give it a 6 out of 10 (10 being the best)
Very good! Unlit it smells very strong, but after lighting its a very mild and pleasant smoking tobacco.
It's A marvelous, Mellow English 1 out of 10, 10 being the best, I would say 9. BUY IT !


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LeBron James scored 38 points on 10-of-22 shooting (1-of-6 3PTs, 15-of-16 FTs) with eight rebounds, 11 assists, and one steal in the Heat's overtime win over the Magic on Monday.
Dwyane Wade is expected to play on Friday vs. the Hawks and on Saturday vs. the Kings.
Taj Gibson (ankle) is now a game-time call on Friday vs. the Hawks.
Nikola Jokic (right ankle sprain) will play on Thursday vs. the Spurs.
Danilo Gallinari (right ankle) has been downgraded to questionable for Thursday's game vs. the Spurs.
Wilson Chandler (personal) and Gary Harris (ankle) will not play on Thursday vs. the Spurs.
According to Zach Lowe of ESPN, the 76ers will take a "hard look" at Jrue Holiday.
Kevin Love (back) was limited at the morning shootaround and remains questionable for Thursday's game vs. the Suns.
Joakim Noah (ankle) is not expected to play on Thursday vs. the Wizards.
Kristaps Porzingis (Achilles) said he's "90 percent ready" and he is hopeful to play on Saturday vs. the Suns.
DeMarcus Cousins posted his first triple-double of the season during a brutal 106-100 loss to the Pacers on Wednesday, scoring 25 points with 12 rebounds, 10 assists, one steal, three blocks, nine turnovers and one 3-pointer.
Kevin Durant was phenomenal against his former team on Wednesday, scoring a season-high 40 points (13-of-16 FGs, 9-of-10 FTs) with 12 rebounds, four assists, three blocks and five 3-pointers.


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Release date: 4/29/2005
Raleigh: North Carolina consumers are able to enjoy more peace and quiet at home thanks to strict enforcement of the Do Not Call Registry, Attorney General Roy Cooper said today. In the past month, Cooper's office has won more than $50,000 from telemarketers that violated the law.
"Some telemarketers just won't stop calling people even after they've made it clear they don't want to be bothered at home," said Cooper. "Thanks to consumers who let us know when they get unwanted calls, we're able to go after these illegal telemarketers and make them stop calling."
Since late March, Cooper's Do Not Call Enforcement Team has won $53,500 from four telemarketers that made calls to North Carolina consumers on the Registry. All four telemarketers must comply with state and federal Do Not Call laws and must pay money to the state. Vitana Financial Group, Inc. must pay $15,000, Telelytics, LLC must pay $10,000, General Mortgage Services must pay $8,500, and Pattorn General Contracting of Raleigh and Charlotte must pay $20,000.
That brings to more than $200,000 the total amount that Cooper has won from 16 violators since the Registry began on October 1, 2003. Cooper is actively pursuing cases against several other companies in the courts, including some of the top sources of complaints, such as Debt Management Foundation, National Event Coordinators, MST Business Research, and Satellite Solutions. While their cases are pending, all of those companies have stopped making calls into North Carolina or are complying with state law. Several other companies are currently under investigation.
Complaints from people who have gotten unwanted telemarketing calls enable Cooper's Do Not Call Enforcement Team to go after violators. Since the Registry began, nearly 4,000 North Carolinians who signed up for the Registry but still received telemarketing calls have filed written complaints with the Attorney General's office. More than 6,500 people have called to request information about the Registry or to complain about unwanted telemarketing calls.
Cooper's office actively investigates Do Not Call complaints from consumers and has written to thousands of companies to get them to comply with the law. In cases where investigators find a pattern of violations, Cooper enforces the law to put a stop to the illegal telemarketing calls.
To report telemarketers, consumers can call 1-877-5-NO-SCAM toll-free within the state or go to www.nocallsnc.com to fill out a Do Not Call complaint form. When filing a complaint, consumers should provide their name and address, the date and approximate time of the call, their telephone number that the telemarketer called, and the company's name and/or telephone number. Consumers can file a complaint once they have been listed in the Registry for one month.
More than 2 million North Carolina numbers have been placed on the Do Not Call Registry since consumers began signing up in July of 2003. Consumers can continue to add their home and mobile telephone numbers to the list by going to www.nocallsnc.com or calling 1-888-382-1222 within North Carolina from the number they wish to register.


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U.S. Nonfarm Payrolls Rise 155,000 in December; Jobless Rate 7.8%
Written by: Joseph Woelfel
NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- The U.S. work force added 155,000 jobs in December, the Labor Department said Friday; the unemployment rate was 7.8%.
The consensus was for nonfarm payrolls to rise by 150,000 in the month, following a 146,000 increase in November.
The unemployment rate was expected at 7.7%, according to a Reuters survey.


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Zito surf
Keywords: zito surf
Description: Soon-to-be former Giant was reminded in win versus Dodgers that he still loves the game.
SAN FRANCISCO — After making one final start by McCovey Cove, Barry Zito is ready to return to the ocean.
"I'll definitely get on a surfboard," Zito said Wednesday, when asked about his offseason plans. "That's something I've missed for seven years."
The rest of Zito's future remains murky. He's spent 14 seasons in Northern California, splitting that time equally between the A's and the Giants. Zito had a 5.75 ERA in his final season with the Giants and threw just one pitch that registered 86 mph, but there's one part of his resume that hasn't changed: He's a left-handed pitcher.
While teams won't be emptying the bank accounts as they did in 2006, Zito is still likely to find options if he's willing to go to camp to try to win a job. And even though he'll turn 36 early next season, Zito said he's not ready to hang it up yet.
"I definitely know I still love pitching and I still love the game," Zito said. "If I had any doubts, going out there (Wednesday) reminded me that I do love the game."
Zito threw well in five innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers, giving up just one earned run while picking up his first win in nearly four months. He said he will take a few months off when the season ends Sunday, but his body is healthy and doesn't need much of a break. Zito said he's still prepared mentally, too.
"It was big for me to come out and kind of prove to myself that I'm definitely still able to get guys out," he said after Wednesday's 6-4 win. "It's easy to doubt these things sometimes, but this is definitely a motivating factor. I'm ready to keep pitching."
It won't be in San Francisco. The Giants will decline an option for 2014, instead paying a $7 million buyout. While the club hasn't officially announced the decision, both sides spoke in the past tense Wednesday. Zito said he hasn't given much thought to his 2014 home, but one scout in attendance Wednesday offered that San Diego may give Zito his best chance to be in a rotation next season. Zito went to high school in San Diego and the Padres have been hit hard by pitching injuries over the past two seasons.
"I have no idea. I've never encountered a situation like this in my career," he said. "It's been seven with Oakland, seven here. I don't know. I'm taking every day one at a time right now. It's not time to get ahead of myself, but I'm sure I'll be setting my goals soon."
For more on the Giants, see Alex Pavlovic's Giants Extra blog at blogs.mercurynews.com/Giants. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/AlexPavlovic .


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About the Author: Daniel Garrett serves in the Office of Environmental Policy in the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs."Filthy water cannot be washed." -- African Proverb
And yet somehow, we must find a way to do so. Every 15 seconds, a child dies due to a water-related disease. And that is why they have come together this morning, the Presidents of Tajikistan, Liberia, and Senegal; the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, the Foreign Minister of Japan, the Former Prime Minister Republic of Korea, the Secretary of State for Development of the United Kingdom, the U.S. Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs, the Administrator of U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator, the Executive Director of UNICEF, the UN Secretary-General, and several other important stakeholders.
They have come together because of the essential element, bar none, strategically placed on the tables in the bottles to their left, just above the knife and fork: water. This group of powerful people have gathered to raise awareness that water is a critical contributor to the realization of all of the Millennium Development Goals; as policymakers and opinion shapers they are trying to define what policy changes are needed and to find a way to best target aid resources, so that the goal is met. The goal is clear: fewer sick and dying children, and more smiling, thirst-quenched, water-cleansed faces.
Some, in fact, call access to water and sanitation the "orphan" MDG. Although there are specific water-related goals in the MDGs, water is special, in that it is, more than anything else, the common thread -- the connecting rivulet -- that runs as a necessity through all of the MDGs. Access to safe drinking water and sanitation is critical for human health, fundamental to gender equality and education, essential for economic growth and food security, and underlies peace and security in many regions throughout the world.
It is estimated that by 2025, nearly two-thirds of the world's population will be living under water-stressed conditions. Water scarcity and degraded water quality will increase disease, undermine economic growth, limit food production, and become an increasing threat to peace and security. We are seeing these effects today. Unsafe water and poor sanitation are now the single largest cause of illness worldwide. Nearly two million people, mostly children under five, die each year from preventable diarrheal diseases; droughts and floods now affect more people than all other natural disasters combined; and competition over water resources is an increasing source of tension and conflict in many regions of the world. Climate change will only exacerbate these challenges.
Moreover, water is essential to sustainable development. For every $1 invested in sanitation, $9 is returned in increased economic development. It is estimated that meeting the sanitation and drinking water targets by 2015 would have an annual economic benefit of $38 billion in developing countries. Yet recent analyses of investment flows show that aid and budget allocations in the sector are not well targeted. Only 42 percent of sector aid goes to low income countries, and only 16 percent is invested in "basic" systems that primarily serve the poor.
In recognition of the enormous water crisis the world is facing, the United States is actively partnering with other nations, international NGOs, multilateral development banks, international organizations, and the private sector to bring our collective resources to meet this challenge. By coordinating, targeting, and harmonizing all of our efforts we can greatly magnify our impact and reach those who are suffering most. Today's breakfast, "Addressing the Global Water Challenge: The Key to the MDGs" is the start of an ambitious effort to ensure that we can jointly meet the needs of the nine billion people who will populate the world just 40 years from now. The United States is ready and open to partnering with all others who share this goal.
"Drop by drop, it becomes a river." -- Afghan proverbMore from UNGA:Secretary Clinton's Travel to New York for the United Nations 65th General Assembly | U.S. Strategy for Meeting the Millennium Development Goals
Azad D. in Iraq writes:
We can do it if we can stop businessmen and women form destroying our heaven any more.
Humanity will pay too much for the greed of few businessmen and women. Global warming and the dramatic changes of the environment is one of the worst manmade products and it will produce the most devastating damages for the ecosystem and all creatures' lives on the planet. Yesterday Greece and today the forests of Russia and Kurdistan are burning. Tomorrow will be worse and worse until we end with nothing. What is going on is definitely the product of human's greed and his/her neglect and misunderstanding of the necessity to adhere to some kind of standards of respecting the ecosystem. Scientists should work and show the relationship between the recent volcanoes of Island, Peru, and Uganda. They should investigate seriously and away from the influence of businessmen the relationship between this volcanoes, the destructive earthquakes of Haiti, China, …etc, and the recent disastrous flood of Pakistan, but before all, they are supposed to investigate the melting and shifting of mountains of ice sheets in the Antarctica; The rise of sea water; and the pressure it causes for both the sheets of our planet and its atmosphere, or the entire ecosystem.
Since there are no binding laws and procedures the illogical and excessive race of collecting money (papers, coins, and materials) will end when the greedy business men and women destroy our haven completely. We need urgent binding and authoritative laws prevent the giant factories and heavy burners of fossil fuel from such crimes against both humanity and ecosystem. Keep hiding yourself Ban-Ki Moon; the most comfortable place, today, is where your are; the buildings and facilities of UN or UGR United Governments and Regimes. Tomorrow, your offspring will not be able to protect themselves by their Injurious Air Conditioners because the relief brought by such manmade products is on the expense of the stability of our ecosystem. Our ecosystem is the planet's ecosystem, and businessmen have no ability over it. They can not possess their own ecosystems. Sometimes, I consider not to marry because I cannot imaging to be the reason for making another human suffer in 'bald, too hot, and too cold haven'.
Kind Regards
Pamela G. in West Virginia writes:
Water is not a luxury item it should be a at the top of all lists in helping all countries.


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