text:
Vietnam War, remembered
By sailors on Navy ships, by grunts, refugees who escaped, artists, and authors
Various Authors 6 a.m., May 29
Don't look now, but corporate profit margins — earnings as a percent of sales — are back to where they were before the Great Recession began three years ago. A major reason is that companies are not hiring, thereby holding down their costs. Thus, unemployment stays high and consumer anxiety worsens. In the second quarter of this year, profits rose 8.9 percent for 500 of the largest companies but revenues went up only 5.8 percent.
Do you see what's wrong with this picture? For the past 25 years, American corporations' obsession with profits — focusing on the reduction of payrolls in any way possible — has succeeded in drying up those corporations' very own markets. After all, the American consumer represents more than 70 percent of the economy, and personal income has been weak except among the richest.
As Howard Silverblatt of Standard & Poor's told the New York Times, "The same thing that caused the profit gains is squeezing now. It's the lack of jobs."
In short, American companies have fouled their own nest by letting their greed lower the purchasing power of their customers. Today's industrialists have forgotten that in 1914, Henry Ford more than doubled his employees' wages to $5 a day (equivalent to $111 a day now), so they could afford to buy the cars that rolled off their company's production line. Ford was also able to attract and retain the best employees.
Frankly, profits of American corporations are too high to sustain economic and societal stability in the current environment. The mentality that the shareholder is the only significant constituency of the board of directors is ruining capitalism, which is the only workable system ever devised, although it's desperately in need of reform.
Thus, I am disappointed to see companies plunking money into two profit-bloating initiatives on the November 2 California ballot, using disingenuous employment claims to promote their position. The big money is pushing Proposition 23, which would suspend, if not kill, California's Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, or AB 32, which requires the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions back to 1990 levels by the year 2020. If the initiative passes, oil companies' profits would zoom while antipollution efforts would go in reverse.
Proposition 23 is deceptive. It decrees that AB 32 would not go into effect until the state unemployment rate stays at 5.5 percent or lower for four consecutive quarters. Backers claim that this has happened 20 times since 1988. Opponents, using different figures, say it has happened only 8 times in that period. But there is no point arguing the statistics: economists agree that California's unemployment rate will not see 5.5 percent for several years at the earliest. It's now above 12 percent.
Passage of Proposition 23 would be a huge windfall for an industry that already reaps tax subsidies galore. A 2005 study by the Congressional Budget Office indicated that oil-industry capital investments such as drilling equipment are taxed at an effective rate of 9 percent versus an average 25 percent for other industries. Oil's 9 percent is the lowest of any industry.
Transocean, the company that owns the oil-drilling platform where the British Petroleum leak occurred, moved its headquarters from Houston to Switzerland in 2008 to avoid paying American taxes. It has 1300 employees in Houston and 12 in Switzerland. It had moved to the Cayman Islands, another tax haven, in 1999. In leasing the platform, British Petroleum got a tax break that adds up to $82 million a year.
Thus far, companies have raised $6.2 million to promote Proposition 23. Two Texas companies, Valero Energy and Tesoro, account for three-fourths of that total, according to opponents of the measure. Oil-related companies account for 96 percent of contributions. Many donors are from California — Bakersfield, Sacramento, Long Beach, Auburn, Los Angeles, Glendale, San Jose, Modesto, Upland, Pacific Palisades, Menlo Park, Folsom, Orange, Torrance, and South Gate.
Physicist Roger W. Cohen of La Jolla, retired manager of strategic planning and programs of Exxon Mobil, gave $1000 this year in support of Proposition 23.
Business lobbying interests are trying to defeat the second initiative, Proposition 24, which would block tax breaks that hand corporations $1.3 billion a year. The tax subsidies were part of 2008 budget agreements.
The proposition would eliminate three breaks in particular. One is the "single sales factor," which allows multistate companies to choose whether they will be taxed on property, payroll, or sales. (Do you get to select which taxes you will pay and which you won't?) The second is loss carrybacks, which allow companies losing money in California to get refunds for taxes paid up to two years previously. The third allows companies that have more tax credits than they can use to distribute those credits to affiliates.
The California Teachers Association is the main backer of Proposition 24. It argues that 26,000 teachers face layoffs as school budgets have been slashed by $17 billion. There is no reason to dole out corporate tax breaks when education is suffering, say the teachers.
Opponents of Proposition 24 have raised more than $1.3 million this year. San Diego companies and institutions are giving heavily to the opposition: Qualcomm has given $100,000 to fight it. Biotechs Gen-Probe and Life Technologies have plunked in $10,000 each. BioMed Realty, which provides real estate to life sciences companies, is a backer. Other San Diego institutions backing it are BIOCOM, the regional life sciences association; CONNECT, the group trying to accelerate technical innovation; the Escondido Chamber of Commerce; the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation; and the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce.
And what arguments do the companies use to tout Proposition 23 and to oppose Proposition 24? They haul out that old political bait and switch: jobs. Yes, jobs, jobs, jobs. Backers say that Proposition 23 is the "California Jobs Initiative."
Those opposed to Proposition 24 shout, "Stop the Jobs Tax!" Proposition 24 would tax new job creation, send jobs out of California, tax small businesses and their employees out of existence, and stifle job growth in promising industries such as high tech, biotech, and clean energy, insist the backers of this measure to permit more profit-friendly accounting.
Under capitalist theory, high profits should lead to job creation. But now, rising profits are leading to job destruction. Indeed, job destruction is a major reason for higher profits.
By obsessing over profits, American companies live to please Wall Street. It's time they lived to please Main Street. For their own sake.
The California Jobs Initiative (CJI) is an oil corporation farce and fraud. There is no connection, whatsoever, between greenhouse gas emission reduction and the loss of jobs. This notion is an insult to the intelligence of the people of California. In fact, there is job growth in the clean, renewable energy industry. Chevron employs 65,000 worldwide and CJI is not going to change this. The only jobs created by the oil industry are clean-up jobs after oil spills and deep water, blow-outs and pump-handler jobs. CJI will make fantastic profits for the oil industry, increase air pollution, especially in communities around their refineries, and there will not be lower gas prices. Both Valero and Tesoro are super Enrons. Since when did the oil companies start to show a concern for the unemployed and their families?
Reply to Don This is a CON
These "companies have fouled their own nest" And now they just want to FOUL the rest!
No 23 and Yes 24 Will HELP to shut, BIG CORP's door!
California Jobs Initiative will bleed our State's money like a sieve
Instead of these, Companies, "doing" Business They are all now, just giving US, the Business
They all may think, that this is just fine But I think, they have NOW, crossed the "Line"...
Response to post #1: Good points. Claiming that Prop. 23 will create jobs, or Prop. 24 will destroy jobs, is basically dishonest. Best, Don Bauder
Response to post #2: Companies are spending a lot of money to promote 23 and to defeat 24. This is just more social irresponsibility, and short term thinking. Companies should think about long term profitability. Instead, they focus on the next quarter to please Wall Street. They are destroying themselves. You might check my blog today on chief executive pay in 2009. It's more of the same. Best, Don Bauder
reply #4 RE: "Companies are ... destroying themselves."
That may very well be BUT They are also destroying the US Middle Class and that should be illegal...especially when they are using "our" money to do it!
Thanks, I'll check your other Blog; too bad the Reader will not let you "join" your excellent Blogs as many of them are interrelated...
Response to post #5: Which came first: companies destroying the middle class or companies destroying themselves? One leads to the other. Best, Don Bauder
Don Bauder, once again, hits it square on the head. Your honesty is always refreshing. And while claiming no credit for its originality, for too many years now I've been saying the same thing you mentioned above:
"...The mentality that the shareholder is the only significant constituency of the board of directors is ruining capitalism..."
It sure is.
Response to post #7: Corporate boards believe that mentality is cemented into law by interpretations of the Delaware courts. (Corporations are overwhelmingly incorporated in fraud-friendly Delaware; that's one of the reasons.) However, this is still a gray area of the law. Best, Don Bauder
Why does this sound familiar?
It's like a game of chicken (plucking?). Nobody will "reform" first. That ensures that it's a crap-shoot on steroids—every CEO/MBA is sure he or she will come out on top as long as she or he holds out long enough.
In the short term (and all terms are getting shorter and shorter), "make-work" jobs can "get the economy moving again," but in the long term, only efficiency and limits to growth will have a prayer of avoiding the whipsawing of booms and busts, which, with further delays in confronting reality and accepting actual and predictable consequences, will only get more pronounced on the downside.
Virtually no model predicts a major offsetting "recovery" (to what?) within the foreseeable future. That leaves crushing depression or outraging inflation—it doesn't matter which for the Big Picture. It means that if you're holding cash it will be stolen, or if you're heavily invested in stocks or bonds you will play hell liquidating them; even if you can, you will have to push your wheelbarrow to the nonexistent or bare-shelved market for a loaf of bread. Six to twelve months should be enough to make a fool out of me.
Overheard at the CEO/MBA shooting range: "READY, FIRE, AIM!" Doesn't matter. They all have blunder-busses.
Response to post #9: Good points, but let's discuss so-called "make-work" jobs. The nation has a crying need for infrastructure. So the federal government could create jobs, as it did in the Great Depression, without them really being "make work," because the end result would be societally desirable. Similarly, as corporations reduce employment, they also reduce options for customers. Note, for example, the airline industry offering fewer trips, fewer departure times, etc. Manufacturers of all kinds, as they reduce employment, also reduce the variety of products they offer. This gives the economy some wiggle room for more so-called "make work" jobs. Best, Don Bauder
"The nation has a crying need for infrastructure."
I'm interested in how you mean this. Highways are funded from the last stimulus and ground hasn't even broken on those projects yet. Rail is a dying mode of transport for most commodities. Cities have libraries and services, where the State doesn't steal the money and spend it on other stuff.
I understand how money was thrown at projects during the Great Depression, but I am unconvinced that WWII wasn't more responsible for pulling the U.S. out of that. In Japan in the late '90's, they threw all kinds of money at infrastructure, and neo-Keynesians have yet to explain why that didn't work out in Japan. Thoughts?
There are many things the President could do to quickly spur employment and manufacturing output. For one, the President could issue an Executive Order requiring all agencies in the Federal Government, and state and local governments who accept federal funding, to spend at least 80% of their office supplies budget on U.S. made products. This would force importers in the office supply industry like Swingline and Avery among others, to start manufacturing products in the US again, or risk losing market share to competitors who would rise up to grab the government's business.
Mayor Sanders and the City Council could also take actions that would create jobs for San Diegans. For example, the City Council could require the mandatory installation of fire sprinklers in all apartment buildings and commercial properties that lack protection. The City Council could also ban cigarette smoking in apartments, and force apartment owners to remove and replace all the drywall in their rental units in order to protect renters against the carcinogens that have leached into the walls.
During the late 1990s the Japanese electronics industry collapsed as most electronic production was transferred to China and Mexico. Economists never even mention the collapse of Japanese manufacturing when they attempt to explain why the Japanese economy has never fully recovered. They do not mention this because the Japanese situation suggests that the US economy will not recover without trade restrictions to revive U.S. manufacturing. Economists are stupid and economics is not a science. Economists waste their time trying to build complex mathematical models to make economic predictions that are never accurate. Economists are nostrum salesmen, con artists, and flakes.
Response to post #11: There is no doubt that World War II ended the Great Depression. Economists can agree on that. It involved massive federal deficits and spending. People finally went to work. So it comforted Keynesians. Roosevelt's CCC work provided some employment and relief, but certainly didn't end the Depression. And you are correct: infrastructural spending advances slowly. It is not a quick fix. But that's our trouble. Because of our political exigencies, we are always looking for a quick fix so things can look better prior to the next election. We're on a two-year emergency repair cycle, trying to hype consumer spending before an election. We have to think longer term. That gets back to what we've been discussing: short term thinking caused by greed. Best, Don Bauder
Response to post #12: Definitely someting to consider. Such an order would help, but economists would warn that it could touch off a trade war. And trade wars exacerbate recessions and depressions. Many if not most economists think Smoot-Hawley was a major cause of the Great Depression. It is amazing to me, though, that so many economists insist that the 1920s bubble and 1929 crash were not major contributors. The Great Depression was accompanied by FINANCIAL disasters, just as the current Great Recession is. In the recessions in between the two, financial collapses weren't big factors. Best, Don Bauder
Response to post #13: Those would be excellent steps. Such reforms are necessary. The one argument against such moves would be that the City is already insolvent --and it is. How would it pay? Best, Don Bauder
Response to post #14: The tech changes you cite definitely contributed to Japan's woes, which are continuing. There is another factor that is often glossed over: Japan prior to 1989 was a colossal bubble. Remember when the value of the grounds of the Imperial Palace exceeded the value of all California real estate? People collateralized overpriced stocks to buy overpriced real estate and vice versa. Eventually, people could no longer afford to live in Tokyo. So the central bank had to prick the bubble. It did and the country still hasn't recovered. The process had stark similarities to the U.S. in the 1930s, in my opinion. And, unfortunately, similarities to what is going on in the U.S. and much of the world today. Best, Don Bauder
Re #12 - #18: First, I disagree that economists are up to no good and that economics isn't a science. Real, true economists don't do much predicting. They observe and often calculate based on known data. Whether or not this proves useful in any sort of speculation is left to investors and banks and Federal Reserves. Economists are a combination of historians and scientists, in a way. Good economists are very careful not to draw quick and easy conclusions.
Regarding Japan, I'm not certain that Japan's off-loading of their electronics manufacturing had as much to do with their economic collapse as did their own housing bubble (as Don points out) and their own - often times more volatile than that of the U.S. - market strategies, where you had more money shorting the market to profit from a majority of investors who were invested long-term. The proof in the pudding might be that when Japan created their stimulus in response to the deflationary spiral they found themselves in, the money was specifically kept out of the market. In other words, they didn't simply increase the money supply, they sought to halt short-selling by keeping the money from investment and threw it directly at infrastructure.
It didn't work. This isn't to say that it wasn't a sound idea, to keep the money away from the markets. However, empirically, I think it's easy to see that when what were once considered to be sound investments collapse under pressure from big money hedging against such investments, government involvement might be doomed in any case. Prop up the market, and you're inviting even more mischief from the upper 1% of wealth; keep the money out of the market, and the money may have no effect at all other than to (at some point) spark inflation.
Response to post #19: I don't think economists are charlatans. Yes, they are often wrong. (Have you followed how many times Bernanke was dead wrong?) Yes, their models are often wacky. (Remember econometrics?) But they do their best. Their flaw is that they are so timid that they huddle around a tight little consensus. Not many break outside that circle of safety. Now, is economics a science? Hell, no. Best, Don Bauder
@ #20: Heh. Well, at its best, economics certainly is a science, I have to respectfully disagree with you. I am obviously leaving politics and ideology out of the discussion, because were that the case, then I think you would be right. And many economists certainly do include ideology in their work, so I can't blame you for your conclusion, but strictly studied and reported, economics is nothing more than a filtered study of data concerning commerce and trade and so on.
When you draft economists into the government, then it's something that resembles prostitution, a different ballgame. Bernanke has been dead wrong every since he's been working in the public sector, undoubtedly influenced by the cabinet of the administration in power. The issue is that the public looks to economists for an answer when the economy is down, and the administration in power counts on that in order to maintain confidence. That's the wrong place to look. It's sort of like looking at a historian to predict the future when the present isn't going so swell. They don't necessarily have the answer either.
Response to post #21: Science is concerned with the establishment of verifiable laws by induction or hypotheses. Scientists can set up experiments to test a thesis and measure it against a control group. Science involves exactitude. Economics is no more a science than sociology or anthropology. This is not to denigrate economics; this is simply to state its limitations. Best, Don Bauder
Re: 10.
"Make work" is defined as work that doesn't produce any results or produces results that make "things" worse. There's plenty of productive work that can be done, and "modern management" should be capable of getting a reasonably good handle on priorities, effectiveness, and spin-off effects, such that the money is invested in the common good rather than siphoned off into the pockets of favored contractors and other mega-pickpockets. Remember that Giant Sucking Sound?
Where can we find a list of the various job-creating stimulus money allocations and the analysis that went into them? Specifics, specifics, SPECIFICS!
(San Diego County government would be a start. How many millions have been/will be received and how have they/will they be/been spent? Has anyone other than county staff had a chance to evaluate the allocations ("projects") or review them? Has anyone suggested that any of the projects might accomplish nothing or even backfire?)
Re: 22
Yes, that's largely what "science" is, but "disciplines" are related at root, and that root is honesty--honored, in both cases, more in the breach than in the observance, and subject to the slings and errors of outrageous egocentrism. The hierarchical priesthood of academia legitimizes both honest enquiry and brazen deception through its "system" of "degrees," which is nothing short of a cloak of elitism used to keep the unanointed from contaminating its pretenses.
The hidden painting grows more and more grotesque while the Dorians parade through the halls of power. Taking the questioning of the guilded paradigms seriously is one sure way of being excluded from the halls of glory and fortune, but luckily there is a minority of those who resist that absurdity and toil in the fields for the sheer pleasure of "finding things out." These poor fools value failure and discovered error as much as validation.
Re: 22
Oops! Upon re-reading, whilst yanking what I thought be the curtain-pull, discovered that it was really the elephant's tail.
"Exactitude," if it isn't THE elephant, is at least MY elephant--another of my lost essays "The Uses of Imprecision" made the claim that relevance and adequacy, the PROVISIONAL establishment of a "conclusion" that the hypothesis, the product of induction (even intuition) need only be more true than untrue to advance understanding (not "knowledge," which implies a certain certainty, a certain turf that must be "defended," a certain pit of arrogance and the temptation to lie one's way out of it) of a proposition or phenomenon, is all that is required. After all, we stand upon the shoulders of dwarfs and giants, fleas that we be.
Nature is (probably) chaos, and the (probable) certainty of physical laws may have met the boundary of the human intellect, the stringing of us, the unanointed, along into marginal suppositions beyond space and time in the fame-name of "science" notwithstanding.
The presumptions of precision, especially concerning "economics," leads us to buy soap that floats until it vanishes before our eyes without curing our pimples. Remember the medicine shows, Don? They've acquired new raiments.
Response to post #23: There is the story about the guy hired in a "make work" project during the Great Depression. All he did, all day, was move a load of lumber, board by board, to another pile, and then move it back to the original pile. One day a guy shows up and sits on the hill watching him. Day after day, as the first guy just moves the lumber from one spot to another and back again, the guy on the hill sits there and observes. Finally the first guy goes to him and confesses, "You've caught me. I am accomplishing nothing, just moving this pile from one place to another. Report me. Send me to jail." Says the observer on the hill, "Don't worry. I was hired to help you." As to the specifics you desire, that's a big order, although there are federal numbers on how the stimulus numbers have been spent - how many projects are still in the pipeline, etc. I'm not sure how credible they are. Best, Don Bauder
Response to post #24: What you are describing is the method by which higher education's primary objective now is to bring in research money. Faculty members achieve or are denied tenure based greatly on how much research money they bring in. Teaching is no longer the highest priority. You used an apt analogy: Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde's character, who was a dissolute who continued to look young, but a ghastly picture of him in the attic revealed that he was actually getting incredibly ugly because of his increasing degeneracy. It's happening at universities. Upon leaving office, President Eisenhower warned about this possibility in the same speech in which he warned of the military-industrial state. Best, Don Bauder
Response to post #25: Have physical laws met the boundary of human intelligence? I doubt it. We have more mysteries than we have certainties. And even certainties, such as evolution, are now challenged by more than half our population. Best, Don Bauder
Re 26:
Good story, with a ring of truth, if not factual. "Sometimes," Bagheot once said, "to illustrate a point, one must exaggerate much, and omit much," or something to that effect. It doesn't fit the "scientific" model, but it fits the "honest art" model.
Nothing less but said specifics, organized in logical sequence, should be expected from our bureaucrats. The county of San Diego, to cite just one example, is spending $7.2 million of federal "stimulus" money on "brush control," in places where it will have minimal effect on the immediate fire hazard threat and make matters much worse when it grows back--more, not less flammable and dangerous than ever, thus requiring even more expenditures down the road (3-5 years, maximum) to re-clear the resulting weeds. This is to "protect" us from brushfires, a "Motherhood" issue if there ever was one. This is just the tip of the "make-work-and-then-some" model iceberg--a result of the shot-from-the-emotional-hip mode of belief rather than the scientific or disciplined approach to analysis, policy, and action.
Re 27:
You got dat right!
I wouldn't object as much to the emphasis on grant-getting if it weren't for the "make-work" nature of so much of the "science" getting the money. What we need is another allocation diagram for this, which might show how the institutions get the most, the already-tenured professors supplementing their salaries, and the students being the slaves, pushing their supposed "betters" up the pyramid, "Another day older and deeper in debt."
This sleight-of-hand "science" makes it all the harder on those who are trying to do real science or actually help people in the learning process.
Re 28:
I suspect we agree, but semantics . . .
Certainly uncertainty is all that is certain. There may be physical laws that remain undiscovered, but I am not so confident that they will necessarily actually BE discovered by humans. That is, I do not share the belief in science and technology as our savior.
As to evolution, there remain a considerable population of authoritative adherents who "believe in" evolution as an "absolute truth" rather than a provisional conclusion that has yet to be proven false. There are those who persist in the illusion that other forms of life are "more primitive," and that humans are "the most advanced" species on earth. They have both misread Darwin, and missed what he missed.
A prime example of this unproved presumption is exemplified in the Time-Life Series' famous (should be infamous) drawing depicting the supposed "advance" of humans from a series of "lesser" apes. Even though even some celebrity-scientists (who cannot be questioned--and will not be questioned) don't get it ALL right, they get enough of it right to still be more trustworthy than the pickpocket charlatans hawking quasi-scientific hokum and outright myths. The quest for confirmation is a cancer on the brain of science.
Yes, humans have an infinite amount to learn, but their record is mixed--as is the most reasoned guess about their future. Flaw-filled and awe-filled, but an insufficient amount of the latter, leading to the ascent into assent.
Response to post #29: A hunter who started a fire in the backcountry in 2003, I believe, was criminally prosecuted. A division of the Public Utilities Commission determined that SDG&E's negligence was responsible for huge 2007 fires. The company got a wrist slap. That's government. Best, Don Bauder
Response to post #30: Yes, a study about how this research money is handed out promiscuously is overdue. Best, Don Bauder
Response to post #31: I think the case for evolution has been made, and made thoroughly. It is no longer the theory of evolution. It is fact, although changes are being made constantly as new evidence surfaces. In economics, there are the Keynesians, monetarists, supply siders, rational expectationists, Austrian and University of Chicago schools, etc. etc. They are all theories. Best, Don Bauder
Don If you ran a Big Company, which would you rather do, pay taxes or spend that money on Politicians that might make things easier for you to make a profit?
What do you think the long term effect of these Big Companies not paying taxes will be on Social Security; seems to me that the amount of money being paid into Social Security will begin to plummet this Fall (no pun intended)?
Remember this Rhyme , please do, Don't let anyone confuse you
No 23 and Yes 24 Will HELP to shut, BIG CORP's door!
Response to post #35: You have to look at the mentality that reigns in American public companies. Managements believe that the law mandates the maximization of profits -- that the board's only important (and perhaps only) constituency is the shareholder. So companies feel they MUST minimize their taxes legally, so profits will go up. However, one encouraging trend is that only a few companies relocate their headquarters to offshore tax havens each year. So obviously they feel they can face shareholders and say they are trying to maximize profits, even when those profits would rise sharply if the companies were based offshore. But you can see the justification: suppose JP Morgan Chase, an integral part of New York City for more than a century, said it was moving headquarters to the Cayman Islands. It would set off a storm, even though companies based in tax havens usually have only a dozen people or so at the haven location. Best, Don Bauder
Response to post 32:
Yes, there was a "hunter" who started the Cedar Fire of 2003, and he was criminally prosecuted. BUT, he wasn't charged with a count of manslaughter for each of the persons killed in or as a result of the fire. He got off very lightly in, I think, federal court, and did no jail time.
That was always a puzzler to me. This guy who had absolutely no business trying to hunt was in some sort of mild distress and started a bonfire to "signal" for help. Those of us who know a little about the backcountry have pretty well determined that the response from the forest service was woefully inadequate, and that was going to be unmasked if he went to trial. As a result, the fix was on, and neither Bahnee D nor the U S Atty at the time wanted to deal with a can of worms. So the guy, who was very directly responsible for the loss of many lives and destruction of billions in property, got a pass.
I'd say that SDG&E got comparable treatment.
Response to post #37: One advantage the DA would have had in the hunter trial is that even though the dirt of incompetence would have come out in court, the mainstream media probably wouldn't have reported it. As I recall, the mainstream media did little with the SDGE evidence. I know the Reader covered it. Best, Don Bauder
Re 34:
There is plenty of evidence that organisms adapt to different and changing environments. There is zero evidence that evolution produces "more modern" forms from "more primitive" forms in a linear process of "improvement" with humans at the top. Yes, evolution as an explanation of a phenomenon which is the result of the interplay of physical laws, some recognized, some perhaps still unknown, some which may never be known, has held up against all logical challenges (not to mention illogical ones), but "believing in" anything freezes up the intellect and hammers it into dogma or ideology.
The Time-Life drawing of the "ascent" of Man from "primitive" apes to "advanced" humans is a glaring example of an institutionalized misinterpretation of evolution that fosters not just a simplistic interpretation of evolution, but does not help those who believe in "intelligent design" or other non-scientific mythology to understand it. While evolution is itself not a physical law, it is a sound explanation for a complex natural phenomenon. Closing of minds around a belief is inconsistent with the questioning nature of science and intellectual integrity.
Economics would do well to pay attention to natural processes, at least as theoretical models for phenomena like markets. Booms and busts occur in natural populations of organisms, for example, and the energy- and resource-flows through and of ecosystems are not unlike those of economic systems.
Response to post #39: Economists have a lot to be humble about. I'm sure some have studied natural processes. They are now looking more closely at human behavior. Why not organisms? Best, Don Bauder
Re 38 et al:
Flawed as it is, the judicial system sometimes works better than lynch mobs.
The biggest crime is the total indifference of politicians, bureaucrats, and "experts," not to mention the Fourth Estate, who persist in their indifference to the scientific aspects of the whole fire phenomenon. If they did not ignore the science, if they did not ignore some pretty simple logic, the loss of life and property damage from fire, especially fires related to wildlands, would be minimized, even though wildland fires are inevitable, despite the money thrown at them. That wasted money could be much more wisely applied to real solutions rather than simplistic, political, traditional presumptions.
People who start fires with their brush-clearing equipment are ironic idiots, but prosecuting them for manslaughter etc. would only serve to feed into the revenge pattern while ignoring the fact that we seen the enemy in the mirror every morning. Those of us who, for example, allow our property to be potential ignition sites for fires must share the responsibility for the resulting tragic deaths and property damage when we find ourselves unlucky enough to have overlooked something we could have done better in retrospect.
Re 40:
I'd like the names and some references of those who have studied ecological systems and evolution in the light of economics.
"I'd like the names and some references of those who have studied ecological systems and evolution in the light of economics."
Visit Cafe Hayek, just google it, you'll find the link. Somewhere on that page is also a link to Russ Roberts' site where every week he does a podcast interviewing someone - at times economists and at other times different people. Those podcasts are often enlightening. And yes, Roberts is a Smith/Hayek professor at George Mason, but he isn't particular about who he interviews; some of his best stuff is with neo-Keynesians. Which reminds me of my new favorite joke:
Q: How many neo-Keynesians does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: Print more money.
And you may borrow my joke at no interest, just give me credit ;)
Response to post #41: Indifference is certainly one of the major blocks to progress in any number of areas. Best, Don Bauder
Response to post #41: Farmers look at ecological systems (not natural ones) from an economic standpoint. That's a lot of what agricultural economics is all about. Best, Don Bauder
Response to post #43: Those who study evolution can't help but bring in economics. For example, the animals that became today's dogs attached themselves to human encampments for economic reasons, and humans then put the dogs to work for their own economic purposes. It was symbiosis. If Hayek's acolytes look into such things, good. Best, Don Bauder
Reply to #36 in reply to #35 Let's get back to the subject: These are a GREEDY dupe to the average voter! I'd also like to get Don's feed back about this from above:
What do you think the long term effect of these Big Companies not paying taxes will be on Social Security; seems to me that the amount of money being paid into Social Security will begin to plummet this Fall (no pun intended)?
How will this donation vs. paying taxes affect SS taxes?
Remember at
Ballot Box Time the Ballot Box Rhyme
Remember this Rhyme , please do, Don't let anyone confuse you
No 23 and Yes 24 Will HELP to shut, BIG CORP's door!
Re 45 and 46:
"Agricultural economics" is just one more fraud compounded by "agro-ecosystems," an even more egregious pseudo-intellectual flim-flam.
Agriculture always has been about stealing, robbing Peter to pay Paul. It not only has nothing to do with ecosystems, it is about as close to the opposite of an ecosystem as you can get and still be dealing with life-forms.
But it isn't just about stealing, it's about stupidity.
The Great Plains, for example, were full of healthy, free protein in, if not mismanaged too badly, essentially "inexhaustible" supply. Energy and nutrients cycled through the ecosystem (a system that requires no external inputs or subsidies) in a continuous loop. Largely because of food prejudice, this free system was replaced by a maladapted species, the cow, which required external subsidy to extract the energy FROM the system, which declined from unnecessary overloading from concentrating large cattle populations into areas rather than mimicking the seasonal migrations of the bison. As if this weren't hare-brained enough, sodbusting pioneers turned the area into a dustbowl, further and permanently reducing its productive capacity, requiring an increasing spiral of subsidy to pay for a decreasing productivity, quantitatively and qualitatively.
Now we have an increasingly money-subsidized agribusiness-welfare system that produces primarily simple carbohydrates mixes with ground mad-cow-meat literally on steroids (pesticides, hormones, antibiotics and other Rx and chemical atrocities) imported from tens of thousands of miles away at huge expense or from more "local" feedlots where cattle are lucky to have a mountain of their own excrement to stand on for a view beyond the crowded pens in the hopes they don't stumble lest they be chained to a tractor and dragged to an early, unmerciful slaughter.
All this from well-trained experts who know better than the rest of us, especially us lazy savages. Economics? Ecology? Even without definitions we can rely on a handful of facts to get a hint of the level of bull-hockey that poses for authority in this nuthouse culture we are increasingly threatened and seduced with.
But let's not worry our little pet paradigms with such heresy, eh?
Response to post #47: Corporations are massively avoiding taxes, but I doubt if they are avoiding the amount they are obligated to contribute to Social Security. Best, Don Bauder
Re 43:
I couldn't locate a link to Roberts, nor could I find any studies where economists had used ecosystems/evolution in economics. Can you supply a specific link or title?
I did find an interesting article by Roberts, however: http://cafehayek.com/2007/10/the-backlash.html
Re 46:
I quite agree that evolutionary biologists "can't help but bring in economics," but my question is about economists bringing in evolution and ecology. I don't know of any cases where that has been done in any serious way.
You, Don, if you don't mind the appellation "economist," are exceptional. Any economist who can reach back beyond 10,000 years is a good one in my book, and cannot, by definition, be dog-matic. In a paper I did for an economics and a comparative government class several decades ago, I discussed grains, and the transition from gathering to hoarding to growing as the origin of greed and capitalism. I agree about the dog-human symbiosis (how many economists know that word?), but that predated the actual enslavement of animals (including humans) and plants, otherwise known as capitalism/culture/cultivation.
Certainly. I'm reluctant to pimp websites here in the Reader, but we'll give this a shot and hope that the powers at be here understand that it's educational.
I would normally rather read an interview than to listen to one, but you know, people seem to like this format. If you scroll down to the August 9th interview with Nobel Prize winning physicist Robert Laughlin, you'll find some enlightning references to energy and waste versus cost and other economic factors.
This site is absolutely free and not for profit. You will find a few interviews with Nassim Taleb (author of The Black Swan), an interesting and controversial fellow. The best discussion in my opinion is from 1-12-09 with Steve Fazzari involving Keynesian theory and Roberts attempting to contrast it with Hayekian thoughts on economics. Way back in 2006 there are even a couple of podcasts interviewing Milton Friedman. Archives are here:
Response to post #48: In so-called primitive societies, people were wanderers. They pursued animals and would gobble up crops and move on when they were gone. It was the domestication and husbandry of certain animals, along with sophisticated planting and rotation of crops, that allowed people to settle in a spot and live there. Civilization advanced. It was a major step for mankind, and economic factors determined it. Don't blame the ag economists. They showed up many centuries after these patterns were in place. Best, Don Bauder
Response to post #50: It's interesting that Hayek is making a comeback at the same time Keynes is making one. They were enemies. Best, Don Bauder
Response to post #51 My guess is that the hunter/gatherers were as greedy as any civilization that came along subsequently. Greed is as much a part of the human essence as procreation. Best, Don Bauder
Response to post #52: There is nothing wrong with links to other websites. That's what this website is for. I look forward to Hayek acolyte vs. Keynes acolyte. Best, Don Bauder
Refried and Don,
For video lectures and interviews on economics, politics, world history, science, and other interesting topics, I like:
So getting back to the subject:
"Corporate America Keeps Profits Strong, Jobs Weak"
What can we do in SD to promote CHANGE, especially at the ballot box?
Ballot Box Time the Ballot Box Rhyme
Remember this Rhyme , please do, Don't let anyone confuse you
No 23 and Yes 24 Will HELP to shut, BIG CORP's door!
Response to post #58: Marketwatch.com covers daily news, but also has columnists of varying views hitting long term questions. Robert Reich has a good website. There are numerous others worth going to. Best, Don Bauder
Response to post #58: The basic problem is that corporations only think short term. Their goal is to make sure earnings per share please Wall Street each quarter. Half a century ago, most large companies DID think long term. But then greed took over. Best, Don Bauder
Reply #60 about #35
"What do you think the long term effect of these Big Companies (not paying taxes) will be on Social Security; seems to me that the amount of money being paid into Social Security will begin to plummet this Fall (no pun intended)?"
As more Companies donate to Political (now tax deductible) campaigns instead of "just" paying taxes, what will happen to Social Security?
I think SS own "income" will drop dramatically and that will be the reason for "overhauling" SS, as now proposed by some Rep.'s... Because SS funds were not allowed to be self managed not too long ago, they were not art of the financial disaster that occurred and now many are eager to get their hands on those funds also!
Response to post #61: Corporations will use any trick in the book to reduce their taxes, but they will pay what they owe the SS fund. Best, Don Baudeer
Reply #62 about #61
My question to you is this: Since Corp.'s or other Business's can now donate to Political candidates and write it off will they pay less taxes than say a year ago before the SCOTUS ruling and if so will Social Security take a big hit? Thanks Best
Response to post #63: The misguided SCOTUS decision giving Constitutional rights to corporations will lead to far more corporate donations to politicians. This, in turn, will lead to more tax breaks for corporations, which already pay very little in taxes. But the companies will pay their Social Security taxes. They won't get out of that. Incidentally, the argument that the SCOTUS decision is a balanced one, because labor unions also get the same free speech rights, is fraudulent. Labor unions are pathetically weak these days, with the exception of unions representing government employees. Their lobbying will destabilize the economy, too, because their pensions are breaking states and municipalities. I can't think of anything worse than greatly increased lobbying by corporations and public sector unions. Best, Don Bauder
Reply #64 I agree with you 100%.
I think history will show that the SCOTUS decision you mentioned caused a "tipping point" in our Country Political process that will lead to the end of the Middle Class as you and I know it today.
By the Government loaning to the Big Banks at almost zero interest and at the same time restricting credit to consumers, the Government has in effect turned the American Dream into a Nightmare for all those now looking to support their families, send their kids to College and or just get ahead! Even if credit was "loosened" today it would take many years to recover what folks have lost and there is sadly no such "end" in sight...
Now America will become much more like a third World Country where the Ultra Wealthy (and their Political "friends") will influence everything and everyone like:
..Who gets jobs - Without an "in" forget about getting a good paying job; for each opening their will be huge numbers of folks applying, even at reduced pay/benefits!
..Who gets credit - Most folks will have little if any "worth" especially as Seniors divide their wealth among their adult children and all their grandchildren. One generation from now, average folks will have much less personal wealth!
..Who gets educated - Advanced Public education will become much more expensive and therefore will limit who get educated, as huge numbers of students all apply for smaller numbers of scholarships.
..Who gets healthcare - The cost of medical insurance will continue to increase as Doctors become one of the last groups to accept reduced pay and benefits. Those will money will continue to access advanced medical care while the rest of Society will wallow in HMO peer review red tape for even basic procedures and treatment.
..Where people live - Just like the "Brain Drain" after WW2, when huge numbers of educated European folks relocated to the US, I expect to see huge numbers of Americans relocate outside the Continental US, as Seniors and those with some remaining wealth seek a better quality of life in another Country and or one with a lower cost of living.
I hope I'm very wrong about this but my "gut" says I'm right...
Response to post #65: You are absolutely right and these things are already happening. Just keep in mind: the SCOTUS decision gives two groups even more power: corporations and labor unions representing government workers. The end result will be the worsening of the gap between superrich and everybody else, and a worsening of the gap between public sector pay and private sector pay and pensions (already widely in favor of public sector employees.) This means we will become much more like third world nations: a handful of superrich at the top, government employees fat and sassy, middle/top management of corporations doing well, and most others doing poorly. Best, Don Bauder
Reply #66 Very scary for what's left of the Middle Class!
No wonder the President is starting to talk about how Congress is holding the Middle Class Hostage, while the Wealthy smile and wink to each other; time is on their side, as is the SCOTUS!
The "bean counters" have taken over and this statement has nothing to do with any racial slur, but refers to those that look only at the bottom line...
Response to post #66: The fact that Boehner backed down on the tax cuts indicates the Democrats have an issue. They can hammer away about Republicans being in Wall Street's pockets, neglecting Main Street. Obama should have been hitting for months on that theme. Best, Don Bauder
Reply #68 RE: "Obama should have been hitting for months on that theme." How about from Day 1...
To me that was his greatest blunder!
He should have insisted on equal amounts of recovery $ to BOTH Wall Street & Mainstreet
Bonehead Boehner is nothing but a shill for Big Business, always has been, always will be.
His daughter works for the scamming Sallie Mae........whom he goes to bat for on all issues that threaten to lower their profits even if it would help the country.
Reply to post #69: Main Street should have been his first priority. Best, Don Bauder
Response to post #70: A lot of Republicans -- and some Democrats, too -- are nothing but shills for big business and big banks. Best, Don Bauder
If you love your job... if you even like having a job vote YES
Response to post #73: Vote YES for what? Best, Don Bauder
When id doubt, remember: - the Ballot Box Rhyme -
Remember this Rhyme , please do, Don't let anyone confuse you
No 23 and Yes 24 Will HELP to shut, BIG CORP's door!
Response to post #75: Just don't wear campaign buttons taking those positions if you work at a big corporation. Best, Don Bauder
Reply #76 IF you are lucky enough to be Working, then you probably won't be concerned with the above issue!
Once the unemployed get to the polls, then I think we will see some real change!
Response to post #77: But just try getting the unemployed to the polls. Best, Don Bauder
Re: 55
Hunter-gatherers had to cooperate or their greedy genes would be kicked out of the pool. That's my guess.
As Ken Boulding once said, "We have only two choices, really; we can have either an 'I beat you down, you beat me down, I beat you down' society, or we can have an 'I lift you up, you lift me up, I lift you up' society."
@ #79:
I think we need a 'if you don't know what you're doing, then please get the hell out of my way' society. Some will follow. I realize this is very Libertarian of me, but like Popeye once said, "I yam whats I yam."
Reply #79 & #80 Not many "Hunter-gatherers" in San Diego Twister... and lifting "UP" is had to do when you are looking for work and there are NO JOBS...
RFG Right ON, Congressional "Foot Dragging" is now a National Disgrace...
No 23 and Yes 24 Will HELP to shut, BIG CORP's door!
Response to post #79: I don't think our greed genes have been booted out of our bodies as the result of millions of years of evolution. Maybe hunter-gatherers weren't as cooperative with each other as you suspect. And certainly they weren't friendly with other bands of hunter-gatherers. Beste, Don Bauder
Response to post #80: We already have such a society. And it is not as pleasant as you seem to think. Best, Don Bauder
Response to post #81: Congressional foot-dragging is a disgrace, yes, but Congressional pockets-stuffing is the national norm. Best, Don Bauder
Reply #84 I think the Congressional "pockets-stuffing" of yesteryear (prior to 1970) was replaced with their "Offshore account stuffing" a number of years ago!
That way they never have to actually touch the money (or take a chance of being caught with it)...
Response to post #85: They don't touch it until they are out of office. Then they start spending it. Best, Don Bauder


text:
TH-S & Co. Chukka Moccasin, Navy Suede and Indigo "Sashiko" Fabric
- Double-faced plain weave cloth with supplementary "Sashiko stitch" warp simulates traditional Japanese hand-stitched textiles
- This thick, heavy cloth is used in Japanese martial arts uniforms, as it provides some level of padding during sparring matches
- Fabric panels provide ventilation during hot weather
- Hand stitched moccasin toe
- Honey-colored crepe rubber wedge sole
- "Littleway" sole construction allows for full resoling, extending the life of the shoes
- Rawhide laces
- Unlined
- Tonal eyelets
- Fits true to size
- The Hill-Side Label sewn on inside ankle of shoe
Made in USA (Maine)
This is an ongoing pre-order item. To make a pre-order, simply purchase the shoes as you normally would. We will submit pre-orders to Rancourt & Co. once a week, on Friday. Once Rancourt has confirmed the order, they will take approximately 4-6 weeks to make the shoes and ship them to us. We will then ship them to you.
Please feel free to write or call with any questions: email@example.com or 347-294-0005.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
At CORPORATE BLACKCAR SERVICE, we're passionate about making sure you love our Luxury Sedans and your travels to great destinations in Lansdale.
VF Chauffeured
It never hurts to plan ahead, and when you call VF Chauffeured you'll have a beautiful Luxury Sedan waiting for you.
There is nothing better than stepping off that plane and knowing you have a cool Party Bus waiting. Call BILLS ULTIMATE LIMOUSINE SERVICES.
Delaware Valley Limousine
Make it the best night since, well, ever! Call Delaware Valley Limousine and ask about our gorgeous Party Buss and first-class drivers.
All American Limo
Avoid unnecessary risks and call All American Limo today to hire the most reliable drivers and cleanest Stretch SUV Limo for a safe night out on the town.
Dynasty Limousine Service Inc
Ever wonder what it feels like to be chauffeured? Call Dynasty Limousine Service Inc and our gorgeous, innovative Standard Limo will show you.
City Wide Limousine
If you're ready to pop the question, call City Wide Limousine and a Super Stretch Limo and driver will help with the details.
Park Place Limousine
Have a group going out on the town? Share a Party Bus from Park Place Limousine and it will be even cheaper!
Celebrity Limousine
Did you know that calling Celebrity Limousine and arranging for a cool Stretch SUV Limo and driver makes for a surprising gift?
PHL Limousine Inc
When you call PHL Limousine Inc and arrange for a Standard Limo, you'll never have to stand on the curb waiting again.
Crown Limousine Worldwide
Tired of being the designated driver to keep your friends safe? Call Crown Limousine Worldwide and hire a Stretch Limo and driver.
Dreams really do come true, especially when you call BUCKS COUNTY LIMOUSINE for an exceptional Luxury Sedan and a reliable, professional driver.
Unique Limousine Concepts
We don't mean to brag, but you won't find better Stretch SUV Limo options, or more professional drivers than Unique Limousine Concepts offers.
Road trips with the gang are so much better when you have a BIRD LIMOUSINE Luxury Sedan and driver with you.
Enterprise Limousine
Taxis just can't provide the comfort of a Stretch Limo, so call Enterprise Limousine in Lansdale for a much better ride.
Advanced Limousine Services
You know you want to have an amazing experience, so you should call Advanced Limousine Services now for a gorgeous Super Stretch Limo.
Lansdale is great for bachelor parties, but a Standard Limo by PhiladelphiaTowncarlimo will make it a night everyone will remember.
American Trolley Tour
Stop drawing straws to see who has to drive, call American Trolley Tour and reserve a Party Bus so you all win.
Philadelphia Sightseeing Tours
You'll have a luxurious Party Bus waiting whenever you need it, as long as you make sure to call Philadelphia Sightseeing Tours.
On The Town Limo
At On The Town Limo, we only hire the most detail oriented, perceptive drivers for every Party Bus to keep you totally satisfied.


text:
Focus on School Security. For the month of March, the IDville team will be focusing on school security. All this month, we'll blog about different ways to improve school security. Have questions? Email us or request a System Information Pack for more info.
Schools have countless visitors in any given day. Parents, teachers, volunteers, community members, and sales people all present themselves at a school for one reason or another. Visitors can throw a wrench in even a sound student and staff ID card policy by being in the building unidentified. To safety identify school visitors, implement a visitor login book at your visitor entrance.
Schools should always track visitors with a visitor login book. Keep your book in the main office and require all visitors to register before going to a classroom. A secure visitor login book will create a record of all visitors and assign visitors with a self-expiring visitor adhesive ID badge. Visitors wear the badge while they are in the building, but it changes color after 24 hours. This feature prevents visitors from reusing badges and re-entering the building at a later date.
Implementing a visitor login book into your security plans will have several benefits for your school:
Make a good first impression. Your visitor login book should be kept in a central location where all visitors enter the building. Other entrances should be locked and marked with a sign to direct visitors to the correct door. Put an individual in charge of welcoming visitors and instructing them to complete the sign-in process when they first arrive.
Create a record of visitors. A visitor login book creates a record of who is in your school building. Most visitor login books record the visitor's name, their organization or purpose for visit, and the date. Keep this information in a safe, discreet location on hand for three months before safely discarding it.Visually identify visitors. Visitor login books equip visitors with an adhesive name badge to wear while in the school. Visitors who wear an ID card send a clear message to your employees and staff, which is especially helpful in a large school building.
MPGPT39RT5WC----------------------------- Todd is an identification expert at IDville with over seven years experience. Around IDville, Todd is known for his excessive coffee drinking, beautiful daughters, and impressive ping pong skills.
Currently rated 2.5 by 22 people
Tags: visitor management, visitor identification, school security, school id cards
School Security | Visitor Management
Student ID cards can improve more than just the security at your school. The introduction of ID cards to your students and staff can help streamline various processes within the school, too. With the proper ID card system and ID card software , you can add barcodes or mag-stripe encoding to your ID cards. These additional features allow you to connect your lunch program and library system. Students can use their ID cards to purchase meals and check out materials. Schools find this system saves time, increases efficiency, and is safer for students, too. Students will also be more motivated to wear their ID cards as they will be required for checking out library books or buying school lunch. Time SavingsFor example. Northeast Middle School (NEMS) in Clarksville, Tennessee prints around 1,600 ID cards for its students, staff, and visitors each year. When Bruce Hester, NEMS Media Specialist and Librarian upgraded his ID card system, he experienced a significant time savings. "The old process was multi-step using the laminating pouches and the cards," said Hester. "When we decided to upgrade we were looking to produce ID cards with ease, and we wanted better looking and more durable ID cards for the students."
The speed of the new ID card systemhas helped move registration lines along and saved the school labor costs. "Using the barcodes on the ID cards speeds up library checkout and helps staff identify the students," added Hester. "We also make ID cards without a photo for substitute teachers and visitors." This ID card system increases building security, leaving students, staff, and parents feeling more secure.
David is an IDville Identification Specialist with over seven years product and sales experience. Around IDville, David is known for his new product ideas, sports knowledge and experience as a catalog model (you may have seen him in a previous IDville catalog!).
Currently rated 1.0 by 1 people
Tags: id card software, id card system, id cards, school id cards, school security, student id cards
ID card systems | ID cards | School Security
It can be impossible to get children to do what you want them to do. I should know - I have three daughters! Each of them has their own amazing personality…and a stubborn streak of independence. Sometimes it feels like they fight everything I say!
Getting students to wear their ID cards can also feel like a never ending battle. Many schools have ID card policies in place requiring students to wear their ID cards or face repercussions. Schools can take a more positive approach to the situation by incentivizing kids to wear their ID cards with fun ID card accessories, like custom lanyards.
Custom lanyards are a great option for students. Lanyards are an appropriate display options for students because they keep student ID cards in constant view. You can also choose enhanced features like breakaway lanyards and antimicrobial lanyards that ensure children's safety.
Custom lanyard options offered by IDville.
There are several ways you can encourage kids to wear their ID cards with custom lanyards. Here are a few of my suggestions. Share your own strategies and ideas in the comments!
Promote the School Mascot. Tap into students' school spirit with custom lanyards that feature your school mascot, logo, and colors. These custom lanyards will be both a sign of safety and school spirit.
Create Sports Lanyards. Encourage students to support their favorite school team by creating custom lanyards for each sport. Students can even rotate their custom lanyards according to the seasons!
Classroom Lanyards. Promote camaraderie among students by creating custom lanyards for classrooms or grade levels. For instance, all students in the third grade can wear purple lanyards that say "Bertha Vos Third Grader" and the fourth graders can have a different color. The colors will also help teachers and staff easily identify children.
Flair for Custom Lanyards. Once you've created your own custom lanyards (the options are endless!), let students decorate their lanyards with lapel pins and stickers. Create classroom rewards that students can display on their custom lanyards to create an ID card accessory that not only promotes safety, but pride as well!
Todd is an identification expert at IDville with over seven years experience. Around IDville, Todd is known for his excessive coffee drinking, beautiful daughters, and impressive ping pong skills.
Currently rated 5.0 by 3 people
Tags: custom lanyards, school id cards, school security, student identification, student id cards
Lanyards | School Security
Focus on School Security. For the month of March, the IDville team will be focusing on school security. All this month, we'll blog about different ways to improve school security. Have questions? Email us or request a System Information Pack for more info.
School security has become a top priority for all school districts in the wake of increased incidents of school violence. School districts can better protect students through the use of access control and school ID cards.
ID cards can be synced with an access control system to restrict access into a school building. Access control only permits individuals with an ID card to get into the building. All other visitors are required to enter through a primary monitored entrance. ID card access control is common at colleges and universities, especially for dormitories. It's becoming more prevalent at grade schools, too, as school districts recognize the multiple benefits of ID card access control.
Benefits of ID Card Access Control at Schools
School ID Cards. ID card access control requires students, staff, and teachers to have ID cards with them at all times. The visual identification makes it easier for teachers and security to recognize individuals who do and do not belong in the building.
Limited Access. Limiting access control funnels all visitors without ID cards through one entrance. It's much more manageable for a school to monitor one entrance during school hours. A security guard or staff member can be stationed at the open entrance and watch the traffic in and out of the building.
Visitor's Entrance. By requiring all visitors to enter through one entrance, you can easily implement a visitor login book that will keep a record of visitors to the school. Maintaining a record of visitors provides valuable information and can help prevent incidents in the building.
Cancel Cards. Using ID card access control gives you the ability to cancel or deactivate a card. Security administrators can deactivate the cards of students who have graduated, left the school, or are on suspension. The school gains significant more control over permitting students into the building.
Currently rated 3.4 by 5 people
Tags: student identification, id card system, school security, school id cards, student id cards
ID card systems | School Security


text:
As many of you know, I am a HUGE kombucha fan. I love the stuff!! I am especially fond of LIVE Soda Kombucha brand as it full of flavor and isn't too overwhelming for kombucha newbies. You can read my full review HERE. I decided it would be fun to try cooking with this delicious elixir. Wow, using kombucha in our meat made it more tender and delicious than ever! I hope you enjoy this as much as we did.
1 (5-8 lbs.) Tip Roast, unthawed (grass-fed and organic is preferred)
1 bottle of Pure Doctor LIVE Soda Kombucha (If you don't have this brand, you can use any kombucha you prefer, just be sure to add 1-3 drops of stevia if not using LIVE Soda brand)
1 tsp. Real Salt
Add your tip roast to the crockpot and season with salt. Pour the kombucha over the meat and cook on low 8-10 hrs. Reserve juices for gravy.
Kombucha Drippings Gravy
Reserved roast drippings
Gluten-free beef broth (enough to make 1 1/2 C. of drippings and broth)
Real Salt to taste
Take the remaining juices out of your roast about 10 min. prior to serving and add them to a saucepan with enough broth to equal 1 1/2 cups. Cook on medium heat until gently boiling. Meanwhile, combine 1/4 c. more gluten-free beef broth and 1 T. non-GMO cornstarch until well blended. Slowly add in the cornstarch mixture to boiling drippings and stir until it starts to thicken. Enjoy hot over your roast and mashed potatoes if you prefer.


text: I have this experiment that I am working on. It reguires me to take an aquarium, filled with honey bees and hive, into a 0 gravity atmosphere. My only issue It that I have no idea how to keep the tank warm enough, that the bees will remain active and forrage for food. What can I use to warm the tank?


text:
You are herecontent / Two petitions, two approaches toward defending Iran
Two petitions, two approaches toward defending Iran
By Phil Wilayto
After a period in which defending Iran hasn't been very high on the agenda of most U.S. anti-war activists, there are now two petition campaigns opposing war and sanctions against Iran.
One effort is led by a New York City-based organization more known for defending Cuban "dissidents" who openly take U.S. money to try to undermine the Cuban Revolution. The other was launched by an independent Tehran-based organization formed to promote Iranian solidarity with Cuba, Venezuela and other progressive countries in Latin America.
Curiously, it's the first campaign that seems to be getting the most support.
The first petition is the product of the Campaign for Peace and Democracy, an outfit formed in 1982 as the Campaign for Peace and Democracy/East and West, with the goal of promoting anti-socialist movements in the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries. While claiming to oppose injustice in both the U.S. and in countries targeted by Washington, its campaigns are virtually all directed at undermining governments under attack by Western powers.
In the case of Cuba, the CPD went to bat for about 75 Cuban dissidents imprisoned in 2003, some of whom had openly accepted money from the U.S. for counterrevolutionary activities. Here is how the CPD itself described the 75:
"Many of them, as well as other Cuban dissidents, have met with James Cason, head of the U.S. Interests Section in Cuba, and some have received duplicating materials, funding or other resources directly from the U.S. government or from NGOs funded by Washington." (1)
The CPD takes the same approach toward Iran, stating that "We too would like to see a regime change in Tehran, but one brought about by the Iranian people themselves, not by Washington." (2)
Like Cuba, Iran isn't targeted by the U.S. because of any issue of democracy or human rights. (Both the U.S. and the CPD are stunningly silent about human rights abuses in U.S. client states like Saudi Arabia or Honduras.) Instead, it's because, like Cuba, Iran refuses to go along with the dictates of the Empire, a dangerous position to take anywhere, but especially in the oil-rich Middle East.
So it's not surprising that the CPD includes this line in its petition opposing war and sanctions against Iran: "We support those who struggle for democracy and social justice inside Iran."
The statement may seem innocuous enough, what does it really mean?
In the West, we're told there are two sides in Iran: the people, and a repressive government. Period.
What we're not told is that the major division in Iranian society today is class. While the major industries like gas and oil are owned by the government, there is a substantial private sector with its own economic and political agenda, and it is this sector that is the social basis for the anti-government movement. Even the Western media admits that it was mainly the middle and upper classes that supported last year's main presidential challenger, Mir Hossein Mousavi, and the protests that followed the 2009 election, while it's the poor and the working class that provide the political support for the administration of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Surely, many of those who took to the streets in Tehran and other cities were motivated by a sincere belief that the election was unfair, and also wanted a loosening of what they saw as social and political restrictions. And some of these suffered unjustly for taking part in the protests, as both President Ahmadinejad and the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have admitted.
But there also are other forces opposing the Iranian government.
There are the royalists, who want to bring back a Shah. There are the armed groups that carry out attacks on government forces, such as the PKK in the Northwest, Jundallah in the Southeast and the MKO, which until recently operated with virtual U.S. protection from bases in Iraq. Even though some of these organizations have been exposed as receiving substantial financial and military support from the U.S. (3), they all claim to be promoting "democracy and social justice."
Then there are the ideological elements in the "pro-democracy" movement that promote a bona fide neocon program of privatization, deregulation and massive cuts in social services.
And there's the matter of the tens of millions of dollars spent by first the Bush/Cheney and now Obama administrations to support Iranian "dissidents." (4)
The CPD petition in effect asks U.S. activists to declare their unconditional support for all these forces, without distinction.
This isn't the first time the CPD has tried to promote its politics in the anti-war arena. Its petition is based on a resolution that the organization unsuccessfully introduced at the mass anti-war conference held this past July in Albany, New York. That gathering, called the United National Anti-War Conference (UNAC), was attended by 750 activists representing virtually every anti-war organization in the country, making it the largest peace conference held in the U.S. in decades.
The CPD resolution, which condemned the Ahmadinejad government along with war and sanctions, was defeated by a 2-1 margin, after the conference attendees accepted the argument that it wasn't the role of the U.S. movement to take sides on internal matters in Iran.
Instead, a resolution against war and sanctions initiated by the Defenders for Freedom, Justice & Equality and co-sponsored by the Fellowship of Reconciliation and the International Action Center, a resolution that purposely did not address internal issues in Iran, passed unanimously.
Just as there was an alternative to the CPD resolution at the Albany conference, there is now an alternative to the CPD petition.
In mid-October, a nongovernmental organization in Iran called House of Latin America, or HOLA, invited several anti-imperialist organizations from the U.S. to Tehran with the goal for building the movement against war and sanctions against Iran. Among those who attended were representatives of the International Action Center, ANSWER Coalition, Toronto Coalition Against the War and the American Iranian Friendship Committee.
HOLA was started about five years ago to promote solidarity with the peoples of Latin America. Its activities have included organizing solidarity trips to Nicaragua and Venezuela, hosting a talk by Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua, translating a book by Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and facilitating a visit to Iran by the son and daughter of Che Guevara to participate in a commemoration of the 40th anniversary of Che's death.
HOLA proposed setting up a new campaign called Solidarity with Iran or SI, which is promoting its own petition. This one spends more time detailing U.S. threats to Iran, defends Iran's right to develop nuclear power for peaceful energy purposes and doesn't take a position on Iran's "pro-democracy" movement.
U.S. progressives who want to add their voices to the movement to oppose war and sanctions against Iran would do well to look into who is promoting which campaigns, and why. Otherwise, we can risk squandering our limited political capital in the service of those whose goals are diametrically opposed to our own.
The CPD petition can be found at http://www.cpdweb.org/stmts/1015/stmt.shtml.
A copy of the HOLA petition has been posted by the Defenders at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/si-dfje.)
Phil Wilayto is a longtime community and anti-war activist based in Richmond, Virginia. He is editor of The Virginia Defender newspaper and author of "In Defense of Iran: Notes from a U.S. Peace Delegation's Journey through the Islamic Republic." (www.DefendersFJE.org/dpi). He can be reached at email@example.com.
1 - "Statement Protesting Repression in Cuba" - http://www.cpdweb.org/stmts/1002/stmt.shtml)
2 - "Iran: Neither U.S. Aggression nor the Theocratic Repression - A call for a new, democratic U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East" - http://www.cpdweb.org/stmts/1005/stmt.shtml
3 - "Preparing the Battlefield: The Bush administration steps up its secret moves against Iran" - The New Yorker, July 7, 2008 - http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/07/07/080707fa_fact_hersh
4 - "U.S. grants support to Iranian dissidents" - USA Today, June 28, 2009 - http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-06-25-iran-money_N.htm
- Login to post comments
- Email this page
- Printer-friendly version
This, btw, is relevant with respect to potential war on Iran; and it's also relevant simply in terms of US-lead hypocrisy against Iran.
I made three posts about this in the following page and the first two posts are for links and excerpts from several articles about this death sentence urgently needing to be dropped or stopped. The third post is primarily for very important background, historical information, and it's relevant today with respect to potential war on Iran. That's in the article by Muriel Mirak-Weissbach, but the post also has a link for a transcript of an August 5th, 2010 interview with Tariq Aziz by Martin Chulov of or for the Guardian, UK. I got the link for that transcript based on Muriel Mirak-Weissbach's article. As she said in her article, getting Tariq Aziz freed is what the world presently needs to do and if he was freed, then he could be of great help for opposition to threats of war or actual war on Iran.
Americans need to demand that the Congress act to stop this death sentence against Tariq Aziz, who is innocent.
- Login to post comments
The GR page a little further below apparently is a copy or version of his article, above, and people can check his author index at GR by using the direct link at the end of the article, below, to check for his related articles. He only has two other articles at GR, so I'll list both of their titles and dates.
"Clinton appoints former embassy hostage as point person on Iran", Nov. 11th, 2009
"Key facts to keep in mind while opposing war against Iran", Sept. 29th, 2009
- Login to post comments


text:
Article Preview
SENATOR DEFENDS HAYNSWORTH ACTS; Hollings Contends Charges Are Grossly Exaggerated
Special to The New York Times ();
October 08, 1969,
, Section , Page 32, Column , words
WASHINGTON, Oct. 7 -- A supporter of Clement F. Haynsworth Jr.'s Supreme Court nomination asserted today that the charges of ethical impropriety against Mr. Haynsworth had been grossly exaggerated by his opponents and by the press.
October 08, 1969
Thank you for visiting The New York Times archive.
New York Times subscribers* enjoy full access to TimesMachine—view 129 years of New York Times journalism, as it originally appeared. 99¢ for your first 4 weeks.
Or, purchase this article individually for $3.95 and download a high-resolution PDF.
* Does not include NYT Now or Premium Crosswords subscribers.
Already a subscriber? Log in to view this article »


text:
Exports Aren't Helping British EconomySarah Arnott
The downturn in UK manufacturing is deepening and export sales worsening—leaving the Bank of England's hope that overseas markets will pull the economy out of recession looking increasingly forlorn.
Both industrial output and employment are falling at record rates, according to the latest figures from the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (Cips). Not only are domestic orders weak, but overseas sales are collapsing as, despite the weak pound, UK exports struggle to compete in contracting foreign markets.
Roy Ayliffe, a Director at Cips, said:"The latest data confirms the degeneration of the UK manufacturing sector as it contracted at a rate evocative of the dire conditions seen in the early 1980s."
The grim survey results will add to the pressure on the Bank of England to make further interest rates cuts. Although rates are already at an all-time low of 1 per cent, further reductions are expected when the Bank's Monetary Policy Committee meets tomorrow. Experts predict a 50 basis point cut, taking the rate down to just 0.5 per cent, alongside an announcement of the start of quantitive easing – the economists' term for injecting new money into the economy.
But the problem is that the Bank is running out of options. Sterling has been allowed to fall sharply in the hope that it will boost UK exports, which in turn will lead the economy out of recession. It is a tactic which has worked a number of times in the past, most recently in 1992, when the UK fell out of the Exchange Rate Mechanism. But with recession biting hard on economic activity across the world, even a weak currency cannot make up for the massive fall in demand – as evidenced by the stagnation in the UK car industry, which is heavily export-led.
The Cips survey findings are consistent with an annual rate of production decline of 12 per cent and employment contraction of around 30,000 jobs per month – re-iterating the gloomy message from the EEF earlier in the week. The manufacturers' lobby group is predicting 140,000 redundancies this year.


text:
2903 Golden Valley Rd
Willard-Hay, Minneapolis, 55411
Commute to Downtown Golden Valley
Most errands require a car.
Many nearby public transportation options.
Some hills, excellent bike lanes.
About your score
2903 Golden Valley Rd has a Walk Score of 37 out of 100. This location is a Car-Dependent neighborhood so most errands require a car.
This location is in the Willard-Hay neighborhood in Minneapolis. Nearby parks include Willard Park, Farwell Park and North Commons.
Explore how far you can travel by car, bus, bike and foot from 2903 Golden Valley Rd.
2903 Golden Valley Rd has good transit which means many nearby public transportation options.
Bus lines:
14 Robbinsdale-West Broadway-Bloomington Av
0.1 mi
30 Broadway Crosstown - Westgate Station
0.1 mi
19 Olson Memorial Hwy - Penn Av N - Brooklyn Center
0.4 mi
Bike shares:
View all Willard-Hay apartments on a map.
Search for homes in Minneapolis or find a Minneapolis real estate agent who knows walkable neighborhoods. Links will open on our partner site Redfin.com.
2903 Golden Valley Rd is in the Willard-Hay neighborhood. Willard-Hay is the 72nd most walkable neighborhood in Minneapolis with a neighborhood Walk Score of 49.
Moving to Minneapolis from another city? View our moving to Minneapolis guide.


text:
Unique Valentine's Day Poems
Valentine's Day is the perfect opportunity to tell your loved ones how you feel. What better way to do that than through the written word? Figuring out what to write in a Valentine's Day card can be very difficult; however, you can't go wrong with a carefully selected quote or a Valentine's Day poem.
While some may find that channeling their inner Shakespeare, Whitman or Dickinson is no problem, others may need some help. You can choose to write your own poem and if not, there are many different Valentine's Day poems to choose from. Below are a few suggestions for what you can choose to write in a Valentine's Day card to your loved one, family, or friends.
Roses are Red Poems
Everyone knows the traditional poem that starts with "Roses are red, Violets are blue." This is a straightforward poem that only requires two more lines. This option is simple, sweet, and still allows for one to add a personal touch. Below are two examples to help get the creative juices flowing.
Roses are red.
Violets are blue.
I don't know where I'd be
If I didn't have you.
Roses are red,
Violets are blue.
Nothing in this crazy world
Could keep me from loving you!
Roses are red,
Violets are blue.
I've never seen anyone as beautiful as you.
Roses are red,
Violets are blue.
The best part of my life is you!
Classic Love Poems
Not exactly a poet? You need not worry. Borrowing from the greats is still a lovely way to let your love one how much you care. Whether you pick out a few of your favorite snippets from the book, Love Letters of Great Men or you simply "Google It" is up to you. Take a look at these quotes taken from love letters.
"I wouldn't leave you in times of trouble
We never could have come this far.
I took the good times, I'll take the bad times
I'll take you just the way you are."
"Just the Way You Are" – Billy Joel
"I wanna call you mine,
Wanna hold your hand forever.
And never let you forget.
I wanna make you feel wanted…"
"Wanted" – Hunter Hayes
"I want to spend my lifetime loving you,
If that is all in life I ever do I will want nothing else to see me through,
If I could spend my lifetime loving you."
"I Want to Spend My Lifetime Loving You" – Marc Anthony
"I hope you don't mind,
I hope you don't mind,
that I put into words,
how wonderful life is,
now you're in the world."
"Your Song" – Elton John
"The first time ever I saw your face
I thought the sun rose in your eyes
And the moon and the stars were the gifts you gave
To the dark and the end of the skies."
"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" – Roberta Flack
Poems for Kids
Valentine's Day isn't solely about showering your partner with love notes and chocolate. You can also show your kids how much you love them by giving them a Valentine's Day Card or helping them write a message for other loved ones. Kid-friendly poems are also perfect for exchanging classmate Valentine's Day cards. These simple poems are thoughtful, sweet, and appropriate for any Valentine scenario.
"Won't you be my valentine,
And fly away with me?
We'll bumble along together,
Cause you're my Honey Bee!"
"I'll be very happy
If you'll be my Valentine;
You'll fill my heart with joy,
And my day with bright sunshine!"
"A circle is round,
It has no end,
That's how long,
I want to be your friend."
"To each and every friend of mine
I'll send a lovely valentine.
Mom, Dad, Sis, and Brother, too.
Will receive a heart that says,
'I love you.'"
"My love is like a cabbage,
Divided into two,
The leaves I give to others,
The heart I give to you."
How to Write an Original Poem
If you would like to steer clear of the traditional route, create an original poem. You can keep it short or create a masterpiece for your Valentine. A whimsical note to your loved one is always a popular option, especially when written with rhymes. If you're going to write a lengthy message, you can also forego rhymes and tell your Valentine exactly what's on your mind. As long as your message feels sincere, your Valentine will appreciate your careful thought. An example is below that can be used to spur on more ideas.
Loving you is way too effortless.
Everything you do leaves me breathless.
I've been so happy since we've been together.
I'll always love you... now and forever.
It is important to write from the heart or select a quote that says how you feel. And remember, if you take the time to plan what to write in your Valentine's Day card, your sweetheart is sure to love it! And it never hurts to add some X's and O's. Happy Valentine's Day!
Valentine's Day Cards, Photo Cards & Gifts
It is important to write from the heart or select a quote that says how you feel. And remember, if you take the time to plan what to write in your Valentine's Day card, your sweetheart is sure to love it! And it never hurts to add some X's and O's. Happy Valentine's Day!


text:
Adding trend lines to the fragmentation and disintermediation of media forces us to consider that the local media company of tomorrow will be vastly different than the radio station, television station or newspaper of today.
Long-term prosperity for tomorrow begins with the assumption that we will be more than we are today. This is step one in the transformation from a single entity with one core competency to a vibrant local media company with a portfolio of properties and multiple business models.
This vision of tomorrow is what drives AR&D's Simulpath™ strategy, the following of two separate paths on the road to profitability.
Path one includes a host of tactics designed to extend our existing brand into the world of cyberspace.
Path two moves us directly into the disruption that is attacking our core.
Necessarily, we put more resources into path one today, but as our dual path efforts mature, resources will naturally swing to path two.
This is because path two is the road of growth. It plays by different rules, but it's only confusing if we make no effort to understand its core business tenets.
So it's important we look at where we're headed in order to accommodate this inevitable switch, for the profitable local media company of tomorrow will be one that necessarily attacks the inefficiencies of the mass marketing model that drives path one.
Broadcasting isn't the only industry that's had to face this uncomfortable reality. IBM was the mainframe computer company when the personal computer came along. Kodak thought it was in the film business until digital photography blew away its core competency. IBM found the courage to compete with itself and blossomed in the PC market. Kodak fought the change, and it nearly cost them everything.
Of course, the mass-marketing model of our Media 1.0 business will always have an audience, but it's a mature business now. And as we look at the parallel path of Media 2.0, it's clear there will ultimately be competition between the two for ad dollars.
So when we say that we need to move "into the disruption," we're saying we need to find the courage to compete with ourselves in very real ways. In this way, we become the disruption and can conduct ourselves on the same playing field as the internet pureplays who are after our revenue in ways we don't even yet see.


text:
a place for zinesters - writers and readers
This zine is a collaborative work with venezuelan artists. Contain a piece draw by each one of the contributors in each page. I will sell it at the Zine fest Berlin in case somebody is interested and want to take a look at it.
The zine description is A5 size, 16 pages and great art content!


text:
Worm:W32/Dabber.A only affects systems that had been previously infected by Worm:W32/Sasser, as it spreads through a vulnerability in the FTP server of the Sasser worm. Once installed, Dabber removes registry values installed by other malware and installs its own backdoor.
Manual Disinfection
Manual disinfection of Dabber consists of the following steps:
- Remove the following registry value:
- [HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]"sassfix" = "%SystemDir%\package.exe"
- Restart the computer
- Delete the file 'package.exe' from the System and all Startup directories
Computers infected by the Dabber worm must also be disinfected of the Sasser worm as well. For disinfection details and a removal tool, please see the Worm:W32/Sasser description.
Technical Details
Worm:W32/Dabber was written in the Visual C++ programming language, and spreads in a UPX + Pe_Patch compressed form. The unpacked size of the worm is around 70 KiB. Once active on the infected machine, Dabber opens 9898/TCP and installs a general purpose backdoor that can be used to download and execute arbitrary programs.
Also, in an attempt to disable different other viruses, Dabber removes a large number of registry values.
System Infection
When Dabber enters the system, it creates a copy of itself in the Windows System Directory, using the file name 'package.exe'. This copy is added to the Registry as
- [HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]"sassfix" = "%SystemDir%\package.exe"
Two additional copies are placed to the common user Startup Directories, also using the name 'package.exe'.
Network Propagation
Dabber spreads by exploiting a vulnerability in the FTP server of Sasser.
The worm scans random hosts for open 5554/TCP ports, where the Sasser FTP server also listens. If the port is open, Dabber attacks the host with an exploit that opens a shell on the host on 8967/TCP.
Using the shell, Dabber forces the victim machine to download the worm body from the attacker host using TFTP. Dabber has its own TFTP server to serve the victims. Summary of TCP ports used by the worm:
- 5554/TCP: sasser's FTP server on the infected machines
- 8967/TCP:Temporary shell opened by the exploit on the vulnerable hosts
- 9898/TCP:Backdoor port opened by Dabber
Detection in F-Secure Anti-Virus was published on May 14th, 2004 in update:


text:
Le Grand, Julian (2001) Equity as an economic objective. In: Barr, Nicholas, (ed.) Economic Theory and the Welfare State: a Survey and Reinterpretation. The international library of critical writings in economics,1(132). Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, UK. ISBN 9781858987057
|Item Type:
|Book Section
|Official URL:
|Additional Information:
|© 2001 Edward Elgar
|Library of Congress subject classification:
|H Social Sciences > HB Economic Theory
H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology
|Departments > Social Policy
Research centres and groups > LSE Health
Collections > Economists Online
Research centres and groups > Suntory and Toyota International Centres for Economics and Related Disciplines (STICERD)
|Date Deposited:
|02 Sep 2008 08:55
Actions (login required)
|Record administration - authorised staff only


text: Don't really have the time to hit on all of Low's points but to quickly respond, I don't have a problem with Laimbeer. Just think the love is disproportionate to his talent and more importantly to this team's needs. He's tough. I get that. It's great to assign an identity that sells tickets so people come watch a mediocre team. But that doesn't make a great coach. Nor does playing under other great coaches. There are a bunch of coaches out there with those qualifications. The answer isn't toughness. The answer is talent. The problem with this team the last 5 or so years has been the front office. I personally don't care much for tradition for tradition's sake. If I thought Karl Malone was the best guy to lead the Pistons back to relevance, I'd cheer him on with all my might then wake up every morning for a year and watch him elbow Zeke in the face. I really just want the team to do some combination of win, show the potential to be a winning team, or at the least be entertaining. I don't care much about the Pistons "bloodline". That Dumars won a championship as a player and then built a championship team as a GM is cool. All the continuance I need.


text:
Leo met Rocco XXL on wasteland area, the two hot guys catch up each other and started having sex in a big hole. Leo got Rocco's huge cock in his mouth and hole. his ass remember of it for several days….
Name: EricVideos-Leo_Gets_Plowed_by_Rocco_XXL.mp4
Duration: 00:22:36
Filesize: 428.5 MB
VIDEO: 1280×720 at 25.000 fps, MPEG-4 Visual, 2481 Kbps
AUDIO: 48.0 KHz, AAC, 2 ch, 165 Kbps