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The problem of relative privilege in the working class
"Waterside worker', by Noel Counihan, 1963.
By Chris Slee
March 18, 2013 – Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal -- In his article entitled "Is there a labour aristocracy in Australia?" (published in the Socialist Alternative magazine, Marxist Left Review) Tom Bramble criticises the concept of the "labour aristocracy" on a number of grounds.
He says that the term "labour aristocracy" is ambiguous. Pointing out that different people have used it in different ways, he asks who is included: "Is it the union bureaucracy and the parliamentarians? Plus the skilled tradesmen? Or, indeed, is it the entire Western working classes?"[1]
The most common use of the term "labour aristocracy" is to refer to skilled workers in the imperialist countries, who are considered to have been bought off with a share of imperialist super-profits. Bramble argues that this theory does not explain the actual differences in political outlook among different groups of workers – skilled workers are not necessarily more conservative than unskilled ones.
He adds that the theory of labour aristocracy "exaggerates divisions within the working class and underestimates the potential for working class unity against the capitalist class".[2]
I myself don't much like the term "labour aristocracy". I prefer to talk about "relative privilege". There are many different forms of inequality within the working class. The term "labour aristocracy" seems inadequate to cover them all.
However, I think it is important to recognise that inequality within the working class exists, and that it can have a big impact on workers' political outlook. The better-off sections will often defend their relative privileges at the expense of other workers (though this is not inevitable).
Inequality among workers
Capitalism develops unevenly, and produces very different wages and conditions for different sections of the working class.
The most obvious example is that average pay rates for workers in the advanced capitalist countries are many times higher than average pay rates for workers in less developed countries.
There are also differences within countries. As a general rule, skilled workers are paid more than unskilled workers. But there are many other differences:
- Workers in predominantly male occupations tend to be paid more than workers in predominantly female occupations.
- Workers with permanent full-time jobs are better off than those with casual or part-time jobs. In many Third World countries, permanent workers are a small minority of the population, with the majority of workers being in the "informal sector", trying to survive on poorly paid casual work.
- In the Australian Public Service, there is a formal hierarchy with multiple levels. The bottom rung of the ladder is called "APS 1" (Australian Public Service, level 1). It goes up to APS 6, then the terminology changes to EL 1 (Executive Level 1) and EL 2, then above that there are various levels of the Senior Executive Service. To add to the complexity, with the introduction of agency bargaining in the Australian Public Service about 20 years ago, the pay rates in different government departments began to diverge. An APS 3 in the Australian Taxation Office is paid differently to an APS 3 in Centrelink.
- Workers in the mining industry in Australia are currently paid much more than those in most other industries (though their working conditions are very bad, and they could lose their jobs when the mining boom goes bust).
- In China, workers with urban residency status are much better off than workers whose official status is "rural", but who work in urban factories.
Inequality, conflict and solidarity
Material inequalities between different groups of workers can contribute to conflict between them. Often one group of workers will try to defend their position of relative privilege against other workers who are perceived as threatening it.
For example, the relatively privileged position of Australian workers compared to those in many other countries affects attitudes towards immigration. Many workers in Australia fear that migrants from poor countries will work for lower rates of pay, and will therefore take jobs from Australian workers and/or cause Australian pay rates to fall.
This was a contributing factor to working-class support for the White Australia policy in the past, and still affects attitudes to immigration and refugees today. It helps to explain the high level of hostility toward refugees arriving in Australia by boat. (Of course, this hostility is greatly exacerbated by politicians and the media, who deliberately set out to create fears about "boat people".)
While recognising that inequality provides an objective basis for potential conflict among groups of workers, we should not view this as an absolute and unchangeable obstacle to working-class unity. There is often a political struggle within the relatively privileged sections of the working class about how to respond. Those defending the maintenance of privilege may be challenged by those promoting solidarity.
In the early 20th century, many Australian unions supported the White Australia policy. But the Industrial Workers of the World opposed the policy and tried to organise non-white workers as well as white workers.
The IWW was crushed by state repression during the First World War. But in subsequent years Australian unions have at times taken action in solidarity with workers overseas, with national liberation struggles and with Aboriginal people.
Similarly there have been debates within the unions about equality for women. For a long time the tramways union banned women from becoming tram drivers in Melbourne. In 1956 the union went on strike to oppose management's plans to train female drivers. In 1973 the union imposed a ban on the route where training of female drivers was occurring. After a long campaign, the ban on women drivers was overturned by a vote of union members in 1975.[3]
Origins of inequality among workers
What are the reasons for inequality amongst different groups of workers?
Tom Bramble criticises the idea that the labour aristocracy gets a "bribe" from the capitalists, paid for out of imperialist super-profits. He says that skilled workers are paid more than other workers because their labour power is worth more.
He attributes the higher wages in advanced capitalist countries to higher productivity:
More generally, the notion that higher wages in the developed countries derive from low wages in the less developed, a central proposition of [Arghiri] Emmanuel's version of unequal exchange, overlooks the fact that while wages may be higher in the former, the rate of exploitation – the proportion of the value created by the worker appropriated by the capitalist – is also higher. This apparent paradox can be explained by the fact that technique of production, and thus productivity, is usually far greater. Higher wages in the developed countries simply reflect the much higher value of labour power owing to the skills, training and cultural development of workers in such countries.[4]
But why does labour productivity differ so markedly from one country to another? In particular, why is the productivity of labour generally higher in imperialist countries than in Third World countries?
The reasons are complex. Part of the answer is that some of the wealth plundered from colonies was invested in the colonising powers, resulting in the development of the productive forces, and of labour productivity, in these countries.
For a long time the most advanced factories were built in the imperialist countries. In the 19th century, textile mills were built in England rather than India. In the 20th century, car factories were initially built in the United States, Europe and Japan, rather than Africa, Latin America or most of Asia.
In this situation, workers in the imperialist countries were able to win some gains in pay and conditions as a result of their trade union struggles. Because of the high productivity of labour, the capitalists were able to grant pay rises without affecting their profits too drastically (though usually they still had to be forced to do so).
In addition capitalist governments, aiming to alleviate discontent among their working class, ensure social peace and promote loyalty to the nation state, introduced some welfare measures (to varying degrees in different imperialist countries).
The outcome was a vast gulf between the pay, conditions and welfare rights of workers in imperialist countries and those in colonial or semi-colonial countries. The relative privilege of workers in the imperialist countries has been the material basis for working-class support for a range of racist and exclusionary policies, including the White Australia policy in the past and continuing anti-refugee policies in Australia today, the "Fortress Europe" policy and the attempts to restrict Latin American immigration to the United States.
This is not to say that racist attitudes will inevitably predominate among workers in imperialist countries. Sentiments of solidarity also exist, and can be further developed by good leadership. But it will remain a very difficult struggle so long as global economic differences remain as large as they presently are.
Changes in the location of industry
In recent years some high-technology industries have shifted to Third World countries, such as South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia and more recently China.
In part, this is because technology makes it easier to organise production on a global scale. It has become easier to close down a factory in one country and replace it with a factory in another country.
A range of factors may influence decisions on the location of production, including closeness to markets, perceptions of political stability, the quality of infrastructure, and the availability of workers with necessary skills. But labour costs are a very important factor. Other things being equal, capitalists will locate their factories where pay rates are lower.
The shifting of some production to Third World countries (or the threat to do so) has weakened the bargaining position of unions in imperialist countries. This has contributed to the gradual decline of pay and conditions in these countries.
On the other hand, there has been a growth in workers' struggles in some of the countries to which production has been shifted. For example, there have been many strikes in China in recent years, and Chinese workers have won substantial pay rises.
Nevertheless, Chinese pay rates remain far below those in the imperialist countries. Thus there is still an incentive for capitalists to shift production from these countries to China.
It is not just factory work that is being relocated. A lot of call-centre work has been relocated from Australia to India and the Philippines.
Union response
How should unions in the advanced capitalist countries respond to this situation?
The traditional response of Australian unions has been to call for increased tariff protection, or for subsidies to companies investing in Australia. Neither of these is a good solution from a socialist point of view.
A better approach is to try to assist workers in countries such as China to improve their pay and conditions. There have been campaigns to shame companies such as Apple over its treatment of workers in the Chinese factories that make its products.
Such campaigns have had a degree of success in some cases. It is hard to judge how big an impact they have had, because transnational corporations often operate through subcontractors, and it is hard to check on what is happening in all the factories.
In any case, monitoring by foreign NGOs is no substitute for the organisation of the Chinese working class in strong trade unions. Despite the militancy of many Chinese workers, the official trade union movement in China is very conservative and does not support strikes.
How should Australian unions react when companies threaten to close a factory in Australia and move production to another country (whether a Third World or another imperialist country)?
We should argue that it is the responsibility of the Australian government to ensure that there are jobs with good pay and conditions for all workers in Australia. This means the government should take over factories threatened with closure and run them as public enterprises, or else provide the sacked workers with alternative work. Public housing, public transport and renewable energy are some of the areas that governments should invest in and create jobs.
In support of these demands we should encourage pickets, factory occupations, street demonstrations, etc.
'Guest workers'
Another issue is the use of "guest workers" (in Australia, workers on 457 visas). In this case, instead of shifting production to a country where pay rates are lower (which is not possible for some kinds of work, e.g. mining and construction), workers from poorer countries are brought in temporarily to work in a rich country on lower pay and conditions than those prevailing in the rich country.
How should we respond?
We should campaign for the abolition of the "guest worker" (457 visa) system, and demand that all people coming to work in Australia are entitled to permanent residency and eventual citizenship. Existing 457 visa workers should be offered permanent residency.
Unions should recruit the 457 visa workers, and ensure that they receive the same pay and conditions as Australian workers. This has been done in some cases.
Employer violations of 457 visa rules
Companies are only supposed to use workers on 457 visas if workers with the relevant skills are not available in Australia. In reality, companies frequently disregard this requirement. Unions have tried to limit the number of guest workers by ensuring that companies abide by the regulations, and have called for the law to be made stricter and enforced more rigorously.
Recently there was a picket in Werribee, an outer suburb of Melbourne, around this issue. Workers on 457 visas were being used on a construction project. Unemployed workers with relevant skills living in the Werribee area set up a picket demanding that they be given jobs on the site. The picket eventually dispersed after the police threatened to physically attack it.[5]
It may seem reasonable to demand that companies abide by the legal limits on the use of 457 visas. However this can create problems if the guest workers are already in Australia, because it may lead to them being sacked and sent home.
If employers have brought guest workers to Australia contrary to the guidelines, unions face a dual task. On the one hand they should try to recruit the guest workers to the union and defend their pay and conditions. But unions also have to support their unemployed members who missed out on jobs because of the employer's actions. How to combine these two tasks is not easy.
One approach might be to demand that local workers be employed in addition to the 457 visa workers. The additional cost of employing two sets of workers would be a deterrent to employers who try to break the rules.
If the company decides to sack the guest workers and send them home, we should oppose this. If they are nevertheless sacked, we should demand that they receive redundancy payments equivalent to what they would have been paid if they had worked the expected length of their employment.
Such situations arise because of the highly unequal pay rates of workers in different parts of the world, which makes it worthwhile for bosses to either shift the work to another country, or move workers between countries.
One of our long-term goals should be to reduce inequality between workers in different countries, by raising the living standards of those in poorer countries. Pay rates should be leveled up, not leveled down as the capitalists would like.
Some gains can be made through successful struggles by unions and other social movements in Third World countries. Even bigger gains can be made through the coming to power of socialist governments, which can use their countries' resources for the benefit of the majority of people, rather than local and foreign capitalists.
People in the imperialist countries should do what they can to help these unions, social movements and socialist governments in Third World countries.
But radical change is needed in imperialist countries too. A socialist government coming to power in an advanced capitalist country could give a great deal of aid to help develop the productive forces of poorer countries, enabling them to raise the living standards of their people.
The struggle between solidarity and the defence of relative privilege is part of the struggle for a socialist world.
[Chris Slee is a Socialist Alliance activist in Melbourne.]
- Bramble, Tom, Is there a labour aristocracy in Australia? Marxist Left Review, no. 4, winter 2012, p. 107
- Bramble, MLR, no. 4, p. 103
- See www.hawthorntramdepot.org.au/papers/barry.htm and www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/hindsight/cap-234074/4208670.
- Bramble, MLR, no. 4, p. 107.
- See www.greenleft.org.au/node/53367 and www.greenleft.org.au/node/53274.
Abolish citizenship?
Great article. I think it raises very good points, and none of the following is meant as a criticism of the points being made, but instead to add my own thoughts as I was reading the article. Something I have been thinking about when it comes to debates over immigration is should there be a push to reform the system that allows more people to become citizens, or should we push for the entire system of citizenship to be abolished? Why do we limit legal rights to citizens of a certain country? I think that all workers of the world should be treated with the same level of high respect and dignity, including access to food, shelter, self-development and meaningful work. I think that by limiting any demands to citizens only, yet loosening the restrictions to becoming a citizen invariably butts up against the us vs them mentality of base nationalism.
Chris writes: "Many workers in Australia fear that migrants from poor countries will work for lower rates of pay, and will therefore take jobs from Australian workers and/or cause Australian pay rates to fall."
I don't think that's a fear, that is a reality brought about by the capitalist system of competition. I think that a simple redirection of this anger towards those actually perpetrating the crime (the capitalists) is a solid tactic that I don't see often used. It's more difficult to make the case of solidarity if you accept the already slanted rules of the capitalist game. Much better to go straight to to the problem and attack it at it's root. Of course, how to do it is the question. I don't think that the government (definitely not in the US) is going to nationalize an industry when a factory shuts down. Even if they did, they could easily reverse this decision once public pressure has died down. I think that this factory takeover must be done by the workers of that factory and the workers of the community. If you could get the government to appropriate the factory and give ownership to that group, not as individual stakeholders, but as a class, that would really be something. Then you wouldn't likely see it taken away. After all, it would be the government taking our factory and giving it to others, as opposed to the government taking their factory and giving it to a capitalist.
Some points on an excellent article re: privilege
Excellent article, particularly its discussion of imperialism and the development of production, labor gains, and welfare states in the global north. There are some things I would like to comment on, either to expand on or to praise:
"Workers in predominantly male occupations tend to be paid more than workers in predominantly female occupations."
This is true, but it is an incomplete picture that should be expanded. While part of the pay gap is absolutely discrimination, another part is that male occupations include almost (prostitution being a notable exception) every single one of the most dangerous and deadly industries (which come with hazard pay), and men tend to choose to work longer hours and take less time off for domestic home-making labor (which is unpaid and mostly done by women), leading to greater promotion and to opportunities in more demanding, higher-paying industries. Note this:
"Workers in the mining industry in Australia are currently paid much more than those in most other industries (though their working conditions are very bad, and they could lose their jobs when the mining boom goes bust)."
One of the reason these male-dominated rural extractive industries pay so well is because they're dangerous as hell. People demand hazard pay to claw into the bowels of the Earth, shake hands with the devil, and bring up bits of shiny metal and flammable rock for industrial use, risking lung diseases, cave-ins, morlocks, and all other sort of nastiness.
On the other hand, these choices don't exist in a vacuum. This gendered division of labor is driven by social pressure put on both men and women to fulfill certain gender roles, and shaming, harassment, and worse for breaking those gender roles. So, obviously, more action to fight the gender binary is necessary. I'm not so much disagreeing with the 'men get paid more' point as trying to expand on it and put it in its broader social context.
"In China, workers with urban residency status are much better off than workers whose official status is "rural", but who work in urban factories."
I'm glad this was brought up. It's very rare that any attention is paid to the differences between urban and rural people in either the developing or developed world. I know that even in my own country, the access to jobs, health care, communications technology, culture and arts, and political organization is much greater for those living in the city than those living in the country- and the gap is greater in developing countries. I think that bias and stereotypes against rural people is also something that the Left should discuss more often.
"A better approach is to try to assist workers in countries such as China to improve their pay and conditions. There have been campaigns to shame companies such as Apple over its treatment of workers in the Chinese factories that make its products."
This. So much of this. I have had enough of developed world union trying to maintain protectionist policies denied to the global south. We should be standing in solidarity (not charity) with the developing world's workers, lending our support to their labor and community struggles. I think it is important, not just to target individual companies, but to fiercely target organizations like the IMF and World Bank which set forth a program of 'complementary development', encourage the race to the bottom, and work to strike down developing-world tariffs, labor rights, environmental protection, and sovereignty.
The labour aristocracy and politics in the worker movement
Chris Slee's article addresses important problems of stratification among workers and revolutionaries' tactics towards these. But it addresses neither the significance of Tom Bramble's rejection of the theory of the labour aristocracy—instead, he tends to agree with Bramble's claim that the theory "underestimates the potential for working class unity against the capitalist class"—nor the significance of the theory for Marxism. In response I offer a brief sketch (Bramble's article needs, and, indeed, deserves, a thorough critique, which is to come).
In Marxism, the theory of the labour aristocracy is perhaps best expressed in the development of Lenin's political thought.
Lars Lih has explained how the narrative of a merger between the worker movement and socialism was a key party-building concept for Lenin throughout his life. It can be found in What Is to Be Done? and in Left-Wing Communism: An Infantile Disorder.
Yet Lenin's thinking did not remain completely unchanged (to this extent I disagree with Lih). In 1914, what the German Social Democrats had become showed it was no longer the exemplar of the party he wanted.
Lenin set out to understand the political consequences of the emergence of imperialism, or monopoly capitalism. His chief conclusion was that the superprofits of monopolising capitals provided the basis for sustained concessions to, and the resultant relative privilege of, a stratum of workers (the 'labour aristocracy'). Among at least some of these workers, opportunism —a willingness to sacrifice the historic and general interests of the working class to their alliance with 'their' capitalists (their relationship of concessions and relative privilege) —and a 'bourgeois labour party', in one form or another, was inevitable.
Thus, in the past, opportunists could be included in the revolutionary party, because the expectation was that they would in good time cease to be opportunists, but now opportunists must be excluded from the revolutionary party. Revolutionaries should not orient toward the existing opportunist 'mass' organisations, but toward merger with the mass of workers, and working people generally, who would continue to need and to listen to the socialists. In any case, in the class struggle, a part of the relatively privileged workers, who were, after all, still workers, would also be part of the revolutionary movement: the proportion would only be determined in the course of the class struggle.
In the early Comintern, Lenin and others tried to enact this concept for the formation of revolutionary parties. No-one was to be excluded except the opportunists. One aspect of this was the effort to include the 'centrists', so long as they would exclude the opportunists. In the case of Italy, this meant the forces led by Serrati, which were the majority in the Socialist Party and would have begun as a majority in the Communist Party, but he didn't agree. (In 1924, when Antonio Gramsci had broken from the sectarian policy of Amadeo Bordiga to lead the Italian communist, he identified the creation of 'the higher stratum, the labour aristocracy,' as the particular determinant for the revolutionary party of 'a strategy and tactics more complex and long-term' than those seen in Russia in 1917.)
Today, we still live under the impact of imperialism and its political consequences. This is why I believe that SYRIZA suggests much about what is needed to work toward building a revolutionary party. However, this does not mean I agree with Louis Proyect when he writes:
I see SYRIZA as a throwback to the parties of the Second International in which left and right wings vied with each other. That includes the Russian Social Democratic Party that was home to a Bolshevik and Menshevik faction. It was a huge mistake for the Comintern to create a new kind of party that was purged of the reformist elements since the net result was division in the working class. Marxist parties have to engage with different levels of consciousness in the working class. When you amputate your right arm because it offends you, you lose contact with the masses who have not reached revolutionary conclusions. (http://louisproyect.wordpress.com/2013/03/13/greek-anarchists-and-greek-...
First, SYRIZA is 'purged' of at least some 'reformist' elements—that is, those represented by PASOK and DIMAR. It is a 'broad' party, but still it is not as broad as the parties of the pre-WWI Second International, which included every trend in the worker movement. Of course, this has only created the possibility of SYRIZA acting differently. The centrist leadership(s?) in SYRIZA might keep the Greek worker movement from struggling for socialism; the revolutionary leadership(s?) might through its action in SYRIZA (at least for now) start win the worker movement toward a struggle for socialism.
Second, the Comintern's efforts did not create the political division in the working class. (Proyect has argued incessantly that Lenin did not 'create a new kind of party', and rightly finds support for this view in Lih's work. Yet he finds that the Comintern, including under Lenin's leadership, did this. I could note that Gramsci's recreation of the Italian Communist Party proceeded under Zinoviev's slogan of 'Bolshevisation'. The problem with the Stalinised Communist parties was not that they were or conceived of as 'a new kind of party', but that they had become opportunist, to the extent that they were, through their alliance with the Soviet bureaucracy.) That already existed, as Lenin first showed and still exists, as we must continue to try to research and understand today.
The problem posed by the labour aristocracy is not that suggested by Proyect—that the revolutionary party must engage with the different levels of consciousness in the worker movement (as indeed it must). Rather that problem is that some workers, although who that might be is not predetermined, will never reach revolutionary conclusions under monopoly capitalism. To offer an alternative metaphor: you can live with an appendix, which is a remnant of the past, but when the appendix ruptures, it must be cut out. In the imperialist phase of capitalism, opportunism, with its social basis in the labour aristocracy, is the ruptured appendix of the merger of socialism and the worker movement.
labour aristocracy - response to Jonathan Strauss
Jonathan Strauss says: "Lenin set out to understand the political consequences of the emergence of imperialism, or monopoly capitalism. His chief conclusion was that the superprofits of monopolising capitals provided the basis for sustained concessions to, and the resulting relative privilege of, a stratum of workers (the 'labour aristocracy'). Among at least some of these workers, opportunism – a willingness to sacrifice the historic and general interests of the working class to their alliance with 'their' capitalists (their relationship of concessions and relative privilege) – and a 'bourgeois labour party', in one form or another, was inevitable".
But in Australia today, who comprises the "labour aristocracy" – the "stratum of workers" enjoying "relative privilege"?
The majority of Australian workers are much more highly paid than the majority of workers in China. We can therefore say that most Australian workers are "relatively privileged" compared to Chinese workers. From a global perspective, most Australian workers could be considered as part of an international "labour aristocracy".
But I don't think this would be a useful thing to say. The use of the term "labour aristocracy" would tend to promote pessimism about the possibility of winning a majority of the Australian working class to participate in the struggle for socialism.
We do need to recognize that relative privilege has a significant effect on the consciousness of the Australian working class, especially in relation to issues such as immigration and the treatment of refugees. This makes the work of socialists much more difficult.
Nevertheless I think we can win majority support if we approach workers in a transitional way.
The economic and environmental crises affect, or threaten to affect, all Australian workers. This means that objectively they have an interest in abolishing the capitalist system that causes these crises.
It is our task to find ways of showing them that this is the case.
A political theory
Chris Slee fails to refer to my immediately following paragraph beginning "thus", that is, the conclusion (I argue) Lenin drew and that I reiterate for contemporary circumstances.
Let me state the issue bluntly.
The composition of the labour aristocracy can be determined by thorough research. The key to its determination is the structure of sustained concessions made to sections of the working class. I have sketched this out in my articles several years on the theory. But in any case this sociological analysis is secondary in the theory to its political implications.
Lih has pointed out that Lenin had great political confidence in workers. With the theory of the labour aristocracy, he maintained that confidence in the mass of workers, while explaining, in passing, the opportunism of a small proportion of workers who had, however, come to dominate the then existing "mass" worker organisations.
I have the same confidence. There is no tendency to pessimism inherent in adherence to the theory of the labour aristocracy.
Moreover this confidence includes the view that right now parts of the working class can be won to participation in the struggle for socialism, that they can be organised, and that their leadership (for example, union leaders) can be part of the same struggle. This is proven (again!) by the role played by our few Socialist Alliance union leaders. This is in contrast to those who claim union leaders are inherently conservative (rather than subject to a certain tendency to bureaucratism that can be combated by the influence of the revolutionary party), offering this as their explanation for workers' politics.
further response to Jonathan Strauss
Jonathan Strauss points out that I failed to refer to the following paragraph in his first message:
"Thus, in the past, opportunists could be included in the revolutionary party, because the expectation was that they would in good time cease to be opportunists, but now opportunists must be excluded from the revolutionary party. Revolutionaries should not orient toward the existing opportunist 'mass' organisations, but toward merger with the mass of workers, and working people generally, who would continue to need and to listen to the socialists. In any case, in the class struggle, a part of the relatively privileged workers, who were, after all, still workers, would also be part of the revolutionary movement: the proportion would only be determined in the course of the class struggle".
I didn't refer to this para because I was dealing with a different question, namely: "But in Australia today, who comprises the 'labour aristocracy' – the 'stratum of workers' enjoying 'relative privilege'?"
I agree that relative privilege provides a social basis for opportunist politics. My point was that the MAJORITY of Australian workers are relatively privileged compared to workers in third world countries.
In my original article I explored some of the political implications of this fact (attitudes to immigration and refugees etc). But I also argued that these attitudes can be successfully challenged.
Jon says: "The composition of the labour aristocracy can be determined by thorough research. The key to its determination is the structure of sustained concessions made to sections of the working class."
During the post-war boom, "sustained concessions" were made to the majority of the working class in the advanced capitalist countries. These concessions included higher wages, the welfare state, etc. (Some sections of the working class were excluded, e.g. Aboriginal people in Australia)
The concessions to the working class have been under attack since the 1970s, to varying degrees in different countries. But most workers in imperialist countries still remain privileged compared to most workers in third world countries.
This makes our task more difficult, but not impossible. I agree with Jon's statement that "…a part of the relatively privileged workers…. would also be part of the revolutionary movement: the proportion would only be determined in the course of the class struggle".
I think it is possible to win a majority of Australian workers to socialist politics – but it won't be easy.
A "bourgeois labour party" and Marxist unity
I'm sure Tom Bramble, Chris and I all think "it is possible to win a majority of Australian workers to socialist politics – but it won't be easy" (I reiterate: the theory of the labour aristocracy does not "promote pessimism" about this possibility). That majority – in fact, an overwhelming majority of workers – is simply what is needed for the achievement of a revolution here, for which we all struggle.
Where I disagree with both Tom and Chris (for the time being?) is that in accordance with the theory of labour aristocracy I believe a "bourgeois labour party" to which part of the labour aristocracy adheres is inevitable in imperialist countries, whereas:
• Tom considers the theory "exaggerates divisions within the working class and underestimates the potential for working class unity against the capitalist class" (as cited above). Specifically, he argues that because workers' defence of relative privileges will not ultimately serve their interests, no section of workers will inevitably adhere to a bourgeois politics (see the concluding sections of his article).
• Chris rejects the theory of the "labour aristocracy" in favour of a concept of "relative privilege" because "the better-off sections [of workers] will often defend their relative privileges at the expense of other workers (though this is not inevitable)".
Does this disagreement about the inevitability of a "bourgeois labour party" matter if there is agreement on what is needed for the struggle for socialism? Not if practical collaboration can be achieved, but the theoretical difference tends to undermine the chance of agreement on 'what is to be done'.
Lenin's perspective on party-building was, as Lih discusses it, one that was confident about the merger of socialism and the worker movement. I argued above that, under the conditions of the imperialist epoch of capitalism, Lenin reinforced his perspective through the theory of the labour aristocracy, even as the theory somewhat reoriented that perspective. The theory was only in passing an explanation of opportunism. By way of extension, it was not an explanation of reformism more generally. I agree with this perspective on party-building and those limitations on the theory of the labour aristocracy.
The alternative on the revolutionary left to the merger narrative (that is Lenin's perspective) is the "worry about workers" thesis. Rejection of the theory of the labour aristocracy is consistent with upholding that thesis, because that thesis involves a belief that the merger of socialism and the worker movement cannot develop in "normal" times. The theory is discussed as an explanation of reformism (see the first paragraph of Bramble's for its discussion in these terms) to which other "explanations" for reformism are counterposed. In the case of the International Socialist tradition, from which Tom hails, two such are chief: the domination of a labour bureaucracy that is inherently conservative (the use of the term "bureaucracy", rather than "apparatus", ensures a circular argument, since the bureaucracy is ... bureaucratic) over a relatively inert worker mass; the material effects of the long boom in support of a broad reformism, and the ideological lingering of that reformism after the end of the long boom. (Neither explanation holds up in the light of the experience of the revolutionary worker movement, starting with what developed as the Bolsheviks. This occured during the two decades of long boom before WWI: by 1912 (through to 1914), for example, the Bolsheviks, the "majority-ites", had the most broadly read and financially supported publications, and had won leadership of a large majority of the Petersburg and Moscow unions and all the Duma parliamentary positions elected by workers.)
Thus, differences about the theory of the labour aristocracy map over, albeit indirectly, into differences about party-building perspectives.
Chris has explained that Tom's article "says that the term 'labour aristocracy' is ambiguous. Pointing out that different people have used it in different ways, [Tom] asks who is included: 'Is it the union bureaucracy and the parliamentarians? Plus the skilled tradesmen? Or, indeed, is it the entire Western working classes?' Chris, for his own part, offers that: "During the post-war boom, 'sustained concessions' were made to the majority of the working class in the advanced capitalist countries. These concessions included higher wages, the welfare state, etc. (Some sections of the working class were excluded, e.g. Aboriginal people in Australia.) The concessions to the working class have been under attack since the 1970s, to varying degrees in different countries. But most workers in imperialist countries still remain privileged compared to most workers in third world countries."
Chris has in fact quite rightly answered Tom's questions with the answer "none of the above", since the use by different people in different ways of "labour aristocracy" reflects the many non-Marxist uses of the term ("class" is also used by non-Marxists, is thus used in different ways and "is ambiguous"). This includes all those who argue that the labour aristocracy's sustained concessions are gained at the expense of other workers. Monopoly superprofits , which fund those concessions, are in fact gained from other capitalists and petty producers, without changing the prices of commodities.
Chris, however, has still probably exaggerated the size of the labour aristocracy in the Australian case. If the argument is, as I have made elsewhere, that the "sustained concessions" to some Australian workers between about 1920 and 1970 were primarily the idea that male wages should meet a family's needs rather than be market-driven, higher "margins" for skills than what was needed to obtain the skills, and a degree of union empowerment, then not only Aboriginal people but women generally must be excluded, as must many migrant workers. Perhaps a majority of employed workers were labour aristocratic, but certainly not a majority of all those who might become part of the worker movement.
More recently, the labour aristocracy has narrowed and changed in its composition. Certainly the majority of workers in rich countries remain better off than those in the global South, but aristocratic concessions were and are only a partial explanation of this.
The argument that workers
The argument that workers get paid more cos their productivity is higher doesn't refute the argument that there's a labour aristocracy. Its basically a moral statement that if they're more productive they "deserve" to get their higher wages. So what?


text:
Re: Emily Meese Moore and Thomas Quaid
In reply to:
Emily Meese Moore and Thomas Quaid
Linda Penn 2/29/04
Do you have birth/death date/place info for Thomas QUAID & Emily Meese MOORE?
Their daughter, America Jane QUAID b. 1853 TX, d. 30 Nov 1936 Stonewall, Pontotoc Co., OK, bd. Byrd's Prairie Cemetery, Tupelo, Coal Co., OK, was married 9 Dec 1869 in Cooke Co.,TX to my GGG uncle, John R. LONG b. 1848 TN, d. between 1889/1890 TX.
Also, do you know the names of any other children born to Thomas & Emily QUAID?
Fred Downs
More Replies:
Re: Emily Meese Moore and Thomas Quaid
krystal lucas 2/01/10

subset: commoncrawl


text:
I'm a strong proponent of the idea that an author's writing -- or an artist's work, etc. -- should be allowed to stand on its own, without the aid of commentary or explanation from the creative mind that birthed it. In the poems that follow, you may therefore expect little in the way of exegesis or apology from me. With ample food and booze on hand, I invite you to join me as I stare into the blank white Notepad panel. It is a space that I intend to fill before the night is done.
If anyone may accurately claim that my articles heretofore have established any semblance of pattern, then I hope to break that pattern now.
I said I wouldn't explain or defend my poetry. I lied, sort of. What I'll do is, I'll offer a pre-emptive explanation *before* I actually begin composing the good stuff.
When it comes to my drunken poetry, I typically deal in certain dominant themes. For example, there's usually a downtrodden hero figure who is beset by troubles, only to emerge victorious in the end in a glorious and violent crescendo. The moment of apotheosis is almost always steeped in blood. When not writing about the lone champion who slays all enemies, I tend to focus on entirely frivolous and joyous things, like the awesome flavor of pepperoni, or the stupendous sound of artillery. (Artillery may not seem like a frivolous joy to you, but it is to me.) Also, I often write about games. That's really the main reason why I feel justified in posting this tripe to the front page.
After much experimenting, I've found that my best poetry is written somewhere between four and five shots' worth of inebriation. Anything before that is dreadfully uninspired, and anything beyond -- while often comically crude -- is invariably nonsensical and rife with misspellings. Nonsense is fun, but I'd rather keep it confined to the forums. With that in mind, I'm going to work my way up to four or five shots before I begin writing, and then pace myself at no more than a shot per hour, until the bloody task is done.
*guzzle, sip, slurp, etc.*
We begin with a trio of triolets. The triolet is a short and entertaining form, hypnotic when recited -- in addition to being easy to work with while moderately drunk.
Be wary of those waters green;
Your doom they surely spell!
Even if they be aquamarine,
Be wary of those waters green,
And all other shades in-between,
For death they all foretell.
Be wary of those waters green;
Your doom they surely spell!
The FPSer's Demise
Gods! But for more ammunition!
My foes are fast encroaching.
Soon I shall have failed my mission;
Gods! But for more ammunition,
With which to defend my lone position,
From they who are ever approaching.
Gods! But for more ammunition!
My foes are fast encroaching.
The Feast
Take heart! -- The feast
Is near -- and tasty!
Partake of the beast!
Take heart! -- The feast
Is recently deceased
So eat, and be hasty!
Take heart! -- The feast
Is near -- and tasty!
Next comes a villanelle. Here, I'm going to do my best to stick to a strict syllabic scheme of eight per line. Many an annoyed gamer has wondered at this next mystery...
For so long I have yearned to know,
And wondered with anxiety,
Where do all the dead bodies go?
I've wreaked immeasurable woe,
Yet know not where the corpses be.
For so long I have yearned to know!
I have slaughtered both friend and foe,
Yet they disappear noiselessly.
Where do all the dead bodies go?
To what agency do I owe
Thanks for this cosmic mystery?
For so long I have yearned to know!
I cannot help but ask, "Howso?"
When they vanish from beneath me.
Where do all the dead bodies go?
Are they stacked somewhere all arow,
In some realm I yet fail to see?
For so long I have yearned to know,
Where do all the dead bodies go?
Finally we get to the sort of wroth and raging piece that I alluded to in the introduction. This is a ballade with double refrains. It's based on a true and unpleasant story; it's inspired by some recent angry posts in the forums; and it's dedicated to Thin_J.
As the sun beats down on the asphalt lot,
Where beasts neither fly nor creep,
Toward Best Buy I worriedly trot,
And the fire in my breast burns deep.
A joystick I seek, and not too cheap,
Beyond that blue and yellow wall,
But I do not laugh, and I do not leap,
For I know what will soon befall.
Quickly then I find the spot,
Where various joysticks they keep;
Where broken peripherals are long forgot,
And the fire in my breast burns deep.
The joysticks on display are all worn and aheap,
But with hope, I set upon the sprawl,
And finding a joystick I like, beweep,
For I know what will soon befall.
Behind the counter awaits an ill-got plot,
Though its owner seems mostly asleep;
My consent to her warranty she insists that I jot,
And the fire in my breast burns deep.
The man at the door wants to see my receipt;
His eyes are those of a thrall,
And truly his bounds he does overleap,
For I know what will soon befall.
In my car I resolve to end these sheep,
And the fire in my breast burns deep!
With arms in hand I pace back to the mall,
For I know what will soon befall!
I hope you enjoyed them!
God! If I read one more gaming related, alcohol induced villanelle about disappearing virtual corpses I'm going to scream. I've already read like thirty today. You just can't visit a gaming website anymore without getting slapped in the face with every Tom, Dick, and Harry's villanelles! Try for some originality next time!
(can we assume sarcasm tags and smilies are implied throughout my comment?)
On a more serious note: outstanding.
I love it. But, no iambic pentameter?
Where is the Haiku? No poetry collection is complete without the haiku.
The game it appears
Has gone away abruptly
The blue screen of death!
Well done Sir Lobo, I am lucky I can chew gum and walk while drunk.. you have shown us all that we should shoot higher than just being able to aim at the toilet.
When I took creative writing in college we spent 90% of our time writing poetry, which turned me off to taking another voulantary English class for the rest of my time there. I hated poetry, it smelled like dirty hippies.
Lobo's poems completely feel like the opposite, however. If I'd gotten assignments to write about slaughtering everyone in Best Buy, I might not have hated poetry for all these years.
Actually I probably still would've, but I enjoyed the hell out of these anyway!
well done, very well done. I raise my quill in salute good sir!
Computer Error Haiku is still some of my favorite poetry.
I've never been schooled in poetry and don't understand the more literary stuff. I loved this and it's just awesome Lobo.
I also find the line 'With arms in hand' to be extraordinarily clever.
Well done Lobo - I must say, The Mystery of the Corpses just now has managed to rank with some of my favorite poems of all time. I think your 4-5 shot sweet spot is a good spot indeed!
Lobo, I would pay good money for a book of that stuff. If I couldn't get it here for free, of course. More please.
I really enjoyed that. I really liked the FPSer's demise. I thought it captured the tension you feel in game really well.
Well done Lobo, I hope we get to see more.
I think that when SETI finally hears from the aliens, and they send us plans for a great and mysterious machine that will send an emissary into the stars to meet his father, that we should tell Jodie Foster to stuff it and send Lobo.
Outstanding. We are not worthy.
Lobo, I would pay good money for a book of that stuff. If I couldn't get it here for free, of course. More please.
Seconded. This is brilliant stuff, Lobo.
I agree with Mixolyde - I wouldn't know a dactylic hexameter from a ten-speed mountain bike - but these I really enjoyed.
Especially the triolets. Something magical about the combination of short, sweet form, the fun subject, and just the right amount of inebriation...?
Excelente! I feel a need to get together with you and share a bottle of a nice crisp vodka. Actually, let's get two.
Yes Lobo, please, do this again anytime you feel it coming on - it was delicious, some of it I'm still digesting. I'm no literary scholar so if you ever attempt the Triple Lindy dactylic hexameter be sure to give us a heads up.
As SillyRabbit said, please do more of these whenever you feel inspired to do so.
I always get a laugh or two or three out of your poetic adventures, and what's better than a good laugh?
I do believe this is the best batch of gaming related poetry you've come up with so far
I'm no literary scholar so if you ever attempt the Triple Lindy dactylic hexameter be sure to give us a heads up.
So we can have paramedics on alert, sounds dangerous.
Awesome article dude! Further proof that GWJ is not just about teh wiener bomb!
I wouldn't know a dactylic hexameter from a ten-speed mountain bike - but these I really enjoyed.
That's the reptilian hexameter that flies silly!
I wouldn't know a dactylic hexameter from a ten-speed mountain bike - but these I really enjoyed.
That's the reptilian hexameter that flies silly!
Wow. Just simply wow.
I ... hang on ... I'm stunned by your certisishness*, Lobo. Stunned.
*certisish: adj., amazingly awesome.


text:
Lahore, Dec 29 (IANS) Pakistan One-Day International (ODI) skipper Azhar Ali, who resigned over tainted paceman Mohammed Amir being included in the national training camp, on Tuesday finally agreed to continue leading the side after Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar Khan intervened in the issue.
The players, including Azhar Ali and Mohammed Hafeez, had even refused to join the national camp, protesting the presence of left-armer Amir, who was found guilty in the 2010 spot fixing scandal.
"Azhar Ali met the PCB chairman (Shaharyar Khan). He tendered his resignation. The chairman didn't accept his resignation, Azhar Ali agreed and he will continue as captain," the PCB said in a statement.
Amir, 23, served a five-year ban after being indicted in the scandal during a Test series in England and was allowed to bowl in domestic cricket by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Amir is in the selection mix for the first time after his five-year ban for spot-fixing. He was one of the 26 probables named for Pakistan's pre-season conditioning camp.
Azhar and Hafeez were originally scheduled to join the camp after completing domestic matches, but they did not do so.
Azhar went on to state that he would not attend the camp "as long as Amir is there".
PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan then persuaded both Hafeez and Azhar to join the camp.
"I do respect their concerns but some of them, I told them, are not acceptable. So they understood and confirmed that they are on the same page with us," the PCB chairman said.


text:
A Study to Evaluate the Safety and Effectiveness of CNTO 888 Administered Intravenously (IV) in Participants With Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF)
This study has been completed.
Centocor, Inc.
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
First Posted: November 6, 2008
Last Update Posted: December 28, 2015
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
Centocor, Inc.
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
No Study Results Posted on ClinicalTrials.gov for this Study
|Study Status:
|This study has been completed.
|Study Completion Date:
|January 2012
|Primary Completion Date:
|January 2012 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Certification or Request for Extension to Delay Results Submission:
|December 18, 2012
Raghu G, Martinez FJ, Brown KK, Costabel U, Cottin V, Wells AU, Lancaster L, Gibson KF, Haddad T, Agarwal P, Mack M, Dasgupta B, Nnane IP, Flavin SK, Barnathan ES. CC-chemokine ligand 2 inhibition in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a phase 2 trial of carlumab. Eur Respir J. 2015 Dec;46(6):1740-50. doi: 10.1183/13993003.01558-2014. Epub 2015 Oct 22.


text:
Product list
Australian wines are famed for their no-nonsense approach and high quality. Australia has become famous for top quality Chardonnay and Shiraz. Its not just about the big names, Australia also has a reputation for bringing new and exciting wines to the world.
86 products from £0.00 to £500.00


text:
Originally published August 2, 2014 at 9:00 AM | Page modified August 3, 2014 at 11:25 PM
Take care with bidding-war tactics in pursuit of a home
To craft a winning bid, some buyers are dropping contingencies that protect them against complications in a home sale.
Seattle Times business reporter
Interactive: Where the bidding wars are
Click to explore an interactive graphic that shows how bidding wars vary in intensity by city and neighborhood.
To win a bidding war, buyers must pay attention not only to the price — the highest doesn't always win — but also to terms of the offer.
To make their offers as competitive as possible, some buyers are waiving contract terms that protect their earnest-money deposit, using escalation clauses that ratchet up past list price, and even giving the seller two months of free rent after closing.
"You have to find out what the sellers want," said Seattle real-estate broker Presha Sparling.
There are three protections commonly included in the purchase contract, known as "contingencies," that allow buyers to back out and get their earnest money back:
• Inspection: This one lets buyers back out if they don't like something found in an inspection. Agents are telling buyers to conduct pre-inspections so they can waive this contingency.
• Financing: Buyers can invoke this protection if they can't qualify for a loan to close the deal. Some buyers who've gone through their lender's underwriting process are waiving this one in hopes of competing with cash buyers.
• Appraisal: This contingency gives buyers an out if the lender's appraisal of the property's value is less than the sale price and the seller refuses to lower the price.
Real-estate experts caution that buyers should carefully consider the possible consequences of dropping those contingencies, and some discourage it altogether.
"I definitely think it would not be wise to waive all those protections you get when you're trying to purchase property," said Penny Crowe, a senior residential appraiser in Bellevue.
Still, in the bidding frenzy for homes in certain neighborhoods, some buyers are pulling out all the stops.
For example, in the spring a buyer beat out about 20 bids for a home in Seattle's Ravenna neighborhood. The buyer didn't have the highest offer, but prevailed because he waived all contingencies and offered the seller free rent for 60 days after closing, said Locality managing broker Trevor Smith, who represented the buyer.
Such deals sometimes get hammered out at night, Smith said, with "the listing agent calling and saying, 'What does the buyer want to do to win the house?' They're trying to drive the price up even further."
Marc Holmes, a lawyer with WaLaw Realty, a real-estate brokerage that charges sellers a flat fee instead of a commission, said "it's a terrible, terrible idea" for buyers to waive their inspection contingency if they can't get a pre-inspection done. "You have no idea what's lurking in that house."
In a pre-inspection, which can be half the cost of a regular inspection, the buyer walks through quickly with the inspector, who doesn't provide a written report. If the buyer gets the home under contract, the inspector can provide a thorough report for the balance of the regular fee.
Pre-inspections have become a necessary evil, partly because there aren't enough licensed inspectors to go around, agents say.
"Sometimes we'll have to call seven, eight, nine, 10 inspectors before we find one," Smith said.
Appraisers hired by lenders say that buyers who waive their appraisal contingency should be prepared to bring more cash to closing if they can't get the seller to lower the price — or forfeit their earnest-money deposit.
"Real-estate agents don't value properties. They price them," said Crowe, the Bellevue appraiser. "Value is what someone is willing to pay."
Appraisers establish the value of a property by finding comparable home sales nearby, but that's harder these days because the supply of homes for sale is so tight.
"We're not just using sales," Crowe said. "We're using pendings. Sometimes lenders want to see active listings too."
Still, for some buyers, waiving the appraisal contingency could make sense, Holmes said, recalling a recent sale.
"They were putting at least 40 percent down, so appraisal is no longer a concern," Holmes said. "Even if it doesn't appraise, the amount by which it falls short is made up by such a huge down payment."
To be sure, personal letters and photos of the kids are a nice touch but unlikely to outweigh other factors, says Kristin Frosaker, managing broker at Windermere's Northlake office.
As a seller, she said, "You strip everything out and you don't make it emotional."
Sanjay Bhatt: 206-464-3103 or firstname.lastname@example.com On Twitter @sbhatt
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text:
Chipco Signature is different from other fungicides in that it is truly systemic, traveling up and down within the plant. This product is the foundation turf fungicide for disease management and turf quality in every season. Chipco Signature protects turf from stresses during summer and winter decline, and it improves turf quality – color, density, vigor, uniformity and playability.
Proven improvement in turf quality during stress periods
Anthracnose, bentgrass deadspot, Pythium diseases, summer turfgrass decline, yellow tuft
Please see the product label for a full list of pests.
Bayer Product Support:1-800-331-2867
© 2017 Bayer CropScience LP, 2 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
Bayer Environmental Science is a division of Bayer CropScience LP.
Bayer and the Bayer Cross are registered trademarks of BAYER.
Not all products are registered in all states. Always read and follow label instructions.


text:
Payables invoice involving inventory
Payable invoices were entered (and matched to a purchase order). And posted. However, the PO and invoices were entered to the wrong vendor.
New purchase orders have been created, parts recieved, invoices matched and entered to the correct vendor. And adjustments have been made to the inventory.
Now I need to enter credit invoices to the incorrect vendor and net the two. However, I do not know what account to charge.
Can you offer me any solution?
Tutor Answer
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text:
Death and the Maiden first night review
WHAT do you do when the man you suspect of raping and torturing you 15 years ago lands on your doorstep?
Could you resist the temptation to take some form of revenge and what would that action say about you? These are some of the moral questions posed by Chilean playwright Ariel Dorfman in this three-handed thriller which made an explosive impact when it premiered in 1991.
Dorfman was inspired to write the play after returning to Chile following General Pinochet's rule and being struck by how those who were persecuted under the old regime were now living side by side with their former tormentors - some grappling with the traumas of what was done to them, others wondering if their crimes would now be exposed.
In the play itself, the location is unnamed - it is simply a country which has just freed itself from a dictatorship - and with Jeremy Herrin's tense new revival opening just days after the official liberation of Libya, it could not seem more relevant.
Thandie Newton - known for such big-budget films as Crash and Mission Impossible II - makes her stage debut as Paulina, a former political prisoner who is convinced that Roberto, who helps her husband home following a flat tyre, is the doctor who once tortured her blindfolded to the strains of Schubert's string quartet. It's an emotionally-wrought and demanding role and in truth, Newton's performance is a little patchy. As Paulina proceeds to put Roberto on trial in her beach home at gunpoint, Newton invests her with a detached sarcastic coolness but is perhaps a little too cool and is more effective in the moments she allows her pain to pierce through.
There are strong performances from Anthony Calf as Roberto, her suspected torturer, and especially from Tom Goodman-Hill as Gerardo, Paulina's lawyer husband, who has just been appointed to a commission investigating human rights abuses under the former dictatorship. Shaking with emotion, he vacillates between believing his wife, thinking her insane and being horrified by how her actions might perpetuate the cycle of violence and undermine the fledgling democracy.
This is a production which manages to manipulate our sympathies and if it doesn't quite pulsate with the terrifying emotional intensity that I remember from the original, the play is a fitting opener for the newly-renamed Harold Pinter Theatre - powerful, unsettling, ambiguous and refusing to give any neat answers.
Pinter, to whom the play was originally dedicated, would surely have approved.
Death And The Maiden
Harold Pinter Theatre, London, 0844 8717627
Verdict 4/5


text:
Name: Mick Fanning
Stance: Regular
Hometown: Tweed Heads, New South Wales, AUS
D.O.B.: June 13, 1981 (age: 27)
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 160 lbs.
Sponsors: Rip Curl wetsuits and clothing, Reef footwear, Dragon eyewear, Red Bull, Creatures of Leisure accessories, DHD Surfboards, Vertra sunscreen, and Zen nutrition.
In The Nude: In 2003 Mick posed completely nude for the Australian sports publication Sportsbook—also nude in the magazine was 7x World Champ Layne Beachley.
Portrait: Straley
Action: Bielmann/SPL
You want that trip to the North Shore, don't you? Use the comments box below to trade with other transworldsurf.com users to collect all Top 44 cards and score the trip of a lifetime.


text:
Nintendo Sixty-Four is a great animated clip by Florida animator Jeremey Chinshue (aka "TerminalMontage") that reimagines and uses audio from the 2006 "Nintendo 64 Kids" home video meme. That video shows two children losing their minds on Christmas morning when they are gifted a Nintendo 64 console.
via reddit, Blame It On The Voices


text:
Mario's Weekend Movie Roundup [VIDEO]
It's going to be hard to dethrone 'Frozen' and 'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire' but there are two new flicks in theaters this weekend. If drama/action is what you want 'Out of The Furnace' starring Christian Bale delivers. The other movie is the Coen Brothers 'Inside Llewyn Davis' in limited release. See you at the movies!
'Out of the Furnace'
Two brothers—one an ex-con, the other an Iraq War vet—get caught up in a web of crime and corruption in their Rust Belt hometown.
Directed by Scott Cooper
Starring Christian Bale, Casey Affleck, Zoe Saldana, Woody Harrelson
Subscribe to Kicker 102.5 on
'Inside Llewyn Davis'
The Coen Brothers' latest examines a week in the life of a folk musician in 1961 New York City
Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen
Starring Oscar Isaac, John Goodman, Carey Mullian, Justin Timberlake
Buy tickets here (opening in limited release).
Subscribe to Kicker 102.5 on


text:
Cisplatin and fluorouracil with or without panitumumab in patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SPECTRUM) : an open-label phase 3 randomised trial
Vermorken, Jan B.
Stoelmacher-Williams, Jan
Davidenko, Irina
et al.
SPECTRUM Investigators
Background Previous trials have shown that anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies can improve clinical outcomes of patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). We assessed the efficacy and safety of panitumumab combined with cisplatin and fluorouracil as first-line treatment for these patients. Methods This open-label phase 3 randomised trial was done at 126 sites in 26 countries. Eligible patients were aged at least 18 years; had histologically or cytologically confi rmed SCCHN; had distant metastatic or locoregionally recurrent disease, or both, that was deemed to be incurable by surgery or radiotherapy; had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 1 or less; and had adequate haematological, renal, hepatic, and cardiac function. Patients were randomly assigned according to a computer-generated randomisation sequence (1:1; stratifi ed by previous treatment, primary tumour site, and performance status) to one of two groups. Patients in both groups received up to six 3-week cycles of intravenous cisplatin (100 mg/m(2) on day 1 of each cycle) and fl uorouracil (1000 mg/m(2) on days 1-4 of each cycle); those in the experimental group also received intravenous panitumumab (9 mg/kg on day 1 of each cycle). Patients in the experimental group could choose to continue maintenance panitumumab every 3 weeks. The primary endpoint was overall survival and was analysed by intention to treat. In a prospectively defi ned retrospective analysis, we assessed tumour human papillomavirus (HPV) status as a potential predictive biomarker of outcomes with a validated p16-INK4A (henceforth, p16) immunohistochemical assay. Patients and investigators were aware of group assignment; study statisticians were masked until primary analysis; and the central laboratory assessing p16 status was masked to identifi cation of patients and treatment. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials. gov, number NCT00460265. Findings Between May 15, 2007, and March 10, 2009, we randomly assigned 657 patients: 327 to the panitumumab group and 330 to the control group. Median overall survival was 11.1 months (95% CI 9.8-12.2) in the panitumumab group and 9.0 months (8.1-11.2) in the control group (hazard ratio [HR] 0.873, 95% CI 0.729-1.046; p = 0.1403). Median progression-free survival was 5.8 months (95% CI 5.6-6.6) in the panitumumab group and 4.6 months (4.1-5.4) in the control group (HR 0.780, 95% CI 0.659-0.922; p = 0.0036). Several grade 3 or 4 adverse events were more frequent in the panitumumab group than in the control group: skin or eye toxicity (62 [19%] of 325 included in safety analyses vs six [2%] of 325), diarrhoea (15 [5%] vs four [1%]), hypomagnesaemia (40 [12%] vs 12 [4%]), hypokalaemia (33 [10%] vs 23 [7%]), and dehydration (16 [5%] vs seven [2%]). Treatment-related deaths occurred in 14 patients (4%) in the panitumumab group and eight (2%) in the control group. Five (2%) of the fatal adverse events in the panitumumab group were attributed to the experimental agent. We had appropriate samples to assess p16 status for 443 (67%) patients, of whom 99 (22%) were p16 positive. Median overall survival in patients with p16-negative tumours was longer in the panitumumab group than in the control group (11.7 months [95% CI 9.7-13.7] vs 8.6 months [6.9-11.1]; HR 0.73 [95% CI 0.58-0.93]; p = 0.0115), but this difference was not shown for p16-positive patients (11.0 months [7.3-12.9] vs 12.6 months [7.7-17.4]; 1.00 [0.62-1.61]; p = 0.998). In the control group, p16-positive patients had numerically, but not statistically, longer overall survival than did p16-negative patients (HR 0.70 [95% CI 0.47-1.04]). Interpretation Although the addition of panitumumab to chemotherapy did not improve overall survival in an unselected population of patients with recurrent or metastatic SCCHN, it improved progression-free survival and had an acceptable toxicity profile. p16 status could be a prognostic and predictive marker in patients treated with panitumumab and chemotherapy. Prospective assessment will be necessary to validate our biomarker findings.
Source (journal)
The lancet oncology. - London
14:8(2013), p. 697-710
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
Research group
Molecular Imaging, Pathology, Radiotherapy & Oncology (MIPRO)
Publication type
A1 Journal article
Human medicine
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
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text:
I was asked by a reader recently to write a post about how I go about assessing my student's in Drama. I had a bit of a think about this because assessment is such a huge part of what we do as teachers and it really is so vital. I wasn't sure how to approach the post, thus why I've been sitting on this one for awhile. Assessment informs our practice in so many ways yet it can be such a tricky thing to get right. If there is, in fact a "right" way.
The things I always worry about with assessment are:
- Have I distributed the weighting of tasks correctly?
- Is this an appropriate weighting to give to a task?
- Does the task I have designed accurately match the outcomes?
The other thing with assessment in drama or in any subject for that matter is that there are endless ways to design a task. It is a highly creative part of programming but also stressful because you have to worry about weightings and outcomes because these in turn influence what you teach as part of your program for that unit (not to mention it's their HSC and all that jazz). So I've discovered the way that works best for me is to work backwards. That is, design the task first and the program will follow after. Remember, this is just a process that I have found works for me. You will find your own in good time.
So to design a task, these are the steps I like to take:
- Pencil It In! -Work out when your tasks will need to be completed by student's. Factor in when your half-yearly or trial exams are, when reports need to be written etc. Mark them in your diary. I always find it gives me a much clearer idea of a time frame to work within.
- How Many Tasks Do You Need? – This can be tricky. In Stage 6 I design one assessment task per topic and finish with either a Yearly Exam or the Trial HSC Paper. In Stage 5 I strip right back and simply have one practical task and one theory task per semester. So I have a 30% Practical/20% Theory split each semester which equals 50%. Put both Semester's together and what do you get? 100% and it fits the 60/40 rule perfectly. See below if you have no idea what I'm talking about.
- Remember The 60/40 Rule – In Drama 60% of tasks must be from the Making and Performing (Practical) outcomes, the other 40% must be from the Appreciating or Critically Studying (Theory) outcomes. I revise my Stage 6 assessments every time I teach them both for weighting and task content. In Stage 5 I tend to stick to the same weighting allocation but vary the task. I am not a huge fan of numbers and I find this part can do my head in because I dance back and forth between what I want to focus on in the task and whether or not it fits into the appropriate outcome and the weighting I've given it.
- Match Your Outcomes – There are no hard and fast rules here but naturally when reading the syllabus you will find that some outcomes, particularly in Stage 6 lend themselves to one particular unit of study to that of another. In Stage 5 the outcomes are quite broad in their terminology so there is flexibility to design tasks that could massage themselves into particular outcomes. I do find this part a little time consuming because you do have to make sure you have covered all outcomes by the end of the course and some faculties like certain outcomes assessed more than once. In doing this first however, it creates a clearer and somewhat narrower picture for me in terms of the direction I need to go in with my task and I feel reassured that I am covering outcomes.
- Brainstorm Task Ideas – This is such a tricky part of the process to advise on because it is so dependent on many factors including class size, level and ability of student's and resources. In Stage 6 I model all my tasks around what is expected in the HSC. Designing Stage 5 tasks like this isn't such a bad idea either because it allows for continuity and adequately prepares student's for the expectations of the senior school.
- Write Your Task Clearly – Particularly focus on the "Submission Requirements" section of your task where you are imagining that in an ideal world, where kids will just read the task, go away and do it, all the information they need to do that is there. I agonise over this section because it is not only beneficial for your student's it is beneficial for you because it again clarifies exactly what it is you are looking for and how best to advise your student's.
- Spend Time on the Marking Criteria – I try to use as much terminology from the syllabus and the outcomes. I also keep the criteria to between three and four dot points, with each point linking to a particular part of the task. I also take the time to go through this with student's. Particularly what an "A" response looks like. I want them to know that these are my expectations and that they are all capable of reaching them. Discuss how the criteria also links back to the outcomes and how this will be reflected in their report.
- Step Away From the Computer – Once you have written it, leave the task for a few days and come back to it when you are completely fresh. I find I get so immersed in the writing of it I lose perspective sometimes and there are typos and my head just goes round and round in circles stressing as to whether or not it is effectively going to achieve outcomes. Show it to a colleague or someone in your PLN who can give you some good feedback.
- Revise The Task – If you find as you are teaching that the task is not going to work with your student's rewrite it and reissue it. I have had this happen and it is no big deal if you are transparent and up front with the kids from the start. At the end of the unit, take the time to reflect on the task and what worked and what didn't. Think about what you would do differently.
All in all, the best advice I can give to new teacher's in Drama is to find a colleague or someone in your network who would be willing to look at your tasks and give you some feedback. Also the feedback you give to your student's is of the utmost importance. I've blogged about that before. Maybe team up with another teacher in your area and program and assess together. So many of us are the only Drama teacher's in our school. We are isolated and when we need it most the support may not be there.
I hope this helps but if you can offer any other advice or suggestions please feel free to leave comments below. Also, I'm happy to share programs and assessment schedules and notifications if you are in need of them. Comment below or contact me via my Twitter account in the right hand widget bar.
Image Credit: One done / Daniel Kulinski / http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/


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Joran van der Sloot's lawyer has again demanded journalists be granted access to his client. Mr Máximo Altez told Radio Netherlands Worldwide he has filed a complaint against the Peruvian judiciary for violating the Dutch murder suspect's constitutional rights.
Dutch journalists have repeatedly been refused opportunities to speak to Van der Sloot. RNW was not allowed to interview the 23-year-old from his cell despite his consent to speak with the Latin American section.
According to Mr Altez, it is very common for prisoners to talk to the press from their cells. He says the restrictions on Van der Sloot are an unjust infringement to his right to information and freedom of expression.
Since he was imprisoned at Miguel Castro Castro prison in Lima, Peru, Van der Sloot has only been interviewed by newspaper.
The Dutchman is suspected of murdering Stephany Flores in a Lima hotel in May of last year. On Sunday, Mr Altez argued the murder was a result of "emoción fuere," or overwhelming violent emotion. It is a legal strategy that has triggered Peruvian press into a media frenzy.
Legal research has closed in the case, and the prosecutor must decide whether to go to court. If Van der Sloot faces charges of premeditated murder, he faces 25 years in prison. For manslaughter, he could be charged with three to five years.
Van der Sloot is also a suspect in the 2005 disappearance of American Natalee Holloway in Aruba.http://cdn.radionetherlands.nl/data/files/images/lead/joran-balcony--telegraaf.jpg
© Radio Netherlands Worldwide


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Convergys Corp. (CVG) and TeleTech Holdings (TTEC) are expected to have an advantage over smaller contact center vendors as the industry consolidates to serve customers in a more streamlined manner that also involves more expertise, scalability and global delivery capabilities, says Manish Hemrajani, Executive Director and Senior Analyst at Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.
"Enterprises are now actually starting to look at their contact center vendors and realizing that having six to 10 vendors is counterproductive and looking to consolidate these to two to three vendors with the right expertise, scale and global delivery capabilities," Hemrajani said.
Hemrajani says that, although these companies have retrenched a bit due to macro overhang, he expects this experience to help with the consolidation of the industry as companies now rethink their outsourcing strategy and make it more unified.
"Vendors are also looking at their global delivery capabilities and are open to M&A to extend their global reach as well as add language skills, especially in Latin America, to expand their reach, or if they see a differentiating service or technology that they want to add to their portfolio. I expect the larger vendors, such as Convergys, TeleTech, Teleperformance (RCF.PA) and others to have a distinct advantage in a consolidation scenario," Hemrajani said.
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September 22, 2015
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December 18, 2014


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text: Yay! I finnaly graduated High School yesterday (6-22-05) (would have posted sooner but stangnet woldn't load) Yes I put window paint on my car. CLASS OF 2005 in the back with dots. I'll see if I can get a picture. And to top it all off I got the headunit I wanted as a gift!! ME SO HAPPY!!


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B.C. government airfare soars
Harbour Air planes. (REUTERS)
The provincial government spent $2.7 million on airfare between Helijet Airways and Harbour Air, according to figures released through public accounts earlier this week and crunched by a government watchdog.
IntegrityBC said it went through the public accounts for the 2013-14 fiscal period for the government's purchasing card, and found about $2.4 million was spent on the two air service providers, with an additional $300,000 from other government accounts used on flights.
Executive director Dermod Travis said the amount of flights, more than 20,000, are perplexing.
"More than likely some very legitimate, good reasons for that, but I'm hard-pressed to understand why (for example) the Ministry of Science and Technology would need to bill $46,500 with Harbour Air and $98,845 with Helijet," Travis said.
Narrowed down, Travis said the records indicate the premier's office charged $80,350 in airfare to Harbour Air and $61,720 to Helijet.
But he said even considering the charges came from all of the government, the numbers are still high.
"I just don't think you can justify more than 20,000 flights as all having legitimate, good reasons," Travis said, pointing out there was only about 40 days of the legislature sitting during the billing period.
He said the billing doesn't account for any flights taken on other airlines, such as Air Canada or Pacific Coastal Airlines.
The Ministry of Finance issued a statement in defence of the airfare Friday afternoon.


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Cycleash is a must-have for any cyclist who enjoys canine companionship on the ride. Cycleash offers your dog a terrific workout while eliminating the risks of holding a dog leash by hand. With Cycleash, you maintain full control of your bike and enjoy a safe, comfortable ride.
Cycleash is made of sturdy, lightweight aluminum alloy (like many bike frames) and weighs less than 2 pounds. It attaches by mounting clamp on the bar under the bike seat. A bungee-style leash attached to the curved bar absorbs sudden pulls from your dog and includes a stainless steel leash clip. The curved design of the leash bar lets the leash hang closer to the dog while preventing contact with the wheels. Works best with a durable harness, sold separately. Easy-to-follow instructions included, as well as installation tool. 15" leash bar with 18" leash.
Please click on "More Information" for tips on getting started and dog comfort.


text:
Thanks to all helping with the details of my DC trip
1) We're into BWI on Sunday and thinking we'll take a cab. We saved $800 with the flights...it seemed like the MARC wasn't an option to us for Sunday (I think that's what it's called) and with small kids, luggage etc we'll splurge on car/cab to our Dupont Circle vacation rental apartment.
- Will we be able to find a cab that can fit the five of us? mini van etc?
2) We're at an apartment so no pool. Any tips for a hotel that would allow us to use (day pass?) Or other places that would be an option for a swim?
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- 1 CAR TRIP FROM WI TO CA (in winter!!)
- 2 Grand Canyon trip from Breckenridge
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- 16 Need Help Picking a Neighborhood in Boston
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- 18 Asheville, SC to Knoxville, TN Transportation
- 19 Kauai for a week: advice needed
- 20 Advice Nashville to Washington D.C please!
- 21 February trip San Fran to Yosemite...
- 22 glacier national park to yellowstone route
- 23 Where to Eat on Kauai?
- 24 Muir Woods - new rules
- 25 Will Travel for Food - A Long Weekend in Philly to try a restaurant
Cab from BWI for 5 and Also Swimming without a Pool at at Hotel
Thanks to all helping with the details of my DC trip
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1.Every airport I know has a taxi stand and the taxi dispatcher will get you the taxi required for your transport.
2. Why not do some research and find few hotels nearby. Call the hotels directly and ask if they have day passes?
Have a wonderful trip!
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I'd be surprised if you could find a hotel that would let you just come use the pool. Most city hotels don't have pools. The ones that I can think of that do--the Washington Hilton, the Washington Plaza, the Donnolly, the Hyatt--probably don't want outsiders using the pool for that very reason. There are local pools in the neighborhood, I"m not sure whether you need to show some sort of ID to use them.
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Public pools will open for weekends only beginning Memorial Day weekend (weekday hours don't begin until schools close mid-June).
The pool that serves the Dupont area is at Francis Rec center
The city does not make it convenient for non-residents, but if you are willing to jump through some hoops, you can use the public pools (from DC Parks and Rec website):
Outdoor Pool Fees
Use of the Outdoor pools is free for all DC Residents. Non-residents must purchase a swim pass and bring their receipt with them to the pool. Swim passes are available for purchase online, at DPR recreation centers, and on site at outdoor pools where a DPR smart phone has been issued. DPR accepts Visa, MasterCard, and Discover. Money orders are accepted only at DPR recreation centers. DPR is unable to accept cash or personal checks.
In order to prevent misuse of swim passes, all passes will expire 48 hours after purchasing. Please purchase all passes no more than one day prior to your visit. Note a daily swim pass allows a single guest one entry to a DPR outdoor pool or aquatic center. Repeat entires is not permitted.
Youth Daily Swim Pass - $4.00
Adult Daily Swim Pass - $7.00
Senior Daily Swim Pass - $4.00
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RE. 5 passenger taxi: No problem.
RE. Pool:
What you want is the FREE 3-day pass for the Dupont YMCA.
7 floors, 89,000 square feet, Olympic sized pool, racquetball/basketball courts, an indoor track, and electronic massage chairs.
The Dupont YMCA is at 1711 Rhode Island Ave NW
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Oooo I think the free YMCA sounds awesome...now of course there are 5 of us and so they might get overwhelmed!
We're there for 8 days so we'll have to decide which 3 days we use. Perhaps somewhere in the middle as the first couple of days we'll hit the tourist ground running, then maybe want a diversion and the end of the trip is a big family wedding so we won't have time.
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The DuPont YMCA is a lap pool, not a splash pool. So it's not really for kids, unless they are taking a class.
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MikeT is right. The Y pool is pretty tightly scheduled with classes of all sorts, league training, etc.
There may be times designated for free swim for kids, but you'd have to inquire.
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I don't think very many hotels in big cities even have pools, and DC is no exception. In DC, I don't know of any hotel that would allow non-guests to use their pool, although a few used to, but stopped. YOu could call and ask at the Marriott Wardman Park near Woodley metro, they used to but not sure if they still do. Also, the Embassy Row hotel on Mass. Ave used to when it was a Hilton some years ago, you can check them.
I think your best bet is a public DC pool. There is one at the west end of N St near Rock Creek Parkway (Francis pool).
You'll have to figure out the usage deal for nonresidents, as noted above.
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I spent a lot of time looking at Washington DC lodgings online, and you're right; there aren't very many hotels with pools. Some of the ones with pools were quite spendy; I scratched that amenity off my wishlist. The OP has an apartment, of course. For future readers of this strand, some of the hotels at the Rosslyn metro stop in Virginia do have pools. I have not stayed at them and cannot vouch for them but it is an option.
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There are a couple DC hotels with pools, but they don't allow nonguests to use them and the OP wasn't looking for a hotel, so I didn't name them. They aren't the cheapest ones, of course. L'enfant Plaza Hotel has a rooptop pool, for example, and I think there is a Holiday Inn on Cap Hill that does and a couple others. Hiltons do, and the Omni Shoreham near Woodley metro. They are for guests, of course, that's all. They aren't running public pools, I can imagine that would cause real problems.
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Yeah, the Holiday Inn on cap hill can have better rates too.
I just can't fathom any hotel letting non-guests use its pool unless (maybe) they were family members of a current guest. And even that is a stretch.
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text:
Hey, I am pretty new to c programming & I want to do a few things but I am not sure on how to.
Well here are my questions,
1. I can execute commands like dir in dos by using the system(""); function, but how would I create one to do the command dir *.txt? I already tried system("dir *.txt"); to no avail.
2. How would I go about editing the registery? Example: The user can select to either have my program started on the startup or not to, So it just needs to have an entry to the registery.
Thanks a lot,


text: I've got a 06 Mustang GT with intake and 3" straights no mufflers gutted cats and H-pipe, I'm debating on a few different things to do next: SCT SF3 Tuner, Pacesetter Longtube headers, Cams, or Throttle body. Anyone have any suggestions of what the best bang for the buck is? With my upgrades now the tuner would probably be handy, and even more handy when I get the other upgrades as well. Just thought I would see what people thought.


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Friday, November 30, 2012
Merry Fluffy Christmas Event #FluffyXmas
Mama Bucks is giving away one lucky winner a 100% pure wool Knaebean Creations longies featuring fleece around the cuff {ARV $25} You can find our review of Knaebean Creations longies here. The winner will also receive a matching Knaebean Creations crocheted Santa Hat {ARV $18}. A picture perfect ensemble for Christmas Morning!
Additionally Mama Bucks is giving away a Hazelaid Hematite and Red Hazelwood necklace {ARV $17.95}
The giveaway is open to US and Canadian Residents 18 years of age or older. Good Luck and don't forgot to hop around and enter all the other great giveaways in the linky at the end of this post!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
25 comments:
Tweeting this for you!ReplyDelete
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The little animal crochet slippers are adorable!ReplyDelete
I love the animal crochet slippersReplyDelete
The pink and brown striped knit pants and hooded sweater would be so cute on my daughter.ReplyDelete
The animal crochet slippers are super cute! Really nice stuff!ReplyDelete
Size 18-24 months light aqua and grey striped pantsReplyDelete
I love this set. They'd be perfect in wool. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=496037467085570&set=pb.339412179414767.-2207520000.1354614078&type=3&theaterReplyDelete
I love the striped aqua/grey pants she knit. They're SO cute!!ReplyDelete
Pink and brown hooded sweater and longiesReplyDelete
I love the purple wool longies!ReplyDelete
COMMENT FOR Andrew L.ReplyDelete
Gingerbread Man Hat.
I love the flower crochet headbandReplyDelete
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The animal slippers are too cute.ReplyDelete
animal slippers!ReplyDelete
i would love the knitted matching diaper and hat.. ohh its soo cute!! love it :)ReplyDelete
I like her long tailed style hatsReplyDelete
I would LOVE the diaper cover & hat set! That picture of the baby wearing it in green for pics is TOO cute! :)ReplyDelete
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I love the Candy Cane knit pants and matching bow headband!!ReplyDelete
i would love the maching green hat and diaper :)ReplyDelete
The gingerbread man hat! it's adorable!ReplyDelete
i love these wool pants: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=489618101060840&set=pb.339412179414767.-2207520000.1354920132&type=3&theaterReplyDelete