text:
by Alan Woods
No matter what one thinks of Bolshevism, it is undeniable that the Russian Revolution is one of the greatest events in human history, and the rule of the Bolsheviki a phenomenon of worldwide importance. (J. Reed, Ten Days that Shook the World, p. 13.)
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the October Revolution. The apologists of capitalism, and their faithful echoes in the labour movement, try to comfort themselves with the thought that the collapse of the USSR signified the demise of socialism. But what failed in Russia was not socialism but a caricature of socialism. Contrary to the oft-repeated slanders, the Stalinist regime was the antithesis of the democratic regime established by the Bolsheviks in 1917.
The collapse of the USSR was presented by the defenders of capitalism as the equivalent of the final victory of the 'free market economy' over 'Communism'. A quarter of a century ago it produced a wave of euphoria in the bourgeoisie and its apologists. They spoke of the end of socialism, the end of communism and even the end of history. Ever since then, we have witnessed an unprecedented ideological offensive against the ideas of Marxism on a world scale. This irrational exuberance knew no bounds.
The then American President, George Bush, triumphantly announced the creation of a 'New World Order' under the domination of US imperialism. "The Soviet Union is no more," wrote Martin McCauley. "The great experiment has failed… Marxism in practice has failed everywhere. There is no Marxist economic model capable of competing with capitalism." (M. McCauley, The Soviet Union 1917-1991, pp. XV and 378) "We Won!" exclaimed the editorial of The Wall Street Journal (24/5/89). It was at this point that Francis Fukuyama uttered his notorious prediction: "The period of post-history has arrived… Liberal democracy has triumphed, and mankind has reached its highest wisdom. History has come to an end."
Twenty-five years later, not one stone upon another remains of these foolish illusions. Capitalism has entered into the most serious crisis since the Great Depression. Millions are faced with a future of unemployment, poverty, cuts and austerity. Wars and conflicts ravage the entire planet, the very future of which is placed in jeopardy by the depredations wreaked by the uncontrolled market economy. Now in the cold light of day, those triumphalist proclamations sound ironic. The global crisis of capitalism and its effects have falsified those confident predictions. All the lavish promises of milk and honey by the Western leaders, that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union, have evaporated like a drop of water on a hot stove.
America's dream of world domination lies buried beneath the smoking ruins of Aleppo. All the triumphalist pronouncements of the bourgeois strategists have been falsified. History has returned with a vengeance. The same Western observers who exaggerated every defect of the Soviet economy are now struggling desperately to explain the manifest failure of the market economy. Now there is only economic collapse, political instability, uncertainty, wars and conflict. The earlier euphoria has given way to the blackest pessimism.
It is for this very reason that the centenary of the Russian Revolution will inevitably be the occasion for an intensification of the vicious anti-Communist campaign. The reason for this is not difficult to understand. The worldwide crisis of capitalism is giving rise to a general questioning of the 'market economy'. There is a revival of interest in Marxist ideas, which is alarming the bourgeoisie. The new campaign of slanders is a reflection, not of confidence, but of fear.
Fear of revolution
History shows that it is not sufficient for the ruling class to defeat a revolution; it is necessary to cover it with slanders, blacken the name of its leaders, and surround it with a cloud of malice and suspicion, so that not even the memory remains to inspire new generations. There is nothing new in this. In the 19th century when the historian Thomas Carlyle was writing a book about Oliver Cromwell he said that before he could begin he had to rescue Cromwell's body from under a mountain of dead dogs.
After the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, all the memories of Cromwell and the English bourgeois revolution had to be erased from the collective memory. The restored monarchy of Charles II officially dated its reign from the 30th January 1649, the date of the execution of Charles I, and all references to the republic and its revolutionary deeds were to be obliterated. The upstart Charles II was so carried away by the spirit of spite, hatred and revenge that he went so far as to dig up Oliver Cromwell's corpse, which was then subjected to a public hanging at Tyburn.
The same malice and spite born of fear is what motivates the present efforts to deny the gains and revolutionary significance of the Russian Revolution, and blacken the memory of its leaders. The systematic falsification of history now being undertaken by the bourgeoisie, although somewhat more subtle than the posthumous lynchings of the English monarchists, is in no way morally superior to them. Ultimately it will prove no more effective. The locomotive of human progress is truth, not lies. And the truth will not remain buried for all time.
For the best part of three generations, the apologists of capitalism vented their spleen against the Soviet Union. No effort or expense has been spared in the attempt to blacken the image of the October Revolution and the nationalised planned economy that issued from it. In this campaign, the crimes of Stalinism came in very handy. The trick was to identify socialism and communism with the bureaucratic totalitarian regime which arose from the isolation of the Revolution in a backward country.
The hatred of the Soviet Union shared by all those whose careers, salaries and profits derived from the existing order based on rent, interest and profit, is not hard to understand. It had nothing to do with the totalitarian regime of Stalin. The same 'friends of democracy' had no scruples about praising dictatorial regimes when it suited their interests to do so. The 'democratic' British ruling class was quite happy to see Hitler coming to power, as long as he put down the German workers and directed his attentions to the East.
Winston Churchill and other representatives of the British ruling class expressed their fervent admiration for Mussolini and Franco, right up until 1939. In the period after 1945, the Western 'democracies', in the first instance the USA, actively backed every monstrous dictatorship. From Somoza to Pinochet, from the Argentine junta to the Indonesian butcher Suharto, who climbed to power over the corpses of a million people with the active support of the CIA. The leaders of the Western democracies grovel before the blood-soaked regime of Saudi Arabia that tortures, murders, flogs and crucifies its own citizens. The list of these barbarities is endless.
From the standpoint of imperialism such regimes are perfectly acceptable provided they base themselves on private ownership of the land, banks and big monopolies. Their implacable hostility to the Soviet Union was not based on any love of freedom, but on naked class interest. They hated the USSR, not for what was bad in it, but precisely for what was positive and progressive. They objected, not to Stalin's dictatorship (on the contrary, the crimes of Stalinism suited them very well as a convenient means of blackening the name of socialism in the West), but to the nationalised property forms which were all that remained of the gains of October.
This re-writing of history reminds one forcibly of the old methods of the Stalinist bureaucracy which placed history on its head, turned leading figures into non-persons, or demonised them – as in the case of Leon Trotsky – and generally maintained that black was white. The present writings of the enemies of socialism are no different, except that they slander Lenin with the same blind hatred and spitefulness that the Stalinists reserved for Trotsky.
Some of the worst cases of this kind are to be found in Russia. This is not surprising, for two different reasons: firstly, these people have been raised in the Stalinist school of falsification, which based itself on the principle that truth was only an instrument in the service of the ruling elite. The professors, economists and historians were, with a few honourable exceptions, accustomed to adapt their writings to the current 'line'. The same intellectuals who sang the praises of Trotsky, the founder of the Red Army and leader of the October Revolution, a few years later had no qualms about denouncing him as an agent of Hitler. The same writers who fawned on Joseph Stalin the great Leader and Teacher soon jumped the other way when Nikita Khrushchev discovered the 'personality cult'. Habits die hard. The methods of intellectual prostitution are the same. Only the master has changed.
There is also another quite separate reason. Many of the capitalists in Russia not long ago carried a Communist Party card in their pocket and spoke in the name of 'socialism'. In fact, they had nothing to do with socialism, communism or the working class. They were part of a parasitic ruling caste which lived a life of luxury on the backs of the Soviet workers. Now, with the same cynicism that has always characterised these elements, they have openly gone over to capitalism. But this miraculous transformation cannot be consummated so easily. These people feel a compelling need to justify their apostasy by heaping curses on what they professed to believe in only yesterday. By these means they try to throw dust in the eyes of the masses, while salving their own consciences – always supposing that they possess such a thing. Even the worst scoundrel likes to find some justification for his actions.
What the Revolution achieved
The regime established by the October Revolution was neither totalitarian nor bureaucratic, but the most democratic regime yet seen on earth. The October Revolution radically abolished private ownership of the means of production. For the first time in history, the viability of a nationalised planned economy was demonstrated, not in theory but in practice. Over one-sixth of the earth's surface, in a gigantic, unprecedented experiment, it was proved that it was possible to run society without capitalists, landowners and moneylenders.
Nowadays, it is fashionable to belittle the results achieved, or even to deny them altogether. Yet the slightest consideration of the facts leads us to a very different conclusion. Despite all the problems, deficiencies and crimes (with which, incidentally, the history of capitalism furnishes us in great abundance), the most astonishing advances were achieved by the nationalised planned economy in the Soviet Union in what was, historically speaking, a remarkably short space of time. This is what provoked the fear and loathing which characterised the attitude of the ruling classes of the West. This is what compels them even now to indulge in the most shameless and unprecedented lies and calumnies (of course, always under the guise of the most exquisite 'academic objectivity') about the past.
The bourgeois have to bury once and for all the ideals of the October Revolution. Consequently, the collapse of the USSR was the signal for an avalanche of propaganda against the achievements of the planned economies of Russia and Eastern Europe. This ideological offensive by the strategists of Capital against 'communism' was a calculated attempt to deny the historical conquests that issued from the Revolution. For these ladies and gentlemen, the Russian Revolution was a historical aberration. For them, there can only possibly be one form of society. Capitalism in their eyes had always existed and would continue to do so. Therefore, there could never be any talk of gains from the nationalised planned economy. The Soviet statistics are said to be merely exaggerations or falsehoods.
'Figures can't lie, but liars can figure.' All the colossal advances in literacy, health and social provision, were hidden by a Niagara of lies and distortions aimed at obliterating the genuine achievements of the past. All the shortcomings of Soviet life – and there were many – have been systematically blown up out of all proportion and used to 'prove' there is no alternative to capitalism. Rather than advance, there was decline, they now say. Rather than progress, there was regression. "It has been claimed that the USSR in the eighties was as far behind the United States as was the Russian Empire in 1913," writes economic historian, Alec Nove, who concludes that "statistical revisions have had a political role in de-legitimising the Soviet regime…" (Alec Nove, An Economic History of the USSR, p. 438)
Against this unprecedented campaign of lies and slander, it is essential that we put the record straight. We do not wish to overburden the reader with statistics. However, it is necessary to demonstrate beyond any doubt the tremendous successes of the planned economy. Despite the monstrous crimes of the bureaucracy, the unprecedented advances of the Soviet Union represent not only a historic achievement, but are, above all, a glimpse of the enormous possibilities inherent in a nationalised planned economy, especially if it were run on democratic lines. They stand out in complete contrast to the crisis of the productive forces of capitalism on a world scale today.
Unprecedented advance
The October Revolution of 1917 brought about the greatest advance of the productive forces of any country in history. Before the Revolution, tsarist Russia was an extremely backward, semi-feudal economy with a predominantly illiterate population. Out of a total population of 150 million people there were only approximately four million industrial workers. That means it was far more backward than Pakistan at the present time.
Under frightful conditions of economic, social and cultural backwardness, the regime of workers' democracy established by Lenin and Trotsky began the titanic task of dragging Russia out of backwardness on the basis of a nationalised planned economy. The results have no precedent in economic history. Within the space of two decades Russia had established a powerful industrial base, developed industry, science and technology and abolished illiteracy. It achieved remarkable advances in the fields of health, culture and education. This was at a time when the Western world was in the grip of mass unemployment and economic collapse in the Great Depression.
The viability of the new productive system was put to a severe test in 1941-45, when the Soviet Union was invaded by Nazi Germany with all the combined resources of Europe at its disposal. Despite the loss of 27 million lives, the USSR succeeded in defeating Hitler, and went on, after 1945, to reconstruct its shattered economy in a remarkably short space of time, transforming itself into the world's second power.
Such astonishing advances in a country must give us pause for thought. One can sympathise with the ideals of the Bolshevik Revolution, or oppose them, but such a remarkable transformation in such a short space of time demands the attention of thinking people everywhere.
In a period of 50 years, the USSR increased its gross domestic product nine times over. Despite the terrible destruction of the Second World War, it increased its GDP five times over from 1945 to 1979. In 1950, the GDP of the USSR was only 33 per cent that of the USA. By 1979, it was already 58 per cent. By the late 1970s, the Soviet Union was a formidable industrial power, which in absolute terms had already overtaken the rest of the world in a whole series of key sectors. The USSR was the world's second biggest industrial producer after the USA and was the biggest producer of oil, steel, cement, tractors, and many machine tools.
Nor is the full extent of the achievement expressed in these figures. All this was achieved virtually without unemployment or inflation. Unemployment like that in the West was unknown in the Soviet Union. In fact, it was legally a crime. (Ironically, this law still remains on the statute books today, although it means nothing.) There might be examples of cases arising from bungling or individuals who came into conflict with the authorities being deprived of their jobs, but such phenomena did not flow from the nature of a nationalised planned economy, and need not have existed. They had nothing in common with either the cyclical unemployment of capitalism or the organic cancer which now affects the whole of the Western world and which currently condemns 35 million people in the OECD countries to a life of enforced idleness.
Moreover, for most of the post-war period, there was little or no inflation. The bureaucracy learned the truth of Trotsky's warning that "inflation is the syphilis of a planned economy". After the Second World War, for the most part, they took care to ensure that inflation was kept under control. This was particularly the case with the price of basic items of consumption. Before perestroika (reconstruction), the last time meat and dairy prices had been increased was in 1962. Bread, sugar and most food prices had last been increased in 1955. Rents were extremely low, particularly when compared to the West, where most workers have to pay a third or more of their wages on housing costs. Only in the last period, with the chaos of perestroika, did this begin to break down. With the rush towards a market economy, both unemployment and inflation soared to unprecedented levels.
The USSR had a balanced budget and even a small surplus every year. It is interesting to note that not a single Western government has succeeded in achieving this result (as the Maastricht conditions prove), just as they have not succeeded in achieving full employment and zero inflation, things which also existed in the Soviet Union. The Western critics of the Soviet Union kept very quiet about this, because it demonstrated the possibilities of even a transitional economy, never mind socialism.
From a backward, semi-feudal, mainly illiterate country in 1917, the USSR became a modern, developed economy, with a quarter of the world's scientists, a health and educational system equal or superior to anything found in the West, able to launch the first space satellite and put the first man into space. In the 1980s, the USSR had more scientists than the USA, Japan, Britain and Germany combined. Only recently was the West compelled to admit grudgingly that the Soviet space programme was far in advance of America's. The fact that the West still has to use Russian rockets to put men and women into space is sufficient proof of this.
Women and the October Revolution
The great French utopian socialist Fourier saw the position of women as the most graphic indicator of the progress or otherwise of a social regime. The attempt to introduce capitalism in Russia has had the most calamitous consequences in this regard. All the gains for women made by the Russian Revolution, which, incidentally, was begun by striking textile workers on International Women's Day, are being systematically eliminated. The reactionary face of capitalism is graphically revealed in the position of women in Russia.
The Bolshevik Revolution laid the basis for the social emancipation of women, and although the Stalinist political counter-revolution represented a partial setback, it is undeniable that women in the Soviet Union made colossal strides forward in the struggle for equality. "The October Revolution honestly fulfilled its obligations in relation to woman," wrote Trotsky. "The young government not only gave her all political and legal rights in equality with man, but, what is more important, did all that it could, and in any case incomparably more than any other government ever did, actually to secure her access to all forms of economic and cultural work."
The October Revolution was a milestone in the struggle for women's emancipation. Prior to that, under tsarism, women were regarded as mere appendages of the household. Tsarist laws explicitly permitted a man to use violence against his wife. In some rural areas women were forced to wear veils and were prevented from learning to read and write. Between 1917 and 1927 a whole series of laws were passed giving women formal equality with men. The 1919 programme of the Communist Party boldly proclaimed:
Not confining itself to formal equality of women, the party strives to liberate them from the material burdens of obsolete household work by replacing it by communal houses, public eating places, central laundries, nurseries, etc.
Women were no longer obliged to live with their husbands or accompany them if a change of job meant a change of house. They were given equal rights to be head of the household and received equal pay. Attention was paid to the women's childbearing role and special maternity laws were introduced banning long hours and night work and establishing paid leave at childbirth, family allowances and child-care centres. Abortion was legalised in 1920, divorce was simplified and civil registration of marriage was introduced. The concept of illegitimate children was also abolished. In the words of Lenin: "In the literal sense, we did not leave a single brick standing of the despicable laws which placed women in a state of inferiority compared with men…"
Material advances were made to facilitate the full involvement of women in all spheres of social, economic and political life – the provision of free school meals, milk for children, special food and clothing allowances for children in need, pregnancy consultation centres, maternity homes, crèches and other facilities. True, the emergence of Stalinism ushered in a series of counter-reforms in the social sphere, which drastically affected the position of women. But with the death of Stalin, the post-war economic growth allowed a steady general improvement: retirement at 55 years, no discrimination in pay and terms of employment, and the right of pregnant women to shift to lighter work with fully paid maternity leave for 56 days before and 56 days after the birth of a child. New legislation in 1970 abolished night work and underground work for women. The number of women in higher education as a percentage of the total rose from 28 per cent in 1927, to 43 per cent in 1960, to 49 per cent in 1970. The only other countries in the world where women constituted over 40 per cent of the total in higher education were Finland, France and the United States.
There were improvements in pre-school care for children: in 1960 there were 500,000 places, but by 1971 this had risen to over five million. The tremendous advances of the planned economy, with the consequent improvements in health care, were reflected in an increase of the life expectancy for women from 30 to 74 years, and the reduction in child mortality by 90 per cent. In 1975 women working in education had risen to 73 per cent of the workforce. In 1959 one-third of women were in occupations where 70 per cent of the workforce were women, but by 1970 this figure had climbed to 55 per cent. By this time, 98 per cent of nurses were women, as were 75 per cent of teachers, 95 per cent of librarians and 75 per cent of doctors. In 1950 there were 600 female doctors of science, but by 1984 it had climbed to 5,600.
Capitalist restoration has rapidly reversed the gains of the past, pushing women back to a position of abject slavery in the hypocritical name of the 'family'. The biggest part of the burden of the crisis is being placed on the shoulders of women.
Why the Soviet Union collapsed
Yet despite these extraordinary successes, the USSR collapsed. The question that must be addressed is why this occurred. The explanations of the capitalist 'experts' are as predictable as they are hollow. Socialism (or communism) failed. End of story. But the commentaries of the Labour leaders, both left and right, are not much better. The right-wing reformists, as always, merely echo the views of the ruling class. From the left reformists, we get an embarrassed silence. The leaders of the Communist Parties in the West, who yesterday uncritically supported all the crimes of Stalinism, now try to distance themselves from a discredited regime, but have no answer to the questions of the workers and youth, who demand serious explanations.
The achievements of Soviet industry, science and technology have already been explained, but there was another side to the picture. The democratic workers' state established by Lenin and Trotsky was replaced by the monstrously deformed bureaucratic state of Stalin. This was a terrible regression, signifying the liquidation of the political power of the working class, but not of the fundamental socio-economic conquests of October. The new property relations, which had their clearest expression in the nationalised planned economy, remained.
In the 1920s Trotsky wrote a small book called Towards socialism or capitalism? That was always the decisive question for the USSR. The official propaganda was that the Soviet Union was moving inexorably towards the achievement of socialism. In the 1960s Khrushchev boasted that socialism had already been achieved and the USSR was going to build a fully communist society in twenty years. But the truth was that the Soviet Union was moving in another direction altogether.
The movement towards socialism should signify a gradual reduction in inequality. But in the Soviet Union inequality continually increased. An abyss opened up between the masses and the millions of privileged officials and their wives and children, with their smart clothes, big cars, comfortable apartments and dachas. The contradiction was still more glaring because it contrasted with the official propaganda about socialism and communism.
From the standpoint of the masses, economic success cannot be reduced to the amount of steel, cement or electricity produced. Living standards depend above all on the production of commodities that are of good quality, cheap and easily available: clothes, shoes, food, washing machines, televisions and the like. But in those fields the USSR lagged far behind the West. That would not have been so serious but for the fact that some people enjoyed access to these things while most did not.
The reason why Stalinism could last so long, despite all the crying contradictions it created, was precisely the fact that for decades the nationalised planned economy made extraordinary strides forward. But the suffocating rule of the bureaucracy resulted in corruption, mismanagement, bungling and waste on a colossal scale. It undermined the gains of the planned economy. To the degree that the USSR developed to a higher level, the negative effects of bureaucracy had even more damaging consequences.
The bureaucracy always acted as a brake on the development of the productive forces. But whereas the task of building up heavy industry was relatively simple, a modern sophisticated economy with its complex relations between heavy and light industry, science and technology cannot be run by bureaucratic fiat without causing the most serious disruption. The costs of maintaining high levels of military expenditure and the costs of maintaining its grip on Eastern Europe imposed further strains on the Soviet economy.
With all the colossal resources at its disposal, the powerful industrial base and the army of high-class technicians and scientists, the bureaucracy was unable to achieve the same results as the West. In the vital fields of productivity and living standards, the Soviet Union lagged behind. The main reason was the colossal burden imposed on the Soviet economy by the bureaucracy – the millions of greedy and corrupt officials that were running the Soviet Union without any control on the part of the working class.
As a result, the Soviet Union was falling behind the West. As long as the productive forces in the USSR continued to develop, the pro-capitalist tendency was insignificant. But the impasse of Stalinism transformed the situation completely. By the mid-1960s, the system of a bureaucratically controlled planned economy reached its limits. This was graphically expressed by a sharp fall in the rate of growth in the USSR, which declined continually throughout the 1970s, approaching zero under Brezhnev. Once the Soviet Union was not able to obtain better results than capitalism, its fate was sealed.
It was at this point that Ted concluded that the fall of Stalinism was inevitable, a brilliant prediction that he made as early as 1972. From a Marxist point of view, such a perspective was inescapable. Marxism explains that in the final analysis the viability of a given socio-economic system depends on its ability to develop the productive forces. This book explains the whole process in great detail, and shows how in the period after 1965, the growth rate of the Soviet economy began to slow down. Between 1965 and 1970, the growth rate was 5.4 per cent. Over the next seven-year period, between 1971 and 1978, the average rate of growth was only 3.7 per cent.
This compared to an average of 3.5 per cent for the advanced capitalist economies of the OECD. In other words, the growth rate of the Soviet Union was no longer much higher than that achieved under capitalism, a disastrous state of affairs. As a result, the USSR's share of total world production actually fell slightly, from 12.5 per cent in 1960 to 12.3 per cent in 1979. In the same period, Japan increased its share from 4.7 per cent to 9.2 per cent. All Khrushchev's talk about catching up with and overtaking America evaporated into thin air. The growth rate in the Soviet Union continued to fall until it was reduced to zero at the end of the Brezhnev period (the 'period of stagnation' as it was christened by Gorbachev).
Once this stage had been reached, the bureaucracy ceased to play even the relatively progressive role it had played in the past. This is the reason why the Soviet regime entered into crisis. Ted Grant was the only Marxist to draw the necessary conclusion from this. He explained that once the Soviet Union was unable to get better results than capitalism, the regime was doomed. By contrast, every other tendency, from the bourgeois to the Stalinists, took for granted that the apparently monolithic regimes in Russia, China and Eastern Europe would last almost indefinitely.
The political counter-revolution carried out by the Stalinist bureaucracy in Russia completely liquidated the regime of workers' Soviet democracy, but did not destroy the new property relations established by the October Revolution. The ruling bureaucracy based itself on the nationalised, planned economy and played a relatively progressive role in developing the productive forces. However, they managed this at three times the cost of capitalism, with tremendous waste, corruption and mismanagement, which Trotsky had pointed out even before the war, when the economy was advancing at 20 per cent a year.
But despite its successes, Stalinism did not solve the problems of society. In reality, it represented a monstrous historical anomaly, the result of a peculiar historical concatenation of circumstances. The Soviet Union under Stalin was based on a fundamental contradiction. The nationalised planned economy was in contradiction to the bureaucratic state. Even in the period of the first five-year plans, the bureaucratic regime was responsible for colossal waste. This contradiction did not disappear with the development of the economy, but, on the contrary, grew ever more unbearable until eventually the system broke down completely.
This is now common knowledge. But to be wise after the event is relatively easy. It is not so easy to predict historical processes in advance, but this was certainly the case with Ted Grant's remarkable writings on Russia, which accurately plotted the graph of the decline of Stalinism and predicted its outcome. Here alone we find a comprehensive analysis of the reasons for the crisis of the bureaucratic regime, which even today remains a book sealed with seven seals for all other commentators on events in the former USSR.
Trotsky's analysis
The starting point of the present work was the brilliant analysis made by Leon Trotsky in his masterpiece The Revolution Betrayed written in 1936, which even today retains all its original vigour and relevance. No one who seriously wants to understand what has happened in Russia can ignore this great work of Marxist analysis. However, for understandable reasons, Trotsky did not provide a finished, once-and-for-all analysis of the class nature of the Soviet state, but left the question open as to which direction it would finally take.
The great Russian Marxist understood that the fate of the Soviet Union would be determined by the struggle of living forces, which was in turn inseparably connected with developments on a world scale: such developments could not be precisely predicted in advance. In fact, the peculiar way in which the Second World War unfolded had a decisive effect on the destiny of the Soviet Union, which was anticipated by nobody. Trotsky wrote:
It is impossible at present to answer finally and irrevocably the question in what direction the economic contradictions and social antagonisms of Soviet society will develop in the course of the next three, five or ten years. The outcome depends upon a struggle of living social forces – not on a national scale, either, but on an international scale. At every new stage, therefore, a concrete analysis is necessary of actual relations and tendencies in their connection and continual interaction. (Trotsky, The Revolution Betrayed, p. 49)
Trotsky was careful to place a question mark over the future of the Soviet state. His prediction that the Stalinist bureaucracy, in order to preserve their privileges, "must inevitably in future stages seek support for itself in [capitalist] property relations", was shown to be absolutely correct. The disgusting spectacle of long-standing Communist Party leaders, managers and officials tearing up their Party cards and openly transforming themselves into 'entrepreneurs', with the same ease as a man moving from one compartment on a train to another, shows how far the Stalinist regime was from genuine socialism.
Trotsky did not expect the Stalinist regime to last as long as it did. True, in his last work Stalin, he did suggest that the regime might last for decades in its present form, but the book was unfinished at the time of his assassination and he was unable to develop this idea further. The Soviet Union emerged from the Second World War enormously strengthened. The Stalinist regime, which Trotsky regarded as a temporary historical aberration, survived for decades. This had a profound effect on everything, particularly the consciousness of the masses and the bureaucracy itself.
Trotsky had hoped that the Stalinist regime would be overthrown by a political revolution of the working class. But if that did not happen, he raised the possibility at a certain stage that the process of bureaucratic counter-revolution would lead to the overthrow of the property relations established by the October Revolution:
The counter-revolution sets in when the spool of progressive social conquests begins to unwind. There seems no end to this unwinding. Yet some portion of the conquests of the Revolution is always preserved. Thus, in spite of monstrous bureaucratic distortions, the class basis of the USSR remains proletarian. But let us bear in mind that the unwinding process has not yet been completed, and the future of Europe and the world during the next few decades has not yet been decided. The Russian Thermidor would have undoubtedly opened a new era of bourgeois rule, if that rule had not proved obsolete throughout the world. At any rate, the struggle against equality and the establishment of very deep social differentiations has so far been unable to eliminate the socialist consciousness of the masses or the nationalisation of the means of production and the land which were the basic socialist conquests of the Revolution. Although it derogates these achievements, the bureaucracy as not yet ventured to resort to the restoration of the private ownership of the means of production. (Trotsky, Stalin, pp. 405-6)
The perspective of capitalist restoration in Russia and its repercussions was explained with remarkable foresight by Trotsky in 1936:
A collapse of the Soviet regime would lead inevitably to the collapse of the planned economy, and thus the abolition of state property. The bond of compulsion between the trusts and the factories within them would fall away. The more successful enterprises would succeed in coming out on the road of independence. They might convert themselves into stock companies, or they might find some other transitional form of property – one, for example, in which the workers should participate in the profits. The collective farms would disintegrate at the same time and far more easily. The fall of the present bureaucratic dictatorship, if it were not replaced by a new socialist power, would thus mean a return to capitalist relations with a catastrophic decline of industry and culture. (Leon Trotsky, The Revolution Betrayed, pp. 250-1)
What strikes one is the brilliant way in which Trotsky anticipated the main lines of what actually took place in Russia. In complete contrast to the clarity of Trotsky's approach we see the theoretical and practical bankruptcy of the theory of 'state capitalism', which in different forms has occupied the minds of different ultra-left sects for decades. After the Second World War, Ted Grant developed and extended Trotsky's analysis of proletarian Bonapartism, particularly in The Marxist Theory of the State, which comprehensively demolished the idea of state capitalism in Russia.
According to this 'theory', the regime in the USSR had been capitalist for a very long time. Thus, the workers need not bother to defend the old forms of state ownership (state capitalism) against the nascent bourgeoisie, since there was no difference between them. This line of argument, which would completely disarm the working class in the face of the capitalist counter-revolution, is a glaring example of how a false theory leads inevitably to a disaster in practice.
The crisis of Stalinism had nothing whatsoever in common with the crisis of capitalism (or 'state capitalism'). The latter is the result of the anarchy of the market and private ownership. But there was no question of a crisis of overproduction in the case of the USSR, which was based on a nationalised planned economy, although one afflicted with all the evils of bureaucracy, corruption and mismanagement.
To this must be added the limiting character of the nation state, which has outlived its usefulness and become a gigantic fetter on the productive forces. This explains why every country, even the biggest superpower, is compelled to participate in the world market. This was predicted in advance by Marx. It is also the reason why the idea of socialism in one country is a reactionary utopia.
Caricature of socialism
What failed in Russia and Eastern Europe was not communism or socialism, in any sense that this was understood by Marx or Lenin, but a bureaucratic and totalitarian caricature. Lenin explained that the movement towards socialism requires the democratic control of industry, society and the state by the proletariat. Genuine socialism is incompatible with the rule of a privileged bureaucratic elite, which will inevitably be accompanied by colossal corruption, nepotism, waste, mismanagement, and chaos.
The nationalised planned economies in the USSR and Eastern Europe achieved astonishing results in the fields of industry, science, health and education. But, as Trotsky predicted as early as 1936, the bureaucratic regime ultimately undermined the nationalised planned economy and prepared the way for its collapse and the return of capitalism.
What is the balance sheet of the October Revolution and the great experiment in planned economy that followed it? What implications do they have for the future of humanity? And what conclusions should be drawn from them? The first observation ought to be self-evident. Whether you are in favour or against the October Revolution, there can be no doubt whatsoever that this single event changed the course of world history in an unprecedented way. The entire twentieth century was dominated by its consequences. This fact is recognised even by the most conservative commentators and those hostile to the October Revolution.
Needless to say, the author of these lines is a firm defender of the October Revolution. I regard it as the greatest single event in human history. Why do I say this? Because here for the first time, if we exclude that glorious but ephemeral event that was the Paris Commune, millions of ordinary men and women overthrew their exploiters, took their destiny in their own hands, and at least began the task of transforming society.
That this task, under specific conditions, was diverted along channels unforeseen by the leaders of the Revolution does not invalidate the ideas of the October Revolution, nor does it lessen the significance of the colossal gains made by the USSR for the 70 years that followed.
The enemies of socialism will reply scornfully that the experiment ended in failure. We reply in the words of that great philosopher Spinoza that our task is neither to weep nor to laugh but to understand. But one would look in vain in all the writings of the bourgeois enemies of socialism to find any serious explanation for what occurred in the Soviet Union. Their so-called analysis lacks any scientific basis because they are motivated by blind hatred that reflects definite class interests.
It was not the degenerate Russian bourgeoisie, but the nationalised planned economy that dragged Russia into the modern era, building factories, roads and schools, educating men and women, creating brilliant scientists, building the army that defeated Hitler, and putting the first man into space.
Despite the crimes of the bureaucracy, the Soviet Union was rapidly transformed from a backward, semi-feudal economy into an advanced, modern industrial nation. In the end, however, the bureaucracy was not satisfied with the colossal wealth and privileges it had obtained through plundering the Soviet state. As Trotsky predicted, they passed over to the camp of capitalist restoration, transforming themselves from a parasitic caste to a ruling class.
The movement towards capitalism has meant a big step backwards for the people of Russia and the former Republics of the USSR. Society was thrown back and had to learn all the blessings of capitalist civilization: religion, prostitution, drugs, and all the other 'blessings' of capitalism. For the time being the Putin regime has succeeded in consolidating itself. But its appearance of strength is illusionary. Russian capitalism, like the hut in the Russian fairy tale, is built on chicken's legs.
The Achilles heel of Russian capitalism is that it is now linked with an umbilical cord to the fate of world capitalism. It is subject to all the storms and stresses of a system that finds itself in a terminal crisis. This will have a profound impact on Russia, both economically and politically. Sooner or later the Russian workers will recover from the effects of the defeat and move into action. When that happens, they will quickly rediscover the traditions of the October Revolution and the ideas of genuine Bolshevism. That is the only way forward for the workers of Russia and the entire world.
London 7th January 2017


text:
Organic Armor makes a great gift for a creative friend, crafty performer, cosplayer, costume geek or yourself if you can't decide what you want right now.
The gift card can be used for the online course or to purchase shop inventory. Your friend will recieve a coupon code via email, to which you can attach a personal message.
If they use it to buy the online course, they might thank you in the form of a headdress!
Single use. Good for one year from purchase date.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 70 million adults in the United States have high blood pressure, or hypertension. That amounts to nearly one in three adults; furthermore, another one in three adults are living with elevated blood pressure results that are below the level considered to be high blood pressure but above the norm. This is called prehypertension, and roughly only half of Americans with high blood pressure have their condition under control. This leads to a multitude of health problems and risks, many of which are well-known. However, most people are not aware of another effect of high blood pressure that has been discovered: hearing loss.
While hearing loss can be caused by a variety of factors, it has come to light that high blood pressure may also be a contributing illness to hearing loss. A recent 2013 study evaluated the potential association between high blood pressure and hearing loss. In that research, a total of 274 individuals between the ages of 45 and 64 were evaluated. Dr. Mohan Jagade, a physician in the Department of ENT and Head and Neck Surgery, Grant Medical College and J.J. Hospital, and his team discovered that in subjects presenting elevated blood pressure, there was a significant increase in the presence of hearing loss. The researchers in the study surmised that hypertension is an accelerating factor in the degeneration of the auditory system and hearing as people age.
Also, there is a high correlation between high blood pressure and the incidence of a first stroke. The CDC reports that approximately eight out of 10 people having a first stroke also have high blood pressure. In 2008, The American Heart Association published a recap of a large group study on the association between sudden sensorineural hearing loss and stroke. Researchers found that the there is a definitive and clear correlation between the two. While the exact specifics tying the two together are still being studied, the warning flags are already present. The group within the study who had severe hearing loss were more than 150 percent more likely to experience a stroke within two years of the occurrence of a sudden hearing loss. Any potential disturbance in the blood flow to the tiny capillaries in the inner ear can cause permanent and devastating hearing loss, and it is theorized that the presence of high blood pressure impacts the blood flow to the delicate structures in the inner ear.
It is well-documented that with increases in hearing loss, individuals often experience more feelings of isolation, loneliness, and depression while suffering from auditory deprivation, a condition that can lead to lower speech understanding ability and even greater chance of dementia if left untreated. Therefore, it is strongly advised that if you have any risk factors for hearing loss, such as high blood pressure, you should have your hearing thoroughly evaluated on an annual basis to detect early hearing loss before it is too late.


text:
Social networking sites are changing how online business owners approach marketing, especially sites like Facebook. In fact, Facebook is the most popular social networking site used for online marketing by small business owners. Spreading the image and logo of your small business requires effective branding and other marketing techniques. Marketing firms that offer social media marketing services begin improving their client's image online with branding. After branding, a marketing firm will develop an impressive marketing campaign for their clients. Marketing a business on Facebook requires outsourcing in order to compete on a level playing field in social networking sites. A small business marketing agency provides people the solutions for responding to hundreds or thousands of fans and followers.
One of the reasons why people spend time marketing a business on Facebook is the number of people who use Facebook. More than 900 million people are on Facebook and you should never underestimate a Facebook marketing company. If you are looking for Facebook marketing companies, be sure to get familiar with social media marketing to find out what services you will receive. Mobile device users are affecting small business social media marketing because of the number of people who use their smart phone or tablet PC to browse social networking sites. By the time 2016 comes around, there will be more than 2 billion mobile app users around the world. You can find more information about social media marketing small business in social networking sites, search engines and blogs. Marketing a business on facebook requires professional and experienced services.


text:
This is me catching up on a couple of weeks of In My Mailbox posts again. It's always more fun to post when you have more books to post about, right? :) Plus, I was out of town last weekend and I was just too exhausted to take photos and come up with an IMM post. Anyway, so many books in the past weeks — even I am surprised at my stash. Look:
So, what did we get in the past few weeks?
I attended the launch of the fourth (and much-awaited!) Trese graphic novel at Robinsons Bestsellers two weeks ago. I'm not really a graphic novel person, but I loved Trese and I've been waiting for the fourth book ever since I finished all three a few months ago. :) The event was a success if you were to judge only with the number of people who attended (dress code was black, apparently :P). I do think it was an overall success because not only was it a full-house event, but also we got our books signed. :)


text:
Every control freak likes to claim the successes of others as their own. In some cases it's relatively easy to do, such as when nobody listening knows better, or where they do but they are too timid to say anything. The most common case relies on the well known weakness of organisational memory, where everyone expects someone else to remember things for them. Even if they do remember, they expect someone else to remember better and so be the person that raises an objection, saving them from that duty.
But that's all child's play compared to the real control freak who can pull this off successfully in front of people with good memories and strong enough personalities to call out the false claims when they hear them. It relies on a simple trick that fits perfectly with the narcissim of control freaks.
The trick is simple – they just claim everything and anything as a success all at the same time and deliberately take a long time to list each and every claimed success. On the face of it this might look mad because it opens them to multiple attacks, but that's not how it plays out.
If you are the listener who hears the huge whopper of a lie laying claim to all these successes and you know these are lies then you soon realise that there are only a few courses of action:
– you can pick up on one false claim and expose it, but that won't detract from the overall effect because all the control freak needs do is treat it as a minor issue in the overall context. They might do this by acknowledging the mistake but more likely they will swat away the challenge as missing the bigger picture and you will be labelled as out of touch.
– you can pick on a large number of the lies but that's very hard, takes a long time and is likely to encounter strong resistance from bystanders who simply don't want a protracted argument to take place. It can be done but it is more of a scorched earth policy than a surgical strike.
So almost everyone, even some pretty strong and determined people keep quiet and let the control freak get away with it.


text:
Showing all 5 results
We are currently experiencing 3-6 months lead times for the Neutrik MTP range. If you need something more urgently, we have an interim solution that can be delivered within 1-2 weeks. Please click here for more details.
To request a quick quote or place an order, please contact us or call us on 01488 685800 for more details.


text:
Pages: 224
Binding: Softcover
The Gift of Mission
By: James H. Kroeger
In 2011 the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers celebrated one hundred years of mission work in more than forty countries around the world in a symposium that brought together missioners, theologians, and scholars with a wide range of expertise and insights. These selected essays explore both the achievements and failures of the past and the challenges and rewards that mission outreach experiences today in our pluralistic world. Acknowledging and honoring the past, The Gift of Mission also provides perspectives into the future of Christian mission and the changing nature of that mission in the 21st century—and beyond.
Contributors include Cardinal Francis George, Robert Schreiter, Peter Phan, Dana Robert, Bishop Ricardo Ramirez, Gustavo Gutiérrez, Barbara Reid, Daniel Groody, and many others.
James H. Kroeger, M.M., is professor of mission theology at the Loyola School of Theology and the East Asian Pastoral Institute in Manila, Philippines. He has written or edited more than thirty books and contributed to many others. He serves as president of the Philippine Association of Catholic Missiologists and as executive secretary of the Asian-born Missionary Societies Forum.


text:
AARP Eye Center
Esther Williams: Who Says Mermaids Aren't Real?
By Patrick Kiger, June 6, 2013 05:00 PM
You don't have to watch a recent controversial cable TV documentary about mermaids to see convincing visual evidence that the mythical creatures might actually exist.
Just rent a few of Esther Williams' classic Hollywood aquatic musicals - Bathing Beauty, Neptune's Daughter and Million-Dollar Mermaid, to name a few - in which the teenage national swimming champion turned glamorous actress thrilled 1940s and 1950s moviegoers with her graceful underwater maneuvers and lithe, shapely figure.
But for fate, Williams, who died on June 6 at age 91 in Beverly Hills, Calif., might have been an athletic superstar instead of a movie star. In 1939, at age 18, the native Los Angeleno won three events in the U.S. swimming championships and earned a chance to compete the 1940 Helsinki Olympics, but World War II caused the cancellation of the games. Instead, she became the star of Billy Rose's Aquacade, a show at the San Francisco International Exposition, where she shared the water with swimming champ turned movie Tarzan Johnny Weissmuller.
Related: AARP 2013 Summer Movies for Grownups
From there, as a 1943 Life magazine profile noted, "it was just a swan dive to the MGM studios," where she broke in by kissing Mickey Rooney underwater in the 1942 romantic comedy Andy Hardy's Double Life, and appeared in 1943's A Guy Named Joe with Spencer Tracy and Irene Dunne. But her first big starring role was in the 1944 musical Bathing Beauty, in which she played the beautiful women's college swimming instructor wooed by leading man Red Skelton.
Williams' beauty led to her being cast in numerous dry-land roles, but it was her aquatic musicals - basically, Busby Berkeley-esque extravaganzas transferred to the water - that captured the public imagination. Williams performed what the movies touted as "aqua-ballet" - dancelike moves that presaged the future sport of synchronized swimming. As the comedian Fanny Brice once famously noted: "Esther Williams? Wet, she's a star. Dry, she ain't."
Here she is with Howard Keel in the 1955 movie Jupiter's Darling:
Here are some intriguing facts about Williams:
- She didn't actually learn to swim until she was eight years old but quickly sensed that "the water was my natural element."
- As an amateur swimmer, she was one of the first women to become adept at the butterfly stroke, which she had learned from male lifeguards at a swimming pool where she worked as a towel-folder.
- In her Hollywood prime, she was five feet, seven inches tall and weighed 123 pounds. She kept in top shape by swimming as much as six miles each day.
- Though not known for her thespian skills, she had a quick, clever wit. She once quipped that she gave up amateur swimming because "you can't eat medals."
- A picture of Williams in a bathing suit became a popular pinup for G.I.s during World War II.
- She was married four times.
- She appeared as a mystery guest in a 1955 episode of What's My Line?, where she playfully tried to fool the panel into thinking she was a singer.
- After retiring from Hollywood, she lent her name to a swimwear collection and a successful line of above-ground swimming pools.
Also of Interest
- Frank R. Lautenberg: Oldest U.S. Senator, Last World War II Vet
- Jean Stapleton: As Edith Bunker, She Really Was Archie's Better Half
- Join AARP: Savings, resources and news for your well-being
See the AARP home page for deals, savings tips, trivia and more
Photo: AP Photo


text:
Registration trouble? Please use the "Contact Us" link at the bottom right corner of the page and your issue will be resolved.Dismiss Notice
Early CJ5 and CJ6 Tech
General tech type discussion for 1955-1986 CJ Jeeps and engine questions for engines stock in these Jeeps (F134, V6, I6) or other engines in these Jeeps.
Page 1259 of 1265
Thread Display Options
Page 1259 of 1265


text:
Vivian Paper Dolls
This series allows you to purchase the Vivian Basics Set once, and then simply choose the add-on sheets you like. Mix and match the add-on pieces to create your own unique art dolls.
All digital items are delivered via download only. Simply put the items into your cart, and check out. Upon payment, an email with your download links is generated for the products you've purchased. You could have your new goodies in your hands just minutes from now.
Please read my angel policy before you use my designs in items for publication or sale.
Confused about digital products? This might help.


text:
Has it really been a year since the Royal Wedding? Amazing. And to think that before then, no-one gave a shit about Pippa's bum. Oh, you you still don't? Me either. As weddings go, it was quite a nice one… there weren't any post-nuptial punch-ups outside the palace and no-one sicked on the bride's train.
One of the wedding's most enduring legacies (other than the arse du jour) is the brand that Kate chose to scent herself with on the big day, Illuminum. Launched by creator Michael Boadi in March 2011, and elevated to cult status by the Duchess of Cambridge merely a month later, there isn't a better welcome to the world than receiving an (unofficial) seal of approval by a real-life princess!
The Duchess of Cambridge chose White Gardenia Petals for her grand occasion, I chose Tahitian Yuzu simply because I had money burning a hole in my back pocket and I wanted. one. dammit. – you can see the similarities.
Tahitian Yuzu reminds me a little bit of L'Artisan's Mûre et Musc, which also kicks off with a forest-fruit vibe. In the case of Mûre et Musc, it's blackberries… and in Tahitian Yuzu? Blackcurrant. But this is where the comparability ends. Tahitian Yuzu blasts some major tropical notes with a sparkling cocktail of pineapple which gives real effervescence and youthfulness to the fragrance. Mûre et Musc has a gentler, more home-grown berry feel.
Like an excitable hula-girl (yeah, they have those in Tahiti), the scent calms down as the night falls and the headier, more sensual notes of jasmine come to the surface. Here lies the real heart of the perfume… I can still detect some lingering fruitiness but it becomes fully tempered by the softer night flowers which bring warmth and a little bit of sexiness to the fragrance. The deeper, base notes of musk never fully surface on my skin, which is unusual because my chemistry normally carries them to the fore but I'm assuming that this is what grounds the accord and prevents it from projecting too light-heartedly.
Sillage is fairly weak which suits my interpretation of this as more of a skin-scent. Step into a cloud of this as you step out of a shower and carry a little bit of the Southern Seas around with you for at least part of the day as alas, with my dry skin, I get low/medium longevity from this one, about 4 hours at the most. Tahitian Yuzu is going to work beautifully on warm nights (if we get any) and I can't wait to expose a bit more skin to the sun and see just how capable it is at transporting me to a tropical paradise!
Illuminum Tahitian Yuzu is available to buy instore at the Illuminum's Perfume Lounge in Mayfair (I recommend a visit!), or directly from their website. Priced at £70 for 50ml


text:
YouTube on Thursday stopped placing ads on channels with fewer than 10,000 views in a move aimed at preventing people from making money off offensive or pirated videos.
The move came with YouTube striving to derail an ad boycott started by companies worried their brands might be paired with hateful videos at the service, which is part of California-based Google.
"This new threshold gives us enough information to determine the validity of a channel," product management vice president Ariel Bardin said in a blog post.
"It also allows us to confirm if a channel is following our community guidelines and advertiser policies."
YouTube also plans to soon add a review process for new "creators" who want money-generating channels as part of a partner program at the video-sharing service, according to Bardin.
After a creator's channel passes the 10,000-view mark, the videos will be reviewed to determine whether they are in keeping with YouTube policies before ads are served up with content.
"Together, these new thresholds will help ensure revenue only flows to creators who are playing by the rules," Bardin said.
Google needs to strike a balance between pleasing advertisers and those who upload videos to YouTube and are free to take creations elsewhere if unsatisfied with their shares of ad revenue.
Google said early this week that it was using new artificial intelligence systems to enforce YouTube video policies and help weed out content objectionable to advertisers.
These systems will be adapted to advertiser preferences, Google said.
The tech giant also said it would work with third parties to help advertisers protect their brands from unwanted placement.
Google, which has seen a slew of companies withdraw ads fearing placement alongside extremist content, has introduced new tools to give firms greater control.
The boycott began in February after the Times newspaper of London found BBC programs were promoted alongside videos posted by American white supremacist and former Ku Klux Klan member David Duke as well as Wagdi Ghoneim, an Islamist preacher banned from Britain for inciting hatred.
The analysis found more than 200 anti-Semitic videos, and that Google had failed to remove six of them within the 24-hour period mandated by the European Union after it anonymously signaled their presence.
The movement spread to the United States, with AT&T and Verizon pulling ads from Google.


text:
The Anna Lindh Foundation acts as a Network of National Networks which today brings together over 4000 civil society organisations from across the region for the promotion of dialogue between cultures. The National Networks reflect the diversity of their own civil society and work across fields including intercultural relations, heritage, religion, research, human rights, democracy and community development, arts, youth and education, gender, environment and sustainable development, and media. If you want to join a Network please:
1. Ensure you are established as an organisation in one of the forty-three Euro-Mediterranean countries
2. Complete the online application form for membership
As the Anna Lindh Networks are independent and autonomous, the decision about admission will be taken by the concerned Heads of Network to whom your application will be sent.


text:
Over the 20 years that we have been doing knowledge management, there has been a number of recurrent arguments that appear regularly, often several times a year. Watch the linked-in forums; you will see these arguments popping up like mushrooms. I call them cul-de-sac arguments, as they lead us nowhere. They are never resolved, and they make little difference to pragmatic knowledge management.
Here is the first and the biggest.
Can you manage knowledge?
This argument often comes about because people sometimes assume that "knowledge management" means "the management of knowledge". Given that knowledge is intangible, they feel that it cannot be controlled as a "thing", and that without control, there can be no management.
This argument is debated around and around and around and around, and usually ends up with the position that "it depends what you mean by knowledge, and it depends what you mean by management". Often the argument is an emotional one, driven by the feeling that "Knowledge is Good, Management is Bad", and that we ought to find another term. "Knowledge Sharing", perhaps.
My position is that it doesn't matter. The validity of "Knowledge Management" doesn't depend on whether knowledge is a concrete object to be controlled, any more than the validity of "Reputation Management" depends on whether reputation is a concrete object to be controlled, or that the validity of "Risk Management" depends on whether risk is a concrete object to be controlled.
The point is that you can do some really useful things through Management, which enable the flow and re-use of Knowledge, and which deliver real value to an organisation. It's "Management with a focus on Knowledge", and that's enough to call it Knowledge Management as far as I am concerned.
Here's the second
"If you write it down, is it still knowledge?"
Many hours have been spent arguing whether knowledge can ever exist outside the human head. Some say "Yes, it's explicit knowledge". Others say "No, it's information".
This argument is seldom resolved, but as far as I am concerned, it doesn't matter. It is possible to help people understand how to do things, through the transmission of the recorded word. You can add a huge amount of value this way, no matter what you call the medium of transmission (explicit knowledge, or knowledge-focused information). There is a loss of value when things get written down, but where does that loss turn knowledge into information? Is it
- when you formalise your thoughts into coherent form?
- when you speak your thoughts?
- when you record what you speak onto video?
- when you write a transcript of that video?


text:
Ski Vermont Celebrates Snowy Forecast and Safety Awareness Week
MONTPELIER, Vt. – With the most terrain open in the east and a winter snowstorm hitting the Green Mountains this week, Vermont ski areas have prime trail conditions that are expanding every day to welcome all of our skiing and riding faithful for Safety Awareness Week.
The annual National Safety Awareness Week is January 14 – 22 with a variety of events, programs and activities at Vermont ski resorts. Learning Your Responsibility Code , helmet use and terrain park safety are important focuses of the week. More information on National Safety Awareness Week is found at: www.nsaa.org/nsaa/safety/ .
PHAT, Protect Your Head at All Times is a helmet advocacy program supported by Vermont Children's Hospital at Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington, Vermont that works with the National Ski Patrol and other partners to encourage all skiers and riders to wear helmets so they have a safer experience on the slopes. Learn more and enter raffles to win a free helmet at upcoming PHAT Events:
JAN 14 – Bromley Mtn. Resort
JAN 22 – Bolton Valley Resort
JAN 28 – Smugglers' Notch Resort
JAN 31 – Mad River Glen
More Safety Awareness Week events include:
Safety Awareness the Magic Mountain Way
At Magic Mountain, there's some of the most challenging terrain in Vermont and an open boundary-to-boundary ski policy. But that does not mean we take safety lightly. With at least 90 acres of…Read Full Release
Trapp Family Lodge and Equipment Safety
Equipment Safety is always a high priority when we talk about National Safety Awareness. Equipment maintenance lays at the heart of any safe ski vacations. Regular use and its subsequent…Read Full Release
In Stowe, Safety Starts with Exceptional Service
Much effort has been spent over the past decade to encapsulate the ideas and strategies used in a variety of areas at Stowe Mountain Resort. This work has led to a set of service standards and…Read Full Release
Free Lift Ticket Voucher with Helmet Purchase at Killington and Pico Mountain
Guests who purchase a helmet the resorts' retail locations during the week of January 14-22, 2012 will receive a voucher for a free lift ticket, valid any day…Read Full Release
Smuggs Celebrates National Safety Awareness Week
Smugglers' Notch Resort will offer a variety of activities as part of National Safety Awareness Week. "Smugglers' has a strong commitment to safety, and our safety program is…Read Full Release
Stratton Hosts Safety Trivia and Safety Booth to Raise Awareness
Thanks to the tireless efforts of our snowmakers, winter at Stratton is in full swing. This season, Stratton asks everyone to renew their S.E.S. Pass and commitment to safety on the hill…Read Full Release
Okemo Celebrates National Safety Week
As winner of the Best Helmet Safety Program – Heads Up, National Ski Area Safety Awards, Okemo takes safety seriously with fun and educational activities focus on safety and awareness on the slopes…Read Full Release


text:
Updates from Wednesday 12th August 2009
I've done some updates early this week I haven't documented until now. So here we go:
- Typo on a couple of Photos pages with Wayne Arthy mentioned at McArthy. My Mcpologies.
- Monthly mass mailout drafted. This will go out on Saturday 15th August once approved by Bender.
- Site footers done. Talked about above. What a task!!!
- New Wallpapers made with the guys in matching SHIFT gear. See http://www.cunningstunts.com/downloads_wallpapers.shtml and hit refresh if required. Again, a monster, monster task but at least it's done. There are a couple of disclaimers.
1. Apologies about NEDs wallpapers. His photo was taken in portrait and therefore I couldn't create all resolutions from his pic.
2. Sams wallpapers. I didn't have any decent high-res photos of him at all. The one I used was the best I had which is still pretty ordinary. I tried to tart it up a bit with some square photos on the side but I don't think it helped


text: Learn how to get the most out of your listing on our website. See what complimentary promotional opportunities are available to both new and veteran members. Can participation on a Chamber committee help your business? It's all available at the August 8 New Member Mingle. "Seasoned" members are also welcome. The Chamber's Director of Communications, Janet Pozos, will be on hand to demonstrate how easy it is to link your social media accounts to your Chamber web listing. Members can also offer discounts or coupons to fellow Chamber members or the general public. Meet some Chamber Board members, the Chamber staff, and your fellow newbies! The New Member Mingle is free to attend. It will be in the Chamber office (400 E. Esplanade Drive, Suite 302) on August 8 from 4:30 to 6 PM. Refreshments, wine and hors d'oeuvres will be served. Click here to let us know you are coming! Comments are closed.


text:
Hire Outsourced Java Developers
Hire Top Java Developers From Eastern Europe & South America
Outsource Java design & development to top pre-vetted E. European & S. American experts managed from the U.S. We learn about your business objectives, research and recommend the best available solution, keep a centralized knowledge base & deliver high-quality results using the top talent available worldwide. Join the outsourcing revolution! Request a free quote for your projects today.
Strategic planning
Industry top experts
Upfront estimates
Design prototypes
Staging on Google Cloud
Code review & QA
24/7 support
Scalable Agile teams
Fully managed from the US
We blend the expertise of our dedicated Java developers with the experience and knwoledge of cross-domain solution architects to deliver the best possible results for your business objectives.
If you don't have a designer in house – no worries, we've got you covered. Our team of professional designers can create uniques visual experiences as well as help personalize themes according to your requirements.
It has become the need to have an attractive front end to hold the visitors for longer. We specialize in using the best front end development technologies like JavaScript, JQuery and AJAX Services, Node Js, AngularJS.
We provide our clients with perfectly crafted back-end solutions. Our web applications are always built with top-notch technologies.
We provide our clients with perfectly crafted back-end solutions. Our web applications are always built with top-notch technologies.
We take take care of security threats in Java development, and for every website we build we provide: thoroughly tested plug-ins, The Login Lockdown plug-in, unique username and password available upon project review.
We empower product owners and remote teams with private project management software, centralized project wiki, Git repository, Conitnious Integration, cloud hosting for staging & production environments, code review and free advice.
We adopt the latest tools and advanced technologies to make the best solutions for your project. Our experts carefully study every facet of the new technology before practicing it, to reach the best efficiency.
I'm not sure what I need to choose. I'd like to schedule a free 30 minutes consultation call.
I thought that BuildaTeam.io did an absolutely amazing job creating my app DejaWho! We came to them with absolutely no technical background, no technical scope, basically with just an idea of how we wanted the end result to look like. Lex and his team did an amazing job with the discovery phase, getting an understanding of what we wanted, and they built this app from conception into acceptance into the app store. The process was remarkably efficient and I would recommend this team for any app builders. Great team!
BuildaTeam.io is an excellent company, with a big team of varied skills. They are responsive and knowledgeable. Also their project managers are incredibly organized.
BuildaTeam.io is a highly professional organization. I've turned to them numerous times to help me with my WordPress website build. There online project management interface enables me to document the issue, and set a priority level. I always hear back from my BuildaTeam.io project manager or developer within the specified timeframe. The work is always highly professional and clean. It really has been a wonderful experience working with them, and I would recommend them to organizations of all shapes and sizes.
We are cute and don't spam your email.
Our US based Project Managers would love to chat with you about project requirements and put together a quote for you free of charge. No risk, no obligation just free information on your development options! Get started by telling us a little about yourself.


text:
The Icelandic police force has been conducting an extensive investigation into organized crime and illegal debt collection. Last Wednesday, the police conducted a house search at eight locations and seized drugs and allegedly stolen goods. Six individuals were taken into custody yesterday. Permission has been granted to extend custody over four of these six individuals until March 21. Reykjanes District Court was heavily guarded when the ruling was announced yesterday.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
The individuals in question are three men and one woman who are connected to the Icelandic Hells Angels. They are charged with brutally assaulting a woman in her home in the town of Hafnarfjörður. When police arrived at the scene, the woman was unconscious and had been chocked, kicked, hit with a bat, sexually molested and dragged around by her hair, Fréttablaðið reported yesterday.
Visir.is however reported yesterday that the woman has been released but that the men will remain in custody for the four week period. Also, it was not known whether extended custody would be filed for the two other men who were arrested on Wednesday.
Today, Fréttablaðið reported that five of the six people who were arrested have appealed the ruling on detention to the Supreme Court. Among those arrested is an individual known for unlawful debt collection and a man who was convicted to seven years in prison in 2005 for a brutal assault with an axe.
Stefán Eiríksson, commissioner at the Reykjavík Metropolitan Police, told mbl.is that the police have gained some headway in the fight against organized crime recently. However, according to Stefán, they would get much better results with more funds and manpower and it would possibly even give them the opportunity to control these operations, something that neighboring states cannot even dream of.


text:
Owensboro KY Airport Limo Taxi Rental
A Plus UBQ Limousine & Sedan Services offers consistent flat rates and affordable limo rates for airport limo and taxi rental services in Owensboro KY. Book your airport limo or taxi in advance or call for immediate same day service. Our uniformed chauffeurs are well trained, courteous and offer reliable and efficient transport in the vehicle of your choice from our fully insured and well-maintained fleet.
Where Can I Find Flexible Airport Taxi and Limousine Services Near Me?
A Plus UBQ Limousine & Sedan Services customizes limo and airport taxi rentals to suit your needs and budget for a full range of services that include:
Owensboro KY Airport Shuttle Services - A Plus UBQ Limousine & Sedan Services offers efficient and convenient airport shuttle services in a fully equipped, luxury executive, minivan that accommodates up to eight passengers and includes luggage assistance at affordable rates.
Airport Taxi Pick Up: When your flight lands in Owensboro KY, A Plus UBQ Limousine & Sedan Services understands that you need to get to your destination on time and in comfort. Pre-arrange to have a reliable chauffeur waiting curbside, near the baggage area or call as soon as you arrive for immediate service. We offer special discounts and flat rates for airport taxis and limo services.
Limo Taxi to the Airport – Don't settle for a regular local taxi service to get you to the airport when A Plus UBQ Limousine & Sedan Services can get you there at an affordable rate in a luxury vehicle with professional chauffeur service and luggage assistance. Treat yourself to the best limo service for less with: convenient flight monitoring, text or email status updates, and efficient and courteous drivers who are highly experienced with Owensboro KY roadways and expertly navigate traffic.
Airport Taxi Vans – Groups of up to six passengers can travel together in style in well-maintained late model vans from the A Plus UBQ Limousine & Sedan Services fleet. Count on ample luggage space, clean and comfortable interiors and timely service from experienced drivers.
Town Car Sedan Make your stay in Owensboro KY as stress-free as possible with a stylish A Plus UBQ Limousine & Sedan Services town car sedan. Our uniformed drivers provide flexible services at hourly or flat rates for your business meetings, outings or leisure requirements.
Luxury Limousine Rentals – Reserve a A Plus UBQ Limousine & Sedan Services limousine from a luxurious fleet that includes all the extras including: properly attired chauffeurs, advanced technology, and complimentary refreshments. Reserve online or call to select from our impressive fleet. Ask about our tailored ground transportation options to include airport limo services or any other destination in Owensboro KY.
An Outstanding Fleet
A Plus UBQ Limousine & Sedan Services offers an exceptional fleet of fully equipped and spacious vehicles for airport transfers and luxury transportation during your stay in Owensboro KY. Choose from among our luxury limousines, sedans, SUV's and airport minivans available at affordable rates.
Luxury Sedan – Perfect for executive travel to business meetings and outings in Owensboro KY. Accommodates four passengers with extra luggage space.
A Plus UBQ Limousine & Sedan Services Minivan – Gather the entire family together for outings, airport transfers or corporate events in Owensboro KY with a fully equipped and spacious minivan that includes child seats and is also wheelchair accessible.
SUV - Choose from the classy Cadillac Escalade, Chevy Suburban or Nissan Pathfinder for your airport taxi or limo rental requirements.


text:
U.N. Climate Chief Christiana Figueres '79 Evaluates Issues on Climate Change
1. How much did religious leaders advocate against global warming at the United Nations climate talks this past winter in Durban, South Africa?
I have been very impressed over the past few years at how the faith community is getting more and more involved in climate issues; they are concerned about what humanity is doing to creation. In Durban we had, of course, Archbishop Tutu, who was there as the local leader of the faith community, but we also had probably the largest participation of the faith community we've ever had, from religions from around the world, trying to support the process.
2. So the U.S. is unusual in that the reality of climate change is sometimes contested on religious grounds here?
Yes, that is a unique situation.
3. How are military entities engaging with climate change?
It's very interesting how the military has become acutely aware of the fact that climate represents, probably, the most difficult security issue that they are going to face over the next 20 years, just because of migration. We see areas that are going to be underwater, that are going to be in drought - there is going to be a massive migration such as we have never seen, which represents a severe security problem for what are currently stable states.
The U.S. military has already done quite a few studies about the implications of climate change on the security and the borders of the United States. And they, I think, are taking on much more of a progressive role; they're wanting to contribute to addressing climate change. They are already looking at investing in new technologies that are much more efficient in the use of energy. They're actually taking good leadership.
4. What can people in the U.S. do to combat climate change?
The United States is the industrialized country that has the worst waste of energy in the entire world. The easiest thing is to work on energy efficiency in buildings, in transportation, in lighting - that could already be a huge contribution. And it's painless! What is the problem? This room, here, was all lit before we walked in. The room should light up when we walk in and then light down when we walk out. And look at the temperature in this room; energy is being wasted here, but there's just no awareness of it. So just on energy efficiency, a huge amount could be done.
Transportation, fuel, our vehicle standards - that is something that [Obama's] administration is working on. But the fact that the fuel standards in this country are still under fuel standards in China doesn't speak very highly.
And third, demand leadership - demand leadership! The United States, if it continues the way it is going, is going to miss out on the opportunity to be the leader in new technologies. The United States will be in the situation, 20 years from now, of importing cutting-edge technology from China, because the U.S. is not investing in that technology.
Christiana Figueres '79 is the Executive Secretary of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change. She is also the founder of the non-profit Center for Sustainable Development of the Americas and received the Hero for the Planet award from National Geographic in 2001. In addition to her B.A. in anthropology from Swarthmore, Figueres holds a master's degree in social anthropology from the London School of Economics and a certificate in Organizational Development from Georgetown University. Figueres will speak at Swarthmore on Sept. 28 in Science Center 101 at 1 p.m. on the anthropology of climate change.


text:
Cardstock is thicker and more durable than writing or printing paper. Cardstock material is suitable for small and lightweight items such as dry food, cosmetics, jewelry, and medicinal oils.
Showcase your products with remarkable and one-of-a-kind custom electronics packaging boxes. Got a unique box idea? Our custom packaging specialists will guide you every step of the way to find the exact style, size, material, design, and effects that your custom boxes for electronics need to leave a lasting impression. Design your own branded electronics product packaging today.
First things first, let's demystify precisely what electronics packaging boxes are. These custom boxes are designed to hold your products, as well as dazzle your customers with a fantastic look on shelves. Electronics packaging adds an extra layer of protection around your products during shipping, communicates your brand values, and distinguishes your brand from other businesses and products.
Not only that, but custom electronics boxes can be used in the ecommerce journey to strengthen brand recognition. A well-designed custom electronics packaging strategy can become part of your brand's signature - creating an instantly recognizable emblem that consumers associate with your products. A custom box is a chance to let your creative streak run wild. No matter the idea, shape or size of your box, nothing is out of reach.
As your packaging partner, Refine Packaging helps you exceed your packaging box goals. Whether you're a food and beverage player, a cosmetics brand or an ecommerce store, we have a custom box for you. After all, our electronics boxes are just that - highly customizable.
Chat live with our packaging experts now for a free consultation and instant price quote.
Nearly 75% of American consumers say their purchases are influenced by the product's packaging box. Amid the fierce competition among brands, here's how Refine Packaging's customized electronics packaging products can help you stand out from the crowd with unforgettable packaging.
Our creative team is ready to help you conceptualize and produce high-quality and strategically designed custom electronics packaging that highlights your product's value–with 100% free design support. As a leading electronics packaging manufacturer, Refine Packaging consistently produces memorable packaging boxes for electronics products that highlights the ways your product benefits your target consumers and how it differs from your competitors. With the winning combination of useful information and visual cues to trigger all the right emotions, your stunning custom printed electronics boxes can transform curious shoppers into lifelong customers.
To build trust in your brand's image, it's essential that your customers receive top-notch packaging quality–every single time. The structural design and materials used for your custom electronics boxes are critical to ensure that your products arrive safely. It has to prolong your item's shelf life. Upon request, we can send you a box sample featuring the material you prefer so you can determine if it meets your requirements. Rest assured, Refine Packaging also has a dedicated quality assurance department that works closely with you to check your custom printed boxes order at every step of the packaging process before shipment.
Your packaging is your brand's primary touchpoint. The fonts, colors, composition, and textures all influence how consumers see, feel, and truly experience the brand. We offer a wide variety of customizable options for your box's material, printing, finishes, and inserts to help ensure that your electronics packaging box does its job of grabbing your customer's attention and interest. Whatever vision you have in mind for your custom electronics packaging boxes, our experienced electronics team is on hand to help turn your idea into a reality - at a price that you'll love almost as much as your personalized electronics packaging. You can customize your electronics box packaging from corner to corner: the shape, color, design, texture and size. Contact our custom packaging specialists now to bring your ideas to life.
Thousands of companies trust Refine Packaging as their go-to manufacturer for impressive, affordable, unforgettable custom printed boxes and packaging. No matter the sector or size of your organization, we'll help you create the custom box of your dreams.
A dedicated packaging expert is ready to guide you through every step of the custom packaging process–from initial consultation to full production and delivery–without breaking a sweat. Whether you're new to the packaging world or have a well-established product that's soaring to the next level, our customer service team is ready to help you succeed!
Contact us today to get experienced input from our packaging experts about how you can make your product stand out online and in-store, fulfill regulatory requirements, and support your sustainability goals.
We'll help you determine the best box size, box shape, and material for an optimal fit and protection for single or multiple contents. Every personalized package, from gift boxes to custom product boxes, is carefully reviewed by our quality assurance team.
At no additional charge, our team of custom packaging designers can help you create an innovative custom box design that will reflect your brand's personality, work well with your chosen box style, and create a memorable customer experience.
Get a prototype to see your custom packaging boxes come to life. This gives you a chance to test the look and performance to be certain of your choices before bulk production and shipping.
Enjoy high value for your money through consistently superior quality packaging processes and dedicated one-on-one customer service from veteran custom packaging specialists.
We help you optimize costs with efficient free shipping and tracking, no matter what the size of your order is or where your custom packaging needs to be delivered.
What do cupcakes, mobile phones and cosmetics all have in common? Well, we make retail packaging for all of them! View our collection of industry-specific packaging that's curated by our professional packaging specialists that have worked with many companies across various industries.
Get in touch with a custom packaging specialist now for a free consultation and instant price quote.


text:
PS30 Yellow Bright Stars Personalised Stickers - Single Pack (96) is backordered and will ship as soon as it is back in stock.
Add your own message or value to these stickers! Great for reinforcing positive school welfare and behaviour programs. Your students will love to receive them in recognition of their achievements.
Maximum of 20 characters. If you have more than 20 characters, please write in the NOTE section.
Single Pack - 96 x 35mm personalised stickers $10.95
Medium Pack - 240 x 35mm personalised stickers $19.95
Simply add your name / message and select the size pack required from the Quantity tab.
Receive a matching A3 poster as a print ready pdf FREE with your purchase. Please request us to email the poster in the notes section of the online order.
Matching A5 certificate: PC06 available, 100 pack ($39.95).


text:
Kinetics, evolution, and effector function of Fc repertoires during vaccination with native-like Env trimers
The focus of this proposal is to precisely define the kinetics, evolution, and effector function of vaccine-elicited antibodies against HIV-1, with an emphasis on understanding Fc-mediated activity. We hypothesize that the immunogen, route of administration, adjuvant, and timing all have quantifiable effects on how Fc repertoires are induced, endure and evolve.
Active Dates
02/20/2019 to 01/31/2024
Faculty Involved
Health Topics


text:
Luckily I discovered another-- I think better-- option for dorm bedding from a young company called American Made Dorm. Here is what the company president, Caroline Eager, told me about her Louisville, Kentucky-based business:
"American Made Dorm will celebrate its first year in business in September. All of our products - 100% - are made in America. Our mill (Victor Mill) is in Greenville, South Carolina, and we get our fabric from Mississippi. The comforters are completely manufactured, sewn, and filled in our mill with fabric that is printed in Mississippi and fill that is made in North Carolina. Our towels are from 1888 Mills, made in Griffin, Georgia, and our sheets from Mayfield Manufacturing. Our rugs from Milliken (South Carolina, "Crafted with pride in the USA"), our mattress pads and toppers from Louisville Bedding, made in both Kentucky and South Carolina, and our wall pops are made in Massachusetts! "
I took the plunge and ordered the American Dorm Bundle from American Made Dorm, and did a direct comparison of the two company's offerings for myself (see below for the details). The American Made Dorm set was about $100 more than the set from RHL, but came with 2 sets of plush 1888 Mills towels, higher thread count sheets, and a much nicer comforter with matching pillow sham, decorative pillow and laundry bag.
Bottom Line: If you can afford the extra money (remember this should last for years), then I definitely recommend the American Made Dorm products as much nicer quality and truly made in USA.
All American Collection from Residence Hall Linens: $190
- Pillows: 2 Standard size, filled with polyester fill, Filled in USA, cover made in Pakistan
- Twin XL sheets: 2 sets, 60/40 cotton/polyester, 200 thread count, Made in USA by Thomaston Mills (Thomaston, GA)
- Mattress Pad, Twin XL: Made in USA of imported and USA materials by Louisville Bedding Co. (Louisville, KY)
- Memory Foam Mattress Topper: Made in USA
- Towels: 2 bath, 1 hand, 1 wash cloth, 100 percent cotton, Soft, but thin. Made in USA (no manufacturer name)
- Comforter: 100 percent polyester, Slippery, not cozy. Made in Pakistan
American Made Dorm: Cost $299
- Pillows: 1 Decorative, Color matches comforter trim. Expressly Made for American Made Dorm, Made in USA by Victor Mill, Inc. (Greenville, SC)
- Twin XL sheets: 1 set, 100 percent cotton, 300 count, Silky feel. Made in USA by Mayfield Manufacturing (Thomson, GA)
- Mattress Pad, Twin XL: Beautyrest microfiber mattress pad, 200 thread count. Made in USA of imported and USA materials by Louisville Bedding Co. (Louisville, KY)
- Towels: 2 bath, 2 hand, 2 wash cloths. 100 percent ring spun cotton loops, Thick and soft! Millennium by 1888 Mills, Made in USA
- Comforter: 100 percent cotton duck, Expressly Made for American Made Dorm, Made in USA by Victor Mill, Inc. (Greenville, SC)
- Pillow Sham and Laundry bag made from fabric to match comforter, 100 percent cotton duck, by Victor Mill.
[Disclosure: I have no affiliation with either of these companies other than as a customer.]
Stephanie, Webmaster and Mom


text:
Cowabunga!! Labor Day, Monster Surf, Fine Wines
2010 Giulo Grasso Ca' del Bao Langhe Nebbiolo $23 (Wallys): Langhe on the label usually signifies wine made from traditional Piemonte regions not in Barolo or Barbaresco. It can also signify younger vines. This bottle came from Liquid which is an outlaw itself in wine retail, and a tBoW secret wine spot. Researching this bottle turned up a lovely website with some down home family tidbits about the Grasso family, a cross-winemaking family marriage,and a book I have to check out. Organic growing methods, natural yeasts… all by tradition. This wine is a bit rugged, lean and muscular. It is too young to open unless you aerate mightily. All the good flavors we love in Nebbiolo are there: cherries, exotic earthy, high toned… but not ready. 13.5%
Iceman Angry Orchard Hard Cider $16 (Whole Wallet): 16 oz bottle from Quebec. That equates to a $30 wine. Sweeter than the yummy Virginia hard cider which we WILL BE ORDERING in about 45 days when the heat yields to Autumn in LA; i.e., the 80s. After visiting the website I am certain we would prefer the Strawman bottling. 10%
2011 Spungola Bellaria Pignoletto Emilia Alberto Tedeschi $18: Pretty sure Dotoré picked this up at Domaine LA, his favorite secret wine store. White wine made by an obscure dude toling on his own with an indigenous obscure grape – Pignoletto – with a great name that sounds like a kind of pedicure. tBoW tasted oily, kind of lean. We like that but perhaps it was the atmosphere – adult party. Not impressive. However, you may disagree. We took this from a website.
We just did not get it. "Bronze colored in the glass, the bouquet is one of salt, apricot, and hazelnuts. It is a full wine with rich tannins and flavors of orange blossom, cantaloupe, and toasty coconut." That reads pretty nice. Everything we like is on the page. I will bet in a small group with less pressure to "interact" this wine will taste much better. Needs another shot! 13%NV Breton Vouvray Brut "La Dilettante" $20 (K&L says they have it): Sparkling Chenin Blanc from the Loire. Yeasty, sophisticated, grapefruit rind, acidic. Loved it. Big hit with those holding glasses. Made by natural wine organic gorgeous (in photo) winemaker Catherine Breton. Committed to the natural movement! At $19.99 a U20 buy. 12%
catch the twichen groove doods… COWABUNGA!!


text:
Welcome to Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ Customer Service!
All Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ support is now located at EA Help. Please visit help.ea.com for assistance.
Hot Topics
Contact Us In-Game
If you're a subscriber and you require assistance with an issue inside the game, you can create an in-game ticket by clicking on the "Customer Service Help Request" Main Menu option (or by pressing "Ctrl + /") and following the instructions on the "Request Help" tab.
Contact Us By Phone
If you need assistance with your account, encounter a problem while making a payment, or are unable to log in to the game the best course of action is to contact our Customer Service team over the phone. You can contact our team for the price of a local call by calling the numbers listed below:
- Germany: (0221) 8282 9212 (Phone support available from 09.00 CET - 21.00 CET)
- France: +33 (0) 4 81 68 10 51 (Phone support available from 09.00 CET - 21.00 CET)
Please note: Calls made from landlines are local-rate, while those made from mobile devices may be subject to additional charges from your provider. If you're calling from a country that is not listed above, please see this FAQ: www.swtor.com/support/helpcenter/5200 for more information about contacting our Customer Service team.