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In the next five years, the city of San Diego will have to increase its spending on stormwater projects an average of $164 million annually, more than it costs to run its park and library systems combined.
To help pay for this, the city could increase homeowners' monthly stormwater fees by more than 1,000 percent, though any increase would require a public vote. If the city doesn't find the money, it could face up to $37,500 in daily fines every time it pollutes the ocean.
"That's a little sobering," City Councilman David Alvarez said Wednesday after hearing a report with all these numbers.
The astronomical figures punctuate a long-running tension for the city over whether to chip away at the backlog of broken infrastructure or build new things residents need.
But unlike San Diego's roads, which continue to deteriorate, and emergency response times, which still fall short of city goals, a failure to invest in stormwater projects could lead to a direct hit to the city's pocketbook through lawsuits and state and federal fines.
New, more stringent regulations from the region's water quality control board detail the amount of pollution allowed to flow from the city's stormdrain system into the ocean – including from rain, people washing their cars and debris from creeks.
The city's price tag includes the costs of repairing stormdrain pipes, but also from more frequent street sweeping and even buying land to collect pollutants before they're washed into the system.
The stormwater department argues that if it doesn't begin to ramp up spending now, it can't possibly meet water quality mandates by the time many go into effect in 2018. The city has known the new regulations were coming for a while – former Mayor Jerry Sanders batted around trying to hike stormwater fees – but ultimately no one took any major steps toward dealing with it. The city's projecting it will cost $2.7 billion over the next 17 years to comply with the rules.
"The thinking was, it's in the future and it's such a ridiculous cost, it can't be correct," said Seth Gates, a co-author of the report for the city's independent budget analyst. "It's on us now, and our staff is saying this is the cost for compliance. People still can't believe it."
To be sure, the numbers could represent a worst-case scenario. Stormwater officials told a City Council committee on Wednesday that they're negotiating with the water quality board to make some of the regulations less stringent. For instance, changes to how metal pollution is calculated in Chollas Creek, which runs through City Heights, southeastern San Diego and Barrio Logan, could lower overall costs by $800 million, officials said.
The city is, however, beginning to take these numbers seriously. In its most recent bond issue, the city told investors that rising stormwater costs were a risk to its financial stability.
Ways to pay for all this have their drawbacks. Any increase to stormwater fees would require a majority vote of all property owners or two-thirds of the general electorate. The city could continue to borrow money for upgrades, but that would compete with money for street and building repairs and cost a lot more when spread out over decades. Cash from the day-to-day budget would compete with police, fire, library hours and other regular government services.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Culture Code Keep It Casual Full Size Color Block Stripe Long Pants
- Regular price
- Regular price
- Sale price
- Unit price
- per
These pants are designed to make a bold statement with their eye-catching color block stripes running along the sides, adding a touch of modernity to your outfit. These pants are made from high-quality materials to ensure durability and long-lasting wear. The fabric is soft against the skin, providing ultimate comfort throughout the day. Whether you're running errands, attending casual events, or simply relaxing at home, these pants will keep you looking effortlessly chic. The side color block stripes add a trendy and sporty element to the design, making these pants versatile for various occasions. Pair them with a casual t-shirt for a relaxed look, or dress them up with a blouse or blazer for a more sophisticated ensemble. The possibilities are endless with these versatile pants.
The elastic waistband ensures a snug yet flexible feel, allowing you to move with ease throughout the day. With their timeless design and attention-grabbing details, these pants are a must-have addition to any fashion-conscious wardrobe.
- Pattern type: Contrast
- Style: Casual
- Features: Drawstring
- Length: Long
- Material composition: 95% polyester, 5% spandex
- Care instructions: Machine wash cold. Tumble dry low.
- Imported
- Product measurements:
S: hip 37 in, rise 11 in, inseam 29 in, waist 25 in
M: hip 39 in, rise 11.5 in, inseam 29 in, waist 27 in
L: hip 41 in, rise 12 in, inseam 29 in, waist 29 in
XL: hip 43 in, rise 12.5 in, inseam 29 in, waist 31 in
1XL: hip 45 in, rise 13.5 in, inseam 29 in, waist 33 in
2XL: hip 47 in, rise 14 in, inseam 29 in, waist 35 in
3XL: hip 49 in, rise 14.5 in, inseam 29 in, waist 37 in


text:
Una nueva especie de Acanthoscurria (Araneae: Theraphosidae: Theraphosinae) sin órgano estridulador, del sur de Perú
Acanthoscurria sacsayhuaman sp. nov. (Araneae: Theraphosidae) is described based on a male from Cusco, Peru. The new species is characterized by the absence of stridulatory bristles on retrolateral face of palpal trochanter. Moreover, it can be distinguished by morphology of the male palpal bulb and tibial apophysis of the first pair of legs. The genus is recorded for the first time for Peru.
Revista Peruana de Biología 23(2): 89-94


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Japanese manufacturers are masters in making off-roaders and this is one of the famous examples. The Pajero is one of the most iconic SUVs from the 90s. However, things are going in a little bit different way, when it comes to today's automotive world. The current market is overflowed by unibody crossovers, while body-on-frame SUVs are pretty rare birds. The be even worse, the current-generation Pajero is pretty old. It dates from 2006, which is a way too long time for today's standards.
Of course, there have been a couple of updates so far. The last one happened recently when we saw a couple of visual updates. Still, the overall design is pretty outdated, so it's no wonder that the current model is available in China and a few more markets only. Most likely, the 2020 Mitsubishi Pajero will be one of the last year models, even in this part of the world. At this point, it is unclear whether this SUV will be redesigned or not.
2020 Mitsubishi Pajero Redesign
In terms of base design characteristics, the 2020 Mitsubishi Pajero will definitely continue in the same way. It is pretty much the same vehicle that was introduced 13 years ago, especially in terms of mechanics. Of course, we saw several updates so far. The 2019-year model came with a small portion of aesthetical updates. Changes were very subtle and included a new front fascia, with a new, golden logo and lettering on the grille. Also, there is a silver lettering from the side, as well as new colors and wheels design. That would be pretty much all, so we could legally say this update came without any important update. The 2020 Mitsubishi Pajero will definitely continue in the same way. At this point, we can only presume that it will be the last year model of the current generation.
2020 Mitsubishi Pajero Interior
On the inside, the 2020 Mitsubishi Pajero will be pretty basic for today's standards. Just like the current model, it will come with a design that clearly shows models age. Compared to younger competitors, you will easily notice that materials aren't as fine as they should be. Also, the dashboard shape is outdated. In terms of the interior layout, we should mention that the overall space largely depends on the body style. The 2020 Mitsubishi Pajero will continue with two familiar designs, with either three or five doors. A three-door version features around 100 inches in wheelbase, while a 5-door model is for about 9 inches longer in this aspect.
When it comes to standard equipment, this SUV is also very basic. Lower trims are definitely bare bones, while things like things like leather upholstery, leather-wrapped steering wheel, touchscreen interface, and body-color bumpers are available in highest trim levels only.
2020 Mitsubishi Pajero Engines
In our opinion, this is the most critical aspect of the SUV. There are two engines in the for this mid-size SUV. The base 3.0-liter V6 is pretty outdated. Not only that it delivers only 170 horsepower, but also delivers subpar mpg ratings. You will get slightly better results with an optional powertrain. It is a newer version of this V6 engine. It is more efficient and delivers around 220 horsepower. However, this is still a below-average output for the class. Transmission also seems quite old, as you can count on only five speeds in Pajero's gearbox. On the other side, a good thing is that all models come with a 4×4 layout.
2020 Mitsubishi Pajero Release Date and Price
It is still early to talk about these days, but we are pretty sure that the 2020 Mitsubishi Pajero will hit the market sometime late in the year. Once again, it is expected to offer in China only. Base models will probably go around 45.000 dollars.
2020 Mitsubishi Pajero Redesign
Although we heard words from the company that the Pajero definitely won't be redesigned, Japanese media tells us differently. While some reports suggest a redesign already for the 2020 Mitsubishi Pajero, the fact is that we will have to wait for a couple of more years. In any way, it looks like there is a big chance to see a body-on-frame SUV once again, despite the fact that the company turned to crossovers pretty much completely.
The secret lays in the fact Mitsubishi recently became part of Renault Nissan Alliance. Another legend, Nissan Patrol is expected to receive a complete redesign in the future as well. Therefore, it won't be a surprise if two companies join their forces and once again create spectacular SUVs. In this case, two iconic models would feature the same mechanics, but each would come with its own aesthetics.


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Redragon M716 INQUISITOR RGB Gaming Mouse
- DPI can be adjusted freely by ±100 from 100 to 10000 via software. Quick-change DPI setting 500/1000/2000/3000/5000DPI by pressing buttons directly.
- Equipped with a super fast game engine
- 5 memory modes can be customized via software
- With dualable Teflon foot pads
- 7 programmable buttons
S5 ADJUSTABLE DPI LEVELS WITH DIFFERENT COLORS. The DPI indicator light flashes for three times when DPI button is pressed down each click: PI500(Red)/1000(Blue)/2000(Green)/3000(Purple)/5000(Yellow). DPI can be adjusted freely by ±100 from 100 to 10000 via software to meet all your needs.
STUNNING RGB BACKLIGHTS. The M716 RGB mouse can be shifted with 7 Chroma lighting effects: Breathing, Rainbow, Full lighted, Wave, Go without Trace, Reactive, Flash. 16.8 Million Colors backlight RGB LED give out stunning light and make you in a unique gaming atmosphere.
A PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMMING SOFTWARE. Users can adjust the following setting through the software after downloading and installing it: 1.Adjust the DPI of the mouse range (100-10000DPI); 2. Macros: Record up to 59 actions and trigger with one click; 3. Lighting: Adjust mouse lighting options; 4. Customize 7 mouse buttons; 5. Set 5 different user modes and switch between them with the button on the bottom of the mouse. 6. Chroma lighting: 7 lighting effects for options.
7 PROGRAMMABLE BUTTONS. 7 programmable buttons: left& right button, scroll wheel, forward& backward side keys, DPI+/-,all these buttons can be customized per your preference. This function enables superior productivity and efficiency to meet all your gaming and working needs.
EASY TO USE. Plug and play, no additional software or firmware is required; Support operating system: Windows 2000/2003/ Win7 / 8 /10/ Vista/ ME/ Mac OS/ Linux and the latest operating system. With ergonomic design, M716 mouse fits naturally in your hand and provides you the most comfortable feeling in hand for long time using.
- DPI can be adjusted freely by ±100 from 100 to 10000 via software. Quick-change DPI setting 500/1000/2000/3000/5000DPI by pressing buttons directly.
- Equipped with a super fast game engine, up to 1000Hz polling rate, 20G acceleration
- 5 memory modes can be customized via software and shifted by button on the bottom of the mouse to meet your gaming, working or other needs, more flexible and practical.
- With dualable Teflon foot pads: large wear-resistant materials let the mouse move more smoothly
- 7 programmable buttons: left button,right button, scroll wheel(clicked as middle mouse button), forward side key, backward side key,DPI +, DPI -
- 7 Chroma lighting effects: Breathing/Rainbow/Full lighted/Wave/Go without trace/Reactive/Flash/off
- Interface: USB
- Voltage: 5V
- Current: 150mA
- Cable Length: 180cm braided-fiber cable
- Weight:147.2g
- Dimension: 5 x 2.4 x 1.4inches
- Button durability: 10 million clicks


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Our athletics program is in its third year with a boys middle school and boys high school basketball team. Our major objectives are to teach responsibility, discipline, time management, and the spirit of competition and good sportsmanship, all while learning how to work as a team.
Attend a game
Music / Band
The major emphasis of this course is to provide students with a variety of musical experiences and activities. The course develops skills such as singing, listening, reading and writing music, and playing classroom instruments according to what is available. The course provides opportunities for growth in understanding rhythm, melody, form or design, tempo, dynamics, timbre or tone color, harmony, and style.
Life Skills
Our students will focus on necessary skills, tools, and techniques to be successful in life. Students will be skilled in creating resumes, practice interviews, cooking, and craft woodworking and gardening. In our life skills class our students understands that there interest, imagination, and perseverance are the essential ingredients needed for this course.
Students will focus on developing skills which include drawing, painting, and collage. They will have the opportunity to experiment and refine skills using a variety of art media.
One of the most exciting art forms for kids to participate in is theatre because it integrates many ways for students to express themselves artistically. After all, whether through movies, musicals, plays, or television shows, we enjoy and experience theatre in one form or another. At Christi Academy, our students are introduced to the elements of theatre while participating in a variety of activities that put to use what they learn in our theatre program. Each semester leads up to a performance at a local theatre that is produced by the students.


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WAFFLES: Ok, my perimeters are secure. Wait, what's a perimeter?
RECORDED VOICE: It's critical you protect the operation from opposing forces. This is a matter of national kitty lounger security.
KATIE: You want my opposing forces?
You can tell Peach Industries that Harry LOVES his lounger as long as he can keep Sherpa away from it!ReplyDelete
BWAHAHAHAHA! We loved it! Great post, kittehz.
Happy Mancat Monday!
Very Funny post Waffles and your new cover looks grreat !
I like that new cover! Great colors!ReplyDelete
Too cool! Waffles, you're a great secret agent! Can you keep a secret, though?!?ReplyDelete
Wonderful Waffles!! You are the James Bond of the kitty world! And gorgeous Katie is M!! Yay! Take care
BOL. I love the idea of S.W.A.T pants!ReplyDelete
Be careful Agent Waffles! I think your about to get SWAT'ed on the back of your pants. Opposing forces don't think your as cute as we do.ReplyDelete
Special Agent Waffles you did a terrific job, why those instructions are easy enough even our Mommy could do them.ReplyDelete
What a pawesome job you did there Waffles.
The Paw Relations
Uh oh. We don't think you wanna see Katie's opposing forces, Waffles!ReplyDelete
For a moment there, I thought it was Katie playing a trick on you, trying to get you to do all the work so she could lay on the new lounger cover.ReplyDelete
Waffles, that's an EXCELLENT job you did on that lounger. Colours go so well with your fur!
You need a utility belt like Batman has - be WaffleBat!
W2, you are so handy. Changed that lounger cover in nothing flat!ReplyDelete
we love those loungers but we suspect Waffles isn't cut out for international espionage :)ReplyDelete
W2 we are glad that nothing blew! Well maybe Katie did....on second thought.ReplyDelete
Secret Agent Waffles: I hope this post is not going to self-destruct any time soon. Pawesome review of your lounger!
*high paw*
NOOOOO! W2 is into interior decorating. I knew there was something a bit feminine about him. *ducks as computer screen blows up with blog post* TW reads too slow.ReplyDelete
hahaha waffles great job!xx RachelReplyDelete
What a fun post. Katie you finally stole something from Waffles. LOL. Those loungers look pretty comfy.
Sue B
Great post Waffles! We loved your expressions!! We're also glad you didn't blow up!
The Florida Furkids
Wowzers! You did a GREAT job with that, Secret Agent Waffles! Don't you need to get a trench coat or something? And one of those secret agent hats! You'd look totally cool!
Play bows,
We call it a hammock and we like it
Benny & Lily
I know this is serious spy business...but we couldn't help snorting 'n giggling!ReplyDelete
We kept waiting for your post to self destruct in 5 seconds. 5, 4, 3, 2, ...ReplyDelete
My HERO!!!
Glad you didn't self-destruct or blow sky high as we would have missed this very cute post. Purrs and hugs, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid and Calista JoReplyDelete


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Printable View
Thanks for the new update! can't wait to try it out when it releases on steam
- I don't know if I reported this before, but just in case, there is a weird layer alpha coeff bug that happens only on D3D9/8 (doesn't happen on D3D11 though)
The bug is related to object's and layer's alpha coeff
Example:Attachment 30664
Excellent looking update, as usual! The new 'Load Animations' action sounds particularly interesting and useful.
If you don't mind Yves, I have some questions about it in regards to how it works with the maximum image limit per application that Fusion has. I remember you once mentioned that a Fusion application cannot have more than roughly 65500 unique images in it. How is this limit affected by the new 'Load Animations' action?
*If an application has already reached the maximum allowed images stored inside of it, can the Load Animations action allow it to load more images beyond the limit at runtime?
*After you load animations with the new action, do these newly loaded animation images count towards the max number of unique images per application during runtime?
*Can animation images be unloaded from the application after they have been loaded into the application with the new action, or are they permanently added to the application until the application is closed?
*Lastly, the update notes mention that the application that exports and loads the .ANM files must have matching application properties ("build type, premultiplied images option, image RAM optimization option, graphic mode, etc"). Are there any application properties that do not affect the .ANM file or is it all of them? For example, if the property 'Show Debugger' is enabled when the .ANM is exported, can the application properly load the .ANM file if the 'Show Debugger' property is subsequently disabled? Basically could we have an all-inclusive list of which properties need to be the same?
2. What is important is the number of images you use in a frame, this number can't be higher than 65500.
3. The new images are automatically unloaded when either you quit the frame, or you load another animation in the object.
4. The Show Debugger property doesn't affect the images. Build Type, Graphic Mode, Premultiplied Images (if D3D11), Optimized images in RAM (2.5+ DLC) are the ones to check, I added "etc" but I don't see any other one really. On the other platforms only Build Type and Graphic Mode are important (for when the action will be implemented on those platforms).
Thanks for the info, Yves. This sounds like it will be immensely helpful. It looks like this is really going to change the way I plan out the art/animation side of development going forwards. :)
Cause I had to do a convoluted solution for a mobile game I've worked on, was hoping to not have to workaround this on my next projects...
Edit: Yes, seems like it was this specific bug, thank you a lot for fixing it! Amazing update! Loving seeing new features.
There's one odd thing tho, through my testing, on previous builds it would return the object position exactly were the touch was in any runtime other than Android, but with the fix, the object position is reported misaligned now instead of the collision.
That's not a serious problem, cause I could just calculate the position with the layer position - object position.
But just felt I should mention that although this is a lot better and shouldn't be a big problem, it's still different from other runtimes.
Here's a comparison between Windows and Android, so instead of the collision being misaligned now the position value is, but like I said above, this is far less of a problem compared to how it was before the fix since I can compensate the position value with the layer position. Compensating the collision with click/touch in other hand would be impossible. (without a convoluted workaround at least)
Attachment 30668 Attachment 30669
A small suggestion for the new "Load animations" feature tho.
I presume it will be able to load animations during runtime, I see that you can export it without 2.5+, but I can't find anything to import on non-plus, so I guess importing is a Plus feature, which I don't mind.
But would be pretty cool if people could export animations on Fusion 2.5 Free version, this would allow people making mods for games without the need to buy (or pirate) Fusion 2.5.
These users might not be game devs from start but might get more interested in making their own games, becoming possible buyers.
Well exporting if you can't load doesn't make lot of sense, and allowing it just for game mods is a bit weird... Plus anm files may be hidden if you put them in embedded binary files.


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December 2005 - Volume 10, Issue 5
Enthusiastic Participation
By The Most Reverend William E. Lori, S.T.D., Bishop Of Bridgeport
Sometime on Thanksgiving Day, I learned that the stores would open the following morning at 5:00 a.m. I conveyed this news to my mother, who promptly suggested that we arise at 4:00 a.m. so as to be among the early bird shoppers. She was kidding, of course. My parents' household and their visiting son slept soundly until a shocking 6:30 a.m. By then, shoppers had overrun all the area stores. Some had even lined up Thanksgiving evening in temperatures hovering below freezing.
It may be too early to tell if the economy will get a boost from those eager customers, but it seems certain that civility suffered. Ubiquitous T.V. cameras caught some shoppers pushing and shoving in their pent-up enthusiasm for electronic gadgets, clothes, and other consumer goods. It seems they could not contain their anticipation.
Watching this scene on the Friday evening news, I had two reactions. First, I was happy that I stayed home. Of course, I'll do my Christmas shopping at the last minute!
Second, I wondered what would happen if all that enthusiastic anticipation would be channeled to the true meaning of Advent.
The season of Advent coincides with the Christmas shopping season, but it means so much more. Advent is a season of grace to wake us up spiritually. It exists to help us long for what matters most in our lives. And what matters most is to draw so close to Christ in this life that we do not fear His return in glory at the end of time. Wouldn't it be wonderful if our hearts were full of awe at Christ's first coming in Bethlehem and full of joyous anticipation over the prospect of His return in glory? If we all felt like that, we'd have to open our 87 parish churches each morning at 5:00 a.m. to accommodate the crowds!
In the course of my ministry, I do meet many people who are eager to draw closer to Christ and who anticipate with joy full union with Christ in eternity. Let me give you two examples.
Last winter, I celebrated Mass in several parishes in Florida. I was both amazed and edified at the number of people who attended daily Mass. At an 8:00 a.m. Mass on a Thursday, there must have been 700 people in church. I mentioned this to an elderly couple who are dear friends of mine. They smiled and asked if most in the congregation were their contemporaries. "Yes, they were," I said. "Well no wonder there were a lot of people in church," the husband concluded, "they're just like us - preparing for finals!" This couple went on to tell me how they approached their interior lives more seriously as they grew older. The spiritual journey they described was not motivated by servile fear but rather an increased longing for intimacy with Christ, coupled with a desire to rid themselves of whatever was hindering that relationship. I can attest that their love for Christ has made them loving members of the Church and eager to serve Christ in others.
I have also found eagerness for Christ among our young people. A few months ago, I arrived at Sacred Heart Parish in Georgetown for Confirmation. The pastor, Father Joaquin, informed me that one of those to be confirmed was unable to be present because of illness. He hastened to assure me that her illness was not life-threatening but serious enough to confine her to quarters. He added that she really had been looking forward to her Confirmation.
Neither he nor I knew how much. After Mass, while visiting with the newly-confirmed and their families, I noticed a young girl (who had not been present) coming up the aisle in Confirmation robes with her parents in tow. I couldn't help but notice that she was wearing pajamas and slippers.
As the last photo was being snapped, she introduced herself to me and explained that she was very sorry to have missed the Confirmation ceremony. I won't capture her exact words but in effect she said, "I am really anxious to be confirmed. I want to receive the Holy Spirit!" She was determined that I would not leave Georgetown without my confirming her. I was only too happy to do so. She was anxious for the Holy Spirit to bring her closer to Christ.
These two stories illustrate that we are never too young or too old to put all our hope in Christ. This Advent is the right time for you and me to take stock. What is the desire of our hearts? What are we eager for? What is the motivation that drives through our daily routines and schedules? What is our measure of success and fulfillment?
If we allow the graces of Advent to resonate in our hearts, you and I will no doubt find an abundance of mistaken and misplaced enthusiasms. We may find that we are enthusiastic for our work and entertainment but complacent about our faith. We may be anxious about ourselves and careless in responding to Christ in others. We may have plenty of time for our pursuits and no time at all for our faith, for our families, and for those who really need us. Our ill-directed enthusiasms should form the basis of a good Advent Confession.
In one of his homilies, Saint Cyprian of Carthage points out how inconsistent we are when we pray for the coming of God's Kingdom but try to delay indefinitely any thought of eternity. We will be ready for Christmas if we can say, "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done... " and really mean it.
May we all have a blessed Advent!
Spirituality for Today contents copyright 1996-2020 Clemons Productions Inc. and the Diocese of Bridgeport unless otherwise noted


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Black Washable Tempera Paint
|Item #:
Product Description:
Publisher Description:
Handy Art® Washable Tempera paint provides easy clean up and super washability for the beginning artist. These bright blendable colors are smooth flowing and won't chip, flake or crack when dry. Washes out of most fabrics with soap and hot water. Water based and Certified AP Non-Toxic.
Easily washes off hands and clothes for quick clean-up and less worry. Of course, they're non-toxic. Perfect for preschoolers who tend to get as much on themselves as on the paper! 16-oz. flip-tops.


text:
Author Information: Raphael Sassower, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, email@example.com
Sassower, Raphael. "The Opening of the American Mind." Social Epistemology Review and Reply Collective 7, no. 5 (2018): 1-4.
The pdf of the article gives specific page references. Shortlink: https://wp.me/p1Bfg0-3Wq
Please refer to:
- Kerr, Eric. "A Hermeneutic of Non-Western Philosophy." Social Epistemology Review and Reply Collective 7, no. 4 (2018): 1-6.
- Riggio, Adam. "Action in Harmony with a Global World." Social Epistemology Review and Reply Collective 7, no. 3 (2018): 20-26.
Bryan W. Van Norden accounts for the failure of "academic philosophers" because "they are not teaching the profound, fascinating, and increasingly relevant philosophy that is outside the traditional Anglo-European canon." (p. 2) What is wrong with the canon?
Three complaints are interwoven: the canon is too narrow, its process of selection is problematic, and the methodological approach with which it is studied is limited and limiting. Even if we consent to condemn the selection process (p. 21) and ask ourselves to think about new selection prospectively (rather than lament the status quo), there is also the danger that the analytic method (mostly associated with Anglo-Americans) may deprive students of the richness of the texts they are reading.
Not only might we find Socratic dialogues reduced to argument analysis (pp. 147-8) and the difference between Spinoza and Nietzsche summarized by how many logical inconsistencies their respective works exhibit (which will strip them of their profundity and cultural settings), but, Norden asks, is it justified to pretend that "what one Western philosopher does is definitive of all philosophy"? (p. 30) What does it mean to read Spinoza "analytically" or understand Nietzsche "logically"? Mockingly, Norden suggests that [Analytic] "contemporary philosophers are more likely to be accused of boring the youth to death with their sentences than they are of being sentenced to death for corrupting the youth!" (p. 3)
The plea for incorporating Asian philosophical texts into the philosophical curriculum is in the name of conceptual enrichment and the broadening of the philosophical conversation about the question, "what is it to live well?" Norden's offerings include, for example: "The Confucian cardinal virtues are benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom, while the Thomist list of natural virtues is wisdom, justice, courage, and moderation." (p. 5) Numerous other complementary comparisons are introduced in this volume, all of which point to overlapping similarities among different traditions and the illegitimate preference of the so-called "Western" kind.
For Norden, "greater pluralism can make philosophy richer and better approximate the truth." (p. 36) Recounting the many instances where such enrichment is available, the author pushes further to claim that the division between the Anglo-European philosophy and "the supposedly nonphilosophical [Asian] thought is a manifestation of a broader pattern of xenophobic, chauvinistic, nationalistic, and racist efforts to separate 'us' from 'them'." (p. 84)
In this book, Norden seems to make three interrelated arguments. The first is about the need for pluralism in the philosophy curriculum of American universities, the second about the narrow argumentative practices of "academic philosophy," and the third about the importance of philosophy in general. These three arguments parallel a different, but overlapping, contention about the methodological (and pedagogical and political) divide between so-called Analytic and Continental Philosophy, a divide that has characterized the academic landscape for generations.
However, a divide, if this is what we are faced with, does not necessitate preferential treatment nor the dominance of one camp over the other. Sadly, the dominance of the Analytical camp—in terms of curricula, job openings, and graduate funding—has foreclosed the potential for philosophical communication across this artificial divide (since there is an arbitrary and conventional classification that would puzzle some of our predecessors). When Analytic philosophers (not all of them, of course) claim that their Continental interlocutors are not philosophers at all (perhaps literary scholars, poets, or just curious humanists), the conversation stops; there is nothing more to say, and the best we can do, following David Hume, is retire to play billiards.
The charge of "what you are doing is not philosophy" levelled against Continental philosophers parallels the concern Norden raises about non-western philosophical texts and their authors. The false binary of "A" and "non-A" could be forgiven when one is foraging for mushrooms in the forest and is warned against a poisonous variety, but not when it becomes a power play that privileges one kind over the other (as Foucault illustrated), or that infuses "terror" into what should be a dialogue, as Jean Francois Lyotard reminds us. (p. 150)
Will Continental or Asian or African or Native American philosophy poison the mind, like some appealing, colorful, and somewhat seductive mushrooms? Will any of these varietals necessarily corrupt young minds? Phrased in these terms, one recognizes the ancient Greek allusion to Socrates' detractors and their eternal fate of killing a martyr. Is Norden's lament one of martyrdom? Will the dominant Analytic tradition be retrospectively shamed for its poor and dismissive treatment of Continental and by extension all other non-Western texts and philosophies?
Forgive me for remaining skeptical, but unless we first distinguish the Analytic from the Continental, and see the Continental contributions like the ones Norden promotes, we may miss an important underlying danger. And this is that the Analytical grip has not loosened at all, remaining as it were for fifty years a kind of intellectual arrogance and narrowmindedness that can extend over the non-Western philosophies to which Norden rightly points.
Though Norden voices sympathy for Allan Bloom's position regarding one's tradition and the importance of reproducing the knowledge base of the Western tradition (however defined, pp. 102-7), I hesitate to cede that much to such normative moves. My worry is that once we agree to a strategy that upholds norms, we'll be left with minor tactical maneuvers about this or that text, this or that author. Corrections on the margins might appear as victories, but in fact would be minor achievements that change little (but give lip service to inclusion and racial or feminist sensitivity).
Not that individual interventions and personal subversions are meaningless; but without a concomitant transformation of the curriculum, power relations would hardly change. Perhaps the Socratic gadfly will annoy here and there, introduce Asian or African authors where none were expected. But would this empower students and teachers alike to rethink the colonizing power of a specific hegemonic canon and its overly rationalized manner by which ideas and thoughts are engaged?
Why would departments of philosophy make a concerted effort to transform themselves? What would be their incentive? Would an instrumental appeal to the mighty power of China and India be convincing? In the age of Trump, as Norden argues, the reactionary response of philosophy departments parallels Trump's even if for different reasons, and as such is contrary to what he advocates. Norden's plea may fall on the deaf ears of conservative ideologues who prop up the political right as well as on those of the arrogant clique of insecure puzzle-solvers, those so-called philosophers dedicated to reduce the meaning of life to a logical exercise (a clever one, of course, but one better left to mathematicians and engineers).
Just as philosophers of economics have physics envy, so do analytical philosophers have math envy. This envy (reminiscent of the one discussed by Freud) is not simply pathological but is dangerous as well: it narrows philosophical inquiry to an economy of protocol sentences with their logics and empirical contests. And, as Norden mentions in passing, this pathology has deep American roots in what Richard Hofstadter termed "anti-intellectualism." (pp. 121-2) I
In this context, American academics notoriously (and perhaps unconsciously) shy away from their intellectual aspirations (and those foisted on them by the public) and retreat to nominal claims of expertise in ever more narrowly defined fields of research. It's scandalous that a country of this size may claim only a dozen or two public intellectuals (as distinguished from think tank hacks who pass for intellectuals).
Kongzi and Socrates
Both Socrates and Confucius, as Norden illustrates, reflect his notion of philosophy as a "dialogue about problems that we agree are important, but don't agree about the method for solving, where 'importance' ultimately gets its sense from the question of the way we should live." (p. 151) In their own respective ways, the two of them were public intellectuals whose voices were heard beyond the confines of formal teaching, and their influence has remained as strong as in their own time.
For Socrates and Confucius, philosophy is far from an intellectual parlor game: it has a significant ethical purpose . . . philosophy is conducted through dialogue. . . dialogue begins in shared beliefs and values, but is unafraid to use our most deeply held beliefs to challenge the conventional opinions of society. . . broadening philosophy by tearing down barriers, not about building new ones. (pp. 158-9)
Parlor games played by Analytic philosophers are rewarding, one must admit. Solving little problems within prefigured contexts, knowing the rules of the game, and being clever enough to get the right answer is what mice learn running through mazes and what monkeys master to receive extra bananas. In these cases, there is a right answer solution. The complexity of human life and the diversity of its conditions, by contrast, demand more nuanced approaches and more source materials. To be responsive and responsible in the age of Trump is to be philosophically minded in many directions, exploring as far afield as possible, and listening to all the voices that dare speak their minds.
Contact details: firstname.lastname@example.com
Van Norden, Bryan W. Taking Back Philosophy: A Multicultural Manifesto. New York: Columbia University Press, 2017.
Categories: Books and Book Reviews


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V. Commission reports
Report to the conference by commission I (world food and agriculture situation)
B. Report to the conference by commission II (Technical Activities)
C. Report to the conference by commission III (constitutional, administrative, and financial questions)
Report to the conference by commission I (world food and agriculture situation)
Item 1 of agenda - The world food crisis
Item 2 of agenda - Shortage of exchange
Item 3 of agenda - Optimum utilization of food
Item 4 of agenda - International allocations
Item 5 of agenda - World food proposals
Item 6 of agenda - Fertilizers and agricultural machinery
Item 7 of agenda - Action on particular products
Item 8 of agenda - Periodic reports
The Commission had before it The State of Food and Agriculture: 1947 and other valuable documents in the same subject prepared by the staff of FAO, for which it wishes to express appreciation. It also had important contributions from governmental and nongovernmental observers.
Item 1 of agenda - The world food crisis
The Commission's consideration of the state of food and agriculture has been dominated by the critical food emergency which the world faces today. This emergency was already apparent in the periodic reports which the member nations of FAO submitted to the Director General early in the summer. It was further underlined at the special Cereals Conference held in Paris in July, which reported a very serious world deficit in cereals in prospect for 1947/48. Since then there has been a further significant deterioration of crop conditions both in Europe and in North America.
As a result of these developments, it appears that while 38 million metric tons of bread-grain imports will be needed by the deficit countries to continue even the very low cereal rations of the past crop year, only 29 million tons at the most will be available for export from the surplus producing countries unless extraordinary new efforts are made. The people in the deficit countries, many of whom have suffered undernourishment over a period of years, thus face the threat of lower rations than at any time since the war, and in a number of countries even lower than during the war.
The adverse crop conditions, especially in European countries during the winter months, have been greatly intensified by the subsequent drought which was almost without precedent. There has been a sharp decline in the outturn of cereals, and prospective sugar beet and potato crops have been greatly reduced. More recently, drought has curtailed fodder supplies and seriously reduced pasturage, so that milk production is declining in many areas and live stock is being slaughtered. Nearly all countries will be affected by the greatly reduced maize crop in North and Central America. In addition parts of Latin America have smaller grain acreages for harvest in the latter part of 1947. Promise of a good wheat crop in India was dissipated by a scourge of rust, while in Southeast Asia the outlook for rice crops in the major producing areas is not satisfactory. There may be some temporary increase in world meat production at the expense of milk production as a result of the slaughter of livestock which cannot be fed, but over-all output of meat during the latter half of the crop year 1947/48 will be decidedly reduced. World export supplies of sugar and fats and oils may be somewhat greater, but deficit countries will reap little benefit from such improvement owing to shortage of foreign exchange. Landings of fish will be likely to continue to increase but transportation, distribution, storage, and processing difficulties will persist.
Shortages and maldistribution of requisites for agricultural production make difficult an immediate expansion in production. Fertilizers and pesticides remain in short supply. In several countries there is a lack of sufficient quantities of suitable seed. Draft power, farm machinery and equipment are still far from adequate in many countries. These conditions are major obstacles to a realization of early recovery in world food and agricultural output.
Considering the food supply as a whole, the decline in cereals supplies will much more than offset the increases in supplies of other foods. The consequent shortages and famine prevailing in certain countries will cause further mortality and jeopardize the physical development of the younger generation. Indeed, such conditions may provoke or sharpen social unrest in countries where reasonable minimum living standards are not enjoyed. Further, they can easily be contributory to international disorder or even conflict. Unless special efforts are made to mobilize more food, the calorie intake in deficit countries must inevitably fall to still more unsatisfactory levels.
The longer-range prospects are not promising. The output of nutritionally desirable foods such as milk, meat, and eggs will increase only slowly in many countries because rebuilding of livestock enterprises is a time-consuming process, and even the recovery of production of basic food crops is now expected to take some time.
Item 2 of agenda - Shortage of exchange
Added to the purely agricultural obstacles to a rapid improvement of food supplies for all deficit countries, are the obstacles to increasing supplies for certain countries which arise from the lack of foreign exchange prevailing in those countries. The products of agriculture, forestry, and fisheries represent an important part of the trade between nations, and, on the basis of essentiality, are entitled to the highest priority when consideration is being given to the use of available exchange and to ways and means of providing additional credits.
Unless drastic steps are taken to safeguard the purchase of foodstuffs, the peoples of many nations will be unable to supplement their meager home supplies with much needed imports. This year, more than at any time since the end of the war, it is important that the flow of foodstuffs should not be impeded.
The Commission recommends that the Council of FAO should be requested to examine the problem and to take appropriate action with competent intergovernmental organizations for its consideration. [See Resolutions]
Item 3 of agenda - Optimum utilization of food
In the face of this grave situation, vigorous action by governments is required. There are many ways in which grain can be saved for human consumption. Consideration should be given to milling extraction rates in exporting countries as well as in some importing ones in order to get more bread from the same volume of grain.
All practicable steps should be taken in every country to reduce the amount of bread grain fed to livestock. In addition, every effort should be made by countries with animal numbers expanded or maintained during the war to release feedingstuffs to countries with animal numbers greatly reduced during the war and now threatened with further reduction or with serious retarding of efforts to rebuild. Slaughter of dairy cattle should not be undertaken if by any practicable means the animals could be transferred to another country where they could be maintained on natural pastures. Exporting countries and the more prosperous importing countries, with abundant supplies of livestock and livestock products, can sacrifice part of their more adequate standard of food consumption for the benefit of those whose needs are greater.
All the milk produced should be used primarily for human consumption. In particular, much of the milk now being fed to animals should be diverted to direct human consumption, especially to mothers and children. It should be in natural form, if suitable transport and distribution arrangements are possible, or else in processed form.
The Commission therefore recommends that member nations should take immediate steps
2. to reduce to the minimum in both exporting and importing countries the feeding to livestock of grains suitable for human use;
3. to maintain high extraction rates in deficit countries and examine the possibility of raising extraction rates in surplus producing countries;
4. to ensure that the greatest possible proportion of the milk output is utilized for human consumption instead of animal feeding;
5. to increase as far as practicable the export of feedingstuffs to those importing countries which have a livestock population substantially below their prewar level.
The Commission calls attention to the fact that both paragraphs 3 and 5 of this recommendation will be served by maximizing as far as practicable, in view of economic conditions in exporting countries and other limiting factors, the movement of certain food supplies in the form of raw materials rather than as finished products.
Item 4 of agenda - International allocations
The present world scarcity of foodstuffs, feedingstuffs, and the means of food production makes it essential to maintain a system of allocation and hence to maintain the legislative and administrative machinery required for the control of experts and imports. The Commission urges that member governments should pay particular attention to this extremely important question. It believes that in the present circumstances a policy of decontrol would have serious consequences both upon the quantity of food available and upon its international distribution. Therefore the valuable work which has been undertaken by the International Emergency Food Council should be continued.
However, if a Council of FAO is set up composed of representatives of governments, it is clear that this Council and the IEFC would to some content exercise parallel functions and the co-existence of the two organizations could not but lead to a certain duplication of work. Moreover, it is becoming more and more difficult to deal entirely separately with the so-called emergency problems and the longer-term problem of expanding agricultural production.
Nor does it seem that the absorption of IEFC by FAO would be likely to raise serious technical or administrative difficulties; the personnel of the IEFC has been engaged only up to 31 December and the expenses involved are met by FAO. For these reasons, after paying warm tribute to the work of IEFC, the Commission has come to the conclusion that FAO should take over the functions of the IEFC at an early date, the detailed arrangements to be made jointly by the appropriate FAO authorities and by IEFC, bearing in mind that the latter also is an intergovernmental organization.
This transfer of IEFC should in no way occasion changes in the functions and terms of reference of the Commodity Committees. It is clear that by virtue of their composition and experience these Committees are the most appropriate bodies to continue within the framework of FAO to recommend the allocation and programming of commodities in emergency short supply. In making the proposed transfer to FAO, it is essential that the participating governments continue to implement the allocation recommendations of the Commodity Committees.
Item 5 of agenda - World food proposals
The world's population continues to increase rapidly and the shortages of today can be remedied only by a far-reaching expansion of production of essential foods in short supply. Bold steps must be taken to increase food production throughout the world. Reference has already been made to measures which may help to increase the output of the 1948 harvest. Longer-term programs of agricultural development are also urgently needed, and the Commission has noted with satisfaction the development plans which several countries have announced.
The solution of the emergency problem of maximizing food supply cannot be found except in the context of a long-term policy. Whatever governments may plan, agricultural production is primarily the result of the efforts of individuals. However great the need now and however high the prices, the fear of an early fall in prices tends to discourage the individual from all-out expansion. The Commission was impressed therefore by the need for assuring price stability at a fair level as a means of encouraging primary producers to plan with confidence for this expansion. The various organizations dealing with problems of allocation, nutrition, agricultural policy, and economic policy must all combine to help forward this planned expansion.
It was with these considerations in mind that the Commission undertook the study of the Report of the Preparatory Commission on World Food Proposals.
The Commission has considered the Report of the Preparatory Commission and generally endorses its recommendations. It accepts the outline in Chapter I of the general economic situation which confronts the world.
This Commission agrees with the Preparatory Commission on the importance of promoting agricultural and industrial expansion concurrently, especially in less developed countries. Both agricultural and industrial development will require large-scale investment. For many countries this will involve external financial aid and the reorganization of national financial systems. In reviewing these matters the Commission has particularly stressed the need for effective over-all co-ordination of the work of the various United Nations agencies, and urges the Economic and Social Council to give this matter further attention.
The Preparatory Commission's advice on the expansion of agricultural production was accompanied by important recommendations on ways of providing producers with the necessary security, especially assured markets and stability of prices.
Two systems were proposed:
(2) to allow the states to retain their freedom of action. The latter system was preferred but with the proviso that a Council should be created within the Organization to ensure with the means at its disposal the co-ordination of the policies of the various states with a view to the implementation of FAO's policy.
The Commission has noted the discussion on commodity policy in the Preparatory Committee for an International Conference on Trade and Employment. It has noted also the resolution of the Economic and Social Council, suggesting to governments that they use the principles set out in the chapter on Intergovernmental Commodity Agreements of the draft ITO Charter as a guide for their commodity policy, pending the establishment of an International Trade Organization. The Preparatory Commission on World Food Proposals also enunciated certain principles concerning the content of commodity agreements, particularly as to price determination, reserve stocks, quotas, long-term contracts, the position of nonparticipants, and sales at special prices.
The Commission did not discuss in detail the techniques appropriate to commodity agreements since the form and contents of each agreement must vary from commodity to commodity. It is, however, important that the basic principles to which governments are pledged as members of FAO, notably the expansion of production to meet human needs and the stabilization of prices at levels fair to producers and consumers alike, should find expression in any agreement negotiated. The restrictive practices of past agreements must as far as possible be avoided. In the opinion of this Commission, the suggestions of the Preparatory Commission regarding the building up of stocks and sales of commodities at special prices would, if made use of wherever possible in commodity agreements, reduce the necessity of resorting to measures of restriction.
In the determination of prices during the negotiation of a commodity agreement recognition should be given to the need for maintaining and progressively raising living standards.
It is one of the regular duties of FAO to be constantly studying agricultural commodity situations and problems. Some of these problems are local in character, calling for measures to improve the production and distribution of particular products. Others involve international trade. Frequently it will be advantageous to study all these problems together. In the case of some commodities FAO will be pursuing these studies at the staff level; in the case of others, member nations may wish to have intergovernmental studies and there are a number of products for which the early conclusion of commodity agreements would be desirable. In this connection the Commission wishes to stress that in any meetings where food and agricultural questions are considered the fullest advantage should be taken of the resources and experience of FAO.
Commodity councils supervising agreements and study groups watching situations must pursue mutually consistent policies from the point of view of food and agriculture, in particular the relationship of one agricultural product to another, and the relationship between production, consumption, trade, and prices. It will be an important function of the Council of FAO to secure this consistency. On the other hand mutual agreement in respect of commercial policy and the international trade relationship between agricultural products, manufactures, and other raw materials is being achieved ad interim by the Interim Co-ordinating Committee on Intergovernmental Commodity Arrangements. When ITO is established there will obviously be need for close co-operation between it and FAO; this could be provided for to some extent at least in an interagency agreement.
Item 6 of agenda - Fertilizers and agricultural machinery
A working group appointed by the Commission to consider the FAO reports on materials for farm production, particularly fertilizers and agricultural machinery, recommended that member countries give high priority to the increased output of fertilizers and farm machinery and see that supplies available are used in the most effective way.
For fertilizers, it is recommended that member governments make special efforts to provide the necessary materials for existing producers of nitrogenous and phosphatic fertilizer to operate at full capacity, that member governments improve their own measures for internal distribution and use, and that exporting countries review their own requirements to see if more cannot be released for other countries; and also that FAO do what it can to help countries use most effectively the fertilizer supplies available and to assure that the necessary transport is provided.
With respect to the longer-term position, it is recommended that FAO obtain additional information, particularly on firm requirements over the next five years, and that the Council of FAO consider what further action, including possible measures for assuring markets for expanded fertilizer production, can stimulate adequate increases in output.
On agricultural machinery it is recommended that nations encourage increased output in existing plants especially of spare parts and of tractors, and that FAO obtain information which could serve as a guide for developing increased production.
The following report by the working group was approved by the Commission.
1. Fertilizers
The restoration of industrial activity in war devastated countries depends on an increase in the output of coal and steel. Such an increase is in turn largely dependent on the workers being better fed. However, sufficient food supplies can only be developed if more production goods, particularly fertilizers and agricultural machinery, are made available to the agricultural producers. Efficient transport arrangements are also necessary to ensure that agricultural supplies reach their destinations in time to be used effectively for seasonal cultivation's. The highest priority should therefore be given to the production and transport of supplies needed for food production.
Soil fertility is depleted and supplies of natural manure are low in many war-damaged countries. Many underdeveloped countries are handicapped by chronic low soil fertility. There is serious danger that crop yields and world food supplies will continue insufficient until far more adequate supplies of mineral fertilizers can be produced and applied.
To date, efforts have been made to distribute available supplies as equitably as possible, and there is little prospect of great additional improvement in the allocation process. It is however most important to increase both in the immediate future and, on a long-term basis, the output of production goods needed by the farmers.
The problem is different for each group of fertilizers.
In potash the problem is to increase the mining output in the five or six big producing countries. Increased production in these countries is largely a matter of supplying plants and equipment. In phosphates, the natural resources existing mainly in four areas should be fully utilized, together with the by-products of the steel industry. These byproducts are produced in a fairly large number of countries. Plants for the treatment of phosphate rock exist in many countries, but many are not fully utilized. The most difficult problem, however, is that of the nitrogenous fertilizers. Natural resources (Chilean nitrates) only meet a part of total requirements, but synthetic and byproduct nitrogen is now produced in 21 countries and, with new plants or equipment, could be produced in many others.
[The working group recommended both short term and long-term measures for increasing fertilizer production and supplies. These recommendations were adopted by the Conference]
The following points are suggested for consideration by the Council of FAO in examining ways of increasing fertilizer production and supplies:
b. The type of information to be collected from member and nonmember nations as regards production capacity and long-term consumption requirements. Importing countries might be requested to state both the types of fertilizer expected to be needed and the probable countries from which the supplies might come. Exporting countries might be asked to indicate which areas they regard as normal markets. It is essential that interested agencies should have this information promptly.
c. The possibility of developing arrangements by which governments with firm import requirements could make advance commitments for buying stated quantities over a term of years so as to ensure the sound economic working of arrangements made for increasing production. National or private concerns specializing in the production of fertilizer would be more willing to increase their production if markets for their products could be guaranteed. This might involve guarantees both with regard to quantities and the level of fertilizer prices relative to prices of other commodities.
d. The possibility of developing eventually a co-ordinated program for the construction of new fertilizer plants where and when required to meet expanding demands. Development of such a program would involve considering prospective regional demands, available or potential raw materials, fuel and power, marketing possibilities and transportation costs, and suitable locations for building new plants.
e. If a study group or other special body should be constituted by the Council of FAO to explore these possibilities further, it should include not only experts from governments, but also representatives of the industries concerned.
During the war many countries were unable to assure a normal replacement and upkeep of the mechanical equipment used by farmers. The current demand therefore is exceptionally high because of the need for renewing the existing material and on account of new equipment requirements. In addition, many less developed countries, wishing to speed their development programs, have large new demands.
Studies undertaken by FAO clearly show that the lack of draft power, of new agricultural equipment, and of spare parts still hampers agricultural production to a considerable extent.
Consequently it will be desirable to distribute the machinery now produced (especially repair parts and tractors) as efficiently as possible. If more of the tractors now being produced were made available to countries where the lack of draft power is greatest, that would materially increase the world's food supplies in 1948 and 1949.
It would also be desirable to consider (a) whether action is necessary with a view to increasing the production of existing plants, and (b) whether on the long-term outlook new plants ought to be constructed with a view to ensuring adequate equipment for less developed countries.
[The working group's recommendations on agricultural machinery were adopted by the Conference]
Item 7 of agenda - Action on particular products
The Commission notes with satisfaction that action has already been initiated to deal with the difficulties in regard to certain products.
Having considered the Report of the Rice Study Group which met at Trivandrum, India, 16 May to 6 June, the Commission
2. advises that a meeting at governmental level be convened to consider the recommendations of the Study Group with a view to their implementation;
3. and considers (a) that such a meeting should be convened as early as possible in Southeast Asia by the Council of FAO and by the Interim Co-ordinating Committee on Intergovernmental Commodity Arrangements, acting in consultation with each other, (b) that, in considering the recommendations, the meeting should keep in view the principles of FAO and of the draft Charter for an International Trade Organization, and (c) that the invitation to the meeting be extended to all countries and it be left to them to decide whether to attend the meeting or not.
The Commission notes also that a commodity study on salted fish has begun and joins with Commission II in recommending that this work should be extended to other fisheries commodities in need of similar attention.
The Commission recommends that the Council in consultation with the Director-General, consider what further commodity studies should be undertaken and draws special attention to fats and oils, also to fruit and horticultural products, which are of great importance to the economic life of individual countries.
The Commission understands that during the past year FAO has been represented at a number of other study groups and conferences, notably the International Wheat Conference, the international Whaling Conference, the Wool Study Group, the International Cotton Advisory Council, the Rubber Study Group, and the International Sugar Council. The Commission urges that these contacts be continued and strengthened in order to facilitate the co-ordination which the Council of FAO is being asked to undertake.
Item 8 of agenda - Periodic reports
For the purpose of this Conference, member governments were requested to submit at the end of May 1947, progress and program reports in accordance with Article XI of the FAO Constitution. The response was generally satisfactory and many reports furnished FAO with much valuable information for use in the preparation of Conference documents. However, some reports did not meet requirements either as a source of reference material or as a statement to the Organization and to member governments on government programs and the progress made in executing them.
A working group appointed by this Commission considered the problems involved. The group recognized the wide differences in conditions and in the amount of information available in various countries and recommended that future progress and program reports be divided into two categories.
A minimum report would be required of all member nations, while a more comprehensive report could be submitted by governments with adequate facilities and resources. The Commission endorses this recommendation.
The working group further recommended that the minimum report should be primarily a qualitative discussion of the prevailing situation and the critical problems. It should outline steps taken and progress achieved in improving the food and agricultural situation. The more comprehensive report should contain the same topics as the minimum report but in addition should include quantitative information on matters such as targets of food consumption, imports, exports, and agricultural production. Summaries and analyses of these reports should form part of the documentation for the Progress and Program Review at the annual Conference.
The Commission points out that the questions raised in the report of the working group such as matters of size and content of the reports, their frequency, numbers required, and so forth, should be determined by the Council of FAO.
Report of Working Group on Periodic Reports
The working party has considered the question of periodic reports and has formulated certain principles and recommendations for improving future reports which are commended to Commission I for inclusion in its report to the Conference. As background for consideration of these recommendations it will be helpful to review the purposes of periodic reports and to note how closely the reports prepared this year fulfilled these objectives.
Provision for periodic reports is contained in the FAO Constitution, Article XI, paragraphs 1 to 3, as follows:
"2. These reports shall be made at such time and in such form and shall contain such particulars as the Conference may request.
"3. The Director-General shall submit these reports, together with analyses thereof, to the Conference and shall publish such reports and analyses as may be approved for publication by the Conference together with any reports relating thereto adopted by the Conference."
Other common defects are that the reports vary widely in content thus increasing difficulties in summarization. They lack definitiveness in discussion of progress and plans for the future. Also they generally do not contain enough analyses of the current food and agricultural position of each country.
Some of the weaknesses and confusion reflected in these reports this year were caused by failure to distinguish between the progress and program reports required by paragraphs 1 to 3 of Article XI and the statistics and official publications required by paragraphs 4 and 5 of this article.
Another serious defect is the timing of the reports. Because the annual Conference was convened early, FAO requested that these reports reach Washington by 31 May to permit their analysis and use in connection with the preparation of Conference documents. However, only two governments submitted their reports by that time. Nine more were received in Washington by 15 June, and by 30 June a total of 19 of the 48 member governments had reported. Four additional reports were received during the last half of July and two arrived during August, making a total of 25 reports received up to date. Only by delaying the completion of many of the Conference documents was it possible to utilize the majority of the 1947 progress and program reports.
The working party noted that another important provision of Article XI is frequently being overlooked, namely, that the periodic reports are intended to be official expressions of governments. Some of the reports this year were prepared by National FAO Committees and transmitted by them to FAO without formal clearance through the governments concerned. While National FAO Committees should have a great interest in the progress and program reports and frequently will participate in their preparation, it is essential that the reports be given official clearance. Otherwise the National FAO Committees should be given authority to represent governments for this purpose, and reporting governments should signify in the letter of transmittal or otherwise that the report has official status.
Examination of the 25 reports from the viewpoint of their scope and content reveals that only a few of them cover the range of subjects suggested by FAO. While it is recognized that governments will not wish to reveal secret arrangements, the discussions of international trade and marketing, and of the current measures for stimulating production and better distribution of farm, forest, and fisheries products are much too vague for use of the Conference.
All reports would have been improved greatly if subject-matter and recommendations contained in the several related chapters were integrated into a uniform summary of national policy and program.
While the comments above emphasize the weaknesses of the 1947 progress and program reports, it should be noted that most of them were sufficiently high in quality to lend encouragement to the opinion that they can become an extremely valuable aid to the Conference and an influential medium for developing international understanding and cooperation.
[The recommendations of the working party were adopted by the Conference]
Report to the conference by commission II (Technical Activities)
Item 1 of agenda - Agriculture
Item 2 of agenda - Nutrition
Item 3 of agenda - Fisheries
Item 4 of agenda - Forestry and forest products
Item 5 of agenda - Economics, marketing, and statistics
Item 6 of agenda - World census 1950
Item 7 of agenda - Rural welfare
The Commission held 15 meetings which were attended by delegates from member nations as well as by observers from nonmember nations and international organizations. It devoted a full discussion to each of FAO's technical divisions, and to the projected census in 1950. It also considered plans for a Rural Welfare Division.
The discussions were based on the Director General's Second Annual Report and were opened by introductory statements made by the Directors or other senior officers.
This report of Commission II was drawn up by a group of rapporteurs working as a drafting committee headed by the Commission's chairman. Its recommendations and suggestions constitute the official commentary to the Director-General's report and should be read in conjunction with the latter since no attempt was made to deal in this final report with the entire program of FAO's technical divisions.
By now five technical divisions have been organized and partially staffed. Each of their directors presented an impressive record of work undertaken and suggested programs which meet with the Commission's general approval.
The Commission is impressed with the budgetary limitations on the work of the technical divisions. Insufficiency of funds will be increasingly felt as projects already initiated attain their full proportions. No efforts should be spared to achieve the highest degree of efficiency in the work of the technical divisions.
At this stage it appears necessary to select among the working projects those which members consider to be of the greatest urgency and to suggest an order of priority which will become a valuable guide for the Director-General in organizing FAO's work during the coming year. This will help to avoid undesirable dissipation of effort and to reduce expenditure.
The Commission is aware that there are now a number of international bodies concerned with related fields of activities, and that there is a possibility of duplication of effort unless care is taken to avoid such a development. On the other hand the existence of a common interest FAO, Second Annual Report of the Director General to the FAO Conference, Washington, July 1947. emphasizes the need for co-ordination and joint effort which may lead to more and better service. The Commission accordingly urges the Director-General to continue taking whatever action is necessary to assure suitable collaboration between FAO and other agencies.
This is the first time that a Commission of the Conference has devoted its full time to the technical activities of FAO. This fact in itself provides tangible evidence that FAO has grown beyond the phase of planning. The Commission is of the opinion that such review of technical activities should become a regular feature of the annual Conference of FAO.
The programs of the technical divisions revised in the light of the recommendations contained in this report inspire every hope that FAO will rapidly reach the stage where its services constitute an indispensable and much appreciated element in the food and agricultural policies of member nations. The Commission's deliberations bring out three major points which are worth emphasizing:
2. Recent experience with regional activities such as those already initiated by the temporary European Office of FAO in Rome shows that regional bodies of experts and regional technical conferences working in close liaison with regional offices as they are established are most useful. Intensification of these regional activities should therefore constitute the next major step in the development of FAO's technical work, in order to give due consideration to the problems peculiar to different regions and to make FAO's assistance most practical and useful to member nations.
3. The guidance obtained from Standing Advisory Committees has proved invaluable in directing the work of each division into proper channels. This is equally true of technical ad hoc committees, subcommittees of specialists, and working parties. Especially in view of the limited staff and budget available to FAO, it is hoped that governments will continue to allow their experts to assist FAO as members of these technical bodies.
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There is a certain amount of irony that the conclusion of this test occured immediately prior to the release of the Argus Review into Australian cricket. The former result was the third comprehensive one in succession for India, and one of the largest victories in cricket history. In ratings terms, the best game by England in the post-war period. The Australian review, highlighting weak techniques and thoughtless, ineffective bowling against England could just as easily apply to India. Which raises the interesting question:
Are India (and Australia) actually playing poorly, or are England making them play poorly, through the sustained excellence of their cricket.
Because England don't look like a great side; their bowling is only a touch over medium-pace, their fielding solid, but not brilliant, their batting boring, if still fast-scoring once the opposition are exhausted. But they give nothing away. In fact, they probably give less away than possibly any team that has ever played the game; and over the course of four innings, that adds up to a lot of runs.
India, suffering still with injuries, and bereft of confidence, played (with one or two exceptions) as if they'd been beaten before the game began. Which in a sense, they had, by their failure to prepare, and by England's meticulous training and near perfect execution. Traditionally, great players who thrive on the back of technical excellence and careful execution are under-valued: Dravid, Barrington, Flower in his playing days, and even McGrath. We may find out soon whether a side of talented but not exceptional individuals can dominate cricket like modern baseliners did tennis: by making very few mistakes.
Shaded teams have played fewer than 2 games per season. Non-test team ratings are not comparable to test ratings as they don't play each other.
Cricket - Ratings - Test 21st August, 2011 19:13:27 [#]
Ratings - 18th August 2011
Ratings - 18th August 2011


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At-Home Tutor
These full-color enrichment activities review skills and prepare your student for the next grade level. Sprinkled with a few teaching reminders, the activities always include a good amount of daily handwriting, rhyming, code games and sentence completion, with each page highlighting a specific word. Grade 1 encompasses capitalization, punctuation, printing, vocabulary, and rhyming. Grade 2 overviews word families, rhyming, compound words, plurals, synonyms and antonyms. Includes instructions to access free online activities timed tests. Correlates to state and CC standards. Nonreproducible, perforated, 96 pgs, pb. ~ Ruth


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Michael Sam -- Cut by the St. Louis Rams
Michael Sam Cut by the St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams cut Michael Sam on Saturday, after making him the first openly gay player to be drafted by an NFL team back in May.
Sam could still be picked up by another team. If he clears waivers, he can sign with any team and he could still end up with the Rams on their practice squad.
Speaking about the decision to cut Sam, Rams head coach Jeff Fisher told the media, "There was no distraction. Mike fit in very, very well, he was fun to be around. There was no issue there."


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The Clock Ticks for the Clinton Foundation
Whether it is merely the FBI trying to restore its shattered credibility or justice finally being done, the news that the pay-to-play activities of the Clinton Foundation are going to get renewed and serious attention is welcome. The Clintons have made a career of ignoring, skirting, and breaking the law. Up to this point, crime has paid off handsomely for the Clintons, but now they may find themselves caught between Little Rock and a hard place:
The Justice Department has launched a new inquiry into whether the Clinton Foundation engaged in any pay-to-play politics or other illegal activities while Hillary Clinton served as secretary of [s]tate, law enforcement officials and a witness tell[] The Hill.
FBI agents from Little Rock, Ark., where the foundation was started, have taken the lead in the investigation and have interviewed at least one witness in the last month, and law enforcement officials said additional activities are expected in the coming weeks.
The officials, who spoke only on condition of anonymity, said the probe is examining whether the Clintons promised or performed any policy favors in return for largesse to their charitable efforts or whether donors made commitments of donations in hopes of securing government outcomes.
This should be a short investigation – Hillary Clinton is a ham sandwich waiting to be indicted. All that should be necessary is to empanel a grand jury and read them the known facts. The Clinton Foundation was hardly charitable except to its donors.
Any investigation should start with Haiti, where the Clinton Foundation plundered the disaster-ridden island for fun and profit. As the Washington Free Beacon reported:
Haitian activists protested outside ... the Clinton Foundation in New York over the loss of "billions of dollars" that was meant to help rebuild after the devastating 2010 earthquake. The activists are claiming [that] the money was stolen through the Haiti Reconstruction Commission that was headed by Bill Clinton. In January 2015, the Clinton Foundation was the target of protests for wasting more than $10 billion and awarding contracts to non-Haitian companies. The activists also said Haiti is a cover for foreign governments to funnel kickbacks of hundreds of millions of dollars to the Clinton Foundation. They believe that this was done for favors that Hillary was doing for the foreign governments while she was [s]ecretary of [s]tate. "We are telling the world of the crimes that Bill and Hillary Clinton are responsible for in Haiti," said Dhoud Andre of the Committee Against Dictatorship in Haiti.
That the Clinton Foundation's operations were nothing but a cash cow scam is seen in a brilliant analysis and exposé of its operations in Colombia, a country beset by internal strife and an ongoing battle with drug cartels. The truth, as reported by Ken Silverman and the American Media Institute in Fusion, a joint venture of ABC and Univision, hardly Trump surrogates, explains in part how the Clintons amassed a small fortune without holding any job or running any business:
Colombia should be the Clinton Foundation's best case study. Ground zero for the drug wars of the 1980s and [']90s, racked by uneven development and low-intensity conflict for half a century, Colombia has received more foundation money and attention than any other nation outside the United States. Bill and Hillary Clinton have visited the country often and enjoy close relationships with members of Colombia's ruling party. Colombia has also been home to the vast oil and natural gas holdings of the man who is reportedly the Clinton Foundation's largest individual donor, Canadian financier Frank Giustra[.] ...
Many of the Colombian "success stories" touted on the foundation's website – the ones specific enough for us to track down – were critical about the foundation's effect on their lives. Labor leaders and progressive activists say foundation programs caused environmental harm, displaced indigenous people, and ... concentrated a larger share of Colombia's oil and natural gas reserves in the hands of Giustra[.] ...
We interviewed young women in the foundation's job-training programs; female business owners who sought help from its programs; workers who toiled for the foundation's biggest individual donor's firms; indigenous fisherm[e]n who were promised jobs and aid; and union leaders, social[] justice activists, and progressive lawmakers. Some say they lost money. Others said they were used as props. Still others simply thought that the foundation had wasted a lot of their time. "They are doing nothing for workers," one Colombian union official told us, with disgust. "I don't even know what they are doing in this country other than exploiting poverty and extracting money."
Clinton donor Giustra benefited significantly from his association, even if the people of Colombia didn't:
When we met him (Senator Jorge Enrique Robledo) in his wood-paneled office in Colombia's [c]apitol building in May, his desk was stacked high with papers related to Pacific Rubiales's labor practices, the result of years of investigative work by his staff. He did not see the Clinton Foundation and its partnership with Giustra's Pacific Rubiales as either progressive or positive. "The territory where Pacific Rubiales operated," he said, thumbing through pages of alleged human[] rights violations, "was a type of concentration camp for workers." ...
In September 2005, Giustra and Clinton flew to Kazakhstan together to meet the Central Asian nation's president. Shortly thereafter, Giustra secured a lucrative concession to mine Kazakh uranium, despite his company's lack of experience with the radioactive ore. As Bill Clinton opened doors for Giustra, the financier gave generously to Clinton's foundation.
As the New York Times reported, this mutual back-scratching gave Clinton donor Giustra, and later Putin's Russia, control of a significant portion of the world's uranium supply:
Late on Sept. 6, 2005, a private plane carrying the Canadian mining financier Frank Giustra touched down in Almaty, a ruggedly picturesque city in southeast Kazakhstan. Several hundred miles to the west a fortune awaited: highly coveted deposits of uranium that could fuel nuclear reactors around the world. And Mr. Giustra was in hot pursuit of an exclusive deal to tap them.
Unlike more established competitors, Mr. Giustra was a newcomer to uranium[-]mining in Kazakhstan, a former Soviet republic . But what his fledgling company lacked in experience, it made up for in connections. Accompanying Mr. Giustra on his luxuriously appointed MD-87 jet that day was a former president of the United States, Bill Clinton[.] ...
Just months after the Kazakh pact was finalized, Mr. Clinton's charitable foundation received its own windfall: a $31.3[-]million donation from Mr. Giustra that had remained a secret until he acknowledged it last month. The gift, combined with Mr. Giustra's more recent and public pledge to give the William J. Clinton Foundation an additional $100 million, secured Mr. Giustra a place in Mr. Clinton's inner circle, an exclusive club of wealthy entrepreneurs in which friendship with the former president has its privileges[.] ...
In February 2007, a company called Uranium One agreed to pay $3.1 billion to acquire UrAsia. Mr. Giustra, a director and major shareholder in UrAsia, would be paid $7.05 per share for a company that just two years earlier was trading at 10 cents per share.
Clinton played a pivotal role in the Uranium One deal, which ended up giving Russian interests control of 20 percent of our uranium supply in exchange for donations of $145 million to the Clinton Foundation. That, ladies and gentlemen, is a federal crime. As Clinton Cash author Peter Schweizer has noted [italics ours –ed.]:
Tuesday on Fox Business Network, Lou Dobbs Tonight, Breitbart editor at large and the author of Clinton Cash, Peter Schweizer[,] said there needs to be a federal investigation into the Russian uranium deal then-[s]ecretary of [s]tate Hillary Clinton's State Department approved after the Clinton Foundation receiving $145 million from the shareholders of Uranium One[.] ...
Discussing the Clinton Foundation receiving $145 million from the shareholders of Uranium One, he continued, "Look[:] there are couple of things that are extremely troubling about the deal we touched on. Number one is the amount of money – $145 million. We are not talking about a super[-]PAC giving a million dollars to support a candidate. We are not talking about campaign donations. We are talking about $145 million[,] which[,] by the way[,] is 75 percent or more of the annual budget of the Clinton Foundation itself so it's a huge sum of money. Second of all[,] we are talking about a fundamental issue of national security[,] which is uranium – it's not like oil and gas that you can find all sorts of places. [There] are precious few places you can mine for uranium, [and] the United States is one of those areas. And number three[:] we are talking about the Russian government. A lot of people don't realize it now, in parts of the Midwest[,] American soil is owned by Vladimir Putin's government because this deal went through. And in addition to the $145 million[,] Bill Clinton got half a million dollars, $500,000, for a 20-minute speech from a Russian investment bank tied to the Kremlin, two months before the State Department signed off on this deal."
As Investor's Business Daily editorialized, donations to the Clinton Foundation even played a factor in the refusal of Hillary Clinton's State Department for two years to designate Nigeria's Boko Haram as a terrorist organization:
Last May, we wondered why for two years on Hillary Clinton's watch the State Department refused to designate a Nigerian Islamist group as a terrorist organization. This group has murdered thousands as it wages a real war on women. As Josh Rogin at the Daily Beast reports, the Clinton State Department "refused to place Boko Haram on the list of foreign terrorist organizations in 2011" after the group bombed the United Nations headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria.
Sen. David Vitter, R-La., sent a letter to [s]ecretary of [s]tate John Kerry last week asking for all of Hillary's records relating to Boko Haram and her reluctance to designate it a foreign terrorist organization.
Vitter also requested all of Hillary's communications with Gilbert Chagoury, a Nigerian construction tycoon who has donated millions to the Clinton Foundation. Vitter noted that Chagoury had a financial interest in the potential impact of designating Boko Haram a terrorist group.
Uranium One alone is an example of criminal pay-to-play, unless we are to believe that the Russians, who are the least charitable people on Earth, just woke up one morning and decided to funnel $145 million into the Clinton Foundation out of the goodness of their Bolshevik hearts.
One would think that in addition to Hillary's shenanigans, Bill Clinton's making speeches to foreign entities seeking influence with his secretary of state wife for ungodly sums while donations poured into the Clinton Foundation from foreign governments and individuals to pay, among other things, for Chelsea Clinton's wedding dress and lifestyle would be worthy of a criminal investigation.
Emails fully incriminating Hillary are part of documents obtained by Judicial Watch under a court order forcing the State Department to find the documents it said it couldn't find, didn't have, or was too understaffed to look for.
Among the examples cited by Judicial Watch in the documents:
The new documents show that Clinton donors frequently requested and received special favors from the State Department that were connected to the Clinton Foundation.
On July 14, 2009, Gordon Griffin, a[n] XL Keystone [sic] lobbyist, sent an email to Clinton Foundation executive Doug Band, asking if Band could get him into a Council on Foreign Relations dinner at which Clinton was speaking. Band forwarded the email to [Hillary Clinton aide Huma] Abedin, saying, "Can u get him in?" Abedin replied: "Yes will get him in." Band was a top aide to President Bill Clinton and co-founder of Teneo. Griffin was a major donor to Hillary Clinton's Senate and presidential campaigns[.] ...
On September 11, 2009, Terrence Duffy, chairman of futures brokerage firm CME Group, a donor to the Clinton Foundation, asked Clinton to arrange "government appointments" for him in Singapore and Hong Kong. Clinton, using her firstname.lastname@example.com address, forwarded the request to Abedin, "fyi." Abedin responded to Duffy's email, saying she would "follow up" with Duffy's secretary, Joyce. Duffy gave $4,600 to Hillary's 2008 presidential campaign; CME Group paid Hillary $225,000 for a speaking fee and has donated between $5,001 and [$]10,000 to the Clinton Foundation. ...
On May 5, 2010, major Clinton Global Initiative member, Clinton Foundation donor[,] and real estate[-]developer Eddie Trump forwarded to "Dougie" Band a request for assistance from Russian American Foundation [v]ice [p]resident Rina Kirshner to get the Russian American Foundation involved in a State Department program. Band forwarded the request to Abedin, saying, "Can we get this done/mtg set." As Judicial Watch previously reported, the State Department doled out more than $260,000 to the Russian American Foundation for "public diplomacy."
Major Clinton donor Bal Das, a New York financier who reportedly raised $300,000 for Hillary's 2008 presidential campaign, asked Abedin on November 11, 2009 if Hillary Clinton could address the Japan Society at its annual conference in 2010. Clinton did speak to the Japan Society's annual conference in 2011.
Hillary Clinton and her husband used her position as secretary of state to enrich themselves personally through their Clinton Foundation, a front for a criminal shakedown of donors and influence-peddlers and buyers. They placed American national security at risk for fun and profit.
Investigate her, and then lock her up.


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June 07, 2009
Shock! Good News from Pakistan! The Taliban's Strategic Communications Reek Almost As Badly As Ours!
Londonstani is off doing his undercover journalism thing and can't blog at the moment but sent this story along, saying it was one of the more insightful articles he had read in some time on Pakistan.
For a long time the Taliban presented themselves as the lost link to a pure past, a conduit to a simple life and eternal salvation.
Only four weeks ago most Urdu television channels were acting as cheerleaders for the Taliban.
Most Urdu columnists in newspapers were presenting the Pakistani Taliban as the reincarnation of early Muslim warriors.
Now in a rare consensus they are all clamouring for an all-out war against them.
Even the people who were sitting on the fence - or considered the Taliban a localised problem - have suddenly realised that actually the Taliban are out to destroy their way of life.
Every single opinion poll carried out in Pakistan has concluded that the country is a hotbed of anti-Americanism.
But now, faced with a war against the Taliban, the nation seems to have united behind the most American of slogans: they are threatening our way of life.
How did we change our minds so quickly?
More than the government or the media, it is the Pakistani Taliban who are responsible.
On the other hand, readers of this blog will not fail to note that the country which perfected advertising still somehow can't craft an effective message -- or media capable of delivering a message -- in Iraq.


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As far as I know, you still should be able to post images here. The following is an excerpt from the manual for board's software:
Showing images in posts
Adding an image to a post
phpBB BBCode incorporates a tag for including images in your posts. Two very important things to remember when using this tag are: many users do not appreciate lots of images being shown in posts and secondly the image you display must already be available on the internet (it cannot exist only on your computer for example, unless you run a webserver!). To display an image you must surround the URL pointing to the image with tags. For example:
As noted in the URL section above you can wrap an image in a tag if you wish, e.g.
would generate:
Adding attachments into a post
Attachments can now be placed in any part of a post by using the new [attachment=][/attachment] BBCode, if the attachments functionality has been enabled by a board administrator and if you are given the appropriate permissions to create attachments. Within the posting screen is a drop-down box (respectively a button) for placing attachments inline.
Posting photos here
Discussions on Equipment, Locations and Tips for getting the photographs you want of Vermont scenes.Note: You must be registered in order to post. If you have trouble registering, use the contact us form on Scenes of Vermont's home page.
Post Reply
2 posts • Page 1 of 1
Re: Posting photos here
Hi mmvt: I have had various success depending on where I link to. For a while, my Flickr site worked well. Then all of a sudden it didn't (my research suggested it was Flickr's issue). It doesn't work well from my SmugMug site either. I eventually set up a blog on WordPress's free blogging site (I never "published" the blog - but it gives me a media upload area) and that works great.
Where are you linking from?
Where are you linking from?
If it sounds too good to be true, its probably . . . .
If it sounds too good to be true, its probably . . . .
Post Reply
2 posts • Page 1 of 1


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In the latest version of our Thrive Content Builder plugin, you can now reverse the stacking order of columns.
After reading the above sentence, you're either already excited about the feature or wondering: "why would I want to do that?"
Check out the video to see a simple example of how this feature helps you make better mobile layouts (plus: a teaser about what's coming next for TCB).
In case you missed it, here's the link to the last video and post about the updates we shipped in Thrive Content Builder 1.5.
A First Look Towards 2.0
As mentioned in the video, we have been hard at work on a 2.0 version of Thrive Content Builder.
When Thrive Content Builder was first released, it represented a huge step forward from the default WordPress editor. We believe that with version 2.0, we can take another step forward and redefine what visual editing in WordPress means.
Your feedback has been crucial for our development. Some of the things we will be including in the new version of the plugin are:
- Mobile previews and mobile responsive editing.
- Ability to edit old content (made in the WordPress editor) in Thrive Content Builder.
- Preserving your content, even if you deactivate the plugin.
- More customization/styling options.
- Solving the problem of the annoying options panel that covers too much of the content you're working on.
- Video backgrounds.
This list is just a small sample of the improvements we're working on.
As we're in the process of developing the new Content Builder, this is a good opportunity to get more feedback from you.
What are some things you really love about Thrive Content Builder? What are some things that annoy you? What features would you like to see in the new version?
Let us know by leaving a comment below!