Free Republic

UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The United Nations chose a State Department finance expert as its new management chief Tuesday and announced a series of reforms in response to the oil-for-food and sexual exploitation scandals and staff concerns about the organization's leadership. The package announced Tuesday includes protection for whistleblowers, an anti-fraud and corruption policy, a unified standard of conduct for peacekeepers to prevent sexual abuse, and expanded financial disclosure requirements for senior officials. Christopher Bancroft Burnham, currently acting undersecretary of state for management, was hired as the world body's management chief and charged with strengthening "accountability, ethical conduct and management...

The American public recognizes that the United Nations has major ethical and leadership problems. This same American public is growing more frustrated with the United States membership in the UN each day. To help this floundering world body, the President of the United States has nominated a man with the two missing elements that the United Nations sorely needs. The Secretary of State on the United States has said that he is the best man for the job. The former Prime Minister of Great Britain has said that he is an extremely good choice for America. On the other hand,...

Finally, more than four years after its hideous birth, the Clinton "Roadless Rule" is dead. The Bush administration and the Forest Service just announced a final rule that effectively undoes Clinton's reckless decree. Dying with the "Roadless Rule" are the following: - threats of catastrophic wildfire - threats of forest infestation and disease - lack of public access to public lands - improper resource management - unhealthy forests - top-down federal overreach Recall that Bill Clinton, just eight days before he left office, in the dark of night, penned his infamous, unilateral, executive order that locked up over 58 million...

The intellectual force behind President Bush's plan to overhaul Social Security, the man the president calls his favorite "Democrat economist," is not an economist. He is Robert C. Pozen, a lawyer and mutual fund executive who serves as chairman of MFS Investment Management in Boston. A registered Democrat, Mr. Pozen donated money to the presidential campaign of Senator John Kerry last year and voted for him on Nov. 2. He was a classmate of Hillary Rodham Clinton at Yale Law School. But all that has not stopped President Bush from embracing Mr. Pozen's main idea to bring the nation's public...

Forty-three of John Bolton's former colleagues at the American Enterprise Institute want to set the record straight: They've sent a letter to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, defending Bolton's conduct and management style. "We were colleagues of John Bolton during his tenure as senior vice president of the American Enterprise Institute from January 1997 through May 2001. We are writing to tell you and your colleagues that the various allegations that have been raised before your Committee, concerning Mr. Bolton's management style and conduct in other organizations and circumstances, are radically at odds with our experiences in more than four...

The average salary offered to Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad students saw a steep jump this year, with the highest being HSBC's $152,000 for a position at its London office. Also, around 250 students graduated this year, up 47 per cent from last year. The placement season, which began on March 14 and closed on Monday, saw a total of 477 jobs being offered to 247 students (three students opted out of the placements sessions). GECIS, an arm of GE Capital International Services, offered the highest salary -- Rs 14.50 lakh (Rs 1.45 million) -- for placement in the country. The...

The purpose of FreeRepublic.com's multiple message boards is to limit the topics for each board to particular topics. Posting the same message on all the boards defeats the purpose of multiple-boards for special topics. It is very annoying to see the same message on every bulletin board. PLEASE! DO THE READERS A FAVOR. STOP CROSS-POSTING YOUR MESSAGES!

Nearly four years have elapsed since the Oslo process (1993-2000) between Israelis and Palestinians foundered in bloodshed. Over that period, two U.S. administrations have tried to forge policies that would reduce the violence and point toward a solution to the conflict.It has not been a single-minded pursuit. Since September 11, 2001, the prime focus of Washington has been the management of unprecedented U.S. military interventions in the region, which removed regimes from power in Afghanistan and Iraq. The notion of Israeli-Palestinian peace as the key to regional stability has been replaced by the war on terror and the insistence on...

SACRAMENTO (AP) - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Friday he wants a plan on his desk in 90 days on how the state can better manage state waters and seashore. California, with 1,100 miles of coastline, is among the most economically dependent on the tourists drawn to its beaches and on ports that serve as gateways to Mexico, Canada and Pacific Rim nations. The state's shore, ports and oceans account for an estimated $60 billion in direct spending and $15 billion in annual tax revenues. "The health of our ocean resources and the economy they support benefits not only California, but...

AT&T Wireless Self-Destructs The story of a botched CRM upgrade that cost the telco thousands of new customers and an estimated $100 million in lost revenue. Hard lessons learned. BY CHRISTOPHER KOCH Executive Summary Last fall, AT&T Wireless frantically tried to complete a CRM upgrade to Siebel 7. It had to be done in time to handle the customer service challenges accompanying a Federal Communications Commission deadline for allowing customers to change carriers without changing their phone numbers. The effort was a failure. Systems crashed and stayed down. Customer reps could not keep up, and angry customers abandoned the...

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - Sen. Dianne Feinstein is "disappointed" that President Bush has not apologized to relatives of those killed Sept. 11, 2001, and the California Democrat faulted Bush for lacking "hands-on management" in the months leading up to the terrorist attacks. Feinstein, a member of the Intelligence Committee and head of the Technology and Terrorism Subcommittee, said Wednesday that Bush and his advisers failed to "connect the dots" on Aug. 6, 2001. That's when a CIA briefing warned that supporters of Osama Bin Laden were living in the United States, could enter and exit the country as they...

Today I went to Westport, CT to freep Hillary. Though I didn't know the exact house number on Bayberry Lane, I knew there would be tell-tale signs that would let me know which house she's holing up in. I arrived at 10:45am and drove along the entire Bayberry Lane with no signs of hillary. I knew it was early, so I went for a cup coffee and would come back later. While driving along Bayberry Lane I noticed that the road would not allow for a freep. It's only a two lane road and there were no sidewalks. I came...

Supporting Gulf War 2.0 September 2003 By Sgt. Frank N. Pellegrini When Maj. Gen. David E. Kratzer was chosen back in January to take his 377th Theater Support Command (TSC) in Kuwait to lead the support operation for a war in Iraq, one of the first things he did was read Moving Mountains: Lessons in Leadership and Logistics from the Gulf War, which is the theater support memoir of Lt. Gen. William G. Pagonis, the commander of the first TSC--a man who knew what it was to build what Kratzer has likened to a "city in the sand." To launch...

MORGANTOWN (AP) -- Weirton Steel Corp. has asked a federal bankruptcy judge for permission to offer top executives $4 million in bonuses for staying with the company until it emerges from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The Northern Panhandle steelmaker last week promoted Chief Financial Officer Mark Kaplan to president and named D. Leonard Wise its new chief executive. Wise, 68, replaced former President and CEO John Walker, who resigned in June. Kaplan, 41, could get as much as $1.4 million under the plan, including a $600,000 bonus in three installments and $500,000 when the company's reorganization plan is approved or...

There are only seven or maybe eight themes for fiction, so I've been told. All the stories you've ever read or heard are merely variations of them. Dubious, but what the hell. Who can resist the theme of the reprobate redeemed by love? Is there anything more satisfying than seeing the haughty hoist--blown up--defeated by hubris? Me, I'm fond of a subset of virtue triumphant, goodness rewarded, namely, the defeat of ignorance by intelligence. I recently discovered a fine instance of that theme, and, marvelous to say, it's nonfiction, a true tale. It's the book, Moneyball by Michael Lewis, and...

There are only seven or maybe eight themes for fiction, so I've been told. All the stories you've ever read or heard are merely variations of them. Dubious, but what the hell. Who can resist the theme of the reprobate redeemed by love? Is there anything more satisfying than seeing the haughty hoist--blown up--defeated by hubris? Me, I'm fond of a subset of virtue triumphant, goodness rewarded, namely, the defeat of ignorance by intelligence. I recently discovered a fine instance of that theme, and, marvelous to say, it's nonfiction, a true tale. It's the book, Moneyball by Michael Lewis, and...

Plagiarism Scandal Challenges Top Managers at NY Times By Steve Brown CNSNews.com Staff Writer May 22, 2003 (CNSNews.com) - As the New York Times' plagiarism scandal featuring former reporter Jayson Blair continues to unfold, many experts are quick to point the finger of blame at the Times' senior editorial management, while others say it could have happened anywhere. Washington Times Editorial Page Editor Tony Blankley Wednesday wrote that: "The response of the New York Times management seems dangerously similar to the response of the Catholic Church hierarchy to their recent scandals. "While there was obviously fury at the priests who...

Infrequently, on Capitol Hill, a freshman legislator with gumption can have the impact of a wily congressional veteran. It happened Tuesday when the House Armed Services Committee narrowly derailed Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's plan to win new, expansive authority over flag and general officer rotations, tour lengths and age limits. Republican John Kline, four months into his first term representing Minnesota's 2nd District, drew upon 25 years of experience as a Marine Corps officer to attack what he saw as frail logic and irresponsibly fast pace by Bush administration's plans to "transform" senior officer management. Fellow Republicans Jo Ann Davis...

The Insanity of World Wide Fishery PoliciesAll over the world, fishing communities are screaming for the heads of seals, dolphins, pelicans, and even whales. The reason for this is grossly diminished populations of commercial fish. Simply put, most of the world's commercial fisheries have collapsed or are in a state of collapse. The reason for the collapse has been a combination of mismanagement and corruption within governmental fishery departments, industrial over-fishing, increasing demand from steadily rising human populations, and just plain greed by fishing corporations. Instead of facing up to the real reasons, government bureaucrats, fishermen, and the public...

Under new management: Garner plan will divide the country into three zones By Raymond Whitaker 10 April 2003 Iraq is to be divided into three zones by the interim civil administration headed by the retired American general Jay Garner, whose staff have just established a foothold in the far south of Iraq. Speaking a day after a team from Mr Garner's Office for Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance (ORHA) arrived in the port of Umm Qasr, a spokesman said the first priority was to bring in aid. "In many ways we are learning as we go," said Major Jeff Jurgensen, one...

NEW YORK - More people with mounting debt are turning to their employers for help, and companies are responding by offering workshops, call centers, and online tools to help their employees get a handle on their finances. That's because helping their employees' bottom lines also helps protect their own. With household debt and personal bankruptcies at record levels, companies could soon find themselves spending more time and money dealing with their work forces' problems. Total consumer debt in America is now over $1.7 trillion, up from $1.2 trillion in 1997, according the Federal Reserve (news - web sites). And an...

Does anyone remember the issue with which Iron Mountain records storage company came under fire lately - possible FOIA problems, govt papers acces, etc...?

Oceans Need Broader Management Perspective WASHINGTON, DC, October 29, 2002 (ENS) - Ocean ecosystems are being strained by pollution, coastal development and harmful fishing practices, warns a new study from the Pew Oceans Commission. These human caused problems are endangering the ecological and economic benefits produced by some of Earth's most diverse and productive ecosystems. The combined effects of overfishing, bycatch of non-targeted species and habitat degradation,are altering the composition of ecological communities, and the productivity and resilience of marine ecosystems, argues the Pew Commission report, "Ecological Effects of Fishing in Marine Ecosystems of the United States." The report,...

Sparks Fly at Hearing on Bush Fire Plan Since this is a long article, I won't post the full text (too many picture captions to cut out). I'll provide two excerpts and you can click the link to read the rest, if interested. Excerpt 1: "According to the secretaries' testimony, active forest management includes thinning trees from unnaturally dense stands to produce commercial or pre-commercial products, removing biomass such as downed trees and shrubs, and igniting controlled burns. The first piece of the Bush administration's proposal would aim to reduce forest fuel loads in areas that pose the greatest...

C B C . C A   N e w s   -   F u l l   S t o r y : Bush shops for support to oust Saddam Last Updated Fri Sep 6 13:18:42 2002 WASHINGTON-- Seeking to build an international consensus on how to deal with Iraq's President Saddam Hussein, U.S. President George W. Bush spoke with the leaders of Russia, China and France on Friday. INDEPTH: Iraq White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said Bush told each of the leaders that Saddam is a threat and he values their opinions on the crisis. A spokeswoman...

Hawks make labor deal difficult By Ken Rosenthal - The Sporting News Ask any player if he wants a strike, and he would say no. Ask most owners, and their answer would be the same. But then there are the "hawks," the hard-line owners who would risk destroying Major League Baseball while claiming they're trying to save it. Padres owner John Moores spoke for the hawks when he said eight to 10 owners were prepared to shut down baseball for an entire season to get the labor agreement they wanted. But a moderate owner, speaking on the condition of...

LIHUE >> The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has designated areas of critical habitat for Newcomb's Snail, a tiny freshwater snail found only in remote areas of Kauai. The designation does not create a "refuge" but does require "special management considerations" for any projects within the critical habitat that receive federal funding. Included in the critical habitat area are 12.3 miles of stream channel and 4,479 acres of adjacent lands. Most of the areas are within the Na Pali Coast State Park and three forest reserve areas managed by the state. The Newcomb's snail lives its entire life in the...

Era of the Big Fire Is Kindled at West's DoorsSat Jun 22, 3:08 PM ETBy TIMOTHY EGAN The New York Times This article was reported by Timothy Egan, Michael Janofsky, Andrew C. Revkin and James Sterngold and written by Mr. Egan. • Era of the Big Fire Is Kindled at West's Doors • Novices to Face Champions in Topsy-Turvy World Cup • For the latest breaking news, visit NYTimes.com • Get DealBook, a daily email digest of corporate finance newsDealBook. Search NYTimes.com: WINTHROP, Wash., June 22 — The fires came early this year to the West, chasing people out...

Jail: Rough Road or Easy Street? Amenitites Important, Prison Officials Say The Hartford Courant 4 August 1997 Page A-1 by Dana TofigCorrection Officer Charles Robinson stands at the edge of the gymnasium at Cybulski Correctional Institution. From his vantage point, he can see across the room. In front of him, a handball smacks off a wall of the gym, creating a rhythmic cadence with the grunts of two inmates. Prisoners are shooting hoops on the other end of the expansive room. The metallic clang of weights echoes through the gym. Some would look at this scene as an example...

Panel: NASA Can't Manage Funds WASHINGTON -- Government and private auditors testified Wednesday that NASA has operated for years with an antiquated accounting system, making it almost impossible to track how billions of public dollars are spent. Since 1990, the General Accounting Office, Congress's investigative arm, warned lawmakers the space agency was headed for trouble without a modern financial management system. Yet for five years, the Arthur Andersen accounting firm gave the agency a clean bill of health. Last year, Price Waterhouse Coopers took over as NASA's independent auditor and determined the agency could not accurately account for expenses,...