Accountability

The Indian Premier League, so far hogging media space due to leggy cheerleaders and some blistering action on the field, is now in the news also for the first heat of accountability that has claimed the CEO of Bangalore Royal Challengers, Charu Sharma and almost did its coach, Venkatesh Prasad.As I had written in my previous post on the subject, given the financial stakes involved and the names of those who now own various IPL teams, matches so far have been, and are going to be, fiercely competitive. The other heartening change that the sacking of the aforementioned gentlemen has brought in is that from now on, the axe for poor performance will not fall on the players alone while the administrators laugh all the way to a number of banks, visible and hidden, no matter how teams fare.It may

Accountability is something often talked about in business and expected between workers yet it is ignored by most in the rest of our lives. We do whatever we want in our independent little pieces of this world yet do a lot of complaining and arguing about all the bad things going on in the [...]

‘Voluntourism,’ Accountability, Brand Life Identified as Emerging …Al-Bawaba, Jordan - 55 minutes agoVirtual Tourism – Every day, millions of people already travel to fantastical destinations via dozens of virtual reality worlds such as World of Warcraft, … Written by Google Inc. and Powered by WordPress

nMove over predatory mortgage lenders. The new black sheep on Capitol Hill are credit card companies. Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI), who heads a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subcommittee that looked into the credit card industry's lending practices, are sponsoring a bill which

Parents, I have a question for you. What do you suppose would happen if you attempted to raise a child without any sort of accountability - no discipline, no enforcement of rules, no consequences of any kind? Is it safe to say that your child would likely get into some trouble and end up poorly adjusted? Wouldn't you expect that the total absence of accountability would lead to chaos? And in this case, wouldn't it be difficult not to blame the parent for the child's behavior?Dear readers, I submit to you that you and I are more responsible than we'd like to admit for the chronic incompetence and criminal behavior of George W. Bush, America's child-in-chief. For refusing to demand impeachment and allowing our elected representatives to look the other way on Iraq, Hurricane Katrina, torture,

Meeting in Tallahassee today, the Florida Board of Education tweaked the state's school grading formula and nixed a new FCAT graduation requirement. Until today, a school dropped a full letter grade if at least half of its lowest performing students...

In today's Herald-Leader, CASA assessment guru Tom Guskey points out the problems associated with using tests for purposes that run counter to their design. Without mentioning Senate Bill 1, he shows why it won't fix what's broken.Selecting school tests a matter of competence...What's missing in these discussions about testing is a clear understanding about what...certain tests can and cannot do....College entrance exams such as the ACT and SAT help colleges and universities decide whom to admit [but they] do not reflect any particular level of knowledge... rather where each student ranks in relation to others. Ranking makes the selection process easier.Problems arise when a test designed for one purpose is used for another. ... tests like the ACT and SAT are labeled "instructionally insen

From time to time I have referred vaguely to a "value-added"system for assessing the effectiveness of Kentucky schools. Today the Dallas Morning News gives us a peek at the kind of thing I have in mind.If I had a magic wand, testing would exist to inform better instruction and provide parents with annual information about the progress of their child. But accountability would look something like this:'School Effectiveness Index' changes wisdom on what makes a good Dallas ISD campus'Effectiveness index' considers demographics in measuring campusesHow good is your kid's school?It seems like a simple question, but factors like student backgrounds can make clear-cut answers elusive.What if you could find a way to evaluate schools that doesn't penalize them for their students' language barriers,

The research report “Corporate Governance : A Guide to Corporate Accountability” ( provides the….. This new Guide features 23 articles that present the views of 26 experts who look upon the state of corporate governance at the close of 2003, one year after the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The authors examine recent developments in legislation, [...]

I have had a good week. I have been doing my exercise regularly. I have only had a few slip ups on the healthy eating regime. I did indulge in a couple of extra desserts that I should not have had. I do allow myself one nice dessert a week. Whoops! I had three this week. I am encouraged by the fact that I am aware of how many I had. A couple of months ago, I would not have been paying attention. I have lost 5 pounds since the beginning of February. While the weight loss is not going as fast as I would like, a loss is better than a gain. Slow weight loss is probably healthier for me and is easier to sustain over the long haul. Weight loss goal for March: 3-4 more pounds. I am beginning to feel more fit. I have more energy. Marathon training update: I can do 6 miles = 10K. in two hours. I wi

As mid terms are wrapping up, grades are being calculated I’m just thinking about how quickly time has gone by. It’s hard to believe my first year of college is over in a couple of months. It’s been fun so far, and i’ve enjoyed it, but I don’t want it to pass me by so [...]

I'm working on an in-depth post about the process of buying a home from deciding to moving in. I've recently completed the process myself and would like to share my advice and my experience in the matter. In the meantime I'm publishing this post I wrote for Helium.com some time ago in the hope you'll find it interesting.Accountability, according to Merriam-Webster is “the quality or state of being accountable; especially: an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one's actions”. Is there a place for accountability in advertising or marketing?Companies invest in advertising and marketing in order to build a brand, raise awareness to a product or service, target a new audience, increase market share and more.Intuitively, a more credible and accountable messa

During Tony Blair's time in office, 3000 new offences were added to the statue books which is almost one crime for every day he was in office. One of the things that characterises the Labour government is how frantically and frequently laws are made to control every minutiae of our lives (hate crime/thought crime, ID cards etc).So it comes with some irony, as we have learned over the last week, that senior Labour party members are unable to follow the letter of the law which they themselves created. Of all the laws they have imposed on us, they are so staggeringly incompetent as to break their own electoral laws and permit donations through a third party.More worryingly, though, the nannying of the population through the creation of thousands of laws has led to an lack of accountability. It should fall on each individual to be responsible for their own actions and take control of decisions. Too often we look to the state for guidance where once common sense would have pointed out a qu

Time and time again, we have seen high-ranking officials in the Bush administration break the law without being held accountable for their actions. Beyond partisan bickering, it is imperative that we Americans find a way to repair our reputation abroad and begin to restore confidence in our government at home. It is my sincere hope that the 2008 presidential election will help with these goals, but I also believe that we must act now to hold high-ranking criminals accountable for their behavior. Fortunately, there are many simple yet effective steps we can now take to facilitate such accountability. I urge you to join me in taking action.Tags: politics, impeach, Cheney, activism, accountability

(FRANKFORT, Ky.) – The School Curriculum, Assessment and Accountability Council (SCAAC) will meet Tuesday, November 20, in the State Board Room on the first floor of the Capital Plaza Tower in Frankfort.The meeting is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. and end at 5 p.m. Agenda items include assessment and accountability regulations and proficiency.The 17 voting member council, appointed by the governor, advises the Kentucky Board of Education on the testing and accountability system and curriculum issues.A full agenda follows.AGENDAMeeting of theSchool Curriculum, Assessment and Accountability CouncilNovember 20, 20079:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.State Board Room, 1st Floor - Capital Plaza Tower500 Mero StreetFrankfort, Kentucky 1. Welcome2. Roll Call3. Future Meeting Dates4. Assessment and Accountability RegulationsA. Interim Accountability Model (703 KAR 5:060)B. Formula for Determining School Accountability (703 KAR 5:020)C.·Assessment and Accountability Definitions (703 KAR 5:001)Lunch5. What

So I've been a pretty vocal critic of certain assumptions regarding hierarchical accountability (as contrasted with relational / mutual accountability) in the Church. When a leader's accountability is the business of his or her boss(es) alone, all kinds of sick s**t will happen. When a leader's accountability is explicitly the business of his or her congregation, friends, mentors, etc. in a flat (or flattish) network of mutual friendship and honesty, then guess what? All kinds of sick s**t will happen. Why? Because we humans are sick, sinful, self-interested, cowardly s**ts. But my point is that this seems to be the most common defense of church hierarchies - denominational judicatories, Senior Pastors, Archbishops, etc. We need them, I'm told, to maintain accountability and discipline.Well, I sincerely doubt it. I'm not aware of any sizable hierarchical church system in which appalling crap occurs at a rate greatly less than I would expect if there weren't bishops (or wh

The following is a statement of pastoral accountability developed by DMW (aka John Duncan) over at the Phoenixpreacher blog. I bring it here because I believe we can get more pastoral discussion (although others are more than welcome to join us). All the credit goes to DMW all I did was reformat it and play [...]

  This is the second in the principles in action series that will illuminate a practical application of a positive life principal. The first in the series addressed treating other like they have value. The advertisement @ the Clever Dude was about the 100th time I had been bombarded with the free $250 for opening an American Express Business Rewards Gold Card offer, and I was finally ready to give in and get the money. I usually stay away from signing up for credit card schemes or opening a new savings account at every bank with a good intro offer. I just don’t think these schemes are usually worth the stress, effort, hassle, and most importantly they rob my attention from tasks that I deem more valuable to our overall health and wealth. That offer didn’t fit into our financial plan when we were getting out of debt and still doesn’t, but my resolve was finally beaten down past the point I could handle. Over dinner I mentioned the offer to The Happy Rockette and as

  All-Round Defence on the Russian Forum ‘Sathya Sai Ru’   The following appeal was posted on 17th 2006 on the forum Sathya Sai Ru, the biggest forum of the Russian followers of Sathya Sai Baba.http://forum.sathyasai.ru/index.php?showtopic=3000 - APPEAL of Forum Sathya Sai Ru Administration to all the participantsUnprepossessing Facts: As a result of growth of Bhagavan’s fame in India and around the world some people started their activities in order to undermine Swami’s reputation. Causes of the Propaganda: They are motivated by unfulfilled hopes and resentments towards Bhagavan. Results of the Propaganda: They spread rumours and unchecked facts about Sathya Sai Baba’s life and create chaos in innocent minds not spoiled with calumnies. We want: The Forum Administration wants to support the common sense and spirit of the participants and to protect their peace of mind. We ask: 1. To ignore false rumours and unchecked facts, delete letters from strangers who suggest tha

International Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility ICCSR (Inggris) kembali menawarkan beasiswa PhD penuh waktu di bidang sosial dan lingkungan. Beasiswa yang diberikan berlaku untuk satu tahun, perkuliahan akan dimulai bulan Januari tahun 2008. Aplikasi pendaftaran harus sudah diterima sebelum 31 Oktober 2007.

Preston Riversway Councillor, Jack Davenport, has raised further concerns about the recent proposals to restructure Preston Vision Board, claiming the reorganisation 'will do little to encourage the idea that there will be more democratic involvement'.You can click on the letter to enlarge it...In his letter, sent to the Lancashire Evening Post this week, Jack Davenport sets out his concerns that:'The proposals outlined seem to make a move towards greater private sector control, with the council being reduced to a mere consultative role. They will weaken the already poor "partnership" and undermine the public's faith in democratic representation'.Further, Councillor Davenport is concerned that 'developments in Preston' should be 'guided by public, not private sector need', arguing that 'Only the council, as a democratically representative body, has the authority to make that judgment', and pointing out that this authority is granted 'not by private business or interest, bu

[singlepic=102,280,280,,right]Tomorrow morning, September 15th, around 10 a.m. I'm heading down to meet up with thousands of anti-war protesters on the lawn in front of the White House. At around noon we're marching to congress, supposedly in the hopes that this will influence them into some form of action. I'm not convinced of the power of mass demonstrations, but I know that it certainly can't be hurting. Agressive resource wars against foreign nations will never solve the problem that there simply isn't enough cheap energy/oil in the world. We could and should be spending our money to find some other type of energy source...

Overlooking the Obvious     On ImpeachmentBy Hank Edson Does One More Outrage Really Matter? It may seem completely unnecessary to pursue yet one more ground for impeachment when we already have so many. In their book, The Case for Impeachment, journalists David Lindorff and Barbara Olshansky have cited, for example, seven classes of impeachable offenses Bush and Cheney have committed: Lying to Congress and America about the need to invade Iraq, about the existence of an imminent threat to the United States, and about the existence of a link between that alleged threat and 9/11. Refusing to cooperate with congressional and 9/11 investigations; Violating the bill of rights by detaining US citizens indefinitely without charge, by detaining and deporting legal residents, and by illegally authorizing the national Security Agency to spy on American citizens without a court order. Abusing power by adding over 1000 signing statements to legislative acts passed by Congress.

At the Presidential News Conference held on August 9, 2007, President Bush mainly talks about accountability.  Bush answers the question from one of the reporters that ask how Bush has held people accountable.  This is the first time Bush has talked to reports since mid July.  Here is the video:

Book Description ISBN-0071417540 "As a former CEO and independent director of several corporations, I find Don Delves' discussion of executive compensation -- including detailed and insightful reviews of the issues involving stock options -- to be exceedingly instructive. This is a book that members of compensation committees, indeed all corporate board members should read." -B. Kenneth West,

It's Organized CrimeMasquerading As The BushAdministrationSubversive MotivesConspiracies Are Behind Everything They DoRemove These F*ckersFrom Power, Do We Have LawsDoes Someone EnforceThey Mock EverythingThat Our Country Is SupposedTo Be And Then SomeWhat The F*ck Does ItTake For Congress To Stand UpAnd Do The Right ThingStart The ImpeachmentHow Many F*cking Times DoI Have To Say ItLarge MajorityWants These Bastards In Jail NowWake Up PelosiTired Of Your HemmingAnd Hawing And Delays AndJust F Ing Do ItImpeach Them NOW NOWNOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOWNOW RIGHT F ING NOWDeFazio Asks, But He’s Denied Access to Classified Info: The congressman wanted to see government plans for after a terror attackWilliam 'The Bloody' Kristol is a f*cking idiotVIDEO: Senator Feingold To Introduce Bush Censure Resolution In Senate “Soon”Defense Motion To Ban George Bush’s Name At Trial Of Anti-War Protester DefeatedVIDEO: Iraq “success” story’s ugly sideBush Was Against Troop Pay Raises Bef

The School Curriculum, Assessment and Accountability Council (SCAAC) will meet Tuesday, July 24, in the State Board Room of the Capital Plaza Tower in Frankfort. The meeting will begin at 9 a.m.The 17 voting member council, appointed by the governor, advises the Kentucky Board of Education on the testing and accountability system and curriculum issues.AGENDAMeeting of theSchool Curriculum, Assessment and Accountability CouncilJuly 24, 2007 - 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. EDTState Board Room, 1st Floor - Capital Plaza Tower500 Mero StreetFrankfort, Kentucky 1. Welcome 2. Roll Call 3. May 22, 2007, Meeting Minutes 4. Writing Portfolio Study Update 5. Norm-Referenced Testing Update 6. ACT Implementation Update/Alignment StudyLunch7. CATS Online Update 8. 2007 Testing Administration Site Visits Update 9. Administration Code (703 KAR 5:080) & Inclusions Regulation (703 KAR 5:070) Update 10 .Adjournment SOURCE: KDE press release

** Flexible Location Options Considered** Corporate Accountability International is a membership organization that protects people by waging and winning campaigns challenging dangerous and irresponsible corporate actions around the world. Since 1977, we’ve forced corporations like Nestlë, GE and Philip Morris/Altria to stop their abusive practices. We have active and ongoing campaigns targeting the water, tobacco, food and agribusiness and oil industries. (more…)

Florida's McKay voucher for disabled students has become a model for similar programs in other states (see story here). But a national think tank says in a report released yesterday that other states should take a closer look at Florida's program - and avoid its shortcomings. Among the major problems noted by Education Sector: Nobody really knows whether the kids who use the vouchers to attend private schools are getting a better education. Why? "Unlike with Florida's other school choice options, the state collects very little information from schools and students participating in the McKay program," the report says. "McKay students do not have to take the annual state tests administered to public school students, and McKay schools are not required to report any information on student outcomes - which goes against the national trend towards standards and accountability in public education." McKay voucher are named after former state Senate President John McKay, R-Bradenton, and wer

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued a report stating that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) misled the public about asbestos levels in Lower Manhattan apartment buildings after 9/11. Asbestos can cause mesothelioma-a rare cancer-and other diseases. The EPA arranged for the professional cleanup of over 4,000 apartments during the two years following the attacks of 9/11. The agency reported that very few units had unsafe levels of asbestos; however, it failed to reveal that the air testing on the units was conducted after-not before-they were cleaned. The GAO report was released Wednesday during hearings conducted by the Senate Health Committee.For the full story, go so www.wnyc.org

Am I the only one that remembers what Rudy is responsible for? He is responsible for the Disneyification of Times Square and the general bleaching of Manhattan. He is the devil incarnate.His comments about accountability shocks me. Perhaps his ego is too big for the stage? I remember when I took a course on the History of New York City, his contribution was commonly considered to be detrimental to the city and inevitably he will go down as someone who hurt the face of New York.Giuliani's only real contribution in his entire political career has been his reaction to September 11th. Imagine if that atrocity on humanity had never happened. Would he have a snowball's change in hell of being president of the United States? I think not.The only change that a man like Giuliani can cause if elected President is gentrification. Perhaps that is the new Republican Party goal; to Dinsneyify the US. Once we are a theme park, who wouldn't want to come spend billions in tourist revenue?Seriously,

I knew it wouldn't last for long. For three days in a row I've been preaching to my teens about attitudes. They don't get it. The child involved in this issue today was only told yesterday by the owner of a business where he was trying to get hired that she would not hire him because he has a bad attitude. Now I try to get across to my kids that a good gauge in life to go by is that if more than one person expresses to you that you have a problem and those people are not related than you best believe the problem is yours and not others and you best do something about it. I and my husband are in agreement 3 of my teens have serious attitude problems. 2 of those children are black , one is white. All three are from disrupted international adoptions. Don't get me wrong...these children coming from orphanages and had hell holes for lives. All three had wonderful first adoptive parents. These families gave them their first lessons in life outside of the orphanage and attempted t

The Virginia Tech. shootings on April 16th 2007 were yet another grounds for my claim that academic emphasis in american schools is getting out of hand.  Especially in California. Teachers in California, under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) program are required, mandated, to produce 75% or higher on EVERY CHILD in the school system’s test by 2014.  Many people are not aware of that.  Not only is this an impossible goal for some solid logical reasons, but it is putting enormous pressure on Principals and teachers alike to see that their school makes their incremental targets each year on the CST (California Standards Test).  This has produced improvement in test scores but at the expense of what I call more “social” aspects of education. ie; music, art, drama, science, and social studies.  These social subjects are the crux of childhood education and yet they are on the back burner to Language Arts and Math which get all the funding, classroom minutes, and r

Amending the No Child Left Behind Act’s accountability provisions to require the measurement of students’ academic growth is a popular idea, but the transition to it might not be quick or easy, a panel of experts told federal lawmakers last week.Not all states have the data capabilities to operate so-called growth models, and many others would need to revise their testing programs to take full advantage of them, testing experts and state officials said at the House Education and Labor Committee’s second hearing on the reauthorization of the federal education law.“This is a whole lot more complicated than I thought,” Rep. Michael N. Castle, R-Del., said at the March 21 hearing.But such hurdles shouldn’t dissuade policymakers from taking steps to ensure all states eventually use individual student growth to determine whether schools and districts are making adequate yearly progress—or AYP—under the law.This from

Like most Americans, my thoughts have been turning increasingly to Iraq. With the release of The Iraq Study Group Report: The Way Forward - A New Approach (Vintage), there has been much speculation about how Bush will respond. The media's consensus appears to be that the report offers him a way out of Iraq if he wants it.I would like to see the situation in Iraq resolved with as few casualties as possible on both sides. However, I remain frustrated that there is no sign that the Bush administration will be held accountable for deceiving the American people and launching a preemptive war to accomplish ideological goals rather than to suppress an actual threat. It isn't that nobody is calling for the administration to be held accountable (see United States v. George W. Bush et al.), but Congress does not seem particularly interested.Admittedly, this is a difficult call. In the immediate aftermath of the Democratic wins in Congress, I remember having mixed feelings about the newly elect

Have a costume that I need to hem for work. Have been putting it off. Putting it off. Putting it off. (You know, one of those projects that you procrastinate for so long on that they take on a life of their own inside your head? IT'S A HEM, FOR PETE'S SAKE!!) I am going RIGHT NOW to set up the machine and get the thing hemmed! If I post it on the internet and know that people are reading this, I will be too embarrassed not to get it done! Thank you for being my own personal Accountability Monitors. :blush: Will check back in a few after it's finished... e.d.Last post by ConnieBJ at Mon 14 Apr 2008 07:56:54 PM Total posts: 2 Visit PatternReview.com to read this entire topic.Research Simplicity Sewing Machines at PatternReview.com.