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How Much Screen Time Is Healthy for Kids?
Have you ever wondered how much time your little one should spend watching television or playing with an iPad? Approximately 68% of children under the age of three use electronic media daily1! The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that caregivers avoid exposing infants and toddlers to screens due to health concerns2. Research suggests that increased screen time negatively impacts young children’s weight, concentration, memory, academic achievement, mood, and language skills1,2,3,4,5.
Limiting screen time provides many physical and mental benefits for your child’s development such as a lower risk of obesity and speech delays4,5. In addition, turning off electronics in the evening can even improve sleep hygiene5,6. Young children learn better from interacting with people rather than electronics3. Because screen time increases as children get older7, it is important to start creating healthy habits now!
Written by ASAP Sitter Caitlin.
1Duch, H., Fisher, E. M., Ensari, I., & Harrington, A. (2013). Screen time use in children under 3 years old: a systematic review of correlates. The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 10, 102. doi:10.1186/1479-5868-10-102
2American Academy of Pediatrics. (2016). Media and Children. Retrieved from https://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/Pag...
3Lowry, B. L. (2015). Infants and toddlers "unplugged": New recommendations about media use from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Retrieved from http://www.hanen.org/Helpful-Info/Articles/Unplugged--New-recommendation...
4Xu, H., Wen, L. M., Hardy, L. L., & Rissel, C. (2016). A 5-year longitudinal analysis of modifiable predictors for outdoor play and screen-time of 2- to 5-year-olds. The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 13(1), 96. doi:10.1186/s12966-016-0422-6
5Paudel, S., Leavy, J., & Jancey, J. (2016). Correlates of mobile screen media use among children aged 0–8: protocol for a systematic review. Systematic Reviews, 5, 91. doi:10.1186/s13643-016-0272-y
6Vijakkhana, N., Wilaisakditipakorn, T., Ruedeekhajorn, K., Pruksananonda, C., & Chonchaiya, W. (2015). Evening media exposure reduces night-time sleep. Acta Paediatrica, 104(3), 306-312. doi:10.1111/apa.12904
7Matarma, T., Koski, P., Löyttyniemi, E., & Lagström, H. (2016). The factors associated with toddlers’ screen time change in the STEPS study: A two-year follow-up. Preventive Medicine, 84, 27-33. doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2015.12.014
|healthy screen time for kids (1).pdf||2.48 MB|


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Factor de impacto
4.500 JCR (2022) Q1
Journal of Planning Literature publishes review articles and abstracts of recent literature in city and regional planning and design. A typical issue contains one to three refereed literature reviews; a Council of Planning Librarians (CPL) Bibliography; several hundred abstracts of recent journal articles and dissertations; and several hundred bibliographic listings. JPL aims to give the reader an understanding of the state of knowledge of the field for use in research or professional practice.
Editada por: SAGE Publications ISSN: 1552-6593

domain: library


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Play Free Casino Games On Your Mobile Devices
Playing free casino games online is a fantastic way to win some quick money. Most casinos have an upper limit on the amount of money they will give away. The more money you deposit more money, the less you will win. This is true even though it may appear to be cruel. What can a player do?
This is where these online casinos are available. They offer players a way to play free casino games without ever having to leave their homes. Instead of going to multiple casinos, one location can take care of all your requirements. The best part about this is that you do not need to make a deposit in order to get started. In reality, the majority of players play for less than an hour before deciding that it’s time to go.
How does it work? It’s very simple. These html5 mobile games can be played in two ways. Use your web browser or one of the many mobile devices on the market today. Download the flash player free from the casino Guru to play casino games for free on any smart phone.
There are a variety of online casino games and slot machines. However, not all are created to be the same. Most of the slot machines, you’ll find at online casino games are built on luck and chance. You’ll never get more than a few bucks playing them. This isn’t exactly what the majority of people want to hear.
Instead, they’d prefer to engage betwinnercasino.click in a game of casino where they know they’ll succeed. This is why they play online casino games on free slot machines. If they win, they are able to transfer funds to their bank account. That’s the simple part. There is no chance of losing any money. This is the reason why slot machines are referred to as “lottery type” since you don’t require an equation to determine the best bet amount or what your payout table is you simply glance at the reels and guess how much you think you’ll take home.
Free spins on slot machines is one of the numerous ways to play casino games for free without the risk of losing any money. Bonuses offered by casinos online are also great ways to play free games without sopron-casino.click burning yourself. Numerous casinos offer promotions and bonuses for players who try free casino games with their real money. Some casinos provide cash-back rewards or high-roll bonus points when gamblers make use of real money in order to play online slot machines.
Some casinos even offer bonuses that double. You can play for free in casino games, and make use of real money for it, and receive an additional ten per cent bonus. The best part about these bonuses is that they don’t have to be repaid, and if you lose on them you don’t need to pay any cash. This makes free casino games an excellent way to test casino games without needing to risk any of your own money.
Playing free online slots is great because even if you lose, you get your money back. The reels of a slot machine are used to feed numbers which will shrink when you press the appropriate symbols on the reels. If you are lucky enough to land on the pay lines, you’ll be able to get your money back. If you do not hit the pay lines, your money will be refunded. These pay lines are generated by the software that controls the reels in real-time.
Online casino games that are free are very popular as players appreciate the convenience of playing these games at any moment convenient. There is no need to travel to a traditional casino to play at a slot machine for hours on end. Additionally, many casinos have special areas dedicated to players who want to play free slots for enjoyment. They aren’t always available however they can be very enjoyable to play.
Some casinos allow you to play no-cost casino games from your mobile phone. Most games offered are only for entertainment and fun, and as such they cannot be played when using real money. However, a number of games are offered for free by casinos on the internet when you sign up for their services. These free casino games are playable on mobile devices and payouts are as high as real money playing.
These free online casino games are played in the same way as regular slots. You should search for games that provide a large jackpot or multiple rate wins so you will be certain to earn your money’s worth by playing these slot machines for free. You should be aware of your level of expertise in deciding if you want to play slots with real money or just to have enjoyment. Some players are comfortable with slot machines and don’t have any issues playing these games. However, playing video slots can be too risky for those who aren’t as skilled as bettors.

domain: hobby


text: Hello again! I am officially back in San Francisco after quite the week of cruising down the coast all the way down to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico with a few stops in between (more on those travels, coming soon!) Before my departure, my good friend Devon and I attended such a cool and dynamic event hosted by Taste of the Nation, a nationwide charity that raises awareness and helps end child hunger in America by organizing culinary benefits all over the country. When the organization rolled through the historic and charming Claremont Hotel a few weeks back, I knew I wanted to snag a pair of tickets and venture to the other side of the bridge into the beautiful town of Berkeley. The trees were as colorful as ever and as the sun began to set over the Oakland hills, I remembered how stunning the area I grew up in still is. When we entered through the doors and into the hotel we were greeted with a wine glass and quickly discovered rows and rows of festive drinks and delicious food from local vendors and restaurants. I absolutely love trying new foods which is why I was so eager to attend Taste of The East Bay! Devon and I got a rare chance to chat with mixologists, sponsors, chefs, vintners and owners all while nibbling the evening away, sipping on freshly brewed expresso, and of course swooning over the wide variety of sweets. Although you may have missed this one, Taste of San Francisco is coming back to the Bay Area on March 26th, 2015! Don't miss a night of fun, great food, even better drinks and a silent auction all for a great cause. Here's a small recap of an autumn night at The Claremont Hotel contributing to end child hunger in America while dining on culinary masterpieces.

domain: geography


On loan courtesy of the Detroit Historical Society, this 18th-century British Cannon Barrel on display in front of the port has a long and intriguing history.
Brought to Detroit by British troops after Pontiac's Uprising in 1763, this "4 Pounder" cannon was on of the smaller pieces of artillery at Fort Detroit. The name indicates that id fired a four pound ball. Research indicates that the British commander ordered this cannon, along with several others, dumped in the Detroit River to dispose of them prior to turning the fort over to the Americans in 1776.
Forged in England in the mid- 1700s, this cast iron barrel bears the crest of King George II (1727-1760), as well as several markings "11 -1-4" indicating the weight of the cannon, 1,264 pounds.
In 1987, a group of divers from the Detroit Police Department Underwater Recovery Team and the Dossin Great Lakes Museum found this cannon and recovered it. To date, six barrels have been salvaged, the most recent surfacing in October 2011. All were found in close proximity to each other about two hundred feet from the riverwalk adjacent to Huntington Place, formerly known as Cobo Hall.
Displayed at the Port Authority Facility, near where it rested underwater for two centuries, this cannon reminds us that our boarder was not always as peaceful and friendly as it has been since the War of 1812.
This cannon is on loan courtesy of the Detroit Historical Society.


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- US dollar’s rally reaches prices above 1.0000 for the first time since June.
- The greenback surges on hawkish Fed hopes and geopolitical concerns.
- USD/CHF seen at 0.9600 by year-end – UBS.
The US dollar is extending its four-day rally on Monday, and has launched a first attempt to break above 1.0000 on Monday’s US session. The paor remains 0.7% higher on the daily chart, to maintain a sharp four-day rally against the swissie.
A hawkish Fed and geopolitical fears are boosting USD demand
Last Friday’s buoyant US Nonfarm payrolls report has reaffirmed investor’s bets for another aggressive rate hike at the Federal Reserve meeting due later this week US bond’s yields rose sharply after the release of the US employment report, giving a fresh boost to the US dollar.
US Non-Farm Payrolls increased by 263,000 in September, beating expectations of a 250,000 increment, while the unemployment level declined to a 50-year low 3,5% from 3,7% in the previous month.
Furthermore, the escalation on the Ukrainian war, with Russia launching on Monday the biggest air strike since the war stared, has increased risk aversion at the start of the week, ultimately favouring the safe-haven USD.
USD/CHF to decline towards 0.96 by year-end – UBS
Currency analysts at UBS, however, observe the current US dollar rally as a good selling opportunity: “While Swiss inflation moderated both on a YoY and MoM basis in September, we believe the SNB remains on a tightening path and wants a stronger CHF to continue to fight inflation (…) Any rally toward USD/CHF 0.99 or higher is a good opportunity to sell the greenback in favor of the franc, in our view, forecasting the pair to hit 0.96 by year-end and 0.92 by June next year.”

domain: news


The City Cracks Down On Code Enforcement
October 31, 2011, 10:00 PM
SIOUX FALLS, SD -
The city of Sioux Falls is cracking down on homeowners who don't take care of their property.
Last week, it sent out hundreds of letters to people in the Pettigrew Heights neighborhood telling them to clean up their unsightly yards and homes or face a fine. Now, city code enforcers are going back to see if they're complying.
The Pettigrew Heights neighborhood has been on the city's radar for quite some time. It's been working with the Pettigrew Heights Homeowners Association to clean up eyesores and rundown properties.
"We made contact with the property owners, the best we could as a courtesy trying to clean up the potential violations," Assistant Director of Building and Services Kevin Smith said.
A survey of the neighborhood a couple of weeks ago found more than 300 violations; everything from garbage and debris to broken windows. The city is now working with homeowners to make sure they comply with the code enforcement.
"Our hope is that the vast majority of them are handled before we have to take any formal enforcement action," Smith said.
If property owners don't clean up their mess, they face a $100 fine or possibly more.
Smith says the code enforcement survey was done quickly because they want to have the neighborhood all cleaned up before Old Man Winter rears his ugly head.
"The last thing we wanted was someone get a letter in December about some physical repairs they would have to wait until spring," Smith said.
The city is doing follow up inspections all this week of the properties and homeowners who received letters.
© 2011 KELOLAND TV. All Rights Reserved.
4/13/2015 7:34 AM
According to Brandon Police Chief David Kull, 47-year-old homeowner David Smith was transported to a Sioux Falls hospital where he was pronounced dead...
4/11/2015 12:42 PM
After being declared brain dead Saturday morning, the toddler hospitalized after receiving severe head trauma in the care of a Rapid City man has offi...
4/13/2015 10:49 AM
Several law enforcement agencies assisted in a procession to transport a firefighter who died in a Brandon house fire.
4/13/2015 10:15 AM
The arrests were made following investigations into sex trafficking in Sioux Falls by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation and Internet...
4/16/2015 12:12 PM
An 11-year-old Patrick Henry Middle School student is charged with aggravated assault and possession of a weapon after bringing a BB gun to school.


Not a Zero-Sum Game: How to Simultaneously Maximize Efficiency and Privacy in Data-driven Urban Governance
52 Pages Posted: 20 Aug 2019
Date Written: August 19, 2019
In this paper, we validate the hypothesis that in the context of Indian municipal governance, the trade-off between government efficiency and privacy is not a zero-sum game; rather one can improve these seemingly contrasting forces simultaneously. India is on dual trajectories. On one hand, there is a nationwide push to improve municipal governance through increased transparency and efficiency, especially in the functions that involve citizen interaction. On the other hand, as a country, India must embrace the Supreme Court Bench decision of August, 2017, that privacy is a constitutional right. There are two primary aspects to reaching our conclusion. The first is the addition of a new category of data of significant volume; we have been provided access to 383,959 real citizen transactions across all services for the 112 urban local bodies (ULBs) for one state for all of 2018. The logs include the details of each ULB functionary involved in each stage of responding to a citizen request. This has enabled us to consider our previously defined metrics, the Governance Efficiency Index and Information Privacy Index, at multiple levels of granularity. The second aspect is the government-defined service level agreements that define acceptable completion times. This allows us to evaluate completion times. The further analysis provided in this paper demonstrates that that ULBs from all three size tiers can and do reach our Model ULB designation of performance. We conclude from this analysis that ULBs of all sizes and across all services have the capacity to maximize both efficiency and privacy.
Keywords: eGovernance, Privacy, Data-driven, Urban Governance
JEL Classification: O18, O33, O39
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation


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4.7 (592) In stock
What are the effects of hot and cold therapy on the body and why the use of hot and cold can be beneficial in the treatment of muscle and joint pain.
9 Incredible Benefits of Cold Exposure Therapy
Hot cold therapy - how it works and the benefits it brings
Heat and cold treatment: Which is best?
Taking the Plunge: Is Cold Exposure Worthwhile?
Cold Plunge: What Are The Benefits For Physical and Mental Health?
Moist Heat (Hot Pack) for Pain Relief: A Comprehensive Guide
Is Heat or Ice Better for Getting Rid of Lower Back Pain and Tightness?
Polar Active Ice® 3.0 Universal Cold Therapy System, 9 Quart Cooling Reservoir
Hot or Cold for Hand Pain - CHARMS Singapore
Benefits of Hot Sauna Cold Plunge Technique – Renu Therapy
How Contrast Bath Therapy Works
How Heat, Cold, and Contrast Therapy Benefit Your Body, On the Move
6 Cryotherapy Benefits, According to Experts

domain: medical


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Jessica puts her old life behind her! (Series Finale)
Jessica confronts the scientist who experimented on her!
Jessica has a flashback of her life she was enslaved!
A young woman escapes from a Genome Research Facility, fleeing for her life from an unknown and unseen enemy. She then makes the mistake of breaking into a prison guard's home to steal some food and a change of clothes. It is when she is caught and brutally beaten that her special power manifests. Her soft as silk fist becomes like unto a fist of steel! Thus is born SilkFIST!

domain: literature


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Next year’s entire schedule — sans the still-possible Diamondbacks-Giants series in Taiwan — has been released. Here’s the actual schedule. Here’s some verbiage from MLB.com talking about how glorious it is. And I suppose it might be glorious in places, but really dudes, it’s just a schedule.
The most notable thing about it is the early start — March 31st — and the early end — September 28th — which was designed to avoid November baseball. If we can avoid those more frequent late March-early April snow storms it will be just spiffy. The All-Star Game is July 12th. Which is kind of a drag because that means there are real games that count on my birthday — July 14th — and rather than hosting some self-centered bacchanalia, I’ll be reading box scores and writing snarky And That Happened entries. Sigh.
I do very much like the Thursday afternoon start, though. It’s way better to knock off the end of the week than the beginning, so we can all treat Opening Day (and The Day After Opening Day) as a national holiday and go have beers and watch baseball in downtown bars as God and Nature intended.
Final question: is it bad that, after writing that, I’m more excited for Opening Day 2011 right now than I am for today’s games and the remainder of the pennant race?
ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick reports that the Mariners are among the teams that have contacted the Reds about outfielder Jay Bruce. The Mariners enter play Wednesday 51-48, six games out of first place in the AL West and 4.5 games out of the second AL Wild Card slot. Adding an impact bat like Bruce could help in their effort to reach the postseason.
Norichika Aoki and Seth Smith have handled the bulk of the playing time in left field. While Smith has hit well, Aoki has not. Bruce came into Wednesday’s game against the Giants batting .271/.324/.567 with 24 home runs and a league-best 78 RBI.
Bruce can become a free agent after the season if his controlling team declines his $13 million club option for the 2017 season by paying him a $1 million buyout. If he’s traded mid-season, his new team won’t be able to make him a qualifying offer, so the club option may be more enticing than it looks at first glance.
A third-inning two-run home run by Adam Rosales off of R.A. Dickey put the Padres up 2-0, but it also helped the Padres tie a National League record. The Padres have homered in 25 consecutive games, matching the 1998 Braves, the 1994 Tigers, and the 1941 Yankees. The major league record is 27, set by the 2002 Rangers.
The Padres hit three in total on Wednesday in an 8-4 victory against the Blue Jays. One of those dingers was an eighth-inning solo shot by rookie Alex Dickerson, who has now homered in four consecutive games himself. The one he hit on Monday is worth watching, as it got into the upper deck at the Rogers Centre.
As the Padres recently traded Melvin Upton, Jr. to the Jays, Dickerson is likely going to see regular playing time. That’s especially true if he keeps hitting like this.

domain: sports


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By Dan Froomkin
Special to washingtonpost.com
Wednesday, July 11, 2007; 1:14 PM
At this morning's ribbon-cutting for the newly renovated White House Briefing Room, President Bush dropped in just long enough to rub reporters' noses in his cheerful refusal to take them seriously.
There would be no answering questions about the war, or Bush's recent assertions of executive privilege, or his role in the CIA leak case. Instead, the president was in full frat-boy mode, clowning around during introductory remarks by C-SPAN's Steve Scully. Despite Scully's effusive "thank you" from the press corps -- for letting them return to their West Wing space after a year of renovations -- Bush apparently felt Scully went on too long. "I like a good, short introduction," Bush jeered as soon as Scully gave up the podium.
Here's the transcript. "We missed you -- sort of," Bush said.
The president seemed most impressed by the improved air-conditioning in the previously overheated room, saying that the change means "a fellow like me would feel comfortable coming in here and answering a few questions without losing 20 pounds."
But of course he didn't. When reporters finally tried to ask questions, Bush waved them off.
"Maybe some other time," he said.
Then he came up with a little game: "Let me cut the ribbon -- are you going to cut it with me, Steve -- and then why don't you all yell simultaneously? (Laughter.) Like, really loudly. (Laughter.) And that way you might get noticed.
"Q It doesn't sound like you're going to answer --
"THE PRESIDENT: . . . I'll, like, listen --
"Q And leave?
"THE PRESIDENT: -- internalize, play like I'm going to answer the question, and then smile at you and just say, gosh -- (laughter) -- thanks, thanks for such a solid, sound question.
"Here we go, ready? I'm going to cut the ribbon. (Laughter.) Then you yell. I cogitate -- and then smile and wave. (Laughter.)"
As the end of this video shows, he then did exactly as advertised.
"Brilliant question," he said, cocking his head, then adding: "Thank you all. See you soon."
Thus did the president inaugurate a room dedicated to interaction with the press with an act of stonewalling.
Here's a photo from over Bush's shoulder, showing a full house. Here is a Reuters photo showing Bush's notes, left at the podium. (Here is a readable version.)
Jennifer Loven writes for the Associated Press that "the look of the place generally was praised. The media's work quarters are sleek and uniform -- no-frills, industrial-style desks and booths of tan, silver and black. There even are marble walls, granite countertops and stainless-steel appliances.
But the briefing room backdrop, intended to be a high-tech wonder appropriate for a modern, 24-hour TV world, was widely panned. Its layered frosted-glass panels and two 45-inch flat-screen monitors, flanked by fake white columns and featuring rotating decals depending on the speaker, were derided for lending a gaudy, game-show aura to the most visible face of the White House.
In her Houston Chronicle blog, Julie Mason describes the new podium in two words: Caesar's Palace. And by golly, she has a point. Here's Caesar's; here's the White House.
In the New York Times, Sheryl Gay Stolberg writes that Bush willingness to appear at all was an indulgence to the press -- and an act of desperation.
"Back when he was riding high in the polls, when his every utterance made headlines and the press planes trailing him around the country were still full, President Bush had little need to indulge reporters with ceremonial pleasantries.
"But that is what Mr. Bush intends to do Wednesday, when he cuts the ribbon for the renovated White House briefing room. It is the latest sign of how times have changed for a president who now must work to hold the attention of a press corps that often seems to have lost interest in him. . . .
"Mr. Bush is confronting the fact that he can no longer drive the news agenda as he once could.
"'The president is struggling to assert himself as president and as a powerful figure,' said John M. Elliot, a professor at Kenyon College in Ohio who studies the media in American politics. 'It's harder for him to make news. The American public isn't really listening to him.' . . .
"[S]aid Ron Hutcheson of McClatchy Newspapers, who has covered the entire Bush presidency but is leaving for a job in public relations, 'The truth is that the president is not making the kind of news he made in the first term or even in the start of the second term, especially now that immigration has gone down.'
"Tony Snow, the White House press secretary, disputed that assessment. 'Last time I checked,' he said, 'the White House ends up on the front page every day.'"
Regarding this morning's event, Stolberg writes: "With the White House press corps under attack from liberal bloggers as being too cozy with the Bush administration, some reporters say they feel a little bit queasy about attending. Mr. Snow said the president would not take questions, which poses a quandary for journalists uneasy about being seen with him at a purely ceremonial affair."
USA Today reports: "Some members of the Fourth Estate have protested the lack of questions and answers, especially in light of the politics surrounding the Iraq War, executive privilege and the commutation of Lewis 'Scooter' Libby's prison term."
James Gerstenzang writes in the Los Angeles Times: "Like its earlier incarnations over the last 37 years, the room is still over President Franklin D. Roosevelt's enclosed swimming pool, in an area that once also housed massage rooms and servants' quarters -- metaphors, some might say, for a relationship between chief executive and the media criticized as overly cozy."
Here's a " fact sheet" on the briefing room from the White House.If He Could Turn Back Time
Bush's unscripted " town meeting" with an audience of friendly Cleveland business leaders was notable mostly for how little new the president had to say. Despite the changing political landscape -- with a huge majority of the American public and, now, a growing number of Republican lawmakers demanding a withdrawal of U.S. troops for Iraq -- it was mostly a sloppy collection of old talking points and heartfelt but substance-free assertions.
Fred Kaplan writes in Slate: "It was, even by his standards, an unusually rambling speech, alternately folksy and haranguing. . . .
"Unlike earlier talks of this sort, in which Bush's speechwriters at least assembled some stray facts and passed them off as evidence of progress, this speech -- which seemed entirely improvised -- was founded on nothing but faith."
Said Bush: "I wouldn't ask a mother or a dad -- I wouldn't put their son in harm's way if I didn't believe this was necessary for the security of the United States and peace of the world. And I strongly believe it. And I strongly believe we will prevail. And I strongly believe that democracy will trump totalitarianism every time. That's what I believe. And those are the belief systems on which I'm making decisions that I believe will yield the peace."
But if there was a purpose behind Bush's talk, it may have been to try to set the clock back six months.
Carolyn Lochhead writes in the San Francisco Chronicle: "While most everyone in Washington believes the surge of 30,000 troops in Iraq that began last January is nearing its end, the White House insisted Tuesday that it is only beginning.
"As Senate Democrats began anew to try to force President Bush to withdraw American troops, each move by the White House seems calculated to shift deadlines and benchmarks forward -- and postpone a retreat from Iraq until after Bush leaves office in January 2009. "
When Bush first announced the surge exactly six months ago, the clear indication was that there would be significant progress resulting within a few months.
Consider, for instance, how at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Jan. 11, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice predicted significant progress within two or three months. Here is video of the hearing. This exchange with Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is at 2:21.
Obama: "Are you telling me that if in six months or whatever time frame you are suggesting that in fact the Maliki government has not performed these benchmarks -- which, by the way, remain not sufficiently explicit, I think, for a lot of us to make decisions on, but let's assume that that surfaces over the next several weeks that this is being debated -- that at that point, you are going to suggest to the Maliki government that we are going to start phasing down our troop levels in Iraq?"
Rice: "Senator, I want to be not explicit about what we might do because I don't want to speculate. But I will tell you this, the benchmark that I'm looking at -- the oil law is important, the political process is extraordinary important -- that the most important thing that the Iraqi government has to do right now is to reestablish the confidence of its population that it's going to be even-handed in defending it. That's what we need to see over the next two or three months, and I think that over the next several months they're going to have to show that."
Obama: "Or else what? . . . "
Rice: "Or this plan -- or this plan is not -- this plan is not going to work."
But yesterday, Bush was suggesting that the clock had just started. "They just showed up," he said of the additional troops, who have been steadily arriving for months. "And they're now beginning operations in full."'In a While'
There had been much speculation (see yesterday's column, A Karl Rove Solution for Iraq?) that Bush would unveil a new talking point, emphasizing his intent to draw down U.S. forces next year and move toward a more limited mission if security conditions improve.
But Bush made only the vaguest assertion along those lines.
As Jeff Zeleny and Sheryl Gay Stolberg write in the New York Times: "Fearful of a Republican rebellion over Iraq that his own aides believe could force him to change course, President Bush said Tuesday that the United States would be able to pull back troops 'in a while,' but asked Congress to wait until September to pass judgment on a future military presence there....
"[T]he president signaled more clearly than before that he might be open to shifting toward a smaller, more limited mission in Iraq in the future -- without stating precisely when."
Noam N. Levey and Maura Reynolds write that Bush "defied his critics again, largely repeating the calls for patience he has been making for years and restating his conviction that a successful surge would eventually allow a partial withdrawal."On the Hill
Jonathan Weisman and Shailagh Murray write in The Washington Post that a "growing number of Republican dissenters to rally and seek new ways to force President Bush's hand. . . .
"'I think we should continue to ratchet up the pressure -- in addition to our words -- to let the White House know we are very sincere,' said Sen. George V. Voinovich (R-Ohio), who broke with the president last month. . . .
"Vice President Cheney attended a closed-door Republican luncheon to appeal for party unity in what Sen. Susan Collins (Maine) called 'a vigorous debate.' "
Kathy Kiely writes in USA Today: "Participants in the luncheon described the atmosphere as highly charged. 'Rip-snorting,' was the adjective [Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore] used."Fact Check, Part I
While describing his view of the current situation in Iraq yesterday, Bush made a striking assertion: "Al Qaeda is doing most of the spectacular bombings, trying to incite sectarian violence. The same people that attacked us on September the 11th is the crowd that is now bombing people, killing innocent men, women and children, many of whom are Muslims, trying to stop the advance of a system based upon liberty."
But that's not true.
As Jonathan S. Landay writes for McClatchy Newspapers: "Struggling to stem growing opposition to his Iraq policy even among Republicans, President Bush contended anew Tuesday that the perpetrators of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the United States are the same as al Qaida in Iraq, a violent Iraqi insurgent group that didn't exist until after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion....
"Al Qaida in Iraq didn't emerge until 2004. While it is inspired by Osama bin Laden's violent ideology, there's no evidence that the Iraq organization is under the control of the terrorist leader or his top aides, who are believed to be hiding in tribal regions of Pakistan bordering Afghanistan."
He adds: "While U.S. intelligence and military officials view al Qaida in Iraq as a serious threat, they say the main source of violence and instability is an ongoing contest for power between majority Shiites and Sunnis, who dominated Saddam Hussein's regime."
Michael Abramowitz notes in The Washington Post: "In his speech, Bush once again conflated two organizations, al-Qaeda in Iraq and the international network led by Osama bin Laden, saying that the same group that attacked the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, is responsible for much of the violence in Iraq. While the Iraq militants are inspired by bin Laden, intelligence analysts say the Iraqi group is composed overwhelmingly of Iraqis and does not take direction from bin Laden."
And the Los Angeles Times reports: "By describing the U.S. effort in Iraq largely as a struggle against Al Qaeda, President Bush on Tuesday reached for a familiar -- but widely questioned -- way of defining the war."Fact Check, Part II
Julian E. Barnes and Ned Parker write in the Los Angeles Times: "In the next few days, the Bush administration is scheduled to release a preliminary assessment of its overall Iraq strategy. Officials may point to signs of progress scattered across the country: a reduction in death-squad killings in Baghdad, agreements with tribal leaders in Al Anbar province, offensives north and south of the capital."
But, they write: "U.S. forces so far have been unable to establish security, even for themselves. Iraqis continue to flee their homes, leaving mixed areas and seeking safety in religiously segregated neighborhoods. About 32,000 families fled in June alone, according to figures compiled by the United Nations and the Iraqi government that are due to be released next week.
"U.S. forces have staged offensives to push insurgents out of some safe havens. But many of the insurgents have escaped to new areas of the country, launching attacks where the U.S. presence is lighter.
"And there has been no sign of any of the crucial political progress the administration had hoped to see in Iraq."
Barnes and Parker also put in context another one of the military's goals: "Maj. Gen. Joseph Fil Jr., the commander of U.S. forces in Baghdad, said that American troops at the end of June controlled about 42% of the city's neighborhoods, up from 19% in April.
"But to many Iraqis, that is little comfort.
"'The Americans do not make me feel safe,' said Amin Sadiq, a 30-year-old Shiite worker in the Ghadeer neighborhood of east Baghdad. 'When you hear the speeches of the top U.S. military leaders, you think that everything is ideal and perfect and Iraq will be better. But when you see how the U.S. soldiers behave, I really feel I should not trust the leaders.'"Fact Check, Part III
The White House released its own " Fact Check" yesterday, "Responding to Key Myths" about Iraq.
Here are some of the assertions, listed as myths and facts. You decide which are which.
* "The war 'is lost.'"
* "The surge of operations is just beginning."
* "The U.S. is playing 'whack-a-mole' in Iraq."
* "The U.S. has an indefinite commitment in Iraq and should shift to training Iraqi troops."
* "The current strategy in Iraq is a temporary surge in military, civilian, and diplomatic resources driven by the views of our commanders on the ground."
* "Leaving Iraq to al Qaeda terrorists would endanger both Iraqis and Americans, embolden Iran, and solve no problems at all."
* "U.S. troops are 'arming' Sunni insurgents in Iraq."
* "Commanders are taking advantage of an important opportunity to reach out to locals who want to fight against al Qaeda and are recruiting them into the government of Iraq."
* "There is no evidence that Maliki or his wing of the Da'wa Party is an agent or puppet of Iran."
* "U.S. troops are sent to Iraq without proper training, equipment, or rest."Executive Privilege
Laurie Kellman writes for the Associated Press: "President Bush's former political director Sara M. Taylor obeyed his instructions and declined to answer most of Congress' questions Wednesday about her role in the firings of federal prosecutors. . . .
"Taylor did reveal a few details: She said she did not recall ordering the addition or deletion of names to the list of prosecutors to be fired. And she disputed testimony by Kyle Sampson, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' chief of staff, that Taylor wanted to avoid submitting a new prosecutor, Tim Griffin, through Senate confirmation. . . .
"Some lawmakers said by picking and choosing what questions to answer, she weakened Bush's executive privilege claim."
The New York Times editorial board writes: "Mr. Bush's claim is baseless. Executive privilege, which is not mentioned in the Constitution, is a judge-made right of limited scope, intended to create a sphere of privacy around the president so that he can have honest discussions with his advisers. The White House has insisted throughout the scandal that Mr. Bush -- and even Mr. Gonzales -- was not in the loop about the firings. If that is the case, the privilege should not apply.
"Even if Mr. Bush was directly involved, [former White House counsel Harriet] Miers and Ms. Taylor would have no right to withhold their testimony. The Supreme Court made clear in the Watergate tapes case, its major pronouncement on the subject, that the privilege does not apply if a president's privacy interests are outweighed by the need to investigate possible criminal activity. Congress has already identified many acts relating to the scandal that may have been illegal, including possible obstruction of justice and lying to Congress. . . .
"If Congress backs down, it would not only be compromising an important investigation of Justice Department malfeasance. It would be doing serious damage to the balance of powers."Bush's Legacy
Susan Page writes for USA Today: "Among pressing issues left on the table: What's next in Iraq. How to restore America's reputation around the world. Whether to extend tax cuts that expire in 2010. What to do about Medicare's looming shortfall. And how to complete the job of helping the Gulf Coast recover from Hurricane Katrina.
"No new president gets a clean slate -- global politics and the economy don't run in neat four-year cycles -- but presidential scholars say the unfinished business Bush will leave for his successor is unprecedented since at least World War II.
"'I can't think of a single modern president about to bequeath to his successor such a difficult agenda and such a damaged presidency,' says Paul Light of New York University. . . .
"White House spokesman Tony Snow says that Bush deserves credit for passing on a healthy economy and tackling daunting problems -- from Islamic terrorism to Social Security's finances to a broken immigration system.
"'What the president does bequeath to his successor is a much greater sense of some of the challenges of the world,' Snow says."
Furthermore, "Snow counters that Bush inherited serious problems from President Clinton, too, though they may not have been obvious at the time."The Commutation and the Public
The Associated Press reports: "President Bush's commutation of a prison term for a former aide to Vice President Cheney did not play well with the public or even Republicans, a survey found.
"In a USA Today-Gallup poll released on Tuesday, 66 percent said Bush should not have intervened in the case of I. Lewis 'Scooter' Libby, whose sentence for obstructing justice in the CIA leak case included a 2 1/2-year prison term.
"Thirteen percent said the president's move was correct, and 6 percent said Bush should have given Libby a full pardon.
"Bush didn't even receive much of a boost in support from Republicans. Among them, 44 percent said Bush should not have taken action in the case. Ten percent said he should have pardoned Libby while only 26 percent said Bush did the correct thing."Bush Family Tradition
Frank Newport blogs for USA Today: "The senior President Bush underwent a job approval rating drop of 60 points during his career in the White House. Now his son had duplicated that feat."Muzzling the Nation's Doctor
Gardiner Harris writes in the New York Times: "Former Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona told a Congressional panel Tuesday that top Bush administration officials repeatedly tried to weaken or suppress important public health reports because of political considerations.
"The administration, Dr. Carmona said, would not allow him to speak or issue reports about stem cells, emergency contraception, sex education, or prison, mental and global health issues. Top officials delayed for years and tried to 'water down' a landmark report on secondhand smoke, he said. . . .
"Dr. Carmona said he was ordered to mention President Bush three times on every page of his speeches."
The White House's cynical, nonresponsive comment: "It's disappointing to us if he failed to use his position to the fullest extent in advocating for policies he thought were in the best interests of the nation."
Here are some video excerpts from Carmona's testimony.Cheney's Budget
Andrew Taylor writes for the Associated Press: "Senate Democrats moved Tuesday to cut off funding for Vice President Dick Cheney's office in a continuing battle over whether he must comply with national security disclosure rules.
"A Senate appropriations panel chaired by Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., refused to fund $4.8 million in the vice president's budget until Cheney's office complies with parts of an executive order governing its handling of classified information.
"At issue is a requirement that executive branch offices provide data on how much material they classify and declassify. That information is to be provided to the Information Security Oversight Office at The National Archives."Bush's Brain (Surgery)
Mark Naymik blogs for the Cleveland Plain Dealer: "President Bush made a 20-minute stop at the Cleveland Clinic's Lerner Research Center, where he performed a simulated brain surgery.
"Standing before a rubber replica of a human brain, the president moved a hand-control that helps teach doctors how to implant deep brain stimulation devices. . . .
"The president was briefly interrupted by laughter induced by top-advisor Karl Rove, who was entertaining several reporters and White House officials nearby."Bush's Comedic Stylings
Mark Knoller blogs for CBS News: "The late night comedy shows ought to put President Bush on the payroll. He makes it too easy for them."
In Cleveland, Knoller writes, Bush "offered up the presidential quote of the day:
"'Look -- nobody's accused me of being Shakespeare, you know?'
"As the laughter died out, he offered what amounts to his philosophy of communications.
"'I just hope you can figure out what I'm saying.'
"Those of us in journalism often hope the same thing."Clueless Quote of the Day
Bush spent a fair amount of time talking about health care yesterday, as well.
"The immediate goal is to make sure there are more people on private insurance plans. I mean, people have access to health care in America," he said. "After all, you just go to an emergency room."Live Online
I'm Live Online today at 1 p.m. ET. Come join the conversation.Cartoon Watch
Ann Telnaes on support for Bush; John Sherffius and David Horsey on the cost of the war; and Steve Sack on Scooter Libby.
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Phil Nichols is trying to raise the funds, or find a donor willing to purchase Ray Bradbury’s Retro-Hugo for Fahrenheit 451 with Bradbury’s papers at the Center for Ray Bradbury Studies at IUPUI in Indianapolis. The Hugo Award is currently on the auction block with a starting price of $5,000. Nichols hopes a wealthy philanthropist would be willing to buy the Hugo and donate it to the Center. The auction ends on September 25.
The Waukegan Public Library handed out free copies of Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 prior to an event in which three authors read from banned books at Waukegan’s Genesee Theatre for this year’s Eighth Annual Ray Bradbury Storytelling Festival. The first one hundred attendees received a copy of Bradbury’s novel which were recovered from Bradbury’s garage after the author’s death in 2012. The festival also sees the start of the 30th Annual Ray Bradbury Creative Contest.
For more information…
Author Ray Bradbury (b.1920) died on June 5. Bradbury was one of the major science fiction authors whose name was known beyond the field, along with Asimov, Clarke, and Heinlein. His notable works including Fahrenheit 451, about censorship and book burning, and the collected stories that made up The Martian Chronicles. He is also the author of Dandelion Wine, Something Wicked This Way Comes, and many short stories. Bradbury has also written for film, most notably the screenplay for Moby Dick, and SFWA has named its screenplay award, The Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation, in his honor. Bradbury has received the National Medal of Arts, World Fantasy Award Life Achievement Award, Stoker Award Life Achievement Award, SFWA Grand Master, SF Hall of Fame Living Inductee, and First Fandom Award.
The California Artists Radio Theatre will be producing an an original radio drama adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s “Leviathan 99″ as part of a tribute to Bradbury and veteran writer/director Norman Corwin in early May. Bradbury and Corwin are both expected to attend a live stage production. The Los Angeles event will be open to the public.


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Matheran's famous heritage toy train will get back on track again, as the Central Railway announced that it will resume shuttle services between Aman Lodge and Matheran stations from Friday onwards, a railway official said on Thursday.
The Central Railway had suspended the narrow-gauge train service from August 9, 2019, after the tracks got severely damaged during monsoon.
The zonal railway announced the resumption of shuttle services after getting a safety nod for running trains between Aman Lodge and Matheran, following successful trials in the last two days, the official said.
The shuttle services on the 3-km stretch will be operated between 8.15 am to 5.55 pm, he added.
"The first service will depart from Matheran at 8.15 am, while the last run will be from Aman Lodge at 5.35 pm," he said.
While eight services will be operated during weekdays, the CR will ply 10 services on weekends, the official said.
The toy train is a major attraction for tourists who throng the hill station situated just 100 km from Mumbai.
Operational since 1907, the Neral-Matheran Toy train was included in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) tentative list of world heritage sites in 2003.
After two back-to-back derailments in May 2016, the railways spent Rs 6 crore for several safety works on the line, during which the services were discontinued for almost 20 months.


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Full of wit and delicious observations, Mrs Funnybones captures the life of the modern Indian woman a woman who organizes dinner each evening, even as she goes to work all day, who runs her own life but has to listen to her Mummyji, who worries about her weight and the state of the country. Based on Twinkle Khanna s super-hit column, Mrs Funnybones marks the debut of one of our funniest, most original voices.
|Number of Pages: ||240 Pages |
|Bar Code: ||9780143424468 |
|Publisher: ||Penguin Books |
Telemart offers you the best Mrs Funny bones : Shes just like You and a lot like Me BY : TWINKLE KHANNA price in Pakistan! What are you waiting for? Start Carting and shopping only at Telemart.pk!


The International Energy Agency (IEA) Bioenergy Task 40 has released its Global Wood Pellet Industry and Trade Study 2017.
The report provides an inventory of the wood pellet industries and markets in more than 30 countries with regard to regulatory frameworks, production capacities, consumption and price trends, trade, logistics and country specific standardisation aspects.
The inventory not only summarises material flows and prices but also provides insights into the heterogeneity of the pellet market development in the different countries, which are driven by different energy supply infrastructures and market setup, as well as the expression of the wood processing industry and national policies for climate emissions reduction and resource exploitation.
According to IEA Bioenergy Task 40 the Global Wood Pellet Industry Market report published in 2011 has “always been the most downloaded document of IEA Bioenergy Task 40. We have decided to update the report and bring new insights on market trends and trade of the global wood pellets”.
The global wood pellet market has increased dramatically since 2011, with an average increase rate of 14 percent per annum. New countries have entered the market for both, pellet production such as those from South-East Europe and pellet consumption such as East Asia.
Also, the global wood pellet trade has increased. Intercontinental flows are dominated by the trade relationship between the US and the UK, while the non-industrial use is still mainly an intra-European business.


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Oh boy. Cam’ron and Juelz Santana have reunited for “Oh Yeah.”
The new banger lets the Dipset duo do what they do best with an onslaught of punchlines. Over Trigga T’s soulful beat, Cam quotes Birdman’s infamous “respek” speech, while Juelz brags about his cash flow.
Killa dropped the track to show fans what he’s got in store. “I been working on some new music,” he told Complex. “And I wanted to let some shit go for all my fans before I head out on ‘The Smokers Club Tour.’ I’m going to perform some new music on the road.”
Now, without further ado, say “Oh Yeah” to Cam and Juelz.

domain: celebrity


The Board of Education of the Wilkes County Administrative Unit conducted a regular meeting in the Arnold and Becky Lakey Boardroom on Monday, January 10, 2022, at 5:30 PM at 613 Cherry Street, North Wilkesboro, North Carolina 28659.
Present for the meeting were Chairman Mr. Randall "Rudy" Holbrook, Vice-Chairman Mrs. Sharron Huffman, Board Members Mr. Hardin Kennedy III, Mr. Kirk Walker, and Mrs. Joan Caudill. Also attending were Superintendent Mr. D. Mark Byrd, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Westley Wood, Chief Academic Officer Dr. Donna Cotton, Chief Technology Officer Mrs. Julie Triplett, Chief Finance Officer Mr. Seth Prevette, Director of Pre-K and Elementary Education Mrs. Callie Grubb, Director of Student Services Mrs. April Marr, Executive Director of Federal Programs/Career & Technical Education Dr. Joe Bullis, Director of Child Nutrition Mr. Marty Johnson, Director of Secondary Education/Athletics/and School Safety Mr. David Johnson, Director of Testing & Accountability/Cultural Arts Mr. Jeffery Johnson, Director of Transportation Mr. Eric Barker, AIG Coordinator Mrs. Angie Lamb, Public Information Officer Mrs. Morgan Mathis, and Executive Administrative Assistant Mrs. Carolyn Triplett. Special Guests included Wilkes County Law Enforcement and Wilkes County Health Director Mrs. Rachael Willard.
Chairman Mr. Rudy Holbrook called the meeting to order.
On a motion by Mrs. Huffman, seconded by Mr. Kennedy and duly carried, the agenda was approved as presented.
Chairman Mr. Randall "Rudy" Holbrook recognized Superintendent Mr. Mark Byrd for the Superintendent’s Welcome and Pledge of Allegiance. Mr. Byrd hoped that everyone had a good start to the New Year 2022. January is National School Board Recognition Month, and Mr. Byrd personally thanked the Wilkes County School Board of Education Members for their hard work for our students during their time on the board. Mr. Byrd commented, "I would think that the time that you have served is as difficult as that served by any board member during the history of our school system and your service is appreciated." Mr. Byrd asked for those in attendance to please join him in a round of applause to say "thank you" for your service to our students and our staff.
"I was thinking yesterday that two years ago this week, I was in a meeting where our County Manager, John Yates, asked me how much attention I was paying to this coronavirus. I remember him sharing at that time that he believed this would have a tremendous impact on us all. At the time, I didn't realize how much he knew what he was talking about. I then remember a friend who is Superintendent of Newton Conover City Schools, Dr. Aron Gabriel, telling me later that one of the worst parts of a pandemic would be how people would treat one another near the end. He, too, turned out to be a very prophetic person as well."
"Last night, I left the TV on after a football game and heard a term that was new to me, which was majority fatigue. I may get this wrong, but as I understand, this is when the majority of people are tired of the negative news they continue to hear and the negativity around them. This hit home with me because everyone in this room, no matter what their line of work or responsibility, has seen this change in our society and is impacted by it daily. We need to realize that this is so large that social media platforms earn millions of dollars per year just through the notion that we will continue to utilize this to spread negative information. We hear daily that the social and emotional well-being of many is very low right now, and in my opinion, it is centered around the constant flow of negative information."
"As I shared with our administrators in November, at first I thought people were so negative because they were tired, but I truly believe if we do not get a hold of this now, it is becoming our way of life more than because we are tired. Society is losing hope and part of the reason is we are constantly providing negative information which can become overwhelming. So my challenge to each of you for 2022 is to be the person who provides some positive news to those around you rather than falling into the trap of continuing to provide negativity. When was the last time you went out of your way to make someone else's day better?"
"Tonight, we will recognize a regional Principal of the Year for the first time in decades for our county, approve an updated Strategic Plan for the first time in 6 years, and propose a bonus for all of our employees. If we can’t be positive tonight, what will it take to make us that way? But what will you leave here talking about? Our school system and our county have handled this pandemic as well as any around us. Why don't you and I become the positive person that helps our county and our world overcome so much of the negativity that has come with it? Every person in this room is supposed to be helping young people know how to act and deal with the challenges of this world, so shouldn’t we be showing them how to be positive rather than negative like so many things around them? I think students and adults alike would appreciate it if we could help change this."
Superintendent Mr. Mark Byrd recognized Dr. Westley Wood, Assistant Superintendent, to recognize the Poetry Out Loud Winners for the current school year. The Poetry Out Loud district competition was held on Thursday, December 2, 2021. Nine high school students participated in this competition. Poetry Out Loud encourages students to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation. This program helps students master pubic speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about literary history and contemporary life.
Congratulations to runner-up, Anna Tilley, from East Wilkes High School!
Congratulations to winner, Skyler Teague, from West Wilkes High School!
Anna is also a two-time winner! Skyler and Anna will represent Wilkes County in the State Poetry Out Loud competition in the spring.
Superintendent Mr. Mark Byrd recognized Dr. Westley Wood, Assistant Superintendent, to announce The North Carolina Region 7 Principal of the Year. The Wells Fargo North Carolina Principal of the Year (POY) Program was established in 1984 in collaboration with the Department of Public Instruction to recognize outstanding principals from the North Carolina Public Schools. School districts select a local principal of the year that represents them in the regional selection process. The regional selection process includes a portfolio evaluation and interview of the candidates. Those selected from each region then participate in the state selection process.
We would like to congratulate Wilkes County Schools’ Principal of the Year, Dr. Heather Freeman, for being named the North Carolina Region 7 Principal of the Year! Dr. Freeman will now be one of nine candidates competing for North Carolina Principal of the Year.
Superintendent Mr. Mark Byrd recognized Dr. Westley Wood, Assistant Superintendent, to acknowledge National Board Certifications. The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) released the latest number of teachers to receive National Board Certification for both states and the nation. Working to establish a professional career continuum for teachers, the National Board is at work across the country, setting the expectation that all teachers should demonstrate accomplished teaching via National Board Certification and become leaders in their schools and communities. Created for teachers, by teachers, National Board Certification in a voluntary, performance based, peer-review process that recognizes the complex nature of teaching. National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) are having a significant impact on student achievement.
Congratulations to the following Wilkes County Schools teachers who were recently awarded National Board Certification:
Seth Phillips, North Wilkes High School
Social Studies-History/Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Heather Melton, Millers Creek Elementary School
Alison Crouse, C.C. Wright Elementary School
Literacy: Reading-Language Arts/Early and Middle Childhood
Amanda Stamper, North Wilkes High School
Health Education/Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood
Focus on Curriculum was presented by Dr. Donna Cotton, Chief Academic Officer. The month of January is a transition time in our schools. High schools are preparing for the fall semester final exams and the beginning of spring semester. All schools are evaluating their progress so far this year, assessing where they are and where they need to be, and adjusting instruction as needed to meet the school’s goals.
Dr. Cotton presented a mid-year review of progress so far this year and what is coming within the next few weeks, and where we plan to be by the end of the school year. This is a time to reflect on what we have accomplished so far this school year and what our next steps should be in order to accomplish our goals. Semesters change at the high school level, and January brings the transition from 2nd nine weeks to 3rd nine weeks.
Over the course of this month, teachers will be receiving mid-year reviews from their principals, and principals will have a mid-year review with the superintendent. Again, this is an opportunity to reflect on what has been accomplished and what next steps need to be taken. We continue to work on LETRS for all elementary teachers. 100% of principals have completed the administrator training. 86% of our Pre-K teachers are on track to complete the NC Pre-K training. 95% of our K-5 teachers are on track to complete Units 1 and 2. Units 3 and 4 for K-5 teachers will be completed during spring semester. We are working on Reading Apprenticeships for high school teachers of English, Science, and Social Studies with focus of reading in the content areas and focus on supporting literacy for our young adult learners.
In Mathematics, the elementary teachers have been receiving grade-level specific professional development on instructional strategies for mathematics. This training will continue into spring semester with Dr. Drew Polly. Dr. Polly is a Professor in the department of Reading and Elementary Education, the Program Director for Graduate Certificate/License in Elementary School Mathematics, and the Coordinator for the Elementary Education strand of the Doctoral Program in Curriculum and Instruction at UNC-Charlotte. Middle School math teachers are receiving professional development throughout the year on the middle school mathematics curriculum, Illustrative Mathematics.
The Learning Recovery for all schools, grades 3-12 have been using STAR diagnostic assessments to gauge student learning and assess student progress. Diagnostic assessments allow teachers to assess specific standards, skills, or focus areas to "diagnose" a student’s strengths and/or areas of concern. Pinpointing those areas informs the teachers' instruction. Knowing a student has a misunderstanding or weakness in relation to a skill or concept, teachers can supply support, such as interventions, to help the student master the skill/concept. The diagnostic assessment will then allow teachers to determine if the student is making progress after those supports have been in place.
Social Emotional Learning with DESSA is provided to all students. DESSA is a universal screener that helps our teachers focus on student strengths and know which areas of social emotional learning are needed for their students. Our high school students will use DESSA to rate themselves and develop their own goals in these areas. Base Education is a curriculum being used with all students to enhance and support student understanding and management of their social and emotional health and wellness. The social emotional skills being focused on with these initiatives are self-awareness, self-management, relationship skills, social awareness, and responsible decision-making. All schools offer school-based therapy services for all students who need emotional and mental wellness support. These providers also offer consultation and educational sessions for staff when needed. Training is being provided for teachers/staff. This training uses the DESSA screener and teaching Base Education lessons which have helped develop our educator's abilities to support and deliver integrated social emotional learning lessons to our students.
Each school team is developing an employee wellness plan to help support the health and well-being of school staff and create a culture of self-care to help reduce staff absences and burnout. Bonuses for teachers and staff are also being identified.
Dr. Cotton provided the following for what is coming up in the high school fall semester for testing. January 10-13, 2022 are scheduled testing dates. WECHS has already completed fall semester testing with Math 1 (75% Proficient) and Math 3 (96% Proficient). Access testing (ESL students only) will be testing January 24 - March 11, 2022. The end of the year testing at this time is scheduled for May 12-25, 2022 for middle schools and elementary schools and May 19-25, 2022 for high schools. The Wilkes Early College is scheduled for May 16-20, 2022. These dates are subject to change.
Chairman Mr. Rudy Holbrook asked if anyone had signed up for public comments. Two individuals signed up to speak regarding the COVID-19 mask policy. Mr. Joel Clonch and Mrs. Fran Cantrell expressed their concerns over the wearing of masks in Wilkes County Schools. A vote will be taken in the action session of the business meeting.
On a motion by Mrs. Caudill, seconded by Mr. Walker and duly carried, the minutes for December 6, 2021 were approved as presented.
On a motion by Mrs. Huffman, seconded by Mr. Walker and duly carried, the Personnel Report was approved as presented.
Heather Pardue – Teacher – North Wilkes Middle School
To Assistant Principal – West Wilkes Middle School
Transfer(s) of Assignment(s)
Ashley Boykin – From Assistant Principal – West Wilkes Middle School
To Assistant Principal – C.C. Wright Elementary School
On a motion by Mr. Kennedy, seconded by Mrs. Caudill and duly carried, the field trips were approved as presented.
|North Wilkes High School
Mars Hill, NC
|East Wilkes High School
|West Wilkes High School
|Wilkes Early College High School
|10th Grade Students
On a motion by Mr. Kennedy, seconded by Mrs. Caudill and duly carried, the Wilkes County Schools Summer Program Plan for 2021-2022 was approved as presented.
On a motion by Mrs. Huffman, seconded by Mr. Kennedy and duly carried, the Child Nutrition Software Upgrade was approved as presented.
On a motion by Mr. Walker, seconded by Mrs. Caudill and duly carried, the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Drones) Policy was approved as presented. This policy takes into account the use of drones by school staff, students, vendors, and community members for education, business, and recreational purposes. This policy adheres to all federal, state, and local law and regulations regarding the use of unmanned aircraft systems.
On a motion by Mrs. Huffman, seconded by Mr. Kennedy and duly carried, the 2022-2023 Wilkes County Schools Academic Calendar was approved as presented. This 164-day academic calendar meets statutory requirements. North Carolina general statute allows the start of school to be no earlier that the Monday closest to August 26, 2022.
On a motion by Mr. Walker, seconded by Mrs. Caudill and duly carried, the Title IX of the Educational Amendment Act for Board Polices were approved as presented. These polices are listed below:
- Policy 1725/4035/7236 – Title IX Sexual Harassment Prohibited Conduct and Reporting Process
- Policy 1726/4036/7237 – Title IX Sexual Harassment Grievance Process
- Policy 1710/4020/7230 – Discrimination and Harassment Prohibited by Federal Law
- Policy 4329/7311 – Bullying and Harassment Behavior Prohibited
- Policy 7232 – Discrimination and Harassment in the Workplace
On a motion by Mrs. Huffman, seconded by Mr. Kennedy and duly carried, the Revision of Board Polices - Title IX of the Educational Amendments Act were approved as presented. These polices are listed below:
- Policy 1730 – Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disabilities
- Policy 1740/4010 – Student and Parent Grievance Procedure
- Policy 1742/5060 – Responding to Complaints
- Policy 1750/7220 – Grievance Procedure for Employees
On a motion by Mr. Kennedy, seconded by Mr. Walker and duly carried, the Repeal of Board Policies - Title IX of the Educational Amendment act were approved as presented. They are listed below:
- Policy 1710/4021/7230 – Prohibition Against Discrimination, Harassment, and Bullying
- Policy 1720/4015/7225 – Discrimination, Harassment, and Bullying Complaint Procedure
On a motion by Mrs. Caudill, seconded by Mrs. Huffman and duly carried, the Recommendation of Board Policies with Technology were approved as presented and are listed below:
- Policy 3226/4205 – Internet Safety
- Policy 4705/7825 – Confidentiality of Personally Identifiable Information
- Policy 6524 – Network Security
On a motion by Mr. Kennedy, seconded by Mrs. Caudill and duly carried, the Revision of Board Polices in Technology and Media were approved as presented. They are listed below:
- Policy 3200 – Selection of Textbooks and Supplementary Materials
- Policy 3210 – Parental Inspection and Objection to Instructional Materials
- Policy 3230/7330 – Copyright Compliance
- Policy 3220 – Technology in the Educational Program
- Policy 3225/4312/7320 – Technology Responsible Use
- Policy 3227/7322 – Web Page Development
On a motion by Mr. Walker, seconded by Mrs. Caudill and duly carried, the Repeal of Board Policies in Technology were approved as presented. These policies have been repealed by the North Carolina State of Education and are listed below:
- Policy 3221 – Hardware
- Policy 3222 – Software
- Policy 3223 – Web 2.0
- Policy 6523 – Use of Computers
On a motion by Mrs. Huffman, seconded by Mr. Walker and duly carried, the Purchase of Classroom Interactive Displays were approved as presented. Sharp Business Systems with a bid of $2,675.50 was approved.
On a motion by Mr. Kennedy, seconded by Mrs. Huffman and duly carried, the Budget Amendments for the State Public School Fund were approved as presented.
On a motion by Mr. Kennedy, seconded by Mrs. Caudill and duly carried, the Wilkes County Schools Incentive/Retention Plan for 2021-2022 was approved as presented. This plan will use Federal ESSER funding to reward the current employees of Wilkes County Schools and encourage them to stay with our system. Use of funds for this incentive have been approved from the federal level.
On a motion by Mr. Kennedy, seconded by Mrs. Caudill and duly carried, the Wilkes County Schools Strategic Plan was approved. Strategic plans are the means by which the school districts continually recreates itself toward extraordinary purpose and puts the leaders in charge of change as much as possible, rather than circumstances. Possible outcomes include improved instruction, improved student performance, improved accountability, improved utilization of resources, improved communication, improved teamwork, improved decision-making, better utilization of data, improved budget management, sometimes a vehicle for accreditation, and opportunities for self-renewal, and both personal and professional growth.
Mr. Byrd provided a brief update on the COVID-19 pandemic. The NC Department of Health and Human Services has updated the StrongSchools Toolkit FAQs related to K-12 schools and face coverings. NCDHHS recommends schools continue to implement a universal face-covering requirement if they are located in a county with high or substantial community transmission level. When community transmission levels decline to moderate or low levels for at least seven consecutive days, school leaders can consider making face coverings optional for vaccinated individuals. Face coverings should continue to be required for all unvaccinated individuals until community transmission is at low levels, when masks could be optional for everyone. NCDHHS will continue to re-evaluate this guidance as all school-aged children become eligible for vaccinations.
As of Friday, January 7, 2022 our local Health Director, Rachel Willard, shared that Wilkes County is 17.1% positive, and we are still considered to be "in the red" or above 5%. Mr. Byrd did ask Rachel Willard for her recommendations on the mask mandate as of Friday, January 7, and she stated, "Given that we were above the 5% threshold, the Health Department would recommend that we follow the CDC and NCDHHS recommendation that masks remain mandated in schools." She did state that she supports our school system no matter what decision is made.
Mr. Byrd needed a motion to determine whether we will continue to follow the StrongSchools NC Public Health Toolkit until our February 7, 2022 meeting or to change this decision that was made on August 30, 2021. On a motion by Mr. Kennedy, seconded by Mr. Holbrook it was voted to allow masks to be optional. However, it was voted by Mrs. Huffman, Mr. Walker, and Mrs. Caudill to continue to follow the StrongSchools NC Pubic Health Toolkit and the recommendation of our local Health Department to continue wearing masks. This action will be voted on again at our next scheduled board meeting. The voting results were: Against optional masks – Mrs. Huffman, Mr. Walker and Mrs. Caudill; for optional masks – Mr. Holbrook and Mr. Kennedy.
Chief Finance Officer Mr. Seth Prevette invited Mr. Travis Hardee with Strickland Hardee PLLC to present the 2021-2021 fiscal year audit for discussion. Mr. Hardee reported that during their audit they did not identify any deficiencies in the internal control that would be considered material weaknesses.
Chairman Mr. Holbrook made the following announcements:
- January 13, 2022 – Second Grading Period Ends
- January 13, 2022 – Required Workday
- January 17, 2022 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday
- January 18, 2022 – Third Grading Period Begins
Chairman Mr. Holbrook announced the next meeting to be February 7, 2022. The meeting will be held in the Arnold and Becky Lakey Boardroom located at 613 Cherry Street, North Wilkesboro, North Carolina beginning at 5:30 PM.
On a motion by Mr. Kennedy, seconded by Mrs. Caudill and duly carried, there being no further business, the Board adjourned at 7:15 PM.


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The course, offered by the MSD Malelane Academy of Learning, focused on a number of important animal diseases, covering causes, clinical symptoms, treatment, prevention and vaccination.
The 30 attendees were from the Mdukatshani Rural Development Project (MRDP) and Heifer Project South Africa (HPSA). The aim was for them to take their newfound knowledge to farmers at grass roots.
CEO of HPSA, Marisia Geraci, said that about 3 100 farmers across five districts in KZN were involved the heifer project.
The project’s organisers were trying to help the farmers achieve more with their existing livestock. “It’s all about capacitating and training, specifically with women,” she said.
Part of this involved training of staff, fieldworkers and community animal health workers, who could then pass their knowledge on to the farmers.
One of the HPSA’s main projects was the Goat Agribusiness Project, which was run as a public-private partnership between HPSA, MRDP and two government departments – the national Department of Rural Development and Land Reform, and the KZN Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Geraci said that this project was primarily aimed at improving production and reducing mortality rates.
“Once the animals are more productive, we move onto formalising the market by having regular sales, whether it be auctions or, for example, sales at monthly pension points.”
Rauri Alcock, director of MRDP, told Farmer’s Weekly that mortality rates were a major problem. They had measured goat productivity at about 1,2%. But mortality rates ranged between 60% and 80%, and even as high as 90%, which meant that some goat populations were actually decreasing.
He added that if they could reduce the high mortality rate, it would be possible to “push productivity up by 300%”.
MRDP project manager Gugulethu Mbatha said that their day-to-day work involved trials and experiments, working directly with the animals (dipping and dosing, for example), training farmers, and facilitating farmers’ days.


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Netflix (finally) gives users the choice to turn off autoplaying previews
By MixDex Article may include affiliate links
Netflix appears to have finally listened to customer feedback and has given subscribers a way to disable one of the “most hated” features of the service.
There’s a new setting under user preferences that allows users to disable “autoplaying” of previews while browsing through Netflix screens on any device.
The new setting is available via the Netflix.com account settings page under “manage profiles” and turning off the “autoplay previews while browsing on all devices” option.
It’s worth noting the setting will take affect on all devices whenever you are using that profile. So, you can’t have it enabled on your Smart TV but then turned off on your phone or tablet (but it seems like most people wouldn’t care).
Likewise, you’ll also need to make this setting up on each profile on your account including the “Kids” one if you want to get rid of the autoplaying preview feature for everyone who uses your Netflix account.
This will put a stop to those annoying blasts of audio as you navigate around the user interface — but you’ll still see, in most cases, a still from the show or episode to help you get an idea of what it’s about.
Netflix has had the option to turn off autoplaying the next episode in series for some time, though this feature is decidedly more useful, especially for binge watchers.

domain: entertainment


Secrets of War, Espionage 04 Weapons of The Shadow War (SOE and OSS)
I decided to share this link after being asked what weapons SOE used. Although this film only covers a few of the weapons available to SOE agents it’s a good introduction.
The legendary William Fairbarin (aka the Shanghai basher and dangerous Dan) makes an appearance during his time in Canada but has been wrongly quoted.
During the re-enactment of training in Scotland we see two former members of SOE’s French Section, Harry Ree and Jacqueline Nearne.
Although there are a number of inaccuracies this film is still worth watching.
Wild Bill Donovan: The Spymaster Who Created the OSS & Modern American Espionage
Author Douglas Waller discusses “Wild” Bill Donovan and his role in the OSS and modern American espionage, the subject of his new book.
Speaker Biography: Douglas Waller, a former veteran correspondent for Newsweek and Time, has reported on the CIA for six years. Waller also covered the Pentagon, the State Department, the White House and Congress. Before reporting for Newsweek and Time, he served eight years as a legislative assistant on the staffs of Rep. Edward Markey and Sen. William Proxmire. He is the author of the best-sellers “The Commandos: The Inside Story of America’s Secret Soldiers,” which chronicled U.S. Special Operations Forces, with a lineage tracing back to the OSS, and “Big Red: The Three-Month Voyage of a Trident Nuclear Submarine.” He is also the author of “A Question of Loyalty: Gen. Billy Mitchell and the Court-Martial that Gripped the Nation,” the critically acclaimed biography of the World War I general.
From the Library of Congress 2011.
The History of the OSS
How the OSS came about and its development into and the Clandestine Service known as the Central Intelligence Agency as told by those who served.
Virginia Hall the American agent who worked for Britain’s SOE (Special Operations Executive) in wartime France before later serving with the American OSS and CIA
A short but interesting account of Virginia Hall’s service during the Second World War.


Usually I search the Library of Congress or the British Library or the Royal Library in Copenhagen to find a rare book - now through OPAC there is a world wide UNION CATALOGUE called WORLDCAThttp://www.oclc.org/worldcat/
Frederick G. Kilgour (1914–2006)
Frederick G. Kilgour, a librarian and educator who created an international computer library network and database that changed the way people use libraries, died on July 31, 2006. He was 92 years old and had lived since 1990 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Kilgour is widely recognized as one of the leading figures in 20th century librarianship for his work in using computer networks to increase access to information in libraries around the world. He was among the earliest proponents of adapting computer technology to library processes. At the dawn of library automation in the early 1970’s, he founded OCLC Online Computer Library Center and led the creation of a library network that today links 55,000 institutions in 110 countries.
WorldCat is provided by OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc.
on behalf of its member libraries.
WorldCat lets a wider audience discover items in your OPAC and find your online services when they follow links from results on popular Web search engines (like Google and Yahoo!), other partner sites or WorldCat.org
. More than just a database of things libraries own, WorldCat is the foundation for an array of online services that help libraries manage those things and the processes behind them. By putting common workflows such as cataloging and resource sharing onto a collaborative network driven by WorldCat data, libraries make the most of their resources, staff and budget.
Find in a Library" links people broadly searching the Web from popular search, bookselling and bibliography sites to the resources of local libraries. The collections of libraries that contribute cataloging or holdings information to WorldCat—the world's most comprehensive database of library-held items and the core of the OCLC cooperative—are exposed to users on the open Web at the sites where many begin their online searches for information.
Learn more about the "Open WorldCat" program
Update your library's Open WorldCat links
Promote your library's Open WorldCat participation with customizable materials
WebJunction is an online community where library staff meet to share ideas, solve problems, take online courses and have fun. Join us! Registration is free.
WorldCat Services login
Access your FirstSearch, WorldCat Resource Sharing and other OCLC library services administrative accounts.
NetLibrary provides libraries with easily implemented electronic content solutions that support Web-based research, reference and learning in more than 12,000 libraries worldwide.


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Brazil's top electoral court said it would make a decision Friday on jailed former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's eligibility to run in October's presidential elections, a source told AFP.
The left-wing icon is leading polls but has been incarcerated since April for accepting a bribe, and could be barred from standing for a potential third term in office under Brazil's clean slate law.
Lula's case was a last-minute addition to the Superior Electoral Court's extraordinary session, due to begin at 2:30pm (1730 GMT) in Brasilia.
The court will also decide whether or not Lula can appear in television commercials that are due to begin circulating on Friday.
Lula, 72, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for accepting a luxury seaside apartment as a bribe from a construction firm.
He vehemently denies the accusations and has dismissed the charges as a political plot aimed at preventing him from standing in the elections.
Lula has received backing from the UN Human Rights Committee, which two weeks ago ruled that he cannot be disqualified from the elections as his legal appeals are ongoing.
Committee member Olivier de Frouville told AFP that Lula should be allowed to "organize and campaign, even from jail."
Brazil is technically obliged to abide by those findings, but the government in Brasilia described the committee's conclusions as "a recommendation" that is "not... legally binding."
Despite the uncertainty over his ability to stand, Lula currently leads polls with more than double the share of his nearest challenger, the right-wing Jair Bolsonaro.
Lula retains great popularity in Brazil after a successful spell in the presidency from 2003-10, but his Workers' Party's plan B looks hopeless as former Sao Paulo governor Fernando Haddad, who will stand if Lula is barred, commands little popular support.
However, the political chaos has had wider repercussions in the country with the currency losing 20 percent of its value against the dollar since January.
Lula's social media followers remain upbeat, though, and the Workers' Party launched an appeal for support on Twitter, after which a hashtag translating to "Lula on the ballot box" quickly began trending.

domain: law


Kenyan-Sudanese Relations: heading for a collision – By Peter Howes
Kenya has, over the past few years, enjoyed cordial relations with Sudan: taking in countless refugees both from what is now South Sudan and from Darfur, including tens of thousands of Sudanese migrants in the vast Kakuma Refugee camp in its north west.
Now, however, it finds itself in a quandary, struggling to balance the opportunity to profit from South Sudan’s independence (and oil, more specifically) whilst its own high court demands the arrest of Sudanese President President Omar al-Bashir, but finding itself unwilling to risk a complete diplomatic impasse in its relations with Khartoum.
Nairobi may find that it is forced to choose between prioritising its relationship with Khartoum, and prioritising its relationship with Salva Kiir Mayradit’s South Sudan. Satisfactory regional trilateralism may prove impossible, whilst Kenya’s rapid expansion of diplomatic and trade ties with the South post-independence, and its apparent pre-secession supply of arms to Juba, are a seeming indication of where its loyalty might lie. As oil-related tensions between Sudan and its southern neighbour heighten – with the latter ceasing all production and export, and the former briefly seizing South Sudanese tankers amid demands for transit fees of up to thirty times the international norm – decisions, if not interventions, by neighbouring states will have to be made. International fears of a descent into instability were not calmed by the deaths of 37 in a shoot-out between security forces in Rumbek North County on Friday (3rd February).
Kenya appears to want it both ways: recognising the potential of South Sudan as a key partner and agreeing to various infrastructural investments with the country, including the recent pipeline agreement between the south and the Kenyan port of Lamu, which hypothetically bypasses the need for a Sudanese role in the production of South Sudan’s oil reserves, whilst seemingly placating Khartoum by ignoring its own High Court’s ruling demanding the arrest of the ICC-charged Bashir. Regarding the Sudanese President, Nairobi finds itself in a unique geopolitical predicament – facing the choice of either alienating itself from Khartoum and rejecting the African Union’s call for member states to disregard the ICC decision, or ignoring its own judiciary. Thus far it has chosen the latter. The judiciary’s response has been to issue a fresh arrest warrant – this time with a direct threat to Internal Security Minister George Saitoti if the order is disregarded and the Sudanese president is not apprehended on his next entry into Kenya. Bashir last visited the country during the unveiling of its new constitution in 2010. Despite the brief expulsion of a Kenyan diplomat late last year, Khartoum has shown itself to be unwilling to provoke a diplomatic conflict with Nairobi. Another factor could be that Kenya is unwilling to appear to hold a disregard for the ICC given the on-going appeal against the charges levelled by that same body against Ruto, Kenyatta et al.
Another sign of Kenya’s seemingly preferential treatment of South Sudan over Sudan is its current major regional infrastructural investment – the Lamu Port and Lamu-Southern Sudan-Ethiopia Transport Corridor (LAPSSET). LAPSSET involves airports, railways, roads and importantly, an oil pipeline between Lamu (where a new refinery will be built) and South Sudan. Transport links will connect cities in Kenya, Ethiopia and South Sudan. The existing rift valley transport corridor connects Mombasa and Uganda, leaving Sudan a notable absentee from Kenya’s infrastructural investment aimed at promoting regional trade.
The pipeline in particular could lead to a changing dynamic in the East African extractives industry; emerging oil players Uganda (with its large confirmed reserves in the Lake Albert basin bordering DRC) and Kenya could feasibly export through the same pipeline, leaving Sudan, with all of its oil processing infrastructure, out in the cold.
It remains to be seen whether the pipeline sums add up: observers cannot fathom why the project is not being considered as a public-private partnership in the same manner of the proposed (but cancelled as a consequence of the Libyan conflict) Kenya-Uganda pipeline or the Chad-Cameroon Development Project. Given South Sudan’s GNI per capita of around $984, the suspected pipeline cost of USD$ 1.5bn (plus hefty insurance charges) would be an exceptionally large investment, even without considering other factors such as the pipeline’s partial location in bandit-ridden Western Kenya. Crucially, China – reliant on South Sudan for more than 5% of its vast oil needs – advocates negotiation between Sudan and the South, indicating that it views the current status quo of South Sudanese extraction and Sudanese processing and export as the best mid-term solution.
As a brief aside, South Sudan’s GDP per capita is estimated at around USD$ 1546 (remarkably, roughly twice that of Kenya) – the discrepancy between this and GNI being due to Sudan’s take of oil revenue – so the macroeconomic argument for arriving at a new means for exploiting Sudan’s oil reserves is clear. Khartoum’s demands are seen in Juba as being sufficiently unreasonable that South Sudan responded to the claim for $32 per barrel export fee by proposing a $1 a barrel levy. With talk of an offshoot pipeline illicitly supplying the north, however, Juba sees a new arrangement for maximising its oil profits as a priority, and that a temporary halt in production is a worthwhile risk for long-term revenue gain. The absence of any revenue sharing agreement after South Sudan’s independence was always likely to be a cause of regional instability, but the temporal pressure caused by an almost total freeze on South Sudanese government revenue due to its total cessation of oil production heightens the risk.
To return to the diplomatic angle, both Kenya and South Sudan appear to be playing a dangerous game with Khartoum, but to impartial observers the apparent bipartite nature of the Kenyan government’s relationship with Sudan is an enduring frustration. At least, they say, the judiciary’s view is clear, as opposed to the government’s mix of reticence and appeasement. The backdrop to the current dispute is Sudanese criticism of former South African President Thabo Mbeki’s role as Chairman of the African Union (AU) High-Level Panel on Sudan.
Regional stability thus depends greatly on the governmental response to Kenya’s High Court – particularly regarding any activity on al-Bashir’s next visit to Nairobi, and Khartoum’s reaction to South Sudan’s apparent subversion (with the aid of Kenya) of the original secession agreement. Despite having a more diversified economy than the South (where oil is worth 98% of government revenue and 71% of GDP), Khartoum will understandably be extremely reluctant to lose its stake in South Sudanese oil, revenues from which were split 50-50 pre-independence. As for South Sudan, its viability as an independent state depends not only on getting oil flowing again with reasonable transit fees but also on economic diversification beyond the exploitation of its natural resources. With the US accusing Sudan of bombing its own South Kordofan region, Kenya might not be alone in choosing Juba over Khartoum. The geopolitical cliché of pipelines as regional arteries is uniquely applicable in the world’s newest state.
For a further discussion of Sudanese oil, see Luke Patey’s blog at:
Peter Howes is an analyst at Risk Resolution Group


Board of Health — See 3rd Class § 2301 et seq. (53 P.S. § 373.01 et seq.).
Health Officer — See 3rd Class § 2305 et seq. (53 P.S. § 373.05 et seq.).
[Ord. 72-1968 § 1, passed 12-11-1968]
The Bureau of Health of the City is hereby dissolved and the following functions thereof are hereby transferred and subjected to the jurisdiction of the Department of Health of the County of Erie, in accordance with the provisions of Act. No. 315, (Local Health Administration Law) of the Pennsylvania Legislature, as amended and supplemented.
Administration Division, including the Erie City Health Director, two clinical physicians; a senior clerk; nursing services performed by the Visiting Nurse Association; laboratory services; public health education and dental services provided to the City of Erie parochial schools.
Division of Communicable Diseases, including sanitarians and the Director of Environmental Sanitation.
[Ord. 72-1968 § 2, passed 12-11-1968]
The following functions of the Bureau of Health of the City are hereby retained and transferred to the Department of Public Safety, Health-Housing Division, as relating and being essential only to programs of the City's Model Cities Agency, the Redevelopment Authority of the City and the office of City Planning and Zoning:
Division of Housing Inspection and Rodent Control and Division of Plumbing.
[Ord. 72-1968 § 3, passed 12-11-1968]
Any employee of the Bureau of Health of the City, whose position and employment with the City, are eliminated by this chapter, who shall hereafter be employed by the Department of Health of the County of Erie and who is a member of the City Retirement System, shall have the right to retain his membership in the Retirement System of the City, in accordance with the provisions of Act. No. 567 of the Pennsylvania Legislature approved May 24, 1956.


text:
Table of Contents
What beach in California can you ride horses? Among the places you can rent a horse and ride are Malibu Lagoon State Beach, Pismo State Beach, Salinas River State Beach, Half Moon Bay, and many more!
Can you ride horses on public beach? Horses are not permitted on the beach. Riding may be restricted in winter due to ground conditions. During calving season riders must watch out for and steer clear of cows with young calves at foot.
Are horses allowed on Pismo Beach? Riding along the coast on the surf at the edge of the sea on a horse is one of life’s great adventures and, luckily, the Pismo Beach area allows horseback riding on its glorious wide beaches.
Where are horses allowed in California? Horses are welcome on designated trails and beaches at Redwood National and State Parks. Not only are horses, mules, and ponies welcome, but llamas and goats may also visit as pack animals. Riders can bring their own horses and explore miles of breathtaking trails across the unique Redwood forests and beaches.


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ATLANTA — Police believe a dispute over a cover charge at an Atlanta nightclub led to the shooting death of a man early Thursday morning.
At around 2:20 a.m., Atlanta police officers were called to the Members Only Lounge off Ralph McGill Boulevard in northeast Atlanta on a report of a person shot.
When officers arrived, they found an adult male with a gunshot wound to the chest. He was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital where he later died.
"Preliminary investigation indicated that a dispute arose over admission fees to the nightclub and the victim was shot," Atlanta police spokesman Steve Avery said in a news release.
He said detectives are still working to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident. Police did not say if a patron was shot or an employee at the lounge was shot.
The venue is described on its website as "Atlanta's exclusive VIP lounge for the city's socialites and elite professionals." It is said to be a joint venture between rappers 2 Chainz and Snoop.
Return to 11Alive.com for updates on this developing story.


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The Matthew Shephard Bill Has Passed the U.S. Senate- Violence Against LGBT Americans will soon be a Federal Crime.
Tonight, the United States Senate has passed the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act. As soon as President Obama signs this bill , it will be put into law. The bill was attached to a defense appropriation bill as a clever procedural motion to allow some Republicans a "fig leaf" when voting for it - the bill passed 67 - 28. The new law makes it a Federal Crime to commit acts of violence against someone based on sexual orientation. Young Matthew Shepherd lost his life because he was attacked by people who hated gays. Now his violent death will now not have been in vain. His attack first triggered the work on this landmark legislation. The United States has a long way to go with LGBT rights but today represents a milestone in our struggle for equality.

domain: sociology


text:
We are Leanne and Olivia and together we are Harmony Weddings, a wedding singing duo. Bringing bespoke harmonies and live vocals to your day. We are based in Staffordshire & Cheshire, but take our voices up and down the country.
We first met on an audition day where both of us got offered the job to be a resident vocalist, we worked together for over two years and we often talked of one day making a name for ourselves and venturing into the world of weddings, so we did!
Our favourite part of meeting new couples is getting to know them personally and we are then able to tailor the song choices specifically to them and what they enjoy listening too; no two couples are the same!
We are always so humbled to be part of a couples most special day. It brings us so much happiness to be able to share our passion and provide the perfect atmosphere on the happiest day of their life.
Our multi-style approach makes us the ideal duo for any occasion. From laid-back love songs, classic crowd pleasers and our fabulous fun-filled evening of ABBA's greatest hits!

domain: artistic