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1-2 February 2017. Brussels. Global Donor Platform Annual General Assembly (AGA) 2017 took a closer look at where rural transformation might be a decade from now and what role agriculture will play considering the new SDGs, the growing changes in Official Development Assistance (ODA), the challenges of climate change impact, the fact that millions of low-income people in rural as well as urban areas, are still highly food insecure.
In the paper Implications of Agenda 2030 for Rural Development (29 pages) commissioned by the Global Donor Platform, John Barrett notes that, beyond SDG 2 (end hunger, achieve food security/improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture), world leaders are increasingly pre-occupied by challenges in the global economy and the need for job creation which relates to SDG 8 (Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all), as emerged in the discussion within the Platform and in other international fora.
|Leonard Mizzi Head of Unit,
Rural Development,
Food Security and Nutrition
(Directorate C) DG DEVCO
The open discussion with members, partners and invited guests of Day 1 explored the multiple views of development partners, donors, civil society and private sector on how the rural space in 2030 may look like and what it takes to get there. The high-level forum on Day 2 (morning) complemented the findings of Day 1 and heads of programmes/departmental managers politically and strategically framed the future deliberations of the Platform on donor/IFI support to rural transformation, and helped to inform our priorities, programmes and operations.
- A well-designed legal and regulatory framework, supported by strong institutions and efficient administrative procedures, is a bedrock for a prosperous agricultural and agribusiness sector
- Globally comparable data and indicators offer meaningful tools that can enable countries, policymakers and stakeholders to identify barriers that impede growth of agriculture and agribusinesses, share experiences and develop strategies to improve the policy environment anchored in local contexts
- The Enabling the Business of Agriculture indicators and analysis not only help strengthen the information base that can be used for informed policy dialogue but can also encourage regulations that ensure safety and quality of agricultural inputs, goods and services while minimizing costs and time burdens.
- "Bilateral collaboration is often hijacked by national political agendas"
- "We have to demonstrate that migration is positive (when regular)"
- "There is a need for a returnable capital fund to finance the CGIAR"
Initiative Adaptation of African Agriculture - Mohamed Badraoui, National Agricultural Research Institute, Morocco and ASEAN Climate Resilience Network - Imelda Bacudo, ASEAN/GIZ.
- Global environmental and social changes like climate change, high pressure on natural resources and globalization of trade are impacting on 20% GDP and 50% of employment in developing countries and inducing massive migration;
- The degree of resilience and adaptation to such big changes is becoming more difficult to achieve because both public domestic investments and international aid for development to African agriculture was decreasing during the last 30 years, making African economies more and more vulnerable.
- UNFCCC COP22 (Marrakech 2016) was the COP of actions to implement Paris agreement - Morocco launched a new initiative for the adaptation of African agriculture to climate change (AAA or Triple A).
The Enabling the Business of Agriculture (EBA) project focuses on identifying and monitoring regulations that negatively affect agriculture and agribusiness markets. EBA aims to inform and encourage policy decisions that support inclusive participation in agricultural value chains and foster an environment that is conducive to local and regional businesses in agriculture. The project is supported by several donors, namely United Kingdom's Department for International Development (DFID), the Government of Denmark, the Government of the Netherlands, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Eighteen indicators, covering six topics, have been developed to address aspects related to production inputs and market enablers that facilitate farmers, firms and producers to sell their goods and services. The indicators developed and measured in last year's report covered the following topics: Seed; Fertilizer; Machinery; Finance; Transport; Markets.


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UFC 234 will be held on Saturday, February 10. 2019 at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia. 7 matches will be held on this full event card. It's sure to be a night with entertainment for Ultimate Fighting fans of all ages and interests.
The event card is as follows:
Bantamweight division: Teruto Ishihara (10-6-2) vs. Kyung Ho Kang (14-8, 1 no contest)
Featherweight division: Shane Young (12-4-0) vs. Austin Arnett (16-4-0)
Flyweight division: Kai-Kara France (18-7-0. 1NC) vs. Raulian Paiva Frazao (18-1-0)
Bantamweight division: Wuliji Buren (8-5-0) vs. Jonathan Martinez (9-2-0)
Light Heavyweight Division: Jim Crute (9-0-0) vs. Ryan Spann (15-5-0)
Womens Flyweight Division: Montana De La Rosa (9-4-0) vs. Nadia Kassem (5-0-0)
Middleweight Division (co-main event): Israel Adesanya (15-0-0) vs. Anderson Silva (34-8-0, 1NC)
Middleweight Division (main event): Robert Whittaker (20-4-0) vs. Kelvin Gastelum (15-3-0, 1NC)
Why UFC 234 is one of the biggest events for Melbourne:
UFC events draw thousands of people every year. They are almost always sellouts at the arena. The venue profits from ticket sales, merchandise sales and food and beverage sales. A successful UFC event also will almost certainly guarantee that the arena will host future UFC events. This brings even more revenue to the arena, which is always good business for the area.
UFC 234 start time
UFC 234 main card Whittaker vs Gastelum live stream start at 10.00 p.m. AUS,
on Saturday, February 10. 2019 at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia.
These events are also a great boost for the local economy. Money is being pumped into hotels, restaurants, bars and other local attractions. People are looking for things to do while they're there. They take advantage of the local nightlife and spend their entertainment dollars in and around the city every year. Millions of dollars are being brought in to local businesses from customers who have traveled from all corners of the globe just to attend this event. Combat sporting events like this are great for the global economy in general.
UFC events are great for local tourism. With an influx of out of town guests, it's a perfect time for museums, historical societies, amusement parks and many other companies to showcase what makes their area unique.
Who is Robert Whittaker?
Robert Whittaker is the reigning UFC middleweight champion. This 28 year old New Zealand born mixed martial arts competitor fights out of Menai, Sydney. He has been a MMA competitor for 10 years. Whittaker is currently ranked twelfth in UFC official pound for pound rankings.
Whittaker is also known by the nicknames "Bobby Thunder" and "The Reaper." He first started getting involved in martial arts at the age of six, when his father enrolled him and his brother in a Goju-ryu karate school. There, he learned the importance of self-discipline and self-defense while training for eight years.
When he was a teenager, Whittaker's father gave his sons the option of continuing with karate or moving on to other sports. While his brother chose to drop out, Robert decided to move on to a Hapkido gym in Menai. The gym was run by his coach Robert Perez. When Perez converted his gym into a mixed martial arts gym, Whittaker adjusted to the changes. He started training in MMA. It soon became his favorite sport, ahead of his once beloved rugby.
Whittaker started fighting professionally in 2009. Prior to that, he was employed as a brick layer. Robert signed a contract with Australia's Xtreme Fighting Championships. He made his professional fighting debut on March 14th of that year. His first opponent was fellow rookie Chris Tallowin. Whittaker won his debut with a first-round technical knock out.
Whittaker continued his professional fighting career with the Cage Fighting Championships. He went undefeated at 6-0 from 2009 to 2011. He suffered his first defeat on October 30, 2011 at the hands of Hoon Kim. Robert lost by way of a first-round submission in the Legend Fighting Championships match held in Cotai, Macau. He bounced back to win his next two matches before losing to Jesse Juarez. The defeat brought his overall record to nine wins and two losses.
Robert Perez put Whittaker's name in for consideration for the first season of The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes in 2012. The television series had eight Australian mixed martial arts fighters up against eight competitors from the United Kingdom. Whittaker was successful enough to fight all the way to the final round, which was broadcast on UFC on FX: Sotiropoulos vs. Pearson. This was the beginning of Whittaker's UFC career.
Who is Kelvin Gastelum?
Kelvin Gastelum is an American mixed martial arts competitor. He is currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is currently ranked fourth in the UFC middleweight rankings.
Gastelum got his start as a wrestler in high school. He was a state championship winner for Cibola High School in Yuma, Arizona. He attended college in Northern Idaho for a year before deciding to pursue mixed martial arts as a career.
Kelvin won his first professional fight on December 11, 2010. He defeated his opponent Jesse Suarez in Mexico with a second-round submission. He won all five of his first career exhibition matches, tallying three submissions and two technical knockouts.
Gastelum was selected for The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. Team Sonnen in 2013. Team leader Chael Sonnen picked Gastelum for his team after witnessing his victory over Kito Andrews. Kelvin successfully fought his way to the tournament finals.
He was paired against teammate Uriah Hall in the Ultimate Fighter 17 finale. Gastelum won the match by split decision. At age 21, Kelvin became the youngest UFC champion in the history of the sport. This earned him a UFC contract. Afterwards, he competed at the welterweight division until 2015, when he began competing at the middleweight division for the next four years.
Reasons why Whittaker will win:
Whittaker is a smart fighter. He has good footwork on the mat, good striking power and defends himself intelligently. He is very quick and strong. He doesn't allow his opponents to get cheap shots. He is one of the more well-rounded fighters that you can find in the UFC.
Robert takes his time to analyze each opponent carefully. He reviews their fighting style and adapts his approaches accordingly. He's not one to fall for the same thing twice. He has sharp hands, and his combination punch attacks are very efficient and effective.
Whittaker also feints very well. It only takes him a simple move or two to create many possible offensive and defensive options. He is a master of rhythm and timing when he fights. He quickly establishes the tempo for many of his matches. It usually takes his opponents a while to catch up.
Robert should win because he plays the game well. He understands the strengths and weaknesses of each opponent, and adjusts his moves accordingly. He's very driven and focused. Every time he steps on to the mat, he intends to win. He does whatever it takes to take advantage of mistakes and work his opponent into a situation that is in his favor.
Reasons why Gastelum will win:
Gastelum is an effective fighter. He's not as flashy or flamboyant as some of the more popular UFC fighters. He's a smart fighter, and he's successful because he sticks with the basics.
Kelvin frequently uses a rapid, steady combination of jabs and crosses to keep his opponents at bay. These are some of the first moves that most fighters are first taught. It's a combination that works well for him because of his consistency.
Gastelum is very fleet on his feet. He moves quickly, and adjusts to different fighting styles quickly. He doesn't let himself get overwhelmed or frustrated just because a particular approach isn't working. He adapts and presses forward every time.
His fast, spearing jabs set up his powerful punches perfectly. They often catch his rivals by surprise. By then, it's usually too late for them. If Gastelum can keep Whittaker guessing, he could easily win the title match.
Current odds:
Right now, Robert Whittaker is favored over Kelvin Gastelum in the main event match. In the co-headlining match, Israel Adesanya is expected to defeat Anderson Silva. This is consistent through most of the professional sports websites. Betting options are available at most casinos and sports betting sites. Odds and fight information are usually updated at least daily, so make sure that you have the latest information before making your wager.
How to watch UFC 234 live stream:
UFC 234 will be live on pay per view. Even though tickets to the event are sold out, you can also watch it on your mobile device or at a sports bar near you.
You can also watch the fights live streaming on your Amazon Fire Stick and other similar devices. Set up only takes a few minutes. There are instructions on the UFC website if you are having difficulty. There are also sites like ufckodi.com and ufcdigest.com where you can watch live online. All you have to do is download and install their required apps. In a few minutes, you're ready to go!
Several people host UFC watch parties at their homes or places of business every year. This is a great way to get together with family members and friends and enjoy the matches as they happen in real time. Some people even live tweet or post updates on social media after every match. It can be a fun way to interact with other fans and get responses and opinions from followers around the globe.
Expected outcome:
I'm not a huge UFC fan, so I'm not going to comment on every match in this event. I just don't know enough about the fighters in the under-card events to give fair and accurate predictions. Instead, I'll give my predicted outcomes for the two main bouts.
For the co-main event, I'm picking Israel Adesanya to win over challenger Anderson Silva. Adesanya is the favorite to win for many reasons. His fighting style is rather unique. His striking and speed catches many opponents off guard. He is a rising star in the industry, and I think his momentum will take him very far. I wouldn't be surprised if he winds up fighting for the championship in the next UFC event.
Anderson Silva is a well-known UFC fighter, but I just can't see him winning this match. He's an underdog because of his age (42) and because of his well-publicized failed drug tests. Silva has only won one of his last five fights. He's a tough competitor who doesn't give up easily. He battles hard, and refuses to give up. In this contest, I feel that youth will win out over experience. I just don't think Silva has the stamina and temperance to outlast the young and spry Adesanya in this one. It should be a great match, no matter what the outcome ends up to be.
For the main event, I've got to go with Whittaker defeating Gastelum. This is probably going to be one of the closest bouts of the entire night. Both fighters have a lot of speed and stamina. They are both some of the best fighters that the UFC has had in years. This will not be an easy win for either competitor. It's definitely going to be a hard-fought battle on both sides.
Whitaker is a patient fighter, and I think his careful analysis of each opponent during matches is his distinct advantage in this competition. Gastelum is a fierce fighter and very quick on his feet. However, I don't think that's going to be enough to overpower Whittaker in this instance. Robert just sums up his opponents too well, and reacts accordingly. I don't think that anything Gastelum does will keep Whittaker guessing at all. He's just too smart of a competitor for that. I could be wrong, but I foresee this match going the distance. It'll probably be a judges' decision in the end.
UFC 234 promises to be another exciting championship event. Fans of all different MMA styles and competitors will have plenty of reasons to cheer on their favorites. Tune in early, and don't miss out on all the action! It's bound to set up even more thrilling matches for UFC 235!

subset: commoncrawl


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Because they complicate, we simplify.
We've made it even easier to choose the right SEAT for you with easymove. Just select your trim, engine and colour in 3 simple steps.
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Includes: Front Assist, Blindspot detection, KESSY (Keyless Entry & Go), 17" 'Dynamic' alloy wheels, Adaptive Cruise Control, Door mirrors (electrically adjustable, folding and heated), Full LED headlights, Chrome roof rails, Ambient lighting (multi-coloured), Black interior roof, Central console with storage net and Auto-dimming rear view mirror.
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Includes: Front assist, Front & rear parking sensors, Cruise control, 17" 'Dynamic' alloy wheels, Exclusive FR front and rear bumpers, Full LED headlights, SEAT drive profile: Four different modes (Normal-Sport-Eco-Individual), throttle response and gear shifts mode (only DSG models), and Dual-zone climate control.
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Terms and Conditions apply. To qualify for the Motability Scheme, you must be in receipt of the Higher Rate Mobility Component of the Disability Living Allowance, the Enhanced Rate of Mobility Component of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP), War Pensioners' Mobility Supplement or the Armed Forces Independence Payment (AFIP). Applications must be received and accepted by Motability Operations from 1st October 2019 to 31st December 2019. Offers may be varied or withdrawn at any time. Subject to availability. Not available in conjunction with any other offer. At participating dealers only. Selected models only. Standard EU Test figures for comparative purposes and may not reflect real driving results.
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text:
What is Gesture View?
How to use
Place your phone near your face or put it down to check pictures after taking a selfie. Gesture
View can be affected by speed and angle of the gesture.
Applicable : G Flex2 and later
1. Gesture View is turned on in default.
2. To deactivate, go to Settings and turn it off.
If the problem is not resolved, please call LG Support representative on 1800-180 -9999 (Toll Free)
or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of or in connection with the use of this informational video.


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Blepharoplasty before and after, frontal
Patient Info
Gender: Female
Procedure: Blepharoplasty
Procedure Description:
Upper and lower lid blepharoplasty with lower lid fat repositioning.
* Each patient is unique and individual results may vary.
- Philip S. Schoenfeld, M.D., F.A.C.S.
- Physician
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- 5454 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 1625, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815
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Slippery and sliding fabric can cause major frustration, but sewing is fun, so use these tips and tricks to keep sewing fun! The first step, take a deep breath and relax. You can do this! Use these tips as a guide to making the fabric manageable.
- Lots of pinning! Pins can hold the fabric in place and be removed as you approach the sewing machine needle. It may take more time, but it takes less time than using a seam ripper to remove stitches that aren't where they are supposed to be.
- Hand Basting allows you to have more control of the fabric and hold it in place for machine sewing.
- Temporary fabric adhesive spray can be your friend. Use this notion in a very well ventilated area. It will hold the fabric where you want it while you stitch it in place.
- Grab a glue stick. Test it for visibility and washability on a scrap first. Use a light application of school glue stick on the seam allowance to hold the fabric in place.
- Baste the fabric in place with fusible tape. A very narrow tape may be just perfect to hold the fabric in place while it's flat on the ironing board and make it stay in place while you sew it. Be sure to keep the fusible tape in the seam allowance.
- Many people swear by gift wrapping tissue paper. Place a layer between the fabric to eliminate the sliding. Even better, spray both sides of the tissue paper with temporary spray adhesive and then use it between the fabric. You won't have any adhesive directly on the fabric, but it will provide enough "sticky" to keep the fabric in place. When you're done sewing, the tissue paper rips out like it was never there, since it has become perforated with the needle.
- An even feed or walking foot can help feed the layers of fabric evenly through the sewing machine.
- Work with the sewing machine pressure adjustment to see if more or less pressure helps to hold the fabric in place.


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Italian language is spoken by 55 million people in Italy and 62 million people throughout the world. Italy has the 7th largest economy in the world and is a major political force in Europe.
Here are some good reasons to choose Italian . . .
Communication Skills: In many careers and free-time activities, you will find it beneficial to communicate with people who are native Italian speakers. In any realm of business, it always pays to know the client's language. Italian instruction also encourages you to think about important details of language usage which may not have occurred to you before, thereby improving your writing and speaking skills in English as well.
Travel: To travel to Italy and experience the essence of Italian culture, knowledge of the Italian language is essential. Don't get stuck on all-American 5-day tours of a continent! They only skim the surface and show you what someone else thinks you should see. To truly get to know Italy it takes more time and, above all, Italian language skills.
Jobs in Business: As more and more businesses are "going global" by opening offices throughout the world, knowledge of Italian is an increasingly important asset when applying for jobs. Six of the 100 biggest global companies have their headquarters in Italy, and Italy is the world¿s fifth largest industrial producer of goods. Jobs in Italian business are lucrative.
Jobs in Government: In the fields of diplomacy and trade, the federal government is always seeking qualified applicants with Italian language skills. If you see international conferences and negotiations in your future, you'd better learn one or more languages now.
Research: No matter the area of specialization, knowledge of Italian is not only helpful, but often necessary for academic, business, or social research. Translations are not always correct or even available.
Art and Culture: No matter how good the translation, inevitably some meaning is lost in the process. Therefore, to fully appreciate the richness of Italian literature, theater, opera, and films, knowledge of the language is essential. Other aspects of Italy's culture are also best appreciated by those who can speak and understand Italian. How could you, for example, savor a gourmet Italian meal in a Tuscan restaurant if you couldn't read the menu?
Self-Fulfillment: Learning Italian is a big accomplishment which brings with it great satisfaction and added confidence. In addition, immersion in a foreign culture can open whole new avenues of self-exploration and personal growth.
Intellectual Stimulation: Learning Italian enhances your skills in analyzing, discussing, and categorizing information and ideas.


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Dating is rarely easy, despite the convenience of modern technology, the ease of searching through various online sites, and the speed of sending and receiving messages to a potential paramour.
Insofar as there is a science to this process -- to the extent that a site has you create an in-depth profile about yourself, replete with your spiritual interests and your everyday pursuits -- eHarmony is the exception to the rule: It has an extensive -- and worthwhile -- series of questions users must answer, so a match can be more accurate and less prone to happenstance; more immune from the sort of "romantic gambling" that leaves too many things to chance, causing dates to go awry, relationships to dissolve and marriages to never (or rarely) happen.
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9. Inman Russian River Pinot Noir (2009)
Previously available for $27.99
There's a touch of cola or kukui nut on the nose over lovely layers of rhubarb, beet root and red fruit fruit, with subtle hints of stems and a very fine green edge. This is very light on the palate, with aromatic rose petals, red cherry and cranberry fruit, and just a touch of older wood adding a gentle earthy cast. There's plenty of nice red fruit on the finish, which shows a little pasty tactile quality adding fine tension that lengthens the finish. 90 points
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- Head of Europe and Asia Corporate Credit
- Executive Managing Director
Mathieu Clavel is an Executive Managing Director and Head of Europe and Asia Corporate Credit for Sculptor Capital. Mr. Clavel oversees stressed, distressed, liquidation and special situation credit investments within Sculptor Capital's Opportunistic Credit strategy. Mr. Clavel joined Sculptor Capital in 2009 as an Analyst on the Opportunistic Credit team. He has since led the Firm's investment in a number of distressed corporate situations and the Firm's investments in the bank and insurance credit space.
Prior to joining Sculptor Capital, Mr. Clavel was a Senior Analyst at Silverpoint Capital, where he focused on distressed and equity special situations investing. Prior to that, he was a Vice President at GSC Group covering mezzanine investments in Europe and a Merger and Acquisitions Analyst at Schroder Salomon Smith Barney.
Mr. Clavel holds a B.S. in Law from the University of Lille; a M.Sc. in Economics and Finance from Institut d'Etudes Politiques, Aix en Provence; and a M.Sc. in Accounting and Finance from the London School of Economics and Political Science.


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These important resources will be helpful to district leaders as they implement a critical component of the new teacher evaluation system. The Overview of Student Learning Objectives (SLOs), Student Learning Objective (SLO) Guidance Document, Student Learning Objective (SLO) Road Map and a series of introductory webinars explain how New York State will assess the student learning growth of students in classrooms where there is no State assessment that can be used for a State-provided growth or value-added measure (sometimes called "non-tested subjects").
Overview of Student Learning Objectives (SLOs)
The Overview of Student Learning Objectives (SLOs) provides readers with an explanation of SLOs and the integral role they play in the New York State Teacher and Principal Evaluation system. Critical points of local decision-making are briefly explored through hypothetical classroom contexts.
SLO Template and Exemplars
The SLO template is the statewide form for teachers to use for writing their SLO(s). SLO exemplars from New York State teachers are also available below and were chosen for their rigor and clear alignment of learning content, target and evidence.
- SLO Field Samples from Pilot (2011-2012)
- SLO Field Samples from Year 1 Implementation (2012-2013)
- SLO Field Samples from Year 2 Implementation (2013-14)
- Making SLOs Matter: Supporting Meaningful, Rigorous Goal-Setting
- Using the NYSESLAT in the Development of SLOs
- Using the NYSAA in the Development of SLOs
- Leading the SLO Process within Your School
- Student Learning Objectives for Librarians
- Student Learning Objectives 101 for Teachers: An Introduction to SLO Components
- Student Learning Objectives 102 for Teachers: The Use of the Multi-State SLO Rubric
- Student Learning Objectives 103 for Teachers: Using Past Performance Trends and Historical Data
- Student Learning Objectives: The 50% Rule for Teachers
- School-wide Student Learning Objectives
- Student Learning Objectives 101 for Principals: An Introduction to SLO Components
- Student Learning Objectives 102 for Principals: The 30% Rule for Principals
- SLO Results Analysis Webinar
- SLO Results Analysis Webinar II
- Webinar: Student Learning Objectives (SLO) Closeout and Reflection
SLO Webinar Series I (2011-12) (Videos)
SLO Webinar Series II (2012-13) (Videos)
Resources to Support SLO Implementation from the RSN SLO Work Group
- Reform Support Network Student Learning Objectives Toolkit
New York State is a part of a national Student Learning Objectives (SLO) Work Group led by the Race to the Top Support Network. The SLO Work Group recently developed a toolkit to support high quality implementation of SLOs. The toolkit consists of a narrative document that outlines a four-stage quality control framework, describes how States and districts are addressing common challenges related to quality SLO implementation, and features links to templates, guidance documents and other tools. We encourage district leaders, educators, and evaluators to utilize the toolkit as they implement SLOs. Future tools created by the RSN work group will be posted here as they become available.
- Draft Multi-State SLO Rubric
Evaluators and educators are encouraged to use this rubric to measure the quality of the information provided by educators on the NYS SLO Template. Please view the webinar "SLO 102 for Teachers" to see how to use the rubric with a sample SLO. This draft rubric was developed by a national SLO Work Group convened by the Reform Support Network (RSN) that includes representatives from many of the Race to the Top States, including New York State. The goal of the effort was to produce a rubric that multiple states can use to evaluate the quality of SLOs. The group examined a wide range of rubrics from school districts and states across the country, looking for strengths and weaknesses, similarities and differences. The rubric that resulted from the efforts of the group uses one performance level -- meets expectations -- as the decision was made that an SLO should not be approved if it does not meet the expectations set forth in the rubric.
Student Learning Objective (SLO) Guidance Document
Student Learning Objective (SLO) Road Map
Student Learning Objective Road Map for English as a Second Language and Bilingual Education Teachers
New York State Student Learning Objective Template
New York State Evaluation Plans Guidance Memo (the "Purple" memo)
Assessment Options for SLOs: Reference Guide - In this reference guide you will find a detailed list of NYSED's assessment requirements and options for teachers who have SLOs for State growth.
Required SLOs Reference Guide - In this reference guide you will find a detailed list of NYSED's rules for teachers who have SLOs for State growth.
Assessment Decision Chart for Growth and Locally Selected Measures - This is a template for districts to use as they map out the assessments they wish to use for State growth and locally selected measures. The spreadsheet is separated into two tabs for growth and local.


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Home >> Daily News >> Singapore News >> Economy >> Globalization prep should have started earlier
Globalization prep should have started earlier
On hindsight, Mr. Lee said he would have started people focusing on upgrading themselves five to 10 years earlier, having seen how some are under pressure from globalization.
He was responding to a question on what he would have done differently for Singapore during the hour-long dialogues session.
Mr. Lee said if the continuous learning movement had started earlier, there would be less of a problem with workers trying to play catch-up.
He said: "Had we known that we were going to be faced with this situation - where knowledge is absolutely critical and you must have the skills and ability to get ahead and do better, otherwise you're going to be at the bottom of the heap, not just at the foot of the totem pole - then I think we would have put even more resources in."
And Mr Lee had this advice for future generations, although he was a little skeptical about youths paying attention.
"I don't think they will listen to it (laughter). The world has changed, the opportunities have grown more but don't forget, some of the verities which brought us here have not really changed," he said.
"The world is still a dangerous place, and we still have to work together and work hard to make a living and you still owe a commitment in Singapore so that in 30 years time, your children will have more opportunities than you."
Mr. Lee said the opportunity for Singapore is for it to become a first-class economy and society in an "unpredictable world".
He said the country has sound fundamentals and resources to organize itself.
He said: "One, to be as open as Singapore, English-speaking and completely connected to the world, and two, to have a government which works and is able to see beyond the next election to ask, 'what must I do so that I'm in a strong position in 10, 15 or 20 years' time'.
"If we can maintain those two advantages, then I think we are in good shape."
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The differences between condos and co-ops.
Jul 1, 2003 . "These monthly fees can be significant and should be taken into account when figuring your ability to pay the mortgage or co-op payment," .
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Umpire ejects DJ in minor league baseball game
Ejection followed playing of 'Three Blind Mice'
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – One wrong song and you're out!
The music stopped at Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach on Wednesday after a minor league umpire ejected an intern in charge of stadium music because he played "Three Blind Mice" during the game.
Derek Dye, a Daytona Cubs intern with the University of Illinois, was ejected in the eighth inning a game between the Cubs and the Fort Myers Miracle.
Cubs manager Brian Harper was arguing a call at first base when he heard home plate umpire Mario Seneca bellow, "You're out."
Harper says he thought he was being kicked out of the game. Instead, the umpire ejected Dye.
The public address system at the stadium was shut down for the rest of the game.
The Cubs won the game 2-1.
Umpire ejects Daytona DJ
Copyright 2012 by ClickOrlando.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Greetings, everyone. Charles Petzold is writing his final chapter, Chapter 19, "Pen (AKA Stylus)"; Marc Young, the book's Technical Reviewer, is reviewing Chapter 17, "Share and Print"; and I'm wrapping up my edit of Chapter 14, "Bitmaps." This means we're looking very very good for publishing the book in January!
If you'd like to get draft e-versions of 13 of the book's chapters now—and save $10 on the final ebook, which you'll also receive, by doing so—see this post.
And remember:


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With less than 6 weeks to go, we've finally finalized our European itinerary and made all the necessary train/hotel bookings. WHEW! That was not easy. Here's our plan:
We'll fly into Brussels and stay one night, then take a train to Bruges and stay for 2 nights. To get to Paris, we'll take local trains and stop briefly in Lille and/or Amiens. After three nights in Paris, we're off to Rome (with a brief stop in Milan) for another 3 nights. Then it's on to Cinque Terre for two night and then Venice for one. A night train will take us to Munich where we'll only stay one night (this is the biggest disappointment to me, but Oktoberfest put a longer stay out of our budget) and then it's on to Freiburg via Mannheim for two nights. We'll head to Amsterdam (via Frankfurt) for two nights, then finish with another night in Brussels before we head home.
ARE WE CRAZY? Yes, probably. This is certainly going to be more of a whirlwind adventure than we had initially planned.
This trip is longer, more fast paced, and more expensive than we thought it would be a year ago. I've come to terms with that. Most of our bookings after Italy allow for cancellation and we're travelling on train passes, so if it really does get to be TOO MUCH, we can make some adjustments. Does that make us any less crazy? No, probably not.
I am very excited but I'm also nervous and overwhelmed. There are so many unknowns and a lot of things that could go wrong. I have to change my perspective – this isn't about the destination, it's about the journey… and there is a LOT of journey on this trip!


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Showcase of the new dayz overwatch mod 0.2.3 going to be making a new video for each update providing they show off new features, if they update for bug fixes obviously I wont make a video on that:-)
Also enjoy the new thumbnail, going to be used on every video now! Thanks to my friend Karl for them:-) Check him out at : http://youtu.be/-2BHA9bMfVw
Thanks for watching!:-)


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Regulating the Regulators
Regulatory Process Reform in the 104th Congress
by John Shanahan
When Republicans assumed control of Congress in 1995, many hailed the takeover as a revolution that would finally limit the power of government. Republicans decried the enormity of the regulatory burden and made regulatory process reform a key component of the Contract With America. Now, two years later, few legislators are calling for reform. What did the 104th Congress achieve and what are the lessons for the current Congress?
Much effort during the 104th Congress went into regulatory process reformthat is, changing the procedures for making and administering regulations. Far less effort went into substantive process reformthat is, repealing regulations and shutting down agencies. In 1995, most of the initial reforms from the Contract With America passed the House but not the Senate. Yet in 1996, a number of process reform provisions passed in Congress and garnered the presidential signature.
The Contract With America contained the major elements of process reform, which later became part of an umbrella bill, H.R. 9. The principle elements of process reform included (1) Title III, cost-benefit analysis and risk assessment; (2) Title IV, regulatory budgeting; (3) Title V, strengthening the Paperwork Reduction Act; (4) Title VI, allowing agencies greater flexibility when applying regulations; (5) Title VII, requiring a regulatory impact statement for all new rules; (6) Title VIII, protection for citizens against arbitrary abuse by regulators; and (7) Title IX, compensation for the value of property taken by regulations. Some of those provisions ultimately became law through different bills, while others were dropped from consideration altogether.
So far the effects of the successful provisions have been minimalnone have rolled back regulations. Some arm citizens with weapons that they can use to protect themselves in court against some of the more egregious regulatory abuses. Others are weapons that will be useful only if members of Congress have the political will to employ them. Overall, regulatory process reform appears to have been more about rhetoric than real reform.
Unfunded Mandates
Passing unfunded mandates on governments and businesses has been a way for the federal government to pass costly legislation without raising taxes. With governors from the two major parties wanting that practice curtailed, the 104th Congress passed the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act that requires estimates on the regulatory costs of new laws. Any bill that places a burden of more than $50 million on states or $100 million on the private sector is subject to a point of order. At that time, Congress has to provide the funding or take a special vote exempting itself from that requirement.
The results of UMRA have been mixed (see "Promises Unfulfilled," Regulation, 1996 No. 2). Perhaps the acts greatest success is that it changed the rulemaking culture in the legislative branch; legislators now work closely with the Congressional Budget Office during the early stages of developing bills to avoid the embarrassment of introducing a bill that would be subject to a point of order. This has led to improvements in several pieces of legislation, including the Telecommunications Act, the Farm Act, and the Immigration Act.
The administration, however, seems intent on evading the law. In its March 1996 report assessing the impact of regulations (as required by UMRAs Title II), the administration reported that only sixteen rules were "economically significant," although it typically reviews seventy-five to one hundred economically significant rules. In other cases, the administration has simply failed to comply with the acts dictates.
Paperwork Reduction
According to Thomas Hopkins of the Rochester Institute of Technology, in 1995 the cost of paperwork accounted for approximately one-third ($200 billion) of the total cost of regulation. The cost of paperwork regulations for businesses with fewer than twenty employees is more than $2,000 per employee. Since the passage of the original Paperwork Reduction Act in 1980, the amount of paperwork has continued to increase. That is not surprising since it is difficult to reduce paperwork under a barrage of new federal rules and the Byzantine procedures and reporting processes required by the government.
Because no interest group benefits from burdensome paperwork, the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, H.R. 830, passed Congress without a dissenting vote. The act requires that the agencies reduce the burden hours of paperwork 40 percent by 2001. One could expect the act, if honored, to reduce the cost of the paperwork burden by approximately $80 billion annually.
President Clinton signed the act with much fanfare and pledged that the EPA would reduce its paperwork hours 25 percent in the first year. Instead, under the helm of EPA administrator Carol Browner, the paperwork hours imposed by the EPA increased by 4.5 million annually, according to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.
So far, the Paperwork Reduction Act has been a disappointment. Senate hearings and General Accounting Office findings indicate that the administration will fall far short of its goal because the OIRA is not enforcing the act. Estimates now show that in the first year of implementation, federal regulators reduced paperwork hours by a mere 1 percent. In response to the criticism, Office of Management and Budget director Frank Raines issued an OMB bulletin in January 1997 that directed agencies to reduce their paperwork hours 25 percent by fiscal year 1998, which would get the administration back on target.
Property Rights
Perhaps the most important procedural and substantive regulatory reform proposed in the 104th Congress was the requirement that the federal government compensate owners for "takings" of private property through regulation. The Fifth Amendment states, "Nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation." The takings provision in H.R. 9 had its origin in the Freedom and Fairness Restoration Act, introduced by Representative Dick Armey (R-Tex.) in the 103rd Congress. Representative Charles Canady (R-Fla.) reintroduced the concepts embodied in Armeys bill in the Private Property Protection Act of 1995, H.R. 925. That bill required the federal government to compensate property owners if a regulation restricting the lands use reduced the value of the property by more than 10 percent. Later, the bill was changed to include only those properties that had been devalued by more than 20 percent. Many property rights advocates correctly argued that a more appropriate measure would be whether a right had been violated, which would protect property owners against any loss.
The House leadership worked to modify H.R. 925 by allowing an amendment. Introduced by then-Democrat Representative Billy Tauzin (R-La.), the amendment gave the landowner the right to force the government to buy any "portion" of property that it had devalued by 50 percent or more. Tauzin said, "When the federal government owns more of your property than you do, they should have to pay you for it."
A weaker version of H.R. 925 eventually passed the House, but its companion bill died in the Senate. Opponents made the erroneous argument that the bill would require the government to "pay people not to pollute," which eventually kept the Senate bill from receiving serious consideration. In fact, neither bill granted the right to damage another persons property, for example, by dumping pollutants into a river.
Regulatory Budgeting
Title IV would have required the president to submit an annual regulatory budget to Congress with estimates of the costs to be imposed by the various programs and agencies. Each year Congress would have had to approve the regulatory budget the same way it approves appropriations. By making explicit the costs of regulation, supporters believed Congress and the executive branch would be pressured to reduce the regulatory burden.
Title IV did not make it into the final version of the regulatory reform bill voted on by the House. Although Representative Lamar Smith (R-Tex.) reintroduced the concept in the Regulatory Accountability Act, that bill never came up for a vote either. However, one step towards regulatory budgeting was taken with the passage of the Regulatory Accounting Act (see below).
The Regulatory Reform Act
Title III of H.R. 9 became the Risk Assessment and Cost-Benefit Act, H.R. 1022, which was the flagship regulatory reform bill proposed during the first year of the 104th Congress. H.R. 1022 would have subjected all new rules to cost-benefit analysis and risk assessment. The provision passed the House with a 286-to-141 vote, but it was strongly opposed by the Clinton administration.
Then-Majority Leader Bob Dole (R-Kan.) and Senator J. Bennett Johnston (D-La.) introduced a companion bill out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, S. 343. That bill would have eliminated, for example, the Delaney clause that required a zero cancer risk for additives used in processed foods.
Johnston, however, steadily retreated from his ardent support for enforceable process reforms. In the end, S. 343 was severely watered down. Unable to cut off debate by summoning the sixty votes needed for cloture, Dole pulled the bill from consideration.
One of the contentious points in the bill concerned its enforceability. The administration wanted language that would allow the agencies to assert that benefits justified costs without having to prove it. Most reformers wanted stronger language that would require that benefits outweigh costs. Some even argued that incremental benefits should outweigh incremental costs. A major problem with cost-benefit analysis, as one EPA employee confidentially explained, is that "youre putting me in charge of deciding whether or not a rule should go forward. . . . Ill tell you, I can make the benefits greater than the costs almost every time."
That bureaucrats remarks explain why another contentious point of debate over S. 343 concerned judicial review. A strong judicial review provision might subject analyses and assessments by regulators to a de novo or another strict judicial review standard. Agencies would have had a strong incentive to put forth reasonably accurate cost estimates or risk having their rules judged invalid. While not ensuring "good" regulations nor wholly unbiased estimates, S. 343 would have minimized the bias problem and given the regulated community a tool with which to challenge regulatory actions. But S. 343 was amended to allow rules to stand as long as the analyses and assessments on which they were based were not "arbitrary and capricious, or an abuse of discretion," which is an almost impossible standard to prove.
Regulatory Moratorium
Reformers in the 104th Congress also sought a regulatory moratorium. When Republicans took control of Congress in January 1995, many feared that the federal agencies would quickly issue harsh regulations in anticipation of a new Congress hostile to red tape. Thus, reformers led by House Majority Whip Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) and Representative David McIntosh (R-Ind.) introduced the Regulatory Transition Act, H.R. 450. The act imposed a thirteen month freeze on new regulations promulgated from 20 November 1994 to 31 December 1995. The temporary freeze was meant to give the new Congress an opportunity to review new rules. A similar Bush administration freeze on regulations in 1992 had received widespread approval by the business community.
The bill passed the House in late February 1995, with a bipartisan vote of 276 to 146. The Senate version, S. 219, introduced by Senator Don Nickles (R-Okla.), faced tough opposition. Nickless bill contained exceptions to the moratorium, for example, if a delay in implementation would create an "imminent threat of harm to the public." In a letter to Senator John Glenn (D-Ohio), Patrick Griffin, assistant to the president for legislative affairs, outlined President Clintons opposition to the bill saying, "The term imminent is undefined, and it is therefore far from clear whether the bill would permit the administration to take sufficient measures to ensure that the American people are not needlessly put at risk." This was something of a straw-man argument since the bill allowed the president to exclude any regulatory action from the moratorium simply by finding in writing that it responded to an imminent threat.
Opponents claimed, incorrectly, that the moratorium would prevent food inspectors from performing their tasks. While proponents denied that this would be the case, opponents took the offensive, throwing up one scare scenario after another.
As prospects for passage of even a weakened moratorium dimmed, Nickles and Senator Harry Reid (D-Nev.) offered a substitute bill that established a forty-five day congressional review period after issuance of new rules. That bill was approved unanimously by the Senate. The moratorium died, but its substitute became the forerunner of the Congressional Review Act, which Congress enacted the next year.
Sunset Laws
Automatic sunsets of regulations are appealing because they force lawmakers to vote to renew regulations or to see them expire. Such process reform can result in substantive reformthat is, the termination of regulations.
The sunset bill, H.R. 994, was introduced in the House March 1995 by Representatives John Mica (R-Fla.) and Jim Chapman (D-Tex.). The bill would have terminated all existing regulations within seven years and all new regulations within three years unless they were reauthorized by Congress. The bill was later amended to apply only to regulations that place a burden of $100 million or more on the economy.
Senator Spencer Abraham (R-Mich.) introduced a similar measure in S. 511, but the Senate never seriously considered the issue. Although the sunset provisions were approved by the House in the Debt Limit Extension bill, the effort died with the close of the first session.
Regulatory Accounting
The Regulatory Accounting Act, passed in the final weeks of the 104th Congress, requires the executive branch to produce an annual report for Congress estimating the total benefits and costs of all federal regulations. The act requires that the report separate the quantitative benefits (such as economic benefits of improved fishing due to cleaner water) from the nonquantitative benefits (such as improved visibility over the Grand Canyon). That eliminates one of the agencies favorite tactics to inflate benefits. Moreover, it requires the OMB to report significant public suggestions to correct any part of any regulatory program that is "inefficient, ineffective, or not a sound use of the nations resources."
An interesting aspect of this law, as Glenn stated approvingly in the Congressional Record, is that the "sponsors . . . intend that the report be based on a compilation of existing formation, rather than new analysis." Thus, agencies cannot easily undermine the intent of the law by concocting new analyses of the benefits of regulation. On the other hand, some cost data already exist for regulations where no benefit analyses were attempted. Thus, a less contrived estimate may emerge from the report than would occur if the data were subject to periodic review, and the result may well show costs exceeding benefits.
The acts cost-benefit requirements will be necessary if Congress ever requires the executive branch to submit annual regulatory budgets. And the law, by providing information on the costs of regulations, could help generate political pressure for reform. But the value of the law might be indicated by the fact that it passed with little legislative effort. Few observers even noted its passage, yet it will modestly advance efforts to curb regulatory excess.
Small Businesses
The Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act (SBREFA) passed in the final days of the 104th Congress was a sleeper law that seemed to rise from the ashes of the prior years legislative failures. The intent of the law, as Senator Kit Bond (R-Mo.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business said, is to "level the regulatory playing field" for small businesses by giving them a franchise in both the development and enforcement of regulations.
Currently, the Small Business Administration estimates that the combined cost of compliance with regulations, paperwork, and taxes for firms of five hundred or fewer employees is $5,000 per employee50 percent more than the cost for firms with more than five hundred employees. Small businesses complain that government demands and sanctions are excessive, but many are afraid to challenge regulators because they do not have the financial resources or expertise, or they simply fear retaliation.
SBREFA provides small businesses with substantive due process rights enforceable in a court of law. SBREFA passed rather quietly, garnering bipartisan support and the presidents signature. The act contains five subtitles establishing (1) congressional review of certain new rules; (2) judicial review of the bureaucracys compliance with regulatory flexibility; (3) a "plain English" regulatory compliance guide for small businesses; (4) a small business ombudsmans office; and (5) cost recovery for excessive agency actions.
Congressional Review
The Congressional Review Act enables Congress to oversee regulatory agencies by rejecting rules that it considers excessive or inappropriate. But like other reforms, it could be a waste of political effort if specific steps are not taken soon to strengthen its effectiveness.
The act became law without partisan wrangling, which no doubt stems from its origin as an unanimous Senate substitute to the Regulatory Transition Act. President Clinton signed the CRA into law in March 1996 but later expressed regret at having done so. The law does not reduce agency authority in any manner. It does, however, delay implementation of agency actions for sixty days. If a member of Congress objects to a rule, he can send it to the appropriate committee for consideration with no amendments. If the committee does not vote on the rule, thirty members can have it brought to the floor for a vote. Moreover, the CRA requires agencies to report both to Congress and the General Accounting Office whenever they take final actions, providing them with all the relevant information necessary to decide whether an agency action makes sense or is an instance of governmental overreach. Even if Congress disapproves a rule, the president can veto the measure. As with any other bill, the CRA requires a two-thirds majority to override the presidential veto.
A number of agencies, including the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Transportation, and Health and Human Services already have violated the laws requirements. For example, the DOT refused to conduct a cost-benefit analysis when it issued a new light-truck standard that will have a wide-ranging impact on the economy. The HHS set an effective date for a regulation within the sixty day period when actions are supposed to be delayed. Without strict agency compliance, Congress will be unable to consider and reject rules it finds unreasonable. As Chairman McIntosh of the House Oversight Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs says,
Our subcommittee has begun an oversight investigation of the administrations implementation of the act, which has revealed troubling instances where agencies have attempted to evade key provisions of the law. We will be vigilant in ensuring that agencies fully comply with the law.
That resolve is critical to the acts success, but more is necessarythe leadership must take this law seriously.
The 105th Congress could set up an internal mechanism, such as a joint House-Senate committee, to track agency rulemaking, monitor agency compliance, and steer potential disapproval of agency action through the legislative process. If Congress establishes such a committee, agencies likely would learn to adjust their behavior and comply with the law. They probably would write fewer regulations and make them more reasonable, flexible, and cost-effective in order to avoid disapproval. Moreover, a joint House-Senate committee might help shore the political backbone of Congress in tackling complicated issues. If no mechanism is set up to deal with this time-consuming and specialized process, however, the CRA likely will prove a disappointing example of regulatory process legislation.
Regulatory Flexibility
The Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980 was designed to minimize the burden of regulation on small businesses. The act requires agencies to conduct a regulatory flexibility analysis of the impact of the proposed rule on "small entities." But agencies have been able to escape the analysis requirement simply by certifying that the proposed rule will not have a "significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities." As one Department of Labor official noted, however, this certification merely requires agencies to fill out another form:
We routinely certified [that] proposed rules would have no significant impact on a substantial number of small entities without a second thought. We didnt even bother to decide internally what constituted a small entity, or what significant meant either. But I think [SBREFA] will have a significant impact because of judicial review. Weve had a lot of meetings on it.
SBREFA amended the Regulatory Flexibility Act in four ways. First, the amendments established judicial review, the lack of which had led to disregard for the act. Businesses can now challenge an agency in court for failure to comply with the law. Second, the amendments attempt to plug the acts loopholes by more clearly defining terms such as "small entity." Third, the amendments require that if an agency certifies that its proposed rule has no significant impact on small businesses, it must state in writing the factual basis for its finding. And fourth, if an agency does not certify that there is no significant impact, then it must conduct both an initial flexibility analysis and a final flexibility analysis. The agency must provide a description of what has been done to minimize the impact of the regulation and an explanation of why it did not do more.
SBREFA is not a silver bullet and does not ensure intelligent rulemaking. At least, however, it requires the agencies to grapple with the consequences of their regulations, which could foster a change in agency culture. At most, it will give small enterprises a tool to bring agencies to court over some of their more ill-conceived regulatory plans.
Plain English Guide
Small businesses complain that they are unable to understand the highly technical regulations written in bureaucratese, forcing them to employ expensive consultants or to guess at the regulations meaning. SBREFAs Subtitle A tries to correct that problem by requiring federal agencies to publish "small entity compliance guides" whenever they issue regulations that must be easy to understand. Those guides will be made available to the public and distributed to small businesses through a variety of means.
The act wisely does not define exactly what plain English entails, since that would be impossible. It leaves to courts the task of deciding in disputes if the guides are intelligible. The act also allows agencies to contract out to private organizations to produce the guides, thereby increasing the probability of creating a useful guide for the average person without relieving the agencies of the responsibility of what they say.
If an agency fails in that duty, a small business can use the agencys failure as a defense in actions against it. Thus, the provision serves two important purposes. First, it forces agencies to acknowledge the likely effects of their regulations and to communicate that information in a way that can be easily understood by reporters, policy institutions, and the public at large. And second, the law has a built-in mechanism that gives small businesses an opportunity to escape punishment until the regulating agency itself is in compliance, which greatly encourages agency compliance.
Regulatory Ombudsman
Another chronic problem for small businesses is navigating the bureaucratic maze of federal regulatory agencies. When small businesses make inquiries of regulators, they are often ignored, given vague or unhelpful answers, or routed through an agency without ever being directed to the appropriate person. In enforcement actions against owners, regulators can be equally difficult to deal with. For small business owners who can be held legally liable for the consequences of failing to comply with a regulation, the situation is intolerable and increases incidences of noncompliance.
Subtitle B of the act rectifies that problem by creating the Small Business and Agriculture Regulatory Enforcement Ombudsman at the Small Business Administration. The concept is based on the idea that you get what you measure. Enforcement agencies and their personnel have a vested interest in levying fines for noncompliance. They ostensibly show by that measure that their agency is actively protecting the public. The goal of the ombudsman is to invert the measure and, consequently, the behavior of agencies. Thus, rather than being rewarded merely for fines, agencies will be rewarded for how "nice" they are.
One of the ombudsmans primary duties is to report annually to Congress on how well the agencies treat small businesses. The ombudsman also coordinates with the Regional Small Business Regulatory Fairness Boards that SBREFA created to assess the performance of the various agencies in working with small businesses. Those boards will report to the ombudsman instances of excessive enforcement actions. In essence, the ombudsman and the regional boards will act as watchdogs on enforcement agencies, which will encourage the agencies to adopt a business friendly attitude.
Cost Recovery for Excessive Agency Demands
Small businesses are particularly susceptible to the strong-arm tactics used by some unethical enforcement officials. Those agency officials, with enormous resources and armies of government lawyers at their disposal, often seek excessive restitution for alleged regulatory violations in order to secure an admission of guilt in exchange for a less onerous penalty. Small business owners, whose first priority is to meet weekly paychecks, often cannot withstand such tactics.
SBREFA amends the Equal Access to Justice Act by allowing small businesses to recover costs in civil and administrative proceedings when the court determines that an agencys demands or threatened penalties are excessive compared to the final disposition of the case. If an agency loses a case and if the judge finds the agencys demands for restitution on the business to be excessive compared to the outcome, the business may recover up to all of its legal costs from the agency. If an enterprise loses a case but the judge finds the agencys demands excessive, the enterprise can recover part of its legal costs, limited to $125 per hour for attorney fees.
It is unclear at this point what constitutes the agency action that is being evaluated. Representative Henry Hyde (R-Ill.) believes that the governments final demand, usually lower than its initial one, should be used as the benchmark to judge whether a demand is excessive. Bond thinks the worst offer should be the benchmark, or agencies will still be able to intimidate enterprises and drive up their legal bills.
The effort that went into process reform in the 104th Congress is disproportionate to the returns. Hundreds of organizations formed coalitions, such as Project Relief and the Alliance for Reasonable Regulation, spending thousands of hours pushing contentious reform legislation. Yet the successes of the Congress occurred quietly with bipartisan support. Virtually every contentious reform died in the Senate, and most of them were so watered down before they were shelved that it is highly doubtful that they would have been of any real benefit.
The contrast between those laws and substantive process reform is stark. Whereas the watered down regulatory reform bills pushed in the Senate would have done little to rein in runaway bureaucracies, the passage of legislation that affects the underlying laws in the areas of telecommunications, agriculture, drinking water, clean air, and food-quality protection likely will have a significant impact on the kind of restrictions imposed on businesses and the public. That is not to suggest that all of those laws went as far as they should have or that some provisions did not worsen the regulatory environment. But those laws will significantly change the status quo for good or bad, and mostly for the good.
Similarly, some of the most significant failures in the last Congress centered on its inability to enact various substantive reforms. For instance, although Superfund wastes billions of dollars annually and is grossly unfair to those caught in its liability web, the leadership failed to put in the necessary effort and resources to enact fundamental change. Now, during the 105th Congress, proposals for reforming Superfund are anemic compared with those proposed by the 104th Congress.
Some of the regulatory process reforms passed in the 104th Congress were definitely worthwhile. The most powerful reforms expanded the ability of the regulated community to check the power of the agencies regulating them. The key to those reforms is judicial review. For instance, SBREFA provisions on cost recovery and plain English guides provide small businesses with rights they can enforce in court.
Other process reforms also may be significant, but it is too early to tell. Those reforms were bipartisan and rely heavily on congressional oversight as the mechanism to ensure they have the intended impact. While oversight can be a valuable tool for exposing executive branch abuses and pressuring agencies to correct their behavior, it provides a less systematic and reliable outcome than laws enforced by judicial review. Indeed, the benefit of the Regulatory Accounting Act is that it does not require continuous oversight but rather short-term, focused oversight. By the same token, the Paperwork Reduction Act and SBREFAs Congressional Review Act may prove beneficial. Past experience with laws such as the Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980, however, indicates that more than simple reliance on traditional oversight is neededthe culture of the agencies needs to change.
For process reform, it will require the House and Senate leadership to invest heavily in oversight activities by giving those committees more latitude, authority, and support. For instance, unless the leadership commits to creating the right internal support structure through the creation of a joint House-Senate review committee, the Congressional Review Act likely will be a paper tiger instead of the valuable tool it otherwise promises to be.
Many reformers are too optimistic in believing that process reforms are the silver bullet that will slay the regulatory beast. The regulatory juggernaut cannot be curbed without changing the underlying statutes that grant agencies power. But process reforms that provide the regulated community with the ability to defend itself in a court of law and those that systematically pressure agencies to change are small steps in the right direction.
John Shanahan is vice president and counsel of the Alexis de Tocqueville Institution in Arlington, Virginia.
Regulation is published four times a year by the Cato Institute. Editorial and business offices are located at 1000 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C., 20001. For subscription information, please write to Circulation Department, Cato Institute, same address, or call (202) 842-0200. Send email inquiries to email@example.com, or subscribe online via the World Wide Web at: http://www.cato.org/pubs/regulation/reg-ordr.html
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31 mars 2011
Record for Any Paul Gauguin Print Sold at Auction Established Today at Sotheby's
Paul Gauguin (1848 - 1903), Crouching Tahitian woman seen from the back (Field 75). LONDON.- This morning at Sotheby's in London , ten prints by Paul Gauguin from the Collection of Stanley J. Seeger, sold for £1.54 million ($2.47 million), almost four times the pre-sale low estimate for the group. A new auction record for a print by Paul Gauguin was achieved when Crouching Tahitian Woman Seen From The Back sold for £577,250 ($924,466), over three times the estimate (£180,000-220,000). The traced monotype, or 'printed drawing', was... [Lire la suite]


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Continue with
Destination > Municipality > Beijing > Forbidden City
The Forbidden City, or the Palace Museum, is the palace of Ming and Qing emperors. Now it has been the world's largest museum with millions of rare cultural relics.
It's easy to get to. Visitors can take subway Line 1 and get off at Tian'anmen East Station, walk about 900 meters to the south gate.
40 Yuan in Off Peak Season (Nov to Mar).
60 Yuan in Peak Season (Apr to Oct).
Now you can book it online. No need to queue up to buy ticket now.
Opening Time
Only close in Monday.


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Minimum requirements:
- Swiss or EU nationality;
- Valid EASA (ATPL frozen) IFR licence;
- A minimum 500 hours on multi crew aircraft;
- A minimum 500 hours on type;
- A minimum 100 hours on type within preceding last 12 months;
- A minimum 1500 total hours from age 30.
- Valid EASA Class 1 medical certificate;
- English Language Fluency minimum Level 4;
- Maximum Age limit is 35 years old.
Email the below mentioned documents to:
- Application Form;
- Motivation Letter;
- Copy of your licence;
- Copy of your Class 1 Medical certificate;
- Copy of your passport.
For the Assessment you are required to bring all originals documents mentioned in the Application Form along with hard copies and soft copies saved on a usb stick.
Please take duly note that we will reply only to applications fulfilling the above requirements and selected candidates to an interview.
If you are interested in this job fill the form and APPLY HERE
As a sign of your professionalism, apply only when you comply with all the requirements and if you have or can obtain a work permit that allows you to be employed in this country.
You'll also be interested in other Aviation Jobs


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- OrgLot151_PGE130-70
- Item
- 1918?
Photograph of Kendall station, Springwater Division, on 82nd Street. Viewed from between two railroad tracks, the small wooden station building with "Kendall" sign is next to a road and a large transmission line. The name "Geo. Smith Grocer" is written on the side of the larger building.


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About Us
Tracs is a strategic sports marketing firm committed to creating healthy lifestyle experiences — both locally and around the world — that provide a meaningful connection between individuals, organizations, and health.
United States
- Akron, OH
- Albuquerque, NM
- Atlanta, GA
- Austin, TX
- Baltimore, MD
- Boston, MA
- Buffalo, NY
- Burlington, VT
- Charlotte, NC
- Chicago, IL
- Dallas, TX
- Denver, CO
- Detroit, MI
- East Hampton, NY
- El Paso, TX
- Eugene, OR
- Ft. Lauderdale, FL
- Hamilton, MA
- Honolulu, HI
- Hopkinton, MA
- Houston, TX
- Indianapolis, IN
- Jamestown, RI
- Las Vegas, NV
- Lincoln, RI
- Los Angeles, CA
- Louisville, KY
- Miami, FL
- Minneapolis, MN
- Narragansett, RI
- Nashville, TN
- New Orleans, LA
- New York, NY
- Newport, RI
- Oceanport, NJ
- Orlando, FL
- Philadelphia, PA
- Phoenix, AZ
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Princeton, NJ
- Providence, RI
- Purchase, NY
- Raleigh, NC
- Sacramento, CA
- Saint Louis, MI
- Salt Lake City, UT
- San Antonio, TX
- San Diego, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- San Jose, CA
- Santa Fe, NM
- Seattle, WA
- Tampa, FL
- Waterfront, NJ
- Warwick, RI
- Washington, D.C.
- Wickford, RI
- Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.
- Barcelona, Spain
- Berlin, Germany
- Biella, Italy
- Cape Town, S. Africa
- Dublin, Ireland
- Dubai, U.A.E.
- Eldoret, Kenya
- Franciacorta, Italy
- Göteborg, Sweden
- Hong Kong, China
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Montréal, Canada
- München, Germany
- Nairobi, Kenya
- Seoul, Korea
- Seville, Spain
- Singapore, Singapore
- Stockholm, Sweden
- Stuttgart, Germany
- Sydney, Australia
- Tokyo, Japan
- Toronto, Canada
- Vancouver, Canada
- Vienna, Austria
For over 30 years, we've been challenging ourselves to design, build, and manage exceptional branded engagements that remain true to our partners, the sport, and the environment while consistently delivering results for everyone involved.
Love What You Do
Whether it's designing the perfect plan to make the impossible happen, making a timely introduction, or helping someone get to the starting line on time, a passion for what we do is what truly sets us apart.
And to help us to accomplish those things, we rely on a few guiding principles:
Be True
We strive to assure that a feeling of authenticity permeates everything that we do. Be true to your partners, true to the sport, true to the environment, and true to yourself.
Start with a Game Plan
A strong strategy always begins with listening — with thoroughly understanding the details of the task and the needs of those involved. Once a goal has been established, set a path to an incredible outcome by leveraging knowledge and experience and by making every decision a crucial one.
Make the Connection
In every challenge there lies an opportunity. Approach each assignment creatively, always looking for new possibilities and the chance to forge the relationships that make a difference.
Every Detail Matters
No matter the arena, when your aim is to be the best, every single detail is important. Ensure that all aspects of our services are meticulously planned and implemented to produce the best possible result.
Meet the Tracs Team
Fred Treseler
President & CEO
Favorite Tracs experience:
"In my time with Tracs, the stunt skydivers during the opening ceremony of the IDF 5K in Dubai and being part of the team that was able to salvage the event in the Berlin Olympic Stadium from a last minute micro-burst are definitely stand-out memories."
What Fred truly enjoys is coaching young people in the areas of sports and business that he has dedicated his life to, but when he's not leading the Tracs team, Fred enjoys spending his time gardening and reading.
Maggie Nesgos
Favorite Tracs experience:
"I really enjoyed helping out with SIBOS event, I was able to see the Tracs Team in action first hand. The participants at the event were thrilled with their 5K experience!"
Maggie is an avid reader and a yoga enthusiast who loves trail runs with her dog and spending time with family and friends.
Greg Lutz
Director of Operations & New Business Development
Favorite Tracs experience:
Being on the Madison Square Garden floor at the Milrose Games and watching our ideas come to life. It was incredible to see the reactions from the fans, kids, and professional athletes to the Fastest Kid in New York. It was very gratifying to see something that we discussed over a conference table become one of the highlights at the oldest indoor Track & Field event.
Greg likes to stay active. Even on vacations Greg and his family/friends usually find a half marathon to do (his favorite so far has been Cuxhaven, German). When he is staying local you can usually find Greg at Crossfit, playing some sort of sport, going to Patriots games with his better half Kristen, or trying to entertain their dog Kona.
Alyssa Laiacona
Graphic Designer & Web Developer
Favorite Tracs experience:
"I loved the 5K@ADA event in New Orleans. We were right along the Mississippi River and it was a hot and humid morning, but everyone who participated had nothing but smiles and good things to say. The best part was when the fountains near the Audubon Aquarium were turned on. Runners and walkers were jumping and playing in the fountains like children, and it was great energy all around. It was even better getting to connect with those same people hours later in the Exhibit Hall and talk about their results and photos."
Alyssa is a passionate ice cream lover. In her spare time, she loves trying new ice cream flavors from the best Boston locations. When she's not watching Game of Thrones, she can be found recruiting teammates for a night of trivia.
Freddie Treseler
Senior Account Manager
Favorite Tracs experience:
"Building out the Megabowl in Zabeel Park in Dubai and working with vendors from Nepal, India, Pakistan, and the United Arab Emirates was a multicultural experience I will not forget."
Freddie is the definition of non-stop. If he's not working on a Tracs project or coaching with Emerging Elites, you might find him ice climbing, hiking anywhere from New Hampshire to Switzerland or cooking up a Mediterranean inspired meal.
Marita Treseler
Favorite Tracs experience:
"I've really enjoyed going on site visits around the world in preparation for Tracs events."
There's a good chance that if Marita isn't working on a Tracs project, she's taking in all that Cape Cod has to offer: the beach, nature walks, and, of course, sailing.
Kelliann Humphrey
Account Coordinator
Favorite Tracs experience:
"I've traveled to projects in Chicago, New York and Washington, D.C. and each Tracs event has taught me so much- I can't wait for our next one!"
Hailing from western Massachusetts, Kelliann is an avid soccer player and an adventurous baker- her oatmeal apple crisp is an office favorite. She has a well curated selection of scarves.
Mairead O'Driscoll
Favorite Tracs experience:
"Some of my favorite event experiences so far have been meeting people from all over the world. It's amazing to see how one event can bring people from all different backgrounds and cultures together. It's interesting to hear some of the participants stories about how exercise has changed their lives and what they are doing to promote a healthier lifestyle. Working with the Spotters Network for the Boston Marathon was also one of my most memorable moments since being at TRACS. It was incredible to see the elite athletes compete in one of the most historic marathons in the world."
Mairead joined the team in January 2016 from Ireland. She currently resides in Abu Dhabi, UAE where she teaches physical education in a private school. Mairead can be found on most weekends playing Gaelic football and traveling the gulf region.
Olivia Beinlich
Favorite Tracs experience:
"Seeing my hard work and data analysis be complied into extraordinary reports and presented to clients' top leaders has been so rewarding and exciting."
In her free time, Olivia enjoys practicing yoga, cheering on the Boston College Eagles, and spending time outdoors in her home state of Minnesota.
Michael Griffin
Favorite Tracs experience:
"The Tracs event in Montreal. Having the experience of traveling outside of the country for the company was very exciting. It was also the first event in which I had a significant role in the planning, being responsible for securing a Canadian Mounted Police officer to attend the event. The Canadian Mounted Police officer arrived, took pictures with the participants and even had the opportunity to hold the finishers break tape for the winner.
I was able to see what hard work and determination was able to accomplish. That was an experience I will never forget."
In his free time, Michael is an avid sports enthusiast, playing basketball and softball and also consistently watching and following his favorite sports teams. He is also an antique aficionado, an avid reader of mystery novels and a travel lover.
Kelly Treseler
Favorite Tracs experience:
Kelly served as a Tracs intern from the Spring of 2006 through 2008. Kelly developed to a full-time associate on the Tracs team while pursuing an advance degree in Higher Education Administration from the Lynch Graduate School of Education at Boston College.
She is currently the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs at Regis and pursuing her Doctorate in Higher Education from UMass Boston. She serves as a consultant on Tracs events and travels across the U.S. with the Tracs team.
Barrett Wingard
Favorite Tracs experience:
"My favorite experience thus far would have to be traveling to New Orleans for the 5K@ADA event. The energy and atmosphere in the heart of New Orleans and the sun rising right along the Mississippi River was an incredible experience! The event was great too, because the volunteers and I would cheer on the runners and walkers as they came through the course towards Jackson Square. Generally, my favorite experience during events definitely is being able to interact with the participants, like I did at the 5K@ADA in New Orleans."
Barrett enjoys staying active. No matter if he is playing volleyball at the local sand courts or basketball at the gym, he is typically doing something sporty. You can also find Barrett frequently biking around the Greater Boston area or trying out new cooking recipes. At the end of the day, Barrett most enjoys spending time with friends and family around a campfire.
Lisa Chazanovitz
Favorite Tracs experience:
"Standing at the finish line of the Boston Marathon in 2007 and photographing the winners: Robert K. Cheriuyot for his third title and Lidiya Grigoryeva."
Lisa enjoys going to all types of sporting events, especially Patriots games! She had the opportunity to attend the 2016 Rio Olympics and hopes to be able to go to future Games as well.
Russ Brennen
Favorite Tracs experience:
"Coaching the Boston Running Club with Coach Treseler. Specifically, The USATF Club Nationals at Franklin Park, which was an extremely cold day. Coach Treseler covered all the bases in taking care of our athletes and the athletes from FILA Track West, which included the only heated tent and all of the beef stew you could eat! My entire experience has been amazing, we have worked with some great athletes and I continue to learn so much about the sport of running from Coach Treseler."
Outside of Tracs, Russ's focus is his family, which is a non-stop adventure. When he is not with them, you can find Russ coaching cross-country and track & field at Babson College.
Bryan Dunn
Favorite Tracs experience:
"Living with the athletes as they trained and prepared for the Boston Marathon in the John Hancock Conference Center. As a runner myself, it was amazing to be around the world's elite as they prepped for one of the biggest races of their lives. Being able to represent the city of Boston as well as the United States and help them with that preparation was a once in a lifetime opportunity."
Bryan currently teaches and coaches at a local high school and is in the process of earning his doctorate from Northeastern University. He also spends time playing music and directing improv. When not doing that, he is spending time with his wife, Kate, their son Jude and a baby girl on the way soon!
James Weider
Favorite Tracs experience:
"Coaching and racing against one of the emerging elite athletes in the 800m at a New Balance Twilight Meet... I think I won."
James currently works for EvoText, a start-up educational software company, as a QA/Web Engineer. When he isn't coaching track or coding the newest education software, you can find him running and training with the New Balance Boston Running Club Team.


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Teen idols and frenzied females
I saw a documentary this morning on Trio called "The Scream Heard 'round the World" about a phenemenon that amuses the hell out of me--teen idols and the hysteria they induce in their female fans. I've said before that I think that the frantic screaming and wailing that followed the Beatles and their ilk all the way up to N'Sync is just so much sexual repression finally finding an outlet. The whole thing reminds me of a watered-down Bacchanalia with Paul or Justin or whatever filling the role of Bacchus for these teenage girls, and that impression was strengthened hearing these teenage idols all grown up and reflecting on the past and the fear that if they let the hoardes of girls at them they would be ripped from limb to limb. I doubt anyone was in real danger of that happening, but there is a precedent of sorts, so I guess you never know.
The whole thing would be merely amusing to me if it was just a matter of a bunch of girls finding a socially sanctioned space to blow off a little sexual steam in a culture that denies that they even have such steamy feelings. But of course it's not. The interviews with Maurice Starr and Lou Pearlman, the managers of New Kids on the Block and N'Sync, destroyed any illusions one might have that this is an innocent phenemenon. Pearlman in particular seems hellbent on mining the childish fantasies of teenage girls and turning them into a formula he can feed back to them over and over again until he dies a fat, bloated millionaire. I'm afraid that the cyclical nature of these things has thwarted him for the time being, but I wouldn't be surprised if he manages to jump on the bandwagon again in the future.
The whole thing did cause me to wander off and think about the nature of these teenage fantasies. I can see why someone like Pearlman would see the whole thing in reductionist terms--the things that all teen idols from the Beatles until now have in common are pretty easy to figure out from a quick perusal. Get some young, pretty boys together and write them some song with over-the-top lyrics glorifying the charms of a female love object in such general terms than any girl can project herself into the role of the object, and there you go. A lifetime of crushing disappointment when you find out that no one is willing to compromise his/her pride that much on your behalf is all ready to go.
Is that why these young girls feel compelled to embarrass themselves by screaming and crying? Is it a sort of compensation, a way of telling the boy that is prostrate before them in their fantasy worlds that they return the feeling? The more I think about it, the likelier that seems to be the case. Boy bands really do fit into the chivalrous mode, with the songs about begging for affection a precursor to the ritual of proposal-engagement-wedding where a young man defers to his bride by asking her for marriage on one knee and in exchange he gets an elaborate ceremony where she is delivered to him by her father.
I think more than anything, the lack of ambition in the fantasy the teen idols provides is what saddens me. In the interviews with adult women who were swooning teenage girls once, they repeatedly said that they dreamed night and day that they would one day be Mrs. Paul McCartney, David Cassidy, whatever. There's a naked honesty in that fantasy, and it shows that girls are still absorbing the cultural message that a woman's value is measured only in relation to men.


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Conditions InDepth: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
by Amy Scholten, MPH
OCD is an anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and/or repetitive behaviors (compulsions). People with OCD feel they cannot control these obsessions and compulsions. Repetitive behaviors, such as hand washing, counting, hoarding, touching objects, seeking reassurance, making lists, checking, or cleaning, are often performed in the hopes of reducing anxiety or anxiety-provoking obsessions. However, performing these so-called rituals provides only temporary relief. Left untreated, the obsessions and compulsions can take over a person's life. OCD is often a chronic, relapsing illness.
The cause of OCD is not known. It is believed to develop from genetic, biologic, environmental, and psychological factors.
OCD may be associated with other disorders, including:
Additional disorders that may accompany OCD include depression, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and other anxiety disorders.
According to the Obsessive Compulsive Foundation, 1 in 50 Americans has OCD during the course of a given year. The first symptoms of OCD often begin during childhood, adolescence, or early adulthood.
About OCD. International OCD Foundation website. Available at: https://iocdf.org/about-ocd. Accessed January 13, 2017.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dyname.... Updated June 13, 2016. Accessed January 13, 2017.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). National Institute of Mental Health website. Available at: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd/index.shtml. Updated January 2016. Accessed January 13, 2017.
Last reviewed December 2016 by Adrian Preda, MD
Last Updated: 10/11/2019
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