Wednesday, March 30, 2005A survey carried out by BBC Wales has revealed that the contents of a school meal in Wales cost on average just £0.49 per pupil. Average spending on meal ingredients varied slightly from council to council; with the Cardiff City council spending just £0.40 on each meal, whilst Powys council lavished £0.69 per pupil.
The survey follows a recent surge in media coverage of the eating habits of teenagers and children in the UK. Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver recently embarked on a campaign to improve food standards and raise awareness in schools. In response to his campaign the government has promised to spend an additional £280 million over three years on school food in England.
The survey covered twenty councils throughout Wales.
Owning a swimming pool has notable advantages. One is you can reduce cost of having to go to resort every time you feel the need to take a dip. Enjoying summer can be done right on your property. That saves a lot of gas and inconvenience. However, as much as you want to save cost not having to travel to resorts, the cost of building a pool can also be high. While there are cheap above ground swimming pools, most swimming pool constructions run several thousands of dollars.
Building even a simple above ground pool can be part of your major expenditures. Pool building involves purchase of materials and payment for pool construction services. Once the pool is already constructed, maintenance costs get into the picture. Be prepared for all the spending once you decide to install a swimming pool in your backyard. Generally, you will spend more for in-ground swimming pools than for above ground pools. The cost of building above ground pools is the lowest. If you want to save money in constructing a pool, opt for above ground pool installations. Above ground pool sets are available at pool supplies provider. There is probably one in your town. If not, look online. Set-up kits can range from around $400 to $4,000 depending on the type of above ground pool and size. But that cost is for the pool alone. Adding of decks, slides, and ladders can drive the overall cost up. Also, cheap above ground swimming pools are not built to last. The materials can deteriorate in more or less 5 years. Those who don’t like the limited features offered by above ground pools but cannot afford standard in-ground pools may opt for vinyl-lined pools. The cheapest pool with vinyl liner costs less than twenty thousand dollars. Of course, a deck would increase overall construction cost. Vinyl-lined pools feel like above-ground pools but have the structure of an in-ground pool. However, the vinyl liners can last only up to 7 years. More expensive installations come as fiberglass pools. These in-ground pools are easy to install and maintain, but the cost of building can climb to $40,000. Unlike above ground pools, fiberglass in-ground pools require a few days due to excavation work. Those who can afford high quality swimming pools may opt for concrete in-ground pools, which is the most expensive type. The cost of building concrete swimming pools run up to $50,000. The cost of materials for this type of pool is much higher than the cost of materials for making other types of pools. However, the high price is paid off by high quality. Concrete in-ground pools have materials that last for a few decades, not just years. Unlike above ground pools, in-ground pools take more time to build and require more expensive materials. In-ground pool construction is a huge task, which in most cases is accomplished only by professional pool builders. Properly constructed in-ground swimming pools can last a long time to provide years and years of swimming and bathing experience. The problem is not all people can afford expensive swimming pools. Moreover, not all want pools that stand permanently. If you are unsure whether you want a pool for a long time, consider installing an above ground pool.
All the big names, thought to have a chance of winning the Tour, appeared to be in the peloton. This includes injured teammates Alexandre Vinokourov and Andreas Klöden.
Óscar Freire of Spain withdrew ahead of today’s stage with back problems.
What you are about to read is an American life as lived by renowned author Edmund White. His life has been a crossroads, the fulcrum of high-brow Classicism and low-brow Brett Easton Ellisism. It is not for the faint. He has been the toast of the literary elite in New York, London and Paris, befriending artistic luminaries such as Salman Rushdie and Sir Ian McKellen while writing about a family where he was jealous his sister was having sex with his father as he fought off his mother’s amorous pursuit.
The fact is, Edmund White exists. His life exists. To the casual reader, they may find it disquieting that someone like his father existed in 1950’s America and that White’s work is the progeny of his intimate effort to understand his own experience.
Wikinews reporter David Shankbone understood that an interview with Edmund White, who is professor of creative writing at Princeton University, who wrote the seminal biography of Jean Genet, and who no longer can keep track of how many sex partners he has encountered, meant nothing would be off limits. Nothing was. Late in the interview they were joined by his partner Michael Caroll, who discussed White’s enduring feud with influential writer and activist Larry Kramer.
Egyptian army soldiers monitor protests over the weekend. Image: Ramy Raoof.
The president of Egypt has suffered a “devastating blow” after the country’s army announced they would not use force against their own people, who continue to protest against the government tonight. The news came hours after six journalists who reported on the protests were released from custody.
Hosni Mubarak yesterday announced a new cabinet, which does not include several figures who protesters largely do not approve of. Analysts have, however, suggested little had changed within the government; many positions, they say, are filled with military figures.
To the great people of Egypt, your armed forces, acknowledging the legitimate rights of the people … have not and will not use force against the Egyptian people.
In a statement broadcast on state media in Egypt, the army said: “To the great people of Egypt, your armed forces, acknowledging the legitimate rights of the people … have not and will not use force against the Egyptian people.” A BBC correspondent in Cairo said the announcement meant it “now seems increasingly likely that the 30-year rule of Mr Mubarak is drawing to a close.”
“The presence of the army in the streets is for your sake and to ensure your safety and wellbeing. The armed forces will not resort to use of force against our great people,” the statement added. “Your armed forces, who are aware of the legitimacy of your demands and are keen to assume their responsibility in protecting the nation and the citizens, affirms that freedom of expression through peaceful means is guaranteed to everybody.”
Earlier today, six journalists from the independent news network Al-Jazeera were released from custody after being detained by police. The U.S. State Department criticized the arrests; equipment was reportedly confiscated from the journalists.
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Egyptian officials yesterday ordered the satellite channel to stop broadcasting in the country. Al-Jazeera said they were “appalled” by the government’s decision to close its Egyptian offices, which they described as the “latest attack by the Egyptian regime to strike at its freedom to report independently on the unprecedented events in Egypt.”
In a statement, the news agency added: “Al-Jazeera sees this as an act designed to stifle and repress the freedom of reporting by the network and its journalists. In this time of deep turmoil and unrest in Egyptian society it is imperative that voices from all sides be heard; the closing of our bureau by the Egyptian government is aimed at censoring and silencing the voices of the Egyptian people.”
On Friday, Wikinews reported the government had shut off practically all Internet traffic both out of and into the nation, as well as disrupting cellphone usage. A spokesperson for the social networking website Facebook said “limiting Internet access for millions of people is a matter of concern for the global community.”
Protesters in Tahrir Square on Sunday. Image: Mona.
A reported 50,000 campaigners, who are demanding the long-time leader step down and complaining of poverty, corruption, and oppression, filled Tahrir Square in Cairo today, chanting “We will stay until the coward leaves.” It is thought 100 people have so far died in the demonstrations. Today there have been protests in Suez, Mansoura, Damanhour, and Alexandria.
Speaking to news media in the area, many protesters said the new cabinet did little to quell their anger. “We want a complete change of government, with a civilian authority,” one said. Another added: “This is not a new government. This is the same regime—this is the same bluff. [Mubarak] has been bluffing us for 30 years.”
In Tahrir Square today, protesters played music as strings of barbed wire and army tanks stood nearby. Demonstrators scaled light poles, hanging Egyptian flags and calling for an end to Mubarak’s rule. “One poster featured Mubarak’s face plastered with a Hitler mustache, a sign of the deep resentment toward the 82-year-old leader they blame for widespread poverty, inflation and official indifference and brutality during his 30 years in power,” one journalist in the square reported this evening.
Getting benefits for Social Security disability is a tricky situation to navigate for many people. For starters, it can be confusing to even figure out if you qualify for any benefits and if it’s worth the hassle to apply and go through the claims process. There are just so many applications, deadlines, and cutoff dates you need to be aware of, and managing all of that on top of your disability is overwhelming to say the least. The best way to find out if you qualify for these benefits is to consult with a lawyer.
How a Lawyer Can Help
Speaking with a lawyer instantly gives you a better chance of being successful in your case. Not only can your lawyer inform you of whether or not you’re qualified, but they also tell you what the best way is to proceed with your case. A lawyer has the knowledge and experience necessary to properly file and win your disability claim. Plus, your lawyer can guide you through the whole process until you reach a verdict on your claim.
What to Expect
If you decide to utilize their services and go through with your claim, your lawyer starts by noting the nature of your disability. Understanding your injury and overall financial and home situation allows your lawyer to approximate what kind of benefits you may get and how much you are entitled to receive. Then, you both work together to fill out your applications and take note of any important deadlines and dates in your hearing. Since the application process in Missouri is what takes the most time and can be the most confusing part of the whole claim, your lawyer works closely with you to ensure you complete them in a way that’s correct and less likely to be denied.
Are you looking for help with your Social Security disability claim? Contact Grundy Disability Group in Missouri at https://grundydisabilitygroup.com/. Like us on our facebook page.
Tuesday, March 29, 2005A team of Australian surgeons yesterday reattached both hands and one foot to 10-year-old Perth boy, Terry Vo, after a brick wall which collapsed during a game of basketball fell on him, severing the limbs. The wall gave way while Terry performed a slam-dunk, during a game at a friend’s birthday party.
The boy was today awake and smiling, still in some pain but in good spirits and expected to make a full recovery, according to plastic surgeon, Mr Robert Love.
“What we have is parts that are very much alive so the reattached limbs are certainly pink, well perfused and are indeed moving,” Mr Love told reporters today.
“The fact that he is moving his fingers, and of course when he wakes up he will move both fingers and toes, is not a surprise,” Mr Love had said yesterday.
“The question is more the sensory return that he will get in the hand itself and the fine movements he will have in the fingers and the toes, and that will come with time, hopefully. We will assess that over the next 18 months to two years.
“I’m sure that he’ll enjoy a game of basketball in the future.”
The weight and force of the collapse, and the sharp brick edges, resulted in the three limbs being cut through about 7cm above the wrists and ankle.
Terry’s father Tan said of his only child, the injuries were terrible, “I was scared to look at him, a horrible thing.”
The hands and foot were placed in an ice-filled Esky and rushed to hospital with the boy, where three teams of medical experts were assembled, and he was given a blood transfusion after experiencing massive blood loss. Eight hours of complex micro-surgery on Saturday night were followed by a further two hours of skin grafts yesterday.
“What he will lose because it was such a large zone of traumatised skin and muscle and so on, he will lose some of the skin so he’ll certainly require lots of further surgery regardless of whether the skin survives,” said Mr Love said today.
The boy was kept unconscious under anaesthetic between the two procedures. In an interview yesterday, Mr Love explained why:
“He could have actually been woken up the next day. Because we were intending to take him back to theatre for a second look, to look at the traumatised skin flaps, to close more of his wounds and to do split skin grafting, it was felt the best thing to do would be to keep him stable and to keep him anaesthetised.”
Professor Wayne Morrison, director of the respected Bernard O’Brien Institute of Microsurgery and head of plastic and hand surgery at Melbourne’s St Vincent’s Hospital, said he believed the operation to be a world first.
Victoria, and husband Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland lead the procession around Stockholm after marrying SaturdayImage: Prolineserver (Wikimedia Commons).
Sweden’s first royal wedding since 1976 took place Saturday when Crown Princess Victoria, 32, married her long-time boyfriend and former personal trainer, Daniel Westling, 36. The ceremony took place at Stockholm Cathedral.
Over 1,200 guests, including many rulers, politicians, royals and other dignitaries from across the world, attended the wedding, which cost an estimated 20 million Swedish kronor. Victoria wore a wedding dress with five-metre long train designed by Pär Engsheden. She wore the same crown that her mother, Queen Silvia, wore on her wedding day 34 years previously, also on June 19. Victoria’s father, King Carl XVI Gustaf, walked Victoria down the aisle, which was deemed untraditional by many. In Sweden, the bride and groom usually walk down the aisle together, emphasising the country’s views on equality. Victoria met with Daniel half-way to the altar, where they exchanged brief kisses, and, to the sounds of the wedding march, made their way to the the silver altar. She was followed by ten bridesmaids. The couple both had tears in their eyes as they said their vows, and apart from fumbling when they exchanged rings, the ceremony went smoothly.
Following the ceremony, the couple headed a fast-paced procession through central Stockholm on a horse-drawn carriage, flanked by police and security. Up to 500,000 people are thought to have lined the streets. They then boarded the Vasaorden, the same royal barge Victoria’s parents used in their wedding, and traveled through Stockholm’s waters, accompanied by flyover of 18 fighter jets near the end of the procession. A wedding banquet followed in the in the Hall of State of the Royal Palace.
Controversy has surrounded the engagement and wedding between the Crown Princess and Westling, a “commoner”. Victoria met Westling as she was recovering from bulemia in 2002. He owned a chain of gymnasiums and was brought in to help bring Victoria back to full health. Westling was raised in a middle-class family in Ockelbo, in central Sweden. His father managed a social services centre, and his mother worked in a post office. When the relationship was made public, Westling was mocked as an outsider and the king was reportedly horrified at the thought of his daughter marrying a “commoner”, even though he did so when he married Silvia. Last year, Westling underwent transplant surgery for a congenital kidney disorder. The Swedish public have been assured that he will be able to have children and that his illness will not be passed on to his offspring.
Westling underwent years of training to prepare for his new role in the royal family, including lessons in etiquette, elocution, and multi-lingual small talk; and a makeover that saw his hair being cropped short, and his plain-looking glasses and clothes being replaced by designer-wear.
Upon marrying the Crown Princess, Westling took his wife’s ducal title and is granted the style “His Royal Highness”. He is now known as HRH Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland. He also has his own coat-of-arms and monogram. When Victoria assumes the throne and becomes Queen, Daniel will not become King, but assume a supportive role, similar to that of Prince Phillip, the husband of the United Kingdom’s Queen Elizabeth II.
Astronauts receive a call from the Pope Image: NASA.The International Space Station Image: NASA.
Pope Benedict XVI spoke with astronauts aboard the International Space Station yesterday, marking the first time a pope has conversed with astronauts in orbit.
Organized by the European Space Agency (ESA), the call originated from the Vatican Library at 7:11 am Eastern time. German ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter, president of the Italian Space Agency Enrico Saggese, and General Giuseppe Bernardis of the Italian Air Force were also in the room at the Vatican. Aboard the spacecraft were Italian, U.S., and Russian crew members of the Endeavour STS-134 mission and Expedition 27.
Endeavour commander and U.S. astronaut Mark Kelly greeted His Holiness aboard the spacecraft. The Pope wished Kelly’s wife, Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, well as she recovers from an assassination attempt that took place in January. Doctors inserted a hard plastic implant, or a bone flap, into Giffords’s skull last Wednesday. The Pope also asked of the astronauts’ impressions of the planet from space.
“We fly over most of the world and we don’t see borders, but at the same time we realize that people fight with each other and there is a lot of violence in this world,” Kelly said. The Pope sent his condolences to Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli, whose mother died earlier this month while he was in space.
Home movers are very helpful to homeowners since they make the residential moving process stress-free and less challenging. When you settle on the right movers, you stand a chance to benefit from their services. It is always good to undertake a background check on the company and its credentials. This will possibly make it easy for you to shortlist some of the companies before settling on any. Here are the tips for finding professional and credible companies for Commercial Moving in Macon GA.
Follow the Track Record of the Company
Any professional company dealing in commercial moving in Macon GA should have a good reputation. Ask them about commercial service packages, customer satisfaction, safety records, and liability insurance. If the company does not cooperate well in such a conversation, then it shows that it is not worthy of your job.
The Package System
A reputable moving company will offer you various services including the project and inventory management. Others include loading, relocation planning, packing, unloading, moving, storage, contingency planning, tracking of goods, re-assembly, and certification. The company will always keep you informed on the different processes involved in the relocation process. In fact, most-moving companies know different transit stages and this helps to offer great assurance of a timely move.
Scope of Service and Quotes of the Company
A reputable company will take every initiative to understand the moving needs for their clients so as to tailor-make a right package which caters for specific requirements of the clients. Therefore, it is wise to communicate in prior the level of which you want these movers to handle your moving especially if you are working on a limited or tight budget. This might help you get the right quote which is based on the scope of the offered service. Always get the price estimates from different moving companies, even if it takes you to visit the website or visiting the company in person. This will help you in finding the quality services that will satisfy your requirements. Always insist on a written agreement be it in a binding or non-binding prices. You can Visit website for more information.
