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Re: Brits Set To Justify Iraq War
Originally Posted by FredC
Of course it does, I was referring to origin for our American friends.
Originally Posted by zapper
Utter ridiculous…A human body is a human body no matter where it is born… Yes, rugby a little different game.. But we wear helmets which would crush your ribs and knock you unconscious. You may be my guest
Originally Posted by zapper
to come out to the local high school here and play a little foot ball with out "body armor" as you call it..I'd give you about 2 minutes… Especially if pummeled by a 300+ pound slab of meat…
Originally Posted by FredC
Surely Norman French.
Originally Posted by darkboong
Which illustrates how mind-numbingly stupid the game has become. Take away the armour and you have a faster game, more skill and less injury.
If I was gonna play against people with armour I would wear armour too, that's common sense. I still think it's a stupid idea to use armour because I believe that players put too much faith in it and consequently they are more likely to suffer from serious injuries. As it happens I have actually played *Rugby* against a 250lb slab of American Football meat, he had a good 70lb advantage on me too. He was propping against me because a *real* prop would have broken the kid in the first scrum. Fair play to him, propping is a *really* difficult and dangerous part of the game, so I took a lot of the pressure off him and he didn't get hurt. When it came to tackling (surely he had to be good at that, right ?) he sucked. He was too afraid to commit because he wasn't in armour, he did that pattercake thing that American Footballers do, and he got hurt every damn time. When he got tackled he tensed up (probably the lack or armour thing) and he got hurt every damn time, the kid was board-stiff when I ripped his legs out from underneath him. I have no idea if Rugby players find the transition to American Football any easier. From my perspective I think I would find the specialisation and the heavy reliance on set-piece play frustrating. Rugby at it's best involves all 15 players kicking, passing, tackling and improvising. This year's Six Nations turned out a cracking France v Wales match, some *very* committed tackling going on there and some fantastic mix of direct running and skills too. I would be interested to know which match Limerickman would recommend, I'll bet it's the one where Ireland denied an English Grand Slam. |
Originally Posted by limerickman
I thought France V Wales was superb.
The Ireland/England games were not genuine matches. OK, I'll always take a win against England on a rugby pitch but an England side without Jonny, Hill, Greenwood, Vickery, Johnson ? England and France are the teams to beat in Europe. |
Originally Posted by limerickman
Union as a game is very very tough.
Those props are tough as teak. Wouldn't fancy having a go at Pierre Dospital/Pascal Ondart/Graham Price/ Fran Cotton, not to mention a Sean Fitzpatrick or Os DuRandt in the modern era. |
Originally Posted by darkboong
I dunno, I rate the Welsh very highly at the moment. That said I think the French have the best player of the moment in the shape of Yashvilli. He has a very complete game and an even-tempered head on his shoulders. I was a bit disappointed that Laharrague didn't get more time to settle in and didn't get more ball when he was on the pitch. I don't think he got enough credit really, he put in a lot of hard graft and set up some lovely moves.
Wasn't there some South African player who used to practice by tackling Wildebeest ? I'm thinking it might have been Joust van der Westhuizen (sp?), that guy was awesome. IIRC he played 80 minutes on smashed up knee ligaments. Having tried that for a mere 45 minutes I can tell you that it's no picnic, although it turned out that I had a cracked kneecap as well. :P |
Originally Posted by limerickman
So ?
Rugby is played without padding. Of course if someone has a helmet and runs in to someone with no protection they will do damage. I'd like to see your overweight 300lb slob play rugby. Wouldn't last 2 minutes, i reckon. |
Originally Posted by darkboong
Bah. The Normans were quite definitely not French. IIRC they were descended from a bunch of Vikings that took Normandy off the French. That is why there was a few hundred years of war between the French and the English after the Normans took England. They were trying to keep the turf they had plundered from the French in the first place.
Originally Posted by FredC
Ecoute moi Msr Bong, I've wrote some jolly nice things about you, and all I get is Bah. BTW It's Pah in French, nice round P now. It's generally known as the Norman Invasion all over the world, and they all spoke French. Now don't start getting pedantic with me. Can you prove conclusively that you have a direct male line to Guillaume Gros Veneur and his crew certified by the House of Heraldry. I lived in Normandy and Bretagne for years, and I never came across a person with the name Bong.
Originally Posted by Colorado Ryder
Naas Botha, Ronan O'Gara and many other rugby players are wanted in the NFL. But only as kickers or punters. They don't have the speed to be competitive at other positions. I do not doubt the toughness of rugby players though.
Originally Posted by darkboong
How much speed do you need ? IIRC Lomu weighed ~250lbs and ran sub-12 100m and while that was exceptional when he was in his prime, there are plenty of big wingers out there who run at that pace. Hell there have even been Scrumhalves (17 year old Welsh kid) that ran sub-12s !
AFAIK Naas Botha was well past his prime by the time American Football latched onto him. When SA returned to international Rugby he was primarily on the pitch for his prodigious boot and his experience, not his fitness or speed. On the other hand O'Gara is playing very well, and he will almost certainly run *any* American Football player into the ground over 80 minutes of hard graft. Place kicking for an NFL team would be a horrible waste of his talent. Gavin Hastings was another who place kicked in the NFL, he was well past his prime too. Just a nice earner to ease retirement (Rugby Union was strictly amateur back in those days). |
Originally Posted by darkboong
When it came to tackling (surely he had to be good at that, right ?) he sucked. He was too afraid to commit because he wasn't in armour, he did that pattercake thing that American Footballers do, and he got hurt every damn time. When he got tackled he tensed up (probably the lack or armour thing) and he got hurt every damn time, the kid was board-stiff when I ripped his legs out from underneath him. ... |
Originally Posted by Colorado Ryder
300 lb lineman in the NFL can beat those times. In the
Originally Posted by Colorado Ryder
NFL a players speed in the 40yd dash is crucial. 4.1-4.3 is the standard in the NFL. If the rugby guys could compete for other positions then the NFL would have them other than kickers and punters.


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The contest is for children from Bledsoe, Bradley, Hamilton, McMinn, Meigs, Monroe, Polk and Rhea counties to present a 3-5 minute "how-to" speech in a variety of areas.
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Fifth-grade Food Science: Callie Ledwell, Hopewell Elementary, first place.
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Sixth-grade Animal Science – Goats: Taylor Ruth, Ocoee Middle, second place.
Sixth through eighth-grade Companion Dog: Dallas Taynor, Lake Forest Middle, first place.
For more information about the 4-H Program in Bradley County, contact Lynne Middleton at 423-728-7001 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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"The harder you work, the luckier you get." by Gary Player
Below is the poem entitled Boon which was written by poet POETESS DARKLY. Please feel free to comment on this poem. However, please remember, PoetrySoup is a place of encouragement and growth.
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A chanting echo haunts A winking moonlight taunts Cracks in time like aged rock, Countenance downward begot. Midnight dark, obscurity bespelling, Concealing wispy shadows dwelling. Beguiling, her luminescent eyes Dancing among frenzied fireflies Hypnotized by a crimson moon, Bloodying the Stonehenge rune. A fog creeps like enchantments arose, Chains of magical mystique enclose. Twirling a nymphed serene, Nude under the moon Selene Supplications to the four elemental A barren bewitching sentinel. Come hither powers that be, Set forth a solemn decree. Of the north, south, east, west, Unfruitful loins be blessed Endow thus body an offering token, Let a wretched curse be broken. Beneath the crimson serpent moon, Beseeching but a solitary boon. Under the bespangled starlight, Upon this alchemized night. Grant a wee bairn unto I, Blessed so mote be nigh.


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Thu, Aug 4, 11 at 13:57
I've found a vintage ditty I like. The audio is good but the video is really bad. I've no idea as to how to find rare vintage audio on a audio down load site, especially since I don't know the name of the ditty or the artist.
Is there something similar to a 'mute' that stops the video but lets the audio resume? |
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I don't know of a way but if it were me I would just record it while I played it. Windows sound recorder would work or you could go for something more full-featured like Audacity. |
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Sat, Sep 26, 09 at 14:46
To the person asking about omega crystal. I was searching for Omega thread made in mexico and came across this site "wwwcreativeyarnsource.com" it has many threads and yarns made by omega. Check it out, I am sure you will be pleased.
Jonibeen |
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The latest version of Adobe Flash Player is required to watch this video. Please click on the link below to download the latest version. Thanks!
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told the National Automobile Dealers Association Wednesday that 478,000 of the nearly 700,00 car vouchers for the Cash for Clunkers program have been paid. That amounts to about 70 percent of the cars sold under the program.
The amount of the paid vouchers rounds out to about $2.5 billion.
Cash for Clunkers, or CARS, allowed car buyers to qualify for incentives of up to $4,500 to trade in their old car for a new vehicle.
Dealers across the country complained about not getting their reimbursements on time. But LaHood was grateful to the dealers for "hanging in there and being patient."
He told dealers that the government was "stunned" when 250,000 vehicles were sold in the first four days, giving the program instant success.
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Over in the Gallery, Anj...told how she obtained such a great finish on her Halloween Sign.
She base painted the wood black, rubbed it with wax and then went over it all with grey/gray, then sanded. What a wonder look! Curious: Anyone ever try this and what was the results? I am going to try it on some wood blocks I am making for the Halloween Bazaar, but I will need to seal my wood after the aging is done and before I add my vinyl words and boots, bats, etc. Thanks Anj... for the great tip!!!!!!! Belle |
Follow-Up Postings:
Thank John Sliney! =D Those were his instructions in one of his books! He said just use a candle! I had some cheap white emergency candles laying around and they work great! You can get a whole box of em for $1 at the dollar store! Good luck Belle!! Hope it works for you. Of course you can use any colors over the black paint or vice versa....if you want to paint say red or orange on the bottom and then black on top it would look pretty cool I think!! ~Anj |
Belle, While the look you are ending up with using this technique gives you an aged look, it's called using a "resist" to either keep the paint from "sticking" to the surface or makes it easier to remove a single different colored layer of paint in selected areas. I'd recommend you seal over the last layer after you've removed the selected areas of paint. Then decorate. John Sliney designed some nice folk art designs. Using a resist is an old technique that can be used with several different mediums. Silk dyes, watercolors or acrylics. For instance. Have fun with it! Lynda |
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That is BEYOND beautiful! Thank you for sharing. :) Makes me proud to have a cutting. Carolyn |
Wow, it's a smashing beauty! Are the leaves as large as they appear to be in the photographs? Shirley |
- Posted by greedyghost 4 (My Page) on Tue, Aug 24, 10 at 16:49
Oh dear. That is an excellent choice. I could go on and on about the details I am loving. Your pictures were so thrilling. I hope everyone provides as much backstory with their selections. My favorite hoya is in Minneapolis still, but I'll post a picture this weekend! I felt tempted to start a thread entitled: Most unfavorite hoya!!!! but I'm afraid they'd hear us talking about them and infect our favorites with mealybugs. B/c that's how the problem hoyas roll. |
David, that's a beautiful hoya! Congrats! The scent sounds appealing to the nose! Why is it that some of the most remarkable flowers (moonflowers, Epi. oxypetalum, passifloras, etc.) only last a short while? BTW, the mindorensis you sent me is blooming :) . Brad AKA Moonwolf |
- Posted by dmichael619 8a (My Page) on Tue, Aug 24, 10 at 17:04
- Posted by theplanthoarder 6 (My Page) on Tue, Aug 24, 10 at 20:34
Beautiful Lambii. I was lucky enough to get one from Joni before the wishlist on her site went away. Mine is already putting out a vine and some leaves. I can't wait for it to bloom. |
David, Those flowers are beautiful, though I still think the leaves outshine the flowers. I've been lusting after this one for many, many years and finally got a cutting from Iris Marie Liddle this year. It's rooted and I think I see a teeny-tiny new leaf emerging. I'm very excited to see it grow. And I'm so happy to hear the leaves are variable. Those are the ones that pique my interest the most... I guess I was unaware that the leaves tend to form a funnel - that's very interesting! I'll really enjoy watching this one grow! Denise in Omaha |
I read somwhere that ants are attracted lambii. Has this been an issue for you? lisa |
I think that everyone who has a chance to get this species should, there is little doubt that it will be a favorite of all that grow it. My plant has only been flowering for a couple of years at most but it flowers often, check out how long the peduncle is where the old blooms have been shed. Lisa ants are known to build nests in the debris that collects in the leaf funnels in nature but they are not a problem in cultivation. Just like some epiphytic ferns and orchids that leaves appear to be engineered to collect spent blooms, falling leaves and other organic debris so that the plant can put aerial roots into the moist nutrient rich environment the decaying debris creates. Hoya imbricata also houses ants under it's leaves as do some Dischidia species which have specially developed hollow leaves complete with small entrance holes for the ants. Mike |
I have a cutting of lambii now! I'm very excited! It is gorgeous. It's currently in my terrarium, for the extra humidity, and I hit the leaves with water daily. Do you find this slow to root, or fast? I have a spot picked out for it already, but it won't be leaving the terrarium until it seems solidly established, with good new growth. I also got paulshirleyi recently. It has beautiful leaves, but it arrived a bit dehydrated. Anyone else growing this? Are the leaves on the thinner side, or more substantial? Right now it feels a bit papery. They're not dried out, just thin. |
That's one gorgeous hoya!! |
Quinn, I put my lambii in my rooting aquarium and it just sat there for two weeks - no roots. I had it with a bag of sphagnum moss on the end of it, my favorite way to root most Hoyas. Well, when most of the others had rooted and lambii was still rootless, I took it out of the aquarium, put it in a pot of soil and set it on my back deck in the shade, to soak up the heat and humidity, and within a week it felt firmly rooted and had fattened back up. I found this interesting because it's usually my aquarium that helps them fatten back up from a bit (or more!) of dehydration. Denise in Omaha |
- Posted by dmichael619 8a (My Page) on Wed, Aug 25, 10 at 19:28
Lisa even growing my hoyas in a gh which is open at least 7 1/2 months out of the year I don't have a problem with ants getting into my hoyas,or haven't thus far anyway. I do however have an issue with those little tiny black sugar ants getting on the hoya flowers when they open to sip the nectar but they don't set up camp in any of the pots or baskets!!! Quinn lambii seems to take a little longer to root than most other hoyas and I root it like I do all my other hoyas in potting mix. The leaves will tend to go flat like all the air has been sucked out of them for a while. You'll know when it has rooted because the leaves will inflate again!!! By having my lambii outside most of the year it does get some leaf debris from the wild persimmons caught in the funnels and the plant does send out roots into that debris but i've never noticed ants in it. david |
So far, it looks good. It seems to be starting to send out aerial roots, and the leaves are still in good shape. I have been cheating a little bit, and put rooting gel on it before potting it. It does seem to speed things along, in my opinion. I've been potting exclusively in coco husk chips lately. I just love how its leaves have this big round shape, and then that sharp point at the tip. And I never knew it was fuzzy on the back until I got it. I think it's been a week, so I'm encouraged by the fact that it hasn't dehydrated in that time. It was a really fresh cutting, it almost looked like it just happened and never went through the mail. Your pics and Mike's pics are what finally convinced me I needed this one! |
Does anyone could give the link for the site of Iris Liddle, I've trying to search at google but did not find it. Thank you |
- Posted by marleneann Qld Aust (My Page) on Sat, Oct 16, 10 at 18:18
Stunning! |
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14, Number 13 |
cultureAlso in this section: El Valle mural
Internet sites
Biofuels and high food prices http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080704/ts_afp/ climateenvironmentbiofuelsworldbankusbritain Food prices have gone way up everywhere and the World Bank is blaming the conversion of food crops to fuel crops for most of the problem. This about the bank's report that was not released to the public to avoid embarrassing the government of the United States. China's media control games ahead of the Beijing Olympics, as reported by Human Rights Watch. The crackdown on what may be shown about the realities of the Peoples Republic of China is in gross violation of promises that were made in order for China to get the Olympics in Beijing in the first place. Fruta
Prohibida --- Las Plumas Negras
Panama recently signed on to the US - Mexican - Central American Merida Initiative, also sometimes known as "Plan Mexico." The Torrijos administration avoids talking about what this means. This special report from the Narco News shows one of the reasons why. Unite
for Change organizes for Obama
That part of the American labor movement that's actually organizing workers into unions goes into the communities where its members live to change the political, social and economic paradigms. Also in this section: El Valle mural
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and Marsha Neff
On May 2, we published a guest editorial in these pages entitled J.C. Penney wont you please come home (and collect your tax credits). We proposed that J. C. Penney return to downtown Winona where they had a store from 1924 to 1970. We suggested that they buy the beautiful but vacant Beck Building at 109 E. 3rd St, and take advantage of the generous state and federal tax credits for rehabilitating historic buildings.
People have asked us if we got any response from J. C. Penney. None. Meanwhile, the corporate management was busy rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic with new marketing schemes. Unfortunately, the ship continues to flounder. The company just reported a 27 percent revenue loss for the third quarter, even worse than expected by Wall Street analysts. Penneys stock has lost 40 percent of its value since January.
Wouldnt it be great if the company, just as an experiment, took a Main Street approach and came back downtown. A little thinking outside of the (big) box might actually strengthen the company. For good reason, Winonans have long valued their J.C. Penney store. We hope that it survives and thrives in the future, wherever it may be.


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Because Discipline, Focus and Excellence are NOT OPTIONAL…
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Do you have the mindset- the mental toughness to reach your peak potential? Success doesn't end with the right attitude; but it certainly starts there.
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No matter where you're starting from, you can achieve peak performance when you THINK Like a BLACK BELT. Jim knows because he's lived it…he speaks authentically from his inspirational transformation from dropout and drug abuser to Black Belt and successful entrepreneur. Poverty, layoffs, failure, suicide, near homelessness and crippling self-doubt…all part of Jim's experience. He pulls no punches; he teaches you how to strap on your belt and get in the fight – and perform to the peak of your abilities and potential.
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Central Maine Community College
Recent Speaking Credits…
Boston Banking Executives Networking Group
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Joe Hyatt
Vice-President Human Resources, Oakhurst Dairy


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Ventriculostomy/ICP question
0Jan 25, '03 by RNforLongTime, BSNIn our 30 bed combined Trauma/Neuro/Surgical/Cardiovascular/Cardiac ICU, we are having a bit of a dilemma as to where to level the transducer on our ICP drainage set. We use the Codman system. I was taught by my preceptor that it's levelled to the tip of the ear. I've read in several different areas that it should be levelled to the tragus of the ear and another reference said it should be levelled to the outer canthus of the eye. Which is correct? I know that it DOESN'T get leveled to the phlebostatic axis where we level the transducers for our Swans and Art lines yet some RN's in our unit have done that and then called the MD when the readings were off! Thanks for your help!
0Jan 25, '03 by rstewartThis is a good question......of course I define a good question as one which has puzzled me in the past or present. lol Actually, there is more than one correct answer or I should say there are several different reference points/external landmarks in the literature for proper icp monitoring/transducer leveling.
I would certainly check your facility's policy and procedure manual first. If the matter is addressed, I would use that. If not, perhaps you and some others might work to write a policy. If you are doing ICP monitoring, you need one.
What has worked for me is to ask the neurosurgeon at what level he or she desires the transducer. Then I clearly/prominently document the position where the measurements are to be obtained.
This serves 2 purposes: If the surgeon is a stickler for specific landmarks for different catheter tip positions, you will know it. Secondly, you will achieve consistancy in your readings between nurses which is extremely important yet apparently lacking at present.
As noted above, if specified I would definitely use the facility's written policy. If you are asked by the surgeon to deviate from that policy, I would write that as an order---in turn the order should be transcribed to the Kardex/computerized patient profile or the like to insure accurate communication between nurses.
Probably not the concrete answer that you were looking for, but it has worked for me. I do think the generic answer is between the top of the ear and the corner of the eye. -
0Feb 10, '03 by RNforLongTime, BSNOur policy states to level to the external audotory meatus of the ear. So, that's what I've been doing. Now our CNS states that it should be levelled to the tragus. Are they the same thing?
0Mar 11, '03 by RNforLongTime, BSNWell, one of the new neurosurgeons wants us to level a ventric. to the pinna of the ear. Hmmm...wish they'd make up their minds!!!!!!
0Apr 8, '03 by New CCU RNI know nothing about neuro!!!! But I just wanted to say, what a combo of ICU's.... are you trained in all aspects?
0Apr 9, '03 by passing thruDon't they try to make something simple complicated ? Since they came out with the first intracranial/intraventricular monitoring devices and transducers , it has always been the tragus.
I love neuro ICU. What a challenge ! Keeping the intraventricular pressures within the narrow ranges
prescribed. Gave lots of IVP meds in that unit !


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Rockingham Park and Salem officials could testify before a state commission studying casino regulations this week.
The Gaming Regulatory Oversight Authority will hold a public hearing Thursday in Concord, as it works toward a Dec. 15 deadline for issuing recommendations to the Legislature.
"We are going to be there," Rockingham Park president and general manager Ed Callahan said yesterday.
The track's message to the authority will be that 41 states have regulations and some type of gambling commission, most of which have been successful, Callahan said.
"The key to all this is finding regulations that work somewhere and adapt them to New Hampshire's revised statutes," he said.
Whether a casino in New Hampshire is regulated under the existing Lottery Commission or a new gambling commission, Callahan said, he doesn't see a problem with it.
The biggest challenge for the authority at this point, he said, is devising regulations without knowing exactly what type of casino the Legislature would approve.
Salem Selectmen's Chairman Everett McBride Jr. planned to bring up the hearing at last night's selectmen's meeting.
"I'd think we should have somebody there," McBride said.
Callahan said he's sure authority members by now are well aware that Rockingham Park and the town are ready to host a casino, should the state choose to authorize one.
Salem residents supported casino gaming by a 4-1 margin in a nonbinding referendum at Town Meeting.
Rockingham Park officials have said they are prepared to bid for a casino license.
Las Vegas-based Millenium Gaming Inc., which has an option to buy the track, has plans for a $600 million-plus casino development, including a hotel, that would create an estimated 3,000 construction and gaming jobs.
The Senate, with Gov. Maggie Hassan's support, this year passed legislation that would have let the state award a single casino license by competitive bid.
But the House later rejected the casino plan. One reason lawmakers cited was concern the state didn't have a regulatory mechanism in place.
Some lawmakers complained the plan favored Rockingham Park as the location, while others wanted more than one venue.
Sen. Lou D'Allesandro, D-Manchester, intends to sponsor a casino bill for the upcoming session.
"We will be trying to address the oversight concern that everybody had," D'Allesandro said.
His bill also would let the state, in time, license a second casino, D'Allesandro said.
That would respond to concerns among lawmakers that the state would create a monopoly situation with just one casino, he said.
Hassan supported the casino plan last session because it called for just one casino.
D'Allesandro said he hasn't spoken with the governor about this revision, but is willing to do so and explain why a second venue is important for legislative support.
He also expects to check in soon with his casino co-sponsors, Sen. Jim Rausch, R-Derry, who has supported having a casino to generate funding for highway projects, and Sen. Chuck Morse, R-Salem.
Morse recently was elected president of the Senate.
"That helps," D'Allesandro said.
Casino gaming opponents intend to renew their opposition, but not at this week's hearing.
"We'll be there watching and listening," said Henry Veilleux, a lobbyist for Granite State Coalition Against Expanded Gambling.
Taking a position on casino regulation is premature, he said, because the Legislature had rejected it.
"The coalition continues to oppose the introduction of casino-style gambling in New Hampshire," Veilleux said.
The coalition will continue to lobby the House to oppose casino gaming, he said.
The House rejected casino gambling for many more reasons than just regulatory worries, he said.
"It's the same Legislature," Veilleux said.
The authority's hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday in Rooms 210-211 of the Legislative Office Building, across the street from the Statehouse.


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There is msm benefit for a wide range of conditions.
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This article focuses on the benefit of msm for diabetes.
MSM is a form of dietary sulfur. Sulfur has many uses in the body, but in relation to diabetes, sulfur is part of insulin. And insulin is of course, intimately associated with blood sugar metabolism. Sulfur is also associated with the B vitamin, biotin. Biotin is involved with an enzyme used in the utilisation of glucose (glucokinase).
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URL: http://erf.desy.de/@@siteview
Breadcrumb Navigation
European Association of National Research Facilities
The European Association of National Research Facilities with open internationl access (ERF) has been initiated to promote cooperation between individual European national large-scale research facilities laboratories, for example supporting research with neutrons, lasers, synchrotron light, ions and particles. Among its' objectives are:
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Jean-Pierre Caminade, SOLEIL (Executive Secretary, ERF), email@example.com


text: Tuition, fees, room and board charges are increased annually by the approximate amount of increases in the cost of living, plus a reasonable amount for specific planned improvements in the educational opportunities to be provided during the year. Some courses also require a fee for specialized instruction, such as private lessons, transportation, equipment, and supplies. These charges are detailed in the annual supplement ("Calendar and University Costs"), which become a part of the catalog.


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Good morning Yankee fans, though I suppose it only will be if you didn't stay up to watch last night's debacle — a 7-3 loss to the Rangers.
Steve Feitl here for another entry during Jim's week off. And this one is an interesting one. Because it deals with the walking, talking, fist-pumping hot button issue that is Joba Chamberlain. Everyone else in the sports media has had their opportunity to weigh in on the hard-throwing righty. Guess this is my chance.
Given it was his first start after injury and it started awfully late thanks to your average May hail storm, it's not all that fair to draw conclusions based on this start. But that surely won't stop the "Joba To The Pen" crowd from using a 4-inning, 4-hit, 4-walk, 3-run outing as ammunition. And you know what that means: A full day of sports talk radio devoted to where Joba belongs. I didn't realize radio had reruns.
Like I said, I not drawing any conclusions of f this start, given the extenuating circumstances, but I do think that it's good that Joba is getting to face some adversity. Stud starters face these kind of challenges all season.
Unfortunately for the Yankees, Joba didn't exactly pass his test Tuesday.
HERO OF THE GAME: How about Mark Teixeira who continues to prove he's no bust with a solo homer to start the Yankees' initial scoring.
ANTIHERO OF THE GAME: Yup, that's Joba.
CAUSE FOR HOPE: Hideki Matsui, who came through with a couple hits, a run scored and a RBI.
CAUSE FOR CONCERN: That bullpen combo of Alfredo Aceves and Phil Coke combined to allow four runs. For those keeping score at home, the Yankees lost by exactly four runs.


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How does one unsubscribe from this forum and or site ?
Printable View
How does one unsubscribe from this forum and or site ?
An administrator has been notified and will take action for you
To many ads, very cluttered site to navigate, not much useful content for me as a Disney fan. Why is there not an option somewhere or can someone please point me in the right direction as i cant find an unsubscribe option anywhere. Im sure this is a well loved site, its just not for me is all.
I don't understand your problem. If you do not enjoy this site and/or find it useful, then why do you keep visiting and posting?
Unlike newsgroups and mailing lists, you don't "subscribe" to a message board as a whole. Unless you are talking about individual threads on a message board, those you can subscribe too...
Maybe this is spam?
No its not SPAM i just want to unregister is all. Someone please help me instead of posting more usless posts. Geeeez this is what im talking about. 4 or 5 posts now that cant answer a simple question. Id simply like to know how to unregister is all. Thank you
Sorry for the confusion, Rockeater. The admin has been notified and will take care of your request shortly.
LOL, no prob. Thank you vey much. See ya at the parks !!!
Technically, there is nothing to "unregister" for. If you no longer wish to be a member of the site, you obviously can choose not to return. if there is some compelling reason you wish to be removed from the database and member system, please email me directly at email@example.com and let me know.
Thank you.
I can believe ANYONE would ever want to leave here!!!!!!! This is the Happiest site on earth!
Has anyone noticed that the poster only has 4 posts and all 4 of them were in this thread.
Me thinks he should have never posted in the first place!! :rolleyes:


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Paul (Abraham) Dukas
French Born 01 Oct 1865 Died 17 May 1935Paul Dukas turned to composition at the age of 13 as a way out of the grind of piano practice. Discovering a natural aptitude, he attended the Paris Conservatoire at age 16 and was entered for the Prix de Rome repeatedly. After failing to win the prestigious award, he took military service, after which he went back to composition. His first major work was the Wagnerian overture Polyeucte , which also displayed the influence of his idol César Franck. Following parallel careers as critic, orchestrator and editor of works of composers such as Jean-Philippe Rameau left Dukas little time for composition, but he completed a Symphony in C in 1897, the same year as his most famous piece.
L'Apprenti Sorcier (The Sorceror's Apprentice) was subtitled "...a symphonic scherzo after a ballad of Goethe", but the macabre jollity of the piece brings to mind none of the Teutonic gravitas one associates with the author of Faust. A great influence upon Stravinsky and Debussy, it is now widely known for its use in the Disney film Fantasia, and forms the crux of Dukas' reputation.
As Dukas aged, he became more exacting of his efforts. It took the best efforts of his friends to persuade him not to destroy certain works of his, and for long stretches he wrote virtually nothing. However, that which remains is of undeniable quality, using novel harmonies and modes such as the whole-tone scale. A liking for intellectual constructs blended with characteristically French lightness of touch influenced many other composers in the early part of the 20th century.
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text: BANKER UPDATE: COMPREHENSIVE DEPOSIT INSURANCE REFORM PACKAGE UNVEILED Spencer Bachus of Alabama is the chairman of the Financial Institutions subcommittee of the powerful House Financial Services Committee. Like Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) of the Senate Banking Committee, Chairman Bachus has been on point in developing comprehensive deposit insurance reform legislation. In a news conference on Thursday morning, Chairman Bachus-with the full support of the full committee's chairman, Mike Oxley (R-OH)-put down his marker. And it is very good indeed. His proposal provides for balanced, comprehensive deposit insurance reform. The bill will be introduced in the next two weeks. Subcommittee markup is scheduled for March, with full committee markup in April. Chairman Oxley is according this bill his highest priority. A quick review of some facts before describing the bill's outline. Deposit insurance levels have not been increased since 1980, with inflation eroding the value of this product that is key to ongoing consumer confidence in our financial system. Existing law is rigid and pro-cyclical. If an arbitrary 1.25% reserve ratio is breached, premiums are automatically triggered that, under the worst of times, could lead to premiums of $.23 per $100 in deposits and further exacerbate a downturn in the industry and the economy. The failure of federal deposit coverage levels to keep pace with inflation over the last 20 years has adversely affected core deposits at community banks, impacting their liquidity and funding positions and making it more difficult for them to meet loan demand. The market share of too-big-to-fail banks offering de facto 100% coverage has continued apace, and the biggest of the bigs has exploited the current system by offering $1,000,000 in coverage to Salomon Smith Barney account holders. The free riders haven't paid a nickel in premiums. The Bachus proposals will be controversial. Chairman Greenspan, for one, has put his marker in the sand, saying that federal deposit insurance levels should not be increased or indexed-that the FDIC "subsidy" should not be increased, thus allowing FDIC coverage to continue to erode. The Bachus Bill The bill increases the basic amount of coverage to $130,000-slightly below the level it would be if the 1974 coverage level of $40,000 had been indexed for inflation. The $130,000 would be indexed for inflation going forward. Again, this amount (we had been pushing for $200,000) tries to accommodate opposition to any increase. Coverage for IRA, Keogh and 401(k) plan deposits would be double the basic coverage, or $260,000. The bill increases municipal deposit insurance protection for each bank in an aggregate amount up to the bank's total equity capital. The 1.25% reserve ratio is changed to a range of 1.00-1.50% and the possible trigger of $.23 premiums is eliminated. There will be small, steady premiums that will be offset for many banks by assessment credits and rebates. The bill is on a very fast track in this key House committee. Deposit insurance reform isn't a partisan issue. The administration's position is very close to the Greenspan position, and we commend Chairman Bachus and Chairman Oxley for their decision to recognize the needs of savers and consumers by strengthening the FDIC and its crucial federal deposit insurance product. Chairman Bachus, in speaking about the regulators' negative position, indicated that yes, they have their points of view, but this is the people's House and this compromise proposal is good for the people and consumers. |


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A native of Huntsville, Texas, Ms. Oliphint attended TSU with dreams of becoming a teacher. But the allure of performing on the big stage, along with a requirement for university teachers to have performance experience, pushed her to futher her education in music. So she earned her master's degree in vocal performance from Indiana University and later returned to TSU to lead the Opera Workshop. As director, Ms. Oliphint taught students who later gained entrance to Yale University and Julliard.
The operatic soprano worked all over the United States and Europe, including performances at the major opera houses of Germany, Fance, Switzerland and Italy. During the height of segregation in the United States, her likeness was featured on a postage stamp in Germany, where she studied and performed for nearly a decade. Ms. Oliphint is the recipient of numerous grants for study in Europe, including the Martha Baird Rockefeller Grant and the Fulbright Fellowship for study in Germany and the G. Verdi Plaque from the Verdi Foundation. She has represented the State of Indiana's opera houses and singers before the U.S. Senate Sub-committee hearings on the re-authorization of the Arts and Humanities act. A former professor at Grambling, Fisk and Indiana Universities, she is now professor emeriti of voice and opera at TSU. She shares her wealth of knowledge, 51 years of experience and wisdom through master classes in music.


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LG Display announces plans to invest $657 million in OLED plant
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Looking for a new job can be a miserable experience: Presentation and poise are essential to giving a successful interview, especially when you're competing against other qualified candidates. Use Interview Questions Pro for iOS to polish your answers and organize your thoughts before sitting down with a prospective employer could very well provide you with the edge you need to stand out from the crowd.
The app assists job hunters in organizing their thoughts and preparing for any imaginable interview scenario. Interview Question Pro allows you to create question-specific flash cards and drills that will hone your interview skills to a razor sharp edge.
Designed by HR professionals, the app comes packed full of pre-written questions covering a multitude of situations that'll help ensure that you're never caught speechless in an interview again.
Also in this week's collection of tablet tips:
- Lifehacker discusses how to sync your thoughts from iOS to your Mac with Simplenote and Metanota
- TechLokal's got a few tips for Samsung Galaxy Note Users
- If you're in the market for a new tablet, Stepcase Lifehack explains why you might want to consider buying an Android device instead of an iPad
Be sure to check back next week for another collection of great tablet tips and tricks.


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California is a big state and a lifetime could be spent exploring its magnificent geography. This cover story presents an in-depth look at five distinctive wine districts. Any one of them can be enjoyed in the space of a long weekend, but all are worth a longer stay.
For the full article, check out the new issue of Wine Spectator, on newsstands May 14, 2008.
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A Date to the Mud Hole?! – Update – Reality Redneck Games
Update 8/29 – Went to the Reality Redneck Games – More video is posted at Metro I4 News
Find your boots or go buy some (like I did) and let's get ready to get muddy! I was out at Lakeland Motorsports Park Mud Hole with Mr. Man (if you follow me on twitter that's my bf) last week. Yeah, he took me there for a date. I surprisingly enjoyed it. Tomorrow, Saturday (9/29) the mud hole hosts the Reality Redneck games. It goes from Noon to Midnight. (keep reading to learn more)
Never been a mud pit? Of course I shot some video!


text: BIF RESERVE RATIO FALLS TO 1.24 PERCENT As a result of insured deposit growth, the reserve ratio of the Bank Insurance Fund has fallen to 1.24%, below the statutory minimum of 1.25%, FDIC Chairman Powell announced this week. The news significantly increases the odds that premiums will be assessed on BIF-insured deposits in 2003, but not on SAIF-insured deposits. The Savings Association Insurance Fund reserve ratio, at 1.36%, remains well above the 1.25% floor. Because the FDIC has already set premiums for the second half of 2002, the news will not change assessment rates for this year. BIF-insured deposits grew $75 billion in the first quarter of 2002, causing a two basis point drop in the reserve ratio. Two-thirds of the increase was due to a change in the way banks calculate and report insured deposits on the Call Report. The reporting change, which took effect with the March 31 Call Report, requires banks to use data readily available in their general ledgers or other records to better estimate their insured deposits. Previously, banks used a formula for estimating insured deposits that did not adjust for pass-through accounts that are reported as single accounts (such as pension plan deposits) or for multiple accounts owned by a single depositor that aggregate more than $100,000. Chairman Powell stressed that the current drop in the reserve ratio does not automatically mean an increase in premiums for 2003. The FDIC will not set premiums for the first half of 2003 until November. "Many things could happen between now and then to impact the reserve ratio," Powell said, citing deposit growth, reserves for expected losses, and additional bank failures as factors that impact the ratio. "At this time it is impossible to predict what will happen to any of these variables," Powell noted. But when the FDIC reviews the situation in November, "if the BIF is expected to remain below the statutory minimum of 1.25, then we have no choice under the current law: we will assess banks the amount necessary to get the fund back to the target," Powell stated. The BIF reserve ratio has been steadily declining over the last three years from its high point of 1.41%. This is the first time in seven years that the ratio has been below 1.25%. Passage of deposit insurance reform legislation would avoid the looming disparity between BIF and SAIF premiums. In addition, it would provide banks that have paid premiums in the past with assessment credits that would offset premiums for a number of years. Community bankers should continue to lobby their senators to pass a deposit insurance reform bill. Time is running short in this legislative year, and we need to capitalize on the decisive victory in the House, where deposit insurance reform passed overwhelmingly by a 408-18 vote. |


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This is a syndicated post from LifeSiteNews.com Latest Headlines. [Read the original article...]
by Kirsten Andersen WICHITA, January 23, 2013 (LifeSiteNews) – The abortion facility where infamous late-term abortionist George Tiller killed thousands of nearly full-term babies before he was fatally shot in 2009 is slated to reopen this spring, despite community efforts to stop it. The clinic, which has been closed… (182)


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Fri, Dec 9, 11 at 15:08
My sensors for my Craftsman door opener stopped showing any lights, so I replaced them. I have to hold the garage switch in to close the door. The sending beam in the new sensor worked for a minute or 2 while I wired up the receiver, then the sensor stopped lighting. I double checked the wiring to the sensor. Any suggestions? Thanks very much.
Dan |
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Release Date: Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Charleston, W.Va. - The University of Charleston Enactus team (formerly known as SIFE) will be holding a yard sale Saturday, April 26th at the parking garage on the University of Charleston campus.
At the end of the college school year, furniture and accessories from dorms and apartments are often left for trash as students move out, causing many usable items to end up in the landfill. To mitigate the environmental impact of this end of the year move, the University of Charleston Enactus team will collect "gently used" items for the yard sale. Other items will also be available.
The sale will take place from 9:00am – 1:00pm. In case of rain, the sale will take place inside the parking garage.
Enactus is an international non-profit organization working to bring together business leaders of today and tomorrow by encouraging students to make a difference in their communities while developing leadership skills. Enactus at the University of Charleston actively works to fulfill these goals through educational and outreach programs, often created to improve quality of life and standard of living for people in need. To learn more about Enactus, visit: www.enactus.org.
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Ellen Alberding 2014 City Club Speech Storytelling and Policy Change in the Digital Era
Philanthropy Needs to Do More to Back Research About Gun Violence Read Ellen Alberding's Op-Ed
Whitney Smith is the Joyce Foundation Employment Senior Program Director. She manages a $6.6 million annual grant-making portfolio that supports workforce and skill development initiatives. Ms. Smith is an advisor to the Clinton Global Initiative-America, Workforce Matters Co-founder and Steering Committee Member, and Chicagoland Workforce Funders Alliance Co-founder and Management Committee Co-chair.
Prior to joining the Foundation in 2005, Ms. Smith was associate director of the Chicago Jobs Council and she worked with homeless families in New York City. She served on the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Advisory Council on Agriculture, Small Business, and Labor from 2011-2012. She serves on the board of the Oak Park Regional Housing Center.
Ms. Smith holds a bachelor's degree in English and women's studies from Bowdoin College and a master's degree in social service administration with a focus on social policy from the University of Chicago.
The Joyce Foundation 321 North Clark Street, Suite 1500 Chicago, Illinois 60654 Phone: (312) 782-2464 | Fax: (312) 595-1350


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The Democratic Republic of Congo is a low-income country that has massive potential (one of the richest countries in the world with natural resources, including mining, forestry, and hydropower potential, etc.), but has not been able to translate this into broad-based growth to address high poverty (70 percent in 2011). Its economy is driven by natural resources and is vulnerable to food and financial shocks. The recent elections and weak management and effectiveness of government resource have made the country more vulnerable to shocks and prone to crises. Besides, effective coordination remains difficult in a country that has nearly every United Nations (UN) agency, hundreds of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and many large donors. The challenge is to strengthen the credibility and functioning of the state while improving social conditions, supporting broad-based growth and creating the conditions for the private sector to develop.
Due to the DRC's low-income country status, high poverty rate (70 percent in 2011) and its daunting challenges regarding stability and economic prospects, the country has enormous needs and an important demand for International Development Association (IDA) services. After its re-engagement in the DRC in the early 2000's, the World Bank conducted a series of emergency operations to support the post-conflict rehabilitation and provide basic services to the population. From then, IDA shifted gradually towards a sectoral approach, narrowing interventions into a few sectors, in line with the Kinshasa Agenda, which calls for enhanced coordination among donors. The overall objective of the Bank's Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) is to strengthen the credibility and functioning of the state while improving social conditions, supporting broad-based growth and creating the conditions for the private sector to develop. The Bank is using a mix of lending, non-lending and trust funds activities in the DRC.
During 2008-2012, IDA assistance made a significant contribution to:
(i) The peace consolidation process through the demobilization of more than 107,000 adults and 34,000 child soldiers, and reintegration of about 89,000 ex-combatants into economic activity thanks to the Emergency Demobilization and Reintegration Program;
(ii) The decrease in the cost and time for transportation: travel time on the 137 kilometers road section from Lubumbashi to Kasomeno in Katanga was reduced from seven days to two hours thanks to the Emergency Economic and Social Reunification Project and prices of main goods were reduced by 60 percent in areas located between Kisangani and Beni;
(iii) The increase in the DRC's awareness and positioning on global issues related to forest preservation and climate change.
Improved business climate
IDA support for an improved business climate through the ongoing Private Sector Development and Competitiveness Project, together with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the German government-owned development bank (KfW) and the European Union (EU) led to : (i) reducing the time for creating a business (down by 51 percent over the CAS period of fiscal years (FY) 2008-2012); (ii) reducing the time for securing property registry and construction permits (down by 54 percent); (iii) instituting a one-stop-shop for customs administration; (iv) reducing the number of taxes (from 118 to 30); (v) preparing the DRC for adhesion to the harmonized regional business laws commonly known as OHADA (which is awaiting presidential accession); and (vi) facilitating the DRC's participation in the African Trade Insurance Agency (with the DRC currently constituting ATI's largest portfolio).
Improved governance and public sector capacity building
IDA is financing two governance operations and its support has led to tangible results and real progress in some of the sectors critical to economic growth and poverty reduction, including in governance with the following results: (i) Medium-Term Expenditure Frameworks were prepared for some ministries and provinces, and public financial management (PFM) and human resource management systems were strengthened in four provinces (Katanga, South Kivu, Bandundu, and Kasai Occidental); (ii) central government budget execution data is regularly published; (iii) a new procurement code was put in place and the implementing institutions set up; (iv) legal review of 156 logging contracts by an inter-ministerial commission, which was successfully completed in early 2009 and as a result, only 80 concessions met the criteria and all of the other concessions were cancelled; and (v) 47 responsibility contracts have been signed between concessionaires and local communities.
Improved human development indicators
Human development has focused primarily on service delivery, which has led to significant increases in access to health and education services, as well as social protection in project areas:
(i) In health, IDA support was provided to 83 district health centers (Bandundu, Equateur, Kinshasa, Katanga and Maniema) out 515 in the country with the following results: increased immunization in project areas with a 20 percentage point increase in DPT3 coverage, stock-outs have been reduced by 20 percentage points, and deliveries attended by trained staff have increased by 33 percentage points from 47 to 80 percent. These improvements were made possible in part through the construction, rehabilitation or equipping of 475 health facilities and the training of 8,556 health workers. More than 1 million households have received long lasting insecticide bed nets and 65 percent of children are now sleeping under bed nets compared to 32 percent at the beginning of the project.
(ii) In education, through the Emergency Urban and Social Rehabilitation Project, payments of recurrent costs (non-salary expenditures) were made for 26,141 schools in the country, thus reducing or eliminating parental contributions. Roughly, 13.5 million children have benefitted from this activity. Under the Education Project, 14 million textbooks were provided, payment of salaries of 72 percent of teachers in "registered" schools became automatic, and primary, secondary, and higher education sector strategies have been prepared. Completion rates have increased from 54 percent in 2008 to 56.7 percent in 2010 and enrollment rates have stagnated at 91 percent. Girls-boys parity has reached 86 percent compared to 80 percent in 2008 and more than 145,000 teachers out of 210,000 have benefited from teaching guides to improve their capacity to teach. In higher education, support was also provided to evaluate the quality of higher education institutions, leading to the closure of a substantial number of institutions that were deemed to be non-performing.
(iii) In social development, the Social Action Project, which aims to improve access of poor communities to social and economic activities and improve the availability of resources at the community level, has completed 354 schools, 73 health centers, 43 markets and 70 water projects. School enrollment increased by 34 percent compared to the anticipated 35 percent, access to medical consultations in facilities rehabilitated or built increased by 92 percent instead of 50 percent. Nearly 221,000 people have access to improved water services and satisfaction with project development and satisfaction among project beneficiaries was high at 70 percent. Ninety percent of the village committees in charge of the management of the sub-projects are still operational. The project covers all the provinces and more sub-projects are under implementation.
Bank Contribution
The IDA15 allocation to the DRC (including the post-conflict allocation) was SDR 721.8 (equivalent to about US$1.097 billion), mostly allocated to lending operations (US$416 million in FY09, US$610 million in FY10 and US$410 million in FY11).
In addition, the Bank supported key studies during the IDA15 period aimed at deepening knowledge of the country, as well as helping government to formulate sector policies and reforms. These studies included (i) an highly praised spatial analysis of the infrastructure landscape, which provided a prioritization framework for infrastructure investments, and highlighted the scope of the investment needs (approximately US$5 billion per year); (ii) a Diagnostic Trade Integration Study (DTIS) underscoring a major need for cross-border trade coupled with adequate policy reforms; (iii) a Health Systems and Financing study; (iv) a youth study which put forward a number of areas requiring policy attention; (v) an investment climate analysis; (v) a commended Country Economic Memorandum (CEM), which is the first one since the resumption of Bank support to the DRC in 2001; and (vi) a series of multi-donor funded analytical work on decentralization, which has helped the Bank enhance its dialogue with the Congolese authorities on this issue.
The Bank's current portfolio in the DRC consists of 15 projects with a commitment of US$1.88 billion, of which US$903.2 million is disbursed (as of end-December 2011). In addition, the portfolio includes two regional projects totaling US$938 million, of which US$769 million is undisbursed. About 64 percent of the portfolio is in infrastructure (water, energy and roads), 18 percent in human development, 11 percent in agriculture and private sector development, and 7 percent in governance and mining.
The Bank has leveraged the use of IDA15 in the DRC by strengthening its donor coordination efforts. At present, Official Development Assistance (ODA) to the DRC finances 50 percent of government spending, which has represented around US$2.0 billion of ODA in 2010. IDA's engagement with other development partners has been strengthened substantially since the elaboration of the 2007-2010 multi-donors' Country Assistance Framework (CAF) in 2007, from which the Bank's CAS (FY08-11) was derived. In June 2009, the Bank helped organize the Aid Effectiveness Forum, which resulted in a coordination framework called the Kinshasa Agenda and a number of thematic groups, three of which (governance, industry and mining) are co-led by the Bank.
In line with the Kinshasa Agenda, which calls for better division of labor among donors and use of harmonized implementation mechanisms (in the absence of use of national systems), donors are revising their country assistance to refocus their programs. The Bank is focusing its efforts in improving governance, access to social services and supporting growth-related activities, by investing heavily in infrastructure (energy, roads). The Bank is also pursuing strategic partnerships with other donors in its areas of comparative advantage and concentration (for instance the partnership with the UK Department for International Development (DFID) on roads and extractive industries through the ongoing Growth with Governance in the Mineral Sector Project (PROMINES) or energy with the African Development Bank (AfDB), while seeking complementarities with security/diplomatic and relief actors. The Bank has taken the lead in developing joint mechanisms for project implementation to help reduce the cost of doing business and avoid overtaxing already weak government capacity. An illustrative case is the joint implementation unit for energy sector programs funded by the Bank, AfDB, and the European Investment Bank (EIB).
Toward the Future
Future interventions could build around partnerships with other donors, governance and the strengthening of national capacity in delivering IDA support. Areas of intervention will be limited to ensure greater impact and will consider the Bank's comparative advantage in sectors important to unlocking growth while maximizing employment creation. Infrastructure and infrastructure services, reform of the business climate to unleash private sector potential and the development of agriculture are excellent candidates for IDA support, in addition to reinforcing supply and demand sides of good governance. Attention to the current portfolio will be a priority and quality of new operations will require the utmost attention of the team. The intention of reducing the number of lending operations will lead the Bank's approach in accordance with the importance of exercising greater selectivity, while focusing on partnerships to address burden sharing. Further, the Bank will work closely with the provincial administrations in the implementation of its programs, gradually designing province-level programs, comparable to the agriculture operation, which has focused primarily on the Equateur Province.
Not long ago, the Shaba primary school in the suburbs of Lubumbashi, the capital of the Province of Katanga (southeast DR Congo), was regarded as nothing more than a school for destitute children. Without a door or benches, this school, with barely 30 students, was operating out of an old colonial-era store. Placide Yombo, the school's principal, said "Only children from impoverished families were registered at our school, and whenever it rained, everyone stayed home." The picture changed after the school got a facelift in early 2010 thanks to the Emergency Social Action Project (PASU), which financed 34 projects at a cost of US$2.8 million in Katanga. The renovated school building now boasts six new classrooms equipped with benches and well-mounted chalkboards, much to the delight of the principal, who now works in a brand new office. "These new buildings have allowed us to gain the confidence of the parents and our numbers have increased," Yombo said. Enrollment at the school has skyrocketed from 30 to 250 students. The reasons for this influx are evident: in addition to the new classrooms and administrative offices, the school is also equipped with clean restrooms.
M. Kialeka Mulopo Jean-Baptiste, director of the primary school Makelele, located in Bandalungwa, a modest neighborhood of Kinshasa, shares his joy after his school was rehabilitated by the IDA-funded Educator Sector Project: "I am very happy with this work. It allowed us to increase the number of our students. Today, students sit on benches and not on the floor. Before the intervention of the World Bank, the school was completely dilapidated because it had not been rehabilitated since its inception in 1955. It was only in 2008 that we saw improvement when the World Bank rehabilitated our school as part of the Education project. As a father and as a principal, I am so grateful for this new opportunity offered to my students, which unfortunately other schools have not had yet. Only one year after taking office, my school was selected by the World Bank to be rehabilitated. What an honor and a joy!"