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Archive for November, 2008

A teenager who was almost blind due to a rare eye condition has had his life transformed by special contact lenses.

Kristian Cook, 14, from Bangor, in Gwynedd, was unable to read a book, play sport or even watch television.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_west/7755344.stm

Keratoconus (KC) is a condition of the eye meaning conical conea. It is a rare condition. Numbers affected vary between 1 in 3,000 and 1 in 10,000 depending on where they live. It usually affects both eyes, although one eye is normally affected before the other.

KERATOCONUS literally means “conical or cone-shaped cornea” and it is a condition that affects vision.

[Source : http://www.keratoconus-group.org.uk/ ]

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Just add some tender loving care…

Asha has loved this.. and I have to say soo do I.

Now to find some different ones.

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Dawn here Maldwyn Jones’ Daughter the fisherman who went missing back in April. i’m after a favour, i’m doing a walk up Snowdon 2 May 09 and wonder if you could post it on here for me to get the sponsorship money up, i’m doing it for the Porthdinllaen Lifeboat who were out looking for my day, it was also printed in the Caernarfon Herald today

For more information on the walk, or to donate money, email Dawn at mcfc_76@hotmail.com

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In August Asha completed this her first ever painting by number.

She did it over 6 weeks, and only ever did a small amount at the time. But what a result!

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We have moved house. We have space to play and privacy to do what we want.

Asha is 100 times happier than we have seen her for a long time.

We have painted, played bump, fed the birds, made magic gardens, cleaned the cat tray, done the vacume cleaning, had friends around to play and basically had a ball of a time so far.

I hope to get some pictures up soon. However we have fantastic views to the front, and a mountain garden to the back.

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removed for now

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For a while now Asha has been interested in bridges. Mainly wanting to see a draw bridge…

Anyway tonight I decided to go on an internet surf for pictures of bridges.. and I came across one wonderfull picture

Source : [http://middlezonemusings.com/category/memes/]

and some really interesting information about an area of bridges I have travelled over often..

he 2.5 km. (1.5 mile) Forth Railway Bridge, the world’s first major steel bridge, with its gigantic girder spans of 521 m. (1710 ft.) ranks as one of the great feats of civilization. It was begun in 1883 and formally completed on 4 March 1890 when HRH Edward Prince of Wales tapped into place a ‘golden’ rivet.

[source: http://www.forthbridges.org.uk/railbridgemain.htm ]

And now for the draw bridges….

[source: http://www.ecohabpnw.org/outreach/tas2006/christine.html ]

Popularity: 16% [?]

Presidential Voter Guide
2008 General Election

http://f2a.org/coast2coast/voterguides/F2A-Presidential-2008.pdf

Ummmmm… Now why dosnt this surprise me?

Popularity: 19% [?]

Exclusive More than three times as many officials will be able to access sensitive information on every child in England and Wales held in the forthcoming ContactPoint database than estimates circulated by the government suggest, research by The Register has found.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/11/12/contactpoint_figures_analysis/

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What Can We Expect under
an Obama Administration?
Dear HSLDA Members and Friends of Homeschooling:
Since the election of Barack Obama as U.S. president, HSLDA has received more than a few calls from both members and nonmembers. Some are quite concerned about the future of homeschooling under an Obama presidency.
First of all, let us always remember that “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). He also instructs us to be wise, plan, and be prepared in everything we do.

Despite HSLDA’s efforts prior to the election to get an official statement from the Obama campaign regarding their position on homeschooling, we received no response.

So where does that leave us?

Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 16% [?]

Between Steve and L – aged 10.

S – How was school L?

L – Going to the Drs is more fun.

Says it all really!

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requires the LEA to act only if something comes to its attention which gives it reason to suppose a breach of a parent’s section 7 duty.

It does not need to investigate any instances of home education which come to its attention unaccompanied by any grounds for suspicion that an adequate education is not taking place.

However, case law (Phillips v Brown, Divisional Court [20 June 1980, unreported] Judicial review by Lord Justice Donaldson, as he then was) has established that an LEA may make informal enquiries of parents.

Lord Donaldson said:

“Of course such a request is not the same as a notice under s 37 (1) of the Education Act 1944 (now s 437 (1) of the 1996 Education Act) and the parents will be under no duty to comply. However it would be sensible for them to do so. If parents give no information or adopt the course ………. of merely stating that they are discharging their duty without giving any details of how they are doing so, the LEA will have to consider and decide whether it ‘appears’ to it that the parents are in breach of s 36. (now s7 of the 1996 Education Act.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Governor Michael Rounds of South Dakota has declared the State a disaster area. However, Indian Reservations are NOT included in the declaration. I, Russell Means, due to the total absence of Tribal Government and its leadership, and as candidate for Tribal President and Chief Facilitator of the Republic of Lakotah, am declaring an INTERNATIONAL STATE OF EMERGENCY.

Oglala Sioux Pine Ridge Indian Reservation – STATE OF EMERGENCY

Governor Michael Rounds of South Dakota has declared the State a disaster area. However, Indian Reservations are NOT included in the declaration.

I, Russell Means, due to the total absence of Tribal Government and its leadership, and as candidate for Tribal President and Chief Facilitator of the Republic of Lakotah, am declaring an INTERNATIONAL STATE OF EMERGENCY.

The reason for this declaration is two-fold: 1) The current life-threatening severe weather conditions and 2) The ongoing genocidal policies of the United States Government that still remain

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/11/09/18549978.php

PLEASE PASS THIS MESSAGE ON TO WHO EVER YOU CAN!!!!

Popularity: 18% [?]

Teacher ‘left in tears’ after pupil’s attacks
She is suing council over alleged failures to protect her from 13-year-old

By Jane Candlish

Published: 30/10/2008

SAFETY FEARS: Teresa McCarthy leaves Inverness Sheriff Court after giving evidence at her civil hearing
More Pictures

AN INVERNESS teacher said she was left in tears and hiding in her school’s staff room following the last of four violent attacks by a pupil.

Teresa McCarthy, 51, quit her job at Drummond School in Inverness because of stress and depression following the assaults by a 13-year-old boy, who is autistic.

Mrs McCarthy claims that her former employers, Highland Council, failed to protect her, and is suing the local authority for £250,000 in damages and compensation.

She gave evidence for a second day at a civil hearing at Inverness Sheriff Court yesterday.

She told the court that she was first attacked in June 2001, with three more incidents following in August and September.

The boy, who was aggressive towards other staff and pupils, punched her and pulled her hair, leaving scratches on her face.

Mrs McCarthy said that, after the third attack, senior staff at the school, which caters for children with special needs, consulted educational psychologists for advice on how to deal with the pupil’s aggression.

link

And what must the poor boy be going through to have got to this stage!

Popularity: 20% [?]

If he had been elected President of Kenya and taking into account his white mother would he have then been the first white President?

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1729524,00.html

Just a thought….

Popularity: 18% [?]

Steve and I were invited to some friends tonight. It was a lovely evening, but a couple of things occured which we are both gutted about.

I don’t really know how we can resolve the issues, for ourselves, as much as for those involved.

But we both feel we have let our friends down badly. We are truly sorry.

Asha however had a great time, and it was great to see her running around with the other kids so happily. The food and company was fantastic, and we all had a great “oganised” bonfire party.

It probably is the best “organised” party we have been to for a long time – J yours on bonfire night, was the best “unorganised” one I have ever been too as well.. !

When we got home Asha went straight to bed, but I am struggling to resolve my own issues from tonight. I think its going to take me some time.

Vicki xx

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John lewis comes up with “space saving tree”

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Today was a little boring, if your four.. well I thought it would be, but tonight Asha informed me she enjoyed herself.. So what did she do that was so much fun?

Watched one noddy video, only one programme though.

She then enjoyed winnie the pooh for a while.. But her real enjoyment came from a musical playtime video which someone bought her for christmas 2 years ago! She got all her musical instuments out. Her teddys and did jo jingles for about 40 minutes unsupervised in the lounge.

After that she “helped” daddy make lunch, then she played in what remains of her bed room for a while.

At 4 pm, FF and D turned up for a play, so we got balloons down and they played with them for 1 1/2 hrs. Dinner and bed.

Not sure on outcome of today for A, but she enjoyed herself.

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Examining the evidence provided by Gwynedd council, the report from the assembly’s rural development sub-committee states that the availability and cost of transport is now one of the most influential factors when comparing rural and urban living.

“The percentage of households with more than one car is significantly higher in rural areas than in urban wards,” noted the report.

“Car ownership is a significant cost. Over half of Gwynedd households have gross incomes of between £7,500 and £10,000 and spend more than 10% of their income on fuel costs.”

Those living on the Llyn peninsula in the south of the county are identified as having to carry the burden of the highest costs, with some of the longest journeys to work in Gwynedd.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_west/7521159.stm

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