Less than 20 years ago, cell phones were considered luxury items used only in emergencies. Today, 4.1 billion people worldwide own cell phones. Most families have at least one, and often multiple, cell phones. Children often are the heaviest users of the technology. “About 75 percent of 4-H-age children have cells phones,” said Arch Smith, interim state leader of the Georgia 4-H program. “And they aren’t using them just to talk to their friends and family members.”Ninety percent use their phones to send text messages, 85 percent to take photographs, 68 percent to send photographs and 55 percent to record videos, he said.“They make 230 calls per month or eight calls per day, on average,” Smith said. “That’s nothing compared to the 1,742 text messages the average teenager types in a month.”Set boundariesEven though cell phones have become a part of everyday life, parents should set boundaries for their use both at school and at home, says Diane Bales, a human development specialist with University of Georgia Cooperative Extension.“The biggest problem with cell phones is the number of students who are addicted to them,” she said. “They spend all of their time texting and not enough time listening.”Bales has seen the overuse of cell phones first hand in the college classes she teaches at UGA. “When a student texts in class, he’s not listening,” Bales said. “If he were texting about what he’s learning that would be different, but he’s probably not.” Many schools have rules about cell phone usage including setting limits on when the phones can be used, where the phones can be used and, in some cases, banning their use on school grounds entirely.“Cell phones aren’t inherently bad, kids just need guidance from teachers and parents on appropriate usage,” she said. “Texting at the dinner table is not an appropriate use.”Bales once observed a student texting on her cell phone while standing at the front of the classroom during a group presentation.“I have it spelled out in my syllabus that it’s inappropriate to text in class and that students will lose points for doing so,” she said. Multi-toolAccording to a survey by Common Sense Media, more than one out of three teenagers admits to using a cell phone to cheat at least once. They also admit to using their phone’s internet access to find answers to test questions. The survey also showed that one out of four teenagers feel accessing notes stored on a cell phone during a test isn’t cheating.“Some of the newer phones have cameras that students could use to take photo of their classmates’ test papers,” Bales said.Bales suggests teachers encourage students to use their cell phones, and other technical devices, to help them with their school work.“If a student has an iPhone, first I’m jealous, but he could use it to work on a research project,” she said. “The technology allows him to look something up on the Internet, find a good source of information and never leave the classroom or his desk.”Bales says teachers and parents should guide students to appropriate resource websites to ensure they use reliable sources of information.In this way, modern technology is being used to benefit the student and spark his interest in new media, she said.According to a survey by the Family Education Network, 85 percent of respondents feel cell phones should be allowed at school, but their usage should be controlled by school administrators.Whether a cell phone is being used at school or at home, Bales recommends having a definite list of rules and consequences for breaking the rules.Students should have a cell phone-use curfew and cell phone-free times, such as during homework hours, she said.“Teenagers have a hard time recognizing limits,” she said. “They need to be told what is appropriate and what isn’t in all aspects of their lives. Cell phone usage is just one area.”
VERMONT AGENCY WINS TWO AWARDS
Hayes Group, an integrated marketing, advertising, strategic planning and public relations firm located in Williston, Vermont has won two coveted, 2002- 2003 Golden Web Awards given by the International Association of Web Masters and Designers.The Golden Web Award is presented to those sites whose web design, originality and content have achieved levels of excellence that are deserving of recognition. Voted by the Internet’s leading IT and Web professionals, the IAWMD serves more than 135,000 members and affiliates in more than 145 countries.The Hayes Group won for its own web site: www.hayesgroup.com(link is external) and for the web site the company designed and built for Quadra-Tek, www.Quadra-Tek.com(link is external) of Arlington, Vermont. “While these awards were both a surprise,” said Matthew Hayes, president of Hayes Group, “we’re extremely pleased that the web site we created for our client, Quadra-Tek, a division of Arlington Industries, Inc., was recognized as one of the world’s best. That our own site won is a bonus. I have to admit,” Hayes smiled, “that I’m happy about winning as well.“This award confirms the validity of the global structure of the Hayes Group,” Hayes said. “Our ability to serve a client’s needs with the precise talent required is not limited to employees or geography. The Web construction firm behind these award-winning sites is in India. Concepts were developed at Hayes Group in Williston and approved by two design associates—one in Lisbon, Portugal and the other in New York City, “ Hayes added. “There is no question that the technology which now enables us to tap into a global network of talent positions Hayes Group as a creative marketing communications leader. It also enables us to provide a broader base of creativity to our Vermont clients.”
Man Threatened to Blow Up Nassau Police Precinct, Cops Say
Sign up for our COVID-19 newsletter to stay up-to-date on the latest coronavirus news throughout New York A New York City man was arrested for allegedly calling up a Nassau County police precinct, claiming to be a terrorist and threatening to kill everyone in the station house last week, authorities said.John Hardy was arrested and charged Saturday with making a terroristic threat and harassment.Police said the 52-year-old Staten Island man called the Third Precinct in Williston Park and said he would place a bomb in the building shortly before 3 p.m. Wednesday.Moments later, he called 911 and said that he left a bag containing dynamite inside the doorway of the Third Precinct, according to Third Squad detectives.The building was searched and the threat was found to be a false alarm.Detectives and Bureau of Special Operations officers apprehended Hardy over the weekend.Judge Rhonda Fischer ordered Hardy held without bail Sunday. He is due back on court Wednesday.
Grow your real estate portfolio and generate income
9SHARESShareShareSharePrintMailGooglePinterestDiggRedditStumbleuponDeliciousBufferTumblr As a seasoned real estate investor with multiple properties, a couple of your top concerns might be how to continue growing your portfolio and finding new and creative ways to generate income from your properties. The traditional way of renting out a property to a tenant with a year-long lease or longer is not the only option in today’s rental market. Fortunately for many real estate investors, there are alternative and practical ways to generate income from your properties. Here are two creative ways that can help continue to grow your real estate portfolio and generate additional income.1. Rent Short TermYou don’t have to look hard to be creative when it comes to generating income from a rental property. One particular option is renting your property through a short-term rental website, like Airbnb—an online marketplace for people to list, browse, and reserve unique accommodations around the world. Airbnb rentals are available for travelers to rent in more than 65,000 cities and in 191 countries. If done right, this alternative renting method could potentially cover the cost of your mortgage. Think of Airbnb as a more “homey” hotel room with the kind of amenities you’d find in a single family home, rather than a hotel room. Renting out one or more of your properties as a daily rental rather than a long-term lease could bring in serious cash flow with fewer expenses to worry about. Plus, during peak seasons or if your rental is in a location where special events take place—expect top dollar each night.In a study conducted by Airbnb in 2012, the average guest in San Francisco, where the company originated, spent an average of $1,045 for a stay of 5.5 days. The study also found that 56% of the Airbnb hosts use their earnings from renting to pay their mortgage or rent. By collecting daily rental fees, you can save the money you would’ve spent on your mortgage and use toward upgrades to existing properties you own or toward a purchase of another property to further build up your portfolio. There are many alternatives similar to Airbnb that could bring you a new way to generate additional income and help grow your real estate portfolio. continue reading »
CUNA releases toolkit on CU tax status benefits
continue reading » CUNA is reaching out to leagues and member credit unions with a toolkit stocked with resources to demonstrate the wide variety of public benefits that exist due to the existence of not-for-profit financial cooperatives. CUNA members are being provided with a collection of resources that help amplify the good work that credit unions do for their communities while defending against attacks from banks on their tax-exempt status.The toolkit designed for leagues can be found here, and the toolkit for credit unions here.“Bankers seem to take the occasion of Tax Day each year as the chance to spread false narratives about credit unions, their tax status and their members,” said CUNA President/CEO Jim Nussle. “Fortunately, credit unions have facts and research to highlights the numerous public policy benefits to every American due to the existence of credit unions, and we’re empowering our member credit unions to push back against these falsehoods wherever necessary to set the record straight.” ShareShareSharePrintMailGooglePinterestDiggRedditStumbleuponDeliciousBufferTumblr
Man City vs Liverpool: Play the Sky Sports News Quiz on Friday | Football News
Topics will include: Goals from previous fixtures, a missing men round, refereeing controversies, and a quickfire managers round.- Advertisement – – Advertisement –
Image:Enjoy truly immersive sound with Sky Soundbox and get the full cinema experience from a single speaker Sky Sports News hosts another interactive quiz on Friday evening – this time, it’s a Manchester City vs Liverpool special, ahead of Sunday’s huge clash between last season’s top two.It could not be easier to take part, as viewers will be able to play along at home while watching Sky Sports News (visit skysports.com/play at 6.30pm on Friday).- Advertisement – Each answer is scored by points – the longer you take, the more your score goes down, with a maximum of 1,000 points available per question.Not only can you play with your family and friends for ultimate bragging rights but there is also the chance to win a Sky Soundbox as well!
Presented by Julian Warren and Vicky Gomersall, players will be given 15 seconds to answer multiple-choice questions.Friday’s theme is all about the meeting of two sides who have dominated the Premier League in recent years, with Manchester City hosting Liverpool at the Etihad on Sunday, live on Sky Sports.
Sky Sports News Quiz will air on Friday at 6.30pm on Sky Sports News. To take part, visit skysports.com/play.- Advertisement –
China concealed extent of virus outbreak, US intelligence says
The outbreak began in China’s Hubei province in late 2019, but the country has publicly reported only about 82,000 cases and 3,300 deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. That compares to more than 189,000 cases and more than 4,000 deaths in the US, which has the largest publicly reported outbreak in the world.Communications staff at the White House and Chinese embassy in Washington didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.While China eventually imposed a strict lockdown beyond those of less autocratic nations, there has been considerable skepticism of China’s reported numbers, both outside and within the country. The Chinese government has repeatedly revised its methodology for counting cases, for weeks excluding people without symptoms entirely, and only on Tuesday added more than 1,500 asymptomatic cases to its total.Stacks of thousands of urns outside funeral homes in Hubei province have driven public doubt in Beijing’s reporting. China has concealed the extent of the coronavirus outbreak in its country, under-reporting both total cases and deaths it’s suffered from the disease, the US intelligence community concluded in a classified report to the White House, according to three US officials.The officials asked not to be identified because the report is secret and declined to detail its contents. But the thrust, they said, is that China’s public reporting on cases and deaths is intentionally incomplete. Two of the officials said the report concludes that China’s numbers are fake.The report was received by the White House last week, one of the officials said. Deborah Birx, the State Department immunologist advising the White House on its response to the outbreak, said Tuesday that China’s public reporting influenced assumptions elsewhere in the world about the nature of the virus.“The medical community made — interpreted the Chinese data as: This was serious, but smaller than anyone expected,” she said at a news conference on Tuesday. “Because I think probably we were missing a significant amount of the data, now that what we see happened to Italy and see what happened to Spain.”China is not the only country with suspect public reporting. Western officials have pointed to Iran, Russia, Indonesia and especially North Korea, which has not reported a single case of the disease, as probable under-counts. Others including Saudi Arabia and Egypt may also be playing down their numbers.US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo has publicly urged China and other nations to be transparent about their outbreaks. He has repeatedly accused China of covering up the extent of the problem and being slow to share information, especially in the weeks after the virus first emerged, and blocking offers of help from American experts.“This data set matters,” he said at a news conference in Washington on Tuesday. The development of medical therapies and public-health measures to combat the virus “so that we can save lives depends on the ability to have confidence and information about what has actually transpired,” he said.“I would urge every nation: Do your best to collect the data. Do your best to share that information,” he said. “We’re doing that.”Topics :
A bond market of haves and have-nots for emerging nations
The international bond market has reopened for developing nations following last month’s turmoil, but only for the strongest among them.From Israel to Saudi Arabia, Peru to Abu Dhabi, highly-rated governments have raised billions without a sweat. But their junk-rated cousins in emerging markets – like Angola – have had to hold off their plans amid market distress.This divergence reverses the trend of 2019, when bondholders were keener to embrace riskier debt to escape from negative-yielding securities in developed markets. With a global recession looming and a pandemic whose end is unclear, there’s now a flight to safety. It could be a while before the weaker developing nations can access the market again. The goodFollowing Panama’s US$2.5 billion bond on March 26, Israel, Indonesia, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia and Peru have sold dollar debt.Read also: Bank Indonesia buys $108m of government bonds at auction, first time since rule changeSaudi Arabia got more than $50 billion of orders for its $7 billion deal, while Qatar and Abu Dhabi came close. Bids for each of Israel and Peru’s bonds topped $25 billion, with the latter’s finance minister saying her country had never attracted such a big order book. These are some of the best names in emerging markets. All of them have a full set of investment-grade ratings and only Panama and Indonesia don’t have ratings of single-A or higher.The not-so-goodElsewhere, things are much tougher. The average yield on the dollar bonds of junk borrowers in emerging markets is 11.2 percent, compared with 4.1 percent for investment-grade credits, according to JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s indexes. The spread between the two is the widest since 2002 and far wider than during the 2008-09 global financial crisis.Angola’s government is among those that have had to scrap ideas for Eurobond deals and wait until the markets calm down. The West African oil producer’s dollar yields have soared to 25 percent, according to Bloomberg Barclays indexes, well into distressed territory and shutting it out of the market.Read also: UK launches massive bond sales to fund COVID-19 spending surgeThe small Gulf nation of Bahrain suspended plans to refinance a maturing bond with a new deal last month and instead raised a loan of about $1 billion from its banks, Reuters reported.Tunisia said last week it may turn to the foreign debt market to shore up its finances. But the government, whose Eurobond yields average more than 10 percent, said it’s talking to other countries to see if they can provide a guarantee. The country has issued dollar bonds backed by the US previously, most recently in 2016.Many African governments are accessing emergency credit lines from the International Monetary Fund to counter the virus. Some economists are calling for them and other emerging markets to be allowed to delay payments on their commercial debt so they can use scarce resources to boost their ravaged economies.Topics :
Grand family design in popular Underwood
The property at 15 The Heights, Underwood.A GRAND family home sitting on an elevated block is new to the market in Underwood.Peter Moga built the home at 15 The Heights in 2004.“We built it big because we had a large family,” he said. “The kids are just leaving now and we have only two at home so it’s time to move to a smaller property. It’s a very nice home, in a very nice area, so we’ll miss it.”The home is spread across two levels with plenty of formal and informal living areas for the big family. The formal dining and living rooms.The front door opens to a grand entrance with high ceilings and a winding staircase, while the formal lounge and dining rooms have big windows and feature columns.More from newsCrowd expected as mega estate goes under the hammer7 Aug 2020Hard work, resourcefulness and $17k bring old Ipswich home back to life20 Apr 2020Further into the home there is an open-plan living, dining and kitchen area with tiled floors, downlights and plenty of windows allowing for breezes and natural light.The big kitchen has granite countertops, plenty of bench and cupboard space, and stainless steel appliances.Upstairs, a third living area with polished timber floorboards flows out to the front balcony.The extravagant master bedroom is spacious and has a balcony and an open ensuite with corner spa and separate shower. The master bedroom at 15 The Heights, UnderwoodThe four other upstairs bedrooms are generously sized and have built-in wardrobes. Two open to a shared balcony and one also has its own ensuite.The main bathroom has high-end fittings, a spa bath and two basins.Outside, there is a covered entertainment space, low maintenance lawns and gardens, and a garden shed.Moga said the home was perfectly positioned on a hill to capture the breezes.“It’s close to everything including the freeway but it is in a very quiet street,” he said.
Liverpool plan bid for Anderlecht superkid Doku
Liverpool are ready to test Anderlecht’s resolve for Jeremy Doku before the market shuts. Liverpool are considering an approach to sign Doku before the end of the transfer window – a player they believe can be Sadio Mane’s long-term successor at Anfield. Het Belang van Limburg says Liverpool still hold an interest in signing 18-year-old Doku. It is claimed that Liverpool deem the teenager as a star of the future, capable of taking over from Mane eventually.Advertisement Loading… Promoted Content9 Facts You Should Know Before Getting A Tattoo10 Phones That Can Easily Fit In The Smallest PocketTop 10 Most Romantic Nations In The WorldTop 10 Enemies Turned Friends In TV10 Risky Jobs Some Women DoWho Earns More Than Ronaldo?13 kids at weddings who just don’t give a hoot7 Things That Actually Ruin Your Phone7 Ways To Understand Your Girlfriend Better10 Greatest Disney Female Villains We Love AnywaysTop 10 TV Friends Who Used To Be Enemies7 Of The Wealthiest Universities In The World
read also:Liverpool battle Real Madrid for French World Cup star Anderlecht have set their asking price at £27.5million and the report suggests that Liverpool could well make an approach. But the Belgian club would reportedly hope to have Doku return on loan for the upcoming season if a sale is agreed. FacebookTwitterWhatsAppEmail分享