| How well do you really know Japan?
Well, dear reader, it's time for our annual How Well Do You Know Japan? quiz. Before we start, however, it behooves me to tell you that last year's results were alarmingly disastrous. Many Japanese who took the test failed most miserably. One ex-prime minister could proudly name the top 10 Elvis Presley hits in order of sales, but failed to recognize the haiku as a Japanese literary form. ("Do you mean hockey?" he scribbled at the bottom of his test paper.) Another ex-prime minister (hint: the most recent one) answered the question, "Does Japan have a national pension system?" with "Not that I know of." So, I am taking the radical step of banning ex-prime ministers from taking this test. They only drag the total score down. .
Microsoft boss: Salmond is 'wrong' on universities
ONE of Bill Gates's top lieutenants has warned the Scottish Government that it is wrong to try to fund universities almost entirely through public money. Bob McDowell, a Microsoft vice-president, who is due to meet Alex Salmond, the First Minister, today, spoke out about the need to have stronger business connections with universities to help pay for students' courses. .
Monks resume protest against Burma rulers
RANGOON, Burma - More than 100 Buddhist monks marched peacefully yesterday in a northern Burma town noted for its defiance of the country's military rulers, the first large protest since the junta violently crushed a wave of antigovernment demonstrations. The monks marched for nearly an hour in the town of Pakokku, chanting a Buddhist prayer that has come to be associated with the prodemocracy cause. They did not carry signs or shout slogans, but their action was clearly in defiance of the military government, as one monk spelled out in a radio interview. "We are continuing our protest from last month as we have not yet achieved any of the demands we asked for," the monk told the Democratic Voice of Burma, a Norway-based short-wave radio station and website run by dissident journalists.
Tips For Driving In Icy Road Conditions To Prevent Accidents On The Flyover
The first snowfall in Texoma excited some, but left dangerous road conditions. Parts of the Falls Flyover was closed for nearly an hour this morning because there seemed to be one accident after another. It seemed like all was clear this morning. There was a chill in the air, snow wasn't falling and the roads seemed clear...but officers say overpasses don't thaw out as quickly as roads. Icy road conditions kept traffic backed up on the falls flyover. "There were a couple of access ramps that we had to close just so we could work the accidents and remove the debris from them, " Sargent Joe Snyder with the Wichita Falls Police Department said. Officers filled out more than 31 accident reports between 5 and 8 this morning. Thankfully, there weren't any major injuries.
SATs not getting enough emphasis
I have witnessed many changes during my tenure as a pupil, but the most profound ones involved the emphasis on standardized tests, especially the HSPA. Preparation for the junior- year exam began in freshman year, when exercises and preparatory tests were standard practice. As a result, students did achieve great results, but when it came to a different standardized test -- the SAT -- the school achieved the very antithesis of "advanced proficiency." According to 2005 score reports provided by Peter O'Hare, principal of Hasbrouck Heights High School, more than 98 percent of the school's students passed the HSPA with proficiency or better. However, the average score on the SAT was only 1030 out of 1600. The Bergen County average was 1100. The enormous chasm between the SAT and HSPA scores in our school is due to the careless emphasis on the HSPA basic skills assessment.
Winter Driving Tips
The O.P.P. is offering up some winter driving tips for those that have forgotten from last winter. While a majority of drivers slow down and leave extra room during bad weather, O.P.P. Sgt. Cam Woolley says they don't slow down enough and they don't leave enough room. Those two things are among the top pieces of advice from provincial police as we head into the winter driving season. Woolley says in slippery, winter conditions, drivers should be leaving themselves about 5-6 seconds of space between them and the vehicle ahead. For much of Thursday morning, the O.P.P were dealing with roughly one crash every minute around the G.T.A. In many cases, they involved just one car and were the result of drivers going too fast for the conditions or not giving themselves enough space inbetween vehicles. Sgt.
Bilbray bill proposes stricter immigration enforcement
A new bill by Rep. Brian Bilbray, R-Solana Beach, would require employers to verify that all of their new workers are in the country legally.One of the most vocal critics of illegal immigration in Congress, Bilbray said the bill also would call for an increase in the number of U.S. Border Patrol agents, intensify aerial surveillance at the nation's borders and increase the number of detention facilities. But critics say some of its supporters have co-sponsored the bill simply to appear tough on illegal immigration before the November elections. Since the bill was introduced Nov. 5, its list of co-sponsors has grown to 112, including 44 Democrats, making the bill more likely to move forward in the House, Bilbray said. The bill's main sponsor is North Carolina Democrat Heath Shuler."Congress has the responsibility to take action and respect the mandate given by the American people to enforce our laws, secure our borders and address illegal employment," Bilbray said.
Interview: Frances Saunders
Change is afoot at the government's defence research lab. Natasha Gilbert talks to the woman in command
Tuesday November 20, 2007
The Guardian
Dr Frances Saunders, the chief executive of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down. Photograph: Frank Baron
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