University graduates should pay more for degrees, says minister...

Graduates should pay a higher contribution return for their university education, a government minister said today.
The universities minister, David Willetts, said this would be better than cutting student numbers or reducing the of funding per student.
Willetts told an audience of university vice-chancellors: "I do believe it is better for the younger generation to have the chance of going to university and then pay for that out of the higher earnings achieve later on – rather than experiencing poorer quality HE or being deprived of the opportunity altogether. This has to make sense for young people.
"What would not make sense would be to fail to increase the contribution from graduates with the result that we the student experience or ended up having to make big cuts in student numbers. That would be to let our young people down."
Willetts called for a "renewed emphasis on teaching" at universities. He said institutions that downplayed the importance of teaching students were "in danger of losing sight of their original mission".
"It remains hard to shift the impression that what really counts in higher education is research. This needs to change."
The latest figures from the university admissions service, Ucas, underline the pressure on degree courses. Willetts said they showed 463,000 had accepted a place, 11,000 more than at this time year, and that 38,000 found a place through clearing.
"Although going to university is a competitive process, we will have more students at university this than ever before."
Universities in England awaiting the result of the government's spending review and a review by Lord Browne into the future of university finance.
This week it was reported that Lord Browne would reject a graduate tax and instead raise fees to around £7,000.
In a speech in July, Vince Cable, the skills secretary, compared tuition fees to a "poll tax" that graduates paid regardless of their income. Cable argued it was fairer for people to pay according to earning power. "It surely can't be right that a teacher or care worker or research scientist is expected to pay the same graduate contribution as a top commercial lawyer or surgeon or City analyst whose graduate premium is so much bigger."
Graduates earned average £100,000 more than non-graduates in their lifetime, Cable said, and there were significant premiums for degrees such as medicine.

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Pans and pots at a delicious price...

University freshers are about to start their first term and are likely to be scouring the internet for essential items for their digs, including pots and pans.
Unless they can scrounge unwanted kitchenware from their parents, combination packages are likely to be the best budget route. Sets can range in price from £6.66 to in excess of £500. You might tempted to go for the cheapest, but that rarely equates to good quality or a long lifespan.
Price check has tried to combine quality and durability with the cheapest prices to provide value for money. chose the inventors of non-stick cookware, Tefal, who offer a range of anodised and aluminium cookware sets, and set a price range of between £30 and £70.
Sets vary depending on the retailer you choose, but include at least one frying pan and three saucepans in each package, allowing readers to chose the set that best suits both their budget and culinary requirements.
If you have come across any quality and reasonably priced offers we haven't included, please post details below...

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Willetts says top earners will pay more for degrees...

Higher earning graduates can expect to pay more for their degrees in the form of a "progressive and fair" contribution that could introduced as early as next September, a government minister said yesterday.
The universities minister, David Willetts, outlined government proposals to transform higher education in a major speech today, which suggested that bright teenagers from poorly performing schools could be headhunted to encourage them to apply to the best universities.
Willetts said universities needed to more emphasis on teaching, and urged institutions to cut costs, saying the number of senior university managers had risen to more than 14,000 last year while the number of professors to 15,500 – a trend that could lead to managers outstripping academics this year.
The Tory minister told an audience of university vice-chancellors that the government believed graduates who go on to lucrative should pay more. A report earlier this week suggested that Lord Browne, who is looking at university finance, will reject graduate tax in favour of letting universities raise tuition fees to £7,000. That could prove divisive for the coalition government, as 55 Liberal Democrat MPs have signed a pledge to vote against an increase in fees.
Willetts said: "I do believe it is better the younger generation to have the chance of going to university – and then pay for that out of the higher earnings they achieve later on – rather than experiencing poorer quality HE or being deprived of the opportunity altogether. This has to make sense for young people."
In remarks made after the speech at Cranfield University, Willetts said the government was considering graduate "contribution" rather than a tax, because of fears that the latter could encourage potential high-fliers to study abroad.
He spoke of "a graduate contribution that is progressive and fair, not necessarily a full-blown tax".
Willetts added: "A full-blown tax, which is not what the coalition is proposing, in its extreme form, would mean that because you've been university, you pay a percentage of income for the rest of your working life."
"The risk is that people who in high-paid jobs in medicine or in business would have a tax burden that meant they looked, for example, at studying abroad."
Changes to student finance could come into force by next September, Willetts said.
The minister's remarks come at a time record student numbers. Latest figures show this year's student intake will be 463,000, which is 11,000 more than last year.
However, the share of public spending British higher education is 0.7% of GDP, below the developed-country average of 1%, with Britain lagging behind the US, Canada, Sweden, Germany, Poland and Slovenia.
Lord Browne is duepublish his findings in the coming weeks, just ahead of the government's comprehensive spending review in October, when universities are expecting deep cuts.
Professor Steve Smith, president of the vice-chancellors' umbrella group Universities UK, warned the government against squeezing university funding.
"My worry is that we may be about to make decisions that fundamentally undermine our future capacity to be a globally competitive knowledge economy," he said.
The government plans publish a white paper on higher education, Willetts said, which will lead to a bill by autumn 2011. It is expected to look at broader questions including the status of universities and the distinction between universities and further education colleges.
The government keen on the idea of distance learning, gives students the chance to save money by living at home. It is also interested in students doing university courses at a local college, with degrees awarded a more prestigious institution. Reforms such as these could be implemented, if parliament approves, by the start of the academic year in 2012.
In his speech, Willetts also expressed concern about the numbers of bright children from struggling schools who fail to go to the best universities – estimated at 3,000 a year.
"I am particularly keen to do everything possible to identify and encourage the so-called 'missing' 3,000 teenagers who get good qualifications, often from poorly performing schools, but do not go on to our most competitive universities."
Willetts said he had asked the universities colleges admissions service, Ucas, to track the routes young people take through education, and identify teenagers who were missing out.
He told reporters: "We believe we can identify – based particularly on their GCSEs, but not that alone – high-performing teenagers who have a good shot at some of our most competitive universities, but don't apply. Why is this happening? It may be personal choice, but they may not be aware of what's out there.
"A competitive, research-intensive university in the region could write to Joe Smith or Jill Smith and say, you've got good GCSEs, you're at a school where even kids with good GCSEs are not likely to apply to university – have you thought of coming to our summer school? Have you thought of coming to engineering department? At least to encourage them to think about applying."
Willetts also called for a "renewed emphasis on teaching" at universities. He said institutions that downplayed the importance teaching students were "in danger of losing sight of their original mission".
He added: "It remains hard to shift the impression that what really counts in higher education is research. This needs to change."
The president of the National Union of Students, Aaron Porter, welcomed proposals for a graduate contribution.
He said: "Our position is quite clear, that we want a genuinely progressive graduate contribution based on earnings, the institution or subject. David Willetts is moving in the right direction. However we do need to see much clearer detail."

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The Pet Food Ingredient Game...

About 25 years ago I began formulating pet foods at a time when the entire pet food industry seemed quagmire and focused on such things as protein and fat percentages without any real regard for ingredients. Since boot leather and soap could make a pet food with the "ideal" percentages, it was clear that percentages do not end the story about pet food value. I was convinced then, as I am now, that a food can be no better than the ingredients of which it is composed. Since this ingredient idea has caught on in the pet food industry, it has taken on a commercial life that distorts and perverts the meaning of the underlying philosophy of food quality and proper feeding practices. Is health reducible to which ingredients a commercial product does or does not have? contradictory as it may seem to what I just said, no it is not. Here's why.

AAFCO Approval
The official Publication of the American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) gives wide latitude for ingredients that can be used in animal foods. As I have pointed out in my book, The Truth About Pet Foods, approved ingredients can include*:
dehydrated garbage
undried processed animal waste products
polyethylene roughage replacement (plastic)
hydrolyzed poultry feathers
hydrolyzed leather meal
poultry hatchery by-product
meat meal tankage
peanut hulls
ground almond shells
(*Association of American Feed Control Officials, 1998 Official Publication)

Simultaneously, this same regulatory agency prohibits the use of many proven beneficial natural ingredients that one can find readily available for human consumption such as bee pollen, glucosamine, L-carnitine, spirulina ther nutraceuticals. It would be easy to conclude that reason does not rule when it comes to what officially can or cannot be used in pet foods.

From the regulators’ standpoint, they operate the simplistic nutritional idea that the value of food has to do with percentages and that there is no special merit to any particular ingredient. They deny the tens of thousands of scientific research articles proving that the kind of ingredient and its quality can make all the difference in terms of health. They also are silent about the damaging effect of food processing and the impact of time, light, heat, oxygen and packaging on nutritional and health value.

So regulators are certainly not the place to determine how to feed pets for health. For their way of thinking, as long as a packaged food achieves certain percentages, regardless of ingredients, the manufacturer can claim the food is 100% complete. Pet owners then proceed to confidently feed such guaranteed foods at every meal thinking all while they are doing the right thing for their pet. This old school nutritional view is standard practice in human hospitals as well where official dieticians feed diseased and metabolically starved patients a fare of jello, instant potatoes, powdered eggs, white flour rolls oleomargarine because their charts say such diets
contain correct percentages of certain nutrients. Hospitals are a good place to go if you want to get sick

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The Importance Of Asbestos Awareness Training...

Asbestos is a bunch of minerals seen almost everywhere in nature is a fibrous substance. They're found in fireproofing and noise reduction materials, electrical insulation, cement, construction supplies, roof shingles, ceiling plaster, chemical filters, and other types of manufacturing materials. Small asbestos particles can become airborne (float in the air), especially throughout the manufacturing of materials that have asbestos. These airborne particles can be breathed in, causing mesothelioma, cancer, and other asbestos-associated ailments.

Asbestos awareness training is because asbestos is found in a large number of buildings in addition to houses and schools. Within the workplace or home asbestos will mostly be seen as sprayed-in insulation above ceilings and on steel beams, in ceiling and flooring tiles manufactured prior 1981, and in electrical insulation around ducts and pipes. As far as flooring tiles are concerned majority of 9-inch tiles and some 12-inch tiles will contain asbestos in the event that they were produced prior to 1981.

How can you establish asbestos fibers are a hazard in your office building?

If a building has asbestos-containing materials a notice will be placed near any major door alerting everyone to its existence. Furthermore, if asbestos-containing-electrical insulation exists a label be placed to identify the possible danger.

Essential ways avoid exposure

To prevent exposure you have to first be aware of its likely locations. If you're uncertain if a material includes asbestos you should assume that it does until otherwise determined. Simply looking at ceiling tiles, flooring tiles, acoustic ceilings, electrical insulation, and other types of materials not normally tell you if they contain asbestos. The one way to verify with certainty if a material includes asbestos is to have the Environmental Health and Safety Department remove samples and look at them in a laboratory. By no means take a sample on your own as it could possibly cause particles to become airborne where they can be breathed in.

if an item is marked as containing asbestos or believe that it may perhaps contain hazardous asbestos, such as 9-inch flooring tiles or decorative ceiling tiles, you should not touch it. Do not ever move, cut, disturb, saw, hammer, or damage any material that you believe might contain this deadly mineral.

You should first check with the Environmental Health and Safety Department before doing any work such as repairing changing ceiling tiles or flooring tiles, changing or repairing electrical insulation surrounding pipes, or removal of "popcorn" ceilings. This includes side ceiling tiles to carry out any kind of maintenance work. Previous to performing any work you should first decide if the material contains asbestos. Once you have determined that the materials are safe the work can be done. Nevertheless, if asbestos is discovered it must be removed or sealed by qualified experts before any work is performed.

Always report any materials that have asbestos to the Environmental Health and Safety Department. Until you have positively determined that any ceiling tiles, flooring tiles, or sprayed-on insulation plaster does not contain asbestos, you shouldn't try and carry out any work involving them. If you should come across potentially toxic material take actions to prevent other people from coming into contact with the material or disturbing it until an asbestos abatement crew can clear up. Knowing what materials contain asbestos and where they are found can help you avoid exposure to others and to yourself...

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Causes of Childhood Obesity – Lifestyle Choices...

Moving from Outdoor Activities to Indoor Couch Potatoes
As a kid I was not allowed to stay in the house except when it was nasty outside. My brother and I were healthy trim because we were active.
When I finally got married and we had our son satellite was a household item for most. Today there are thousands upon thousands of TV channels available which keeps our children parked on their ever growing behinds rather than being outdoors being active.
My mother which was good for us as she wouldn’t let us watch TV during the day and only got about an hour in the evening before bed time. I think it was my grandmother’s choices that helped my mother become so big. I like to believe it’s why she wouldn’t let it to happen to us.
Where Are The Sounds Make
I like to walk for about 40 minutes a day to keep my heart ticking as it should. Not so long ago I’d see kids outside playing, like kids should. The parks were full of children sadly for the last few years it has been like all the kids moved away. The playgrounds are empty most of the time, how sad is that.
I’ve also noticed a lot of the children I see are overweight heading toward childhood obesity. They even hit puberty yet, what will their be like if they are allowed to continue putting on extra weight.
Back when we were kids we did not watch TV with breakfast.
Kid’s now get up in the morning and what’s the first thing they do? They turn on the TV and stare at it all the time they are eating a breakfast consisting of mostly sugar until it’s time to go to school. When they arrive home from school and what do they do? They sit infront of the computer and eat while they play mind numbing games until the supper is placed in front of them.
Sadly most parents are left scratch their head wondering why their children are overweight and on their way to becoming obese.
Excuses For Keeping Kids Indoors
I’ve listened to parents using excuses why their kids are over weight and quite often that’s just what they are, excuses.
Sadly too many parents use the computer to give themselves a break from parenting.
What Can We Do To Turn Child Obesity Around
First you must become active, both you and your kids.
When you’re tired, start moving something, it will help you increase your energy. It does work check it out for yourself.
I’m pretty sure you know that allowing kids to run around too close to bedtime will energize them and then can’t get sleep. The same thing works energize you and your kids at just about any time, so get up and start fighting obesity.

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Chemotherapy Treatment for Mesothelioma Patients..

Chemotherapy Treatment for Mesothelioma Patients
Mesothelioma treatment options almost always include chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is recommended by mesothelioma doctors attempt to stunt or destroy the mesothelioma cells.

Most patients who undergo mesothelioma treatments do so in order to prolong life, or to make life as symptom as possible while there is still time. Most mesothelioma doctors have the unfortunate duty to prepare their patients for the high likelihood of death.

Asbestos lawyers have joined forces with mesothelioma doctors in providing the best care possible, mesothelioma doctors providing care for the patient’s health while the asbestos lawyers provide care for the patient’s financial future.

Mesothelioma attorneys are working tirelessly on behalf of mesothelioma victims to provide families whatever closure may be possible in regards to their financial health.

Mesothelioma treatment options often include a visit with a mesothelioma attorney, as a victim of mesothelioma understands all to well the dire effects of leaving their family without enough funds pay for mesothelioma treatment.

Unfortunately, most mesothelioma treatment options are very expensive and they are long term. Without the assistance of a highly qualified asbestos lawyer, many mesothelioma victims would no recourse, and no way to pay for the exorbitant costs associated with mesothelioma treatment.

Mesothelioma doctors understand long fight, and the toll it can take on the body as well as the spirit, Mesothelioma doctors have testified countless lawsuits on behalf of asbestos lawyers in an attempt to assist patients fight for their rights.

While mesothelioma treatments are inhibiting the victim from being able to enjoy the life they have left, big business is slowly killing the rights of mesothelioma victims all over the country. The government has added this problem by passing horrendous laws which protect businesses from asbestos lawyers and lawsuits.

Mesothelioma attorneys are there assist victims of this treacherous cancer with finding monetary assistance to pay for mesothelioma treatment. Mesothelioma doctors are interested in providing the best quality of life possible for their patients.

ogether, they provide the best possible mesothelioma treatment team to allow the victims of mesothelioma to take care needs and spend time with their families. Mesothelioma doctors are working on finding cures in conjunction with researchers, although the nature of the disease makes finding a cure in the near future very difficult.

Mesothelioma doctors are wary of promising too much, as most cases of this type of cancer are not detected early enough remove the cancer. Most mesothelioma treatment options include chemotherapy, physical therapy, and radiation therapy in an effort to destroy the cancer cells and keep patient strength up, with the minority of mesothelioma treatment options including surgical procedures that will allow the patient more comfort, and in some cases, a little more time.

Asbestos lawyers know all too well that it is not uncommon for mesothelioma treatments to take a huge toll on their clients, and there are times when they need to speak on behalf of their clients without their presence. A mesothelioma attorney will be able to represent their client well in their absence and present a case that will secure a financial future for their family.

Mesothelioma doctors understand great financial stress that mesothelioma treatments can place on families, even those with insurance. Mesothelioma doctors almost always recommend that their patients meet with an asbestos lawyer to hopefully provide the best outcome possible for the patients and their families.

Mesothelioma treatments whether it is chemotherapy and radiation therapies, or surgical procedures to help patients breathe easier, a patient’s hope of comfort and the unfortunate long shot at a cure. Mesothelioma doctors are not giving up on finding that cure.

Once mesothelioma treatments have begun, and a mesothelioma doctor and an asbestos lawyer have begun assembling best treatment and representation options available, then it is time for the patient to dig deep and fight for their own survival.

Family support, medical support, and legal support provide the best overall chances for a positive outcome after being diagnosed with mesothelioma. There is no absolute substitute for overall health, and everyone recognizes the severe unfair nature of mesothelioma, but aside from fighting a patient’s right via a good mesothelioma attorney, victims of mesothelioma always fair better when they deal with emotional backlash and then get down to the business of living as fully as possible and creating the best health for their body as possible.

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