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Riverview Gardens Lays Out Plan For School Improvement | St. Louis Public Radio

Riverview Gardens Lays Out Plan For School Improvement

Sep 22, 2014

Sixth-grader Toni Marie Young listens to a math lesson at Westview Middle School during the 2013-14 school year.
Credit Tim Lloyd / St. Louis Public Radio

State education officials were in north St. Louis County Monday evening, getting an update on steps the Riverview Gardens School District is taking toward ramping up classroom success.

The unaccredited district had a 16.8 percentage point improvement on its state report card for last year, but that was 4.6 percentage points shy of the provisionally accredited range.

To earn a step up in its accreditation status, Superintendent Scott Spurgeon laid out a series of goals for the district in areas that ranged from college and career readiness to reading assessments.

“I want you to look at each other and say this, ‘are you in?’” Spurgeon said to a small crowd at Riverview Garden’s Family Community Resource Center. “You’re either in or you’re not, because there are no ifs, ands, or buts in this district.”

Many people who came to the public meeting were district employees, and some of the specific targets for this school year include:

  • Improve graduation rate from 79.8 percent for 2013-14 school year to 85 percent this school year.
  • Reduce student discipline incidents from 8,986 during the 2013-14 school year to 5,000 or less this school year.
  • Students are given a reading test at the beginning and the end of the school year.  Last year, 11.3 percent of first through fifth grade students who were behind in September improved to the proficient level. This year, Spurgeon said the goal is 20 percent.
  • Improve the district’s attendance under a state standard called 90-90, which sets the bar at having 90 percent of students in school 90 percent or more of the time. Last school year, 78.5 percent of all district students met this standard. The goal for this school year is 85 percent.  Students who miss 10 percent or more of a school year – roughly three and half weeks – are more likely to wind up with a string of academic problems.

Riverview Gardens Superintendent Scott Spurgeon
Credit Tim Lloyd / St. Louis Public Radio

Spurgeon said a focus on literacy and the back-to-basics approach of making all students show their work when solving math questions will allow teachers to spot and correct problems.  Ultimately, he said, the district has begun laying a solid foundation for future gains.

“It’s a process of being very clear and articulate in the message of what needs to be done, what the goals are for this year, and what needs to happen to achieve those goals,” Spurgeon said.

And the clock is ticking. Costs associated with student transfers could threaten the district's financial footing. However, the situation for Riverview Gardens is not as dire as the one Normandy could be facing in the coming weeks. Education Commissioner Chris Nicastro has said student transfers could drive the state-run Normandy Schools Collaborative to the edge of financial insolvency as soon as next month.

In Riverview Gardens, Spurgeon said the strategy for avoiding financial woes is straightforward: Make enough progress to move out of the unaccredited range so the transfer law will no longer apply. If the district clears the threshold for provisional accreditation, Spurgeon said he’s optimistic that the successor to current education commissioner, Chris Nicastro, will recommend an upgrade in the district's status to the state board education. Nicastro is set to retire at the end of the year.

Meanwhile, 768 students are transferring to an accredited school district this school year.  That’s down from 1,063 students last school year; last year the transfer program cost the district around $11 million in tuition and transportation costs.  The 295 fewer transfers students is expected to save the district more than $3 million as compared to last school year.

Nevertheless, Ron Lankford, deputy commissioner for financial and administrative services for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), said the financial toll of student transfers remain a significant concern.

“If they continue to have a significant outflow of money, there will come a time when the district cannot operate,” Lankford said.

Money concerns aside, the majority of speakers echoed Spurgeon’s bullish stance on the district’s future.  Marcia McDuffie said she pulled her four boys out of private schools to attend Riverview Garden’s schools.

“I thank you all, I appreciate what you all are doing,” McDuffie said.  “Because I know the struggle for you all is real, but at the end of the day, you haven’t thrown in the towel.”


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February 23, 2018

Current weather

Clear sky, 69.8 °F

Southern Miss Student Attends Conference on Greek Life Scholarship

Main Content

University of Southern Mississippi student Jasmine Thomas was awarded the Mary Peterson Scholarship to attend the Association of Fraternal Leadership Values National Black Greek Letter Conference held earlier this month in Indianapolis, Ind. The conference is designed to teach leadership skills to those involved in Greek life.

Thomas was selected from more than 200 applicants for her academic achievement, leadership positions and involvement in the community.

As the only student invited from Mississippi, Thomas represented Eta Tau Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, The University of Southern Mississippi and the National Panhellenic Council (NPHC).

 “It’s pretty awesome to be able to something that helped me be a better leader and grow to better myself,” Thomas said. “It was a great thing to be recognized for that.”

Thomas is not only active in her sorority, but is also a member of Lucky Day Citizenship program, a volunteer with DREAM of Hattiesburg, a McNair Scholar and a member of the Honors College. She also began her own community service project “Get Up and Dance.”

Thomas is an elementary education major from Picayune, Miss.

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Heroes and Villains

Rudy Shepherd

Rudy ShepherdKurt Cobain and Elliot Smith (singer-songwriters), Charles Taylor (former president of Liberia), and Jena Six defendant Robert Bailey Jr. are a few of the famous and infamous faces sharing wall space with the less notable in an exhibition at the START Gallery featuring the works of Rudy Shepherd (’98).

Reynolda Mile Gallery Walk

In anticipation of his visit this Homecoming Weekend and his gallery exhibition Friday and Saturday, Shepherd took time to answer questions about his work, what inspires him and how he found success in New York City.

Q. You graduated from Wake Forest with a BS in biology and studio art. Were you originally intending to pursue a career in biology?

A. I started at Wake Forest as a pre-med student, fully intending to become a doctor. After three years of biology, chemistry, organic chemistry and physics, I decided to take a sculpture class at the recommendation of one of my friends. David Finn’s sculpture class changed my life! By the end of that class a fire had been ignited inside of me.

Q. You work in a lot of different media (sculpture, drawing, painting, photography, video, performance, etc.). Do you have a preferred medium?

Kurt Cobaine (1967-1994) (suicide), 2010 (Courtesy of the artist and Mixed Greens Gallery)

A. I find that each medium has a certain way of communicating to the audience and has a specific history. I have found it advantageous to move from one medium to the next depending on the idea I am trying to express and the way I am interested in getting that message across. I think I am probably better at sculpting than anything else, but I am currently obsessed with painting. Sometimes I dream of just locking myself in a room with Internet access and painting materials and never coming out.

Q. Much of your work explores the grey areas between innocence and guilt. In particular, your criminal/victim portraits examine society’s desire to make clear the line between acceptable and unacceptable behavior. Is this something that you’ve been working with for a while? Where and how did you develop an interest in the subject?

A. This project started with a series of sculptures called the Black Rock Negative Energy Absorbers, where I began thinking about the dark side of human nature, that part of all of us that causes us to mistreat and distrust one another. As I was working on the sculptures I began noticing evidence of my ideas everywhere, particularly in the sensational headlines of the Daily News and the New York Post. One in particular jumped out at me. It was a headline in the New York Post that read FRY BABY over the face of a young black man that looked vaguely like myself. This started a collection process that eventually led to a series of paintings and a whole body of work investigating the lives of both criminals and the victims of crime.

Q. With the negative energy absorbers you incorporate the rhetoric of new age mythology and ancient religions. Did you have the opportunity to study these concepts during your time at Wake Forest, or did you later develop an interest?

A. My interest in these things has come from my own tangential research. I’m interested in what people believe and how their beliefs affect how they behave in their own lives. The Black Rock Negative Energy Absorbers were meant to comment on the question of whether political art can change the world. I guess what I was trying to say is that art can change the world if you believe in it, if you are open to what artists are saying.

Q. You and your work are returning to Wake Forest. What do you hope the community will gain from this exhibition?

A. I have been dreaming about this moment for nearly 14 years, and it is really exciting to come back to Wake Forest and share my work with the community here. What people will see in the START Gallery is a cross section of what has been going on in my life — moments of great inspiration and discovery as well as tragedy and heartbreak. I hope that the viewers of this exhibition will find in it things they can relate to and that it echoes the ups and downs of their own lives. I also hope they will be moved to write down the names of some of these inspirational figures from my life and find out who they are and what they do.

Q. You’re currently represented by a New York City gallery: Mixed Greens. How did you get the opportunity to exhibit there and what advice would you give to current art students who are wanting to break into the New York art world?

A. Funny you should ask. Mary Leigh Cherry (’98), one of my fellow students at Wake Forest and an art history major, came to visit me shortly after I moved to New York. While I was participating in the artist-in-residence program at the P.S.1/MoMA Contemporary Art Center in 2001, she came to my studio and brought along a friend of hers from Mixed Greens Gallery and introduced us. That started a conversation that has led to a 10-year relationship.

My advice: work hard, work really hard, really really hard, then get your work out there, show as much as possible, apply for residencies, grants, and shows, and have studio visits with whomever you can get into your studio. Don’t be shy, you’ve got to sell yourself and be confident in what you’re doing. Fortune goes to the bold. Remember that.

Categories: Alumni, Arts & Culture, Events, For Alumni, For Parents, Top Stories, Wake Forest College


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Morkill leaving for job out West

By Steve Estes

Anne Morkill, for the last six years manager of the Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuge complex, will be leaving that post in late September to take over as Project Leader for the San Francisco Bay Area National Wildlife Refuge Complex, based in Fremont, Calif.

She says that the challenges she will face in her new job will in many ways be similar to what she did here. The complex consists of seven refuges, four in San Francisco Bay itself, the Farallon Islands offshore, and two units in the Monterey Bay area.

The Farallon Islands are part of an extensive bird species chain with unique nesting issues, and Morkill will still have to work in an area where threatened species are prevalent.

“When I came here, I promised myself that I would only leave if one of two jobs became available,” she said. “This was one of them, and I thought myself a long shot to get selected, so I feel very honored by that.”

“I am very excited for this new chapter in my career, however, my decision to move on is bittersweet as I have enjoyed working with people here on the many challenging and fulfilling conservation projects in the Florida Keys these past six years,” said Morkill.

During her six year tenure, Morkill said she is most proud of the fact that she instilled a culture of using science upon which to base species management decisions.

“One of my goals was to bring good science into the management practices of the refuge. We have expanded our partnerships with various universities for research and we are beginning to lay a good science foundation for the next managers to build on,” she said.

The local refuges have had a long-standing relationship with a few universities who routinely sent interns here to produce master’s and doctoral-level studies in species habits, but that has been expanded to include experts in sea level rise implications, eco-system interaction and fire management.

“We got the Comprehensive Conservation Plan done, which provides a future blueprint for managers to make decisions on what’s best for the refuge,” she added.

Two programs are still in the works as Morkill takes her leave of the refuge, one of which should be ready for roll out before she vacates the position.

“We are putting the final tweaks on the predator management plan and I will have the final version on the streets for public review before I leave,” she said.

That plan has been a controversial one for the last few years as it involves the refuge trapping feral cats on federal lands and has met with stiff resistance at times from animal-rights groups.

“The plan has to be available for public review, with no comment period, for 30 days before it can be implemented,” she said. “I don’t think we’d start trapping cats in the summer around here, but the program will be ready for the next manager to kick off.”

Morkill is also currently embroiled in a public-comment review process for a new back-country management plan, a plan that will determine the available uses of refuge-controlled back country islands and the management practices that will be used on them.

She and National Marine Sanctuary personnel recently completed a series of public scoping meetings to gather thoughts on the proposed future of both facilities.

“We’re looking at a lot of comments about opening up the back country to expanded personal watercraft uses, and a lot against that same thing. We’re looking at comments requesting commercial use permits for back country islands for excursions, sightseeing and diving and snorkeling. We’ve also seen a lot of folks asking for curtailment of uses to establish new nesting islands for birds,” she said.

That management plan will be a two- or three-year effort, she says, and will be completed by the next manager.

Who that might be is unknown.

“We might have someone on staff here fill the position on an interim basis, or they might bring in someone from elsewhere on an interim basis,” she said. “The federal service doesn’t fill a position until that position is empty and it’s a lengthy process.”

One of the things she wishes she had been able to accomplish was the development of a new refuge visitor center on land the refuge owns next door to Skeeter’s Marine on US 1 in Big Pine.

“We were disappointed that the service kept bumping funding to build the center. It would greatly enhance the visibility of the refuge for our visitors,” she said. “We acquired the land, but never could get construction money.”

She said that quest, in addition to being the next manager’s, has tuned from a straight allocation in the federal budget to searching for grants and partners to build the facility.

“We’re looking at partners that can leverage maybe Tourist Development Council bricks and mortar money in a shared arrangement,” she said.

If there’s one thing she believes the refuge needs more of in the coming years, it’s public outreach programs.

“We need to do a better ob of educating people about the dangers faced by the Key Deer, both in vehicle crashes and in feeding,” she said. “We have to do a better job of getting across the dangers of feeding, how to better manage your trash so the deer can’t feed from the cans, and how to make the deer feel less inclined to routinely visit human developments.”

Morkill said she has enjoyed her time in the Keys and will have good memories.

1 Comment »

One Response to “Morkill leaving for job out West”

  1. Beth Aug 06 2012 / 6pm

    Good riddance, she won’t be missed.

Leave a Reply


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Publications include the authoritative NAFTILIAKI GREEK SHIPPING REVIEW, which has been in the marketplace for 60 years, the annual INDEX TO GREEK SHIPPING and the LEISURE & PLEASURE GUIDE.

The editorial team's unrivalled knowledge of the Greek maritime marketplace is also available around the clock at NEWSFRONT.GR on this website.

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The NEWSFRONT.GR internet information service focuses on the worldwide activities of the GREEK SHIPPING community via daily news stories plus regular S&P and newbuilding reports, coverage of ship finance transactions and legislative, maritime policy and other developments affecting the industry. Plus a running bulletin board (On & Off the Akti Miaouli) on staff appointments, new agency representations and other activities linked to the many companies engaged in servicing the GREEK-OWNED MERCHANT FLEET.

The NAFTILIAKI INDEX TO GREEK SHIPPING is a comprehensive directory of the Greek-based shipping-related community, with special attention being paid to Piraeus, the hub of Greek shipping. Divided into seven main sections, the Index covers the whole spectrum of activities associated with one of the world's major contributors to seaborne transportation, from port information to administration contact points,

through marine equipment manufacturers and their representatives to shipping offices and their directors, and the hundreds of companies providing the back-up services a shipping community requires. The Naftiliaki Index to Greek Shipping is your key to the Greek shipping marketplace.

The LEISURE & PLEASURE GUIDE lists a wide range of recommended restaurants, bar-restaurants and tavernas in Piraeus, downtown Athens and the city's northern and southern suburbs. Most tastes are covered, from traditional Greek to international cuisine via Tex-Mex, BBQ, Chinese, Thai and Japanese menus. All listings regularly vetted for quality of food, service and ambiance. Full addresses, contact numbers and information on when open.

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Among other events Newsfront/Naftilaki was the Greek laison office for organising the annual 'Greek Shipping Summit' in October 2010. Founded and organised the 'Building for  the Future' Summit in April 2011 and the 'Greener Shipping Summit' in November 2011.

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 New Sokol choppers amaze Philippine troops | Inquirer News
Friday, February 23, 2018
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New Sokol choppers amaze Philippine troops

/ 02:55 AM February 22, 2012

MANILA, Philippines—Philippine troops and civilians were awed by the latest military air asset acquisitions, which went on test flights Monday afternoon, a military spokesman said.

In a press briefing Tuesday, Colonel  Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos Jr. said the Sokol choppers, which flew from Clark Air Base in Pampanga, amazed the troops and civilians at Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija where the aircraft passed by.

He said, “The troops were impressed with the capabilities of the Sokol choppers as they executed several air maneuvers.

Major Enrico Ileto of the 7th Infantry Division said the Philippine Army Aviation Battalion of the Light Armor Division stationed at Fort Magsaysay may have been the first Army unit to establish radio contact with the brand-new choppers.

“Pulse rates ran high with enthusiasm for soldiers assigned here when they noticed a unique chopping sound of the air in the background being accustomed to the thud of a Huey helicopter or any other rotary aircraft the Armed Forces Philippines has,” he said.

The helicopters, half of the originally eight scheduled for delivery were from Augusta PZL SWIDNIK of Italy and Poland, arrived last week at Clark Air Base.

The Sokol helicopter or “Falcon” in Polish, is a “more capable utility platform” and can be fitted with equipment depending on the mission that makes it an “ideal utility helicopter” for the air force, he said. It has night vision goggle-capabilities and is equipped with an SN 350 autopilot, which means it “can fly hands free especially in long transit flights.”

While the Huey can carry only seven passengers, the Sokol can accommodate 10 passengers with a maximum takeoff weight of 14, 110 lbs. and an endurance of three hours and 19 minutes. It can reach a maximum range of 402 nautical miles in a single flight with airspeed of 140.5 knots,  Air Force spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Miguel Ernesto Okol earlier said.

“The Sokol is fitted with gun mounts for the M60D machine gun on both sides and when utilized during search- and-rescue or over-water operations, it can be equipped with pilot-controlled emergency flotation gear attached to the lowest portion of the aircraft. It can also perform various missions other than combat to support the country’s peace and development efforts,” he added.

The acquisition cost is P2.8 billion and the procurement has undergone “rigid screening process.” The rest of the helicopters are expected to arrive in the fourth quarter of 2012 or first quarter of 2013.

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 Loggers target Pangasinan’s last rainforest | Inquirer News
Friday, February 23, 2018
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Loggers target Pangasinan’s last rainforest

/ 10:17 PM March 21, 2012

DAGUPAN CITY—Pangasinan’s largest remaining rainforest in Mangatarem town is threatened by illegal logging after roads were built deep into the forest for easier hauling of logs, environment officials said.

Leduina Co, provincial environment and natural resources officer, said a team from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Mangatarem government and the military inspected the forest last week and discovered illegal logging there.

Co said an unpaved road cutting through the mountains of Mangatarem, which was built without permit from the DENR, made it easier for loggers to enter the area.

Co was referring to a road  that traverses the mountain boundary of Pangasinan and Zambales.  She quoted reports as saying a resident of Mangatarem funded the construction of the road’s 19-kilometer section in Pangasinan. The road stretches to 55 km.

She said the road zigzagged through heavy timber areas when a straight road could have been built from grasslands in the area.

“Worse, the Department of Public Works and Highways said the project was not programmed, it did not have funding and was not covered by any contract. But it was constructed by [a Mangatarem resident] who claimed to have backing from an official in Zambales,” she said.

Co said there was no sense in building the road because there were no economic trading activities between the two provinces.

“Besides, it would be difficult for even 4×4 (off-road) vehicles to pass through that road. Maybe some try, but they no longer return and pass that route again,” she said.

From the main artery, the government inspection team discovered a network of smaller roads and trails that go deeper into the forest. There, the team saw felled trees, stumps and lumber ready for hauling.

But there were no people or logging equipment in the area, which made Co and the other members of the team suspect that illegal loggers were tipped off of their arrival.

“There was a tent inside the thick forest, presumably used by the illegal loggers,” she said.

The team of Col. Jesus Sarsagat, commander of the Philippine Army unit based in Binmaley town, helped secure and retrieve logs from the mountains before these could be hauled by illegal loggers.

Co said a military detachment was put up to prevent illegal loggers from returning there.

She said the area where illegal loggers had been operating was part of the 13,863.61-hectare forest of Mangatarem town. The old-growth tropical rainforest comprises 44.7 percent of the town’s total land area. It is Pangasinan’s largest remaining forest and is considered as an important biodiversity area by the DENR. Yolanda Sotelo, Inquirer Northern Luzon

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TAGS: Environmental Issues, Illegal Logging, Pangasinan, Rainforest
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 A Filipinas Heritage Library in Cebu? | Inquirer News
Friday, February 23, 2018
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Past Forward

A Filipinas Heritage Library in Cebu?

/ 07:52 AM January 31, 2013

Around 1 o’clock in the morning last Sunday, my car was deliberately bumped on the left rear side by a taxi with plate number GXU 113. Moments earlier, the idiot taxi driver made a U-turn right from the outer lane abutting the Archbishop Reyes intersection leading to Ayala Center unmindful of the green traffic light as I was approaching, on my way home to Banilad. I had to stop and allow this idiot of a driver to carry out his traffic violation or else meet his taxi head on. After doing the U-turn to reach the vicinity of Infinity Bar, he intentionally backed his taxi off to hit my car, leaving a long white scratch and my car’s bumper slightly awry. Even the public utility jeepney on the opposite lane had to stop very near the side of my car or else it too would have been hit!

The idiot then proceeded to pick up Korean passengers as I alighted from my Toyota Innova to see the damage and go after him across the street. Like a typical idiot, he immediately drove off but not before I got the plate number and saw the Korean passengers inside looking back at me, clearly frightened and thinking that I would chase the taxi till hell freezes over.

Make no mistake, I do not drink when I drive—and the people who know me know that I do not drink liquor or alcohol or beer at all, not even in a party, meeting or some occasion. I had in fact just dropped off some friends at the resto bars of Mango Avenue because I disliked going there.

I did not run after the driver because I had no plans of stooping to the level of idiocy that taxi driver, probably high on drugs, demonstrated before foreign tourists and the security guard of Infinity Bar. I do not even want to press charges since insurance can pay for the damage to my car. Besides, if I complain, that idiot would be fired by the taxi firm and he would simply move on to another taxi firm to be the same idiot that he was. Such is the political economy of public utility driving in this country!

I just wonder why idiots get a license to drive. And boy, there are plenty of these drivers who think they own the city and can do whatever pleases them on the road. My only hope is that he will meet a driver not as unforgiving as me. When that happens, may God have mercy on his soul; that is, if he has one!

* * *

During the inauguration of the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) Museum Cebu in September 2011, Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama, whose office was just across the museum and Plaza Sugbu, suggested that the top floor of BPI Magallanes where the museum was located be turned into a new home for the city library. (The Rizal Memorial Library would then be converted into a grand venue for the visual arts a la Singapore Art Museum).

The request was quite frank but not forceful, more of a tease, knowing that the building, constructed in 1940 to 1941, had a top floor that had long been unoccupied and given over as a huge, high-ceilinged storage space for antique as well as modern banking equipment and furniture (which made the object acquisition for BPI Museum Cebu quite an easy task for me and my team).

Unbeknownst to everyone, BPI Foundation Inc., which bankrolled the museum as well as that of BPI Museum Zamboanga a year later, took Mayor Mike’s suggestion seriously. More seriously, in fact, that I think the Cebu city government won’t even have to shell out a single centavo and be gifted with a branch of the venerable Filipinas Heritage Library which until late last year, occupied the old pre-war Nielson Tower in Makati City. To the uninformed, Nielson Tower was an airport tower in the pre-war years which was converted in 1914 by the Ayala Group of Companies into a home for the Filipinas Heritage Library (FHL).

FHL is both a library and a research center complete with a gift shop. It closed last Nov. 1, 2012 to facilitate its transfer to Ayala Museum and is set to open on March 23, 2013. Its book shop, Libros Filipinos, is the best place to find current Filipiniana coffee table books and trade books. (USC Press, the academic publishing arm of the University of San Carlos, sells its coffee table books there, too!)

The branch in Cebu is slowly unfolding at BPI, based on designs by archtect Ellis Puerto, who also worked with me and BPI Mango branch manager Caloy Apuhin in the making of BPI Museum Cebu. I have a feeling that this library will unveil in time for the 76th Charter Day of Cebu, a fitting gift for the Cebuano people.

The library, however, is being strategized to serve as a full-service research and even a heritage training center not just for Cebu but the whole of the Visayas and Mindanao.

After 161 years of banking in the Philippines, BPI and its major stockholder, the Ayala Group of Companies—which marks in 52nd anniversary in March—still continue to go beyond banking.

Let us await with bated breath then the coming of the Filipinas Heritage Library to Cebu!

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TAGS: Cebu, driving, Filipinas Heritage Library
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 In Mindanao, it’s Earth Hour daily | Inquirer News
Friday, February 23, 2018
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In Mindanao, it’s Earth Hour daily

/ 11:12 PM March 23, 2013

THIS HAS become a common sight in many parts of Mindanao—children studying their lessons by candlelight. JULIE S. ALIPALA

For most people in Mindanao, every day is Earth Hour Day.

Maria Chuchi Siva, a 41-year-old mother of two, complained that the frequent power outages in Zamboanga City are hurting her family’s finances.

“Before, we can store meat and fish good for a week’s consumption, but with these frequent blackouts, we are forced to buy food good for a day’s consumption. It’s a waste of time and energy for me,” Siva said.

Siva’s monthly budget has also jacked up to about 50 percent.

“I need to go to the market every day and we need to spend about P600 for the candles,” she said.

Ludivica Araham, a mother of three who works part-time as a tutor, said she lost five students, or an income of P5,000, because of the brownouts in Zamboanga City.

“My students are only available from late afternoon till nighttime, and this is when blackouts happen,” she said.

The same scenarios are repeated in most parts of Mindanao.

Recommendations ignored

“Is this what our people have been putting up with, year after year?” said Makabayan senatorial aspirant Teddy Casiño, who went around Mindanao to campaign.

“President Aquino should act immediately before the power crisis in Mindanao worsens,” he said, lamenting that Mr. Aquino failed to act on 13 recommendations made by the Mindanao Power Summit in April 2012.

Among those proposed in the summit is the permanent exemption from privatization of the Agus-Pulangui hydropower complex, the creation of the Mindanao Power Corp. to oversee the operations of existing and future power plants in Mindanao, the deployment of National Power Corp. (Napocor) power barges to Mindanao, the development of renewable energy sources and the amendment of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act, especially provisions on privatization.

The Department of Energy (DOE) said power demand in Mindanao peaks at 1,484 megawatts this year, but existing power plants can only supply an estimated 1,181 MW of power, resulting in a 300-MW power deficit, which explains the rotating brownouts in areas that do not have power generation capacities.

Month of suffering

For over a month now, Iligan City, Lanao del Norte and Misamis Occidental have been experiencing two rounds of daily brownouts because of the power shortfall.

In General Santos City, franchise areas of South Cotabato II Electric Cooperative (Socoteco II), which covers General Santos, Sarangani province and the towns of Polomolok and Tupi in South Cotabato, have been experiencing six to seven hours of brownouts daily.

Pressed for solutions, the Mindanao Development Authority (Minda) sees the reopening of the Iligan diesel power plant and the commissioning of two other power plants in the region as temporary solutions.

Minda Chair Luwalhati Antonino, during the March 15 Zamboanga power summit, said the government plans to tap diesel plants to fill the 100 to 300-MW power deficit.

Aside from the Iligan diesel power plant, the 15-MW Mapalad diesel power plant operated by Mapalad Energy Generating Corp. and the 15-MW Heavy Fuel Oil  or bunker fuel Peaking Plant of the EEI Power Corp. in Tagum City, will be tapped to add 30 MW.

“Once reopened, the Iligan diesel power plant, which has a full generating capacity of 100 MW will significantly ease Mindanao’s current daily power deficit of 100-300 MW,” Antonino said at the Zamboanga power summit.

Temporary solution

She said the Iligan plant will generate an initial 20 MW of power when it resumes operations next month and will operate at full capacity before the end of the year.

But Antonino said the government is also fast-tracking the rehabilitation of the Agus-Pulangi hydropower plants, which supply more than 50 percent of Mindanao’s power requirement.

The 1,000-MW hydropower complex is only generating 570 MW of power now.

“The mechanical parts of hydropower plants are good for only 30 years, after which, they should already be replaced,” Antonino said. “The plant’s capacity has been reduced due to heavy siltation of the river systems and dams that feed the facility.”

She said they are embarking on a rehabilitation project that involves replacing the main equipment of the two generating units of the Agus 6 power facility to extend the facility’s life span by another 30 years and its generating capacity upgraded from 50 to 69 MW.

She said Napocor and the Balo-I local government  in Lanao del Norte will embark on a flood-control project to address flooding that would result from the increased output of the Agus 2 Hydro Electric Power Plant.

Sharing the burden

But Antonino also asked people to do their share in conserving power. “While the government is keenly developing mechanisms to cope with Mindanao’s annual electricity consumption growth of 4.7 percent, consumers must also do their share in efficient energy use,” she said.

She warned of a dry spell that could reduce the output of the Agus-Pulangi power plant.

Minda cochairs with DOE the Mindanao Power Monitoring Committee, which is currently doing a resource-mapping project for existing hydro and biomass resources in Mindanao. Antonino said they are still preparing an initial list of prospective areas for hydropower development in partnership with USAID Climate Change and Clean Energy (CEnergy) Project.

But in the meantime, local executives are trying to cover the yawning gap between power demand and existing power supply by enforcing power-saving measures and encouraging the use of standby generators from major power consumers.

In General Santos city, Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio, daughter of the Minda chair, urged consumers to cut down consumption.

Socoteco II, which has a base load of 112 MW, is only getting an average of 82 MW (the 52 MW, coming from Napocor and 30 MW from Therma Marine). The 30-MW deficiency results in six to seven hours of rotating brownouts, which might worsen once Veranza Mall and Greenleaf Hotel, which will need an average of 5 MW daily, start to operate.

Change of schedules

Custodio urged the city’s 13 biggest companies, also the city’s top power consumers, to shift their operation from the 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. peak load hours to the 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. off-peak load hours. The mayor also urged household users to switch off refrigeration or air-conditioning units for three to four hours daily.

Power supply in General Santos is expected to stabilize in 2015 when the 200-MW coal-fired power plant in Maasim, Sarangani, starts to operate.

Custodio said the city government will lead by example by replacing all high pressure sodium lamps with LED streetlights. “By doing this, we will be able to save at least 1 MW daily, at the same time, cut down our expenses on electricity,” Custodio said.

She said if the 13 big companies will heed the city’s call to use their own diesel-fed power generating sets for three hours during peak load hours, it would ease the load on the Mindanao grid and save about 20 MW daily.

In Zamboanga City, Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla offered the distribution of power generators to Mindanao electric cooperatives that do not have embedded generators.

“These generators will be able to provide power supply immediately, while we are waiting for new capacities to come online by 2015 and onwards,” Petilla said.

Conserving water

In Kidapawan City, the Napcor-Power Sector Assets Liabilities and Management (Napocor-PSALM) said it is carrying out water conservation measures to assure sufficient power supply in Mindanao for the May 2013 midterm elections.

Lawyer Omar Pacilan, Napocor-PSALM spokesperson, said the Napocor is certain that there will be sufficient electricity in Mindanao for the elections. Germelina Lacorte, Julie S. Alipala, Ryan Rosauro, Aquiles Zonio and Carlos Agamon

Inquirer calls for support for the victims in Marawi City

Responding to appeals for help, the Philippine Daily Inquirer is extending its relief to victims of the attacks in Marawi City

Cash donations may be deposited in the Inquirer Foundation Corp. Banco De Oro (BDO) Current Account No: 007960018860.

Inquiries may be addressed to Inquirer’s Corporate Affairs office through Connie Kalagayan at 897-4426, ckalagayan@inquirer.com.ph and Bianca Kasilag-Macahilig at 897-8808 local 352, bkasilag@inquirer.com.ph.

For donation from overseas:

Inquirer Foundation Corp account:

Inquirer Foundation Corp. Banco De Oro (BDO) Current Account No: 007960018860

Swift Code: BNORPHMM

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TAGS: Brownout, Electricity, Energy, Mindanao, Power crisis
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text:
 Pampanga bet for vice gov says fight is vs dynasty | Inquirer News
Friday, February 23, 2018
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Pampanga bet for vice gov says fight is vs dynasty

09:35 PM April 30, 2013

MAGALANG, Pampanga—To defeat the son of Gov. Lilia Pineda and bring back check and balance in the provincial government are driving lawyer Maria Amalia Tiglao-Cayanan to campaign hard despite limited resources.

Cayanan, the Liberal Party (LP) candidate for vice governor, said Dennis Pineda, the governor’s son and running mate, should not have vied for public office in the first place.

“Political dynasty at the local level is inimical to progress,” said  Cayanan, who is running with former Gov. Eddie Panlilio.

“One of the basic features of our democratic system of government is check and balance and separation of powers. If one family controls both the executive and legislative departments, there is the danger of concentrating too much power in that family, the result of which will be to compromise transparency and accountability,” she said.

Cayanan, 39, said it was Panlilio who invited her to complete the LP tandem.

“I had no plans of joining politics but I could not refuse his offer since I believe in my heart that it is the right thing to do,” she said.

Dennis Pineda, on the other hand, is determined to win to “help my mother through legislative efforts.”

The Pineda family, he said, is not building a political dynasty.

“The people asked us to serve. There was clamor. We did not put ourselves in politics,” he said.

Ferdinand Labung, a contractor who is seeking a seat in the provincial board, confirmed he initiated the campaign for Dennis, 39, to run for vice governor.

With a commerce degree, Dennis began as director of a local electric cooperative. After stints as councilor of Lubao, he completed three terms as mayor of the town, serving also as president of the Pampanga Mayors’ League and treasurer of the country’s league of mayors.

His sister, Mylyn, is unopposed in her reelection bid as mayor of Lubao. His wife, Yolanda, is seeking a third term as mayor of Sta. Rita.

Dennis said he has not violated any law because none exists against political dynasties. He said he has a track record of public service. “This is what will matter to voters,” he added.

Cayanan said whether there was a clamor for Dennis to run as vice governor, delicadeza (propriety) should have prevailed. Tonette Orejas, Inquirer Central Luzon

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TAGS: 2013 elections, anti-dynasty, Elections 2013, News, Regions
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 India floods strand thousands; more than 100 dead | Inquirer News
Friday, February 23, 2018
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India floods strand thousands; more than 100 dead

/ 03:12 PM June 21, 2013

LUCKNOW, India—The Indian air force is dropping paratroopers, food packets and medicine for tens of thousands of people trapped in up to 100 inaccessible towns and villages in northern Himalayas devastated by heavy monsoon rains and landslides over the weekend.

Amit Chandola, a Uttrakhand state spokesman, said the army and other workers reopened dozens of roads Friday by building makeshift bridges, accel

Bulldozer and other vehicles are drifted in a flooded river in Uttarkashi district, India, Monday, June 17, 2013. Torrential rain and floods washed away buildings and roads, killing at least 23 people on Monday in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, officials said Monday. AP FILE PHOTO

erating the evacuation of nearly 62,000 people.

With the sun shining for a third day, thousands of soldiers intensified efforts to reach 80 to 100 towns and villages worst hit by the flooding and rains.

Chandola said the official death in Uttrakhand was 105, but expect that to rise as authorities reach are

as now cut off.

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TAGS: Death Toll, Flashfloods, Flood, India, Weather
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‘White Widow’ female terrorist killed in U.S. drone strike: reports

Britain’s most wanted female terrorist is believed to have been killed in a U.S. drone strike, according to local media.

Sally Jones, who recruited female jihadis to join the Islamic State, died in Syria in June, according to the Sun and other media. It is possible that her 12-year-old son Joe, or Jojo, was also killed in the strike, according to the reports.

The Sun reported that CIA officials told British intelligence that Jones was thought to have been killed by a U.S. Air Force Predator close to the border between Syria and Iraq.

Jones, 50, a former punk rock singer from the southern English county of Kent, traveled to Syria in 2013 to marry computer hacker Junaid Hussain. Hussain, 21, was a leading member of ISIS’s CyberCaliphate, the group responsible for hacking the U.S. military’s Twitter and YouTube accounts in 2015.

Hussain, from Birmingham in central England, was reportedly killed by a U.S. drone strike in August 2015, after which Jones was dubbed the “White Widow” by some media.

Jones was prominent on social media, recruiting a number of women to join ISIS under the pseudonym Umm Hussain al-Britani, with stories about how great life was with the militants. She also encouraged extremists to carry out attacks in the West.

U.S. intelligence chiefs said they cannot be 100% sure Jones was killed, but are “confident” she is dead, the Sun reported.

Who was Sally-Anne Jones?

Jones was a 50-year-old mother-of-two who left the UK with one of her sons in 2013 to join the “caliphate” in its early days. Her son was eight or nine at the time.

When she arrived she was married to Junaid Hussain, a British-Pakistani computer hacker who discovered the identities of 1,300 US personnel, many of whom were serving at UK air bases.

Hussain was killed in a US drone strike in 2015, aged 21, when he ventured out without Jones’ son, who was routinely used as a human shield by the pair. Following his death Jones became known as “the White Widow”.

Jones was reportedly responsible for publishing the names and details of the military personnel her husband had hacked – in a bid to allow Isis militants to target them.

She was supposedly behind a plot to assassinate the Queen and Prince Philip during a 2015 celebration commemorating Japan’s surrender during the Second World War.

The same year, the then Prime Minister David Cameron said Jones’ husband had planned “barbaric attacks against the West”, including a plot for a terror attack that targeted “high profile public commemorations”.

Jones was also said to have been among the plotters who masterminded Isis’ kidnapping of a US army veteran who was beheaded by the terror group.

Jones had numerous Twitter accounts and published pictures of herself posing with a Kalashnikov and a pistol.

‘White Widow’ Sally Jones ‘killed by US drone strike in Syria’

In a 2016 Twitter post she wrote: “I just wanna say… have a nice summer. I wouldn’t go into central London through June or July. Well, to be honest, I wouldn’t go there at all by Tube.”

That year she also called on women in London, Glasgow and Cardiff to carry out terror attacks during the holy month of Ramadan.

Latterly, Jones was said to be desperate to flee Syria and return to Britain.

Jones was born in Greenwich and lived in the dockyard town of Chatham in Kent. According to The Sun, she was her parents’ only daughter. Her father had been a greengrocer but committed suicide after he and his wife divorced. Jones was 10 years old at the time.

She left school at 16 and worked as a beautician, but was also a guitarist and singer in an all-female punk band in Kent in the 1990s, called Krunch.


text:
Monday, January 05, 2009

Lessons learned from MS08-005

[ This post has been 80% complete for 1 year. And I swear the cleanup my "todo list" in 2009 :) ]

MS08-005 (KB 942831) is a local privilege escalation bug affecting:
  • IIS 5.0 (Windows 2000)
  • IIS 5.1 (Windows XP)
  • IIS 6.0 (Windows 2003)
  • IIS 7.0 (Vista)
This particular bug caught my attention for several reasons:
  • Local bugs tend to be more easily and reliably exploitable ;
  • The bugfix is very small in size ;
  • This bug made up his way into Vista, despite manual and automated code analysis.
Let's play with Windows XP SP2 version of this bug!

First step is to install the patch, and to recover backuped files. In our case, there is only 1 file (infocomm.dll), that can be found in:

Second step is to diff both original and patched files. If you happen to have a legit IDA Pro copy, Tenable PatchDiff2 is the best free plugin available out there. Otherwise, you'll have to fall back on eEye Binary Diffing Suite. Screenshots below are taken from BinDiff2.

Only 2 functions were modified by the patch:
int __stdcall CVRootDirMonitorEntry::FileChanged(char *lpString2, int) int __thiscall CVRootDirMonitorEntry::ActOnNotification(unsigned long, unsigned long)

Understanding the change

We will focus on FileChanged() function, in which strlen()/strcpy() operations were fixed (as shown in the graph below). Note: both APIs were inlined.

Code changes can also be spotted using the excellent Hex-Rays decompilation plugin.

Unpatched version:

if ( _strchr(input_filename, '~') )
result = ConvertToLongFileName(*((char **)long_filename + 3), input_filename, &FindFileData);
if ( !
result )
v7 = _strrchr(input_filename, '\\');
if (
v7 )
v9 = v7 - input_filename;
v15 = v7 - input_filename + 1;
v16 = v7 - input_filename + 1;
v15 >>= 2;
memcpy(&v25, input_filename, 4 * v15);
v17 = &input_filename[4 * v15];
v18 = &v25 + 4 * v15;
v19 = v16 & 3;
v8 = FindFileData.cFileName;
memcpy(v18, v17, v19);
v20 = *v8++;
while (
v20 );
memcpy(&v26[v9], FindFileData.cFileName, v8 - &FindFileData.cFileName[1] + 1);
input_filename = &v25;

Patched version:

if ( _strchr(v4, '~') )
result = ConvertToLongFileName(*(char **)(v3 + 12), v4, &FindFileData);
if ( !
result )
v7 = _strrchr(v4, '\\');
if (
v7 )
v9 = v7 - v4 + 1;
memcpy(v24, v4, v7 - v4 + 1);
v8 = FindFileData.cFileName;
v10 = 261 - v9;
v17 = *v8++;
while (
v17 );
if (
v8 - &FindFileData.cFileName[1] + 1 < v10 )
v11 = FindFileData.cFileName;
v18 = *v11++;
while (
v18 );
v10 = v11 - &FindFileData.cFileName[1] + 1;
v3 = v22;
memcpy(&v24[v9], FindFileData.cFileName, v10);
v25 = 0;
v4 = v24;

Runtime analysis

At this point, a little bit of runtime analysis using WinDbg could help us to get the whole picture.

Being attached to the inetinfo.exe process (where infocomm.dll is loaded, according to Sysinternals handle utility), we set a breakpoint on FileChanged():

0:016> .reload /f
Reloading current modules ..................................................................
0:016> bp CVRootDirMonitorEntry::FileChanged
0:016> bl

0 e 71ba7ca0 0001 (0001) 0:**** INFOCOMM!CVRootDirMonitorEntry::FileChanged
0:016> g

Given the name of the function under scrutiny, we suspect it will be called during file operations inside the Web root:

echo "hello" > c:\inetpub\wwwroot\test.txt

It worked! Moreover, we can confirm that the first argument passed to FileChanged(), which is of type char* according to debug symbols, is the filename.

Breakpoint 0 hit
eax=00000000 ebx=00000008 ecx=00712430 edx=007238c4 esi=007238a8
eip=71ba7ca0 esp=009cfed8 ebp=009cff0c
iopl=0 nv up ei pl zr na pe nc

cs=001b ss=0023 ds=0023 es=0023 fs=003b gs=0000 efl=00000246 INFOCOMM!CVRootDirMonitorEntry::FileChanged:
71ba7ca0 8bff mov edi,edi

0:004> da poi(esp+4)

009cfee4 "test.txt"

Summary of our findings

Not everything makes sense for now, but we have gathered much interesting information during this preliminary analysis phase:
  • CVRootDirMonitorEntry::FileChanged() does (possibly insecure) string manipulation.
  • This function is called whenever a file under the Web root is "touched". The filename is passed as the first argument.
  • The offending code will be reached only if the filename contains the "~" character, and the "\" character (thus being inside a subdirectory).
  • ConvertToLongFileName() will be called in between on the filename.
A bug, really ?

At this point, we need to have a closer look at ConvertToLongFileName() internals.

According to debug symbols, the function prototype is:
int __stdcall ConvertToLongFileName(char *, LPCSTR lpString2, LPWIN32_FIND_DATAA lpFindFileData)

Implementation of this function is trivial: it takes the filename as an argument and uses FindFirstFileA() on it. The corresponding WIN32_FIND_DATA structure is passed back to the caller for future use.

MSDN documentation relative to FindFirstFile() is pretty straightforward. The WIN32_FIND_DATA structure is more interesting:

typedef struct _WIN32_FIND_DATA {
DWORD dwFileAttributes;
FILETIME ftCreationTime;
FILETIME ftLastAccessTime;
FILETIME ftLastWriteTime;
DWORD nFileSizeHigh;
DWORD nFileSizeLow;
DWORD dwReserved0;
DWORD dwReserved1;
TCHAR cAlternateFileName[14];

The caller will copy
FindFileDate.cFileName into a fixed size buffer of 264 bytes. Since MAX_PATH has a value of 260 on Windows platform, this is probably MAX_PATH+1 aligned to a DWORD. Where is the trick ?

Where Unicode comes into play

The trick is called Unicode. Quoting MSDN documentation:
In the Windows API (with some exceptions discussed in the following paragraphs), the maximum length for a path is MAX_PATH, which is defined as 260 characters.
The Windows API has many functions that also have Unicode versions to permit an extended-length path for a maximum total path length of 32,767 characters.
What about CreateFile ?
The Unicode versions of several functions permit a maximum path length of approximately 32,000 characters composed of components up to 255 characters in length.
Therefore, it is possible to build a very long Unicode path, as long as each path token is less than 255 characters long. There is a little quirk in FindFirstFile() documentation here: cFileName cannot be longer than MAX_PATH, but the full path to this file can go far beyond MAX_PATH.

Do it yourself

Here are the steps to trigger the bug:
  • Using the mkdir command, create a directory inside C:\Inetpub\wwwroot with a long name (200 times 'A', for instance).
  • Using CreateFile("\\?\C:\Inetpub\wwwroot\AAA...AAA\BBB...BBB"), create inside this directory a file with a long name (200 times 'B', for instance). This API call must be Unicode-style, because the resulting full path will be longer than MAX_PATH.
  • Now access this file using its short name, as reported by the dir /x command. In this example, this would be something like echo toto > bbbbbb~1.
Et voilà ! IIS should crash, because it expanded "\bbbbbb~1" into "" and "bbb...bbb" strings, that are thereafter concatenated into a stack-based buffer of size MAX_PATH.

Since infocomm.dll has been compiled with /GS option, a stack cookie prevents direct exploitation of this bug. Exploitation on IIS 5 is left as an exercise to the reader ;)

That was a very nice bug to study (even if it ended up in a trivial stack overflow) because it requires good knowledge of Windows internals.

As usual, it would be nice to know "how" this bug has been found by the original author. However, using Unicode filenames breaks so many applications out there that it could have been found by accident ;)

PS. Happy New Year to all readers !

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text:
Judge: Dispute of Execution Drug to Go to Trial
A judge has upheld most of the changes Montana corrections officials made to execution methods after a legal challenge by two death-row inmates, but he says a dispute over one of the drugs used in lethal injections should be decided at trial.


text:
Reunion photos New Utrecht High School Reunion Photos

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Wednesday, March 2, 2011

ExxonMobil Jobs: Vacancies for Trainee Geoscientist and Experienced Specialist Geoscientist 2011

ExxonMobil is a dynamic, exciting place to work. We hire exceptional people, and every one of them is empowered to think independently, take initiative and be innovative. EXXONMOBIL is the world's largest publicly traded international oil and gas company, providing energy that helps underpin growing economies and improve living standards around the world. EXXONMOBIL organizational structure is built on a concept of global businesses and is designed to allow ExxonMobil to compete most effectively in the ever-changing and challenging worldwide energy industry.

Job Or Campus Folder Trainee Geoscientist

Job Description
• Develop mapping and prospect evaluation skills
• 3D seismic interpretation
• Subsurface framework building for geologic modeling
• Develop relevant skills in identifying and recommending drilling opportunities
• Participate in meetings, presentations, exhibitions, conferences and lectures that add value to the business and enhance knowledge
• Participate in well-site duties
• Other duties as assigned at any particular time by supervisor
• Assist other more experienced geoscientists in conducting analysis of surface and subsurface data
• Obtain exposure to field studies, Formation evaluation, well-site operations, Seismic data acquisition/ processing, Project management, New Field Development etc

Requirements Of Candidate
•Ph.D. or Masters Degree in Geosciences (Geology or Geophysics). Candidates expecting to obtain a Ph.D. or Masters Degree by October 2011 may also apply
•Bachelors degree with a minimum of second class upper in Geoscience (Geology, Geophysics, or physics)
•Possess NYSC discharge or exemption certificate
•Clear understanding of basic Geoscience concepts and principles
•Geoscience workstation experience will be an advantage
•Excellent computer skills
Country or Region Nigeria
Office Location Mobil House, Lagos
Affiliate Name Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited
Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited
Employment Type Students/Graduates Seeking Full-Time

Job Or Campus Folder Experienced Specialist Geoscientist

Job Description
Seismic Processing Specialist

* Oversee seismic processing

Geophysical Applications
* Provision of seismic specialist functions to support field studies, drill well/ opportunity generation and maturation, including well ties, velocity model, seismic derivative products

Seismic Specialist Skills
• Provide seismic operations support
• Provide expert guidance to Service Providers contracted to process seismic data

Geophysical Applications
• Provide 3D seismic interpretation support
• Perform well ties and seismic modeling
• Velocity modeling
• Generate seismic derivatives
• Rock/Fluid property modeling

Requirements Of Candidate
•Ph.D. or Masters Degree in Geoscience (Geology or Geophysics) with a minimum second class upper Bachelors degree
•Competent/expert skill in geophysical applications or seismic data processing
•A minimum of 5 continuous years of relevant industry experience
•Must possess NYSC discharge or exemption certificate
•Full understanding of seismic acquisition and processing
•Must possess expert seismic processing skills
•Specialist seismic skills (well tie, velocity modeling, and seismic derivatives) required to support E & P geoscience functions

Country or Region Nigeria
Office Location Mobil House, Lagos
Affiliate Name Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited
Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited
Employment Type Experienced Professionals

These positions offer competitive compensation and benefit package commensurate with what is obtainable in the Upstream Oil & gas industry.

Method Of Application
If you meet the requirements listed for the position, please place your online application at: to submit your application and upload your CV.

To view a PDF copy of the advertised vacancy
• Log onto
• Click on ‘ search openings’
• In the ‘keyword’ search box, enter 11503BR (for Trainee Geoscientist) or 11504BR (for Experienced Specialist Geoscientist)
• Click ‘Search’

The advert closes 2 weeks from the date of this publication. Only short listed applicants will be contacted.
Applicants are hereby advised to submit only one application, as multiple applications may result in their being disqualified.
Please note that any application placed outside Exxonmobile ‘Jobs and Careers in page on is placed at the applicant’s sole risk.

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text:
Saturday, July 02, 2011

I adored SHIVER, the first in the Wolves of Mercy Falls YA series by Maggie Stiefvater.

Sam and Grace's love story was riveting so I couldn't wait to read the follow up, LINGER.

From Goodreads:

In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being.
For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past . . . and figuring out a way to survive into the future.
Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack. And Isabel, who already lost her brother to the wolves . . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.
At turns harrowing and euphoric, Linger is a spellbinding love story that explores both sides of love -- the light and the dark, the warm and the cold -- in a way you will never forget.

Once again, the love story between Sam and Grace sucked me in. The author's poignant mood-setting is a feature, making it totally believable these teens belong together.

Forget every preconception you ever had about werewolves. The wolves in this series are special.

I enjoyed delving into Cole & Isabel's psyche too, but have to admit the frequent changes in POV (the entire book is first person, told from Sam, Grace, Cole & Isabel's POV) tore me out of the story.

I would've loved more focus on Sam and Grace and their amazing connection.

Can't wait to read FOREVER, the 3rd and final instalment in this series.

What are you reading this week?

Liz Fielding said...

I don't normally read YA - just not enough time - but Shiver came to me in a pack of books to be read for a competition and I thought it was just so beautifully written (deeply disappointed it didn't shortlist).

Jill said...

Ooh, these look good and I'm not usually a fan of werewolf stories.
I'm reading the Untied Kingdom by Kate Johnson this weekend. Yes, it's the Un-tied Kingdom not the United Kingdom ;-) A woman falls into an alternate UK where they are in a full blown war and living in almost 3rd world conditions. It's very different and a little mysterious so far.

Really I shouldn't be reading much since I got my first request for a full manuscript this week and my draft is already done but rough. I shouldn't brag, but I just can't help myself. I'm floating on air :-)
Can't wait to read Girl in a Vintage Dress either!

Nicola Marsh said...

I read a lot of YA Liz and Shiver was still a stand out.

Beautifully evocative.

Nicola Marsh said...

Jill, these are definitely not the usual werewolf stories.

You'll fall in love with Sam and Grace!

And HUGE congrats on your request for a full, wonderful news!

The Tame Lion said...

Wow! Must read!
I love werewolf stories, especially the unusual ones! :)

Nicola Marsh said...

You'll love this series!

Shiver is fabulous!


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Monthly Archives: March 2015

Signals in my kernel

In december, I’ve made several attempts at adding signal support into my hobby kernel. At first I thought It would be fun to implement since they break normal program execution…

I was wrong.
Not succeeding at adding signals have made me lose my motivation but a couple of days ago I gave it another try and looks like it’s working now!
I find it a horrible thing to implement but at least it’s finally working like it should now as you’re seeing on the screenshot below:

Signals support

If you’re interested in the repository:


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A Special Day To All Women

Today, in Portugal, we celebrate Women´s day. A big thumbs up to all Women out there!
We are really special and complex beings and I´m proud to be a unique exemplar of this species :)
Another Monday, another music moment here in Night Clicks. This week, I´m posting a singer I first came across trough an EC blog. I enjoyed his music and voice right away: Paolo Nutini. In this video he´s singing "Rewind". I think I enjoy most of his songs, this one, "Last Request", "Sweet Like Candy", etc.
Good week to all!

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stickytabby said...

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Peace, Love and Happiness. :)

Mommy Icay


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Monday, December 20, 2010

Christmas Crafts!

I am alive I promise, I just have been super busy!
I was gone for 5 days and didn't have any time to
get my posts put together ahead of time.

I would love to show you a few of my Christmas crafts!

Check out my cute $3 frame that I turned into HO HO HO!

A few years ago I found these fun square chargers and turned them
into holiday plates with ribbon and vinyl!

Here is my monthly set of 10 blocks!

Along with my countdown blocks!

This year I was involved in a ornament gift exchange group.
There are 12 members in the group and each member makes 12 of the
same ornament to give to the other members.
I was very excited about my glitter and vinyl
glass ornament.

I am way excited to show you my next 3 crafts.
I am sure you have seen these adorable kits that
you can get from Wendy over at her fabulous blog
She has a cute Etsy store where she sells her kits for way cheap!

Don't you love this cute little reindeer?

I ordered the JOY before she offered it with a jingle bell,
now you can get the kit with a big jingle bell.

This one is one my favorites.

So there you have it, a few of my Christmas decorations!

  1. Oh I love them! I always get such great ideas when I visit your blog. :)

  2. Ahhh I love all of them! The Santa's Watching would be very helpful in my house - a 3 1/2 year old and a 20 mo old. I'd just take that with me everywhere I went ;)

I really appreciate when readers leave comments! I read each one of them and I get all excited to see HOOOO is taking interest in my post! Thanks so much for taking the time to write a few words it makes my day!


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Tuesday, 27 September 2016

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 27-9-2016

Oh, my lord …

But that was a trip … !

I had an interview, yesterday.

In Romford, so you know: four stops down from Brentwood, on the Southend Victoria/Liverpool Street line.

I get the train into Romford, found the branch I was due to be interviewed at, had the interview — which went well, but I find out for sure on Friday — and headed back to Romford station.

Only to find that, literally minutes before I got there someone had fallen in front of a train: in Goodmayes.

And managed to delay everyone’s trip … by anything up to three hours.

Right now?   Getting the bus back to Brentwood — and boy, I’m thankful the 498 bus accepted the TfL train ticket! — was long, and inconvenient trip.

I think I’d’ve bee a lot angrier about that, had I just finished a days work in Romford!

But let’s move on, shall we?

Yesterday’s Teaser saw Olga* and Debbi† putting in their answers: with both scoring six out of six.

Let’s see how everyone does with today’s questions, shall we?

Here they are, along with the How To, License and video …

Q1) The musical, Hair, opened in the UK: on 27th September, 1968.   But in which West End theatre?
Q2) Richard Stallman announced his GNU project: on 27th September, 1983.   The project aimed to produce what: an operating system, an email client or a web-browser?
Q3) 27th September is World Tourism Day.   According to Wikipedia, which European country got the most tourist visits, in 2015?
Q4) 27th September, 1937, saw the death — by shooting — of the last of a species of tiger.   Which species of tiger?
Q5) Finally … 27th September, 1954, saw the broadcast of the original version of US hit, The Tonight Show.   Originally presented by Steve Allen, who now presents the show?
Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …
Q1) Concorde made its first non-stop transatlantic flight: on 26th September of which year?
A1) 1973.
Q2) More to the point: was that a French or English Concorde?
A2) French.
Q3) Indonesia was admitted to the UN: on 26th September, 1950.   What’s Indonesia’s capital city?
A3) Jakarta.
Q4) 26th September, 1493, saw Alexander 6th issue a Papal Bull: allowing Isabella and Ferdinand to colonize parts of the New World.   Which of the monarchs ruled what we now call Castile?
A4) Isabella.   (Or Isabella 1st of Castile, as she was)
Q5) Which US commission was first set up: in a US act what went into force on 26th September, 1914?
Q6) Finally … 26th September, 1917, saw the start of the Battle of Polygon Wood.   The Battle took place in which European country?
A6) Belgium.
I’ll leave you with this thought …
“You can’t defend the indefensible - anything you say sounds self-serving and hypocritical.”
Diane Abbott, MP, born 27th September, 1953.
And this song …

Enjoy your day.

*        Well … I think they’re standard … for some shops, Olga!   I do know I seem to score well, sometimes: but not others!   Cheers for the links, though: I can see if the Job Centre will fund some for me!

†        I certainly hope something will, Debbi!   I’ve got me hopes up for yesterday’s, actually.   It seemed to go well.   Either way … ?   It can’t be as bad as the trip, home!   (Oh, hang on … you’re a librarian … ?   Ook!)

Olga Nunez Miret said...

Q1) Shaftesbury Theatre
Q2) An operating system
Q3) France
Q4) The Bali tiger
Q5) Jimmy Fallon

Hopefully, you might not need them. Wishing you the best.

Debbi said...

Ook, indeed! :)

1. the Shaftesbury Theatre
2. operating system
3. France
4. the Bali tiger
5. Jimmy Fallon


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Sunday, November 13, 2011

Back to Wales

I have moved back to Wales  and  started  blogs to coincide to where I am you will now find me under the headings of  and in 2012 will change to
IMG_7830This is a very small bird and a rare visitor to the upper delta of the Nile, if  you want to see the rest of today's bird photos.


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Recent Swell - Nimbus Grand Strand Surfing

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Surfside Beach
13th South
Feb 10th

Feb 10th, 13th South Surfside Beach, SC

Fun northerly swell, heavy fog early but lifted some which helped with photography.  Team riders Tyson Miller,  Tyson Royston, Pal Pellica and Bree Labiak in the line up ripping, along with many others including Micha Cantor who spent most of the time in the air and riding out of most of them.
Recent photos from 13th S Surfside Beach, SC.  More pics from this session in the Surfing Gallery!
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Thursday, May 14, 2015

The Whitsundays in May

We spent a week enjoying some beautiful spots in the Whitsundays.

When I was six years old, I had a friend in kindergarten called Dugald. We have remained friends over the years since, and his son John (30) has been visiting Australia with his partner Mackenzie. They are both actors in London. We took them for a mini-cruise around Whitsunday Island.

We also caught up with some other Seawind owners, David and Lynda Burke and their family. A very entertaining dinner together at Whitehaven Beach.

The iconic Hill Inlet with Whitehaven Beach beyond

The Burke's boat 'Yaminda'

George admiring Cid Harbour

Here's the scoop: let's charge a load of back-packers a few hundred dollars each and take them out in a big wind and see how many get sea-sick!

Sunset over Abell Point marina

Monday, May 4, 2015

Weather imagery

We recently came across some beautiful imagery which shows current and future weather.

Full page here.

A similar site here also has current. Click on the word 'earth' at bottom left to access the menus.


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Saturday, February 10, 2007

For Pauline and George

Just in case you look in my blog, don't think I forgot your birthdays for I didn't. Every time I visit the toilet the birthday calendar hanging there will remind me of your birthdays on the 10th of February.

So here is to both of you!

Hope you both had a lovely birthday!

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Men's Cross Country & Half Marathon

Iowa Central reclaims DI men's cross country title

Fort Dodge, IA — For the third time in four years, Iowa Central has claimed the NJCAA DI Men's Cross Country Championship. The Tritons ran away with Saturday's meet, posting a low score of 65. The Tritons boasted two of the top three individual finishers at the Lakeside Golf Course, Iowa Central's home course.

Eric Fitzpatrick of Southern Idaho finished as the top overall finisher with a time of 24:44.0 on the 8k course. Fitzpatrick becomes just the second Golden Eagle to win a NJCAA individual crown and the first since 1980. Iowa Central's Ezekiel Kipchirchir and Karim Achengli finished second and third, respectively, to guide the Tritons to the team title.

  • All five scorers for Iowa Central finished inside the top 30 to give the top-ranked Tritons their third title in program history.
  • Kipchirchir's second place finish came in a time of 24:48.5 while Achengli finished the course in 24:51.6.
  • Central Arizona, one year removed from a national title produced a team score of 112 to finish second in the meet.
  • Central Arizona placed four runners inside the top 30 to finish inside the top three team totals for the third consecutive season.
  • South Plains (TX), Gillette (WY), and Allen County (KS) rounded out the top five team scoring.
  • The Iowa Central men joined their female counterparts to sweep the NJCAA DI Cross Country titles on Saturday.

Photos courtesy of Paul DeCoursey

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darmowe gry w sizzling hot

Casino game odds

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Aflubin pills

Aflubin - is a drug belonging to the group of complex homeopathic preparations.

Pharmacological action

Aflubin has antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic effect. It supports the immune system, affecting the local immunity manifests detoxification properties. Application Aflubin helps reduce symptoms and duration of intoxication and inflammation.

While working on the local immunity, normalizes Aflubin protective function of the mucous membranes in the nose, trachea and bronchi.

Application Aflubin increases the body's defenses with SARS, influenza, acute respiratory infections, inflammations of upper respiratory tract, the trachea and bronchi. Aflubin used to treat diseases of the musculoskeletal system of rheumatoid nature in combination with other drugs.

Indications Aflubin

According to the instructions, Aflubin effective for the treatment and prevention:

- Influenza;

- Parainfluenza;

- Respiratory diseases infectious nature;

- Rheumatic and inflammatory processes, pain in the joints (in a complex with other drugs).

Dosing and Administration Aflubin

 Aflubin drops
 According to the instructions, Aflubin should be taken half an hour before meals or one hour after a meal. Aflubin for children under one year are used in pure form or add the necessary dose in a tablespoon of water or breast milk. Before as swallow drug, it is desirable to delay the fluid in the mouth for several minutes.

Aflubin for children under one year is prescribed 1 drop 3 to 8 times a day for children aged one year to 12 years - five drops, with twelve children and adults - 10 drops Aflubin from 3 to 8 times a day. The treatment aflubin is from 5 to 10 days.

For Aflubin preventive therapy for children up to one year is prescribed to take 1 drop 2 times a day for children from one year to 12 years - 5 drops 2 times a day, adults and adolescents over 12 years - 10 drops 2 times a day. Preventive course should be held within three weeks.

For emergency prevention of viral diseases drops Aflubin take the same dose, but the duration of the reception is two days.

When inflammation musculoskeletal rheumatoid character, accompanied by pain in the joints, drops Aflubin prescribed to both adults and children.

According to the instructions, Aflubin for children under 12 years must be taken at a dose of 5 drops, with twelve teenagers and adults - 10 drops. In the first two days of the disease drops Aflubin apply from 3 to 8 times a day, during the following days - up to 3 times. Aflubin course of treatment is one month.

side effects

According to the instructions, Aflubin well tolerated, side effects of possible excessive salivation.

Contraindications Aflubin

Contraindications Aflubin is an allergic reaction to the components Aflubin.

storage conditions

Drops Aflubin should be stored in a dark place at a temperature no higher than 25 degrees in places that are inaccessible to children, and where there is no electromagnetic radiation. It should be borne in mind that due to the presence in the composition of natural herbal ingredients may precipitate that does not affect the quality and pharmacological properties Aflubin. Shelf life of the drug in a sealed vial for 5 years.


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Monday, March 28, 2011

Trying to get out of the slump

Ugh. That's about all I can say right about now. I have been in such a slump the past week or so. Starting off last week with the flu certainly didn't help, but the weather has turned bitter cold again (yes, 30's are considered bitter cold after being in the 80's already) and I haven't been able to get out and walk/jog like I had been. Instead, I have been sitting around eating myself stupid again.

But now, the kids are back in school, including my 5 year old who has been out for a month (I can hear angels singing "Hallelujah" right now...or is that me?) so maybe I can get back on track. The boys have playschool in the morning, and even though it is supposed to be cold and rainy and just generally downright disgusting out, I am going to do my best to go for my walk/jog and get back into it again. I have barely over a month to get ready for this half-marathon, and at the current rate, I'm going to be dragging my fat rear end over the finish line in 18 hours instead of my goal of 3.5.

That's something else that I've been thinking about - there's no way to get ready for a race like this when I can only get out kid-free twice a week. So I think that I'm going to try to continue doing the walk/jog on those 2 days to work on some speed, and then plot out a 10ish mile route that I can do on the other afternoons when I only have my youngest with me. I can't go for speed when I'm pushing the stroller, but it should at least help with the stamina factor. Sounds good in my head - we'll see if it actually works.

Then the She-Beast had an attitude problem again this morning and greeted me with a dead battery. I am getting so sick and tired of this kind of crap. So this afternoon I actually went to one of the local dealerships to inquire about a mini-van that they had listed on their website (of course it had already been sold) and I talked to their finance guy. Luckily, it isn't going to be too hard to get me into something newer - but it is going to take me a month or two to get the down payment money together. He is willing to work with me so that definitely helps. Now, everyone just hope and pray and send happy thoughts that the She-Beast will continue limping along for another couple of months, please?

But anyway, I need to get away from the computer for a while, straighten up the living room, take out the trash (I hate trash night), and maybe try to get to bed at a reasonable hour. I have to be up early to get the boys dressed and fed and to playschool so that I can do my walk if I'm going to do it.

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Manual & Guide
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Monday, May 16, 2016

The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater

Summary from Goodreads:
Nothing living is safe. Nothing dead is to be trusted.

For years, Gansey has been on a quest to find a lost king. One by one, he’s drawn others into this quest: Ronan, who steals from dreams; Adam, whose life is no longer his own; Noah, whose life is no longer a lie; and Blue, who loves Gansey…and is certain she is destined to kill him.

Now the endgame has begun. Dreams and nightmares are converging. Love and loss are inseparable. And the quest refuses to be pinned to a path.
This is definitely one of my most anticipated books of the year. And it did not disappoint. Stiefvater is the queen of YA character development. This book (along with the rest in the series) is a book that makes me feel like I’m reconnecting with old friends. Seriously, I feel like I know these characters. They can make me laugh, tear up, and roll my eyes. And I love them no matter what. So few books do this for me any more. It’s so wonderfully charming that I can’t help but smile just thinking about it.
Also, Stiefvater knows how to write well. Her metaphors, her magical realism, and her creepy setting all kind weave together in this style that both reads like a mixture of Margaret Atwood, Alice Hoffman, and Libba Bray and like something completely, uniquely its own. This is no linear story. It’s a story that starts in a lot of different places and centers around a lot of different characters. It’s a story that means something different to each of the players. This makes it read like a classic piece of literature to me.
Also, its plot has a little bit of everything in it. There’s horror (crazy, bloody demons taking over the world horror), suspense (one of the major characters is a hit man), magic (there’s a house full of psychics, but also there’s this much realer/almost nature like magic as well), romance (that is doomed from book 1), so many ships, a quest for a fantastical king, private school parties, political functions, family dinners, senioritis, the stealing of things from dreams, and plenty of surprises and twists. The question should be what does this book not have?
Also, there were some seriously interesting things learned about Blue! This book gave me a lot to think about. And it had a few little twists that genuinely surprised me. I love being surprised.
I love how things got wrapped up in this one. I loved getting to know Ronan’s family a bit more. Also, it was awesome getting to know Gansey’s family a bit more too. I already knew Blue’s family, but they were much appreciated as well. Adam had his moment with his family too. The new friends and side characters were ever amazing too. Really, this is a book (and a series) for those who love character development and character driven stories. But, it’s also a book (and a series) for anyone who just really loves a good book, period.
I was on edge in this book for a lot of reasons. Stiefvater couldn’t say it better herself, “He was a book, and he was holding his final pages, and he wanted to get to the end to find out how it went, and he didn't want it to be over.” I could have read this book much faster than I did. Part of me was afraid of the ending. And a bigger part of me just wasn’t read to part ways yet. I savored this book for as long as I could. It was hard not to read at my normal speed because so much went down in this last installment.
The ending was powerful and beautiful like all endings should aspire to be. I give it a 10/10.

1 comment:

  1. Loved, loved, LOVED this book too Nori^^ Truly, a fitting ending to such an amazing series ♥ I have to resist the urge to reread the entire series now because I miss The Raven Boys + Blue SO MUCH, I can hardly stand myself XD One word? Perfection. Glad you adored this as much as I did my friend! xx


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Friday, 17 March 2017

America about to learn how ideology-driven budget & regulatory cuts can play havoc with the natural world and wreck quality of life

Sadly US citizens are about to learn the hard lessons Australians have learnt under the far-right Abbott and Turnbull governments when ideology finally consumed all other considerations.

Mother Jones, 6 March 2017:
President Donald Trump promised during the campaign to get rid of the Environmental Protection Agency "in almost every form." That probably isn't going to happen, but if recent reports are correct, the White House is planning massive cuts to the agency, potentially wiping out up to a quarter of its $8.1 billion budget and eliminating as many as 3,000 jobs.
Cleanup projects, scientific research, and the office responsible for enforcing air quality standards are all reportedly on the chopping block. Any funding related to climate change is at risk of being zeroed out. The Oregonian has a list of 42 EPA cuts outlined in a leaked version of Trump's proposed budget. Not all of these cuts will necessarily be enacted by Congress; a few Republicans, including EPA administrator Scott Pruitt himself, have already balked at some of the proposed reductions to state environmental grants.
Just a few of the presidential actions since 20 January 2017:

Presidential Memorandum on January 20, 2017
Executive Order on January 24, 2017
Presidential Memorandum on January 24, 2017
Presidential Memorandum on January 24, 2017
Presidential Memorandum on January 24, 2017
Statements of Administration Policy on February 07, 2017
Executive Order on February 28, 2017
Statements of Administration Policy on February 28, 2017

The Intercept, 6 March 2017:
MUCH OF THE COUNTRY has been watching in horror as Donald Trump has made good on his promises to eviscerate the Environmental Protection Agency — delaying 30 regulations, severely limiting the information staffers can release, and installing Scott Pruitt as the agency’s administrator to destroy the agency from within. But even those keeping their eyes on the EPA may have missed a quieter attack on environmental protections now being launched in Congress.
On Tuesday, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology is expected to hold a hearing on a bill to undermine health regulations that is based on a strategy cooked up by tobacco industry strategists more than two decades ago. At what Republicans on the committee have dubbed the “Making EPA Great Again” hearing, lawmakers are likely to discuss the Secret Science Reform Act, a bill that would limit the EPA to using only data that can be replicated or made available for “independent analysis.”
The proposal may sound reasonable enough at first. But because health research often contains confidential personal information that is illegal to share, the bill would prevent the EPA from using many of the best scientific studies. It would also prohibit using studies of one-time events, such as the Gulf oil spill or the effect of a partial ban of chlorpyrifos on children, which fueled the EPA’s decision to eliminate all agricultural uses of the pesticide, because these events — and thus the studies of them — can’t be repeated. Although it is nominally about transparency, the bill leaves intact protections that allow industry to keep much of its own inner workings and skewed research secret from the public, while delegitimizing studies done by researchers with no vested interest in their outcome.

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