‘No Child,’ No Problem: School In Ocean City Nails Its Target

OCEAN CITY, MD — The goal of the No Child Left Behind Act is that every child attain proficiency in reading and math by 2014. At most of the 1,455 public schools in Maryland, teachers and principals regard that scenario as improbable, even laughable.

At one school, the target has been met.

Last spring, all 184 students in the third and fourth grades at Ocean City Elementary School passed the Maryland School Assessment, or MSA, a battery of tests given by the state every year since 2003 to satisfy the law.

The school was the first in the state, apart from a few tiny special-education centers, to meet the goal that has defined public education this decade.

Iraq Prime Minister says terrorism in country defeated

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Iraq’s prime minister said Saturday that the government has defeated terrorism in the country, a sign of growing confidence after recent crackdowns against Sunni extremists and Shiite militias.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki launched the crackdowns to extend the authority of the government over areas in Baghdad and elsewhere that have largely been under the control of armed groups since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.

“They were intending to besiege Baghdad and control it,” al-Maliki said. “But thanks to the will of the tribes, security forces, army and all Iraqis, we defeated them.”

Kylie Minogue Honored at Buckingham Palace

Britain has honored Australian singer Kylie Minogue for her services to music.

The 40-year-old pop star received an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, or OBE, from Prince Charles during a ceremony Thursday at Buckingham Palace in London.

She was lauded for a career that spans more than two decades.

Minogue first appeared on British television in the mid-1980s soap opera ”Neighbors.” She has since sold millions of albums. Her hits include ”I Should Be So Lucky” and ”Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi.”

On the Net:
http://www.kylie.com/home

The Power of Positive Thinking

Positive thinking is a mental attitude that admits into the mind thoughts, words and images that are conductive to growth, expansion and success. It is a mental attitude that expects good and favorable results. A positive mind anticipates happiness, joy, health and a successful outcome of every situation and action. Whatever the mind expects, it finds.

Not everyone accepts or believes in positive thinking. Some consider the subject as just nonsense, and others scoff at people who believe and accept it. Among the people who accept it, not many know how to use it effectively to get results. Yet, it seems that many are becoming attracted to this subject, as evidenced by the many books, lectures and courses about it. This is a subject that is gaining popularity.

It is quite common to hear people say: “Think positive!”, to someone who feels down and worried. Most people do not take these words seriously, as they do not know what they really mean, or do not consider them as useful and effective. How many people do you know, who stop to think what the power of positive thinking means?

Making money while you sleep

GRAEME Wood started hotel site Wotif.com just as the dotcom bubble burst, but that didn’t stop it becoming an internet success story.

One of the greatest pay-offs for the new-age online entrepreneurs is that as soon as they create a website eyes want to surf to on a regular basis, and the marketing campaign has some traction, it’s just a matter of making money while they sleep.

Graeme Wood, the founder of one of this country’s most successful online destinations, actually took “making money while you sleep” to a logical conclusion by creating a site that effectively sells beds at hotels to a world virtually addicted to travel.

And not only has Wotif.com been an online entrepreneurial success, it has delivered the ultimate prize of being in business – the creation of a respected, publicly listed company.