I am not against any brilliant very young chap getting admission into our university system from either rich or poor backgrounds, if he or she deserves it. We should not forget that there is no age limit or requirements to getting wisdom or talents as Michael Jackson started his dance and music career at five while still schooling. The problem of our educational system goes beyond this. What our leaders need to be concerned more about should be how to address poor out-of-school children. If not addressed, they remain potential future terrorists, bandits and kidnappers. Imagine being afraid to move around or to continue your journey when it becomes very dark just because we have growing jobless citizens with no social security as our leaders continue to get more for themselves through constituency projects and jumbo pay. Secondly, our leaders should make our educational standard count, from primary to universities, technical and polytechnic, essentially to help create opportunities for self-employment to address the rising rate of idleness and rising youth unemployment, which are adding up to insecurity in the country. This has made more youths embrace internet scams and be recruited by unknown gunmen, terrorists, bandits and prostitutes. For God’s sake? Can our society not start helping gifted and talented people to become more productive like in other climes and to check people “japaing” (migration)? I think parents have a role to play aside from our leaders. Related News 5 ways to stay healthy as you age ‘Giving children tasks above their age hinders brain development’ School of nursing admission adverts fake — Rivers govt Accepted, you want your children to become well-read getting a degree or diploma or any certificate for that matter but try to look out for their talents as they are growing up and help to nurture them to become great just as MJ’s parents did making him become King of Pop. Parents should stop forcing their children to study what they are not prepared for. Instance, you cannot force any child to study medicine when he or she is an art or commercial student. Allow God to do His work in their lives. And after all, we have seen some that studied medicine law and others but ended up doing something else like music and other stuff they never even studied. Mind you, whatever you can survive with, remain your God’s given talents. Our youths will have no excuse to indulge in crime if we begin to encourage talented and gifted people, especially the youths and insecurity will eventually reduce. Emeka Anozie is an ex-private secretary to the former Federal Minister of Information, Otunba T. O. S. Benson. He is a writer, political analyst in mass media for good governance and human rights activist. He writes from Lagos. [email protected]California to consider requiring mental health warnings on social media sites

Nearly 13 months after his beloved wife Rosalynn died in November 2023, former President Jimmy Carter passed away at the age of 100, the Carter Center confirmed on Sunday. The former president made a rare public appearance at her memorial service. He sat in a wheelchair with a blanket that had a picture of him and Rosalynn together. He would also make a rare public appearance on October 1 as his hometown celebrated his 100th birthday. “Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished,” President Carter said after his wife passed away. “She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me.” The couple was married for 77 years. They met as children, both growing up in Plains, Georgia. Their storied romance started when Jimmy was 17 years old. After their first date, he reportedly told his mom, “She’s the girl I want to marry.” The pair would marry not long after — in 1946. The couple moved to Norfolk, Virginia, where Jimmy was stationed after graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy. Like many military families, the Carters moved from city to city. Their three sons were born in three different states: Virginia, Hawaii and Connecticut. Their only daughter was born in their home state of Georgia. Jimmy left the military in 1953 and began a career in politics about 10 years later. RELATED STORY | Former President Jimmy Carter dies at age 100 Rosalynn was reportedly an important member of Jimmy’s campaign team when he ran for governor of Georgia, a race he won in 1970. After serving four years as governor, Jimmy decided to run for president. During the campaign, Rosalynn traveled the country independently, proving to be a strong advocate for her husband’s vision for the country. Jimmy Carter would go on to defeat President Gerald Ford and become the 39th president of the United States. Rosalynn was an active first lady. She attended cabinet meetings and frequently represented her husband at ceremonial events. Rosalynn shared in her husband’s efforts to work to make the U.S. government more “competent and compassionate,” the White House said. After leaving the White House in 1981, the couple returned to Georgia. They would go on to become some of the most notable philanthropists in the world. They founded The Carter Center, which is committed to protecting human rights around the world.

Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save ALTOONA, Pa. — After UnitedHealthcare’s CEO was gunned down on a New York sidewalk, police searched for the masked gunman with dogs, drones and scuba divers. Officers used the city's muscular surveillance system. Investigators analyzed DNA samples, fingerprints and internet addresses. Police went door-to-door looking for witnesses. When an arrest came five days later, those sprawling investigative efforts shared credit with an alert civilian's instincts. A Pennsylvania McDonald's customer noticed another patron who resembled the man in the oblique security-camera photos that New York police had publicized. Deputy Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry speaks during a press conference regarding the arrest of suspect Luigi Mangione, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, in Hollidaysburg, Pa., in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey) Luigi Nicholas Mangione, a 26-year-old Ivy League graduate from a prominent Maryland real estate family, was arrested Monday in the killing of Brian Thompson, who headed one of the United States’ largest medical insurance companies. He remained jailed in Pennsylvania, where he was initially charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police. By late evening, prosecutors in Manhattan had added a charge of murder, according to an online court docket. He's expected to be extradited to New York eventually. People are also reading... 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Asked at Monday's arraignment whether he needed a public defender, Mangione asked whether he could “answer that at a future date.” Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after the McDonald's customer recognized him and notified an employee, authorities said. Police in Altoona, about 233 miles (375 kilometers) west of New York City, were soon summoned. This booking photo released Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections shows Luigi Mangione, a suspect in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. (Pennsylvania Department of Corrections via AP) They arrived to find Mangione sitting at a table in the back of the restaurant, wearing a blue medical mask and looking at a laptop, according to a Pennsylvania police criminal complaint. He initially gave them a fake ID, but when an officer asked Mangione whether he’d been to New York recently, he “became quiet and started to shake,” the complaint says. When he pulled his mask down at officers' request, “we knew that was our guy,” rookie Officer Tyler Frye said at a news conference in Hollidaysburg. New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a Manhattan news conference that Mangione was carrying a gun like the one used to kill Thompson and the same fake ID the shooter had used to check into a New York hostel, along with a passport and other fraudulent IDs. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said Mangione also had a three-page, handwritten document that shows “some ill will toward corporate America." An NYPD police officer and K-9 dog search around a lake in Central Park, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) A law enforcement official who wasn’t authorized to discuss the investigation publicly and spoke with The Associated Press on condition of anonymity said the document included a line in which Mangione claimed to have acted alone. “To the Feds, I’ll keep this short, because I do respect what you do for our country. To save you a lengthy investigation, I state plainly that I wasn’t working with anyone,” the document said, according to the official. It also had a line that said, “I do apologize for any strife or traumas but it had to be done. Frankly, these parasites simply had it coming.” Pennsylvania prosecutor Peter Weeks said in court that Mangione was found with a passport and $10,000 in cash — $2,000 of it in foreign currency. Mangione disputed the amount. Thompson, 50, was killed last Wednesday as he walked alone to a midtown Manhattan hotel for an investor conference. Police quickly came to see the shooting as a targeted attack by a gunman who appeared to wait for Thompson, came up behind him and fired a 9 mm pistol. Investigators have said “delay,” “deny” and “depose” were written on ammunition found near Thompson’s body. The words mimic a phrase used to criticize the insurance industry. A poster issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation shows a wanted unknown suspect. (FBI via AP) From surveillance video, New York investigators gathered that the shooter fled by bike into Central Park, emerged, then took a taxi to a northern Manhattan bus terminal. Once in Pennsylvania, he went from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, “trying to stay low-profile” by avoiding cameras, Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens said. A grandson of a wealthy, self-made real estate developer and philanthropist, Mangione is a cousin of a current Maryland state legislator. Mangione was valedictorian at his elite Baltimore prep school, where his 2016 graduation speech lauded his classmates’ “incredible courage to explore the unknown and try new things.” He went on to earn undergraduate and graduate degrees in computer science in 2020 from the University of Pennsylvania, a spokesperson said. “Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest,” Mangione’s family said in a statement posted on social media late Monday by his cousin, Maryland lawmaker Nino Mangione. “We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved.” An NYPD police officer and K-9 dog search around a lake in Central Park, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) Luigi Nicholas Mangione worked for a time for the car-buying website TrueCar and left in 2023, CEO Jantoon Reigersman said by email. From January to June 2022, Mangione lived at Surfbreak, a “co-living” space at the edge of Honolulu tourist mecca Waikiki. Like other residents of the shared penthouse catering to remote workers, Mangione underwent a background check, said Josiah Ryan, a spokesperson for owner and founder R.J. Martin. “Luigi was just widely considered to be a great guy. There were no complaints,” Ryan said. "There was no sign that might point to these alleged crimes they’re saying he committed.” At Surfbreak, Martin learned Mangione had severe back pain from childhood that interfered with many aspects of his life, from surfing to romance, Ryan said. “He went surfing with R.J. once but it didn’t work out because of his back," Ryan said, but noted that Mangione and Martin often went together to a rock-climbing gym. NYPD officers in diving suits search a lake in Central Park, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) Mangione left Surfbreak to get surgery on the mainland, Ryan said, then later returned to Honolulu and rented an apartment. Martin stopped hearing from Mangione six months to a year ago. Although the gunman obscured his face during the shooting, he left a trail of evidence in New York, including a backpack he ditched in Central Park, a cellphone found in a pedestrian plaza, a water bottle and a protein bar wrapper. In the days after the shooting, the NYPD collected hundreds of hours of surveillance video and released multiple clips and still images in hopes of enlisting the public’s eyes to help find a suspect. “This combination of old-school detective work and new-age technology is what led to this result today,” Tisch said at the New York news conference. ___ Scolforo reported from Altoona and Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. Contributing were Associated Press writers Cedar Attanasio and Jennifer Peltz in New York; Michael Rubinkam and Maryclaire Dale in Pennsylvania; Lea Skene in Baltimore and Jennifer Sinco Kelleher in Honolulu. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Jimmy Carter: Many evolutions for a centenarian ‘citizen of the world’

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Dec. 11: Kathmandu Metropolitan City in coordination with the Partnership for Healthy Cities Initiative has started the installation of air quality monitoring devices in 18 locations of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City. At a programme organised at the KMC main office building, the first air quality monitoring site was inaugurated by Deputy Mayor Sunita Dangol on Monday. The Partnership for Healthy Cities Initiative is supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, in partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the global health organisation ‘Vital Strategies’. The Partnership for Healthy Cities Initiatives (PHCI) is implemented by the National Federation of Youth NGO Nepal (NFYN) in close coordination with the KMC office. Speaking at the programme, Deputy Mayor Dangol said, “This is an important initiative launched by KMC to control pollution and demonstrate the KMC's commitment to tackling air pollution. We have a responsibility to provide clean and fresh air to every citizen, and this is the first important step by the KMC, which can provide valuable insights for policy-making level for controlling air pollution.” She said, “We have also taken initiatives to clean the city by discouraging open burning and raising awareness about its harmful effects. Similarly, we have started a vehicle-free Handigaun on Saturdays, which is part of our effort to reduce carbon emissions while offering social and cultural benefits to the local community.” Dangol shared the strong commitment of KMC to utilising data from these devices in well-informed policies and ensuring that every city resident's right to live in a healthy city is ensured. She also assured that the device would not remain only as a showcase event but also the beginning of something substantial in reducing air pollution in the city. KMC is the first local government entity to initiate air quality monitoring on its own. Through this initiative, KMC is installing 18 sensors to monitor PM 2.5 concentration on their own to support the city office in developing data-based policies and interventions at the localised level. Clarity Node-S is the device procured under the initiative which is trusted by more than 70 governments from London to Bogota to Jakarta. According to Sanjeeb Pandey, Project Lead, PHCI Project for Kathmandu, the device comes with a solar-powered system and does not require any power supply. In addition, the device has data connectivity built up in the device that can relay real-time data in the dashboard. All the devices being installed by KMC have undergone the process of custom colocation and calibration with ground stations in support of the Department of Environment. The process of calibration further ensures the data reliability and accuracy as prescribed by USEPA, he said. He also briefed the technical details of the device and also shared about making the data public through the web portal and app of KMC. He also urged all private and public entities to be a part of the 'Air Pollution Awareness Month Campaign.' Sarita Rai, Head of the Environment Management Department of KMC, said, “KMC is committed to improving the air quality in the city and is launching several programmes such as vehicle testing and severity on open waste burning.” She also announced the month of Poush (December/January) as “Air Pollution Awareness Month” in coordination with the Partnership for Healthy Cities Project. Rajaram Shrestha, National Programme Officer of the WHO Nepal office, highlighted the significance of mitigating health risks as he emphasised air pollution risk as a 'Silent Killer.' The PHCI is a prestigious global network of 74 cities committed to saving lives by preventing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and injuries.

Before his death today in hospice care at his home in Georgia , Jimmy Carter defied illness and death for years. When his melanoma spread to his brain in 2015, he drew praise for announcing it publicly. Even as he underwent treatment, he continued to teach Sunday school in his home town's Baptist church. Within months, he announced that he was cancer-free. Four years later, Carter fell at least three times, at one point breaking a hip and at another requiring 14 stitches. Each time he bounced back, even showing up for a Habitat for Humanity home-building project shortly after one stumble. Jimmy Carter's tragic 10-word dying wish as he faces death's door in hospice in Plains, Georgia Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter celebrates her 96th birthday with Jimmy and ice cream But he has slowly retreated from public life lately, making fewer and fewer appearances or statements and was unable to attend President Biden's inauguration in January 2021. However, he lived long enough to outlast two presidents who followed him and his own vice president, Walter Mondale. He became the longest-living president in March 2019 when he passed former President George H.W. Bush, who died four months before. Although Carter, nicknamed Jimmy Cardigan after once wearing a jumper for a televised speech, left the White House after one of the biggest landslide defeats of the modern era, he was one of very few US leaders to be memorialised while still alive. The evolution of his legacy was unusual as he had such a long period between the end of his unpopular presidency and the announcement at the weekend that he would undergo no further treatment to die peacefully at his home. Carter's time in the White House was marred by his struggles to respond to formidable challenges, including a major energy crisis, high inflation, and unemployment. He took office after Gerald Ford left the entire US government in disarray. Carter entered the Oval Office facing mounting challenges - an energy crisis, Soviet aggression and, above all, a deep mistrust of leadership by voters. In foreign affairs, he reopened US relations with China and tried to broker peace in the historic Arab-Israeli conflict, but was damaged late in his term by a hostage crisis in Iran. Carter's diagnosis of America's "crisis of confidence" did little to boost his flagging popularity, and in 1980 he was defeated in the general election by Ronald Reagan. Over the following decades, Carter built a distinguished career as a diplomat, humanitarian and author, pursuing conflict resolution in countries around the globe. He was awarded the Noble Peace Prize in 2002 "for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development." Born in Plains, Georgia, in October 1924, Carter attended the US Naval Academy graduating in 1946. Already, he had a solid moral compass installed in him by his nurse mother, "Miz" Lillian. She set an example for her son by crossing the strict lines of segregation in 1920s Georgia to counsel poor African American women on health care. Shortly after passing out of the navy, he married Rosalynn Smith, having four children together. But tragedy struck in July 1953 as while he was preparing to serve as an engineering officer on the submarine Seawolf, his father, Earl, died from cancer. Carter returned home and was able to rebuild his family's struggling peanut warehouse business after a crippling drought. Ironically the legume became the symbol of his presidential campaign. Active in community affairs and a deacon at the Plains Baptist Church, he launched his political career with a seat on his local board of education. In 1962, he won the election to the Georgia State Senate as a Democrat, running for the governor's office four years later, finishing a disappointing third. The loss sent Carter into a depression, which he overcame by finding renewed faith as a born-again Christian. He ran again for the governorship in 1970 and won. A year later, Carter was featured on the cover of Time magazine as one of a new breed of young political leaders in the South, known for their moderate racial views and progressive economic and social policies. Initially, Carter was a political phenomenon, a new-generation Democrat who, after a single term as governor of the Peach State, shocked the political world by beating a host of better-known rivals to capture his party's presidential nomination in 1976. A year later, he would oust the incumbent Republican president, Ford. Over four years in office, he sought to restore trust in government following the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal, ushering in reforms meant to transform politics. He mediated the historic Camp David Accords, making peace between Israel and Egypt, an agreement that remains the foundation of Middle East relations. But a sour economy, rocketing inflation, and a 444-day hostage crisis in Iran where 52 American diplomats were held captive undercut his public support. Ultimately, it cost him his re-election bid, losing to Ronald Reagan in 1980. Carter spent his post-presidency, however, on a series of philanthropic causes around the world, like building houses for the poor, combating disease, promoting human rights in places of repression, monitoring elections and seeking to end conflicts. His work as a former president in many ways came to eclipse his time in the White House, eventually earning him the Nobel Peace Prize and rehabilitating his image in the eyes of many Americans. "Between the time he left office and entered hospice care, he got to sit back and enjoy the adulation of a grateful nation," Jeffrey Engel, the director for the presidential history centre at Southern Methodist University, said. "The passage of time smoothed out the rough edges of his political career. If Carter had died in 1982, there would be less adulation than he is receiving right now." Joseph Crespino, the Jimmy Carter Professor of History at Emory University, called his resilience "remarkable." "Instead of sulking about not winning the second term, he used his influence and prominence from his position in politics to help millions of people and win the Nobel Peace Prize," he said. When asked about regrets, Carter spoke of his in his autobiography "A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety." The former president said he was upset by how his kiss with the Queen Mother was portrayed. He wrote how he didn't regret puckering up to Her Majesty, describing it as "lightly on the cheek" as the pair said goodnight after dinner at Buckingham Place in May 1977. However, much like his presidency, its impact never left those affected most by his actions. To her dying day, the Queen Mother had two hates, as detailed in her 2009 biography - oysters and being kissed by a US president.EPA grant could fund multi-million dollar 'recreation and resiliency' hub in ButteGeoVax, SIGA Jump After WHO Extends Mpox Public Emergency Status: Here’s What Retail Thinks

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In chapter 11, referred to by many preachers as ‘The Hall of Faith’, the writer lists an impressive wall of names who are forever remembered for their faith. I have read this chapter many times over the years, but something stood out for me this week that I had not seen before, it was; We may not be too surprised to see Abraham and Sarah’s name, or Noah and Enoch and Moses and King David. But Barak is on this list – he’s the one who wouldn’t go out to war unless Deborah the prophetess went with him, and by faith Israel had the victory! Then there’s Rahab, her profession would leave some families somewhat embarrassed, however, her faith saved her family and she is included in the genealogy of Jesus! Then there’s Jephthah. He made a thoughtless vow which led to him sacrificing his only daughter and yet by faith he too won the victory for Israel and is forever mentioned in this Hall of Faith and in The Bible! Looking at this list, there were two names I thought should have made it into this Hall of Faith, I mean, if Barak, Rahab and Jephthah made it, then where were these two? I presumed that King Saul would have made the list, given he was the first King of Israel, but he is omitted from this list. And of all the Kings who reigned over Israel, surely King Solomon, the wisest man of all, who took Israel to her peak, should have been on this list, but he was not either. It left me wondering why, both these notarise men were intentionally not included. So I re-looked at how Saul and Solomon’s story ended, which may have been the reason for their exclusion. It’s not how you start, but how you finish! King Saul was God’s chosen man. He started well and with much fervour serving the LORD, He was anointed and empowered by God and led Israel well in the beginning, but he could not overcome his insecurities. He took matters into his own hands and did not follow the ‘Rhema Word of the LORD’ through Samuel. Eventually his insecurities produced an intense jealousy of the very guy who was adding to his victory count (David), and by the end of his reign he consults a witch to find counsel from Samuel, until tragically he took his own life! Very tragic indeed. Saul’s biggest problem was insecurity, which led to disobedience of God’s Rhema Word and sadly to his demise. Insecurity is simply putting your trust or security in the wrong place, instead of in Jesus! If you put your trust in man, or yourself, you will certainly face disappointment. Look at what the Prophet Jeremiah had to say about this; “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord.” Jeremiah 17:5 The Psalmist points us back to the true source of security; “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” Psalm 20:7 You see, there is a reason Jesus is called, The Cornerstone, The Rock of our Salvation, and The Rock of Ages! There is a reason why Jesus said, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” Matthew 24: 24 & 25 Building on the rock is to obey Jesus commands! Unfortunately for Saul, it was on this matter that he failed, bringing great tragedy for himself and his entire family. King Solomon was always referred to as the wisest man who ever lived, yet his finish was worse than King Saul’s! He finished his reign by building high places to the gods of his wives (which he had lots of them!) eventually joining them in the worshipping of idols in his later years. Not only was Solomon considered the wisest, but The LORD visited him twice! Yet with all his wisdom, he did not apply his own writings, or the writings of others, to his life. The key to Solomon’s demise lies with his number of wives (700) and his concubines (300). It’s not difficult to see that some, if not most of these marriages were politically motivated. Marrying into all these royal families strengthen the king’s position, power and wealth, and as for the concubines, well they came with the wives from the other monarchies. As any man alive would know, a happy wife is key to a successful marriage. Solomon had 1000 to keep happy, and I’m not talking about sex! Eventually their constant demand led him to simply join them in their pagan worship. Surely, no amount of wealth and power is worthy of an eternity separated from God? Solomon’s wealth grew exponentially due to these marriages, and the gifts that came from the agreements made to these monarchies. This was not the case with his father David, who grew his wealth from battles he fought and won. Now the LORD had already given instruction regarding the kings of Israel, we read in Deuteronomy 17:16-17: “The king must not take many wives for himself, because they will turn his heart away from the LORD. And he must not accumulate large amounts of wealth in silver and gold for himself.” Again, we see from this verse a failure, on Solomon’s part, to heed the written (Logos) Word of the LORD. With both these men we see an alarming warning for us today. If someone like Solomon, who was much wiser and with more anointing than most of us put together, was able to fall, then we ought to take heed lest we think we are immune to the subtly, slippery slope of sin. I’ve now been in full-time ministry for over 30 years and the number of people who once confessed Christ as Lord, but now deny Him, is more than I care to think of. However, in both these cases there is one obvious fault, which lead to their downfall. Both had unique qualities in their circumstances, but both faulted in this one area: They did not follow The WORD of The LORD, both Logos and Rhema. As we near the end of another year, drawing closer to Christmas, let me encourage you as we prepare ourselves for a new year, to be steadfast in your obedience to the Word of The LORD – both Rhema and Logos, remembering the words of Jesus, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.” John 14:23 7 24 Have a blessed Christmas.

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It’s been a big year for Ryan Seacrest , whose 2024 career highlights have included his 22nd season as the host of American Idol (which will return on the 2025 TV schedule ) and taking over for Pat Sajak — one of the best game show hosts of all time — on Wheel of Fortune . The celebrations aren’t over yet, though, and come December 31, he’ll reach one more big milestone — two decades of hosting Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve . Seacrest marked the upcoming occasion with a social media montage, and good gravy, has it really been 20 years? Dick Clark was a huge figure in pop culture as a radio personality, game show host and, of course, American Bandstand . New Year’s Rockin’ Eve is a big part of his legacy, too, allowing people to watch the ball drop in New York City’s Times Square since he first produced the music special in 1972. Everything changed in 2004, when Clark suffered a stroke and was no longer able to host on his own. Ryan Seacrest has been there ever since, as you can see in the Instagram video below: A post shared by Ryan Seacrest (@ryanseacrest) A photo posted by on While it is kind of hard to remember a time when Ryan Seacrest didn’t hold every single hosting job available (that’s only a slight exaggeration), it’s also pretty unbelievable that for two whole decades the American Idol host has been leading us in “Auld Lang Syne.” I’m afraid when I wake up tomorrow, Pat Sajak will have been off of Wheel of Fortune for six years rather than six months. Speaking of the passage of time not making any sense whatsoever, did someone forget to start the clock on Ryan Seacrest’s aging process? I know Paul Rudd is the quintessential example of never aging , but how many people could you show a montage of like the one above — with a photo from each of the last 20 years — and have them look astoundingly the same? It wouldn’t work for me, that’s for sure. The nerve of this guy to have all these jobs and still find time to drink from the fountain of youth! I say this all in jest, of course, because you have to respect how much work Ryan Seacrest has put in to get such esteemed positions in the entertainment industry, and it would be hard to deny that he’s one of the best at what he does. That fact has never been more apparent than earlier this year when he was able to win over Wheel of Fortune audiences pretty handily when he started hosting one of America’s favorite game shows . One thing for viewers to be on the lookout for this year when they gather to watch the end-of-year celebrations is if and how Ryan Seacrest’s mini-New Year's feud with Andy Cohen will continue. This fall, the two hosts agreed to end their rivalry , but you never know when the excitement of the holiday might get the better of them. If you want to see Ryan Seacrest’s 20th year as the host of Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve , tune in starting at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday, December 31, on ABC. CINEMABLEND NEWSLETTER Your Daily Blend of Entertainment News

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