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Thursday, December 12, 2013
Flipped Classrooms
Are flipped classrooms the wave of the future for education? Are you doing a flipped classroom?
What are flipped classrooms?
Flipped classrooms flip the traditional day of school to make teaching done at home and homework done at school.
How does a flipped classroom work?
A teacher creates videos, lessons, or other teaching aids online and students watch these at home or anywhere there is a computer with internet. Then at school, the teacher assigns problems and helps students complete them in class.
What is the reasoning behind a flipped classroom?
Teachers better serve the students by being there when they are completing problems or tasks. No person should be as good as the teacher for this purpose. So why not have the help from the teacher available? There is more interaction between student and teacher. Teachers can give one on one help frequently. A teacher's time is better used for guiding and directing students through tasks rather than just tossing information at them.
Students can also view lessons over and over. They can fast forward or rewind to a certain point in a lesson that they need to see or hear again. You can't do that with a traditional classroom.
Are there problems with flipped classrooms?
A school or teacher may not be fully sold on the idea. Old traditions are hard to break. However, as the internet takes on a more significant role, the idea will become more palatable and looked upon as normal.
Not all students will have a way of viewing videos and lessons online. Schools must ensure that all students have sufficient time in the computer lab if they have the need. Smartphones and tablets are becoming popular. Many students already own one. They are used to viewing things online using things like youtube.
Teachers will of course need to create the lessons. This may seem like a time consuming task. Keep in mind that once it's created, it won't need to be done again, saving time in the future. It also means that a teacher could redo the lessons and tweak them if needed.
Parents might not understand why students have no homework. Well, you don't need to give ahomework just to give homework. And homework is not really gone, it now involves viewing a lesson as opposed to doing problems. Parents might be more happy with this arrangement, as their child will not have to ask them for help. Many parents feel uncomfortable now if they can actually help a student with a particular subject.
Any last thoughts on flipped classrooms?
We do more and more things online as the internet expands even more. We are learning how to do things now on youtube. Taking classes online is expanding the education experience. Your child's teacher is the best tutor. Why not utilize them in this respect, and get one on one help?
Keep in mind that having a flipped classroom does not restrict the teacher from doing lessons in class if he or she needs to go over something.
>> Check out: How teachers should be assigning homework.
Posted by Stephen Carr at 5:55 AM
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When his grandfather died, the little boy threw a tantrum. He was too young to fully understand what had happened, or why; he only knew he would never see his grandpa again. He said he hated all his books except one. It was the one his grandpa had given him as a present. In many ways, the little boy made it easy for his parents. They knew exactly why he was upset. His behavior was an outward sign of his distress, and it guided the type of reassuring response he needed. This isn't always the case.
Signs a child is upset
Very young children have neither the comprehension nor the vocabulary to fully express their emotions. They struggle to understand and articulate the upset they feel. They may appear perfectly normal one moment and retreat into themselves the next.
Children are often the silent witnesses of upsets in the adult world. Fighting between parents can be unsettling for children. Similarly, deaths in the family, the loss of a pet, bullying or teasing at school can quickly make their mark. Children just want things to be settled. When they aren't, they express their emotions in various ways.
One emotional outlet for young children is through play. Just listening to the form of words a child uses can help illuminate the things troubling them. Toys sometimes take on the characters of bullies, or monsters. As a parent or guardian, this can be an opportunity to find out more: "Teddy seems very angry today. Why is he upset?" This can be just enough to give the child an opportunity to express their feelings. A little gentle encouragement, perhaps by continuing to use the toys, can help fill in the gaps. It's a short step from this point to inquire whether such an upset has happened to the child.
Anger and frustration can also be revealed through aggressive or destructive behavior. There is a balance to be struck between finding out the cause and pointing out that such behavior is unacceptable. You might ask, "Are you angry because someone else is being angry?" Try not to judge the behavior so much as point out how dangerous it might be to others or themselves.
When your child won't talk
If a child chooses not to speak, it is common for parents to fear the worst, with abuse coming high on the list. But there are reasons other than abuse as to why a child shuts off communication. For example:
Selective mutism is a fear of being heard in select situations. It tends to develop in early school years around the same time as common phobias, such as hearing strange noises or fear of the dark. Possible causes include anxiety issues or speech, language, or hearing problems.
Depression in children is becoming more recognized. Low moods, tearfulness, or irritability not focused on any particular thing can be signs. Older children may see work suffering at school. They may become withdrawn and sullen. Things that used to interest them are pushed aside. For adults, it's important never to trivialize or dismiss what a child says. It may seem of little consequence to you, but this is clearly not the case to the child. Take what they say seriously and work with it. Seek professional help if moods continue and behavior fails to improve.
Bullying comes in many forms and can occur at quite a young age. It can include name-calling, deliberate exclusion, texting, tricks designed to humiliate, and of course physical violence. These are just a few of the creative ways children can victimize others. The child being bullied may have any number of reasons for not speaking out. Look out for changes in eating habits, nervousness, disrupted sleep or bedwetting, and loss of personal possessions. If you suspect bullying and your child won't speak, it may be worth arranging for them to speak with a trusted adult. Sometimes children won't speak out because they fear the reaction from their parents and the embarrassment that comes with that. It's important therefore that your response is proportionate and measured.
Child sexual exploitation is a complex issue. Children are at greatest risk if they are homeless, in foster care, or have had a recent bereavement or loss. Very young children may not even know they have been abused. If you believe that a child in your care is being sexually abused, seek professional guidance. The website preventchildabuse.org provides a useful list of emergency contacts.
It's easier for a child to talk about their feelings if they are used to talking to their parents. The website Aha! Parenting offers some very useful tips for adults about engaging with children as well as the things to avoid.
See More Helpful Articles:
10 Ways to Cope With Your Partner's Depression
Mild, Moderate or Severe Depression: How to Tell the Difference
6 Behavior Changes During Depression
10 Communication Barriers When Dealing With a Depressed Person
Dr. Jerry Kennard is a Chartered Psychologist and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society. Jerry's clinical background is in mental health and, most recently, higher education. He is the author of various self-help books and is co-founder of positivityguides.net.

subset: commoncrawl


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Step 1. Self Assessment
To prepare for an effective job search, you must understand your abilities, talents, interests, values, needs, and goals. Although this sounds basic, it is an important but often forgotten step. You must know yourself to the extent that you can look a prospective employer in the eye and tell him/her what professional and personal skills and characteristics you have that qualify you for the position for which you are applying. Many students underestimate themselves. Take a personal inventory of your:
- education: favorite subjects, best subjects, academic achievements
- abilities: organizational, interpersonal, artistic, creative
- paid/volunteer experience: duties and levels of responsibility, variety of experiences, accomplishments
- interests and hobbies: community involvement, recreational activities, awards
- goals: type of lifestyle, what you want to accomplish
It is very important that you are honest with yourself when doing your self-assessment. Be aware of personal likes and dislikes as well as possible weaknesses or liabilities. A self-assessment is the foundation of your job search.
Step 2: Career Identification And Employment Research
Before beginning a job search, you must know what type of employment you are seeking. What career fields interest you? The familiar responses, "I want to work with people" or "I'm interested in making a lot of money" or "I want something in sociology'' are all inadequate definitions of career identification.
If you want to work with people, for example, do you want to gather information from people by talking to them as a newspaper reporter does, investigate people through contact with other people as a law enforcement officer does, or influence the attitudes and ideas of others as a salesperson does?
In addition to your immediate career objectives, you should also be thinking about career goals. You do not necessarily have to know exactly where you want to be five years after graduation, but you should have a general picture of an occupational interest for the next few years. In order to know how your abilities and interests can be put to best use in the job market, you need to know the types and functions of entry-level positions for your chosen field(s), their availability and location, starting salary ranges, current trends and issues, and potential career progressions.
To plan your job search campaign and to effectively sell yourself, you need to identify employers and know specific information about each organization (e.g., size and location[s] of operations, products/services, history, prospects for growth, present employment picture, a general view of the department in which you would like to work, and advancement opportunities). Three good ways to research in careers and employers are described below.
To research careers and employers, take advantage of the resources that are available in the Career Services Office. Additional resources are available on the Internet. On-line assistance includes company/ school information, job listings, employer directories, discussion groups for networking, and resume data bases.
Information Interviews
To increase your awareness about professional opportunities and career fields, conduct a campaign of information interviews with people directly involved in areas of your interest.
Networking means making contacts, creating alliances, building support groups and befriending other people with similar professional interests. This process is an important part of your career development and may ultimately net you a job.
Step 3: Contacting Employers
The first thing you should realize before launching your job search campaign is that each type of employment has its own unique style of hiring. The hiring methods of advertising agencies differ from those of newspapers. Similarly, the hiring methods of newspapers differ from those of public accounting firms, which differ from those of educational institutions. In addition, large, complex organizations often use different hiring procedures to fill different types of positions. Therefore, job seekers should use a variety of methods to contact prospective employers, rather than limiting themselves to one method. On campus interviewing, for example, is often viewed as the only way to get a job... yet not all employers recruit on campus for all of their personnel needs. Other effective approaches which can be used in your job search include:
- contacting organizations directly through a mail/e-mail campaign, a personal visit or through their Web site;
- networking or utilizing your contacts with faculty, alumni, family, and friends as well as employers in organizations where you have worked or volunteered;
- responding to vacancies announced on the Career Services job board, in professional journals, in newspaper classified advertisements and on various Internet sites.
Regardless of your career interest, it is important for you to let as many potential employers as possible know who you are, what you can do, and why you are interested in their organizations. The more specific you can be in discussing why you are interested in them and what you can contribute to their organizations, the more effective your contact will be. The Career Services staff can help you to identify the most effective methods of contacting potential employers in your field and to plan your individual job search campaign.


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You pay bills, you clean, you maintain, but are you putting all of this money and effort into a home that's exactly the way you want it? Probably not. It's so easy to want something different when it comes to our homes because the times are always changing. One minute there's one interior design trend, and the next month there's something completely different that might just look even better. Not only that, but the money that's usually involved with the constant change your home might need would be crippling if you were to actually keep up with it. So, if you want to get your home the way you want it, you're going to have to be strategic about the way that you do it, which we're here to help with. Here are the ways that we think you can get your home the way you want it, but by spending as little as possible, and taking as little time as possible.
Focus On The Small Changes
Sometimes, you don't even have to be doing much to your home to make a big difference. Sometimes, all it takes is a little spruce up here and there to get your home the way you want it. One of the biggest complaints, bar decor of course, that people seem to have is the technology that they have in their home. Something is either too old, breaking, or just doesn't look as good. So why don't you try slowly modernizing your home through technology? Each month, splash out on a new appliance, maybe a new TV or fridge, and see if it makes a difference to how you feel about your home. If not, then focus on smaller parts of the decor, such as the furniture and accessories that you have. Treat yourself to a new sofa suite, or even something as small as a lovely oak coffee table, or a new rug. It's the little things that you'll add to your home that will really make you fall in love with it.
Go For Broke
Sometimes, you really do just have to go big or go home. If you're going to get your home the way you want it, there are a few things you can do that will mean you're going to be splashing the cash. The first is remodeling. It's a quick way to completely transform your home, and if you have the right vision, you can really do a lot with it. What's even better, remodeling on a budget can easily be done, so you don't really have to worry about breaking the bank too much. You just need to use it as your one opportunity to change the things that you've always hated, and replace them with the things that you've always wanted. If you want our advice, use Instagram decor accounts to find some inspiration, and relay that to the person who's going to be doing the remodeling for you.
Keep It Fresh
Keeping it fresh is all you need to do sometimes. Even something so small as doing a deep clean once every two weeks will make you see your home in a new light. When everything is sparkling, looking fresh, and smelling fresh, you will feel so much more comfortable with the way your home is. More importantly, keeping the decor fresh should be a priority for you. If you've got paint, once a year you should go over it to get rid of any fading or marks.


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Volume discounts
discounts for adding items to your order
There's no denying that the shiny stainless steel form alone of the Beyond Erotic Butt Plug lives up to its name and once you slip it inside you'll see that there's more to this plug than just a shiny surface. It's perfectly sized and dreamily shaped to provide instant pleasure with a firm, unyielding form that makes play simple and safe. Well suited for both men and women, this shiny steel plug is easily portable and extremely comfortable so you can enjoy its inclusion in your backside for extended periods.
Make the slick surface extra slippery with your favourite lubricant, both silicone and water based formulas are compatible and will wash off easily when you're done playing with a bit of toy cleaner or soap and warm water. The tapered tip makes it easy to insert the plug and once inside it fills you up with its round bulb-shaped end. The slender neck keeps it in position anchored by your clenched muscles while the round stop at the base prevents the plug from slipping too deep as well as acting as a handle during insertion and removal.
Store the Beyond Erotic Butt Plug in the included satin storage bag.
No mention of this website on your credit card
Plain packaging wrap
If it's shown in stock online, it's in stock in our warehouse!
On orders over $200
Australia wide flat-rate express post shipping
Available from 8am–5pm Mon–Fri


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Reclaimed bench05. Sep2011
It seems that the British Columbia government (USA) has been decommissioning fire roads to restore watershed and improve habitat. As part of that project old cedar bridges are being deconstructed. The Joinery used the deconstructed Cedar lumber to create our their Reclaimed Bench. Also available in Western Walnut.


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Warning: Last items in stock!
Availability date:
Stretch lace dress, lined, round neck, long sleeves. Model shown is 177 cm wearing a size Small. Made in Italy
This garment is made of stretch lace, hand washing, - no spin cycle - dry garment flat – cool iron
|Fabric Composition
|89% Polyamide, Nylon 8% Elastomer, Elastan, 3% Viscose
|Lining Composition
|86% Polyester, 14% Elastan


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'Gritty reality' of Paralympians shines in APC's funds push
To get Australia's athletes to the 2014 Sochi Paralympic Games the Australian Paralympic Committee (APC) has left its usual advertising tactics behind and embarked on an "edgier" fundraising campaign.
The new campaign, 'Believe', needs to raise $200,000 within 44 days to be able to send more than 160 athletes to the Sochi Games. The total cost of sending the Team is expected to be roughly $1.5m.
Ian Laing, the APC's general manager of commercial, told B&T the MercerBell creative shows the "gritty reality" of competing at the Paralympic level.
"The 4am starts, the hard yards in the gym, sacrificing their careers and love lives and everything else that they put on hold while they pursue their dream," is on display in the fundraising push Laing said.
The tactic is a departure from the APC's usual advertising which in the past has leant towards showing athletes proudly collecting their medals.
"We have perhaps missed an opportunity historically, and what came shinning through in the research, was that our donors need to feel better connected to the journey of the athlete," Laing explained.
"When you show someone in a shiny tracksuit with a lovely gold medal it doesn't necessarily scream out to the donor that these guys need support because it looks like the hard work is done, we got there and everything is rosy.
"That kind of imagery can certainly work when you are saying 'thank you' to your donors but in terms of an acquisition strategy we needed to show what the athletes put themselves through on a day-to-day basis to get success at the Paralympic Games."
Research conducted by the APC also revealed a "huge amount of latent support" for the athletes. The insight prompted the organisation to stand back and allow the athletes to be the campaign heroes. "We have been a little too focused on our own activities in the past," Laing added.
Fronting the campaign are six Paralympic athletes including gold medallist Kurt Fearnley, swimmer Ahmed Kelly and alpine skier Victoria Pendergast who is currently preparing for Sochi.
The campaign asks the public to 'pledge their belief' in the Paralympic Team and includes a microsite, eDMS and banner ads as well as digital and social activity.
The campaign, which brought together MercerBell, H+K Strategies and PHD, will live on beyond the Sochi Games and fund the Team's trip to Rio in 2016.
The APC's research revealed a big misconception, with more than 50% of the public not realising the APC is a charity that relies on public support.
"We are lucky to get some good support from the government and our corporate sponsors but, quite simply, we always need more.
"The cost of sending a team to the London Games for example was a $7m investment. All of that $7m is self-generated the federal government funding that we receive goes into our day-to-day operations and helping the sports federations deliver their Paralympic work.
"It is really through our fundraising and our own sponsorship program that we generate our Games funds."
The campaign is expected to grow over time to include more marketing and experiential activations with video and TV advertising a possibility.
All funds raised by 'Belive' will go towards helping the Paralympic Team reach their full potential and attend the Paralympic Games.
In addition to 160-plus athletes APC hopes to send to Sochi there is all the support stuff to send as well including physiotherapists, psychologists, nutritionists and more.


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Aquafeed Microalgae Replaces Fishmeal to Save Expenses
Microalgae has become a staple food source for many who feed aquarium-kept corals, bivalves, and other animals including rotifers.
There are many species of microalgae, and it is known that certain strains produce and flourish better than others as well as contain the best protein.
They supply feed comparable to the protein-rich fishmeal. By changing environmental factors in their production such as temperature,
carbon dioxide supply, nutrients, salt, et cetera, the end desired products may be obtained. These become the basic feeding products for
aquaculture including filtering bivalves such as clams, oysters, cockles, mussels, and scallops. They serve to supply fatty acids and
vitamins to bivalves who cannot produce these themselves. Fish actually accumulate their omega-3 fatty acid by consuming microalgae.
Fishmeal Prices Increase Over the Years
As fish farming has increased worldwide, the demand and the limits in wild fish catch have created an uncertain market for fishmeal with prices rising
by almost 300% in the past ten years. Nutrient-rich and high in protein, fishmeal is made from cooking, pressing, drying, and grinding industrial-grade
fish and is commonly used as fertilizer, animal feed, and as an ingredient in other foods. More than 4 million tons of fishmeal is being consumed in the
world annually. About 250,000 tons of fishmeal is being consumed by aquaculture in United States alone, and it has become evident that the exploitation
of this natural resource will ultimately become unsustainable.
As a working alternative, few plants can supply as much protein and amino acids by comparison as microalgae. Starting as the basis of the aquatic
food chain, microalgae is already a food source that fish are accustomed to eating. The cost of farming algae if compared to fishmeal production
costs would be a savings of 60% to 70%, and the availability is not dependent on fish that are captured.
Main Commercial Advantages of Microalgae
One advantage is that fish raised on the algae will have a natural river taste for freshwater fish and shrimp or a natural sea taste for saltwater
species equal to fish or shrimp caught in the wild. Some fish that are fed with food based on corn and soybeans in contrast may have a slight
off-taste. Therefore aquaculture products will have increased value on the food markets.
Another advantage to algae-fed fish would be the health benefits to the public. Since microalgae is rich in omega-3s with EPA, the fish that are
fed this microalgae would present more health benefits than fish fed with soy and corn-based foods. Omega-3 has been shown to reduce cholesterol
levels in humans and reduce inflammation in joints as well as plaque levels in veins.
The third advantage of algae harvested using the current technology and processing is that the process removes 98% to 99% of bacteria in the
microalgae paste, which increases the shelf life and the quality of the feed, thereby eliminating epidemic outbreaks in aquaculture farms that
occur due to contaminated food.
The Future of Feeding Fish Lies in Microalgae
The use of farmed microalgae will save money for those who feed fish and bivalves and also help to reduce the exhaustion of wild fish harvesting
for use in fishmeal production. It is a protein-rich, omega-3 substantial source of alternative feed that grows at an unbelievable rates and
is biodegradable and relatively harmless to the environment. For all these reasons, the use of algae as a reliable feed will help the aquaculture
industry to continue growing and will meet the current demands for the future.


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Sixteen year old Tessa Grey embarked on a journey to Victorian England to join her brother Nathaniel but instead, she finds herself surrounded by trouble in a world that she doesn't understand. Tessa never thought that things like vampires, demons and Shadowhunters could ever really exist but she finds that she is more like them than she thought possible and there are people who want her for what she can do, even if she doesn't know much about it herself.
Alone and in danger, Tessa has no other option than to take the help of the Shadowhunters and rely on them to help her find her brother but she has a hard time coming to terms with what is happening around her and what she really is. Tessa cannot help but be fascinated by both Will and Jem, best friends with completely different personalities. The people that hunt her might not be the most dangerous thing after all.
What I thought
After reading the first two books in The Mortal Instruments series and hearing about this one, I was desperate to read Clockwork Angel. Although I have read two of The Mortal Instruments books, I knew that it wasn't necessary in order to read this one. I thought it was a very clever idea to have two series that can both work as stand alones but also merge really well with each other.
From the very first page, Clockwork Angel is exciting and mysterious and drew me in instantly. After being thrown straight into the Shadowhunter world, I was wondering how things were going to be different this time around. Clare's descriptions of Victorian England are so vivid that I could imagine myself walking the same streets and Will and Jem. This world has a very eerie feeling about it and it is surrounded by mystery. I felt as though anything could have been coming around the next corner which kept the story exciting and intriguing throughout.
I am a huge fan of historical fiction/ romances so to have this mixed in with Shadowhunters, vampires and demons was like Heaven for me. I really don't think that I could have asked for more with this book and even though the raunchy parts were obviously missing compared to historical romances, I didn't mind at all. It really would have been out of place in Clockwork Angel anyway. I wish I knew of more YA books that are historical because I know I would love anything slightly similar to this.
The plot was exciting throughout and I was avidly awaiting what would happen next every time I turned the page. Clare used a fantastic mix of action and mystery throughout and although there wasn't really a whole lot on the romance side, I can see this being expanded on in future books in the series. What made this book so good for me was the mix of characters and how each personality really came into their own as the story went on. Even though there are quite a lot of characters at times, it was never hard to follow who was doing what or what they meant to each other.
Tessa was a marvellous protagonist and there was so much that I loved about her. When she arrives in England, she thinks she is going to reunited with her brother but all is not what it seems. She soon finds that her brother has been kidnapped and now so has she. I have no idea what I would have done in her position apart from maybe sit in a corner and cry my eyes out. I know I wouldn't have been strong enough to deal with the Dark Sisters and to do the things they made her do. When Tessa finally gets rescued and taken to the Institute, she has no idea what is going on because she always thought she was human and none of these other beings existed. I really liked the fact that she was very vulnerable and naive when she arrived at the Institute because it gives her character a lot of room for growth. As Clockwork Angel went on, Tessa did start to become more sure of herself and what was happening around her and she also began to show that she was a lot stronger than everyone gave her credit for. I'm excited to see where Clare takes Tessa and what kind of character she will become.
Will has so many similarities to Jace (of The Mortal Instruments) that at times, it was hard to see past that. He's mysterious, cocky and extremely full of himself but then that was what I loved about Jace so of course, I loved Will too. There is just something about these bad boy characters that I cannot help but fall in love with, even if they are being complete asses at times. As a Shadowhunter, Will is strong and confident and he isn't afraid to make that known. I loved how sure of himself he was or rather, how he made out he was sure of himself. Will seems to have quite a few buried secrets and I can't wait to find out what is really going on with him in future books.
I really wish that Jem had been featured more because he was so interesting. From very early on, we get to find out that there is something wrong with Jem but nothing about what it is. I loved the mystery that surrounded him, where he came from and what he was all about. Jem really seems to care and isn't full of himself at all. He's very grounded and down to earth, even though he kills demons etc for a living. Jem seemed to be a lot older than he actually is and maybe that comes from his past that we only get a snippet of in this book. Jem really stood out to me because he was so different to Will. The difference in personality between Jem and Will worked perfectly and gave the chance for them to bounce off of each other.
Usually in a book where there is some kind of love triangle going on, I am firmly on one side. Not this time though! I was extremely torn between both Will and Jem and I still have no idea who I prefer. If I was forced to choose, I would have to say Will at the minute just because he features a lot more than Jem and we get to hear a lot more from him. In the back of my mind, I want to like Jem more but I can't really see that scenario happening.
I enjoyed seeing Magnus Bane making a couple of appearances and after the cliff-hanger Clare left us with, I know he is going to play a bigger part in the books to follow. He was always one of my favourite characters in The Mortal Instruments because he is so interesting and there is a lot that we don't know about him. I really, really hope that he is around a lot more from now on and we get to find out about his past.
Cassandra Clare has done it once again! She knows how to hook the reader within a couple of pages and keep them until the very last page. Her imagination is so fantastic and vivid that I always feel a part of the story myself. Clockwork Angel is by far my favourite book this month!


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Dr. Murrell-Liland followed her father into veterinary medicine, graduating from Atlantic Veterinary College in 2003. After an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Tufts School of Veterinary Medicine, she worked at the Dover Veterinary Hospital. Two years later, she decided to return to her roots and Kedron Valley Veterinary Clinic. Since 2006, Dr. Murrell-Liland has been providing her childhood community with a blend of modern veterinary techniques and the home-town touch she inherited from her father. On her farm in Hartland, Blakeley lives with her husband, Jon Liland, and their sons, Finn and Sig. Her household is completed by one dog, Lulu, three cats, Zeke, Squeak, and TF, and a plethora of wild animals in her backyard.
Dr. Richards graduated from Atlantic Veterinary College in 1994. Since then, she has worked in veterinary clinics in California, New Hampshire, and Vermont. In 2005, Dr. Richards joined Kedron Valley Veterinary Clinic on a part-time basis and became an owner/partner three years later. She is always researching the most effective and compassionate veterinary treatment options for her patients. Her home in South Pomfret is shared by her husband, Bob Coates, her three children, Claire, Will, and Ian, two dogs, Berkeley and Belle, a cat Lupine, her rescued kittens, Fluffy, and Scruffy, and various sheep and chickens. When she is not chasing her crew, she enjoys hiking, mountain biking, snow-shoeing, and skiing.


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Regulatory – Tax Agency Guidance – CCA
Regulatory – Tax Agency Guidance – CCA – we requested written advice from California Franchise Tax Board ["FTB"], California Dept. of Tax and Fee Administration ["CDTFA"], California Dept. of Food & Agriculture ["CDFA"] CalCannabis, and the Bureau of Cannabis Control ["BCC"] with respect to their agencies's filing and notice requirements, and operational guidelines for Cannabis Cooperative Associations ["CCA's] as created by Stats. 2017, Ch. 27, Sec. 107].
We are posting the responses which we have received to date and will update this document to reflect additional updates as we receive them.
FTB's Response
Thank you for your question submitted to the Ask A Legal Expert program.Your question is: The California legislature in SB 94 created a new type of entity called a Cannabis Cooperative Association CCA See Stats 2017 Ch.27 Sec 107 also known as BPC 26220 262312 We believe that this new entity will file Federal Form 1120C with the IRS as a non-exempt cooperative taxed under IRC Sec 1381 The entity has several 100 percent owned corporate subsidiaries and a couple of California LLC's which are treated as disregarded entities Our assumption is that the should file Form 100 and that any 100 percent owned corporate subsidiaries or disregarded entities would file in a manner similar to that which is done for Qualified S Corporation Subsidiaries Please confirm our understanding, and add or correct as appropriate.We are unable to answer your question through Ask A Legal Expert but can provide information to assist in your determination. Generally, cooperative associations file Form 100. Please read more information: https://www.ftb.ca.gov/
businesses/cannabis-law.shtmlEligible corporations that elect to be taxed as an S corporation file Form 100S. See for more information:Parent S corporations attach Schedule QS to Form 100S for entities the parent has elected to treat as qualified subchapter S subsidiaries (Qsubs). Please read more information: https://www.ftb.ca.gov/forms/ 2017/17_100sqs.pdfThe parent pays the $800 minimum tax for each QSub that is incorporated, qualified, or doing business in California.The Franchise Tax Board's Ask a Legal Expert program provides an informal response based on the information provided by you and is subject to the limitations stated on the Franchise Tax Board public website. Responses to inquiries submitted to Ask a Legal Expert are not written advice within the meaning of Revenue and Taxation Code Section 21012. To obtain written advice taxpayers or representatives must request a Chief Counsel Ruling in accordance with FTB Notice 2009-08, Rulings Guidelines, https://www.ftb.ca.gov/law/ notices/2009/2009_08.pdf.
CDTFA's Response
CDTFA came around and has now issued both Sales Tax and Cannabis Permits to a number of the CCA's which are our clients.
Regulatory – Tax Agency Guidance
CDFA – CalCannabis's Response
Sorry for the long wait with answering your questions. Please see the responses in purple.
- What are the reporting requirements for the CCA, and it shareholders that have Type 1 and 2 CalCannabis Cultivation licenses at formation? annually? The only reporting that we are requiring for cooperatives is that they disclose the name of the cooperative when they apply for their license with CDFA and provide a list of the members associated with the cooperative. This information can be found in the paper application and in the licensing system online.
- Are there any notice events based on operations? No
- Are there any registration requirements if the CCA acquires a Manufacturing or Distribution license in from CDPH or BCC? The other licenses should be listed as State Issued Cannabis Licenses on their cultivation application, if they are already licensed with CDFA prior to acquiring the manufacturing or distribution license, they would need to notify us of the change when it occurs. This could be done by email or postal mail.
- Are there any coordination requirements with CDTFA? Please check with CDTFA to determine if there are any additional requirements that need to be met. Some licensing data is provided to CDTFA via the Track and Trace System for all licensees in general, but this is not specific to the cooperative associations.
Thank you
Thank you for the update. We would appreciate a clarification that your use of the term "cooperatives" is specifically intended to include "cannabis cooperative associations".
Yes, we are only specifically referring to cannabis cooperative associations as referenced in Division 10 of the Business and Professions Code, Chapter 22, commencing with Section 26220.


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Thursday, 16 July 2009
Pack weight
I've been spending some time lately exploring the excellent US site of Francis Tapon. He's presently backpacking around Eastern Europe with a view to writing a book. His account of the various trails he's done in the USA make interesting reading. He's obviously an experienced (ultra-lightweight) hiker but he has a habit of losing bits of kit and having quite hair-raising experiences. His packweight (excluding food, water and fuel) is around 6-7 pounds. Using his kit list, I reckon I can get mine down to around 8.5 pounds and hope to get a weekend away somewhere soon to try it out.
Posted by Litehiker at 14:01 6 comments:
Glyme Valley Way
I had a guest staying with me last weekend. Those of you who followed my LEJOG adventure, may remember Vinnie. He's from Jamestown, NY and was walking his own LEJOG. Our paths crossed no less than three times - at Kingsbury Water Park, near Birmingham, in Thorpe in the Peak District and then at Horton-in-Ribblesdale. He'd been reading this blog back home before he started and so recognised me from my blog mugshot at our first meeting. We walked the Glyme Valley Way, a distance of sixteen miles, plus a couple of extra miles around Blenheim Park at the beginning. It's not that well signposted in places but that didn't present a great problem as I'm familiar with the area.
Vinnie's now returned home. I hope we'll keep in touch.
Vinnie's now returned home. I hope we'll keep in touch.
Posted by Litehiker at 13:51 No comments:
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FAYETTEVILLE - Willie Roy Lock, 68, of 1497 Chromium Court, died Saturday, June 22, 2013. He was an Army veteran.
Services: Funeral, noon Thursday in Good Hope Baptist Church. Burial, Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery. Viewing, 2 to 7 p.m. today at Wiseman Mortuary.
Survived by: Wife, Mable; sons, Amritraj and Antwan; daughter, Renee; brother, Milton; sisters, Gladys, Diane, Janet and Johnnie; and three grandchildren.


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a shower. I tell him he can expect to lose Game Boy privileges if he doesn't, and go back to getting dressed. I don't hear any shower start up so I check on him. And I can't find him. He's not in his room. I finish getting dressed, go downstairs; no Ethan.
I make the circuit again, 'cause I really can't believe he's nowhere to be found, and because he's done this before. He's not in his room, not under his bed, not in his closet, not on the couch, not in the office on the computer...nowhere. I wake Tanya. In about 10 seconds, she finds him.
But the kicker is where he is: he's in the linen closet in the kids' bathroom, on the top shelf, wedged in with the blankets. Naked, with one foot sticking out. That's all you can see, the one foot.
We tell him to get down. He says he can't unless we close the door.
I leave Tanya to deal with it. She told me later he was scared getting down. I hope so. I got pretty scared when I realized I couldn't find him. I don't want to find his body somewhere because he holed up to avoid a shower. Think how THAT would smell.


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Northern Regional College (NRC) and Galgorm Resort and Spa have teamed up to offer paid Apprenticeships in the hospitality industry.
Have you ever watched the experts on TV and thought you could do that or fancied a career as a professional chef, cocktail mixologist, a sommelier or barista? Do you want to develop your knowledge of the hospitality industry to deliver an efficient and quality service to customers?
If so, you may be interested in the new programme which is starting this September.
A total of 24 places are available on two exciting new apprenticeship programmes - Professional Cookery and Food & Beverage Service - offering a golden ticket to fast track employment and a rewarding career in the hospitality industry for people with the right personality and commitment to succeed.
The Apprenticeship programmes target anyone, aged 16 – 24 years, seeking to develop the necessary skills and knowledge to build a career in the hospitality sector. Successful applicants will get an opportunity to 'earn as they learn' in the award-winning Galgorm Resort and Spa.
NRC's Anne Birt-McCartney said: "Professional Cookery apprentices will gain invaluable experience working at the top levels alongside highly skilled chefs, as part of a professional kitchen team. Food and Beverage Service apprentices will develop their hospitality skills and learn how to match customer needs with available products and services in the highly customer focused environment in the luxurious surroundings of Galgorm Resort.
"This really is a gilt-edged opportunity to get ahead in hospitality.
"During their three days in Galgorm's award-winning bars and restaurants, the apprentices will build their knowledge, competency and confidence in the working environment. The underpinning theory-based elements, such as the importance of customer service, communication and teamwork skills, food safety and hygiene during food and drink delivery will be reinforced during their two days in College."
Richard McGowan, Project Manager, School of Excellence and Staff Wellness Centre, Galgorm Resort and Spa, said "Galgorm Resort & Spa enjoys a global reputation for excellence and through the Apprenticeship Programme we want to open the doors on that excellence to the next generation.
"The Apprentice programmes we are delivering in partnership with Northern Regional College will give young people an opportunity to gain qualifications and relevant experience needed to get ahead and on completion, successful apprentices will be guaranteed employment at The Galgorm Resort or one of the company's other restaurants."
For further information, email Richard McGowan at email@example.com or go to www.nrc.ac.uk


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Halfway around the world in Asia, the celebration of Christmas is quite different than the way it is celebrated in the West. Although the true meaning and spirit of the season might be lost in the obvious commercialization and marketing of the holiday in countries like Japan and Korea, certain traditions and celebrations have evolved that at least capture the essence of the holiday.
In Asia, there's really no true meaning behind celebrating the holiday unless you happen to be a Christian. To be sure, having lived in Asia for the past 18 years, I have seen the holiday go from being just a special day to enjoy a "Christmas Cake" in Japan or exchange greeting cards in Korea to having the same overblown commercialism in cities like Bangkok, Seoul, and Tokyo, the same kind of rampant commercialization that I have seen back in the States.
In predominantly Buddhist Asia, the holiday for the most part has always been about the cultural overtones and not the holiday's religious background. While more and more Christians in Asia are celebrating the holiday as the birth of Christ, the holiday has evolved rather quickly into a cultural and commercial juggernaut. Cities like Bangkok roll out the Christmas trees and decorations just in time for the onslaught of Western tourists who would rather frolic on the beaches of Koh Samui and suck down Singha Beer than fight shoppers in crowded stores back in Europe.
Yes, everywhere it is Christmas and you don't have to be a Christian to enjoy the holiday. Of course there is more emphasis on "Season's Greetings" instead of "Merry Christmas."
I've spent a few Christmases in Thailand and I had no trouble getting into the holiday spirit whether it was finding Christmas trees or cards. And just last year when I was in Vientiane, Laos there were Christmas trees and decorations everywhere—of course to make all us Western tourists spending the holidays in Indochina to feel at home.
When I was living and working in Japan back in 1989 and Christmas rolled around most people gave a Christmas cake for the holiday though everyone had to work. However, you could find Christmas trees and all kinds of decorations. I went to Tokyo Disneyland two weeks before Christmas and the entire theme park was decked out in holiday cheer. You would almost expect that from Mickey Mouse and friends given the mammoth cultural and commercial enterprise that Disney is in countries like Japan—you know, "Deck the halls with boughs of holly" and lots and lots of Mickey Mouse.
The same was true, to a lesser degree the following Christmas when I now was living and working in Seoul (and where I have been since). Back then, in 1990, the holiday seemed to centered on the giving of Christmas cards, some rather nice and traditional; other's a little cheesy and a commercial mockery of the holiday like the ones I saw of grotesque cartoon interpretations of Santa Claus.
Over the years though, the holiday has evolved into the commercial juggernaut fed by rampant consumerism and a holiday cheer. You definitely see more Christmas Trees and decorations than you did when I first arrived here, kids talk about Santa Claus, and at Starbucks, you can buy a special yuletide brew. A Korean family, one who I have been good friends with for about as long as I have been in Korea and who are devout Buddhists put up their Christmas tree last weekend.
Much of the holiday's religious stronghold in Korea started with the Christian missionaries in the 1800's and since then has grown significantly so the holiday in Korea is not without a religious precedent. At least this legitimizes the holiday amid the full-blown commercialization of the holiday that has evolved over the years.
So what is Christmas really like in Asia? It is, for the most part if you are a non-Christian, a cultural celebration, no more and no less and all dependent upon just how commercialized one wants their holiday cheer.


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This was several weeks ago, it has taken a while to process, and then other things have taken over, as always!
I wrote last year about online bullying and also how I support campaigns like those on TV's This Morning about being kind to each other on-line. A couple of things have been played out on-line this week too. People who think they are right, and those who have a different view are wrong. There is nothing wrong with having different views, the problem is how we deal with that. There is also over stepping the mark, not knowing when to stop. Which we all have been guilty of, at some point.
Tom had been out with his mates, usual stuff, been to their house, and been out for a bit. There had been no tension when he got back. All was OK. Tom headed of to bed. In the pit of my stomach I knew something was about to happen. I didn't know what. I just knew. "Sixth sense".
I headed off to bed myself and said goodnight to both lads. James was fine, watching YouTube vlogs. James pointed out the graffiti picture with his name on – he had put up in his room, with a picture hook, and he also showed me the series of nails he had hammered in to the wall to try to straighten the picture. I had no energy to ask why he thought hammering five nails below the picture would help sort out the picture's lop-sided-ness. Luckily James had left a spare picture hook, nails and hammer in Tom's room so he could put his own picture up. I could sort it out, as Tom would never get round to it!
Tom was laughing, he was chatting to his mate on video chat.
I knew something was about to happened. I got sorted and laid in bed. When these "sixth sense" feelings happen, invariably I wait for them to pass. There is nothing to do, anticipation is always there, worrying about what could happen never helps.
It must have been twenty, twenty-five minutes later. James thundered into my room.
"You need to see Tom, now"
I went into Tom's room. He was transfixed, staring at his computer screen. He was motionless. Staring at the screen.
I can't put the light on, as that would shock him, anything could happen. He can't be snapped out of these episodes.
Fairly quickly my eyes got accustomed to the light. I moved round him. I could see his face. Not blinking. Starring at the screen. One hand on his laptop. On his neck, were six or seven lacerations. About three or four inches long. Blood was trickling out of a few of the cuts, down his neck
I said his name gently, to try to bring him round.
I moved round further. His other hand came into view. He was holding the hammer. The hammer was resting on the side of his head. If the hammer had dropped the other way, it would go straight through the plaster on the wall. If he raised the hammer and it fell it would fracture his skull.
I saw the scissors on the bed, I reached and knocked them to the floor. I kicked them under his bed. I put my arm behind him and gently moved the hammer and put my hand on his head, the hammer resting on my hand. I sat next to him.
"Looks like you are really tired. Shall I help tidy up then you can sleep?"
He lent against me. His arm lowered the hammer to his side on his bed.
He told me later he and his mate had been bickering. Arguing about something, but he could not even remember what. They had wound each other up. Then they started to threaten to cut themselves, to show how upset they were the other. The problem was his mate was joking around, and pretending to do things, even got tomato sauce to show his "cuts". Tom was doing it for real. He had zoned out and cutting himself. When his mate said he was going to something worse, Tom saw the hammer. It was a heavy carpentry hammer, which had he slipped would have caused serious damage.
I talked to the mate the next day, and to his horrified parents, who were very supportive.
My reason for writing this now is – You don't know what is going on for the other person. When you hide behind your keyboard, trying to be more clever, trying get one up-man-ship. When you hurl insults and then block, because essentially you can't win the unwinnable argument. When you say what you say, think how that will be heard, by a person hearing in a different way.
Just stop. Just think.
You have no idea why or what else is going on for the other person. Walk away. Hold you head up. I hear about it so much around young people, but increasingly with adults "trolling" and bullying others.
We need to step back.
We need to Be Kind.
Please look at my previous story about online bullying


text: Brian now is a two summer camp Troop 5 adult leader. He enjoyed this summer differently. One would think it was the weather, but the truth is; last year he did nothing but camp projects at Worth Ranch all week. He did find himself going to Alamogordo twice and working at the rifle range for half a day this year. Apparently he went to that Woodbadge that Horse was explaining to me and they spent the week exchanging secret handshakes.


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Homelessness Assistance in Florida
Florida Homelessness Assistance Programs are under the management of the state's Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Homeless assistance in Florida counties may go by different names depending on the targeted demographic, but all programs focus on helping residents obtain shelter. For instance, the homeless veteran assistance in Florida is specifically for former service members who find themselves without reliable shelter. Veterans and other specialty groups can discover more state-run welfare programs by clicking here for our comprehensive Florida guide. To learn more about HUD Exchange Homelessness Assistance in Florida, refer to the following topics:
- How does HUD help homeless people in Florida?
- Who qualifies for the Florida Homelessness Assistance Program?
- Types of Florida Homelessness Assistance Programs
How does HUD help homeless people in Florida?
Florida Homelessness Assistance Programs for both for veterans and nonveterans are extremely important. The HUD Exchange Homelessness Assistance Program assists over a million of U.S. citizens annually. Part of homeless assistance in Florida, Continuum of Care (CoC) agencies assist residents in the local area with finding permanent housing. Affordable housing programs in Florida specialize in placing extremely low-income individuals into public housing.
Certain offices within the Florida Homelessness Assistance Program will provide services such as food stamps, employment assistance and mental health evaluations. Since homelessness is often the consequence of job loss and undiagnosed mental illness, it is important to offer individuals additional services that will make them self-reliant. Some families are on the verge of homelessness due to expensive medical conditions and would benefit from some of the other state-run welfare programs available to residents.
Residents wondering, 'How does HUD help homeless people in my area?' should contact their local HUD office or Continuum of Care agency to ask about specific services offered. According to statistics, homeless people are at a much higher risk to suffer from health issues and more likely to be hospitalized. Homeless assistance in Florida is especially important for homeless Florida families with children and infants who are more susceptible to illness. For this reason, providing homeless people with affordable housing and other benefits is a large step toward eradicating these problems.
Who qualifies for the Florida Homelessness Assistance Program?
The HUD Exchange Homelessness Assistance Program helps Florida residents currently homeless and those at risk of homelessness. Homeless assistance in Florida is also available for those trying to leave domestic violence and need support. The Florida Homelessness Assistance Program also provides assistance to those who meet homelessness under federal statues like unaccompanied individuals younger than 25 years of age. Homeless youths are typically eligible for other Florida welfare programs. Local Florida Homelessness Assistance Program offices help people from these categories by providing them with a decent and safe place to live.
Types of Florida Homelessness Assistance Programs
Through Florida homelessness assistance programs, HUD provides funding to state and local governments as well as nonprofit organizations to deliver housing for homeless individuals and families. Some of the programs for homeless assistance in Florida cater to specific demographics such as children or veterans. For instance, homeless veteran assistance in Florida are solely for former service members and their immediate family members.
HUD and Department of Veterans Affairs combined efforts to provide housing vouchers to homeless veterans and offer supportive services on finding and sustaining permanent housing. While HUD oversees homeless veteran assistance in Florida, implementation is usually available at Veteran Affairs offices in the state. HUD Exchange Homelessness Assistance Programs offer Section 8 housing vouchers that help homeless veterans and their families to get affordable housing in Florida. Florida Homelessness Assistance Programs usually pay the housing subsidy to the landlord on behalf of the veteran. In this case, the veteran might have to pay the difference between the amount the program subsidizes and the actual rent.
Homeless veteran assistance in Florida works through provision of rental assistance vouchers to veterans who are homeless and meet the eligibility requirements to get federally funded services, as well as mental health support and recovery counseling. Programs on homeless assistance in Florida for veterans also aim to provide eligible veterans with supportive housing. A number of service centers as well as public and nonprofit organizations function in the state of Florida to provide all the necessary help for homeless veterans.
On the HUD Exchange Homelessness Assistance website individuals can find information on homeless subpopulation (chronically homeless, youth and veterans), awards information, training resources, reports on programs and more. Homeless people or those interested in helping may find everything they need on homeless assistance in Florida on this website. Interested parties can find out more about all the Florida-run assistance programs in our digital guide by clicking here.
What Housing Assistance Is Available Through the HUD?
Government benefits and loans are available to Florida residents through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Residents can also go through the HUD to obtain housing counseling and file various complaints related to housing. To learn more about the benefits offered through this department and how to qualify for them, download our comprehensive HUD guide.
Who Qualifies for Housing Assistance in Florida?
Qualifications for housing assistance in Florida vary based on the specific housing program that claimants are applying for. Typically, applicants must meet certain income qualifications based on their household size, and sometimes petitioners are placed on waiting lists. Learn more about housing assistance eligibility here.


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Holiday Greetings From Lunenburg
Saturday, December 24th, 2011
Our beloved little barque is snugly tied to the wharf, there's fresh snow on the ground and work has stopped for a few days while we take time to relax, enjoy the company of those around us and celebrate the holidays.
We can't help but think of Christmases past, many of which, including last year, have been spent at sea. The roll of the ocean, white canvas sails overhead pushing us ever forward, the little divi-divi tree strapped securely to the cargo hatch, delicious aromas wafting from the galley all day and all night, shipmates covertly working on secret projects, holiday decor pulled from the dark recesses of storage areas and hung festively from any available surface and never-ending Christmas music floating from the well deck. Those Christmases, spent in the company of shipmates, where the thought counts more than the gift and the best present is a giant meal with more food than the whole crew can eat, have a very special place in our hearts and memories.
To all of our shipmates and friends, we wish you warmest Christmas greetings and continued adventures in 2012.


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It's a pleasure to be here. As you know, I represent the Forest Service in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. We work closely with other agencies in USDA, especially with our sister agency, the Natural Resources Conservation Service. NRCS is one of the hosts of this year's meeting, and we appreciate the opportunity to participate. We look forward to hosting the 2013 meeting ourselves, and we hope to see at least some of you again there in Sacramento, California.
You are all involved in fields related to agriculture or natural resources, but some of you might not know much about the Forest Service, so I will start by telling you a little about us.
Forest Service Overview
When many people think of the Forest Service, they think of Smokey Bear or firefighting or the national forests and timber harvests. We are all of those things, but we are much more besides. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation's forests and grasslands … for the benefit of present and future generations. In short, we're about caring for the land and serving people, and our mission extends to all of the nation's forests, public and private, and to many other lands as well.
About a third of the United States is forested. America has the fourth largest forest estate in the world, behind only Russia, Brazil, and Canada. The Forest Service manages about 20 percent of America's forest lands in a system of national forests that stretches from Alaska to Puerto Rico, from boreal forest to tropical forest—to practically every forest type in America. The National Forest System covers more than 193 million acres, an area almost twice the size of California.
Not all of those 193 million acres are forested. We manage many different kinds of ecosystems, including dunes, prairies, tundra, deserts, wetlands, meadows, barrens, shrublands, and canyonlands. Almost every state has at least one national forest or grassland. Kansas has the Cimarron National Grassland in the southwestern corner of the state.
We manage more than 152,000 miles of trail and almost 18,000 campgrounds and other recreation sites. We manage one-third of the wilderness in the United States—in the Lower 48, it's close to two-thirds. We manage municipal watersheds that supply cities with water … and also permit use for ski areas, guides, and outfitters. We manage critical wildlife habitat for both plants and animals. Public lands, and especially the national forests and grasslands, have become a last refuge for endangered species—some of the last places where they can find the habitat they need to survive.
But we do more than manage land. In the East, 83 percent of the forest land is in private ownership, and the federal government has no role in regulating private forest land. Individual states govern private forestry through state forestry laws, which vary widely. But the Forest Service gives technical and financial assistance to private forest landowners through the states. Every state has its own forestry agency, and we work with the State Foresters in all 50 states and in territories like Puerto Rico to help private landowners manage their lands sustainably—and to address issues like habitat continuity and conservation of open space.
The Forest Service also has the largest conservation research organization in the world. We have research stations, research labs, shared positions with many universities, 81 experimental forests nationwide, and decades of data on forest cover, water, wildlife, wilderness, rangelands, and other resources. We also work with other countries to share conservation knowledge—to help forest owners and managers around the world manage their forests sustainably.
Connecting our research with our other responsibilities has given us a strong conservation organization. Our research and land management professionals work hand-in-hand to create new knowledge and to use science to solve the most vexing conservation problems we face—and to open up new conservation opportunities. We have roughly 35,000 employees working all over the country, from remote wilderness areas on the Tongass National Forest in Alaska to great cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, with their urban forests.
America's Green Infrastructure
What conservation challenges do we face? They run the gamut, from catastrophic wildfires, to invasive species, to a rapidly growing population and all the associated pressures on forests and other wildlands. These pressures are of great concern, because Americans get so much from their forests.
Forests are part of our nation's green infrastructure. Forests provide services that Americans want and need. Forests furnish provisioning services such as wild foods and genetic resources; regulating services such as erosion, flood, and climate control; and cultural services such as heritage values, outdoor recreation, and aesthetic enjoyment, just to name a few.
Take climate control, for example. America's forests help to regulate local climates. America's 100 million acres of urban forests help to cool our metropolitan areas while lowering energy costs. America's forests are also a vast carbon reservoir, taking up about 12 percent of the carbon dioxide that Americans emit each year.
One of the most important services from forests is meeting the need for water. Forests deliver 53 percent of America's water supplies, and they filter and purify the water they release. The National Forest System alone, with less than 9 percent of the nation's total land area, accounts for 18 percent of our water supplies. Sustaining and restoring healthy, resilient watersheds is one of our most important jobs at the Forest Service.
Investing in our green infrastructure also makes good economic sense. The United States is by far the world's largest producer of wood. In 2000, forest-related industries in the United States accounted for the equivalent of about 281,000 full-time jobs, and the value of U.S. wood removed was about $18.8 billion. But the greatest forest-related contribution to our economy comes from outdoor recreation. In 2009, the national forests and grasslands got about 173 million visits, contributing $14.5 billion to the U.S. economy. A study in 2006 found that the active outdoor industry on all lands nationwide contributes about $730 billion annually to the U.S. economy, supporting around 6.5 million jobs.
In short, Americans depend on their green infrastructure for a wide range of social, economic, and ecological benefits. People often take these benefits for granted, such as water delivery or climate regulation, but that makes them no less real. Forests are like the world's lungs—a living bulwark against disease. We need to ensure that our forest ecosystems are whole, with all of their functions and processes intact. For that, we need to invest in our green infrastructure.
Conservation Challenges
In the 21st century, unprecedented challenges will demand new levels of investment. Not least is climate change. The Forest Service has been managing forests since 1905, for more than a century, and we are in the business of connecting forest science to climate science, with more than a hundred years of forest research to add to America's 30-odd years of climate change research. We know how our forests are changing in response to warming global temperatures.
One of the effects of climate change is increased regional drought, especially in the West. In Arizona, a prolonged drought that peaked about 8 years ago weakened ponderosa pine and pinyon pine across millions of acres. That led to huge bark beetle outbreaks. Some of those forests will never recover. Shrubs and grasses are now taking over, including invasive species like cheatgrass.
Bark beetles naturally affect our forests, but now we are seeing a mountain pine beetle epidemic in the Rocky Mountains on the largest scale ever recorded. Historically, colder winters knocked the beetles back, but now they are reproducing more and reaching higher elevations and latitudes. They are sweeping across the region, affecting more than 21 million acres so far. That's an area the size of Maine.
Other species are in decline, such as aspen in Colorado or yellow-cedar in Alaska. Across the West, at all elevations, climate change is weakening trees and making them more susceptible to disease and insect attack. Ironically, woody vegetation such as pinyon–juniper is also advancing in some places, encroaching on shrubland and grassland and destroying habitat for sage grouse and other species while soaking up scarce water.
A history of fire exclusion has been a contributing factor to forest health decline. Historically, fire helped keep many landscapes open and varied. In fire-adapted ponderosa pine, for example, trees typically grow in scattered clumps, with thick grasses in between. But many ponderosa pine forests have become overgrown, with thousands of trees per acre where there were once only a few dozen. In a drought, these overgrown stands can fuel huge fires.
Invasive species have affected many ecosystems across the United States. We have lost major forest trees and forest types, such as American elm or oak/chestnut forest in the East. Our Appalachian coves are losing a key forest component, eastern hemlock, crucial to the survival of native brook trout in Appalachian streams. Emerald ash borer is threatening all species of ash, a key component of many eastern and midwestern forests—and a key component of baseball bats.
Fragmentation is a growing concern. Our population is growing and our cities are expanding; during this century, our population is expected to grow from about 308 million today to more than 570 million. For the first time since the 1920s, America's net forest estate could shrink; scientists have estimated a net forest loss of more than 30 million acres from 2002 to 2062, an area the size of Pennsylvania. One study has predicted substantial increases in housing density from 2000 to 2030 on 57 million acres of forest land, an area larger than Utah. Urban growth could block the migration corridors that species will need in response to climate change. Here in the Midwest, where prairie habitats are already badly fragmented, the birds and other species that depend on grasslands could have nowhere else to go.
These stresses feed on one another. Drought, fire and fuels, invasive species, outbreaks of insects and disease, forest fragmentation and habitat loss, and the overarching challenge of climate change—these challenges have tremendous consequences through multiple feedback loops.
Rising to the Challenge
Americans have come to understand the full importance of forests. That wasn't always the case. In the 19th century, most people thought of our vast forest estate as inexhaustible. Forests were often cut down without a thought to the future, until conservationists finally put a stop to all the waste and abuse, partly by setting aside the National Forest System.
For the first 70 years of Forest Service history, we managed the national forests and grasslands to sustain a range of multiple uses for future generations, but our main focus was often on commercial resource extraction—whether of timber, forage, or minerals. In the last 20 to 30 years, our focus—and the focus of Americans in general, the people we serve—has broadened to include a full range of the goods and services, the benefits and values that people get from their forests and grasslands. Today, people understand that forests provide clean air and water, biodiversity, carbon sequestration, habitat for native fish and wildlife, erosion control and soil renewal, opportunities for outdoor recreation, and much more. Our job is to sustain the ability of America's forests and grasslands, both public and private, to deliver a full range of ecosystem services for generations to come.
That ability is now at risk, and the Forest Service is responding by restoring the functions and processes characteristic of healthy, resilient ecosystems. Restoration includes helping ecosystems adapt to the effects of a changing climate. We are striving to sustain and restore ecosystems that can deliver all the services that Americans want and need, even if they are not exactly the same systems as before. Climate change highlights the need for broad-scale approaches—for conservation on a landscape scale. Landscape-scale conservation is an approach to managing land at the level of watersheds, ecoregions, or broad geographic areas.
The Forest Service is accordingly taking an all-lands approach. We are working with partners across boundaries and ownerships to address ecosystem issues on a landscape scale. If people continue to work in traditional ways—cut off from each other as private foresters on this piece of land, public servants on that piece of land—America will never fully tap its resources of knowledge, energy, and ideas to help meet the forestry challenges of the future. But if people come together to collaborate across landownerships and landscapes, then they will be able to address shared issues and concerns and to pursue common goals more effectively.
And that, frankly, is why we are here at this meeting. We will need your help in meeting the challenges ahead. No one of us can do it alone. We are facing some of the greatest challenges in the history of conservation; but if we work together, building on each other's strengths, creating a whole that is greater than the sum of the parts, then I am confident that we will meet the challenges ahead.
Partnership with MANRRS
One of the greatest conservation philosophers in history was Aldo Leopold. He started his career with the Forest Service back in 1909, and he left us with a land ethic—the notion that human survival depends on treating each other with care and respect, as part of a larger community … and expanding that notion of community to include the lands and waters that sustain us all.
Aldo Leopold knew that government alone could never give us what he called a healthy, flourishing "man-land community." A land ethic takes all of us, working together, especially people on their own tracts of land, on farmers and ranchers and other private landowners. But the trends are not favorable. Leopold put it this way: "Perhaps the most serious obstacle impeding the evolution of a land ethic is the fact that our educational and economic system is headed away from, rather than toward, an intense consciousness of the land."
What did he mean by that? At a time when 80 percent of our population lives in metropolitan areas, you can actually find children who don't get the connection between a cow and milk … between a chicken and an egg … or between a tree and a home. Partly to counter that trend, Aldo Leopold himself bought a farm and worked to restore the land to health. He said, and I quote, "There are two spiritual dangers in not owning a farm. One is the danger of supposing that breakfast comes from the grocery, and the other that heat comes from the furnace."
But not here. There is no danger of that here. You are the hope of the future. You "get" it; you know that the future depends on citizen stewardship—on our connection to the land. You are preparing for careers that will help feed, clothe, and shelter the world, and I can think of nothing more important than that. We are involved in that, too. The national forests and grasslands provide wild foods of all kinds—think of salmon, for example—but also water from streams, wood from forests, and meat and hides from our grazing allotments on public rangelands.
That's why we are part of USDA and why we work so closely with NRCS and other farm-related and conservation-related agencies. We work closely with ranchers across the West and with farmers across the East. Farmers typically have woodlots, what Aldo Leopold called "the back forty"; in 2004, there were 10.3 million family forest landowners, 88 percent of them located in the East, and they owned 42 percent of the nation's forest land. They are vital to the future of conservation, and many of our programs are specifically designed to help them keep their lands forested and sustainably managed.
That's why our relationship with MANRRS is so important to the Forest Service. You are preparing for careers in agriculture and natural resources, and that makes you the future of conservation. For decades, we have sustained a strong partnership with MANRRS, and we are currently working on a new memorandum of understanding. Our leaders have spent their careers managing natural resources, and we are available to students by e-mail for counseling and advice on career development. We are part of the MANRRS e-mentoring program.
We also welcome you to use your national forests and grasslands. No matter where you live, there is probably a national forest or grassland within driving distance, and there are sure to be trails, campgrounds, ski areas, or other facilities you can use. You can come just to see the sights and enjoy yourself, or you can volunteer to staff visitor centers, maintain trails, or do other things.
The Forest Service is working to connect people to the land, partly through activities in our urban areas. In particular, we are focusing on kids—on getting urban kids outdoors to experience nature, up close and personal, and to learn about the environment. We want to help kids establish a lifelong connection with nature while developing outdoor skills and healthy lifestyles. Over the years, the Forest Service has conducted thousands of projects for kids across the nation; collectively, our projects reached around 4 million kids last year alone. You can help by volunteering or by mentoring a young person who has no connection to nature.
For older youth, we offer a series of economic and career opportunities through the Youth Conservation Corps and Job Corps. In partnership with the Department of Labor, we now operate all 28 Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers across 18 states, with a capacity of 6,200 students. Job Corps students are between 16 and 24. They come from low-income families, and they get an opportunity they otherwise might not have to earn a high school equivalency degree while getting training in over 30 different vocations, including conservation-related fields like forestry and firefighting. You can help by just knowing that opportunity is there—by pointing anyone interested in the right direction.
You can also help by joining us—by starting your career with the Forest Service. In the 1970s, when I started my career, the Forest Service was a very different place. There weren't many women or people of color in our ranks, and the overwhelming majority of our employees were professional foresters—more generalist than today. That was in response to the issues, demands, and opportunities of the time, but it turned out to be shortsighted—an oversight we are correcting. As monolithic as we were in terms of gender, ethnicity, and professional background, we were missing out on the skills and abilities, the talents and contributions of the great majority of Americans. Diversity of thought is key to successful organizations, and it comes from hiring people from different backgrounds—rural and urban, male and female, various ethnic groups, professions and perspectives of all kinds. We were also bucking demographic trends: By the middle of this century, there will no longer be a majority group here in America. Whites will be a minority, and white men will be a small minority.
For at least 20 years, we have been evolving, with some success. Today, women make up about 38 percent of our workforce, and Americans of all kinds, from all different ethnic and professional backgrounds, can be found throughout our organization. Today, we have writers and graphic designers in our rank; we have lawyers and law enforcement officers, biologists and social scientists, engineers and journalists, even film makers—and, yes, we still have many foresters. So no matter who you are or where you come from, you can find a place in the Forest Service.
All of you are more than welcome to join us! Our journey isn't complete. There are still areas of underrepresentation both in our workforce and in the communities we serve. So we are deliberately transforming our culture to become an employer of choice for all Americans. We want to broaden the circle of conservation—to make a connection to underserved communities all across America, especially in our urban areas—to build a workforce that truly reflects the face of America. We are designing our programs accordingly, especially for Urban and Community Forestry; and we are tailoring our recruitment and retention policies to the needs of young Americans from every background.
Citizen Stewardship
In closing, the future belongs to you. The future of conservation, the evolution of a land ethic in America to meet the challenges ahead—that responsibility lies with you. I hope that you will consider a career in public service, maybe even in the Forest Service. We offer a wealth of opportunities for all Americans, should you choose to take advantage of them. We offer you the chance to make this your Forest Service.
No matter what you decide to do in life—whether as future Forest Service employees, as future partners, as future volunteers, as future voters, as future farmers, as future forest landowners, as future users of the national forests and grasslands—the responsibility for citizen stewardship lies with you. Ultimately, America's forests and grasslands are yours. They are your birthright and your responsibility, the responsibility of every American to protect and conserve for future generations.
I am confident that you will rise to the challenge of citizen stewardship; and in that spirit, I wish you well.


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Mixed veg. in tomato-spinach gravy!
February 24, 2013 2 Comments
A healthy yet tasty curry.. 🙂
Mixed veg(parboiled in salted water or steamed)-4 cups
Blanched & pureed spinach-1 cup
Onion paste-1 ½ cups
Tomato puree-3/4 cups
Ginger paste-1/4 tsp
Garlic paste-1 tsp
Green Chilli Paste-1/4 tsp(or according to your liking)
Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp
Coriander powder-1 tbsp
Black pepper powder-1/4 tsp
Cumin powder-1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds-1/4 tsp
Garam masala-1/4 tsp
Water/veg stock-1 cup
Salt-to taste
Oil-2 tbsp
Cream-1 tbsp
-> Heat oil in a wok and add cumin seed.
-> When the cumin seed crackles, add ginger-garlic paste.
-> Cook till light brown. Now add onion paste.
-> Fry till golden brown.
-> Now add all the dry spices(except garam masala) and let it cook for a while.
-> Then add chilli paste and tomato puree.
-> Mix well and cook till it leaves oil.
-> Now add all the vegetables, spinach puree and garam masala.
-> Cook for another 1-2 minutes
-> Add 1 cup water or the vegetable stock you have got by boiling the vegetables.
-> Give it a boil and then turn off the stove.
Garnish with cream and serve hot 🙂


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text:
Ark: SOTF is the new standalone Version of Ark Survival Evolved - by Studio Wildcard. The popular mod is now free in Steam Early Access to have. It can't be better!
The developers by Ark have established with Survival Of The Fittest the hunger games principle like from the popular movies "The Hunger Games". They transferred the principle into their dinosaur world. You can play with up to 200 players at once on the server on 4 different modifications. The teams are called "Tribes" and there can be 1, 2, 4 or 6 players in one tribe at a time. The free edition comes with up to 30 creatures that can be tamed and ridden by players.
The exciting is that the new approach for SOTF fully goes on E-Sports. This means you can measure you in the future in leagues like the ESL with your friends and other players. The ultimate fun is guaranteed. Professional Online Gaming for ambitious players.
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