text:
A new report from some of the world's top experts on forest governance has criticised various international climate change accords including REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation) and REDD+ for their narrow focus on carbon storage which has failed to stop rampant destruction of the world's most vulnerable forests and often acted to further marginalise indigenous peoples.
Despite billions of dollars being spent annually on sustainable forest management, the world is still losing an estimated 13 million hectares of forest per year, an important biological store of carbon. Tropical deforestation accounts for 20 percent of all carbon emissions into the atmosphere.
"This is only the most obvious symptom of the fact that, not withstanding the growth of awareness and initiatives, international forest governance is struggling to meet a number of significant contemporary challenges." says the reports conclusion in Chapter 8. "There is now widespread recognition that forests are critical components of global climate change mitigation and will require careful attention in the development of national climate change adaptation strategies."
In December 2010 the REDD+ agreement worked out at Cancun climate negotiations was severely criticised by Friends of the Earth: "By prioritising REDD, the Cancun agreement is set to create a huge loophole in the international climate regime. REDD will enable countries like Australia to keep polluting by buying offsets in forest nations such as Indonesia." said Friends of the Earth Australia climate justice campaigner Ellen Roberts.
"The current reality of the REDD projects is very concerning; often opposed by local peoples; with Indonesian forest industries hoping to use REDD finance to further fund deforestation and destructive plantation expansion," said Ms Roberts.
It has been known for some years that Carbon Markets Violate Indigenous Peoples' Rights and Threaten Cultural Survival. Greenpeace helped establish in April 20009 a Climate Defenders Camp to preserve Indonesian Rainforest Peatlands under threat from illegal encroachment of Palm oil groves funded under REDD. In 2008 Indigenous people were outraged that the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand opposed the inclusion of recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities in a decision on REDD (Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) that was being drafted by government delegates at a UN Climate Conference in Poznan.
In November 2009 Friends of the Earth Australia and Aid Watch published a scathing report (PDF) on Australia's REDD offsets.
This new report on the governance of forestry was produced by 60 experts in political science, policy studies, law and international relations, and co-ordinated by the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO). The detailed results of the work of the expert panel, which was constituted under the Collaborative Partnership on Forests and coordinated by IUFRO, will be presented next week to the Ninth Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) as part of the launch of the International Year of Forests.
"Our findings suggest that disregarding the impact on forests of sectors such as agriculture and energy will doom any new international efforts whose goal is to conserve forests and slow climate change," said Jeremy Rayner, a professor at the University of Saskatchewan Graduate School of Public Policy and chair of the panel of the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) that produced the new assessment. "With this report in hand, we can say with greater certainty that the success of current efforts to protect forests through a global climate change agreement will depend in part on whether negotiators integrate these findings into their policy proposals."
Rayner and others on the panel argue the need for a dramatic shift away from "top-down" efforts to protect forests. They say that most international initiatives including REDD, should focus more on supporting regional and national efforts to impact the forces that are putting the forests at risk.
Although the authors cite some successful examples of efforts to slow destruction of forests, it is argued in the report that REDD shows signs of repeating many of the mistakes of the past. Even an expanded REDD agreement as negotiated in December 2010 at Cancun, known as REDD+, falls short of considering the needs and roles of forest communities and other local inhabitants. "REDD+ is an improvement, as it names forest conservation as a goal and sustainable forest management as a solution," Rayner said, "But it continues to explicitly value carbon storage above the improvement of forest conditions and livelihoods."
In their policy brief drawing on the results of the new assessment, the editors argue that REDD is more likely to succeed if the final agreement reflects lessons learned from past efforts. This means REDD negotiators must sufficiently engage stakeholders outside the forest sector--such as in the agriculture, transportation and energy sectors--and stop an over-reliance on a "one-size-fits-all" global scheme to address situations that are vastly different from region to region and country to country.
The report notes in Chapter 5 on Forests and Sustainability:
...Safeguards remain to be agreed and enforced for ensuring that other forest benefits and values, including social values, are not swept aside in the pursuit of greenhouse gas reductions. Given that some key REDD negotiators are climate scientists rather than foresters or land-use planners, there is a risk that forest values other than carbon sequestration will be short-changed.
"REDD has gone further than past global forest strategies in engaging agriculture and other key sectors. Nevertheless, there is still a long ways to go," said Constance McDermott, James Martin Senior Fellow in Forest Governance at Oxford University's Environmental Change Institute. "Unless all sectors work together to address the impact of global consumption, including growing demand for food and bio-fuels, and problems of land scarcity, REDD will fail to arrest environmental degradation and will heighten poverty."
McDermott notes that if REDD results in an overriding focus on protecting and pricing the carbon stored in forests this will lead to the "further exclusion of indigenous people from their forests and the criminalization of their traditional livelihoods." These concerns are heightened by the growing number of "land grabs" by governments and individuals who are motivated by a desire to take advantage of REDD's forest-based carbon credits, incidents that already are occurring without consultation with local forest users.
"International approaches that aim to transform forests into storehouses for carbon, or for biodiversity or some other narrow purpose, are inevitably going to produce disappointing results," McDermott said. "Instead of generating 'grand plans' based on the simplification of complex problems on a global scale, we might be better advised to listen and learn from existing efforts, both public and private, across multiple scales and multiple sectors."
Despite noting the pitfalls surrounding REDD and other accords in chapters devoted to the topic, the report reflects optimism that conditions are ripe for reducing forest destruction worldwide, and with an international effort playing an important role.
The positive forces include an unprecedented amount of attention worldwide to the problem of illegal logging and a widespread acceptance of the concept of sustainable forest management. The report also cites a flurry of activity driven by NGOs to give local communities in many forested regions--and, in particular, indigenous groups and women--a stronger voice in forest planning processes.
Meanwhile, the IUFRO analysis finds many bright spots of forest governance work at the regional and national level. For example, the US, through its amendments to a law known as the Lacey Act, has made it illegal to import wood known to come from stolen timber. The EU is making a similar effort to exclude illegal wood from imports through its "due diligence" process that has forged important partnerships with major tropical timber producers like Cameroon. Brazil, long the target of an international campaign to reverse its forest destruction, has enacted new environmental and policy reforms that have the potential to slow forest loss in the Amazon Basin.
A chapter in the report proposes the creation of a new framework called "Forests +" that would bring a more inclusive spirit to global discussions of forest governance, focus most international initiatives on supporting and coordinating national and regional efforts, and pursue global accords only when a top-down approach is broadly demanded.
"The goal of Forests+ is to solve problems by focusing on the many ways people use forests and by including from the start a broad group of stakeholders and institutions inside and outside of forests," said Benjamin Cashore, professor of environmental governance and political science at Yale University's School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, and director of the Yale Program on Forest Policy and Governance. "Specifically we identified new ways of having an impact that don't require a 'top down' approach. Instead they would help nurture national and local strategies that work, provide training where needed and encourage market incentives that allow consumers to pick products based on how sustainably they are produced."
La Via Campesina, an organisation of indigenous and peasant peoples, said "REDD means the privatization of forests, the expulsion of communities from their land and financial speculation" in a statement about the Cancun negotiations:
"Through Clean Development Mechanisms, industrialized countries and multinationals can continue contaminating in their places of origin and still fulfill their emissions reduction goals through carbon certificates financing "clean development" projects in other places. CDM projects are also highly polluting and cause great environmental and social devastation, since projects such as large dams, methane recovery from industrial farming, massive dumps and plantations, etc. fall into that category. REDD inserts forests and agricultural land (if we are considering REDD plus) into the carbon market to benefit transnationals, and it poses a threat as the greatest land grab of all time."
Unless the new approach advocated by the forests+ framework places importance on indigenous rights and supporting sustainable forestry practices of indigenous people, deforestation will continue.
Video: The Forest dependent people and the possible effects of REDD
* Adapted from media release, Jan 24, 2011 - New Study Suggests Global Pacts Like REDD Ignore Primary Causes of Destruction of Forests
* The report is available in full as a PDF (3.2MB)
* Photo - Protest against proposed programs like REDD+by Ian MacKenzie from flickr.com Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC 2.0)


text:
Address: 14546 IN-23
For over twenty years Dr. Morris has offered comprehensive behavioral assessment and therapy for cats and dogs suffering from aggression, separation anxiety, cognitive disorder, destructive behaviors, compulsive issues, fears, and phobias. Read more...
Tag: Anxiety in Indiana
Behavior Consultant Categories
Behavior Consultants
Address: 20337 Farmington Rd
My veterinary practice, established in 2007, is Great Lakes Veterinary Behavior Consultants. It is a behavior-only veterinary clinic in Livonia, Michigan (southeast Michigan). I also offer housecalls. I have a wonderful, knowledgeable trainer working for me. She is soon to finish her program to become a KPA CTP. Read more... -
Address: South Korea
Conduct behavior correction and counseling of positive reinforcement/humanitarian methods based on the latest knowledge and theory in veterinary behavioral academia, not correction methods using coercion/aversive learning. The basis of behavioral therapy is to find the best approach for the situation and environment, which requires systematic analysis of the causes of behavioral problems from various perspectives. * Factor analysis: genetic background, Read more... -
Address: Bridgewater
New Jersey
Veterinarian and pet behaviorist Read more... -
Address: Esmeralda
Región Metropolitana
I am a Veterinarian with advanced studies in Ethology, Comparative Psychiatry, Learning, Psychopharmacology, therapy in complex multi-species family systems, and university teaching. I specialize in solving moderate and complex behavior cases in dogs and cats with an integrative approach that departs from the usual way of handling cases, which currently has a very low success rate. If you want my Read more... -
Address: San Antonio
San Antonio
I am a behavioral psychologist and trainer. My company, LOMA Behavior and Training, is an animal training company specializing in resolving and preventing behavior concerns with dogs and cats. I supervise a team of behavior specialists and animal trainers. My team applies the science of psychology, behavior analysis, and animal behavior to the behavior issues presented by the typical family Read more... -
Address: 35 MacKenzie Way SW #1105
Veterinarian with special interest in behavioural concerns especially related to general phobias, anxiety, reactivity and aggression. Read more... -
Address: 116 Hawthorn St
Colonial Beach
Dr. Caryn is an Animal Behaviorist and Trainer with over 13 years of experience with dogs (and 30 years of experience with marine mammals). From puppies to seniors, from ordinary behavioral problems to aggression and anxiety, she will work with you and your vet to ensure the best outcome for your dog. Dr. Caryn holds a PhD in Animal Behavior Read more... -
Address: Tulsa
Dr. Emily Hall, DVM, CCRT, CPAT-KA I'm a rehabilitation veterinarian and certified animal trainer and the canine rehabilitation therapist at Tulsa Animal Rehab & Wellness. I am focused on coaching concerned or frustrated pet parents to help them build an incredible relationship with their canine companion and unlock a dream life together. DVM: Doctor of Veterinary Medicine CCRT: Certified Canine Rehabilitation Read more...
Become A Member Today!
Become a member today, and join our growing community of animal behavior specialists!
Join Now
Sign Up For Our Newsletter!
Popular Member Links:
Find a Behavior Consultant
No Records Found
Sorry, no records were found. Please adjust your search criteria and try again.
Google Map Not Loaded
Sorry, unable to load Google Maps API.
Recent Articles
Modify Search
[gd_advanced_search show_adv_search='always' ]Start Over

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Published 12:00 am Monday, January 27, 2014
Associated Press
PITTSBURGH — Jabari Parker scored 21 points, reserve guard Andre Dawkins added 20 and No. 17 Duke pulled away from No. 18 Pittsburgh 80-65 on Monday night.
Amile Jefferson chipped in a season-high 14 points for the Blue Devils (17-4, 6-2 ACC), which brought Pitt's hot start in its first Atlantic Coast Conference season to an abrupt halt. Duke made 13 of 25 3-point attempts, including four during a 15-3 run midway through the second half that broke open a tight game.
Lamar Patterson had 14 points for the Panthers (18-3, 6-2) who fell to 12-1 at home when they couldn't keep up with the Blue Devils.
Parker helped Duke fend off some early game jitters before Dawkins poured it on. The senior drilled 6 of 7 3-point attempts to lift the Blue Devils to their fifth straight victory.
The Panthers have strolled through their first month in the ACC, their only setback a four-point loss to fellow Big East refugee Syracuse. They have posted road wins at N.C. State, Georgia Tech and Maryland, but the Blue Devils constituted a significant step up in class.
It's a step Pitt didn't quite look prepared for on a night the Panthers gave up a season-high in points. Parker added 11 rebounds to set a Duke freshman record with his 12th double-double, but it was Dawkins that provided the difference.
Two free throws by Patterson brought Pitt within 52-51 with 9:41 left when the Blue Devils took off.
Dawkins slipped through the lane for a tip-in to get going. Quinn Cook followed with a 3-pointer. Dawkins responded by knocking down a 3 on each of Duke's next three trips down the court, including a 25-foot heave at the shot clock buzzer. The final jumper made it 67-54 with 5:32 left and seemed to take all the life out of a record crowd. Pitt never drew within single digits the rest of the way.
Parker accepted congratulations from his teammates as the final seconds ticked off and the crowd headed out into the bitter cold night, a decisive end to a game that featured eight ties and nine lead changes over the first 25 minutes.
With the student section — some of whom had camped overnight — producing small tremors every time the Blue Devils had the ball in their hands, the Panthers controlled the game's first 10 minutes but missed an opportunity to bury Duke early by missing a handful of shots in the lane. During one sequence Pitt grabbed four offensive rebounds but failed to convert.
Parker didn't let the reprieve go to waste. The versatile forward did a little bit of everything to get the Blue Devils back in it, with a dozen NBA scouts in the front row getting an eyeful. He dunked twice, hit two 3-pointers and even put together a nifty up-and-under move that drew two Panthers off their feet before he laid it in.
The result was a slim 34-32 halftime lead for Duke.


text:
I was wondering if by chance anyone knew of any program that would let you select the server you connect to using AudioGalaxy? I'm trying to find a DJ that's real popular on the west coast, but is relatively unknown here in TX. Thanks in advance.
Results 1 to 3 of 3
Thread: audiogalaxy servers


text:
[Joris Laurenssen] has been hanging onto this robotic arm for about twenty years. His most recent project uses some familiar tools to add voice control for each of the arm's joints.
The arm has its own controller which connects via a DB-25 port. [Joris'] first task was to figure out what type of commands are being sent through the connection. He did some testing to establish the levels of the signals, then hooked up his Arduino and had it read out the values coming through the standard parallel connection. This let him quickly establish the simple ASCII character syntax used to command movement from the device. There's only eight command sets, and it didn't take much work to whip up a sketch that can now drive the device.
The second portion of the project is to use voice commands to push these parallel signals to the arm. Instead of reinventing the wheel he decided to use the speech recognition feature of his Android phone. He used Scripting Layer for Android (SL4A) and a Python script to interpret commands, push them to his computer via Telnet, and finally drive the arm. We've embedded the video demo after the break. He gives the commands in Dutch but he overlaid comments in English so you can tell what's going on.


text:
Key Egyptian rights groups called on Sunday for a repeat of the first round of the constitutional referendum, alleging the vote was marred by widespread violations.
Islamists who back the disputed charter claimed they were in the lead with a majority of "yes" votes.
Representatives of the seven groups charged that there was insufficient supervision by judges in Saturday's vote in 10 of Egypt's 27 provinces and independent monitors were prevented from witnessing vote counts.
The representatives told a news conference that they had reports of individuals falsely identifying themselves as judges, of women prevented from voting and that members of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood were allowed inside polling stations.
They also complained that some polling centers closed earlier than scheduled and that Christians were denied entry to polling stations.
"We call on the election commission to avoid these violations in the second round and repeat the first round," said a statement by the seven groups.
Egyptians women wait in line to cast their votes outside a polling station.
"The vote counting took place in darkness," said Negad Borai, the head of one of the groups. He alleged the election commission did not investigate thousands of complaints on alleged violations and irregularities.
The second and final round of voting on the charter is planned for Saturday, December 22.
The vote capped a near two-year struggle over Egypt's identity since the ouster of longtime leader Hosni Mubarak.
The latest crisis over the charter evolved into a fight- deadly at times- over whether Egypt should move toward a religious state under Morsi's Brotherhood and their ultraconservative Salafi allies, or one that retains secular traditions and an Islamic character.
Egyptians talk as they enjoy the view of the Nile river on a bridge leading to Tahrir Square in Cairo.
Underlining the tension, some 120,000 army troops were deployed to help the police protect polling stations and state institutions after clashes between Morsi's supporters and opponents over the past three weeks left at least 10 people dead and about 1,000 wounded.
Some voters on Saturday said the presumed supervising judge at their polling centers refused to show them official documents to certify that they were indeed a judge.
Others said some polling centers closed hours ahead of the 11 p.m. cut-off.
Others complained of suspected members of the Brotherhood whispering to voters inside polling stations to vote "yes." And some voters alleged some of the supervising judges were influencing voters to choose "yes."
A group of women in Alexandria claimed the judge in their polling center was stalling to stop them from voting.
The violations reported by monitors included polling centers collecting votes without judges to oversee the process, civil employees illegally replacing the judges, ballot papers not officially stamped as per regulations, campaigning inside polling stations and Christian voters being turned away.
Egyptians girls show their inked fingers after casting their votes at a polling station.
The allegations of widespread violations came only hours after the Brotherhood claimed a majority of Egyptians who voted on the proposed Islamist-backed constitution have approved the document with a majority of about 57 percent.
Turnout was unofficially estimated at around 32 percent- which if confirmed would be far lower than the presidential or parliamentary elections following Mubarak's fall.
Official results are not expected until after the second round.
The Brotherhood, which has in the past accurately predicted election results, relied on vote tallies collected by its activists at the individual polling stations across the country.
If the constitution is approved by a simple majority of voters, the Islamists empowered after the overthrow of Mubarak would gain more clout.
The upper house of parliament, dominated by Islamists, would be given the authority to legislate until a new lower house is elected.
If the draft proposal is rejected, elections would be held within three months for a new panel to write a new constitution. In the meantime, legislative powers would remain with Morsi, who won the presidency in June.
The official website of Egypt's state television reported that 68 and 72 percent of voters cast "no" ballots in Cairo and Alexandria respectively, Egypt's two largest cities.
The only other two provinces where the "no" vote won the majority were Gharbiyah and Daqahliya in the Nile Delta, north of Cairo.
The Brotherhood and other Islamists enjoy wide support in most of the 17 provinces voting on December 22, something that could work in favor of the "yes" vote.
Egyptian women outside a polling station to cast their votes on a constitution referendum.
But the Islamists led by the Brotherhood are widely thought to have lost some of their popularity because of the perception that Morsi and the Islamist-backed government of Prime Minister Hesham Kandil have failed to resolve any of the country's major problems such as high unemployment, rising prices and security.
Egyptians are bracing for a wide range of steep price hikes as part of the government's program to boost revenues and restructure the economy to secure a $4.8 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund.
Last week, Egypt delayed the request for the loan after Morsi rescinded tax hikes a day after he imposed them, fearing this would only add to political turmoil.
There were no serious incidents of violence during Saturday's vote.
And although there was no evidence of mass fraud, monitors from the opposition and rights groups said the boycott of the referendum by most judges was reflected in the chaos prevailing in some polling centers.


text:
Cambridge IGCSE™ and O Level Geography Revision Guide
Qualification:Cambridge IGCSE
Author(s):David Davies
Cambridge IGCSE and O Level Geography has been written specifically for Cambridge International syllabuses 0460 and 2217.
Explore tourism in Kenya, to urban sprawl in Dubai, and the cautionary tale of Unawatuna beach in Sri Lanka. This revision guide helps students understand the processes that affect physical and human environments on a local, regional and international scale. With detailed descriptions and explanations of geographical topics and themes, the revision guide complements the variety of activities in the coursebook and reinforces understanding. Exam-style questions, international case studies from across 5 continents and a chapter on geographic skills give students practice with course content and skills in preparation for assessment. Sample answers to all of the revision book questions are in the back of the book.
- Case studies from across 5 continents provide opportunities to practise skills.
- Exam-style questions and sample answers help students develop their skills in preparation for assessment.
- Self-test questions alongside topics provide students with useful activities to help reinforce concepts.
- The full-colour design supports development of map reading skills and aids navigation.
1. Population dynamics
2. Migration
3. Population structure
4. Population density and distribution
5. Settlements and service provision
6. Urban settlements
7. Urbanisation
8. Earthquakes and volcanoes
9. Rivers
10. Coasts
11. Weather
12. Climate and natural vegetation
13. Development
14. Food production
15. Industry
16. Tourism
17. Energy
18. Water
19. Environmental risks of economic development
20. Geographical skills (Paper 2)
21. The alternatives to coursework (Paper 4)
22. Answers to chapter activity and exam-style questions.
Additional information
Weight | 0.62 kg |
Dimensions | 22 × 27.7 × 1 cm |


text:
New bathroom installation or old bathroom renovation is a multistage building process. It consists of several steps, which may be performed all sequentially from zero to the final bathroom renovation. Also a bathroom refurbishment works may be performed selectively – then you would have newly renovated bathroom performed at your own pace and desire.
bathroom fitters, building works, bathroom installation experts, bathroom installation, New bathroom installation, bathroom renovation
For the best masonry walkways new jersey company, call Right Choice Paving & Masonry.
To find the best masonry walkways new jersey company, click here for Right Choice Paving & Masonry.
New bathroom installation or old bathroom renovation is a multistage building process. It consists of several steps, which may be performed all sequentially from zero to the final bathroom renovation. Also a bathroom refurbishment works may be performed selectively – then you would have newly renovated bathroom performed at your own pace and desire.
Depending on the desire, bathrooms refurbishment could be complete new bathroom installation project, or partial renovation works such as new bathroom units installation, re-tiling, old paint refreshing, new shower cubic installation. As a matter of fact even bathroom accessory replacement could be considered as bathroom renovation works because of the amount of building works involved.
To make a decision regarding what kind of bathroom refurbishment works you need, it is worth to get an advise from bathroom suppliers as well as from bathroom fitters. A new bathroom installation works may be staged in three important steps: removals, installations, decoration. Old bathroom removal works consist of walls and floor tiles removal, old bathroom units stripping, ceiling stripping if necessary, walls demolition, again if necessary.
Then coming installation stage. New ceiling installation, new walls, floor if necessary. Bathroom plumbing and electrical works should be done almost at the same time. These works are important for the location of the new bathroom units (bathtub, toilet, sink, bidet, shower) and electrical equipment installation(lightning, extractor, shaver, under-floor heating, towel heater etc) Then plastering (levelling of the walls and the floor surfaces), walls processing with special waterproof sealant. Tiling, painting decorating, accessories fitting works are the last ones on the final stage.
It is necessary to mention that bathroom units relocation is quite complex bathroom refurbishment works and can only be undertaken by builders company specialising in bathroom installation projects. Bathroom tiling is an important decoration works and needs careful approach depending on the tiling materials to be used (ceramic, porcelain, natural stone) size of the tiles (big, small, mosaics). The bigger is size of the tiles you use, the less the premise seems visually. If the kerb tiles are placed horizontally, the floor area of the premise will be increased, if vertically – the height will increase. Choosing your bathroom tiles might be the hardest part of the bathroom refurbishment project. There are literally thousands of colors, sizes, styles, shapes and grades to choose from.
The bathroom has become a valuable part of the house and according to the quantity of accessories is highly competitive with other premises. Your new bathroom design is one thing if not the most important one. To begin with, you should make yourself certain about the style. Special web-sites, magazines and catalogues shall be helpful for the decision making.
Bathroom accessories would be not only useful for the bathing but emphasise your perfect choice and taste. Suppliers of bathrooms and bathroom accessories are trying to succeed each other offering new design almost everyday, but the suppliers are usually not the best advisers. The choice today is limitless and there are no rules. Bathroom refurbishment is a very specific kind of building works. Therefore, it is advisable to entrust it to the bathroom installation experts.
When the new bathroom installation is completed and the It is especially pleasant to take a bath, coddling in sweet-scented foam, when around you there is not only warm water, but also the bathroom atmosphere that helps to relax.


text:
2017 Average Costs For Cabinet Painting
Completed Projects
Cabinet painting Malvern is increasing in popularity for a lot of reasons. The cost for cabinet replacement services are extremely high because wood's price is also soaring. If you want cabinets that are made of dove tails and solid wood, that would be an even bigger problem unless you have set a huge budget for home improvement projects. This is due to the fact that there are now little to no carpenters that build custom-made cabinets. Nowadays, a lot of homeowners just turn to Malvern cabinet painting services done by professionals. It allows a perfect viable solution to giving kitchen cabinets a total makeover. The professionals at Furthur help homeowners day by day in improving the appearance of their kitchen cabinets at affordable rates.
Cabinet Painting in Malvern, AR
Renewing Cabinet Painting in Malvern AR
Kitchen remodeling done right
Free remodeling estimates for Arkansas
Furthur is a reputable cabinet painting Malvern service provider that you can rely on. If you avail their services, your expectations will be exceeded and blown away due to their excellent customer service and elaborate cabinet painting Malvern processes. You're guaranteed that all your cabinets will be painted and sprayed with a finish using only high-quality airless sprayers.
A lot of DIY-ers are excited about the idea of updating the look of their kitchen cabinets with just a few coats of paint. It definitely seems like a no-brainer task, but this particular undertaking has myriads of potential pitfalls. Avoid experiencing these blunders and hire the professional cabinet painting Malvern services of Furthur instead.
What zipcode
do YOU NEED
Cabinet Painting Companies in?
(888) 676-13032016 Average Costs For Cabinet Painting
FAQ for Cabinet Painting in Malvern
What should I think about when planning for cabinet painting in Malvern?
The first thing that you are supposed to think about when planning for cabinet painting in Malvern is the color scheme that you want to work with. There are different colors that you can choose, but you need to ensure that you select a color scheme that will not make your cabinets look out of place. In most cases, you have to consider this based on the décor styling that you have in your home.
How can I get an expert for Malvern cabinet painting services?
These days it is very easy to come across someone who can deliver a good job for your Malvern cabinet painting needs. in fact, this will be one of the easiest things that you can do. To start off, you can look into some of the social media pages and you will come across professional service providers. The good thing about social media is that you will get in touch with the contractors faster, and the response time is also faster, if not immediate.
I am not sure of the color scheme I want for my cabinet painting in Malvern, is it possible to get help from experts?
One of the beautiful things that you will notice about working with an expert for Malvern cabinet painting is the fact that they usually spend a lot of time on consultation so that you can have nothing short of the right result you desire. In the event that you are not decided on the color scheme, you can discuss what you have in mind with the contractors, and then they will advise you accordingly, given their experience in the industry, and certain factors that are unique to your home.
372 E GLAZYPEAU RD Hot Springs Village, AR 71909 -
Hardin & Son Cabinet Shop
22231 Arkansas 84 Malvern, AR 72104 -
Elite Cabinets
6401 Rolla Road Benton, AR 72015 -
Breshears Cabinets Inc
162 E Glazypeau Rd Hot Springs Village, AR 71909 -
5 INDUSTRIAL PARK Benton, AR 72015 -
3100 S REYNOLDS RD Bauxite, AR 72011


text:
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) -- Animal protection groups are suing the U.S. Department of Agriculture to try to block the revival of domestic horse slaughter at commercial processing plants.
The Humane Society of the United States, Front Range Equine Rescue of Larkspur, Colo., three other groups and five individuals filed a federal lawsuit Monday seeking an emergency injunction to overturn the USDA's recent permit approval for a horse meat plant in Roswell, N.M. Four of the named plaintiffs are Roswell residents; the fifth lives in Gallatin, Mo., where a Rains Natural Meats equine slaughterhouse could next receive federal approval.
On Tuesday, the federal agency approved a horse slaughter plant in Sigourney, Iowa, and expects to endorse another request later this week. The Humane Society's lawsuit named prospective processing plants in Gallatin and Rockville, Mo.; Woodbury, Tenn.; and Washington, Okla.
Horse slaughterhouses last operated in the U.S. in 2007 before Congress banned the practice by eliminating funding for plant inspections. Federal lawmakers restored those cuts in 2011, but the USDA has been slow in granting permits, citing the need to re-establish an oversight program. In a written statement Tuesday, the agency said it was legally required to approve Responsible Transportation's plant in southeast Iowa.
Congress could still cut funding for horse slaughterhouse inspections, effectively reinstating the ban. Both the House and Senate agriculture committees have endorsed such proposals, and the Obama administration's proposed budget for the next fiscal year also eliminates that funding. Another bill would ban U.S. horse slaughter facilities while prohibiting exports.
While most Americans would blanche at the prospects of eating horse burgers or steaks, the processors plan to serve overseas markets.
The 36-page petition to the U.S. District Court in San Francisco alleges the USDA did not prepare required environmental reviews for Valley Meat Co.'s horse meat plant in southeastern New Mexico or for any of the pending requests. It lawsuit cites negative environmental consequences caused by horse slaughter, including air and water pollution.
The lawsuit alleges that the animals can be fed drugs and medication not fit for human consumption because horses in the U.S. "are not raised in regulated industries conscious of public health and safety concerns, but rather in private homes, on racetracks and as working animals."
The three other groups challenging USDA and its Food Safety Inspection Service are each from California: the Marin Humane Society in Novato; Horses for Life Foundation; and Return to Freedom of Lompoc. The Humane Society and Front Range Equine Rescue had previously announced their intentions to challenge the USDA in court.


text:
"It's important for youth to be involved at the high level" – Tahere Si'isi'ialafia, Samoa
At 24, Tahere Si'isi'ialafia's Baha'i of Samoa is a board member of the Pacific Youth Council and has represented the UN Major Group for Children and Youth at several high-level international meetings, including the 58th Commission on the Status of Women. Passionate about sustainable development and gender equality, she provides a unique perspective, for she is studying for her Masters in Social Work at the University of West Indies in Jamaica, a SIDS country, and is taking part in the Third International SIDS Conference in her native Samoa. She speaks to UN Women about the importance of involving youth in such high-level fora.
Have gender equality concerns been meaningfully addressed in the Pacific? How can youth send these messages at the SIDS Conference?
We really need to know how to approach the issue of gender equality in the Pacific, especially in Samoa. Some people here say that women are already highly valued in the cultural system and within families so there is starting to be a little bit of backlash to the campaign for gender equality. Girls are getting education and employment opportunities in the Pacific, but they also face harassment within school and work environments, as well as other social issues like domestic violence. We need everyone on board. We should not fragment gender equality; we need to approach it holistically. That would help young people work together.
Youth like yourself are being more included in global discussions like this Conference, but are they more involved?
Youth representatives are often included in the preparatory stages of high-level conferences; however, when the outcome documents are released there is often little mention of youth concerns. That is the difference between being included and being involved. What are the signs they are really listening to us? The Pacific Youth Development Framework is one of the first instances where youth are fully engaged in the process; representing what they want in the Pacific. SPC [Secretariat of the Pacific Community] is taking the lead and the Pacific Youth Council is sitting with the development community, being treated as equal consultants in discussions.
Why is it important for youth to be involved in the SIDS Conference?
It's important for youth to be involved at the high level because that's where the power is. But what's more important is that young people taking part at that level make linkages with other young people at the community level. You need to have links to the grass-roots to give advice to organizations wanting to know about issues for youth in the communities. It makes the relationship more productive and useful.
Standing up in front of all these high-level representatives is nerve-wracking but it's easier once you know how important it is. I see myself as doing something good, so I try to be happy about it and enjoy it. This makes me do it again and again, which builds my confidence.
What is your message to Samoan youth about what they can do?
My message to youth is: do something in your community. Having a job and going to school are important but they are different from what you do in your community. You can do both. With such high rates of youth unemployment, a lot of young people are looking for job opportunities, but while waiting for those opportunities it is more productive to be involved in community service.
There is also great potential for national youth councils to run youth development programmes in partnership with the Ministry of Youth.
UN Women has co-sponsored Tahere at the Third International SIDS conference in Apia, Samoa


text:
The latest contributing IHSS member pictures & movie clips of IHSA sporting events, college athletics, and even some Pro events! Enjoy!
About usIllinoisHighSchoolSports.com covers Illinois high school sports in detail, from article links to message boards to schedules and scoreboards. IHSS also awards yearly scholarships to graduating student-athletics. IHSS has awarded over $45,000 since we started the scholarship program.LinksIHSS |


text:
Fueled by explosions in population growth, urbanisation and technological advancement — our world today is defined by accelerating volatility, complexity and hyper-connectivity — forces which make our tangle of social, economic and environmental problems everyone's problems — and increasingly difficult to solve.
Traditional approaches to addressing our problems — centralised decision-making — and rigid hierarchies in which a few command the many — are becoming increasingly obsolete. We can no longer afford to be compliant — or simply follow the rules — or do what we have always done. For humans to thrive together in the modern world, we need people to become self-empowered (to live for our collective wellbeing).[1]
A person who becomes self-empowered in this way uses her inner powers (her innate capacities) again and again to solve problems — to create opportunities — and to empower others. And with the most enlightened organisations now empowering their customers and staff through models of mass participation, decentralisation and do-it-yourself — she is in great demand.
Being and becoming self-empowered
But being self-empowered like this — being a changemaker — is not just about working life. It's about the way you live your life — your attitude — your actions — and the decisions you make from moment to moment. Being self-empowered — changemaking — requires a sophisticated understanding of the world — an understanding that your wellbeing is inextricably entwined with everyone's wellbeing. And it means taking responsibility — taking the lead — and collaborating with others to make life better for yourself and family and friends and community and humanity and the planet.
Being self-empowered is a way of being. It involves being empathic, thoughtful and creative — being curious, resilient and effective. Becoming self-empowered, then, is a process of finding, using and developing a complex array of changemaking powers.[2] Within the limits imposed by our genes, the extent to which we become self-empowered is determined to a very large extent by the experiences we have throughout childhood and adolescence.
Influencing the experience of growing up
But although they are essential to employment and economic development — to social and environmental wellbeing — and to personal and collective wellbeing — nurturing deep changemaking powers is rarely in our minds when we are influencing the experience of young people. Commercial and cultural influences often pull in opposite directions — and despite often good intentions, parenting is typically ill-informed and improvised.
And for most, the experience of school reflects limited conceptions of the human mind, the human being and human potential. It usually reveals a highly individualistic and narrowly economic orientation. And it reinforces compliance and outdated hierarchical power structures.
While many children and adolescents are benefitting hugely from experiences — inside and outside of school — that are explicitly intended to help them become self-empowered, it is a very small minority who benefit. And for those who do, their experiences are usually isolated and sporadic.
Building new learning ecosystems
If we want the new world to become our better world, then we need to give every young person access to coherent experiences — in and out of school. Experiences that are woven and scaffolded throughout their childhood and adolescence — and in which adults and young people are consciously helping each other become self-empowered.
In other words, we need to build new learning ecosystems — involving young people, parents, teachers, out-of-school educators, educational leaders, policy-makers, media people and cultural influencers working together. To support these learning ecosystems, we need self-empowering curricula, assessments and evaluations — new university admissions and employer hiring practices — mechanisms for stimulating innovation, applying research and sharing good practice — and the intelligent application of technology and money.
Empowering teachers and educators
Teachers and other out-of-school educators are instrumental to building these new learning ecosystems insofar as they can:
- help young people become self-empowered by way of their direct and immediate influence over the experience of young people
- influence the culture of their schools and organisations to self-empower young people and colleagues
- lead systems change beyond their schools and organisations — by influencing other educators, education leaders and parents.
But teachers and educators must be trained and supported if they are to take on — and succeed in — these demanding roles. They must be self-empowered to self-empower others — an idea that is in direct opposition to what many regard as a systematic dis-empowerment of teachers sweeping the world — and a major challenge where teacher shortages are chronic. Against this backdrop, we believe we need to:
- improve the status of teachers and teaching
- give teachers ownership of their own professional standards
- enable teachers to lead pedagogical innovation, spread good practice and collaborate
- reinvent initial teacher training and professional development
- equip teachers and educators to lead systems change
To make these changes, we need pioneering teachers and educators to come together as change leaders — to form collaborative teams — and to execute strategically-focused projects. And to lay the foundations upon which these strategic projects can have massive impact, we need to build a global community of education professionals who are fully committed to self-empowering educators — for self-empowering young people.
[1] Self-empowerment is used here as an umbrella term for a number of closely-related ideas including self-agency, self-determination, self-efficacy, self-authorship, and so on.
[2] Changemaking powers is used as an umbrella term to denote the things that are often called skills, competencies, capabilities, capacities, dispositions, strengths, qualities, etc.


text:
No longer too small
Better physics through improved infrastructure at Small Hall
Small Hall is no longer too small.
"We were just bursting at the seams in terms of space," said David Armstrong, Chancellor Professor of Physics and department chair. "We had faculty sharing lab space. We had difficulty finding lab space for new faculty members. We had a premium on office space."
A state-funded expansion and renovation project has solved the space problem, adding 21,000 square feet to the home of William & Mary's Department of Physics. The auxiliary classroom trailers between Small and Jones Hall, dubbed "Smaller Hall," are no more, replaced by a new 17,320 square-foot laboratory wing. A soaring 2,550 square-foot high bay laboratory addition gives the department a much-needed large workspace for assembling and testing large-scale devices.
Armstrong said the high bay facility will make it easier for William & Mary physicists to participate in the large-scale, ongoing experimental particle and nuclear physics investigations at accelerator facilities such as the Jefferson Lab, Fermilab and Brookhaven National Lab.
He explained that university groups contribute to the research at the big accelerator labs by designing assembling and testing components.
"These experiments require physically large detectors," Armstrong explained. "We just could not do that with some of these larger things when constrained by size of the typical door of the typical lab into the corridor.
The high bay facility is designed for work on large detectors. The big room is equipped with a crane and has huge garage-door-like openings right off to the loading dock.
The high bay lab is shared space, not dedicated to a single working group in physics. It came on line early in the renovation/expansion process. It has already been used for two projects in the year that it's been in use, Armstrong noted.
More research and teaching labs
Almost all the research labs are concentrated in the new wing, which opened up space for teaching labs in the existing portion of the building, alleviating headaches that resulted from teaching labs being shared by more than one course.
"It's not just a scheduling problem—it's the swapping in and out of equipment," Armstrong said. "If you have an astronomy lab sharing space with a practical physics lab, you're going to have to move pieces of equipment in and out, sometimes several times a week. That's time consuming—and not so good for the equipment. We were able to expand the number of teaching labs to prevent that. Each course that has a teaching lab now has its own lab space."
Armstrong points out that Small Hall isn't just for physics and physicists. Some researchers from the Department of Applied Science also have labs in Small Hall. Many undergraduates use the physics building, too. William & Mary's Board of Visitors toured the better and bigger Small Hall in September. Armstrong told them that odds are good that any William & Mary undergraduate student will take a course in one of Small's two lecture halls, just off the building's lobby.
"This semester there will be 1,800 students who will take a class in one of the two lecture halls in Small Hall," Armstrong told the board. "We'll have classes here from kinesiology, chemistry, classics, math, biology, government, art history, religion and of course, physics."
Not just bigger, but more modern
Small Hall is no longer too antiquated.
The original building was constructed in 1963 to accommodate "Sputnik-era science," Armstrong said. All science has advanced since JFK was in the White House, and the old Small Hall couldn't provide the infrastructure required by modern computers and lab instruments. Even the heating and cooling system was a problem.
"When Small Hall was constructed, the scientists didn't care much about the temperature control," Armstrong explained. "Now, especially with laser optics and precision measurements, the tiniest change in the spacing between two lenses when the room temperature changes by a few degrees Fahrenheit becomes a limiting factor in some experiments."
The problem was compounded by modern physics' heavy use of electricity to power devices ranging from high-powered lasers to massive computer clusters. "When you deliver electrical power into a lab, most of it ends up being turned into heat, so you have to remove the heat," Armstrong said. "The older building was incapable of housing many experiments because they would make the room so hot that the electronics would quite literally fry."
Armstrong noted that Small Hall's antique infrastructure prompted William & Mary physicist Henry Krakauer to locate his computer-driven Center for Piezoelectrics by Design at the Applied Research Center in Newport News.
"Now, we were able to design into the building as a whole—particularly in certain spaces in the expansion—specially cooled labs where we have high-performance computer clusters housed," Armstrong said.
Researchers studying theoretical nuclear physics and experimental particle physics are heavy users of high-performance computers and Armstrong says the machines can operate safely, protected by Small's new dedicated HVAC systems that provide stable temperature controls.
Designed for science, by scientists
Small Hall is no longer too inconvenient.
Science has become increasingly collaborative and Armstrong says most of the research in the physics department is done by teams of various sizes. "A team might be a faculty member and two students. It might be three faculty members, two post-docs, six graduate students and four undergraduates," Armstrong said. "They need to meet quite often to discuss, to look at their results, plan what they're going to do next and exchange ideas and data."
Meeting was a challenge in the old Small Hall, which only had one perpetually-booked meeting room. The groups often scrounged time in classrooms and hallways—"and it's a silly use of space to take a 40-person classroom and have a six-person meeting in it"—but the renovation/expansion incorporated a set of meeting rooms of various sizes.
Armstrong said the lab configuration of the new wing is more versatile. Attention to design and routing of utilities resulted in a more modular arrangement to the lab spaces. Power, HVAC, compressed air and other utilities were routed down exterior walls or from the ceiling. Now, as the needs of William & Mary's physicists evolve, it will be easy to adapt the lab space for them.
"At some time we'll need to make a particular lab bigger," Armstrong said. "At other times we may need to partition off part of a larger lab. Because we've run the utilities along the exterior walls, this will be relatively simple."
The lab wing was designed to minimize vibration. Armstrong says the most in-demand real estate in a lab building is on the ground floor or basement, out of concern for the effects of vibration on the experiments. "But by making the new wing as vibration-free as we did, we can use the first and second floor, because they're essentially free of vibration."
He noted that the department's extremely vibration-sensitive SQUID—superconducting quantum interference device—was installed successfully on an upper floor.
Armstrong credit's the success of the project to a successful collaboration of William & Mary people, architects Burt Hill Inc. and contractor WM Jordan. "Wayne Boy's office was wonderful," he said, referring to the College's director of planning, design and construction. Armstrong also noted the contributions of Mark Brabham, the project manager: "Mark was the perfect interface between we physicists, the architects, and the contractors," he said.
He also said the physics faculty were involved in the planning, noting that he spent a lot of time working with former Chair Keith Griffioen, Professor Todd Averett and others on the Small Hall planning. "It was grueling at times," he said.
And…it didn't break the budget
And, finally, Small Hall is on—or under—budget.
The latest figures show the renovation/expansion to be well under the $28 million budget. There is some work to be done yet, Armstrong says. The lobby will be renovated and the observatory will get an upgrade, with a new dome and new telescope and controls. He expects the whole project, down to the final touches, to be finished by mid-October.


text:
Cutting back on research is a deadly mistake.
You can't sequester cancer. You can only hurt the research to treat and prevent the diseases, and stop the treatments themselves.
That is the message of 18,000 scientists gathered for the American Association for Cancer Research's annual convention this week in Washington. A rally for medical research with those thousands of scientists — usually wonky researchers poring over their microscopes — was held on the grounds of the Carnegie Library across from the Washington Convention Center. In rhythm to drumbeats, the scientists became political advocates as they chanted after each speaker, "More progress! More hope! More life!"
Cancer is neither Democratic nor Republican. About 1.6 million people a year get cancer diagnoses, according to the National Institutes of Health. About 40,000 women each year die from breast cancer alone. The cancer mortality rate — the number of people who die from the disease — has been reduced by one-third over the past three decades, largely because of the research that has produced drugs, treatments, prevention strategies and knowledge about better diet and living habits. Still, one-half of men and one-third of women will contract cancer sometime in their lives. They then become subject to "the vortex of disbelief and fear," as one speaker explained.
When we sequester the research — stop it dead in its tracks so no additional scientific advances can be made — we are cutting off our nose to spite our face.
The United States has been the leader in cancer research. A full quarter of the 18,000 scientists at the convention came from 75 countries. That is because of our current leadership. China is not sequestering. The country already is taking enough of our trade, science and technology. Do we want our health research leadership to transfer to China — or to any other foreign country?
The scientists meeting in Washington are saying that the cuts through sequestration are devastating. Speaker after speaker pointed out that the National Institutes of Health has lost 20 percent in real dollars after inflation during the past decade and that grant support is at its lowest ever. "While we retreat, other countries copy our successful past model to help their economies," said Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, the ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee.
Scientists and staff from the American Association for Cancer Research told us that the reason for the failure to end sequestration is that Washington is insulated. In addition, the public outcry has been nowhere strong enough to have an impact. On a positive note, the push to end the sequestration against cancer treatment and research is bipartisan.
Former Rep. John Porter, an Illinois Republican who served 21 years in Congress and now is chairman of Research America, agreed: "We played nice," he told the crowd. "So it's time to get mad, to get militantly moderate." Dr. Margaret Foti, CEO of the American Association for Cancer Research, said the group decided that "it's time to put an unprecedented spotlight on ending the set of diseases called cancer at the earliest time."
The rally was not limited to cancer. Some of the speakers were people living with HIV, diabetes, heart disease and stroke. One is an Alzheimer's caregiver. They are all survivors, they said, because of medical research.
Sequestration is stopping children from preschool, blocking our roads and bridges from repairs, and cutting nutrition programs. Perhaps the clearest indications of the stupidity of Washington's gridlock and ineptness are reports of Medicare cancer clinics having to turn away a third of their patients from chemotherapy — sentencing them to death.Rally moderator Cokie Roberts, herself a cancer survivor, said, "There could not be a stupider time to cut back on medical research. On the cusp of breakthroughs, it's time to push forward, not back."Democrats are convinced that defense spending can't be cut and Republicans are sure that social programs can't be reined in without the bludgeon of sequestration. OK, the bludgeoning has happened. Cuts on both sides can take place rationally. President Obama, rightly or wrongly much to the chagrin of most Democrats, has acquiesced to reducing Social Security's cost-of-living increases. Republicans have surprisingly agreed on hundreds of millions of dollars in defense cuts. Now, hopefully, members of Congress can all just get along.
Cancer affects all, and so does the hampering of research. It's time for Congress to end the sequestration.
It takes longer to read this sentence than it does to support our work.
We have just hours left to raise the $19,000 needed to meet Truthout's basic publishing costs this month. Will you take a few seconds to donate and give us a much-needed boost?
We know you are deeply committed to the issues that matter, and you count on us to bring you trustworthy reporting and comprehensive analysis on the real issues facing our country and the world. And as a nonprofit newsroom supported by reader donations, we're counting on you too. If you believe in the importance of an independent, free media, please make a tax-deductible donation today!


text:
Cropper Testifies At Hearing
OCEAN CITY — Reese Cropper III, CIRMS testified at the Maryland Insurance Administration's (MIA) quasi-legislative hearing this month on the availability and affordability of property and casualty insurance in the coastal market.
The Maryland Insurance Commission called the hearing due to some insurance carriers who no longer want to insure in coastal areas or want to place a moratorium on insuring additional coastal properties. Senator Jim Mathias also testified at the MIA hearing.
Cropper answered questions from Commissioner Therese Goldsmith and deputy commissioners from the MIA on the admitted and non-admitted markets. It is the insurance industry's position that Maryland's coastal market requires no legislative or regulatory action at this time.
Cropper is owner of Insurance Management Group, Inc., an agency that primarily insures coastal condominiums and homes located in Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.
Attorneys Honored
OCEAN CITY — The Ocean City-based law firm of Ayres, Jenkins, Gordy & Almand, P.A., has announce that three of its members — M. Dean Jenkins, James W. Almand, and Bruce F. Bright — have been selected for inclusion in the 2012 edition of Maryland Super Lawyers@. Super Lawyers.
The Thomson Reuters publication selects attorneys using a rigorous, multiphase process that includes peer nominations, evaluations, and independent research. Each nominated candidate is evaluated on 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement. Selections are made on an annual, state-bystate basis. No more than 5% of all lawyers in each state are selected for inclusion.
Jenkins, Almand, and Bright are three of only 12 lawyers based on the Lower Shore ever selected for inclusion in the Maryland Super Lawyers list.
Certification Earned
BERLIN – Daniel Pascucci, DO, a physician at Atlantic Orthopaedics, recently achieved board certification in sports medicine from the American Osteopathic Association.
Pascucci joined Atlantic General Hospital's medical staff in September of 2010 and currently serves as the team physician for Stephen Decatur High School.
He graduated from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed his residency at Bryn Mawr Family Practice in Broomall, Pa. Pascucci also completed a Sports Medicine Fellowship at Pinnacle Health in Harrisburg, Pa.
New Board Members Named
SAILSBURY — Peninsula Regional Medical Center and the Peninsula Regional Health System recently welcomed two new members to its Board of Trustees and Board of Directors
Deborah Abbott has a career in banking that spans 30 years. She is currently a Senior Vice President and Business Development Manager for The Bank of Delmarva. She holds a BA in Communication Arts from Salisbury University and is a graduate of the University of Maryland's Banking and Advanced Banking Schools, National Commercial Lending School of American Bankers Association at Indiana University and the Advanced Commercial Lending School at East Carolina University.
She is currently the Treasurer of the Board at Coastal Hospice in Salisbury, a member of the Southern Delmarva Advisory Board of Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake, a board member of HALO and a board member of the Salisbury University Foundation. She is a former board member of the Peninsula Regional Medical Center Foundation's Board of Directors.
Coates is a member of Coates, Coates & Coates, P.A. and has practiced law in the Berlin and Ocean City area for over 25 years. He is a graduate of The Mercersburg Academy, Washington and Lee University and the University of Baltimore Law School. Coates is also a member of the Worcester County and Maryland State Bar Associations. He is a past chairman of the board at Atlantic General Hospital.
Both new members will serve three year terms and they replace Jeff Turner and Brian Shockley.
Architect Recognized
BERLIN – David D. Quillin Architecture recently won both a "Citation for Architectural Excellence" and a "People's Choice Merit Award" in the AIA/Chesapeake Bay Chapter design awards competition, held in Annapolis. The awards were for a sustainably designed home in Lewes, Del., which utilized numerous green strategies.
The residence, which was designed to maximize passive solar benefits, was constructed primarily of Structural Insulated Panels with a recycled wheat chaff core. It has three separate areas of vegetated roofing, photovoltaic panels, solar-thermal panels, a geothermal heat pump, and collects its rainwater in large cisterns to be used for landscaping.


text:
G'day friends! That greeting rolls a little easier off the tongue today since I have a wonderful friend visiting from Australia. I think it's so fascinating to read how different people in different countries celebrate Christmas around the globe, so earlier this year I asked my friend Sarah of A Beach Cottage to share how she celebrates the season with her family, Aussie style.
Sarah's story is fantastic, she was born and raised in England, but now spends her days with her husband and three children on the sunny beaches of Sydney, Australia. I've followed her blog for two years now and secretly wish we could trade lives for a few weeks! I adore her cheerful approach to life and ideas for living simply and we share a love of old furniture and an affection for white paint.
Sarah's table is a great example of how it just takes a bit of sparkle and a dash of color to create an effortless table for your holiday home. Please welcome Sarah from Sydney and enjoy the tour of her beach cottage tablescape and Christmas traditions!
"I love styling for the holidays . . . it sure is one of my favourite times of the year, I get to play around with one of my fave hobbies, decorating and making things look pretty but all wrapped up in sparkly bits too. . . bliss!
Since our sea change to Australia from London, Christmas and celebrating nowadays for our little family, means lovely long warm summer days and Christmas Day starts off on the beach.
On Christmas morning we open a few presents and then head off to the local Surf Life Saving Club to meet up with friends and locals. Here an ocean swim takes place (with Santa hats), and we mingle on the beach with nibbles and a bit of a champagne breakfast. If we're lucky the old guy with the white beard himself makes and appearance for the kiddos on the back of a boat. Mid-morning we head home to a Christmas lunch that is served on the deck.
We love a traditional meal and that for us is turkey and stuffing with all the trimmings . . . the rest of the day we hang out outside, chat with neighbours and later on in the evening we take a walk down by the sea and go to look at all the lights.
Decorating for me is a mix of the old traditional feel and a whole lot of white mixed with silvers and golds plus a pop of red here and there for a lovely Aussie take on the holidays.
I love to mix in with this white silver and gold theme the hints of the sea and I love to use the things I find on my hunt for vintage things as part of my decorating.
Here I used some old bottles painted white (simple to do, just collect soft drink/soda bottles and paint them by either using a can of spray paint or using a paintbrush. You will need to use oil based paint to ensure it stays put) and tied them with polka dot red ribbons then used them for a very simple Christmas tablescape out on the deck.
The bottles and baubles are laid through the centre, chairs tied with white Christmas wire-edged ribbon and finished with a starfish.
Elsewhere around the house we fill our old fig tree out the back with lights and on the front of the cottage we string white fairy lights, hang baubles from the trees, decorate the picket fence and love everything that is twinkling.
On the front door and on the back deck I love to hang driftwood wreaths and and prop stars made from whitewashed driftwood all around the place ~ these say Christmas to us . . . Down Under. "
So fascinating to read how others celebrate Christmas around the globe, don't you think? Thank you Sarah for sharing your beautiful table and traditions, you can visit with Sarah anytime at her lovely blog A Beach Cottage !
A reminder that tomorrow is Wednesday November 30th and that is the BIG day for the holiday tablescape contest sponsored by Home Goods. It will be live at 9 a.m. EST, so get ready to link up your fall or winter holiday tablescapes for a chance to win a $100 Grand Prize gift card from Home Goods. There will be also be three runners up who receive $50 Home Goods gift cards, and you can enter via email.
You'll find all the contest details here.
See you then!


text:
NASHVILLE - Sen. Andy Berke is calling on lawmakers to conduct a "thorough review" of a for-profit virtual school operating in a Northeast Tennessee school district, citing state student testing results he charges show "dismal" results.
Berke, D-Chattanooga, is a frequent critic of K12 Inc.'s Tennessee Virtual Academy, which in the 2011-12 school year opened its online school under contract with the Union County Public Schools system.
According to best estimates from K12, about 1,800 K-8 students from across the state signed up last school year to sit at their home computers and take courses online with support from K12 teachers. The company operates in states across the country.
In a letter Wednesday to Senate Education Committee Chairman Delores Gresham, Berke says state Education Department testing data for the 2011-12 school year show Tennessee Virtual Academy students "performed in the bottom 11 percent of schools statewide.
"As the [school] is advertising on television - and the state anticipates shifting millions of additional tax dollars to [the school] this school year - it is important that we examine K12 Inc.'s performance," wrote Berke, whose efforts to require an audit of K12's Tennessee school went nowhere in the Republican-controlled General Assembly last session.
Tax money and achievement
Berke said in an interview Thursday that "if we're going to use taxpayer dollars ... we should ask for real achievement. K12 doesn't give it to us."
Gresham, R-Somerville, was the primary Senate sponsor of the 2011 law authorizing local school systems to contract with for-profit online schools. She did not respond Thursday to a reporter's request to comment on Berke's criticisms.
Tennessee Virtual Academy's head, Josh Williams, said in an email that 2011-12 was the school's first year of operation, suggesting it was unfair to judge results solely on that basis.
"All students were in their first year and most transferred from another district in the state," he said. "The modality for learning and the school itself were new to every student."
In his letter, Berke cites information he received from state Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman on the Tennessee Virtual Academy's performance.
Huffman provided Berke with the school's results from the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program achievement tests as well as the Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System.
TVAAS measures growth or gains in student learning by a school system, individual school and by teacher. Both TCAP and TVAAS are key measures in how the state judges public schools' performance.
Virtual Academy students' results on TCAP scores "raise deep concerns over [K12] operations in Tennessee," Berke said, citing a "dismal" 16.4 percent of the school's students scored as proficient or advanced on TCAP's math section.
In reading, the school did better with 39.3 percent of students rated as proficient or advanced.
But Berke said his primary concern are the TVASS measurements of students gains at the online school.
The Tennessee Virtual Academy scored the lowest score -- a 1 -- on the state's five-point assessment, he said, a figure confirmed in a copy of Huffman's letter to the senator.
A 1 rating characterizes a school as "significantly below expectations," Berke said.
"Only 11 percent of our schools scored in the lowest category," the lawmaker said and charged the Tennessee Virtual Academy "dramatically declined students' growth compared to the state" in its first year of operations.
School responds
Tennessee Virtual Academy's head, Williams, said the school views last year's state proficiency results "as baseline scores for first year students, and not an indicator of long term performance for our school."
Williams also noted that K12 uses the private Scantron Performance Series to "measure student academic gains during the school year" from fall through spring.
"The 2011-12 results showed that TNVA students met or exceeded those of the Scantron national norm group in all grade levels and subjects tested," Williams said.
Moreover, Williams added, "our teachers and staff have implemented many new academic initiatives that we believe will serve the unique and individual academic needs of students, and improve outcomes for the 2012-13 school year."
Huffman spokeswoman Kelli Gauthier did not provide answers to a series of questions posed by the Times Free Press by the newspaper's deadline.


text:
An Interfaith Perspective on Globalisation for the Common Good:
The Sixth Annual International Conference
"A Non-Violent Path to Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding"
Istanbul 2007 • Fatih University
Download the
Sixth Annual Conference - Istanbul Declaration
in Adobe .pdf format
"All roads lead to Istanbul." Meeting place of two continents and capital of two empires [the Byzantine and the Ottoman], Istanbul has been a crossroads of cultures for nearly 1800 years. The city offers a powerful metaphor for understanding and reconciliation between East and West. We gather here on the beautiful campus of Fatih University, grateful for their warm hospitality and support. We come together from many countries, six faiths, and countless areas of expertise to continue our exploration of pathways to Globalisation for the Common Good. In Turkey we experience the vital bio-diversity of the Earth and the rich cultural diversity of humankind. Our time here has been richly inspiring and profoundly motivating. It has yielded a very fruitful dialogue.
In this sixth international conference we affirm our shared commitment to non-violent conflict resolution and the building of cultures of peace around the world. The urgency of the challenge is particularly apparent in a region of the world that is so tragically afflicted by violence. The time has come for concrete new democratic and non-violent strategies that reflect global, regional, and local cultural and spiritual realities.
We recognize the deep-seated human desire for harmony in diversity, the source of our strength. We strongly acknowledge the interdependence of peace with justice and ecological sustainability. We recognize the urgent need for dialogue not only among the religions but also between religion and the sciences and between the religious and secular spheres. The strong engagement of these dimensions of human endeavor is vital if we are to address the critical issues that arise in the wake of globalisation.
We believe that education is the key that unlocks the door to globalisation for the common good. We call in particular for approaches to education that nurture interreligious and intercultural understanding, awareness of interdependence, moral values, and global citizenship. These essential elements shape personal decisions of social consequence, concern for the well being of others, and respect for other human beings and for the whole of the planetary community.
The movement from the myth of redemptive violence to the new story of restorative justice has informed our inquiry and inspired our deliberations. We urge the recognition of the spiritual dimension of the global dilemma in the early 21st century and of the spiritual component that must be present in the solutions we attempt.
We believe that enduring change emerges through the cooperative activity of men and women. Visionary activists must therefore work towards the evolutionary social transformation of fundamental values, especially those bearing on the empowerment of women.
We strongly acknowledge the vital importance of the following critical challenges for the 21st century. Each is a source of violence. But as we address each urgent issue, we open up a wellspring of peace. The path to that end leads through respectful encounter with the other, open dialogue, and cooperative common action to address the problems that face us all in the 21st century.
- Global poverty, hunger, disease, and unmet human life needs
- International militarization and obscene levels of military spending
- Unsustainable economic, political, cultural, and ecological structures of power
- Social and economic injustice and the systematic violation of universal human rights
- Worldwide gender inequity in the social, economic, political, legal, and religious spheres
- Coercive violence against women and children, including the horror of children forced into combat
- Rampant ecological degradation and disregard for the sacredness of all life
- Intercultural and interreligious ignorance, mistrust, fear, and hatred
We must strengthen the influence of the majority of humans that wish to live in peace. We strongly endorse efforts to combine our collective intelligence to build globalization from the bottom-up: creating a global consensus of commitment to the common good. In this way, we declare our global sovereignty and claim our global citizenship for the first time.
We urge the development of consensus for a common global action plan, beginning with a multi-stakeholder consultation process, and culminating in a common vision for ending poverty, reversing climate change, financing sustainable development and creating structural reforms in global trade, finance, and energy policy.
As committed participants in the Globalisation for the Common Good Initiative [GCGI] we commit our individual and group support to the following:
- To create a network of organizations whose aims resonate with those of GCGI. This Internet-based network will facilitate the sharing of ideas, information, and courses of constructive action.
- To develop and maintain – on the GCGI web site and in the Journal of Globalization for the Common Good – a dynamic list of "what's working": initiatives, projects, and civil society organizations that are making a significant contribution to the common good.
- To explore ways to encourage young persons from around the world to become actively engaged with Globalisation for the Common Good. This will include participation in future conferences, international exchange programs, interreligious and intercultural study and dialogue, and other initiatives.
Globalization for the Common Good has come a long way over the past six years. Six successful conferences and an increasingly influential journal and web site mark our progress. We have cultivated a diverse group of scholars, leaders of civil society, religious and spiritual leaders, and global activists for intense explorations of a value-centered vision of globalisation and the common good. We invite all others who share our vision to join us on the path to a better global future.
Globalisation for the Common Good, at Fatih University, Istanbul
8 July 2007


text: Echelon Diamond Collection Stand Alone Grill with a 36" x 22" Cooking Space a Double Side Burner and a Fold-Down Shelf from the Echelon CollectionThe E790S is a stand alone grill that radiates luxury with a high performance contoured control panel and offers the perfect fit for your backyard. Featuring a 792 square inch cooking surface and a spacious firebox, this innovative Fire Magic grill boasts of beauty, performance, and a high BTU per inch to insure you get the most versatile and complete convention cooking. Introducing the newest innovation of grilling in the Fire Magic collection, the Echelon Diamond grills are powered by the exclusive cast stainless steel "E" burners guaranteed for life. Like a luxury motorcar, the contoured face of the Echelon Diamond series, with rounded edges and mirror highlights, hints at the high performance and exquisite craftsmanship under the hood. Available as built in or stand alone models, the Echelon Diamond grills boast with having the most BTUs and heat per square inch for even heat distribution.Features:Master power switch turns off electrical system when not in useBuilt-in storage brackets for rotisserie spit rod Roller ball-bearings support rotisserie spit rod with super high-torque motor and (2) 4 skewer meat holders with heavy counter-balance Constructed of 16 gauge stainless steel, flavor grids are engineered for durability and even heat distributionHeat zone separators isolate cooking zones so food in each zone may be grilled at different temperatures Feather-Lite, easy-lift oven hood with spring assist Integral oven warming rack for light cooking or warming foods Customized stainless steel name plaque to personalize your grill Backlit safety knobs Specifications:Halogen lamps for ease of evening grilling.


text:
I am writing to you to fill in the silence of the sheep. The sheep I refer to here are the mass media, printed or electronic, and local elected officials—always with the exception of Congressman John Conyers and of course The Michigan Citizen. Both weary warriors speak truth to power no matter what the price.
Tomorrow, the elected Detroit Public Schools board members head to court to answer the charges levied against us by the State Attorney General. We are being sued for being elected in a State-certified election. We were all sworn in and have served our districts since the election. I was appointed to fill a vacancy and then elected to my seat in November 2011. Although we are under a State-appointed Emergency Manager, and although the Emergency Manager Law has been repealed by the voters of the state of Michigan since November 2012, we remain under this illegitimate authority and our legitimate right to our elected seats is being challenged by the State Attorney General at the behest of the governor.
This means that those in power are abusing their power to remove us from office, while using their power to maintain illegitimate control of what is left of Detroit Public Schools. The schools have been under State control for 8 of the past 10 years, but after looting the coffers and failing our students the same State sees fit to privatize our schools into a separate and unequal district called the Educational Achievement Authority, also known as the "failing district." It is a State wide district with only Detroit in it.
The voters of Detroit passed a bond to repair and build much-needed schools. Then comes the new phantom "authority" which seized the new buildings and privatized them, forced Detroit students into them by closing other neighboring schools and removed them from the public school system, making them accountable to no one save for those who profit from them. Naturally, Mike Duggan, the mayoral hopeful can be found in this treasure trough. The same Emergency Manager, Roy Roberts, is in charge of the Educational Achievement Authority, which creates a powerful profit motive for failing public school students. The EAA district is a clear violation of Brown V Kansas, but no one is making such a claim. There is too much profit to be made on such misery.
Meanwhile, the elected school board, under the creative and courageous leadership of Lamar Lemmons, continues to stand up to the re-segregation, privatization and looting of the Detroit Public Schools. We have continued to meet faithfully, despite the fact that we do not get paid, withstand constant pettiness and bullying from the little Emergency Manager. We are being sued for continuing to serve. What is the reason for the lawsuit? Why are we the only elected officials facing removal through this clear abuse of power by the governor?
We are being removed because we stand in the way of the warehousing and imprisonment of Detroit's poorest and most vulnerable children.
Because we say NO to separate and unequal education (EAA).
Because we say NO to arbitrary teacher evaluations that displace experienced African-American teachers who pay taxes and vote and teach Detroit children and replace them with white Teach for America "teachers".
Because we say NO to 48 students in 5th grade classrooms while the governor/EM bring the good news of budget surplus in Michigan;
Because we say NO to closing the DETROIT DAY SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF, leaving hundreds of students to fend for themselves in Detroit schools with no instruction and no support ( aka inclusion);
Because we say NO to the Emergency Manager's despotic control after being voted out by the people.
Because we say NO to the Emergency Manager's attempts to LOOT the DETROIT LIBRARY by putting his cronies on the Commission;
I am writing this to you to ask you to come to the Coleman A Young (City County Building) tomorrow at 9:45 in Judge Gillis' courtroom. If you read the mainstream papers or watch the news, you will never know the truth of why we are being sued with our tax dollars.
We will not step down if the judge removes us; we will not give up our responsibility to self-determination for Detroit. We will not stand idly by while our students are being shoved into a failing district. If they tell us we can't meet in the schools, we will be outside. We will bring our fire barrels, our tent and our sound system. We will serve the people.
It is a great honor to serve on this Detroit School board with Tawanna Simpson, Herman Davis, Ida Short, Wanda Redmond, Rev David Murray, Annie Carter, Carol Banks, Judy Summers. Most importantly, though, there are no words to describe the dedication and determination of our President, Lamar Lemmons, without whom we would have been removed and silenced long ago.
It takes longer to read this sentence than it does to support our work.
We have 1 day left to raise the $21,000 needed to meet Truthout's basic publishing costs this month. Will you take a few seconds to donate and give us a much-needed boost?
We know you are deeply committed to the issues that matter, and you count on us to bring you trustworthy reporting and comprehensive analysis on the real issues facing our country and the world. And as a nonprofit newsroom supported by reader donations, we're counting on you too. If you believe in the importance of an independent, free media, please make a tax-deductible donation today!


text:
Cutting-edge training. Product certifications. Expert insight.
Learn from our product and cybersecurity experts.
Deepen your knowledge. Build your skills.
Keep up with the latest product developments
With Trend Micro product certifications, you have the skills to deploy and manage our leading security solutions.
Training that suits your needs
On-demand or in a classroom – whatever your interest – we have the right courses for you.
Learn how to protect against the latest attacks
By sharpening your skills, you are in a position to better detect and respond to the latest attacks.
Explore on-demand training
Self-paced, online training covers a broad range of cybersecurity and Trend Micro-relevant topics
Get product certified
Classroom-based product certification for Trend Micro Deep Security, Deep Discovery, TippingPoint, and Apex One.
Ready to get started?
Accessing education is easy:
Login to the Partner Portal first, then click on "Education" from the menu bar