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vanilla extract brewing in my basement, and I'm planning some very fun gift-related posts for you in the coming weeks.
All my gift-related posts are going to be a part of a four-week series by the Modern Alternative Mama Team, of which I am a part! Starting next Friday, a different blog will host Homemade Holiday each week for four weeks. I'll be hosting one of the weeks and I'm SO excited! The host will also link to related posts on other MAM team sites. So you're going to get a ton of awesome gift ideas!
So, do you need some no-brainer gift ideas?
I know I do. I've been trying to make almost all the gifts we give for Christmas for the last several years. Some years, this has been rather stressful, as I try to make something really special for each person. It has become more stressful with two kids in the mix. So this year, I'm trying to go even simpler. Baked goods will definitely be a large part of the gifts we give this year!
Why give baked goods?
- Baked goods don't fill people's homes with more stuff.
- If you already bake, it's just a matter of baking a little more and giving it away. Easy!
- If you have kids, baking is a great way to involve them in the gift-making process.
- People love to eat!
So here are five [nourishing] baked goods you can give away as gifts.
Five Baked Goods to Give as Gifts
#2. Have some rhubarb in the freezer? Remind your friends and family that spring will come again with a pan of this delightful Rhubarb Coffeecake.
#3. Who doesn't love a loaf of homemade bread? This Soaked Honey Oatmeal Bread is a nice reprieve from sugar-laden treats. This would make a great gift for a teacher or the host of a holiday party.
#4. Last year I gave away pint-sized jars of my Perfect Soaked Granola to extended family members. I make this granola all the time so it was a breeze to make a big batch and jar it up. And they were so cute!
Do you give away baked goods as gifts during the holiday season? What are your favorites?This is part of Farm Girl Friday, Foodie Friday, Freaky Friday, Fresh Bites Friday, Fill Those Jars Friday, Natural Living Monday, Monday Mania, Make Your Own Monday, Traditional Tuesday, Hearth and Soul, Fat Tuesday, Tiny Tip Tuesday
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Hot Topics
Monday, August 10, 2015
Grocery Shopping With ADHD
I have a problem when I go to the store.With ADHD I get kind of overwhelmed by all there is to see. I end up feeling like my attention is being pulled a million different ways and I spend way more money than I was planning on spending. Can you relate? This is why I started doing my grocery shopping online. I don't waste food or worry about forgetting to use it fast enough. I have less stress going shopping, and I save money! When you are interested in starting grocery shopping online for healthy, nutritious, and delicious food please visit laurastoker.thrivelife.com !
Posted by Life Done Simple at 9:07 PM
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Life Done Simple
- Our ADHD Story is a place where people can share their stories, thoughts, and feelings about ADHD. Get past the generic list of symptoms and see how it is affecting people in real life through personal stories. We are not here to inform you, we are here to engage you.
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JGPayge necessitava di un nuovo design di logo e ha lanciato un contest su 99designs.
È stato scelto un vincitore tra 57 design presentati da 21 designer.
I would like a logo that is eye catching and modern that conveys movement, nurturing, peace, care and health. I would use this logo on promotional material. Landscape layout would work best for me.
Connect Studio
I am relaunching my business after a long time away due to personal stuff and I would like to come back renewed with a crisp modern image. I teach Pilates and Gyrotonic and I can also provide meditation techniques, healing and just good old nurturing. In my past incarnation I attracted lots of injured folk but with this relaunch I want to attract folk who are looking for a peaceful place to move and feel better but who are not necessarily in a lot of pain., people who don't like gyms. Big ask I know.
- Connect Studio
- Tagline: Pilates and Gyrotonic
- Modern crisp
- But home spun as well
- Corporate image
Maggiori informazioni su come funziona un contest di design o sui nostri servizi di design di logo.


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Literate Planet Literate Planet
Here's a sample of our volunteer opportunities:VIEW AS
Mission Statement
Our mission is to give teachers and community members the tools so that people in impoverished communities can develop a love of reading. We collect books and educational materials in the Bay Area and send them to developing nations using the US Navy's Project Handclasp.
Literate Planet is a resource and free service that trades donated books and educational supplies from the United States for letters and hand drawn pictures from students in developing nations. These letters and pictures go back to the donors and students in the United States that helped find and move the books. We are not a charity: students around the world need books and students and donors in the US want to take part in something greater than themselves.
This information
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Do you work for this organization?
Request administrator status and update its information!


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This great site contains about Good Call: Reflections on Faith, Family, and Fowl 6 thousand ebooks from hundreds of authors. The assortment of these publications have been in the following different types: fictions/novels, short stories, poems, essays, plays, nonfictions. Many of such books are classic works of Us Literature, English Literature, and Irish Books from well-known authors for example William Shakespeare, Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, Oscar Wilde, Robert Ice, Edgar Allan Poe, Alexander Pope, Arthur Conan Doyle, Anne Austen. and more authors' works are going to be added to the net collection. Throughout these special websites, you will find Good Call: Reflections on Faith, Family, and Fowl many prize winning publications available for your online studying. Appreciate and please tell a buddy, thanks.
Description : The closer we look at the Robertson family, the more we discover the substance and authenticity below the surface of these well-known TV characters. In this enlightening book, Jase Robertson gives us a deep look behind his funnyman exterior. In addition to stories of life in the Robertson family and epic tales of hunting of all kinds, readers will get an inside look at Jase's personal faith in the Creator of the outdoors he so dearly loves: "My first thoughts about God came in a duck blind as I gazed upon the diversity and beauty of creation. There is nothing in nature that can be reproduced or equaled by humans. None of our computers, microchips, or cell phones can duplicate what God has put forth. Viewing the details of this magnificent earth is better than any sermon from any preacher I have heard about the evidence of God." More than a behind-the-scenes look at this beloved "Duck Dynasty" character, readers will be inspired and encouraged to implement Jase's "good call" reflections on faith, family, and fowl into their own lives.


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Jada Pinkett Smith has turned her Facebook page into a philosophical open diary and as she celebrated her 42nd birthday last Wednesday she reflected on who she is and where she is now.
Yesterday she posted a lengthy Facebook status that revealed she fought several addictions when she was younger, but she failed to go into detail about what those addictions were.
She also claims that her problem with addiction stemmed from her inability to deal with the problems that life threw her way.
"What I learned about myself is this, when I was younger I was not a good problem solver, meaning I had a very difficult time with dealing with my problems in life," she wrote. "I had many addictions, of several kinds, to deal with my life issues, but today, at 42, I have my wisdom, my heart and my conscience as the only tools to overcome life's inevitable obstacles."
She said she is proud of herself for finally reaching a point where she can tackle life's obstacles without struggling with addiction.
CLICK HERE to read story
article courtesy AtlantaBlackStar.com
Jada Pinkett Smith Reveals Struggles With Addiction, Views on Divorce was originally published on praisecleveland.com


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Monday, March 19, 2012
MoP NDA Lifted- Posted by Fulguralis at 10:31 AM Labels: Expansion, Hot Topic
Everyone seems to be doing "things to get excited about posts," so I won't bore you with more of the same. To me, the biggest "thing to get excited about" is the fact that this patch seems like serious business. There's a lot going on. It doesn't look like they're phoning this one in.
Now, if we could only get green fire... right Poneria?
4 comments:
I'm glad *someone* saw that comment I made! :D <3ReplyDelete
*lock power* /raises shadowy fist.ReplyDelete
Pokemon AND Farmville!!!!ReplyDelete
Okay, I wanna play a monk more than ever. 'nuff said
We get to kick Garrosh's ass! I'm there. I usually play alliance and I kinda feel sorry for the horde to have such a *$#)#%^#$@% for a warchief.
Only 5 scenarios? That's gonna get old quick.
Pandaria 'looks' awesome. Cosmetically it looks like it will be nice.
Challenge mode for transmog gear. Awwwwwww yyyyeeeeaaaahhhhh!!!! Funny guild moment. Some of the guys were in vent discussing where they could go to get transmog gear and one of our female players chimes in with, "I swear you guys like to play dress-up more than us gals."
lol that is pretty funny.ReplyDelete
It looks like they're really addressing one my major complaints from Cata: not enough content for the casual player (too much focus on raiding/gearing... especially toward the end).


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It has been an incredibly busy summer! New work and my annual 20% off sale event has meant very high order volume.
I added a new series featuring very simple graphic representations of fireflies, stars, oceans, etc. and I am very happy to see these connecting with a lot of folks. I added sentiments to each that really seem to have found kindred spirits out there on the internet.
But now summer is ending, as is my annual sale. Sale will end 9/2/14, and there will be no more sales until sometime next summer. It's a great time to pick up some of my work and save some money in the process.
Art Prints Art Blocks Art for Kids & Wall Decor by johnwgolden.


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Happy Hallowe'en from the Bunchkins!
We gathered some Hallowe'en postcards from the Bunch writers' wee bunchkins for you to enjoy. Above is Kerry Clare's feisty little superhero!
Here's Nancy Walton's daughter Georgia. She put her costume on and immediately struck this pose:
Here are Rose Bianchini's twins: Apparently it was hard to get them to stop moving long enough to take a picture!
And here are Sara Campbell's twins. They are going as David Bowie and a Zombie Chef:
Mita Williams's daughter is going as Fiona from Adventure Time:
Bunch founder and publisher Rebecca Brown's sweet little superhero (Captain North America) and friends:
Here's is Carly Stasko's little guy as an adorkable little elephant:
And here is Avery Swartz's daughter and she's ready to rock. Meow!
And Sarah Couture McPhail was sewing into the wee hours but darnit, Jack Sparrow needed those leather-adorned Bogs. His brother wore his Karate Gi. (Did we mention that Bunch writers are good at having twins?)
Stay Safe out there tonight! Stay VISIBLE. Lots of love from the Bunch crew.
p.s. Let us know on our Facebook page how it went!


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The Jury Team, as it is to be known, is the brainchild of former Tory grandee and captain of industry Sir Paul Judge. He has written a book, 'The End of the Party', railing against the abuse of democracy and government by the partisan system.
The concept is an interesting one, lots of independents representing the people rather than a Party. So what exactly will these 'Independents' be representing, themselves or the wishes of their constituents?.
Those who vote for them will know that 1 individual at least has put up a platform, but 1 out of many hundreds of other independents who may have, or probably will have other interests, will have put up a completely different platforms. I am afraid that 1 MP or MEP will never be heard, will never change anything, will never have an impact on, anything.
We know within the Libertarian Party, and I suggest that it is no different in other Parties, that to coalesce thoughts and ideas into policies that can be presented to the electorate is a difficult path. With so many strands of Libertarianism it has been likened to herding cats, but we have managed to put together a manifesto that reflects good Libertarian principled values, and we can speak with one voice in explaining those values.
Jury Team tell us that beyond signing up to the sleaze busting, "our candidates pick their own policies and would be completely un-whipped". So what exactly would voters be voting for?.
Have we grown so used to government lacking policy ideas that we want to create just that on purpose?. Looking at Westminster, 646 Independent MP's means 646 different ideas on how a country should be governed, but then maybe that's the idea. Divide and Rule is very EU.
Surely this is the dawn of post democratic Britain, a communitarian dream, and to leave it totally open to 646 MP's who don't have a clue where they are going beyond transparency is a recipe for sheer chaos, vested interests and corruption.
I could not support someone who didn't know where they were going, could not tell me why, but only wanted to let me know that when they got there, wherever that may be, they would like to let me know they did so honestly.
Their initial stance of cleaning up sleaze, making politicians more accountable, making the system more directly democratic, and trying to make government more transparent, are all policies to be found in the Libertarian Manifesto, and whilst for Jury Team this is very admirable, then what? This is surely the same problem that UKIP has always had, out of Europe, then what?
After cleaning up Westminster, do they just sit around twiddling their thumbs? Waiting for the EU to tell them to rubber stamp some more legislation, providing the now leaderless, rudderless British with a continual stream of ever more regulation, ever more costly solutions to problems that don't exist, that lines the pockets of the vested interests of those who have lobbied the EU Commission for the next set of rules. Whatever the EU commission wants, it will get. I will let Gunter Verheugen, Vice-President of the European Commission explain.
The kind of politics that Jury Team are presenting is clearly the next step in the EUropeanisation of the UK. They have pretty much destroyed our National identity, they have worked well to destroy the national will and fabric of our heritage, and now they will destroy our ability to speak out, to challenge, to defy, to oppose through government by destroying the Party Political system.
Is this to be the future, powerless individual figures who will, because they do not have that strength of unity or purpose, merely have to enact whatever is put before them.
Without a purpose, without a coherent vision that the voting public can debate and support, and without a single collective voice these 'Independents' may just as well take a fishing boat into the North Sea and shout the odds in every direction from afar, because no-one in Europe will be listening.
MP's following party policies you can vote in, and you can vote them out again if you don't like how they govern, but the EU you can never vote out.
It should be remembered that within the EU it is the EU Commission that draws up legislation, not the EU parliament. Even with the strongest of Party blocs in the EU parliament it is difficult to oppose and debate to raise amendments, but without that Party system, without policies that guide that Party and the governance that they represent, you are no longer governed at all, you are ruled.
Yes, it is an interesting concept, but a concept that is founded in Communitarianism, a concept that means you will lose your freedom to choose the way that Britain is governed in the way you want it governed, this is a concept that is to surrender to the will of the EU forever.
Sir Paul Judge tells us:


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Barney Allen's
Iain "Huey" Hewitson currently operates Barney Allen's Bar & Diner in conjunction with long time business partner Ruth Allen and her brother, Barney.
Barney Allen's Bar/Diner is a warm, welcoming establishment. A mix of the old local and more up-to-date gastro-pub, it features rich red walls, a centralised dark timber bar and comfortable couches with framed mementos and posters on the walls. One of the highlights is the staff, who are welcoming and professional with sunny dispositions.
Barney's is a venue that has quickly become a home to visitors and regulars alike - a place where they happily meet friends, have a drink or a meal, or both, while the friendly buzz and the no booking policy gives the whole place a nice casual air.
There's a wide variety of drinks too - a great range of beers for a start, a fabulous selection of cocktails and a full wine list, as well as a blackboard list of wine specials - both of which would do credit to many a formal restaurant.
The food is another highpoint. It is generous, straightforward, good comfort food with a real eye to quality and detail that has characterised Iain Hewitson's cooking for years.


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One Color Prints
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One Color Prints is a leading Graphic Design, Commercial Printing, SEO, Website Design and Development services company based in Miami, FL. We make professional websites using our vast website design and development experience to make them work the way you want. At One Color Prints, client satisfaction and success is everything to us. Some of our clients include biggest names in their respective industries and they believe on us because we guarantee superior quality, higher efficiency, and... więcej...
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text: The 9th Annual Scott Kelby Worldwide Photo Walk Kuwait. FotografiaQ8 organised the 9th Scott kelby World wide Photowalk in Kuwait at Bouleward park,Salmiya, along with other thousands of cities all over the world. The Walk Leaders were FQ8 Officials Bishara musthafa, Shafimon, Kiran mithra, Riyas moodady & Haris Ideed. More than 100 photographers from different nationalities attended the event. The Scott Kelby Worldwide Photo Walk, dubbed the world's largest global and social photography event, has grown immensely in size and popularity since the inaugural walk in 2007. Last year, more than 25,000 photographers of all walks of life and skill level converged to explore their corners of the world through photography and social community. Event consisted of discussion and activities about Landscape, Freestyle photography, Playing with lights and night portraits. The event was also backed up by AAB World Kuwait. In addition to the event, photo walkers will be able to upload their favorite picture to our popular Photo Walk contest for a chance to win prises from Canon. also name a Grand Prize winner and 10 finalists to be selected by Scott Kelby himself! This year, we encouraged every photo walker to help support this year's initiative to "Walk with a Purpose" by donating $1 to the Springs of Hope Orphanage in Kenya! Additionally, participants can connect socially before, during and after the event using the hashtag #WWPW2016 #boulevardq8 #FotografiaQ8 hash tag on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.


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Cisco Earnings: What to Watch
What's on tap for Cisco when they report earnings on Wednesday? Heard on the Street's Dan Gallagher joins digits with three things investors should keep their eyes on. Photo: AP.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
I ... what's on tap for Cisco when they report earnings on Wednesday ... heard on the Street's Dan Gallagher joins us with three things investors to keep their eye on that then ... allows me a couple hours ago before the first to reports what are you looking re now why think Cisco has is extraordinarily low barring the gets me tomorrow we Gina tweets good for them stock is down more than ten percent since last report this week selloff in the head start their stocks up about one a half percent the Dax in top form and down but ... but yes they have been a big selloff all in the last report in now when you look in on the street and Spencer streets projecting the pre twenty percent revenue growth Sysco ... said the lowest quarterly revenue growth in more than two-year spot ALM so I I think you can argue that the expectations are downbeat enough ... that unless there were some really negative surprise in the area Readies or EBT and weakness with the federal shutdown its mother pockets of weakness ... that ... you'd be kind of Fortress's goodness at this point ... um so what what we what I think is that we did see some upside surprise tomorrow ... though how much means and what ... I'll read What's the second thing that you are looking for it today ... well I think I Cisco's now doing these cost reductions last quarter the announcement of the lane off four thousand workers ... aam about half those cost them into becoming are coming into port of the report so those are going to impact the bottom line obviously ... but we think investors would like to Morrie is ... a little color as to what the cost savings will be with these ... discussions and Cisco is pretty clear about the fact that they're going to be higher in some of those people back for new positions and in areas we think is actually grow ... so that headline number four thousand workers probably isn't deal with it all is ultimately law so investors wanted Steelcase how much though cos actually coming emphasis ... on the horizon they have well below but announcer said in the heavy cost reduction was the third thing you can well for Cisco when the years I've covered on the thing that the stock which trades on is the outlook on a conference call the given outlook for the for the current period in export and they have ... aam and that usually facts shares house with caused shares to their big selloff last time around ... aam is there always conservative about it they've never been been known to be ... a relief Rocky in their outlook on but the street numbers are really pretty low about a little over four percent revenue growth for the period ... so again we I think Cisco's being set up with the Role toolbar can clear ... but they have an outlook that is even lower than that you know could be ... seen as the maker ... and also CEO John Chambers is this or the Commons that he says not only not dismiss early about Cisco been about the economy in general and ... and you can come to the school that what I can but this this is the CEO what he says is generally seen as brought ... few ... big picture what what's going on the economy was four months ... secondly we tech spending in enterprise spending ... is after the deal were also looking for again this quarter I think so because I Cisco Aschoff period and so this is actually can be the first big tech company reporting that period they did include the federal shutdown that ... might be smashing colorful be tails come out of that ... on any is seen as somebody that kind of seasonal wonder for how to technology demand ... you know we saw speaking of reports from other big tech companies in the last in the ... mean green season from IDM ... has been struggling ... with debt or close to becoming upping each keys coming up later this month ... so what Cisco says could be seen ... as some sort of a return for the beer company's with gets to reports from all these big tech companies are kind of toppling challenge right now and with the scene of the economy in federal spending ... could be even more so ... all right Dan Gallagher from Heard on the Street thank so much for joining us ... and that's it for digits I'm Steber slow thanks for watching ...


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Molly Brown's is adding some new lines to our collection this season, and we're so excited about them! We're always looking for cutting edge and innovative designers and know that the one's we're debuting are sure to bring something fresh to our stylish clientele. From sexy and seductive American Honey, sporty and edgy Fox, to ethnic and bold Mara Hoffman.
FOX, Salt
As always, all new lines are up to par with Molly Brown's high standard, made with the utmost quality, care and fabrics. Both American Honey and eco-friendly Greenlee are made in the US, while styles from range from moderate coverage to the Brazilian coverage Molly Brown's has always been known for. Sexy, and sophisticated, we hope you love the new lines as much as we do.
xoxo, MOLLY


text: Founded in 1993 Florence, Patrizia Pepe is the brainchild of textile experts Patrizia Bambi and Claudio Orrea. Previously the owners of the Tessilform textile manufacturing company, this entrepreneurial duo has a vast knowledge of fine fabrics which they have applied to their premium ready-to-wear label. The epitome of luxe basics, Patrizia Pepe gloves are sumptuously soft in luxe knits and glossy leather. From simple styles to colourful pairs, you are sure to find your ultimate winter warmers here.


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Please tell me who has used nuclear material from civilian nuclear power plants to create weapons? Also would you please do me the courtesy of looking at this article and then tell me please which energy source is dangerous. And finally may I state that every source of power has "dirty" processes tied to it? More on this later on, but let me state this : even renewable energy is dirty.
"Keep False Solutions out of the climate talks."
I would also urge people to look at substantive arguments, and quantifiable arguments. Let's acknowledge that not a single government is going to flick the switch, put the lights out. You're probably suggesting that Nuclear Energy is a "false solution", I'll state that renewable energy is a "false solution" as well. And I will substantiate this later on.
"A nuclear power station itself does not emit greenhouse gasses like CO2. Yet nuclear power contributes to climate change; with every step in the whole fuel chain, needed to in the end generate electricity, many energy is used."
You mean "much energy is used" and secondly the same applies for all energy sources, even renewables. Yes renewables don't emit any greenhouse gasses during operation, but the bunker fuelled cargo ships, the trains, trucks and heavy machinery do (emissions per fuel) . The mining equipment emits green house gasses, the purification processes emit green house gasses and the manufacturing processes are a source of greenhouse gasses. You're not off the hook here...
"For instance, the extraction of uranium and the enrichment of uranium are extreme energy-intensive processes."
I can easily bounce this one back : The extraction of copper, iron ore, bauxite, silica and the purification thereof are extreme energy-intensive processes. You do know that the materials for renewables aren't magicked into being, right? And you do know that renewables have low-energy density which means that the amount of materials required to build this vast network of panels and wind turbines is colossal, vastly outstripping the required mining activities required to feed nuclear reactors. I'll substantiate later on.
"Life-cycle analysis of the whole fuel chain clearly shows the contribution of nuclear power to climate change."
Citation needed? I can say that fairies live in my house, as long as I don't open the door, you can't prove they aren't there.
"In a ground-breaking study Sovacool et al screened 103 lifecycle studies of greenhouse gas equivalent emissions for nuclear power plants to identify a subset of the most current, original, and transparent studies. They than calculate that while the range of emissions for nuclear energy over the lifetime of a plant reported from qualified studies examined is from 1.4 grams of carbon dioxide equivalent per kWh (gCO2e/kWh) to 288 gCO2e/kWh, the mean value is 66 gCO2e/kWh."
Sure I can cite a dozen less biased/more inclusive studies that do a comparative analysis rather than a single sided one.
Come on now "LIES, LIES STRAIGHT FROM THE PITS OF HELL!!!!"
What matters is that everything to the right of Natural Gas is significantly better in terms of Greenhouse gas emissions. Nuclear is among the best. And you forget to mention that in the current context you need backup energy generation in a renewable context. Which most often means gas or coal. When generation capacity dwindles, something else has to pick up the slack or people are going to experience black- or brown-outs. Grid instability is a bitch... Now dispense with the "smart grid" argument, shall we? I'll quantify the issue later on.
"The Nuclear Monitor has written many times about this issue, we recommend the special issue of the Nuclear Monitor and the factsheet '10 reasons not to nuke the climate'"
Do you have any unbiased literature for me?
There's a million things we can do to address any of the points you've addressed. Now let's turn the table around, shall we?
Lets dissect this page : "The solution: efficiency, savings and renewables"
- Acknowledge the scale of our problem : 840 Quadrillion BTu's worth of energy demand by 2040. We're now in the 600 Quadrillion BTu range.
- Increase RD&D budgets for high-density energy
- Do some math.... I'll settle for the 600 Quadrillion BTu figure, it helps get the message across.
Everyone deserves amenities like running and potable water, good sanitation, electricity, food, jobs and education. In order for the developing countries to obtain and provide these amenities, they need energy and lots of it. No one is going to flick the switch and put out the lights there, it would be highly unethical and immoral to do so. We've usurped the "third world" for far too long. I would hope to see them grow into stable, prosperous and safe societies, they need energy to do it...
There is a suite of technologies that can do that : Sewage recycling, Solar Heat and Nuclear in densely populated areas and PV and Wind in rural off-grid areas.
The truth is that these countries are pushing for coal and gas, since they are the cheapest options. So the serious question would be : what are you going to do about?
"Protect tropical forests with a special funding mechanism - forests for climate"
Is that all you would do? What happened to the "big, visionary measure"? I would suggest you go and look at what Tasso Azevedo does in Brazil. But to be quite honest, we do not have to "just" protect rainforests, we also need to increase forest cover significantly in order to restore the carbon-capture and hydrological cycles.
Massive reforestation efforts are required...
"Replace dirty fossil fuel energy with renewable energy and energy efficiency"
This is where my magic comes out and begins it's enthralling work. Are you ready for some math? Let's get this going shall we?
So the premise is that 10% of all the energy demand is satiated by electricity generation e.g. 60 Quadrillion BTu's. This roughly translates into 20.000 TWh's. I'm rounding everything down...
The Topaz 550MW PV solar plant is one of my favourite go-to arguments. The Topaz PV power plant is one of the largest in the world. It's about 65 square kilometres, has 9 million PV panels and churns out enough energy for 160.000 Californian homes (7000KWh a piece). If you reverse the math you'll learn that the Topaz PV plant generates 1,12 TWh in a year.
Suppose we want to do the all-PV-panel approach. We would have to build roughly 20.000 Topaz PV plants in order to satiate world demand of 20.000 TWh's. (this is from a 2014 context).
That would also mean that we would have to construct 180 billion panels / 1.3 million square km's (less than a percent of the total surface area of the earth < this is what the "renewables" cling on to)
Current production capacity is around 200 million panels annually (50GW). At this rate it'll take them 900 years to get it done or we would have to increase the current production rate by 300 times to get it done in three years... And that's generating 60 quadrillion BTu's worth of energy in a 600 Q BTu world with fossil stocks that are running out. And don't forget the amount of energy required to create these panels (add mining, purification, manufacturing, transportation, installation, decommissioning, limited recycling emissions...)These simple maths give a man perspective. That's why i don't talk about money for instance.
Suppose we accept the "nuclear road", we'll go on developing MSR's and Fusion and rate them at approximately 682MW a piece. Then we would need 3000 of them to replace coal-fired and gas-fired energy generation. This would mean a significant decarbonisation of at least 90%.
Try to imagine 180 Billion PV panels being shipped and moved around.
And if we manage to do this within a reasonable time frame of let's say 20 years. We still have to decarbonize all the other processes, which in term will drive up the electricity demand. For every 10% we decarbonize add another 180 Billion PV panels or 3000 nuclear power plants.
Suppose we can cut energy demand by 30% or let's be extremely optimistic 40% and decarbonize all the rest, transforming half of it into electricity demand and the other half into heat demand. We would be requiring three times 20.000 TWh which would amount to 60.000 TWh and 180 quadrillion BTu's of heat. Assuming we will stay in the 600 Quadrillion BTu range... (that's would be a colossal feat of optimism). How would you, the Anti-Nuclear-Specialist, say we would do it?
Let's look at Wind Turbines, the other holy grail of renewable energies. An average wind turbine is rated at 5MW. I'll grant them a super optimistic 35% capacity and it will generate 0.01534 TWh in a year. Filling up 20K TWh would require 1.3 million Wind Turbines. 1.94 MW per turbine is more accurate but I feel generous today, i'll let you clasp on this thin thread for a moment...
Let's look at what the Wind Pro's have to say about it
They propose a very optimistic 15.000 TWh generation capacity by 2050. This is their "SUPER SCENARIO!!!" With me giving them 10% generation capacity extra. They themselves give it 10.000 TWh...
If they rate their most optimistic figure at 10K TWh, you have to be reasonable about "running the world on renewables".... And these people are the "Wind turbine people"...
- Nuclear : 50~60 years
- Wind : 20~25 years
- Solar : 20~25 years
- 3000 nuclear power plants for 20TWh annual generation over 60 years.
- 360 billion solar panels for 20TWh annual generation over 60 years.
- 2.6 million wind turbines for 20TWh annual generation over 60 years.
Add to this the problem of the diminishing of Coal, Gas and Oil and you have to acknowledge that we're in deep trouble. Especially if you are willing to discount the good of nuclear and form a biased opinion based on myths and fairy tales and mathematical improbabilities.
Let's be honest, a decarbonized future isn't going to happen without nuclear. It is a mathematical improbability.
"Reject false solutions like nuclear energy"
I am going to call "unsubstantiated and biased category five bullshit".
What is the main issue at play here? Fear-mongering... Far from WISE if you ask me.


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I used Pink Paislee's Secret Crush as my paper.
I started with a piece of white card stock cut 8.5 x 3.25 inches. Then I folded the card at 4 inches then again at 8 inches then stapled it close to the folded edge. Then I trimmed a piece of the Secret Crush paper, and added the Tim Holtz Mover's & Shapers Mini Typewriter die cut from Silver Card stock. The To and From were printed from my computer using a the Rough Typewriter Font.
If you are making these for a class room, you could easily type out the names for your child and cut them to fit inside the typewriter. I kept this card simple so that it was easily duplicated.
Then on the inside...
I glued a stick of gum and used some dollar stamps from Studio G to write out "I'm Stuck On You", however, this could easily be printed on the computer before you assemble the cards. The hearts were in the Pink Paislee Portfolio Clear Stamp Set.
These cards will be super fun to make with your child. If you don't have small children, making them for the grown up kids in your life.
Thanks for stopping in today,
Tonya Gibbs


text:
The following post was contributed by Ben Lee, the team leader for Unified Communications at Waterstons, a business and IT consultancy based in Durham and London.
As an IT Professional (I am very proud of that term) one of the things that always provides me with the most job satisfaction is being able to see people benefiting from the solutions that I have implemented, particularly if the deployment has been challenging. As a consultant, sometimes I miss out on being able to fully appreciate the real-world impact of my work as I am not always involved in the entire project delivery. Having said that, I'm fortunate enough to work for a company where we have long standing relationships with our clients and work in genuine partnership so the satisfaction ratio for me is high. Unfortunately, however good the client relationship is, it doesn't guarantee that the road to delivery and golden moment of success is any easier. Technology will always be tricky but it is my job to minimise the risks and reach a successful delivery (This is where PowerShell helps these days right?).
That's why the theme of this month's TechNet flash caught my eye - "Making an impact". It made me recall some recent unexpected feedback I'd heard when catching up with one of our site managers. He mentioned about how some users had really taken a Lync deployment to heart and were using it in a way we hadn't initially envisaged….
The project in question involves Durham University Business School. The Business School has worked with Waterstons for many years and we provide a full time IT manager who coordinates the onsite IT support, manages the infrastructure, as well as managing some aspects of project delivery for them.
Back in March 2012 the Business School embarked on a large scale redevelopment programme and essentially had to move out of their building and spread themselves over 5 sites across Durham city. I was asked to evaluate their options to help reduce the impact of this migration on working practices and it was agreed that their legacy OCS 2007 environment would be upgraded to Lync 2010. At the time the subsequent deployment suffered from several technical issues and we had a hard time driving user adoption. However in the early part of 2013 there was a requirement within the technology design for the Business School's new building to select a solution that would underpin the School's collaboration and video conferencing needs. Once again it seemed that Lync would be able to fit the bill and the improvements added in Lync 2013 would better address their needs. It was also possible this time round to re-visit some of the technical limitations we had encountered during the 2010 deployment that had caused low usage.
The project was a Microsoft geeks dream as it included all sorts of cool technologies; Active Directory trusts, Identity synchronisation, cross-domain authentication, SIP trunks for dial-in conferencing, multiple Lync pools and Polycom hardware video conferencing units. After a few months of tight deadlines and interesting issues that required some lateral thinking we had successfully sorted the technology side of the project out and were satisfied that everything was working as it should, which left us with the user training & adoption. This time round, having learned from our mistakes, our onsite IT manager embarked on a full program of user training sessions backed up by a SharePoint Lync wiki where users can share tips and tricks. Unlike the first deployment we started to see some proper user adoption with people communicating cross-department and with external partners. So far so good, but roll forward a few months and Lync had really started to become embedded into the Business School users working practices.
The Business School were embarking on a new study program where they partnered with a large accountancy organisation who sent students onsite before they returned to continue studying remotely. The Business School suddenly had a requirement to run remote revision sessions while the students were offsite. In the past there had been issues with the technology requirements to support such sessions - but not anymore with Lync. After a few practice sessions to prove the concept they were away!
Using Lync the Business School were able to hold four half-day sessions over two days with at least 50 students per slot. The sessions were configured so that the lecturer locked down the room, muted all the students and shared their screen and video. Students could still interact via chat and the recently added Lync Q&A functionality. The students joined the sessions using their web browser and needed nothing installing beyond the Lync web-plugin. They had all been notified ahead of time to request a USB headset for the audio portion of the calls but those who forgot were able to dial-in to the meeting using the Lync SIP trunk. This is the sort of use-case that should work perfectly in theory but is usually fraught with issues where people can't join or have audio issues etc… We needn't have worried. The whole process apparently worked so well that on the second day there was zero IT involvement at all, the lecturer and program manager set everything up themselves, invited the students and managed the conference from start to finish! To top it all off they recorded the sessions using the built in Lync recording manager and then made them available for anyone who hadn't been able to attend at the time.
The study program had been so successful that the Business School is planning on running other courses in this way and they will continue to use Lync to deliver the remote training elements of the study program!
So there you have it, I don't know about you but like I said at the start there is really nothing better than hearing about how something you worked hard to deploy has been used in new and interesting ways. It's the sort of job satisfaction that you just can't beat and is hopefully something you can relate to. I'm looking forward to hearing where else Lync might make an impact for Durham University Business School.
We loved hearing about how an implementation was put to good use, have you got a similar story? We'd love to hear it, just reach out to us firstname.lastname@example.com or via @TechNetUK.


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This is a "3D polyobject": you can walk above and below it (well, not below it in this case since it's placed flush to the floor) but it blocks for the height of the texture.
Enjay wrote:The polyobjects don't have a top at all.
This is the desired effect. It'd be dumb if the polyobject clipped through that beautiful 3D floor, wouldn't it?


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Alert seller that you wish to chat
Most sellers will only want to be called to chat if you have serious interest in making a purchase from them. If you have a general question that is not time-sensitive, you might just want to send the seller a message.
Please describe what you'd like to chat with the seller about (required):
What message would you like to send to the seller?
Oops! Something went wrong
There was an error summoning the seller to this booth. Perhaps you have exceeded your limit of emails sent for the day?
Your request has been sent!
A notification has been sent to sasswbe about your wish to chat with them. If they are available, they should be around within 5-10 minutes.
If they aren't around, they will probably respond to your inquiry over email once they're available.
Paste Item Into Chat
You can use this window to paste an item from the current seller's booth into their chat window. Just enter the item ID (see right picture) of the item you wish to paste into chat:
Note that you can paste an item into chat without using this dialog box if you type "@item [item number]" into the chat text box. For example, entering "I like this item @item 1234" would paste the item with ID 1234 into the chat box, after your chat text, assuming item #1234 was a "for sale" item in the booth you entered that line.
Whatnots, Books and Etc
Item DiscountsNone
Items Ship InPayment by: money order ships next business day; checks held for clearing. Will send email when payment is received and day item ships. business days


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It's these interesting pieces in a home which add personality to a house. These things make it home!!
Wednesday, 21 March 2007
Roadside Junk
It's these interesting pieces in a home which add personality to a house. These things make it home!!
21 comments:
I so know what you mean. It calls me too. I have found many things that have come and gone, but ,my favorite piece i have found is a chair that had big old arms, VERY UGLY. I took it home ripped off the arms and bought a couple yards of fabric and redone it.I now have a very stylish slipper chair.
- 22 March 2007 at 00:53
- kstyle said...
Great post topic anna. I have a butcher block island that I found at the goodwill years ago for $15. It still has a place in my kitchen and I still love it. k
- 22 March 2007 at 01:23
- Coeur de beurre said...
so wonderful exercice you propose... so exclusive things do the personality of house and I understand you when you ear them calling to go home!!! ;))
- 22 March 2007 at 01:57
- Fairfax said...
I found some barn red stars that I bought home and stuck on the top of the book case with some wire "vases" and huge pinecones.
- 22 March 2007 at 02:47
- mohairpink said...
Anna, tell us about this club. It sounds like a lot of fun.
- 22 March 2007 at 04:34
- wishful thinking said...
I have and old set (4) of rusty school lockers. I plan to restore them someday.
- 22 March 2007 at 05:22
- kim. said...
I never find good roadside junk here but I just wanted to say that I have one of those stars (a big one) and spray painted it black. It sits in a corner of the basement buried under crap - no idea what to do with it in this house.
- 22 March 2007 at 06:54
- Annie said...
What a fun post. I think I would have a lot more so-called junk if my car had a larger trunk. My best piece is an old painted vanity that sat on the side of an alley for days before I could get help from a friend with a truck. It now serves as my tv stand. The drawers are the perfect size for dvds.
Do you mind if I link your post on my own blog? I would love to share a few more of these stories.
- 22 March 2007 at 12:08
- tongue in cheek said...
old, tattered, broken, peeling, scrapped..faded grandeur style is right up my alley.
I stop for junk,
I'll even go dumpster diving.
Old screams my name!
- 22 March 2007 at 17:28
- Anna said...
Hi Wes, I think it's great that you too have junk calling to you!! I think it's what you actually do with the junk that prooves your creative capability and by the sounds of your "slipper" chair your creative capabilities are amazing!! I would love to see a picture of it sometime!
- 22 March 2007 at 21:05
- Anna said...
Thanks K! So glad you enjoyed this post! Loved hearing about your butchers block!
- 22 March 2007 at 21:07
- Anna said...
Hi Coeurr de beurre - glad you liked the post also! As I say all the time it's these special things like "junk" which make a home so special to its owner!! You should see some of the junk I have!!
- 22 March 2007 at 21:09
- Anna said...
Hi Fairfax - I love the sound of the stars you are talking about!! I LOVE stars!!
- 22 March 2007 at 21:09
- Anna said...
Hi Pink - I'll tell you about the club in due course!! It will be post topic in the next week or so.
- 22 March 2007 at 21:10
- Anna said...
Hi Wishful thinking - your lockers sound great! What colour are you going to paint them?? The original colour or a new colour perhaps??
- 22 March 2007 at 21:11
- Anna said...
Kim - be careful of that black star! If you ever find that it has gone missing you know who has it!!
- 22 March 2007 at 21:12
- Anna said...
Hi Annie, thanks for sharing your junk story!! I loved reading it! I love that you didn't give up when the going got tough with the junk!!
- 22 March 2007 at 21:13
- Anna said...
Hi Corey - I think that's why I like you so much!! Old speaks my name too if you hadn't noticed!! Maybe we could go diving into a French dumpster together someday!!
- 22 March 2007 at 21:14
Looking at that picture, I can't see any junk, they look beautiful! I love thrifted finds and your monthly club meeting sounds wonderfully interested too, can't wait to hear about it.
- 23 March 2007 at 02:00
- Sylvie said...
I love that idea of a book/design/style club. Where do you meet? Do you mind, Anna, if I form one in my town here in California?
Also, your idea to have people bring in a trashy treasure is so fun.
Here is a link to one of my favorite finds:
- 23 March 2007 at 13:27
- Sylvie said...
Hi Anna,
Did you get my comment? I keep putting in the secret code to publish and it keeps asking me to put in another secret code. Have any of them reached you?
- 24 March 2007 at 01:08


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The Lago Maggiore region, with its surrounding valleys, welcomes Autumn with many delicious culinary proposals. The 19th edition of the culinary autumn weeks "Autunno Gastronomico" is a unique opportunity to discover these flavours. The cooperation between the printing company effe51 in Riazzino and the Ascona-Locarno Tourism offers the possibility to savour speciality dishes from more than 50 tempting menu selections during this event.
The complete program of the event 2018 can be downloaded here.
6600 Locarno
+41 848 091 091
10 September - 20 October


text:
The MSc Systemic Psychotherapy is a qualifying level course leading to eligibility for registration as a psychotherapist with the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP). Family systems perspectives on theory and practice have been rapidly developing across a wide range of professional disciplines and practice contexts. If you work with adults, children, couples or within the family healthcare field, this is your opportunity to further your knowledge and develop the skills to practice therapeutically at a specialised and advanced level using systemic theoretical frameworks.
The MSc Systemic Psychotherapy course integrates taught clinical practice, theory, personal development and research. It forms Years Three to Four of The Family Institute's psychotherapy training programme and builds on the Institute's long experience of teaching psychotherapy. It is designed to meet UKCP, UK Association for Family Therapy and European training standards.
Year One
Year Two
Curriculum hours of study are designed to meet national Association for Family Therapy (AFT) and European Family Therapy Association (EFTA) standards. Live supervised practice is based at the Institute's clinic. Years One and Two comprise 40 taught days in a pattern of fortnightly two-day blocks, with a full week to start each year.
You will be assessed through lecturer/supervisor assessment, self-assessment, summative and formative assignments. Emphasis is on reflective practice. You must pass both theory and practice components of each module.
You will be given the opportunity to ask us questions in addition to us assessing your suitability for the course. We will explore the professional experience you can bring to the programme and expect all applicants to be able to discuss and evidence their experience.
Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits. Once enrolled, the fee will remain at the same rate throughout the duration of your study on this course.
Students have access to a wide range of resources including textbooks, publications, and computers in the University's library and via online resources. In most cases they are more than sufficient to complete a course of study. Where there are additional costs, either obligatory or optional, these are detailed below. Of course students may choose to purchase their own additional personal resources/tools over and above those listed to support their studies at their own expense. All stationery and printing costs are at a student's own expense.
* Obligatory
|Kit (Uniform and Equipment)
|£25 - £50
Encrypted USB stick for video recording
This fee includes £44 for the enhanced DBS certificate, the Post Office Administration fee and the online administration fee.
|DBS Updating Service
Whilst optional it is strongly recommended signing up for this service especially if you are likely to have placements each year and wish to persue a career post University where a DBS check is a requirement. Please note the service has to be joined within 19 days of receipt of your enhanced DBS certificate.
|Other: Travel to placements
Cost is dependent on placement location
Apply directly to the University for this course.
As a USW student, you will have access to advice from the Careers and Employability Service throughout your studies and after you graduate.
This includes: one-to-one appointments from faculty based Career Advisers, in person, over the phone or even on Skype and through email via the "Ask a Question" service. We also have extensive online resources for help with considering your career options and presenting yourself well to employers. Resources include psychometric tests, career assessments, a CV builder, interview simulator and application help. Our employer database has over 2,000 registered employers targeting USW students, you can receive weekly email alerts for jobs.
Our Careers service has dedicated teams: A central work experience team to help you find relevant placements; an employability development team which includes an employability programme called Grad Edge; and an Enterprise team focused on new business ideas and entrepreneurship.


text:
Plunging into the latest Wikileaks release, the painfully obvious Swedish subservience toward the Great Powers constitute severe grounds for critical review. The fact that former Social Democrat party leader, Mona Sahlin, and Urban Ahlin (member of the party board of the Social Democratic Party and its spokesperson on foreign policy issues) have held secret gatherings with American diplomats, whose resumées have 'CIA official' written all over them, might not be that surprising to an initiated intelligence person, but to the everyday Swede; it's sensational.
The Social Democratic party board of Sweden has asked the American Embassy for assistance having slipped well behind in the polls preceding the upcoming general election, according to the WikiLeaks' published document from 2009. Sweden's largest daily newspaper, Aftonbladet, states:
According to the intelligence report, the Social Democrats were begging for American assistance in recovering from the lousy polls.
Bluntly speaking, this means that Mona Sahlin and Urban Ahlin wanted CIA to help the Social Democrats in winning the 2010 election.
Another extraordinary event in the Assange-report describes Foreign Affairs', Urban Ahlin meeting with US Embassy Charge d'Affaires. The latter also happens to moonlight at Langley's pride #1. Ahlin proclaims that he belongs to the Right Wing of the social party, especially pertinent to Foreign Affairs and National Security, as well as, his personal attitude toward the United States.
This is by no means the first time Swedish politicians plead for help from obscure organizations such as CIA, KGB and various Swedish intelligence sections among others. The quest for obtaining political power seems to stop at nothing. In our neighboring country, Finland, KGB officials have historically been nicknamed "house-Russians". All prominent politicians have "earned" their own personal contact, according to confidential KGB-reports. Scandinavian countries were no exception, of course. In the 1970's, the famous Social Democrat party leader, Olof Palme had his "private" KGB-official, named Nikolaj Neijlands. These were times when Swedish neutrality and sovereignty were only skin deep. Particularly concerning Foreign Affairs and National Security. The same attitude was naturally held throughout the Cold War, which, sadly, still seems to be Swedish contemporary demeanor.
The content of Assange's latest package-deal (of Swedish relevance) is among the most contemporary and sensational material I have come across in a long time. I have spent far too many hours, days and weeks digging profoundly in Swedish Security Service's classified archives, but most of the available material strikes me as prehistoric remnants in comparison.
The fact that Swedish Social Democrats, and perhaps also the bourgeois Alliance at power, consult the U. S. Embassy in discussing prominent matters of Foreign Affairs and National Security is "nothing out of the ordinary", according to an initiated government official and former State Secretary of Sweden, Sven Hirdman. However, former Minister for Justice, Minister of Defence and Speaker of the Swedish Parliament, Thage G Peterson, has a different standpoint as he proclaims in Sweden's 2nd largest Daily Newspaper, Expressen:
When pleading for U.S. aid in improving election polls, something is seriously up the wall. Swedish Social Democrats are in great need of a white paper concerning the revealed disclosed U.S. affairs.
One could argue that Urban Ahlin's interactions could be classified as espionage, specifically the lowest 'rank' in spy-classification called a "trustworthy contact". Interestingly, both Olof Palme and Pierre Schori (Secretary General of Sweden's foreign ministry 1982–91 and later Deputy Foreign Minister) were accused of being trustworthy contacts in the 1980's. Abruptly losing the resemblance, however, as the stakeholder then was the KGB.
In conclusion, the recent Wikileaks material published is perhaps the most incriminating since Prime Minister, Thage Erlander's intimate conversations with U.S. President, Harry S Truman, in April 1952. A landmark in Swedish history most likely resulting in a Soviet MIG-15 gunning down a Swedish Intelligence DC-3 into the Baltic Sea, in June 1952.


text:
New Left Review I/141, September-October 1983
Fred Halliday
Cold War in the Caribbean
Amidst the general worsening of East-West relations, and the sharply antagonistic policy of the usa towards the Third World, a new political situation has emerged in the Caribbean. The region itself has a population of around twenty-nine millions, and comprises thirteen independent island states, numerous European and American colonies, and three mainland enclaves that are separated from the Spanish-speaking continent by reason of history and geography. [1] The independent island states are: in the north, Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, Dominican Republic; the Leeward Islands of Antigua and Barbuda, and St Kitts and Nevis; the Windward Islands of Dominica, St Lucia, St Vincent, Barbados, and Grenada; Trinidad and Tobago. The three circum-Caribbean states, which are linked to the islands rather than to the mainland by linguistic bonds, are Belize, Surinam and Guyana. Much of the information contained in this article was gathered during a visit to Grenada and Barbados in June 1983. I would particularly like to thank the following for help and information given in this connection: Samori Marksman of the Caribbean People's Alliance, and editor of Caribbean Perspective (PO Box 2194, Brooklyn, New York 11202, USA); Rickey Singh, editor of Caribbean Contact (PO Box 616, Bridgetown, Barbados); and Rod Prince, of Latin American Newsletters (91–93 Charterhouse Street, London EC1M 6LN). Historically, the Caribbean islands, and particularly those speaking English, Dutch and French, have felt distinct from the conflicts of Central and South America. Yet many of the islands and Central American states underwent a common subjection to us military occupation earlier in this century, and today, by reason of us pressure and revolutionary co-operation alike, the Caribbean is being to a considerable degree drawn into the conflicts that are raging in Central America itself. One sign of this new situation has been the attempt by Reagan to evolve an overt combined military-economic approach to the area, represented by a series of air and naval manoeuvres held since his accession to office, and by the Caribbean Basin Initiative announced in October 1981. The former serves to menace the independent states of the region, the latter to provide economic incentives to the capitalist states of the Caribbean and circum-Caribbean region through financial aid and tariff reductions. Another index has been the increase of covert activity in the region by the revamped cia—involving military activity in Central America, harassment of Cuba and Grenada, the islands defying us control, and threats against Surinam. But this imperialist attack from without coincides with an aggravated situation within the states of the Caribbean, brought on by the impact of world recession and the spread of new forms of popular resistance in states long supposed to be characterized by tranquil social and political conditions. The ideology of the Caribbean, of tourist paradise, calypso colonies and rum islands, is an index of the metropolitan image of the region and the subordinate status long allocated to it. Yet, both historically and in the contemporary period, it is profoundly false in the manner in which it masks the conflicts that endure, and persistently erupt, within these societies.
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text:
115 Moore Rd. ● Lebanon, PA 17046 ● Call 717-708-8168
Berry Patch concierge service allows you to make your Hershey, Lancaster, Reading or Harrisburg experience exactly what you want it to be. Our innkeeper will make reservations for any restaurants and Attractions in the area on your behalf allowing you to fully enjoy your stay.
After enjoying a restful night sleep and a gourmet breakfast it will be time to explore the spectacular region from fine dining to outdoor recreation. There's always something to see in the quaint towns surrounding the Berry Patch.
Don't know your way around the town? We can arrange to have you chauffeured for the day. Please give us a two day notice.


text:
The next great variable pump rifle is here! If you enjoy the adaptability of the AR platform then you're going to love the M4-177.
The airgun features a rifled steel barrel and shoots both pellets and BBs. The rifle's variable pump action is easy to use for right or left-handed shooters.
Expect velocities up to 660 fps with BBs and 625 fps with 7.9gr, .177 caliber pellets.
There's plenty of picatinny rails for mounting your favorite accessories, plus the front and rear sights and stock are removable for the ultimate in upgrade possibilities.


text:
Lilac Polkadot Organza dress
Pretty lilac dress overlaid with polka dot organza , and a lilac flower at the waist
Availability: In stock
Please see our Fitting Advice to help you choose the correct size . Then see Product Description below for the size chart.
Size not in stock ? Many of our dresses can be ordered in especially for you . Please email firstname.lastname@example.com or call 01932 943000 for any requests.


text:
With most of the Affordable Care Act's major provisions now in effect, the nation's health insurance marketplace has undergone a significant transformation. Obamacare impacts individuals, families and small business owners alike. Most Americans are required to have minimum essential coverage unless they qualify for an exemption; however, the law is designed to make health insurance more accessible and affordable with income-based financial assistance and one-stop shopping via state-based and federally facilitated exchanges. Meanwhile, the private marketplace remains a place to shop for quality, affordable health insurance plans that meet ACA requirements.
The following guide offers a glimpse at the various types of ACA-compliant health insurance in Nebraska, including individual and family health plans, small group health plans, coverage for high-risk applicants, mini-COBRA continuation coverage, Medicaid, and CHIP.
Health and healthcare in Nebraska
Nebraska placed 10th in United Health Foundation's 2014 America's Health Rankings.1 Its strengths include a low rate of drug deaths, low prevalence of low birthweight, and few poor mental and physical health days per month. Nebraska's challenges include a high prevalence of binge drinking, a moderate prevalence of obesity, and a large disparity in health status by educational attainment.
Nebraska individual and family health insurance
Nebraska is among the majority of states that opted to participate in the federal Health Insurance Marketplace. Nebraska's federally facilitated health insurance exchange provides individuals and families with access to qualified health plans.
Nebraskans can also buy qualified health plans away from the Obamacare exchanges in the private marketplace.Websites such as HealthCare.com can help consumers find affordable coverage that meets their healthcare needs. Check out HealthCare.com's tax subsidy calculator to see if you qualify for a tax credit. If you do, visit Nebraska's Health Insurance Marketplace to apply for health insurance coverage.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported that 42,975 individuals in Nebraska selected a marketplace plan through the exchange from Oct. 1, 2013, through April 19, 2014.2 In 2015, the number of individuals in Nebraska enrolled in a marketplace plan increased to 74,152 during the open enrollment period.3
|Nebraska's health insurance exchange:
|Nebraska department of insurance:
Nebraska small group health insurance plans
Small business owners who live in Nebraska can provide their employees with access to coverage through the federal marketplace's Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP). Small businesses that use SHOP and have 25 or fewer employees may qualify for a Small Business Healthcare Tax Credit.
Self-employed individuals with no employees must apply for an individual health insurance plan on or away from Nebraska's federally facilitated exchange.
Nebraska state COBRA variations for small groups
The Consolidated Omnibus Reconciliation Act (COBRA) allows those employed by businesses with 20 or more employees to continue their group health insurance plan for a limited time should they lose coverage due to qualifying events such as termination of employment due to reasons other than gross misconduct, a reduction in work hours, divorce or legal separation, and loss of dependency status. To learn more about the federal COBRA program, visit dol.gov/ebsa/cobra.html.
In some states, those who work for a small business and lose health insurance coverage due to a qualifying event may be eligible for health insurance continuation through mini-COBRA or a similar state continuation program. In a few states, these programs may also be extended to those who work for larger companies and exhaust their federal COBRA continuation coverage limit. Mini-COBRA generally works like the federal COBRA continuation coverage, but its terms may vary.
Nebraska's small group COBRA continuation variations are as follows:
|Mini-COBRA option
|Eligible group sizes
|Maximum continuation period – standard
|6 months
|Maximum premium Increase
|102 percent
|State legislation reference
|NE Stat. Sec. 44-1640
Nebraska high-risk pools
It used to be that health insurance companies could deny applicants or charge them more based on health history and preexisting conditions. When the Affordable Care Act was passed in 2010, many states created federally funded preexisting condition insurance programs or accepted federal funding to assist with similar high-risk pool programs they already operated. 4
The Affordable Care Act prohibits this practice for health insurance plans considered minimum essential coverage with effective dates beginning Jan. 1, 2014, and later. As such, the PCIPs and state high-risk pools created to provide health insurance for those once considered uninsurable are being phased out.
Nebraska Medicaid
Medicaid is a state health insurance program for low-income individuals under age 65, pregnant women, children, disabled individuals, and seniors over age 65; it is partially funded by the federal government. In 2014, states were given the option to accept additional federal funding and expand their Medicaid program eligibility to those who make up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level (effectively 138 percent due to how it is calculated, according to HealthCare.gov).5
Nebraska did not expand Medicaid to low-income adults without dependents in 2014.6 In 2014, a coverage gap was created in states where Medicaid was not expanded. This coverage gap includes those whose incomes are too high for Medicaid but too low to receive federal premium and cost-sharing assistance when shopping the state's federally facilitated health insurance exchange.
The information below is specific to Nebraska's Medicaid program:
|Medicaid expansion
|Governing agency
|Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
|Nebraska Department of Health & Human Services
|Where to apply
|Phone number
|855-632-7633 — Medical Eligibility Customer Service
|More information
|Open-enrollment period
|Year-round in all states
Nebraska CHIP
The Children's Health Insurance Program is a partnership between the states and federal government. CHIP provides health insurance to uninsured children who meet certain eligibility guidelines.
The information below is specific to Nebraska's health insurance program for low-income children:
|Program name
|Where to apply
|Phone number
|855-632-7633 — Medical Eligibility Customer Service
|Based in family income; children may be eligible:
1 United Health Foundation. 2014 America's Health Rankings Annual Edition. "Annual State Health Rankings." http://www.americashealthrankings.org
2 Kaiser Family Foundation http://kff.org/other/state-indicator/state-marketplace-statistics-2014/.
3 Kaiser Family Foundation http://kff.org/other/state-indicator/state-marketplace-statistics-2015/.
4 National Conference of State Legislators. Coverage of Uninsurable Pre-Existing Conditions: State and Federal High-Risk Pools. Updated April 2014. http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/high-risk-pools-for-health-coverage.aspx.
5 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. "Medicaid Expansion & What It Means for You." HealthCare.gov. N.D. https://www.healthcare.gov/what-if-my-state-is-not-expanding-medicaid/.
6 U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. "Profile of Affordable Care Act Coverage Expansion Enrollment for Medicaid/CHIP and the Health Insurance Marketplace 10-1-2013 to 3-31-2014. Nebraska." April 2014. http://aspe.hhs.gov/health/reports/2014/marketplaceenrollment/apr2014/pdf/ne.pdf.
7 Nebraska Department of Health & Human Services. "Nebraska Medicaid Program Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)." http://dhhs.ne.gov/medicaid/Pages/med_CHIPapp.aspx.


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May 9, 2017 | Atlanta, GA
The project includes removing all non-historic structural elements on the first floor and creating a new suite for the office of the Dean of the Ivan Allen College. In addition to the office suites, all of the windows and entry doors will be replaced in order restore the building's historical appearance. Second and third floors will remain occupied during construction.
- Historic Building: 1901
- Adaptive Reuse: The building was originally designed to support electrical engineering
- New lighting
- New mechanical systems
- Automatic fire suppression system
- Start Date: May 22, 2017
- Anticipated End Date: August 30, 2017
- Normal working hours: 7am-5pm
Campus Detours or Interruptions:
There will be no office relocations during this project. Building visitors heading to the second and third floors will need to utilize a connecting bridge at Swann building to gain access.
The construction staging area on Cherry Street will be cordoned off.
The Ivan Allen College, Office of Graduate Studies and Office of International Education WILL NOT be relocated.


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July and August is limited to shorebirds but I end up taking July and part of August off to spend it with my family.
About the last week of June the breeding Warbler pretty much are silent tending to the young .
Hooded Warbler.
Its a bitter sweet moment when the season comes to an end ,we anticipate the Spring migration all winter and it just goes too too fast.


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Freedom in the World
You are here
Congo, Democratic Republic of (Kinshasa)
Congo, Democratic Republic of (Kinshasa)
2012 Scores
Freedom Rating (1 = best, 7 = worst)
Civil Liberties (1 = best, 7 = worst)
Political Rights (1 = best, 7 = worst)
In January 2011, the government amended the electoral law to eliminate the requirement for presidential runoff elections, giving undue advantage to incumbent Joseph Kabila. Despite logistical problems, presidential and parliamentary elections went ahead as scheduled on November 28. The polls were deeply flawed, with reports of serious and widespread fraud, as well as a number of violent incidents. Kabila was declared the winner of the presidential race with 49 percent of the vote, while parliamentary results had yet to be announced by year's end. Throughout 2011, all parties in the country's ongoing conflicts continued to carry out killings, rapes, and abductions of civilians.
In the late 19th century, the king of Belgium claimed a vast area of Central Africa as his private property, and the territory was exploited with extreme brutality. After achieving independence from Belgium in 1960, the then Republic of Congo became an arena for Cold War rivalries, and Colonel Joseph Mobutu seized power with CIA backing in 1965. Mobutu changed the country's name to Zaire in 1971, renamed himself Mobutu Sese Seko, and assumed dictatorial powers.
Following the end of the Cold War, domestic agitation and international pressure for democratization led to a national conference in 1992. President Mobutu was stripped of most of his powers, and a transitional government was formed with a new prime minister, longtime Mobutu opponent Étienne Tshisekedi. However, Mobutu created a rival government, leading to a political standoff. In a compromise that marginalized Tshisekedi, the two governments merged in 1994, with Mobutu remaining head of state and Kengo Wa Dondo becoming prime minister. Presidential and legislative elections were scheduled repeatedly but never took place.
After the 1994 genocide in neighboring Rwanda, the Rwandan and Ugandan governments turned their cross-border pursuit of Rwandan Hutu militia members into an advance on Kinshasa. Rwandan troops, accompanied by representatives of the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo-Zaire—a coalition led by former Zairian rebel leader Laurent-Désiré Kabila—reached Kinshasa in May 1997. Mobutu fled to Morocco, where he died months later of cancer. Kabila declared himself president and changed the country's name to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Relations between Kabila and his Rwandan and Ugandan backers deteriorated after he ordered all foreign forces to leave the DRC in 1998. Rwanda intervened in support of a newly formed rebel group, the Rally for Congolese Democracy (RCD), but the DRC government was defended by Angolan, Namibian, and Zimbabwean troops. Uganda later backed a rival rebel group, the Movement for the Liberation of the Congo (MLC), establishing control over the northern third of the DRC, while the RCD held much of the eastern Kivu region. The country's vast mineral wealth spurred the involvement of multinational companies, criminal networks, and other foreign governments.
Military stalemate led to the signing of the Lusaka Peace Agreement in 1999. The accord called for a cease-fire, the deployment of UN peacekeepers, the withdrawal of foreign troops, and a transitional government. Kabila drew international criticism for blocking the deployment of UN troops and suppressing internal political activity. He was assassinated in 2001 and succeeded by his son Joseph, who revived the peace process. The 2002 Sun City Agreement led to the creation of a transitional government in 2003 and a formal end to the war.
A new constitution was officially promulgated in 2006. Presidential and legislative elections—the first multiparty polls since independence—followed later that year. Despite daunting logistical challenges, the elections were largely peaceful and drew a turnout of over 70 percent. Kabila's People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD) gained a plurality of seats in the National Assembly, the lower house. In a field of 33 presidential candidates, Kabila won approximately 45 percent of the first-round vote, and went on to defeat MLC leader and transitional vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba in the runoff.
Following the elections, two broad alliances emerged in the 500-seat National Assembly: the Alliance of the Presidential Majority (AMP), comprising 332 seats, and the opposition Union for the Nation (UpN), comprising 116 seats. Eleven provincial assemblies voted in the January 2007 Senate elections, granting the AMP 58 seats and the UpN 21. In March 2007, fighting broke out in Kinshasa between the authorities and Bemba loyalists.
In January 2008, a peace agreement was signed between the government and 22 armed groups operating in the east. Notably, the agreement did not include the Rwandan government or the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), an ethnic Hutu–dominated militia led by perpetrators of the 1994 Rwandan genocide who had fled to the DRC. Fighting broke out in August 2008 between government troops and the ethnic Tutsi rebel leader Laurent Nkunda's National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP), which allegedly received backing from Rwanda. The clashes resulted in further civilian displacement and an increase in human rights abuses.
In late 2008, the DRC and Rwanda signed an agreement to begin a joint military operation against the FDLR and negotiations with the CNDP. The early 2009 operation coincided with the surprise arrest of Nkunda in Rwanda in January and a settlement with the CNDP in March. The settlement transformed the CNDP into a political party and integrated the leadership into the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC). It also included an amnesty for acts of war committed by members of the CNDP. Parliament ultimately expanded the amnesty to cover acts of war and insurrection committed by all armed groups operating in North Kivu and South Kivu between June 2003 and May 2009. In March 2009, Congolese and UN forces began a new military operation against the FDLR. Separately, the FARDC embarked on a joint military operation with Uganda from December 2008 to March 2009 to pursue the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), a Ugandan rebel group operating in northeastern Congo.
In 2011, FDLR attacks on civilians reportedly increased in some areas, particularly in parts of the Kivus from which the FARDC had withdrawn. LRA incursions into the DRC continued throughout 2010 and 2011, and the DRC joined forces with the Central African Republic, Sudan, and Uganda to pursue the militants. In March 2011, the United Nations reported an increase in LRA violence against civilians in northeastern Congo. In addition, mass rapes continued to be carried out by all parties involved in the conflicts in eastern Congo in 2011. Although impunity for perpetrators of rape remains a major challenge, in February a military court sentenced Lieutenant Colonel Kibibi Mutware of the FARDC to 20 years in jail, and 8 men under his command to between 10 and 20 years, for mass rape and crimes against humanity in connection with an attack on the village of Fizi on New Year's Day.
The impact of years of fighting on civilians has been catastrophic. A mortality survey released by the International Rescue Committee in 2008 reported that 5.4 million people had died since 1998 as a result of conflict and humanitarian crises. In 2010, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights issued a report that detailed over 600 of the most serious violations of human rights and humanitarian law that occurred between 1993 and 2003 in the DRC by armed forces and nonstate groups, both foreign and Congolese. In response, the DRC government initiated draft legislation in November 2010 to create a special court to prosecute serious crimes, but the court had yet to be established as of the end of 2011.
In advance of the November 2011 presidential and National Assembly elections, a number of changes to the electoral law were enacted. Most prominently, in January the government amended the law to eliminate the requirement for second-round presidential elections when no candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote in the first round, despite protests from the opposition. The amendment was seen by opposition parties as an intentional manipulation meant to secure Kabila's reelection.
Opposition politicians and their supporters faced violence and harassment by police in the run-up to the November elections. Police used tear gas, beat protesters with clubs, and fired live rounds into the air to break up a series of demonstrations in September and October by supporters of opposition Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) leader Tshisekedi, who had emerged as Kabila's main presidential challenger. Twelve people were killed and 41 others were injured on November 26 when security forces fired into the air and into crowds that had gathered to welcome the two presidential candidates at Kinshasa's N'djili Airport. While the November 28 elections were conducted peacefully in most of the country, a number of violent incidents occurred, such as the burning down of at least 12 polling stations by angry protesters, and the reported killing of eight people by masked gunmen who fired on polling stations in Katanga and Lubumbashi.
On December 9, the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) announced that Kabila had won with 49 percent of the vote, and Tshisekedi placed second with 32 percent. The U.S.-based Carter Center monitoring group reported that due to insufficient preparation and widespread irregularities throughout the process—including incomplete voter lists, lack of voting materials, missing results from some 3,500 polling stations, and impossibly large voter turnouts in some districts—the presidential election results were not credible. The vote was also criticized by the European Union, the Catholic Church, and the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC. Nevertheless, the Supreme Court confirmed the results on December 16, and Kabila was sworn in four days later.
Elections for the National Assembly were also held on November 28 and suffered from the same problems. Due to complaints of irregularities, CENI temporarily suspended tabulation of the results on December 21. It began to incrementally publish partial results on December 28, but did not release final results by year's end.
The DRC was ranked lowest in the world on the UN Development Programme's 2011 Human Development Index, as it continued to suffer from instability and the effects of war, economic crisis, and the challenge of strengthening political and social institutions and ensuring their accountability.
The DRC is not an electoral democracy. International observers noted that both the 2006 and 2011 elections lacked credibility and transparency, and were marred by fraud, voting irregularities, voter intimidation, and violence. The legitimacy of CENI, established in 2010 to replace a transitional body, has been called into question. Four of its seven members are appointed by the presidential coalition, and it does not include members of civil society, as its predecessor did. The 2011 elections were seen as even less credible than those in 2006 due to a lack of preparation, changes in the structure and function of the electoral commission, absence of a comparable level of international logistical support, and lack of adequate accountability and follow through on reported irregularities. In July 2011, CENI completed a program, begun in 2010, of reregistering all voters. However, the process was criticized as flawed by observers. On October 22, the UDPS, which had been staging weekly demonstrations in front of CENI headquarters to demand transparency of the electoral process, met with CENI and agreed on terms for an audit of the electoral register.
Under the 2006 constitution, the president is elected for up to two five-year terms. The president nominates a prime minister from the leading party or coalition in the 500-seat National Assembly, the lower house of the bicameral legislature, whose members are popularly elected to serve five-year terms. The provincial assemblies elect the upper house, the 108-seat Senate, as well as the provincial governors, for five-year terms. There were 428 political parties registered to participate in the 2011 elections. In March, Kabila's coalition, the AMP, restructured itself into the Presidential Majority (PM), which requires coalition members to have national representation, ensuring that the PPRD will remain in the majority within the coalition. Other major parties include the opposition UDPS and MLC.
The fight against corruption continues to be a challenge for the DRC. A presidential ban on artisanal mining that had been declared in September 2010 to stem the flow of mining revenues to armed groups was lifted in March 2011 when it became clear that it was not helping to curb violence in the east and was in fact making life harder for miners. In an effort to increase transparency, the government announced in May that it would make all contracts involving mineral, oil, timber, and gas concessions public within 60 days of signing them. In September, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) demanded that two state-owned mining companies explain unannounced asset sales at prices below their market value, as required under the country's IMF loan terms. The country was ranked 178 out of 183 countries in the World Bank's 2011 Doing Business survey, and 168 out of 183 countries surveyed in Transparency International's 2011 Corruption Perceptions Index.
Although guaranteed by the constitution, freedoms of speech and expression are limited. Members of the state security apparatus threaten, detain, and attack journalists whose reporting was critical of government officials. In April 2011, radio host Samy Mbeto was detained on charges of "insulting the authorities" and "defaming politicians." He was released on bail three days later, but ordered not to leave Kasai-Occidental province and to report to prosecutors twice a week. Nonstate armed groups have also targeted journalists. In June, a radio host was shot dead near his home in North Kivu. According to UNESCO, he had recently reported on the activities of armed gangs in Kirumba. As elections drew closer, there was an increase in violence against journalists. Radio is the dominant medium in the country due to low literacy rates and limited access to other media. The nongovernmental Centre Résolution Conflits, which works to assist ex-combatants with disarmament and resettlement, runs more than 70 community radio stations that reach even isolated areas. The government does not monitor online communications or restrict access to the internet, but internet use is limited by lack of infrastructure.
Freedom of religion is guaranteed by the constitution and generally respected in practice. Although religious groups must register with the government in order to be recognized, unregistered groups operate unhindered. Unlike in 2010, there were no reported incidents of religious discrimination in 2011. Academic freedom is restricted by fears of government harassment, which often lead university professors to engage in self-censorship.
The rights to freedom of assembly and association are sometimes limited in practice, and often dangerous to exercise if they involve a political agenda, but the country nevertheless has a vibrant civil society. Groups holding public events must register with local authorities in advance. Nongovernmental organizations are able to operate, but they face pressure from the government and nonstate actors if they offend powerful interests. In June 2011, four national police officers were sentenced to death and one to life in prison for the June 2010 murder of prominent human rights activist Floribert Chebeya Bahizire. However, the head of the national police, John Numbi—who was suspended in June 2010 and was widely suspected of involvement in the murder—had not been charged at year's end.
Under the constitution, Congolese who fulfill a residency requirement of 20 years can form and join trade unions. It is against the law for employers to retaliate against strikers. However, a trend has continued in 2011 in which state authorities and employers encourage the excess proliferation of trade unions, including sham unions, in order to weaken the trade union movement as a whole. Some labor leaders and activists face harassment. In April 2011, the Teachers' Association of the University of Kinshasa ended a 12-day strike after the government agreed to its demands, including academic bonus arrears. In response to a student protest that same month, in which two people were killed, the Teachers' Association sided with the students and deplored the lack of transparency in the determination of academic fees.
Despite constitutional guarantees of independence, the judiciary remains subject to corruption and manipulation, and the court system lacks both trained personnel and resources. Prison conditions are abysmal and life-threatening, and long periods of pretrial detention are common. While there are notable exceptions, most government and government-allied forces still enjoy apparent impunity for even the most heinous crimes, and there is little justice for civilian victims of violence and sexual violence.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) continues to pursue cases in the DRC, including those against rebel leaders Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui, Thomas Lubanga, and Germain Katanga, all of whom were on trial at year's end, as well as MLC leader Jean-Pierre Bemba, who was transferred to the ICC in 2008 and remains behind bars. The ICC issued a warrant in 2008 for the arrest of Bosco Ntaganda, but he continued to live openly in Goma as a general in the FARDC in 2011.
Civilian authorities do not maintain effective control of the security forces. Soldiers and police regularly commit serious human rights abuses, including rape. Low pay and inadequate provisions commonly lead soldiers to seize goods from civilians, and demobilized combatants have not been successfully integrated into the civilian economy. Since 2009, Kabila has been overseeing the tenuous process of integrating half of the 330,000 fighters of various militias into the FARDC. However, this process has been problematic, as some former rebels who are now officials in the FARDC are also wanted for serious crimes committed during the war.
Ethnic discrimination continues to be a major problem, particularly against the Mbuti of Ituri and the Congolese Banyamulenge Tutsi of South Kivu. In October 2011, five Banyamulenge aid workers and two other Banyamulenge civilians were killed in an ambush in Fizi, South Kivu, by Mai Mai Yakutumba and allied rebels of Burundi's National Liberation Front. It is widely believed that the seven were targeted based on their ethnicity, as other members of the group in the vehicle who were not Tutsi were released.
Although the law provides for freedom of movement, security forces seeking bribes or travel permits restrict this right in practice, and foreigners must regularly submit to immigration controls when traveling internally. In conflict zones, various armed groups and soldiers have seized private property and destroyed homes, as well as stolen crops and livestock, devastating people's livelihoods. The United Nations reported in June that 1.7 million people remain internally displaced.
Despite constitutional guarantees, women face discrimination in nearly every aspect of their lives, especially in rural areas. Violence against women and girls, including sexual and gender-based violence, has soared since fighting began in 1994, though sex crimes often affect men and boys as well. Mass rapes continued in 2011, and convictions remain rare. Abortion is prohibited, women's access to contraception is extremely low, and maternal mortality is a serious problem. Women are also greatly underrepresented in government, comprising only 10 percent of the National Assembly.
According to the U.S. State Department's 2011 Trafficking in Persons Report, the DRC is both a source and destination country for the trafficking of men, women, and children for the purposes of labor and sexual exploitation. In September, the DRC government signed an accord with Benin to combat child trafficking between the two countries.