Ferret = animal (Animal = wild creature)

If we talking about animals, of course it's all about wild - about instinct. Owners of any kind of pets should know the risks before decide to take care animal as pet. 

Still couldn't believe for what happened with the children whose got bitten by Ferret, as parents we supposed to be wise and never leave our kids alone with animals ever (even with fishes in the aquarium).  

It is ALWAYS be our fault  + our stupidity when  it comes to animals because the animals are belong into the wilderness - not inside the house, that's the fact. -N.G-

First Posted: 06/16/11 02:53 PM ET Updated: 06/16/11 02:53 PM ET 

The parents of a 4-month-old Missouri boy who lost seven fingers during a pet ferret attack have been charged with first-degree child endangerment for the January incident.

Ryan Waldo, 33, and his wife, Carrie Waldo, 25, told investigators in Grain Valley that they awoke hearing the screams of their child, who was left with just his thumbs and a pinky following the attack.

Ryan claimed he picked up the pet ferret -- which was a Christmas present to his older children -- and hurled it against the dishwasher, killing it. The couple also said the ferret had never bitten anyone before.

But prosecutors claim they have evidence that the ferret had already bitten the infant twice, CBS3 reports.

Before the incident, the couple's landlord had reportedly helped them get in touch with a ferret rescue group due to animal's tendency to bite. 

However the family decided to keep the ferret in the home, according to a text message sent from the boy's mother to the ferret rescue group that was obtained by the station.

"Kids voting no right now but it probably won't be long before he nips baby again and they get over it," Carrie allegedly wrote. "Not sure if we wanna get rid of him yet. The kids r cryin bout it so we'll let u know."

Based on cellphone records, investigators believe the parents might have left the kids home alone while the attack occurred.

The couple surrendered on the felony charge on Wednesday, The Kansas City Star reports. They were released on bond, but ordered to stay away from their children, who are now in a grandparent's custody.

Source : weirdnews.aol.com

FACTS ABOUT FERRET (info taken from many sources)

Bob Church said in www.ferretcentral.org : What evidence is there that ferrets are carnivores? I have read authoritative accounts indicating ferrets should be fed "sops" (milk and bread) or cooked cereals, and they survived. But it is not an optimum diet, nor does it promise the healthiest and best possible life for the animal. Additionally, starving animals will consume just about anything to survive. Under these circumstances, many people would claim the ferret was an omnivore, but that would be incorrect. Ferrets are strict carnivores; that is, they are biologically adapted to eat [only] meat. 

Ferret's skull is long and flat for several reasons. First, it makes for a powerful biting force, proportionately one of the strongest in mammals, which is very useful in killing animals near your size having teeth that can bite through a pencil (hey, imagine a giant beaver snapping at your nose, with incisors as thick as your middle finger).

Arm bones: The ferret clavicle is a tiny little ossification in the muscle where the clavicle should be, and is not always found, but the scapula, humerus, radis, and ulna are about the same as ours. Their elbow has an extension on the end of it to make their arms very strong for digging. The wrist bones (carpals), the hand bones (metacarpals), and the finger bones (phalanges) are almost the same, except for the 3rd phalanx which has a claw-like process on the end to support the nail. As far as I know, all members of the mustelid family have all five digits front and back. Ferrets have more carpal-metacarpal sesamoids than we usually do, which are tiny bones within the tendons where they pass over joints. Most of us have 1 or 2 of them at our thumbs, but ferrets generally have 2 for every digit. Oh, the thumb has 2 phalanges and the fingers have 3 for both humans and ferrets. The thumb in the ferret is like a finger. Just imagine what a ferret could do with a human thumb.

From www.knowswhy.com : Why are ferrets illegal in California?

In 1933, importation and possession of domestic ferrets, as well as wild animals, was restricted in California. The California Department of Fish and Game, on March 25th 1994, expressed its views regarding the ferrets as:

1. Ferrets may bite or scratch children, as well as adults.

2. Ferrets also carry rabies, and there is no proper vaccine against the rabies which attacks it.

3. Ferrets can also threaten native wildlife. 

Ferrets are considered to be illegal as they may breed in the wild, and pose a threat to agriculture and native species. Ferrets are also believed to be roaming and killing more chicken than that are necessary for its consumption. It is also believed that ferrets are a threat to birds, amphibians and reptiles. Wildlife that are considered to be at risk of extinction due to ferrets are burrowing owls, California ground squirrels and mountain beavers.

Kenneth W. Umbach, Ph.D. for www.library.ca.gov  May 30, 1997 : Ferrets are permitted as pets in all states of the continental U.S. except California, and some observers estimate that there are from 100,000 to 500,000 domestic ferrets kept as pets in California despite the prohibition. A Michigan official noted that Michigan went from zero ferrets (officially, as they were prohibited) to 200,000 overnight when they were legalized a few years ago, and “they did not all just come in over the state line that day.”

Rabies vaccination should be required for domestic ferrets, just as it is for domestic cats and dogs. Ferrets sold at or after 12 weeks of age should be vaccinated before sale. For those sold at the typical 6 to 7 weeks, it is vital that owners be advised of the requirement to have the animals vaccinated at 12 weeks.

CASES

1998 February 22 : Police say ferret bit baby at least 50 times; parents charged  
By AP (Cleveland) via Globe News. 
A 5-week-old girl was in stable condition after being bitten at least 50 times by a pet ferret, and police charged her parents with felony child endangering. 

Samantha M. Grabski was bitten on the face and chest while she lay between her parents, who had fallen asleep after drinking beer late Wednesday, police said. She required about 100 stitches and was in stable condition Sunday at MetroHealth Medical Center.Her mother, Olga Torres, told officers she did not know the baby had been attacked until she woke up Thursday morning. 

Torres, 21, and John B. Grabski, 22, were in custody Sunday pending a bail hearing scheduled for Monday.

Police Sgt. Mark Hastings said prosecutors filed felony charges against Grabski and Torres because the injuries were related to their use of alcohol. 

Four other children, all under age 7, were placed with relatives, Hastings said. The ferret was taken to the city kennel for rabies tests.© Copyright 1998 Globe Newspaper Company

2000 June 28 : Pet ferrets inflicted 10-day-old girl more than 100 scratches  
By Meg Jones Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 

A 10-day-old girl lying in her crib was attacked by two pet ferrets that may have been attracted by milk on the child's breath, Eau Claire police said Wednesday.

 

The ferrets inflicted more than 100 scratches, gashes and bite marks on the baby's face before the family dog jumped in to save the infant, who is expected to recover completely, police said. Please read for more in http://www.igorilla.com/gorilla/animal/2000/ferret_attacks_baby.html

Judy Vowell, shelter director for Ferret Fanciers of Greater Milwaukee said : "It's not an attack animal. It reacts out of instinct but not a destructive instinct," Vowell said. "It was probably after the milk and unknown scents. This was probably a new scent for the ferret, as well - a new baby in the house."

Just remind : No matter how cute and how hard you train your animal, they still and always stayed as animals ;-)

2011 June 8-19 "Sydney Film Festival"

Dendy Awards For Australian Short Films

Sydney Film Festival's first Australian short film awards were presented in 1970, and the festival has been showcasing the best local short film productions in competition ever since.

The awards presented to Dendy competition films are the Dendy Live Action Short Award, the Yoram Gross Animation Award and the Rouben Mamoulian Award for Best Director.

Official Competition

Twelve features are selected for Official Competition, SFF's flagship program, on the basis that they demonstrate `emotional power and resonance; are audacious, cutting-edge, courageous; and go beyond the usual treatment of the subject matter'.

Short Films

The festival's line-up of short films, which screen before features throughout the festival, are often funny, frequently lewd, sometimes shocking and often heartbreaking. It's lot to pack into a few minutes, so arrive early - these cinematic appetisers deserve your full viewing attention.

Sounds On Screen

Music and film are inseparable dance partners, and films about music make for some of the most compelling cinema created. Feel the big screen rocking, grooving, or growling the blues with this medley of movies that will set your toes tapping and make your heart sing.

Source : www.sff.org.au

2011 June 15-19 "Gardeners World Live" The Royal Horticultural Society

Live demonstrations from all favourites gardening experts including Monty Don and Alan Titchmarsh , beautiful and inspirational Show Gardens, unbeatable plants in the RHS Floral Marquee sponsored by Renault and great shopping too!
15 - 19 June 2011
NEC Birbingham 
Tickets book online here or call our ticket hotline on 0844 581 1340.
Source : www.bbcgardenersworldlive.com

Sovereignty for Iraq & World Peace Plan Proposal

 #WorldPeace #Tolerance #Iraq #SaudiArabia #Kuwait #Congo #SouthKorea #NorthKorea #Cyprus #Lebanon #UN #ProposalPlan #SaddamHussein #Bush #US Economy

(taken from www.oneworldgov.org/iraq)

We are making it possible for the governments of the world to stop wasting money on war, and using the money instead to make their own country prosper. 

Step by step, we are introducing a plan to enable the war in Iraq to end, one that will carry Iraq all the way forward to its sovereignty. Because the war did not stand on the intent of the U.N. Charter to prevent invasions and occupations, the United States is responsible for rebuilding Iraq, but with the present global economic crisis, stabilizing the region and then rebuilding Iraq would bankrupt the United States. Our plan enables everyone to function on a higher level, including the surrounding nations in the Middle East and the Coalition countries.

The people who have been killed, injured and traumatized do not have to have suffered in vain. Out of the crisis have been planted the seeds for world peace, and they are growing.

Your voice is important to the process. Please be sure to read our proposal to Iraq, and answer our survey. (This proposal is the original offered to Saddam Hussein, through the Iraqi embassy in Washington, DC, prior to the war, but there was no time to stop the conflict. An amended version was re-submitted after the death of Saddam Hussein. It was much more detailed, and was sent to all the ambassadors in Washington, DC. It calls for mediation between the highest ranking lieutenant of the Baath Party under Saddam Hussein and President George W. Bush to end the conflict. The mediation sets the stage for the creation of a legitimate international court system to ends disputes between nations.

Here is the link of The World Peace Plan Proposal

June 19, 2011 "UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center Hosts Survivor Beach"

#Event #Cancer #Donation #SurvivorBeach #Surfers #SanDiego #UC - UniversityOfCalifornia

For the fifth year, survivors, surfers and friends will attempt to form record-breaking line of surfboards, showing support for cancer survivors and research at UC San Diego

More than 250 lined up last year in the support of a cure for cancer at Survivor Beach.

June 10, 2011 By Jade Griffin

Hundreds of surfers, cancer survivors and friends will gather together, with surfboards in hand, on La Jolla Shores Sunday, June 19 for an annual San Diego tradition: Survivor Beach. Attendees will place surfboards along the edge of the shore, nose-to-tail, from Scripps Pier down La Jolla Shores, with the goal of forming a record-breaking line of several hundred surfboards. Now in its fifth year, Survivor Beach provides a stunning visual demonstration of the UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center’s commitment to finding a cure for cancer and supporting those who have fought the devastating disease. 

Sponsored by biotechnology company Genentech, Survivor Beach is free and open to the public. This one-of-a-kind event will take place from 8-10 a.m. and is a precursor to the 18th annual Luau and Longboard Invitational, which is slated for August 21. The goal of both events is to raise awareness and critical funds for research, patient care, and outreach and educational programs at the UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, the region’s only Comprehensive Cancer Center, designated by the National Cancer Center Institute. 

Cancer remains the second leading cause of death in the United States, and it is estimated that one in three people will fight cancer at some point in their lives.

“Survivor Beach is a dynamic illustration of the breadth and depth of San Diego’s support for the quest to find a cure for cancer,” said Dennis Carson, MD, director of the UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center. “Thanks to the backing of our local community and friends, we are able to make incredible scientific breakthroughs which have real impact in the battle against cancer. Each day, we come closer to conquering this disease.” 

At last year’s event, more than 250 people joined forces to create a surfboard line of more than 1,425 feet or almost five football fields. This year organizers of Survivor Beach hope to top that length. 

Terry Ash is co-chairing this year’s Survivor Beach. As one of the original founders of the annual Luau and Longboard Invitational fundraiser and a past member of the UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center Board of Directors, Ash is a passionate advocate for the research and care provided by the Cancer Center. But it wasn’t until two and a half years ago when Ash was diagnosed with head and neck cancer that the cause became truly personal. 

Since that time, he has undergone 100 treatments including radiation, chemotherapy and surgery. Ash remains optimistic and hopes to share his positive outlook with those who may need it on June 19.

“Survivor Beach can encourage existing patients that they can beat this,” said Ash. “I hope we can reach out to the survivors, as well as the people who are equally touched and have sacrificed so much: the caregivers. In many ways, family members are true survivors, too.”

Jessica Yingling, co-chair and founder of Survivor Beach agrees: “This is a tangible way that individuals can show their support in the quest for a cancer cure and pay tribute to those who have battled the disease.”

She continued: “Private donations and financial support from the community are key for the Cancer Center to continue to pursue groundbreaking research and innovative programs for our fight against cancer.” 

The person to bring the most surfboards for the line-up will receive a special prize. In addition to the spectacular surfboard display, local musician Christopher Dale will entertain the crowd with live music and Heali’I’s Polynesian Revue will perform authentic dances. Survivor Beach participants will receive commemorative souvenirs and have a chance to win a pair of tickets to the annual UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center Luau and Longboard Invitational, which will take place Sunday, August 21.

Celebrating 18 years of surfing for a cure, the Luau and Longboard Invitational has raised more than $5 million to fund groundbreaking cancer research at the UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center.  For more information about sponsorship opportunities, team entries and tickets for the Luau and Longboard Invitational, contact the UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center at (858) 534-6797 or visit www.longboardluau.org. 

Survivor Beach registration starts at 8 a.m. on June 19 on the beach by Scripps Pier.  

For more information and directions, please visit www.longboardluau.org/survivorbeach.html.

Media Contact:
Jade Griffin, 858-822-5309, or jadegriffin@ucsd.edu
Laura Margoni, 858-822-2485, or lmargoni@ucsd.edu

Source : www.ucsdnews.ucsd.edu

Wirjawan Says Indonesia's Fiscal Health (another 'non-crucial priority' issue)

I don't think Indonesian citizens really could buy what Gita Wirjawan said : "country's fiscal health and government's efforts to reduce corruption".. (like it could lower credit rating when it comes to Public Finance *coughing) and how local governments are benefiting from using Fiscal Health diagnostic *coughing again. How it could reduce the corruption then? How about it's another way to create corruption while using Indonesian citizen's money? We are talking about prioritization budgeting here, unless the government take responsibility by in charge to cover up the whole expenses. 

As PBB Center mentions : The process also (supposed to) brings together government finance officers, civic leaders, and community citizens to make decisions that better align the community's resources with what the community and its leaders value the most. Accomplish this and you've attained Fiscal Health and Wellness©. 

* I'm not sure how this 'could work' in Indonesia? ; but if this 'non-crucial priority' issue being progress, may the government leaders 'allow' community citizens to get involve.  

Anyway either we're talking about non profit organization or profitable one, whatever government says about 'for the sake of Indonesia' is I really don't buy it. 

-N.G- 

June 13 (Bloomberg) -- Gita Wirjawan, chairman of Indonesia's Investment Coordinating Board, talks about the country's fiscal health and government's efforts to reduce corruption. Wirjawan speaks from Jakarta with Susan Li on Bloomberg Television's "First Up."  
(Source: Bloomberg via www.washingtonpost.com)

Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear

Fukushima I and II Nuclear Accidents Overview Map showing evacuation and other zone progression and selected radiation levels.

Click image for larger view. Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Fukushima_accidents_overview_map.svg

*  *  *

Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster

Satellite image on 16 March of the four damaged reactor buildings
Date	11 March 2011 (2011-03-11)–ongoing
Time	14:46 JST (05:46 UTC)
Location	Ōkuma, Fukushima, Japan
Coordinates	37°25′17″N 141°1′57″E / 37.42139°N 141.0325°E / 37.42139; 141.0325
Outcome	INES Level 7 (ratings by Japanese authorities as of 11 April)[1][2]
Reported injuries	37 with physical injuries,[3] 2 workers taken to hospital for radiation exposure[4]
Reported death(s)	1 (heart attack)[5]
Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Japan_Nuclear_power_plants_map.gif

Lovely Chinook CH-47

Photo by US Defense Gov

When some people being in love with Сухой (Sukhoi superjet) or Boeing Aircraft, ever since I was 9-years-old as I remember I've had already laid my eyes to two engines humanitarian airlift Chinook only. 

Chinook recently used in missions of Operation Odyssey Dawn in Libya to the Osama bin Laden raid in Pakistan. And three CH-47 Chinooks were used to cool Reactors 3 and 4 of the Fukushima Nuclear power-plant with sea water after the 9.0 earthquake in 2011.

Orthographically projected diagram of Boeing Vertol CH-47 Chinook (US Defense Gov) from https://airdefense.bliss.army.mil

The Chinook is a multi-mission, tandem heavy-lift transport helicopter. Its primary mission is to move troops, artillery, ammunition, fuel, water, barrier materials, supplies and equipment on the battlefield. Its secondary missions include medical evacuation, disaster relief, search and rescue, aircraft recovery, fire fighting, parachute drops, heavy construction and civil development. 

Chinook helicopters were introduced in 1962 as the CH-47 Chinook, and models A, B and C were deployed in Vietnam. As the product of a modernization program, which included refurbishing existing CH-47s, the first CH-47Ds were delivered in 1982 and were produced until 1994. A central element in the Gulf War, they continue to be the standard for the U.S. Army in the global campaign against terrorism. Since its introduction 1,179 Chinooks have been built. 

For more information, read the CH-47D, CH-47F and MH-47G (PDF) overviews. 

The CH-47F technology improvements form the foundation for more than 30 new MH-47G Special Operations Chinooks. This aircraft is required to complete long-range covert missions over a 300-nm radius, at low level, day or night, in adverse weather, over any terrain. The MH-47G has a fully integrated digital Common Avionics Architecture System (CAAS), which permits global communications and navigation. CAAS is among the most advanced U.S Army helicopter systems, which includes forward-looking infrared (FLIR) and multimode radar for nap-of-earth and low-level flight operations in poor visibility and adverse weather. 

On June 6th 2011: Article of TIME "The Boeing MH-47G Chinook has a Fast Rope Insertion Extraction System (FRIES) for insertion of personnel and equipment, and a trio of machine guns. The Chinook has a crew of three and carries around 30 troops. And, on May 2, 2011, one ferried the body of Osama bin Laden out of Pakistan for the last time."

Source : www.boeing.com , www.wikipedia.org , www.defense.gov, www.time.com

"Hackers Movement" (The Power Of Civilians?)

"Experience is a wonderful thing, it enables u to recognize a mistake when u make it again", that's an important message in sarcasm that Hackers actually delivered to Sony and also reminding the civilians in such alert - to open our eyes to be more careful when it comes to protect our own selves in many ways. 

Beside Alien, Ghost, Dark lords, The Bullying, The Poor, etc, there are also many nations in this Universe that people don't realized they're existence because they've been out of our sights. One of them is UNH (United Nation of Hackers).  What I want to share here is a simple info about hackers; as one of world's asset stands for the future (..before we get emotional - please look from many sides) and ask our self why? why hackers doing this - this - and this?.  

 

Back in 2001 i was part of UNH together with bunch of my friends in Jakarta, I was 25-years-old  as young naughty lady who fall 'in love' with the internet tech, at that time I just wanted to 'teaches' some people 'lessons' (included my Netherlander ex boy friend who happened to be an expert IT consultant from one of top IT company while his billionaire step mom's the owner of Europe big internet company), it's ironic.

In this world; hackers is like a rebellious kid within family, the special kid who needs attention from the parents because they're one of the kinds. They have superiority complex with lots of energy, they eager to learn more and more as becoming experts, they want to help community ; stand up for something ; having desire to change things ; make things better ; honest ; and they're determined to SHARES (that's why they've created enemies for them selves).

.

Hackers supposed to be positive, if hackers stayed in negative vibrations and caused very serious damaged then it's called the Crackers.

As a matter of fact hackers is already becoming as one of our social controller elements. 

So, I really expect from the hackers of 2011 and hope that they could 'leads' the government's miss managed and the capitalist to become the honestly humility humans.  Let's open our eyes-heart-mind and once again ask our selves "why?". 

What happened address to Sony wasn't just reminding but also proving that civilians are stronger than 'who aren't being called civilians' someway somehow. 

*Hope they're real hackers, not just a bunch of people who hired by any government in order to created cheap sensations. Peace out. -N.G-

 *  *  *

Here some Vision notes from the hackers community that I've read from www.whyweprotest.net

"Technological developments herald an era in which reason and compassion truly can cross national borders, transcend imaginary boundaries of religious and political orientation, and bridge generational gaps. This potentially powerful expansion of goodwill and information-sharing challenges current social and political structures and thus presents a likely target for powerful entities whose interests rely on the status quo. It may be only a matter of time before the information shared via social media is by default compromised and censored".

Greetings folks. We're LulzSec, and welcome to Sownage. Enclosed you will
find various collections of data stolen from internal Sony networks and websites, all of which we accessed easily and without the need for outside support or money. We recently broke into SonyPictures.com and compromised over 1,000,000 users' personal information, including passwords, email addresses, home addresses, dates of birth, and all Sony opt-in data associated with their accounts. Among other things, we also compromised all admin details of Sony Pictures (including passwords) along with 75,000 "music codes" and 3.5 million "music coupons". Due to a lack of resource on our part (The Lulz Boat needs additional funding!) we were unable to fully copy all of this information, however we have samples for you in our files to prove its authenticity. In theory we could have taken every last bit of information, but it would have taken several more weeks. Our goal here is not to come across as master hackers, hence what we're about to reveal: SonyPictures.com was owned by a very simple SQL injection, one of the most primitive and common vulnerabilities, as we should all know by now. From a single injection, we accessed EVERYTHING. Why do you put such faith in a company that allows itself to become open to these simple attacks? What's worse is that every bit of data we took wasn't encrypted. Sony stored over 1,000,000 passwords of its customers in plaintext, which means it's just a matter of taking it. This is disgraceful and insecure: they were asking for it. This is an embarrassment to Sony; the SQLi link is provided in our file contents, and we invite anyone with the balls to check for themselves that what we say is true. You may even want to plunder those 3.5 million coupons while you can. Included in our collection are databases from Sony BMG Belgium & Netherlands. These also contain varied assortments of Sony user and staffer information.
Follow our sexy asses on twitter to hear about our upcoming website. Ciao! ^_^

 Source : www.whyweprotest.net

Barbie, Legos, other toys linked to destruction of Indonesia's rainforests

By Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com
June 07, 2011

#IllegalLogging #Barbie #Toys #RainForest #Environment

Packaging used for Barbie, Legos, and other toys linked to destruction of Indonesia's rain forests

Forest clearing in the Bukit Tigapuluh Forest Landscape in central Sumatra

Some of the world's largest and most prominent toy-makers are sourcing their packaging materials from companies linked to large-scale destruction of Indonesia's rainforests, alleges a new report from Greenpeace.

The report, How APP is Toying with Extinction [PDF], is based on forensic analysis of toy packaging from Mattel, which manufacturers Barbie and Hot Wheels toys; Disney, which makes a variety of toys linked to its movies; Hasbro, which produces GI Joe, Star Wars, and Sesame Street toys and various games like Monopoly and Scrabble; and Lego, which makes the iconic plastic building blocks. The analysis found traces of mixed-tropical hardwood (MTH) and acacia fiber which are principally sourced from Asia Pulp & Paper (APP), an umbrella paper products brand that sources from several companies that have been linked to rainforest destruction in Sumatra. Despite widespread criticism from green groups and defections of major customers, APP continues to source from rainforests that are home to critically-endangered Sumatran tigers and elephants. According to WWF-Indonesia, APP's subsidiaries control hundreds of thousands of hectares of rainforests in Riau and Jambi provinces in Sumatra. The concessions include extensive areas of carbon-dense peatlands, which when converted to plantations, release large amounts of carbon dioxide.

To publicize the report, Greenpeace activists, dressed in tuxedos to depict Barbie's boyfriend Ken, climbed Mattel's Los Angeles headquarters with a giant banner stating: "Barbie: It's Over. I Don't Date Girls That Are Into Deforestation."

Mattel expressed disappointment over the action.

"Over the past months we have been in communication with Greenpeace on a variety of paper-sourcing issues," Mattel said via a statement emailed to mongabay.com. "We are surprised and disappointed that they have taken this inflammatory approach, considering the open channels of communications we’ve established. We will continue to assess our paper sourcing and packaging improvements as we move forward."

A truck loaded with logs drives on a road in the middle of a Eucalyptus plantation. © Greenpeace / Daniel Beltra

Smoke from man made forest fires in the RAPP concession — a subsidiary of APRIL, another large pulp and paper producer in Indonesia — in Giam Siak Kecil area to clear land for palm oil plantations. © Greenpeace / John Novis.

Neither Disney nor Hasbro immediately return mongabay.com's request for comment.

Greenpeace's action comes just weeks after activists from the Rainforest Action Network (RAN) targeted Disney over its paper-sourcing policies for children's books. RAN said forensic analysis showed Disney was buying from APP.

Greenpeace said it started with toys because the sector is "a highly visible example of consumer brands that use a lot of glossy packaging." It notes that other industries also buy from APP.

"Key sectors for packaging include food, drinks, pharmaceuticals, home and personal care products and electrical goods," states the report. "APP presents a brand risk to companies within these sectors, linking them through their paper and packaging supply chains to the destruction of Indonesia's rainforests."

A network of tracks in a huge deforested area among pristine forest. © Greenpeace / Daniel Beltra

Eucalyptus plantations east of Pekanbaru. © Greenpeace / Daniel Beltra

"Unlike some progressive companies such as Unilever or Nestlé, top players in the toy sector seem oblivious to the risk to their brands through links to deforestation."

According to Greenpeace, over half APP's paper and packaging is produced in China, where it has mills. APP uses virgin fiber for high-quality packaging materials that are typically used for toys. In 2009 imported wood made up two-thirds of the fiber needed by APP China for pulp production.

In recent years APP has also expanded operations in Canada. Its affiliate, Paper Excellence, which like APP is also controlled by the Sinar Mas group of companies, has bought up seven mills in the past year in Canada and Europe.

Through expansion overseas, APP and Sinar Mas may hope to escape sanctions levied on it by the U.S. Department of Commerce, according to one analyst, who requested anonymity. APP has recently stepped up an aggressive public relations campaign to counter criticism over its environmental practices. It has released a number of sustainably reports and regularly runs full-page advertisements in publications like The Economist and The New York Times touting its environmental record. It has also contributed money some conservation projects in Sumatra, including a tiger "conservation" initiative, the Indonesian government's effort to protect the Javan rhino, and two reserves: Giam Kecil-Bukit Batu Reserve and the Bukit Tigapuluh. But these initiatives have received a tepid response from scientists, conservationists, and environmentalists, who note that APP still intends to destroy far more forest than it claims to help protect.

Map of APP's concessions in the Kerumutan Peat Swamp Forest
The 1.3 million hectare Kerumutan Peat Swamp Forest.

Click image to view map.

Advised by public relations firms like Cohn & Wolfe and Clark & Weinstock, APP has also employed more questionable methods, including supporting groups like World Growth International and the Tea Party-affiliated Consumer Alliance for Global Prosperity which have launched public attacks on companies that have dropped its products (Staples, Office Max, Office Depot) and environmental organizations that have raised concerns about its environmental conduct. These groups are now working to undermine the Lacey Act, the law that prohibits the import of timber and paper products sourced via illegal logging.

While APP subsidiaries have acquired concessions from the Ministry of Forestry in Indonesia, Greenpeace alleges that APP has illegally cleared peatlands in Sumatra. Furthermore three APP affiliates — PT Wirakarya Sakti, PT Rimba Hutani Mas, and PT Tebo Multi Agro — were named by the state audit agency as delinquent in paying timber royalties or fines to the Jambi forestry service.

Devastated rainforest and peatlands in Riau, Sumatra. © Greenpeace / Oka Budhi

In its report Greenpeace calls on toy-makers to dissociate themselves with illegal logging and destruction of Indonesia's rainforests and peatlands by implementing strong sourcing policies that would exclude fiber produced by APP until it cleans up its operations. Greenpeace notes that Golden Agri Resources, the palm oil division of Sinar Mas, has already moved to eliminate deforestation from its supply chain, while APP "remains stuck in a deforestation-dependent economic growth model."

Greenpeace says Western companies can help support Indonesia's shift to a low-carbon development pathway — a goal set by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono — through their procurement policies.

"Corporate consumers can drive low-carbon development by implementing policies to clean up their production and supply chains," states the report. "This rewards responsible producers, by not unfairly subsidizing environmentally irresponsible companies."

Greenpeace says that with the right market signals, Sinar Mas could be transformed.

"The Sinar Mas Group – Indonesia’s leading player in both the pulp and palm oil sectors – could drive low-carbon development by establishing industry best practice standards." 

Source : www.news.mongabay.com

PBS KIDS "Educational Games, Video & Activities For Kids"

#Kids #InteractiveGames #Education #NonCommercialSite #PreSchool

Letting children have fun by exploring the world with virtual adventure is one of PBS KIDS successful variety education - through games & video. PBS KIDS is a non-commercial websites and interactive games for kids for over 10 years. PBS KIDS also presenting the development programs show, such as Mornings on PBS KIDS and Build Literacy Skills with Super Why.  

Focusing in how to build children confidence through interactive games while supported by parents, teachers and community - no doubt PBS KIDS's patterns had proven that children abilities in reading, spelling and drawing skills are tremendously developing. 

So let's have fun! -N.G-

Please check out this link & find the attractiveness :  www.pbskids.org

June 20 to 25, 2011 - Ekaterinburg, Russia - 19th International Symposium on Nanostructures

#Event #Nanostructures #SolarCell #Energy #Physics

The annual International Symposium on Nanostructures is chaired by two Nobel Prize laureates — Professor Zh. Alferov and Professor L. Esaki, and traditionally organized by Ioffe Physical-Technical Institute of RAS and St Petersburg Academic University — Nanotechnology Research and Education Centre of the RAS (St Petersburg Academic University), which are pioneering in many directions of this impetuously developing area. The Symposium was launched in 1993 by its Co-Chairs. It was one of the first in the area, which has become one of the leading in the modern physics and technology. The forthcoming Symposium will be organized together with the Institute of Metal Physics of the Ural Branch of the RAS in Ekaterinburg. 

The 19th Symposium focuses on the newest achievements in physics, technology and applications of solid state and life nanostructures, and it aims at bringing together various scientific groups actively working in these very important directions. The Symposium scientific program will cover a wide spectrum of physical phenomena, both basic and applied, as well as the technological aspects related to nanostructures. 

The Symposium will be held from June 20 to June 25, 2011 in the picturesque outskirts of Ekaterinburg at the Lenevka sanatorium which is located in the heart of the Middle Urals, on the bank of Lenevskii Lake, 115 km from the city of Ekaterinburg, and 35 km from the city of Nizhny Tagil. The Opening plenary session will be held at the Institute of Metal Physics of the Ural Branch of the RAS in Ekaterinburg. 

Source : www.ioffe.ru

WHAT IS NANOSTRUCTURES?

Interest in nanotechnology is growing rapidly. Now it is possible to arrange atoms into structures that are only a few nanometers in size. A nanometer is about four atom diameters or 1 / 50 000 of a human hair. (Your fingernails grew about a nanometer while reading this.) A particularly attractive goal is the self-assembly of nanostructures, which produces large amounts of artificial materials with new properties. In order to connect nanostructures to the more familiar world of microstructures and microelectronics, one wants to to build up larger assemblies by guided self-assembly.

Some of these exotic nanostructures have made it already onto our desktops. Magnetic nanolayers exhibit the effect of "giant magnetoresistance" (GMR), which makes them currently the best material for reading heads of hard disks. Arrays of nanowires may play a crucial role in future computers: The main speed limitation will not be the switching time of a transistor, but the time that the signals travel along the wires (see J. Birnbaum and R. S. Williams, Physics Today, January 2000, p. 38).

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The picture below illustrates the potential of nano-devices for data storage. On the left are images of two familiar data storage media, the CD-ROM and the DVD. On the right is a self-assembled memory at a silicon surface that is formed by depositing a small amount of gold. It looks like a CD, except that the length scale is in nanometers, not micrometers. The corresponding storage density is a million times higher. The surface formats itself into atomically-perfect stripes (red) with extra atoms on top (white). These atoms are neatly lined up at well-defined sites along the stripes, but occupy only about half of them. It is possible to use the presence of an atom to store a 1, and the absence to store a 0. The ultimate goal would be to build a data storage medium that needs only a single atom per bit. The big question is how to write and read such bits efficiently.

Brief tutorial about nanostructures
Source : www.uw.physics.wisc.edu
Supported by NSF-DMR and DOE-BES.
Franz Himpsel's Home Page

MTV Movie Awards 2011 - Sunday. June 5th - Reese Is Already A Winner

 

From 'Legally Blonde' to 'Water For Elephants,' Reese Witherspoon receives the coveted MTV Generation Award at this year's Movie Awards for a career that knows no boundaries. 

Host Jason Sudeikis

Source :  www.mtv.com/ontv/movieawards/2011

The making of the Senna movie

#F1 #Ayrton Senna #Movie

Writer and executive producer of the new Senna film, Manish Pandey, had a vision to tell the true story behind the great Brazilian. Here, he explains the story behind the film and how he believes its success is good news for grand prix racing's popularity.

Formula 1 is a wonderful sport. It's life, it's death, it's politics, it's romance, it's bullshit, it's truth. It's just every big thing played out. But the worst thing you can do is to view F1 as just a bunch of coloured helmets and cars going round and round a track - because that's really not what it is. It's got so much depth; it's got so much life. But unfortunately death is also a part of Formula 1.

It's been 17 years now since the death of Ayrton Senna, but the film has put his life and career back in front of our eyes. It's been an incredible journey putting it together and seeing its success – having lived with it since its conception. But I must admit I can't take full credit for it.

Source : www.autosport.com

2010-2011 NBA Rookie Class: Top 5

By David Thorpe, Scouts Inc.

Season 2010-2011

1. Blake Griffin - LAC 
2. John Wall - WAS 
3. Greg Monroe - DET
4. Ed Davis - TOR
5. DeMarcus Cousins - SAC

Source : www.insider.espn.go.com

NBA DRAFT 2011 INFORMATION - June 23, 2011

• What: 2011 NBA draft
• When: June 23
• Where: Newark, N.J.
• Rounds: Two rounds.

 Source : www.espn.go.com

5 Things Credit Card Companies Don't Want You to Know

January 10, 2011
By: Beverly Blair Harzog

It's hard to believe, but sometimes credit card issuers don't have your best interests at heart. There are a few things, in particular, that would really help you save money on your credit cards. If you were aware of them, that is.

So here's a top five list of things you won't find out from your credit card company. Keep in mind that these "secrets" don't always work. Just think of them as new strategies for your credit card survival kit.

#1: You can negotiate your interest rate
You're never going to get a notice from your card issuer about an interest rate increase that's accompanied by: "We're raising your APR to 19.99 percent. Feel free to call and negotiate if you aren't happy with this new rate." But guess what? You have every right--and should, in fact--call and ask to have it lowered. If you've been late with payments or committed some other credit card faux pas, this might not work. But you won't know unless you make the call and state your case.

#2: You can ask for a different due date
Why consider this? Let's say your paycheck comes in the third week of the month, but your credit card bill is due the second week. To improve your cash flow, you can ask to move your due date to the third or fourth week of the month. You don't need stellar credit to make this call and ask for the change. But it's something not many consumers know they can do.

#3: You can ask for a higher credit limit
Proceed with caution. If you're planning to charge more merchandise if you get a higher limit, reconsider taking this step. But if your goal is to increase your credit score, then that's a good reason. Your utilization rate, which is the ratio of the amount of credit used to the total amount of credit that's available, will decrease if you get a higher credit limit on a card.

For instance, if you have a $200 balance on a card with a $500 limit, that's a 40 percent (200 ÷ 500) utilization ratio. If you get an increase to $1,000, your ratio goes down to 20 percent (200 ÷ 1,000). Lower is better, so that's a good move. But don't attempt this if you haven't been a squeaky clean customer. It could backfire if they start looking at your credit history and decide you really should have only a $300 limit.

#4: You can ask to have a late fee removed
Sometimes, bad things happen to good people. You were sure you had your credit card payment ready to go in your online bill payment system. Or you thought your significant other put the payment envelope in the mailbox. But a day after it's due, you find it on the kitchen counter.

Don't panic. If you're otherwise a good customer and pay your bills on time, call and ask for mercy. It's possible they'll remove the fee to reward you for your past good behavior. If they remove it, be sure you follow up and check on your credit report to confirm it's not being reported as a late payment.

#5: You can negotiate an annual fee
There are plenty of credit cards out there that don't have annual fees. But let's say you have your heart set on a credit card that has an $85 annual fee. If you have this card for five years, you will have paid $425 in annual fees.

This doesn't benefit you in any way. It's just money out of your pocket that you could've put in savings or even spent on a vacation. Here are a few strategies to use to try and wiggle out of the annual fee:

• Ask to have the fee waived. If you have excellent credit, this makes you very attractive to the issuer.
• Ask to have the fee reduced. Getting the fee cut in half would be a victory.
• Ask if you can have the fee waived for the first year.

The better your credit history, the better chance you'll have of negotiating the annual fee. But in this case, you have nothing to lose by making the call.

Important Note! The information in this article is believed to be accurate as of the date it was written. Please keep in mind that credit card offers change frequently. Therefore, we can not guarantee the accuracy of the information in this article. Please verify all terms and conditions of any credit card prior to applying.

Source :  www.cardratings.com

Cyberbullying & Digital Dating Abuse Campaign

Please check the link to take control from any Cyberbullying & Digital Dating Abuse
www.athinline.org

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