Published on Mar 01, 2014 10:15 PM

A resident sprays water on a peatland fire in Pekanbaru district in Riau province on Indonesia's Sumatra island on Feb 16, 2014. Singapore has asked Indonesia to share evidence of any involvement by Singapore-linked companies or Singaporeans in illegal land clearing practices, in reply to comments by Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Agung Laksono alleging their role in the ongoing haze over Sumatra.-- PHOTO: AFP

By Zakir Hussain, Indonesia Bureau Chief In Jakarta

SINGAPORE has asked Indonesia to share evidence of any involvement by Singapore-linked companies or Singaporeans in illegal land clearing practices, in reply to comments by Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Agung Laksono alleging their role in the ongoing haze over Sumatra.

"The Government of Singapore takes a serious view of these allegations," a spokesman for Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said in response to media queries on Mr Agung's remarks.

"If there is credible evidence that Singapore-linked companies or Singaporeans were involved, the Government of Singapore intends to take further steps against these errant companies and individuals," the spokesman added.

Ongoing forest and peatland fires in Riau saw the province declare an emergency till March 12 and reactivate a disaster command post.

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Singapore calls for evidence of companies here involved in illegal land clearing

SINGAPORE:Singapore has reiterated its call to the Indonesian government to share evidence relating to any involvement by Singapore-linked companies or Singaporeans in illegal land clearing practices in Indonesia.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said this on Saturday in response to media queries on comments by Indonesian Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Agung Laksono.

Mr Agung had said publicly that since 2013, the Indonesian police have launched 41 investigations against errant companies and individuals that may be involved in illegal land clearing practices in Indonesia.

Mr Agung said some of these cases involved Singapore-linked companies or Singaporeans.

MFA said that the Singapore government takes a serious view of these allegations.

It added that if there is credible evidence that Singapore-linked companies or Singaporeans were involved, the Singapore government intends to take further steps against these errant companies and individuals.

The ministry also urged the Indonesian government to take the necessary legal and enforcement action against errant companies or individuals, regardless of their nationality.

It said the primary responsibility for legal and enforcement action lies with Indonesia, where these companies and individuals were allegedly conducting such illegal activities.

MFA noted that a state of emergency has been declared in Riau province due to the severe haze arising from the ongoing forest and peatland fires there as well as fires elsewhere in Sumatra.

Singapore hopes that the fires will be quickly dealt with to prevent a recurrence of transboundary haze.

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Haze: S'pore urges Indonesia to share evidence on errant firms

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The clients came to interior designer Laura Casey with a space dilemma: They did not want to give up the guest room in their suburban home, yet they needed a place for their child to play.

Casey came up with a solution often used in small urban apartments: a Murphy bed. It takes up less space than a sofa sleeper or futon and unlike many of those uses a standard mattress, so guests, including elderly grandparents, have a more comfortable stay.

"They did not want to compromise the quality of the mattress," said Casey, owner of Laura Casey Interiors in Charlotte, N.C.

The Murphy bed which tucks into cabinetry when not in use is enjoying new popularity as a stylish space-saver in many kinds of homes, not just studio apartments.

Laura Casey designed this Murphy bed for clients who wanted comfortable guest accommodations and a place for their child to play in the basement of their home in Charlotte, N.C. (Provided by Laura Casey Interiors)

"It's an interesting trend," said Chris Fahy, vice president of The Bedder Way Co. in Indianapolis, which makes Murphy beds and has seen sales rise in recent years. He says many customers are Baby Boomers, empty nesters, and other homeowners who want to turn a bedroom into a hobby room or exercise room, but still need a place for grown children, grandchildren or other guests to sleep.

Fahy's Murphy beds range in price from $1,300 to $3,100.

California Closets, which also makes custom wall beds, has seen the same upward trend, said Ginny Snook Scott, vice president for sales and marketing. Customers still buy Murphy beds for studio apartments and vacation homes, she said, but many others are looking to get more use out of an extra room.

The company designs vertical and horizontal Murphy beds, often incorporating them into cabinetry units for home offices or craft rooms. Prices range from $3,000 for a simple wall bed and desk to $20,000 for a custom project with extensive cabinetry.

Support pieces vary by manufacturer, but generally the mattress is encased in a frame that pulls out from a cabinet adhered to the wall. Today's improved mechanism for lowering and raising the bed makes the process an easy job for one person, Fahy said.

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Murphy beds: Now you see them again in home design

Leonardo Di Caprio got one of his best lines in The Great Gatsby thanks to production designer Catherine Martin and set decorator Beverley Dunn, the two revealed at Hollywoods Egyptian Theater Mar. 1, where a near-capacity crowd braved torrential rain to hear the 2013 Oscar nominees for production design explicate their craft, presented by The Art Directors Guild in association with the American Cinematheque and THR, moderated by production designer Thomas A. Walsh and set decorator Rosemary Brandenburg.

Baz Luhrmann is never happier than when hes rearranging the flowers, said Martin. He said, We love the flowers, but we need more -- ten times more. Leo said, Oh, this is ridiculous! Where will we get all these orchids? But he got to ad lib that line, Do you think its too much? and he always gets a laugh on that, so hes happy.

PHOTOS: Oscars: 25 Best Tuxedos of All Time

With Lurhmann, said Martin, The budget keeps getting smaller and the ideas just get bigger. And when the dp says, Well only shoot this part of the set, its a total lie.

Her production designer K.K. Barrett and set decorator Gene Serdena said director Spike Jonze objected to the rug in Joaquin Phoenixs recently divorced, commitment-phobic character Theodores apartment. Spike said, We dont know if Theodore would be able to commit to a rug,'" said Serdena. "And K.K. had a master stroke -- What if we rolled it up and kept it propped up against the wall?

I know what David [O. Russell] likes, said American Hustle production designer Judy Becker, his frequent collaborator, who with set decorator Heather Loeffler crafted 140 sets for the film, but he always wants to shoot 360 [degrees], and in a period movie that can be a challenge. Becker and Loeffler transcended the challenge, having worked on 11 films together.

PHOTOS:One-Hit Oscar Wonders: From Cuba Gooding Jr. to Mira Sorvino

For Gravityproduction designer Andy Nicholson and set decorators Rosie Goodwin and Joanne Woollard, the tough part was, as Nicholson put it, so many problems had to be solved that had never been done beforea total pain in the ass. To convey the characters of the six astronauts who die early in the film, so the audience never meets them, Goodwin exhaustively researched NASA photo troves and studied what kind of people want to spend their lives in space. Goodwin said the character-revealing items in the film include crazy things -- an Australian speed limit sign, car registration, postcards from all over the world, chess sets.

The cost on every prop had a point value attached to it, added Goodwin. The VFX budget was not huge, said Nicholson.

The budget on 12 Years a Slave was not huge either, and production designer Adam Stockhausen said, There was huge pressure to get it right. That was particularly tricky, said set decorator Alice Baker, because the movie had to look different than the big recent films about the same period, which used up much of the limited supply of plantation-era locations. Django was filming and filming and filming, and Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Killer had been there, so I really had to beat the bushes, said Baker.

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'We Gave Leonardo DiCaprio His Best 'Gatsby' Line,' Say Production Designers

New York, NY (PRWEB) March 01, 2014

Rent My Vacation Home.com at http://www.rentmyvacationhome.com has posted new pictures of their offices and employees on the website. Rent My Vacation Home has also unveiled a new billboard which can also be seen on the site.

In other improvements a new portal has been installed and connected to The IC3, which is co-sponsored by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C). Complaints filed via this website http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx are processed and may be referred to federal, state, local or international law enforcement or regulatory agencies for possible investigation.

This new portal helps to ensures that reservations made on this site are legitimate listings. Vacationers can now book a room and get a warranty from Rent My Vacation Home.com that ensures the home is not a fraud. Vacation Homeowners can list their homes knowing that the person staying in their home has been positively identified by our security systems prior to the stay in the Vacation Home.

The company picture Rent My Vacation Home has displays all 50+ employees on the beach. You can see the picture on the company's website.

The Billboards are going up along the interstates and can be seen on the website of Rent My Vacation Home.com. There is also a new comparison chart listed on the company's website.

For more information, please go to http://www.rentmyvacationhome.com or email us at info(at)RentMyVacationHome(dot)com or call 1-800-699-7684.

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New Rent My Vacation Home Office, Company Picture, Billboards and Security Portal

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Terry OBrien has security cameras around his home.

The drapes are drawn. Even during the day.

A stop is wedged under the door every night.

Subtle changes in the neighborhood prompt quick calls from his wife to 911. A suspicious man with a flashlight? It was a neighbor walking his dog at night. A suspicious car? It belonged to a painter doing some work at the house next door.

OBrien said life was not always like that.

The past months string of home invasions, some horrifically violent and brutal, have provoked that response.

Such a crime drives that kind of fear into a neighborhood. Into a community. Because unlike a mugging in an alley or a holdup at a drugstore, home invasion strikes where people feel most protected. The sanctity and security of the home is violated.

Victims of home invasions can bear unimaginable grief and pain. The physical and emotional suffering can be profound. The fear can be overwhelming.

But one does not have to be a victim to be afraid. Neighbors can suffer to a degree, too. They sympathize with the victims. They fear for the victims. They fear for themselves.

The risk, experts in psychology and criminal justice say, is letting vigilance cascade into paralyzing fear. People must find a balance or risk being a type of victim themselves.

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Home invasions take big psychological toll

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March 1st, 2014 11:00 am by Marci Gore

Although were not completely out of the woods yet, the warmer, sunnier weather weve had these past few days does hint at the end of what has been a very long and very cold winter.

Local gardening expert and horticulturist Roy Odom II says now is the perfect time to think about getting our gardens and landscaping ready for spring and summer.

February is a great time to prune fruit trees and fruit bushes, Odom said. Mainly what you want to do is just remove any overgrowth, anything thats just really sticking out.

However, dont prune anything that blooms in the spring, Odom advises.

Anything that blooms before June, things like azaleas, rhododendrons, forsythia, dogwoods, red buds, you dont want to be whacking on right now. If you prune those right now, youre cutting the bloom buds off, he said.

Odom says February is also a great time to check for any winter damage.

With the cold weather, theres a lot of burned foliage. But dont get too eager to start cutting things back. Keep in mind that just because foliage is burned, this doesnt mean that the stems and trunks are dead, Odom said.

It is also a good time to cut back liriope, sometimes called monkey grass, Odom said.

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Late winter a good time to plan garden