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Posts Tagged anti-war
Not a "Good War" — A Disaster in Afghanistan
Posted by Debra in afghanistan on October 2, 2013
The U.S. War on Afghanistan — I refuse to call it the "Afghanistan war" because Afghans didn't start it — is now 12 years old. Longer than the official American war on Vietnam; it's gone on half a generation, or more.
In 2001, on October 6 (a Sunday) George Bush announced the attack on Afghanistan. Some perceived the action as revenge for 9/11, though that was just a pretext for an action Rumsfeld, Cheney and other neo-cons had planned for years. On the morning on 9/11, Rumsfeld said it was time to "go massive." "Sweep it all up. Things related and not."
US destruction went massive, leaving one of the poorest countries in the world, already torn up by an occupation by the Soviet Union, with a brutal civil war between war lords, still impoverished, threatened by continued U.S. domination, Islamic fundamentalism, and the same warlords having been enriched by U.S. billions.
Join our conference call discussion Thursday:
People born after 1990 don't really remember a time when there wasn't a US war on Afghanistan. Many people think the war is "over" or "ending" thanks to Obama.
Will it be over in 2014? What does "over" mean, and have any of the promises the US made come true for the people of Afghanistan?
We'll talk reality, history, share what people think, and what plans we are making to stop this crime of our government. Register for dial-in info.
We've culled the comprehensive section on worldcantwait.net about Afghanistan. These articles paint a picture that no NATO or U.S. general can successfully cover over with words about "winning hearts and minds."
Kathy Kelly, Afghanistan: The Ghost and the Machine
Glenn Greenwald, Another Afghan Family Extinguished by a NATO Airstrike
Kevin Gosztola, Reflecting on the Afghanistan War Logs Released by WikiLeaks
Larry Everest, Made in America: The Gardez Massacre
Gareth Porter, U.S. Night Raids Killed Over 1,500 Afghan Civilians in Ten Months
Dennis Loo, Afghanistan: When is "Withdrawal" an "Enduring Presence"?
Listen Up: The Crisis In and About Syria is Not Over
Posted by Debra in war and occupation on September 19, 2013
The report from the United Nations seems to indicate a large amount of deadly gas was aimed at Syrian civilians on August 21. The U.S. has already concluded the gas came from the Assad government, and not the rebels. If that is true, by what authority does the U.S. claim the right to bomb Syrian civilians in the name of stopping chemical weapons? Or keep arming rebels in Syria or the military in Egypt?
Larry Everest says this crisis is not really about chemical weapons, but about global aims of the U.S. in the region in Syria: Diplomacy… and Ongoing Danger of a U.S. Attack
The tyrannical, murderous regime of a small, oppressed country is being forced under threat of bombardment to partially disarm by reactionary powers with far, far, far greater arsenals of death and destruction—including nuclear weapons that are qualitatively more savage and dangerous than chemical weapons—precisely in order to preserve their monopoly over these weapons of cataclysmic death and destruction…The Obama team may be calculating that because it lacks any good or easy options in Syria, striking this deal can be to its advantage, including because by appearing to "give peace a chance" it can build greater support for a possible military assault later if that is deemed necessary.
Everest does not say that any one course has already been determined, is inevitable, or without grave risk for the U.S. war planners. It's very worth watching Everest speak last week, just before Obama's speech and the announcement of "negotiations."
Dennis Loo, in a 2 part series, looks at what scenarios the U.S. may be considering re Syria and Iran in Syria: Jubilation is Unwarranted:
Obama has not suddenly found his Nobel Peace Prize persona and people should not jettison their hard won disillusionment for what he has done since being elected president in 2008.
This is the same Obama who proposed bombing Syria irrespective of Congress, irrespective of international law, the Nuremberg Tribunal, and the UN Charter..
Negotiations and "peace" agreements are all part of the arsenal of weapons that Empires use to get what they want. And what the U.S. Empire wants is not really the disarming of Assad's chemical weapons but the removal of Assad from office. As reactionary as Assad is (very), he has become an obstacle to (especially) U.S. and Israel's plans for the region.
In part 2, Dennis quotes Zbigniew Brezezinsky (who was National Security Adviser to President Jimmy Carter and "author of the U.S. policy of backing the Afghan mujahedeen against the Soviet invasion and occupation of Afghanistan from 1979-1989. This policy gave birth to al-Qaeda whose revenge for having the rug pulled out from under them after the U.S. got what it wanted with the Russian withdrawal is most spectacularly known as 9/11."):
I think the problem with Syria is its potentially destabilizing and contagious effect—namely, the vulnerability of Jordan, of Lebanon, the possibility that Iraq will really become part of a larger Sunni-Shiite sectarian conflict, and that there could be a grand collision between us and the Iranians. I think the stakes are larger and the situation is far less predictable and certainly not very susceptible to effective containment just to Syria by American power.
It's imperative we step back from assumptions that this crisis is about chemical weapons, just about Syria or regime change there, or… that it's over.
"The U.S. military does not do pinpricks" is NOT "We stopped a strike on Syria"
Posted by Debra in war and occupation on September 12, 2013
It is a good thing that thousands of people protested and many more voiced their opposition to a U.S. strike on Syria. But it's not good that some are relaxing, much less celebrating, in the delusional idea that somehow diplomacy has "worked" to prevent the Obama administration from going forward with this attack. It would be very bad if people recede into passivity and acceptance, thinking that the danger of war is lessened, when it could well be higher, as Obama works the world for support.
Wednesday's New York Times headline, accurate in this case, said "Obama Delays Syria Strike to Focus on Russian Plan," while reporting that Obama argued harder than ever for a strike to punish Syria, and didn't give any timetable for how long he would wait to act, or go back to Congress. This is not "no war" from Obama. It's "let us work on this harder."
Larry Everest, speaking Monday pre-empted Obama's assertion that "the world's a better place" because for "nearly seven decades the United States has been the anchor of global security by going into the historical precedent of the plan Bush & Cheney pursued in 2002/03, playing at diplomacy, while ever tightening the vice on Iraq; promising a 90 day war that would end with cheering Iraqis. It is that disaster which is making a lot of people in this country at least hesitate to say "yes" to Obama.
World Can't Wait gathered voices of conscience Bob Bossie, Ted Jennings, Kathy Kelly and Mario Venegas to speak out Wednesday morning in Chicago. I appreciate Kathy's comment that "anyone who goes along with the idea of a 'surgical strike' needs a second opinion." Ted & Mario spoke of their support for Obama on some matters, but absolute opposition to aggression against Syria. The speakers, with experience all over the world on U.S. diplomacy and duplicity accurately assessed that the danger of a US attack is not over.
It would be one thing if the speech was anything but a war-mongering attempt to justify what Obama has planned. But what a bunch of lies! Revolution in More Lies for War from the Liar-in-Chief described "libraries full of books, decades of documentaries, and the testimony of hundreds of millions of victims of what the U.S. has brought to the world would hardly begin to reveal the extent to which these are all LIES." After citing some of those decades of U.S. actions, it continued
Speaking to a world population that is much more aware than are people in the U.S. of the legacy of U.S. violent crimes around the world, and speaking to (and embracing) the "hawks" in the ruling class and good ole boys watching on TV, Obama put on his stern face, looked into the cameras, and made this ominous declaration and threat:
"Let me make something clear: The United States military doesn't do pinpricks."
U.S. diplomacy rests on violence and threats of violence, and is aimed at the same ends as violence of enforcing exploitation and oppression, fending off rivals, and keeping people enslaved. If Tony Soprano establishes the freedom to set up and run drug dealing, prostitution, and extortion in a district by threatening to strangle someone (a threat that only means something because everyone knows he actually strangles people), how is that something to celebrate?
Hearing this should make us all more determined to stop this illegitimate strike on Syria, covered by diplomacy, or not.
No Matter if Congress Says It's Legal: Attacking Syria is Immoral, Unjust, Illegitimate
Posted by Debra in war and occupation on September 2, 2013
While protesting in Times Square Saturday, we listened amid the noise to Obama's speech of mostly stick, and a little carrot. Some of the protesters took his "largesse" at offering Congress the chance to endorse his plan to attack Syria (the carrot) as a concession by Obama. They say we should seize the moment and "let Congress know" how many people are against this strike and potential regional war.
Congress knows, as they read the public opinion polls too, and there could be an actual political fight in Congress over Obama's plan, leading to a political damage for his agenda. But, as John Kerry, the former anti-war veteran turned Secretary of ruling class warmongering said,
"We don't contemplate that the Congress is going to vote no," Kerry said, but he stressed the president had the right to take action "no matter what Congress does."
That was the stick of Obama's message, backed up by his assertion that as Commander in Chief, his military is ready today, tomorrow, or in the near future to strike.
It is true Obama is having difficulty selling the plan of Tomahawk missile strikes narrowly targeted at the Assad regime's air power, as war-planners, other governments and political observers alike are questioning the inherent unpredictability and dangers Obama's plan poses. But is his move toward Congress actually motivated by his respect for the "constitutional democracy" which is how he described the United States?
Larry Everest says in Lies to Justify an Immoral War:
What is going on here IS an exercise in democracy—but it is an exercise in capitalist-imperialist democracy, which is in essence the dictatorship of the imperialist ruling class. The Obama team felt it had the freedom, but also the NECESSITY, given the widespread public cynicism about yet another case of "slam dunk" evidence, yet another U.S. military adventure, and unresolved concerns in the ruling class over where an attack on Syria would lead, to give this speech and launch this process he calls for, along with a need to make a case to an international audience and push allies into line and deal with a complex international alignment of forces.
Dennis Loo describes Obama's approach in O-bomb-a Syria as an exercise for public consumption:
When governments such as the U.S. decide to go to war, by the time that they announce publicly that they are seriously considering whether or not to launch the missiles and send the ships, etc., they have already behind closed doors decided to commence hostilities. Modern warfare requires months of painstaking, protracted, and laborious military planning and placing equipment and personnel in place. These logistical matters dictate that no government planning to launch aggressive war as the U.S. is doing is doing so only now because all of a sudden they have "discovered" that chemical weapons have been used. They have been placing assets in place for weeks and months ahead of time and drawing up attack plans for similarly long periods of time.
The public show of debating, discussing, and rattling the sabers are a PR exercise designed specifically to win over the public to supporting what the rulers have behind closed doors already determined is in their best interests to do.
I appreciated Glenn Greenwald's wry take in Obama, Congress and Syria, too, although he doesn't have the same critique of democracy:
It's a potent sign of how low the American political bar is set that gratitude is expressed because a US president says he will ask Congress to vote before he starts bombing another country that is not attacking or threatening the US. That the US will not become involved in foreign wars of choice without the consent of the American people through their representatives Congress is a central mandate of the US Constitution, not some enlightened, progressive innovation of the 21st century.
David Swanson goes to an essential, systemic problem, in Caveman Credibility and its Costs, that whatever Congress does, it can't establish legitimacy for US military action through a mere vote.
If Congress were to say yes, the war would remain illegal under both the U.N. Charter and the Kellogg-Briand Pact. And if Congress were to say no, President Obama has indicated that he might just launch the war anyway.
If you look at the resolution that Obama has proposed that Congress pass, it doesn't grant permission for a specific limited missile strike on a particular country at a particular time, but for limitless warfare, as long as some connection can be made to weapons of mass destruction in the Syrian conflict. The White House has made clear that it believes this will add exactly nothing to its powers, as it already possesses open-ended authorizations for war in the never-repealed Afghanistan and Iraq authorizations, which themselves added exactly nothing to White House war powers, because the president is given total war power through the Constitution in invisible ink that only the White House can see.
The dangers here are obvious in the Obama strike, most especially to those under fire directly. I don't agree with putting all our efforts — much less hopes — in Congress. The main factor in what the US empire is forced to do — whether it's the talk shop of Congress, or the Commander in Chief — starts with what people living in this country think, and then do, in response to these outrageous war moves.
World Can't Wait is posting key articles on the U.S. intervention against Syria. We call on everyone to join in mass protest.
The Price for Protesting War at U.S. Military Academy
Posted by Debra in protest and resistance on March 21, 2013
Six anti-war activists and leaders, aged 30 through 75 were sentenced on March 19 to eight hours "community service," and $125 court costs for a disorderly conduct conviction arising from a protest 300 people made December 1, 2009, when Obama announced, inside the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, a huge expansion of US troops to Afghanistan.
Elaine Brower, Matthis Chiroux, Tarak Kauff, Alison Beth Levy, and Richie Marini agreed to serve the time, washing Highland Falls, NY, ambulances and police cars, and pay the fee. Beverly Rice asked that she be able to send funds instead to the National Lawyers Guild, and when that was denied, she took jail time, on the basis of conscience. Her sentence was ten days at the Orange County jail, where she was taken immediately. The sheriff says Bev, 75, will be released early.
The case had gone on for more than 3 years. After one of two disorderly conduct convictions was overturned on a pro se appeal, a new judge delayed sentencing because court records were "lost" in Hurricane Irene. He then forced the defendants to appear two more times with an attorney before sentencing. The courtroom in Highland Falls was packed with mostly young people charged with traffic and other violations, at least one in an Army uniform. Everyone listened quietly as most of the defendants made pre-sentence statements to the judge.
Elaine Brower said she had been outside the gate at West Point to "petition my government" to stop the war. "My son did ten years in the Marine Corps, two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. He has done horrible things" as part of the U.S. war on those countries. She said "I am seeing that injustice in the eyes of my son who is emotionally wounded."
Elaine went on to say that "we have no recourse" to get the government's attention except our legally permitted right to assemble. "They keep sending young men and women to kill. We protested at West Point when Bush was president, and we had to be there when Obama expanded the war on Afghanistan. And we'll be here when the next president invades a sovereign nation. Humanity and the planet come first. Crimes are crimes, no matter who does them."
Richie Marini's statement included:
The United States has an incredibly violent history as we stand here today on land acquired through Genocidal means and can claim title to the only country to ever use an atomic weapon of mass destruction against another. The United States government continues down this trajectory of violence today with it's use of torture, extraordinary rendition and drones that murder innocent civilians every day. It commits these violent acts to sustain itself by creating new markets, obtaining resources and enslaving people into it's system in order to prevent itself from collapsing at the expense of innocent lives abroad…
Despite the penalties imposed upon me here today I will continue to work effortlessly to organize the citizens of Highland Falls and elsewhere to put stop the crimes of this government. As an Humanitarian, this is the greatest service that I can do for the citizens of Highland Falls, the United States, Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Yemen and elsewhere… Read more
Bev Rice said she would not apologize for the protest:
A total of 2177 American soldiers have been killed during the eleven years we have been fighting in Afghanistan.
1230 have been killed since we were arrested three years ago? How many more have been wounded? How many more have been sent home suffering emotional and mental illnesses? Consider, 22 veterans commit suicide each day! Consider also the sorrowful loss for the family and friends of our dead and wounded soldiers. I consider these each and every day.
I am proud to have been involved in the protest, and to have participated in the defense of the West Point Six. We need more people willing to speak the truth, and put themselves on the line to stop the crimes of our government.
War Criminals to Meet in Chicago, But Somehow Protest Will be the Danger?
Posted by Debra in police state, protest and resistance on May 8, 2012
Update May 8: "On Tuesday, city officials notified National Nurses United that they were ordering nurses to accept new, less visible, locations for the protest, under threat of cancelling a long approved permit for the public event – even though the G-8 leaders will now be 700 miles away from Chicago on that date in the backwoods of Camp David, Md." At a press conference Wednesday, "NNU will outline a legal challenge to the city's demand and discuss other plans responding to the city's move" (from a press release from National Nurses United regarding the suppression of their planned May 18 protest in Chicago against the NATO Summit).
The NATO International Security Force, which we all know is actually led by the U.S. military, killed a woman and her 5 children in an airstrike in southwestern Afghanistan Sunday, and then yesterday expressed "regret" for what they call their "mistake."
Military tribunals, the crowning achievement of a US system of indefinite detention and torture aided by and including NATO member countries, and which defense attorneys assert are rigged by the U.S. to assure the execution of 5 men in Guantánamo, have begun, in the process of continuing the unending U.S. war on terror.
U.S. drone strikes, halted briefly because of protest from the government of Pakistan (presumably a sovereign country) began again last week, killing 4 people in a school. Of course these victims were called insurgents; everyone killed by U.S. drones is a militant, by definition. NATO is now a major purchaser of U.S. drones, and has a vast role in aiding the covert U.S. strikes.
The most heavily armed empire in world history occupies and has destroyed whole countries, has a system of indefinite detention and torture in place, and is expanding secret military operations across the region.
But according to this empire, the biggest danger to peace is some hundreds or thousands of people protesting the Chicago meeting of the NATO military alliance next week? According to the purveyors of war crimes, the people decrying the destruction of Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan are the ones to fear and lock up, while the war-makers and torturers are given even more power to war critics into criminals?
Public opinion is being prepared for this criminalization. The Chicago press has featured reports on plans to evacuate Chicago because of "unrest;" on the deployment of National Guard troops to quell protests; on plans to reopen a closed prison in Joliet to house arrested protesters; on heavily armed federal teams sweeping through the central city; on closing down the public transport system in the city; and more.
Despite the measures which Mayor Rahm Emmanuel, Obama's former White House enforcer, wanted in place against protest, a well-publicized battle was successful in getting a permit for the march on Sunday May 20 at Grant Park. With the removal of a long-held permit to march on Friday May 18 by National Nurses United, the City is trying to force protest further away from city center, supposedly because rocker Tom Morello will be performing at their rally.
No matter how they parse the words of the First Amendment, what the federal authorities (who are the ones running the show in Chicago) are doing is criminalizing protest in advance. As they did at the Republican Convention in St. Paul in 2008; at the G-20 in Pittsburgh in 2009; in response to the Occupy movement, they are putting measures in place that will sweep up people who are assembling and speaking based on the content of our protest message. The message to the general public is that protest should be feared, not a system that perpetrates war crimes and mass denial of civil liberties.
We state clearly and publicly, in advance: It's right to protest the crimes being carried out in our name, in public space, near the NATO meeting. We protesters are not the endangering the people; the danger to humanity is a system which uses police-state measures to back up war crimes. The following measures are in place, or have been proposed:
* Sending arrested protesters to an old prison in Joliet.
The idea was then ditched, as the place is falling apart (To Joliet jail for NATO offenders? Sun-Times, Apr 28, 2012).
* The National Guard is deployed to Chicago for NATO Summit:
"Another contingent of guard troops will conduct a large-scale domestic response drill outside Cook County during the summit weekend, ready to provide support in the event of any problems in Chicago, said Maj. Troy Scott, deputy director of domestic operations for the Illinois National Guard."
Video of military helicopters flying over the Loop.
* Milwaukee Red Cross to Prep for Chicago Evacuation During NATO Summit:
"CBS News has obtained a copy of a Red Cross e-mail sent to volunteers in the Milwaukee area. It said the NATO summit "may create unrest or another national security incident. The American Red Cross in southeastern Wisconsin has been asked to place a number of shelters on standby in the event of evacuation of Chicago."
According to a chapter spokesperson, the evacuation plan is not theirs alone. "Our direction has come from the City of Chicago and the Secret Service," she said (accompanied by picture of demonstrators amidst flames, who knows where…).
* Vague Speculation about "Unrest" Concerns about NATO Summit Violence Leave Chicago Guessing CBS News reported on April 29:
"There also are reports that a heavily armed security team will start making a very public appearance around federal buildings in the Loop this week. Officials with the Chicago NATO host committee were completely in the dark. They had no reports of any such plans. A source told CBS 2 that security forces in full battle gear would not be seen this week."
* Chicago airspace to be closed down:
"The FAA says private planes may be shot down if they fly within ten nautical miles of downtown Chicago during the summit. The only planes allowed will be commercial passenger and cargo carriers, and police and military aircraft."
* Surgical strikes against anyone in protests who "crosses the line" beyond First Amendment activity… as defined by the Secret Service?
"Police will embrace "First Amendment activity," she told the building managers, and will surgically deal with those who cross the line into vandalism. She was asked how many demonstrators could arrive in Chicago who aren't now part of a permitted group.
"If I had that crystal ball, I'd be solid," she said.
Many building managers said that overall they were relatively satisfied with the level of information they are getting and are willing to trust the police and federal authorities to keep things under control.
"I understand they haven't got everything figured out yet," said Wes Stoginski, assistant engineer at a building on 13th Street near the Illinois Central rail line. But Stoginski also said he knows where the variables are.
"You can't legislate against lunatics," he said."
(This is the only somewhat oblique reference I could find to the CPD extraction technique of arresting the people they see as leaders, which they did at the mass March 20, 2003 arrests. The civil suit by NLG based on those arrests was just settled for $6.2 million to demonstrators. In the pre-trial discovery, that technique was documented.)
* Federal Patrols Set for Loop:
"In a memo titled Operation Red Zone, the protective service said the increased security will be extended throughout the South Loop area often referred to as the federal complex. It includes the Kluczynski Federal Building, the U.S. Dirksen Courthouse and the Metropolitan Correctional Center. Several buildings just east on State Street are also in the so-called red zone.
"The memo notes there have been no specific or credible threats at federal facilities 'related to terrorism by international terrorist organizations' but that the area around the complex will be 'directly and indirectly' affected by protests in the days before and after the summit."
Who's Blocking Drone Protest at Hancock AFB?
Posted by Debra in protest and resistance on April 23, 2012
33 people were grabbed by county sheriffs on April 22, a few blocks from the main gate of Hancock Air Force Base near Syracuse NY. Faster than you can say "parading without a permit," people at the front of a single file, silent march along a mostly deserted suburban road, were cuffed and stuffed into police cruisers. Others were arrested standing near the gate of the base, where people do a protest vigil every two weeks, because pilots based at Hancock control drones (unmanned aerial vehicles) over the skies of Afghanistan, and perhaps over other countries in the region.
Given that we had just walked two miles in the Town of Dewitt, seeing people in only 3 yards, a total of 30 cars, and not one marked police car, one has to assume it wasn't the good citizens of the town who were inconvenienced, annoyed, or even aware of the procession. Did the plan to stop our protest from arriving at the gate by arresting us before we got there come from the Onondaga County Sheriff's Department? No, these arrests were ordered and planned at the federal level to preempt the delivery of a political message and to keep media from showing images of the group gathered by the gate.
If the operations out of Hancock are so legit, so clean, and clear of legal ambiguity; if they're arousing no opposition, then why are the powers that be so afraid of 100 people gathering at the front gate to present some papers to any guard who would take them? The ordinances used against this protest are probably unconstitutional curbs on free speech and assembly, and perhaps they'll be challenged in court by those ticketed and released.
But, to the substance of our charge that the U.S. drone programs, and the wars that underlie them, are illegitimate, unjust and immoral, what is the government's answer? That we're criminals for parading without a permit? While the 82nd Airborne units who posed with Afghan body parts are an aberration, and therefore not criminals? These lies are all they can come up with. They have no answer to the indictment we attempted to deliver but brutality and suppression.
We know these drones kill civilians; we know some of those civilians' names, and that some were children. We know war crimes are being carried out in our name from inside the base, under the legal justification that the U.S. president can kill anyone, anywhere, because there is an limitless "war on terror."
The Upstate Coalition to Ground the Drones and End the Wars did a similar action one year ago. 38 people stepped across a line to place themselves under arrest. At trial, they mounted a a thorough case, detailing the ways in which the U.S. drone war violates international law, and of course they were still found guilty. These actions, along with others at Creech AFB in Nevada, and recently at Whiteman AFB in Missouri, are bringing attention to the illegitimacy of the growing US deployment of drones to spread terror among the populations of whole countries.
Despite a President who orders their use, despite the hundreds of people keeping each drone aloft doing their"jobs," we refuse to accept the horrors we are protesting. Seeing the government, at several levels, take such clear action to suppress our protest makes our point more strongly. The activists who have been bringing this message for years to Hancock, some of whom have been determined political opponents of U.S. crimes for decades; the Veterans for Peace, the crew of Occupiers from Buffalo, peace activists and students are informed and passionate, and they won't stop.
Participating in the action at Hancock made me more certain that bringing visible street protest in Chicago when NATO meets May 20/21 — and in the week leading up to the meeting — is essential. The international press will be there. Afghan President Karzai will be there, along with the leaders of the best-armed countries of the world's strongest military alliance, currently occupying the world's poorest country.
Humanity and the planet come first – Stop the crimes of your government. Join us in Chicago.
One Million + Dead & Displaced in Iraq for This?
Posted by Debra in iraq, protest and resistance on December 15, 2011
I can't tell you anymore than this: The Bush regime's invasion and occupation of Iraq, based on lies, was illegitimate, unjust, and immoral from the start. Barack Obama's announcement yesterday that the "war is over" is wrong on so many levels. For those on the ground, the millions in Iraq, and the one million US military sent there, it won't end.
The wealthiest country and military in the world leaves behind billions of dollars worth of trashed equipment, and civil and physical society in shambles.
A young soldier, Bradley Manning, formerly stationed in Iraq, will begin a court martial Friday at Ft. Meade, because the U.S. military claims he released classified information about the war to Wikileaks.
But today, the New York Times reports that 400 pages of classified documents on the interrogation of U.S. Marines about the notorious massacre of civilians in Haditha, in 2006 were
discovered along with reams of other classified documents, including military maps showing helicopter routes and radar capabilities, by a reporter for The New York Times at a junkyard outside Baghdad. An attendant was burning them as fuel to cook a dinner of smoked carp.
Shaun Mullen, a columnist for The Moderate Voice comments
That the true story of the 2005 massacre of 20 Iraqi civilians, including an elderly man in a wheelchair and women and children, has finally come out because an Iraqi was using transcripts of secret interviews with the Marines involved to cook dinner is a fitting coda to a nearly nine-year war that officially ended today.
Says Leon Panetta, current Secretary of Defense for the Obama administration about the war on Iraq
"the cost was high — in blood and treasure of the United States, and also for the Iraqi people. But those lives have not been lost in vain — they gave birth to an independent, free and sovereign Iraq."
Say what? from 7 of the 8 Iraq veterans CNN interviewed who were deployed to Iraq during the war. Their one sentence pull-outs mirror everything I've heard over 8 years:
"I don't think that the gravity of what we were doing ever really hit me." Emily Trageser, Army
"We removed one corruption and replaced Saddam with officials who were just as murderous and evil." Nicholas Panzera, Army
"I lost everything. My wife, my place to live, my friends, and the future I had once seen." Marc Loiselle, Army
"I have never felt more proud in my life to be a part of something." Tyler, Army, who is currently in Iraq shutting down bases.
"Although we did depose a dictator, we ruined the country in the process." Eric Sofge, Army
"The principle excuse to invade Iraq to discover WMD was a non-starter from the get-go." Jeffrey Tracey, biological weapons inspector
"None of us could see a reason why we were still there. And it just kept going on and on." Jim Lewandowski, South Dakota National Guard
"I don't know any soldiers that really have a positive view on any of it." Spencer Alexander, Army
It's not over, people. The U.S. is ready to send troops back to Iraq, and will keep thousands on the border of Kuwait. The ceremony is only for public consumption.
Iraq: The World Still Waiting for US Withdrawal
Posted by Debra in iraq, protest and resistance, war and occupation on October 25, 2011
Despite the Obama administration's announcement Friday that U.S. combat troops are finally leaving Iraq — giving rise to the popular perception that "Iraq war is over"– I ask those who are celebrating to consider: where is the joy coming from?
It's been ten years now since Donald Rumsfeld's brain went "9/11 = attack Iraq," apparently minutes after the WTC was hit by airliners. From that moment, when the world's largest military machine began planning it, through today, after over a million Iraqi deaths, this war and occupation has never been legitimate, just or moral!
Tens of millions of us who care about humanity protested to prevent the Bush regime from getting the coalition it sought to attack Iraq; much of the world was convinced the U.S. was not invading to "save" Iraqis but to advance its own imperial agenda. Our actions did contribute to this loss of legitimacy as the United States military ran into deep geopolitical difficulties in the region (remember, Bush and Cheney planned to sweep through Iraq as a gateway to dominating the rest of the region, including Iran, a strategy that has, shall we say, not gone well.)
The Nobel Peace President, who promised an end to war on Iraq, isn't exactly blazing a peace trail. The Bush Regime set this time frame of "withdrawal" in 2011.
In fact the Obama administration, through the State Department, pursued very hard the plan to keep U.S. fighting forces in Iraq beyond this year. It was the Maliki government, which in general has been very compliant to its U.S. funders, who balked at allowing U.S. military to stay because the terms demanded by Obama included immunity from local prosecution for the troops.
Think of that: The widest sustained, imperialist government sponsored, mass war crime, destroying a whole country, displacing 4.5 million from their homes, the turning of a secular society into a bloody sectarian battlefield, was to be justified and continued only on the basis of immunity from the victimized country!
Glenn Greenwald specifically attributes the Iraqi government stand to the revelation of a cable
released by WikiLeaks in May, 2011, and, as McClatchy put it at the time, "provides evidence that U.S. troops executed at least 10 Iraqi civilians, including a woman in her 70s and a 5-month-old infant, then called in an airstrike to destroy the evidence, during a controversial 2006 incident in the central Iraqi town of Ishaqi." The U.S. then lied and claimed the civilians were killed by the airstrike. Although this incident had been previously documented by the U.N. special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, the high-profile release of the cable by WikiLeaks generated substantial attention (and disgust) in Iraq, which made it politically unpalatable for the Iraqi government to grant the legal immunity the Obama administration was seeking. Indeed, it was widely reported at the time the cable was released that it made it much more difficult for Iraq to allow U.S. troops to remain beyond the deadline under any conditions.
War crimes in 2003; war crimes never prosecuted at the hands of Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice, and one can go on into the dozens, as War Criminals Watch does.
I am not celebrating!
More to come on the continued U.S. State Department presence of fighters; the black operations, and the hundreds of thousands of U.S. contractors staying in Iraq.
Remember, George. W. Bush, the master of creating his own reality, announced that it was over on May 1, 2003, in his famous "Mission Accomplished" speech, wearing his pseudo-airman's costume:
"Operation Iraqi Freedom was carried out with a combination of precision and speed and boldness the enemy did not expect and the world had not seen before."
Any commander in chief of an illegitimate occupation should be very careful what he announces.
Occupying, Everywhere, to STOP U.S. Occupations
Posted by Debra in protest and resistance on October 11, 2011
An irony acutely felt this week:
Tens of thousands of people in the U.S., taking the lead from millions in the Middle East, are "occupying" public spaces, seeking change in the the world as it is, standing up to authority, power, and blowing the ceiling off expectations that the vast disparity in global income "has to" be as it is. We've got to spread these occupations!
Hundreds of thousands of U.S. military, support staff and private contractors are "occupying" two countries in the Middle East, in a mission to enforce, with a vengeance, U.S. domination over the region, employing night raids, torture, and terror towards the civilian population. We've got to end those occupations!
We marked the 10th anniversary of the Bush regime's bombing and invasion of Afghanistan last week, with protests across the U.S. which were in many cases intermingled with the Occupy Wall Street protests, and in all cases influenced by the outpouring of public anger at the system.
Significantly, a protest in Kabul by Afghans demanded the occupiers leave.
Yesterday, the United Nations released a report on the detention system in Afghanistan, bought, run and paid for by those who occupy the Pentagon. The New York Times reports that it
paints a devastating picture of abuse, citing evidence of "systematic torture" during interrogations by Afghan intelligence and police officials even as American and other Western backers provide training and pay for nearly the entire budget of the Afghan ministries running the detention centers.
Detainees — and we've known this since November 2001, when the U.S. first set up operations at an old Afghan prison in Bagram — are hung by their hands and beaten with cables, their genitals twisted until they lose consciousness. Because of the Obama administration's successful argument that the prisoners are not entitled to habeas corpus rights, they have no way out.
This is in no way a departure from all the rest of the Bush war crimes begun 10 years ago. The NY Times, which editorially opposes torture, while supporting the wars in which the U.S. uses it, said today
such widespread use of torture in a detention system supported by American mentors and money raises serious questions about potential complicity of American officials and whether they benefited from information obtained from suspects who had been tortured….There have been a number of instances that raise similar questions in other places, including Uzbekistan, Pakistan and El Salvador, according to a RAND Corporation report in 2006.
This systematic abuse must be working for the United States government. According to Glenn Greenwald, the Obama administration
unveiled plans for "the construction of Detention Facility in Parwan (DFIP), Bagram, Afghanistan" which includes "detainee housing capability for approximately 2000 detainees." It will also feature "guard towers, administrative facility and Vehicle/Personnel Access Control Gates, security surveillance and restricted access systems." The announcement provided: "the estimated cost of the project is between $25,000,000 to $100,000,000."
This occupation won't be ended by Obama, or any presidents to follow him, unless people in this country demand it.
Raise your voice! January 11, 2012, we'll be back in Washington on the 10th anniversary of the U.S. prison in Guantanamo, marking it with a protest/human chain of 2,200 people. We'll stand for the 171 prisoners in Guantanamo, with no way out, and the 2,000 some at Bagram, with no legal standing. Join in!


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Anything that can be connected, will be connected. This quote by Jason Morgan of Forbes.com, is going to be, what future holds, with the increasing growth of the concept of IoT. Simply put, Internet of things is a system of electronic devices or components, interconnected with each other through Internet and capable of exchanging data and information. The devices include everything ranging from cellphones, coffee makers, headphones, smart wearables to components of machines like engine of an airplane etc. The IoT allows the devices to be remotely sensed and controlled using the existing network structure; which enables the opportunity to directly integrate them with other devices or networks. So basically, IoT is a giant network of connected things.
Why use IoT & How big is it?
A survey conducted by HP estimated that the growth of IoT will be exponential and by 2025, over one trillion devices will be connected through IoT. Another report by Cisco predicts that IoT will generate $14.4 trillion in value across all industries in the next decade. These surveys suggest towards a fully automated future.

subset: commoncrawl


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Wagamama revisited
March 14, 2016
It's hard to remember sometimes how far the "casual dining" sector has come over the last 20 years. Nowadays it seems everyone who's run a butty van or spent a couple months as assistant manager at Pizza Express is desperate to launch their Korean/Peruvian street food concept, while cash-rich city funds buy up anything that seems a runner.
In 1992 it wasn't really like that when Alan Yau, now possibly more famous in foodie circles for his restaurants Hakkasan and Yauatcha, opened Wagamama. Simple shared bench tables, lively far-Eastern cuisine, competitive prices and a turn-up and eat approach made a big impact in London. When it started to appear in the regions it was a real revelation – I remember being hugely excited about going to Nottingham and quieting for 30 minutes to squidge up next to some strangers to eat a plate a noodles.
In a world when slick but dull food places are on every corner, and when Wagamama itself has over 100 branches and been passed like a toy between private equity firms (current owners are Duke Street Capital), does it still have something to offer?
The Leicester branch has apparently been refurbished and I had some vouchers so gave it a try. It retains some benches but there are conventional tables too – it's a pleasant environment, especially if you like looking at the busy coming and goings around the Highcross restaurant quarter and the Showcase cinema.
Food wise it still has a selection of ramen noodles, rice dishes, curries, teppanyaki grills and other quick and cheerful Asian dishes. We had a couple of mains and a couple of side dishes.The pork ribs were pretty ordinary – they had the feel of things that been hanging around a far time before being heated up and given a glaze with spoonful or two of unexciting sauce from a big tub. The squid was better – a bit dry maybe but tasty with a feisty salt and chilli rub and a sweet chilli and coriander dipping sauce, it was very easy to enjoy.
The mains were pretty good. Chicken raisukoree had everything present and correct – chicken, mangetout, peppers, red and spring onions in a very pleasant coconut curry sauce with sticky rice, chillies and coriander. A quarter of a fresh lime was probably the most lively flavour in the dish but I certainly had no complaints – it still had something of that thrill of that first encounter with far Eastern food.
Teriyaki chicken donburi – glazed and grilled chicken with sticky white rice, shredded carrots, pea shoots and onions – was another good dish, though the kimchee with it was pretty insipid.
We passed an enjoyable hour at Wagamama and if the food wasn't all amazing, the best of it was good and tasty and offered in an environment that entirely suits a busy city centre where you can come and go quickly. If I was looking for a new culinary adventure I'd probably dig out a backstreet Chinese café and see where it led me, but Wagamama still serves up a pretty good mainstream alternative.
Leicester's Chutney Ivy is in a good place
March 10, 2016
I've always enjoyed visits to Chutney Ivy and was pleased to accept a recent invitation to a press night where we had the chance to sample a selection of dishes from the menu chosen by co-owner Shafs Islam
Opening Chutney Ivy in 2010 was a brave move for Shafs. The recession was threatening the success of the Leicester's Cultural Quarter and it risked being stuck in a backwater. Things might have improved somewhat but even today some 600 Indian restaurants have closed in the last 18 months. Nonetheless this upmarket venue has increasingly seemed the right restaurant in the right place.
Shafs has a lifetime in restaurants starting from the Shireen on London Road, an old school tandoori in the 80s, and also taking in Shimla Pinks – one of the new breed of Indian restaurants a decade or so later that so took a more modern approach. Along with co-owner Simon Postlethwaite he wanted to take Chutney Ivy a step further and open a smart, stylish restaurant that just happened to serve Indian food.
I think it took a while to find its feet after opening in 2010 but now seems to be performing well – combining a smart a la carte menu woth a popular pre-theatre offering (if you haven't realised, it's virtually opposite Curve). It also has a lovely downstairs bar which is popular for meetings, parties and weddings. Great Food magazine declared it the best Inidian restaurant in the city, it's gained a Michelin listing, and to Shafs' immense pride was shortlisted in the National Curry Awards last November.
They celebrated that success with this press evening in conjunction with FU media and from tender chicken kebabs to a stunning lamb shank nihari (below) and some ginormous prawns (above), the food was of high quality and deeply satisfying. Another standout was the duck samosa – a dish which Shafs himself helped developed after thinking how he could translate a Chinese dish of crispy duck pancakes into an Indian format.
Chutney Ivy is not the cheapest restaurant in town but you can definitely see where your money is going here. Great ingredients and some flair and imagination in the kitchen.
Crafty's Taqueria
March 3, 2016
I did manage to pop in to Crafty's Taqueria last night by around 8.30pm and found the place buzzing, with the last of some 300 orders being brought out.
The idea – one-off midweek evening with tasty Mexican streetfood supper around £6 plus beers, with live DJ and the odd bit of Day of the Dead make-up on the staff – certainly seemed to have worked splendidly, though the team did acknowledge that with far more people than they anticipated turning up there was "quite a bit of learning".
Apparently Leicester's Mexican community ( I know! Who knew!) were out in force and seemed to enjoy themselves. All in all, this is maybe the kind of evening probably de-rigeur in the more happening parts of London, but Leicester? Well done to Chris and Andrea for having a go and pulling it off. I look forward to seeing their next ideas.
Then it was home to watch Match of the Day, without knowing the results of the Arsena, Tottenham and Manchester City games. Oh my. What a lovely evening.


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A breast pump isn't just any old piece of personal appliance. It's an investment. Having a good, efficient one can make your life a whole lot easier. And when you're a mom, you should take all the help you can get. Thankfully, technological innovations have been reviving the breast-pump market and offering moms fresh options with ingenious, easy-to-use specs. So get ready for more effective, convenient pumping. From a wearable pump to one that comes with an app that helps you stay on top of your breast milk feeding goals, here are 4 innovative breast pumps that you should keep in mind if you are expecting baby in 2017. 1. The Sonata from Medela Medela has introduced the Sonata breast pump that they tout as their highest-performing personal-use breast pump. The Sonata is also their quietest breast pump yet, which is pretty great because you'll get to pump while on conference calls or avoid waking your partner during late-night pumping sessions. But one of the coolest features is Sonata's Smart Solution™, which connects seamlessly to their MyMedela™ app to help moms track the details of their pumping sessions. One less thing for a busy mom to have to keep track of. Now, that's a smart pump! $399.99, buy here. 2. The Willow Wearable Breast Pump Willow recently introduced a new hand-free wearable breast pump that is FDA-cleared. Unlike other wearable pumps, there are no tubes or cords connected to a bulky motor. The willow pump fits inside your bra and collects the milk in an internal bag. The pump senses your let-down and automatically transitions to the expression phase. $429, get more information here. 3. Evenflo Feeding Deluxe Advanced Double Electric Breast Pump Evenflo has redesigned their pump and outfitted it with what moms really need: options. The pump comes with three different flange sizes for maximum comfort and an angled flange design for slouch-free pumping (your back will thank you!). Plus speed and suction are controlled independently so each mom can find her personal perfect combination for expression. And each pump comes with a good looking tote bag and insulated cooler. $88, buy here. 4. Ameda Purely Yours If you are a mom on the go, then Ameda has the pump for you. The Ameda Purely Yours motor weighs just 1lb. and comes with an AC adapter, car adapter and battery pack. The pump also has independent dials for suction and speed which allows mom to maximize her milk supply and mimic her baby's sucking pattern. $179.99, buy here. Written by Amanda Cole, founder and president of Yummy Mummy, a breastfeeding specialty store and support center in NYC. Amanda opened Yummy Mummy in 2009 after shopping for breastfeeding products for her daughter and thinking "there must be a better way." She envisioned and then opened a one-stop-shop for all things breastfeeding that offers daily classes and support groups for expectant and new moms. Shop the post:
Charlene Petitjean-Barkulis is the managing editor at Lucie's List, an online guide to pregnancy and parenting. She is dedicated to supporting women as they enter motherhood by producing useful and engaging content — something that she strove to do as the managing editor of Well Rounded (a pregnancy and mom community acquired by Motherly). Originally from Paris, France, she lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two sons. When she's not working, she's usually chasing after kiddos, falling down the social media rabbit hole, or enjoying a glass of Sancerre while binge-watching Netflix.
I've always been a bit of a workout snob. I had strict, unflinching rules about what constituted a "real" workout for years—and I scoffed at anything that came up (in my mind) as inadequate. First, a real workout lasted at least an hour and had better leave me dripping in sweat. It required putting on workout clothes and going to a gym or boutique studio and resulted in muscle soreness that made it difficult to wash my hair in the shower the next day.
To some degree, I saw my workouts as a punishment for whatever bodily sins I had committed earlier in the day, like eating a cookie. The horror.
As I got older, though, and thankfully worked through a lot of my body issues, my idea of what made a "real" workout started to shift. I started to find ways of moving my body that were enjoyable as well as strengthening, and exercise became my version of therapy, something that helped me feel more centered mentally as much as physically.
One rule remained, though: I was not a home-workout kind of girl.
To be fair, I thought I had tried. But after a few unsuccessful attempts at getting a sweat on with a DVD in my living room, I quickly dismissed the idea that you could get a real workout at home.
Then I had a baby.
Suddenly, scheduling a spin class in the city became impossible (unless I wanted to add babysitting expenses to my already hefty gym membership dues). As I took my 6-week exercise hiatus post-labor, I would sometimes crave a workout and wonder, "What am I going to do now?"
And while I stumbled across a few videos with instructors I liked that challenged my body, it wasn't until I met Karena and Katrina that something really clicked.
Fitness trainers and real-life best friends, Karena and Katrina are two California girls who co-founded Tone It Up and started posting workout videos on the beach—only to find that they soon had an insatiable social following.
From those few free online videos, they've built a fitness empire that extends into videos, workout gear and apparel, nutrition, and, recently, an online nutrition program and studio accessible through an app (monthly membership costs $12.99, or you can sign up for the year for $83.99—a much lower cost than most studios or gyms).
I've done a lot of TIU videos in the last two years because I love the way the girls talk about our bodies (and how actually challenging the workouts are), but recently I decided to try the membership to see if it really did help me create a better routine for my fitness.
I committed to five consecutive days of workouts, telling myself that that was the minimum amount of time I would have to dedicate to see any kind of result, physical or mental. And, you know what? Something interesting happened.
For one, it was much easier than I anticipated to stick with my goal.
Most of the live studio workouts are about 25 minutes, and they're offered every hour or half hour (depending on the time of day) so it's easy to find one that works for you. If for whatever reason I wasn't able to make a live class, they have dozens of on-demand videos (some that are eight minutes or less!) that it's easy to mix-and-match into a full 20- to 30-minute workout. There's even a TIU Pregnancy channel with prenatal-friendly workouts that can be subbed in if needed.
Each morning of the five days, I would wake up, have a small snack, drink a glass of water, and take my TIU class. The time flew by, thanks to the trainers' bubbly (but not annoying) personalities and the quick pace of the workout. Before I knew it, I was hitting the shower and getting on with my day.
After only five days, I knew I had found something I could stick with.
For one, the app makes it incredibly easy to fold a daily workout into your routine. You can look at the studio classes for the week and "sign up" for the times you want to take, and then your phone will alert you when it's time to sign in—no "I got distracted and forgot" excuses!
For another, the incredible variety of classes ensure that not only do you work out your entire body every few days, but it also makes it really hard to get bored. Instead, I found myself looking forward to seeing what the girls had in store for me each day. I even found the workouts easy to do with my busy toddler nearby—sometimes she even joins in, hopping around the living room with me or performing her own adorable squats and pushups.
Plus, it's hard to beat the emotional encouragement.
The trainers are all women with their own fitness stories and journeys, and their goal is to help you feel strong and healthy and enjoy the process—not just feel like you need to lose weight or like you're being punished for something. At the end of each workout, I felt proud and powerful for what I had just done—and I couldn't wait for the next one.
Most importantly, I love the example my home workouts help me set for my daughter.
Fitness is a regular part of our lives, not because we need to change ourselves or because we're paying some penance, but because it keeps us healthy, strong, and confident. Moving our bodies feels good, and every time she sees me make time for my own health, I know I'm setting the tone for how she should treat herself for the rest of her life.
Plus, the new muscles that have started to peek through my arms and shoulders? Those don't hurt either.
Self-care is one of the most important things pregnant women and new mothers need to focus on for so many reasons. If we don't look after ourselves, we have nothing to give to others.
Now that you are pregnant, there is no better time to begin thinking about your long-term health and happiness (I know you have already been thinking about baby's, after all).
If our car's gas tank is empty, we don't expect it to run... we head to a gas station and fill it up! This is exactly what we need to do for ourselves. We need to fill ourselves up before we can give to others—including a baby.
Our lives are moving at an alarming pace and very often self-care is seen as selfish.
I know this firsthand because I did it for years. During my pregnancy I was incredibly healthy but I did it all for my baby and not for myself. I only realized this after I had my son.
After his birth, I completely neglected my self-care and myself, which did not help my postpartum depression. During my recovery, I realized that self-care is not only important, but essential. We so freely give everything to our children.
My plea for new moms is to value your own care just as much as that of your new child. During pregnancy, self-care is important for both mom and baby. This philosophy should be carried through post birth.
After your baby is born, it's so important to eat well, rest when you can, and stay hydrated. As soon as you feel ready, get out for some fresh air with baby. Just remember not to push yourself too hard. Your body is still recovering!
Keeping stress low and practicing daily happiness habits are also important.
Sometimes it's easy to get caught up in everything we are doing wrong as a mom, so I like to keep a gratitude journal to remind me of the good things I have, and the amazing things I have done as a new mom. It helps to keep me focused on the positives in my life. No matter how bad my day is there is always something to be grateful for.
Once I started to value myself enough to eat well, exercise, talk kindly to myself, and practice daily happiness habits, I began to understand the power of self-care and what it truly means not only for ourselves, but for those we love.
I now have more time (believe it or not), patience, energy and vitality for my son and my life.
Practicing self-care does not mean you are shirking your responsibilities.
As a parent, there is no better way to instill confidence and self-esteem into your kids than to be a happy and healthy role model.
Rome wasn't built in a day and sometimes we need to learn (or re-learn) to like ourselves and value ourselves when we become new moms.
The small changes I have made over the past few years have led me on a path of wellness and true contentment—a feeling I have always craved but was never able to find.
After I had my son, I stopped hinging my worth on external things like property and job status. I started to look within and face my fears. It's been a rocky road—some days fraught with fear and others filled with bravery. But, I have been giving life my best shot.
Each day, licensed clinical social worker Ofra Obejas has appointments with a number of parents—with the idea that this is a designated time for them to decompress, turn their attention inward and concentrate on the counseling session. Yet, Obejas says she has noticed a disappointing trend: Many clients don't disconnect for that brief period.
"Parents have sat in therapy session with me and checked every time their phone alerted them, 'In case that's my kid calling me,'" she tells Motherly. "The smart device allows parents to never be away from the child."
Unlike in generations past, today's parents can be always "on" due to everything from high-tech baby monitors to a stream of pictures and updates sent to their phones. That's what we at Motherly have termed "continuous parenting," and the risk is it not only sets parents up for fatigue, but also sends children unhealthy messages about their own boundaries.
The answer isn't to erase our kids from our minds every so often—because that simply isn't possible. But we can benefit from making the effort to step back from actively "parenting" every now and then.
Parents spend more time than ever with their kids
According to a recent study from The Economist, American moms now spend twice as much time with their children compared with women 50 years ago. That works out to be an average of 125 minutes per day of devoted mom-child time. (Kudos to dads, too: Since 1965, they have tripled the time spent with their kids. It's now up to an average of 59 minutes daily.)
Experts credit this to increasingly flexible work schedules and options to punch in from home. Likely also at play is the fact that the newest generation of moms and dads are embracing the duty like few before, with 99% of millennial parents reporting they truly love parenting.
We're leaning into parenting—but are we overdoing it?
It's one thing to identify first and foremost as a parent and take pride in that role. It's another thing, however, to confuse our sense of worth with our children's accomplishments, which is something former Stanford University dean of freshmen Julie Lythcott-Haims says was commonplace among the parents she encountered.
"When I ask parents why they participate in the overprotection, overdirection, hand-holding frenzy, they respond, 'So my kid can be happy and successful,'" she writes in How to Raise an Adult. "When I ask them how it feels, they respond, 'Way too stressful.'"
This constant investment in children's lives can take a toll on the parent-child relationship when the parent doesn't take time for him or herself, too. "The parents feel that they 'sacrificed' their own time for the benefit of the child, even though during much of that time there was no direct engagement with the child," Obejas says of those hours spent shuttling kids around town or waiting outside the doctor's office. "The parents' own emotional and mental cup becomes empty, and when the child asks for more attention, the parents feel like they have already given enough."
The expectation of constant contact 'is draining for the brain'
Even outside the category of helicopter parents, the expectation that we should constantly know what our children are doing is problematic. "'Always on alert' didn't start with children," says Obejas. "It started with devices and apps designed to be addictive. It overtaxes our fight or flight response and leads to toxic stress when levels of cortisol and adrenaline don't ever subside."
Compared with the days when it was the norm for kids to roam free until the streetlights came on, it's commonplace today for parents to expect regular updates of their kids' exact whereabouts either by texts or GPS tracking tools.
"While this can be a safety backup, it increases the type of hypervigilance we know is draining for the brain," says Urszula Klich, licensed clinical psychologist and president of the Southeast Biofeedback and Clinical Neuroscience Association. "[This] can also cause incredible anxiety as parents hear and read things they wouldn't normally be subject to, that is, let's face it, a normal part of kids growing up."
Roles have reversed
Not so long ago, parents would go to the store or out on a date only with the faith that everything was fine at home. Now? That's almost unthinkable—as we've instead shifted to the mentality that our children or their responsible caregivers should be able to contact us at any given moment. Despite the good intentions at play here, this comes at an expense.
"In what other job do you never get a break? It is truly exhausting to never get to turn off the parent brain," says LMHC Jasmin Terrany, author of Extraordinary Mommy: A Loving Guide to Mastering Life's Most Important Job.
Driving this is the trend toward maternal gatekeeping, which describes the subconscious desire to micromanage child care even when someone else is perfectly capable of holding down the fort. As uncomfortable as this may feel, it's healthiest for everyone when parents can hand over the reigns on occasion.
"We must have regular practices to refuel," Terrany tells Motherly. "We don't need to feel guilty about taking this time for ourselves—our kids will not only learn that self-care is essential, but when we are good, they will be good."
This is also how we let our children know another adult can attend to their needs, which is an important step in fostering their sense of independence and confidence. As Esther Perel, author of Mating in Captivity, previously told Motherly, "Let your partner actually figure it out on their own and know that the system survives even when you are not there."
Being 'always on' can degrade quality time, too
Much of being "always on" is a two-way street: Not only do we bring our children into our work days and social lives, but we also bring other obligations home with us in the form of emails sent to our smartphones and mid-playtime breaks to check social media.
"Our children need us, the parents to be 'there,'" says Tom Kersting, licensed psychotherapist and author of Disconnected: How To Reconnect Our Digitally Distracted Kids. "They need us to talk to them, play with them and be present with them. This is literally impossible if we are multitasking between the iPhone and our interactions with them."
As expert as we may consider ourselves at multitasking, there is also something to be said for setting boundaries. "In today's world it's become difficult not to carry that phone around you all the time, even more so when your job is tied to it," says Klich. "Set boundaries for yourself for when you will check, even if it's once an hour, and stick to that making it clear to the kids what you are doing and why."
And when we're away from the kids, remember this hack: Calls from favorite contacts can still come through when you're on do not disturb mode. So tell your partner or your babysitter or your kids to call if it's a true emergency—and then allow yourself to go off the clock. You'll be better for it.
[This post was first published June 25, 2018.]
A short work week provides the perfect opportunity for us to teach our children about kindness—and to look at the world around us and see all the beautiful things others are doing.
Whether it's standing up for ourselves against unfair criticism (we see you, Meghan Markle!) or wishing good things for people all around the world, there's good happening out there. Mothers are making things happen for their kids every day despite a lack of support from society—and there are people seeing the pressure society is pushing on new moms and saying "no, this is not okay."
And to prove that, here are the stories that went viral this week:
This mama perfectly sums up what everyone gets wrong about maternity leave
I took four and a half months away from work after I gave birth to my twins. And yes, those days were full of sweatpants and dirty hair and Netflix and couch cuddles—but make no mistake: They were grueling. They were mentally, physically and emotionally exhausting. And they were certainly not a vacation.
Of course, that didn't stop the comments about how I must be "getting so bored" or questions about how I was "passing the time." Because we have this weird societal idea that parental leave is a vacation. And newsflash: It's not.
That's why we're applauding Anna Whitehouse, the founder of Mama Pukka, for posting about this very idea. "A reminder to businesses: Maternity/ paternity leave is not 'a holiday'. It's not 'a nice break' and it is not time off," Anna writes in a LinkedIn post.
"It's a heady cocktail of anticipation, expectation, arrival and survival. It's stripping yourself back to a primal state and nakedly navigating blocked milk ducts, torn stitches, bloody sheets, broken minds, manically Googling blackout blinds," the mother continues. "You are needed. Every second you are needed—if not in person, in mind. It is a job. Without sick days. Without fair remuneration. It is the most privileged position in the world but it takes balls, guts (often with no glory), boobs and any other extremity you can put to work."
Maternity leave is the perfect representation of motherhood's demands: You're in pain, recovering from serious physical trauma, dealing with an unfathomable hormonal shift—but you can't really stop to take care of or even check in with yourself because there's a little person (or a few little people) who depend on you for survival. And the weight of that? It can feel crushing.
Maternity leave is a perfect exercise in selflessness and tenacity. It's certainly not the stuff vacations are made of, that's for sure.
So thank you to this mama for making a truly important point. Because there is this unfair idea that mothers have a few weeks or months to simply check out...when in reality, that's simply not the case. Maternity leave is demanding. It's hard. It's isolating. It's essential. It is so many things happening all at once...and none of them feel anything like a break.
This viral video shows a mama helping her baby walk for the first time
A beautiful 4-year-old girl named Kinley and her mama are inspiring people everywhere with an incredible viral video in which Kinley learns to walk. Kinley was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, a disorder that affects motor skills, at age 2.
Kinley's mom, Shanell Jones, shared the footage of her daughter walking in January of 2019 and another video a year later—and the progress is remarkable. The post has been viewed nearly 3 million times.
"It brings joy to my heart that my daughter is bringing hope to people," Shanell tells Good Morning America. "People reached out saying, 'I didn't feel like my child was ever going to walk, but this video helped me have faith.'"
It's not just the progress the little girl is making that inspires. It's also her mother's constant encouragement. We love listening to this mama cheer on her beautiful daughter. What an amazing, inspirational duo!
This viral hospital sign shames parents for phone use when we really need empathy
Think back to when you first welcomed your baby. Do you remember how you felt? How exhausted, how dazed, how vulnerable you were in those early days? If you've been through it, you know that the last thing a new parent needs is to feel shamed...especially a new parent who is still at the hospital.
Unfortunately, parents at one hospital likely did feel shame...and it's thanks to a very questionable sign posted on its wall. British parent Dr. Ash Cottrell posted a photo of the sign Twitter...and let's just say it's rubbing users the wrong way.
"I'm on SCBU [special care baby unit] with my 5 day old. This poster makes me sad…," he writes alongside the photo of the sign.
The printed sign essentially shames new parents for looking at their phones.
"Mummy & Daddy . . . Please look at ME when I am feeding, I am much more interesting than your phone!!! Thank you," the signs reads.
The special care baby unit is for babies who don't need the NICU but still aren't well enough to go home. A baby may go to the SCBU to be put on oxygen or a feeding tube or to treat low blood sugar or jaundice. It's a stressful time for parents who might want to send updates to family or just check their feed for a moment of relief.
"When your baby is in SCBU you have no option than to sit and look at your baby. All day. For hours. You can't take them home & cuddle & snuggle & be mum. If, for some of those hours, you look at your phone to relieve the tedium of hours on the ward, nobody should tell you off." one Twitter user replies.
This sign is SO not what a new parent needs to see—especially a hormonal mom who is likely putting immense pressure on herself already. So mama, take it from us: You're allowed to look at your phone. Because you're human.


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Character's Full Name: Scott Alexander White
Name Origin: Scott was another one of those kids that was named just because his parents liked the way it sounded and not for any real reason. Originally they intended to call him Alexander Scott, but decided that it was likely people would start calling him 'Alex' which they didn't really care for, so they switched the order.
Nicknames: Scotty, when he was younger and occasionally still by Matt (sometimes sarcastically by Lakyn); Baby, by Lakyn; Scotty Scott, by Lena.
Birth Date: July 31st
Religion: Scott was turned off of religion from a young age, mostly because he was raised in a Fear God environment with overbearing parents. When he came to terms with his sexuality he began to lean strongly in the 'atheist' lane. It's not particularly something he talks about often, but when asked he still participates in religious activities with his self-made family, if only out of respect.
Physicality: Scott's noted as being tall, broad shouldered, and usually tan. He has chocolate brown eyes, brown hair, and a sunshine smile. Football and a general enjoyment of working out keeps his body in good shape. His fashion sense is mostly jeans and teeshirts, and he rarely gives what he's wearing a second thought (often to Lakyn's annoyance). Height: 5'11" | Weight: 174lbs | Shirt Size: M | Chest: 42in | Waist: 34in | Shoe Size: 10
Sexuality: Gay. Scott came out of the closet at the tail end of his Sophomore year in high school. It wasn't particularly a good experience, but it could have been worse. Although his sexuality caused some waves at school, Scott managed to hold onto his popularity. Unfortunately, his real problems came from home. Most of his extended family cut ties, his father decided to have nothing to do with him, and his mother never quite got over it. Scott dealt with the hurt and turned to the James family to fill the gap they left.
Scars & Tattoos: Scott was a rough and tumbley kid so he has quite a collection of scars, but nothing really eye catching. I doubt he'd be the type to get many tattoos, but he'd probably get one with Lakyn (Likely something like this, though probably on their shoulder blades instead of their wrists).
Personality Facts: Talkative, optimistic, easy to really talk to, loyal, brave, such a jock.
Quirks: Gayer than he seems, doesn't really handle personal stress (known to be a bit of a drinker), likes to party a little too much, not particularly academic smart but common sense smart, likes scary movies even though he's a chicken.
Skills/Talents: Athletic, good at baking, fairly good at advice, knows how to understand situations from multiple perspectives.
Phobias/Fears: Clowns
- +Food: Hawaiian Pizza
- +Drink: Mountain Dew
- +Alcoholic Drink: Jack Daniels
- +Color: Navy Blue
- +Film: Friday Night Lights
- +Music: Alternative Rock
- +Motto: "Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says 'I'll try again tomorrow'." (Mary Ann Radmacher.)
So, if you could pick someone to represent Scott, who would it be?
*Throws hands up angrily in the air* *proceeds to have five minute long tantrum* *slowly comes back to the computer*. I read somewhere once that the brain cannot make up faces. That even when you dream or imagine, you pick a face that you have seen somewhere, at sometime. If this is true I need the guy that 'inspired' Scott to call me ASAP because I am convinced this kid does not exist. The irony of this situation is that Scott has one of the most simple physical descriptions and yet…*long suffering sigh*.
Zac Efron isn't a horrible choice (although if it were a movie now he'd be much too old for the role. Which, let's be real, my entire fancast would be too old). I've always been a fan of his smile (which is definitely bright enough to be Scott's). And that jawline. Whuddup.
Considered Chace Crawford too. He's got a nice smile. Hey! Scott broke the hair pattern! Lol.
Not completely happy with those choices buuuut. It is what it is I suppose.
Have you ever wanted to know something about Scott? Ask in the comments!


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By Sahid Fawaz
The trade war waged by President Donald Trump is making American jeans manufacturers miserable.
"Victor Lytvinenko is thumbing through emails on his iPhone trying to find the one that best shows the damage the global trade war has already done to his little, decade-old American jeans company.
The 37-year-old — dressed in a black t-shirt, rolled-up blue jeans and a pair of Stan Smiths — eventually looks up after finding the message.
It's from a customer in Scotland who's apologizing for canceling an order worth tens of thousands of dollars. The reason?
The shop owner balked at paying an additional 25 percent tariff the European Union slapped on American-made jeans in June as part of its response to President Donald Trump's duties on steel and aluminum.
Lytvinenko was in Manhattan in late July for an apparel trade show. The annual trip was usually a fun excuse to catch up with customers or play ping pong over beers with friends also trying to earn a living making clothes in the U.S.
But this year was different. The talk was very much about how American-made jeans — of all things — had been pulled into the trade spat.
It's the latest gut punch for an industry that had already declined into a shell of what it once was. In the past year, two of the last-standing major denim mills closed, including the biggest: Cone Denim's facility in Greensboro, North Carolina, that many firms say was the last to make high-end denim fabric in the U.S. on a large scale."
For the rest of the story, visit The Morning Call here.


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The more you know about successful parenting strategies, the better prepared you will be. You will find some great advice about how bringing up a child can be made a bit easier and will help you to find that you can find a great deal of pleasure along the way.
Make sure there is a clean spot on your counter, and roll up a towel. Lay your child down with their back on the towel, and run the water over their hair. For many toddlers, this method will take the fear out of having their heads dunked or water poured over them.
If you are away from home with a young child, try to retain their eating and sleeping routines if you can. Travel can be stressful for babies and small children. When you keep them in their proper bedtime routines and mealtimes, you will help them adjust better to the different environments they are in. This will keep them happy so you can relax and get the sleep you need and they need as well.
Even though time with your kids is important, it is also important to make time for yourself. This allows you the keep your own identity, as well as that of being a parent.
No baby or toddler should ever drink soda of any kind. Stick with drinks which provide your child nutrients like water, juice or milk.
When your child is having difficulty cutting teeth, try placing sour pickles, cucumbers or carrots in a mesh teether. A flavored teether will encourage your child to continue chewing through the pain. Your child will have more relief from teething pains as they continue to use this teether.
As you have learned from the advice in this article, knowing how to parent well can make a great difference in making being a parent less of a chore and more of a joy. It is always a good idea to learn from someone else's experience to help you with your own. Your children will thank you!


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Costume designers create costumes for film, television or theatre productions. In small companies they will also fit, alter and repair and clean them.
You could be:
Pay rates vary, depending on:
Starting salaries for qualified costume designers in the UK tend to be around £16,000 to £18,000 a year. Some experienced designers may be able to earn between £20,000 and £40,000 a year.
Freelance costume designers charge a fee, which varies depending on the production and their reputation. The better known they are, the more they can charge. The trade union Equity can help with negotiation. The BECTU website lists minimum pay rate desirable for costume designers on a low budget production (under £1.5 million) as about £220.00 for a 10-hour day and £1,100 for a 5-day week.
Workforce Employment Status
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For art school courses you need to apply through UCAS. Some courses have a closing date of 15th January and others have the closing date of 24th March.
Application to the RCS is through UCAS Conservatoires. The application date can differ from other courses. Details are on the RCS website.
Entry to this work is very competitive. You need to build up contacts through amateur and voluntary work. You can advertise yourself and your specialist skills on the Society of British Theatre Designers (SBTD) website.
Workforce Education Levels (UK)
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You need to be:
You need to have:
Young Scot and Creative Scotland operate the 'Nurturing Talent - Time to Shine Fund', which aims to support young people aged 11-25 and interested in developing creative or artistic skills. Both individuals and groups can apply for funding ranging from £50 to £1,000. For more information see the Young Scot website.
Take a look at The Stage online magazine for information on jobs and auditions.
The Creative and Cultural Skills website has a section called Creative Choices which has information on working in the theatre industry, including costume design.
Kozzii is a new costume and wardrobe industry magazine offering invaluable advice, news and feature articles. Visit their website or see them on Instagram (@kozziimag).
The following organisations may be able to provide further information.
BECTU Scotland (Broadcasting Entertainment Cinematograph and Theatre Union)
E-mail: email@example.com
Website: http://www.bectu.org.uk
Twitter: @bectu
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BECTUOfficial
Chartered Society of Designers (CSD)
Tel: 020 7357 8088
E-mail: email@example.com
Website: http://www.csd.org.uk
Twitter: @csdminerva
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/charteredsocietyofdesigners
Costume Society of Great Britain
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Website: http://www.costumesociety.org.uk/
Twitter: @costume_society
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Costume-Society/217890118230507
Creative and Cultural Skills
Tel: 020 7015 1800
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Website: http://www.ccskills.org.uk/
Website (2): https://ccskills.org.uk/careers
Twitter: @CCskills
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ccskills
Creative and Cultural Skills is the Sector Skills Council for advertising, crafts, cultural heritage, design, music, performing, literary and visual arts. Creative Choices is their career information website.
Tel: 020 77139800
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Website: https://www.screenskills.com
Twitter: @UKScreenSkills
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UKScreenSkills
ScreenSkills (formerly Creative Skillset) works with the UK's screen-based creative media industries to develop skills and talent from classroom to boardroom.
Society of British Theatre Designers (SBTD)
Tel: 07809 721047
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Website: http://www.theatredesign.org.uk/
Twitter: @weareSBTD
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/46932887747


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A criminal record in North Carolina can be an anchor weighing down your future potential.
The trouble is that the North Carolina legal system can be very broad in what it considers part of your criminal record. For instance, even if you were declared not guilty in a jury trial, or if criminal charges were dropped in your case, that information can be available to prosecutors and judges for the rest of your life.
First, the good news: there is a way to remove such prejudicial information from your permanent criminal record. It's called expungement, and North Carolina offers each resident a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to clean up his record. You can even expunge a minor felony conviction under certain circumstances.
The bad news: expungement is a complicated process. The requirements are very strict. You may have to gather and submit a lot of paperwork to the courts. And did we mention it's something you can do only once?
Is Criminal Expungement in North Carolina worth all the work?
As criminal defense lawyers in North Carolina, we will tell you this: expungement is crucial. If you can qualify, it is absolutely imperative that you get minor offenses purged from state records.
Having a criminal record in North Carolina imposes huge complications on your life. Getting rid of that record will add to your peace of mind. And that's what expungement does: it makes your criminal record vanish, forever unavailable to police, prosecutors, or judges.
Here are just four reasons why expungement is in your best interest:
Employers can discriminate against people with criminal records in making hiring decisions. People with certain offenses on their records may be barred from holding professional licenses. Expungement erases your record and opens job opportunities that may be closed to you today.
Colleges and graduate schools may take your criminal record into consideration when deciding to admit you. Federal laws also bar some people with drug-related offenses on their criminal record from obtaining financial aid for higher education.
Personal Finance
Have you ever applied for a loan to buy a car or house and been turned down because of your criminal record? Expungement has the potential to end discrimination against you because of your history, and may make more favorable interest rates available when you do secure a loan.
Future interactions with Law Enforcement
If you are pulled over for a traffic offense—or, worse, questioned in connection with a more serious crime—police officers will learn of your criminal record. If you're arrested, prosecutors will be less willing to offer deals when you have a record, and your prior record can mean a tougher or longer punishment if convicted.
Start to clean up your criminal record today
There is no good reason why you should live with a tarnished record one day longer than you have to. Expungement will remove all traces of your record from the North Carolina criminal justice system. Only one secret file will remain, and that will only be used to check whether you have used your once-in-a-lifetime expungement opportunity.
Connect to a trusted criminal defense law firm in Wilmington to begin the process of restoring your good name. Call the office of Speaks Law Firm at 910-341-7570 or (toll-free statewide) at 877-593-4233. We can investigate your situation and tell you if expungement is possible, and then help you prepare and file the necessary paperwork. Pick up the phone today and get the work started!


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Brighten the day of someone special with this cheerful and colorful surprise. Ten flawless tangerine roses and eight exotic fuchsia Calypso orchids light up the room with their brilliant petals, especially when arranged in our playful paint splotch handled vase.
- Stem length: 15″ – 17″
- Stem count: 18 stems
- Vase: Ceramic, 7″ high
- Also available in signature glass vase


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About Thyroidectomy
A thyroidectomy is a surgical procedure performed to remove either part of, or all of the thyroid. The thyroid is a gland located over the larynx, around the trachea and functions to produce hormones which are released into the blood stream to regulate the body's metabolism.
The thyroid may need to be fully or partially removed if the patient has thyroid cancer, an overactive thyroid, nodules, cysts in the thyroid, or an enlarged thyroid that is obstructing breathing.
When all of the thyroid gland is removed, it is referred to as a total thyroidectomy and involves removing the entire gland, as well as the surrounding lymph nodes. Patients who have a total thyroidectomy will need to take replacement thyroid hormone medication.
When part of the thyroid is removed, it is referred to as a thyroid lobectomy or partial thyroidectomy and involves removing one of the thyroid lobes and leaving the rest in tact.
- Thyroid cancer
- Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid)
- Goiter (enlargement of the thyroid)
- Thyroid cysts
Time requirements
A thyroidectomy involves removing either part of, or all of the thyroid.
Time requirements
Time requirements
A thyroidectomy involves removing either part of, or all of the thyroid.
Compare Thyroidectomy prices around the world
|United States
|$ 17,736
|$ 4,600
|$ 3,138
|$ 2,705
|$ 2,043
|$ 2,006
|$ 1,330
|$ 915
Source: Medigo prices
How to find quality treatment abroad
200000Patients who used MEDIGO
1200Clinics across 35 countries
195Countries represented by MEDIGO patients
20Languages spoken at MEDIGO
Before Thyroidectomy abroad
Patients should prepare any questions or concerns that they may have before the surgery that they can discuss with the doctor.
Ahead of the surgery, patients are usually advised to refrain from eating and drinking in the hours preceding the surgery, in order to prepare for the general anesthetic.
How is it performed
The patient is administered with a general anesthetic before the surgery begins. There are 3 different surgical techniques which can be used to perform a thyroidectomy.
Conventional open surgery is the traditionally used surgical technique, whereby the surgeon will begin by making a 4 to 6cm horizontal incision across the neck to gain access to the thyroid. Depending on the patient, either all of the thyroid, or one lobe of the thyroid is then removed. If the thyroid is being removed due to cancer, then the surrounding lymph nodes are examined and are likely to be removed.
The surgery can also be performed endoscopically which is a minimally invasive surgical technique, meaning rather than making one large incision across the neck, smaller incisions are made, through which an endoscope is inserted. The surgeon then uses the endoscope as a guide to locate the thyroid, and small instruments are attached to remove the thyroid.
The surgery can also be performed robotically which is a relatively new minimally invasive surgical technique and involves the da Vinci Surgical System. Rather than making an incision in the neck, the surgery is performed by accessing the thyroid from the armpit. A small incision is made under the arm, through which the robotic hands and camera are inserted and are controlled by the surgeon to remove the thyroid.
Once the thyroid is removed, the incision site is then closed with sutures and a sterile dressing is applied. If the incision was made in the neck, then a draining tube may be inserted to drain excess fluid.
General anesthetic.
The Thyroidectomy takes 1 to 3 hours.
What to expect after ThyroidectomyPost procedure care
After the surgery, patients are taken to the recovery area and the breathing tube that was put in place before the surgery, is then removed. The surgical drain may be kept in place for the first day after the surgery. An IV drip may remain in place for the first day after the surgery to deliver food as swallowing will be painful.
Patients should keep the incision site clean and will be given antibiotics to prevent infection, as well as medication to relieve any pain.
If the entire thyroid is removed, patients will need to take thyroid hormone replacement medication. When part of the thyroid is removed, the patient may require a lower dose of hormone replacement medication.
Important things to know about ThyroidectomyPotential risks
- Bleeding
- Infection
- Change in voice
- Airway obstruction
Compare Thyroidectomy prices around the world
|United States
|$ 17,736
|$ 4,600
|$ 3,138
|$ 2,705
|$ 2,043
|$ 2,006
|$ 1,330
|$ 915
Source: Medigo prices
Similar procedures
Top destinations
Popular destinations for Thyroidectomy
- Hungary from$ 2,006
- Poland from$ 2,043
- Czech Republic from$ 6,429


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Who?: Affiliations
Rod Zander of New England Hearth & Soapstone LLC in Goshen, Connecticut, has a national reputation as a master designer and builder, and is renowned by homeowners and contractors alike for his meticulously engineered one-of-a-kind soapstone masonry heaters. Although he began his career as a cabinetmaker and woodworker, the masonry heater he installed in his own home so intrigued him that he sought out the best craftsmen and technicians to learn everything he needed to know about masonry heaters. Using a global network of contacts he acquired within the field, Zander became knowledgeable about the interior mechanics of the heaters by building them, and adapted construction methods to comply with modern building codes. His travels took him to factories and quarries in Sweden, Finland and Nova Scotia, where he absorbed the time-honored skills of master craftsmen to hone his engineering, stonecutting and design abilities.


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Presented as part of the 35th Annual Transformation and Healing Conference.
This workshop will explore the fascinating relationship between emotional regulation, interpersonal co-regulation and the seven primary emotional-motivation systems that we humans share with ALL other mammals. Click here to register.
Kate Cook, M.A., LPCC, TEP, is the director of the Applied Interpersonal Neurobiology Certificate Program at SWC. She is a nationally board-certified trainer and practitioner of psychodrama, sociometry and group psychotherapy. Ms. Cook maintains a private practice and is a national consultant and educator.
- This event has passed.
Deepening Awareness of Our Amazing, Embodied Brains
08/05/2016 @ 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm| $40
Event Navigation
Presented as part of the 35th Annual Transformation and Healing Conference.


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A local businesswoman has taken her love of financial management and turned it into a business as she launches the first Rosemary Bookkeeping franchise of 2018.
Siham Wong, a resident of Wrexham, is now a franchise partner with Rosemary Bookkeeping, one of the UK's leading bookkeeping franchises, which was acquired by national franchisor ServiceMaster in August 2017. Rosemary Bookkeeping provides the full range of bookkeeping services to small and medium sized businesses and Accountancy practices.
Siham is the first investor and franchise partner in Rosemary Bookkeeping since the takeover by ServiceMaster and is excited about her journey ahead: "My aim is to grow my business and build a reputation for a quality service. In time I want to be employing other people and bringing through young, local talent.
"I've always wanted to run my own business and the franchise option fit my circumstances perfectly and I'm delighted to be working alongside so many other fantastic Rosemary Bookkeeping businesses across the UK."
Originally from Morocco, Siham moved to the UK in 2006 and gained her AAT Level 3 Diploma in Accounting before deciding that bookkeeping was for her and invested in her own business.
All new Rosemary Bookkeeping franchise partners undertake intensive training at the ServiceMaster Franchise Support Centre, learning the unique Rosemary SystemÒ, which delivers systemised efficient processing and is used by all Rosemary Bookkeeping businesses across the UK, and all aspects of business management.
Hannah Banfield, head of marketing for ServiceMaster and brand leader for Rosemary Bookkeeping added: "We are delighted to welcome Siham on board as our first Rosemary Bookkeeping Franchise Partner and we are excited about her franchise journey with us. There is a huge amount of interest in the Rosemary franchise opportunity at the moment and we're looking forward to welcoming more Franchise Partners to the network in the near future."
ServiceMaster has over 300 franchisees operating in close to 700 licensed areas under its brands, including Merry Maids, ServiceMaster Clean, Furniture Medic, TruGreen Professional LawnCare and now Rosemary Bookkeeping.Contact Franchise →