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The sad situation that's developed in the aftermath of last week's referendum on smacking is that all debates on raising good kids have now become framed by the issue of how they're disciplined rather than how they're raised to become fine adults – and on what other parents are supposedly doing wrong instead of what it means to do right yourself.
And this is exactly backwards. "Discipline" is just a nice person's way to say punish. To take nothing away from your right to raise good kids as you choose (which in their equating of smacking with beating is essentially what the Bradford-Harridan axis wanted to take away) , if you want to raise good kids, the method by which they're punished is not the first or even most important tool in a parent's toolbox.
The issue has become so much framed by the debate over whether or not smacking should be legal or illegal, that people seem to have forgotten that the law in no way offers a guide to what you should do, only what you may not do. Legality is not morality – or even necessarily good parenting. Avoiding sending the wrong messages is a very different thing to making sure you send the right ones.
So let's see if we can step outside the essentially negative "debate" over whether or not smacking should be legal or illegal, and have a look at what parents ought to be doing if they want to raise good kids, and where they might get some assistance.
First off, let's recognise that the development of good character in their children is the goal of many, if not most, parents -- but young children aren't yet able to grasp for themselves such abstract virtues as honesty, responsibility and productivity. (And something similar might be said about many parents, who perhaps never will.). Fundamentally, children lack yet the ability to project the future into the present in a way that would demonstrate to them the positive long-range consequences of acting well, and in any case they lack the experiences on which to draw that allow them to draw those lessons.
It's not enough for you to simply draw up a list of rules and tell your child to follow them – to give them a stamp on the hand when they do and a session on the naughty mat when they don't. What you're after in the long run is for the child himself to internalise a set of virtues that are necessary for a successful life. That's what it means to be good, right? To have internalised desirable traits and virtues like rationality, justice, responsibility, benevolence, independence, pride and integrity. It's those you want to cement in, not a list of do's and don'ts.
Drawing on the literature in brain research and psychology, Vassar College professor of cognitive science Professor Kenneth Livingston explains how "the growth of virtue can be encouraged, despite the fact that young children lack the capacity to project the consequences of their actions very far into the future." Prof Livingston argues that the parent's job is be what he calls a 'virtual consequence generator' - to stand in for the future and structure the child's experience of the world in a way that reflects the abstract moral principles involved.
"The parent's job [he says] is to bring the future into the present for the child, to make it palpable, and to do so in a way that accurately represents the world as it is—but at a level that is accessible to the child."
As he says in 'Teaching Albert Honesty', this is a tall order – and he invites you to look more closely at what he identifies as the three components.
- "First, the child needs to be able to experience—immediately—the unpleasantness associated with being dishonest or behaving irresponsibly. And of course he needs to have some way of experiencing, also in the present moment, the joys of acting honestly or responsibly.
- "Second, he has to get information that helps him to build the abstract concept at issue (such as honesty or responsibility), so that what he feels is linked to this more general notion—not merely to the specific situation that provoked the parental response. (Remember, the goal is to internalize a principle, not a list of rules.)
- "Finally, once an immediate connection is made between the concept of the virtue in question and an emotion associated with achieving or failing to achieve this virtue, the child's time horizon needs to be stretched to introduce the critical element of anticipation."
So what does this mean in concrete terms any parent can understand?
Well, obviously the sharing and reading of stories and fables helps to offer the wide range of experiences he might one day encounter in the world, and help demonstrate for him the long-range consequences for him of acting well – not to mention encouraging him to enjoy reading for himself. But there are obviously lessons to be drawn and demonstrated in day-today life.
Consider little Albert, who lies about a broken vase. "It wasn't me who done it," says Albert, despite that fact that you've got him cold. Suggests Livingston:
The parent might begin by immediately withdrawing a privilege based on trust (like choosing a television program and watching it alone). Albert would feel disappointed or unhappy and, with some discussion of the importance of trust and honesty, might begin to build a concept of truth-telling that transcends the immediate situation with the vase. Later, if Albert lied again about something important, earning a more dramatic punishment, our approach would suggest that the punishment ought to be promised but then delayed for a short time, during which Albert would be encouraged to anticipate what is about to happen.
There are many, many things to be said about how to help concretise values, to bring the future into the present for the child, to accurately represent the world as it is—but at a level that is accessible to the child. And there's just no way to do all that in a short post. (That is, in what was supposed to be just a short post.) In his lecture on Raising Good Kids, Livingston offers a few points to keep in mind when considering your strategies":
- Know Your Virtues. You can't raise good kids if you don't have a clear sense of the good yourself. You need to know that there are right and wrong answers; that there really is such a thing as moral and immoral; that virtues themselves are a positive thing -- that the very purpose of "the good" is to help you achieve your own happiness and success in the world, not to give you a list of things to avoid or feel guilty about.
Most of all, you need to know and to hold in mind the concrete principle you're hoping to convey when you're confronted with your child in a particular concrete situation.
(And you need to know too that not every situation with your child has ethical implications. Most times you should just enjoy them.)
- Be a Virtual Consequence Generator. A young child may not yet know virtue in the abstract, but he is capable of understanding it in its more concrete particulars IF the parent can help structure his experience in a way that accurately reflects the abstract principle, and that helps him discover it for himself. That's the principle of being the "virtual consequence generator" -- you have to remember that you're "standing in for" the future, and for the much rougher, much less forgiving world in which your child will one day have to function but is not yet able to understand.
One of Maria Montessori's commonly used maxims to keep in mind when helping children was the child is essentially saying: "Help me to do it by myself." That's your job in teaching the virtues. (It also relates to her idea of the classroom as a "prepared environment," structured in such a way that the child can discover for himself the leading principles and concepts "revealed" there.)
- Show, Don't Tell. Remember that whatever else you say or do to a child in guiding or "redirecting" their behaviour from good to bad (and let's be clear, that redirection is sometimes going to require some force), the very techniques you employ to redirect a child's behaviour themselves convey a message.
Make a habit of snatching a toy off him that he's just snatched off a smaller child, and you unavoidably demonstrate to a child that might is right -- and whatever lessons you try to convey on each occasion by talking to him about respecting other people's property will be undercut,and quite another lesson will nonetheless be conveyed.
Start giving your child stars or stamps on the hand to reward him for acting well, and you demonstrate to a child that his primary reward for acting well is the praise or rewards given to him by authority figures, instead of by his own internalised moral compass (and it's the internalised moral compass which you're actually trying to develop) - and you're teaching him to look outside for his rewards rather than within.
Demonstrate inconsistency in your punishments or rewards, with different consequences for the same behaviour, and you teach him the lesson that different consequences can follow from the same actions.
Remember, in other words, that it's not primarily quiet and peaceful short-term consequences you're after – what you're looking for is successful long-run consequences.
- Observe that a child isn't a china doll. As Livingston says all this can all sound like a very tall order. But don't beat yourself up when things go wrong; a child is less "breakable" than you might think. They do have free will, and you need to recognise that as well as try to harness it. Nature and nurture AND the child's own individualistic volition act together in helping the child to develop himself, provided that you "prepare the environment" well to help him do that.
So all that said, it's still barely scratched the subject's surface of how you can raise good kids. So here's a few books, articles, blogs and lectures to read and listen to that will offer you more guidance suggested mostly by some good friends and colleagues of mine who know much more about most of this than I do, and from most of which I've taken what I've written here:
- Kenneth R. Livingston: 'Teaching Albert Honesty' – online article proposing a way for parents to help children begin to lay the foundations of moral intelligence.
- Kenneth R. Livingston: Raising Good Kids – How to help children develop the traits of character that are required for happiness and success. Drawing on the literature in psychology, Professor Livingston discusses how parents and teachers can encourage the growth of virtue in children, even before children have acquired explicit moral concepts. (Audio cassette)
- Rational Jenn's posts on rational parenting, and the regular Non-Punitive Discipline Blog Carnival hosted at Kelly Elmore's Reepicheep's Coracle blog.
- Adel Faber & Elaine Mazlish: How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk – innovative ways to solve common parenting problems.
- Alfie Kohn: Unconditional Parenting: Moving from Rewards and Punishments to Love and Reason – the way kids learn to make good decisions is by making decisions, says Kohn, not by following directions. Children do best with unconditional love, respect and the opportunity to make their own choices. Kohn questions why parents and parenting literature focus on compliance and quick fixes, and points out that docility and short-term obedience are not what most parents desire of their children in the long run.
- Alfie Kohn: Punished by Rewards: The Trouble With Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, As, Praise, and Other Bribes – why rewards, including praise, fail to promote lasting behavior change and frequently make things worse.
- Celia Lashlie: He'll Be OK: Growing Gorgeous Boys Into Good Men – tools for parents who want their sons to become good men.
- Jane M. Healy: Endangered Minds: Why Children Don't Think & What We Can Do About It – why a TV is not a good babysitter, and how to make your child a genuine life-long learner.
- Lynne Lawrence: Montessori Read and Write: A Parent's Guide to Literacy for Children – how to help chidren learn to read and write, and to enjoy learning.
- Paula Polk Lillard: Montessori Today: A Comprehensive Approach to Education from Birth to Adulthood – a reminder that children need different things at each stage of their development, and a guide to what those stages are.
- Tara Smith: Ayn Rand's Normative Ethics: The Virtuous Egoist – if you want to "know your virtues," specifically the seven traits of character required for happiness and success, then Smith's book of the seven Objectivist virtues (with a clear and easily readable chapter on each) is your ideal menu.
UPDATE: My friends and colleagues at the Maria Montessori Education Foundation tell me I should let you know about three upcoming public events for parents with two world-class speakers in Auckland, Tauranga and Wellington.
AUCKLAND: PUBLIC ADDRESS - 'Good at Doing Things'
Professor of paediatrics and neurology at the University of Minnesota, Steven Hughes appears at AUT's Northcote Campus on Friday September 18 to to talk about how Montessori education provides children with a lifetime of success, how it parallels what is known about brain development, and how it fosters the development of empathy and leadership. Dr Hughes, who developed his own interest in Montessori education when he saw the success and happiness of his own children in their Montessori classroom, will show how and why Montessoir kids become 'good at doing things,' and why that matters.
This talk -- which he's given in Amsterdam, Minnesota, Perth, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney and now Auckland – is especially good for fathers who may wonder about this "Montessori-thing!"
* * Friday September 18 @ 7-9pm, $10 per person.
* * AUT Campus, 90 Akoranga Drive, Northcote, Auckland
For ticket information and bookings, email firstname.lastname@example.com or freephone Ana on 0800 336612.
TAURANGA: PUBLIC ADDRESS - 'The Child - A Social Being'
London-based Montessori trainer Cheryl Ferreira talks on Saturday October 10th on how the first step in 'the child as a social being' is to help the child develop all his functions as a free individual, which is what fosters that development of personality that actuates social organisation.
* * Saturday October 10th @ 7- 9p.m, $15 payment at the door (includes light refreshments)
* * Historic Village on 17th, Seventeenth Avenue, Tauranga
* * For ticket information and bookings email firstname.lastname@example.com or phone Carol 021 111 4133 by Tues Oct. 6th.
WELLINGTON: PUBLIC ADDRESS - 'Children Creating and Developing Language from Birth Onwards'
London-based Montessori trainer Cheryl Ferreira talks on Saturday October 17th on how children create and develop language from birth onwards
Join us to discuss the factors that impact on the development of spoken language from 0-6 and how this impacts on writing and reading'.
* * Saturday October 17th @ 7-9p.m, $10 payment at the door (includes tea &coffee)
* * Wa Ora Montessori School, 278 Waddington Road, Naenae, Lower Hutt, Wellington*
* * For ticket information and bookings contact firstname.lastname@example.com or phone Anna on (04) 232 3428 by Tues Oct. 13th.


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By: Cresta
If you are looking for a wine-related something to do this weekend, head to Ripley, Ohio for the Kinkead Ridge red wine release and annual vineyard tour. I am going to make a serious effort to get there, but you know how that goes sometimes.
On Saturday, August 31 and Monday, September 2, Kinkead will release its 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2011 Cabernet Franc, 2011 Syrah, and 2011 Petit Verdot. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Closed on Sunday).
They also will have a very limited amount of 2012 Kinkead Ridge Viognier Roussanne, as well as 2012 River Village Cellars White Wine and Traminette.
In addition to the release, Kinkead will host its annual vineyard tour. Maps will be available at the winery. Please note that there are no restrooms at the vineyard. Children and pets are welcome, but dogs are required to be on a leash.
The winery is located at 904 Hamburg Street in Ripley. Overflow parking will be at the large white building across the street. The Vineyard address is 4288 Kinkead Road (Follow the yellow signs).
If you cannot get there this weekend, Kinkead also is open September 7 and September 14, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. However some of the red wine may be sold out at that time.
It's been a while since I've been to this quaint little village in Brown County. Perhaps we also could visit the Rankin House, Ripley Flea Market, take the ferry to Augusta, KY, or grab a bite to eat at one of the cafés or diners.
Kinkead Ridge is a nationally known estate winery. Its primary grape varieties are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Viognier, and Riesling, with smaller quantities of Petit Verdot, Roussanne and Sauvignon Blanc.
Visit http://www.kinkeadridge.com for more information.
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Krystal Pepper Memorial Scholarship Fund
Raising money for a scholarship fund in memory of Michelle's little sister who passed away in 2007

subset: commoncrawl


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Teaching Well? Educational Reconstruction Efforts and support to teachers in postwar Liberia (2007)
Author/Publisher: International Rescue Committee
Language: English
Download: PDF
At a time when the development of a robust and relevant education system for Liberia is so critical, and the IRCs education interventions are being scaled up with a particular focus on teachers, teacher support and development, this study provides important insight on teachers lives and the conditions in which they work.
This introduction briefly situates the study in relation to the IRCs work in education in humanitarian contexts of different typesemergency, refugee, chronic crisis, reintegration and post-conflict or post-disaster developmentas well as to the IRCs global Healing Classrooms Initiative.


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Pureora Timber Trail
The Timber Trail is one of the 23 Great Rides under Nga Haerenga, The New Zealand Cycle Trail.
1 / 2
Status: Open
Grade: Easy (2) - Intermediate (3)
Duration: 2 days
Total Length: 77km
This spectacular 77km trail will offer riders the chance to experience the rich heritage of the Pureora Forest Park. Cyclists will ride through forest terrain, passing 800-year-old trees, a bush tramway and historic timber-milling sites. Situated within a three hour drive of Auckland, Hamilton, Rotorua and Taupo, the trail will cater for all levels of cycling ability.
The Timber Trail passes through the Pureora Forest Park, where riders will pass through four ecological areas showcasing remnants of the great forests that once dominated the area. The trail traverses the culturally significant Mount Pureora then runs along the western side of the Hauhungaroa Range before dropping down to Ongarue.
The full trail will be a 2-day-ride but there will also be several options for shorter rides, with trackside shelters and toilets at regular intervals to ensure the comfort of travellers.
Through informative interpretation, the ride will showcase the history of timber logging. Bush lokies, jiggers, and bush camps will become familiar as the story of life in the bush unfolds, with real life accounts of the men and woman who toiled in the harsh conditions to make a living.
The nationally significant Ongarue Spiral is being lovingly restored to its former glory as part of the cycle trail's development. Some of New Zealand's highest and longest suspension bridges will also be a feature of the trail.
Best time to ride
The best time to ride the trail is in late spring, where cool frosty mornings give way to spectacularly clear days to best enjoy the vistas. Pureora enjoys stable weather over the summer and through to late autumn, but rain and cold weather make riding the trail through winter only for the fearless.
Getting there
Pureora Village is located along State Highway 30, 45 minutes east of Te Kuiti. Turn off State Highway 30 at Maraeroa Road. Just past the Harakeke Centre turn left onto Barryville Road and travel 2km to the beginning of the trail. Please note that Maraeroa and Barryville roads are gravel. Pureora Village may also be accessed by turning onto Barryville Road from State Highway 30 and travelling 2.5km to the beginning of the trail.
For experienced mountainbikers, looking for a challenge - the Pureora Timber Trail may be ridden from south to north. To begin in Ongarue, turn off State Highway 4 onto Ongarue-Waimiha Road. Turn right to cross the river at Tuhua Road, and turn left onto Ngakonui-Ongarue Road. The trail begins 7km from this point – please note the last 2km of Ngakonui-Ongarue Road is gravel.
Plan and prepare: Your safety is your responsibility
Access onto The Timber Trail is relatively easy however the trail is located within a remote back country area. There is limited cell phone coverage. Before your trip ensure you have:
• Checked the latest forecast
• Left your intentions with someone
• warm clothing and some food.
There are no food stores or petrol outlets at Pureora or Ongarue; the nearest facilities to Pureora are at Benneydale, 15 minutes west along SH30, or at Mangakino, 20 minutes east. The nearest facilities to Ongarue are at Taumarunui, 20 minutes south-west of Ongarue.
Trail partners
The trail is a joint initiative of the Department of Conservation and The New Zealand Cycle Trail project.
Click here for more information, photos and maps.


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September 10, 2012, 4:41 pm
Day's Best: Donating sports gear for a cause
It was heartwarming to see the amount of sports gear collected in an event to benefit victims of the Colorado wildfires — some 25,000 pieces of equipment.
The event was the idea of Jessica Ghawi, one of 12 people killed in the Aurora theater shooting that also left 58 wounded.
Ghawi, an aspiring sports journalist, came up with the sports gear donation idea before she died as a way to help kids return to normalcy after the fires.
The hockey sticks, volleyballs and other donated gear will be distributed to fire victims this weekend at Coronado High School, a fitting legacy for someone who found such joy in sports.
Next Post »


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The Windows Phone community forum is the best place to discuss the platform as a whole with other consumers. There can be times where you miss the latest threads published on the boards, so we bring you across a handful of discussions that are well worth checking out. So what's been happening as of late?
We've continuously given Microsoft some heat for not promoting and expanding the Windows Phone platform well enough, but is it really required? Many don't believe so, and forum member ttsoldier has created a thread on our forum to go into just what Redmond is doing when it comes to getting the word out.
"I've seen Windows Phone 8 pop up in two TV series that I look at. 1)Revenge 2)Scandal. In revenge it's a blue HTC, and in Scandal it's Lumia 920's. (Yes. Plural). In both series, they started off in the earlier episodes using BlackBerries and iPhones, now, WP8 is in the mix. To me, it shows that Microsoft is trying to get the word out there!"
Now we can of course mistake Microsoft marketing with efforts by manufacturers, but there are times where Redmond is the main driving force behind some promotions. Be sure to add your thoughts on and experiences with Microsoft marketing Windows Phone in the "And you say Microsoft isn't pushing WP8?" thread.
What's HTC up to?
So what exactly is HTC up to? The company is still heading down in a negative spiral, is struggling against other manufacturers in Android and is being cast aside by Nokia with Windows Phone, but where is HTC? We've consistently covered Nokia and Microsoft together, but it's gone rather quiet in the HTC camp.
Forum member Jonny8X voices his concerns:
"Of course you will be aware of bombardment of new regarding the Lumia recently, wether it be updates, apps or whatever. To be honest, it has me worried, I mean, HTC's portfolio of recent news isn't exactly overwhelming (there had been none) and if you own a HTC (which I do), what can we do but sit and watch our Lumia brothers and sisters reap all the Microsoft love so to speak?"
It's a good argument and one that we'd like to put to HTC. Wasn't it unveiled that the company would reignite the fire with Microsoft? Now, don't get us wrong, we really (and I mean "really") like both the HTC 8X and 8S Windows Phones. They're exciting hardware, but where are the apps and marketing to go with It's concerning with how it's all gone rather quiet.
What are your thoughts? Add your $0.02 in the "What is HTC doing?" thread.
Show download counters on the Store?
This is an interesting idea. Should Microsoft display the number of times an app has been downloaded from the Windows Phone Store? It would be an interesting statistic, one that forum member adamjolin believes would be handy for consumers to be able to view when browsing around for popular apps.
Do you believe Microsoft should add the metric to each app listing? Add our thoughts in the "Download count in store" thread.


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The bank has put up $557 million for the development of the projects in the states of Ceará and Rio Grande do Sul.
Four of the projects, the Atlântica I, II, III and IV wind farms, are to be built by Brazilian developer CPFL Energias Renováveis near the city of Palmares do Sul in Rio Grande do Sul.
These projects, which will get $383.7 million of the investment, will each be made up of 40 Acciona AW116-3MW turbines.
The other three projects will receive $173.3 million and are being developed by Brise Energias Renováveis, part of industrial conglomerate Queiroz Galvão.
The wind farms make up the Amontada complex near Fortaleza in Ceará and will have a capacity of 76MW, made up of 28 Alstom ECO122-2.7MW turbines. All seven of the projects are set to come online this year.
BNDES's financing of wind projects has increased significantly in recent years. Last year, the bank distributed BRL 4.3 billion ($1.9 billion), almost double the amount invested in 2011.


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New torrents trackers https://torrent-trackerfree.000webhostapp.com/
© 2019 Atlayo
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Leonard lends a hand in "The Hesitation Ramification" Episode 12 of Season 7
When Penny's big acting break on NCIS is a bust, Leonard struggles to help her, which results in Penny asking Leonard a bold relationship question. Meanwhile, Sheldon tries to learn how to be funny and Raj tries to work on his "game" before talking to girls, on THE BIG BANG THEORY, Thursday, Jan. 2 (8:00 – 8:31 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Pictured left to right: Kaley Cuoco and Johnny Galecki Photo: Michael Yarish/Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. © 2013 WBEI. All rights reserved.


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Products Used:
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Bonsai Restaurant & My New Lippie
Products Used:
16 comments:
- LilliChantilly said...
Yummy! and you look super cute with that lipstick on :)
- 15/9/09 23:45
- tinedangganda said...
you made me crave!!!
nice lippie love it!!!
- 16/9/09 00:13
- Chrissy said...
The food looks d e l i c i o u s!
I like the color of the lippie. It suits you really good.
- 16/9/09 01:14
- Chenni said...
gorgeous lipstick. I notice bright lip colors look really good on you. not many people can pull that off.
- 16/9/09 01:31
- amynaree said...
all the food look so yummy!!
the lipstick color is so vibrant and fierce~
- 16/9/09 01:32
- KIITZYY said...
thanks for stopping by! :) i wouldnt mind doing a 2 page survey as well! thats a BIG discount! luv the lippie color! its perfect for fall :)
- 16/9/09 02:44
- MEii said...
yummyy!!! gosh i havent been to a japanese restaurant for a while now, now i really want some japanese food so bad after seeing ur post. lol
- 16/9/09 04:34
- Dee said...
That second dish looks delish! great presentation! The one I usually go too is a small restuarant, they go for more simple and "homey" feeling, haha. That lipstick looks great on you!
- 16/9/09 04:55
- ♥akisa♥ said...
It really suits u! Thanks for reviewing!
- 16/9/09 06:01
- Emily said...
gorgeous lips, u look super pretty as always
- 16/9/09 06:24
- funkiimonkee said...
Yes, japanese food always gets my appetite going:) Thanks for the comments!
- 16/9/09 07:15
- Momo4ever.Com said...
60% off the bill? that's a very good deal!!! i love japanese food. wish there are restaurants doing deals like this over here. btw, love that pink lippie!!
- 16/9/09 08:15
- // krissy ♥ said...
ooh that's a lovely color! :)
- 16/9/09 08:48
- Catherine said...
Wow, the food looks DELISH and I am loving that lipcolor on you!! How do you like Bourjois lipsticks? I have been intrigued but I've never tried any and I'm always a little hesitant since my lips are so dry...
- 16/9/09 15:36
- funkiimonkee said...
Catherine: It's my first time to buy this brand but I loved the colour so couldnt resist! Its a creamy type- not glossy at all. I just smeared it on straight from the tube!
- 16/9/09 17:41
Yummy food! :p
You look amazing with the new lippie! So envious about how beautiful bold colors suit you! ;)
- 17/9/09 05:36


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Latest News
Terror designation for Ansar al Shariah won't quiet Benghazi debate
The terrorist-group designation the United States handed Friday to three Islamist extremist groups that call themselves Ansar al Shariah does little to answer who was involved in and what the motives were for the Sept. 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, that killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans.
In assigning the three Ansar al Shariah groups labels as foreign terrorist organizations – one each in the Libyan cities of Derna and Benghazi and the third in Tunisia – the State Department went out of its way to make certain they were seen as separate groups, founded separately and at different times. If they work with one another, there's no hint of it in the announcement.
The White House also made it clear that it doesn't suspect the Libyan groups of ties to al Qaida, a point of contention with Republicans in Congress, who say the Obama administration has tried to cover up al Qaida's role in the Benghazi attack.
"I'm telling you what our determination is – our view, the intelligence community in the United States and our allies – that these are not affiliates of core al Qaida," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said Friday.
The designation, however, does tie the Ansar al Shariah branch in Tunisia to al Qaida, saying Ansar al Shariah Tunisia is "ideologically aligned with al-Qaida and tied to its affiliates," including Al Qaida in the Islamic Mahgreb.
The State Department also designated one member from each of the Ansar al Shariah branches as global terrorists, though again it was unclear whether those individuals are thought to have played a role in the Benghazi attack.
The designations, made in consultation with the Departments of Justice and Treasury, allow the United States to freeze any assets that belong to the organizations and the individuals and bar any financial transactions with them and to prohibit the individuals from traveling to the United States.
According to the designation, the Ansar al Shariah branches in Derna and Benghazi were created independently of each other after the fall of Moammar Gadhafi, who was killed in October 2011. The Tunisian branch, the designation said, was created in early 2011, months before the Libyan branches.
The State Department didn't describe what role it thinks that the individuals it named as global terrorists played in the attacks in Benghazi, which left Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans dead, and a Sept. 14, 2012, assault on the U.S. Embassy and American school in Tunisia.
The announcement, oddly, didn't designate the leader of Ansar al Shariah in Benghazi, Mohammed Zawhawi, as a terrorist but rather singled out Ahmed Abu Khattalah, a senior figure in the group whose name has been floated for months as being someone affiliated with the attack. That seemed to raise questions about whether the United States thinks the group ordered the attack or that its members were present at their own initiative. In an Internet post the day after the assault, Ansar al Shariah Benghazi suggested that some of its members may have been involved but that it hadn't ordered the attack.
Since then, the Benghazi branch has renamed itself to recognize its spread across Libya, something the U.S. designation did not note. The group now refers to itself as Ansar al Shariah Libya. While its headquarters are in Benghazi, it also operates in Ajdabiya and Sirte, Gadhafi's hometown.
The designation also does nothing to clarify what, if any, role a former Guantanamo Bay detainee and onetime rebel commander had in the attack. The State Department named Abu Sufian bin Qumu, 54, as the leader of Ansar al Shariah in Derna, but it offered no indication that he was involved in the Benghazi attack. Derna is 180 miles east of Benghazi.
Qumu, who reportedly trained in al Qaida founder Osama bin Laden's Torkham camp in Afghanistan, was released from the U.S. detention center for terrorism suspects in 2007 and sent him back to Libya. He was held in Bin Saleem prison until 2010, when Gadhafi released him along with 36 others to celebrate his 41st year in power.
Qumu returned to Derna, his hometown, a conservative eastern city that had the distinction of sending more fighters to attack U.S. soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan as a proportion of its roughly 80,000 residents than any other city in the Middle East.
Derna has long been a concern of U.S. officials – something that Stevens had investigated before the anti-Gadhafi revolt when he was the No. 2 diplomat at the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli. In a cable sent to the U.S. State Department in February 2008, Stevens recounted an interview with a Libyan-American from Derna, seeking reasons for why the city sent so many fighters to battle U.S. troops. The Libyan-American said the city was proud of its role, Stevens wrote.
"The reported ability of radical imams to propagate messages urging support for and participation in jihad despite GOL security organizations' efforts suggests that claims by senior GOL officials that the east is under control may be overstated," Stevens concluded, referring to the government of Libya.
As the 2011 uprising against Gadhafi unfolded, Qumu joined the rebellion. Derna residents said they favored democracy when Gadhafi fell, even painting graffiti around the city that read "Yes to democracy." But within months of Gadhafi's death, Ansar al Shariah in Derna emerged, with Qumu as its leader.
Today, Qumu's group controls the city, which has become so conservative and insulated that even Libyans fear traveling there, as they're quickly made to feel unwelcome. Within minutes of visitors arriving in the city, residents take notice.
In the last year, a number of security officials who work for the nascent Libyan government have been killed in Derna. In December, Benghazi's newly named head of intelligence, Col. Fathallah Abdel Raheem al Gazeeri, was assassinated in Derna as he left a mosque after a family ceremony.
Qumu has always presented himself as separate from Ansar al Shariah in Benghazi, saying his goal was to overthrow the current government and transform Libya into an Islamist state. But within days of the attack in Benghazi, some U.S. officials were trying to link him to the assault.
Qumu has repeatedly denied involvement, though he's also said he didn't object to the attack. He recently declined an interview with McClatchy, saying he doesn't meet with American news outlets.
"I have no relations with Ansar al Shariah Benghazi," Qumu said in a November telephone interview with Libya's al Assema's television station. "I have no relations to any group."
Those who follow the Internet postings and messages of Ansar al Shariah say Qumu has never indicated he was part of the attack and that his aims have been focused on Derna.
Still, suspicion remains. Qumu "might not have personally been in the attack. He could have sent operatives," said Aaron Y. Zelin, the Richard Borow fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, who studies insurgent activity in northern Africa.
Mark Seibel contributed to this report from Washington.


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It's been a long time since we've talked. And, girl, you and I had some good talks, didn't we? Just thought I'd drop a few lines to let you know what's going on with the kids.
They are growing like weeds! Caitlin is as tall as me now. Can you believe it? And she has the most beautiful smile. When she smiles, her eyes twinkle as if she has a secret and she knows you want to know what it is, but she ain't telling. Everyone says she looks like me, but she definitely has your smile.
She plays basketball now. Like you. She tries out for the school team in several weeks. And God help her competition 'cause she wants this really bad. She's determined to make the team. So say a little prayer for her.
And Ryan. Blond and blue-eyed. You'd hardly recognize him because he's grown so much since you last saw him. Even though I have some blondies on my side of the family, I gotta think that his blond hair mainly comes from your Norwegian ancestors. Don't you think?
He's not quite as tall as me yet, but he'll be there [and beyond] soon enough. He's in that stage where boys are trying to be all grown up and not playing "little kid" games. And it's funny 'cause when he's talking he tries to talk in a lower voice. So cute. He wouldn't appreciate me saying so. But it's true. He's been growing out his hair a little bit. Not too much. His dad is not real happy about it, but Caitlin and I think it looks good. I figure, it's a shame to cut off all that blond hair. [Especially since I'd do anything to have all that blond hair. Naturally. *snort*]
He's playing basketball for a competitive league, but he hurt his knee a couple of weeks ago. Thankfully it was just a severely bruised knee. Should be back for the playoffs. So, say a little prayer for him, too.
Ry got his first pair of glasses a couple of weeks ago, and he and Caitlin both got contacts. Now, we all have corrected vision. Ry said he was surprised by all the stuff he'd been missing. It took a little while, but they've gotten the hang of putting their contacts in every morning. Although, Ry got such a positive response from the girls at school when he wore his glasses, that he likes wearing them to school. [Rolling eyes heavenward.]
We'll be desperately missing you during the holidays this year. As we always do. They're just not the same without you. But you're never far from our thoughts. And with your beautiful photo on the mantle, it's almost like you're here. Almost.
Oh, you'll like this. The other day Caitlin said she was changing her favorite color from green to purple. "Like Grandma," she said. Of course, you know how teenage girls are. By next week, she'll have probably changed her mind at least 3 times. Oh well. That's a girl's prerogative, right?
Speaking of colors, Caitlin has a pep rally today at school, and the theme is "Pink Out" for Breast Cancer Awareness. Needless to say, everyone is wearing pink. And she wanted me to decorate a t-shirt for her. How could I resist? It's hot pink, and on the front is a big glittery silver ribbon, and it reads, "Shouting out PINK for the cure." And, of course, I added pink glitter to the letters. On the back it reads, "I wear PINK for my Grandma" with the "my Grandma" in purple. [Of course.] And more pink glitter. [Dang glitter. It's in my hair, on my hands, on my face, and God only knows where else. It's probably the reason my eyes are watering as I write.] Anyway, I think you'd like it. It's flashy. Just the way ya' like it. Caitlin loved it too, and she was really excited about wearing it this morning.
It doesn't seem like 11 years have gone by since we last saw you. But don't ever think you're far from our thoughts. Because you're always there.
In our thoughts.
In our hearts.
In everything we do, you're there, Linda. And while I'd rather have you here physically [What can I say? I'm greedy like that.], I'll take what I can get.
Well, I guess I'll close for now. Just wanted to give you a "grandkids update."
Take care. We miss you
P.S. Here's some pics of the shirt. The silver and pink glitter turned to gold because of the lighting, but I think you can get an idea of what it looks like.
Linda, my mother-in-law, valiantly fought breast cancer, and I've written about her here previously. At the top of my sidebar up above, is a button/link from the Breast Cancer Site. With every click, a sponsor donates, and 100% of the donation goes to helping women afford mammograms. And the only thing you have to do is click it. That's it. So, click it.


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Please do your best to respond to this post. I won't insult you if you don't insult me.
Cause and effect. How can something come out of nothing? How could the very first thing that happened to start the universe not be effected by anything? It has to go back and back and back until one thing that effected something without being caused. That, I believe, was a god. Can somebody please prove this point wrong?
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@ Cecilia - look at the world. Is it not a beautiful and joyful place? Sometimes? That's why people say "God is love". Jesus remains a separate issue, but as for the rest, well... it's probably a historical accident.
God then is also a vicious predator, a creeping viral infection, and the ravening maw of a black hole. I don't hear Xtians talking about that so much.
Why do you carve out a special exception for the thing you call "god"? Scientists are no different from you (in one way of looking at it) because they want an explanation. Your explanation is God. But scientists use physics and logic and deduction and math. The end result of that process is far more reliable than simply labeling "that which we do not know" as "god". So my question to you (and I mean this as a real question; by no means am I trying to insult), is this: Why do you not dig deeper?
Using your exact same argument, how can you conceive the idea of eternal infinite God coming out of nothing but not the universe itself coming out of nothing?
It's part of and proof of the circular reasoning underlying the argument. People who think this way don't understand that you can't assume part of your conclusion to be true (i.e., that god is not subject to the same rules) without having proved the conclusion first. The fact that they do assume part of the conclusion shows that they have implicitly assumed the whole thing to be true all along.
One of the frustrations of arguing about the existence of God is that their belief really isn't on the line. Even if you soundly disprove every "proof" they trot out, don't count on them admitting even that "you might have something there: perhaps He doesn't exist." The reason for this is the importance of faith to religion, especially Christianity. The more you disprove their position with them letting you change their mind, the more they are demonstrating their faith. Thus, most arguments with believers are rather pointless and doomed from the start.
This is so true which is why I find that most of these kinds of arguments are a waste of time and somewhat boring. Maybe, I suppose, you might plant a seed of unbelief in someone by demonstrating that science does offer answers to this inquiry but the truth is science will run up against the place where we do not yet understand or know and/or the place where what we have come to understand or know only leads to more questions (that is how science goes). And it is at this place that the theist jumps in with "but I do know and understand, it is god!!" So, mostly these kinds of arguments are started by theists who think they've found a brilliant "gotcha" argument to convince non-believers of god's existence. They don't and, frankly, IMO, not much worth engaging. And, as I've said a couple of times here, the kind of argument/evidence allegedly provided by Isaac's proposal that "something can't come from nothing therefore god" does nothing to support belief in any specific god. The best the theist arguing this might hope for is to get someone to say okay, I will call that which we do not know or understand about the origins of the universe "god." But it is a huge, huge leap to get someone to from that concession to "Praise the Lord, I now accept Jesus Christ as my personal savior!"
The mere fact that a theist must rely on faith or a "leap of faith" to accept or believe a particular god-universe hypothesis undermines the very plausibility of that hypothesis.
Thank you. I have had a lot of time and motivation to think about these questions. I find that one of the biggest barriers to communication is the differing assumptions implicit in people's thoughts. I have learned to try my best to articulate both my own and those of others in the hope that actual communication can begin to occur.
Is it? What sense does it make to talk of material reality that exists apart from the universe? I could say that that belief is a baseless assumption...
It makes sense that other universes or forms of material existence could exist, have existed, or may yet come to exist. This is something that many physicists are exploring. We cannot know either way at this time. Either:
1. You believe that the universe is the beginning of all material reality
2. You believe that the universe is not the beginning of all material reality
3. You believe neither; you make no assumption
4. You believe that it is both the beginning and not the beginning
3 (my view) requires no assumption. 1 (your view) and 2 have no basis. 4 is a contradiction.
Our time? What reasons to you have for thinking that a different kind of time exists?
That there is only "our time" requires the baseless assumption that this in the only universe, space and time which have ever existed, will ever exist, or that currently exist. I neither assume that alternate time does or does not exist. Just like above.
This is only problematic if you are a physicalist, which I'm not. It seems clear to those of us who hold to the existence of the soul that we observe the effects of immaterial beings all the time, not just 'forces'. (sic)
Unfortunately, "those of [you] who hold to the existence of the soul" worship and have worshiped hundreds of different gods, have hundreds of different, often mutually exclusive interpretations of the same gods, and can't even come to the same conclusions related to the "effects of immaterial beings". In addition, many "[effect] of immaterial beings" which can and have been subjected to empirical testing have been found false or wanting. "Those of [you] who hold to the existence of the soul" are using the wrong methods to come to conclusions. In addition, you came to an atheist forum to argue a specific claim. Saying that "it is only problematic if" to defend your reason for not giving up a belief is useless for convincing others of your belief.
Uncaused since it is the first cause.
You mean "uncaused" since it has no cause. Being the first cause depends on it having no cause, and having caused something, not the other way around.
This isn't arbitrary, it's based upon the impossibility of having an actually infinite regress of events.
The infinite regress argument is not persuasive to me. Here is a counter argument against using infinite regress against time and events:
In addition, there can be other forms of regression (imagine cyclical).
If those arguments work, and I'm persuaded that they do, then you must at some point come to a first uncaused cause because you cannot simply go back to infinity.
Even if you accept that their cannot be an infinite regression of events, it still requires the assumption that the existence, state, and/or principles of matter which lead to (i.e. caused) the creation of a universe could not exist without another cause, yet that something (i.e. an agent or being) can exist without a cause, with no evidence or sound logical reason to assume this is the case, except to support a desired belief: a god must have done it. Hence the "arbitrary".
It's important that you realise that I'm not simply asserting that matter and energy can't be eternal but god can. I'm not addressing the question of the possibility of eternally existing matter (though the arguments against an infinite regress inveigh against it).
As well as states or principles of existence which could create and act upon them without intelligence? If they are eternal, they do not need a first cause, hence a collapse of infinite regression. By arguing that infinite regression theory prevents this, you ARE arguing that matter and energy (or principles that caused them) cannot be eternal.
The argument isn't that the cause must be a being because it is powerful – it's that when you put all five of these together and ask what possesses these qualities, the best explanation is an agent, not an event.
1. None of the descriptive words you used better describe an agent. In fact, in all confirmable observations of agents (i.e. people, animals) these are traits that do not exist, and in fact, these traits are more likely to describe theoretical principles of physics, energy/matter (i.e. the unintelligent), based on observation.
2. These qualities are assembled based on assumptions and faulty logic.
Also, to whoever suggested that you start with this argument to introduce the likely existence of a god, then make connections towards a specific god or gods (i.e. The Trinity, Yahweh, Allah)... you are wrong. Since every interpretation of these gods makes at least one explicit or implied claim which is falsifiable, we simply have to falsify one or more of these claims in order to discredit their interpretation of god. If they have such a liberal interpretation of their god that their are no falsifiable claims made about him then they have already defined their god out of existence. There is no "connection" which can salvage an interpretation of god based on falsified claims.
For a couple of your points (time and material reality) you say that we don't know if this is the only universe that exists, did exist or will exist. You say that many physicists are exploring these possibilities. I don't think that's good enough.
Let me be clear: I am not trying to convince you that it is impossible (or at this time, even unlikely) for a god to exist, but rather you and the OP have tried to persuade the atheists here that it is likely. It does not matter that you don't think its good enough... you are trying to convince others of something for which you have no proof, not the other way around. We are simply replying that your infinite regression argument is not persuasive to us.
You are raising a mere possibility against something that our common sense, experience, and a huge volume of scientific evidence say is the case.
Nope. It is not even a scientific (i.e. testable) question with our current limited understanding/capabilities, and "common sense" doesn't tell us what happened with any form of existence before the universe came to exist. Speculation or being open to possibilities is always better than assumptions.
Until you can do better than mere possibilities I'm perfectly justified in holding to the best explanation thus far. (There are, after all, many physicists exploring the possibility that the universe is fine tuned – are you willing to consider that a valid option?)
What you feel is the best explanation thus far. Nobody has even questioned that you are perfectly justified in holding to your favorite explanation. We're perfectly justified ignoring your explanation without even considering it as you lack tangible evidence or logic with which to convince us to share it.


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Ski Touring New Zealand: Three day tours in Wanaka
Ski touring in New Zealand is fantastic. Here are three great trips that will show you why Wanaka is one of the country's premier ski touring destinations.
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In winter the New Zealand high country turns into a ski touring paradise. Unfortunately compared to overseas it can be hard to access the good snow. Most valleys with roads do not reach snow line, so it can take a bit of cunning to get where the skiing is. The best option is to use the roads that are put in by ski areas.
Treble Cone Ski Area offers fantastic ski touring opportunities. Reaching the top of the Saddle Chairlift there is easy touring out along Towers ridge. Check in with the ski patrol at the top of the lift to find out about avalanche conditions. By following the ridge to the west you will have a world of ski touring options.
Cardrona Ski Area offers the highest access road in the country with great skiing right out o the car park.. Contour around to the west and follow the Sky Line trail. You will have your pick of runs dropping down to the left. Follow the trail to the top of Captain's Chairlift and more mellow runs can be reached in the broad basins to the northwest.
Across the Cardrona Valley you will find The Snow Farm, another high access road. This is a Cross Country Ski Area where you can pay to use their excellent groomed tracks. However there is a public access track to the Pisa Conservation Area. This is a huge area of mostly mellow terrain where you can tour to your hearts content. Check in at the Snow Farm office and pay the road toll and find out where the access track is.
Aspiring Guides offers guided day trips from their base in Wanaka. They can pick where the snow is best on the day and their professional guides are experts at making you feel at home on the snow. If you have always wanted to to see what is on the other side of the ski area boundary, just give them a call at 03-443-9422.


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America is a leader on the world stage. Sometimes. Other times, we just won't budge.
Here are three issues we refuse to address, even though we give plenty of lip-service to each:
1. We fool ourselves into thinking that because we have the greatest health care system for those who can afford it, we must have the greatest health care — even though thousands upon thousands of people regularly fall through the cracks.
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Page HelpSecrets
Secrets hide informations. Secrets may leak. ++Secret wikis If you create a wiki with a name that you keep secret... it's a secret wiki! You need an idea for a secret name? use secret.simpliwiki.com, a new wiki with a secret name will be created for you. To hide a wiki even more, you can close it. Create a wiki and visit it's AboutWiki. In "closed" wikis, only "members" can access most pages. ++Secret pages Some pages are secrets simply because their name is difficult to guess. In some cases, a stronger secret is required. See HelpMaps regarding "secret" pages that require a map. See also HelpPublicPages. CategoryHelp


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As we reported this morning, Gov. Andrew Cuomo is set to turn a lot of attention to blowing up the structure of state government over the coming year. While he said he'll hold off on specific plans until he presents a budget later this month, Cuomo said, "this is not going to be a question of tinkering around the edges."
"The more I've seen the worse the situation is with the state agencies," Cuomo said. "This is going to be a ground-up reorganization. We're going to be giving you more details in the budget. But the system is just gotten to a point where it is not operational, and we've been cutting the budget for many years when we've been cutting personnel, we never reduce the workload and the wheels have come off the car. We're going to need to fundamentally re-imagine how the government operates, and we're going to need a government that performs better and costs less."
Ouch. He laid the punch but offered no specific solution.
"Any generalization is a dangerous thing," said Assemblyman Jack McEneny, D-Albany. "I imagine some are more efficient than others. Some need updating drastically some only need minor tweaking."
"I don't even know what it meant, to be honest," said Ken Brynien of the Public Employees Federation. "If anything what he needs to do from the ground up is actually ask people on the ground what needs to be done."
Both Brynien and CSEA President Danny Donohue blasted Cuomo's mention of a new pension tier.
"I am frankly surprised that the Governor gave such high priority to a new pension tier with emphasis on immediate impact. A Tier V was only recently enacted and will not provide the state and localities with any significant savings for many years. A Tier VI would be no different and would only mean that working people would have to work longer, pay more and benefit less – hardly in keeping with the Governor's goal of strengthening the middle class," he said in a statement.
Added Brynien: "He also talked last year in his State of the State address of the need to attract the best and the brightest to New York State to help us in the important work that we've got to do going forward. To tell those people around the country that if they start to work for us now they'll get less, because we're reducing the pensions, and you need to do more work because we've reduced the workforce, he's not going to attract the best and the brightest."


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Pack simple tops in your favorite colors that will match your pants and skirt. Team with a scarf or necklace on a couple of evenings, then wear by day for sightseeing. Depending on the climate choose from long or short-sleeved, sleeveless, or a mixture. We really like bamboo fabrics.
Suggested buy: Texere Hypoallergenic Bamboo Fiber Tee by Amazon
A shirt (long or short-sleeved) in your favorite color would tie in well here, and could be worn buttoned up or open over a t-shirt.
Suggested buy: Chambray Shirt by Joules
Pick a luxurious top for evening wear that goes well with your skirt and smart-casual pants. Add shoes and jewellery and you're good to go!
Suggested buy: Lush Roll Tab Sleeve Woven Shirt by Nordstrom
Include for cooler months. A fleece is light and easy to carry in your day bag for when you need that extra layer.
Suggested buy: The North Face Womens Glacier 1/4 Zip by Amazon
A smart cardigan or jacket will dress up your outfit for evening - choose a color to match or complement your tops and dress.
Suggested buy: Kate Spade 'Somerset' Cardigan by Nordstrom
These should be practical for days out. Choose fabrics that dry quickly in case of rain. Styles with detachable legs are a good option for varied temperatures. You might opt for shorts instead for hotter climes, but pants are good protection against the sun.
Suggested buy: Royal Robbins Zip N' Go Pant by Amazon
A flattering pair of dark jeans works well, but depending on the climate you may want to swap these for a floaty pair of lightweight pants. Dress them up for evenings with pretty shoes and a nice top.
Suggested buy: NYDJ Straight Leg Denim by Amazon
Flexible for day time or evenings. Loose styles in natural fabrics are good if it's hot. Choose thicker weights for winter, and/or add tights or leggings underneath for extra warmth.
Suggested buy: Eileen Fisher Linen Drawstring Skirt by Nordstrom
Choose something versatile that you can wear sightseeing, but also dress up to dine out in by adding accessories. These Karina dresses are very flattering and they pack brilliantly - no ironing ever needed!
Suggested buy: Audrey Dress by Karina Dresses
Some statement jewelry can really set off an outfit and takes up very little room in your case. Costume jewelry works just fine, and it's often better to leave your valuables at home.
Suggested buy: Multi Row Statement Necklace by Nordstrom
A 'must take' item for any vacation as they are just so versatile: cover your shoulders at religious sites; add an instant touch of style to any outfit; put round you if there's a chill (or air-con) and keep cosy on the plane.
Suggested buy: Large Soft 100% Twill Pashmina by Amazon
Most cities are best explored on foot, so you'll need some comfy flat shoes for all the walking.
Suggested buy: Leanne Shoes by Hotter
If it's hot you may prefer comfy sandals to walk in, but do check that they are not too heavy or they could cause blisters. Sandals can be worn in the evenings too if you like, to add a bit of sparkle to your outfit.
Suggested buy: Easy Sandals by Hotter
Pack one stylish pair for evenings. If high heels aren't practical in the old town streets, low wedges or ballet pump styles are a good alternative.
Suggested buy: Vivienne Shoes by Hotter
Essential for sun protection in hot weather, or choose a woollen style to keep out the cold and wet in cooler climes.
Buy from us! Packable Sun Hat by WhatToWearOnHoliday
The sun (or snow!) can be bright even in winter, and if you're out all day it can be a strain on your eyes - especially with lots to see.
Suggested buy: Ray-Ban Original Wayfarer by Amazon
Good sunscreen is essential in hotter climes, and don't get caught out on cloudy days either - you can still get burnt. Remember that water will reflect the sun's rays too. Choose a product with a high SPF (protects from UVB rays) and also look for the star or PA rating which indicates protection from UVA.
Suggested buy: SPF 30 PA+++ Water Resistant Sunscreen by Murad
A light packaway raincoat is a good idea to carry with you on days out - it's ideal in case the weather changes quickly or you experience a sudden downpour. You can layer up underneath for warmth if necessary, or opt for a more substantial jacket in cooler climes.
Suggested buy: Charles River New Englander Rain Jacket by Amazon
You'll need a lightweight bag for all your sightseeing essentials. Our packaway day sack folds up into itself and fits easily in your suitcase when not in use. It's surprisingly roomy, showerproof and light to carry - even in hot weather.
Buy from us! Fold Away Day Sack by WhatToWearOnHoliday
Choose a simple clutch bag for evenings - the Baglett is light and easy to carry with just the right amount of room for your essentials. The strap can be detached and worn as a belt, too.
Suggested buy: The Baglett by Amazon
Our Members can download a suggested packing list for a city break which covers ladies' and men's clothes for all seasons, plus a checklist for must-take items. Sign up or log in below.


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Whether you have carpal tunnel, arthritis, no bread machine, no mixer, a fear of kneading, or just want to try something new; the stretch and fold method is a great way to make bread. All you need is a few hours where you can periodically attend the dough between other tasks. One nice thing I have found is that in comparing bread made by machine kneading and using stretch and fold, the s&f method yields dough with beautifully developed gluten and bread that tastes fabulous. That extra time seems to promote more complex flavor development and I have found that even sliced, it keeps fabulously in the freezer. I found some lost slices of cinnamon bread in the refrigerator freezer (notoriously prone to freezer burning things), that were at least six months old; they toasted up just like fresh. As a matter of fact, my father in law mentioned after eating those particular slices, that I could bring a spare loaf to visit anytime. (This from a man who never makes comments or requests on food!) This method also seems very forgiving on time. I did forget about it for an extra 45 minutes this time because I got distracted after the third fold. Even so, it still was very willing to rise perfectly after loafing it. (After swearing, and then loafing it.) I do appreciate that I can do a full two loaf batch of dough this way. You cannot really knead that much dough in my little bread machine. Saves me a few electrical pennies. When I have regular milk on hand I will make this bread using that, scalded. It really does make a subtle yet wonderful difference in flavor. Otherwise I use baker's dry milk. I think the non instant dry milk that Organic Valley offers would be a good substitute for King Arthur's special dry milk, also non instant. The timing necessary between folding may vary depending on the dough. I've found that this loaf doesn't particularly require the standard 45 minutes for each rest but it won't hurt it. Like I said, it's forgiving.
Cinnamon Swirl Loaf
makes 2 loaves
2 t Instant Yeast2¼ c lukewarm water
½ c sugar
½ c butter, softened
2 t salt
3½ c white whole wheat flour
3½ - 4 c unbleached all purpose flour
½ c baker's special dry milk (high heat treated dry milk - you may omit this if you do not wish to get a special ingredient. Instead, substitute 2 cups scalded milk for that much water.)
2 slightly beaten eggs
¾ c sugar
1½ Tbsp cinnamon
soft butter
Combine the filling sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside. Reserve 2 tbsp of the mixture for topping the loaves if desired.
Bring together remaining ingredients in a large bowl or rising bucket just enough to get all the flour evenly moistened. (This is probably even more worked than necessary, you just need to make sure there is no dry flour or lumps.) You can use your fingers, I started mine with a dough whisk which is very efficient and worked it a bit with my fingers. I find it helps to use maybe three quarters of the flour to get it to a batter like consistancy, then mix in the rest. It helps prevent lumps you'd have to fraisage out later. (Sorry if you know french and I have horrendously abused the grammar of it.)
Now set the timer for about 45 minutes and go read a book or do some housework. (Since I worked mine enough to start developing the gluten, I only did a 30 minute rest for the first period.) When time is up, turn out the dough onto a lightly floured counter. Gently tease and stretch it out into a somewhat rectangular shape. Lift from underneath and push from the top. We just want to be gentle with the developing gluten. You will see that the dough is already becoming more developed and cohesive. Now fold over the long sides to the middle,
... and then again from the short ends to the middle.
Now plop it back in the bucket/bowl seam side down for another 30-45 minutes. Rinse and repeat two more times. After only the first fold, it looks more like a proper dough.
Same thing with the next fold: tease it out gently to about one third its original height and fold over side to side and end to end. See that dough developing?
Ready for the final fold. And look how beautiful the dough is now.
Don't expect the dough to rise all that much, since we are degassing it with each fold. This is the final turnout to divide and loaf the dough. It's much more puffy because I turned off the timer and then got side tracked.
Divide the dough into two even pieces and set one aside covered, while you prepare the first one. Roll each half into a 15x7" rectangle, about ½" thick. Or as close as you can get to that. ☺
Now sprinkle with half of the cinnamon sugar mixture on each rectangle.
Sprinkle or spray a teaspoon of water over the filling. Smooth with a spatula. I couldn't find my spray bottle which is what I most prefer to use for this. You want to be careful not to over saturate the sugar mixture or it will ooze out the sides. You'll get a sticky, messy loaf. Tasty still, but messy. Plus you want all that cinnamony goodness on the inside. This time I just had to resort to flicking the water off the tips of my fingers. There is a perfect consistency that will yield a loaf with no separation of the swirls. I have only achieved that when using the spray bottle. But I have no problems practicing, and no shortage of volunteers to eat up the results! The cinnamon filling has not been smoothed out yet in this picture...
Once you are satisfied with the state of your filling, kind of a pasty consistency, roll that puppy up. (From the short side.) I like to give it a tiny bit of stretch as I roll, I think it helps to achieve a tighter roll. Seal the long edge and place the loaf, seam side down, in a greased 9½ x 5" loaf pan.
Let rise until almost doubled. This will take anywhere from 45 minutes to 90 depending on the temperature in your kitchen. If you wish, you may brush the loaves with soft butter and sprinkle the reserved cinnamon sugar on top before baking. Personally I just like to brush the butter on after it's done baking and sprinkle a touch of cinnamon sugar on when I toast it. Bake at 375ºF for 35 to 40 minutes or till done. (If crust browns too fast, cover with aluminum foil last 15 to 20 minutes of baking). Turn out of pans and cool on rack.
Let it cool completely before slicing and preferably overnight. It's hard I know, but it slices better that way. And it freezes wonderfully for months! When you want some, just pop it in the toaster and slather it with butter and a bit of cinnamon sugar if you want. Yummy!


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How to Negotiate a Good Deal on a Car Lease
rccbrandon Posts: 7I'm in the research stages of deciding what my next lease will be. My current lease is scheduled for return in July. I recently graduated with my Master's Degree and what to take advantage of one of the College Grad programs that car manufacturers offer. I've looked and some of the dealer/manufacturer website, and most are pretty vague about what their programs offer. Has anyone leased a car through one of these programs? Which ones are worth looking into?0
un1263 Posts: 4The G lease will be zero down by summer. It usually happens in July or August but with the new Q coming out late summer, I wouldn't be surprised if they go zero down on the G in May or June.
Late last summer Infiniti did a zero down 18 mo lease and sold a ton of cars.0
Truecar does not provide the lowest price possible for a vehicle. Truecar is a good place to start but the price a person pays should be lower. At a minimum, a buyer should reduce the Truecar price by about $300, to account for the money dealers pay Truecar for each sale.
Truecar prices are essentially set by the dealer. While they may appear low they do not reflect any negotiation which usually results in a better deal.
Carwoo is a better choice as it allows buyers to negotiate with dealers without disclosing personal information.
While much of the preliminary negotiation can be handled over the internet or phone, the best deal will almost always be attained via a face-to-face negotiation with the dealer.
The car buying process is indeed arduous. But it is equally difficult for the sales person who does not get paid if the buyer does not buy. In that regard the buyer has the upper hand.
The buyer can always walk to another dealer. However, the sales person knows if a person walks they will not likely return. If the sales person believes a buyer is ready to leave most sales people will immediately provide a better price. Feet are a buyers best negotiation tool.
There are no dealer fees which are mandatory. Dealer fees, by definition, are set by the dealer and are part of any negotiation. The only mandatory fees are those set by law or regulation.
It really accomplishes nothing to attempt to hide things from the sales person such as a trade in vehicle. Sales people sell for a living and they deal with every imaginable type of buyer.
To get a good deal identify the invoice price of the vehicle, any incentives available to both to the buyer and the dealer, dealer holdback, and use Edmund's forums for prices paid information. A good method to arrive at a price goal is to take the invoice less incentives less holdback and add a few hundred for dealer profit.
Research the trade value using Edmunds, KBB, and NADA. Taking an average of these three is a good approach.
Research the credit profile. Credit Karma is a good site to obtain a free estimate of a credit score.
With the right information a person can always get a very good deal.0
Almost all advertised lease deals for an unusually low monthly payment requires a considerable CAP reduction. You cannot lease a $60K vehicle for $350 a month with such a reduction.0
karhill1 Posts: 163That is true. It is simple math. If one leases a $60K vehicle and the residual value is 60 percent the amount which needs to be paid during the lease is $24,000. If a person negotiates the price to $56K, the amount is $20,000. Over a 36 month lease the monthly payment for this $20K is $555. The actual payment would of course be higher due to the money factor.
Low advertised lease prices are designed to entice people to consider the lease. Anyone who believes they can lease a $60K vehicle for only $350 has not read the small print.0
paperboyccc Posts: 94Yes, it's simple math. Mercedes was offering vehicles with around 74% residual and 13% off. On a $60K vehicle the amount to be paid in 24mos would be $7,800 or $325/mo plus the money factor. It's not common, but read the E-class thread for examples.
Mercedes never advertised this deal - but several buyers were savvy enough to recognize it and negotiate it.0
synovial1 Posts: 2I negotiated a lease for my fiancée on a new chevy traverse however, when she went in to do the paperwork they totally changed the deal from 544 a month including tax to 679 by telling her that the deal inalready made disnt include tax etc.. but it did, they where just being dishonest! Also, they sold her unnecessary tire ins and appetance package etc... That she felt she was forced into. I was originally going to use my 1k off lease incentive because I lease a BMW but, she decided to use usaa pricing instead and the deal has been done for over a week and the dealer called and said he wants to bring him a check for 1k or, a copy of one of my lease statements. I am not giving those crooks anything after they where so dishonest not to mention I am not on the deal at all! Now we are getting calls from gmac about her previous car asking why it's not paid off yet? This can't be legal or ethical and, I am so upset that all this is happening. I don't want to give them anything after they treated her this way. What should I do?0
stever Posts: 52,462
A reporter would like to speak to a car shopper under the age of 34 who is unsure whether you should lease or buy. If this is you, please send your daytime contact info to [email protected] by Friday, May 2, 2014 at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET.0


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Have you ever experienced the frustration of losing your car in giant football field sized parking lots or on unfamiliar streets? We've designed an iPhone application that will save you valuable time and the hassle of searching through a sea of parked cars.
There are other apps on the iPhone that will save the location of your car, but they all require you to pull out your phone and launch an app each and every time you park.
The Find My Car Smarter system automatically saves your parking location. There is no fidgeting with your phone every time you park. With the Find My Car Smarter system, your iPhone will automatically remember the last place you parked. The only time you have to launch the app is after you have realized that you have lost your car, not before.
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When you start your car, the Find My Car Smarter App wirelessly connects to the Find My Car Smarter Device. After parking, your engine and the Find My Car Smarter Device, powered by your cigarette lighter, turn off. The App realizes that your car is parked and then activates the GPS on your iPhone momentarily to save your car's location. If you lose your car, simply launch the app and it will help you navigate your way back by showing you your current location and the location of where you last parked your car.
Bluetooth Smart is supported for all iPhone models starting with iPhone 4S.


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Things to do FOR FREE in Munich
Wombats walking tours:
In association with Gordon's Tours , Wombat's proudly presents our budget city walking tour.
What better way to discover Munich's delights than with a young professional guide. Our two to three hour tour starts everyday from Wombat's reception at 10:45am. Our expert guides work on a pay as you wish basis and will provide you with insight into the city's many historical and cultural sites. From Bratwurst to Beer Halls and from the Glockenspiel to the Surfers Wave, don't miss this unique chance to discover Munich on a budget !
Price: you decide!!
Gordon additionally offers amazing tours to Neuschwanstein and Dachau, if you're looking for a daytrip!
Get more info on gordonstours.de
Named after the column of the Virgin Mary, the square is famous for its neo-Gothic Town Hall, whose mechanical clock, or Glockenspiel, plays at 11am, 12 pm (always), and 5pm (summer only). It starts with a Bavarian jouster fighting a French one (guess who wins), followed by a Coopers Dance to keep the plague away. The tower of the nearby oldest church in Munich (12th century) is named "Alter Peter". From its gallery you have the greatest view over Munich including a stunning panorama of the Alps on a clear day. The EUR 1.50 won't so much take you aback as the app. 300 steps you have to climb. Also harness yourself against the Devil who tries to pull it down sometimes.
Take your free welcome drink voucher
and check out our Wombar, we offer you happy hours and cheap drink specials in our hostel bar! Prost!
and its adjacent beer garden is also a nice place to check out. It is the farmers' market and right at Marienplatz. Beware! The shop men go nuts if you dare to touch their goods!
Englischer Garten
Munich's famous 1000-acre park (twice the size of New York's Central Park) is best known for its four beer gardens (Chinesischer Turm, Seehaus, Hirschau, Aumeister) and nude sunbathers (keep in mind that Bavarian genitals are not always that small – the Isar river is just terribly cold!). It's strictly forbidden and perilous to swim near surfer's wave! Along with the adjacent district of Schwabing, this is Munich's heart and soul.
Site of the 1972 Olympics (which ended in tragedy – 17 Israeli hostages were killed), this landscaped park has sport facilities, lakes, concert venues and a football stadium with its landmark "tent-style" roof. In summer: Live-concerts in Olympic station, possibility to listen to concerts from Olympic hill.
Tollwood festival – Colorful festival with waling artists, music and "Market of ideas". To walk around and catch the atmosphere is free of admission, for concert prices and details check the website. http://www.tollwood.de/
walk on the riverside – it's really nice.
Lake Starnberg
(S-Bahn line 6 to Starnberg) The only thing you need to buy is a S-Bahn ticket, spend the day at "Starnberger See" or "Ammersee" and enjoy the green areas of Munich.
Our closest lake is about 20 km long and 5 km wide. It is a popular place for daytrips. 20 km of the 49 km shoreline are reserved for recreational purposes only. Four ships sail on the lake, also to Berg, where King Ludwig II died – which happened like this: in 1886 he was declared insane by his own government because his passion for expensive castles was draining Bavaria's budget (he was grounded to Schloss Berg, which is a posh hotel now). Oddly enough, he was quite a popular king and rumours said he was planning to escape to reclaim his power. Coincidentally, he became suicidal and drowned himself in the lake (where it is only waist-deep). His shrink, who said he was not at all suicidal, drowned too, coincidentally! Years later, the royal coroner suddenly remembered in his deathbed that there were two bullets in the King's back, which always struck him odd. Especially since seven witnesses have coincidentally died or disappeared soon after the King's death. However, others say this is only a wild conspiracy theory. Ironically, nowadays Ludwig's castles are fairytale cash-cows for Bavaria's government.
For further informations please ask at the reception!


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Leading Connected Home Brand Nest Launches in Australia
Products available exclusively for purchase from iSelect, Australia's Life Admin Store™, and will unlock special offers from iSelect's range of partners
Sydney, Australia — July 11, 2017 — Nest Labs, Inc. (www.nest.com), architect of the thoughtful home, today announced its plans to bring its award-winning safety and security products and services to Australia. The Nest Cam Indoor, Nest Cam Outdoor and Nest Protect smoke and carbon monoxide alarm will be available exclusively through iSelect.
"Nest is focused on creating a home that takes care of the people inside it and the world around it," said Maxime Veron, Director of Product Marketing at Nest. "To date, Nest's hardware, software and services have been available for purchase in just twelve markets, yet they're used by millions of people in more than 190 countries. Today we're excited to be entering our first market in Asia Pacific region through our partnership with iSelect."
Nest will initially launch with their security and safety product range, including:
• Nest Protect smoke and carbon monoxide alarm (AUD $189 incl GST). Know more, worry less. Nest Protect looks for fast-burning fires, smoldering fires and carbon monoxide. It also tells you where the danger is with a vocal alert. And in case you're not home, it can send an alert to your phone. Burnt the toast? You can simply hush a false alarm from your phone.
• Nest Cam Indoor (AUD $319 incl GST). Is everything safe and sound? What's the dog getting into? Nest Cam Indoor plugs into power so you never worry about dead batteries and never misses a thing. It looks for motion or sound and sends an alert when it sees something conspicuous. Night Vision illuminates the whole scene. And with the Nest app, you can control and watch live in 1080p HD from anywhere 24/7.
• Nest Cam Outdoor (AUD $319 incl GST). Who's at the door? Was my package stolen? Meet Nest Cam Outdoor. It's weatherproof, plugs into power, and is easy to install with its magnetic base, so you can look after home 24/7, rain or shine. Get an alert when there's activity and talk to get someone's attention from your phone.
• Nest Aware (from AUD $14 incl GST). When you add Nest Aware to Nest Cam, advanced cloud algorithms kick in to give your camera smarter alerts and video history. Nest Aware can tell a person from a thing and can even recognize the sound of a person talking or a dog barking. And store up to 30 days of continuous video in the cloud.
Partners and Availability
Nest's range of safety and security products will be available from iSelect, Australia's Life Admin Store™ both as standalone purchases and part of exclusive deals with iSelect energy & telco partners such as Optus, Sumo and Mate Communicate. Further iSelect offers across home loans, home & contents and health insurance will be available exclusively to Nest customers over the coming months.
"Nest strives to create a home that is more thoughtful, reinventing unloved but important products to do more for you than you do for them, and this aligns perfectly with our mission to help Australians take care of their important Life Admin™," said Scott Wilson, Managing Director & CEO of iSelect. "We are excited to offer the Nest products on our brand new eCommerce store from today, as well as help customers unlock additional value by bundling their new Nest purchase with exclusive offers from our range of insurance, utilities and personal finance partners."
About Nest
Nest's mission is to create a home that's thoughtful - one that takes care of the people inside it and the world around it. The company focuses on simple, beautiful and delightful hardware, software and services. The Nest Learning Thermostat™ and Nest Energy Services keep you comfortable and address home energy consumption. The Nest Protect™ smoke and carbon monoxide alarm helps keep you safe and Nest Safety Rewards lets you save money through participating home insurance providers, while Nest Cam™ keeps an eye on what matters most inside and outside your home.
Nest products are sold in the U.S., U.K., Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain and Mexico and are installed in more than 190 countries. The Nest Learning Thermostat has helped save approximately thirteen billion kWh of energy to date. Through the Works with Nest program, third-party products can securely connect with Nest devices to make homes safer, more energy efficient, and more aware.
For more information, visit www.nest.com.


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Top DOD job comes with costs
The position of defense secretary is one of the most high-profile jobs a president can bestow, but it can come at a high personal cost — literally.
To avoid conflicts of interest, nominees are asked to sell off their financial holdings in companies that do business with the Pentagon.
Story Continued Below
That doesn't just mean big defense contractors like Lockheed Martin or BAE Systems. Thousands upon thousands of companies today serve as vendors to the Defense Department, which buys everything from soda to tanks for its troops and employees around the world.
This makes the department unique among other government agencies, but it also means that taking charge of it can be a costly proposition — more costly than, say, running the State Department.
For someone like Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), reportedly under consideration to be nominated for either defense secretary or secretary of state, the position he winds up with would have a big impact on his and his family's personal wealth.
In 2011, Kerry was ranked the wealthiest member of the Senate, according to his financial disclosure forms, with a reported net worth of around $193 million.
His most recent disclosure form shows a wide array of publicly traded stocks and financial holdings — some in companies that do business with DoD.
A 2008 report by the Center for Responsive Politics estimated Kerry had between $29 million and $38 million invested in companies that received defense contracts between 2004 and 2006, putting him at the top of the list of lawmakers with investments in companies with DoD contracts.
The report showed not just how many lawmakers had investments in these companies, but also how the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan had changed what it meant to be a defense contractor.
Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics and Raytheon are still big players, but the list of companies receiving money from the Pentagon also includes Procter & Gamble, Exxon Mobil and Pepsico. The military's need for all kinds of goods and services expanded over a decade of fighting two wars.
The 2008 report noted that in 2006, Kerry had somewhere between $3 million and $5 million invested directly in traditional defense companies.
According to Kerry's office, most of those stocks belong to his wife, Teresa Heinz, whose finances would also come under scrutiny if Kerry were nominated by President Barack Obama for a position in the Cabinet.
If Obama picks Kerry for the Pentagon job, his and his family's financial holdings could take a much bigger hit than if he were nominated to run the State Department, experts on the process said. That's partly because the rules used by the Senate Armed Services Committee are more stringent than those used by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.


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Royal Palace of Casablanca is a tourist attraction located in
Casablanca Cathedral (French: Eglise Sacré-Cœur de Casablanca),
The Hassan II Mosque (العربية. مسجد الحسن
الثاني), locate
Phare D'El Hank is a tourist attraction located in Casablanca, Marokk
The Ain-Diab Circuit was a Formula One road circuit built in 1957,
Ahl al Oughlam is an important archaeological site and
Chellah, (العربية. شالة) or Sala Colonia is a necropolis
and comple
The Kasbah of the Udayas is a kasbah in Rabat, Morocco. It was built
The Mausoleum of Mohammed V contains the tombs of the Moroccan king
Holy Resurrection Church in Rabat is the first and actually the only
Parque Nacional Los Glaciares ( The Glaciers) is a national park in
Old Havana (español. La Habana Vieja) contains the core of the
Yosemite National Park (joʊˈsɛmɨtiː) is a national park located
in t
The Eiffel Tower (French: Tour Eiffel, ]) is a 19th century iron
Trolltunga is a piece of rock that stands horizontally out of the
Neuschwanstein Castle (German: Schloss Neuschwanstein, pronounced ])
The Colosseum or Roman Coliseum, originally the Flavian Amphitheatre
Big Ben is the nickname for the great bell of the clock at the
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the
Delow an Frankedh ('Liberty Enlightening the World' po 'Lady Liberty')


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Honing Their Skills
CLEARWATER—While four teams are left in major league baseball's glamorous hunt for October, a group of young prospects continues to hone their skills in the peace and quiet of the Florida Instructional League.
The Phillies again have a group of players (37) participating in the program that began in mid-September and ends on October 18. For many of the players, they are exhausted both mentally and physically from the long baseball season. Spring training for the minor leaguers began in March. Players drafted and signed in June are playing their most baseball ever.
Camp takes place at Carpenter Field, where the day can begin for some with extra instruction as early as 7:45 a.m. All players are on the Richie Ashburn and Mike Schmidt fields from 10 a.m. until 12 noon, when it is lunch time.
During the morning workout, the players are dressed in blue shorts and gray t-shirts. Names are on the back of the shirts in blue letters. The staff wears red shorts and gray shirts. Some of the staff also have gray hair.
Fundamentals, batting practice and bunting are part of the daily routine. During BP, one player bunts against a pitching machine stationed behind the homeplate backstop while two others are hitting in the cage.
Afternoons are games against other teams, the Devil Rays, Pirates, Blue Jays and Yankees. Phillies home games are held at Bright House Networks Field.
Today's crowd for the morning workout numbered three ….three baseball scouts. For the game this afternoon against the Pirates, the number of scouts tripled. Fans totaled about two dozen.
For a couple of infielders, changing positions has been the agenda: Adrian Cardenas, a sandwich pick shortstop in June, is splitting time between his natural position and second base while C. J. Henry, a shortstop acquired from the Yankees in the Bobby Abreu trade, is getting time at third base.
The roster includes a #6 and a #26. No, Ryan Howard (6) and Chase Utley (26) are not here. Early in their pro careers, they were. This fall, #6 is a 19-year-old Australian catcher named Tim Kennelly. #26 belongs to first-year outfielder Ken Milner, a 6-foot-5, 240-pounder. Both Kennelly and Milner played at Batavia during the summer.
There are 19 players under the age of 20. The youngest is shortstop Freddy Galvis, a 16-year-old from Venezuela. The FIL is his first taste of pro ball.
One of the 17-year-olds is RHP Heitor Correa whom the Phillies signed a year ago out of Brazil.
There's a global flavor with players from Australia, Venezuela, Dominican Republic as well as Brazil.