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I'm going to start my kickstart in May and my husband will not be. I'm fine with that, but I don't know how I'm going to cook our dinners. We have two small children as well. I just want to know how other members have incorporated their change in eating and their family members who aren't changing.
Husbands are hard to convince sometimes, mine included. But two small children will eat what you feed them.
Hubby takes care of himself for breakfast and lunch. For dinner I sometimes cook completely separate meals, sometimes he eats what I cook, sometimes I just add a piece of chicken to his plate. There are some vegan meals he has learned to like. I'm not big on the meat substitutes but I have tried some of them on him and he likes them. I do all the cooking, and while I enjoy cooking what he likes, he eats whatever I cook, tells me how good it is and thanks me for it. You just have to figure out what strategy works for you and your husband.
As for the two small children, why not start them now eating a healthy plant based diet? Like I said, they'll eat what mom gives them!
There are many examples of spouses eventually following in the footsteps of their plant based partner once they see how successfully they have lost weight or reversed those pesky diseases that most people try to control with drugs! So be an example to him, don't give in and join him.
Vikki ~
Humm. Sounds like mine at first. He was determined he was going to eat meat. I just said fine... i can always cook a burger or a piece of chicken alongside my food.
So he thought on that for a couple of days and came back to me and said, " OK, here's the deal. I am going to eat whatever i want for breakfast & lunch. I fix those myself anyway. Then i will eat whatever you fix for dinner. YOu don't have to fix anything different. After all, whatever you fix will be food."
He did that for about a week. His favorite breakfast is burnt toast w/peanut butter & chocolate milk. He found he liked my chocolate almond milk MUCH better than his chocolate milk. So that went vegan easy.
Lunches turned out to be leftover dinners. So pretty soon he was eating a plant based diet.
Now we did have to work on texture sometimes. Like no creamed soups (per husband ~ baby food). We also found a good brand of tofu (woodstock farms) that he liked to cut up small cubes & fry in non-stick w/a little coconut oil until brown on all the sides. That way it wasn't so mushy.
We experimented w/bean patties till he found that i could make ones better than the boca burgers he used to like.
One day about 2 weeks into it, i was out of town for dinner. He calls to say, "i'm going to get meat and eat it." Well he did. He stopped & bought hamburg & steak. Lots of meat. Cooked it all and pigged out. He called to say how disappointed he was. It didn't taste as wonderful as he had expected. Now he knew he really wasn't giving up anything special.
The next step for him came soon there-after. While he was eating plant based vegan diet for about a month, he didn't know if he would commit for the rest of his life. THat seemed like a long time. So he told me, "ok i am going to this real strict. I won't eat any meat or dairy at all. I go to the doctor in 3 months. If my numbers don't change, I am going to eat meat."
His numbers did change. His PSA came into normal and his kidney function improved. More than that he can sleep thru the night without getting up 5-7 times, he doesn't have to know where every bathroom in town is, we can go to the movies, he hasn't been catherized since going vegan, and he has more energy now than ever.
he runs half marathons at least once a week, sometimes more. He runs a min of 7-8 miles 3x week and lifts weights for an hour 3-4 times a week. He doesn't poop out. He is in better shape than his 30 year old son.
It is the best thing we have ever done for ourselves. It is easy and the food is delicious.
sorry to ramble. HOpe you can find what works for your family. The breakfast & lunch worked at first w/mine.
Thank you so much for both of your inputs! I'm thinking I'll probably just add a meat product to his meals, but he said he supports me in this change. I'm hoping that he will taste some things that I cook, and find that he really likes them, and we get healthier as a family!
I've been following this way of eating for a few years and I wish I could say my husband has come around. I usually make two separate meals. My husband has been diagnosed as diabetic recently. I told him that I thought he could reverse it with diet if he does it now before he has to take insulin and sent him articles to back it up. He eats a very small variety of veggies so that's a hurdle too. It would be wonderful to cook one meal for the 4 of us.
I know how difficult this is.I have been vegetarian for most of my adult life but knew it was time to step away from the cheese!.I am 57 and in good health except for occasional migraines.very active type a with a lot of energy.(e.r. nurse)my long time significant other is 7 yrs younger than me.we have been together for 20 yrs now and i have watched him grow sicker each year due to his eating and smoking. He is 100lbs overweight with many joint issues,has a few cardiac stents,metabolic syndrome and hypertension. he is a hard worker and in pain all the time.we have even broken up a few times over this. I want so much for him to be healthy....but that isnt enough.he needs to want it too.It hurts to think that meat,cheese and cigarettes are more important than our life together and out time with our children and grandchild.but....some things are the way they are and you cannot change them.I recently told him I was no longer the food police and that his health was in his hands.I will always be there to help him but he has to ask. for this reason I am dedicating this month to the kickstart and focusing on me for once.like they tell you on the plane...put the plane...in case of an emergency place the o2 mask on yourselves first. I have enjoyed reading your posts and look forward to this journey with you all. lynn
Hi, I had the same thing. I started on a vegan diet 11 weeks ago when I became involved in an 8 week diet study program at the University I work at. My husband and kids said "no way", so I started making separate meals for myself. Sometimes I wouldn't have to do much (make two pots of spaghetti sauce, for example, one with meat and one with veggies), or throw a black bean burger on the grill with their hamburgers. They've all been really supportive, but I just had to realize it was going to be extra work for me to be the only one on the diet. I thought it would be temporary - at the end of the 8 weeks things would go back to "normal" - but here I am at week 11 and still going vegan! I feel so much better without the dairy (I didn't eat too much meat to begin with), and have lost about 15 pounds. So I am continuing to fix my separate meals and buy my separate snacks and I'm not the least bit inconvenienced by it because the results are worth it!
I've been vegetarian for about 20 years, vegan for the last 2+ - I used to eat a yogurt once in awhile but no longer.
My husband has never given up meat. I don't care.
I love to cook, so there's no issues for me. I make his lunch everyday for him to bring to work, and cook 2 dinners every night. I also work full time and run a small farm as well.
It's easy to cook 2 dinners - I typically have whatever he is having and he gets meat as well. I don't mind cooking meat, just don't wanna eat it.
I just came across this thread and absolutely love and appreciate the entries, especially Wild 4 Stars and cch22 responses! How they dealt patiently with spouse needs is exemplary, and seems to have turned in their favor after all.
I'm lucky because my husband and I turned veg together almost 40 years ago, then it became a vegan progression and that has been pretty easy as he loves everything I cook. And it ain't fancy! I'm a champion of recipe-free food preparation. Actually, that would make a great cookbook title for those like me - who love to eat, but cook? Not so much.
Keep us posted on how it all goes!
Lani Muelrath, M.A. CGFI, CPBN Fit Quickies: The Plant-Based Fitness Book
Great thread! I went through the same thing w/my hubby until we went on a holistic vegan cruise this past February. He listened to one of Dr. Barnard's lectures and started to change his thinking! He's not vegan or even vegetarian, but he does make much better choices now. We came to a compromise: I keep my kitchen "clean" of all animal products, cooking only vegan for him/us. When we go out to eat, he can have whatever he wants w/o recriminations from me. As a result, he's eating about 80% vegan and is feeling so much better!
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ORGANISERS of the Lake District's 11th annual air extravaganza, taking place on July 23 and 24, have revealed their display line-up.
The Windermere Air Festival kicks off on the Saturday with the breathtaking acrobatics of the Breitling Wing Walkers, performing a sequence of manoeuvres and handstands whilst strapped to the top wings of the team's Boeing Stearman biplanes.
First day visitors will also be treated to the RedHawks' air show act with a slow, gentle and graceful four-minute, three-dimensional aerial ballet performed to soothing music by a pair of 42 year-old, wooden, high-efficiency aeroplanes, designed by French musician, artist, ceramicist and sculptor Réné Fournier.
Another Saturday highlight will be the RAF Falcons parachute display team, now in their 50th year.
The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight will grace the skies above Windermere on both days with special flights from the Spitfire, Hurricane and Lancaster Bomber.
The RV8tors will be flying their remarkably fast Vans RV-8's with powerful smoke systems, performing an exciting and memorable display.
Combining close formation aerobatics with speeds up to 230 mph, the display makes large manoeuvres that fill the sky and leave big smoke trails.
Also appearing at the festival will be the RAF Tucano and the RAF Hawk.
Both spectacular in their own right the Hawk display team will demonstrate the professional excellence of the RAF while the Tucano display consists of 21 manoeuvres including an offset barrel roll, stall turn, oblique loop and reverse wingover.
On Sunday, the Twister Duo will create a display of formation barrel loops, rolls and gravity defying zoom climbs.
The highlight of the weekend is set to be the renowned ambassadors of the RAF and everyone's favourite – The Red Arrows.
Having missed last year's Lakeland air show, the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows, have been confirmed to headline 2011's festival.
Appearing at the air festival is a welcome return for Squadron Leader Graeme Bagnall.
Graeme, who is Red 10, is the team's commentator and on the ground safety supervisor.
He was educated at nearby St Bee's School, in Cumbria.
Mr Bagnall said: "We are really looking forward to displaying at Windermere.
"It's a stunning location and will definitely be a highlight of the display season for me.
"I can't wait to meet the crowd when I'm on the ground at the show doing the commentary for the Team.
"You get a real buzz from seeing how the audience reacts to the displays."
The RAF Red Arrows have been wowing audiences since their first season in 1965, they have flown over 4,000 displays in 52 countries.
Today the Red Arrows are renowned throughout the world,acting as ambassadors for Great Britain when displaying overseas.
They also support UK industry by demonstrating the capabilities of British equipment and expertise.
Lucy Bennett, a director of the air festival, said: "It's such a coup for us to host the Red Arrows this year.
"They put on such a fantastic display and really add some excitement to the programme.
"The highly acclaimed displays are filled full of twists, turns, drama and excitement - they are definitely not one to be missed."
Attractions on the ground at the Air Base include the military village, battle re-enactments and flying simulator, new kids have-a-go activities plus face painting, circus skills, music and great local food stalls.
The Windermere Air Festival 2011 takes place on Saturday, July 23 and Sunday, July 24. The Air Base is located on the Glebe in Bowness-on-Windermere. For further information, click on the website below.
A NEW home in Troutbeck has sparked an outcry from parish councillors who claim planners are allowing property owners to 'bend the rules'.
Councillors say they have lost faith in the Lake District National Park's planning officers recommended approval for a retrospective planning application at Beckside Farm.
Members claim Doug Freeman's three-bedroom house, which villagers believe is being run as a bed and breakfast, is larger than the one he was given permission for in 2008.
"The parish council is annoyed that someone can apply for one thing and build another," said Coun Pip Simpson.
"Unless the National Park rethinks its approach to planning, this example could open up a floodgate of similar applications.
"I don't have any objection to him building a home but it is the principle that matters – why weren't officers checking the build as it went along?"
Letters of objection from neighbours expressed concern that the house is too high, 1.5m longer at one gable end, and that more windows have been added.
Trees depicted in the original plans have been chopped down.
These changes were noted in a report by an LDNPA planning officer but Mr Freeman's application is being recommended for approval at next Wednesday's development control committee meeting.
Coun Louise Waterhouse, of Troutbeck, described this latest case as 'the last straw', adding: "I think people think nothing will happen to them if they use retrospective planning – invariably that's the case with the national park and that's why everyone's so cross."
Resident Geoff Brown said there were already three ongoing cases in the village of people allegedly breaching planning laws.
"In a small village such as Troutbeck, which is in a conservation area, it is vitally important that people abide by the planning laws so that the inherent character of our village is maintained or enhanced.
"Until the planners start taking a far stronger stance on infringements, then people will continue to flout the laws because they know that ultimately they will get away with it."
Mark Casey of the LDNPA said he would not able to comment until after next Wednesday's meeting.
Mr Freeman, formerly of Town End Farm, Troutbeck, was not responding to requests for a comment yesterday.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
I've spent no time in my sewing room thanks to pre-Holiday craziness, but last night I snuck in to sew up this cute little drawstring bag thanks to Jeni's fab (and famous) tutorial.
It makes any gift card + candy cane kisses look handmade. :) I really want to make the big one next.
I got this cute stack amidst in the mail the other day. It is my first time with Organic fabrics…and I really love these muted colors. I'm not sure what I'll do with these yet…they are just so cute (and soft!) they need the perfect project.
In the mean time they are sure cute to look at. These are by Birch Fabrics, the line is called Circa 52 found here, here, or here.


text:
[Samui hotels]
[Baan Chaweng Beach Resort & Spa ]
中 文
日 本
Baan Chaweng Beach Resort & Spa
90/ 1 Moo 2, Chaweng Beach Road
T. Bophut, Koh Samui , Surathani 84320
Chaweng Beach
Hotel Kategorie:
276 Kundenbewertungen :
Zimmer :
Einrichtungen :
Service :
Standort :
Das Baan Chaweng Beach Resort & Spa ist eines der besten Hotels im Zentrum von Chaweng, direkt an dem weißen Sandstrand. Alle Zimmer, Bungalows und Villen befinden sich in einem großen tropischen Garten, wo das ganze Jahr über Blumen blühen. Die verschiedenen Suite-Kategorien bieten das Richtige für jedes Budget und jeden Geschmack, alle Zimmer haben einen privaten Balkon, sind in modernem Thai Stil mit hellen Farben und frischem Design dekoriert und ausgestattet mit Safe, Föhn und Kaffee- und Teezubereitungsmöglichkeiten. Das Restaurant Leelavadee und der kostenlose Pool mit Kinderbecken, liegen direkt am Strand und für Ihr ganzheitliches Wohlergehen ist das Rachawdee Spa der perfekte Rückzugsort.
Hotel Überblick
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Travel reviews for Baan Chaweng Beach Resort & Spa
Date of stay:
Jun 25, 2015
Accommodation and facilities:
Another great holiday at Baan Chaweng Beach Resort and Spa As per usual everything was perfect It is in the perfect position for shopping eating and the beach
Reservation service:
No trouble at all
Jun 29, 2015
written by:
Craig Simmons
Date of stay:
Jun 21, 2015
Accommodation and facilities:
A great resort in the heart of Chaweng and right on the beach. Hotel staff terrific and always happy to help. Room service outstanding, very clean and well kept. Second time we have stayed here and will be back again. This was the quiet season and never heard any beach party music. Restaurant and bar more expensive than surrounding businesses which is a shame was the only negative. I would have been more prepared to pay reasonable prices here more often if more competative and the resort is lossing out on custom. Still a great location for the white sand holiday.
Reservation service:
As always, perfect and flawless.
Jun 24, 2015
written by:
Mr & Mrs Brady
Date of stay:
Apr 29, 2015
Accommodation and facilities:
It was good to be back home at Baan Chaweng Beach Resort & Spa. We feel welcomed as useal. The staff is fantastic both in reception, room mates and in restaurant. We find that the rooms need to be updated with digital devices. The Wi-Fi solution is not good. Does not work 100%. Todays guests expect better internetconnections. At the balconies a fan would be fantastic. You can not use the balcony 100% because of the temperature, which a fan or propell could solve. Sad that you cannot use the fantastic balcony in the evenings. The noiceproblem from the Sound Hotel is a very big problem, that many other guests that we talked with, mentioned as a reason to not visit BCR&S again. We hope the the BCR&S together with other hotels, restaurants and shops will complian to the guvernor and police and make them clear, that many guests will not come back to Samui if the noiceproblem does not stop. So sad. There are many other places to place discoteques as Sound Hotel and Ark Bar.
Reservation service:
May 06, 2015
written by:
Date of stay:
Feb 15, 2015
Accommodation and facilities:
Super schöne Anlage, sehr nettes und hilfsbereites Personal, sehr gutes Frühstücksbuffet, tolles und sauberes Bungalow, zentral gelegen. Können wir jederzeit weiterempfehlen an Leute die nicht die absolute Ruhe und Abgeschiedenheit suchen.
Reservation service:
Reserbvierung hat einwandfrei funktioniert.
Feb 20, 2015
written by:
Marion Sonja Glas
Date of stay:
Jan 06, 2015
Accommodation and facilities:
Wonderful staff. Rooms very spacious and clean. Food excellent. Great central location on beach and town. The only critiscism was the awful techno music being played in nearby resorts. However may I say in our garden room it was quiet!
Reservation service:
Easy to use and efficient
Jan 09, 2015
written by:
Valerie Joy Long
Date of stay:
Oct 27, 2014
Accommodation and facilities:
Magnificent location on the sea front, right in the very centre of Chaweng Beach. Excellent staff & great rooms
Reservation service:
Very efficient
Nov 05, 2014
written by:
Date of stay:
Sep 23, 2014
Accommodation and facilities:
very clean nice rooms, very friendly staff, good breakfast. Location is perfect, direkt on the beach and the mainstreet,but also very quiet at night. the only negativ are the to high prices in the hotel at the bars.
Reservation service:
excellent service,special thanks to Ms. Tim, was very helpfull and patient when reservation change. pick up service from airport was perfect
Sep 30, 2014
written by:
Andreas Franz Moser
Date of stay:
Sep 01, 2014
Accommodation and facilities:
very positive experience, optimal location, excellent, personal service always smiles and available to every requirement..... A magnificent place where to return of sure and passing moments of true relax with the family
Reservation service:
Sep 04, 2014
written by:
Date of stay:
Aug 30, 2014
Accommodation and facilities:
Anytime again. Very friendly staff. Great location.
Reservation service:
Sep 03, 2014
written by:
Manuela Schultz
Date of stay:
Aug 16, 2014
Accommodation and facilities:
Marvellous location! Terrific service. Amazing facilities. Recommend all my friends stay there
Reservation service:
Very accommodating! I had to amend my initial booking of two rooms to one room. Sawadee very promptly amended. Highly appreciate cooperation.
Aug 22, 2014
written by:
Fizza Anvarali
Date of stay:
Aug 02, 2014
Accommodation and facilities:
Our stay at Baan Chaweng was very good. The hotel is located on the very nice beach. The hotel staff was very helpful and gave a top service. Just be prepared that the hotel is also located close to the airport and you will therefore here the planes. For us it was not a problem, but it might be for some people. We can absolute recomment the hotel and if we go to Koh Samui againg we will stay at Baan Cheweng resort and Spa.
Reservation service:
Very good :-)
Aug 07, 2014
written by:
Trine Skotte
Date of stay:
Jun 26, 2014
Accommodation and facilities:
We have been staying at Baan Chaweng Beach Resort & Spa for 10 years now. If you can find a better hotel to stay at,please let me know. If you need any info,contact me at firstname.lastname@example.com Cheers
Reservation service:
As per usual No trouble at all Perfect
Jun 29, 2014
written by:
craig simmons
Datum der Anreise:
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Datum der Abreise:
Jul. 2015
Aug. 2015
Sep. 2015
Okt. 2015
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49 €
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0.6 km
112 €
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0.7 km
182 €
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0.7 km
75 €
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171 €
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0.8 km
52 €
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Banana Fan Sea Samui
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116 €
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Child Policy
- The hotel will charge for an extra bed for a child under 12 years but older than 6 years old.
Stay minimum 4 nights over Dec 31,2015 , Receive Free Gala Dinner On New Year Eve Dec 31,2015
Child policy:
Children 3-6 years old sharing with parents (without extrabed): compulsory breakfast charged at 250 Baht per day.
Limited Time Offer :
20% discount per room.
Thailand grand sale :
Special rates per room.
Thailand grand sale :
Special rates per room.
Hotel Bilder
[ - ]
[ + ]
"Escape to Real Holidays Place"
The Hotel preference for detached villa or home - orientated designs, as a fusion of classical Thai style and contemporary luxury, you can relax with swimming pool and private balconies. The most beautiful beach is in the front of hotel and also is located in the center of Chaweng Town, nearly to shopping center, 10 minutes away from the Samui Airport and 30 minute from the Nathon Town.
Recently opened 3 - stars, we have 94 rooms, there are 3 Beach Front Suites, 2 Beach Front Bungalows, 8 Grand Deluxe Villa, 6 Deluxe Buildings, 9 Deluxe Villas, 6 Deluxe Bungalows, 9 Superior Villas, 12 Superior Bungalows and 39 Superior Building. Rooms offer all of the standard facilities. The Baan Chaweng Beach Resort & Spa offer an excellent choice who are looking for a nice place at three star price. The resort is imbued with comfortable elegance, well specified, conveniently located and offers a good value alternative for real holiday experience on Koh Samui.
We have 94 rooms all of the rooms are decorate in traditional Thai Style. The standard 3 Star plus hotel facilities.
:: Superior Building (Room size: 38 sq.m.) - 39 Rooms / Extra bed: Available. ::
Building Style with Ground and First floor. One bed room well furnished with private balcony, hot and cold water, shower, mini-bar, personal electronic safe, satellite TV, hair dryer and air conditioning with views over the gardens, coffee and tea making facilities.
:: Superior Villa (Room size: 40 sq.m.) - 9 Rooms / Extra bed: Available. ::
Ground floor. One bed room well furnished with private balcony, hot and cold water, shower, mini-bar, personal electronic safe, satellite TV, hair dryer and air conditioning with views over gardens, coffee and tea making facilities.
:: Deluxe Building (Room size: 38 sq.m.) - 6 Rooms / Extra bed: Available. ::
On the First floor room facing to the sea. One bed room well furnished partly sea view from private balcony, hot and cold water, shower, mini-bar, personal electronic safe, satellite TV, hair dryer and air conditioning, coffee and tea making facilities.
:: Deluxe Villa (Room size: 40 sq.m.) - 9 Rooms / Extra bed: Available ::
Ground floor. One bed room well furnished with private balcony, hot and cold water, shower, mini-bar, personal electronic safe, satellite TV, hair dryer and air conditioning with views over the gardens, coffee and tea making facilities. Deluxe Rooms Beautiful rooms, has arguably even better views than our Superior Villa Room type.
:: Grand Deluxe Villa (Room size: 42 sq.m.) - 8 Rooms / Extra bed: Available. ::
Ground floor. One bed room well furnished with private balcony, hot and cold water, bathtub with shower, bathrobes, mini-bar, personal electronic safe, satellite TV & DVD player, air conditioning coffee and tea making facilities, close to the beach and partly sea view from the balcony.
:: Beach Front Suite (Room size: 58 sq.m.) - 3 Rooms / Extra bed: Available. ::
One bed room and one living room Ground floor Sea view on the beach, living areas with day bed opening out to wonderful balconies, beautiful rooms, private balcony or terrace sunbathing desk with loungers, hot and cold water, bath-tub with Jacuzzi / shower, bathrobes, mini-bar, hair dryer, coffee and tea making facilities, personal electronic safe, satellite with 2 / 29 inches LCD TV & DVD player. in a master bedroom and living room, air conditioning, coffee and tea maker.
Room Facilities
Private balcony
Air condition control
Free internet access
Satellite TV
DVD player in Grand Deluxe villa
& Beach Front Suite room
International telephone by operator
Tea & coffee making
Complimentary 2 bottles of drinking water / day
Welcome drink upon arrival
Welcome fruit basket in room on arrival date
Safety box
Hair dryer
Hot & warm water / shower room
Bath tub & shower in Grand Deluxe Villa room type
Bath tub with Jacuzzi in room Beach Front Suite
in a peaceful sanctuary, surrounded by wonderful flora, the
Rachawadee Spa
is a sanctuary of serenity and natural beauty for those seeking to relax and restore body and mind. The Spa offers a wide range of decline, local herbs and Oriental philosophies. Inspired by an Asian healing philosophy, Rachawadee Spa's holistic treatments use a combination of natural ingredients such as tropical fruits and flowers to balance physical and psychological wellbeing and Pala Energy body massage to encourage energy flow.
Front desk service 24 hrs.
Check in time: 12.00 (noon), Check out time: 14.00 hrs.
Swimming pool out door (1.2 - 1.6 m deep) and separate pool for kids
- Regulations: open hours 09.00 am - 06.00 pm.
* Swimming pool suite use is required / No diving, running or jumping
The restaurant (Leelawadee) offer one of Samui is finest international food
and Thai Cuisine. Ideal place for romantic Dinners.
- Breakfast start from 07.30 - 10.30 hrs.
- Lunch start from 10.30 - 17.00 hrs.
- Dinner start from 18.00 - 23.00 hrs.
- Room service open 06.00 - 22.00 hrs.
Show and entertainment
(At Leelavadee Restaurant)
we have Cabaret Show on Tuesday & Thai dance shown on Saturday.
Beach massage start from 10.00 - 18.00 hrs.
Spa (Rachavadee) start from 10.00 - 20.00 hrs.
24 hrs. medical hospital
Iron & iron board (Available upon request)
Laundry service
Baby sitting and baby cot (Available upon request)
Baggage store room / shower room
Safety box
Satellite TV
Free internet access
IDD telephone
Credit card acceptance: American express, Master card, Visa card
Tour Information: excursions, diving and day trips
Hotel transportation (Airport pick up service)
Car / bike rental service
Car park (Outdoor)
No pets are allowed
We are please to inform you that our hotel preference for detached villa or home orientate designs a fusion of classical Thai style and contemporary luxury, you can relax with swimming pool or sunbather, located in the center of Chaweng Town, near to shopping centre, 15 minutes away form the Samui Airport and 30 minutes from Nathon Pier (The capital of island).
zum Seitenanfang
[Samui hotels]
[Baan Chaweng Beach Resort & Spa ]
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text:
The Little Cook (La Petite cuisinière)
Frère found great success with his depictions of children, in rustic village interiors, engaged in various activities—school lessons, domestic chores, and games with siblings or friends. In both of these images, Frère presents his small subjects sympathetically, adopting their low vantage points. While the young girl diligently sits beside the stove with her ladle at the ready to stir the soup or stew, the boy in the schoolroom sulks after a scolding from his teacher, with the discarded book offering a clue to the cause of his punishment.
This text refers to these objects: ' 32.814; 15.328
- Artist: Pierre-Édouard Frère, French, 1819-1886
- Medium: Oil on panel
- Place Made: Europe
- Dates: 1858
- Dimensions: 12 1/8 x 9 1/4in. (30.8 x 23.5cm) frame: 17 15/16 x 15 1/16 x 2 3/8 in. (45.6 x 38.3 x 6 cm) (show scale)
- Signature: Signed and dated lower left: "Ed. Frère 58"
- Collections:European Art
- Museum Location: This item is not on view
- Exhibitions:
- Accession Number: 15.328
- Credit Line: Bequest of Robert B. Woodward
- Rights Statement: No known copyright restrictions
- Caption: Pierre-Édouard Frère (French, 1819-1886). The Little Cook (La Petite cuisinière), 1858. Oil on panel, 12 1/8 x 9 1/4in. (30.8 x 23.5cm). Brooklyn Museum, Bequest of Robert B. Woodward, 15.328
- Image:
- Record Completeness: Best (88%)


text:
NICEVILLE - The area will see an influx of new graduates Saturday following two ceremonies at Northwest Florida State College.
It's the second time the college has held back-to-back ceremonies at Raider Arena to accommodate all graduates and their families expected to attend, according to NWF State President Ty Handy.
The first ceremony will be for students receiving their Associate of Arts degree or a Florida High School Diploma. The second ceremony will be for those receiving a bachelor's degree, an Associate of Science degree or a program certificate.
By the end of the day, the college anticipates 1,959 students will have received a diplomas or certificates. It's one of the largest graduating classes in the school's 50-year history.
"It demonstrates just how far this college has come in 50 years," Handy said. " … We've become an integral part of the educational life in this community."
Handy said officials anticipate about 500 graduates will attend the two ceremonies along with four to five family members or friends each.
"The best part is seeing the families … and how excited they get for our students," he said. "It's such a milestone in many families' history."
Lori Burgess, who is receiving her bachelor's degree in Project Management, is one of many students who will celebrate that type of accomplishment.
"It was a personal achievement for me," Burgess said. "I'm the first to graduate (from college) on one side of my family."
The mother and full-time worker said she plans to go on and earn a master's degree in Business Administration.
"The dream would be to get my Ph.D," she said.
In spite of the many changes the school has undergone in the last half-century, NWF State still primarily helps non-traditional students such as Burgess earn degrees and certificates.
This year, the average age of a student was 29, and nearly 45 percent of students were 25 or older.
Among those less traditional students was nursing graduate Layne Bonanno, who juggled the responsibilities of four children along with school.
"I can tell you that (in the) nursing department, they fostered us 100 percent. They accommodated us," said Bonanno, who will receive an associate's degree. "We're not just a number. They knew every one of our names."
In fact, her experience was so positive she plans to start working on her bachelor's degree in nursing in the fall.
"I love what this school offers," Bonanno said.
Handy said the school hopes to continue meeting the changing needs of the community with the addition of several new options, including a $10,000 bachelor's degree and a welding program.
"We're glad to celebrate graduation with all these students," he said. "It's been a good year all the way around."
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Katie Tammen at 850-315-4440 or email@example.com. Follow her on Twitter @KatieTnwfdn.


text:
AccuCold by Summit Appliance offers a wide range of all-refrigerators for general purpose storage. The commercially listed FF7ADA Series features 24" wide all-refrigerators sized for freestanding use in ADA compliant settings.
The FF7SSTBADA is a 32" high all-refrigerator with a full 5.5 cu.ft. capacity inside a slim 24" footprint. Designed for freestanding use, this model has a white cabinet and stainless steel wrapped door. A curved towel bar handle in brushed stainless steel completes the professional look.
Inside, the FF7SSTBADA utilizes low maintenance automatic defrost operation. Our unique "hidden" evaporator is set behind the rear wall to create a seamless, easy-to-clean interior that also maximizes shelf space. This unit has a flat door liner that allows it to accept larger trays (up to 19 1/2" x 16"). Adjustable wire shelves allow users to reconfigure the interior to accommodate a variety of sizes. The interior light is controlled by an on/off rocker switch located behind the thermostat dial.
The FF7SSTBADA is ETL-S listed to NSF-7 standards for use in commercial establishments. For a built-in version of this unit, see the FF7BISSTBADA. For more finish options, browse the entire FF7ADA Series.
|Commercially approved
|ETL-S listed to NSF-7 Standards for use in commercial establishments
|ADA compliant
|32" height for use in settings complying with ADA guidelines for lower counter height
|Slim counter height dimensions
|Less than 24 inches wide with a full 5.5 c.f. capacity
|Fully finished white cabinet
|Allows the unit to be used freestanding
|Stainless steel door
|Durable design with lasting elegance
|Professional towel bar handle
|Curved handle in brushed stainless steel offers a sturdy grip with professional elegance
|Automatic defrost
|Reduced user maintenance with automatic defrost
|One piece interior liner
|Easy clean-up with a seamless liner that won't hold a mess in hidden crevices
|Hidden evaporator
|Cold wall design with hidden evaporator and seamless interior
|Adjustable shelves
|Rearrange the refrigerator space to accommodate all shapes and sizes or remove shelves for a simple clean-up
|Adjustable thermostat
|Dial thermostat located inside for easy temperature management
|Deep shelf space
|Interior accommodates large trays up to 19 1/2" x 15 1/2"
|Interior light on rocker switch
|Turn the light on when you need it and off when you're done with a convenient rocker switch
|100% CFC free
|Environmentally friendly design without ozone-damaging chemicals


text:
Dec 24, 2009
Not Enough Parts
5 comments:
- Brian Davis said...
Actually Andy, I suspect this may go right back to the "do your homework" issue on some (perhaps even many) occasions. Many folks who use both the books and the websites simply want to copy the robots there, with little or no innovation. I guess that's fine... but those sorts of people, who would like everything supplied to them, are the ones that will have a problem with limited parts from LEGO. Again, they want it quick and easy ("I don't want to have to shop on BrickLink... I don't want / can't afford to acquire a significant stockpile of parts"). The fact that LEGO is a *design medium* is what is being lost.
Which is really too bad. People are paying for an entire toolbox, and using just the hammer. I wonder if there's a way, just like with the folks that think getting a piece of paper is the point of an education, to teach people that the process, not the product, is the goal here.
- Dec 24, 2009, 11:54:00 PM
- Andy Dannelley said...
Your last thought really hit home with me. I am also a teacher (a professor at a local community college) and what you said is something I really strive for with my students. ..."the point of an education, to teach people that the process, not the product, is the goal ..."
I do believe we can help people here to learn more about the process and have a great time with NXT.
Thanks for your comments,
- Dec 25, 2009, 7:58:00 AM
- LEGOmom said...
"the point of an education, to teach people that the process, not the product, is the goal ..."
Yes! Yes! and Yes! to the above, the post, and Brian's comment. You hit the nail on the head. Here's a sad story. A friend of a friend bought an NXT kit for their DS. Just like all his other LEGO kits, he built a model w/ the NXT (didn't program it or anything) and simply put it on the shelf for display. That's it. There it will remain forever and they will buy him the next new thing. I was flummoxed. Now, if that floats your boat...float away but I think it misses the heart of what LEGO is meant to be.
I post on a few parent/education boards and the subject of the NXT comes up around Xmas time. I try to understand what they want. Do they want a robot where you clap your hands, push a few buttons, it learns a few tricks and everyone has fun and moves on? Or do you want a product that you may likely have to learn/do with your kids, experience some frustration when things don't go as planned, learn more from that frustration than when things go as written, then NXT is for you. So many people would post how they bought their kids an NXT and it just sat there, an expensive toy that no one knew what to do with and they regret the purchase. My friend bought her kids an NXT LAST Christmas and they have yet to do anything with it b/c she is intimidated by it. We live on opposite coasts or I'd have fixed that a long time ago. I told her to just let her DD build a model from the kit and let her run with it. Learn with her. My DS9 quickly surpassed me and that's OK! When we're stuck, I have Brian's email. Ha Ha Ha. BTW Brian, next week will be doing more testing w/ NXT-G edu version data logging and the digital thermometers to try and figure out why that doesn't work as expected. I'll post what we've done so far at the forum for others who may want to chime in. Case in point, my DS has learned so much in thinking about what controls to run to test the thermometers than he would have it all had worked as planned. As a scientist, I expect failure most of the time. 8-)
I think a lot of the *toys* today reflect our culture....I want it now, I want it quick, I want it done for me. I've heard from several parents of kids w/ 9-10yrs that have stated that the kids now say at 9yrs old "I'm too old for LEGOs, I only play with video games." Sigh....
Waiting for kids to wake up so they can open presents (more LEGOs!!!) Unfortunately, I don't think Santa brought mom her own NXT2.0 kit. 8-(
- Dec 26, 2009, 12:34:00 AM
- Andy Dannelley said...
Maybe some of these folks who just build from books and websites and whatnot will become inspired to build their own creations one day.
We can't all start out building new-never-before-seen creations. Most of us (me included) have to copy a few things to see how it's done, then use that knowledge to build new and wonderful things.
Maybe some folks who get a NXT and just let it set on the shelf will one day get an idea and the motivation to create.
- Dec 27, 2009, 6:19:00 AM
- Joe said...
I certainly didn't expect to find this while googling!
What I googled was hardly related to the topic of this post, but it certainly was a good read.
I enjoyed reading this. I thank you.
- Jan 30, 2010, 3:46:00 PM


text:
Designers like Karl, Michael Kors live out fantasies in photo shoots for Harper's Bazaar
Everyone's hopped all over the Karl Lagerfeld-as-rapper image from the September issue of Harper's Bazaar, so we decided to show you some of the other designers' fantasy shoots.
Here's designer Michael Kors as James Stewart as L.B. Jeffries in Hitchcock's "Rear Window" which is a fabulously styled movie.
Donatella Versace chose to portray "The Princess and the Pea" on a pile of matresses.
"I am not a great believer in fairy tales," she said. "Every woman should fight hard for her own happy endings. Although occasionally, it is nice to wake up as a princess."
For more on what the likes of Tyra Banks, Donna Karan and more chose for their shoots, keep reading.


text:
Gator Insider Bullgator Den
It's here and there's none other like it - a super secret, exclusive forum just for Gator Insiders for the real inside scoop! Only subscribers can even view this forum... No rivals allowed!
Fantasy Football
The forum for our VIP and Premium members to discuss their fantasy football teams and perhaps even form a league or three.
- Discussions:
- 3
Latest: Calling Team Young gators244, Dec 16, 2014
- Messages:
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text:
FFRF Legal Victories
Michigan letter results in prompt solution
After an early childhood program assistant sent home an inappropriate religious gift with students, the Monroe County (Mich.) Intermediate School District is ensuring that school policy will be followed by the assistant and other staff in the future.
The faculty member works with children as young as 4, some of whom are disabled, and distributed a gift of Play-Doh to children, along with a letter containing religious references and urging people to pray.
The letter was titled "CHRISTmas is Jesus's Birthday" and opened, "So for the Jesus gift you could be like this play dough, and let Jesus mold & shape Your Life so Jesus Can use you for His Glory!" The letter encouraged parents to find a church that teaches about Jesus.
FFRF Senior Staff Attorney Rebecca Markert wrote Jan. 7 to Superintendent Randy Monday about the illegality of proselytizing to children in public school. She noted it was irrelevant that the assistant included the disclaimer "this is my belief & my gift & is not promoted by the school in any way."
Assistant Superintendent Elizabeth Taylor replied the next day to say that the employee was told about the inappropriateness of her actions and her violation of school policy that states teachers or supervisors must approve items sent home with students.
Parents were also notified that the staff member had violated school policy.
Gideons groups out after FFRF complaints
Gideons International representatives will no longer be allowed in Grant County Schools, Williamstown, Ky., to distribute bibles as a result of a complaint from FFRF Senior Staff Attorney Rebecca Markert. A concerned parent contacted FFRF after her child was taken out of class to receive a bible.
Markert pointed out that by allowing Gideons to distribute bibles, the district was "impermissibly endorsing religion by placing its 'stamp of approval' on the religious messages contained in the bible."
Superintendent Ron Livingood responded Nov. 30 and said that he had met with district principals and instructed them not to permit Gideons in schools or on school property.
Markert sent a similar letter Nov. 19 to Robertson County Director of Schools Daniel Whitlow in Springfield, Tenn., responding to a distressed parent whose child was ostracized for not taking a Gideon bible.
Whitlow responded Jan. 8 that all administrators had been notified that bible distribution was against district policies.
Georgia university
ends staff prayer
North Georgia College & State University, Dahlonega, Ga., will no longer be including prayers at university-sponsored events after receiving an FFRF letter of complaint last October. The school is one of six senior military colleges in the U.S.
A concerned student alerted FFRF that at an event that was mandatory for some students, faculty members led attendees in several Christian prayers. Senior Staff Attorney Rebecca Markert wrote to President Bonita Jacobs: "Including prayer at events at which attendance is mandatory is coercive, embarrassing, and beyond the scope of our public university system."
Julia Anderson, state senior assistant attorney general, responded Dec. 13 that Jacobs would "remind [all faculty and staff] that prayers shall not be included in university-sponsored events."
FFRF stills Wisconsin student bell-ringers
FFRF was able to intervene before students at the Medford (Wis.) Area Middle School were sent to ring bells to raise money for the Salvation Army.
The Salvation Army's stated mission is "to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination." It has 11 Christian "articles of faith" and is blatantly discriminatory to gay people.
After a concerned parent contacted FFRF, Staff Attorney Patrick Elliott sent District Administrator Pat Sullivan a letter Dec. 13 pointing out that "while it is laudable for a public school to encourage young students to become active and involved in their community," the Salvation Army is "an overtly Christian organization."
Elliott asked Sullivan to inform staff "that they may not continue with their plans to solicit funds for the Salvation Army during the school day."
Sullivan responded Dec. 17 that the school was no longer planning to send students to ring bells.
FFRF tackles coaches' prayers in Ohio
Coaches at Spencerville High School in Ohio will no longer pray with their students after Senior Staff Attorney Rebecca Markert's Nov. 6 letter to Superintendent Joel Hatfield, informing him that "a public school coach's participation in a team's prayer circle is illegal and inappropriate."
Hatfield responded Dec. 17: "As superintendent, I have informed our coaches that they are to no longer lead their athletes in prayer."
School changes policy after FFRF complaint
The Cobleskill-Richmondville Central School District in New York banned groups from using school facilities for religious worship after FFRF urged it to adopt a revised policy.
FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor sent a Dec. 3 letter informing the school board that prohibiting the use of school buildings for worship was "in line with current law [as applied in the 2nd Circuit] and is the best policy option."
Gaylor detailed how start-up churches often take advantage of low rental fees to "get a foot in the door" while collecting church donations on public property, which amounts to "what many of us consider taxpayer subsidy of congregations."
A church that had been using school facilities retained the American Center for Law & Justice, a Religious Right legal group founded by Pat Robertson, to object to the proposed changes. Despite that opposition, the board amended its policies Dec. 17, adding "Gatherings for the purpose of holding religious worship services" to its list of prohibited uses of school facilities.
FFRF letter gets Iowa park cross removed
A house inside George Wyth State Park near Waterloo, Iowa, will no longer include a display of a lighted Latin cross.
A local complainant reported to FFRF that a large cross was affixed to the garage of a park ranger's home owned by the state in the park. The cross was highly visible at night from the highway and within the park.
Senior Staff Attorney Rebecca Markert wrote Dec. 14 to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources: "While it is appropriate for the park ranger to display personal religious items inside his home, it crosses the line when he chooses to display Christian symbols on the exterior of his home," Markert said.
Markert received a phone call Dec. 19 from the DNR that the ranger had been directed to remove the cross.
School replaces hymns with secular songs
Main Street K-3 School in Shelbyville, Ill., removed two Christian hymns from its holiday concert after receiving an FFRF letter. A concerned parent contacted FFRF after learning her child's concert included "Mary Had a Baby" and "Go, Tell it on the Mountain."
In a Dec. 17 letter to Superintendent Denise Bence, FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor said it's "wholly inappropriate for public schools to perform songs of Christian worship in a public school setting."
Bence responded Dec. 21 that the songs would be taken out of the program and replaced with secular holiday music.
FFRF stops church's free school 'lunch'
Alma (Mich.) Public Schools will now require a church using its facilities to pay a rental fee and remove religious items left scattered around a district school.
The district let Alma Vineyard Church hold Sunday services and frequent events at Republic Alternative High School. The church was allowed to use the kitchen, gym, stage and extra rooms. It also had free use of building supplies and custodial services and was allowed to store religious items, including an 8-foot wooden cross that was left on display in the cafeteria.
Senior Staff Attorney Rebecca Markert sent a letter Oct. 19 to Superintendent Sonia Lark, pointing out that the religious symbols left in the school demonstrated "district preference for religion over nonreligion, and Christianity over other religions."
The school district responded Oct. 23 that the cross and other religious items were removed or covered. The district further informed FFRF on Jan. 3 that the church would now have to pay for custodial services and rental of space.
3 boards ditch prayer after FFRF letters
Three governmental bodies, two in California and one in Georgia, have halted meeting prayers after receiving letters from FFRF Staff Attorney Andrew Seidel.
Seidel wrote the Plumas County Board of Supervisors, Quincy, Calif., in August and sent several follow-ups before receiving a reply from the county's counsel Jan 16 that the board voted Jan. 15 to stop the practice. "[T]he invocation will be removed from the agenda, and the county will not solicit invocation speakers."
The city of Santa Clara, Calif., which previously had sectarian Christian prayers and excluded a Hindu officiant, has abandoned its prayers for a "values statement" after getting a November letter from Seidel.
The language is pious but doesn't overtly address a supernatural being: "As we gather, we humbly seek blessings upon this meeting. May we act with strength, courage and the will to perform our obligations and duties to our people with justice to all. Let us seek wisdom so that we may act in the best interests of our people, our neighbors and our country. All this we ask so we may serve our community with love and grace, putting their needs before all."
The city of Forest Park, Ga., received an FFRF letter in September and several follow-ups before City Manager John Parker responded curtly Jan. 10:
"The city of Forest Park no longer participates in prayer during meetings of the City Council."
Judge rules FFRF's commandments case may proceed
U.S. District Judge Terrence McVerry ruled Jan. 22 that FFRF's challenge to a Ten Commandments monument in front of a Pennsylvania high school will go forward. McVerry rejected a motion to dismiss by the New Kensington-Arnold School District and issued an order that directs the district to file an answer to the plaintiffs' complaint.
FFRF and two families filed suit in September 2012 against the school district over the prominent placement of a Ten Commandments monument at Valley High School. The district sought to dismiss the case by claiming that it had been "foreclosed" by the Supreme Court's Van Orden v. Perry decision in 2005, which allowed a similar monument on the Texas Capitol grounds to stand.
FFRF's brief argued that there are significant factual and legal distinctions between the cases, most notably, that the Supreme Court has ruled against Ten Commandments displays in the school context.
McVerry's opinion stated that the First Amendment claim "has sufficient merit under our current jurisprudence." He noted that at this preliminary stage, "there is no meaningful evidence to support the School District's attack on the merits of Plaintiffs' case and thus the 'foreclosure' argument is unavailing at this time."
The court issued an order in December that allowed three of the plaintiffs to proceed using pseudonyms, finding that there was a substantial public interest in protecting them from retribution from upset members of the community. The court will hold a scheduling conference in February.
They Said What?
You worry about the goings-on in Wisconsin, and we will pray for you and that God will give you some sense.
Commissioner Tucker Dorsey, Baldwin County, Ala., responding to FFRF's letter about prayers at commission meetings
AL.com 12-14-12
Laws, the only redoubt of secularism, will not suffice. Let us all return to our places of worship and pray for help. Above all, let us pray for our children.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry, statement on President Obama's executive actions
governor.tx.us, 1-16-13
A student came up to me at a graduation and said not only did he get a scholarship to college but that the course changed his life. Principals talk about how students carrying their bibles down the hall have improved hall behavior to a point that teachers as hall monitors are no longer necessary.
Phil Murphy, public school board member in Ozark, Ala., contending that a bible as literature course would reduce school shootings
Dothan Eagle, 1-8-12
It's not the separation of church and state — which, by the way, is NOT in any of our federal papers — that worries these people. It's the life-changing power of Christianity and the light of truth it shines on the sins of the world, exposing the lies being propagated by the media, the politicians and the universities of this nation.
Column by country singer Charlie Daniels, "There Ain't No 'X' in Christmas"
CNS News, 12-19-12
There's one thing we know that works, and it's prayer.
John Lee, Muncie, Ind., part of a Christian group which was let in to pray in every Muncie Community Schools building during winter break
Star Press, 1-3-13
How often do we see girls and mature women going around scantily dressed and in provocative clothes? They provoke the worst instincts, which end in violence or sexual abuse. They should search their consciences and ask: Did we bring this on ourselves?
Fr. Piero Corsi, pastor of the Catholic parish of San Terenzo, Italy, part of a Christmas message posted on the door of the church
TheJournal.ie, 12-27-12
Freethinking dad explains atheism to fourth-graders
Imagine standing in front of your child's elementary school classroom and explaining to 30 kids why you don't believe in God, why you don't pray and why you don't think there's a heaven.
Thinking back on my own public schooling, in an environment where everyone was assumed to be a believer (typically a Christian believer) and with our almost universal hesitancy to discuss religion so as not to offend someone else, it's pretty hard to imagine doing this. It's what I did, though, as a guest speaker in my son's fourth-grade class in Accra, Ghana.
I've been working in Ghana for a couple of years. I'm stationed here with my family. Generally, one can say that Ghana is an overwhelmingly religious country (predominantly Christian, but with a Muslim minority).
Here, as in many parts of Africa, religious faith is entwined in nearly every aspect of life and society. People commonly greet you with "God bless you," and it's very common to see shops with names like "God's Grace Motor Repair" and "Blood of Christ Hair Salon." I'm not kidding — you can see a hundred signs like this every day.
As you can imagine, for an atheist and freethinker, it can sometimes be an awkward environment. Since my job requires me to work closely with government and private sector organization leaders in an often high-level capacity, I generally keep my opinions on faith and religiosity like cards held close to the chest.
So when I received a request to speak at my child's school about atheism, my first thoughts were cautionary about some kind of backlash. I decided though that I owed it to my son to stand up and speak boldly about my own "beliefs."
My son attends a private international school in Accra. It has about 1,000 students in K-12 who hail from more than 30 countries. Most of the parents are expatriate diplomats, business leaders and wealthier "elite" Ghanaians. The school does not have a religious orientation, and my wife and I have been very pleased with how the school focuses on the holistic development of the individual.
The fourth-grade class had been studying what they call a "unit of inquiry" about human culture and beliefs. They have examined traditions and customs of various cultures, often using specific examples from the diversity of the students' homes.
Most recently, the class started examining religion -— looking at belief systems, "sacred" texts and places of worship. Almost unbelievably to me, the school organized a series of field trips that took the kids to a Catholic church, an Islamic mosque, a Mormon temple and a Hindu temple. They had tours and presentations by the leaders.
It made me wonder how much people back in the U.S. might flip out if a teacher suggested such a comparative learning experience for their children. Anyway, my son (who has been raised in the open, freethinking, if perhaps a bit anti-religious environment of our home) thoroughly enjoyed the visits. I took a bit of humor out of his reaction that the best part was seeing giant, painted statues of Ganesha, the elephant-headed Hindu god.
It seemed fantastic to me that my son's open-minded teacher was willing to give equal time to a nonreligious viewpoint. He was aware from my son's unhesitant reportage about our family's views, so the teacher invited me to be a guest speaker on atheism one afternoon.
Which is atheists' god?
I was somewhat uncertain about what to say. This was the first time that I would speak publicly about my nonbelief. Knowing how impressionable (and perhaps how easily offended) children this age are, I felt I needed to tread carefully so as not to make an unintended attack on any child's faith.
I did a bit of research, turning to the Internet for simple definitions and resources about explaining atheism to kids. I found some sites and videos about freethinking parenting, but I think this is an area that we as nonbelievers could develop further.
I spoke first in general terms about whether or not atheism is a religion. For some kids, that it's not was a hard concept to take on. Several asked up until the end of my presentation, "Now, which god do atheists believe in?"
Others were "with" the concept quickly though, and I had some expected suggestions from the kids when I asked, "What are some reasons why people choose not to believe in a god or a religion?"
One boy enthusiastically ventured that there are many gods out there and someone might not know which one is "right." A girl said that people may have never seen a god in front of them. I agreed with the kids about these ideas and also added a bit on philosophical arguments, though perhaps not surprisingly this aspect didn't take too much hold with a young crowd.
Then I turned to the things that atheists do "believe" in, with a caveat that there isn't a universal view. I talked a bit about science and its ability to empower people to understand the mysteries of the universe around them on their own, without some godly explanation.
I talked about humans having rational minds and the ability to know what is wrong and right and to treat people kindly and with respect — all without needing a religion to point the way.
The most rewarding part perhaps were the 20 or so enthusiastic questions that the kids raised, along with their expectant hands. They asked about my upbringing, if we go to church, if I pray to anyone, what I think about heaven and people who have died (whew, that's a touchy one with kids you don't know!) and also a bit about the history of atheism.
One girl gasped in shock when I said that I don't pray because I don't think there is anyone to pray to. Some of the kids were also wide-eyed when I said that only a short while ago in Europe and America, and to this day in some areas, people can be attacked or murdered for saying they don't believe in God or the prevailing religion.
When a child asked about my son's belief, I was more hesitant, feeling concerned that the welcoming openness of this dialogue might have later repercussions for him from students with less-open minds. I told his classmates that I wanted my son to have an open and exploring mind and to make decisions for himself about what he believes or chooses not to believe. I hope that religion-focused bullying is not something he has to contend with.
At the end, the class clapped and thanked me, and the teacher expressed how great it was to have this exposure to atheism. I'm sure the kids probably moved right on to recess and sports and (hopefully) some studies or homework, but I do hope they took away a bit more enlightened and accepting view of nonbelievers and atheism.
I hope also that my son is encouraged by my own boldness to openly talk about these ideas among others, and that he is strengthened in finding his own understanding and path through nonbelief or belief, as he may choose in the days and years ahead.
FFRF member Ben Kauffeld is a Foreign Service officer with more than 20 years of experience in international development and humanitarian assistance projects.
Psalm 23:4 piques most online interest
According to a Jan. 3 story in The Christian Post, out of nearly 7 million visits last year to King James Bible Online, the most-viewed bible verse was Psalm 23:4 — "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."
No. 2 was Philippians 4:13 — "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."
Coming in third was the New Testament's John 3:16 — "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
The rest of the top 10:
. Genesis 1:1 — "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."
. 1 Corinthians 13:11 — "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things."
. 2 Chronicles 7:14 — "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."
. Jeremiah 29:11 — "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."
. Ephesians 6:12 — "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
. 2 Timothy 1:7 — "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."
10. Genesis 1:2 — "And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters."
Editor's note: The website shipoffools.com, which pokes fun at Christianity, asked readers in 2009 to submit their favorite "worst" bible verses in a project called Chapter & Worse.
No. 1: St. Paul's advice in 1 Timothy 2:12, in which he says: "But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence."
FFRF 'Spotlight' airs thousands of times on public TV
The Freedom From Religion Foundation's inaugural feature production for use as educational filler on public television affiliates aired more than 1,430 times over three months in late 2012. This is the first such segment featuring discussion of freethought, atheism and focusing on the specific dangers of mixing state and church.
The four-minute "Spotlight on Freethought and the First Amendment" featured interviews with FFRF Co-Presidents Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor. The longer version, over five minutes, included a bonus interview with "secularity" expert, sociologist and author Phil Zuckerman, professor at Pitzer University, Claremont, Calif. Local public TV affiliates were given the option to use either spot, or both, as fillers.
For the first time in the history of Spotlight Productions, more affiliates ran the longer version, "a compliment to Phil Zuckerman," says Gaylor. The longer version aired 731 times in 136 station airings. The short version aired 699 times with 142 station airings.
The two shows each reached more than 3.6 million public TV viewers, according to the Nielsen ratings. Markets airing one or both of the spots included high population airings such as New York City and Los Angeles, as well as a diversity of smaller markets nationwide. In the Salt Lake City area, for instance, served by five area public TV affiliates including in Provo, FFRF's spots ran 62 times last fall.
The broadcasts are audited by Nielsen only for the first 3 months after the show is released. But FFRF's two "Spotlights" may continue to air for years as filler.
View the videos at FFRF's YouTube Channel. The shorter "abridged" version is at bit.ly/WmTCP2.
The longer "TV" version with Zuckerman is at bit.ly/P8TZfT.
A "bonus track" version of nearly seven minutes, which includes additional footage with Dan Barker, is prominently featured at FFRF's website, ffrf.org and at bit.ly/V7kan5.
Making math and atheism friendly
Name: Hemant Mehta.
Where I live: Naperville, Ill.
Where and when I was born: Just outside of Chicago, 1983.
Education: University of Illinois-Chicago, 2004, double major in math/biology; DePaul University, 2010, master's in math education; national board-certified teacher, 2012.
Occupation: High school math teacher.
How I got where I am today: After leaving medical school in order to become a teacher, I had some free time and began working closely with the Secular Student Alliance and also started my website, FriendlyAtheist.com. Both of those experiences have helped me develop into an activist, and I hope to keep improving on that in a variety of ways!
Where I'm headed: Thankfully, not downward.
Person in history I admire: It's always inspiring to hear about those who challenge the status quo to make things better for various minority groups. I've been fortunate to meet a number of atheists who have done sort of consciousness-raising in our own movement.
A quotation I like: "If you want to get something done, ask a busy person."
These are a few of my favorite things: My students, great books, crossword puzzles, "The Daily Show," Twitter.
These are not: People whose sole purpose in life is to put other people down.
My doubts about religion started: When I started high school. It turned out my parents' religion (Jainism) couldn't withstand tougher scrutiny.
Instead of "thank God" or "God bless you," I say: Gesundheit.
Why I'm a freethinker: It's empowering when you know the truth about something the majority of the country is completely wrong about.
Ways I promote freethought: I blog at FriendlyAtheist.com to spread news and stories about atheism. I am a board member for the Foundation Beyond Belief and work to encourage other atheists to give money to secular charities.
I serve on the Advisory Board of the Secular Student Alliance because they focus on helping young atheists. To promote my ideas, I've written a few books, the most recent of which is called The Young Atheist's Survival Guide.
Over 150 legal victories for FFRF in 2012!
In 2012, the Freedom From Religion Foundation and its four staff attorneys impressively won more than 150 significant legal victories using education and persuasion, without having to go to court.
FFRF received more than 2,460 requests (whew!) last year for help from members, or members of the public, over entanglements between state and church. FFRF officially doubled its staff attorneys in 2012, going from two to four, to handle the caseload.
They or FFRF's co-presidents sent 1,005 formal letters objecting to state/church violations last year. It may take many follow-up letters to get results, and those follow-up letters are not included in the letter count.
The majority of FFRF legal letters involve religion in the public schools, followed by prayer at government meetings such as city council or county board meetings. Two-thirds of FFRF's victories involved ending violations in public schools, which FFRF prioritizes.
Prayer in schools is the largest subcategory within school complaints. FFRF also sent letters of complaint to more than 100 government bodies or departments over prayer. Most involve city or county board prayer, but there are also many complaints over city-hosted prayer breakfasts and prayer proclamations.
Top 10 states for violations
(most FFRF complaint letters):
1. Florida
2. Texas
3. Tennessee
4. Georgia
5. North Carolina
6. California
7. Wisconsin
8. Ohio
9. Alabama
10. Pennsylvania
Top ten issue areas:
1. Schools
2. Government Prayer
3. Miscellaneous
4. Holiday Displays
5. Religion in the Workplace
6. Election Law Complaints
7. Crosses
8. Prayer Breakfasts
9. Church Bulletins
10. National Day of Prayer
2012 legal victories
These include but are not limited to:
• The Federal Election Commission, in response to a complaint filed by FFRF in 2008, found that the Colorado group Informed Catholic Citizens violated election laws in issuing a robocall by a priest who advocated for the election of John McCain.
• The Kiel Area School District Board of Education (Wis.) voted down a proposal to teach "alternative theories of the origins of man within the science curriculum" after FFRF pressured the board to follow case law prohibiting such instruction in public schools.
• An FFRF complaint prompted Henrico County (Va.) officials to drop the 25-year-old tradition of offering meeting prayers before Board of Supervisors meetings.
• The Kannapolis City Council (N.C.) ended prayers before meetings, replacing the prayers with a moment of silence.
• FFRF secured the right of students at Walton High School in Marietta, Ga., to start a "FACT" group (Freethinkers for Cooperation Acceptance and Trust) after the school had denied their right to create the student group.
• After months of debate, the Ellwood City Borough Council (Pa.) voted to remove a long-standing nativity display in front of the borough's municipal building.
• Five Pennsylvania school boards (Big Spring, Octorara, Greencastle-Antrim, Eastern Lancaster, Grove City) dropped prayer before board meetings after letters from FFRF.
• FFRF stopped future religious assemblies by Dave Walton (braggingforjesus.com/) at a Tennessee middle/high school.
• FFRF's letter of complaint resulted in removal of a cross from a Nebraska state park and outside a park ranger's home in George Wyth State Park on Iowa state property.
• FFRF's letter of complaint resulted in Washoe County Libraries in Nevada remaining open on Easter Sunday.
• FFRF stopped mayoral sponsorship and coordination of monthly prayer breakfasts in Augusta, Ga.
• The City of Tucson, Ariz., rescinded a grant to the Catholic Church of $1.1 million to fix a building it had abandoned after FFRF's letter of complaint, records request, and action alert to FFRF members in Arizona.
• In another faith-based victory, the West Linn, Ore., City Council rescinded a $1,300 grant to a local church and removed paid, government employees from the church's advisory board after a letter from FFRF.
• Thanks to FFRF, Catholic Social Services of Augusta, Ga., will no longer receive free lawn maintenance from the U.S military.
• A family court in Jackson, Mo., has reprimanded a pastor for hijacking a secular class meant to teach divorced parents how to help their children and injecting it with his religious rant. The court is looking for other teachers and sites other than his church.
• Bret Harte Union High School (Calif.) will no longer release student information to the local Catholic diocese.
• Peach County senior center employees will no longer pray with their charges or read the bible to them at meal times and special occasions.
• The Assessment Appeals Board in San Francisco implemented procedural changes to eliminate the use of a religious oath when swearing in parties at hearings.
• COLT bus system in Scranton, Pa., discontinued the practice of displaying "God Bless America" on their electronic tickers after FFRF wrote to them in February.
• FFRF halted (or stopped for the future) illegal Gideon bible distribution in public schools in Magnolia, Ark., Boydton, Va., Robertson County, Tenn., and Grant County, Ky., among other public school districts.
• The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga discontinued its long tradition of prayer before its football games after continued pressure.
• FFRF persuaded the Cobleskill-Richmondville Central School district (N.Y.) from using school facilites for religious worship.
• FFRF was able to address several complaints regarding the inappropriate use of government emails, putting a halt to religious messages at four different agencies.
• FFRF stopped numerous prayer violations and other religious indoctrination at schools around the country.
• FFRF had a total of 11 victories in 2012 ending church bulletin discounts, in which restaurants or places of public accommodation were illegally discounting meals or tickets for those bearing church bulletins. These are violations of the Civil Rights Act.
Many complaints from 2012 and earlier are still actively being pursued, with other victories pending.
Although not all complaints can be acted on, FFRF's attorneys try hard to respond to bonafide state/church queries. FFRF also hosts an extensive State/Church FAQ: ffrf.org/faq/state-church
Before contacting FFRF, you may wish to check out the FAQ. Complaints over state/church violations may be sent via the online complaint form:
Ongoing litigation
These victories are in addition to FFRF's litigation. FFRF has filed well over 60 lawsuits since it began, winning many significant victories, and through December 2012 had nine ongoing lawsuits. In 2012, FFRF successfully settled two additional lawsuits: its challenge of a cross on a water tower and other city property in Whiteville, Tenn., and its challenge removing a Ten Commandments poster from a high school in Giles County, W. Va., brought with the ACLU of Virginia.
FFRF last year won an appeals court decision in Colorado state court in which a judge agreed with FFRF that the governor's Colorado Day of Prayer proclamations are inappropriate.
Last year, FFRF filed four new lawsuits: challenging Ten Commandments monuments in front of two schools in Pennsylvania (two separate federal lawsuits), challenging graduation prayer in a South Carolina high school, and its highly popular challenge of non-enforcement by the IRS of its ban on church electioneering.
FFRF works with a number of litigation attorneys, including some pro bono, with staff attorneys providing help.
Congratulations to FFRF's diligent and committed staff attorneys Rebecca Markert, Patrick Elliott, Andrew Seidel, outgoing attorney Stephanie Schmitt and new intake attorney Liz Cavell. Also deserving of much credit are FFRF's 2012 law clerks: Ken Earl, Susan Lund, Dustin Clark, Maddy Ziegler, JJ Rolling, Ben Zich, and undergraduate volunteer interns Svein Hoexter, Brendan Moriarity and Calli Miller.
Your membership and additional donations designated for the Legal Fund help pay for this substantial litigation and the work of staff attorneys. Special thanks to Board Member Lester Goldstein, who created an internship endowment with the help of other FFRF members setting aside a minimum of $5,000 a year to help pay for internships.
Many thanks to Senior Staff Attorney Rebecca Markert for her very thorough legal report which provided the details for this article.
I have prayed before not to have another child, but the condom worked better.
Giselle Labadan, roadside vendor in Manila, on a new law opposed by the Catholic Church in the Philippines that provides public funding for contraception
Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 1-8-13
While I was younger, my father drank a lot. There was abuse in the home. My brother committed suicide in 2001. So at some point you start to say, "Why does all this stuff happen to people?" And if I pray and nothing good happens, is that supposed to be I'm being tried? I find that almost kind of cruel in some ways. It's like burning ants with a magnifying glass. Eventually that gets just too hard to believe anymore.
Rigoberto Perez, 30, raised as a Seventh-day Adventist, "More Young People Are Moving Away From Religion, But Why?"
NPR "Morning Edition," 1-15-13
Between banning gay marriage and requiring school prayer, too many legislators are intent on turning Indiana into a religious state as repressive, intellectually stultifying and ultimately insulting of their own God as any on the planet. It's time for them to learn a new R: Reality.
Columnist/reporter Phil Wieland, opposing a bill by the state Senate's Education Committee chairman to let public schools require daily recitation of the Lord's Prayer
Northwest Indiana Times, 1-11-13
Wise atheists make no moral claims, seeing good and bad randomly spread among humanity regardless of faith. Humans do have a hardwired moral sense, every child born with an instinct for justice that makes us by nature social animals, not needing revelations from ancient texts. The idea that morality can only be frightened into us artificially, by divine edict, is degrading.
Polly Toynbee, outgoing president of the British Humanist Association
The Guardian, 12-16-12
I noticed something interesting. Those two guys disagreed on everything, except the fact that I was going to hell.
Doug Krueger, an atheist and professor at NorthWest Arkansas Community College in Bentonville, on sharing an office with a Catholic and a Baptist when he was a Ph.D. student
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 1-10-13
Commonly known to biographers but often surprising to most Christians, King James I was a well-known bisexual. Though he did marry a woman, his many gay relationships were so well-known that amongst some of his friends and court, he was known as "Queen James." It is in his great debt and honor that we name the Queen James Bible so.
Publisher's statement on new bible translation, "edited to prevent homophobic misinterpretation"
amazon.com, 11-27-12
This report confirms that the code is 10 times the size of the bible with none of the good news.
U.S. Rep. Dave Camp, R-Mich., chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, on a new study of the U.S. tax code
U.S. News & World Report, 1-10-13
Man, this is weird for me too — to be in a room where I don't recognize a single person. And you call yourself a Christian nation. . . . I am totally cool with hookers. Fishermen and hookers. I got a whole fishnet motif going.
Matt Gubser, portraying Jesus in the "Holiday Heathens" comedy show at the Punch Line in San Francisco
Religion News Service, 12-13-12
The bible has outsold Fifty Shades of Grey and Justin Bieber's autobiography to top the Norwegian bestseller charts this month for a second year in a row. The new Norwegian translation of the bible has held the top spot for 54 out of the last 56 weeks.
Christian Today, 12-18-12
I've explained to them that some people believe God is waiting for them, but I don't believe that. I believe when you die, it's over and you live on in the memory of people you love and who love you. I can't offer them the comfort of a better place. Despite all the evils and problems in the world, this is the heaven — we're living in the heaven and it's the one we work to make. It's not a paradise.
Julie Drizin, Takoma Park, Md., quote in "Atheist parents comfort children about death without talk of God or heaven"
Washington Post, 12-22-12
It's an opportunity to get out of the cold, have a cigar and learn some bible.
Larry Gilbert, member of a Missouri Synod Lutheran bible study group that meets at Cigar Cigars, Rocky River, Ohio
Cleveland Plain Dealer, 1-18-13
On their bare backs, the women had painted "In Gay We Trust" and "Shut Up."
News story about four women who went topless in St. Peter's Square during an appearance by Pope Benedict, who "appeared not to have been disturbed"
Belfast Telegraph, 1-13-13
An atheist is no more necessarily moral or better than a Christian or Muslim. The difference is an atheist isn't tied to an ignorant, dated and immoral religious text and therefore doesn't need to make excuses for such. An atheist doesn't claim that anyone who doesn't believe like they do will be punished forever. An atheist doesn't abandon reason for convenience or fear of death. An atheist doesn't dismiss science for childish myths. An atheist takes the universe as it is without magic.
James Kirk Wall, Wheaton, Ill., "Why be an atheist?"
ChicagoNow, 1-7-13
Barker grounded in reality while 'Adrift on a Star'
The Freedom From Religion Foundation released its third musical CD in January, "Adrift on a Star," featuring Dan Barker and friends. The title song is Barker's arrangement of a Yip Harburg poem.
The album's showpiece is "Poor Little Me," a collaboration between Barker, who wrote the lyrics, and Charles Strouse, the Broadway icon ("Annie," "Bye Bye Birdie"), who's also an atheist who received FFRF's Emperor Has No Clothes Award in 2011.
"I had the pleasure of sitting next to Charles at the 2011 FFRF convention dinner," says Dan. "We chatted about music, the many Broadway and other composers who are nonreligious, and he said if I sent him some lyrics, he would put them to music. So I did and he did. It's truly a collaboration, because Charles threw away about half of my lyrics, and it's a much better song for it!"
What's left are subtly humorous lyrics and rich music blended into a winning song.
Dan, who had a musical ministry as an ordained minister before "seeing the light" and is still receiving royalties for his Christian musicals for children, has now written scores of freethought songs in what he calls "reverse penance."
Other new songs in the album include "Get Off Your Knees (And Get to Work)," dedicated to "Gov. Rip Van-Perry Winkle, who has slept not 30 but 2,030 years," "Reason," inspired by the D.C. Reason Rally, and Dan's humorous "Unfaithful." Dismissing belief in a deity, the lyrics say: "I want you to know it isn't me — it's you."
Susan Hofer, a talented jazz vocalist in Madison, Wis., performs Dan's jazz ballad, a love song, "It's Only Natural," inspired by Richard Dawkins' book Unweaving the Rainbow, which makes a plea to integrate science and art. The song has been oft-requested since Dan wrote it in 2006.
He's also set to music several poems by Harburg from Rhymes for the Irreverent, a collection of verses reprinted by FFRF. Another musical icon, Harburg, a nonbeliever who openly scoffed at religion, wrote "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and "It's Only a Paper Moon," among many, many enduring classics.
To showcase many of Harburg's witty rhymes about religion, Dan set them to music in "Somewhere Over the Paper Moon," performed as a duet with Hofer.
Dan also performs Harburg's song "One Sweet Morning," a lovely but rarely recorded peace anthem with a freethought perspective. The music is by Earl Robinson ("Joe Hill"). Dan set plaintive music to poet and lyricist Philip Appleman's cautionary "In a Dark Time," written in the mid-2000s. Dan also recorded "Experiment," a little-known paean to science and critical thinking by Cole Porter, who was nonreligious. By popular request of FFRF's staff, Dan recorded a G-rated version of "Merry F&*#ing Christmas" from "South Park."
Cameo appearances include Australian freethought/feminist troubadour Shelly Segal, who graciously gave FFRF permission to include her haunting song "I Don't Believe in Fairies," and Joe Taylor, formerly a Christian rocker, who recorded his first freethought song, "Be Still My Child," for the album.
Also included is "It Ain't Necessarily So," sung by Hofer and arranged by Dan with a local band. Bonus tracks include a few extras.
FFRF Rob Shepherd plays the saxophone on several songs, and FFRF member Buzz Kemper, announcer of Freethought Radio, engineered the album at Audio for the Arts in Madison.
FFRF members may order the CD "Adrift on a Star" for a discounted $15 postpaid ($20 postpaid for nonmembers). "Adrift on a Star" joins FFRF's two previous CDs, featuring Barker and friends. "Beware of Dogma" is also available for $15 to members.
The 34-song "Friendly Neighborhood Atheist," with many contemporary and historic freethought songs, also featuring Kristen Lems, is available for $20 to members via the mail or ffrf.org/shop/music. (Note: The online shop calculates postage based on weight and location, so final online price may vary slightly from mail catalog price.)


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Battle for the World's Hottest Record Continues
Posted by: Lois Manno on Jun 21, 2011
Whenever someone tries to lay claim to the biggest, best, or most intense record for pretty much anything, they run the risk of being challenged.
When the subject is the world's hottest pepper, the stakes are high, both monetarily and in terms of publicity. If you've ever dealt with chileheads, they can be every bit as fanatical and obsessed about their chosen passion as the worst lovesick stalker.
That being said, it's not surprising that a storm of controversy currently surrounds several chile growers who are vying for the "world's hottest chile pepper" title. Read this article on Popsci for more about the conflagration, what happens when you ask a beer company to rule about peppers, and an answer to the question, "can eating them kill you?"


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Oct 3, 2008
WeDo robotics kit
I was lucky enough to have a close up look at the new WeDo robotics platform from LEGO Education. It is essentially a basic introduction to robotic concepts, aimed at younger kids (7-11 years old officially). As such, there are only a few robotic elements included; a motor, motion sensor and tilt sensor.
Control is done via the computer and a special USB hub which connects to the various elements. This means that it stays tethered to a computer permanently, but has the upside of not needing batteries. The software is extremely easy to use, and resembles a significantly stripped down version of NXT-G. There are blocks for making the motors move and blocks for interfacing to the sensors. Drag and drop allows you to quickly put together simple programs.
There are instructions for 12 different models out of the one kit, but just like all LEGO products, your imagination is the limit. LEGO Education are really pushing it as more than just 'robotics', encouraging kids to use their creation in stories to discuss and research other concepts.
Yes it is simplistic, but it is a great feeling to have something up and running within 10 minutes. I had an absolute blast playing with it all :)
More info here
Damien Kee
5 comments:
- Laurens Valk said...
Interesting, these sensors! I wonder if these would be compatible with the NXT in some way.
- Oct 5, 2008, 12:40:00 AM
- BlueBear said...
I believe they are compatible.
"The software is extremely easy to use, and resembles a significantly stripped down version of NXT-G"
Lois Brock
Lois Brock, Keswick, Virginia 22974 - SSN, Credit Records, Arrest Records, Court Records, Criminal Records ..
- Oct 5, 2008, 5:24:00 AM
- Damien Kee said...
I meant stripped down in appearance (simplified blocks etc). The connectors are Power Functions" styled, not NXT, but I know some people have attempted there own PF <-> NXT converter cables that might make them usable.
- Oct 5, 2008, 10:18:00 AM
what's the price? looks interesting. if its cheap(lego usually isn't though) then those sensors could be good for nxt
- Oct 5, 2008, 1:22:00 PM
- Damien Kee said...
Pricing wasn't officially released. They're saying it will be available for purchase in Jan 2009 so prices should be released soon.
- Oct 5, 2008, 5:14:00 PM


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Columbus Blue Jackets (6-10-1) at Boston Bruins (11-5-1), 7 p.m.
(SportsNetwork.com) - The Boston Bruins will try to match their longest winning streak of the season when they host the struggling Columbus Blue Jackets in Thursday's clash at TD Garden.
After winning a season-high four straight from Oct. 17-24, the Bruins were mired in a 1-3-1 stretch until recording wins in each of their past three trips to the ice. Boston has yielded a total of two goals during the three- game win streak, outscoring the opposition by a combined 10-2 margin along the way.
The Bruins earned their most recent victory on Monday afternoon, notching a 3-0 win over the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning. Boston received goals 20 seconds apart from Patrice Bergeron and Daniel Paille in the second period and Jarome Iginla added an empty-net tally with 59 seconds remaining in the third.
Tuukka Rask recorded his 18th career shutout with 28 saves and improved to 9-1-0 lifetime against the Lightning.
"After two periods they kept pushing, creating chances, so as a goalie you just try to maintain that lead," Rask said.
Rask is 4-1-0 with a 1.56 goals against average in five career appearances against Columbus, but with the Bruins playing divisional foe Ottawa on the road tomorrow, head coach Claude Julien could opt to rest his No. 1 goaltender on Thursday.
If Rask is saved for Friday's game then Chad Johnson will get just his third start of the season tonight. Johnson has never faced the Blue Jackets.
Boston, which is 7-3-1 as the host this season, is closing a four-game homestand on Thursday before kicking off a three-game swing tomorrow against the Senators.
Although Columbus enters Thursday with six losses in seven games, the club has shown signs of breaking out of their slump recently. The Blue Jackets snapped an 0-5-0 skid with a 5-2 win over the visiting New York Islanders on Saturday and then earned a point in Tuesday's overtime loss at Washington.
However, Columbus did blow a late lead in the OT loss against the Capitals. The Jackets went ahead 3-2 on Cam Atkinson's goal with 5:41 remaining in the third period, but Mikhail Grabovski scored the tying goal for Washington with 1:45 left in regulation. Alex Ovechkin then scored on a rebound 94 seconds into the extra session to lift the Capitals to the win.
Brandon Dubinsky scored shorthanded and Jared Boll added the other goal for Columbus, which has dropped five in a row on the road and is 2-4-1 as the guest this season. Sergei Bobrovsky made 30 saves for the Blue Jackets.
Columbus expects to get forward Nick Foligno back Thursday after he missed two of the team's last three games to deal with a family emergency. Foligno has three goals and three assists in 11 games this season.
The Blue Jackets have not fared well against Boston in recent seasons, losing four straight and eight of the past 11 games in this series. Columbus is 2-2-1 all-time on the road versus the Bruins.


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