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Home Depot Hacked
by Mike Stanz
posted Sep 3 2014 3:00AM
Everybody's getting hacked these days.
The latest victim appears to be the do-it-yourselfer's paradise, Home Depot.
The retail chain announced yesterday that it was looking into reports that some of its customer data had been stolen and was being offered for sale on the internet.
Not good.
Lowe's responded immediately by changing it's slogan from "Never Stop Improving" to "Never Gave Up Your Data."
And I have to admit that given the celebrity selfie hacks over the weekend, I was a little scared to look further into the Home Depot situation.
Seriously, the last thing anyone wants to see are naked, um, plumbing shots of Gary in Appliances...
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Libraries increase e-book holdings and IT bandwidth.
By Jeff Tamarkin | Published: July 28, 2014
Digital Editions / Renewals / Gifts
Libraries increase e-book holdings and IT bandwidth.
For $9.99 per month, read as many books as you want.
A new publishing company offers a curated collection of ebooks for women.
Five under-the-radar residencies at writers' homes.
Win the judges over. Pump up your exposure.
From dud to viral: Making social media work for you
The writer Jay Lake has died.
David James Poissant shares his top picks for short story collections.
How can writers generate literacy? Put books in the hands of others.
Hit the wall with your blog? Here are tips to get you posting again.


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Stores »
this is what i call "utilitarian sexy." like you borrowed your boyfriend's shirt post-sex.
wear with black pants and heels for a fresh work look.
We are a community of shoppers sharing our best finds from across the web.
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Create your own free digital magazine at our new site Glossi.com


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- Genre:
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We infiltrate nuclear compounds to find out if you should choose to accept this Cold War mission.
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Keep the world's super powers at bay in CounterSpy!
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Discover how the creators of CounterSpy created a stylish and colorful world for players to interact with in our interview from E3 2014.
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Check out CounterSpy in this fresh gameplay from the E3 2014 show floor.
Views: 2,219 | Posted: 06/10/2014
Do you have what it takes to save the world from the threat of global destruction? Find out in CounterSpy!
Views: 8,462 | Posted: 08/20/2013


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*The Key Moment:* On lap 469, Carl Edwards used his bumper to nudge the 18 car aside and do something nobody else had done all night, pass Kyle Busch. *In a Nutshell:* Kyle and Carl put on another clinic with Busch dominating, but the race is not always to the swift…. *Dramatic Moment:* Edwards "bump and run" on Busch was surgical but the two drivers saved the fireworks for the ironically named cool down lap. It wasn't until then the massive Bristol crowd finally really got into the game. *What They'll Be Talking About Around the Water Cooler This Week* *Was Edwards brushing Busch aside fair?* Hey, if they ban that sort of move they might as well stop the sport of stock car racing. Compared to the revered Dale Earnhardt's pass of Terry Labonte late in the 1998 race, that was a church square dance. Were Busch's post-race antics understandable? Hell, yeah! You lead 415 laps and get brushed aside late in the race and its natural to be angry. Edwards had no choice but to retaliate to let Busch know he wasn't going to be pushed around especially with the duo heading into the Chase as the favorites. The altercation took place at slow speed and involved two drivers belted safely in their race cars, not on pit road with innocents at risk. If either driver is fined or penalized, I might just quit the sport. We need more of this, not less. In fact I wish the two drivers had continued knocking into each other until their cars wouldn't move anymore and then gotten out and brawled to settle things. Even if the post-race antics were subdued by the standards of the '79 Daytona 500, the best part is the "To Be Continued" comments expressed by both combatants post-race. Read More »
Matt McLaughlin's Thinkin' Out Loud: 3M Performance 400
*The Key Moment:* Once Carl Edwards' pit crew returned him to the track with the lead after the final pit stop, it was his race to lose. *In a Nutshell:* Carl Edwards and Ford score one for the home team just outside the Motor City -- a place that could use some good news right about now. *Dramatic Moment:* I don't care how talented a driver is or how good his car is, this year you just don't want Kyle Busch running second behind you with a handful of laps to go; just ask Jimmie Johnson. A flurry of late race cautions gave Busch several chances to overtake Edwards. *What They'll Be Talking About Around the Water Cooler This Week* I think what we saw Sunday is *a foreshadowing of this year's title run* with Busch and Edwards, the winningest pair of drivers this year, competing for the honors right up until the end of the season. Read More »
Matt McLaughlin's Thinkin' Out Loud: Centurion Boats at the Glen
*The Key Moment:* Dale Earnhardt, Jr. pitted under caution on lap 66, handing the lead to Kyle Busch -- who would never come close to relinquishing it. *In a Nutshell:* Kyle Busch once again spanks the field handily, offering fans a chance for a nice late summer nap. *Dramatic Moment:* Unfortunately, the only high drama Sunday was as a result of Michael McDowell sending David Gilliland spinning out of turn 11, triggering one of the nastiest wrecks of the season. *What They'll Be Talking About Around the Water Cooler This Week* Over the weekend, *Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson tried playing some head games with points leader Kyle Busch,* downplaying his chances at a title given his recent "slump." My guess is they'll be a bit more circumspect on that topic this week. It would seem like his JGR teammate, Tony Stewart, Busch tends to drive faster when he's angry or annoyed. It's easy to use the media to send a message to another driver in the garage area, but it's a lot harder to make your statement out on the race track. Read More »
Matt McLaughlin's Thinkin' Out Loud: Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500
*The Key Moment:* Carl Edwards came out of the third corner on the final lap with the engine running on fumes, but made it across the Start / Finish line to take the win at Pocono. *In a Nutshell:* Mother Nature stages a high-stakes, big dollar game of musical chairs for the Cup drivers and teams. *Dramatic Moment:* When racing resumed after the red flag period, there were a lot of fast cars on fresh tires piloted by drivers determined to get back to the front. *What They'll Be Talking About Around the Water Cooler This Week* You don't have to have followed this sport long to realize that in *July and August, pop-up showers* frequently occur during late afternoon in the Poconos. So why not start the race at one o'clock local time rather than two? Read More »
Matt McLaughlin's Thinkin' Out Loud: Allstate 400 at the Brickyard Edition
*The Key Moment:* Jimmie Johnson's pit crew got him off pit lane first during the last of a string of competition cautions, and once the No. 48 car was in clean air there was no catching it. *In a Nutshell:* A complete and total unmitigated debacle that was unacceptable and unwatchable... but presented in High Definition to fans lucky enough to be home. *Dramatic Moment:* Anytime the drivers had managed six entire laps without a caution, we could only sit and wait to see who the next victim of a blown right rear tire might be. Other than that, the nod goes to Carl Edward's quixotic charge trying to run down Johnson in the final seven laps. *What They'll Be Talking About Around the Water Cooler This Week* When there's *a very public disaster of this magnitude* blame has to be assigned. In my mind at least, NASCAR gets 60% of the blame. With the Cup cars competing at Indy for the first time in the new car, there should have been an open test during which surely this issue would have been discovered while there was time to address and correct it. If this doesn't prove to them that the new car is a bad idea nothing will. Read More »
Matt McLaughlin's Thinkin' Out Loud: LifeLock.com 400
*The Key Moment:* Second place Kyle Busch timed the final restart perfectly and ambushed leader Jimmie Johnson with two laps to go. *In a Nutshell:* When watching the sunset is more spectacular than the first three hours of a stock car race, there's a problem. *Dramatic Moment:* Well, there's not a lot of question here, is there? That winning pass Busch completed over the last two laps will be shown on highlight reels for a decade. Good stuff. Bad race. *What They'll Be Talking About Around the Water Cooler This Week* Call me crazy, but *becoming a co-owner and business partner with a team owner sentenced to prison for fraud* might not be the wisest career move Tony Stewart could have made. Read More »
Matt McLaughlin's Thinkin' Out Loud: Coke Zero 400
*The Key Moment:* Kyle Busch had Carl Edwards by a fender when half the field finally got around to wrecking behind them. *In a Nutshell:* While some fans revel in the unpredictability of plate racing, it all seems all too predictable to me, with a flurry of late race cautions and a blizzard of bent sheetmetal always defining the closing laps. *Dramatic Moment:* The final twenty circuits resembled a hooligan's race at a local dirt track on ten cents a mug keg night. *What They'll Be Talking About Around the Water Cooler This Week* Maybe it's time for a little rules alteration. *If the yellow flag flies on the final lap of the race,* NASCAR ought to give fans one more shot at a green-white-checkered finish. Of course, as wild as things got on the final lap of this year's Firecracker, if they'd lined them up and tried again it's likely nobody would have finished the race. Read More »
Matt McLaughlin's Thinkin' Out Loud: LENOX Industrial Tools 301
*The Key Moment:* A Biblical downpour bought the sedate proceedings at New Hampshire to a mercifully quick ending, with Kurt Busch emerging as the winner in a high paying game of musical chairs. *In a Nutshell:* A wholly unsatisfying ending to a wholly unsatisfying race. *Dramatic Moment:* There was a brief period of racing between Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson for the lead as threatening weather moved in. Other than that, the race was a total and complete farce. *What They'll Be Talking About Around the Water Cooler This Week* When defending their home track, native *New Englanders have always been able to cite a series of sellouts for the Cup races,* dating back to the track's debut in the series. Well, that argument is off the table now. Despite the track's announced sellout, there were vast sections of vacant seats in the stands. So, let me ask again: why did we give up North Wilkesboro for this mess? Read More »
Matt McLaughlin's Thinkin' Out Loud: Infineon Edition
*The Key Moment:* Robby Gordon's spin into Kurt Busch that not only left contenders, like Carl Edwards, trapped on the track, while Kyle Busch, David Gilliland and others pitted, but also caused Gordon to run out of fuel and never regain position. *In a Nutshell:* Kyle Busch benefited from the first caution, when David Ragan sent Joe Nemechek into one of the tire barriers. Busch and others had already pitted, meaning the early dominant car of Jimmie Johnson lost a ton of track position on pit road. Carl Edwards got burned in the same way as Johnson on a later caution, and never fully recovered. Busch never looked back, hitting his marks while the other fast horses of Marcos Ambrose, Juan Pablo Montoya, Tony Stewart, and Robby Gordon faded from contention. Would you like some M&M's with that wine? *Dramatic Moment:* Tony Stewart's late race charge to the front to catch his leading teammate was foiled by Kevin Harvick's Montoya-like decision to dive-bomb both Stewart and Jamie McMurray, eliminating all three of them, plus Ron Fellows, ending any chance of capturing the day's trophy. Read More »
Matt McLaughlin's Thinkin' Out Loud: LifeLock 400
*The Key Moment:* Patrick Carpentier's last lap spin and the resultant caution sealed the win for Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and the No. 88 bunch. *In a Nutshell:* His fans might have preferred Junior barreling around the Nos. 18 and 48 on the outside -- drag racing to the finish line with tires smoking and paint being swapped -- but after 76 long races, Junior and his fans will take a win anyway they can get one. *Dramatic Moment:* Waiting to see if the No. 88 car could complete that final lap, even under caution as it ran on fumes. *What They'll Be Talking About Around the Water Cooler This Week* On a weekend that featured *closed door machinations and serious bias allegations,* can even a win by the sport's most popular driver restore order to the universe? Read More »


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Pune to Beed distance is approximately 350Kms by road. A total of 4 operators provide bus service from Pune to Beed, connecting two important cities of India and a total of 12. Major operators who operate buses from Pune to Beed are India Tours And Travels, Sagar Tours And Travels, India Tours & Travels having the maximum number of services. Pune to Beed bus timings vary with different operator, it takes around 5hrs to 7hrs 30min to complete this journey depending on the operator, type of bus and traffic conditions. The first bus takes off around 09:00 PM and last bus at 11:30 PM. The lowest Pune to Beed bus fare being Rs.250 and the highest being Rs.500 depending on the type of bus.
Travelling from Pune to Beed can be comfortable and easy as there are many types of buses available for travellers. Different type of buses are available in this route like Non A/C Seater, Non A/C Sleeper (2+1), A/C Seater. Now that redbus has tied up with many operators, booking tickets from Pune to Beed has become very easy.
Pune, a hilly city located at the confluence of Mula and Mutha rivers on the Deccan plateau in the state of Maharashtra is the seventh largest metropolis. Pune is also known as the cultural capital of Maharashtra. Pune houses fantastic restaurants, museums and is surrounded by hill forts. Pune is also well known as the largest city in the Western Ghats. It is known for its educational facilities and relative prosperity. Pune is the cultural capital of Maharashtra, and is famous for its manufacturing industries like glass, sugar, and forging since the 1950-60s. Jawaharlal Nehru had called this city as "Oxford of The East" due to existence of many major educational institutes. The city also has been known for cultural activities like classical music, spirituality, theatre, sports, and literature. The job opportunities attract migrants and students from all over India and abroad, which makes it a city of multi communities and cultures.
Dear RED BUS please update your software its not fetching seats real time. When i got bus at that time operator saying that your seat is already booked so he allotted me last seat in bus. so what is the meaning of online booking? and please add RED BUS functionality rating in feedback form so we tourist rate Not only buses but also RED BUS. Regards, Santosh Joshi
They have provided wrong bus number.
Service of bus is good and support from traveling agent is also good but only my one suggestion to you that please provide your help services 24*7.
It is too bad...no charging....no punctuality...nothing...very bad


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A series of videos from Musinc, which works with young people in challenging circumstances in Teeside.
Tags » Pupil Referral Units
Music with young people in challenging circumstances
Picture courtesy of Wiltshire Youth Arts Partnership
Picture courtesy of The Music Works, Gloucestershire
Picture courtesy of Malcolm Pollock photographer
Picture courtesy of The Music Works… 433 more words
Good news for Somerset's vulnerable learners
Three schools for vulnerable learners in Somerset have been rated good by Ofsted inspectors following recent visits.
In September 2013 Somerset County Council restructured its arrangements for vulnerable learners being taught in Pupil Referral Units. 399 more words


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You can now invite anyone to meet at your favorite Starbucks.
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33 year old woman | Peoria, AZ, USA | Seeking men 32-38 within 25 miles
Still searching!
Where do I start! First off, I am originally from another country and moved to the States when I was 9. Just recently moved to AZ from Ohio and am loving it. I am fun, enthusiastic, funny, caring, strong, motivated, goal oriented and sometimes very sarcastic. I know how to take a joke and do not take everything someone says personally. I can have fun sitting by the pool with a beer or getting all dressed up and going out. My new favorite thing to do since I moved to AZ is hike. I try to go at least twice a week. I can be spontaneous and am always willing to try anything once, as long as it won't get me arrested. :-) I love what I do and have worked very hard to get where I am now. I will eventually be going back to school to further my education. I'm looking for someone who has their life together and does not like to play games. I need someone who is fun and has a great sense of humor. I am here to find some one I can connect with, not looking for a hook-up. I'm pretty much an open book, so feel free to ask me anything.
Book club , Coffee and conversation , Dining out , Movies/Videos , Museums and art , Music and concerts , Exploring new areas , Nightclubs/Dancing , Performing arts , Playing cards , Playing sports , Shopping/Antiques , Travel/Sightseeing , Watching sports , Wine tasting
Baseball, Basketball, Billiards / Pool, Bowling, Dancing, Football, Soccer, Swimming, VolleyBall, Walking / Hiking, Yoga
I exercise 3-4 times per week.
I like Dogs
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|5'6" (167cms)
|5'11" (180cms) to 8'11" (271cms)
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While Levon's voice was not in good shape, the many singers within his band - including
his pregnant (at the time) daughter Amy - helped cover some of the legendary The Band
drummer's vocal parts. Russo and Cashdollar came out for a rendition of "Evangeline" that
saw Levon play mandolin. Then, Weir emerged to join the Levon Helm Band, Russo and
Cashdollar on "Deep Elem Blues." Watch pro-shot footage of "Deep Elem":
Bobby then stuck around for a tender rendition of "Attics Of My Life" featuring Larry
Amy Helm and Teresa Williams. Here's fan-shot footage of "Attics":
Levon's set at Vibes in 2011 ended the way most of his performances did...with "The
Weight." Cashdollar and Russo helped out on the band's finale. Take a look at pro-shot
footage of "The Weight":
The 2014 installment of
Gathering Of The Vibes runs from July 31 - August 3 at Seaside Park in Bridgeport, CT.
Widespread Panic, John Fogerty, The Disco Biscuits with Mickey Hart & Bill Kreutzmann,
Lotus: Talking Heads Deconstructed, Ziggy Marley, Slightly Stoopid, Maceo Parker, Rodrigo
y Gabriela, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros and Dumpstaphunk are among the 60+ acts
set to play Vibes this year. For more info, the full lineup and
to buy tickets, head to the
festival's website.


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News Toll insanity on the Algarve A22
As there was a A22 Toll case in my family within the last days, where the usage of the A22 was not correct calculated, I want to point out two articles I found in the Internet, one in English and the other one in German regarding this toll insanity.
"Continuation of A22 tolls fiasco", found on the Algarve Resident Website.
And the second article, a german one,
"Stop and Go - Maut-Rallye in Portugal", on the Hamburger Abendblatt.
When will this toll nightmare end?
Any feedback is appreciated.
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Mozilla's user experience research and design team has just published the first Mozilla UX Quarterly.
Crystal Beasley, Editor and Product Design Strategist, writes:
"My hope is that this will be a tool to spread throughout the community of Mozillians the empathy for our users we've gained through our research studies and interviews.
All of this is to serve the broader goal of more deeply integrating design into the weft and weave of all that Mozilla does. Design gives us great tools to deal with uncertainty, enabling a culture with richer innovation. It also provides methods for breaking our own known and unknow- able biases so that we might more clearly see and appreciate the people who use the products we build."
Here is the table of contents of the 16 page launch edition:
– Four things you need to know about mobile usage in Brazil (Cori Schauer)
– Introducing Feura Sans, a more legible font for mobile (Patryk Adamczyk)
– Firefox Design Values (Madhava Enros)
– A New Face for Firefox (Stephen Horlander)
– Project Meta: desktop Firefox user typologies (Bill Selman)
– Firefox Sentiment Report v19 (Matthew Grimes)
– Micropilot Measures What Users Actually Do (Gregg Lind)
– Designing Meaningful Security and Privacy Experiences (Larissa Co)
– Exploring the Emotions of Security, Privacy and Identity (Lindsay Kenzig)
– The Mozilla Manifesto
We are an international experience design consultancy helping companies and organisations to innovate their products, services and processes by putting people and their experiences first.
Design 4 Disaster features an engaging illustrated safety manual for ship passengers, a personal project by Experientia designer Dohun YuLuck Jang 유록. After the Korean ferry accident last year, Yuluck (who is Korean) wanted to find a way to make safety manuals more interesting to read. He spent one year designing an interactive safety guide […]
Invitation: sharing session, Singapore, 30 March 2015 What are the hopes and fears of the elderly in Singapore? How can designers offer solutions that support the elderly in managing their health and wellness? What can healthcare professionals do to help them keep active? What role can technology play in the elderly's daily lives? Design consultants […]
Experientia has now its own Twitter feed. Four months of Putting People First posts and other links have already been uploaded. If you followed Experientia on Twitter through the feed of its CEO, Mark Vanderbeeken, make sure to now also follow the company (but don't unfollow Mark, who will keep on tweeting away). And while […]
Experientia's Putting People First blog has been redesigned. It is now entirely responsive, allows for easier browsing, searching, and filtering, and features larger images on the posts. The entire history of posts remains accessible as before. We are still tweaking things and welcome any feedback.
Why the world needs anthropologists – Coming out of the ivory tower Location: Padua, Italy, Centro Culturale Altinate/San Gaetano Date and time: Friday, 5 December 2014, 13:00 – 18:00 Padua, Italy, 5 December 2014 – The second edition of the international symposium of applied anthropologists attempts to erase the boundary between 'pure' and 'applied' anthropology, […]


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Italian Classic Lasagna
Cheesy Biscuit Lasagna
Crafty Crescent Lasagna
Meatball Minestrone Bake
Quick-Fix Lasagna
Lean Lasagna
There are no noodles to cook in an Italian-style casserole capturing the terrific taste of lasagna.
Tomato paste is available in tubes and cans. Look for it in the supermarket next to the canned tomato products.
As with most recipes that call for ground beef, you can use ground turkey instead.
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The library will be closed on Saturday, July 4th, for Independence Day.
Oakland Wiki Edit Party
Oakland Wiki is a community website about Oakland that anybody can contribute to. Oakland Public Library is hosting a series of neighborhood "edit parties" where Oakland Wiki volunteers will help people share what they know about Oakland (it's very easy - no computer experience necessary!). You can add information about:
- What your neighborhood is like
- Your family's history and experiences
- Cultural events and history
- Fun things to do
- Anything else you think other people should know about Oakland
Look for edit parties at various branches from late March through April.


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Siri for Android -- sort of
We test a variety of Android apps that offer some of the functionality of Apple's Siri voice recognition feature.
Although I'm happy with my Samsung Galaxy S II Android phone, I've also got a bad case of Siri envy. I, too, would like a "personal assistant" that responds to natural language requests such as "Move my meeting from 3 to 4." And I'm sure I'm not alone, as the millions of Google search results for "Siri for Android" attest.
Can you create a Siri-like experience on an Android smartphone? Not exactly, as there's no single app baked into the OS that can handle a similarly wide range of requests using free-form natural language. However, it is possible to get a fair chunk of Siri's functionality. Unlike iPhone 4S users, though, you'll need to gather together a couple of different apps if you want to issue a wide range of voice commands on your Android device.
On the other hand, there are a couple of things Android voice-activated apps do that Siri can't -- for example, use "launch
I ran more than half a dozen contenders through their paces, testing them for various functions to communicate (make calls, send messages), organize (keep track of appointments) and find information. Read on to see some of the best options for creating your own subset of Siri for Android -- and which apps work best for what specific tasks.
Note: Along with apps from the Android Market and those usually loaded on Android devices, your phone may have additional offerings. For example, my Galaxy S II came with a customized widget offering Voice Command which, while limited, does a particularly good job with some tasks such as sending email or displaying weather forecast Web search results.
Apps that speak back to you
Several current Android apps have potential to be well-rounded assistants, although most appear to be works in progress. In other words, while some of these may appear limited in their scope, they will probably improve rapidly.
Price: $8.99
Other versions: Eva Intern: Free for 28 days
What it does: Eva performs a large number of tasks, such as giving directions and stock quotes, announcing incoming calls, making calls, creating expense reports and managing contacts. It searches multiple sites, including Google, Wikipedia, Amazon, eBay and others. Eva uses a female voice for responses; if you prefer a male voice, you can use Evan and Evan Intern.
It's the only one of all the apps I tested that allows you to customize website bookmarks, so you could, say, assign the name "Android blog" to JR Raphael's Android Power and then tell Eva to open Android blog. It also reads text messages while in background mode.
Why you might want it: This is the only app I've tested that's customizable, allowing you to assign specific applications or Web bookmarks for personalized voice commands. The latest update reads all the day's events from multiple Google calendars. And it lets you voice-search several sources, not only Google Web.
Drawbacks: Customization comes at a cost -- not only because of Eva's $8.99 pricetag, which is higher than the other apps covered here (although it is reasonable for a robust app), but because of its complexity. This app is more difficult to use than any of the others -- you have to run through a 3-minute training session when you first open it. The app also offers a list of 112 different help topics.
In addition, its natural language understanding is quite limited. "Add an event to my calendar" didn't work -- I had to say "Create an event." Instead of "Check my calendar" I had to say "What's on my calendar today?" "Find coffeemakers on Amazon" headed me to a map; I needed to say "Search coffeemakers on Amazon" to get the right search going. There's a lot to remember in order to use Eva.
It was unable to understand basic commands such as "Open Computerworld.com" without prior setup -- in other words, I needed to pre-save all the Web sites I want to visit by voice command.
The app also required me to change my default text-to-speech input from Samsung's to Google's system, which I didn't want to do. For one thing, Google won't capitalize the start of a sentence after a period when I'm dictating email (hey, I'm an editor; that matters to me).
Bottom line: One of the beauties of Siri is that it just works. Eva can do a lot, but its natural language recognition needs improvement -- the need to remember so many specific command phrases made using this app seem as much a chore as a help. However, if customization appeals to you -- it's a nice app for voice-activated opening of pre-assigned Web bookmarks -- you can try Eva Intern free for 28 days and then decide if you want to pay for the app. (According to the site, Eva Intern has the same features as the full-fledged Eva.) If the natural-language capabilities improve, I'd strongly consider buying.
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2001 Ford Escort Q&A
2001 Ford Escort Question: 2001 ZX2 Airbag/Horn Replacement
I need to replace my airbag because the horn is stuck and the horn wont stop honking. Do I need to pull the fuse first for the airbag before changing the airbag and can do it myself? I bought used airbag. - FAX68
Answer 1
Yikes, be VERY careful! If you've never had the pleasure of being around an air bag deploying, take it from me: You don't want that. Disconnect both battery cables. Let the vehicle sit for a while (10+ minutes just for extra caution) and then the system is ready for you to work on. I'm quite sketchy on the used air bag though; if there's any short involved in that unknown entity, you may get more than you bargained for when you reconnect that battery... Also - did you verify the failure is the horn pad itself? This is not a known issue for this vehicle -- it is a known issue for the Grand Marquis and Crown Victoria and Town Car -- different air bag. - DaveJHM
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Holidays Designed For Families
We go above and beyond in delivering family holidays that tick all the boxes. That means exciting kids' clubs and entertainment programmes, not to mention extras like children's buffets and family-size rooms.
10 Great Things About Our Family Holidays
Thomson Kids' ClubsOur free kids' club offers up 2 hours of activities, 6 days a week. And that includes at least 3 evenings. The club is split into sections, with Tots for 3 to 5-year-olds, Team for 6 to 8s, and Tribe for 9 to 11s.
Peace of MindThomson Kids' Club offers up at least two hours of activities, 6 days a week - including at least 3 evenings. Best of all, you can relax knowing all our staff have UK-accredited childcare qualifications and undergo advanced DBS checks. Plus, there wil be at least two members of staff on duty at all times.
Fun For Little OnesOur crèches are especially for 0 to 3-year-olds, and they're open 6 days a week. They come with perks like soft flooring and sleeping rooms, plus equipment from leading UK companies.
Learning Through PlayYou'll find an exclusive Play House at most of our Sensatori resorts. They're for 3 to 12-year-olds, and provide a backdrop for marathon baking sessions and fun science experiments.
Thomson The DogThomson The Dog is the resident VIP at our Thomson Family Resorts. He's on hand during the day for poolside story time and celeb-style photo sessions, and stars in his own shows in the evenings.
Family EntertainmentWe pull out all the stops when it comes to please-all entertainment, with a programme that's put together by one of the UK's leading entertainment companies.
TeensOlder children get their own dedicated hangouts at some hotels. These spaces come with things like bean bags and sofas, and TVs with music channels.
Family RoomsFamily-size bedrooms are easy to come by, and usually feature comforts like air-conditioning, fridges and spacious balconies.
Children's MenusYou'll find well-stocked dedicated children's buffets. Some restaurants have separate menus for little ones, too.
Free Kids' PlacesFamily getaways can quickly add up. That's why we let children go free on thousands of our holidays, as long as they're travelling with two full-fare-paying adults.
There are a million and one things to think about on a family holiday. Is there a kids' pool at the hotel? Does the room have a cot? Will there be child-friendly food in the restaurants? Luckily, we offer a huge range of hotels that cover all these things, and then some. Our family holidays can take you all over the world, from Aruba to Zante. So whether you're drawn to the top childcare and entertainment at our Thomson Family Resorts, or fancy the beachfront locations and varied dining scenes at our luxurious Sensatori properties, you'll find something that fits.
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VIEWS: 6 PAGES: 2 CATEGORY: Other POSTED ON: 2/6/2010 Public Domain
The Lofts at Locust Hill Townhome Association 2010 budget proposal (see back for notes) 2009 Budget 2010 Proposed budget $95 per month assessment $95 per month assessment TOTAL INCOME Assessment income 80940 80940 Interest, penalties, legal fees, and past due assessments from 46560 72185 prior years 127500 153125 CURRENT EXPENSES Bank Service Charges 0 120 Office Supplies 250 200 P.O. Box 70 70 Postage 115 115 Online payment fees 600 700 Printing and Reproduction 100 100 Accounting Fees 1000 1000 Legal Fees 0 0 Filing Fees, Taxes 285 285 Management Feesi 0 12000 Insurance 2000 1230 Grounds, other maintenance 0 0 Grounds, lawncare 21400 24000 Grounds, snow removal 3000 3000 Grounds, fence repair 2400 2400 Grounds, tree-trimming 1500 1500 Building, paintingii 0 0 Building, maintenanceiii 3000 3000 Building, termite treatmentiv 13847 3000 $49567 $52720 RESERVE FOR DEFERRED MAINTENANCE Building, roof repairsv 44000 45000 Building, foundation repairsvi 15000 30000 Landscaping replacementvii 12000 12000 Unused reserve for deferred 6933 13405 maintenanceviii $77933 $100405 RESERVE FOR CAPITAL EXPENDITURES 0 0 TOTALS $112410 $127500 i This number is a projected cost to obtain professional managemen t for the association, and as such may be more or less than the estimate. The cost of professional management usually pays for itself in decreased costs of other services due to the greater purchasing power a property manager has. ii We are at this time pos tponing this indefinitely. When we have the foundations and roof repair costs in a state of near completion we will complete the painting of doors and shutters, and we will continue to do so after that every five years. iii Most of this amount is minor repai rs to the property, but also some repair of siding, etc. is included. Minor repairs to roofs are included in the section under deferred maintenance. iv Termite treatment was completed in the entire development in 2008. Our vendor allowed us to defer about $13000 of this cost to 2009. There will be an annual cost of about $3000 ( annually ) to maintain the warranty and inspection that comes with the service, and we will need to perform the full treatment again in 2013. v We were able to complete only two properties last year, again due to lack of funds. The current schedule for replacement is 2897 – 2899 Rio Dosa, 2915 – 2921 Rio Dosa, 2907 – 2911 Rio Dosa. These are subject to change based on urgency of repairs and availability of funds – the criteria is worst condition roof first, then earliest constructed roof. At this time we have replaced the roofs on 8 of the 19 buildings ( 31 of 71 units) over the past 5 years. vi We have been repairing the worst foundation each year (we've had several settling problems). More have been reported and are being bid for repair pending funding. vii We were unable to complete the work begun in 2007 last year, again due to a lack of funds. Our expectation is to complete the work along Rio Dosa this year. We will focus on the obvious common areas which need a lot of work, but landscaping is the lowest of our three deferred maintenance priorities, and will again be the first item to be cut if we lack funding. viii This money will be used to cover unforeseen repairs or to build funds to hav e on hand to begin 2011(payments for maintenance assessments received at year end often come in after it is too late in the season to do repairs to foundations and roofs, so these are carried forward to the next year if unused).
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Cocoa Slump Signaling Hershey Chocolate Profit: Chart of the Day
Dec. 5 (Bloomberg) -- A slump in cocoa futures to a 32-month low may mean profit gains for chocolate makers including Hershey Co. that raised prices for consumers earlier this year as ingredient costs escalated.
The CHART OF THE DAY shows cocoa has plunged 41 percent from a 32-year high of $3,775 a metric ton on ICE Futures U.S. in New York on March 4, while the Hershey, Pennsylvania-based food company company rallied 23 percent this year to $57.84 a share in New York, the biggest gain among the 14 companies tracked by the Standard & Poor's 500 Packaged Foods Index.
Slowing economic growth has done little to curb Americans' appetite for chocolate. U.S. sales rose 6.7 percent in the 52 weeks ended Oct. 30, with prices on average climbing 6 cents to $1.56 per unit, according to SymphonyIRI Group, a Chicago-based research firm. Hershey, the maker of Hershey's bars, Kit Kat and Reese's, raised prices 9.7 percent in March.
"Pricing is holding up," said Robert Moskow, an analyst at Credit Suisse Group AG in New York, who has an "outperform" rating on Hershey shares. "The stickiness in pricing is definitely a good thing" for the profit outlook, Moskow said.
Cocoa futures have dropped on forecasts for record crops from Ivory Coast and Ghana, the world's biggest growers. The commodity settled at $2,228 on Dec. 2. The impact on companies may not be immediate because many purchase supplies months in advance to hedge against the risk of a jump in prices, Moskow said. His 12-month price target for Hershey is $68.
"Hershey increased prices just before cocoa spot prices began to fall precipitously, so this is working out well in their favor," Ken Shea, a senior industry analyst at Bloomberg Industries in Princeton, New Jersey, said in a telephone interview. "It's intuitive to think that their margins are going to benefit over the next few quarters."
To contact the reporter on this story: Joe Richter in New York at firstname.lastname@example.com
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Steve Stroth at email@example.com


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Find a Babysitter was very easy to use. I found a couple of great babysitters who fitted in with my family easily.Amanda (Huntingdale, WA) Read More
Recent Ratings
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text: Hey so I'm curious on application development for phones and whether its possible to create an app that tracks the users location, even when the app is not currently active on the phone. (By active I mean the user has it opened). I did some initial investigation on iphone and it looked as if you could subscribe to "region changes" but not the actual location.


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Dean AmbroseJonathan Good
- Birthdate: 12/07/1985 (age 29)
- Height: 6'4
- Weight: 225 Ib
He is signed to WWE, where his reign as WWE Uni...
Read More »-- WWE's stock closed at 9.75 in trading today. The stock has largely leveled off since its drop on Monday following the downgrading of their outlook for the second half of the year.
-- There is a new interview with Dean Ambose in the Monitor that you can read here.
-- Here is the full HBO Real Sports segment with Diamond Dallas Page about his Accountability House:


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Pop Culture
Married at First Sight Exclusive InterviewBy Gerri Miller
An interview with Greg Epstein, Married at First Sight's spiritual advisor on the show and how to help interfaith couples #ChooseLoveGo To Pop Culture
Tag Archives: Family
Three Terms I Hope Not to Hear in the New Year
As the new year approaches, I've been thinking back over the past year—particularly about certain terms I've heard used in 2014 that bother me. Following are three terms I hope to hear less of in 2015.
NON-JEW: While "non-Jew" is an easy short-hand term and it's clear what it means, this term can be offensive. Most people prefer to be described in the positive as what they ARE, rather than in the negative as what they're NOT. For example, I identify as a "female," not a "non-male;" and in my family I'm a "wife and mother," not a "non-husband and non-father." At InterfaithFamily, we're concerned that when people in the Jewish community talk about "non-Jews" in interfaith relationships, it sends the message—even if it's interpreted subconsciously—that the person who isn't Jewish is somehow "less than" by defining that person with an emphasis on his or her "outsider" status.
Granted, not using the term "non-Jew" can sometimes cause us to have to do some linguistic gymnastics, but I think it's better to sound a little wordy and awkward than to potentially offend someone. So far, I don't know of an ideal term to describe someone who isn't Jewish. One suggestion I've heard is PDF ("person of a different faith"), but that term has its own limitations in that the partner who isn't Jewish may not identify as part of another religious group, or may be an atheist of agnostic who doesn't have a "faith." Do you have any suggestions?
And for the record, I'd love to never again hear terms like shiksa and goy. These terms, which simply mean, respectively, "a woman who is not Jewish" and "people who are not Jewish," are too often used by Jews in a pejorative manner.
HALF-JEW: I used to really dislike this term no matter what the context in which it was used. But now I've come to see a difference between using it to define oneself and using it to define someone else. Before I worked for InterfaithFamily, if I were teaching a religious school class at a synagogue and a boy with one Jewish parent told me that he was "half-Jewish" I would probably have said something like: "You're fully Jewish. Just because one of your parents isn't Jewish doesn't make you 'half-Jewish.'" (If the boy were older, I may even have joked: "which half, left or right?") But as my colleague Rabbi Ari Moffic, Director of InterfaithFamily/Chicago, pointed out to me when I came to work here, people have the right to self-identify, and if someone identifies as "half-Jewish" it's not my place to tell him otherwise.
While I may have a tendency to want the boy in my religious school class to feel "whole" and to know that he is "authentically" Jewish even if one of his parents isn't Jewish, identity is complex. There are many things that a child (or, for that matter, an adult) could mean when he says that he's "half-Jewish." Perhaps that's his way of saying that he loves and identifies strongly with his parent who is not Jewish and that parent's family. It's not my place to tell him that the way he self-identifies is wrong.
Yet while I now wouldn't "correct" someone who identifies herself as "half-Jewish" because of her right to identify as she chooses, I do find it offensive when people label others as "half-Jewish." In my—admittedly liberal—understanding of Judaism, a person with a Jewish parent is Jewish, regardless of the gender of her Jewish parent. (I recognize that this view, which is consistent with the views of the Reform and Reconstructionist Movements, is inconsistent with traditional Halacha (Jewish law), and is not accepted by the Conservative Movement and Orthodox Jews, who require that a child's mother must be Jewish in order for the child to be Jewish without being converted.) And such a person is as "fully Jewish" as any person with two Jewish parents. Labelling someone a "half-Jew" can be very hurtful to them (see, for example, Zach Cohen's blog "Don't Call Me a Half-Jew") and risks alienating children in interfaith families from their Jewish roots.
Which brings me to the third term I don't like…
PATRILINEAL JEW: Traditional Jewish law requires that a person's mother be Jewish in order for him to be Jewish without converting. But for years now the Reform, Reconstructionist and Humanist Movements have recognized "patrilineal descent" (i.e. a child with one Jewish parent, regardless of the parent's gender, is Jewish so long as certain other criteria are met). CLICK HERE for an explanation of "Who is a Jew?"
Nobody ever refers to someone whose mother is Jewish and whose father isn't Jewish as a "matrilineal Jew"—such a person is simply a "Jew." Similarly, those of us who accept patrilineal descent shouldn't refer to someone whose father is Jewish (or who is being raised by two fathers, for that matter) as a "patrilineal Jew." The modifier "patrilineal" is unnecessary, and implies that having a Jewish father, as opposed to a Jewish mother, somehow puts one into a different, less authentic, category of Jewishness.
My hope for 2015 is that we can all spend more time focusing on our own religious and spiritual lives…and a LOT less time worrying about defining everyone else's.
Are there terms that you'd like to leave behind in 2014? I'd love to hear what they are.
Israel-Lights & Christmas Stockings
When I was very small, my family used to light our Hanukkah menorah alongside our decorated Christmas tree. Christmas was never a religious holiday for us but we decorated and listened to Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby and my mother filled stockings with our names on them with precious goodies. I was one of those obnoxious kids who bragged about getting Christmas presents AND Hanukkah presents! But when our family decided to join a synagogue we decided to formally end Christmas in our home. For my younger sister and I, this meant no more tree, no more decorations around our house, no more snowy Snoopy musical figurine spinning slowly, singing carols and certainly no more bragging rights. But we were young and we adapted…for the most part. But a few traditions were harder to let go of than others.
My sister happened to be very attached to the shiny twinkly lights of Christmas and one year, she badgered my parents as the holiday season began about hanging Christmas lights. But they had made a choice for our family and stuck with it: We were Jewish, so no Christmas. But could there be a compromise? As it turns out, there was, in the form of a string of Hanukkah lights.
My sister happily draped these lights all over her room and even came up with the cleverest of names. They were her "Israel-lights." Interfaith pun extraordinaire.
My mom always loved to seek out all the fun little trinkets to stuff into our stockings and so she continued to do so, every year, without fail. When each of us were first born, she had gone to a craft fair and bought us beautiful hand knit stockings and had sewn our names on them herself. One year we were in Switzerland on vacation over Christmas. My sister and I were convinced that the stockings must have stayed home, but lo and behold, Christmas morning, they magically appeared, full of Swiss treats. I also assumed that once I began studying to be a rabbi, perhaps my stocking days would be over, but I should have known to never underestimate my mom. My first year of rabbinical school I was living in Jerusalem and my parents came to visit me at the end of the first semester in December and what was packed in my mom's suitcase? You guessed it! My stocking, filled with treats from home. I'm pretty sure I am the only rabbi out there who gets a Christmas stocking every year (though if that's not the case, by all means let me know in the comments!).
I could argue that this particular family tradition says more about my incredible mother than anything else, but it's also just a practical reminder that families and traditions are ever evolving and adapting.
My family made it work because my very smart parents stuck to their guns but also allowed for our family to make these sort of meaningful compromises. I don't really remember that much about our transition from a house with a Christmas tree to a house without, but I do remember vividly the Israel-lights and I am still very excited each year to get my stocking. There is no one right way to celebrate holidays or life events—just find a way that feels authentic to the choices you have made in your family's life. I remember the holiday seasons of my childhood with joy and fondness rather than strife because I was taught that we could always find a way to celebrate who we were and who we had become.
A Hanukkah Giving Ritual Takes the Competition Out of The Season
Years ago, I struggled with how I was going to do Hanukkah in our home. Christmas was already set. We visit my partner's parents who aren't Jewish for the holiday season. I tell our kids, as many Jewish parents in interfaith relationships do, that we are helping their grandparents celebrate Christmas. It may sound a little weak but it is really true. Their grandparents would be sad to not have family around their tree, as would my partner. And our Jewish kids love getting a taste of Christmas even though they know it's not "our" holiday.
But what to do about Hanukkah? This still posed a problem. My kids come to expect presents for Christmas, and I didn't want them to receive too much at this time of year. Did they really need the eight nights of presents I grew up with if they were about to receive mounds of gifts a few weeks later? And what if the holidays overlapped? It would send a message of overabundance I try to temper all year long and would feel antithetical to the values I'm trying to instill.
I also didn't want to fall into the trap of pitting the two holidays against each other. When Hanukkah and Christmas compete, Hanukkah loses every time. It is a minor Jewish holiday only made grand here in the United States by its proximity to Christmas. I'm not a fan of lifting it up in importance to make a point. Instead, in our family, we expend that energy by celebrating the more important Jewish holidays and Shabbat year round.
So the question remained: What would I want my kids to associate with Hanukkah as they grow up?
The answer came to me one year when I was doing my end-of-year philanthropic donations. I thought about the proximity of Hanukkah and the symbol of gelt, and the larger societal messages about December as a time of giving. As I waded through the mail, I recalled the piles of leaflets on my kitchen table growing up and how much I learned from my parents teaching me about the organizations they support. The timing was perfect! I decided to make Hanukkah into a holiday of giving—not receiving. In the glow of the Hanukkah candles, I taught my kids that tzedakah comes from the Hebrew root meaning "justice" and that philanthropic giving is a way we can help bring justice to the world. At their ages, they loved the idea that life could be fairer.
I gathered all of the leaflets we received from organizations and asked the kids what they thought. Which communities would they want to support? What makes them upset as they look around their world, from natural disasters to homelessness to our treatment of the environment? We poked around online as they thought about people who had had a particularly rough year. I told them how much we had to give, and asked them to make the tough choices about how to divide it up. Do we give a lot to a few places and really make an impact? Or give a little to many organizations so they know we care about them? Each year as they grow in maturity, I give them new problems to solve. Now, we put coins in a tzedakah box throughout the year before lighting candles on Friday night and they know that this money will also go to the Hanukkah giving pot.
Their choices have evolved over time. The first time we did this, they were excited about Sesame Workshop because bright red Elmo was (wisely) featured on the organization's envelope. Next was their Jewish summer camp that suffered fire damage. Then we tackled the question of whether to give to local food banks or to hunger advocacy organizations trying to stamp out poverty from the top down. Would they rather support people in their neighborhood, in other regions of the country or the elsewhere in the world? The year DOMA was struck down, we discussed giving to Lambda Legal, an organization defending cases for the LGBT community. As they become more concerned about the environment, we have looked for organizations that address their concerns. This year, we will add to the list the importance of InterfaithFamily, helping families like ours navigate the holidays! (Yes, that was a not-so-subtle plug!) There is so much to do that it easily lasts eight nights.
Who knows what messages my kids will take away from the holiday season as they grow up? What will Christmas represent? What will they remember most about Hanukkah? I hope that by consciously highlighting tzedakah as a specific value, they will take the best from both of the December holidays that are part of their lives.
For more tzedakah Hanukkah ideas, check out these ideas from the URJ. And for more Hanukkah resources for families, go here.
The Real Menshes on Benches
I met two menshes on benches the Friday of Thanksgiving. You may now have the image of the Mensch on the Bench Hanukkah toy, but unlike this stuffed elf counterpart, these were true mensches.
One of the rules for this toy is that a "true mensch is one who puts smiles on other peoples' faces." The word mensch is Yiddish for human being. It means to be a true human; to live up to the depths of kindness, generosity, integrity and love that a human can muster. The two mensches I met put a smile on my face for sure.
My parents moved to Philadelphia over the summer from Boston to be near my youngest brother and his family. They joined Congregation Rodef Shalom which is near where they live. They joined because they had heard the synagogue was an architectural gem, which it is, that the clergy are accessible and warm, that the preaching and teaching is intellectually stimulating and that the worship is full of music and joy. As soon as they joined, another synagogue family called them and invited them out to dinner (which my parents were thrilled about since they don't have any friends there yet). The synagogue staff greeted my parents at the door for several weeks after they moved to welcome them in and make sure they were getting acclimated. My parents were immediately swept off their feet with the ruach—the spirit—of the service. They kept telling me what a wonderful community this is. They love that each week there is a Shehecheyanu prayer sung after those in attendance share the good news that is happening in their lives.
My family and I were visiting for Thanksgiving and my parents were so excited and proud to take us to their new temple. Well, my 5 and 7-year-old are not well behaved in synagogue. You might be surprised considering my husband is a pulpit rabbi and they go to synagogue a lot. My children are high energy, antsy, loud and boisterous. They get thirsty and have to pee a lot during services which requires them to go in and out of the sanctuary. They whine. They get hungry. No matter how many little activities and small snacks I bring, we have not fully mastered the art of sitting respectfully in synagogue with a "calm body" as we like to say.
On this Friday night, they were exhausted which mellowed them a little. But, my youngest ate through the whole hour long service (I so appreciated that the service was one hour including a Torah reading and short sermon). This synagogue has a quiet room where you can hear the service but people can't hear us. However, we braved the actual sanctuary because my parents wanted the kids to try to fully participate. Wouldn't you know, they did (sort of). When the time came to share a Shehecheyanu moment, my 5-year-old raised his hand for the microphone and said, "I am visiting my grandma and papa" which just made my parents kvell (swell with pride) and everyone in the community ooh and ahh with his cuteness.
During the Lecha Dodi prayer, they form a dancing chain and my children joined right in! The Rabbi made sure to welcome us specifically at the start of the service as well and he called my children up for the honor of helping to undress the Torah. Actively participating definitely helps one stay engaged, no matter how old you are. But, my kids were not perfect during that hour by any stretch of the imagination. There was a trail of popcorn under our seats to prove it.
After the service the two women sitting right behind us (on actual pews/benches) said, "Your children were such a delight. We loved their energy. We loved their dancing. They are so beautiful. What a joy to have you visiting." They didn't say, "Next time, you could try the Quiet Room." Their response made me smile. It warmed my heart. It took a load off. I had been wondering how annoyed they would be sitting right behind us. It made me want to come back again. I told you I met two menshes on benches! They embodied what it means to be gracious, welcoming and empathetic.
It's Like Miso Soup!
Rabbi Ari is the Director of InterfaithFamily/Chicago. She also has children who will not eat matzah ball soup or a bagel and lox and is continually surprised and dismayed at their culinary preferences. She was inspired by this story because of how culturally astute the grandparents were to how their grandchildren were being raised and how quickly they made a bridge between the familiar to the new and exotic (the world of the matzah ball!).
A woman recently told me the story of her grandchildren who live out of state and aren't being raised Jewish.* They come to visit for a week each summer. This past summer they went right from the airport to the deli. Not that there isn't Jewish deli where these kids live, but the grandparents wanted the experience of eating Jewish foods with their grandchildren at one of their favorite spots. This is one way they share their love of Jewish culture with their grandchildren.
These grandchildren have been raised on sushi and other international cuisine. When the youngest grandson looked at his bowl of matzah ball soup, he did not want to eat it. He said that he is used to more "normal" food (like sushi!). The grandparent telling the story said that her husband turned to the grandchild without missing a beat and said, "It's just like miso soup…" and the child dove in. Once that broth touched his lips, he was sold! He even liked the matzah ball.
We at InterfaithFamily/Chicago are partners with the JUF (our Federation) and Grandparents for Social Action on a new program for grandparents called GIFTS: Grandparents, Inspiration, Family, Tzedakah, Sharing. We are offering a five-session class at 15 congregations and Jewish organizations around Chicagoland taking place now through the spring (to find a class, go to www.juf.org/gifts).
The classes consist of interactive lessons about how grandparents can pass on their values and deepen their engagement with their grandchildren. The fifth session is specifically geared toward talking about grandchildren raised in interfaith homes as well as any family situation that you might not have planned for or anticipated. The session is called "Changing our Narrative" and it is a hopeful session about what continuity means to us.
We just had a meeting for grandparents who are alumni of the classes that were offered this past year to talk about how to improve the program and to help plan an exciting city-wide Grandparent Conference to take place this spring (more information to come). One of the grandparents shared that fantastic story with me.
Our kids and grandkids have different cultural references than we have. They are growing up on different foods, their "normal" is nothing like what our life was like at their age and we have to constantly translate for ourselves and them as we bond and communicate. Is eating matzah ball soup with Jewish grandparents going to make these children Jewish? That's not the point or the goal here. Feeling closeness, sharing our soul food, hearing the names of the foods in Yiddish, making connections, expanding one's repertoire and experiences and creating memories of things only done with one's grandparents is meaningful, impactful and important. Who these kids will be will happen over time. The closeness they feel with loving, open-minded, insightful, aware grandparents who know what their lives are like and who are willing to translate and help them relate to new things is priceless.
*We often hear this phrase. It means different things to different people who say it. For some it means that the family isn't a member of a synagogue. For others it means that the parents do not articulate that the children are being raised with a Jewish identity—the parents want to raise them without specific religious references. Some say it means that the children are being raised "nothing." This is one I particularly dislike as many children who are not raised with Jewish holidays or going to synagogue are raised with lots—not nothing—when it comes to values, for example. "Nothing" portrays such an empty, void and negative image.
Surprisingly, many children whose parents did not participate in Judaism and Jewish living affirm their Jewish identity as adults and seek avenues for engagement then because of relationships with grandparents, and other connections made along the way. Just knowing the cultural and religious heritage they inherited, even if it has been latent for some time, may mean something to one's identity.
So, when you read or hear that children aren't being raised Jewish, it is often an overly simplistic statement that may not capture a whole picture. As well, it hints at but doesn't fully capture where the parents may be with their own religiosity, spirituality or communal ties. The parents' own background and Jewish baggage may be coming in to play here and it may be complicated and messy in terms of how to raise children. Or, it may be that the parents are just not religiously, culturally or communally inclined even in the most open senses of Jewish expression. It's not their thing, but it's in their family and so a confrontation (whether warm and inviting or stressful) with Judaism occurs every now and then for their family.
The Shabbat Excuse
Several years ago, my son's 4-year-old classmate Sara was diagnosed with cancer. All of the families at our pre-school were devastated by the news. It could have been any of us, but it was sweet little Sara. We wanted to help. We were desperate to do something—ANYTHING—to help. We knew they had tons of toys, food and prayers. My friend Robyn Cohen and I spent hours on the phone trying to process the horror of it all and we knew we needed to do something for the family. Yet, there wasn't much to be done.
Finally, on a Thursday afternoon, Robyn and I had an idea. We attended a pre-school where every week there was a "Shabbat Star" (even though many families at the school were not Jewish). We decided that this was our excuse to do something for Sara and her family. Because of the 40 minute drive to the hospital, we needed to pace ourselves. Each family in the class would sign up to drive to the hospital and bring Shabbat to Sara and her family. Since it was already Thursday, I raced to the bakery and got a challah and Robyn found candles. I gave the goodies to my husband whose office was a little closer to the hospital. He would be the first of many "deliverers" of Shabbat.
"Hi Sara! Guess who is the Shabbat Star this week? YOU are!" My husband announced to Sara and her parents. Sara beamed at the sight of the Shabbat kit and challah. And that was the beginning of our new ritual. The parents took turns each week. The school provided the challah and Sara's family knew that every Friday there would be a Shabbat visitor. I vividly remember one of my visits. Sara wanted to know what was going on at school and was so happy to receive the latest artwork from her classmates.
We were fortunate to realize that Shabbat was good for Sara and her family. It guaranteed a visitor on a steady basis. It gave Sara a familiar structure from preschool. But, in retrospect, it benefited ALL of the families that stood by praying for Sara. It gave us an excuse to stop by and a way to feel useful. It united all of the families by discussing who would be the "deliverer" next week. We were delivering challah, but really it was so much more. We were delivering Shabbat. Another week of chemo was complete. Another hurdle had been jumped. We were honored to be able to deliver a challah and a smile to Sara and her family.
Sara survived another 10 months and her family made sure that every day had a positive experience. There is now an organization called "Sara's Smiles" through which Sara's family strives to help other families "Lift the cloud and inspire the joy." Shabbat was a small piece of this quilt of positivity in the face of tragedy. If you want to learn more, check out saras-smiles.org. This non-profit currently delivers "inspiration kits" of positivity and support to 14 pediatric hospitals in six states, and the number is growing every month.
If you know of a family struggling, I'd recommend the "Shabbat excuse." It is an easy way to support a family going through a rough time. A little challah and a little ritual can go a long way. And if you know of a family dealing with childhood cancer, check out "Sara's Smiles." It is a wonderful legacy to a very special little girl and her family.
What Makes Us…Us
I spent a recent autumn Sunday at the Topsfield Fair, in Topsfield, MA. I was expecting a day of food and rides and perhaps a huge pumpkin or two. I didn't expect to gain a bit of perspective on diversity. As it happens, I got both.
The road to my grandparent's house seemed never-ending, over many rivers and through several woods we drove. But, when we got off Interstate 95 onto Route 1, I knew we were close. No matter what time of year, this smaller two-lane road was beautiful. In the spring, the trees were just starting to bud and the colors in the fall were spectacular. Every time we drove to my grandparent's house for a visit, I would feel the excitement in my stomach while driving along Route 1. And every time we made this four-hour journey, we would pass the Topsfield Fair grounds as we edged closer to Ipswich. And every time we passed the Topsfield Fair grounds, it seemed that the fair would be coming up soon or had just ended. I missed it every time.
So when I moved to Boston earlier this year and the trek to visit my family was a mere 30 minutes rather than four hours, I passed the fairgrounds many times and decided that finally, after decades of being deprived of the experience, I was going to the Topsfield Fair.
The Topsfield Fair has been in existence since 1818 and was and remains today an experience in Americana. I saw a gigantic pumpkin and award-winning vegetables, huge and wacky looking chickens, pig races and a petting zoo. I played carnival games that looked like they were from a bygone era and watched someone deep fry butter. I marveled at beautiful quilts and some lovely local photography and was amazed at the sheer volume and variety of food, everywhere. I was especially delighted by the B'nai Brith food tent offering everything from matzah ball soup and homemade noodle kugel to potato pancakes and hot dogs! I sipped on perfect apple cider and just walked around finally enjoying my Topsfield Fair experience.
Beyond all of the fair offerings, I was taken by the diversity of fair goers. Every type of person went to the fair, every ethnic groups and socio-economic levels, young and old, those with disabilities, first timers and seasoned veterans, locals and transplants and everything in between. Not only was the fair a true slice of home grown Americana but the people who populated the fair seemed to be a true representation of America in all of her diverse glory.
Welcome to America. This is who we are. This lovely quaint fair reminiscent of that bygone era is the melting pot, a place for fun and family but more important, a representation of how we all somehow fit together.
Whether interfaith or intercultural, whether you scarfed down that kosher hot dog or tried some chocolate covered bacon in the booth next door, the things that bring us together far outweigh those that make us different and it turns out, everyone loves a fair. What an unexpected pleasure to encounter this reality that we all live amongst but rarely get to truly admire. Our diversity is what makes us strong, what makes us interesting, what makes us, us.
Our New Year's Apple Picking Event
One of my favorite things about living in the Northeastern United States is apple picking. Relating to the Rosh Hashanah tradition of eating apples and honey, an apple picking event is a wonderful opportunity to build community.
In mid-September, InterfaithFamily/Philadelphia co-sponsored an apple picking event on a Sunday morning in Chester County with jkidphilly. It was a beautiful day and the orchard (Highland Orchards) was a wonderful spot. I was fortunate enough to be working with Robyn Cohen from jkidphilly and we assisted the kids in making a fun craft.
Did you know that with a small plastic horn blower and a paper plate, kids can make their own shofar? The kids decorated the paper plates with apple stickers and crayons and behold, the shofars were fabulous. The kids could make some noise with their new shofars and it didn't bother anyone! And if they got a little "energetic" there was a playground right next to our picnic tables for them to let off a little joyous energy.
The parents and kids were able to mingle and learn a little about the holiday of Rosh Hashanah. I particularly love the comparison of a shofar to an alarm clock—waking us up from our daily activities and alerting us to the new possibilities of the fall, a New Year and renewed spirit. There is something special about the fall sunshine on an orchard that warms the soul. Apples are so sweet and the kids love being involved in harvesting the fruits of their labor. There were over 25 families who attended the pre-Rosh Hashanah apple picking in Chester County. If you are interested in attending similar events, please email firstname.lastname@example.com and let us know. We look forward to hearing from you!
More Shabbat in the New Year?
There are more and more projects sprouting up around the country to encourage people to have Sabbath meals or Shabbat experiences with others. In the non-Orthodox world, many people who grew up with Judaism or are exploring it as adults do not have a Shabbat practice and so it takes programs to support this new practice people are willing to take on. In fact, as we make spiritual promises and resolutions for our new Jewish year, one of my personal goals is to make more frequent and regular my own family's Shabbat practice.
Why so much emphasis on "doing Shabbat?" It's funny because Shabbat is thought to be a cessation of work and adding Shabbat to your routine does take a little planning and organization. However, whatever input is needed, I think the results will feel worthwhile.
Here are my top 5 reasons for why it's so important to have Shabbat in our lives:
1. Rest: Shabbat is a Hebrew word that comes from the words for rest, sit and pause. This is an ancient nugget of wisdom which is timeless. If we never get off the merry-go-round we get dizzier and dizzier. It's fun for awhile when we're whirling and twirling and building speed and laughing and getting things done, but eventually we need to slow it down and gain equilibrium and perspective. Pausing on Friday evening or marking a time apart on Saturday can do this for us.
2. Beauty: We need beauty and poetry in our lives. Sometimes the school/work week seems to make us as efficient, robotic, programmed and structured as possible. These qualities are needed to keep schedules intact and to get everything done, like homework and people to where they are supposed to be. Hopefully, the school day or work day does have moments of creativity, new experiences, closeness, nuance, fun, learning and more which is beautiful, but the week as a whole can feel bland and monotonous. Shabbat is beautiful. The glow of the candles is mesmerizing. Communal prayer can be uplifting. The adorned ritual items like a Kiddush cup or challah cover bring art to the table.
3. Perspective: It's one thing to say that we should not sweat the small stuff but when so many small things pile up it can feel overwhelming and exhausting. When the car breaks down and you forgot to pack your child's lunch and your child is having problems with friends at school and you are not seeing eye-to-eye with your co-worker and you need to make the second trip to the pediatrician that week because the first child got strep and now the next one's ear hurts and you are sleep deprived, and, and, and, (and sometimes there are big, chronic things we are dealing with) it's easier said than done to keep perspective.
Shabbat doesn't take away our troubles. Shabbat doesn't make the woes of our week go away. But it provides us a respite. Even if your respite is only thirty minutes on Friday evening over dinner when the mood feels different and the rituals and prayers usher in a connection to the Sacred, it helps. This time, however brief, takes you out of your own little bubble and brings you a taste of paradise, of perfection. And if we can store up this feeling, this mood, these images, it sweetens the difficulties we endure. And the messages about creation that are woven through a Jewish Sabbath remind us to help create the world we want to live in.
4. Gateway: There is an idea in Judaism that one mitzvah (commandment: often thought of as ethical and ritual living) leads to another. One mitzvah may encourage us or inspire us to learn about and try out another. The more one observes, the more connected one can be to Judaism, to the People, history and culture. I don't think more is "better" and that there is an ideal way to practice one's Judaism. However, I do feel that observing Shabbat reminds us of the rubric Judaism provides throughout the whole week to add order, purpose, social justice and awareness to our lives. If we love taking time to observe a Sabbath, then we may also be inclined to wake up each morning listening to Modeh Ani, a prayer exclaiming one's gratitude for the new day. If we live by the rhythm of the Jewish week and usher in some time of observing Shabbat, we may be inclined to observe Jewish holidays and to see how the sonar-lunar calendar connects us with nature and with history and narratives in powerful ways.
5. Intimacy: Maybe it's because we are tied to our phones, but many of us crave a time when it feels safe to put the phone away for a minute. We use our phones as distractions, as entertainment, as sources of information, as ways to stay connected and as a safety net for knowing what is happening all the time. I for one like to be able to be reached almost all the time. But, I also love having a moment when I don't need to hold my phone. For me, that moment is Friday night Shabbat.
The way our Friday nights shake down is that our Sabbath consists of the three main prayers—it doesn't, incidentally, involve dinner most weeks. This is because my kids usually eat early and my husband is a congregational rabbi. He is often preparing for his services and may grab dinner somewhere before he comes home. Also, we are not foodies. I am not a good cook and I don't enjoy it. I am working all day on Friday and it's hard for me to get the family dinner piece together with our schedules. See, I sometimes feel a bit defensive about not basing our Sabbath on the Friday night family/friend dinner.
What we do is we light candles, we say Kiddush (Hebrew word meaning holy referring to the prayer over the fruit of the vine; often wine or grape juice), we eat challah and my favorite part is when we bless our children and each other. I take my kid's head in my hands and I whisper to them my prayer for them. It is specific and spontaneous. I also say Aaron's blessing to them. The traditional prayer said to sons and daughters is too gender-binary for my family (this is the topic of another blog). I look at my partner and we soak each other in, what we have, what we hope for; we breathe. We kiss. We hug each other. It is intimate. When we have friends over, we bless one another with our words and we feel each other's actual presence. When you are alone on Shabbat, this last piece especially, may feel sad or distant. It is not good to be alone on Shabbat. This is why Jewish organizations are working hard and putting resources into creating opportunities for people to find one another over Shabbat.
There are many more reasons to do something to mark the Sabbath each week. Among your Jewish New Year's resolutions, will adding or creating a Shabbat ritual be among them? If you are not Jewish but you love someone who is Jewish, how does this all feel for you? Let us know what you are thinking about doing or what you already do. When we hear from one another, we get ideas for what we might want to try. Here's to opening this ancient gift and making it come alive in ways that work for you.
Family Fun in Preparation for Rosh Hashanah
I always laugh when people say "the High Holy Days are early this year" or "Rosh Hashanah is late this year." The fact is that Rosh Hashanah occurs the same time every year—on the first day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei. It's never really "early" or "late"—it's just where it should be! That being said, the first of Tishrei can be as early as September 5, or as late as October 5, on the Gregorian calendar. Which means that in 2014, when the first day of Rosh Hashanah is September 25(not the same week as Labor Day, as it was in 2013) many of us feel like we have more time to prepare for Rosh Hashanah than we did last year.
Here are seven suggestions for how your family can have fun getting in the mood for Rosh Hashanah:
1) Apples, apples and more apples: It's fun to dip apples in honey on Rosh Hashanah as we wish for a sweet new year. But why just go to a grocery store and buy apples? One of my favorite activities to do with my family before the Jewish New Year is to go apple picking. At the orchard we go to, we take a hay ride out to the apple trees and then we fill our boxes with different kinds of apples. Later we come home and make a yummy apple cake for our Rosh Hashanah dinner and drink apple cider.
Did you ever notice that if you cut an apple right down the middle you see a star? There's a great Rosh Hashanah story about this that's fun for kids of all ages. I like the way Shira Kline tells the story on her website.
2) And don't forget the honey: At the orchard where we go apple picking, there's a really fun general store where they sell all kinds of fresh produce and delicious treats. They also sell those cool honey straws that come in all different flavors. Each year I let my kids buy a bunch of different flavored honey straws and we use them on Rosh Hashanah. They're fun to give out to guests (or to take if we go to someone else's house for a holiday meal).
As you prepare for Rosh Hashanah and start to think about dipping your apples in honey, it's a great time to talk to your kids about how bees make honey. To learn about this from a dad who did some research after he couldn't answer his daughter's question about how bees make honey, check out Matt Shipman's article How Do Bees Make Honey? (It's Not Just Bee Barf). Or better yet, visit a beekeeper and learn about how honey's made from an expert!
You can have lots of fun making beeswax candles to light as you welcome the holiday. For instructions on how to make your own beeswax candles click here.
3) Try some new fruits, too: There's a great custom on the second night of Rosh Hashanah of eating a new fruit of the season; one you haven't eaten yet this year. So you may want to pick another fruit as well if you can while you're apple picking, or pick up a different fruit at a farmer's market or the grocery store. It's traditional to recite the Shehecheyanu blessing before eating the new fruit.
4) Mark a round challah: What kid (or adult) doesn't love mixing the ingredients, kneading the dough and shaping it into a challah? While on Shabbat it's traditional to have a braided challah, on Rosh Hashanah the challah should be round. Why round? Because it reminds us of the circle of life, as well as the cyclical nature of the passage of a year. For a YouTube video teaching three different ways to make a round challah, click here and get Rabbi Mychal Copeland's recipe here.
5) Read Rosh Hashanah stories with your kids: It's always fun in the weeks leading up to any holiday, religious or secular, to read books with your kids about the holiday. One Jewish grandmother I know takes out all of her children's books about Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur a few weeks before the holidays and puts them in a big basket that she keeps in her family room. Whenever her grandchildren come over, they pick out books from the basket to read with her. She does this before Passover, Sukkot and Thanksgiving, too, so that the book basket is often out and filled with Jewish or secular holiday books to read. For a list of PJ Library Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur books for kids up to 8 yearsold click here.
6) Make New Years cards: In today's world where we do so much of our communicating by text and email, it's especially fun to get a card in the mailbox. And it's even more fun to make cards! Get out lots of craft materials (or even just crayons and paper) and let your kids make New Years cards that they can mail to family members and friends. And they don't have to make the cards just for Jewish family members. Cards for family member who aren't Jewish, letting them know that they're being thought of and that they're loved, will surely be appreciated any time of year.
7) Buy a Shofar and learn to blow it: Kids are always fascinated by the Shofar. Many synagogue gift shops sell Shofars, as do Judaica stores. You can also purchase them online. Once you have a Shofar, you can learn about the notes that are blown on Rosh Hashanah. For video instructions on how to blow the shofar, including the three traditional ritual blasts for the High Holy Days: tekiyah, shevarim and truah, click here.
Shana Tova U'Metukah. Have a happy and a sweet new year!
Is there something new you're planning to do with your family in preparation for Rosh Hashanah this year? Are there activities you've done in the past that were fun? Please share your ideas below so that others can learn from what you've done.


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