text:
Tor Browser 7.5 is released
The Tor Browser Team is proud to announce the first stable release in the 7.5 series. This release is available from the Tor Browser Project page and also from our distribution directory.
This release features important security updates to Firefox.
Apart from the usual Firefox security updates it contains some notable improvements compared to the 7.0 series. Here are the highlights:
We redesigned parts of the Tor Browser user interface. One of the major improvements for our users is our new Tor Launcher experience. This work is based on the findings published at 'A Usability Evaluation of Tor Launcher', a paper done by Linda Lee et al. At our work we iterated on the redesign proposed by the research, improving it even further. Here are the main changes we would like to highlight:
Welcome Screen
Our old screen had way too much information for the users, leading many of them to spend great time confused about what to do. Some users at the paper experiment spent up to 40min confused about what they needed to be doing here. Besides simplifying the screen and the message, to make it easier for the user to know if they need to configure anything or not, we also did a 'brand refresh' bringing our logo to the launcher.
Censorship circumvention configuration
This is one of the most important steps for a user who is trying to connect to Tor while their network is censoring Tor. We also worked really hard to make sure the UI text would make it easy for the user to understand what a bridge is for and how to configure to use one. Another update was a little tip we added at the drop-down menu (as you can see below) for which bridge to use in countries that have very sophisticated censorship methods.
Proxy help information
The proxy settings at our Tor Launcher configuration wizard is an important feature for users who are under a network that demands such configuration. But it can also lead to a lot of confusion if the user has no idea what a proxy is. Since it is a very important feature for users, we decided to keep it in the main configuration screen and introduced a help prompt with an explanation of when someone would need such configuration.
As part of our work with the UX team, we will also be coordinating user testing of this new UI to continue iterating and make sure we are always improving our users' experience. We are also planning a series of improvements not only for the Tor Launcher flow but for the whole browser experience (once you are connected to Tor) including a new user onboarding flow. And last but not least we are streamlining both our mobile and desktop experience: Tor Browser 7.5 adapted the security slider design we did for mobile bringing the improved user experience to the desktop as well.
- We ship the first release in Tor's 0.3.2 series, 0.3.2.9. This release includes support for the Next Generation of Onion Services.
- On the security side we enabled content sandboxing on Windows and fixed remaining issues on Linux that prevented printing to file from working properly. Additionally, we improved the compiler hardening on macOS and fixed holes in the W^X mitigation on Windows.
- We finally moved away from Gitian/tor-browser-bundle as the base of our reproducible builds environment. Over the past weeks and months rbm/tor-browser-build got developed making it much easier to reproduce Tor Browser builds and to add reproducible builds for new platforms and architectures. This will allow us to ship 64bit bundles for Windows (currently in the alpha series available) and bundles for Android at the same day as the release for the current platforms/architectures is getting out.
The full changelog since Tor Browser 7.0.11 is:
- All Platforms
- Update Firefox to 52.6.0esr
- Update Tor to 0.3.2.9
- Update OpenSSL to 1.0.2n
- Update Torbutton to 18.104.22.168
- Update Tor Launcher to 0.2.14.3
- Bug 23262: Implement integrated progress bar
- Bug 23261: implement configuration portion of new Tor Launcher UI
- Bug 24623: Revise "country that censors Tor" text
- Bug 24624: tbb-logo.svg may cause network access
- Bug 23240: Retrieve current bootstrap progress before showing progress bar
- Bug 24428: Bootstrap error message sometimes lost
- Bug 22232: Add README on use of bootstrap status messages
- Bug 10573: Replace deprecated nsILocalFile with nsIFile (code clean-up)
- Translations update
- Update HTTPS Everywhere to 2018.1.11
- Update NoScript to 18.104.22.168
- Bug 23104: CSS line-height reveals the platform Tor Browser is running on
- Bug 24398: Plugin-container process exhausts memory
- Bug 22501: Requests via javascript: violate FPI
- Bug 24756: Add noisebridge01 obfs4 bridge configuration
- Windows
- Linux
- Android
- Bug 22084: Spoof network information API
- Build System
- All Platforms
- Switch from gitian/tor-browser-bundle to rbm/tor-browser-build
- Windows
- Linux
- All Platforms
WOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOO SNOWFLAKE COMES TO Tor Browser Stable BUILDS FINALLY (for Linux and Mac) :D :D
To run a Snowflake bridge:
- go to your browser (obviously won't work with Tor Browser or browsers who disable WebRTC)
- Open https://keroserene.net/snowflake/options.html and click the Yes button to opt in to being a proxy.
- Go to https://keroserene.net/snowflake/snowflake.html (IMPORTANT: this is the page that you should always have open to be a Snowflake bridge.)
I'm not sure when the Snowflake addon will be available but it will make running a Snowflake bridge so much easier!
Snowflake is not yet…
Snowflake is not yet included in the stable series. It is still in the alpha series only.
lol the second gif contained…
lol the second gif contained it and I thought it was made from the stable series.
WebRTC? iFrames? Javascript?…
WebRTC? iFrames? Javascript?
Are you a fan of the usage of Adobe Flash for privacy solutions as well?
WebRTC? iFrames? Javascript?…
WebRTC? iFrames? Javascript?
Are you a fan of the usage of Adobe Flash for privacy solutions as well?
Please read on Snowflake's architecture instead of making ridiculous assumptions.
Not the same anon, but…
Not the same anon, but architecture means nothing if static client source can't be guaranteed.
Not that ridiculous as long…
Not that ridiculous as long you have any basic perception on internetsecurity issues that are going on in this world.
Simple reading about basic security and the misfit of webrtc technology (and iframes, javascripts and flash as well).
"Uncovering 2017's Largest Malvertising Operation"
Enabling Webrtc in Torbrowser (or actually any browser) and allowing iframes as well is just a kind of bizarre view on privacy and security because this technology 'talks too much!' and both are also a security risk you should not allow.
Just some simple reading, no professor techtalks about architectures, that's all it takes to get both feet on the ground again.
Do you know the difference…
Do you know the difference between opening a SINGLE TAB that has iframes, WebRTC, JS, from a trusted website, and between allowing malvertising?
Malvertising is the example…
Malvertising is the example for the misusage of techniques.
Fingerprinting (allowing webgl also) needs you to allow javascripts and webgl, or webrtc and iframes makes phishing techniques more possible.
Why? Moste people do not have any clue what is happening on many websites and who they are connecting to besides the domain they see in the url bar.
But, it is not the criminals we are afariad for here right? This website, Torproject is mainly about other people that are a threat to innocent people. And these people just use the same techniques criminals are using and vice versa.
So, tell me, why is it a good idea to just cooperate in advance with the people that are threatening you by making your defence ultimate weak by allowing javascripts, wengl, iframes and audio video tecnique that can reveal your identity?
And that is what someone make a litlle dance of joy for, a mindset of people lowering their torbrowser settings itstead of seeting hat security in its highest modus and forbid those iframes.
No iframes and no javascripts is less attack surface, but yes indeed it has the downside for the social media addictive, you do not see your favorite twitter or instagram images right away.
Another side o this topic, bandwith, I would be curious what would happen with Tortraffic if everybody that uses torbrowser was just blocking iframes for one day.
Would it drop by 5 times or more?
Our addiction (or yours) tot social media is already a big threat to the world, do not make it more worse by forcing people tot allow more usage of javascript, webgl, iframes and this webrtc profiling sjt.
The best browser is a clean browser and it seems already an enormous challenge for torproject (and mozilla users) to be aware of all the new fancy rappy things in every new release and take in out or break again to end up with a clean, safe browser.
Technique is ment to serve people and not to threaten people, when it does both, you shoul strongly consider tot completly avoid that technique or at least as much as possible.
You can do that certainly with iframes, webgl and webrtc, and a lot of times with a lot of javascropt too, just loo at the loading time of many pages and how many domains are passing underneath the browser screen.
The more you block, the faster the loading, the lower bandwith, the safer browsing.
Keep it as simple you can get, because mozilla has shown at least the last 5 years how many trouble you get if you are taking that other direction some people would say the bloatware direction, i would say the unneccesary complicated direction.
Keep that esr version clean!
Put the safety setting higher and don't 'bend as a service' for the people that are a threat to you by lowering your security because of all the easyness and fancy new shiny stuff.
yes, and unfortunately a…
yes, and unfortunately a longer (reasonable) answer was censored (again, happens a lot over here last years).
I don't think so. Please be…
I don't think so. Please be a bit patient of posts are not shown immediately especially when a weekend is involved. We don't have many moderators for this blog.
sorry for that, this time…
sorry for that, this time you were completely right. sorry for that.
Just wanted to say that I am…
Just wanted to say that I am often frustrated when my comments do not appear, but I always try to bear in mind the point gk just made---which has been pointed out in this blog before, but probably bears more frequent repetition.
Among "cosmetic" changes I'd like to see ASAP are:
o reorganize torproject.org website to present first the most recent and the most useful to the greatest number of Tor users, especially new Tor users,
o regular Friday "ask anything" blog where commentators can worry over potential security flaws, propose new features, etc., and get some feedback from TP,
o refactor the blog to eliminate annoying issues which appear to be related to Javascript, improve rapid posting of thoughtful comments, improve spambot resistance, etc.
o faster TP response to emergencies (IMO the Meltdown/Spectre qualifies as something which would obviously cause considerable concern among well-informed Tor users),
o better communication in other languages (e.g. Spanish).
But I realize that TP has very limited resources and I accept that just now it may be more urgent to direct key Tor people to work on researching the latest technical attacks, fixing bugs, reaching out to the media and to policy makers, etc. etc.
Sometimes we all just need to try to be patient and to save our strength for the biggest current threats.
Just chiming in so forgive…
Just chiming in so forgive me if I missed something, but the simple answer regarding features in single tabs is that Firefox is largely a single-process browser. AFAIK currently there is no strong degree of isolation between tabs. At least that was historically the reason Torbutton never had tab-by-tab modes, it was either on or off for the whole browser. In other words: because technical reasons.
As another commenter mentioned, malvertising isn't really any different from any other use of those features.
Love it !! Thanks to all the…
Love it !! Thanks to all the people working together.
Maybe something good will come out of the bad...
Thanks so much
Peace and Susunzi
Thanks for your work…
Thanks for your work.
Is this version already build with selfrando?
No, selfrando is still in…
No, selfrando is still in the alpha series only.
I know some of you (o/ tjr)…
I know some of you (o/ tjr) aren't very excited about Selfrando, but will it be available for stable release before the next switch to the new ESR? And what will be its future in the 60 ESR roadmap?
We have https://trac…
We have https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/23073 detailing the requirements for getting it into the stable series. There is not much left to be honest but it did not get the priority for 7.5. I am not sure when it will be included to be honest. Patches are welcome!
21:30:44.932 browser…
21:30:44.932 browser.ownerGlobal is null 1 ext-utils.js:800
getBrowserId chrome://browser/content/ext-utils.js:800:9
runSafeSyncWithoutClone resource://gre/modules/ExtensionUtils.jsm:71:14
emit/promises< resource://gre/modules/ExtensionUtils.jsm:384:55
from self-hosted:595:17
emit resource://gre/modules/ExtensionUtils.jsm:383:20
WebRequestEventManager/register/listener chrome://extensions/content/ext-webRequest.js:51:7
runChannelListener resource://gre/modules/WebRequest.jsm:721:24
errorCheck resource://gre/modules/WebRequest.jsm:568:7
observeActivity resource://gre/modules/WebRequest.jsm:536:12
1-TorBrowser is soo slowly in mac os,(just 2mb/s)
how can speed up?
2-in TorBrowser content, cant find "torrc" file to use this solution for speed up:
Half of the us (and many…
Half of the us (and many other parts in the world) wished they had an internet connection of 'just' 2 mb a second.
Does it give just two mb with torrent sharing and big downloads, then it could be on purpose.
> cant find "torrc" file to…
> cant find "torrc" file to use this solution for speed up
Please don't do this. The link redirects through multiple ad splash pages, one of them blocks you if you try downloading it over tor, it asks you to install a third-party file without explaining what it does or link you to documentation, all of which are suspicious before you get the file. But then if you overwrite the default tor configuration with this completely unreviewed one, it could make your traffic stand out from other tor users, or it could force your tor traffic through an adversarial node. You have no idea unless you read tor's documentation and understand exactly what configuration the file applies and whether that configuration is safe. Think. You would be overwriting highly-secure privacy software with a file given to you by some random Joe on the internet.
Get better internet, I have…
Get better internet, I have used tor browser on windows 10, and 2 different linux distros and they all worked fine, its you.
> Get better internet,…
> Get better internet,
"Let them eat cake"?
This kind of attitude is self-defeating for the Tor community. We must persuade/help "ordinary people" all around the world to use Tor (wisely). Unkindly suggesting they have only to blame if they live in a region where few alternatives are available when it comes to Internet providers only helps our enemies.
I've been having a similar…
I've been having a similar problem. Starting roughly the same time all of my systems can only get about 25kbps over Tor. This includes a Qubes desktop on WiFi and an android phone on 4G. Really odd considering everything is different between then, including the ISP. I used to get around 1Mbps. The problem is still going on, and I think it might have something to do with recent versions of Tor, but I don't really know.
Point is I've never gotten anywhere near 2Mbps over Tor before. (And if you're talking 2MB/s and not 2Mbps, that's 8 times more insane.)
Is there any more…
Is there any more information about Tor Browser for Android? Or is all the information just related to Orbot?
We are working on Tor…
We are working on Tor Browser for Android. We have hired two developers a while ago and are preparing the move from Orfox to Tor Browser for Android. We hope to have at least alpha releases up later this year.
Thanks for telling us!
Thanks for telling us!
Will there be an Orbot…
Will there be an Orbot update in the interim? I'm stuck on 52.2 on Intel Tegra with Reading Mode not working at all.
The Guardianproject folks…
The Guardianproject folks are updating Orbot from time to time. So, yes, I guess there will be updates available until we launch Tor Browser for Android.
Just thanks!
Just thanks!
Mozilla has destroyed their…
Mozilla every day makes their browser more and more dumbed down. I ask both Mozilla and TorProject to please stop the PR and focus on power users, the only users you have left who care about you at all, instead of promoting the incompetent, clueless users which Silicon Valley has managed to churn out worldwide. Perhaps if you focused on power users, we'd have less "regular users"!
I hope the TorProject does not let itself be entirely compromised since it relies on Mozilla for a browser, and instead voices these issues, because otherwise frankly TorBrowser will be just as dead as Firefox, which would be a shame.
So please TorProject, avoid the PR and nonsense, focus on securing your browser and making it practical/configurable for power users instead of wasting all your time on a userbase that are already too far gone to save.
If you harden in about…
That is not an issue for the Tor Browser Bundle. They maintain a fork of firefox, so there's nothing stopping them from just moving the old XUL code to the browser core itself and shunning add-ons altogether. Nobody should ever be installing any new add-ons or changing any settings anyway, to avoid getting fingerprinted.
> Nobody should ever be…
> Nobody should ever be installing any new add-ons or changing any settings anyway, to avoid getting fingerprinted.
On the one hand, I agree with this as general advice. Smart Tor people who have thought hard about many sides to various issues, and who probably know more than we do, are making decisions in an effort to keep most of us mostly safer, and we need to mostly trust them to make the decisions, in the current threat environment, which provide the most benefit for the most Tor users.
On the other hand: the slider is intended as a (necessary) compromise between two competing realities, both of which must be recognized:
o providing anonymity demands everyone look the same, as far as possible
o at-risk people confront a very different mix of likely threats depending up real time details of where they are, who they are associating with, what they are doing with electronic devices, etc.
So adjusting the security slider is one change which IMO every Tor user should feel free to make according to his/her best estimate of what makes most sense for them personally in the moment in terms of the trading better security for worse anonymity or vice versa.
Yes, that's true. What was…
Yes, that's true. What was meant I believe is to avoid messing with
about:config values or other customizations which are not governed by the security slider.
I hate to rain on your…
I hate to rain on your parade because you make a lot of really important points here, but
1) the documentation strongly discourages installing extensions in Tor Browser, and
2) the documentation strongly discourages changing about:config settings
because both can make you vulnerable to fingerprinting attacks. Actually it's pretty much guaranteed if we're talking about after-market disabling specific JavaScript APIs.
the webextension version of…
the webextension version of noscript is inferior to the xul version, so quantum/webextensions in esr will be a threat to tbb.
"webextension version of…
"webextension version of noscript is INFERIOR [...]"
An understatement -unfortunately )-:
I share your frustration…
I share your frustration about some design decisions, but I think you need to take a much wider view to appreciate all the factors which go into making them.
Tor Browser and other products are built by Tor Project, an NGO based in the US with a handful of paid employees and precarious funding. Even as Tor software products are subjected to endless technical attacks by well funded enemies, Tor Project is subjected to increasingly dangerous legal and political attacks. To counter the former, we need Tor Project to continue to exist. Obviously. And to ensure that TP continues to exist, IMO it is essential to *grow* the userbase worldwide, not to *shrink* it as you seem to want to do.
Let me point out two specific reasons why this point should be self-evident.
First: for years many Tor users around the world expressed increasing concern that TP's funding mostly came from sources tied to obscure portions of the US State Department or even USIC. Further, as all the worlds governments continue to shift towards dramatically increased authoritarianism, those "freedom-building" portions of the USG have come under increasing attack within "the swamp", seriously endangering their continued existence. This could lead to most TP funding simply disappearing, almost overnight.
Further, many users who depend upon Tor have expressed concern that because the USG has provided most of the funding for TP, the USG inevitably will exert undue influence upon TP policy decision and even technical decisions which could perhaps result in opening up holes of which Tor developers are unaware. (C.f. NSA's manipulation of NIST to weaken cryptographic protocols in obscure ways which no-one noticed.) As a result of these concerns, when Shari Steele became CEO, she made it a priority to evolve TP away from a funding model dependent upon highly endangered USG grants and towards funding based upon direct user contributions, similarly to US based NGOs such as ACLU and EFF (Steele previously worked at EFF). And clearly, to succeed in this, TP needs to greatly broaden the user base for Tor products, not to shrink it.
Further, it is clear that all around the world The People are calling for more privacy, even in CN. Tor products are among the very few which are available right now, are battle-tested, and usable by most non-technical citizens, and IMO as a matter of principle, the US tech world (which bears some responsibility for enabling NSA's "collect it all"/"pwn it all" global dragnet) has an urgent moral obligation attempt to redress NSA's abuses by providing privacy/security/anonymity-enhancing tools like Tor.
Second: Former FBI Director Comey, current FBI Director Wray, and deputy AG Rod Rosenstein are among the senior USG officials who have been insistently calling that a divided, weak, and self-loathing Congress slip a provision into some law which would outlaw non-backdoored encryption in the USA, which means to some extent, almost everywhere. Tor Project has repeatedly stated that the project will never put a secret federal backdoor into Tor. Assuming they mean, "not even under threat of imprisonment", if the provision which Rosenstein and the others demand are enacted (probably in dead of night, with no debate, in the context of a rider on some last second attempt to avoid the next USG shutdown), then Tor Project will become an illegal NGO. What then? I don't know, but it is certainly reasonable to fear that Tor products might simply no longer be available to anyone anywhere.
(As a matter of fact, Tor Project has not recently reiterated the "no backdoors ever" vow, and IMO it is not possible to repeat this vow too often, so Shari or Roger, please repeat it in unambiguous language!)
> So please TorProject, avoid the PR and nonsense, focus on securing your browser and making it practical/configurable for power users instead of wasting all your time on a userbase that are already too far gone to save.
Tor does not continue to exist by some magical process independent of the course of human events, and Tor Project does exist in a political vacuum.
If you want to continue to use new versions of Tor products, you should support growing the user base, not shrinking it.
This is not inconsistent with continuing to request specific features which you hope will improve security/anonymity for everyone.
I wonder why not to move Tor…
I wonder why not to move Tor Project from the US to Canada?
> I wonder why not to move…
> I wonder why not to move Tor Project from the US to Canada?
CA is alas one of the FVEY countries (US, UK, CA, AU, NZ).
When the Trudeau government was elected there was briefly hope that CSE (Canada's NSA) would cease cooperation with NSA in illegal dragnet surveillance, but that hope seems to have died.
OTH, the University of Toronto's Munk School of Journalism hosts Citizen Lab, which has done wonderful work in exposing malware abuses by "little" governments like Ethiopia, sometimes even by CN. So far, alas, Citizen Lab has not been able to expose abuses by FVEY governments.
Some years ago, there was hope that Iceland might prove to be a data refuge, but this was quickly brought into question by a horrific corruption scandal. Traditionally neutral countries like Switzerland or Finland beckon, but Switzerland is endangered by a dispute with USG over banking secrecy, and Finland is subject to bullying by RU as well as US. Hong Kong is increasingly dangerous.
Germany might be the best bet, but also seems to harbor the greatest concentration of (mostly non-German) spooks.
Belgium has waffles, but is also bugged like nobody's brother.
I think the only solution is for TP to ask advice from HRW and Amnesty how to establish a legal presence as an NGO based in multiple continents.
And to keep in mind the possibility of going underground.
What then?…
What then?
Set up headquarters in another country, build a stronger presence inside the Tor network, appeal to cryptocurrency enthusiasts. Laugh as America turns itself into China. https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20180117/02201339017/chinas-solution-…
> Laugh as America turns…
> Laugh as America turns itself into China.
I read that Tech dirt article too (shout out to Tech dirt, the exemplar of endangered journalism, and took it as vindication of my warnings here since many years.
No US media (AFAIK) have even attempted to study the effects on opinions in the US business community of ingenious CN propaganda (e.g. China Daily) which is doing so much to quietly convert the USA into a hateful model of technology-enabled authoritarianism.
The biggest untold aspect of the Snowden leaks story is the begged question of just what USG intends to do with all the data it is slurping up in all those ever-multiplying ever-expanding dragnet surveillance programs.
The answer, it appears, is precrime. Or even pre-thoughtcrime. CN is pointing the way, but US intends to go much further, according to NCTC, FBI and National Laboratory white papers. Most amazing of all: this is not even much of a secret, many of the discussion of how to implement American precrime is in openly published whitepapers. But apparently no muckraking journalists are reading them.
Given all the constant "save the children!" rhetoric coming from FBI, you'd think some swamp creature would perceive the problem with NCTC's explicit goal of identifying future bad actors/thinkers starting from age 2-7, which is quite literally their target group, and this shocking fact is not even secret. It is specifically mentioned in several obscure but unclassified documents.
We need LANL's counterpart to Snowden to bring out the secret documents, which are apparently even more horrifying that the unclassified ones.
Not all Tor Project…
Not all Tor Project employees are US citizens... it's not like ITAR is an issue for them. As the software is open source, if the organization itself could not legally exist in the US, development would likely resume in another country, under another organization, where it is legal. The software could be trivially forked and resumed like nothing happened (after some logistical nightmares, at least). US developers would either simply stop contributing, or would contribute anonymously.
As for the risk of backdoors, again, Tor is open source. Anyone can read the source code, and anyone can read every single changed line between two versions. Sure, it would be possible to insert a bug with some clever abuse of undefined behavior and other C oddities, but it will not ensure a backdoor will get through, much less get through undetected for any significant periods of time. Even if you do not read the source code, others do. The devs do, many programmers do, I do. That's a lot of eyes on the code. Could it be better? Yes. But should we be freaking out about the risk of backdoors? No. It's better to worry about the sad state of Firefox (and by extension, Tor Browser) security than it is to worry about the political future of Tor Project.
> As for the risk of…
> As for the risk of backdoors, again, Tor is open source. Anyone can read the source code, and anyone can read every single changed line between two versions.
The problem with this argument is that NSA messed with at least one protocol (a public standard for a pseudo-random number generator published by NIST) and nobody noticed--- not even the supposed experts who work for NIST. (This was one of the many revelations from the Snowden leaks, and was discussed at length in this blog a few years ago.)
In other words, some of the most crucial elements of Tor can be meaningfully critiqued by only a tiny handful of cryptographic researchers. If USG arrests them all--- all those who live in the US and do not already work for NSA, that is--- it could be almost impossible for "anyone" to recognize that a subtle "backdoor" has been introduced into the published source code.
There has never been a more desperate need for technically able "fresh blood" in math and computer science than at present. The problem is that USG funds the education of most of the students and too many of them are forced into working for USG upon graduation.
The only answer, I think, is to try to be bold by trying to build campus organizations which try to persuade US techies to follow the example of Snowden by working for The People by working against the Universal Adversary.
NSA boycott, anyone?


text:
Rochester, N.Y., metallers Sirens and Sailors have released a video for the recently-released song "Birthday Parties for Puppies," in which they actually do throw a party for puppies complete with balloons, dog biscuits and a piñata.
Check out the video after the jump and visit their official Facebook page for more information. (more…)

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Play the Slate News Quiz
With Jeopardy! superchampion Ken Jennings.
Welcome back to Slate's weekly news quiz. I'm your host, 74-time Jeopardy! winner Ken Jennings.
Every Friday I'll be testing your knowledge with 12 challenging questions on the week's news events, big and small, including happenings in science, sports, politics, and culture both high and low. The questions are multiple-choice, and time is of the essence: You have 30 seconds to answer, and as the seconds tick away, the question's point value drops from 50 all the way down to zero, so you'll want to click on your answer as fast as you possibly can. There's no penalty for an incorrect answer, so feel free to take a guess if your puny human brain fails you.
At the end of the quiz, you'll be able to compare your score with that of the average contestant, as well as to the score of a Slate-ster whom I've talked into taking the quiz on the record. This week's contestant is Slate's energy columnist, Daniel Gross.
Think you can ace my quiz and beat Gross? Good luck!
Last week an election in McKinley County, New Mexico, was decided by the narrowest of margins. After a recount, the race for magistrate judge had come down to a precise 2,879-vote tie between the two candidates—so the contest was settled by coin toss, as per state law. Kenneth Howard Jr. correctly called "heads" and took office. Hopefully you won't need such desperate last resorts as you select your answers to this week's Slate News Quiz.
Question 1 of 12
The Malaysian airliner shot down over Ukraine on Thursday was a flight that originated in what city?
Question 2 of 12
What country mediated negotations between Israel and Hamas this week, in hopes of achieving a cease-fire in Gaza?
After a temporary cease-fire, Israel began a ground invasion into Gaza on Thursday.
Question 3 of 12
Which of these could land you a $500 fine in California, under new regulations approved this week?
Despite calls for cutbacks, water consumption has actually increased as the Golden State faces one of the most severe droughts in its history.
Question 4 of 12
In the wake of the U.S. spying scandal, Germany is looking into thwarting the NSA by using what?
Russia reportedly made the same move last year, following Edward Snowden's revelations.
Question 5 of 12
A new study by French scientists revealed that, despite three uneventful centuries, what is currently in a "critical state"?
Mount Fuji last erupted in 1707, but the geologists believe recent seismic activity is building pressure below the volcano, which sits only 60 miles southwest of Tokyo.
Question 6 of 12
What did Pope Francis, speaking with an Italian newspaper over the weekend, reportedly call "a leprosy in our house"?
The newspaper also quoted the pontiff as saying that 2 percent of Catholic priests were pedophiles, though the Vatican disputes the accuracy of the interview.
Question 7 of 12
This past weekend 3,000 of what objects rained down unexpectedly on a highway outside Blackfoot, Idaho?
The balls, which were redeemable for prizes, were supposed to be scattered over a crowd enjoying "Blackfoot Pride Days" nearby, but the pilot missed the drop zone badly.
Question 8 of 12
What organization, facing its lowest membership in more than a decade, announced this week that it was completely overhauling and streamlining its application process?
Volunteers may now choose the country they will be serving in, for the first time in the corps' 53-year history.
Question 9 of 12
A university lecturer in Thailand was caught on tape offering A's to students in exchange for what?
"Khanittha got 17 points in psychology class. She gave me stamps," says the teacher in the video. "Then, I gave her A+. Do you think you got that grade by your own brain?"
Question 10 of 12
After tense negotiations at the American embassy, Secretary of State John Kerry was able to announce what result Saturday?
But the deal has run into trouble over the logistical details of auditing the 8.1 million votes cast in the disputed presidential election.
Question 11 of 12
A journalist was stopped by a TSA agent at Orlando International Airport who asked for his passport, after he told them he was from where?
The District of Columbia is "a bizarre place, but passport not needed," tweeted reporter Justin Gray about the apparent geographic ineptitude.
Question 12 of 12
What beloved 73-year-old died this week, heroically taking an assassin's bullet intended for a gay U.S. senator?
The tragedy occurred in the monthly Life With Archie comic, which follows the future adventures of the Riverdale gang into adulthood.
Anonymous User
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Daniel Gross
Slate energy columnist
Kuala Lumpur
The United States
Using antibacterial soap
Smoking at the beach
Washing your car
Not having a reality show
False mustaches
Dutch elm disease
London Bridge
Mount Fuji
The sunspot cycle
Clergy sex abuse
Income inequality
Actual leprosy
Ping-pong balls
Satellite parts
Crest Whitestrips
Weight Watchers
The Peace Corps
The AFL-CIO
The Republican Party
Tickling his feet
Driving lessons
7-Eleven coupons
A new round of nuclear talks with Iran
A compromise in the Afghan election crisis
A border security deal with Mexico
LeBron James' return to Cleveland
New Mexico
Palestine, Texas
The District of Columbia
Perry Mason
Archie Andrews
Nadine Gordimer
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Daniel Gross
Slate energy columnist
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Detroit MI's Premier Source For Sports Memorabilia
Searching For The Best Sports Memorabilia Flea Market Near Detroit? Choose Dixieland!
For over 40 years Dixieland Flea Market has been a staple in the Waterford Township and Oakland County area. Conveniently placed on the corner of Dixie Highway and Telegraph Road, visitors from all over Detroit come out of the woodwork to see what the buzz is all about.
With so many different shops and things to do, it's not difficult to spend a whole day at Dixieland. When you need to refuel, our food court has four different restaurants (and sometimes a food truck!) with Italian, Mexican, American and Asian cuisines. There's something for everyone, even the pickiest of eaters! Our outdoor shops in the warmer months provide endless rows of vendors for you to get lost in. We also have an outdoor seating area to soak up the sun while taking a break from carrying around all of your new goodies.
Sports Memorabilia, Antiques, and So Much More near Detroit!
We're open year round and have over 200 vendors at any given time - no one has a selection as great as Dixieland Flea Market! No matter what you're looking for, we're sure to have it! Below are just a few of the more popular items that we sell, but for a full list of products you'll have to show up and take a look!
New and Used Clothing
Dixieland has over 10 stores with western wear, vintage, leather, children's, and work clothing. Plus, we do alterations. Our stores are perfect for every member of the family and every particular taste.
You'll also find that our prices are very comparable and affordable to other fashion stores in the area. If you've come here looking clothing, you won't be disappointed.
Tool Vendors
We have anywhere from 12 to 20 tool vendors outside on any given day, plus 20 sheds with tools, mechanical repairs, and all work-related items. There are more used tools at Dixieland than at any other flea market in Michigan! All of our tools are at pennies on the dollar so you can build up your toolbox without breaking the bank.
Adult Toys & Movies
In addition to antiques and collectors items, we also have vendors who sell adult movies and toys. If you think of it, we probably have it here! Our vendors are here to help you with whatever you're looking for, so stop on by today!
Vinyl Records
Dixieland's collection of vinyl records is quite possibly one of the top three record stores in the whole state. Our vendors have collections for every taste in music, so everyone is guaranteed to find a record that they love.
Collectible Toys
We have Star Wars figures, Barbies, Pez, cast iron cars, you name it! Serious toy collectors have made Dixieland their go-to stop for adding to their collections, and you'll be hooked after your first visit, too!
Collectibles and Antiques
The largest, oldest and only collectible adult magazine store in the area. They started out in the 1950's and have thousands of books and magazines for purchase.


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A New Jersey tattoo artist loves his iPod Nano so much, he turned his body into an iPod dock of sorts.
Dave Hurban of Dynasty Tattoo in Newfield, N.J., implanted four magnets into his wrist to hold his Nano in place at all times. This ups the ante on the trend of wearing Nanos as wristwatches. For us, a $25 Nano watchband would've sufficed, but hey, we're not south Jersey tattoo artists.
WARNING: The "iDermal" video below contains some blood and guts in the name of iPod body manipulation:


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Hubble ACS Image of 100 Virgo Cluster Galaxies
These images taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope show the globular cluster systems of 100 galaxies observed within the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) Virgo Cluster Survey. Globular clusters, dense bunches of hundreds of thousands of stars, have some of the oldest surviving stars in the universe. Most of the star clusters in the Virgo survey are older than 5 billion years. The Hubble study found evidence that these globular clusters are more likely to form in dense areas where star birth occurs at a rapid rate, instead of uniformly from galaxy to galaxy. Comprised of over 2,000 galaxies and located about 54 million light-years away, the Virgo cluster is the nearest large galaxy cluster to Earth. These composite images were made from the advanced camera's full field-of-view observations. Astronomers also used modeling data to fill in a narrow gap between the camera's detectors. The images were taken from December 2002 to December 2003.


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Thank you for visiting the Illinois Department of Central Management Services website. We hope this site reflects our pledge to provide easy to use and complete information about our services for agencies of Illinois government, their employees and the public.
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Henry Winter (Telegraph Football Correspondent)
Goal against Arsenal during FA Cup semi-final replay win, April 14, 1999
Ryan Giggs's winning goal goal in extra time at Villa Park was not simply a work of art, picking off Patrick Vieira's loose pass and weaving through a famous defence to score. It was also hugely significant. It took Manchester United to Wembley and made them believe in the Treble. It so excited Alex Ferguson that he compared it to the greatest goals ever such as Diego Maradona's dribble and Marco van Basten's volley. It also contained a brilliant celebration: Tardelli with a chest wig.
Gary Pallister (Former team-mate)
Goal against Juventus during 3-2 Champions League win, Oct 1, 1997
It is difficult to pick one goal or moment with Ryan because there are so many, but the one which stands out for me was his goal against Juventus in a 3-2 group stage victory at Old Trafford in 1997. He burst past a couple of defenders and smashed the ball past Angelo Peruzzi into the top corner. It was a great goal, but it also came in a pivotal game for us as beating Juventus gave the team belief that we could win the Champions League. Until that point, we had experienced ups and downs in Europe, but it just felt like a big moment when we beat a Juventus team that had been the best around for a couple of years. Ryan's goal set us on the way that night.
Alan Hansen (Telegraph Columnist)
His performance at left-back during 4-2 Premier League win at West Ham, April 2, 2011
United had gone in 2-0 down at half-time at Upton Park and, at the start of the second half, Sir Alex Ferguson substituted Patrice Evra and moved Giggs back from midfield to left-back. At the time, eyebrows were raised because the league leaders were under the cosh and looking as though they were heading for a big defeat. But Giggs was absolutely sensational for 45 minutes in a position that none of us had seen him play before. He became the best player on the pitch, United took a grip of the game and won 4-2. Giggs's performance that day was outstanding and he showed us the depth of his football intelligence.
Paul Hayward (Telegraph Chief Sports Writer)
Being helped by United's star player while addressing the squad on the subect of the media
Petrified would accurately describe my state as I addressed the Manchester United squad a few years back on the subject of the media. Cristiano Ronaldo was among those in the audience. Before and after my hopeless oration, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes were the two who came over to offer encouragement and thanks. They say Giggs is the star every United player looks up to. That day I could see why. He exuded not only charm but leadership qualities.
Alan Smith (Telegraph Columnist)
Goal in 1-1 Premier League draw at Tottenham Hotspur, Sept 19,1992
It came on the stroke of half-time against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane. Only 18 at the time, Giggs pounced on a loose ball 40 yards out, nutmegged a defender in the blink of an eye before rounding the goalkeeper with incredible pace and balance to slot home cooly from a tight angle with that deadly left foot. It was mesmerising stuff, encapsulating the special talent that would grace the game for another 20 years or more.
John Hartson (Former Wales team-mate)
His performance during 2-1 win against Italy in Euro 2004 qualifier, Oct 16, 2002
I was privileged to have played with Ryan for so many seasons and although his consistency meant that memorable moments were not in isolation, I would have to say the night that stands out most is the 2-1 victory over Italy in Cardiff. He was magnificent that night, truly magnificent. It was Ryan at his best best. I suppose the only disappointment in what has been a simply wonderful career, is that we did not see Ryan Giggs at a World Cup. He would have graced a competition like that, but we could never conquer that final hurdle.
Mark Ogden (Telegraph Northern Football Correspondent)
Champions League final win (on penalties) v Chelsea, Moscow, May 22, 2008
On the night he broke Sir Bobby Charlton's appearance record for United, Giggs scored the crucial penalty in the shoot-out which preceded Edwin van der Sar's save from Nicolas Anelka that secured the club's third, and Giggs's second, European Cup. Ten days earlier, Giggs had scored the decisive goal in a 2-0 win at Wigan to clinch the Premier League title and his 11th championship medal, but his penalty in Moscow encapsulated the mental strength which has been highlighted as one of the main factors in his success and longevity. With rain pouring down on a slick surface – ask John Terry – Giggs nervelessly sent Petr Cech the wrong way to put United on the brink of glory.
Barney Chilton (Editor, Red News fanzine)
Goal in 1-1 Premier League draw against Tottenham Hotspur, Sept 19, 1992
My favourite Giggs goal is also one of his earliest, one which intensified the George Best comparisons, and it is so good that I would still have it as one of my favourite ever United goals. It was started by a long kick from Peter Schmeichel. It was headed away, but defender Dean Austin slipped as Giggs is first to the ball. He then nutmegs Jason Cundy and glides past goalkeeper Ian Walker to score from an ever decreasing angle. It is pure split second instinct and decision-making from who knows where inside of him. For speed, technique and touch, it is right up there with the very best.


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Dez Bryant sure could have used some of that Louis XIII Rare Cask going around the Pappa Bros. Steakhouse that night back in 2010.
Probably couldn't afford it, though, since he was the one footing the bill for several teammates, none of whom seemed to have a problem letting the then-rookie pay for their $1,300 shots and much, much more.
That's how former Dallas Cowboys receiver Jesse Holley remembers the now-infamous meal that Bryant said last week set him back $55,000.
"We were ordering $90 Kobe beef steaks. I ordered two of those. I took one home and had steak and eggs for breakfast," said Holley, who added that he remembers several rookies, not just Bryant, covering the tab.
"Guys had lobster for appetizers. It got carried away. I'm not going to say who did it, but a couple older guys were ordering magnum bottles of Cristal and pouring it in flowerpots. A lot of guys got like king-size lobsters that were $120. We were ordering stuff like that for appetizers. It was an all-out feast."
And then there was the Louis XIII Rare Creek shots, which Holley said came out it in a mechanical case and were served in white gloves.
"I think everybody got some," Holley said of the ridiculously priced cognac. "I'm not a drinker, but when they said it was $1,300 a shot, I said I'm not missing this opportunity to say I drank something that cost $1,300. It was really, really, really smooth and you don't need much of it to hit you."
I think it's pretty safe to say that rookie hazing has gotten out of hand when a receiver who had yet to make a catch in the NFL, was out of the league within a year and doesn't even drink is ordering $1.3K shots.


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Ever since its inception, Amazon has brought seismic changes to the book world. Its e-commerce, mega book mall knocked traditional bricks-and-mortar booksellers off their feet. Its Kindle e-reader revolutionized the way Americans read – and buy – their books, with Amazon recently announcing it sells more e-books than print. And now, Amazon has signaled it will move into book publishing, leaving the major publishing houses holding their breath as they prepare to compete directly with the online behemoth.
Amazon recently announced that Laurence J. Kirshbaum, a literary agent and former publisher, will return to publishing to lead a new imprint for Amazon.
In an e-mail to agents sent last week, Jeff Belle, an Amazon executive, said Mr. Kirshbaum will be building the new publishing team.
20 smart nonfiction titles for summer reading
"Larry will be building out a publishing team in New York and will found new imprints under the Amazon Publishing umbrella, with a focus on acquiring the highest quality books in literary and commercial fiction, business and general nonfiction," Mr. Belle said in the e-mail, according to The New York Times.
According to Bookseller.com, the move was no surprise to anyone in the book world.
"Everybody knew that an Amazon push into frontlist publishing was coming…. Highly-placed executives from New York houses have been migrating to Amazon for a while, and the company ratcheted up expectations after circulating a recruiting letter for various personnel a few weeks back."
What does Amazon's foray into publishing mean for the book industry?
Publishers, for one, aren't happy about the move. Already squeezed, publishers are now worried the literary leviathan will use its influence and resources to dominate the publishing marketplace and could put a damper on competition.
Mike Shatzkin, CEO of Idea Logical Company, a consulting firm, put it this way.
"What essentially happened is you had six players sitting at the table playing poker, then a seventh player who has more money than the others combined, sat down at the table, and the price of playing poker just went up," Mr. Shatzkin told the New York Observer. "I think it means that the agents are all celebrating and the big publishers are all crying in their beer."
Agent and proprietor of E-Reads Richard Curtis had this to say:
"Because of Amazon's dominant retail position, their wealth and leverage could have a dampening effect on competition," Mr. Curtis told Bookseller.com. "Barnes and Noble's publishing has had that effect: as an agent, I'll call a publisher and pitch a non-fiction project. 'We'd love to do it,' they'll tell me, and then add, 'but we know [Barnes & Noble's subsidiary] Sterling will undercut on price for the same kind of book.' "
Dominique Raccah of the independent Chicago-based book publisher Sourcebooks had dire predictions about Amazon's effect on publishing. "We will lose 50 percent of publishers," he said in a recent International Digital Publishing Forum round table.
Booksellers, who are already dealing with Sterling, don't seem bothered by the news. Amazon will still need booksellers for their bricks-and-mortar distribution.
"It didn't surprise me," said outgoing American Booksellers Association president and indie bookseller Michael Tucker, to the Bookseller.
"It's of more concern to publishers than to booksellers at this point," said Rick Simonsen, of Seattle's legendary indie seller Elliot Bay. "Remember, most booksellers have to deal with B&N's Sterling already. And Amazon will now get trapped in the real world!"
But how about writers? Might this be good news for them?
Some are arguing that it will.
Writing for Forbes three years ago, technology and strategy consultant Srmana Mitra was already anticipating Amazon's move toward "vertical integration" – and seeing it as a form of salvation for authors. Ms. Mitra lambasted the publishing industry, calling it "[a]rchaic beyond belief ... an industry that treats its most important asset – the author – badly," returning only a fraction of any profits made on a book to its creator.
She envisions a world in which "Amazon becomes the retailer, marketer, publisher and agent combined and takes 65% of the revenues, offering 35% to the author" and calls that "a much better, fairer world."
Given Amazon's current reputation as the company that has accustomed readers to the $9 book, it seems a bit of a stretch to also envision Amazon as a white knight. But in a business changing as fast as this one is, perhaps anything is possible.
Husna Haq is a Monitor correspondent.
Join the Monitor's book discussion on Facebook and Twitter.


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SWAT Advanced, Course #0511
Description: The Advanced SWAT Course is directed toward the officers currently assigned to a specialized SWAT or emergency response team. This course focuses on the enhancement of basic skills and the development of competencies necessary to conduct specialized missions such as hostage rescues, vehicle assaults, high risk warrant service, and tubular assaults, which are not presented in the Basic SWAT Course. In additional this course will provide training and experience in developing both Operational Plans (Pre-Mission) and After Actions Reports (Post-Mission). Force on force scenarios are also utilized to enhance the training value of the course.
Organization: Classroom lecture & demonstrations are followed-up with practical field exercises. Students will be placed into teams for field exercises.
Location: See below
Dates: Presented 1X annually, generally in the summer.
Course Length: 50 Hours, 5 days.
Lead instructor: Commander Jeff Selleg, Port of Seattle Police Department
Instructors: WSTOA SWAT Instructor Cadre
Course Objectives:
Course Topics:
Grading: Students are evaluated during practical exercises.
Required Supplies: Mission deployment equipment;
Rules of Conduct:
Dress Code & Identification:
Tactical uniform must be worn daily. Law Enforcement ID must be provided on day one of the course.
***Is this class full or not available???? Please complete the Course Interest Survey. Please Note: This is not a waiting list. You will not be contacted by WSCJTC unless there is enough interest to generate a class being scheduled. At that time we will contact everyone that has shown interest so that applications can be submitted.
Revised December 2017


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It looks like the feds are gearing up to take on Google.
The Federal Trade Commission, which is investigating the company for possible antitrust violations, hired an outside lead attorney today, reports Reuters.
Not just any lawyer, either. It's Beth Wilkinson, who helped convict Oklahoma City bomber Tim McVeigh.
The New York Times reports that her record is 40-0 in major cases.
The FTC is looking into whether Google changes search results to favor its own sites. The agency hasn't decided whether to bring a formal case against Google yet, but hiring an outside lawyer is a big step. The FTC has only done it twice in the last decade, according to the Times.
The last time something like this happened in the tech industry is when the Department of Justice brought in David Boies to oversee the Microsoft trial.
And we all know how that went -- emails were exposed, executives deposed, and the company was eventually split in two.
In the end, Microsoft stayed intact, but it paid billions in fines from related cases, and the antitrust case contributed to its fall from the top of the tech heap.
Google better hunker down and get ready.
Get the latest Google stock price here.


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Sony has rebranded its tablet range, unveiling the brand new Sony Xperia Tablet S at IFA 2012 - where Pocket-lint was on hand to have a play with the latest slice of Sony tech.
The follow-up to Sony's original Tablet S, the 9.4-inch Xperia S packs in more power thanks to its Nvidia Tegra 3-quad core processor.
We were able to load up some music and video with no problems, but haven't had time to test out the speedier S to its fullest. The version we got to play with was running Android 4.0.3, though we expect that will update in due course to 4.1 as and when the Jellybean roll-out gets into full swing.
From the front the Xperia Tablet S doesn't look drastically different from its predecessor. The screen has the same 1280 x 800-pixel resolution and is the same proportion - no widescreen version to be found here.
But it's the build quality and thickness that are its two most notable differences.
The original Tablet S wasn't the thinnest of tablets upon its launch, but this is one area that the new Xperia improves upon. It's also light in the hand, yet not too light which makes for easy single or double-handed use.
The aluminum body is also splash proof - and although we didn't have a spare cup of water to douse it in, that sounds like a top feature to us.
We're glad the quality of finish has improved too, because this was one shortcoming we found in our review of the original tablet. There's no flex in the latest model, which has a reassuring sturdy feel.
Will the Xperia brand name cement Sony's reputation in the growing tablet market?


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You are currently browsing the daily archive for November 3, 2013.
Its been a long time, baby, to quote the Blessed Fat Boy Slim, but here we are, once again gracing the book-strewn halls of Austenonly. Sufficiently recovered to be able to access my computer once more, I thought it was about time we made our re-acquaintance. I hope you have been well and happy in my absence. Many, many Jane Austen-related news items have come and gone while I've been recuperating, so, if you don't mind, over the next few posts, I'm going to take a look at some of them.
The first news item of great note and import was that an image of Jane Austen was to be featured on a new Bank of England banknote.
The date for issue of the note is not too far in the future, 2017, fittingly the year of the 200th anniversary of her death.
Here is a video featuring Chris Salmon, the Chief Cashier of the Bank of England explaining why she was chosen:
I was very surprised by the absolute torrent of misogyny that this announcement generated. Campaigners who had lobbied for a female image to be included on a Bank of England banknote on Twitter were met with a series of unbelievably violent, personally abusive attacks. What would Jane have said? Something cutting no doubt.
The prison reformer and Quaker, Elizabeth Fry was, amazingly, the only woman to be featured thus far, on our banknotes, apart from The Queen, who, of course, always appears on our currency. It is time for more women to be celebrated in this way, IMHO. I am therefore highly delighted that Jane Austen, one of our greatest authors ( I refuse to qualify her in any way as merely a "woman" writer, and all that implies ) is to be commemorated in this way.
The design elements of the banknote, in general, make sense, and include an adaptation of an illustration from a 1976 edition of Pride and Prejudice, shown below from my copy, of Elizabeth Bennet re-reading her sister, Jane's letters.
The original illustration was by Isabel Bishop, the American illustrator.
However, certain aspects of the design do nag at me a little. And very notably at others who have been most vociferous in their opposition. The first and most noisy debate surrounds the image of Jane Austen on the banknote. Of course, the use of any of the images purporting to be Jane is problematical because we really do not have a good, clear and authenticated portrait of her which was taken in her lifetime. The watercolour image owned by the National Portrait Gallery and painted by Cassandra Austen, which is the only authenticated image we have, was obviously thought to be inappropriate, and, indeed, it might be that it was difficult to render it as an engraved image. This is a pity as I rather prefer this image, with all it faults, to any other. The Bank has decided, instead, to use the Lizar's engraving of James Andrew's watercolour portrait of Jane, which was commissioned by Edward Austen-Leigh to be included in the famous memoir he wrote of his aunt and which was published in 1870.
This Victorian image of Jane exercises some people greatly. I don't mind it, but then I don't read into it the message that it makes Jane Austen look like a passive, sanitized doll figure. But others take a very different view of it. Look at this account of a debate on last Thursday morning's Today programme, broadcast on BBC Radio 4. Click this link to to read about it all. Dr Paula Byrne clearly detests this portrait and hated the fact it was chosen to adorn the banknote. Elizabeth Proudman of the Jane Austen Society took a contrary view. Their conversation, which became quite heated, certainly enlivened my breakfast on Thursday morning.
My big gripe however, is with the decision to include an engraving of Jane Austen's rich brother, Edward Knight's home in Kent, Godmersham Park. This element is obviously based on the Halsead engraving of 1797 ( my copy is shown below):
and I truly do appreciate that having an engraving of a property which has links to Jane Austen to copy must be a boon for the designers of the banknote. But, for me, it sends all the wrong signals to the general pubic. Jane Austen did not live in such splendour. She was allowed only ever to visit Godmersham. All her life she lived under the protection and on the charity of others: first, her parents and then, after her father's death in 1805, her brothers. Apart from the income she received from her books in the last years of her life, she had no personal income at all. She lived in much, much less exalted places than her brother's grand home. Using the Godmersham image seems to reinforce, quite wrongly, the impression some seem to have that she lived in the midst of a very privileged sphere and wrote only about the rich, forgetting that she could and did write about poverty, and, indeed from 1805 onwards lived a precarious life financially. Her depiction of the poor in Emma and moreover the ghastly details of the squalid home and lifestyle of the Price family in Portsmouth in Mansfield Park are details that only someone who had experience of this type of life could have described. Using this rather grand image blurs her real achievement of writing these incomparable novels in the face of some adversity, and reinforces the Quality Street, saccharine view some have of Dear Aunt Jane and her works, in my humble opinion. I would far rather have seen am image of Chawton Cottage. This was a humble dwelling, and moreover one which Jane didn't ever own, but despite all this, was the safe haven which became the cradle for her creativity.
I am also disappointed in the choice of quotation. The Bank of England has chosen a quote from Pride and Prejudice but one which is uttered by Miss Bingley (of all people!) when she is trying so very desperately to attract Darcy's attention:
Which sounds great, until you read it in context: here is the expanded quote from Chapter 11:
Miss Bingley's attention was quite as much engaged in watching Mr. Darcy's progress through his book, as in reading her own; and she was perpetually either making some inquiry, or looking at his page. She could not win him, however, to any conversation; he merely answered her question, and read on. At length, quite exhausted by the attempt to be amused with her own book, which she had only chosen because it was the second volume of his, she gave a great yawn and said, "How pleasant it is to spend an evening in this way! I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of anything than of a book! When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library."
No one made any reply. She then yawned again, threw aside her book…
I would much rather have preferred the Bank to have used this quote, from a letter Jane Austen wrote to her niece, Fanny Knight, on the 13th March 1817.
Single women have a dreadful propensity for being poor…
Which is something I think, may still hold true today, but in any event, using it would have brought into focus Jane Austen's own situation ( and one that she wrote about so eloquently when depicting poor Miss Bates in Emma.) It may have been too controversial a choice, but would, in my view, have been a better reflection of Jane Austen's own very clear-eyed assessment of the financial worth of her characters and the role money ( or the lack of it) played in her life.
However, I am still rather pleased she will be honoured and look forward to the day my ATM delivers it to me.
To turn to a slightly different topic, the images we have of Jane Austen may again come under some scrutiny for the water-colour made by James Andrews, which was based on Cassandra Austen's sketch and approved by those who knew her ( with, it must be admitted, a few reservations) is to be sold at auction at Sothebys in the near future.
Go here to The Guardian site to read all about it. I will, of course, keep an eye on developments. I wonder who will purchase it? The National Portrait Gallery seems the obvious choice, but I daresay the Jane Austen House Museum in Chawton would treasure it. But may they have exhausted potential donors goodwill after the recent purchase of Jane Austen's turquoise ring …? What a fascinating situation, and certainly one to watch. Which brings me rather conveniently to the subject of my next post: that ring and Kelly Clarkson ;)


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Nowadays car games are more than light entertainment to give you square eyes and burn the day away. They're big business.
If you're a decent gamer, you now have a licence to be a racing driver, or develop real life cars like the McLaren P1.
Games even form the basis for big Hollywood movies, something the Need for Speed franchise - which celebrates its 20th birthday this year - knows all too well.
Over the last 20 years, NFS has released 23 instalments, sold 150 million copies worldwide, conjured up some big, drifty marketing campaigns… and of course a CGI-free film with lots of fire, lots of explosions, and a healthy dose of cars crashing in slow motion starring our favourite fictional meth cook, Aaron Paul.
But it all started back in 1994 with The Need for Speed, a simple racing game for the 3DO.
Back then, with only a smattering of pixels to smear around the screen, the developers didn't have the processing power to create photo-realistic games we're used to now.
Even so, those square pixels were mindblowing at the time, recreating eight, (yes, eight!) cars vaguely recognisable as a Toyota Supra, Dodge Viper and Lamborghini Diablo VT. They even sounded realistic, too. A bit.
But with closed-circuit racing, point-to-points and police pursuits, the premise of the game was very much as we recognise NFS today. Though unfortunately we had to wait another decade for nitrous.
So with NFS blowing its birthday candles out, we thought we'd offer you 20 of our favourite retro racing titles ever. Have a nostalgic click through and then tell us: what did we miss?


text: This morning, my fiancee and I were discussing the horrible post-Sandy situation in Staten Island, how people don't have places to sleep, how kids don't have hot food to eat, and how they're still pulling bodies from houses. Since he's a freelancer and his schedule is a lot less "manically hunched over a laptop for like 11 hours a day" than mine, he decided to spend the day on Staten Island helping out. Except, when he tried to get across the bridge, the MTA bus driver wouldn't take him.


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117 Main Street West, Huntsville, ON, Canada, P1H 1W8
Phone: (705) 788-5051 Fax: (705) 788-5044
Supports Green Practices
"Supports Green Initiatives" designates a hotel's participation in an optional environmental program that includes the use of energy-efficient lighting, guestroom towel/linen re-use, and on-premise recycling. "Supports Green Initiatives" does not represent an official certification of any kind.
Join free while you book
There is no catch. Join for free, and get access to exclusive perks!
Access to exclusive promotions and low, member-only pricing
10 points per dollar that add up fast... for free nights, gift cards or your dream getaway
Instant extra rewards for your weekday travel
Exclusive flexible rate for Choice Privileges members when you book direct at ChoiceHotels.ca or through the Choice Hotels Mobile App. Valid at most International and U.S. Choice Hotels locations. Must be or become a Choice Privileges member prior to making the booking. Discount rate is non-transferable or redeemable for cash, cannot be used for future stays or existing reservations and may not be combined with other promotions, offers or discounts. Unless otherwise stated, quoted rates are per room, per night, based on single/double occupancy and do not include taxes, gratuities or incidental charges. Early departure fees, deposit and cancellation restrictions may apply and will vary by hotel. Not valid at vacation rental properties.
The Econo Lodge® hotel is conveniently located across from Avery Beach and close to other Huntsville attraction including the Huntsville Civic Centre, the Algonquin Theatre and Muskoka Heritage Place, featuring a genuine pioneer village.
With Arrowhead Provincial Park and world-famous Algonquin Provincial Park close by, Huntsville is renowned as a nature, recreation and resort destination. Guests can enjoy fishing, hiking, biking, canoeing and golfing. Visit downtown Huntsville and enjoy more than 120 unique shops, restaurants, galleries, museums, various events and a waterfront park.
All guest rooms at this 100% non-smoking hotel come equipped with refrigerators, microwaves, wall-mounted LCD televisions with cable, desks, ironing equipment and hair dryers. In addition, some rooms have whirlpool bathtubs. Handicap accessible rooms are available. Currency exchange services, outdoor parking and cold weather hook-ups are available for added guest convenience.
Guests of this Huntsville hotel enjoy high-value amenities including:
Free continental breakfast and coffee
Check-In Time: 15:00 Check-Out Time: 11:00 Guest Rooms: 34


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The Holmes County Blue Devils defeated the Paxton Bobcats at the Regional Semifinals with a score of 72-51.
BONIFAY � The Holmes County Blue Devils defeated the Paxton Bobcats at the Regional Semifinals on the evening of Tuesday, Feb. 19.
The Holmes County Blue Devils came off with a slow start, struggling in the first period against the relentless attacks of the Paxton Bobcats, ending the first period with the Bobcats in the lead with a score of 20-18.
This would be the last lead afforded to the Bobcats as the Blue Devils began to pick up their stride in the second quarter.
For most of the second period it was a tug of war match with each side gaining equal ground until the very end of the second period when the Blue Devils really turned up the heat and ended the second period in the lead with a score of 32-28.
Steadily the Blue Devils found themselves more and more into a grove, picking up the pace against the Bobcats, especially towards the end of the third period and barely able to contain the momentum as the period ended with a score of 51-45.
They kept adding the heat, increasing the ferocity, using more complex plays and more coordinated efforts then before and sent the Bobcats packing as the game wrapped up with a score of 72-51.
�It was a big win,� said Blue Devils� Head Coach Poe White. �It wasn�t pretty but we�ll take it. We struggled the first part of the game but we managed to pull out a win in the second half.�
The Blue Devils will be facing the Malone Tigers at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 23 at the Holmes County High School gym in the Regional Semifinals.


text: Wyoming is a state in the western United States. The easternmost section of the state is a region known as the High Plains due to its altitude above sea level, while the majority of the state is dominated by the mountain ranges and rangelands of the Rocky Mountain West. Wyoming is the least populous U.S. state. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the state population was 515,004 in 2006, a 4.3% increase since 2000. The capital and the most populous city of Wyoming is Cheyenne. Residents of Wyoming are known as Wyomingites.


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The Ravens have an outside shot at the No. 3 seed in the AFC. The potential reward from a one-spot climb apparently doesn't justify the risk of exposing certain key players to injury.
Quarterback Joe Flacco exited the Week 17 game at Cincinnati after a 16-snap preseason cameo appearance, culminating with a sack.
Running back Ray Rice, contrary to reports he won't play, has participated on a limited basis, with three carries for five yards.
The Ravens lead, 7-0, thanks to a touchdown drive engineered by backup Tyrod Taylor.


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The 'Rose' small cross-body bag from Kate Spade is a vintage-inspired coated straw bag with an adjustable chain strap. Featuring fringed zips and a contrasting leather trim. Three interior card slots. Finished with a foil embossed logo.
Main: Coated Straw. Trim: Leather. Lining: Faille.
Dimensions: H: 14cm x W: 19cm x D: 7cm. Strap Length: 57cm.
|Size / Fit:
Please remember to add postal time (2-3 working days) to obtain a complete estimate of delivery to your door.
You will receive an email to confirm when your item has been sent.
You can also check the status of your order and individual items by accessing My Account details and following the prompts.
Please allow 10 working days from dispatch of your order before notifying us of any late deliveries.
It may be advisable to check with your neighbours to see if a parcel has been left with them, check any outhouses you might have where it may be left if it cannot fit through your letterbox and contact your local sorting office to see if the item has been returned to the depot as undelivered and awaiting collection.
Please see our returns policy.
Kate Spade New York Women's Rose Mini Bucket Bag - Optic White
Was £275.00
Kate Spade New York Women's Lucie Cross Body Bag - Black
Was £188.00
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Learn about lighting system performance at the industry's main lighting show – Lightfair International.
Are you going to San Francisco? Regardless of your travel plans, more than 17,000 lighting architects, engineers, designers, and end-users will be making their way to the City by the Bay June 2-5, 2002, for Lightfair International 2002 at the Moscone Center.
More than just a chance to glad hand with other members of the lighting industry, Lightfair offers the new product showcase and awards presentation. The presentation kicks off the 2002 show on June 3 from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. with a preview of what you can find on the exhibit floor. A panel of lighting professionals will serve as judges and present several awards, including Best New Product of the Year, the Technical Innovation Award, and the Design Excellence Award.
And if that isn't enough to satisfy the new product hunger, attendees will have the opportunity to examine the features and benefits of numerous new or expanded product lines. For example, new electronic ballast designs (with end-of-life sensing and automatic shut off), enhanced phosphors, and modified arc tube shapes will be presented in a number of new offerings. Another across-the-board improvement is the soft starting of all three lamp types, which extends the life of the filament or cathodes within the lamp.
A lot of attention will be given to the halogen infrared reflecting lamp, which works by redirecting heat energy back to the filament through a special coating on the quartz shield surrounding the filament. This combination of halogen gas cleansing and reflective coating can nearly double the efficacy of the incandescent source, offering the potential of almost 40 lm/W. New dopants and glass material processing, such as quartz pinching technology, also enhance incandescent performance.
Upgrades in fluorescent lamps - barrier coatings, improvements in electrode design and electrode depletion and better management of mercury consumption – have produced a premium line of T8 lamp, rated a 30W, rather than the standard 32W. At the same time, new ballast designs matched with specific linear fluorescent lamps create an optimum performance system. The life of T8 linear lamps, at 3 hr per start, is also stretched to 20,000 hr, and, in some cases, even to 30,000 hr.
The T5 fluorescent lamp with an electronic ballast is ideal for sleek, pendant-mounted fixtures, which are increasingly popular in office applications. Although the lumen per watt output is no better than T8s with electronic ballasts, the compact T5 source provides better control and improved optical efficiency leading to a line of elegant fixtures for both direct and indirect lighting. T5 lamps come in two distinct lines: the high-efficiency line and the high-output line. The high-output line includes lamps that provide as much light as two regular T8 or T12 lamps, thereby reducing the number of fixtures required in a space.
Another area where lamp companies continually add new products is the compact fluorescent (CF) line. Three to five times more efficient than incandescent lamps, they are available in wide range of lumen packages, including U-tube, circle, D-shape, or 2D. Numerous improvements in manufacturing, along with better managing of ripple currents and control of preheating, are creating CF lamps with high-lumen outputs. For example, 57W (4,300 lm), 70W (5,100 lm) and 80W (6,000 lm) triple-tube CFLs can be used in high bay industrial areas, in a retail ceiling, or for outdoor general lighting.
The latest metal halide lamps use much smaller arc tubes, which provide better control of the metallic salts, resulting in higher light output, better starting characteristics, longer life, and better lamp-to-lamp color temperature control, compared to the standard MH lamp. Participants will see that this newest generation of MH lamps uses a high-voltage pulse igniter within in the ballast, rather than a third starter electrode in the arc tube. Manufacturers will be offering lighting layouts based on the new higher initial and mean lumens of these lamps.
Attendees will also be able to check out outdoor fixtures that accept vertically mounted MH lamps, which typically yield 10 % more light than horizontally mounted lamps. And with the use of a drop lens, the-pole-to-pole spacing can be increased, compared with older outdoor lighting equipment. One fixture maker offers an area luminaire for vertical-lamp-oriented, pulse-start MH lamps in six wattages, ranging from 320W to 1,000W.
New products are always the most popular part of the industry shows, but the seminars are where some of the most important information is presented. And this year's list of topics and speakers is sure to cover the issues that members of the lighting industry want to discuss.
- LEDs – Past, Present, and Future
(June 3, 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.)
Jeff McDonald, consultant, Lighting Research Office
Dr. Nadarajah Narendran, director of research, Lighting Research Center/RPI
As the title suggests, this seminar will examine the past 2 yr of advances in LED technology and what the industry can expect from the emerging light source in the next 2 yr.
- Sports Lighting
(June 3, 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
Craig Robinson, design engineer, Arup
John Waite, senior design engineer, Arup
In the quest to light sporting arenas for the spectators, television audience, and advertisers, the needs of the players themselves are oftentimes overlooked. This seminar will demonstrate how to combine visual comfort, good visibility, and reliability for sporting event lighting.
- Lamp and Ballast Update
(June 3, 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
Roy Sierleja, senior lighting specialist, GE Lighting
Howard Wolfman, senior manager industry relations and standards, Osram Sylvania, Inc.
This seminar will highlight new linear and compact lamp and ballast component technologies and illustrate new energy efficient technologies via the use of working samples. Attendees will also learn about application issues with linear and CFL ballasts and lamps.
- A Specifier's View of DALI
(Digital Automated Lighting Interface) (June 4, 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.)
Richard Miller, vice president, Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum, Inc.
Automated lighting is set to drive down costs and raise energy efficiency in the workplace. To that end, this seminar will discuss how to specify DALI lighting, how to design for it, and the several auxiliary components that go along with it.
- Managing Outdoor Lighting
(June 5, 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.)
John Van Derlofske, senior research scientist and assistant research professor, Lighting Research Center, Rensselear Polytechnic Institute
The LRC is working with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority to develop guidelines for efficient street and area lighting. This seminar will introduce these guidelines and discuss some of them as they specifically address the issues of light pollution and trespass.
- Retail Maintenance
(June 5, 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.)
Deborah Lisheid, director of store maintenance, Old Navy and Gap, Inc.
Sean O'Connor, principal, O'Connor Associates
Gary Popovics, lamp and energy manager, Capitol Light & Supply Co.
Cynthia Turner, national account manager-retail, Philips Lighting
This seminar will discuss different energy efficient products for use in retail and how to evaluate their benefits in a specific installation. The panel will also highlight the different needs of a flagship store vs. mall specialty retailers as they relate to energy, initial cost, and cost of maintenance.
Stay tuned to ECMweb for a full report on Lightfair 2002!


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HTC Desire X review: Needs and wants
11 November 2012
For one reason or another, the One series failed to live up to their potential in terms of actual sales, so HTC turned back to the time-tested Desire line to fill up the coffers and secure some time to regroup. A new attack on the high-end market takes...
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Saturday, May 14, 2011
2010 SPECIFY Honda CBR 250 RRPosted by modification motor at 7:53 AM
2010 SPECIFY Honda CBR 250 RR picture
Honda CBR 250 RR
Honda CBR 250 RR 2010 - Specifications :Honda motorcycle manufacturer recently announced will debut eight new models at EICMA exhibition in Milan, November.
The desire to appear aggressive in Europe turned out to shift the dominance of Italian motorcycle manufacturer that has been mastered.
"By choosing Milan as an important event in Europe shows Honda's commitment to support our main production facilities in Atessa, Italy, and our design studies in Rome," said General Manager of Motorcycle Honda Motor Europe Mark Davies as quoted from autoevolution, Friday (17 / 9 / 2010).
Last year Honda EICMA absent from the title due to the economic crisis that is happening. Now in addition to in Milan, carpet INTERMOT in Cologne in October showoff Honda also be targets in Europe.
Some speculation emerged, Honda CBF600 will presents specifically for the European market by using the V4 engine. There is also a new VFR1200 who try to offer Honda, including CBR 250RR sport bike that will be the entry level of this Japanese manufacturer.
"We can not provide product details such as what to offer, but certainly everything will cover mixture model of significant technological developments," said Communications Manager Honda Motor Europe Harry Cooklin.
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So the Cyprus drama makes for a fascinating story.
But as of yet, the crisis hasn't leaked into broader markets. Even Bernanke noted that today, during his press conference.
And it seems that some are annoyed by the market resilience.
SocGen's currency wizard Kit Juckes tweeted this evening:
Via email, we asked him to expand on what he meant. Basically, in his latest swing through New York City meeting with hedge fund clients, he talked with a lot of folks who had recently made long gold bets (or were looking for it to run), and anti-euro bets.
He writes:
Everyone 'gets' that Cyprus sets an awful precedent. I'm not sure I could find a euro 'dip-buyer' anywhere in the US!! But if you concluded it was terrible news and if you thought deposit tax on top of QE was the final straw that destroys confidence in fiat money, you might be a little annoyed by the size of the move...
So yes; annoyingly no big market reaction. But definitely an incredible human drama.


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Optical Jet in Galaxy M87
A NASA Hubble Space Telescope (HST) view of a 4,000 light-year long jet of plasma emanating from the bright nucleus of the giant elliptical galaxy M87. This ultraviolet light image was made with the European Space Agency's Faint Object Camera (FOC), one of two imaging systems aboard HST. This photo is being presented on Thursday, January 16th at the 179th meeting of the American Astronomical Society meeting in Atlanta, Georgia. M87 is a giant elliptical galaxy with an estimated mass of 300 billion suns. Located 52 million light-years away at the heart of the neighboring Virgo cluster of galaxies, M87 is the nearest example of an active galactic nucleus with a bright optical jet. The jet appears as a string of knots within a widening cone extending out from the core of M87. The FOC image reveals unprecedented detail in these knots, resolving some features as small as ten light-years across. According to one theory, the jet is most likely powered by a 3 billion solar mass black hole at the nucleus of M87. Magnetic fields generated within a spinning accretion disk surrounding the black hole, spiral around the edge of the jet. The fields confine the jet to a long narrow tube of hot plasma and charged particles. High speed electrons and protons which are accelerated near the black hole race along the tube at nearly the speed of light. When electrons are caught up in the magnetic field they radiate in a process called synchrotron radiation. The Faint Object Camera image clearly resolves these localized electron acceleration, which seem to trace out the spiral pattern of the otherwise invisible magnetic field lines. A large bright knot located midway along the jet shows where the blue jet disrupts violently and becomes more chaotic. Farther out from the core the jet bends and dissipates as it rams into a wall of gas, invisible but present throughout the galaxy which the jet has plowed in front of itself. HST is ideally suited for studying extragalactic jets. The Telescope's UV sensitivity allows it to clearly separate a jet from the stellar background light of its host galaxy. What's more, the FOC's high angular resolution is comparable to sub arc second resolution achieved by large radio telescope arrays.


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Misleading wiring messages with aliased Spring DataSources
When accessing databases in Spring you commonly use a dataSource.xml file of some description to hold the XML stanzas describing the connection details to various databases or schemas.
When dealing with multiple dataSource requirements you might find that more than one logical dataSource bean name actually points to the same physical connection. Rather than define multiple datasource stanzas with exactly the same details, Spring allows the use of the
<bean id="personDataSource" class="org.apache.commons.dbcp.BasicDataSource">
<property name="driverClassName" value="oracle.jdbc.driver.OracleDriver" />
<property name="url" value="jdbc:oracle:thin:@database:port:SID" />
<property name="username" value="USER" />
<property name="password" value="PASS" />
<property name="validationQuery" value="select 1 from dual"/>
<alias alias="customerDataSource" name="personDataSource"/>
BUT (this is the whole point of this blog post really!)
If you get wiring errors when Spring tried to wire data sources into other beans it DOESN'T see aliased beans as first class citizens, when the error reports which data sources are available it won't list the aliased names, suggesting that you actually have less data sources than you really do!
So although aliases are great (and have saved me loads of lines of duplicated XML config) make sure you consider that they won't be shown in lists of 'available data sources'.


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I also got an iphone earlier this year, and having that on me makes me much less likely to carry my Canon camera around anymore. So I no longer take 200 pictures, I take 5 now. That is also another reason blog posts just aren't happening. Instagram has almost taken that need to blog away from me. I can now show my trips, crafts, work, family photos... All in one place. Easy as pie(Yum!). So the evolution of Dream State is going in a different direction. I am more business based now, and less on sharing personal trips and tips. Hopefully this blog is included in the future of Dream State. It will have to change with me, and my directions in life. On that note --I will now be working on a tab for free printable's!
Speaking of accomplishments, goals, & direction..I just launched Dream State's Official Shop Website!Who knows. Maybe since this year was twice as busy as last, next year will double this year? Maybe I'll have to hire someone. Just maybe.. 2015 holds many surprises. The future is exciting!


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- Details
Bed and Breakfast Highfield House (Waasmunster Flandre orientale)
Environ 6 km de Sint pauwels
Lovely country house.
Bed and Breakfast Highfield House (Waasmunster Flandre orientale)
Environ 6 km de Sint pauwels
Lovely country house.
Bed and Breakfast AAAWA Bed And Breakfast (Antwerp Antwerp)
Environ 21 km de Sint pauwels
ADORABLE ANTWERP ACCOMMODATION is situated in the trendy 'ZUID' of Antwerp centre, Flanders fashion, diamond and art capital, with its many museums, shops, restaurants and cafés. Pentroom: luxurious guestroom ( 6m ... Read more
Bed and Breakfast Boulevard Leopold B And B (Antwerp Antwerp)
Environ 22 km de Sint pauwels
Story: A 19th century house in the middle of the Jewish Quarter of Antwerp between the Albert park and the famous City Park. The house dating from 1890 and respected by ... Read more
Bed and Breakfast Middelheim Guest House (Antwerp Antwerp)
Environ 23 km de Sint pauwels
Private house of recent construction and large garden, with all modern comfort, easily accessible with private car or public transport. Suitable for business trips (free Internet access) and vacation, close to ... Read more
Bed and Breakfast T Groene Genoegen (Laarne Flandre orientale)
Environ 25 km de Sint pauwels
In 't Groene Genoegen, relaxation and quality of life are central values. In the dependence of the beautiful restored "flowers house" there are four rooms with their own bathroom. The ... Read more