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RIE parenting could be summed up as an awareness of our babies. We perceive and acknowledge them to be unique, separate people. We enhance our awareness by observing them — allowing them the bit of space they need to show us who they are and what they need.
RIE parenting also makes us more self-aware. Through our sensitive observations we learn not to jump to conclusions; for example, that our babies are bored, tired, cold, hungry, or want to hold the toy they seem to notice across the room. We learn not to assume that grumbling or fussing means babies need to be propped to sitting, picked up, or rocked or bounced to sleep. We recognize that, like us, babies sometimes have feelings that they want to share and will work through them in their own way with our support.
We learn to differentiate our children's signals from our own projections. We become more aware of the habits we create (like sitting babies up or bouncing them to sleep), habits that can then become our child's needs. These are artificially created needs rather than organic ones.
In short, RIE parenting asks us to use our minds as well as our instinct, to look and listen closely and carefully before we respond.
Sensitive observation proves to us that our babies are competent individuals with thoughts, wishes and needs of their own, and once we discover this truth there's no turning back. Then, like Alison Gopnik, one of several psychologists on the forefront of an exciting new wave of infant brain research, we might wonder, "Why were we so wrong about babies for so long?"
Practiced observers like RIE founder Magda Gerber weren't wrong. More than sixty years ago, Gerber and her mentor, pediatrician Emmi Pikler, knew what Gopnik's research is finally now proving: infants are born with phenomenal learning abilities, unique gifts, deep thoughts and emotions. Pikler and Gerber dismissed the notion of babies as "cute blobs" years ago, understood them as whole people deserving of our respect.
Gerber's RIE approach can perhaps be best described as putting respect for babies into action. Here's how:
1. We communicate authentically. We speak in our authentic voices (though a bit more slowly with babies and toddlers), use real words and talk about real things, especially things that directly pertain to our babies and that are happening now. We encourage babies to build communication skills by asking them questions, affording them plenty of time to respond, always acknowledging their communication.
2. We invite babies to actively participate in caregiving activities like diapering, bathing, meals and bedtime rituals and give them our full attention during these activities. This inclusion and focused attention nurtures our parent-child relationship, providing children the sense of security they need to be able to separate and engage in self-directed play.
3. We encourage uninterrupted, self-directed play by offering even the youngest infants free play opportunities, sensitively observing so as not to needlessly interrupt, and trusting that our child's play choices are enough. Perfect, actually.
4. We allow children to develop motor and cognitive skills naturally according to their innate timetables by offering them free play and movement opportunities in an enriching environment, rather than teaching, restricting or otherwise interfering with these organic processes. Our role in development is primarily trust.
5. We value intrinsic motivation and inner-directedness, so we acknowledge effort and take care not to over-praise. We trust our children to know themselves better than we know them, so we allow children to lead when they play and choose enrichment activities, rather than projecting our own interests. We encourage our children's passions and support them to fulfill their dreams.
6. We encourage children to express their emotions by openly accepting and acknowledging them.
7. We recognize that children need confident, empathic leaders and clear boundaries, but not shaming, distractions, punishments or time out.
8. We allow children to problem-solve and experience and learn from age-appropriate conflicts with our support.
9. We understand the power of our modeling and recognize that our children are learning from us through our every word and action about love, relationships, empathy, generosity, gratitude, patience, tolerance, kindness, honesty and respect. Most profoundly, they're learning about themselves, their abilities and their worth, their place in our hearts and in the world.
Note: these are not Magda Gerber's official RIE principles (which are found HERE).
The outcome of all this? I couldn't agree more with the promises Magda Gerber stated: "RIE helps adults raise children who are competent, confident, curious, attentive, exploring, cooperative, secure, peaceful, focused, self-initiating, resourceful, involved, inner-directed, aware and interested".
But what I'm most grateful to Magda for is the deeply trusting, mutually respectful relationships I have with my children. Respect and trust have a boomerang effect. They come right back at you. As Magda promised, I've raised kids I not only love, but "in whose company I love being."
In these two podcast episodes (from my series "Unruffled") I share more about the first 6 parenting basics. The final installment in which I'll describe basics 7,8, and 9 is coming soon!
To learn more about RIE parenting, check out these resources:
Your Self–Confident Baby by Magda Gerber and Allison Johnson
Dear Parent: Caring for Infants With Respect by Magda Gerber
Pikler Bulletin #14 by Dr. Emmi Pikler
My books: Elevating Child Care: A Guide to Respectful Parenting and No Bad Kids: Toddler Discipline Without Shame (both available on Audio)
My posts, especially Magda Gerber's Gift to Grown-Ups and 9 Parenting Words to Live By
(Photo by Mark Evans on Flickr)
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I LOVE your comments and questions. Please add them here...
A simple hearty huge THANK YOU for this clear concise post!!! Excellent!
It would be great if you could give some real situation examples if each? Thank you!
Thank you Janet – the timing of this post couldn't be better as my Bradwell Baby Cottage group is gaining ground! An exciting time for me. Sometimes I think you're a mind reader with your posts!
Thank you so much for this.
What a lovely post. I resonated with the basic, "We encourage babies to build communication skills by asking them questions, affording them plenty of time to respond, always acknowledging their communication."
In my music practice, many parents bring with them a pressure to perform or make their babies perform. That assumed pressure sometimes tempts them to fill in the gaps for their babies. To relieve this, I like to encourage "purposeful silence" where the parents listen delightedly, with no expectations, even if the baby makes no sound at all. Thanks for the reminder that this is a basic communication skill!
This is perfect. I usually don't bother to direct people here unless they're looking for advice on specific things like independent play or clingy babies… It's too hard to explain and usually a single post doesn't necessarily give a good idea of what it's "about." Could you permi-link this in your sidebar?
Thank you for posting this!
Janet, I can hear my mothers voice when I read your blog. Your understanding and ability to clearly express Magda Gerber's ideas is paramount.
The amazing children you have raised are as lucky as I am. Clear and kind words of this and your other blogs read by your huge list of followers does more to spread my mothers wisdom than anything or anyone else. I am forever grateful to you.
Thank you janet. Thanks a million! I work with infant and toddlers and their parents. This is such a great guide. A lot of hobg kong Chinese are beginning to come around to RIE. I will be directing them to your page too. What adifference we can make in the lives of many families here!
I am just learning about RIE and this post is extremely helpful to me. My daughter is 6 months old and I made the mistake of jiggling her around to soothe her. Now, she won't take rest on me. She has learned that when she's with me, she should be bounced or moved about in some way. Interestingly, she snuggles with her nanny with no problems. Any suggestions on how I can break the pattern I created?
Which of Magda Gerber's two books you recommend is the better to introduce to new parents who aren't already familiar with these ideas? Dear Parents or Your Self-Confident Baby?
what does RIE stand for?
Resources for Infant Educarers. http://www.rie.org/about/
This all makes so much sense to me, but I was raised the EXACT opposite of this and it is not easy to retrain my brain. Most of this comes naturally to me, but I need lots of work in other areas. Thanks for the great post… it keeps me inspired and moving in the "right" direction with my toddler and infant 🙂
Janet, Wonderful, as always. I would love to see you share the Sensory Awareness Bulletin on Emmi Pikler as a resource. As far as I know, it's the English language publication that has the most material translated directly from Pikler's writings. I love it.
Great post! We do most of these things but we have gotten into the habit of talking in a different tone to our daughter. As much as it comes out of affection, I want her to feel respected. Do you think she will react negatively if we stopped?
I appreciate learning new approaches so much, and am grateful that some of these things my husband and I have done naturally. However, I am always overwhelmed with almost paralyzing guilt when I learn of something that I could have done much better in in an area that my children had already passed. Are these feelings normal? How do I overcome them?
Janet, I am a Service Coordinator for an Early Intervention program in Missouri called First Steps. I have been reading your Facebook page for about a year and have found information that I can use with the parents that I serve. I am curious, though, and want to know if RIE Parenting can be done with all children with special needs since these children might not know how to do something and may need to be taught.
I think the core of RIE is respect and sensitive observation which can be applied to anyone. Just enough help will be different to each child but the principle still applies. When my step mom was in hospice I was pleasantly surprised at how much my RIE practice helped me communicate and slow down with her and how much peace it gave her to be treated with respect and some dignity. It seems to me the practice of RIE is applicable to most personal interactions we have.
I'm new to RIE and this post is exactly what I was looking for. I've been practicing AP since birth and this looks the right complement. Im struggling at moment with my 2.5yo son who seems no longer able to do anything without me and I'm getting increasingly frustrated, as I can't literally turn my back to him 10 seconds or make a phone call without having him screaming 'Mummy!' all the time. I've just bought your book and hope to find some answers. Thank you for this post.
Thank you for the post! It is so easy and clear to understand. I wish there is a Spanish version of this so that my co workers who are mainly Hispanics can understand 🙂 does anyone know rie articles in Spanish?
Janet I really like your respectful approach on babies/toddlers/children naturally unfolding development. It pairs really well with the vipassana meditation technique I learnt : Nature will do its own role, your job is to observe .. very grateful my midwife led me to you. have a beautiful X-mas holiday!
I feel like I did really well with this approach when I had my first baby (now 2.5yo, a very spirited, sensitive and articulate boy)- I didn't know what it was but when I read this I identified a lot that I did naturally. However with my second (11 months old) I am finding nearly impossible to really observe and understand her, simply because my toddler is so busy and takes up so much of my attention. My second baby is more content and calm by nature and because of this I feel like I pay her hardly any attention some days. Do you have any suggestions as to how to 'juggle' two children of different ages and personality types? I do not like feeling as though I am neglecting my second simply because she is less demanding.
Hi Janet,
I am so inspired by your blog! This perspective is so simple and so brilliant and SO NEEDED in the current parenting world!
I live in an area where I would have to drive about an hour to join an RIE-inspired parenting group (which I did with my first child!). Now with my second child I have decided instead to host an RIE-like group in my home for about 5 parents and babies whom are good friends and have babies the same age (6-12 months).
I am curious if you have any suggestions or support or resources that I can access to help in the process. My plan is to spend the 15-20 minute observation time and maybe if there is interest print out (or email) some reading material before each meeting to hopefully spark conversation before or after the observation time.
I am sure you are busy so I will be surprised and delighted if I hear back form you!
Thank you ever so much!
I found your book "no bad kids very helpful"! Now trying to put it into practice with my 2 yo daughter
These are actually THE 9 points for treating anyone with respect. Also, for being a good leader. Also, for conflict resolution:
1. speak so it plays like a movie in their head
2. ask for help
3. be playful
4. trust intrinsically motivated activity
5. don't use praise as positive reinforcement (to get them to be the way you want them to be)
6. acknowledge emotional expressions
7. define yourself authentically and vulnerably to the other
8. establish conflict as normal and good
9. be the change you want in the world
Typo in bullet point #4. . last sentence.
Thanks, Janet, I'm a learning grandpa.
One of my cousins introduced me to your website. My baby is 5 months old and I am starting to understand your concept of parenting.
Thanks for sharing
Great advice I want to hear more!
Mom of 9,4,3 yr olds
Hi Janet,
Because the RIE approach involves things such as allowing your child to actively participate in activities, removing punishments such as time outs, and free play opportunities, do you believe that a care center using this approach towards a large amount of children would have the same effect as a parent using it towards one child?
I've been researching local care centers that take a more holistic approach towards childcare, such as "harmony learning". I believe it would be a good environment for children to continue developing in a natural manner, but I would love to hear your opinion on the subject.


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Some really cool stuff.
FO Interview: Bill Polian
by Aaron Schatz
I recently had a chance to meet Indianapolis general manager Bill Polian at the second annual MIT Sloan Sports Business Conference, and he agreed to do an e-mail interview with Football Outsiders. We wanted to ask him about not just the Colts, but also his earlier experiences, from the Chicago Blitz to the Carolina Panthers. Thanks to Ned Macey for helping come up with the questions. The answers are short, but definitely interesting.
FO: What did you learn from your short stays in the USFL (Chicago) and CFL (Winnipeg) in 1983-84?
Bill Polian: A great deal. I did virtually every job an executive had to do, from stadium ops to team travel to personnel and signing of players. It prepared me more to be a G.M. than any other experience I have had.
FO: Your Buffalo and Indianapolis teams are known primarily as offensive powerhouses, but Carolina was built primarily around defense. Did you focus on defense specifically because being an expansion team required a different strategy, or did it just shake out that way because those were the best players available at the time?
Bill Polian: We felt the fastest way to win was via defense. The running game. A sound kicking game. And the development of a young quarterback.
FO: Why did Carolina choose to build a veteran team that could contend immediately, but only for a short period, rather than building slowly with younger talent like Jacksonville, Houston, and Cleveland?
Bill Polian: We had to sell Personal Seat Licenses in the new Carolina stadium and therefore had to win right away.
FO: By any objective measure, the 2005 and 2007 Colts were better in the regular season than the 2006 Colts. Why do you think the 2006 team was able to win the Super Bowl? Is it just a matter of getting to the postseason every year with a quality team and then playing a good month of football, or is there something special that a team needs for postseason success?
Bill Polian: A good question. I think the health of our defense in 2006 was a major factor as opposed to 2005 and 2007. You have to be as healthy as you can be in the playoffs.
FO: Tony Dungy was hired in 2002 in large part to develop a competent defense to go with a dominant offense. To that point, you had drafted a number of larger defenders not prototypical for the Tampa-2. How did you go about changing your evaluation style of draft prospects to fit a different system, or is the difference in the type of player needed overstated?
Bill Polian: The difference in players needed is not overstated. We made the change by changing the parameters of our scouting system. It was not an easy task.
FO: Your defense ranked third in our DVOA metrics this season. More than half of the starters were drafted after the fourth round or not at all. What is the key to getting such productivity out of lesser prospects? What attributes are you most looking for with these late-round and rookie free agent pick-ups? What did you see in Ed Johnson that everyone else missed?
Bill Polian: See the previous answer. We know what criteria are important to succeed in our defense and look for them in every round of the draft. In Eds case we saw athletic ability and heard from Coach Paterno that he had grown up and was ready to become a contributor.
FO: Since Dungy, a Minnesota grad, was hired, almost half of your Day 1 picks have been on Big Ten players. Is that a coincidence, or do you have a better feel for people who play college football in the Midwest? Along those lines, how are your college scouts assigned, by region, by conference, or something else?
Bill Polian: Our college scouts are assigned by region. I go all over the country as do our other scouting supervisors. I think the rough tough style of play in the Big Ten may produce players more suited to our style. In the end its more coincidence that anything else.
FO: Both starting guards are free agents this year. How important is maintaining continuity along the offensive line, and assuming it is important, is it more important that the players are used to playing with each other or that they are used to playing in your system? Who do you expect to take over for Jake Scott now that he signed in Tennessee?
Bill Polian: We think Charlie Johnson can step in for Jake Scott. We of course, kept Ryan Lilja. It is more important for the players to understand and execute the system than to have familiarity with one another. For example, Charlie Johnson as a rookie, played three quarters of the Super Bowl when Ryan Diem was injured. Our backs didnt even notice that there had been a change.
FO: In many of your playoff losses, including 2007, your team has struggled to run the ball. In 2006, you split carries during the season between Addai and Rhodes and were able to run the ball extremely well in the playoffs. Is this a coincidence, or do you think that first Edgerrin James and now Addai were worn down by the time the playoffs start?
Bill Polian: I definitely think Edgerrin was worn down in 2004 and 2005. No question about it. Since we went to the two back system in 2006 with Dominic Rhodes and 2007 with Kenton Keith I think we have been more effective.
FO: If you had drafted second in 1998, would you have drafted Ryan Leaf?
Bill Polian: Good question. I cant say for certain. I surely would have looked hard for an impact defensive player as opposed to simply settling for a quarterback other than Peyton.
FO: What player improved the most, on any of your teams, compared to how good he was when you first acquired him?
Bill Polian: On our team here in Indianapolis, I would say cornerback Kelvin Hayden. On our team in Carolina, I would say running back Anthony Johnson and wide receiver Mushin Muhammad. On our team in Buffalo, I would say future Hall of Famer Andre Reed.
FO: If Kerry Collins had been surrounded by Marvin Harrison, Edgerrin James, and Reggie Wayne, would he have been a perennial Pro Bowler and borderline Hall of Famer?
Bill Polian: I cant speak to Pro Bowls or Hall of Fame but I have no doubt that with our offensive line and the skill group you mentioned including Dallas Clark at tight end, Kerry Collins would be a big winner. We would be a much different style offense and football team, but we would win.
FO: Other than Super Bowl XLI and the other games during the 2006 playoffs, what is the most satisfying wins any of your teams has had?
Bill Polian: In Carolina it would be our win in San Francisco against the 49ers in December 1996 which clinched a Division Championship for us and vaulted us into contender status in the NFL in our second year of existence.
In Buffalo it would be the The Greatest Comeback Ever in January 1993, against the Houston Oilers in the AFC playoffs, when we came from 35 points down in the second half to win in overtime.
We thank Mr. Polians assistant Sue Kelly for making this interview possible.

subset: commoncrawl


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(800) 530-8245
Tail of the Lion
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- Mr. David Mason, Owner
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- NAICS: Electronic Shopping
- Cabinets
- Closet Systems & Accessories
- Furniture - Childrens
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Products & Servicescabinet hardware, cabinet organizers, door hardware
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Wagjag Canada: $20 For $40 Towards Magazine Subscriptions
Wagjag Canada has an incredible deal for the magazine lovers out there. Get a $40 voucher for Magazines Canada for just $20 towards print magazines.
There are over 170 different magazines to choose from, both mainstream and niche subscriptions. All subscriptions will includes free shipping, and there will be no extra charges. You will be able to redeem your voucher as soon as the deal ends and it will be valid all the way until March 15th 2014.
There are magazines for culture, fashion, parenting, cooking, leisure, business and more. All of them are Canadian, which I love because they have information and issues relevant to us. Some favourties of mine are Lou Lou, Eco Parent, Elle and Canadian Geographic. A voucher like this is the perfect gift for the avid reader.
This voucher is for a print magazine where a lot of vouchers like this are for an online subscription. I prefer the print issues myself because I like to actually hold the magazine in my hands, cut out recipes, re-read articles and share them with friends.
(Expiry: 3rd January 2013)
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DNR is unlikely to act as deer herd faces possible starvation
Richard Kremer, Wisconsin Public Radio
Deep snow and severe cold has some people concerned that the state's deer herd will starve, and while Minnesota has begun an emergency deer feeding program, Wisconsin won't follow suit.
Earlier this month Minnesota announced it would restart an emergency deer feeding program due to the harsh winter. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) says it will not feed deer this year.
DNR big game ecologist Kevin Wallenfang said under current law, the agency doesn't have authority to start such a program unless the state Legislature directs them to.
"There had been some rumblings a few weeks back from over at the Capitol that there was a possibility that some legislators were going to request a rule change," said Wallenfang.
However, Wallenfang said that they were never told to change their rule.
While the state won't feed deer, citizens in Wisconsin can do so under strict regulation. University of Wisconsin-Madison wildlife biologist Tim Van Deelen, however, said feeding deer can actually be fatal for the animals, because they can't digest corn or hay in winter and food piles can spread disease.
"It's completely intuitive to think you're doing a good thing when you're putting the food out on the landscape to try and help some of the deer survive," said Van Deelen. "It's just that, as in so many of the things that we deal with when humans and wildlife interact, it's the unintended consequences that come back and bite you."
The DNR says there have already been reports of dead deer being found with stomachs full of corn.


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Rod Stewart is headed to Chicago!
Stewart, along with special guest Steve Winwood, will be heading to the United Center on April 10th, 2013, part of the "Live The Life Tour".
The tour, which will kick-off officially in Chicago will run through ten arenas throughout North America including dates in New York, Newark, Philadelphia, Boston, Montreal, Toronto, Atlanta, Detroit, and Greensboro.
Tickets for the United Center opening night go on-sale at 10am on Saturday, December 8th.
Tickets on-sale at the United Center Box Office, Ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster outlets or charge by phone at 800-745-3000.
Steve Koscik / 104.3 K-HITS


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Email letters, March 7, 2012
Taxpayers will pay more with loss of intermodal transportation facility
The commentary by Charlie Quimby, March 4, regarding the joint bus facility is a breath of fresh air for The Daily Sentinel and the readership. This is real news. The original story previously published focused on the adversarial issues and did not speak to many underlying facts as Quimby noted.
The bus station has evolved through several companies from Continental Trailways to Greyhound, and has been a business asset within the community since about 1947 at the present location. Throughout the decades many local businesses depended upon bus transportation for equipment delivery, parts and personnel to arrive through this cost effective and timely service.
Greyhound and its customers deserve more dignity than was offered in the Sentinel articles. Greyhound will move out of downtown with the proposal. The loss of the intermodal transportation facility is emphasized, economically, by the loss of grants. Under the original proposal presented by Grand Valley Rural Transportation Authority (GVRTA), the cost to this community would have been minimal. Who will now pay for the grant losses? The local taxpayers now bear the expense. This should have been one of main topics in the initial articles.
The diligence with which the GVRTA approached the planning for several years has been wasted on the backlash fueled by misinformation. The issue deserved a thoughtful and open dialogue by the all the political entities having a say in the transportation center. A review of the benefits of this facility should have been thoroughly reported. It also deserved the neutral observations and reporting as evidenced by Quimby's column.
Will the parties to this ever stand to account for their rush to polarize and pushing an important issue to the entire community aside? The community would be served better through the intermodal transportation center as proposed by Grand Valley Transportation Authority and Greyhound, at this site or another.
Grand Junction
Allah is a God of submission, not freedom
I am sorry to disagree with Karen Sjoberg's March 6 letter "Muslims and Christians pray to the same God" but I must. The Judaeo-Christian God and the Muslim God are not the same God; in fact they are exact opposites.
The Judaeo-Christian God is a God of reason and free will and thus allows for the concept of liberty. For Jews and Christians, human beings were created in the image of God with the capability of reflection and choice with a mind and will of their own so they would be free to accept or reject His friendship of their own free will — that is precisely what is meant by "in His image." He would not make them His friends by submission but by choice, it is their duty to make that choice. The Christian God wants the friendship of free people, not slaves.
Islam is a faith of total, absolute, submission to the will of Allah with no allowance for a free will and thus no place for the concept of liberty. To claim to have a free will, that is "to be free," is to be an infidel and thus contemptible in the eyes of Allah. For Muslims nothing is in the image of God — the very concept is blasphemous. Allah is too great, completely beyond all our categories. Allah is so great in the Islamic view that He overpowers human liberty resulting in a kind of determinism. Allah does not concern Himself with our liberty, only our submission and obedience, it is unthinkable to talk about human beings "in the image of God." Allah is too great for that. Thus orthodox Islam is a religion of absolute submission and servitude; the very concept of liberty is blasphemous. To claim to be a free person is to be an infidel.
Dave Fox is a great man and coach
The article written by Patti Arnold in regards to the resignation of Dave Fox at Fruita Monument is a sad day in deed. I was fortunate enough to be coached by Mr. Fox from 1983–1986. I played football at Fruita Monument and only shared in his coaching influence, I was able to become his friend over time.
In a time today of negative news of people in a position of trust, I was blessed to have someone that helped me get from practice every evening to my grandmothers through junior high school. It was at that time that my brother and I lost our mother to MS. After the funeral and my first day back to school, the first person to intercept me, was Dave Fox. He pulled me aside, told me how sorry he was, and that he would always be there if I need help. Needless to say, he always has been there, even today.
I feel bad for the students that will be denied his positive influence, his vast knowledge in teaching, and his ability to take a negative situation and turn it into a positive learning experience.
Dave is truly a great man, and I was honored to have him as a teacher, and coach.
Impact of four-day school week on student achievement unknown
After holding several community budget forums, it seems that the majority of the community supports a four-day school week for District 51. However, I oppose adopting such a drastic measure as a means of cost-savings primarily given the limited systematic research on the impact of a four-day school week on student achievement.
In July 2006, the Colorado Department of Education published a report entitled "The 4 Day school week" in which it found "[t]he jury is out on the question of student performance." Moreover, several prominent educational experts have voiced concerns with a four-day school week. In particular, Diane Cargile, president of the National Association of Elementary School Principals, stated "[t]he rationale behind the four-day week is not to improve instruction, but to save dollars." The president of the American Federation of Teachers, Randi Weingarten, said that the concepts of school reform and a four-day school week do not mesh.
In the event the District 51 School Board adopts a four-day school week, I would propose including an automatic mechanism to revert back to a normal five-day school week in the event of a districtwide decline in student achievement. I have not heard any public discussion on this topic, and obviously the School Board along with community input would need to ascertain the triggering decline level. Yet, given the lack of peer-reviewed research on the academic effect of a four-day school week, we must include a means of quickly ending this experiment should it fail.
Grand Junction


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After this year's plastic-crap-extravaganza (Christmas), DH and I have decided to make the toy gifts for DS (and non-toy gifts for the rest of the family) next year, and encourage our family to make gifts rather than buy them as well. He will be two next Christmas, and will have a birthday in between that will need more homemade gifts for it. We also have a 3 yo nephew to make gifts for.
So DH and I sat down to brainstorm last night. He has woodworking tools and has decided to make wooden cars and some play dough rolling pins and tools. I'm looking at making a Waldorf doll (a little boy doll with a sling and "baby") with a matching outfit for him and the doll, Memory cards made with family photos, beanbags, playdough, and a crayon roll-up case.
Creative suggestions and links to instructions for the toddler set and older, please!
wool balls
photo album (my youngest stole his grandma's because he loved looking at the pictures so much!)
wooden animals
lacing cards
patchwork ball
For older kids:
bendie dolls
handmade clothing
dollhouse furniture
personalized stationery
craft kits (put them together yourself)
For grandparents/greats/aunts/uncles:
photo refrigerator magnets
I made this this year:
and this last year:
obviously I added store bought items, but you wouldn't need to.
Flor, that is FANTASTIC!! Do you have a plan for it or something? Did you make the animals and people? So cool!
Mehndi mama - great ideas! DS would like a photo album just for him.
Flor, that tree toy is FANTASTIC!! Do you have a plan for it or something? So cool!
I didn't have time to make the stuff I wanted to make this year - fleece boas, I Spy bags (like a bean bag with a window and various items surrounded by rice for kids to try to find).
Other ideas off the top of my head:
Puppet theatre (hanging in a doorway would be fairly simple)
Animal costumes (they had great ones at a children's museum near us - basically just vests in verious fur fabrics some with hoods, etc made to look like different animals)
Bean bags & game for tossing
Hopscotch rug (could paint on canvas)
Can you tell me more about an I Spy bag? Or link? I've never heard of that.
Here's a link to one. I'd personally put more little things in the bottle, but that's just me!
A kitchen:
A Sock Monkey:
Felt food:
Fleece Slippers:
Crayon Cookies:
Hope that helps!!
BTW, I was inspired by a different thread here. There is a pic here of a gorgeous treehouse. Mine was for a 3 year old boy so it is simple and "jungley." I think it would be fun to make a more detailled "fairy" one for an older child.
The car playmat was really fun to make because it has all of ds's favorite places like Grandma's house and the ice cream shop. He still plays with it everyday and it was from last Christmas.
I don't know of a tutorial but it looks simple enough (without the fancy embroidery of course)
I think kids would like a bag more than a bottle because they can squish the bag around in their hands to find what they want, a bottle would annoy me trying to get new things to appear.
I've got free knit patterns here, most of which are toys:
Plus the basic Little Dude pattern here:
And when I have time, I add more patterns for the stuff that's in the gallery, or feel free to reverse-engineer any of it:
I'm also a fan of simple, reused-item toys. There have been a few threads on this, but basically take anything safe (some items require supervision, obviously, and some aren't suitable at all) and let your kid explore it. In our household, favourites for my toddler are:
Costco-sized cereal boxes and other similar large boxes, some taped up, some left open, they become giant building blocks, places to hide stuff, etc.
The half-box flats that come with the big packs of Earth's Best food, they become risers, seats, trays for smaller stuff, drums, etc.
Plastic water bottles filled with otherwise dangerous stuff like sea shells, beads, etc., plus non-dangerous stuff like water, soap, food colouring, anything that strikes your fancy. Kids love water bottles. You can screw the lid on tight or for extra security, put a bit of white glue around the threads and let it dry for a few days (extra if there's water in there, and don't shake until it's thoroughly dry).
Any cardboard tube such as from toilet paper, paper towels, etc, they become whacking toys, squishable toys, rippable toys, and lately the big fad is to use them as pretend trumpets (my baby holds it up to me and asks for "do do do", it's insanely cute).
Junk mail/unwanted magazines or catalogues are great fun to peruse, rip, teach gentle paper-handling skills, whatever. Then the leftovers go in the recycle bin. Heck, I use it to show my toddler the evils of advertising, even if she doesn't understand it yet. I'll explain to her that that ad is appealing to her emotions, or that one is shouting at her to buy a car, or that that one is misleading for this reason.
Hope this helps!
Kimberly, your work is amazing! I love all the Pop Culture Little Dudes!
Here is a board book I made ds:
The blank board books are from www.barebooks.com they also have blank puzzles and journals and they are CHEAP!
A felt board and felt story characters were a big hit here last year. I made the board by buying a picture frame at Goodwill, popping the back out and gluing batting on it then covering it with felt, and popping it back into the frame.
Speaking of board books, my mom used to make us board books out of cardboard and those metal hinged locking rings that you can get at office supply places. I think they're for holding file cards together or something? She would make photo books, or glue fabric cutouts into pictures, or take inexpensive picture books and cut them up and paste the pages to the cardboard (this requires 2 copies of the book, though.)
Things I have made over the years:
puppets and finger puppets
stuffed animals
doll beds and quilts for them
bean bags
lace up/buttons/snap dolls - I made a black velour bug with all kinds of bug outfits
I love everyones ideas! So creative! At the coffeeshop my friend and I go to, they have a play area with all wooden toys. There are blocks there that I think someone made and they are beautiful. The blocks are made from a branch of a tree or a small tree, sliced to about 1 1/2" and sanded way down so they are super smooth.
This year I made:
personalized ornaments
doll tutus
bendy doll sets
appliqued shirts
personalized frames
Some of my future ideas are:
needlefelted animals
more clothes
fleece scarf and mitten sets
knitted belts
sewn purses
embellished clothes
A rope swing
a wooden square board with 4 casters underneath
felt boards
aprons or smocks with pockets for crayons, etc.
cool magnets and a cookie sheet
magic wands
homemade play doh
lil folk made of spools with acorns for heads, adorned in felt
I've done...
...beanbags with activity cards
...I Spy Bottles
...Dancing ribbons (got gold hoops at Hobby Lobby, tied fancy ribbons to it) and a jingle bell bracelet to wear while dancing
...fleece poncho
...dinosaur soap (grated bar of soap, mixed with some dry oatmeal and enough water to make it gooey, packed it around small dinos for my friend's ds who loves dinos)
Wonkey is so cute! I just love the fact that all the materials for him have meaning - what a neat way to recycle items! I'm sure your son will adore it.
this thread rules! i came on searching for details on making our own crayons from the broken bits and this thread has all that and more! woohoo : :
I came across a really cool quilt idea for a toddler (doesn't really meet the 'reqirements' of this thread but an older toddler might enjoy it- expecially if you make it as a memory game)
Here's the link of what I saw- now off to teach myself to quilt well enough to make one for dd for Christmas...
My children were old enough this year for me to hand down the crocheted crocodile puppet my great-grandma made for me, along with two dolls she crocheted for me - they are swaddle dolls, in that they have a blanket crocheted onto their back, all in one piece. I just wish she hadn't chosen the plastic parts for the face and hands - especially the hand that holds a bottle
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Daren Jonescu writes today at American Thinker about Hillary in Hiding.
Already, the internet is resounding with a chorus of "How convenient!" (See here and here, for example.) Many, upon hearing this news, are assuming that Clinton, who has been hedging for a month on whether to appear at the congressional hearings, has concocted yet another excuse to avoid facing the music on a scandal which, if pursued with integrity, would likely end her political career, to put it mildly.
I, on the contrary, would like to give Secretary Clinton the benefit of the doubt on this one. Though I have never participated in a cover-up involving the brutal murder and defilement of people under my direct employ, I can only imagine that if I had, and if I were being called on the carpet to answer questions about my role in events surrounding a seven-hour terrorist assault on my representatives in Libya, and the subsequent disinformation campaign being managed, in part, out of my office, I would be feeling sick to my stomach, too. I imagine I might even faint, as the day of reckoning approached.
The basic question here is whether Hillary Clinton has so completely dissolved her own moral core -- the way her boss and fellow Alinskyite clearly has done -- that she is incapable of feeling even the fear of self-revelation when she is called to account for her words and actions. In other words, is this week's illness and fainting spell just a convenient excuse for avoiding her responsibilities, or might it be the pounding of a tell-tale heart?
Never having sat on my hands for several hours while receiving live reports and images of my employees being attacked by Ansar al-Sharia, I cannot say for certain how I would feel in her situation.
Never having received communications from men in distress pleading for rescue or support, and done nothing to respond to their cries for help, I can only speculate as to how I would feel if a committee -- some of whose members are not my political allies -- wanted to ask me what happened.Read more: http://www.americanthinker.com/2012/12/hillary_in_hiding.html#ixzz2FNHKWhhl


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View Poll Results: Vote for one girl's and one boy's name
- Voters
- 40. You may not vote on this poll
Multiple Choice Poll.
Results 1 to 5 of 9
Thread: Dated Names Tournament - Finals
Threaded View
June 14th, 2013 11:30 AM #1Moderator
- Join Date
- Oct 2008
- Posts
- 2,124
Dated Names Tournament - Finals
It's now time for the final round of this tournament! Admittedly the names that survived this far are the more "classic" ones, but that makes sense in that they're the ones that are most likely to still have appeal. Vote for one girl's and one boy's name and we'll have a winner once the poll closes! The last round is here.
We have Laura vs. Jane and George vs. Edward up for grabs.


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Joel Salatin: Leading the Charge Against Industrial Agriculture
Thanks to the success of the locavore movement and media attention from films like Food, Inc. and books like Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma, more people than ever are paying attention to where their food comes from and how it was raised.
They're sick of government-subsidized industrial agriculture that has no respect for animals, workers, consumers, or the soil. "Cheap" food carries hidden environmental, social, and health costs that more and more people are unwilling to pay.
Food-activist and sustainable agriculture pioneer Joel Salatin
goes "beyond organic" in his farming methods by observing and mimicking natural systems on his 500-acre Polyface Farm. Salatin isn't afraid to passionately denounce the existing system—and he shows that you don't need pesticides, cruelty, or genetic engineering to be successful.
From CommonDreams.org:
Joel Salatin is fighting against America's genetically-modified foods and for local subsistence farming.
Leading his crusade from the heart of the Shenandoah Valley in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, this anti-globalization messenger who dubs himself a "Christian Libertarian environmentalist capitalist lunatic farmer" has become the face of healthy eating and agriculture.
"The desire from consumers to eat this kind of food is exploding," Salatin said at his 500-acre (200-hectare) farm in Swoope, Virginia.
Small farmers' markets — still scarce just a few years ago — are now in full swing in the United States.
The online Farmers' Market Directory lists 5,274 markets across the country, a 13 percent rise from 4,685 a year ago. The number has grown by nearly 4,000 nationwide since 1994.
"Nobody trusts the industrial food system to give them good food," said Salatin, surrounded by the many cows, pigs, turkeys, rabbits and chickens he raises in methods that remain unconventional in the highly-industrialized US agricultural sector.
"The distrust is very real."
Related Articles:


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Professional News
SPA's Thurber Honored for Scholarship, Service
James Thurber, director of the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies, will be recognized for his contributions to political science and public service with the 2010 Walter Beach Pi Sigma Alpha award on July 29.
The honor is given annually by the National Capital Chapter of the American Political Science Association. Past winners include congressmen, ambassadors, and governors.
A member of the AU faculty since 1974, Thurber is Distinguished Professor of Government in the School of Public Affairs, a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, and the author of more than 80 articles, chapters, and books on Congress, interest groups and lobbying, and campaigns and elections.


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Photo By: Elle Van Houtte/Town Crier
Los Altos Hills resident Mark Brier purchased many different electrical readers to detect the inaccuracies in his PG&E meter.
When Los Altos Hills resident Mark Brier paid $70,000 for a solar energy system in 2007, he figured he would save on his electric bill as well as do his part to help the environment.
Five years down the road, he said his energy savings are minimal. His cautionary tale involves dealing with a parade of technicians and years of troubleshooting only to discover his solar meter wasn't functioning properly. It was not tracking information that could have been applied to his expected solar energy credits. But even with the problem identified, Brier said he has yet to receive any cash back from PG&E.
Brier has filed a claim against PG&E with the California Public Utilities Commission, seeking payback on energy savings as well as compensation for his time.
Brier said he followed up on his initial 48-panel installation with 21 additional panels when he found that his cost savings "were underwhelming." After still showing few savings, he purchased three energy-monitoring devices and cut back on energy use.
He said he hired electricians, energy auditors and solar inspectors to address the problem. PG&E consultants recommended converting four panels, dedicated to the pool filter, to solar. They also suggested a monitoring device on the PG&E meter to track consumption. Brier said he had it installed, only to have a PG&E inspector show up and put a hold on his account because of meter tampering.
The frustrating experience left Brier with three questions: Is your SmartMeter working? How do you know? Who owns your house consumption data?
The last question is pivotal, according to Brier, because he said PG&E claims ownership of his energy-consumption data. Brier said he is at the utility company's mercy in terms of determining what his solar credits should be.
PG&E spokesman Denny Boyles said Brier's case was the first he had heard about faulty solar meters, and that it could not be a SmartMeter because those were installed after 2007. Boyles said he would look into Brier's complaints.


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Former Alabama safety Mark Barron reportedly cashes in on Bucs' jersey number swap
Mark Barron will reportedly give up his football number '24' for $50,000.
That is the price that new Tampa Bay defensive back Darrelle Revis offered to pay if the former Alabama star agreed to swap jersey numbers, according to Paul Lukas of Uni-Watch.com.
Barron wore number '24' in his rookie season with Tampa Bay. He will now be number '23'.
The Bucs acquired Revis from the New York Jets this off season and agreed to pay him $16 million per season.
Tampa Bay drafted Barron with the seventh pick of the 2012 draft out of Alabama. He's in the second year of a four-year deal worth $14.5 million.


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About Creative Crafts Group
Creative Crafts Group LLC is part of the F+W family of consumer enthusiast publishing brands. CCG recently acquired the CK Media business, which includes a diverse mix of traditional magazine publishing, online and digital media, multiple consumer and trade events, merchandising as well as domestic and international product licensing. The foundation of the business is built on nine leading consumer magazine titles which are household names and market leaders providing content and community resources for scrapbooking, paper crafting, quilting and sewing. The publications are Creating Keepsakes, Paper Crafts, Quilter's Newsletter, McCall's Quilting, Quiltmaker, McCall's Quick Quilts, Quilter's Home, Sew News and Creative Machine Embroidery.


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Thoughts on various topics from the perspective of a Jewish non-theist,taking the position that there is no evidence for the existence of a supreme being that directs our lives or the course of the universe.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Existence—What a Concept!
Yet even if the LHC experiments reveal how the universe came into being, it can't tell us why. Perhaps this is something man will never know. Yet by rephrasing the issue, it's fascinating to speculate on the words of the Seventeenth Century philosopher and scientist Gottfried Leibniz : "Why is there something instead of nothing?" In other words, why does the universe exist?
This question is tackled by Adolf Grunbaum in his article "Why Is There a Universe at All Rather than Just Nothing (Part 1)" which appears in the June /July issue of "Free Inquiry". He states that according to Leibniz and Christian philosophy, everything exists only contingently, and the default state of the universe is non-existence. What brings the universe out of the void and into existence is an entity that is a necessary being whose reason for existence is self-contained and is eternal. Obviously, this entity is God. Furthermore, the universe could not continue to exist without God's perpetual intervention. It would lapse into nothingness.
Grunbaum turns this supposition around and challenges the logic that the de facto state of the universe is nothingness. He asks why can't existence— "something" rather than "nothing" be the default state? Further, why is God necessary and not contingent? By the way, this last question indirectly touches on the issue of first cause, for if God is a contingent entity , that renders moot that age-old riddle: If God created the universe, who created God?. And besides, the concept of a "manufactured" world is not universal. Many cultures past and present view the universe itself as eternal without having been brought about by an outside force.
I agree with Grunbaum, and as for the notion that the Universe requires constant support of a supreme being in order to stay in existence, I am reminded of the Deist philosophy of the Enlightenment. The great thinkers of that era who were not out-and-out atheists or agnostics believed in the existence of God, but only as a "watchmaker" who created the universe and then left it to run on its own. Carrying this line of line of thought further this implies that even if God exists, he has "retired" and is irrelevant in the affairs of humankind.
One one hand, cosmologists no longer accepts the "steady state" theory that the universe has existed forever. Instead, there is good evidence that the Big Bang occurred about 14,000,000,000 years ago. There is no evidence that this was the act of a supreme being. Perhaps this beginning was the result of something that occurred in a larger metaverse. Or perhaps our universe is one of an infinite number of parallel universes, each in a different dimension. Or possibly every instant in time is a point of departure that itself creates an infinite number of alternate worlds.
On the other hand, in several billion years there may be a "Big Crunch" in which creation will stop its present course of expansion and collapse back in on itself, only to start the cycle of a Big Bang, expansion, and eventual collapse again. So maybe our current universe is one in an infinite number of cycles that have happened and will continue to do so forever. To that extent maybe it is these universes as successive events that are eternal after all.
But just because we don't know all the answers to these questions and perhaps never will is no reason to continue clutching to the belief of a "big daddy in the sky" no matter how emotionally comforting such a myth might be.
1 comment:
- Mike said...
Got here through the Blog Symposium.
I've often heard it said (particularly among creationist circles) that belief in a multiverse is just as much a matter of faith as belief in God, since there's no evidence for it. But I have 2 issues with this.
1) Belief in a deist god is totally different to believing in the Abrahamic god. There is a HUGE difference between believing there was a first cause (which AFAIC is a tenable position as valid as any other about the origin of the universe, we don't really know) and believing that there is an afterlife, and that this god has an impact on our daily lives, and can hear our thoughts etc etc. Philosophical arguments for a first cause are not good arguments in favour of religious faith.
2) It's clearly not the same kind of faith. We live in one universe, why couldn't another one exist too? Why couldn't many more exist? But we've no experience of anything like a deist god.
- March 28, 2009 at 1:16 AM


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Later this year, Apple will be launching its first major new product line since the iPad arrived in 2010. The Apple Watch will undoubtedly garner millions of users in just a few months, and those early adopters will be hungry for new applications. If you want to take part in this exciting new product launch, all you need to do is develop a watch app of your very own. Don't know where to start? No problem, we found an excellent online course from Udemy, and it will teach you everything you need to get started.
This course offers extensive walkthrough videos and code samples, but that's just the beginning. You'll also get a year of web hosting, over a thousand assets you can use in your applications, and a copy of the e-book How to Earn $10,000 Dollars While Learning To Code written by Rob Percival — the creator of this very course.
Normally, this course costs $199, but we found a deal that will save you loads of cash. Simply use the coupon code "APPLEWATCH" during your checkout process, and you'll end up paying just $29 — a whopping 85% discount. With a price that low, there's no excuse not to jump right in, and learn how to make apps for Apple's upcoming gadget.
- The complete Apple Watch developers course at Udemy for $29 (Standard price: $199 — Coupon code: APPLEWATCH)
Check out these other outstanding deals:
- 75% off all other courses at Udemy (Coupon code: 75GAWKERLEARN)
- Dell Inspiron 15 touchscreen laptop for $649.99 (Market value: $874.99)
- Lenovo Flex 2 14-inch 1080p laptop for $599 (Standard price: $699 — Coupon code: USPF14681219)


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Quick Texters Compete in US National Texting Championship – Daily Dose of Weird [VIDEO]
It seems like most people text with their phones more than they talk on them these days. I text all the time, and I'm not always sure why. It takes more effort to type out thoughts on a tiny keyboard, rather than just say them. Plus, it's impossible to know someone's inflection and tone of voice through text. If I had a dime for every misinterpreted text I've dealt with, I'd have…well, a whole lot of dimes; at least ten or 20 bucks worth! But some folks are so good at texting, they are actually winning huge cash prizes for doing it! Read on to see what I mean.
11 of the best texters in the US recently went head-to-head in the U.S. National Texting Championship in New York City. The prize? A giant check for $50,000!
I'm not sure what surprises me more: the fact that this competition exists, or the fact that the prize is such a huge chunk of change!
Check out Reuters' coverage of the story below, then
CLICK HERE for more "Doses of Weird!"


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30 Rock
Watch the Cast of '30 Rock' Say Goodbye to Tina Fey
'30 Rock' Series Finale: Ben & Jerry's Commemorative Flavor
Much as we don't want to face the truth, this Thursday night '30 Rock' will finally close its doors after seven seasons with an hour-long episode, saying goodbye to our favorite NBC employees Liz, Jack, Jenna, Tracy and Kenneth. But thanks to a new venture from ice cream makers Ben & Jerry's, that end may not taste so bittersweet. The company has unveiled plans to dedicate a flavor to '30 Rock,' one whose name will be kept a secret until the series finale airs! Find out how you can have your own mandatory Liz Lemon ice cream party inside!
Supercut Proves '30 Rock's' Dot Com Is a Genius
10 Funny Liz Lemon Quotes From '30 Rock'
To mark the end of the long-running and immensely successful NBC sitcom '30 Rock,' (Blergh!) we give you the 10 best quotes from lovable, semi-tragic head writer, Liz Lemon...
'30 Rock' Series Finale: Why Did Baldwin Almost Quit?
On January 31, we say goodbye to one of the great comedic loves our our lives, as '30 Rock' airs its series finale after seven seasons spent on NBC. Yet, as fans of the series well know, even at the series' comedic best '30 Rock' never drew mammoth ratings, and nearly faced the departure of series star Alec Baldwin on a number of occasions. Now, Baldwin is speaking out about the "anemic" writing that nearly caused him to quit the series, and why '30 Rock' is ending at season 7! See what Baldwin has to say about the '30 Rock' finale inside!
'30 Rock' Spoilers
Earlier today, we were treated to the news that one-time '30 Rock' guest star Salma Hayek would reprise her role as Elisa for the January 31 series finale, but the final episode might not have anything on the star-studded size of this Thursday's "Game Over." Not only will esteemed '30 Rock' guest stars Will Arnett, Steve Buscemi, Chloe Moretz and Megan Mullally reprise their respective roles, but joining them will be 'The Help's Octavia Spencer! Get a sneak peek at the big '30 Rock' returns tomorrow night inside!
'30 Rock' Series Finale: Salma Hayek to Return
'30 Rock's' Jack Donaghy is going to have some absurdly difficult romantic decisions ahead, the more beautiful stars continue to sign up for the '30 Rock' series finale. Where previously we learned that Jack (Alec Baldwin)'s seemingly true love Nancy Donovan (Julianne Moore) would return for the January 31 hour-long finale, now fellow former love interest Salma Hayek will reprise her role as Colleen Donaghy's nurse Elisa. So what does Salma Hayek's appearance mean for the '30 Rock' series finale?
'30 Rock' Series Finale Taps Nancy Pelosi
Particularly with a series as celebrity and guest-star heavy as '30 Rock,' its no surprise to see a number of familiar faces as we march toward the February 1 series finale. We've already seen returns of Elaine Stritch, Matthew Broderick and Dean Winters, in addition to such famous announced finale stars as Ice-T and Julianne Moore, so how could '30 Rock' get any bigger? Try House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi! Find out the '30 Rock' finale details inside!
'30 Rock' Series Finale: Ice-T to Guest Star
For as long as we've known and loved '30 Rock,' much of that love has come from its vast array of guest stars, everyone from Jerry Seinfeld to Elaine Stritch. That parade of celebs has been celebrated in the show's final 13-episode season, with a number of original and returning guests, but who will appear in the show's January 31 series finale? At least one star has come forth, but who will 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit' tough guy Ice-T be playing in '30 Rock's' final episode?


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A suspect held behind bars in connection with the gunshot slaying of a Fairfield man late last month made his second court appearance on Friday, but did not enter a plea to a murder charge.
Fairfield police believe that homicide defendant Zavier A. Pigues, 21, was involved in a argument on Oct. 28 with Fairfield resident Brian Beaufort, 30, outside of Beaufort's Oceanic Court home. When officers arrived on scene, they found Beaufort in his driveway suffering from apparent gunshot wounds, police said.
Beaufort was treated at the scene by emergency medical personnel and taken by ambulance to a local trauma center where he later died from his injuries.
Shortly after the homicide, police obtained an arrest warrant for Pigues and broadcast his vehicle description. Pigues was located in Pinole several days later and taken into custody.
On Friday, Pigues appeared in Solano County Superior Court for his arraignment, where he received a new court-appointed defense attorney. A representative from the Solano County Office of the Public Defender Conflict Office asked to postpone the arraignment until they could receive evidence from prosecutors and complete a conflict check.
Judge Peter B. Foor agreed to delay the arraignment until 8:30 a.m. on Nov. 15.
The homicide charge carries an enhancement for the personal use of a firearm causing death.
Pigues remains in Solano County Jail custody without bail.


text: Show Hide image Politics 22 July 2013 China detains British consultant in GSK probe GSK chief likely to detail the bribery scandal at quarterly results. Sign up for our weekly email * A British consultant, who runs a consultancy firm that specialises in accounting fraud investigations in China and has allegedly worked with GlaxoSmithKline, has been arrested as part of a probe into the pharmaceutical firm's bribery case. Peter Humphrey is the managing director of ChinaWhys, a Hong-Kong-based consultancy that probes into accounting frauds for multinational firms operating in the Asian country. However, the reason for his arrest has not been officially revealed, reports The Telegraph. Humphrey was allegedly hired as a contractor for GSK and is believed to be one of the several individuals detained in the country as part of the probe. However, a GSK spokesman was quoted by the publication as saying that Humphrey has never been an employee of GSK. The spokesman also did not comment on whether ChinaWhys had been hired as a contractor for GSK. Meanwhile, during the quarterly results presentation, GSK CEO Andrew Witty is expected to discuss what kind of action the firm would take in response to bribery scandal, Reuters reported citing sources familiar with the matter. The Chinese police are probing into GSK's more than 3bn Yuan ($374m) transactions, as they found proof that the firm used more than several hundreds of travel agencies since 2007 to pay bribes to the country's officials and doctors to increase its sales. Subscribe from just £1 per issue More


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Computer help required for teenage and Youtube
Discussion in 'Friends and Family' started by AdmLang, Nov 20, 2012.


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The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has announced that it has issued a fine of £10.5 million to the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) for "inappropriate investment advice" provided to elderly customers by HSBC subsidiary, Nursing Home Fees Agency Limited (NHFA). According to Mail Online, the NHFA encouraged 2,485 elderly customers, averaging 83 years of age, between 2005 and 2010 to invest in investment bonds to fund long-term care costs. The FSA deemed NHFA's advice and sales to be inappropriate "because in a number of cases the individual's life expectancy was below the recommended five-year investment period", forcing those with shorter life expectancies to make investment withdrawals before the recommended period. NHFA was also ordered to pay £29.3 million in compensation to its victims, reports Mail Online.
Meanwhile, The Telegraph reports that HSBC, in an attempt to save its reputation, has offered to compensate investors who bought unsuitable NHFA products dating as far back as 1991, before HSBC bought NHFA.
FSA's media release (5 December 2011)
Mail Online: Did HSBC sharks prey on 20,000 pensioners? Staff were told to target lone, elderly customers (7 December 2011)
The Telegraph: HSBC acts to stem mis-selling fall-out (7 December 2011)
(Source: FSA; Mail Online; The Telegraph)


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Raise and Lower the Speaker with Ease!
The TS-100 is the easiest speaker stand to use thanks to the internal air-powered shock that literally raises the speaker for you. The stand's internal shock easily raises speakers weighing 50 lbs and less with no effort from the user (the Mackie SRM Series, JBL EON Series, and QSC K Series all weigh far less than 50 lbs, for instance). And, the TS-100 requires very little effort from the end user to raise speakers weighing more than 50 lbs. When you're ready to lower the speaker, we've provided a convenient and ergonomic hand grip from which you can lower the speaker - with just one hand. There's never been an easier, more convenient, or safer way to set up and tear down speakers.
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October Calendar | Calendar Index | Deadlines
Inaugural Concert
Hill Field
Grammy award-winning hip hop group The Roots
with rock group, Pat McGee Band
Latif Bolaf Ensemble
International House
Latif Bolaf, traditional Turkish folk songs and ballads
Slought Foundation Concerts
Tatsuya Nakatani
Liberty Ellman Quartet
Mat Maneri of Felt but Not Heard
Saadet Turkoez
Harris Eisenstadt of The Diplomats
Penn Presents
Abbey Theatre performing The Playboy of the Western World
Shanghai Traditional Instrument Orchestra
Invisible Afro Latinos in the Arts
Fox Gallery
Through October 1
Central American Song
Towers, Crystals and Piglets
Graduate Student Center
Through October 9
Floating World , by Naomi Reis MFA '05
Transcendence: Louis I. Kahn at Dhaka
Kroiz Gallery
Through April 8
A small boy admires the Capital of Bangladesh in Dhaka designed by Kahn. © 2003 Louis Kahn Project, Inc.
Enchanting Plants: Images from a Roving Horticulturist
Morris Arboretum
Through February 27
Weeping Beech at Royal Botanic Gardents, Kew by Anthony Aiello.
Track of the Rainbow Serpent
Penn Museum
Through February 27
Kandimalal (Wolf Creek Crater) and the Rainbow Serpent by Boxer Milner from Billilunal, commissioned in 2000.
Stan Brumby from Halls Creek with Sugar Leaf Dreaming, commissioned in 2000. Photo:. Peggy Reeves Sanday
Local Favorites: Butterflies Worth Watching
Morris Arboretum
Through October 10
Monarch butterfly on a Tithonia. Photo by Jane Ruffin
Garden Railway: Great American Lighthouses
Morris Arboretum
Through October 11
The 7th year of the Garden Railway display, a miniature world set in the summer garden that features historic buildings.
Burrison Gallery
Through October 15
The Burrison Art Gallery is now showing Face-Off an exhibit of new acrylic paintings by local artist George Shinn. Painting above, He Does Go On, acrylic on canvas, 2004, 44" x 60".
Enthalpy and Entropy: Biomorphological Transformations
Kelly Writers House Gallery
Through October 22
Untitled by Ruslan Khais. Acrylic on paper.
Personal Space: Paintings by Scott Kahn
Arthur Ross Gallery
Through October 24
Into the Sitting Room by Scott Kahn. Oil on linen, 1999.
Studio Couch by Scott Kahn. Oil on linen, 2001.
On Color: Green Exhibition
Esther Klein Gallery
Through November 5
Keiko Miyamori, Night Becomes Day, 1999. Materials: chairs, branch, washi, shell powder, Japanese Indigo, charcoal.
Portable Forest by Vaughn Bell, 2003. Materials: shopping cart, burlap, forest floor, organic materials.
Exhibits at Slought Foundation
Through November 6
Liebeskind's Future for Architecture features a DVD of Daniel Libeskind's April 2001 presentation at Penn.
Zizek's Plea for Fundamentalism features a Slavoj Zizek's September 2001 presentation at Penn.
Featured in the Back to the Front: Emerging Artists. Boulevard Raspain, Paris, May 13, 1968. © Galerie Beaubourg.
ICA Fall Exhibits
Through December 12
ICA presents four new exhibits for the fall 2004 season beginning September 9. The exhibits on display are Ant Farm: 1968-1978, Trials and Turbulence: Pepón Osorio, An Artist in Residence at DHS, David Lamelas: Exhibiting Mediality and this year's Ramp Project with artist Amy Sillman.
Media Burn by Ant Farm, July 4, 1975. Performance at the Cow Palace, San Francisco, CA. Photo by John F. Turner.
Face to Face by Pepón Osorio, 2002. Mixed media with 5 computer monitors with video, 2 large projected DVDs, TV with home video. Photo by Becket Logan, courtesy of Ronald Feldman Fine Arts, NY.
Límite de una Proyección by David Lamelas, 1967. Installation view, Instituto Torcuato Di Tella, Buenos Aires. Courtesy of the artist and Witte de With, Center for Contemporary Art, Rotterdam.
Unearth by Amy Sillman, 2003. Oil on canvas, 66" x 78". Courtesy of Brent Sikkema NYC.
A Garden For Your Walls
Through January 9
Lillium Stargazer, watercolor by Gwen Koths
Three Leaves by Gwen Koths
Treasures from the Royal Tombs of Ur
Dietrich Gallery, Penn Museum
Through May 28
Three vessels. Gold bow, electrum tumbler, and a gold vessel in the shape of an ostrich egg, with lapis lazuli, red limestone, shell, and bitumen, all ca. 2650-2550 B.C.
Gold bull amulet,
1.5 cm x 1.5 cm
Cosmetic box with inlaid lid, of silver, lapis lazuli and shell, found in the Lady Puabi's tomb.
Some of Lady Puabi's jewelry, found in her tomb chamber, including pins of gold and lapis lazuli, a garter and cuff of gold, lapis lazuli and carnelian, finger rings, and more.
Headdress of the Lady Puabi
Front view of the bull-headed Great Lyre from the "Kings Grave" at Ur. Gold, silver, lapis lazuli, shell, bitumen, and wood.
A Wonderful Life: A Daughter's Tribute to a Family of Educators
Lobby, GSE
Pennsylvania Daughter by
Joan Myerson. Digital "painting" of the artist's mother as Penn student
Visit the artist's web site for more images
Almanac, Vol. 51, No. 5, September 28, 2004


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PRZOOM - /newswire/ -
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Interview: Ian O'Neill chats with Dr. Richard Barry, an astrophysicist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, about the recurrent nova, RS Ophiuchi.
The scoop: Ian O'Neill chats with Dr. Richard Barry, an astrophysicist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, about a very special binary star system called RS Ophiuchi where a recurrent nova generates a fascinating spiral dust cloud in its wake.
Richard Barry: Ready to go!
Ian O'Neill: Hi Rich!
Rich: I sent you some documents and artwork to go with our discussion. I also sent a movie. I hope those will be helpful.
Ian: Great stuff, I'm having a look now, thanks for that!
I was thinking about asking some general questions about recurring variables and then focusing on your research into RS Ophiuchi. I find that binary system fascinating!
Rich: Good. Let's talk about recurrent novae in general then. s Ian: I actually spoke with the development director of the AAVSO and there was quite a bit of overlap with their variable star observations.
Can recurring novae be called "recurring variables" or is that a mash-up of terms?
Rich: :) Yes, that is a bit of a mash-up. Recurrent novae are a kind of variable star.
Ian: Hehe, ok, made a note of that now. Thanks :)
Rich: So, novae, in the most general sense, are caused by the accretion of hydrogen onto the surface of a small, high density stellar corpse from a companion star.
Ian: So are recurrent novae exclusive to binary star systems?
Rich: Yes, although there could possibly be other mechanisms. The model that holds the most water at present is one in which you have a stellar cinder and another star in orbit about their common center of mass. Material flows from the companion (usually termed the secondary) onto the surface of the primary - often a white dwarf.
Ian: So how many binary systems are there that we know of that have this special relationship? I haven't heard much about recurrent novae before now.
Rich: Well, to clarify, the best model we have, that I alluded to before, indicates that almost all novae should be recurrent novae. Most recurrent novae will erupt on exceedingly long intervals - from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of years! There is another class of novae that have erupted more than once in recorded history. We call these 'recurrent.' Ian: Ah, I see. So the nova itself occurs near the surface of the white dwarf partner? Do we know how the nova is triggered? Is there like a 'critical mass' of hydrogen that needs to accumulate?
Rich: That is a very good question! A nova likely occurs on or near the surface of the white dwarf. (Again, there are other possibilities rather than white dwarf - but we will just stick with white dwarf for simplicity.) Let me start from the beginning and tell you how these are theorized to occur.
Ian: Great, that would be very good to know (it might help with the next big question I have about white dwarfs!)
Rich: All main sequence stars -- stars that are in the hydrogen-burning part of their lives -- and stars that are very old shed lots of matter. The matter flies off of them effectively radially. If the star is a member of a binary and the companion is a white dwarf, some of the matter from the secondary will be captured. This can occur through a process called 'wind capture' or 'Roche lobe overflow.' So, the matter falls towards the white dwarf (WD) and captured in its gravity well. The material accumulates on the surface of the WD until its density and temperature are so great that it detonates in a surface thermonuclear explosion.
Ian: So how close are the stars in the binary? I'm looking at this stunning piece of artwork you sent me and the MS star seems awfully close to the white dwarf... no wonder the WD grabs a lot of gas...
Rich: The amount of mass -- and here is the answer to your question -- depends critically on the mass of the WD. The greater the mass of the WD, the less mass accumulation required to form a nova eruption.
The distance between the companion stars is another critical element.
The greater the distance between the companions, in general, the longer time it will take for the WD to accumulate the correct amount of mass to erupt.
In the picture I have presented, which was commissioned by NASA and the Keck Observatory for some work we did on a particular recurrent nova, the distance between the companions is about 1.7 AU -- or about 1.7 times the distance between the Earth and the Sun.
Ian: Oh cool, so the stellar distance almost acts as a nova timer? The greater the distance, the longer the time between explosions...
Rich: Don't let me forget! I can connect recurrent novae to supernovae!supernovae Ian: That was going to be my next question! WDs are behind Type 1a supernovae.... WDs are behind these recurrent novae... what's the difference between the two? I'm assuming Type 1a supernovae only have to happen once...
Rich: Yes, stellar distance is one of the elements that sets the amount of time between outbursts, but the mass of the WD primary is of greater importance.
Ooops. I'm talking over you. I will now answer your very last question.
Ian: It's OK, this is a very exciting topic! I have lots of questions.
Rich: Okay. Deep breath. I just love this stuff!
Ian: I think I do too! It makes my previous coronal loop research seem very pedestrian :)
Rich: WDs are the drivers for most supernovae and most recurrent novae as far as we know. So, for recurrent novae, theory tells us that there is a mechanism that can allow the WD to gradually, secularly, accumulate mass through multiple outbursts. This appears to be the case for the recurrent nova 'RS Ophiuchi' which is the subject of the artwork I sent you.
As the WD slowly accumulates mass over the aeons it may approach a very important critical mass called the Chandrasekhar limit. This is the mass at which the object can no longer mechanically support itself with electron degeneracy pressure. The WD in the nova RS Ophiuchi, for example, is thought to have a mass somewhere around 1.35 - 1.37 times the mass of our sun. The Chandrasekhar mss limit is about 1.44 times the mass of our sun if the WD is not spinning. This number may be somewhat higher if the WD is spinning.
Ian: Ah, now I see. But I suppose the biggest question that I've just thought of... how big are these novae explosions? I'm assuming they're not just a stellar flaring event! m Rich: That is a great question. Novae, as I have described them, are thermonuclear runaway reactions within the surface layers of the WD. The eruptions are vigorous enough to eject most of the layer of material accumulated from the secondary and are thought to entrain some of the surface material of the WD thus enriching the interstellar medium with some heavier elements.
The important point here is, that in a typical nova event, the WD is not blown up but exists from event to event. This is shown in the artwork. In this representation, the companion star is a Red Giant (RG) - a star that has exhausted most of its hydrogen and has expanded in size. This particular RG has a very massive wind. What is depicted in the art is what we think the system looks like about 3.7 days after the surface explosion on the WD.
You may wish to ask me about the spiral dust pattern... ;) spiral Ian: So, what about the spiral dust pattern? I feel compelled to ask you about that :) pattern Rich: In the event that the WD has exceeded the Chandrasekhar mass limit as a result of mass accumulation from its companion, the WD will collapse and be completely destroyed. This enormous explosion occurs at about the same mass for all WD (depending on spin rate) so, as a result, they form an important part of the cosmic distance ladder. cosmic Ah, yes. I'm very glad that you asked me about the spiral dust pattern. That is brand new theory you are looking at!
Ian: Is that a result from the binary orbit? Or... and I'm guessing here... some kind of pulsing during the nova?
And what elements are found in the dust? Is it as enriched with heavy elements like a supernova remnant?
Rich: You are nearly right! As I mentioned before, RN enrich the interstellar medium by blowing off surface layers of material. In the past (before 2007) it was thought that the way dust is created by RN is that the blast from the event compresses the immediate environment about the binary causing condensation of dust.
For dust creation, you must have a critical density of material so that three-body collisions can occur - two to stick together and one to carry away excess momentum.
Well, we happened to be commissioning the Keck Interferometer Nuller (KIN) when the nova RS Ophiuchi occurred. The KIN uses the combined light from the two largest optical telescope in the world (each of which is 10m) to form the equivalent of an 85m telescope.
We use the interference of the light from the two telescopes to form a fringe pattern - of dark and bright fringes. We then place one of the dark fringes on the brightest part of the object - in this case, the WD in eruption - and can look at the faint material in the immediate vicinity. . This was completely invisible to science ... until now! So, we accumulated 20 minutes of data from the KIN on the nova and in the data we found that there was silicate dust a mere 17 AU from the central bright source! What this meant to us is that the old theory simply did not hold up in the light of this new data. The old theory told us that that dust should not have been there at all. It should have long since been blown away by the wind from the recurring nova! Ian: Wow, that must have been thrilling to see. Was it a surprise discovery or had the dust been predicted before? Rich: This was a complete surprise to all parties. The silicate dust had been unexpected. To form the dust, as I mentioned, you must have enough density of material and it has to be at the right temperature. Using these observations, we have now formulated a new theory of how silicate dust is created by recurring novae! ! Ian: So is it fair to say that RS Ophiuchi has been key to recurrent novae research? Sounds like a fascinating system! Rich: Yes! What you see in the artwork is an Archemidian dust spiral caused by the massive WD plowing through the massive wind from the RG. Then, every 20 years or so, mass that has accumulated on the WD from the RG explodes and completely clears the beautiful spiral! Ian: Absolutely stunning. Rich: Right now, as we 'speak' the spiral should be reforming. At some point in the near future, we may even be able to see the spiral in reflected light using Hubble or possibly JWST. Ian: Actual optical images? Now that would be a great sight Rich: Yes, very beautiful and exciting. This will drive a stake in the old theory! To answer your previous question, recurring novae do enrich the interstellar medium with lighter elements. When they go supernova, THEN they produce the really massive elements. You need a very strong explosion to do that. . Ian: So am I correct in saying that recurrent novae can be a precursor to an eventual supernova? Could RS Ophiuchi (for example) ever get completely destroyed by a supernova? Or is the white dwarf simply too small? Rich: Yes, you are correct. RS Ophiuchi is likely to go supernova at some point in the future. The reason that it erupts every 20 years or so is because the WD is so very near the Chandrasekhar mass limit. It is really wonderful that we have this great laboratory for the study of very dense matter and nucleosynthesis right in our own back yard! Ian: RS Ophiuchi is possibly the most exciting system I have ever heard of! I hope there isn't any planetary systems around either of the binary stars... or in neighboring star systems for that matter. They would have a very bad day (every 20 years or so). Rich: Yes! It is also a good thing that by 'back yard' I mean astronomically speaking. The system is 1.4 [+0.6, -0.2] Kpc away from us. My colleagues and I wrote an entire ten page paper on just the distance to it. It is surprisingly tricky to figure out the exact distance to novae. Ian: Finally, we're in the clear if that thing decides to blow as a supernova then..? Rich: Oh, yes. No worries. We made sure of that. Ian: Great, I'll let everyone know about that good news... a lot of people were freaking out about WR 104, they don't need to worry about RS Ophiuchi as well. Well, thank you so much for chatting with me! Rich: Great, Ian. Lots of fun!