They were not welcome in Syria? That is a first and I would like more information. In Syria we have very few Jews, Christians (different dominations from here), Alawites, Druzes and people have had and have no problems living together. The spokesperson in Boston for a Free Syria and a member of Syrian National Council is a Christian (George Stifo) and our neighbours in Syria are likewise and are like our family. I am seriously curious about what happened to your husband's family because right now Bashar Al-Assad's biggest claim to his presidency is to keep alive the fear that the 75% Muslims will take over and quench their neighbours who are out dying on the streets with them right now, fighting.

This is so laughable and ridiculous a statement. As a matter of fact, access to Iphone and internet is what is empowering people in those countries to begin with since they are now witnessing through sharing on Facebook and Youtube what others are doing to get freedom. They record and particpate online with the risk of their lives and you are ridiculing them? In Syria -where a revolution is happening right now in case you had missed that- people are stopped at checkpoints and their phones and computers checked. If anyone fx. is friends with a person like me here in the States who is posting propaganda for freedom and hate-posts against the regime then that obviously shows up on their FB page and that is reason ENOUGH for that person to never again be heard from, while tortured and disappearing or dying in some scary, scary prison. Data plan? Some of the comments in this thread show an extreme lack of respect for other humans while you degrade and ridicule (plural, not talking about one person only) people, people you explicitly feel are different from you all and who should not want or expect the same as you. It is easy to distance one self from reality and from others' reality. Not so easy to try to figure out what is happening and why or who these people are. Why are they willing to risk their lives, their daughters and wives' being rapes in front of them, their children being killed (or tortured) if they could go on living like cattle? Isn't THAT better than losing your home, town, livelihood, your safety and that of your children, family and on and on? I feel really sorry for all those people here in the States, educated people, not people who don't really care or want to reach for a book or the internet to get information, but for people of the WTM-calibre who think they deserve more than others. How many Arabs do you (plural) know? Of those Arabs, how many react with violence or violent tendencies? If you have traveled to an Arab country, were the people there violent? Or just the regimes suppressing them? Christopher Stevens was a man of peace who loved his job and loved the people he was there to share his country's diplomacy with. He was really loved there and well-respected. He believed in what he was doing, wanting and trying to help Libyans transition to democracy. He was killed by what most likely was a planned, viciously executed operation however that was related to the movie which was also produced and released with provocation in mind, but the people reacting were not representatives of anyone but a small number of extremists and now we are going to ridicule everyone from a country or a region. These smart phones have been the LINK to people and from the east to the west and have almost exclusively been the way of getting information out to document what is happening or what rallies or atrocities are taking place. They are not items of status symbols, but means of survival, mentally and physically.

What you wrote here is exactly the sentiment of our Muslim community here in the US (at least 99.5%). There are excitable and extremists everywhere and 9/11 is a touchy day for all of us. There was nothing naive about the making of the movie or the timeline. There are no particularly logic excuses for the reactors except for the fact that in some ways perhaps this is all they know how to react? We had a vigil last night for Ambassador Stevens and the other three diplomats and one friend mentioned how on earth the attackers were driving around town with the machine gun out for all to see. Violence begets violence. Which is why - if I may take this opportunity here- the Arab spring events were rallies and not armed insurgents requesting a take over. I am Syrian and in Syria protesters were (and are) literally met by machine guns on the streets, yet, it took several months before the extreme violent response of the regime there resulted in some volunteer men and defectors from the Syrian army to slowly set up a Free Syrian army, initially with no weapons, but jokes of some old Russian machinery. It is easier to scare people with violent and inhumane acts -as we are witnessing in Syria and have seen to some degree other places- and people usually then respond with fear and obedience. And when they don't obey but instead want "Freedom", then the reaction of such regimes and people working for them is to increase the level and degree of annihilation and destruction, both actual and psychological, but never does it occur to them to rationalize and work through solutions, truthfully and humbly. And while many extremist attackers from the Middle East hate their regimes, then this way of reacting is the only way they know of (referring to the attackers in Libya and the violent protesters right now). They are so loud and so extreme that they will for sure drown out moderate voices. The Libyan people worked so hard to get democracy and now these acts will tear down everything they worked for. Prophet Muhammad himself lived through verbal and physical abuse, yet despite him being powerful and very able to command his people to remove the offenders, then he was gentle and patient. Violent attackers are usually found to be non-practicing Muslims (basically just waiting for something they can blow up over). Last night we held a vigil for Ambassador Stevens at Harvard Sq. which you can see some clips from here in this excellent coverage that inbues the spirit of why we were meeting and honoring this man. http://www.necn.com/09/13/12/Slain-ambassador-remembered-at-Cambridge/landing_mobile.html?blockID=772993

http://www.necn.com/09/13/12/Slain-ambassador-remembered-at-Cambridge/landing_mobile.html?blockID=772993 It was really important for us as Muslim, as Syrians ourselves, and as Americans to go out and honor the life of Ambassador Stevens and make sure our voices were heard that we condemn violence and extremism in all acts.

She visited a refugee camp in Jordan and was obviously deeply moved. She has give money before and is donating again which is the least most of us can do right now....

You call or email them and they'll get it out promptly after payment. Actually OM has been the quickest company I have ever bought from! I think it is $20.

Congratulations! So happy. Please keep us updated on Stacey, though.

OK, Dot, will look at Hamden while I dream my way to CT. Thanks.

I find I tailgate a lot but it is an act of cluelessness, not meanness. Never trying to be mean on the road. When I notice the car going even slower in front of me, then I catch myself tailgating and reluctantly slow down even more while waiting to be able to pass. I will say that when I do get tailgated myself then I mostly find it very creepy and always get a bit scared but that is perhaps due to a racist experience I once had which has stuck. I always get out of the way if tailgated (either by speeding up or changing lanes).

Heather! Thanks for the input. Cost of living can barely be higher than here and we are in NH at the border to MA. Can barely keep up! Not to speak about the fact that we can't do anything except either sit home or be in the car. I miss the feeling of community and am day dreaming I can find it somewhere new. Getting into a small town with those qualifiers in MA would be a lot more expensive than going somewhere else...

It is GORGEOUS!! Makes you look a bit younger and a lot more hip....

In terms of homeschooling, safety and diversity? We are always playing around with where to move, but I am seriously considering getting out of my immediate area. I need a change! I love four seasons with summers not too hot and winter more bleary than snowy and icy. I crave to be able to walk to the park with the kids and perhaps even walk to the library. I am looking for a place where we won't stand out, with a high level of education and middle to above middle class living while still having some rentals and obviously like diversity. I stopped by West Hartford on a trip in the summer very briefly, but liked the feel of it. Input?

I think the major plan right now -apart from sending money for humanitarian aid- is to raise awareness here in the States. Why awareness, well, to support other human beings in their basic right for freedom and to create goodwill and understanding between peoples and two countries as Syria soon moves towards a new era in its history. We have rallies everywhere, but we rarely see more than 10-20 Americans (maximum) who perhaps stop for a few minutes before moving on. We actually have a Walk 4 Syria's Children this coming Saturday (http://www.walk4childrenofsyria.org) nationwide and would love support from our fellow citizens. We are also planning a big rally 9/26 in front of UN as the Iranian president will be visiting that day and we are out protesting (with some Iranian groups as well) the support Iran is showing Syria's regime and military while the West is still treating them nicely and ignoring that their weapons and missiles are killing and targeting civilians and children inside their own homes. Anyone here can find me on Facebook if they really want to know what is going on...Nadia Alawa

This here is from CNN. When we had more public outcry about 8 months ago, then the regime in Syria was still hesitant especially after media attention. Since then, the country has not cared as media attention lessened and politicians stopped condemning. I have often followed news about humanitarian injustice around the world and have only few times interacted. Most times I never made my voice heard because I felt unimportant, powerless. It took me over 8 months of the conflict before I began watching the news but only a few weeks before I was involved. Reason for my quick engagement was not that I feel more important these days, but simply that I have met those people and have seen their level of oppression over the years (and their constant fear). For people like that to rise up and demand freedom is a thing that must be honored. And know, that for the first several months it was only and merely peaceful rallies that were met by machine guns. How can you NOT support this kind of injustice?

Human sympathy? Is that not a starter?

http://www.theonion.com/articles/scientists-say-us-may-have-discovered-previously-u,28807/

Gosh, Nance, I had not read that. About age, then it was my understanding that it is the getting pregnant part that is harder as you age, so don't despair. Perhaps if you decide to sit back and try again, don't consider the pregnancy viable before you reached 8 weeks if possible? I know I was holding my breath till 8 weeks with two pregnancies due to (one, later) miscarriage.

One girl got a new pen pal, yeah!! My other girl still needs. She is the horse crazed one who also loves, loves, loves to draw (pencil drawings).

Thanks, ladies!!!! Great starting points. Really appreciate it.

The name of the hotel is Orange County Convention Center. Not sure how far away it is. Still pretty confused since I only heard about this last night!

I think we would be at the parks Mon-Wed since dh's conference is all three days. We have only been to Disney Land in CA (many kids ago).

Dh, my non-planner, just sprung on me yesterday that he is considering bringing us with him to Orlando next week as he is going for a conference.... So, Hivemind, give it to me. How to plan and what to do, considering we could go. We are not into water parks and I would be alone with the kids ages 2, 4, 11, 11, 14, and 17. We would be staying at a conference hotel so I am assuming that is not a Disney hotel. We would be staying Mon-Wed. I would not mind going to different parks over different days, but probably not at the same day as that would be overload for me. Thanks!

Nancy, From what you are writing, then it sounds as if you are still pregnant. Did they do a new ultrasound? Today will be a long day, but it doesn't necessarily sound like a miscarriage. Best to you. And my personal opinion is that 39 is nothing. Age is way over-rated. You are still a spring chicken.

Thanks for all the great advice. Interestingly enough about the Philosophy major and ability to argue; dd's best friend majored in this from Wellesley and is absolutely the most well-spoken, argumentative and logical person I have met!

Honestly it seems I am the only one taking home stuff like that. I hate to waste food, but it appears here it is a matter of arrogance that people don't want others to think they are needy. I have 8 kids so they pretend I *need* the food which has begun leading me to not take the food (some social issues in the community, but being the only one with many kids and concerned about wasting food, then I don't want people to keep feeling arrogant on my account).