Welsh schoolgirl was 'kept prisoner in a cage, starved and abused because of her un-Islamic lifestyle'

She was a caged prisoner, and the House of Saud is paying to keep her in this condition?!

More after the break.

"How a Stranger's Comment Changed the Way I Parent"

We have written here about how children increase the problems, and vicissitudes of life, and wreak havoc on marriages. 

There is more below the fold.

N.Y. students accused of making up hate crime

. . . commonly against white middle class students.

More below the fold.

. . . you really should subscribe, use the subscribe link below to do so. 

Here is the blog feed: Barking Up The Wrong Tree
Here is the entry: This Is How To Boost Emotional Resilience: 10 Research-Backed Secrets
Here is the sign up to subscribe to Eric's blog by email.
Thanks Eric!

The article appears below the fold!

Psychology says you need to achieve these 3 goals to become an adult

While I usually find "psychology" so much piffle, this is actually useful. 

The three things are 1. taking responsibility for yourself, 2. making independent decisions, and 3. financial independence. These are important, and they do signal the difference between childhood, and adulthood.

It also points out an interesting conundrum in family styles around the world. There are two essential family styles: the atomized nuclear family, and the hierarchal family.

The ANF occurs when a couple separates from their parents, and extended family, and becomes essentially independent, and must rely on themselves alone for their support. The HF is a more bureaucratic structure with, most commonly, the oldest adult male in the extended family controlling the lives, work, and living arrangements of all the family under his control. He is the responsible party, and the rest of the family has only a limited responsibility to do as they are told. 

The ANF results in a dynamic economy since each couple is essentially forced to seek out and achieve their own prosperity. There is only a limited family safety net. The downside is this arrangement is stressful. Ask any one who has emigrated from a country using the HF style what was most different, here in America, and it will likely be this. 

So, young people in places like Italy where the HF style was prevalent live for a very long time under their parents protection. In America, they live far shorter time under their parents protection. 

One thing to remember, no matter whether it comes from the HF style, socialism, fascism, progressivism, or government programs, the safety net slows the economy, and dims prosperity. The economy becomes less vibrant, and wealth formation slows.

On the other hand, the use of the ANF style creates a much more vibrant economy, with limited or no safety net, but high prosperity, and wealth formation. 

The people of each nation much choose this, these family styles are not compatible, as they require different social structures, and understandings. 

There are many books which point out these differences, but one which I remember vividly is Bella Tuscany: The Sweet Life in Italy by Frances Mayes. Americans frequently do not understand the necessity of having myriad connections in places like Italy. But without these connections, nearly everything takes an inordinate amount of time. 

Do you want to be independent, free, and wealthy, but fully responsible for your position, or do you want to be safe, protected, but limited, and far poorer?  Choose wisely.

Dictatorship Of The Dimwits

. . . and thus leaving these young people incapable of understanding the world, and helping other people accept what, and who they are. Reality does not intrude on these peoples mental processes. 

What's the largest number you can represent with 3 digits? Nope. It's not 999.

. . . done right.

Always stand up for a child when they are right. Never back down from this kind of a fight if you are right. Once a concession is offered, especially when offered to allow the other party to save face, if declined, that offer should never be returned to the table. Be magnanimous in success, you've been here before. Teach you children ethics, morals, honor, and honesty, demand they achieve, and practice these ideals. Demand those in authority over your children meet these ideals as well.

My Son Is All Boy. And That’s Just Fine With Me.

One of these women is normal, fully engaged with others, the other is not, fully engaged only with herself.

"In many ways I am a girly-girl. I love pretty dresses and going out for afternoon tea. I could sit with a book for hours, snuggled under a blanket, without feeling the need to move. Pink is one of my favorite colors, second only to powder blue. I’m not a huge fan of getting dirty and my relationship with bugs is strained.

But my son is all boy. Yesterday I watched him sit on the ground, placing handful after handful of dirt methodically into his lap.  Then he stood up, grinned, and fell over onto a plant that, somewhat inexplicably, covered him in black soot. He picked himself up and toddled off to investigate a manhole cover from which he extracted a clod of dirt and grass which he sniffed and then put into his mouth. Like I said, he’s all boy."

Cool, the world loves contrasts.

"I worried that I wouldn’t know what to do with a boy. I didn’t want to be one of those mothers constantly racing after her son with a baby wipe yelling, “Don’t touch that!  It’s dirty!” But would I be able to handle his perfect little face all covered in mud?

I didn’t want to be one of those mothers holding his arm as he climbed to the top of the jungle gym, screeching, “Not so high!  You’re going to fall!” But would I be able to stand down below as my fearless boy catapulted to the top of the climber with no regard whatsoever for the length of the drop?

I didn’t want to be one of those mothers ripping the pots and pans out of his hands while sternly saying, “Not so loud!” But would I be able to handle the racket?

So he grew and I worried, and I worried and he grew. And then, a funny thing happened. I realized I love the boyness of him. Of course, I love him -- he’s my baby.  But I actually, truly, love all the things I worried I would hate."

She is worried she would be too selfish to be a good parent. Actually that's a good sign. All good parenting takes it the willingness to subsume the self and make most-important the other, er, one's children.

"He revels in the sounds things make when he bangs on them. This sofa cushion sounds different from the tabletop, the tabletop sounds different from the wall. We drum on things together, his joyful enthusiasm rubbing off on me. He experiments with the sounds his voice can make, sometimes a high-pitched squeak, sometimes a primal yell.  And I whoop and holler, too, as we run through the grass. He thinks the sounds of words are funny. “Tissue” is a favorite and “idea.” I discover I think they’re hilarious, too, and we say them over and over and roll on the floor giggling.

We look at bugs and birds and dogs. We examine dirt. We look into holes in the ground and peer through fences. We chase airplanes and make “whoosh whoosh” noises.  He hands me wood chips and leaves and sticks for safe-keeping. I point out ants marching single-file along a tree trunk and garbage trucks roaring stinkily by."

Success! She was able to subsume the self. Her son will be better for it. 

"I love the boyness of him. And thank goodness I do. Because it’s who he is. No matter how I feel about it. So I hold my breath as he learns to climb. And I make sure he has a good long soak in the bath at night. And I watch his face as he dreams, wondering what mischief we’ll get up to tomorrow. My son is all boy. And that’s just fine with me."

Don't expect me to comment, it's perfect.