Opportunities Abroad: China Sourcing For Home E-biz

China has, in recent years, gained prominence as a manufacturing center to the world. Their ability to produce a wide scope of goods at competitive price points has made them a global go-to source for importers. Even small, home-based online sellers are profitably sourcing from China suppliers. Several recent developments, working in conjunction, have made China sourcing a simpler, more straightforward process than its ever been before: Many trade barriers have been removed, and China has joined the World Trade Organization. Both travel to and shipping from China are now faster, cheaper, and more dependable than ever. Simple, safe payment methods are increasingly in place. The number of China manufacturers who are implementing merchant accounts and online payment solutions, like PayPal, is growing rapidly. Rising competition among China manufacturers is forcing factories to bring products up to western standards. Many Chinese businesspeople speak and understand English, making the language barrier less of an issue.According to George Baily, Sales Manager for online wholesaler Chinavasion, these combined circumstances create an enormous opportunity for Internet retailers. Advises Baily, The key is finding reliable suppliers for your own e-business. Its critical that youre dealing with legitimate companies, so you dont get burned.Finding REAL Manufacturers Multiple resources are available to help you locate genuine China suppliers: trade magazines, international trade fairs, and Business-to-Business (B2B) websites, such as . Because some B2B sites allow anyone to advertise there Rosetta Stone , you need to ensure youre only sourcing from companies that have been validated by the portal service. These vetted suppliers usually have an identifying mark or seal of authentication.While there are many excellent China vendors that will deliver quality goods, there are also many scammers, advertising popular branded merchandise (Sony products, Apple iPods, etc). Even though these goods may be manufactured in China, their distribution is tightly controlled by their parent companies in the U.S. Any overseas supplier claiming they can provide you with these brand-name products is either selling defective or gray-market goods. The former, you cant resell; the latter wont make it past Customs and may cause you legal troubles, as well.The Wholesale Alternative Another option for newcomers is to start with an import wholesale supplier, like which allows you to purchase goods in small, affordable quantities. In some cases, you may even have products drop shipped directly to your customers, just as you would with a domestic wholesaler.Although your wholesale prices will be higher than your factory-direct prices, that additional expense is off-set by a number of factors: Youre not responsible for import taxes. Youre not the party legally responsible for guaranteeing your goods meet Customs regulations, so youre taking considerably less risk. The wholesaler is handling quality control, so you dont have to worry about products not being up-to-par. And in the unlikely event that youre unhappy with a products quality, you have a much better chance of working out a return agreement than you would working directly with a foreign manufacturer.To determine the best source of imports for your eBiz, you need to evaluate what level your business is at, and what kind of responsibility youre prepared to take on.Room for More The opportunities in China are massive: whether youre a new or experienced importer, its a good time to take advantage of the great benefits sourcing from China offers. Encourages Baily, Online sellers have barely begun to tap into the products that are available.

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8 things to consider before retiring

Save, save and save some more is one of the mantras of retirement preparation. These days, it's been joined by "work, work and work some more." People have responded to investment, employment and housing shocks by deciding to continue working. Some surveys show people are typically adding a full five years onto their employment plans.This would be a huge financial and lifestyle change for older Americans, if it happens. For years, retirement surveys have found a large gap between when people say they plan to retire and when they actually mothball their office and factory wardrobes. Consistently, actual retirements have occurred nearer age 62, the earliest date at which people can elect to begin receiving Social Security benefits. This has been several years earlier, on average, than the dates pre-retirees say they plan to stop working.So, first off, let's wait and see what actual retirement patterns look like once the economy has settled into what appears to be a sustained period of disappointingly low growth. Before this can happen, of course, we need to get past the congressional impasse on the nation's debt ceiling and deficit crises while avoiding, let's hope, a repeat visit to Recessionland.More from U.S. News World Report The best places to retire But as you consider your own retirement prospects, here's a checklist of investment and income matters you should review:Work-retirement tradeoff. For each additional year you work, you should be able to generate an additional two to three years of retirement coverage.There is, of course, the extra year of work itself. Presumably, you will be spending Rosetta Stone American English none of your retirement nest egg during that year, and, let's hope, you will be adding to your savings. Let's say this adds 6% to your nest egg (the 4% you didn't spend and 2% in new savings). You'll also be getting an extra year of earnings on your retirement funds. That should be worth another 6%.Lastly, you can extend the age at which you begin collecting Social Security. Social Security benefits rise by roughly 8% a year for each year you delay taking benefits between ages 62 and 70. That's 12% more in your nest egg and 8% tacked onto your Social Security income for each year you continue working. The added income may even raise your Social Security benefit if you earn enough to raise your lifetime wage base.Longevity and retirement. Once you turn 65, you'll live, on average, an another 18 (men) to 20 (women) years, current longevity statistics say. Your retirement savings will need to stretch over a shorter period should you keep working until age 70.International investments. Traditionally, diversification of retirement investment portfolios has been about asset classes. You made sure there was an appropriate balance between stocks and bonds, and paid attention to the risk and return characteristics within each type of asset. Increasingly, your investment mix needs to become focused on foreign holdings.

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A woman in space

in Mathematics Economics Image Credit: NASA In the early years of the "space race" (1957-1975) two men sought to test a scientifically simple yet culturally complicated theory: that women might be innately better suited for space travel than men. In 1960 the thought of a woman in space was a radical one, and justifiably so. On the ground 75% of American women did not work outside the home and females were banned from military flight service altogether. In marriage, wives were required to have their husband's permission to take out a bank loan, buy property, or purchase large household goods such as a refrigerator. Despite the social odds, a Harvard-educated surgeon and a U.S. Air Force General sought to determine if, from a purely practical perspective, women were suitable for space flight. The latest look at the intersection of physiology, spaceflight and politics is captured in a new article entitled "A Forgotten Moment in Physiology: The Lovelace Woman in Space Program (1960-1962)," written by Kathy Ryan, Jack Loeppky and Donald Kilgore*. Their article appears in the September edition of Advances in Physiology, a publication of the American Physiological Society (APS; the-aps.org/press). The APS has been an integral part of the scientific discovery process since it was founded in 1887. The Mercury 7In 1957, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) launched Sputnik, the first unmanned orbital satellite, thus formalizing the race for space. The following year the U.S. government established the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and in April 1959, NASA introduced the seven men who would comprise the first American astronaut group, better known as the Mercury 7 crew. Individually, the Mercury members made six flights between 1961 and 1963 of which two would reach space, defined as 62 miles above earth. In 1962, John Glenn became the first American to orbit the earth. Two Men's Vision for SpaceSometime before the mid-1950s two men had begun to seriously discuss the possibility of sending a woman rather than a man into space. One of the men was William R. ("Randy") Lovelace, II, a Harvard-educated physician, surgeon and aeromedical Rosetta Stone Language physiologist. During his years at the Mayo Clinic Lovelace co-developed a much-needed high altitude mask that delivered oxygen to pilots while in flight. At the time, aircraft cabins were not pressurized which lead to hypoxia-induced errors and accidents by pilots. Upon leaving Mayo he established the private Lovelace Foundation for Medical Education and Research, which received government contracts throughout the '50s to conduct aerospace research. Lovelace was also among the team of experts who developed the physiological, medical and psychological criteria by which astronaut candidates were assessed and selected, including the Mercury 7 team. General Donald Flickinger, Air Force chief of bioastronautics at the Air Force Air Research and Development Command (ARDC), was a member of the NASA Special Advisory Committee on Life Sciences and a friend and oft-time collaborator with Lovelace. In 1959 Flickinger established the Woman in Space Earliest (WISE) program at ARDC. Thereafter, he and Lovelace began to contemplate plans for testing women in space. Their proposition was based purely on physiology and practicality. They recognized that women's lighter weights would reduce the amount of propulsion fuel being used by the rocket's load and that women would require less auxiliary oxygen than men. They knew that women had fewer heart attacks than men and their reproductive system was thought to be less susceptible to radiation than a male's. Finally, preliminary data suggested that women could outperform men in enduring cramped spaces and prolonged isolation. The Mercury 13 Women Before WISE testing could begin the Air Force announced that it would no longer pursue the program. In response, Lovelace established a privately funded effort, the Woman in Space Program, in 1959. A total of 19 women were enrolled, most of whom had been selected from flight schools.

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California Schools

Education is essential for societal, financial, and intellectual needs. Taking the time to explore schools for your children is the first step to ensuring a bright education.? It is important to explore public school options in your area as well as discovering the school district you are a part of. By looking up school districts, you are able to access information on school spending, as well as strengths and weaknesses in areas of education within that school district.Primary School is the first step in most children's education. Starting between the ages of 4 and 5, primary school is designed to prepare children for basic education structures as well as begin basic group social interactions. Introduction to a primary school helps children transition more easily into elementary and middle school.It is important to look into all the public schools within your school district ahead of time so you can provide the best education for your children. Becoming active in public school boards and further involving yourself in your children's schools will keep you aware of how your child's education system is being run.About CaliforniaAlthough California is one of the most expensive places in America to live, it still attracts thousands of individuals every year who wish to call the Golden State "Home". California is known for it's fast –paced lifestyle and abundance of opportunity, recreation, and entertainment. Aside Discount Rosetta Stone from being the most populous state, California is also renowned for its famous companies and places. Another unique quality to California is its diverse climate.? So whether you want to call it home or just explore all the variety it has to offer, California is an essential travel destination spot. Make the most out of a day at home. Provide cuddling and an ear to listen. Tender comfort through touch can actually nurture a sick child towards wellness.A sick child is inevitable and it may seem as if it happens at the worst time. Remember that your child(ren) are very precious and there will be many job and career choices that you can win at, so you are allowed to fail. But is you fail at being a loving parent, there is no winning for anyone. Trust your instincts when determining the level of your child's sickness. Ask for help. And above all, trust God. Nothing is occurring today that has not passed through His hands first. He knows both you and your family before you were formed in your mothers womb.Prayer changes things. I always pray for favor on my job and favor with anyone in contact with my child.

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Study at Home and Earn a Nation High School Diploma

Life is full of opportunities and adventures for those who seek them. There is always a door that can take you into a wonderful new alternate world where you can live a life much different than the one you are currently living. However, you will have to work to find out these doors of opportunity. One quick short cut to finding that door is getting education.Education does not only open the door to new jobs and more income, it also opens your mind so that you could think creatively and make wiser decisions. Education had always been the core driving agent behind the development of human civilization. The humankind developed a system where the knowledge was transferred from one individual to others, and then those others transferred it to many more. However, some people were not lucky enough to go through a proper procedure of obtaining credentials to prove their academic skills. Each year thousands of students drop out of high schools without graduating.Nation High School provides an opportunity to get a high school diploma. Nation High School is an online school offering high school diploma programs. One of these programs is Nation High School's Rosetta Stone study at home high school diploma.Nation High School's study at home diploma is a unique program that allows students to study at their own pace and from anywhere. Nation High School provides interactive online classes accessible to students 24/7; students can take classes whenever they want. The main mission of Nation High School is to make education affordable and accessible to as many people as possible. To achieve this goal, Nation High School has reduced their fee structure to a very minimum level. Recently they waived off admission fee, admission-processing fee, and even online classes fee. This has significantly reduced the cost of attending Nation High School.High School Diploma awarded by Nation High school has global accreditation, which means it is recognized and accepted all over the world. This unique feature also makes Nation High School diploma, a much better GED alternative program.?The administration at Nation High School believes that with the ease and flexibility of their high school diploma program, they would be able to attract many students particularly those who desperately need a high school diploma to excel in their lives. Nation High School provides a smaller first goal to people who have big dreams and want to pursue higher goals.

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Real Estate Relocation? Moving Home, Kids and School

The big move...Okay, that would be ANY move! It all begins innocently enough. You start looking at homes on the Internet, then in the Sunday paper;? you might even stop by an Open House or a New Home Development. Suddenly, the bug has you! It's time to buy the next home! If you have children, the schools will play a big role in how well your family fares. And if you don't have children, you should know that the schools also play a big role in how your home's equity will do over time. There is a symbiotic relationship between the enviable equity gain in neighborhoods that are served by good schools, and good schools created by strong neighborhoods. A wonderful exchange. For those of you with children, you are probably of the mindset that you want the BEST schools for YOUR KIDS, whether they be public or private schools. TIP: You may find it easier to learn about the schools before shopping for your next home.Doing so, will keep your homes shopping trips in a well defined area. Doing so will also keep you from falling in love with a home that is in the wrong school district. How will you choose your next home as it relates to your children's school?? My suggestion is to hire a Realtor that is school savvy. How do you find one?? Just ask the Realtor what they specialize in-a school specialist is what you are looking for.Then, jump right in. Your Realtor should be able to guide you to the right resources, much of it online.? As you know, each child is different; yours may be a bookworm, an athlete, or a drama queen/king...maybe you have one of each! You know better than anyone else Rosetta Stone does, what you expect your schools to provide for your kids, so do the research on your own as well. Use the Internet, speak with other parents, check out the schools individual web site. Be hands on! Did you know that you can even get a guided tour of the school?? Many schools have? parents that volunteer and specilize in the school tour. These volunteers will give you a great overview of the school, you can choose to do this with or without your children present. Call the school you are interested in and if they offer it, get yourself on the schedule! Continue with area research on various recreational activities and their availability.? What works well for one family's set of values, may not work well for your family at all. Ever. Checking out the schools should be a relatively easy task. It's not though. Not in Charlotte NC. The Charlotte Mecklenburg School system is the largest in the state of North Carolina. The tools to search on line, are readily available, but a bit overwhelming with 172 public schools and more schools being added to the list each year. The scores are not readily available on your new schools, as they arrive in arrears. Call your local Realtor,? talk to them about their knowledge of the schools. Share your needs with them, what your family is all about. We all have our special niches. In the Charlotte real estate market, mine happens to be the schools.

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Continues to Aggressively Combat Distribution of Counterfeit Products

Company Announces Settlements with Five Individuals for Copyright and Trademark Infringement ARLINGTON, Va. --Inc. (NYSE:RST), a leading provider of technology-based language-learning solutions, announced today that the company has reached settlements in cases against Julian Tibbs, Hassan Bahri, Pablo Reiss as well as two individuals whose names are being withheld, for copyright and trademark infringement. Each of these individuals were selling counterfeit ? language learning software and/or offering to distribute download links to torrent sites linking to unauthorized copies ofsoftware. The settlements occurred between April 23, 2009 and May 14, 2009.“The company’s decision to settle these cases, rather than pursing civil lawsuits and criminal actions, was based on the willingness of each of the infringers to fully cooperate with our investigations,” said Michael Wu, general counsel, . “We are pleased that these infringers agreed Rosetta Stone to take full responsibility for their actions and paydamages that were substantially higher than the money the in fringers collected from their illegal sales.”continues to build zero tolerance programs to identify in fringers and cut down on software piracy, including the unauthorized copying, downloading, sharing and selling of software as part of its commitment to help protect its customers and maintain the integrity of the products customers purchase. For more information please. For additional media information please visit. About is changing the way the world learns languages.offers an interactive solution that is acclaimed for its speed and power to unlock the natural language-learning ability in everyone. Available in more than 30 languages, the language-learning solution is used by schools, organizations and millions of individuals in over 150 countries throughout the world. The company was founded in 1992 on the core beliefs that learning a language should be natural and instinctive, and that interactive technology can replicate and activate the immersion method powerfully for learners of any age. “” is a registered trademarkLtd.

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GlobalEnglish Gathers Industry Leaders in Munich for GlobalExchanges EMEA

Global English Corporation, the leading provider of on-demand learning and support for business English communication, today announced Global Exchanges EMEA 2010 will be held in Munich, Germany on September 14-15. With English as the common language for rising economies and rapidly emerging markets across the globe, forward-thinking companies are seeing why English is a strategic imperative for peak organizational performance and a competitive advantage in these markets. Global Exchanges EMEA brings together leaders from some of the world's largest corporations to share best practices to address the growing communication capability challenges within global workforces.Speakers from Arcelor Mittal, Kempinski Hotels, ABB, Maersk, Underwriters Laboratories and Procter & Gamble will lead presentations on how they are aligning their English development programs with business needs and measuring the success of such programs across the globe. "Global business requires a common language and English has become the language of choice," says Deepak Desai, President and CEO of Global English Corporation. "An estimated 2 billion people world-wide want stronger English skills right now. This has caused a 'network effect' that continues to grow. The more people adopt English -- the more others want to as well. No one wants to be left out of the global conversation. And, in particular, global businesses cannot afford to be left out of the conversation." In the past 3 weeks Desai has visited corporations in Brazil, India and China to assess the significant impact a common Rosetta Stone German business language has for industries in the world's most powerful emerging markets. In August, Global English hosted Global Exchanges Asia in Shanghai where Coca-Cola and General Motors discussed partnering with Global English to solve their need for English-proficient global workforces. And the setting for Global Exchanges EMEA has the backdrop of Germany's economy rising due to increased exporting and a strong relationship with China which is contributing to the increased need for a common language to conduct global business more cost effectively. "We are all connected in a global business village now. All key elements of business now flow across borders -- capital, labor and communication," says Desai. "Technology has greatly accelerated the 'business network effect' and created a way for English to be used as a tool for increasing productivity in global operations. Our Global Exchanges events are a unique opportunity to learn about the challenges global corporations face, and to discuss the impact that improved English competence can have on corporate performance." Global Exchanges EMEA is an invitation-only event that will take place at The Charles Hotel Munich. About Global English Corporation Global English is the leading provider of online assessment, learning, and support for business English communication for the world's top companies. The company offers a suite of scalable, on-demand products that helps employees improve their ability to communicate effectively in English and enables companies to succeed in the global marketplace. Global English is proudly made up of a team of global consultants who partner with clients to assess their business English needs, ensure successful implementation, and provide ongoing local support to over 30 countries worldwide. Global English is the preferred choice of the world's largest companies, including BNP Paribas, Capgemini, Cisco, Deloitte, Deutsche Telekom, GSK, Hewlett-Packard, Hilton, John Deere, Procter & Gamble, Unisys, and Wyeth.

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Free Online Home School Resources For Young Minds

Children between four to six years of age are referred to as kindergarten and preschoolers. During this stage of development, children learn and absorb information quickly. In fact this is the time when your child loves to explore the world around her. They enjoy communicating their interest and attraction in every new discovery. Notice a kid that sees the rainbow in the sky for the first time. Notice how her expression changes. Since this is something new to her, she easily gets fascinated by the wonderful colors of the rainbow. What parents can do is to encourage the child to express her feelings. Talk to the child in a normal manner. Explain to the child the wonderful thing that she sees in a simple and understandable manner. That is actually how parents should teach their children. Introduce the world to the child slowly so that the child would better appreciate the world they are living in.Homeschooling Education for Preschool and Kindergarten Homeschooling education has been accepted and adapted by many families across the globe. Our home is actually a good training ground to start teaching kids principles that they will certainly use in life. Parents choose to teach their young child at home because they believe that with homeschool programs, they can supervise their child better.The good thing about homeschooling education, the curriculum focuses on the individual learning Rosetta Stone Greek needs of a child. The good thing about home school curriculum is the flexibility of the schedule. It allows the child to spend more time with their family. Furthermore, in homeschooling curriculum, basic principles and foundation are being taught to a child in a fun and loving manner.Free Online Home School Resources At home, there are many ways to teach a young child. Parents should bear in mind that kindergarten is an enjoyable time. It should be an unforgettable time for both parent and the child. They may use education resources at home which include text books or activity books, coloring materials, clay, colorful paper and many more. Nevertheless, since parents are becoming more innovative and creative in teaching their preschooler, they can use a wide array of home school resources from various websites that offers homeschool curriculum. These online educational activity worksheets and kindergarten programs are specifically designed to help parents impart knowledge and skills to their children.The following are the core values found in Preschool Home school Resources:- Communication skills - which includes learning the ABC's, sign language, talking and listening development - Knowledge and basic concept of the world - Creativity : Colors and Drawings - Simple Mathematics : Counting and Shapes - Physical development : Exercise and Games - Self-help skills : Learning the basic how to's like dressing, eating and bathing - Children Bible Books : Stories about Creation, Jesus' miracles, salvation In summary, there are lots of enjoyable web pages that provide remarkable learning activity ideas appropriate for young children. On the other hand, parents should not limit their teachings and depend only with online education resources. In teaching young minds, parents should be creative and innovative. It is a God-given responsibility that they attend to the physical, intellectual and spiritual needs of their children. For parents, do not over stress yourselves; make the learning enjoyable for you and your kids!

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The most important thing is being consistent

This way they aren't waiting for mom to start. By having their calendar they know where they are at, if they have things that need to be caught up or if they have missed anything. This is always checked at the end of the school day by mom/teacher.This also helps the child to be self directed when they get in the routine or when they get older.Home/School Organization:Designate an area for school. This can be as simple as a table set up in some room in the house. This helps them to focus and "separates" them from just being at home and feeling free to do what they want. It also keeps everything {supplies and books} in one spot. There is no searching to find it. When school is over it is easy to pick up and put away. Keeping the house organized keeps the mom/teacher from leaving the room during school to 'deal' with another area. Clutter can distract the mom/teacher, and that distracts the children. Becky finds when she leaves the room there is a bit of whispering and chatter being done. You know how it is in public scho...when the teacher leaves the room for the first 30 seconds there is silence and then they start to whisper and chatter when there is no teacher present.In the evening, doing a quick pick up throughout the home helps the next day to be distraction free. Don't do it alone, unless you really want to, teach your family to help."Being home with the kids all day long does Rosetta Stone Software bring in a more 'used' home. There are more dishes, more wear on the floors, spills, crumbs, and projects. Assigning chores to be completed before play time is helpful. Keep the chores brief and age appropriate. The chore could also be printed on their school list so they are aware of what needs to be done that day.Make the children responsible for cleaning up their school area. Homeschooling can be a joy, but it can also bring a cluttered home! The most important thing is being consistent. Know the conditions that you expect your home to be in and prepare for it. Allow the children to participate in helping you keep it up. It can sometimes become a little overwhelming, but that usually comes because of lack of organizing. When you aren't prepared, can't find what you need, and feel like there is a mess everywhere it distracts from homeschooling. Keeping on top of these things is key".--- Becky Jorgenson, Mother who home schools four children ages 7 through 14.If something isn't working for you then try something different. Experiment with different solutions---be flexible. This will help you and your children have a happy and successful home schooling experience.Marilyn Bohn is the owner of Get it Together Organizing, a business dedicated to developing practical organizing solutions that help individuals and business professionals live clutter-free and productive lives. She is the author of "Go Organize!

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Making the Decision to Home School

More and more parents are pulling their children from public and private schools to educate them themselves. The reasons vary from religious values to being tired of over crowded public school system that is trying to produce cookie cutter results. The reasons are as varied as the families. For many this seemingly daunting task becomes an epiphany of self education as well. It is a life long journey of self discovery, adventure and pure joy as you watch your children blossom and develop. There are as many styles of home schooling as their families that are doing it. Many choose a traditional, classic way of teaching their children. Purchasing and or creating curriculum and setting schedules and dead lines. There are subject experts that many will use as an example to set up their educational program such Charlotte Mason. Many have chosen a realatively new method referred to as unschooling. This is a living aproach to educating your child(ren). Using their environment and world around them as the classroom. This is more of a lifestyle that allows children to explore and absorb knowledge naturally. Whatever the reason or method the growing number causes Rosetta Stone some concerns for the public school system. While some states make it realatively easy to home schools others fear releasing the education of children to their parents. One of the many arguments for homeschooling is that parents know their children better than their teachers and other education professional do. Parents can created a positive learning environment with one on one education and personalized curriculums. Colleges and universities are accomadating these larger numbers of home schoolers, realizing that many may not have sat for standard testing that they require. Children who have been home schooled tend to excel in higher education more so than children who have been through the public school system. Their education has been broader and they do not feel the need to treat college as an escape. They value their education as it has been part of their life as a whole, not just a portion of their day spent away from family and rushing from class to class.Families sometimes struggle with the decision to home school. They worry about their children learning the "right" things and socialization. Children are natural learners, every thing is new for them, and each child learns differently. Home schooling provides the atmosphere and tools for life long learning skills. Socialization does not have to be limited to a classroom of their peers.

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Home Schooling Advantages Vs. Disadvantages

Home schooling is an option that is becoming more attractive to parents as time goes on. Schools have become increasingly unstable over the past couple of decades. Children roam the hallways unchecked, textbooks are outdated, violence is prevalent, children are bullied mercilessly, and the quality of education on the whole has greatly diminished.What options do parents have to combat this downward spiral? Initially, private school was thought to be the answer. As enrollment in private schools soared many parents failed to see a difference between public and private schools. The problems were still the same.The option of home schooling has been around for a long time; however, until recently it had not been so popular. The idea of home schooling seems like a cure-all to many parents due to the advantages this type of education provides over traditional schools. Children who are home schooled can avoid many of the problems schools have become known for. For one, the environment is less threatening. Children can learn without fearing other students, aggressive or nasty teachers, and be under the constant supervision of parents. In addition, home schooling allows parents to dictate the academic course of their children. Home schooling also allows students to proceed at their own speed. If a child is weak at multiplication and division, a parent can focus lessons on those skills in favor Rosetta Stone Spanish Spain of another skill that the child might grasp rather easily.Home schooling is also advantageous because it keeps children away from other students that may be corruptive forces. There are many students in school who do not value learning. This is not any fault of the schools; however, it is still a painful reality. These students can lead to the destruction of a stable learning environment. Home schooling keeps children focused on learning and not on avoiding social pressures.It may sound like the perfect option, but there are many disadvantages of home schooling. First of all, home schooled children are usually less socialized. While schools can sometimes be the breeding ground for poor social behaviors, school is also a place where students learn to interact with others and build social skills. It seems a bit like a catch 22.In addition, another drawback to home schooling could be implementation of an educational plan. Many parents are not qualified as teachers and may not understand what is necessary to ensure a child has access to the proper curriculum.Finally, another disadvantage to home schooling is the necessity for parents to take full responsibility for their child's education. If you choose to home school your child there is no one for you to blame if your child does poorly. The responsibility falls completely on the parent.There are many advantages and disadvantages to home schooling. Before you begin a home schooling plan make sure you have evaluated your ability to properly instruct your child and provide a quality learning experience. If you do not think you can handle it, you might as well send your child to school but become more involved with his or her education.

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Qantas plans bio-fuel flight

Click to play video Return to video Video feedback Use this form to: Ask for technichal assistance in playing the multimedia available on this site, or Provide feedback to the multimedia producers. Return to video Video feedback Thank you. Your feedback was successfully sent. Video will begin in 5 seconds. Don't play Play now More video Recommended Click to play video The week ahead with Michael Pascoe Click to play video Cocaine seized in Queensland raid Click to play video Reporters look inside Fukushima nuclear plant Click to play video Obama visit sparks huge security operation Replay video Return to video Video settings What type of connection do you have? Return to video Video settings Your video format settings have been saved. Qantas workers march on terminal Qantas workers and their families march on Brisbane airport protesting against plans to move Australian jobs offshore: RAW VISION. Video feedback Video settings Qantas will run Australia's first commercial flight powered by sustainable fuel, CEO Alan Joyce has told an aviation conference in Brisbane today. "In early 2012, Qantas plans to operate a commercial flight powered by sustainable fuel," Mr Joyce said. "This is by no means the first bio-fuel flight, but it will be first flight of its kind in Australia." Advertisement: Story continues below Qantas is looking to a more environmentally friendly future. This year, Qantas signed agreements with two leading manufacturers of sustainable aircraft fuel. Solazyme is working with algae-based aviation fuels and Solena is experimenting with water-based fuels. "We want the flight to be an inspiration, a preview of a sustainable future for Australian aviation," Mr Joyce said. "This country certainly has the human capital, the finance and the resources to be a global leader in bringing new kinds of aviation fuel to market." In his keynote address to the Australian Airports Association Conference in Brisbane this morning, Mr Joyce said Qantas was improving fuel efficiency by 1.5 per cent each year. "Through a strategy that includes Rosetta Stone Language fleet renewal, new technology, fuel optimisation, and reducing resources," he said. "While these initiatives can achieve significant improvements, only the production of sustainable aviation fuel on a commercial basis can deliver a generational step in emissions reduction." In July this year, Virgin boss Richard Branson also told conference delegates in Brisbane that Virgin was exploring the use of eucalyptus oil from gum trees as an aviation fuel. Virgin's plans to have an Australian-based testing facility in place in 2013 and a "commercial" scale production facility in place by 2014. Mr Joyce's visit today to Brisbane coincided with a protest at the city's airport by Qantas workers concerned about airline's push to use contract workers. Australia's top labour tribunal, Fair Work Australia, has ordered the airline to reach an agreement with unions representing its long-haul pilots, licensed aircraft engineers, baggage handlers and catering staff. Following months of negotiations and employee industrial action, the labour dispute climaxed on October 29, when Qantas announced it would lock out workers and ground its fleet. The federal government called on Fair Work Australia to step in, which terminated workers' industrial action. The federal government supported the decision. The Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association last week launched a challenge in the Federal Court against the ban, but Mr Joyce is confident they won't win. "I'm not losing any sleep," he said. "I think the government have made themselves very clear that the pilot action, they don't believe, is going to get through. "The government believes that their case is robust, that the pilots' action isn't going to make any difference."

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This process encouraged the return of kangaroos

Warrnambool Trout Farm Further along Wollaston Rd is Warrnambool Trout Farm which suppliesall necessary equipment for fishing. Fish feeding, smoked trout,pate, yabby sales (seasonal), barbecue facilities and a functionroom are available. They are open weekends and public holidays andevery day during school holidays from 10.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. Groupbookings are available after hours by appointment, (019) 943396 or, after hours, (03) 5562 7772. Cheese world, Allans ford Head east along the highway for 12 km then turn right onto the Great Ocean Road and it is 2 km to Cheeseworld which features acheese and wine cellar and restaurant. There is also an his to ricaldisplay and souvenir sales. It is open weekdays from 8.30 a.m. to6.00 p.m., Saturday from 8.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. and Sunday from10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m., (03) 5563 2127. Cheese world is located at Allansford, established as a privatetown by the Allan family who built a Presbyterian church and a piseschool house which is still in use. Dairying developed late in the19th century and the town's dairy coop was one of the state'sfirst. Cudgee Creek Wildlife Park16 km east of the Warrnambool CBD, via the Princes Highway, is asignposted turnoff on the left to Cudgee. If you take this turnoff,cross the railway line then take the first left (signposted) itleads to Cudgee Creek Wildlife Park, a sevenacre property which ishome to deer, wallabies, kangaroos, emus, monkeys, crocodiles and awalkthrough bird aviary. It is possible to feed the animals and there are free gas barbecues. Cudgee Creek is open daily from 10.00a.m. to 5.00 p.m. in December and January and from Tuesday to Sunday for the rest of the year, (03) 5567 6260. Tower Hill State Game Reserve Tower Hill State Game Reserve (614 ha) is situated in the crater ofan extinct volcano which formed thousands of years ago when aviolent eruption created the funnelshaped crater which was laterfilled by the lake with its various small islets. Aboriginal relicsfound in volcanic ash indicate Aboriginal occupation from the time when the volcano was still active. The first known Europeans tosight the hill were the party of Captain Baudin in 1802. By 1860 the original charm and integrity of the crater haddisappeared as European settlers cleared the Rosetta Stone American English land and started tograze cattle. However, five yearsearlier, the painter Eugene VonGuerard had painted Tower Hill without its desecration and thispainting was so accurate that in 1961 a regeneration program wasstarted using Von Guerard'spainting as a model. Today Von Guerard's painting is housed in the Warrnambool Regional Art Gallery. This process encouraged the return of kangaroos, many koalas, wombats,sugar gliders, possums, echidnae, numerous waterbirds (including Cape Barren geese, musk ducks, spoonbills and chestnut teals) andsome very bold emus which enjoy the picnic area (feeding isstrictly prohibited). It is located 15 km west of Warrnambool adjacent the Princes Highway. Access is via a sealed scenic oneway road which leads off the highway and past a lookout area before it proceeds over a landbridge to the main body of land which is virtually surrounded by Tower Hill Lake. It continues on past a picnic area with toiletsand barbecue facilities and the Natural History Centre whichoutlines the geology and history of Tower Hill. Rangers areoccasionally available to help with enquiries. Guided tours(nocturnal and diurnal) can be booked. The centre is open dailyfrom 9.00 a.m. to 4.30 p.m., (03) 5565 9202. The picnic area is the starting point for the Lava Tongue Boardwalk a 30minute wetland walk which leads to a bird hide anda second boardwalk. It also connects with the Whurrong Loop Track(one hour) which focuses on Aboriginal foods. The picnic area isalso the start of the Hat Island Habitat Loop Track (a revegetationwalk of 45 minutes), the Journey to the Last Volcano (a geologicalwalk of one hour) and the Peak Climb (for orientation andgeological purposes).

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We'd just chuck ideas around and he'd pick the best bits

Aboriginal singersongwriter Kev Carmody met Kelly at a Sydneyland rights concert in the late 1980s and they ended up writingFrom Little Things Big Things Grow, about the Gurindjipeople's eightyear struggle for land, around a campfire. "Hedoesn't beat you over the head with (his political views)," says Carmody, whose 2007 tribute album Cannot Buy My Soul wasproduced by Kelly. "He says, 'This is the reality I see.' He hadthat great ability and compassion and sensitivity to look overindigenous progress over 219 years and say, 'This is what Iperceive.'" A sense of social justice must run in the family: after Kelly's father died, his mother helped set up a social welfareorganisation in Brisbane's south, where she moved in the sister Anne has done aid work in East Timor and Uganda; andbrothers Tony and Martin have worked with Brisbane street kids. Although Kelly describes himself as "welloff" these days, he'sanything but flashy: he wears a black plastic Swatch and drives adented 2001 Toyota Camry; after lunch, he asks the waiter to puthis leftover pizza in a doggy bag. He didn't start making a livingfrom his music until the release of Gossip, and then the 1987 followup, Under the Sun, produced the hit singlesDumb Things and To Her Door. Since then he has solidified his reputation with a string ofalbums (22, including soundtracks) branching out into bluegrass andexperimenting with reggae and RB. He has dabbled in acting andwritten film scores, winning ARIA awards for the soundtracks of Lantana and Jindabyne, and continued to produceand compose for other Australian artists, including Renee Geyer,Archie Roach and Christine Anu. Collaboration, he says, keeps him from going stale. "I think awriter's eternal problem is not to repeat themselves becauseeveryone has their own ruts or grooves," he says. "I remembersometimes writing songs with the Messengers and one of the bandwould say, and meaning it as a compliment, 'Oh, that one's straightfrom the factory.' You could spend the rest of your life writingsongs straight from the Rosetta Stone factory but that's just too deadly. Writingwith these other people is making yourself write in new ways and,if it works, you end up coming up with something that neither of you could have done on your own ... That's religion; who needs God?" The cowriting process, says Linda Bull, begins with lunch and achat around the kitchen table: "We'd just chuck ideas around andhe'd pick the best bits. He'd take all the bluntness and crudenessout of it and make it beautiful; that's his magic ... It'sconversations that you have everyday. That's why I think his songs are so popular: everyone knows what he means." Fans sometimes approach him after shows and seriouslyask him how he knew their story. "You know a song's working," says Kelly, "when people feel that it belongs to them like that." Kelly started out as a work colleague, says Bull, but over the years has proven to be a true friend. When her daughter wasseriously ill in hospital, he was the only one in the musicindustry who called. "He just picked up the phone; it was verytelling," she says. "He called me because he was worried, and hecalled every single day to find out how she was ... That was abeautiful thing to do. He's a father. He understands." Kelly has tried to keep his children out of the spotlight, butthe proud dad can't help giving his DJ son, Declan, a plug: the 26 yearold sound designer (whose mother is Kelly's first wife,Hilary Brown) has a Triple R radio show on Sunday nights, he says,called Against the Arctic. His daughters, Madeleine, 15, and Memphis, 13, live with their mother, Kelly's second wife, Kaarin Fairfax, but he sees them on weekends. "We're all still friends,"he says of his former wives.

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We know what the problem is

The first people (nine Sri Lankans) to be forcibly removed since Labor came to power are about to be flown home. The Government hopes this will send a message, but given the small number it is a muted one. The Opposition says the Government's policy changes have sent the wrong signals and encouraged the flow. Malcolm Turnbull this week declared arrivals were ''going through the roof''. He is calling for an inquiry, but Evans says: ''What is an inquiry going to achieve? We know what the problem is.'' Evans points out the Government has boosted resources in the budget, is working with the Indonesians and Malaysians to stop people setting out, and is engaging with the Sri Lankan government. ''This is a longterm challenge that every industrialised country is dealing with,'' he says. ''We will consider and are considering any other policy initiatives. We're open to new measures that help address the problem. If we need to put more resources in we will but I don't think resources is the issue at the moment,'' he told The Age, but declined to go into detail of what more might be done. For the Government, the unnerving reality is that there do not really seem to be many options other than jawboning and returning those who don't meet the refugee criteria without going back on aspects of its reforms. Evans concedes the ''Pacific Solution'' had some deterrence value but (fortunately) that's out for good. David Manne, coordinator of the Refugee and Immigration Centre in Melbourne, argues the numbers remain very small and ''any sense of panic is unjustified''. Manne strongly contests Joyce's interpretation Rosetta Stone Spanish (Latin America) of what he saw. ''What someone wears or their relative wealth is completely irrelevant,'' he says. ''It is important the Government doesn't go weak at the knees and compromise protection for refugees. That's the real risk.'' Manne would like to see the Government move in the opposite direction, reversing the Howard excision of Christmas Island (and other islands), which denied asylum seekers access to full Australian legal rights. That's not going to happen. But with Christmas Island near to bursting, the Government expects to have to put people in accommodation in Darwin. It can do this while still confining their legal rights by sending them via Christmas Island. If significant numbers have to be partprocessed on the mainland, the political heat will probably rise. Is the issue at risk of returning to the divisive, destructive debate of earlier years? Evans says: ''It's slightly different this time. The Government is not seeking to promote fear.'' But ''I don't underestimate the political potency of a large number of arrivals''. People want the boats stopped, Evans says, although ''I don't think they want to return to the situation of (asylum seekers) languishing in camps for a long time, children behind razor wire''. Even though we're unlikely to see a repeat of the worst of the old debate, the issue could turn nasty. The surges of boat people Australia gets from time to time are less an objective test, because they are still comparatively modest, but a political one. Let's hope lessons have been learnt, one of which is the need to keep things in proportion. Michelle Grattan is political editor.

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A health spa that's top of the drops

Amy Cooper prefers her algae to come with a glass of wine. I'VE always been a spa commitmentphobe. Anything longer than aday treatment is too daunting. Tried it once, got caught with abottle of wine behind a tree on the second day, was made an exampleof by an angry naturopath and that was that. The French think similarly, so they tend to combine their spaswith luxury hotels. This way, you can detox within your comfortzone, knowing the safety of your room and the wine list are closeby. Meanwhile, everyone on the outside believes you're suffering ina fulltime health farm. Genius. Advertisement: Story continues below At the Sebel Resort and Spa in Windsor, the reassuring bulk ofthe 41/2star hotel snuggles close to the pretty, colonnaded VillaThalgo, home to a host of Thalgo French hydrotherapy treatments.The villa was Australia's first purposebuilt day spa and you cantreat yourself to as much time as you like there while staying inthe hotel. I'm shown to a balcony suite overlooking the spa entrance, andfrom here I can watch the stressed, scrunchedup new arrivals enterthe spa below before floating out again later. Right now, I preferto enjoy the peace and privacy of the room, a generous space (about 47 square metres) full of reclining options: big, multipillowedbed; sofa with squishy cushions; leather armchair in a corner justmade for curling up with a book. There's a writing desk, too, but I won't be using that asenthusiastically as the spa in the en suite bathroom. The view is an expanse of green rural idyll part fields, partgolf course stretching into the distance. I'm only an hour out of Sydney, but feel much further away. The Hawkesbury region, with its historical villages, picturesquecountryside (70 per cent of it is national park) and five rivers isan antidote to big city malaise. The Sebel itself, beside Rosetta Stone Spanish (Spain) Windsorin the valley's south, has sanctuaries aplenty shady trees,pretty courtyards, a lake with secluded benches around it and ofcourse, Villa Thalgo. I'm booked in for a body scrub and marine algae wrap and firsttake a dip in the villa's generous pool. There's another pool withsix hydrotherapy exercise stations. You stand chesthigh in water,grip the handrails, press a button and jets pummel you all over.This is called an "analytic pool", which makes me feel a bit like alab sample, but that's the language of French spas. Here, staffwear white coats and rooms have intriguing names on the doors:Blitz hose room, Hydrobath, Rain massage. Not that it isn't decadent. Jessica, my therapist, explains thebody scrub feels particularly good because the beads are roundedfor extra comfort. Towels are huge and impossibly soft, and the affusion showerwith which I rinse off the scrub is an eightjet, toptotoedelight. Next, Jessica mixes up marine algae from powder into warm goo.This isn't a cosmetic, chemically created "marine" fragrance it'sthe salty, seaweedy real deal, almost overpowering. I'm smotheredin it and wrapped in foil so the algae's detoxifying properties canbegin their work. Twenty minutes later, I step into the affusionshower again and rinse off my dark green coating. Underneath is ashinier, smoother me. Then it's time to boost my healthy glow in the hotel's HarvestRestaurant. The wine list has plenty of delicate drops tocomplement a newly cleansed system, and the menu's hearty dishesmake good use of fresh local produce. Once I'm up in my room only the odd peal of laughter from belowdents the peace. The combined effects of pinot and algae kick insurprisingly early and I have no trouble sinking into a deep,delicious sleep.

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Light came dappled through the overhanging trees

These displays of medieval pageantry are taken extremely seriously by skilled riders; areas slightly further afield, such as the Camargue and Pau, are famed for their equestrian excellence. My most recent visit to Carcassonne is in spring and everything is stirring: the fresh leaves on the trees; the tender, curling grapevines; the residents springcleaning their shops and restaurants in preparation for the summer invasion. No one yet has frayed tempers and the bus driver who takes me and other passengers from Carcassonne's Salvaza Airport to the old monastery where I'm staying chats goodnaturedly the whole way, making sure I know exactly where I'm headed when I get off. Later that day, trying to catch another bus to a nearby wildlife park, Le Parc Australien (see story opposite), and discovering that I have inadvertently discarded my allday travel ticket, the same airport bus driver happens to pull up in his bus. He vouches for me; the new driver lets me on without a ticket and I am on my way. That's the kind of place Carcassonne is: small, friendly, with bus and taxi drivers who like to stop and chat. The taxi driver who drives me back from Le Parc Australien has moved here from Paris because it is a happier place to live. He admits there are poor employment prospects for the town's young people and problems with strikes in the French education system but Carcassonne has good food, good people and good weather. That evening, the sun still hot at seven o'clock, I sit beneath the plane trees and have a pastis in Place Carnot, the square of Carcassonne. The lively centre of the Bastide SaintLouis (the "new" part from the 19th century), Place Carnot has dozens of cafes and bars and wonderful thriceweekly food markets. Traffic is restricted in the square (although Carcassonne's youth enjoy nothing better than whizzing around the surrounding streets on those flybuzzing scooters famous throughout France, Italy and Greece for annoying the elderly). Families are out with their children; young lovers canoodle and longmarried couples drink aperitifs in Rosetta Stone Software companionable silence. The Bar Felix might be supposed to be a tourist trap but I find it full of locals, les vrais francais. Just weeks before, when spring was still trembling on the lip of winter, I had stayed with my family in a beautifully renovated baker's shop that is now a gite, in a tiny village named Plaigne, not far from Carcassonne. This part of Languedoc looks not unlike Tuscany, with burnt sienna colours, vineyards and darkgreen pines. The first asparagus of the season were out, fat, creamylooking, and every day we ate some with meals, with ripe cheese and fruity wines almost as cheap as bottled water. We hired a boat and puttered down the Canal du Midi, the famed canal built in the 17th century to link the Mediterranean with the Atlantic. Light came dappled through the overhanging trees, the sun not yet strong enough to wish to hide from it. On other days, we climbed to the hearts of ruined Cathar castles or went to fetes, once arriving in time to watch a parade of local tractors, some from the early years of last century. No one but a few scattered Britons who have retired here spoke English. One local Englishwoman helped me out, in flawless French, when I was talking to the butcher in Belpech, who was explaining some complicated arrangements for tickets to the fete. It was right out of a Balzac short story, perhaps one about a local butcher who knows everything, who is the point at which a gossipy village meets a butcher who is passionate about meat, cradling each carefully cut portion as gently as he might a newborn child. But now I am in Carcassonne sans famille and, after deciding against a second pastis, I wander back from the Place Carnot, across the beautiful stonearched Pont Vieux bridge and down through the cobbled medieval streets of the Quartier Barbacane, where I'm staying.

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Climate Change

Doubts over modelling and emissions trading schemes are justified. PreCopenhagen, the global warming debate had been captured by prophets of doom and the language of apocalypse. This was particularly offputting in a discussion that depends on highquality science, cool logic, and careful argument. It raises old suspicions. The West has already experienced theories of impending environmental disaster with the Club of Rome launching a successful scare campaign in the 1970s about the world running out of food. Its book, Limits to Growth, sold 30 million copies. Hardly a decade had passed before its predictions were proved wrong. Of course, the objective case for global warming is separate from the manner in which some of its proponents have publicised it. And, it should be judged on its own merits. Nevertheless, I must confess to being wary of causes that attract pseudoreligious enthusiasm and intellectual fanaticism. Advertisement: Story continues below Current predictions of global warming and its longterm effects depend on computergenerated mathematical models. There are two major problems with such models. First, their relationship to reality is compromised by the simplifying assumptions they have to make in order to reduce the number of variables they can take into account to a workable number. In economics this means they are next to useless for longterm prophecy. We are confronted every day with how poor economic commentators are at prediction. If this is true in the domain of economics, how much more the case is it for climate, where the potential variables are vastly greater? The second problem with mathematical models is that they assume current factors will continue as they aremajor ones will stay major, minor ones minor, and no significant new ones will emerge. History is a story of the rise of the unexpected. Having said this, some predictions are better than others. For instance, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's 2007 report projects greenhouse gas emissions. In the limited case of Rosetta Stone Spanish Latin carbon dioxide over the next two decades, there is some plausibility to the predictions given current dependence on coalfired power stations and the long development times needed to switch modes of electricity generation. However, when it comes to linking emissions to rising world temperatures, the models become fanciful. The New York Times, hardly an enclave of climate scepticism, featured an article on September 23, 2009, which admitted that global temperatures have been stable for the past decade, and may even drop in the next few years. Surely, this trend may be an anomaly, but its existence does raise a serious question mark, for all but true believers. Some disciplines in both the arts and the sciences are highly speculative, and that makes their theories and predictions unstable. Does climate science belong here? I have my suspicions. For instance, climatologists told us for a decade or more that climate in southeastern Australia and in particular, rainfall was determined by weather patterns and sea currents across the Pacific Ocean. Now, suddenly we are being told that it is rather the Indian Ocean that is critical. The claims made about the science have been rash, asserting dogmatic certainty about humaninduced warming when the reality is that the overall picture is quite unclear. This has now backfired, with the IPCC admitting mistakes in its 2007 report, and the East Anglia Climatic Research Unit, which the IPCC has drawn heavily upon, shown to have been, at the least, devious in the results it has made public. There may be some link between the rashness of the global warming campaign and the haplessness of the politics that has followed. The best current bet is that, after Copenhagen, emission controls is dead as a serious international issue. And further, only some environmental disaster that can be convincingly linked to climate change will rekindle it. The ''sceptics'' have won the politics. The clumsy politics is international and local. An emissions trading scheme, as proposed by the Australian Government, is very bad policy.

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As if it were a marketing stunt!

But then this champion of ''the synthesis of disparate things''was raised to enjoy plurality. ''What you're born into is obviouslywhat's natural to you,'' she recalls. ''It was always strange to meto go round to other people's houses, and everybody seemed to bethe same colour.'' From her grudging teenage acceptance that the African Americannovelist Zora Neale Hurston had a quality of ''soul'' that couldspeak to the black-female side even of this pigeonhole-dodgingyoung Londoner, to her investigation of Kafka's lonely convictionthat ''the impossible thing was collectivity itself'', severalpieces turn on Smith's sceptical view of belonging. ''I can't sign up to any collectivity which is immediate andunthinking,'' she insists. ''There are communities of Buffylovers [for her, the Vampire Slayer embodied a peak of televisualart], there are communities of people who adore Kafka. Those arereal communities to me, which are motivated by care and interestand personal involvement. I can't assume a collectivity of feelingwith millions of people I don't know on the basis of geneticindicators.'' If Smith escapes every stifling box, she needs her readers tobreak free as well. ''It is extraordinary how difficult it is toget people who are white to see plurality in people who aren'twhite,'' she frets. She was often asked: '' 'Why do you keep on writing about allthese multi-cultural people?' As if it were a marketing stunt! It'sfascinating - the idea that if you write about non-white peopleit's an angle. You would have to be white to ask thatquestion.'' Yet she will leave the missionary work to others. ''There arepeople who devote their writing lives to banging away at that wall.I can't do it because there are too many other things I'd like todo.'' Those many other things include the appreciation of comedy:''One of the things in English life that I've loved most, and Rosetta Stone software thinkof as most English.'' This passion became personal when her youngerbrother, Ben, mutated into the stand-up ''Doc Brown''. For his proud sister, it ''made me think about what comedy hadmeant to us as children - and part of it is definitely a kind ofdefence, if there's some question mark about who you are or whereyou fit in. Being funny was for both of us a way of smoothing oversome rough edges''. For Smith, Rome meant the chance to change her mind by joiningEurope. Not only did she acquire another language, she immersedherself in current Continental writing, surrounded by a thrivingcounter-culture of artistic rebels. ''In England, you're always co-opted. In Italy, if you want tostay sane, you have to completely and utterly separateyourself.'' That move abroad as a reader of fiction confirmed her in abelief that, in recent times, ''The European tradition is sodivorced from the English - we're at cross purposes at everypoint.'' An essay that contrasts the solid humanism of JosephO'Neill's Netherland with the playful subversion ofnarrative and personality in Tom McCarthy's much more ''European''novel, Remainder, allows Smith to expand on the yawning gulfthat she perceives. ''There's a great positivism and common sense which rules theAnglo-American tradition. For myself, it's not that you abandon thetradition, but just to be mentally abroad is the most refreshingthing.'' A fear of becoming ''entrenched'' peppers her conversation. Shebows to the 92-year-old Diana Athill as open-minded proof that''calcification'' need not arrive with age. And she deplores thepost-9/11 slide into ''a decade of binaries'', as a hopeless notiontakes hold that ''Difference can't be sustained - not just inpolitics and communities, but in the arts as well''.

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