This little girl’s life is complicated enough without adults making it more difficult on her. Five or maybe ten years from now, this will not be an issue. But, for now, homeschooling is a really good (and safe) option.
Interesting that AMZN is pushing this book:
In this chilling novel, Anderson (Burger Wuss; Thirsty) imagines a society dominated by the feed a next-generation Internet/television hybrid that is directly hardwired into the brain. Teen narrator Titus never questions his world, in which parents select their babies’ attributes in the conceptionarium, corporations dominate the information stream, and kids learn to employ the feed more efficiently in School. But everything changes when he and his pals travel to the moon for spring break. There Titus meets home-schooled Violet, who thinks for herself, searches out news and asserts that “Everything we’ve grown up with the stories on the feed, the games, all of that it’s all streamlining our personalities so we’re easier to sell to.”
So, a company that thrives by selling us stuff that we probably could live without, using push/internet technology is selling a book about companies that thrive by selling kids stuff that they probably could live without, using push/internet technology.
And an HEK shall lead them.
But we scientists know which side respects science and which side doesn’t.
One of the great political shifts in the past decade has been the move of scientists toward the Democratic Party, a casualty of the Republican Party’s war on reality. It’s not about politics for scientists, it’s about the fact that only one party accepts scientific findings on everything from global warming to evolutionary theory to what does and doesn’t prevent pregnancy. Only 6 percent of scientists identify as Republican, whereas 55 percent identify as Democratic.
Amazon’s Kindle deal-of-the-day is Glenn Beck’s Agenda 21. If they were paying me $2.99 to download, I might consider it. Maybe.
Neo-con hack Thomas Sowell has determined that public school teachers are sapping American kids’ will to die in a nuclear war. Apparently, when Iran drops the big one, we’ll all turn French.
In France between the two World Wars, the teachers’ union decided that schools should replace patriotism with internationalism and pacifism. Books that told the story of the heroic defense of French soldiers against the German invaders at Verdun in 1916, despite suffering massive casualties, were replaced by books that spoke impartially about the suffering of all soldiers — both French and German — at Verdun.
Germany invaded France again in 1940, and this time the world was shocked when the French surrendered after just 6 weeks of fighting — especially since military experts expected France to win. But two decades of undermining French patriotism and morale had done their work.
American schools today are similarly undermining American society as one unworthy of defending, either domestically or internationally. If there were nuclear attacks on American cities, how long would it take for us to surrender, even if we had nuclear superiority — but were not as willing to die as our enemies were?
Farris is a tool. And he makes us look evil.
There are approximately 314,860,079 people in the US. I’d say that Mitt Romney’s odd of being named the next Treasury Secretary at slightly less than one in 314,860,079.
Area rugs at Lowes for $10!
Michael Farris makes homeschoolers look bad.
Ran into an interesting problem on the Wal-mart website. I could not check out with my purchase. Clicking on “Proceed to checkout” merely refreshed the screen. This happened under both Chrome and Firefox (Aurora). I contacted customer service to let them know about the bug. They had a solution right away: Disable DoNotTrack+. Apparently, Wal-mart requires an ability to track you across the internet before they’ll sell you something.
Guess which online retailer is now auctoris non grata.
The Powerball jackpot is likely to hit almost $500M by Wednesday’s drawing. With odds of 1 in 175,223,510 it might make sense to play every possible combination (if you think there won’t be another winner). Of course, the jackpot is in the form of an annuity, so the present value is probably closer to $250M. So, maybe it’s not worth the gamble.
I think I’ll keep my $175,223,510 safely hidden away in my mattress.
I have a favor to ask of the 2 or 3 readers left. I want to get Lydia a k-cup type coffee brewer (Keurig or other brand) but am having a helluva time deciding. Reviews for the Keurig machines are all over the place. Every machine gets great reviews and awful reviews. So, I figured I’d turn to some folks I trust: you. Does anyone have any experience with these machines? And, if so, which features are worth paying for and which aren’t?
Thanks.
I may be a jerk, but I’m pretty sure the Teabaggers have cost the GOP control of the Senate. Go on, keep demonizing minorities and antagonizing women. I’m sure that will be a winning strategy next time.
I’m helping raise money during Movember. It’s for a good cause. If you’re feeling flush, here’s the link.
BTW, I’ll try to post pics of my lame attempt at growing a ‘stache.
ONN is getting desperate. Check out one of their latest:
Is it a sin to vote for Obama and the Democrats?
The author seems to believe the answer to that question is a “no brainer.” My take is that it’s the author who is in a permanent vegetative state.
He even violated Godwin’s Law!
I imagine these Democrat apologists writing similar essays in the 1930s of how the Nazi Party was doing great things for infrastructure and social welfare programs in Germany. “Never mind that killing of the Jews thing,” they would essentially argue. That’s the underlying current of the Christian Democrat defense — “never mind the killing of the unborn beings made in God’s image thing.” That’s not to say that Democrats are Nazis, of course.
But, of course.
I shave with a 60-year-old razor using a brush and mug to lather up. I wear a 40-year-old old style wind up Timex (21 jewels!). And I write with fountain pens exclusively. So, here’s your chance to be a bit of a throwback, too. November 2nd is Fountain Pen Day. If you’ve never used a fountain pen, now’s the time to try. And if you have just gotten away using from the best writing implements of all time… For shame!
These disposable Pilot pens have a good rep. If you order in the next 24 hours, they should be there in time for FPD.
If you don’t want to go the online route, inexpensive fountain pens are also usually available at the larger office supply stores.
CNN is apparently a devotee of New Math. Check out the latest hed:
CNN Poll: Obama 50%-Romney 46% in Ohio
One would think that Obama was ahead. Not so, according to the chyron. It’s a tie. Yes, because the difference is within the margin of error, CNN thinks the candidates are tied. What idiocy! There is just as much chance that they’re tied as there is that Obama is up by 12%.
Yesterday was the 1st day of early voting here in WV. Of course, I did my duty and voted for President Obama.
This may be the dumbest thing ever written. In history. In any language.
I’ve had only good luck making micro loans through Kiva. Here’s the latest. If you follow the link and donate, Kiva will kick in an extra $50.
And here’s a link to the #1 team on Kiva.
Get all the details here.
Parade Magazine(!) has a pretty good article today about how anti-vaxers are killing kids. Their own and other parents’. I hope some of the anti-vax folks read the article and see themselves.
And the results aren’t pretty. Does it surprise anyone that Farris rejects the consensus medical opinion?
It’s National Coffee Day. Free cups of Joe at lots of places including McD’s and Krispy Kreme.
Trust me. Click the link.
Stupid teacher tricks. A junior high chemistry teacher was busted for cooking and then selling meth. The moran was busted selling it in the school parking lot.
Just a reminder that tomorrow be talk like a pirate day.
Are 4% of all students really HEKs?
And CNN owes Tim Haas a nickel for the photo.
Lots of free online classes being offered by Stanford, MIT, and Harvard. No college credit, but it probably would be ideal for an advanced HEK. Details here.
A usable laptop for $250 plus tax.
“Every indication is that the economic policies adopted and pursued by this president are creating jobs at a very high pace. And so the people of America have to ask, ‘Do I stay with the president, who is rebuilding the economy, who is creating jobs, or do you want to stop mid-stream and find someone new?'” — Mitt Romney
Hmmm. Did Jesus ever say “claim to be God?” Yes, he did.
“The truth is, before Abraham was, I AM.” (John 8:58 NLT)
So, which one was he? An impersonator or a comedian?
Anyone who searches the archives here will note that I’ve never been a particular fan of the American Community Survey, which I think sometimes crosses the line into intrusiveness. But I have to admit that this census timeline is pretty cool.
American society is doomed, without doubt. Evidence from today: I had to stop at the local Walmart around 5:50 this morning on the way in to work. I parked down on the opposite end from the grocery section, since I needed some supplies for a business trip. As I pulled up, another car parked a couple of spots away. The rather large woman approached the store doors just as I did. They were locked since it was so early. I headed down to the doors at the other end of the store. She turned around, got back in her car, and drove to the other end of the parking lot.
I counted my steps. 89 between the two sets of doors.
Anybody else see the flaw in this one?
Quick Vote
What’s the surest way to reach $1 million?Invest in stocks
Buy real estate
Own a small business
Win the lottery
Just watched Season 2 of “Breaking Bad.” What a great series. And I love that chemistry plays such an important part. So far, I’m really impressed with the chem geek level. My favorite bit was a tad more subtle than Mr. White blowing up a drug kingpin’s house with mercury fulminate. In the last episode of season 2, when a female character ODs, her father enters her apartment to choose a dress for her to be buried in. There are examples of her drawings all over her bedroom. And right on top is a drawing of a snake swallowing its tail. That imagery, of course, is one of the most famous in chemistry. Kekule supposedly dreamed it when he figured out the ring structure of benzene.
The Carnival of Homeschooling v. 333 is up.
That’s what the banner read on last night’s “Glee.” They can sing, but they cannot spell.
This blog was born. That 1st post was just as inane as most of the rest of them.
The SC Senate just passed a bill to allow HEKs to play sports at their local schools. Interestingly, the vote was 36-0.
There’s an idiot down the corner from here standing next to the main shopping drag waving a big photo of Obama with the single word “Remove” under the image. Oh, and Obama is sporting a Hitler moustache.
But I’m sure my fellow travelers meeting in DC today would be A-OK with that.
Every adult involved in this fiasco deserves to go to federal prison for a very long time. I figure they’ve admitted to kidnapping and false imprisonment.
PITTSBURGH—A southeastern Pennsylvania church subjected members of a youth group to a mock kidnapping and interrogations without telling them it was staged, and the outraged mother of one 14-year-old girl has filed a complaint with police.
The pastor of the Glad Tidings Assembly of God in Middletown said the church is “so saddened” that the girl was traumatized at the Wednesday evening youth meeting.
But the pastor, John Lanza, said Friday there have been emails of support from other students at the church, about 10 miles southeast of Harrisburg, because the intent was to prepare them for what they might encounter as missionaries. He didn’t disclose the names of those involved but said the mock kidnappers included an off-duty police officer and a retired Army captain.
“It was a youth event, to illustrate what others have encountered on a regular basis,” he said, adding that the focus of the lesson was “the persecuted church” in other countries.
Lanza said there were about 17 students at the meeting and the mock kidnappers covered the students’ heads, put them in a van and interrogated them. Neither the students nor their parents were told about the raid beforehand, he said, though it was discussed with the parents of one youth who might have health issues.
At the very least, the off-duty cop should be fired immediately. He’s way too stupid to be trusted with a gun.
OMG! He’s a 2nd-rate quarterback. He is NOT the 2nd coming of Jesus. He’s not even the 2nd coming of John Elway.
Denver Christians mourn Tebow’s departure, say they’ll root from afar
But I eat like one on teevee. Steel cut oats for breakfast. Corned beef and cabbage for supper, washed down with a couple of Sam Adams Irish Reds.
Happy St. Pat’s Day to all you real Irishmen and women.
I’m still sticking with the old-style shaving. I’ve probably a dozen old razors now and just last night purchased one made in the 2nd quarter of 1962. (That’s far from my oldest which was made in 1920.) But the Gillette Slim will be 50 years old sometime between April and June of this year. And, so will I. On May 13th, to be precise. So, it’s a “birth quarter” razor. I don’t really know why I find that utterly cool (and geeky).
In addition to the razors, I’ve recently re-acquired an old “vice.” I’ve picked up a couple of fountain pens. I hadn’t used them since college, and mine from back then are looooong gone. But eBay is a great source. Jinhao makes some beautiful pens at ridiculous prices. I bought an X450 and an X750 for something like $14 shipped.
