The invention of the printing press revolutionized revolutions :-) The Reformation was largely spread through pamphlets written by the Reformers. The American Revolution started with Committees of Correspondence and the great debate over the future was carried on in the newspapers. The publication of The Federalist and The Anti-Federalist papers shaped our new nation. The press allowed the opinions of one man to travel far beyond those who could hear him in person, far more efficiently than hand-copying.
The photography, radio and television brought even more immediacy to revolution and war. Who could forget the image of the flag-raising at Iwo Jima? And I think everyone in my generation can clearly remember the Germans dancing and celebrating the night the Berlin Wall came down. Sadly, we also remember the brave student who faced down the tanks in the square of that country our family loves so much (don't want to hit any hot word buttons here - we do have family there).
Today we got to see a whole new media's effect on revolution. It's been fascinating to see the unexpurgated real life stories coming out of Iran on Twitter @persiankiwi and @Change_for_Iraq . How can a tyrant spin the news when the news hits the world as soon as it is made? Wow. Sic semper tyrannis! Read all about it on John Calvin's blog.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
Memorial Day
Today the government schools of Wake County are in session even though it is Memorial Day. The sad thing is that the school folks probably just thought they were asking their students to come back from the beach a day early. What is our country coming to? So many have suffered and died to preserve our freedom that it is tragic that we can't even take one day to remember their sacrifice.
Well, our family is going to remember. Soon we will head over to Scott Brown's Farm for the nation's best Memorial Day Observance: http://www.hopebaptistchurch.info/hope/Memorial_Day.html Won't you join us?
Well, our family is going to remember. Soon we will head over to Scott Brown's Farm for the nation's best Memorial Day Observance: http://www.hopebaptistchurch.info/hope/Memorial_Day.html Won't you join us?
Sunday, May 03, 2009
Catching up on receipts
It's been like December since I've had time to enter receipts into Quicken. Late in December, we discovered some heart issues with our unborn child, then I was hospitalized for preterm labor, then I was on complete bedrest (Don't ever try to do your taxes lying on your side... ouch!), then my brother was visiting from China, then Katie was born, then she spent most of a month in the Pediatric ICU...
Anyway, my cute little pink elephant handbag was starting to look like a big fat elephant so I sat down this weekend to enter receipts. Now, I haven't just been flying blind financially. Quicken will download transactions from our bank and credit card, but when the transaction is from Wal-Mart, it could literally be anything.
Those are the receipts I hate. It's never just "groceries" or "medical:medicine:OTC", it's bike tubes and socks and diapers and milk and calcium tablets and a mum for crying out loud! My gripe today is whoever the genius is that types in the description that is printed on the receipt. When you enter your receipt three months later, "PX F C 64LD" means nothing, nothing! I do know that whatever it is costs $5 and we've bought two of them in the past couple of months, but I am up a tree to know what it was. Last week, after much perusal, we finally figured out that "LBN AL KEYWD" was a Little Ben key-wound alarm clock. Now why couldn't they have said "LITBEN CLOCK" for the same number of letters???
If you know the clown that inputs those descriptors, would you please inform him his job is to describe the item in 12 spaces or less, not to invent a new code, huh?
Anyway, my cute little pink elephant handbag was starting to look like a big fat elephant so I sat down this weekend to enter receipts. Now, I haven't just been flying blind financially. Quicken will download transactions from our bank and credit card, but when the transaction is from Wal-Mart, it could literally be anything.
Those are the receipts I hate. It's never just "groceries" or "medical:medicine:OTC", it's bike tubes and socks and diapers and milk and calcium tablets and a mum for crying out loud! My gripe today is whoever the genius is that types in the description that is printed on the receipt. When you enter your receipt three months later, "PX F C 64LD" means nothing, nothing! I do know that whatever it is costs $5 and we've bought two of them in the past couple of months, but I am up a tree to know what it was. Last week, after much perusal, we finally figured out that "LBN AL KEYWD" was a Little Ben key-wound alarm clock. Now why couldn't they have said "LITBEN CLOCK" for the same number of letters???
If you know the clown that inputs those descriptors, would you please inform him his job is to describe the item in 12 spaces or less, not to invent a new code, huh?
Saturday, April 18, 2009
One-Handed Typing
There are so many things going on that I want to comment on, but I just don't have the patience to type one-handed. Why would I have to do that? Well, Katie is one smart little girl. She figured out very quickly in the PICU that if she stayed latched on, everyone pretty much left her alone and didn't do anything ugly to her like start an IV or check her temperature. So, she decided she'd just stay latched on for the foreseeable future. Hence, one-handed typing.
Here are some things I want to comment on and don't have the patience for. I'll bet you know where I stand without my saying so anyway :-)
Ruth Bader Ginsberg and the use of international law in American courts
The bailout and why I think I can spend my $27,000+ share better myself
The art of filmmaking and the joys of family projects
The fragility of life and what it is like to have a sick newborn
Ways to help folks with sick children
The CPSIA and why it is putting some great companies out of business
Remarkable providences
I could go on all day. Here's hoping I'll have time to type soon!
Here are some things I want to comment on and don't have the patience for. I'll bet you know where I stand without my saying so anyway :-)
Ruth Bader Ginsberg and the use of international law in American courts
The bailout and why I think I can spend my $27,000+ share better myself
The art of filmmaking and the joys of family projects
The fragility of life and what it is like to have a sick newborn
Ways to help folks with sick children
The CPSIA and why it is putting some great companies out of business
Remarkable providences
I could go on all day. Here's hoping I'll have time to type soon!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Our Little Katie
We are overjoyed that the Lord has added another arrow to our quiver - Katherine Luther, named after Martin Luther's beloved wife, Katherine von Bora Luther. Many of you know that little Katie has an electrical problem in her heart and we have been in and out of the hospital for weeks. Her care page is the best place to find out what is going on with us right now.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Divorce and Homeschooling
I recently posted a bit about the recent divorce case involving the Mills family in which the judge has ordered the children to be put in public school next year. I wasn't satisfied with my post on rereading it, so I took it down. If you commented, please feel free to comment again, I didn't see your comments until I had taken it down and now there's no post to attach them to.
I want to address the situation in general, not in specifics. I wrote on this blog some time ago, an open letter to homeschooling parents considering divorce. Once again, we see that when you enter the divorce court, you are telling the government that the adults in the situation can't agree and you are handing over all authority in your family to the judge.
I am very concerned about the unbridled authority divorce court judges have, but I am even more concerned about the unlimited authority family court judges have in cases where the parents agree, but the government does not. I am thinking of situations such as families dealing with false social services allegations, or situations such as homeschooling and private schooling families are facing in Germany, where children are being removed from the home solely because they are not in public schools. Where should a judge's authority end?
That's a very hard question - and one that can cut both ways. A judge that is limited from stepping in against our side, may also be limited from stepping in on our side. I believe a lot of folks don't understand that.
So what can we do? I think one of the best things we can do is to educate individual judges. Are there any judges in your circle of acquaintances? If not, you probably ought to get involved in your local political party. If so, make an opportunity for them to meet your children and to get to know you as a homeschool family. One positive example can change someone's whole attitude. Another thing we can do is work to get homeschooling parents and homeschool friendly people elected to the judiciary. A few years ago, we were able to get a homeschool dad elected to our state Supreme Court. Now there are at least two judges on the court quite friendly to homeschoolers. You can win the friendliness of likeminded judicial candidates by working on their campaign and just letting them know your family. Another thing I would like to see is state homeschool organizations seeking out judicial conferences and offering to present workshops on homeschooling law so that all judges are better educated about educational freedom.
I want to address the situation in general, not in specifics. I wrote on this blog some time ago, an open letter to homeschooling parents considering divorce. Once again, we see that when you enter the divorce court, you are telling the government that the adults in the situation can't agree and you are handing over all authority in your family to the judge.
I am very concerned about the unbridled authority divorce court judges have, but I am even more concerned about the unlimited authority family court judges have in cases where the parents agree, but the government does not. I am thinking of situations such as families dealing with false social services allegations, or situations such as homeschooling and private schooling families are facing in Germany, where children are being removed from the home solely because they are not in public schools. Where should a judge's authority end?
That's a very hard question - and one that can cut both ways. A judge that is limited from stepping in against our side, may also be limited from stepping in on our side. I believe a lot of folks don't understand that.
So what can we do? I think one of the best things we can do is to educate individual judges. Are there any judges in your circle of acquaintances? If not, you probably ought to get involved in your local political party. If so, make an opportunity for them to meet your children and to get to know you as a homeschool family. One positive example can change someone's whole attitude. Another thing we can do is work to get homeschooling parents and homeschool friendly people elected to the judiciary. A few years ago, we were able to get a homeschool dad elected to our state Supreme Court. Now there are at least two judges on the court quite friendly to homeschoolers. You can win the friendliness of likeminded judicial candidates by working on their campaign and just letting them know your family. Another thing I would like to see is state homeschool organizations seeking out judicial conferences and offering to present workshops on homeschooling law so that all judges are better educated about educational freedom.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Economic Idiocy Confronted
Are you totally confused about why our government is spending our money (and our children's!) to bail out all these big companies? Does something feel not quite right about paying a failing company to keep doing the same thing? Wondering if it's the Depression and we just elected FDR? Me, too!
Read Robert Murphy's Consumer's Don't Cause Recessions and understand why the government is doing what it's doing and why it's all wrong and likely to make matters worse. Read the whole thing. And then let your legislators know that if failures don't fail, they keep doing failing things and the economy can't recover.
Read Robert Murphy's Consumer's Don't Cause Recessions and understand why the government is doing what it's doing and why it's all wrong and likely to make matters worse. Read the whole thing. And then let your legislators know that if failures don't fail, they keep doing failing things and the economy can't recover.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
