Bill Turner reviews many of the recent abuses by the TSA and then asks Does the U.S. Need the TSA Now?
I think the answer is NO! We don't need patting down of six-year-old girls or elderly grandmothers in wheelchairs. We don't need TSA agents being hostile to passengers when the passengers express frustration at how long the proces takes. We don't need American Citizens being treated like they are all criminals.
For all of the abuse we've suffered from the TSA they haven't caught a single terrorist.
There are better ways. Get rid of the TSA and create an agency like the one Isreal has which allows profiling.
Hat tip: Boycott Flying
Monday, July 11, 2011
A good lesson to teach children
I think my children have learned, in part, this important lesson:
Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.
Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.
Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.
Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.
Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.-Calvin Coolidge
Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.
Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.
Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.
Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.
Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.-Calvin Coolidge
Another reason to homeschool - so your children can learn to think for themselves
John Taylor Gatto explains in "The Public School Nightmare" how Public Schools were designed to destroy individual thought.
Best news I've heard in awhile
72% Favor Free Market Economy Over One Managed by the Government:
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Voters remain strongly supportive of a free market economy over one controlled by the government and still think small businesses are hurt more than big businesses when the government does get involved.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 72% of Likely U.S. Voters believe a free market economy is better than an economy managed by the government. Just 14% think a government-managed economy is better. Another 14% are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here).
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News like this gives me hope that our country may have a chance.
Hat tip: My mom
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Voters remain strongly supportive of a free market economy over one controlled by the government and still think small businesses are hurt more than big businesses when the government does get involved.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 72% of Likely U.S. Voters believe a free market economy is better than an economy managed by the government. Just 14% think a government-managed economy is better. Another 14% are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here).
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News like this gives me hope that our country may have a chance.
Hat tip: My mom
Humor (In a sad sort of way) - History of how math has been taught
I came across this in some old email:
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Teaching Math in 1950: A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price. What is his profit?
Teaching Math in 1960: A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price, or $80. What is his profit?
Teaching Math in 1970: A logger exchanges a set "L" of lumber for a set "M" of money. The cardinality of set "M" is 100. Each element is worth one dollar. Make 100 dots representing the elements of the set "M". The set "C", the cost of production, contains 20 fewer points than set "M." Represent the set "C" as a subset of set "M" and answer the following question: What is the cardinality of the set "P" for profits?
Teaching Math in 1980: A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. Her cost of production is $80 and her profit is $20. Your assignment: Underline the number 20.
Teaching Math in 1990: By cutting down beautiful forest trees, the logger makes $20. What do you think of this way of making a living? Topic for class participation after answering the question: How did the forest birds and squirrels feel as the logger cut down the trees? There are no wrong answers.
Teaching Math in 1996: By laying off 40% of its loggers, a company improves its stock price from $80 to $100. How much capital gain per share does the CEO make by exercising his stock options at $80? Assume capital gains are no longer taxed, because this encourages investment.
Teaching Math in 1997: A company out-sources all of its loggers. The firm saves on benefits, and when demand for its product is down, the logging work force can easily be cut back. The average logger employed by the company earned $50,000, had three weeks vacation, a nice retirement plan and medical insurance. The contracted logger charges $50 an hour. Was outsourcing a good move?
Teaching Math in 1998: A laid-off logger with four kids at home and a ridiculous alimony from his first failed marriage comes into the logging-company corporate offices and goes postal, mowing down 16 executives and a couple of secretaries, and gets lucky when he nails a politician on the premises collecting his kickback. Was outsourcing the loggers a good move for the company?
Teaching Math in 1999: A laid-off logger serving time in Folsom for blowing away several people is being trained as a COBOL programmer in order to work on Y2K projects. What is the probability that the automatic cell doors will open on their own as of 00:01, 01/01/00?
----------
Teaching Math in 1950: A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price. What is his profit?
Teaching Math in 1960: A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price, or $80. What is his profit?
Teaching Math in 1970: A logger exchanges a set "L" of lumber for a set "M" of money. The cardinality of set "M" is 100. Each element is worth one dollar. Make 100 dots representing the elements of the set "M". The set "C", the cost of production, contains 20 fewer points than set "M." Represent the set "C" as a subset of set "M" and answer the following question: What is the cardinality of the set "P" for profits?
Teaching Math in 1980: A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. Her cost of production is $80 and her profit is $20. Your assignment: Underline the number 20.
Teaching Math in 1990: By cutting down beautiful forest trees, the logger makes $20. What do you think of this way of making a living? Topic for class participation after answering the question: How did the forest birds and squirrels feel as the logger cut down the trees? There are no wrong answers.
Teaching Math in 1996: By laying off 40% of its loggers, a company improves its stock price from $80 to $100. How much capital gain per share does the CEO make by exercising his stock options at $80? Assume capital gains are no longer taxed, because this encourages investment.
Teaching Math in 1997: A company out-sources all of its loggers. The firm saves on benefits, and when demand for its product is down, the logging work force can easily be cut back. The average logger employed by the company earned $50,000, had three weeks vacation, a nice retirement plan and medical insurance. The contracted logger charges $50 an hour. Was outsourcing a good move?
Teaching Math in 1998: A laid-off logger with four kids at home and a ridiculous alimony from his first failed marriage comes into the logging-company corporate offices and goes postal, mowing down 16 executives and a couple of secretaries, and gets lucky when he nails a politician on the premises collecting his kickback. Was outsourcing the loggers a good move for the company?
Teaching Math in 1999: A laid-off logger serving time in Folsom for blowing away several people is being trained as a COBOL programmer in order to work on Y2K projects. What is the probability that the automatic cell doors will open on their own as of 00:01, 01/01/00?
Good reminder to stop and remember what is important
"It's good to have money and the things that money can buy, but it's good, too, to check up once in a while and make sure you haven't lost the things money can't buy." - George Lorimer
Saturday, July 09, 2011
Unions don't want any teacher fired, ever
Union Sues State to Stop Teacher Evaluations reports on another instance where teacher unions are fighting attempts to hold teachers accountable and fire bad teachers:
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New York's largest teachers union is suing the state Board of Regents over the state's new system for evaluating public-school teachers, a move that could derail plans by the city and hundreds of other school districts to start basing reviews on how well students perform on standardized tests.
In court papers filed in state Supreme Court late Monday, New York State United Teachers claimed that education officials violated the law when they gave school districts the option of assigning significantly more weight to state assessments in their annual reviews of teachers.
Under the law, teachers could lose their jobs if their students continually fail to improve their scores on state standardized tests.
The union, a labor federation representing hundreds of thousands of teachers, claims that the regulations handed down by the Board of Regents run afoul of the evaluation law, which lawmakers approved last year and is set to take effect in July.
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I understand that there may be some situations in which some students will fail due to circumstances beyond the teacher's control, but if a class of students spend a full year with a teacher and they do worse on a set of standardize tests, then I think it is reasonable to fire the teacher and give another teacher a chance.
Hat tip: Waiting for Superman on Facebook
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New York's largest teachers union is suing the state Board of Regents over the state's new system for evaluating public-school teachers, a move that could derail plans by the city and hundreds of other school districts to start basing reviews on how well students perform on standardized tests.
In court papers filed in state Supreme Court late Monday, New York State United Teachers claimed that education officials violated the law when they gave school districts the option of assigning significantly more weight to state assessments in their annual reviews of teachers.
Under the law, teachers could lose their jobs if their students continually fail to improve their scores on state standardized tests.
The union, a labor federation representing hundreds of thousands of teachers, claims that the regulations handed down by the Board of Regents run afoul of the evaluation law, which lawmakers approved last year and is set to take effect in July.
----------
I understand that there may be some situations in which some students will fail due to circumstances beyond the teacher's control, but if a class of students spend a full year with a teacher and they do worse on a set of standardize tests, then I think it is reasonable to fire the teacher and give another teacher a chance.
Hat tip: Waiting for Superman on Facebook
Great explanation of the Broken Window Falacy
Last week's Charlotte Mason Blog Carnvial
Last week's Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival is up at Fisher Academy from Peru!
Fun: flash mob at Cape Cod Stop and Shop
This was posted on the 2nd of July and already has 600,000 hits:
I wonder if some stores reach out and invite flash mobs to perform at their stores. It could be a lot of free publicity.
I wonder if some stores reach out and invite flash mobs to perform at their stores. It could be a lot of free publicity.
It has been awhile since I posted this thought
As a parent of readers I greatly appreciate this thought:
Mike suggests that school is trying to innoculate our children against "Reading for Pleasure", since that has been known to stimulate thinking *gasp*Kate Collins
(Does blogger have a feature for repeating a post every so often, like every six months?) I'd put this thought into such a feature.)
Mike suggests that school is trying to innoculate our children against "Reading for Pleasure", since that has been known to stimulate thinking *gasp*Kate Collins
(Does blogger have a feature for repeating a post every so often, like every six months?) I'd put this thought into such a feature.)
A benefit to learning
I hadn't thought about this before:
"The best thing for being sad," replied Merlin, beginning to puff and blow, "is to learn something. That's the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honour trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then -- to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting. Learning is the only thing for you. Look what a lot of things there are to learn."-- T.H. White, "The Once and Future King"
"The best thing for being sad," replied Merlin, beginning to puff and blow, "is to learn something. That's the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honour trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then -- to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting. Learning is the only thing for you. Look what a lot of things there are to learn."-- T.H. White, "The Once and Future King"
Friday, July 08, 2011
I'm back, again
Blogging has been light the last couple weeks. I limit myself to about an hour a day. With all the other demands in my life I don't want to spend hours each day blogging. (As much fun as that would be.)
Lately I've been involved in starting up a Toastmasters club. We got it off the ground a couple weeks ago. Currently we have about ten strong members. A good club normally has over twenty. Recently I've been contacting many businesses close by to invite our neighbors to join us. So I've been spending an hour a day. I can hand out five to ten flyers each time.
One interesting thing, so far I've handed out more than fifty flyers. Yet no one has showed up as a result of the flyers. All the people who have come to the club came because I or the President of the club knew them personally and invited them.
The lesson learned is that when you are trying to recruit people for some activity it is fine to cast the news out into the wild. You will probably get some response, but it is much, much better to think who you know personally and invite them.
Lately I've been involved in starting up a Toastmasters club. We got it off the ground a couple weeks ago. Currently we have about ten strong members. A good club normally has over twenty. Recently I've been contacting many businesses close by to invite our neighbors to join us. So I've been spending an hour a day. I can hand out five to ten flyers each time.
One interesting thing, so far I've handed out more than fifty flyers. Yet no one has showed up as a result of the flyers. All the people who have come to the club came because I or the President of the club knew them personally and invited them.
The lesson learned is that when you are trying to recruit people for some activity it is fine to cast the news out into the wild. You will probably get some response, but it is much, much better to think who you know personally and invite them.
Wednesday, July 06, 2011
Reminder - send in a post for the next Carnival of Homeschooling
Please remember to send in a post about homeschooling for the next Carnival of Homeschooling. Laura will be holding it at A Life Supreme.
Go here for the instructions on sending in a submission.
As always, entries to the Carnival of Homeschooling are due Monday evening at 6:00 PM Pacific Standard Time.
Extra note: Blog Carnival has not been forwarding the submissions. We can dig out some of the information via the Insta Carnival, but for now it would be easier for the host if you send your submission directly to: CarnivalOfHomeschooling@gmail.com. Please send the following information:
Title of Post
URL of Post
Name of Blog
URL of Blog
Brief summary of the post
(With "carnival" or "submission" in the subject field of the email.)
Thanks.
Go here for the instructions on sending in a submission.
As always, entries to the Carnival of Homeschooling are due Monday evening at 6:00 PM Pacific Standard Time.
Extra note: Blog Carnival has not been forwarding the submissions. We can dig out some of the information via the Insta Carnival, but for now it would be easier for the host if you send your submission directly to: CarnivalOfHomeschooling@gmail.com. Please send the following information:
Title of Post
URL of Post
Name of Blog
URL of Blog
Brief summary of the post
(With "carnival" or "submission" in the subject field of the email.)
Thanks.
Tuesday, July 05, 2011
The Carnival of Homeschooling is up - The NerdMom invites you into her home
This week's Carnival of Homeschooling is up at NerdFamily Blog.
The NerdMom starts off with:
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Hey, it is Carnival of Homeschooling time here at the NerdFamily House! I hope that you all had an awesome 4th with friends, fireworks and food! By the way, Team Gray wanted me to tell you Happy Fourth! Come on in and make yourself at home!
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Hop on over and and read some of the homeschool posts this week.
The NerdMom starts off with:
----------
Hey, it is Carnival of Homeschooling time here at the NerdFamily House! I hope that you all had an awesome 4th with friends, fireworks and food! By the way, Team Gray wanted me to tell you Happy Fourth! Come on in and make yourself at home!
----------
Hop on over and and read some of the homeschool posts this week.
Monday, July 04, 2011
Summer School - Part 2
Last week I shared our summer school check list.
So, here's an update on how it is working.
1) Not everything on the list gets done.
This still surprising me. We are still working on the concept that work comes before play and that the work isn't done until it is all done.
2) We are struggling to get the daily chores done (those not specifically listed on the check list.)
Things that need to happen every day like dishes and laundry are not getting done as well as before. If it is not specifically spelled out in detail on each child's list, then nobody thinks she should do it.
We were hoping to keep the lists simply and short, but I'm thinking I may need to add the daily chores. We've been reluctant to do this also because the division of labor isn't as evenly distributed before hand since I can't always predict what the big jobs are going to be ahead of time. Sometime breakfast dishes are big and lunch is small or vice a versa. When I preassign duties, one kid can get stuck with a lot more work on a particular day.
3) Some children at our house (who shall remain nameless) are indignant that they have to do academic subjects during the summer. It is perceived by the child as a punishment or a sign of failure.
Talking hasn't gotten me very far on this one. Part of the problem is that I'm putting my primary attention not on the academic work by the older kids, but on the OT (occupational therapy and speech therapy) work that I need to do with our youngest son (Baby Bop). I just want the school work to get done. I don't have the energy to talk about it.
4) I don't feel like I'm getting as much done as I used to.
I think I'm just getting old.
We've never made it past the 4 of July before in our "summer school" efforts. So I will do an update next week and let you know how it is going.
Some wise words from Thomas Jefferson
Happy July 4th:
When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe .
Thomas Jefferson
The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.
Thomas Jefferson
It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world.
Thomas Jefferson
I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.
Thomas Jefferson
My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.
Thomas Jefferson
No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.
Thomas Jefferson
The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.
Thomas Jefferson
The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Thomas Jefferson
To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson said in 1802:
I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property - until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.
Hat tip: My mom.
When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe .
Thomas Jefferson
The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.
Thomas Jefferson
It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world.
Thomas Jefferson
I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.
Thomas Jefferson
My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.
Thomas Jefferson
No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.
Thomas Jefferson
The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.
Thomas Jefferson
The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Thomas Jefferson
To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson said in 1802:
I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property - until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.
Hat tip: My mom.
Saturday, July 02, 2011
It is OK to praise your children
I like this thought:
Perhaps once in a hundred years a person may be ruined by excessive praise, but surely once in every minute someone dies inside for lack of it.
Cecil G. Osborne
We do have to be careful about how we give praise, especially to our children. If we tell our children while they are sitting on a coach watching TV, "Oh you are so smart." they will come to think they are smart and they don't have to work hard.
We should give honest praise for traits we want to encourage. For example "I am proud how you kept trying even when it was hard."
Hat tip: Covey Planner.
Perhaps once in a hundred years a person may be ruined by excessive praise, but surely once in every minute someone dies inside for lack of it.
Cecil G. Osborne
We do have to be careful about how we give praise, especially to our children. If we tell our children while they are sitting on a coach watching TV, "Oh you are so smart." they will come to think they are smart and they don't have to work hard.
We should give honest praise for traits we want to encourage. For example "I am proud how you kept trying even when it was hard."
Hat tip: Covey Planner.
Reminder - send in a post for the next Carnival of Homeschooling
The NerdMom will be hosting the Carnival of Homeschooling next week at NerdFamily Blog.
Please send in a post about homeschooling for the next Carnival of Homeschooling.
Go here for the instructions on sending in a submission.
As always, entries to the Carnival of Homeschooling are due Monday evening at 6:00 PM Pacific Standard Time.
Extra note: Blog Carnival has not been forwarding the submissions. We can dig out some of the information via the Insta Carnival, but for now it would be easier for the host if you send your submission directly to: CarnivalOfHomeschooling@gmail.com. Please send the following information:
Title of Post
URL of Post
Name of Blog
URL of Blog
Brief summary of the post
(With "carnival" or "submission" in the subject field of the email.)
Thanks.
Please send in a post about homeschooling for the next Carnival of Homeschooling.
Go here for the instructions on sending in a submission.
As always, entries to the Carnival of Homeschooling are due Monday evening at 6:00 PM Pacific Standard Time.
Extra note: Blog Carnival has not been forwarding the submissions. We can dig out some of the information via the Insta Carnival, but for now it would be easier for the host if you send your submission directly to: CarnivalOfHomeschooling@gmail.com. Please send the following information:
Title of Post
URL of Post
Name of Blog
URL of Blog
Brief summary of the post
(With "carnival" or "submission" in the subject field of the email.)
Thanks.
Nice post on what grades homeschoolers are in
Sarah Small of SmallWorld at Home wrote Stepping Outside the Grade-Level Box, a thoughtful post about what in grades do we put homeschooled children.
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