Regulations have consequences - we are much poorer

The whole point of the Broken Window Fallacy is it is easy to forget about what is unseen.

Federal Regulations Have Made You 75 Percent Poorer makes this point.  The article starts with:

----------
The growth of federal regulations over the past six decades has cut U.S. economic growth by an average of 2 percentage points per year, according to a new study in the Journal of Economic Growth. As a result, the average American household receives about $277,000 less annually than it would have gotten in the absence of six decades of accumulated regulations—a median household income of $330,000 instead of the $53,000 we get now.

The researchers, economists John Dawson of Appalachian State University and John Seater of North Carolina State, constructed an index of federal regulations by tracking the growth in the number of pages in the Code of Federal Regulations since 1949. The number of pages, they note, has increased six-fold from 19,335 in 1949 to 134,261 in 2005. (As of 2011, the number of pages had risen to 169,301.) They devise a pretty standard endogenous growth theory model and then insert their regulatory burden index to calculate how federal regulations have affected economic growth. (Sometimes deregulation extends rather than shortens the number of pages in the register; they adjust their figures to take this into account.)

Annual output in 2005, they conclude, "is 28 percent of what it would have been had regulation remained at its 1949 level."
----------

Just think of it, without all this burdensome regulation your salary could be six times great.

I'll acknowledge that there is some room for laws.  I like having some driving laws.  But that doesn't mean ever regulation is a good thing.

What is the best kind of government

I really like this thought:

What government is the best? That which teaches us to govern ourselves. -Goethe (1749-1832)

Would you or your children like to control a satellite?

NanoSatisfi is selling access to their nanostats.  For $250 you can use their instruments for a week. 

Peter Platzer gives the elevator pitch and answers some questions here:



Here's an article with a little more information. 

Maybe after soccer season I might be tempted.  Its only $250!

No, really, that is what homeschooling looks like

As you may have guessed, we love to talk bout homeschooling.  Today, while at a community pancake breakfast, someone asked me what homeschooling was like.  My soon to be 17 year old daughter was sitting across the table from me.

I turned from my friend who asked the question and looked at my daughter.  I said to my daughter, "Did you do your homework?  Did you write it down?"

(Side note:  We keep a learning journal.  I tell me kids that school work doesn't count unless they write down what assignments or activities they do.)

I turned back to my friend and said, "That is what homeschooling looks like."

My friend thought I was kidding.  "No, really, this is what homeschooling looks like, at least at this stage."

My daughter then described her schedule of two college classes at the community college, two online high school classes from a private school, math with a tutor, music lessons, and choir and band rehearsals.

I this point I popped in with, "Basically, all I do is drive her around."  I then corrected myself, "Well, now that she has her drivers license, I don't even drive her around anymore.  She does that herself."

I further explained how homeschooling is more like being a principal than a teacher.  I arrange the instructions, but I don't do very much hands on.  Most of my time is spent on scheduling and driving kids to the things I have scheduled.  In our area, there is an abundance of enrichment classes which are affordable and we utilize these resources.

The exception to this pattern is my soon to be 7 year old who gets one-on-one instruction from me, though I spend an awful lot of time driving him around too.  I find that in general, I do a lot of "hands on" instruction until my children learn to read and write.  At that point, I slide into my "principal's chair."  Though, I do still put on my "teacher hat" once in a while to teach a class at our homeschool co-op.

There are many, many styles of homeschooling.  So, don't let my style of homeschooling scare you away from homeschooling if this is not right for you. 

We do need to be humble

At times we need to take a deep breath and really think about what is true and no just our position:

Everyone wishes to have truth on his side, but not everyone wishes to be on the side of truth.
-Richard Whately, philosopher, reformer, theologian, economist (1787-1863)

Life Humor 1.P

From the Henry Cate Life Humor collection:

----------
Avid comic book reader asked his friend:  "Why doesn't life come with subtitles?"

-----------

"Maturity is knowing when and where to be immature."

-----------

"...the two most common things in the Universe
   are hydrogen and stupidity."  --Harlan Ellison

-----------

One day an old Jewish pole, living in Warsaw, has his last light bulb burn out.  To get a new one he'll have to stand in line for two hours at the store (and they'll probably be out by the time he gets there), so he goes up to his attic and starts rummaging around for an old oil lamp he vaguely remembers seeing.

He finds the old brass lamp in the bottom of a trunk that has seen better days.  He starts to polish it and (poof!) a genie appears in cloud of smoke.

"Ho ho, Mortal!" says the genie, stretching and yawning, "For releasing me I will grant you three wishes."

The old man thinks for a moment, and says, "I want Genghis Khan resurrected.  I want him to re-unite his Mongol hordes, march to the Polish border, and then decide he doesn't want the place and march back home."

"No sooner said than done!" thunders the genie.  "Your second wish?"

"Ok.  I want Genghis Khan resurrected.  I want him to re-unite his Mongol hordes, march to the Polish border, and then decide he doesn't want the place and march back home."

"Hmmm.  Well, all right.  Your third wish?"

"I want Genghis Khan resurrected.  I want him to re-unite his ---"

"Ok. ok. ok.  Right.  What's this business about Genghis Khan marching to Poland and turning around again?"

The old man smiles.  "He has to pass through Russia six times."

-----------

When teachers teach the Constitution they get fired

Joanne Jacobs has a post about a mind boggling response from a school board - Teaching the 5th draws suspension.  Her posts starts with:

----------
When Batavia High School students were asked to reveal their drug and alcohol abuse on surveys marked with their names, social studies teacher John Dryden told them they didn’t have to answer. It’s in the 5th Amendment.

The 20-year veteran was reprimanded and suspended without pay for a day for what the school board called ”inappropriate and unprofessional” conduct. In a letter, he was ordered to refrain from using “flippant” or sarcastic remarks, providing “legal advice,” and discrediting any district initiative, reports the Chicago Tribune.  "Other requirements in the letter include that when Dryden is given a directive in a meeting, he must now repeat the directive back at the end of the meeting and agree to comply."
----------

Just another reason to homeschool - You can teach the Constitution to your children.

Trouble with sleeping in

I like Baby Blues.  It is a fun comic. 

Yesterday's comic had a funny thought on the trouble with parents sleeping in.

The recent Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival

The latest Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival is up at Epi Kardia.

Reminder: Please 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. The next Carnival of Homeschooling will be held at: The Informed Parent.

I am pretty sure this will be the 401st edition of the 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.

I have a reminder mailing list. If you would like email reminders, please tell me.

A Nation of Wimps

A Nation of Wimps makes a great point that our country can over protect children and this is bad in the long run.

A good reminder

From Dan Galvin's Thought For The Day mailing list:

Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean
politics won't take an interest in you!
                         -Pericles (430 B.C.)

This week's Carnival of Homeschooling is up - The Chaos Edition

Tiffany is hosting this week's Carnival of Homeschooling at As For My House.

She starts the carnival with:

----------
How do you homeschool though one child’s illness or injury? How do you homeschool through moving? Through your own chronic illness? Through grief or other turmoil?

Some days, all we can get done is what we can get done. That’s more some times than others, and not always in the “planned” or “expected” fashion. Sometimes other family members can step in and lend a hand. Sometimes there are curriculum alternatives that can help in a given situation.

It’s the beauty of homeschooling. It can be with us wherever we are. It can succeed in chaos.

So, without further ado, I bring you, chaotically, the submissions for this week’s Carnival of Homeschooling!
----------

Homeschooling and soccer

Fall is the craziest time of the year for us. We start up homeschooling and go from our most relaxed season to our most packed season. This year I think between the four children we have over twenty different activities. There are several online classes, a homeschool drama class, violin lessons, homeschool co-op and a dozen other activities.

The one which is hardest for me is coaching soccer. As a software engineer I’m not a natural for goofy seven-year-old boys. When I saw something I want them to listen. I would be happy if most were listening. Unfortunately way too often most are paying no attention whatsoever to what I’m trying to teach them.

I feel I am a bit of a sadist masochist as I keep coaching year after year. But I really do think soccer is a great sport for young children. Already I’m starting to tell myself this will be my last year. But I’m afraid by the time spring rolls around I’ll remember all the good things about soccer and volunteer again.

Good TED Talk about why we should keep young children away from televsion

Janine and I have long been against letting young children watch any significant amount of television. 

This TED Talk, Dimitri Christakis - Media and Children, talks about how the research shows lots of television is bad for young children:

Interesting article on Marissa Mayer - CEO of Yahoo

Over the weekend I happened across a fascinating article - The Truth About Marissa Mayer: An Unauthorized Biography.  It is a bit long, but I read the whole thing.  Couldn't stop.

I might turn on the television again

For entertainment I pretty much watch just Netflix or Hulu.  I can't remember when the last time I turned on the television to watch a TV show or movie.  I think it might have been 2010 or 2011.

Teach looks worth watching:

I like this explanation about why we shouldn't talk with the police

We've blogged about this a couple times before.  It is a good reminder - Never talk to the police:



He makes two points I especially appreciate.

The first is how with our adversarial system the police tend to take the side of the prosecuting attorney and are trying to help him.  Their focus isn't justice, but winning the game.

The second is how the police themselves never talk to the police without an attorney. If they, who know the system well, don't talk with the police, then we should trust their example and also only talk with an attorney.

Reminder: Please 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. The next Carnival of Homeschooling will be held at: As For My House.

I am pretty sure this will be the 400th edition of the 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.

I have a reminder mailing list. If you would like email reminders, please tell me.

An important aspect of leadership

This is why being humble is so important:

Leadership means resisting our own urge to be the brilliant one.
Diane Branson

From my Franklin Covey planner

Fun: 17 Problems Only Book Lovers Will Understand

I enjoyed this:  17 Problems Only Book Lovers Will Understand.

This week's Carnival of Homeschooling is up - reflections on being a Home School Dad

Dave is hosting this week's Carnival of Homeschooling at Home School Dad.

He starts the carnival with:

----------
Hello and welcome in to the Carnival of Homeschooling #399. This year is a kind of Home School sabbatical for our family. I am starting a full time job next month, and my wife will continue to work outside the house for what we hope is one more year. Our 6th grader and 2nd grader will be attending public school this year, and our 9th grader will continue her studies at home through an on-line curriculum. I have hosted this carnival 1/2 dozen or so times over the last 5 years and have been a regular contributor and reader of the carnival as well. In between posts today, I plan to share some thoughts on my time as a Home School Dad.

Before I begin I'd like to thank all of those participating in today's carnival, especially those who sent encouraging notes to me with their submissions. I'd like to thank 4 contributors by name for their special encouragement. I will do so by kicking off this carnival with their submissions.
----------

Drop by and wish Dave the best as he transitions to another full time job.

The difference between wise and clever

I think there is some truth to this - from Dan Galvin's Thought For The Day mailing list:

You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers.
You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions.
                         -Naguib Mahfouz,
                          writer, Nobel laureate
                          (1911-2006)
                          Quoted in A.Word.A.Day

Homeschool so your boys don't suffer in the public schools

I enjoyed Christina Hoff Sommers article - School Has Become Too Hostile to Boys.

She starts with:

----------
As school begins in the coming weeks, parents of boys should ask themselves a question: Is my son really welcome? A flurry of incidents last spring suggests that the answer is no. In May, Christopher Marshall, age 7, was suspended from his Virginia school for picking up a pencil and using it to “shoot” a “bad guy” — his friend, who was also suspended. A few months earlier, Josh Welch, also 7, was sent home from his Maryland school for nibbling off the corners of a strawberry Pop-Tart to shape it into a gun. At about the same time, Colorado’s Alex Evans, age 7, was suspended for throwing an imaginary hand grenade at “bad guys” in order to “save the world.

In all these cases, school officials found the children to be in violation of the school’s zero-tolerance policies for firearms, which is clearly a ludicrous application of the rule. But common sense isn’t the only thing at stake here. In the name of zero tolerance, our schools are becoming hostile environments for young boys.
----------

Christina makes several good points.

It was interesting how many people wrote in the comments attacking the article.  Several feel that public schools are warm supportive places for boys and girls.  I am sure there are some schools where that may be still true, but all the research I've seen indicates that public schools are becoming more and more hostile to boys.

I am so glad we can homeschool our soon.

Hat tip:  Instapundit.

From the trenches - the last year of homeschooling

My second daughter shares her perspective on her last year of homeschooling:

----------
Hi, second daughter here. I’m starting my senior and final year of homeschooling. This is a rough description of my curriculum this semester.

I’m taking Human Biology with lab and American Sign Language part two through our local community college. I’m also studying Civics and English classes through an online private school. I’m doing Saxon math with a tutor. In addition to these classes, I’m in a homeschool choir and band as well as a church choir.

One of my favorite things about homeschooling is that it’s like an all you can eat buffet. I can pick and choose all the best classes, that is, the best classes for me. It’s so flexible and individual. The right classes for me might not be the right classes for my sisters.

Because I already know what career I want, Speech Pathology, I’ve been taking the community college classes targeted for my major.  This is one of the reasons I’m thrilled to be taking college classes in a supplement to my course work: Free college credit, yeah! And, I am sure it looks good on college applications.

The program where my brother receives speech therapy allows students to observe. His speech therapist has been quite nice and allowed me to stay and watch half days. I get a better feel what this would be like as a career.

I am excited and nervous for the next stage in my adventure as college applications start. I’m grateful to my parents for the solid education they’ve given me. Homeschooling has prepared me for life in a lot of ways.
----------