My activism the last week in promoting Objectivist ideas was mostly good with only a little bad. First the good. On Monday the 6th I went to the center campus of a local community college to check on my rack of The Undercurrent newsletter. They were all gone so I plunked down another 25 copies and will check back in two weeks. Then I went to the south campus and my previous supply of 30 only had 3 left so I put another 25 there also.
On Tuesday the 7th I checked a coffee shop next to the college where students like to hang out. I put a rack of 30 copies there back in November. There was only 1 left so 25 more went there as well. I also left 2 copies of the Sampler on the bottom shelf of the rack.
Today I visited a small private college that teaches business with several other professions. I gave a copy of "Why Businessmen Need Philosophy" to the Administrator with a view towards providing more copies should any teacher want more to teach to his/her class. Failing that I wanted to donate the book to the business school library so it will be available to students to read if they so choose. The administrator seemed very receptive although she said she never heard of Ayn Rand or Objectivism. She has now. I also left a flyer for the free books for teachers program and the student essay contests with her.
The bad news came from a larger private college where I sought permission to place a rack with The Undercurrent on it. This administrator said that because people pay tuition to attend, it may be inappropriate for the school to be seen as advancing a given viewpoint. In a nutshell, no rack. So I have determined that if someone should haphazardly leave a few copies laying on a random table well, the school couldn't be held responsible. Besides, thanks to today's experience at the smaller business college, I'll be going back to donate a copy of WBNP to their library probably this Friday the 10th.
I was also reminded of another business college about five miles from those mentioned above. As soon as I order more copies of WBNP I'll be paying it a visit.
That's it for now but I'll keep looking for more opportunities.
stat counnnter
Wednesday, February 08, 2012
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Why we seldom get morally principled leaders.
I posted this at The New Clarion yesterday and am re-posting it here today.
The Friday Jan 6th print edition of the Detroit Free Press carried an oped by Leonard Pitts Jr of the Miami Herald titled "Ron Paul is foolishly consistent in his extremism." He starts it out with this Ralph Waldo Emerson quote: "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds" I'll skip the fact that there may be some debate over the contextual meaning of that quote in some circles and just focus on how Mr. Pitts uses it as received wisdom. I will quote a few passages with my comments in brackets.
"Ralph Waldo Emerson, meet Ronald Ernest Paul. He is the very soul of a foolish consistency. Meaning that he is willing, often to a fault, to follow his ideology to its logical and most extreme conclusions." [Right off the bat, Pitts is using extremism to smear Paul's consistency i.e. integrity. "(T)o a fault" means excessive, too much, but no argument is given as to why extreme consistency or integrity is a fault. Why is a man who is extremely honest faulty?]
"In this, the congressman differs from other GOP contenders for the White House and, for that matter, from most politicians, period. Your average pol might rail against the intrusion of government into the private lives of its citizens, then turn right around and advocate a law regulating what a gay man does in his bedroom--and see no contradiction. [Very true] Paul is too intellectually honest for that." [Mr. Pitts, you're starting to make Paul look really good]
"Intellectual honesty is a good thing, if only because it can lead you to reconsider a faulty premise.(If only? It has no other value?) But in Paul's take on the Civil Rights Act of 1964, he doubles down on the bad premise instead." [Here Pitts confuses government enforced segregation with private prejudice and treats them as equal malfactors which of course they're not. Here the 'bad premise' is private prejudice.]
"In other words, forcing a restaurant to take down a Whites Only sign infringed the rights of the restaurant owner.[Yes, it did] A similar argument was made by segregationists in 1964--and by slave owners in the 1850s." [Not actually. Slavery and the Jim Crow laws were enforced by local and state governments and should have been repealed. Had they been repealed sooner, market forces would have eroded the private prejudices even sooner than history shows.]
"Can government be overlarge, overbearing, overwhelming, overrestrictive, overintrusive? Of course. And where it is those things, it is the right--and duty--of the electorate to pare it back." [Obviously Mr. Pitts doesn't think today's government is any of those things because the Tea Party which he opposes, exists to pare it back. Notice too that he doesn't object to the government being restrictive or intrusive, just overly so. He doesn't understand that he is actually saying don't overchain your slaves but chains are ok. But what would happen if the chains were removed completely?]
"On the other hand,unless you enjoy salmonella in your food and lead in your paint, unless you think it's OK that your doctor has no medical degree and your lawyer no licence, unless you're fine with breathing sooty air and drinking tainted water, and unless you really think a black woman in Mississippi, locked out of public places by threat of violence and force of law, should have been required to wait on market forces to rescue her, you must regard Paul's moral imbecility with a certain awe." [This is a partial rewrite of history. According to Pitts we were walking over bodies in the streets who died from salmonella, lead, tainted water and air and doctors and lawyers who didn't have government permissions to practice until the caring, loving government came along to save us all. Utter nonsense.]
[I have noticed that when statists mentalities are on the brink of achieving or losing their goals, they become more bold in the accuracy with which they identify their true goals and ideals.]
"Heaven help us if the intellectual rigidity he symbolizes is really the only alternative to the intellectual malleability of so many of his colleagues." [Wow! An open admission that intellectual malleability is the ideal, the norm to be achieved and admired. I will only add that Mr. Pitts is to be admired for his cognitive precision in identifying the intellectual status of Paul's Republican colleagues.]
With pundits like Mr. Pitts bombarding the public with ideas like this it is no wonder that the public has no principled leaders. My hope is that there are principled leaders out there taking notes on the election campaigns and deciding whether the public is ready for principled leadership. I think a growing number are. I just don't know how big that number needs to be to turn this country around. Perhaps 2012 will give us a clearer picture.
The Friday Jan 6th print edition of the Detroit Free Press carried an oped by Leonard Pitts Jr of the Miami Herald titled "Ron Paul is foolishly consistent in his extremism." He starts it out with this Ralph Waldo Emerson quote: "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds" I'll skip the fact that there may be some debate over the contextual meaning of that quote in some circles and just focus on how Mr. Pitts uses it as received wisdom. I will quote a few passages with my comments in brackets.
"Ralph Waldo Emerson, meet Ronald Ernest Paul. He is the very soul of a foolish consistency. Meaning that he is willing, often to a fault, to follow his ideology to its logical and most extreme conclusions." [Right off the bat, Pitts is using extremism to smear Paul's consistency i.e. integrity. "(T)o a fault" means excessive, too much, but no argument is given as to why extreme consistency or integrity is a fault. Why is a man who is extremely honest faulty?]
"In this, the congressman differs from other GOP contenders for the White House and, for that matter, from most politicians, period. Your average pol might rail against the intrusion of government into the private lives of its citizens, then turn right around and advocate a law regulating what a gay man does in his bedroom--and see no contradiction. [Very true] Paul is too intellectually honest for that." [Mr. Pitts, you're starting to make Paul look really good]
"Intellectual honesty is a good thing, if only because it can lead you to reconsider a faulty premise.(If only? It has no other value?) But in Paul's take on the Civil Rights Act of 1964, he doubles down on the bad premise instead." [Here Pitts confuses government enforced segregation with private prejudice and treats them as equal malfactors which of course they're not. Here the 'bad premise' is private prejudice.]
"In other words, forcing a restaurant to take down a Whites Only sign infringed the rights of the restaurant owner.[Yes, it did] A similar argument was made by segregationists in 1964--and by slave owners in the 1850s." [Not actually. Slavery and the Jim Crow laws were enforced by local and state governments and should have been repealed. Had they been repealed sooner, market forces would have eroded the private prejudices even sooner than history shows.]
"Can government be overlarge, overbearing, overwhelming, overrestrictive, overintrusive? Of course. And where it is those things, it is the right--and duty--of the electorate to pare it back." [Obviously Mr. Pitts doesn't think today's government is any of those things because the Tea Party which he opposes, exists to pare it back. Notice too that he doesn't object to the government being restrictive or intrusive, just overly so. He doesn't understand that he is actually saying don't overchain your slaves but chains are ok. But what would happen if the chains were removed completely?]
"On the other hand,unless you enjoy salmonella in your food and lead in your paint, unless you think it's OK that your doctor has no medical degree and your lawyer no licence, unless you're fine with breathing sooty air and drinking tainted water, and unless you really think a black woman in Mississippi, locked out of public places by threat of violence and force of law, should have been required to wait on market forces to rescue her, you must regard Paul's moral imbecility with a certain awe." [This is a partial rewrite of history. According to Pitts we were walking over bodies in the streets who died from salmonella, lead, tainted water and air and doctors and lawyers who didn't have government permissions to practice until the caring, loving government came along to save us all. Utter nonsense.]
[I have noticed that when statists mentalities are on the brink of achieving or losing their goals, they become more bold in the accuracy with which they identify their true goals and ideals.]
"Heaven help us if the intellectual rigidity he symbolizes is really the only alternative to the intellectual malleability of so many of his colleagues." [Wow! An open admission that intellectual malleability is the ideal, the norm to be achieved and admired. I will only add that Mr. Pitts is to be admired for his cognitive precision in identifying the intellectual status of Paul's Republican colleagues.]
With pundits like Mr. Pitts bombarding the public with ideas like this it is no wonder that the public has no principled leaders. My hope is that there are principled leaders out there taking notes on the election campaigns and deciding whether the public is ready for principled leadership. I think a growing number are. I just don't know how big that number needs to be to turn this country around. Perhaps 2012 will give us a clearer picture.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Objectivist roundup Jan 12 2011
This issue has posts on things like Inflation, the impact of entitlement programs on debt, Religious conservatism vs Islam, fighting for your life and the truth about Romneycare and a lot more.
Saturday, January 07, 2012
Objectivist roundup #234
This week's Objectivist roundup is at Rational Jenn where you can read posts on things like "Thoughts on Drawing" or the "importance of mathematics" or on "When goals flounder, review your central purpose' and much more from an Objectivist perspective.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Paleo Rodeo #19
The Paleo Rodeo #19 is up at Modern Paleo where you can discover a coconut egg nog recipe or read a post on what causes anorexia or read as Mark tells how he improved his cholesterol results on a low carb high fat diet or learn how Tim improved his blood glucose control or simply enjoy many tasty recipes.
Monday, December 05, 2011
Here is a link to some very good articles on the junk science that is global warming. The statists and witch doctor wannabes are meeting in Durbin this week trying to keep the hoax alive.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Objectivist roundup Oct 27th 2011
This week's Objectivist roundup is at "Parenting is..." Where you can read posts like Ed Cline's on the Occupy Wall Street protests or one that takes a look at a 1960 hospital bill, or in defense of income inequality and much more. Enjoy.
Saturday, October 08, 2011
The Objectivist Roundup #221 is at the blog of John J McVey where you can read posts on topics like naps at preschool, Elizabeth Warren's Assault on Justice, good getting things done habits by John Drake, a post on the importance of primacy of existence premise, why Gideon supports Gary Johnson for president, and much more. Enjoy!
Friday, September 23, 2011
Good Science on meat vs vegies only
Here is a good fisking of the new documentary "Forks over Knives" by Denise Minger. It's long but worth it.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Here is an LTE I sent to the Detroit Free Press whcih they haven't printed. They still might but it grows less likely the further away we get from 9/11.
"In the Freep's Sunday 9/11 edition editorial page editor Stephan Henderson came oh so close to naming the why behind the evil of the 9/11 attacks. I laud Mr. Henderson for identifying it as evil but he is less precise in his identifications of why. Calling such attacks 'madness' or 'lunacy' makes the same mistake as calling Hitler 'insane' or 'crazy.' Hitler was, like the hijackers, acting on a set of principles in which they had total faith. But why faith? Mr. Henderson says "There are some acts that are just unhinged, unmoored from the emotional or intellectual infrastructure that most people use to guide their daily lives." Mr. Henderson, that 'intellectual infrastructure' is called reason. When men abandon reason they have nothing to guide their actions but their feelings. Since feelings are the result of values their empty minds can be filled with any irrational values the life destroying nature of which they will be oblivious.
America was born on the benevolent universe premise which holds that man's happiness and values can be achieved in this life and that disaster and suffering are the exception not the rule. A set of irrational principles often leads to the malevolent universe premise which says misery and suffering is the norm and happiness can only be had in the next life. If believed avidly as Jihadists do, then any strong evidence of the benevolent universe premise like America the West and even Isreal will be seen as proof that the malevolent premise is wrong. This will be intolerable. Thus to maintain their irrational illusion, the West, Isreal and the great Satan America must be destroyed. The hatred of the West is not caused by 'madness' but by a set of irrational principles adopted on faith.
"They do not want to own your fortune, they want you to lose it; they do not want to succeed, they want you to fail; they do not want to live, they want you to die..." Ayn Rand. Return of the Primative"
Michael Neibel
27335 Lawnwood
Roseville Mi. 48066
Monday, September 12, 2011
9/11, a time for activism.
This was a successful week end as far as pro-capitalist activism goes. I went to a tea party in a northern Detroit suburb on Saturday 9/10/11. There I set up my little table on which I placed about 10 baskets each with copies of essays on free market subjects. I didn't hand out anything really. I just stood there and declared to passersby that ideas matter and to help themselves to some free knowledge and ideas. There were only about 110 people there but that was good enough. They helped themselves to the following:
15 copies of the essay Message to Republicans from the Ayn Rand Center of Individual Rights,
7 copies of Seperation of State and Economy, (I ran out)
24 copies of Unlocking the Jobs Dilemma,
12 copies of To Stimulate the Economy, Liberate it.
12 copies of Significance of Atlas Shrugged,
29 copies of an essay on Pre-existing Conditions,
6 copies of Doctors are not Slaves with an ad for Lucidicus Project on the back,
25 copies of Stop Blaming Capitalism for Government failures, (ran out of these too)
14 copies called Two Thoughts which included a paragraph from Amy Ridenour on rationed medicine and 4 paras by me on the danger of socialized medicine to patients,
13 copies of a Free Books for Teachers flyer I made from the ARI website.
16 copies of the Feb 2011 Undercurrent,
11 copies of the spring 2010 Undercurrent, (ran out)
and finally, 29 copies of the Ayn Rand Sampler.
I got the impression that people were looking for more info on the nature of capitalism and how free market ideas would work in an actual free market. All in all I think it was a good day.
But since this was the weekend of the 9/11 anniversary I decided one day was not enough. So today Monday 9/12 I took flyers for the Free Books for Teachers program and the Student Essay Contest and placed 10 copies of each at eight public libraries. I got permission from the librarians over a year ago. It's easy, all they want to know is if ARI is a 501C3 educational charity. Later this week I'll be checking my supply of the Undercurrent at two community college campuses. Despite all this, my activism is strictly a part time adventure.
Wednesday, August 03, 2011
It's Coming True!
I posted this over at the New Clarion a few minutes ago. Now I post it here.
In Ayn Rand's 1957 classic Atlas Shrugged, one of the bureaucrats, in response to the nation's economic collapse, provides his reasons for Directive No. 10-289.
"The picture now is this, said Wesley Mouch. "The economic condition of the country was better the year before last than it was last year, and last year it was better than it is at present. It's obvious that we would not be able to survive another year of the same progression. Therefore, our sole objective must be to hold the line. To stand still in order to catch our stride. To achieve total stability. Freedom has been given a chance and has failed. Therefore, more stringent controls are necessary. Since men are unable and unwilling to solve their problems voluntarily, they must be forced to do it." He paused,picked up the sheet of paper, then added in a less formal tone of voice, "Hell,what it comes down to is that we can manage to exist as and where we are, but we can't afford to move. So we've got to stand still. We've got to stand still. We've got to make those bastards stand still."
(Page536 in the large edition, 491 in the small paperback)
I was reminded of this quote when I read this article at Digital Trends. (Hat tip to OActivists) The first paragraph:
In Ayn Rand's 1957 classic Atlas Shrugged, one of the bureaucrats, in response to the nation's economic collapse, provides his reasons for Directive No. 10-289.
"The picture now is this, said Wesley Mouch. "The economic condition of the country was better the year before last than it was last year, and last year it was better than it is at present. It's obvious that we would not be able to survive another year of the same progression. Therefore, our sole objective must be to hold the line. To stand still in order to catch our stride. To achieve total stability. Freedom has been given a chance and has failed. Therefore, more stringent controls are necessary. Since men are unable and unwilling to solve their problems voluntarily, they must be forced to do it." He paused,picked up the sheet of paper, then added in a less formal tone of voice, "Hell,what it comes down to is that we can manage to exist as and where we are, but we can't afford to move. So we've got to stand still. We've got to stand still. We've got to make those bastards stand still."
(Page536 in the large edition, 491 in the small paperback)
I was reminded of this quote when I read this article at Digital Trends. (Hat tip to OActivists) The first paragraph:
"The Federal Communications Commission just handed down new regulation designed to protect small, independent networks, and cable providers are getting seriously riled up. The FCC’s “standstill order” states that cable providers can’t pull networks off the air during contract disputes."This demonstrates how government regulations create the need for more regulations, and what happens when the powers that be cannot properly adjudicate property rights which said regulations work to thwart. This incident should tell Republicans of the need to replace government regulations with market regulations. Sadly, I don't think there are but a few Republicans who even know what market regulations are or how they work. That is why the 2012 election is so important. The events in Atlas Shrugged are materializing faster now than in previous decades.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Objectivist Round up June 23.
This weeks Objectivist roundup is at "Parenting is..." where you'll find articles on economics, politics, parenting, culture and much more.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Objectivist roundup June 19th.
This week's Objectivist Roundup is at Noodle Food where you can read articles of the GOP's attempt to combine Jesus and Ayn Rand, parenting, economics and much more. Enjoy!
Friday, June 03, 2011
Paleo Rodeo # 63
The latest Paleo Rodeo is up at Modern Paleo where you can read about exercise, parenting with paleo, learn new recipes, and much more.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Objectivist Roundup April 28th
The Objectivist Roundup April 28th is at J. J. Mcvey's site. Great articles on things like induction and the arbitrary. Also posts on reforming health care, integrative abstract reading and much more.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Objectivist Roundup April 21
This week's Objectivist Roundup is at Reepicheep's Coracle. There are good essays on politics and culture and movie reviews including the Atlas Shrugged movie.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Paleo Rodeo # 057
This week's Paleo Rodeo is up at Modern Paleo where you can read about some good recipes and articles of fitness, supplements and paleo from a variety of perspectives. I liked toe one on raising HDL.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Paleo Rodeo # 056
The Paleo Rodeo is now up at Modern Paleo where you can get tips on healthy eating and living.
Friday, April 08, 2011
Paleo Roundup April 8th
This week's Paleo Rodeo is up at Modern Paleo. There, you can get some good low carb or Paleo recipes plus some good posts on things like snacks, cheap eats, magnesium, protein bars and much more.
Friday, April 01, 2011
Paleo Roundup April 1st.
The paleo rodeo is now up at Modern Paleo. You can find info on supplements, recipes, exercise, and much more. Enjoy.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
March 24 Objectivist roundup
The March 24th Objectivist Roundup is at Rational Jenn. There are a few good essays on rational parenting, on economics, a paleo recipe and much more. Enjoy!!
Thursday, March 10, 2011
March 10th Objectivist Roundup
The March 10th Objectivist Roundup is at The Little things where you can read great articles such as Dr. Paul Hsieh's 'socialized medicine, theory and practice' and Alex Hrin's post of solar energy, is it a path to prosperity? Plus many others. Enjoy!
Sunday, March 06, 2011
Objectivist Roundup March 3rd
This week's Objectivist Roundup is at Reepicheep's Coracle where you can read great post on parentin, economics, politics, and even some good recipes.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Feb 10th Objectivist Roundup
The Feb 10th Objectivist Roundup is at Erosophia where you can read posts on retirement plans by David c. Lewis at The Revolution in Retirement Planning, and John Drake posts at Try Reason on being conscious of your actions in all contexts including with your children.
Friday, February 04, 2011
Objectivist Roundup Feb 3rd 2011
This week's Objectivist Roundup is at Rant from the Rock. It's where you can read an inflation primer by C.W. or The Perils of a Siege Mentality by Ed Cline and much more.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Objectivist Roundup Jan 27th. 2011
This week's Objectivist Roundup is at Three Ring Binder where you can read articles such as Rachel Miner's recommendation of two new sites that deal with autistic learning. Then Zip reports on the Canadian Farce of Rights and Freedoms Pt1 and Pt2 plus much more. Enjoy!!
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Woe is Michigan
I published this post at The New Clarion a few days ago. I repost it here to let my readers know why I don't think Gov. Rick Snyder will have the solutions to Michigan's problems.
After reading news articles on Michigan's new Republican Governor Rick Snyder's State of the State address I'm disappointed. He ran on a platform of making the state government smaller, more efficient and called for a return to free market principles. But it looks to me like Mr. Snyder is not going to be the solution to Michigan's woeful economic problems.
His slogan "reinvent Michigan" is one telltale sign. Michigan doesn't need to be 'reinvented.' It needs to be freed from the job killing regulations and taxes that have chased businesses out of the state.
Another telltale sign is his decision to go with a government owned second bridge--Detroit River International Crossing, DRIC--over the Detroit river connecting Detroit to Windsor Canada. I had hoped Snyder would have at least opened up the bidding to private enterprise, especially since Matty Marroun, the owner of the Ambassador Bridge from Detroit to Windsor has offered to build the second bridge and pay for it himself. (Yes, the Ambassador is the only privately owned international bridge in the nation)
Snyder, a businessman and former CEO of Gateway, knows that private enterprise is much more efficient than government sponsored enterprises yet he chose the public option anyway. Why? He was lured by the promise of federal Transportation Dept. loot. From a 1/21/11 Detroit News article by Tom Greenwood:
This is pure pragmatism on the part of Gov. Snyder. Pragmatism of course is a range of the moment expediency sans concern for long range consequences i.e. unprincipled. It is this kind of thinking that brought Michigan's economy to ruin in the first place.
Now, Snyder want's to replace the oppressive Michigan Business Tax--credited with chasing many small businesses out of the state--with a 6% tax on corporate profits. This despite the fact that he knows wealth creation and therefore a rising standard of living come from only one place--profits. So it seems then that he wants to sacrifice the profits of big business to small business. Neither this nor the public bridge option are free market principles. Then again, pragmatists disdain principles.
All is not lost yet though. Gov. Snyder does want to repeal the item pricing law that forces retailers to price mark every item they sell. In another News article by Jaclyn Trop we learn:
But that is just one of the regulations Snyder considers 'needless' implying that others are needed. He does not understand that all government regulations are 'needless.' I know this was just Mr. Snyder's first major speech and I shouldn't be too pessimistic yet. But it's hard to be optimistic when I see business groups applauding his speech. Back to the Greenwood article:
When I look at Michigan and the new governor I feel like that adult who has explained to an adolescent that doing X will result in failure and misery for him but who still insists on doing x anyway suffering the adult to a future of having to watch the calamity unfold. Sigh.
Maybe some of the newer State Republicans will guide him in a better direction. Not holding my breath though.
After reading news articles on Michigan's new Republican Governor Rick Snyder's State of the State address I'm disappointed. He ran on a platform of making the state government smaller, more efficient and called for a return to free market principles. But it looks to me like Mr. Snyder is not going to be the solution to Michigan's woeful economic problems.
His slogan "reinvent Michigan" is one telltale sign. Michigan doesn't need to be 'reinvented.' It needs to be freed from the job killing regulations and taxes that have chased businesses out of the state.
Another telltale sign is his decision to go with a government owned second bridge--Detroit River International Crossing, DRIC--over the Detroit river connecting Detroit to Windsor Canada. I had hoped Snyder would have at least opened up the bidding to private enterprise, especially since Matty Marroun, the owner of the Ambassador Bridge from Detroit to Windsor has offered to build the second bridge and pay for it himself. (Yes, the Ambassador is the only privately owned international bridge in the nation)
Snyder, a businessman and former CEO of Gateway, knows that private enterprise is much more efficient than government sponsored enterprises yet he chose the public option anyway. Why? He was lured by the promise of federal Transportation Dept. loot. From a 1/21/11 Detroit News article by Tom Greenwood:
"Snyder, a businessman-turned politician, told The Detroit News that it was the "old accountant" in him that made him ask the federal government whether a $550 million loan from Canada to cover Michigan's share of the roads for the bridge project could be used to leverage matching federal dollars for other roadwork in Michigan.Unfortunately, for several years, the Michigan toll receipts will be handed over to Canada to repay the loan.
"That's part of the value-added we brought to the table," Snyder said."
This is pure pragmatism on the part of Gov. Snyder. Pragmatism of course is a range of the moment expediency sans concern for long range consequences i.e. unprincipled. It is this kind of thinking that brought Michigan's economy to ruin in the first place.
Now, Snyder want's to replace the oppressive Michigan Business Tax--credited with chasing many small businesses out of the state--with a 6% tax on corporate profits. This despite the fact that he knows wealth creation and therefore a rising standard of living come from only one place--profits. So it seems then that he wants to sacrifice the profits of big business to small business. Neither this nor the public bridge option are free market principles. Then again, pragmatists disdain principles.
All is not lost yet though. Gov. Snyder does want to repeal the item pricing law that forces retailers to price mark every item they sell. In another News article by Jaclyn Trop we learn:
"The law mostly affects retailers that sell many different items, such as grocers and hardware stores, costing them more than $2 billion annually in labor and materials, according to a report by the Anderson Economic Group that Snyder cited"It is on things like this that the new governor needs to be concentrating. Reduce crippling regulations and he wouldn't need to replace the Michigan Business Tax. He could just repeal it.
But that is just one of the regulations Snyder considers 'needless' implying that others are needed. He does not understand that all government regulations are 'needless.' I know this was just Mr. Snyder's first major speech and I shouldn't be too pessimistic yet. But it's hard to be optimistic when I see business groups applauding his speech. Back to the Greenwood article:
"Business leaders 'thrilled'The editor of the Detroit News also hailed the Governor's pragmatism in a 1/23/11 editorial in which editor Nolan Finley says:
Members of the Detroit Regional Chamber also applauded the governor's endorsement.
"We were thrilled that the governor said he was all in for the DRIC," Detroit Regional Chamber chief executive Sandy Baruah said. "I love the fact that he found a very inventive way to tie the interests of the DRIC to every legislator in the state of Michigan by tying those transportation dollars to the DRIC project. I thought that was brilliant. I think it will be the key that gets the DRIC done."
"Rick Snyder's first substantive speech as governor left a lot of folks scratching their heads, trying to figure out which political slot he fits into.And:
The answer is, he doesn't.
He's not a politician. He's a businessman. If that wasn't clear during the gubernatorial campaign, it should be now that Snyder's opening State of the State address is out of the way.
It will be pragmatism rather than partisan ideology that guides his administration."
"That was best demonstrated during the speech by his embrace of the Detroit River International Crossing. Conservatives chafe at government involvement in building a new bridge, since a private investor claims to be willing to build one with his own money.To be fair the editorial did go on to extol Snyder's pledge for accountability for all money spent and to get rid of growth inhibiting regulations. All nice sounding words until one reads this:
But for Snyder, it was just a big real estate deal, and one he feels he got the best of by convincing the Obama administration to permit the leveraging of a $550 million loan from Canada to repair Michigan's highways.
He wasn't about to let a debate over the free market system get in the way of a windfall."(MY emphasis)
"Likewise, liberals will find unexpected opportunities to applaud the governor, as they did his view that the state must nurture education from the womb through adulthood, and that government has a stake in the waistlines of its citizens."AARRRG!! Michigan is joining California in committing economic and educational suicide with the blessings of media and business.
When I look at Michigan and the new governor I feel like that adult who has explained to an adolescent that doing X will result in failure and misery for him but who still insists on doing x anyway suffering the adult to a future of having to watch the calamity unfold. Sigh.
Maybe some of the newer State Republicans will guide him in a better direction. Not holding my breath though.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Objectivist Roundup Jan 20th. 2011
This week's Objectivist roundup is at Reepicheep's Coracle. You can read posts on such subjects as
The scarecrow of violent Language by Ed Cline
or
Robert Sarrionandia's views on the value of debating.
and
Ritter's "New Energy Economy" Based on old fallacies by Ari Armstrong
Enjoy!
The scarecrow of violent Language by Ed Cline
or
Robert Sarrionandia's views on the value of debating.
and
Ritter's "New Energy Economy" Based on old fallacies by Ari Armstrong
Enjoy!
Friday, January 14, 2011
Jan 14 Objectivist Roundup
The Jan 14th Objectivist roundup is at Jenn Casey's site here.
Many great essays this time on subjects like the spread of mysticism or the Road to Hell at the New Clarion and more. Enjoy!
Many great essays this time on subjects like the spread of mysticism or the Road to Hell at the New Clarion and more. Enjoy!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Objectivist Roundup New Year Edition
The newest Objectivist Roundup is at Uncommon Sense which includes essays on raising children, the hierarchy of knowledge, developing habits, abortion, immigration, sacred cows and much more. Enjoy!
Friday, December 24, 2010
Objectivist Roundup Dec 24th. 2010
This week's Objectivist Roundup is at Mother of Exiles. Great reads all.
Friday, December 10, 2010
The latest Objectivist round up is at Reepicheep's Coracle here. enjoy reading objective posts on politics, culture and a variety of subjects from an Objectivist perspective.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Thanksgiving is over, or is it?
Over at my blog at the Detroit Free Press, Mike's Michigan Musings, I posted about Thanksgiving day being over but giving thanks should not be and some of the things I'm thankful for.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Objectivist Roundup Nov 18th.
This week's Objectivist roundup is at the Secular Foxhole and is full of great posts. Enjoy.
Monday, October 04, 2010
Dems Offer No Hope for Michigan
The election is tomorrow and so far the Democrats are staying with their anti-business philosophy. About three weeks or so ago I received in the mail campaign promotion material from the Michigan Democratic state central committee. It was headlined "The main street agenda" and featured the pictures of candidates Virg Bernero for Governor, Brenda Lawrence for Lieut. gov, Jocelyn Benson for sec of state and David Leyton for Atty gen. The bottom of the flyer contained a partial picture of New York stock exchange overlaid with the words "not a Wall Street CEO."
I'm disappointed to see the Democrats continuing to cash in on the false notion that the people on Wall Street are the enemies of the people on main street. This ad represents all that is wrong with Michigan (and national) politics. Readers are presumably supposed to be relieved that these Democrats are anti-wall street. It is blatantly anti-business in tone. And yet it is only businesses that can create productive jobs. Government cannot create jobs. All government has to offer is force and the threat of it. And for decades government has used this power to chase businesses out of Michigan.
It's time to get government out of the way and let business do what it does best: create prosperity.
I'm disappointed to see the Democrats continuing to cash in on the false notion that the people on Wall Street are the enemies of the people on main street. This ad represents all that is wrong with Michigan (and national) politics. Readers are presumably supposed to be relieved that these Democrats are anti-wall street. It is blatantly anti-business in tone. And yet it is only businesses that can create productive jobs. Government cannot create jobs. All government has to offer is force and the threat of it. And for decades government has used this power to chase businesses out of Michigan.
It's time to get government out of the way and let business do what it does best: create prosperity.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Local blog activism
The Detroit Free Press has allowed my to have a blog at their online paper. I haven't been very active but now I intend to get busy. It is here.I hope to get more readers with increased blogging.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Fire Levin, Time for Real Change
Pursuant to my last post below, Mr Don Volaric has added a new site "Fire Levin" which I recommend. Mr Levin has been in office way too long. He has overseen the destruction of the national as well as the Michigan economies, the near total destruction of the auto industry and the banking industry.
When looking at a problem, real or imagined, instead of asking "what tax or regulation can be repealed to help this problem?" Sander Levin has chosen to issue more dictates (regulations) then sit back and wait for obedience. This is not the practice of those defending freedom. Mr. Levin, like so many of the lifer politicians today, can no longer think outside the box. They know they have placed burden after burden on the backs of business chasing most of them out of the state. But rather than checking their premises, examining the principles on which their policies are based, they continue with business as usual placing even more burdens on business hoping against hope that businesses will find a way to stick around and continue to create jobs.
It's time for change and for this election Don Volaric represents that change.
When looking at a problem, real or imagined, instead of asking "what tax or regulation can be repealed to help this problem?" Sander Levin has chosen to issue more dictates (regulations) then sit back and wait for obedience. This is not the practice of those defending freedom. Mr. Levin, like so many of the lifer politicians today, can no longer think outside the box. They know they have placed burden after burden on the backs of business chasing most of them out of the state. But rather than checking their premises, examining the principles on which their policies are based, they continue with business as usual placing even more burdens on business hoping against hope that businesses will find a way to stick around and continue to create jobs.
It's time for change and for this election Don Volaric represents that change.
Tuesday, September 07, 2010
Political Activism in Michigan
I have decided to get active in local politics for the first time in decades. I'm backing republican Don Volaric for the seat of Sander Levin in the US House district 12 here in Michigan. so here is a little promo for those of you who may live in this district.
*********************************************8
"How much would you PAY to get rid of a Levin??
Don Volaric, candidate for U.S. Congress in the 12th District, had almost 4,000 more votes than the incumbent, Sander Levin, in the primary for Macomb County! That hasn't been done before and it is a great sign of what is to come this November.
How much would you DO to get rid of a Levin??
The Volaric campaign needs your HELP to defeat Sander Levin this November. We are looking for volunteers to do door to door with our literature, phone calls, help with office work, etc. Signs will be available soon! We have window stickers available now.
How much would you PAY to get rid of a Levin??
Sander Levin is FOR Amnesty, FOR Obama Care, FOR Big Government, FOR Higher Taxes, FOR Cap and Trade, all while he is selling our children's and grandchildren's futures down the drain, while taking our seniors to the woodshed with his Medicare deception and lies.
Vote for the real citizen's representative, Don Volaric, not the status quo. Go to www.VolaricForCongress.com to donate and volunteer today.
70 days and counting... Remember in November!"
************************************************8
I decided to back him because he was one of the few Republicans to explicitly use the phrase 'individual rights' in his speeches. And also because I want Sander Levin out.
*********************************************8
"How much would you PAY to get rid of a Levin??
Don Volaric, candidate for U.S. Congress in the 12th District, had almost 4,000 more votes than the incumbent, Sander Levin, in the primary for Macomb County! That hasn't been done before and it is a great sign of what is to come this November.
How much would you DO to get rid of a Levin??
The Volaric campaign needs your HELP to defeat Sander Levin this November. We are looking for volunteers to do door to door with our literature, phone calls, help with office work, etc. Signs will be available soon! We have window stickers available now.
How much would you PAY to get rid of a Levin??
Sander Levin is FOR Amnesty, FOR Obama Care, FOR Big Government, FOR Higher Taxes, FOR Cap and Trade, all while he is selling our children's and grandchildren's futures down the drain, while taking our seniors to the woodshed with his Medicare deception and lies.
Vote for the real citizen's representative, Don Volaric, not the status quo. Go to www.VolaricForCongress.com to donate and volunteer today.
70 days and counting... Remember in November!"
************************************************8
I decided to back him because he was one of the few Republicans to explicitly use the phrase 'individual rights' in his speeches. And also because I want Sander Levin out.
Wednesday, September 01, 2010
Political link
Here is a good effort that may be worth joining at least in a political context: There is no doubt that America needs a reorientation.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Little Thinkers
I sometimes marvel at the sharp memories and ideas four and five year olds have. I was at a restaurant with wife and 5 year old grand daughter Taylor and her mom. I had arrived first and had ordered before the others since I had to leave first. Taylor and I both like eggs and sausages. She would reach over to my plate and swipe a sausage piece and I would pretend not to notice saying "There must be a mouse in here swiping my sausages" and she would laugh. When her food came she said to me "Grandpa, you can't take my food" and I said "Why not?" to which she replied "Because you're on a diet, remember?" sigh. They're right about that female memory thing.
A few days later she was at our house pretending to be talking to a friend on the phone. She wrote down her imaginary friend's number on a paper. She wrote 9 numbers. Observing this Grandma said "Most phones have 7 numbers." She thought for a few seconds and said "Well my friend has a bigger phone."
A few days later she was at our house pretending to be talking to a friend on the phone. She wrote down her imaginary friend's number on a paper. She wrote 9 numbers. Observing this Grandma said "Most phones have 7 numbers." She thought for a few seconds and said "Well my friend has a bigger phone."
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Rational literature in elementary school.
From the VanDamme academy is this 5 min video on what rational literature for the very young should look like.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Notice: OLists for Better Living Info
Because I am a lurker (reader) on most of these lists below and have started commenting on the OGardeners list, I want to recommend these lists to my readers via this announcement by Diana Hsieh:
Hi, I'm Diana Hsieh (http://www.DianaHsieh.com). I'm an Objectivist and a recent Ph.D in philosophy.
I oversee an independent network of e-mail lists for friendly discussion and information-sharing among advocates of Ayn Rand's philosophy of Objectivism. They are the "OLists" : http://www.OList.com
The common goal of the OLists is to serve the real-life values and interests common to subscribers -- such as activism, blogging, parenting, health, productivity, firearms, gardening, and academia. These lists have been active, informative, and useful to their hundreds of subscribers; they've helped connect Objectivists with values in common. In case you've not heard of them, I invite you to see whether they might foster your values too.
Please note that these lists are not free-for-all discussion lists. Each list has a clear purpose, as well as definite membership criteria. Also, some lists are limited to Objectivists, while others welcome non-Objectivist lurkers. Please check the list's purpose and membership criteria before you request a subscription.
Without further ado, the OList e-mail lists are...
OActivists: http://www.OList.com/oactivists
OActivists is an e-mail list for Objectivists committed to fostering positive cultural and political change. Its purpose is to encourage and assist effective advocacy of Objectivist ideas in non-Objectivist forums by facilitating communication between Objectivist activists. Membership is limited to Objectivist activists. It is managed by Tammy Perkins.
OBloggers: http://www.OList.com/obloggers
OBloggers is an e-mail list for Objectivist bloggers. Its purpose is to facilitate communication about matters of mutual interest, such as upcoming events, blogworthy links, posts of interest, blog promotion, and best blogging practices. Membership is limited to Objectivist bloggers. It is managed by Kate Gerber of CareerMama ( http://www.careermama.com ).
OGrownups: http://www.OList.com/ogrownups
OGrownups is an informal e-mail list for for Objectivists and others interested in raising and educating children well. Its basic purpose is to facilitate discussion amongst Objectivists about child development, discipline techniques, education methods, parenting resources, and more. Non-Objectivist lurkers are welcome. It is managed by Jenn Casey of Rational Jenn ( http://rationaljenn.blogspot.com ).
OEvolve: http://www.OList.com/oevolve
OEvolve is an informal e-mail list for Objectivists and others interested in the proper application of evolutionary principles to diet, fitness, and health. Its basic purpose is to facilitate discussion and information-sharing amongst Objectivists about the practical sciences of cooking, nutrition, fitness, health, and more. Non-Objectivist lurkers are welcome. It is managed by Monica Hughes of Ancestral Generation ( http://ancestralgeneration.com ).
OProducers: http://www.OList.com/oproducers
OProducers is an e-mail list for Objectivists and others committed to improving their habits of productivity in their careers, projects, and other pursuits. Its purpose is to facilitate discussion and information-sharing amongst Objectivists about practical methods for better management of time, projects, money, people, and other resources. Non-Objectivist lurkers are welcome. It is managed by Tod of Optimal Living ( http://blog.bytod.com ).
OShooters: http://www.OList.com/oshooters
OShooters is an e-mail list for Objectivists and others enthused about firearms and committed to gun rights. Its basic purpose is to facilitate discussion and information-sharing amongst Objectivists about firearm models, shooting techniques, gun ranges, gun laws, and the like. Non-Objectivist lurkers are welcome. It is managed by Santiago Valenzuela.
OGardeners: http://www.OList.com/ogardeners
OGardeners is an informal e-mail list for Objectivists and others interested in gardening and landscaping. Its purpose is to facilitate discussion and information-sharing amongst Objectivists about the cultivation of flowers, vegetables, shrubs, and trees. Non-Objectivist lurkers are welcome. It is managed by Kelly Elmore of Reepicheep's Coracle ( http://reepicheepscoracle.blogspot.com ).
OAcademics: http://www.OList.com/oacademics
OAcademics is an e-mail list for Objectivist academics to discuss teaching, research, coursework, dissertations, job prospects, publication, and all other aspects of life in (or after) academia. Membership is limited to Objectivist academics. It is managed by Diana Hsieh of NoodleFood ( http://blog.dianahsieh.com ).
If you have any questions or comments about the OLists, please feel free to e-mail me at diana@dianahsieh.com.
-- DMH
Diana Hsieh (Ph.D, Philosophy, CU Boulder)
E-mail: diana@dianahsieh.com
NoodleFood: http://www.dianahsieh.com/blog
NoodleCast: http://www.dianahsieh.com/cast
ModernPaleo: http://www.ModernPaleo.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/DianaHsieh
--
OGardeners @ OList.com --
List Address: ogardeners@olist.com (or ogardeners@googlegroups.com)
Public Web Site: http://www.olist.com/ogardeners
Private Group: http://groups.google.com/group/ogardeners/
Web Archives: http://groups.google.com/group/ogardeners/topics
Edit Membership: http://groups.google.com/group/ogardeners/subscribe
Monday, May 24, 2010
Proper Philosophy of Education
If you haven't subscribed to Lisa VanDamme's U-tube videos I urge you to do so now. It's free. This one is about her favorite story at the VanDamme Acadamy. You can subscribe here. One of my favorites is "Why WE Take Tests" which explains the importance of testing.
This is the kind of pedagogy that most American public schools desperately need especially in the wasteland that is the DPS Detroit Public Schools.
This is the kind of pedagogy that most American public schools desperately need especially in the wasteland that is the DPS Detroit Public Schools.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Tax Day Tea Party Sterling Heights Michigan
Sorry about being a day late with this but here are pics of the Tea Party I went to in Sterling Heights on Thursday 4/15. There were about 400 to 500 people there including several dozen union and government people on the other side of the street carrying pre-made signs saying SOS for Save Our Services. Evidently they don't like the idea of smaller government. Click on any image for larger view.
Friday, April 16, 2010
I went to a few Tea Parties this past week. The first was Sunday 4/11/10 at the Clinton Twp Civic Center. It was sponsored by MEDEFCO (Metro Detroit Freedom Coalition) and featured a stop by the Tea Party Express folks. Two bus loads of speakers and entertainers pulled up.
There was about 3000 people there according to one local newspaper. A sampling of the people by me revealed Republican, Democrat and lots of independent voters present. The singing was quite good and all the speakers mentioned the need for smaller government and less taxes and less regulations. I'll post on the other Party tomorrow.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Blogroll Update Mar. 2010
It's time again for another blogroll update. Not all of the sites below are hosted by objectivists but are still very rational, enjoyable reads.
First will be Jihad Watch a blog devoted to watching and tracking the jihadist movement within Islam.
Second will be the music of M. Zachary Johnson. A good sampling of his own compositions on Sax.
Third is Illustrated Ideas hosted by Robert Tracy, a military man.
Fourth is STATS, a blog of statistical assessment at George Mason University. If you're sceptical about so-called scientific studies that purport to tell you what's good or harmful for you, STATS likes to go over those studies with a fine tooth comb and show you what's wrong with them.
Fifth is The Anger of Compassion where Craig Ceely is again reporting on current events.
Sixth will be Alaxander Marriott's Wit and Wisdom. Alex's blogging may be light for a short time but he promises to get back to it soon.
Seventh is The Advice Goddess where journalist Amy Alkon gives advice on almost anything.
The next four are about paleo dieting and living which I recommend. Being on a low carb regimen myself I have found valuable low carb recipes, info on vitamin supplements, exercise and more. Their blogrolls lead to more sites of interest.
Eighth is Free the Animal. Here Richard Nikoley blogs not just on paleo eating but paleo living.
Along the same line, #9 is Modern Paleo, a new blog by Christian W. and Diana Hsieh on paleo eating and living written by objectivists.
Number 10 is Mark's Daily Apple another good paleo site.
Eleventh is OEvolve, another good objectivist list of rational eating managed by Monica Hughes that you can just observe as a lurker, like me, or sign up to be a poster on your experiences and ask questions as well.
Twelfth is another good blog on parenting by Rachel Miner called Playful Spirit.
That's it for now but there will be another update in April. Enjoy!
First will be Jihad Watch a blog devoted to watching and tracking the jihadist movement within Islam.
Second will be the music of M. Zachary Johnson. A good sampling of his own compositions on Sax.
Third is Illustrated Ideas hosted by Robert Tracy, a military man.
Fourth is STATS, a blog of statistical assessment at George Mason University. If you're sceptical about so-called scientific studies that purport to tell you what's good or harmful for you, STATS likes to go over those studies with a fine tooth comb and show you what's wrong with them.
Fifth is The Anger of Compassion where Craig Ceely is again reporting on current events.
Sixth will be Alaxander Marriott's Wit and Wisdom. Alex's blogging may be light for a short time but he promises to get back to it soon.
Seventh is The Advice Goddess where journalist Amy Alkon gives advice on almost anything.
The next four are about paleo dieting and living which I recommend. Being on a low carb regimen myself I have found valuable low carb recipes, info on vitamin supplements, exercise and more. Their blogrolls lead to more sites of interest.
Eighth is Free the Animal. Here Richard Nikoley blogs not just on paleo eating but paleo living.
Along the same line, #9 is Modern Paleo, a new blog by Christian W. and Diana Hsieh on paleo eating and living written by objectivists.
Number 10 is Mark's Daily Apple another good paleo site.
Eleventh is OEvolve, another good objectivist list of rational eating managed by Monica Hughes that you can just observe as a lurker, like me, or sign up to be a poster on your experiences and ask questions as well.
Twelfth is another good blog on parenting by Rachel Miner called Playful Spirit.
That's it for now but there will be another update in April. Enjoy!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Urgent Action Required.
With his permission I'm reprinting this post by Dr. Paul Hsieh and I recommend everyone contact your House Rep. and urge them to vote no on the health bill now before the House.
This upcoming week will be *the* critical week in the health care
fight. Speaker Pelosi is expected to start the process for the House
to hold its final vote to approve the Senate Bill. The vote will
probably take place at the end of this upcoming week.
Right now, they are probably still a few votes shy of the majority
they need:
"Dem House vote-counter lacks health care votes now"
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100314/ap_on_bi_ge/us_health_overhaul
"Can Nancy Pelosi Get the Votes?"
Michael Barone, Wall Street Journal, 3/11/2010
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703701004575113292688090292.html
Hence, this is an *extremely* risky move by the Democrats.
Normally, a Speaker wouldn't plan on voting on such major
legislation unless he or she was sure of having enough votes.
But the Democrats are also (correctly) concluding that time is not
on their side. They have made the calculation that if they push for
it now, then maybe then can squeeze out the last few votes via a
combination of threats and bribes. For example, they have
"sweetened" the deal for the wavering moderates by promising
billions of dollars of new student loan subsidies:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100314/ap_on_bi_ge/us_health_overhaul
On the other hand they recognize that if they wait much longer,
then when these wavering Congressmen go back home for the
Easter recess, they will get an earful from their constituents who are
strongly opposed to the bill, and they'll lose even more support:
http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/health-care-end-game-begins-monday
Hence, from the Democrats' perspective, it's now or never.
From our perspective, this means three things:
1) We are winning. We have a chance to defeat this terrible bill.
In particular, do not get discouraged when you read the inevitable
news stories about how the Democrats are "close to getting the
votes" or how Pelosi is "confident she'll have the votes". She has
to exude an aura of public confidence, otherwise her coalition will
quickly unravel.
Polls repeatedly show Americans opposed to ObamaCare:
"Why Obama Can't Move the Health-Care Numbers"
Rasmussen and Schoen, Wall Street Journal, 3/9/2010
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704784904575111993559174212.html
Similarly, head counts of House Democrats also show that they
don't quite have enough votes yet:
"Scrambling for votes, Democrats face uphill climb to pass
healthcare reform"
The Hill, 3/13/2010
http://thehill.com/homenews/house/86577-scrambling-for-votes-dems-face-uphill-climb-to-pass-health-reform
"The Hill's 'Whip Count' on ObamaCare -- as of 3/13/2010"
http://hotair.com/greenroom/archives/2010/03/13/the-hills-whip-count-on-obamacare-as-of-today/
If they had the votes, they'd have already passed it by now.
2) We have to keep the pressure up. The Democrats are pulling out
all stops to find some way to get this through now, before the
critical Easter recess.
At this point in time, the single most important thing you can do is
tell your Congressman to vote "NO" on this bill:
http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml
This is especially important if your Congressman is one of the
undecided or swing votes on this "Code Red" list:
http://www.nrcc.org/CodeRed/targets/
http://www.teapartypatriots.org/BlogPostView.aspx?id=84e5b956-bfe9-4024-9fd3-aaf17cc00012
But even if your Congressman is a firm "Yes", it's still important to
let them know. If even the liberal Democrats from "safe" seats
consistently hear that their constituents are against it, it will give the
wavering moderates more political cover to vote "No". They can
tell their Pelosi, "Even *your* constituents hate this thing -- there's
no way I can support it".
*** Our counter-pressure is our best weapon against the pressure
that the statists will exert on these wavering Congressmen. ***
Your letter doesn't have to long or eloquent. It just has to convey
certainty, passion, and moral conviction. Something short and
simple like:
"Please vote NO on this terrible health care plan! If you vote yes,
you will destroy the ability of me and my family to receive good
health care in the future. This is personal! If you vote yes, we will
never forgive you for hurting our lives and trampling on our basic
freedoms."
(You may wish to adapt that to suit your own style and values.)
Feel free to use all contact methods - phone, fax, and e-mail. And
please feel free to contact them multiple times over the upcoming
week. In this context, repetition is a virtue!
And of course, if your Congressman is a probable or firm "No",
then thank him or her for his position. They also need our moral
support.
3) If you have friends or family in other parts of the country, tell
them to do the same thing and contact *their* Congressmen:
http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml
If you need intellectual ammunition for them, one of my personal
favorites is from the AFCM website:
"Fifty Fallacies About Health Care" by Richard Ralston
http://afcm.org/fallacies.html
Jared Rhoads' Lucidicus Project also has a good set of OpEds:
http://lucidicus.org/editorials/archive.php
And of course, FIRM has its archive of articles/OpEds:
http://westandfirm.org/articles.html
I personally think that the most important thing we can do in the
next few days will be to directly contact our Congressmen and have
friends/family do the same. LTE's and OpEds will still be
important, but not as much as before. (That said, I'm stilll going to
continue writing and/or disseminating some of my earlier writings
to people I know around the country.)
This is the endgame, folks. Most political observers regard the
health care bill as a 50-50 "toss-up" or "too close to call". It really
could go either way. What happens this week will set the course of
this great country (for good or for ill) for decades to come.
Your voice could be the critical difference in swaying the right one
or two minds. If you value your lives and your freedom, the time
to speak up is *now*!
(Anyone is welcome to forward or repost this e-mail to any
appropriate recipients or venues.)
-- Paul
--------------------
Paul Hsieh, MD
This upcoming week will be *the* critical week in the health care
fight. Speaker Pelosi is expected to start the process for the House
to hold its final vote to approve the Senate Bill. The vote will
probably take place at the end of this upcoming week.
Right now, they are probably still a few votes shy of the majority
they need:
"Dem House vote-counter lacks health care votes now"
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100314/ap_on_bi_ge/us_health_overhaul
"Can Nancy Pelosi Get the Votes?"
Michael Barone, Wall Street Journal, 3/11/2010
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703701004575113292688090292.html
Hence, this is an *extremely* risky move by the Democrats.
Normally, a Speaker wouldn't plan on voting on such major
legislation unless he or she was sure of having enough votes.
But the Democrats are also (correctly) concluding that time is not
on their side. They have made the calculation that if they push for
it now, then maybe then can squeeze out the last few votes via a
combination of threats and bribes. For example, they have
"sweetened" the deal for the wavering moderates by promising
billions of dollars of new student loan subsidies:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100314/ap_on_bi_ge/us_health_overhaul
On the other hand they recognize that if they wait much longer,
then when these wavering Congressmen go back home for the
Easter recess, they will get an earful from their constituents who are
strongly opposed to the bill, and they'll lose even more support:
http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/health-care-end-game-begins-monday
Hence, from the Democrats' perspective, it's now or never.
From our perspective, this means three things:
1) We are winning. We have a chance to defeat this terrible bill.
In particular, do not get discouraged when you read the inevitable
news stories about how the Democrats are "close to getting the
votes" or how Pelosi is "confident she'll have the votes". She has
to exude an aura of public confidence, otherwise her coalition will
quickly unravel.
Polls repeatedly show Americans opposed to ObamaCare:
"Why Obama Can't Move the Health-Care Numbers"
Rasmussen and Schoen, Wall Street Journal, 3/9/2010
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704784904575111993559174212.html
Similarly, head counts of House Democrats also show that they
don't quite have enough votes yet:
"Scrambling for votes, Democrats face uphill climb to pass
healthcare reform"
The Hill, 3/13/2010
http://thehill.com/homenews/house/86577-scrambling-for-votes-dems-face-uphill-climb-to-pass-health-reform
"The Hill's 'Whip Count' on ObamaCare -- as of 3/13/2010"
http://hotair.com/greenroom/archives/2010/03/13/the-hills-whip-count-on-obamacare-as-of-today/
If they had the votes, they'd have already passed it by now.
2) We have to keep the pressure up. The Democrats are pulling out
all stops to find some way to get this through now, before the
critical Easter recess.
At this point in time, the single most important thing you can do is
tell your Congressman to vote "NO" on this bill:
http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml
This is especially important if your Congressman is one of the
undecided or swing votes on this "Code Red" list:
http://www.nrcc.org/CodeRed/targets/
http://www.teapartypatriots.org/BlogPostView.aspx?id=84e5b956-bfe9-4024-9fd3-aaf17cc00012
But even if your Congressman is a firm "Yes", it's still important to
let them know. If even the liberal Democrats from "safe" seats
consistently hear that their constituents are against it, it will give the
wavering moderates more political cover to vote "No". They can
tell their Pelosi, "Even *your* constituents hate this thing -- there's
no way I can support it".
*** Our counter-pressure is our best weapon against the pressure
that the statists will exert on these wavering Congressmen. ***
Your letter doesn't have to long or eloquent. It just has to convey
certainty, passion, and moral conviction. Something short and
simple like:
"Please vote NO on this terrible health care plan! If you vote yes,
you will destroy the ability of me and my family to receive good
health care in the future. This is personal! If you vote yes, we will
never forgive you for hurting our lives and trampling on our basic
freedoms."
(You may wish to adapt that to suit your own style and values.)
Feel free to use all contact methods - phone, fax, and e-mail. And
please feel free to contact them multiple times over the upcoming
week. In this context, repetition is a virtue!
And of course, if your Congressman is a probable or firm "No",
then thank him or her for his position. They also need our moral
support.
3) If you have friends or family in other parts of the country, tell
them to do the same thing and contact *their* Congressmen:
http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml
If you need intellectual ammunition for them, one of my personal
favorites is from the AFCM website:
"Fifty Fallacies About Health Care" by Richard Ralston
http://afcm.org/fallacies.html
Jared Rhoads' Lucidicus Project also has a good set of OpEds:
http://lucidicus.org/editorials/archive.php
And of course, FIRM has its archive of articles/OpEds:
http://westandfirm.org/articles.html
I personally think that the most important thing we can do in the
next few days will be to directly contact our Congressmen and have
friends/family do the same. LTE's and OpEds will still be
important, but not as much as before. (That said, I'm stilll going to
continue writing and/or disseminating some of my earlier writings
to people I know around the country.)
This is the endgame, folks. Most political observers regard the
health care bill as a 50-50 "toss-up" or "too close to call". It really
could go either way. What happens this week will set the course of
this great country (for good or for ill) for decades to come.
Your voice could be the critical difference in swaying the right one
or two minds. If you value your lives and your freedom, the time
to speak up is *now*!
(Anyone is welcome to forward or repost this e-mail to any
appropriate recipients or venues.)
-- Paul
--------------------
Paul Hsieh, MD
Saturday, February 13, 2010
A Grandpa's Notes on Discipline
As a grandpa who does a lot of babysitting--I have 5 grand kids under the age of 4 1/2 with another on the way--I believe in the theory of positive discipline. Info on this can be had at the sites of Rational Jenn and The Little Things.
But I want to focus on one aspect of discipline: talking to young children when they are behaving badly. I've seen adults yell at their kids saying things like "You're being bad" or You're a bad boy/girl" and "What's wrong with you?" and so on. I am afraid though that a steady diet of words like that might cause the kids to conclude that there is something innately wrong with them over which they have no control. I don't want to take that chance.
Now I like to use different words and phrases. When they are being defiant or otherwise misbehaving, I tell them they are making bad decisions or bad choices and I try to follow that up with reasons why that they will understand. I think this reinforces in their mind the fact of free will while informing that not all choices will be good for them.
Of course it's a law of nature that kids forget fast, so constant repetition is needed. So is lots of patience. This is because their desire to use their free will can be almost irresistible. That can lead to conflicts.
Of course the flip side of this coin is commenting on when they do good. I like to see them get their happiness from the achievement of things without me saying anything. But young kids often want to share a new accomplishment with their adults so when I comment I say things like "Good job" or "Well done" or "Good thinking" and so on. I try to avoid "You're so smart" or 'You're really good" etc.
Positive Discipline has more to say on these subjects so be sure to visit the above links.
But I want to focus on one aspect of discipline: talking to young children when they are behaving badly. I've seen adults yell at their kids saying things like "You're being bad" or You're a bad boy/girl" and "What's wrong with you?" and so on. I am afraid though that a steady diet of words like that might cause the kids to conclude that there is something innately wrong with them over which they have no control. I don't want to take that chance.
Now I like to use different words and phrases. When they are being defiant or otherwise misbehaving, I tell them they are making bad decisions or bad choices and I try to follow that up with reasons why that they will understand. I think this reinforces in their mind the fact of free will while informing that not all choices will be good for them.
Of course it's a law of nature that kids forget fast, so constant repetition is needed. So is lots of patience. This is because their desire to use their free will can be almost irresistible. That can lead to conflicts.
Of course the flip side of this coin is commenting on when they do good. I like to see them get their happiness from the achievement of things without me saying anything. But young kids often want to share a new accomplishment with their adults so when I comment I say things like "Good job" or "Well done" or "Good thinking" and so on. I try to avoid "You're so smart" or 'You're really good" etc.
Positive Discipline has more to say on these subjects so be sure to visit the above links.
Friday, January 22, 2010
January 2010 VDA Newsletter
Once again and because education is so important here is the latest newsletter from the VanDamme Academy.
Pedagogically Correct Volume 4, Issue 2
January 22, 2010
"Pedagogy": The art and science of teaching.
:: Calling All LifeLong Learners: Learn Science the VanDamme Academy Way!
:: Recommend Pedagogically Correct to five friends, get Lisa VanDamme's e-book, "Reclaiming Education," for free!
:: Announcement: Pedagogically Correct Blog
Follow this link for the latest VanDamme Academy Newsletter, which features the following article entitled "What Did You Learn Today" (Written by Kyle Steele-ME)
I was sitting on the floor, fixing a desk, when one of my students and her mother came into the room. They were unaware of my presence as the mother helped her daughter gather her homework. Looking at the board, she said, "Nothing is written down for math. What did you do in math today?" Her daughter's response was, "Well... basically, we drew a mountain and that's about it."
If her summary of the day's events hadn't been so comical, I would have been mortified by her answer. Was this all she remembered from my complicated lecture on long division? Though I was tempted to hide myself further under the desk, I stood up and probed my student's memory further. With the right questions, she was able to tell me that the mountain was a metaphor for the steps involved in learning long division and that we'd spent most of the class discussing quotients and remainders.
Her mother was satisfied with this but I was not. My student, quite understandably, remembered the most unusual and silly part of the class and not the lesson. While I'm happy that my students have vivid memories of the metaphor, it is useless unless they recall the metaphor's meaning! I was concerned that this might be the typical kind of answer parents received to that age-old, important question, "What did you do in school today?"
At the end of the next day's lesson, I decided to ask that question myself. "If I were your father and I asked you what you did in class today, what would you say?" The response I got was interesting. Most children could give a vague answer, but not as specific as I would have liked. They could tell me we did long division problems, but it would have been more accurate to say we did problems with a four-digit dividend. I helped them to form this more precise answer.
This exercise, naming what we've learned at the end of each class, has become a routine part of the class and the kids love it. Each of them is eager to come up with the most precise answer. They strive to capture the finest detail that separates today's lesson from previous lessons. I love it, not because it prepares my students to be questioned by their parents, but because my students are refining their own understanding.
It's very easy for a student to let the activities of the day become a blur. Even the best students in the best classes can go through the routine of the day without taking a moment to reflect. But by taking a few minutes each class to discuss what we've learned and give a name to the work we've done, the knowledge they've gained is no longer a blur, but a firmly held concept. It becomes a hard piece of knowledge with clear edges.
Furthermore, this exercise helps the motivation of my students. Naming what we do helps them to remember that each day holds a new lesson. It is very satisfying to look back on a class and say, "We've accomplished this." One of the things that sets VanDamme Academy's curriculum apart from others is that we want our students to hold their knowledge conceptually; knowledge that can be put into words and has a clear connection to reality. It is a goal we pursue doggedly. Naming each lesson is one more way we achieve that goal.
Calling All LifeLong Learners: Learn Science the VanDamme Academy Way!
Now Anyone Can Understand The Fundamental Principles of Science Better than Most Scientists
"Fundamen tals of Physical Science: A Historical, Inductive Approach"
By David Harriman, Historian and Philosopher of Physics
Learn all about it at our brand new website.
Here's what other Pedagogically Correct Readers are Saying:
"I am currently a Ph.D. candidate in physics, and I was amazed at how much I learned from David Harriman's course. This course stands head and shoulders above any other course or textbook I have encountered."
"It's perfect for someone relatively new to physics like myself; it's perfect for even advanced people who want a deeper historical perspective than is usually taught...I found Mr. Harriman's physics course to be an exciting walk through the fascinating world of physics."
"I think this type of course is needed for everyone, as in my experience, it's so far above the courses I've had throughout my life as far as the actual transmittal of knowledge is concerned...In short, this course has made science and math much more intelligible for me, and was completely worth the time and cost - I highly recommend it."
I was a physics major when I entered college, yet I can easily say that my actual understanding of physics is much greater as a result of this course than I can credit to any other class I've taken.
www.vandammescience.com
With this course you will:
* Finally understand the world around you, the world of science and technology, in a way you never thought possible. (No, you don't have to be a math wiz.)
* Learn the thinking methods of the greatest minds in history.
* Understand what all those physics equations and formulas you once memorized really mean.
* Be inspired by scientists' amazing 2500-year quest to unlock the mysteries of the physical world.
* And have a great time in the process!
All thanks to a one-of-a-kind science teaching methodology available in no other course or textbook.
www.vandammescience.com
Recommend Pedagogically Correct to five friends, get Lisa VanDamme's e-book, "Reclaiming Education," for free!
Lisa VanDamme's educational career began when a group of parents, disillusioned with standard public and private schools, hired her to educate their children. In 1998, she chronicled her successes homeschooling and explained the methods that made them possible in a lecture, "Reclaiming Education." The audience, fascinated by her insights about education, and inspired by the stories she told, gave her a standing ovation. In 1999, she made "Reclaiming Education" available in written form, to the delight of thousands of readers. Since 1999, the essay version of "Reclaiming Education" has been unavailable. Until now.
For the first time in almost 8 years, we will make this remarkable work available. And we are giving it away for FREE as an e-book to those who help us grow Pedagogically Correct by recommending it to their friends. Just send enter the email addresses of at least five friends who might appreciate an invitation to receive PC--along with a brief personal note, or our standard note below. We will not add anyone to our email database without their permission.
Click here to refer five friends and get your copy of "Reclaiming Education."
Announcement: Pedagogically Correct Blog
www.pedagogicallycorrect.com
Check out our 'blog, which will contain much (but not all) of the material we sent out in our newsletters. Spread the word!
VanDamme Academy encourages you to forward our newsletter to your friends or post it on your website or blog. If this newsletter has been forwarded to you, you can sign up to receive Pedagogically Correct for free, at www.vandammeacademy. com.
Happy Learning!
VanDamme Academy--Experience the Power of a Real Education
VanDamme Academy
email: custserv@vandammeacademy.com
phone: 949-510-4861
web:http://www.vandammeacademy.com
Pedagogically Correct Volume 4, Issue 2
January 22, 2010
"Pedagogy": The art and science of teaching.
:: Calling All LifeLong Learners: Learn Science the VanDamme Academy Way!
:: Recommend Pedagogically Correct to five friends, get Lisa VanDamme's e-book, "Reclaiming Education," for free!
:: Announcement: Pedagogically Correct Blog
Follow this link for the latest VanDamme Academy Newsletter, which features the following article entitled "What Did You Learn Today" (Written by Kyle Steele-ME)
I was sitting on the floor, fixing a desk, when one of my students and her mother came into the room. They were unaware of my presence as the mother helped her daughter gather her homework. Looking at the board, she said, "Nothing is written down for math. What did you do in math today?" Her daughter's response was, "Well... basically, we drew a mountain and that's about it."
If her summary of the day's events hadn't been so comical, I would have been mortified by her answer. Was this all she remembered from my complicated lecture on long division? Though I was tempted to hide myself further under the desk, I stood up and probed my student's memory further. With the right questions, she was able to tell me that the mountain was a metaphor for the steps involved in learning long division and that we'd spent most of the class discussing quotients and remainders.
Her mother was satisfied with this but I was not. My student, quite understandably, remembered the most unusual and silly part of the class and not the lesson. While I'm happy that my students have vivid memories of the metaphor, it is useless unless they recall the metaphor's meaning! I was concerned that this might be the typical kind of answer parents received to that age-old, important question, "What did you do in school today?"
At the end of the next day's lesson, I decided to ask that question myself. "If I were your father and I asked you what you did in class today, what would you say?" The response I got was interesting. Most children could give a vague answer, but not as specific as I would have liked. They could tell me we did long division problems, but it would have been more accurate to say we did problems with a four-digit dividend. I helped them to form this more precise answer.
This exercise, naming what we've learned at the end of each class, has become a routine part of the class and the kids love it. Each of them is eager to come up with the most precise answer. They strive to capture the finest detail that separates today's lesson from previous lessons. I love it, not because it prepares my students to be questioned by their parents, but because my students are refining their own understanding.
It's very easy for a student to let the activities of the day become a blur. Even the best students in the best classes can go through the routine of the day without taking a moment to reflect. But by taking a few minutes each class to discuss what we've learned and give a name to the work we've done, the knowledge they've gained is no longer a blur, but a firmly held concept. It becomes a hard piece of knowledge with clear edges.
Furthermore, this exercise helps the motivation of my students. Naming what we do helps them to remember that each day holds a new lesson. It is very satisfying to look back on a class and say, "We've accomplished this." One of the things that sets VanDamme Academy's curriculum apart from others is that we want our students to hold their knowledge conceptually; knowledge that can be put into words and has a clear connection to reality. It is a goal we pursue doggedly. Naming each lesson is one more way we achieve that goal.
Calling All LifeLong Learners: Learn Science the VanDamme Academy Way!
Now Anyone Can Understand The Fundamental Principles of Science Better than Most Scientists
"Fundamen tals of Physical Science: A Historical, Inductive Approach"
By David Harriman, Historian and Philosopher of Physics
Learn all about it at our brand new website.
Here's what other Pedagogically Correct Readers are Saying:
"I am currently a Ph.D. candidate in physics, and I was amazed at how much I learned from David Harriman's course. This course stands head and shoulders above any other course or textbook I have encountered."
"It's perfect for someone relatively new to physics like myself; it's perfect for even advanced people who want a deeper historical perspective than is usually taught...I found Mr. Harriman's physics course to be an exciting walk through the fascinating world of physics."
"I think this type of course is needed for everyone, as in my experience, it's so far above the courses I've had throughout my life as far as the actual transmittal of knowledge is concerned...In short, this course has made science and math much more intelligible for me, and was completely worth the time and cost - I highly recommend it."
I was a physics major when I entered college, yet I can easily say that my actual understanding of physics is much greater as a result of this course than I can credit to any other class I've taken.
www.vandammescience.com
With this course you will:
* Finally understand the world around you, the world of science and technology, in a way you never thought possible. (No, you don't have to be a math wiz.)
* Learn the thinking methods of the greatest minds in history.
* Understand what all those physics equations and formulas you once memorized really mean.
* Be inspired by scientists' amazing 2500-year quest to unlock the mysteries of the physical world.
* And have a great time in the process!
All thanks to a one-of-a-kind science teaching methodology available in no other course or textbook.
www.vandammescience.com
Recommend Pedagogically Correct to five friends, get Lisa VanDamme's e-book, "Reclaiming Education," for free!
Lisa VanDamme's educational career began when a group of parents, disillusioned with standard public and private schools, hired her to educate their children. In 1998, she chronicled her successes homeschooling and explained the methods that made them possible in a lecture, "Reclaiming Education." The audience, fascinated by her insights about education, and inspired by the stories she told, gave her a standing ovation. In 1999, she made "Reclaiming Education" available in written form, to the delight of thousands of readers. Since 1999, the essay version of "Reclaiming Education" has been unavailable. Until now.
For the first time in almost 8 years, we will make this remarkable work available. And we are giving it away for FREE as an e-book to those who help us grow Pedagogically Correct by recommending it to their friends. Just send enter the email addresses of at least five friends who might appreciate an invitation to receive PC--along with a brief personal note, or our standard note below. We will not add anyone to our email database without their permission.
Click here to refer five friends and get your copy of "Reclaiming Education."
Announcement: Pedagogically Correct Blog
www.pedagogicallycorrect.com
Check out our 'blog, which will contain much (but not all) of the material we sent out in our newsletters. Spread the word!
VanDamme Academy encourages you to forward our newsletter to your friends or post it on your website or blog. If this newsletter has been forwarded to you, you can sign up to receive Pedagogically Correct for free, at www.vandammeacademy. com.
Happy Learning!
VanDamme Academy--Experience the Power of a Real Education
VanDamme Academy
email: custserv@vandammeacademy.com
phone: 949-510-4861
web:http://www.vandammeacademy.com
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Sand Animation
This is a video of an incredibly talented Ukranian girl at sand animation. I've heard of this art form but never observed it till now. She's tells a story with her animation.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Support Anthem Foundation
According to this Detroit News article Chase is giving away $5 million to your favorite local 501(c)3 charities. ARI is not listed but the Anthem Foundation is so I signed up and voted for Anthem. The drive ends in 19 days but you can vote once every day. I think this could be a good opportunity for some positive activism. I posted a notice of this on my facebook page.
Update 11/28/09: The Ayn Rand Institute is on Chase's list so you can vote once for the Anthem foundation and once for ARI. The above is in error in that you can't vote every day for the same charity. Round 1 will be over Dec. 11th. Round 2 voting will begin Jan 15th and end Jan 22nd. It's important to join Facebook if you haven't already and vote for these two charities. The ARI has a program called "Free Books for Teachers" which is well worth the effort of joining Facebook and voting.
Update 11/28/09: The Ayn Rand Institute is on Chase's list so you can vote once for the Anthem foundation and once for ARI. The above is in error in that you can't vote every day for the same charity. Round 1 will be over Dec. 11th. Round 2 voting will begin Jan 15th and end Jan 22nd. It's important to join Facebook if you haven't already and vote for these two charities. The ARI has a program called "Free Books for Teachers" which is well worth the effort of joining Facebook and voting.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Pedagogically Correct Newsletter Oct 2009
Here is another edition of Pedagogically Correct because education is so important.
"Pedagogy": The art and science of teaching.
:: Calling All LifeLong Learners: Learn Science the VanDamme Academy Way!
:: Recommend Pedagogically Correct to five friends, get Lisa VanDamme's e-book, "Reclaiming Education," for free!
:: Announcement: Pedagogically Correct Blog
Follow this link for the latest VanDamme Academy Newsletter, which features the following article entitled "VanDamme Academy Presents: Music Appreciation"
Two years ago, Mr. Travers introduced art appreciation into the VanDamme Academy curriculum. Like the name suggests, the purpose of this course was neither to teach students the history of art nor to train them in the production of art. Rather, his goal was to help them learn to deeply, sincerely enjoy or appreciate art.
Toward that end, Mr. Travers teaches students how to look at a painting or sculpture. He demonstrates to them that looking is not automatic-it is actually an active-minded, methodical, purposeful process. Students learn to do a "reading" of a work of art: noticing and cataloguing all the details, making connections and generalizations about what they observe, comparing and contrasting their observations with other, similar pieces, arriving at a basic theme of the work, and finally, connecting that theme to their own lives.
This process integrates perfectly with the VanDamme Academy literature curriculum, for which the process of analysis is much the same. And indeed, Mr. Travers often makes a point of finding artworks that reflect the values and characters presented in the novels students are reading for literature.
This year, Mr. Travers has introduced music appreciation into the junior high curriculum.
In music appreciation, students listen to a short composition with a definite emotional tone and are asked to describe the scene that plays through their mind in connection with the music. I witnessed one of these classes, and the results were remarkable. First, though the scenes they recounted varied greatly from student to student, the commonalities were fascinating to note. Second, the students' writing was delightfully uninhibited-this assignment really allowed them to be creative free spirits. Lastly, I was moved by the variety of ways in which their performance on the assignment reflected their education overall: the compositions were articulate and eloquent, they often related to great scenes from history or literature, and they showed a capacity for a deep and meaningful connection to art. Listening to Mr. Travers read the students' work aloud while the music played, I was moved to tears.
Here are some samples of the students' writing about Samuel Barber's "Adagio for Strings." I recommend that you listen first, and then read.
"A wave comes onto the shore, bringing a man to his home town. He is dead. Memories flash of his life as the procession leads him to his grave: his wedding, his first born son, his captaincy. Nothing is banal any more."
"An army has just defeated their enemy. However, their greatest hero has fallen. It is raining, and everyone is crying, especially the hero's family. The hero had hugged his family right before he was shot. It is pitch black except for one light that is shining on the hero."
"Trees are swaying in the forest as the flowers are slowly blooming. They twirl at the sun's powerful heat. One day, they suddenly shrivel up. Kids are staring down at their once beautiful flowers, depressed and heartbroken. The trees begin to shrivel. The pinecones open up to let new seeds be planted."
"I see a boy walking up to a large building in New York for the first time and he can't believe its size. He is amazed and his mouth is ajar. He goes into it, and he is riding up in the glass elevator. He has reached the top; he looks at the view and yells happily off into the city. He is overwhelmed. He feels like a small sand in the desert."
Calling All LifeLong Learners: Learn Science the VanDamme Academy Way!
Now Anyone Can Understand The Fundamental Principles of Science Better than Most Scientists
"Fundamen tals of Physical Science: A Historical, Inductive Approach"
By David Harriman, Historian and Philosopher of Physics
Learn all about it at our brand new website.
Here's what other Pedagogically Correct Readers are Saying:
"I am currently a Ph.D. candidate in physics, and I was amazed at how much I learned from David Harriman's course. This course stands head and shoulders above any other course or textbook I have encountered."
"It's perfect for someone relatively new to physics like myself; it's perfect for even advanced people who want a deeper historical perspective than is usually taught...I found Mr. Harriman's physics course to be an exciting walk through the fascinating world of physics."
"I think this type of course is needed for everyone, as in my experience, it's so far above the courses I've had throughout my life as far as the actual transmittal of knowledge is concerned...In short, this course has made science and math much more intelligible for me, and was completely worth the time and cost - I highly recommend it."
I was a physics major when I entered college, yet I can easily say that my actual understanding of physics is much greater as a result of this course than I can credit to any other class I've taken.
www.vandammescience.com
With this course you will:
* Finally understand the world around you, the world of science and technology, in a way you never thought possible. (No, you don't have to be a math wiz.)
* Learn the thinking methods of the greatest minds in history.
* Understand what all those physics equations and formulas you once memorized really mean.
* Be inspired by scientists' amazing 2500-year quest to unlock the mysteries of the physical world.
* And have a great time in the process!
All thanks to a one-of-a-kind science teaching methodology available in no other course or textbook.
www.vandammescience.com
Recommend Pedagogically Correct to five friends, get Lisa VanDamme's e-book, "Reclaiming Education," for free!
Lisa VanDamme's educational career began when a group of parents, disillusioned with standard public and private schools, hired her to educate their children. In 1998, she chronicled her successes homeschooling and explained the methods that made them possible in a lecture, "Reclaiming Education." The audience, fascinated by her insights about education, and inspired by the stories she told, gave her a standing ovation. In 1999, she made "Reclaiming Education" available in written form, to the delight of thousands of readers. Since 1999, the essay version of "Reclaiming Education" has been unavailable. Until now.
For the first time in almost 8 years, we will make this remarkable work available. And we are giving it away for FREE as an e-book to those who help us grow Pedagogically Correct by recommending it to their friends. Just send enter the email addresses of at least five friends who might appreciate an invitation to receive PC--along with a brief personal note, or our standard note below. We will not add anyone to our email database without their permission.
Click here to refer five friends and get your copy of "Reclaiming Education."
Announcement: Pedagogically Correct Blog
www.pedagogicallycorrect.com
Check out our 'blog, which will contain much (but not all) of the material we sent out in our newsletters. Spread the word!
VanDamme Academy encourages you to forward our newsletter to your friends or post it on your website or blog. If this newsletter has been forwarded to you, you can sign up to receive Pedagogically Correct for free, at www.vandammeacademy. com.
Happy Learning!
VanDamme Academy--Experience the Power of a Real Education
VanDamme Academy
email: custserv@vandammeacademy.com
phone: 949-510-4861
web: http://www.vandammeacademy.com
"Pedagogy": The art and science of teaching.
:: Calling All LifeLong Learners: Learn Science the VanDamme Academy Way!
:: Recommend Pedagogically Correct to five friends, get Lisa VanDamme's e-book, "Reclaiming Education," for free!
:: Announcement: Pedagogically Correct Blog
Follow this link for the latest VanDamme Academy Newsletter, which features the following article entitled "VanDamme Academy Presents: Music Appreciation"
Two years ago, Mr. Travers introduced art appreciation into the VanDamme Academy curriculum. Like the name suggests, the purpose of this course was neither to teach students the history of art nor to train them in the production of art. Rather, his goal was to help them learn to deeply, sincerely enjoy or appreciate art.
Toward that end, Mr. Travers teaches students how to look at a painting or sculpture. He demonstrates to them that looking is not automatic-it is actually an active-minded, methodical, purposeful process. Students learn to do a "reading" of a work of art: noticing and cataloguing all the details, making connections and generalizations about what they observe, comparing and contrasting their observations with other, similar pieces, arriving at a basic theme of the work, and finally, connecting that theme to their own lives.
This process integrates perfectly with the VanDamme Academy literature curriculum, for which the process of analysis is much the same. And indeed, Mr. Travers often makes a point of finding artworks that reflect the values and characters presented in the novels students are reading for literature.
This year, Mr. Travers has introduced music appreciation into the junior high curriculum.
In music appreciation, students listen to a short composition with a definite emotional tone and are asked to describe the scene that plays through their mind in connection with the music. I witnessed one of these classes, and the results were remarkable. First, though the scenes they recounted varied greatly from student to student, the commonalities were fascinating to note. Second, the students' writing was delightfully uninhibited-this assignment really allowed them to be creative free spirits. Lastly, I was moved by the variety of ways in which their performance on the assignment reflected their education overall: the compositions were articulate and eloquent, they often related to great scenes from history or literature, and they showed a capacity for a deep and meaningful connection to art. Listening to Mr. Travers read the students' work aloud while the music played, I was moved to tears.
Here are some samples of the students' writing about Samuel Barber's "Adagio for Strings." I recommend that you listen first, and then read.
"A wave comes onto the shore, bringing a man to his home town. He is dead. Memories flash of his life as the procession leads him to his grave: his wedding, his first born son, his captaincy. Nothing is banal any more."
"An army has just defeated their enemy. However, their greatest hero has fallen. It is raining, and everyone is crying, especially the hero's family. The hero had hugged his family right before he was shot. It is pitch black except for one light that is shining on the hero."
"Trees are swaying in the forest as the flowers are slowly blooming. They twirl at the sun's powerful heat. One day, they suddenly shrivel up. Kids are staring down at their once beautiful flowers, depressed and heartbroken. The trees begin to shrivel. The pinecones open up to let new seeds be planted."
"I see a boy walking up to a large building in New York for the first time and he can't believe its size. He is amazed and his mouth is ajar. He goes into it, and he is riding up in the glass elevator. He has reached the top; he looks at the view and yells happily off into the city. He is overwhelmed. He feels like a small sand in the desert."
Calling All LifeLong Learners: Learn Science the VanDamme Academy Way!
Now Anyone Can Understand The Fundamental Principles of Science Better than Most Scientists
"Fundamen tals of Physical Science: A Historical, Inductive Approach"
By David Harriman, Historian and Philosopher of Physics
Learn all about it at our brand new website.
Here's what other Pedagogically Correct Readers are Saying:
"I am currently a Ph.D. candidate in physics, and I was amazed at how much I learned from David Harriman's course. This course stands head and shoulders above any other course or textbook I have encountered."
"It's perfect for someone relatively new to physics like myself; it's perfect for even advanced people who want a deeper historical perspective than is usually taught...I found Mr. Harriman's physics course to be an exciting walk through the fascinating world of physics."
"I think this type of course is needed for everyone, as in my experience, it's so far above the courses I've had throughout my life as far as the actual transmittal of knowledge is concerned...In short, this course has made science and math much more intelligible for me, and was completely worth the time and cost - I highly recommend it."
I was a physics major when I entered college, yet I can easily say that my actual understanding of physics is much greater as a result of this course than I can credit to any other class I've taken.
www.vandammescience.com
With this course you will:
* Finally understand the world around you, the world of science and technology, in a way you never thought possible. (No, you don't have to be a math wiz.)
* Learn the thinking methods of the greatest minds in history.
* Understand what all those physics equations and formulas you once memorized really mean.
* Be inspired by scientists' amazing 2500-year quest to unlock the mysteries of the physical world.
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Friday, October 09, 2009
Post Follow Up
Pursuant to my last post, here are the details: for quite awhile my house's interior in the kitchen, dinette, living room and hallway had white ceiling, walls and trim. Boring! Now I have a flat white ceiling, beige walls and pure white trim. I must say I really like it. So does the wife.
My sister came to see me and the kids, and their kids, then went to see another brother in S. Carolina. She hadn't seen us in 21 years. Plans are being made to do it again next year. I really loved reconnecting with her. She was the only girl out of the seven of us kids. Yeah, she was spoiled, just a little. It's been raining here in Detroit all day. I guess the clouds are crying because my sister went back to California.
On Sept. 21st, I became a grandpa again. Introducing Allison Rose Neibel:
.
.
Doctor says she's in good health and her older sister Payton, 18 months, seems to be taking it quite well wanting to give lots of kisses.
My sister came to see me and the kids, and their kids, then went to see another brother in S. Carolina. She hadn't seen us in 21 years. Plans are being made to do it again next year. I really loved reconnecting with her. She was the only girl out of the seven of us kids. Yeah, she was spoiled, just a little. It's been raining here in Detroit all day. I guess the clouds are crying because my sister went back to California.
On Sept. 21st, I became a grandpa again. Introducing Allison Rose Neibel:
.
.Doctor says she's in good health and her older sister Payton, 18 months, seems to be taking it quite well wanting to give lots of kisses.
Thursday, October 08, 2009
Back to Blogging
It's been a busy two months what with trying to paint the inside of the house with the ceiling one color, the walls another color and the trim still another. Plus my sister whom I haven't seen in 20 years came for a 6 day visit, a most happy time for me, and I became a grandpa for the fifth time. Her name is Allison Rose.
More on the above soon.
More on the above soon.
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
Good News
I see via HBL that an Objectivist organization-Ayn Rand in India-is taking roots in that nation. Right now there are discussion/study groups in three cities, Pune, Mumbai and Delhi. For more information click here.
The spread of Objectivist ideas can't happen fast enough. The Hitler and Stalin wannabes are rising to the top of the political spectrum everywhere and are taking notes on what the current crop of statists are getting and not getting away with. So the spread of rational ideas in India, however modest, is a very good thing.
The spread of Objectivist ideas can't happen fast enough. The Hitler and Stalin wannabes are rising to the top of the political spectrum everywhere and are taking notes on what the current crop of statists are getting and not getting away with. So the spread of rational ideas in India, however modest, is a very good thing.
Saturday, September 05, 2009
Blogroll additions Sept. 09
It's time for another blogroll update. I like doing this because the growth of objective, rational blogs pleases me.
First is Erosophia where Jason has posted a link to the essay by Dr. John Lewis at Cap Mag titled "Suppose auto insurance were made to be a right," and where Megan posted on "The emptiness of environmentalism."
Second is Bathtub Gin Brigade where Michael Labeit posts on "Private Factor Ownership and Effective Government."
Third shall be "Beyond the Wall of Sleep" at which Matt posts a 1 1/2 minute video of security guard Cheeks telling protesters this ain't America any more.
Fourth is Rachel at Brass in Pocket who has a good essay on why it's a bad idea to turn to religion in search of justice.
Fifth to be added is Reepicheep's Coracle where Kelly has an insightful look at "Children's Needs and Selfishness."
The sixth addition is The TK Lounge where TK has a post near and dear to my heart, how the press discredits science.
Seventh is MGTutoring where Michael Gold presents a rational perspective on education and has a great painting and a post on the poor philosophy of teacher training.
Number eight is Art, Love & Philosophy at which I liked the acrylic art displayed.
Nine is A is A the blog of cedrac who posts on the "Importance of Amazon's Kindle 2"
Tenth, I want to recommend the site of sculptress Sandra J. Shaw.
Eleventh and last for today is Principled Parent, an Objectivist and blogging mommy.
Happy reading!
First is Erosophia where Jason has posted a link to the essay by Dr. John Lewis at Cap Mag titled "Suppose auto insurance were made to be a right," and where Megan posted on "The emptiness of environmentalism."
Second is Bathtub Gin Brigade where Michael Labeit posts on "Private Factor Ownership and Effective Government."
Third shall be "Beyond the Wall of Sleep" at which Matt posts a 1 1/2 minute video of security guard Cheeks telling protesters this ain't America any more.
Fourth is Rachel at Brass in Pocket who has a good essay on why it's a bad idea to turn to religion in search of justice.
Fifth to be added is Reepicheep's Coracle where Kelly has an insightful look at "Children's Needs and Selfishness."
The sixth addition is The TK Lounge where TK has a post near and dear to my heart, how the press discredits science.
Seventh is MGTutoring where Michael Gold presents a rational perspective on education and has a great painting and a post on the poor philosophy of teacher training.
Number eight is Art, Love & Philosophy at which I liked the acrylic art displayed.
Nine is A is A the blog of cedrac who posts on the "Importance of Amazon's Kindle 2"
Tenth, I want to recommend the site of sculptress Sandra J. Shaw.
Eleventh and last for today is Principled Parent, an Objectivist and blogging mommy.
Happy reading!
Friday, September 04, 2009
On the Other Hand...
I was once told by an acquaintance that a man should always try to be the best in his field. Since I partially disagree with this, since a man should be the best he can be within the context of his ability and education, I decided to challenge his point with a little satirical devil's advocacy. I responded with "Oh no! Don't you know that it's always the second mouse that gets the cheese?"
Anyway, in that light hearted vein I recommend this piece at Live Oaks.
(It certainly shows how ugly spectator sports--and by implication ordinary life--would be.)
Anyway, in that light hearted vein I recommend this piece at Live Oaks.
(It certainly shows how ugly spectator sports--and by implication ordinary life--would be.)
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