The Hiatus

It has been quite a while since my last post. I've been on a short hiatus because of some changes in our family situation. Specifically, I was offered a temporary contract position outside the house.

The temporary situation, as it turns out, is more temporary than I had hoped. I had hoped for about two years worth of work, but the DoD contract has apparently been terminated earlier. The political aspects of this are interesting, and I may write about them at a later date.

In the interim, my girls switched from home school to private school. We wanted the transition to be as easy as possible, and I was absolutely dead set against public schools. We found a small Roman Catholic parish school, Our Lady of Lourdes. As much as I am a fan of home schooling, I still must say that this school has been tremendous! Small class sizes, a really great group of teachers and administrators, a conservative culture (not in a political sense, but in terms of dress and behavior) - I highly recommend this school to anyone in the Denver area. At such time we return to home schooling, we will still financially support this school.

Hopefully our schedule will stabilize over the next several months, and I will start posting regularly again.

Cruising the Chernobyl "Dead Zone"

Our children are too young to remember Chernobyl, the town destroyed by the worst nuclear accident to ever take place.  It is worth remembering; poor technology, dangerous tests of equipment, and human error created a situation that killed many and left a large area uninhabitable.  A government's attempts to disguise what had happened caused many more deaths. 

This young lady takes us on a sobering tour of the dead zone, with some history and lots of pictures.  A very interesting site, and it can serve as an opener to a longer discussion with your kids about energy, risk, and human nature.

An Ancient Weapon

Slinging.org has an array of interesting information on slings - you know, David and Goliath kind of stuff. 

Young students and hunters may have an interest both practical and historical.

Correlation vs. Causation

One of the arguments students will encounter repeatedly is that of causation and correlation.  Whether the argument is about Anthropogenic Global Warming, or minority incarceration rates, or gun control, or smoking, or whatever subject, all too often students (and voters, and taxpayers) fall prey to this logical fallacy.

The blog that this graph links to concerns drug discovery and the pharmacology industry.  The problem of understanding correlation and causation is universal.  Clearly, one would have a hard time finding a logical connection between the importation of fruit and automotive fatalities (unless the fruit in question was the banana, and the old "slipped on a banana peel" joke could be put into play).  But, according to these statistics carefully graphed, there is a direct correlation between the two.

Students must constantly be on guard when presented with such compelling evidence.  Correlation does not imply causation - a mantra for the coming decade.

Astronomy Links

Our science this year will include astronomy.  Nice, because it was a particular interest of mine (although my mathematical skills fell short when it came to advanced work).  The girls have an interest as well, in part because we have a telescope (similar to this, but without the computer assist):



Unfortunately we lack the space to be able to keep it up and available, but we do set it up and drag it outside from time to time.

While inside, where it is warm, we can look at a couple of interesting web sites. First, a site for tracking satellites. My brother sent me this link when he knew SkyLab was going overhead. We could not see it because of our location, but I find the link fascinating. I usually click the "Satellite" setting on the Google map, and tracking the orbit also becomes a geography and geology lesson.

 Next is NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day.  They are not all masterpieces, but they are informative, and link to tons of information about the subject in question - for instance, the International Space Station.

Here Are a Couple of "How Did They...?" Videos

First is an enterprising gent who decided that building Stonehenge should be no big deal, as long as you have a bit of engineering know-how (and the family to cheer you on):



When we were recently in Savannah, Georgia, I was fascinated by the size of the cargo ships that ran the river. Of course someone has to build them - not hard to picture. But getting them into the water... well, you don't back the trailer down the boat launch, do you. Not with a vessel that size:


Ship Launching - Click here for the most popular videos

One More on Climate Change

Still not meaning to get political, I intend this next example to be a warning about looking at data.  The fact is, anyone with an agenda can manipulate the presentation of data in this way.  Students need to know not only how graphs work, but how the data set can be presented to appear to be something other than it actually is.  This video examines a graph commonly used in AGW (Anthropogenic Global Warming) presentations.



Whether dealing with junk science, or with claimed rates of return for a mutual fund, or any number of situations, people need to know to ask questions.  They also need to know which questions to ask. Skepticism is always healthy, and especially when someone is reaching for your wallet.  More especially when they claim to be doing you good while reaching for your wallet!

Faith versus Science

Devoutly religious types are often accused of accepting faith over science.  I think it an unfair characterization; I find that most of the devout people I know are highly educated, and understand science as well or better than the average fellow.  Some may disagree with some current scientific theories, but have the historical perspective to understand that today's accepted science can become tomorrow's example of faulty or incomplete understanding.

Those who declare themselves to be intellectually above superstition and religion often lack a certain perspective.  G. K. Chesterton described it thus: "When men choose not to believe in God, they do not thereafter believe in nothing, they then become capable of believing in anything." 

I find this to be proven in today's culture, and specifically in the on-going debate about Anthropomorphically-caused Global Warming.  When warming does not take place as expected, we change the term to Anthropogenic Climate Change (as though the climate of the Earth has never before changed).  When questions are raised about observed effects, methodologies used, or possible alternative hypotheses are proposed, the "true believers" respond with fierceness, even calling in some extreme cases for imprisonment or death as a punishment for the heresies.  These are the people who accept AGW on faith while assuming a cloak of scientism.

Following is an example of faith in the guise of science trumping true science.  Lord Monckton (Christopher Walter Monckton, 3rd Viscount Monckton of Brenchley) interviews a young lady who is in attendance at the Copenhagen climate summit.  Her responses to Monckton's questions are interesting; her obstinate refusal to question her beliefs in the face of contradictory scientific evidence is enlightening.



Considering that our kids are being force fed junk science in public schools, it is particularly important that some students (home schoolers and others) learn that the science is not settled.  They need to learn skepticism.  They need to understand that a new religion is being accepted in our culture, and they need to find ways to argue facts without attacking deeply held belief (evangelism in its essence).  They need to understand how wicked men use this new religion (as they have, at times, used Christianity and other religions) to manipulate and control others, while they profit nicely.  This whole episode can be instructive, and will prepare our children for future leadership.

Thanksgiving

We had a tremendous Thanksgiving this year.  We started the day with pastry and the Thanksgiving Day Parade.  The parade was pretty poor - too much promotion, not enough parade.  Then to church for Morning Prayer, and back home to get dinner ready.

The turkey was started the night before.  We brined the turkey using a recipe from the Food Network.  Alton Brown is one of our favorites, and this recipe produced a moist, flavorful turkey.  The juices were used for a wonderful gravy.

The family came over, and we had a wonderful time.  Lots to be thankful for.

For those student wondering how Thanksgiving began, they can read the original proclamation here.  In fact, for American history, the entire site is worth the time spent.

Lessons from the Great Depression

This delightful lady gives us some cooking lessons and stories from the Great Depression. 

It can be difficult for our kids to understand just how severe the Depression was (and I hope and pray that they won't have to learn the hard way).   This gives one a taste of the experience. 

Even without being in a Depression, learning to cook on the cheap frugally can be of great value.  We will often figure the cost of a meal, or perhaps the number of meals that can be made with one purchase ( a turkey or a ham, for instance).  Let your kids contrast the cost of feeding the family at home with the cost of feeding the crew at a restaurant.  For our family, a trip to a restaurant is a rarity - in part due to financial considerations, in part because we generally produce better meals than most restaurants (I hate spending $60 - $80 bucks to feed the crew just to be disappointed with the meal). 

So, learn to be frugal, use everything you can (eh, I don't use the gizzards), let your kids learn that some terrific meals can be made from very little.  An eight dollar turkey can provide a Thanksgiving feast, sandwiches for the weekend games, and that turkey carcass can join a few veggies and some rice to make enough soup to last several meals.

Click the link above to visit Clara's YouTube page for more videos; better yet, visit her web site and buy the book and DVD!

Water Droplets in Super Slow Motion

Slow motion photography and videography can reveal some very interesting phenomena.  Here we see a drop of water bouncing on a larger volume of water - an unexpected sight.



This reaction reminds me of the Leidenfrost Effect; of course, the physics behind each is quite different.

When one first sees such an unusual effect, being contrary to what one might believe would happen under such a circumstance, a strong spark of interest is ignited.  What fun.

Veteran's Day

It is easy to explain to our kids, in a technical way, what Veteran's Day means. How do you capture some of the emotion involved?

In this case, video can be a powerful tool.  This is a nice little visit to the Memorial with some WWII Vets.

Another Cooking Excursion

Ah well, travel followed by illness has delayed my posting again.  So, to return with a bang, how about a wonderful pasta dish.

This is part of our Italian language coursework.  I decided that Italian would be a good language for study, and so a trip to the Italian market is a great start.

The place to go?  Carmine Lonardo's in Lakewood.  They have a great little market, and make some of the best sausage in the area.  Very helpful and friendly family-run company.

So what will we make? Something Italian, of course.  How about a Pasta Bolognese?  I chose this recipe because the flavors are developed through the main ingredients.  My girls are somewhat experienced in choosing spices (my oldest daughter makes one of the best Italian-style meat sauces I've ever had), so I thought a recipe with no spice except salt would be a nice change.

Enter Epicurious.com, and a delightful recipe and instruction video (linked above).  Epicurious is an essential website for any cook.  My wife and I subscribed to Bon Appetit Magazine back in the day (when we could afford it), and found it to be a fantastic resource for recipes.  Epicurious has an archive that includes recipes from Gourmet, Bon Appetite, and other magazines.  A definite must-have link!

Result?  Man, my mouth still waters when I remember that fantastic dinner!  My youngest (age seven) learned to make a simple hot appetizer, and my oldest (age eleven) made the pasta with minimal assistance.  Faboso!  Squisito!

Unusual Cloud Formations

I like clouds. I find their shapes and formation beautiful and fascinating. I am not one who sees images in clouds - maybe I am not imaginative enough - but I do like spectacular clouds. In the days when I was a more serious photographer I usually incorporated clouds in my images. Tricky business, that. Sometimes clouds can add to the mood, sometimes distract from the subject.

Here is an interesting discussion of different cloud types, the mechanism of their formation (when known), and some striking images as well.

Post Something Positive....

Normally I am an optimist. However, there are times I get cynical - sometimes it seems there is so much drek out there that it is difficult to see the positive side of a story. This will be three posts in a row in which I point out the negative side of public education. I will post some upbeat pieces next. Meanwhile, here is another example of why we home school: the way in which history is taught, as exemplified by a story on Columbus day.

"...the whole Columbus being the founder of the United States, doesn't sit well with a lot of people, myself included," said Paul Prussing, deputy director of Alaska's Division of Teaching and Learning Support.

Perhaps Mr. Prussing should take a history course before opining on history. Christopher Columbus, of course, did not found the United States, the U.S.A. being a political entity that was not founded until nearly three centuries after Columbus' journey to the Americas. And whatever opinion Prussing has of the man, he should still encourage history to be taught factually, and see to it that the actions of historical figures are taught in context with the culture of their times, not through the filter of a different age and culture.

From the same story, "Every hero is somebody else's villain," said Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, a scholar and author of several books related to Columbus.... "Heroism and villainy are just two sides of the same coin."

Alright, so let's look at an extreme example. I'm sure that the firefighters who gave their lives rescuing people from the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001, were villians in the eyes of some people. But can you truly say that selfless heroism in the effort to save lives is the offset to the mindless hate that villainizes these heroes because they prevented deaths?

Moral relativism has no place in teaching. Sure, Mussolini was a vicious dictator, but he made the trains run on time! This type of attitude attempts to bridge the gap between good and evil; it minimizes accomplishment and excuses atrocity. It judges action and intent from the court of political agenda.

Children taught by the incompetent and the activist will suffer a terrible loss of perspective- they will be unable to perceive the currents in the world and will make faulty decisions based on the inaccurate data they have been given. To refer back to Dr. Sowell, they should be taught how to think, not what to think.

"...schools are supposed to prepare children..."

Thomas Sowell has an interesting comment on the recent problems we've seen in the schools. This link leads to Townhall.com, a fine political web site, but be warned that sometimes the readers comments can be rude and crude.

I normally don't quote articles at any length, but this section is well worth it:

The mindset that sees children in school as an opportunity for teachers to impose their own notions, instead of developing the child's ability to think for himself or herself, is a dangerous distortion of education.

Parents send their children to school to acquire the knowledge that has come down to us as a legacy of our culture-- whether it is mathematics, science, or whatever-- so that those children can grow up and go out into the world equipped to face life's challenges.

Too many "educators" see teaching not as a responsibility to the students but as an opportunity for themselves-- whether to indoctrinate a captive audience with the teacher's ideology, manipulate them in social experiments or just do fun things that make teaching easier, whether or not it really educates the child.

The commentary is well worth reading. Whether we home school, or choose private schools, we, as parents, will have greater influence over the education of our children. We cannot leave their education to the discretion of others, "experts"or not.

Another Reason to Home-School

It seems odd, but I have trouble working up some righteous anger over this - it has gone so far that it is now in the realm of being ridiculous.

You may have seen the classroom video (since removed from YouTube) of children singing (chanting) their praises of our President. Well, really, they are singing what the instructors taught, as I truly doubt these young children would sing songs about equal work for equal pay.

The religious imagery used is just silly. Taken from the children's hymn ("Jesus Loves the Little Children"), the verse is changed from:
Red and yellow
Black and white
They are precious in His sight.
Jesus loves the little children
Of the world.

To:
Red and yellow
Black and white
They are equal in His sight.
Barack Hussein Obama.

The Principal of the school, on learning of this controversy, was justifiably outraged. Outraged, that is, that the video was leaked without permission. The indoctrination and pseudo-religious motif were not, evidently, problematic.

Let us forget the political aspect of this event; we can only laugh at the religious implications of these teachers using slightly altered Christian hymns to make obeisance to any political figure. But we can ask ourselves these questions: What did the teachers think they were going to accomplish? What did the teachers think the students would gain from the exercise? After all, isn't school about the kids, not the teachers? Why did they think this was in any way appropriate in a public school setting?

Of course, if we lack a Masters Degree in Education, we are told we are not qualified to second guess these educational experts. As parents, however, we are qualified to make decisions on whether this type of activity, rare as it may be, truly meets the educational needs of our children. That is why we home school.

Long Time No Post

Man, what a month. Not much time to post new stuff - been testing the kids (standardized tests required by the State of Colorado, assessments for St. Thomas Aquinas Academy), been dealing with church-related stuff, and... well, we are now dog people. More on that later.

Meanwhile, just to get back into posting... is that Alan?

A Database of Soldiers in Late Medieval England

An interesting site - not very pretty graphically, but it is, after all, a research site. University of Southampton received a grant to research medieval soldiery, and is compiling a database of profiles of soldiers of the time.

More of interest to older, history-oriented students, I am sure, but another layer of our improving historical knowledge.

And, yes, I was one of those geeky students. I admit that when my friends were playing with their plastic soldiers (U.S. of A. standard issue Army men), I had a set of medieval warriors - knights, archers, yeomen, pikemen, as well as the necessary siege machines - ballistae, towers... yeah, it is a wonder I ever got a date when I was older.

An Interesting Exercise for an Aspiring Artist (or Doodler)

Simple lines conveying basic emotions: