Freeman Hunt

Ducks

2009-11-01T20:25:00.001-06:00

At Murphy Park.

Crystal Bridges Construction

2009-11-01T19:49:00.004-06:00

Information about Crystal Bridges.

My Devil's Den slideshow was too long. This one is very short.

Introducing Astronomy to Young Children

2009-11-01T09:13:00.004-06:00

Astronomy is a great science to introduce to young children because the night sky is always available and looking at it is free. Plus, it might be one of those first awe-inspiring things that causes a kid's mind contemplate the infinite (or at least the really REALLY big.)

Obviously the easiest thing to first point out to a young child is the moon. Then you get into stars, and it helps to know your way around a bit.

If you need some help finding your way around, here are some ideas:

Take a field trip to a local university's planetarium. You can call to find out if they have one. If you live in Northwest Arkansas, you are in luck--it's free.
Books. Here are a few good ones.
- Preschool: The Big Dipper, By Dr. Franklyn M. Branley
- Early Elementary: The Sky Is Full of Stars, By Dr. Franklyn M. Branley
- Nine and Up: Find the Constellations by H. A. Rey
- Young Adult and Up: The Stars: A New Way to See Them by H. A. Rey
You may know of others. If you have one to recommend, please do so in the comments. (Incidentally, the person who I first found out about Find the Constellations from has just written a book about raising children that looks excellent.)
Join an astronomy club. There are lots of them.

Most kids also love planets. I've yet to find a book on planets that's not a hit with my two year old. Not all of the books have been revised to eliminate Pluto from the planetary lineup, but I don't think there's much harm in that. You can explain the change in Pluto's classification while reading the book.

How about you? Do you do astronomy with your young children? What are your suggestions?

Devil's Den Loop

2009-10-31T20:28:00.002-06:00

Pictures taken at Devil's Den State Park on the Devil's Den Loop, a 1.5 mile hike.

Heh.

2009-10-29T22:34:00.002-06:00

Do You Live in Northwest Arkansas?

2009-10-26T12:58:00.003-06:00

Have you been outside lately?

"Unfortunately, most of this is antithetical to the mind-set that now dominates mainstream educational thinking."

2009-10-25T21:22:00.004-06:00

To be wise, gifted children need to learn how to make accurate judgments, but many educators want to teach them to be non-judgmental. To be wise, bright children need to be exposed to the best that has come before them, but many educators insist on treating all cultures as equally valuable and avoid discriminating between them. Educators say they want our little darlings to express themselves, but the primary purpose of education should be to give children the tools and the intellectual discipline for expressing themselves as adults.

What I am calling for is a revival of the classical definition of a liberal education, serving its classic purpose: to prepare an elite to do its duty.

Read the rest of it.

It's part of what I was getting at here:

The heart of relativism is a void of tyrannical ignorance. What is worth knowing if everything is, at heart, the same? Liberty is tyranny. Freedom is statism. We throw our greatest minds into that abyss.

Poetry for Kids

2009-10-23T13:27:00.006-05:00

My older son, same as any child I've ever met, likes to learn songs. So we learn songs. And if your kid is into learning songs, why not poetry?

We have a few poetry anthologies for children. I've combed through these and written down one poem on each weekly view in my planner. Each week, I say the poem lots of times, and if my son likes it, he starts saying it too. Having the poems written down in the planner keeps them convenient and makes it more likely that I will actually remember to share them.

I also stay flexible about it. If the poem in the planner doesn't catch, but some other poem we read in a book that week does, then I switch over to the catching one.

Here are a few of my son's favorites:

People from Skipping Village by Lois Lenski (excerpt)

Tall people,
short people,
Thin people, fat;
Lady so dainty
wearing a hat.
Straight people,
dumpy people,
Man dressed in brown,
Baby in a buggy-
These make a town.

Rain by Robert Louis Stevenson

The rain is raining all around,
It falls on field and tree,
It rains on the umbrellas here,
And on the ships at sea.

(You will find the first line of "Rain" written differently in different anthologies. Some use the word "raining" while others use "falling." After some quick research, I believe that "raining" is correct.)

The Tiger by William Blake (excerpt)

Tiger, tiger, burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

Because my son likes to read, I like to print these out, one poem to a page. My son always thinks it's very neat to read something he's often heard said. Put the pages in protectors, gather them into a binder, and your child has his very own poetry anthology. Hopefully I'll get around to doing that myself this weekend.

How to Make It Funny

2009-09-24T23:05:00.002-05:00

I came across this. It's a rant about Rich Lowry. The writer obviously thought it was funny as he was writing it. The piece goes something like, "Lowry said this... ha ha ha. Lowry said that... he he he," but the pull quotes are just bits of arguments Lowry has made, not gaffes.

Is it funny? "Sadly, no."

But you can make it funny. Just erase everything you know about economics, put on your giving money away good, profit bad, intentions are more important than results goggles, and it works.

How to Be a Successful Activist

2009-09-07T13:42:00.004-05:00

In five steps. Well, sort of five steps. It cheats that number quite a bit by having sub-steps a, b, c, etc.

It culminates with this step:

5. How to bring down the dominant culture
a) Ask yourself if you’re content with your relatively high quality of life being possible thanks to the poor quality of life of others elsewhere
b) Ask yourself if you’re content with your relative freedom being possible thanks to the oppression of others elsewhere
c) Accept that we are all accomplices to the perpetual global crime called “civilization”
d) Bring down the dominant culture

Maybe before doing any of these steps, you should investigate the fallacious assumptions of a, b, and c. What good is it to be an activist if you're supporting a harmful cause? Suddenly, you're the bad guy.

Identify the good fight. That would make you a better activist.

It's So Hard Being Goode

2009-09-06T14:03:00.004-05:00

I was researching something else and happened upon this. It's hard to even know what to pull quote. All of it is must read material. (As it happens, there was an episode of The Goode Family about very much the same thing.)

Here's a tiny snip to lure you over:

Needless to say, I spent the next few days trying to dismantle my privilege and the analyze why I felt so uncomfortable with a) our lack of gay role models in our family life, and b) my eager reaction to “Quick! Find them!”

Do not make the mistake of thinking that is parody. It isn't. Read the rest of it. The comments are worthwhile too.

I emailed the link to someone who sent this back:

Ring.
"Hello?"
"Hello. You don't know me, but I noticed you're a person of color and I would like to be your friend."
"What???"
"Oh, it's not like I'm collecting you or anything. I just need you as a reference."
"You need me as a reference for work?"
"No. I need you as a family friend so that if my daughter says black people are bad I can reference you to prove we know a black . . . a person of color who is nice. It's an educational thing."
"I don't even know you."
"Unfortunately, there isn't time for that. My daughter is already five, and we've got lesbians, Muslims, and Puerto Ricans to reference but no persons of color. It's only a matter of time before she says something derogatory about black people."
"Why would she do that?"
"We don't have any black friends to reference."
"And why is that?"
"Well, we didn't need any until recently. By the way, we're looking for gay married men, homeless people, and Native Americans, if you could direct us to any."
"Er . . . "
"Could you come to dinner this week? Obviously, there's no point to being your friend unless my daughter can see that you're our friend. Oh, by the way, please be on your best behavior!"

Heh.

Coburn Lays It Out on Health Care

2009-09-04T13:14:00.003-05:00

Begins eight seconds in:

UPDATE: I wonder how many are aware that Coburn is a doctor.

Tabloid Headline 2059: "Is Jen Calling Brad's Nursing Home? Angie Fumes!"

2009-08-30T02:06:00.002-05:00

I admit to not knowing the details of these stories because I haven't read them, but I see these three people on nearly every tabloid cover on every trip I make to the grocery store. Didn't this business with them take place years ago?

Seems like awfully dry gossip by now.

Another Protest Against Government Health Care

2009-08-26T10:51:00.007-05:00

UPDATE: Pictures.

I don't think this event went as MoveOn.org planned. As Laurie Masterson put it on Twitter:

... it was great! We always had 2 times as many as obama supporters did, and the "mob" took them water!

I was there. She is right. And I even saw her counting many times at the event to make sure.

By the way, if you are interested in politics in Northwest Arkansas, you need to be following Laurie on Twitter. She organizes the local Tea Party coalition.

At the end of the event, something weird happened. Suddenly all of the Move On people left en masse and walked off to ride home together. Grassroots? I think not.

-----------
MoveOn.org is holding a pro-government health care demonstration today at the corner of Dickson and College in Fayetteville from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM. If it's anything like that Organizing for America rally on the Fayetteville square the other day (the one with more journalists than participants in attendance,) they'll bus people in.

And, of course, you can expect lots of media coverage.

So, time to go out again! Bring your signs and bring your manners.

Don't leave our elected officials with the false impression that government health care is a popular idea in Arkansas.

Protesting Health Care in Bella Vista as We Chase Sen. Lincoln Around the State

2009-08-15T19:10:00.007-05:00

So they really did decide to move the Democratic rally at the last minute. The word got out, and it looked as though there were more protesters than there were attendees.

The Senator, it seems, was brought in a back way and didn't drive past those protesting outside. She won't just refuse to have a townhall, she apparently refuses to even countenance constituents who don't support government health care. There was talk, and it seems the people felt a bit disrespected by that.

Many of the Democrats attending the rally even stopped to say, "I'm here for the rally, but I'm with you guys on health care."

In getting the kids ready to go, I forgot my camera. Fortunately, many people took pictures. I'll post them as I track them down:

As described by Caroline on Twitter, "Angry mob outside."

UPDATE: Caroline also took video of Lincoln's speech: here, here, here, and here, and has this still from inside the event where protesters were not allowed.

You CAN Go to a Public Meeting with Sen. Lincoln...

2009-08-14T13:12:00.005-05:00

... she just wasn't going to tell you about it.

----------
UPDATE: Lincoln's people say that Organizing for America got it wrong. The event is not open to the public. (Please note: The same people who cannot send out an email correctly think they are capable of planning the entire health care system.)

Of course, protesting is still on.

But there's also talk that the event has moved to avoid protesters. Supposedly it will now take place at Blowing Springs in Bella Vista. I don't have confirmation of that though.

Luckily, The Samaritan House and Blowing Springs are only fourteen minutes apart. Here's a map. You can show up early at one location, and if it's obvious there's no event there, you can drive on to the other location.

Such confusion a Senator causes when she won't just meet with the people. Surely she should have no problem meeting with the people because the health care bill being drafted is so great that she would relish the chance to explain it personally.

Heh.
----------

Lincoln's press release describes the event like this:

4:40 p.m., Featured Speaker, Benton County Democratic Committee Political Rally. 1211 Samaritan House, W. Hudson Road, Rogers.

Okay, so it's a rally for Democrats. Hey, we could still protest outside.

Then Organizing for America, Obama's activism and propaganda arm (Yes, the same one hiring people through Craigslist to show up at townhall meetings.) sent out this information:

What: Public meeting with
Sen. Blanche Lincoln

Where: Samaritan Community Center
1211 W Hudson Rd
Rogers, AR 72756

When: Saturday, August 15th
Arrival Time: 3:30 p.m.
Start Time: 4:30 p.m.

And directs people to this page.

So, once again, bring your signs and bring your manners.

Probably best to show up at 3:30 or even earlier if you want to get inside to ask questions of Sen. Lincoln. She may not be taking questions, so you might want to bring a small paper sign to hold up if that's the case.

If you can't get inside, have your big signs in the car and ready to go for protesting outside. I think that lots of Tea Partiers are also planning to attend.

Government health care pushers are trying to stack this "public" meeting to make it look as though there is a lot of area support for government health care. Don't let them.

Sen. Lincoln, Are You Listening?

2009-08-13T12:26:00.004-05:00

A lot of people showed up to protest government health care today. I was afraid that we might be the only people there, but there were many people there when we arrived. At any given time, there were about sixty people. People came and went, so there were probably about one hundred people in total. Wow! I think that's pretty great for a blazing hot workday morning.

About nine out of every ten cars honked and waved in support. One nice man even came back with a huge bag of bottled water. Government health care is definitely NOT a popular notion in Springdale.

Will try to update with pictures later. Have to go to the hospital; my friend is having a baby today! Hooray!

UPDATE: According to one reporter, someone in Sen. Lincoln's office is referring to her visit today as a townhall. It was not a townhall. You had to be a member of the Association of Arkansas Counties to get into the building. I know because I tried:

Below are pictures of some of the protesters. I was baby and toddler wrangling, so I didn't get pictures of everyone.

Kennicott Gives Political Satirists Permission to Portray Obama as Easter Bunny

2009-08-12T13:34:00.003-05:00

Here, Kennicott outlines how you may make fun of Obama without being called a racist:

Orlando, Fla.: Please enlighten us to what artistic negative depiction of Obama wouldn't be racist in your mind?

Philip Kennicott: Any and all that avoid racial images or racially coded images. I seem to remember that Obama was criticized for promising too many things. Easter Bunny images would work just fine. Okay cartoonists, graphic designers, urban poster artists.... have at it!

I too would like to extend my invitation to my own political opponents to only make fun of conservatives by calling them sweet, fluffy bunnies who give away presents.

Protest Government Run Health Care in Northwest Arkansas

2009-08-10T11:38:00.005-05:00

Senator Blanche Lincoln is coming to visit these locations:

Thursday, August 13: Springdale
9:30 a.m., Speak, Association of Arkansas Counties. Northwest
Arkansas Holiday Inn & Convention Center, Salons D & E, 1500 South
48th Street, Springdale.

Saturday, August 15: Rogers
4:40 p.m., Featured Speaker, Benton County Democratic Committee
Political Rally. 1211 Samaritan House, W. Hudson Road, Rogers.

Let's get out and show her that her constituents don't appreciate the far left
health care agenda she's supporting. We can do this by showing up wherever she goes.

Bring your signs and bring your manners.

I will try to be at both locations for an hour beginning half an hour before the time indicated above. If you are coming and have the time, drop me an email. Some reporters would like to cover this if enough people are planning to show.

UPDATE: Just to be clear, these are not town hall meetings. Seems she didn't schedule any for Northwest Arkansas. We'll be protesting outside.

We're Rooting for You, Randy!

2009-08-05T15:28:00.005-05:00

This is my Dad:

(The man, not the baby.)

He begins biochemotherapy today at MD Anderson to fight metastatic melanoma, and he's going to beat it.

We're rooting for you, Dad!

UPDATE: And in case you're wondering why I'd put this on a blog, my Dad may be one of the original readers (never a writer) of political blogs. He was reading blogs in the pre-Instapundit days, and he reads them still to this day. So a blog is the perfect place, along with many others, to wish him a speedy recovery. Get well soon, Dad!

"The creator's concern is the conquest of nature. The parasite's concern is the conquest of men."

2009-07-20T23:08:00.005-05:00

Obama Versus Bush (and Everyone Else) on Debt Spending

2009-07-18T12:18:00.002-05:00

Blog of Note

2009-07-10T20:57:00.001-05:00

John Stossel now blogs, and he is very very good at it.

"The life we've led since 1945 in the Western world is very rare in human history. ..."

2009-07-10T20:44:00.003-05:00

Our children are unlikely to enjoy anything so placid and may well spend their adult years in an ugly and savage world unless we decide that who and what we are is worth defending.

Mark Steyn, America Alone: The End of the World As We Know It

Tyranny and Folly

2009-07-08T22:35:00.004-05:00

Bonhoeffer:

Folly is a more dangerous enemy to the good than evil. One can protest against evil; it can be unmasked and, if need be, prevented by force. Evil always carries the seeds of its own destruction, as it makes people, at the least, uncomfortable. Against folly we have no defence. Neither protests nor force can touch it; reasoning is no use; facts that contradict personal prejudices can simply be disbelieved — indeed, the fool can counter by criticizing them, and if they are undeniable, they can just be pushed aside as trivial exceptions. So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self-satisfied;...

Lewis:

Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience. They may be more likely to go to Heaven yet at the same time likelier to make a Hell of earth. Their very kindness stings with intolerable insult. To be ‘cured’ against one’s will and cured of states which we may not regard as disease is to be put on a level of those who have not yet reached the age of reason or those who never will; to be classed with infants, imbeciles, and domestic animals.

Can anyone doubt that the tyranny of the busybody is a tyranny born of folly?