Notes from the Publisher
February 27, 2010
General / Comments on the Website
For those that are wondering where the comments went on the website, they were handled by the external "Haloscan" system. That system went defunct last month, and so our comments don't work. If you want to comment on something (positive or negative), email me, and I'll just write it into the post as your comment (please indicate in the email that you want it on the website, so I won't inadvertantly publish private comments). I actually have a download of all of the comments in an XML format, so if there was a comment thread you were interested in, let me know, and I'll send it to you. Hopefully I'll have a new comment system up soon, but presently I don't have time to mess with it.
November 29, 2009
General / Learning
My wife shared this quote with me. I don't entirely agree with it, but it is at least mostly true:
You learn to speak by speaking,
to study by studying,
to run by running,
to work by working;
and just so, you learn to love by loving.
All those who think to learn in any other way deceive themselves.
- Saint Francis de Sales
October 06, 2009
General / Laps for Little Ones
Support the Little Light House by sponsoring us in Laps for Little Ones
The Little Light House is one of the best ministries I've ever been involved with. They are a Christian, private, tuition-free school for special-needs kids. That's right, the kids who go there don't have to pay anything at all.
This isn't day-care - it's an intensive, customized program for each child. The school day lets out at 1PM, and the staff spends the rest of the day planning each child's next day. When a child gets to school, they have a card of things that they are going to work on that day. It's both extremely fun and extremely helpful for the children -- and the parents.
While our oldest son, Danny, was alive, he attended the Little Light House. His world expanded so much while he was there. His ability to play with others and interact and do new things hinged upon the teachers at the Little Light House and their love and their help. Danny had to be fed through a tube, received many, many, many medications at specially-timed intervals, and, if everyone was lucky, he only threw up three times a day. Yet the Little Light House had no problems seeing to his every need while he was there, and providing every manner of therapy. At the Little Light House, they have physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and probably a lot of other therapies I'm not so familiar with. And everything is done in a specifically Christian way.
Isaac had the same genetic defect that Danny had, and, had he lived long enough, would have enjoyed the services of the Little Light House as well. As soon as we discovered his condition, we reserved him a spot there, because we knew that their help was the difference between night and day for us.
Below are pictures of Danny learning at the Little Light House. Also, for those of you who didn't get to know Danny or Isaac, I pasted their memorial videos below. In any case, please consider helping out the Little Light House - they have been a huge blessing to us, and to many, many, many other children.
You can donate now by going here.
Here is Danny's Memorial Video:
Isaac's Memorial Video:
A few pictures of Danny at the Little Light House if you don't have time for the video:
The picture below might look like playtime to you, but this was actually crucial for Danny. He had problems touching a variety of surfaces - many different textures made him cry and gag and puke (yes, really). The Little Light House worked with him to help him adjust his senses to be able to touch and play with a huge variety of textures.
September 29, 2009
Funny / Homeschooling on YouTube
My wife called my attention to some very amusing videos on YouTube about homeschooling. I clicked through several and saw a lot of great stuff. Check this out:
September 05, 2009
General / A Passage for Isaac's Passing
Our pastor shared a story from the Bible at Isaac's graveside ceremony today. I'll just paste it in for you:
And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick. David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth. And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them. And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead? But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead. Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat. Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread. And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live? But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me. (2 Samuel 12:15-23)
January 29, 2009
Politics / Republicans Do Something Useful for a Change
Even though they didn't stop the bill, the house republicans stood as a united front against the waste of the "stimulus package". Although I've already left Republican party in favor of the Constitution party because the Republicans have been swinging liberal, this is a moment where I'm proud of my old gang again.
December 20, 2008
Politics / The Economic Crisis and Money Shortages
One thing that I learned from Thomas Sowell's book, Basic Economics, is that when you establish price contols, it invariably leads to shortages and rationing. Rent control always led to a shortage of affordable housing, especially for the poor. The reason is that price affects our usage of products. If the cost of something goes down, we consume more of it, even if we didn't need to. Thus, as the supply of something goes down, the price goes up, which discourages consumption of that product. Thus, the process is self-limiting. If the price of housing is very high, societies will tend to have more people in one house. If the price of housing is very low, the same society will more likely have small families or even single individuals in a house. Thus, if the price is kept artificially low, then the demand can easily exceed the supply. If housing was free, every college student would want their own house. If housing costs $1000/month, they will likely live with their parents. Thus, price controls create shortages and rationing.
The current bailout is very much along these same lines. Money is a product just like everything else. Money also has a cost - normally called interest. What the government is doing to "bail out" the economy is providing money below its normal cost. The auto industry loans, the money to the banks, etc. They are providing money below its normal cost. I have a feeling that, rather than making the credit crunch smaller, this is going to make the credit crunch worse. The reason is that the access to money is being given at a lower-than-normal rate. Therefore, lots of people are going to be asking for the money even if they don't need it. Instead of forcing companies to limit their consumption, they are keeping the price of money artificially low, which will prevent companies from engaging in good fiscal policy. This is going to lead to an even greater money shortage, which will lead to either (1) unmanaged shortages, (2) rationing, or (3) printing more money. All three of these are problematic.
#1 is obviously bad.
#2 is totalitarianism. When the government controls the money, they control everything.
#3 will lead to massive inflation. This is what many people don't understand - if you increase the money supply enough to fulfill the promises being made, that will make the money in your bank account and your salary worth about half what it is.
This will hurt not only those businesses which had problems, but all of the ones which did not. It's bad enough that the financial industry is having problems, if we print the money we need to fulfill our promises of low-cost credit, it will cause all of the industries that aren't having problems to suddenly start having problems. And, because we are providing them money at below-market prices, the failing companies will have no incentive to reform their ways.
If there is anything which will cause the economy to plunge into a deep depression, it is the bailout.
November 26, 2008
General / Lectures from the Academy
Kelly Kilpatrick just recently posted a list of 100 great Ivy League lectures on a variety of subjects. I haven't started watching them yet, but thought some of you might be interested.
HT to Denyse O'Leary
November 07, 2008
Politics / For those of you conservatives sick of the GOP
I have officially had it with the GOP. I'm done. I'm renouncing my membership to the Republican party. The reasons go back and forth between the bailout package, the endless government programs, and the fact that the GOP presidential candidate could not articulate the conservative message. But the straw that broke the camel's back was the trashing of Sarah Palin. Palin has been one of the best things to happen to the Republican party, and to see the way that the Republican Punditocracy reacted to her has me realing, especially combined with this new series of attacks by McCain aides. It's just sickening. It sends a strong signal - the Republican Party is no longer a conservative party. If you want conservatism, you have to go somewhere else.
I'm going to throw my hat in with the Constitution Party. Are you ready to do the same? Here's where you sign up. For 2012, I want debates with more than just the Democrats and the Republicans.
For politics from a Constitution Party perspective, see the Backwater Report.
By the way, for those of you who are also concerned about the treatment of Sarah Palin, here are some ways you can show her support.
November 02, 2008
General / The Coming Homeschool Revolution
I am convinced that within the next five years we are going to see a mass exodus of children from the public school system into homeschooling. Everywhere my wife and I go, when we meet new people, inevitably the question comes up - where do your kids go to school? When we say "we are homeschooling," then, in every single case this year, the people talking to us get really excited and start asking a bunch of questions. Inevitably, it is because one of their kids is having trouble in school and not getting the attention they need (or too much negative attention), and they are seriously considering homeschooling.
What is amazing about this is that, just 10 years ago, homeschooling was almost unheard of. It was one of those things practiced by weird parents with weird kids. But now, almost everyone we talk to desperately wants to homeschool one or more of their children, but they often don't feel adequate and/or don't know how to get started. As more and more families start to do this, the difficulties involved will be minimized, and the downsides will be eliminated.
It is entirely possible that the liberal social agenda will be implemented in public schools over the next ten years. It is equally possible that by the time they are done there won't be anyone left in the public schools to listen.
As a company, we are currently looking at the ways in which we can assist the homeschool community, so be watching. We'll probably be announcing something in the coming months.
For those of you wanting to homeschool, don't be afraid! It will be worth your time and effort.
Feel free to comment on this article if you need advice on how to start homeschooling. My wife and I currently homeschool a 1st grader, but we are well-connected with the local homeschooling community. I'm also interested for feedback on what you think are the needs of the homeschool community which can be addressed with technology, curriculum/content, and/or organization/planning.