Nerds Need to Know...

Nerds need to know that you can make circuit boards out of chicken feathers, make water flow uphill (exploiting Browning ratcheting), and that large-scale superconducting wires (for hovertrains) are almost here.

Interesting

So Senator Russ Feingold has put forth a motion to censure President Bush for wiretapping without a warrant. Now, I know that all of you who aren't into politics are saying, "yea, so". The interesting point comes into play a little further into the story. The Senator was allowed to bring in one witness. So to set this up I need to quite K-Lo over at the Corner:

Who's he gonna call? A prominent legal scholar? An expert on constitutional theory? A judge?

None of the above.

His witness is John Dean.

For those of you who can't place the name...John Dean is the person who turned on Nixon by taking a plea and testifing against Nixon and the administration (I am not justifing Nixon, just reminding everyone). Over at the Corner there was a few posts about how hard ot was (or wasn't) to drag Dean out to the foreground and put him in the center of attention. I have to say that I agree with Jonah Goldberg when he said:

My guess is the dragging will take place when he'll be screaming like Mortimer Duke at the end of "Trading Places" desperate to keep things going. "Turn those cameras back on!"

Very interesting to see what effect this will have on Feingold and his reputation.

Further development... According to an article over at MSNBC.com:

Bush defender Sen. John Cornyn, R- Texas, assailed Dean calling him a “convicted felon” and accusing him of selling a book and his testimony being “part of the marketing effort.”

Uniting with Saudi Arabia?

When I was a child I heard my mom say, "There is more that unites us than divides us" (no I am not saying it was her original thought;). This resulted as a discussion of ecumenical activity, you know, Pentecostal, Baptist, etc. Well, thanks to GOP Vixen I now know that we have one more binding tie with Saudi Arabia, IKEA. Now, They did have 3 killed in a stampede to get into the store, according to Aljazeera.net. But, the store was giving away $150 vouchers. Can you really say that couldn't happen in our town;)? Though it is a little sad that Saudi Arabia has an IKEA and Fresno doesn't.... In all seriousness, I think it is good to give these societies a desire for our goods and services. Hopefully, if we penetrate their lives in this way, our influence will just grow!

Prayer Time Antics

Ok, NerdPie just finished praying and wow, is she cute. First she thanked God for God. Then she asked that He help her pray and to be a better puppy at practice. How cute is that?

Children and Chores

Ok, as moms we all wonder what is the best way to do chores, responsibility, etc. I was reading the March issue of Parents magazine. There was and article by (or about) Kathryn Sansone, mother of 10 and an author of Woman First, Family Always. She was saying that she has a list of chores and everyone chooses what they want. Then, if no one chooses, she just assigns them out. I think this is a great system. Why is it that most moms insist on rotating all chores? I understand if there are coveted and fought over jobs but on the whole? My siblings and I were all very different types of people with different interests. I think as long it is understood that all jobs must be done (or compulsory service) this system would work. I hope the idea speaks to someone else also!

It Must Be Israel's Fault

Ok, so that is sarcasm. When the world looks at Israel it seems to question all the security in dealing with the Palestinians all the time. Recently Israelis arrested a Palestinian at a checkpoint. He had a false medical permit and was planning on a shooting spree. He was planning on getting a gun in the Green Line, which is on the side of the checkpoint. Israel has also has had problems with allowing ambulances to just pass into Israel for medical emergencies.

"The use by terrorist organizations of medical resources, particularly ambulances, in order to bypass the searches and security checks in IDF checkpoints emphasizes the need for a security check of medical vehicles," an IDF statement announced. "Such searches are conducted in order to ensure that ambulances are not used by terrorists in an attempt to transport terrorists, weaponry and explosive devices."

There are many examples of this and here is just one:

One of the most prominent incidents highlighted by Israeli security agencies is the suicide bombing attack on Jaffa Street in Jerusalem on January 27, 2002, in which an Israeli civilian was killed and over 100 were injured. The suicide bombing was carried out by Waffa Idris, a resident of the Amari refugee camp near Ramallah. Idris acted as a medical secretary in the Palestinian Red Crescent. Following an investigation by Israeli security forces, it appears that the Palestinian suicide bombers were dispatched to carry out the attack by Muhamad Hababa, a resident of the village of Beit Iksa near Ramallah, a Tanzim operative and an ambulance driver of the Palestinian Red Crescent. An additional associate to the terror attack was Munzar Nur, a resident of Anabta, near Tulkarm, which worked for the Palestinian Red Crescent as well.

The problem arises, what are Israel and the Palestinians to do. One option is that the Palestinians should go to Jordan for these medical issues. The problem (for the Palestinians) is that Israel is far more advanced to Jordan in the technology available. I do think the US and UN (if we are going to accept their authority) should take these issues into consideration. When statements and support is given, it should be on Israel's side. Maybe is the Palestinians had to accept responsibility for their own society they wouldn't elect terrorists to their ruling body.

The Carnival of Homeschooling

Why Homeschool: The Carnival of Homeschooling – lucky week 13 is up! Once again we are glad to be included!

Talladega Nights

So there is a new Will Ferrell movie coming out and the trailer is very funny. Talladega Nights appears to be perfect for all those rednecks or anyone who likes laughing at rednecks. So what I really need to know is, who is left?



(HT: Two Blonde Boys)

A Beka Steps Up!

So we are going through a bible study, The Ten Commandments from the Following God series in my women's study at church. We are on #9, No Stealing, and a discussion began during our Tuesday morning leader's meeting about businesses. We were talking about how executives embezzle and companies declare bankruptcy just to avoid paying creditors (which is not really part of the book study). We were wondering when and why this behavior became acceptable for business. Frankly, it is because we don't care (as a society) as long as prices are low. Well, I (and some of my friends) are not happy with that. In some cases, you should chose to patronize companies that promote something you believe in. A local and personal example for me is Majesty Bibles and Gifts. It is a locally owned Bible bookstore and they support churches in the area. So when I could shop at a slightly cheaper option I try to go visit Harry (the owner of Majesty).

On to the main point. We as homeschoolers have a variety of curriculum options to choose from. I have heard about some great things that one of these companies has done. With all of the damage that Katrina wrought, the Red Cross sent people to the effected areas from Fresno including a family from my church. They were sent to go help at a church that also had a small school. Due to the flooding, everything stored under 6 feet high was lost. My friend asked a woman with the school what they were going to do about all the lost curriculum. The woman started crying and my friend apologized for asking. The woman said it wasn't a problem, she was crying out of joy. A Beka was going to replace all of their curriculum for free. So a couple of months later A Beka came to Fresno to show their products (as they do a couple of times a year). My friend relayed the interaction with the woman and asked if it was true. The sales rep said that A Beka was replacing all curriculum that was lost anywhere due to Katrina. This is going to cost A Beka a lot of money and they didn't make a big media show out of it.

Now, I do know that A Beka isn't always the cheapest option of books and definitely not when there are used options out there. But, if you are even considering it and the only reason you wouldn't use them is due to price, please reconsider. If we want to encourage such behavior we need to support it!

BTW, I haven't yet purchased anything by A Beka and I am not associated with them in any way.

Abdul Rahman, Christianity and Mark Steyn

I, like many people in the US, is concerned over the well being of Abdul Rahman. I have read a variety of posts and heard a plethera of news segments. I have to say that I also wonder what our position and role, as a nation, should be in all this. Shaun Groves talked about the wisdom of aiding a group that is opposed to the freedom we stand for, especially as Christians. I believe in religious freedom. I also believe in not being unequally yoked with those who do not share our beliefs (for example, I would only marry a Christian or go into business with one). But we are not a Christian nation, we are a Christianized nation so the evaluation doesn't need to be the same. Also, did we truly "partner" with Afghanistan or are we helping them? Is it our right to set out what their society should be? A commenter on Shlog also pointed out that Christ helped those who wouldn't worship Him. He healed 10 lepers but only one returned to thank and worship Him.
So all that said what are we as a nation to do? I have to say that I like what Mark Steyn said in his column:

I can understand why the president and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice would rather deal with this through back channels, private assurances from their Afghan counterparts, etc. But the public rhetoric is critical, too. At some point we have to face down a culture in which not only the mob in the street but the highest judges and academics talk like crazies. Abdul Rahman embodies the question at the heart of this struggle: If Islam is a religion one can only convert to, not from, then in the long run it is a threat to every free person on the planet.

What can we do? Should governments with troops in Afghanistan pass joint emergency legislation conferring their citizenship on this poor man and declaring him, as much as Karzai, under their protection?

In a more culturally confident age, the British in India were faced with the practice of "suttee" - the tradition of burning widows on the funeral pyres of their husbands. Gen. Sir Charles Napier was impeccably multicultural:
"You say that it is your custom to burn widows. Very well. We also have a custom: When men burn a woman alive, we tie a rope around their necks, and we hang them. Build your funeral pyre; beside it, my carpenters will build a gallows. You may follow your custom. And then we will follow ours."

If we are protecting some in Afghanistan, shouldn't we also protect others? Over all I have to say that God will receive glory. Either this man will be martyred and with Christ. Then it will cause many to check out Christ to see what the Muslims are afraid of. Or he will be released. His life will be spared and the humanity of a society will grow. There is nothing we can all do but pray (and blog;).

Life in a shoe: the methods and madness of one mother of 7: Carnival of Kid Comedy #3

Carnival of Kid Comedy #3 is up and the NerdBug's silliness is mentioned! Thanks Life in a Shoe for hosting!

The first computer circuit on a single molecule

IBM researchers put a 50MHz ring oscillator circuit on a single carbon nanotube molecule. Moore's Law still applies!

Liberals and Lack of Logic

I was cruising some of the other pro-homeschooling blogs and found The Common Room: Outrage of another sort. She pointed out the problem this piece of a poli sci lecture:

"Bottom line: We can reasonably conclude that infant mortality would appear to be a more pressing policy priority in a poor country like Cuba than it is in the United States. You should be outraged, especially given the disparity in the wealth of the two countries."

Did it ever accur that leaving some things out of the goverment policy wonk's hands might be the reason for success? It is stuff like this and geography teachers who say that Bush is like Hitler, that convince me I can homeschool. BTW what does that have to do with geography?

Anger in Blogs

I have figured out why all the anger and back biting is in the blogosphere. It appears to be the only way to get comment traffic. It appears that if you post positive, non-inflammitory and informative items no one has anything to say. Come on people and prove me wrong. If you like see something that is interesting, say so and why! I find this not only on my site but others also. Let us revolutionize the blogosphere.

It takes a special kind of nerdiness

to build a Lego aircraft carrier. This must be seen to be appreciated.

Building better stuff

I always tell people that if I didn't love software development so much, I'd be a physicist researching new materials. There are new, cool things being developed all the time: paints that generate electricity, flexible LEDs that outperform Neon lights, solids that are more than 99% air.

If you ever read an article about a new material, always be on the lookout for words that start with "super". That may not sound as exciting at "ultra" or "mega", but in physics, "super" is where the crazy things happen. A supercondutive loop of wire can hold an electric current forever. A superfluid, placed in a closed loop, can flow endlessly without friction. And then there's superhydrophobia, superdiamagnetism, supersolids, ...

Homeschooling Carnival

The Homeschooling Carnival is up over at Phat Mommy. Check it out!

Movie Recommendation

Ok, so while I am ironing and trying to convince the older 2 nerdlings to take a nap, I am also finishing a pretty good movie. Now that I have 3 kids I watch movies in pieces. So, on to the movie...I just finished watching Monster-in-Law with Jennifer Lopez. I was expecting a fluffy light hearted movie and that is what I got. I have to say that it was better than I expected. The story line was mostly concerning the Jane Fonda character and the J-Lo character. I was pleased to see that Michael Vartan's character wasn't the idiot male character that is prevelant in these chick flicks. It was really clean, which was somewhat shocking given the subject. I would recommend this as a date movie. Now, NerdDad did opt out of this movie but I wanted to watch something while he was at work. So that is just my 2 cents, what did the rest of you think of the movie?

Kids Say the Craziest Things

So the NerdBug was talking to NerdDad while he was changing the baby. So NerdBug is going through and asking his many questions(you know how 4 year olds are). "I am better than Nerdling at walking, right?" (NerdDad, "right") "I am better than Nerdling at talking, right?" (NerdDad, "right") "I am better than Nerdling at eating, right?" (NerdDad, "right") "I am better than Nerdling, right?" At this NerdDad agrees and then does a bit of the spit take. They go through the whole process. NerdBug says how he is better than the baby in all these things so he must be better than the baby. NerdDad tried to explain how those things are not the true value of the person. As NerdDad is laughing and explaining this to me, it hits me. Now if you see the NerdBug, he is the spitting image of his father as a boy but has been cursed with my personality(let us just say it is much cuter on a child than it is on me). But, we have found NerdDad in the personality! His ego! Now as many of you know, NerdDad is brilliant but also is self assured in this fact, something that the NerdBug has apparently inheretted. Please do not think that NerdDad has a huge ego but he is very comfortable in his brilliance. It is going to be interesting to see how that manifests itself as the NerdBug grows in intellect. Stay tuned for future reports;).

Good news, everyone!

A new season of Futurama is in production, according to Billy West, the voice of Fry. When it was cancelled a few years ago, I was literally angry with rage. But now it's like Double Soup Tuesday at the orpanarium all over again.

Fry: I'm never gonna get used to the 31st century. Caffineated bacon? Baconated grapefruit? ADMIRAL Crunch?

---

[Bender and Fry in Benders apartment]
Bender: [while sleeping] Kill all humans, kill all humans, must kill all hu...
Fry: [shakes him] Bender wake up.
Bender: I was having the most wonderful dream. I think you were in it.
Fry: Listen, Bender, uh... where's your bathroom?
Bender: Bath-what?
Fry: Bathroom.
Bender: What room?
Fry: Bathroom.
Bender: What what?
Fry: Aaah, never mind.
[Bender shuts himself down to sleep, Fry lies on the floor]
Bender: [while sleeping] Hey, sexy mama... Wanna kill all humans?

Protection from the elements

What do stray animals, the homeless, and battered women have in common? As a society, we agree that members of these groups could use some protection from the elements, at least for a time. The world is a tough place and so we set aside small portions of it so that the vulnerable can find refuge.

My children (and yours too, I imagine) fall into this broad category also. They're simply not ready for the cold, cruel world we know is out there. They are vulnerable, and will be for some time.

If you searched for animal homeless "battered women" on Google, you wouldn't be suprised to see the same term popping up over and over.

Shelter.

Shelters protect, and they help prepare people for the time when they won't need a shelter anymore. (Obviously, animal shelters excepted) .

And yet to some, sheltering your children is akin to crippling them. (As an aside, I first used the F-word on the advice of the Associate Pastor's son. We were about seven years old.)

So to answer the question, "Don't you think homeschooling your children means your sheltering them from the real world?" Yes, I'm counting on it!

But they to will grow up as we did. (Although I can't say without reservation that I'm a "grown up".) And when the time is right for them to go off and seek their fortune, they'll be ready to leave the shelter.

Beaches, Friends and Women

So the other day I was sick, laying on the couch while the kids were napping and watching Beaches . The next thing I know I am tearing up and thinking about my childhood friends. Despite all the nerdiness and type-A personality, I really am a girl;). So I realize that I have 3 friends that I was pretty close with, that I don't talk to or really know where they are. Friendship to me is both different and similar to the friendship on the movie. All 3 of these friends were very different than me in some ways. While we didn't always agree completely, we never fought like on the movie. Though, like on the movie, they were all prettier than me, more popular than me and more talented than me. I learned different things from each of them and felt their acceptance. Now, I did a little Google search and found one but I am still complete missing the other 2. So if Cindy Veldin, Susan McNeil, or Nancy Epling are out there reading this(and yes I realize that some of you are now married)and remember Jackie Little, please let me know! Oh, Bridget, I include you in this group but I know where you are and what you are up to;).

Happy Purim and Happy St. Patricks Day!

This is a big week for our family for religious holidays. First this week was Purim. For those of you who don't know, this is the celebration from Esther. Why celebrate Purim. First, it is a great illustration of God using people to do His work, shown through Esther saving the Jews. Secondly, it is commanded. This is from the NIV
Esther 9:28

28 These days should be remembered and observed in every generation by every family, and in every province and in every city. And these days of Purim should never cease to be celebrated by the Jews, nor should the memory of them die out among their descendants.

This year I informed the NerdBug that Haman didn't merely want to send the Jews to this Island of Perpetually Tickling like on the VeggieTales - Esther, The Girl Who Became Queen. In the future we will brooch why the previous Queen was kicked out(and no, it isn't because she wouldn't make the King a sandwich;).

The second holiday was Saint Patrick's Day. One reason to celebrate is our Irish heritage (this is obviously not the Cromwell side;). That is the fun reason but not the real reason. The real reason is that in spite of being kidnapped by them, Saint Patrick returned to Ireland(after escaping Ireland) to spread Christ to the "savage Irish". This is a lesson we all should carry in our hearts. The love of Christ that we extend to others is not dependent on their treatment of us. I did read an article by Bridget Johnson about how this holiday has moved out of the church and into the bar. I urge us all to keep this holiday in our churches and our homes. Things like the shamrock are not really about being Irish but a representation of the Trinity.

All said, between Hamentashen(a cookie) and the corned beef that is waiting to be cooked, this is been week about celebration, remembrance and yummy food in the NerdFamily house!

Windows and Mac Unified

So this post has been a long time coming. First, Two Blonde Boys did a post based on an article by Dvorak on if Apple is going to adopt Windows. This seemed to stir some impassioned discussion. NerdDad says that if Apple uses Windows it means we won! But seriously, there has been discussion that the Mac OS is best for some development, like Ruby on Rails. Well, today I am putting around and reading Yonah's tech site and see his post about someone actually putting Windows XP on a Mac. So I went over to Infinite Loop to see if this is legit. This is apparently a contest that has been going on since the announcement of the Intel Mac. The thought on this is that it is probably a fraud. I don't know if it is real but this seems to have caused even harsher feelings. Personally, I would love to see this marriage of technology. Then you can use the power of one to complement the other. While I will remain in the Windows camp and love the idea of making things stronger. Just my 2 cents but what are yours?

Fwd: VIRUS WARNING

So I got another hoax email today. This one is about a virus going around:

>PLEASE FORWARD THIS WARNING AMONG FRIENDS, FAMILY AND CONTACTS:
>
>You should be alert during the next days: Do not open any message
>with an attached filed called "Invitation" regardless of who sent it
>.
>
>It is a virus that opens an Olympic Torch which "burns" the
>whole hard disc C of your computer. This virus will be received from
>someone
>who has your e-mail address in his/her contact list, that is why you
>should
>send this e-mail to all your contacts. It is better to receive this
>message
>25 times than to receive the virus and open it.
>
>If you receive a mail called "invitation", though sent by a
>friend,do not open it and shut down your computer immediately.
>
>This is the worst virus announced by CNN, it has been
>classified by Microsoft as the most destructive virus ever.
>This virus was discovered by McAfee yesterday, and there is no
>repair yet for this k ind of virus.
>
>This virus simply destroys the Zero Sector of the Hard
>Disc,where the vital information is kept.
>SEND THIS E-MAIL TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW, COPY THIS E-MAIL AND
>SEND IT TO YOUR FRIENDS AND REMEMBER: IF YOU SEND IT TO THEM, YOU
>WILL BENEFIT ALL OF US.

Now I am going to reiterate a little of what I said yesterday. Anything that you are "supposed" to forward to everyone is another red flag. I ran it through Snopes and this hoax has been around since 2000. I really haven't found an email that has had instructions to forward to really be valid. This time there is even a link to a McAfee Card on the subject. This email has been sent(on just this one mailing) to about 41 people. Snopes is a must have tool for anyone who emails. There are wonderful news bits, warnings and blessings to email out. Don't dilute it with junk.

A note to my friend who sent this. Once again, this is not the first time I have gotten this particular email. My goal is to educate not to criticize. I am putting tools in your hands, please go and spread the truth;).

Petition to Ban Religious Broadcasting

Ok, I am posting this in response to an email that I got.

Friends,
I want to be able to watch Conference on
TV in the future so I felt this was a good cause.
This is important. Please, if you don't wish to
participate, return this to the person who sent it to
you so they can at least keep this going, or forward
it to someone you think will wish to participate.

Dr. Dobson is going on CNBC to urge every Christian to
get involved. I hope you will think about signing this
and forwarding it to all your family and friends.

Dr. James Dobson, with Focus on the Family, pleads for
our action. An organization has been granted a Federal
Hearing on the same
subject by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
in Washington, DC.

Their petition, Number 2493, would ultimately pave the
way to stop the reading of the gospel of our Lord and
Savior, on the air waves of America. They got 287,000
signatures to back their stand! If this attempt is
successful, all Sunday worship services being
broadcast on the radio or by television will be
stopped. This group is also campaigning to remove all
Christmas programs and Christmas Carols from public
schools! You as a Christian can help! We are praying
for at least 1 million signatures. This would defeat
their effort and show that there are many Christians
alive, well and concerned about our country. As
Christians, we must unite on this. Please don't take
this lightly. We ignored one lady once and lost prayer
in our schools and in offices across the nation.
Please stand up for your religious freedom and let
your voice be heard. Together we can make a
difference in our country while creating an
opportunity for the lost to know the Lord.

This is a bogus email. I went to Snopes and checked it out because I specific part seemed odd.

Please help defeat this organization and keep the
right of our
freedom of religion. When you get to 1000 please
e-mail back to:

Email petitions have no power, James Dobson would have real petitions. Anytime you get an email that seems overly grand or has this revolutionary information, please run it through Snopes(or a similar site) before you email it to everyone.
According to Snopes this myth has been around since 1975. There was an original petition Number 2493 and this is what Snopes said,

The intent of the infamous RM-2493 was to ensure channels reserved for educational purposes ended up being used for education and not be taken up by religious groups looking to use them for a different purpose. RM-2493 has since come to be understood as a petition seeking the ban of religious broadcasting, and from there it was further attributed as the work of Madalyn Murray O'Hair, arguably the best-known atheist of our times. How this great a misunderstanding of the actual petition then in front of the FCC came about is anyone's guess.

The real petition the FCC was asked to consider was filed in December 1974 and defeated in August 1975. Even through the smokescreen of thousands of people misunderstanding what it had been asked to consider and heatedly arguing issues that weren't on the table, the FCC saw its role in such matters quite clearly:
As a government agency, the Commission is enjoined by the First Amendment to observe a stance of neutrality toward religion, acting neither to promote nor inhibit religion.

Added note to the original sender, I have seen this one before so you are not the first;).

Morality and Kids shows

Ok, sometimes oldies are just goodies. I am watching McGee and Me with my toddlers. This is a show that was put out by Focus on the Family back in 1986. The NerdBug came home talking about this movie he saw at church and I remembered it. I remember watching this with my brother and sisters when they were little. So far we have covered jealousy and telling the truth. They actually use words like "sin" and "relationship with God". Yes, the music is outdated(very 80's) but the truth is the truth and the kids love it. If you have kids try out McGee and Me. If any of you have any programming recommendations, please, let me know.

Nanotech Coolness

Using Nanotechnology scientists has enabled injured hamsters to see again.In this BBC article, scientists injected hamsters with a solution of nanoparticles. Then the severed optical nerves regrew and then regained sight. I think this is so cool. The only problem is that it may mean the Borg are on the right track;). The article also mentioned one other interesting little fact. In order to simulate trama, the scientist severed the optic nerve. Has PETA heard about this? Have they issued a statement? Just curious;).

(HT: Instapundit)

Homeschooling Carnival

The 11th Homeschooling Carnival is up over at the Common Room. We are on it!

Z Plasma, Hotter than Sun!

This is so cool. Somehow this physicists create heat hotter than the sun(for a moment). I say somehow because they don't know how they did it.

(HT:Jonah Goldberg at The Corner)

Tour the World for Free!

I recently was turned onto the free online tours on the Internet. Living in California my options for fieldtrips are somewhat limited. I can drive for hours and still be in the state and that is not taking into count the expense. Having children of different ages and interests also can present a problem. Well, I did a little research and found some great tours. Since Nerdbug is into the "West Wing" Show the White House Historical tour is something that interests him. This is filled with photos and facts. The Vatican has a great Virtual tour that goes through differents exhibits you can choose from. You can even stop and focus on things. The E-one factory tour is cool becasue they make fire engines (they charge $8/adult and $6/kid in person). The Southern Ca Edison San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station plant tour is cool because instead of a "tour" they have flow charts showing all the components working together. As someone who did the Stanford Linear Accelerator tour in high school, the only real helpful thing I saw were the diagrams showing how it all worked together. This is great for older kids who are in science or even just learning logic and flow. I have to say that this once again reaffirms my position that the Internet is the number one resource for my homschooling(and its free;).

Parent Issues and TV

Ok, I watch this show called Starting Over. It is kind of a reality show/ soap opera all based on women's lives. These women move into a house to deal with issues in their lives so they can lead better, happier, functioning lives. There is a lot of counseling, life coaching, etc. It is like nails on a chalkboard for NerdDad. Now that the kids are napping I am watching today's episode on TIVO(gotta love it). The shrink on the show, Dr. Stan, has said something I have never heard about parents before. You know how everyone always says, "they did the best they could" so you can't blame anyone? He pointed out that parents don't always do the "best they could". That sometimes they make parent centered decision instead of the child-centered decisions. And now I am quoting, "We as children always want to somehow forgive our parents without confronting the issues." He goes onto say that sometimes those decisions are mistakes and we can forgive for that. I just find that refreshing.

Big Church, Little Church

There is a discussion on church size going on over at Shlog. There was concern that his group wasn't growing and then the discussion was also about big and small churches. I think that there is a place for both large and small churches. If you have a church that is small but you all have the same needs (ie they can all get met) I think a small church is great. I go to a very large(in my opinion) church. New Covenant has about 1500 attenders but we meet a diverse group of needs. When the NerdFamily moved back to Fresno we looked at a great church of less than 100. It just didn't meet our family's needs. I go to a midweek during the day Bible Study(with free childcare for my 3 little ones), we have gotten meals from the Meals for Moms program, taken a Growing Kids God's Way Class, attend a couple's Sunday school and my oldest goes to Awana and VBS. We couldn't have gotten that variety of things from a smaller church. Between the women's Bible study and Sunday school class we have a small group. The Women's Bible study is a diverse group of women and the Couple's Sunday School is a small group(maybe 6 couples) of people that are in the same place in life. It is evident that we are in the same place because we had 7 babies with in 1 year;). We also have a care pastor(who rocks), Pastor Mike, that came to the hospital before my last nerdling was born and a care team that will pray for you. Since the church is so large we have a lot of talented people, as a result we have killer worship provided by Pastor Pat. We have a brilliant head pastor, Pastor Jan(it has dots over the a but I don't know how to do that;). He taught a great class on Thomas Aquinas that we loved. The reality is only a small percentage of people are interested in that kind of stuff so with a large church we could yield a class. If we had found a small church that could have met all these needs we would have gone there but we haven't and now we love it.

Rat-Squirrel

No this isn't a Dilbert character. This is a rediscovered animal in Laos. Over on CNN they are saying that it is reapearing after 11 million years. It is a cool looking little thing, cool in the see it on a website not in my back yard kind of way. It looks as if this isn't the first time scientists have rediscovered an animal. I think this is all very interesting. Do scientists really know enough to say if something is endangered, much less extinct?

(HT: John J. Miller at the Corner)

Abortion rights for men, Good for women too!

Yes, you read correctly. This is taken from a post on Don Surber's blog

A 25-year-old computer programmer is ready to file suit to block a child support order to pay for a daughter he does not want. The National Center for Men plans to use the suit to establish that men, too, can choose whether they want to become parents. The Associated Press quotes the center's director, Mel Fiet:

"There's such a spectrum of choice that women have - it's her body, her pregnancy and she has the ultimate right to make decisions. I'm trying to find a way for a man also to have some say over decisions that affect his life profoundly."

I also agree with his analysis of the situation:

That said, as long as we are going to pretend women have abortion rights, then the 14th Amendment compels us as a nation to extend this parental termination rights to men. This lawsuit should do what South Dakota's misguided abortion ban cannot do: End abortion rights.

The double standard is outrageous. Consider AP's quote of feminist Jennifer Brown:

"Roe is based on an extreme intrusion by the government - literally to force a woman to continue a pregnancy she doesn't want. There's nothing equivalent for men. They have the same ability as women to use contraception, to get sterilized."

Excuse me, but the federal government collects $22 billion a year in child support. There are heavy fines for companies that do not dock the pay of parents to comply with this intrusive law.

But let us take it a little further. I believe that if women can decide not to be mothers, once pregnant, fathers should be able to also. I am talking at the time of pregnancy not years after. Let me develop this thought a little further. I know women who have had babies on their own. Meaning that the father has chosen to not be involved but his parental rights have not been terminated. So 10 years down the road he can show up and demand to be part of that child's life if he pays back child support. I know some of these women who are afraid to allow their current husband to adopt the child he (the current husband) has raised for fear of the biological father coming back into that child's life and demanding a role.

Mother's can also choose to give a child up for adoption on her own. Yes, later the biological father can come back and contest the adoption but he is not needed up front. So why can women legally give up a child? If she chooses to keep that child she can hound that man for child support for 18 years. If you change this aspect of dealing with pregnancy you would radically change the amount of premarital, unprotected sex (in my humble opinion). This wouldn't change everyone's behavior but would change some. Let us look at a lot of the famous sport's players and rappers. Or to take from Kanye West's Golddigger (never thought you would see me reference that did you:), a woman can target a man (amd his bank account) and have him paying her money for 18 years. Maybe if that wasn't such a pay off women wouldn't be chasing after these men who aren't of quality.

Just food for thought.

"Cooking" Temperature: Fixed at -30°F

I don't know what to say about The Anti-Griddle except that I'm fascinated with its existence. It also may come in handy if you accidentally produce superheated gas that's hotter than the Sun!

"Blue is the sky, blue is the flag of Israel and blue is not red"

McDonald's changes sign to woo kosher diners from Reuters.

In a first for McDonald's Corp., the golden arches at the two branches have new blue backgrounds, replacing the trademark red ones. The new signs also display the word "kosher", both in Hebrew and English.

No mention is made of McDavid's.

Kissing for Peace

So Sharon Stone is over in Israel and says she "would kiss just about anybody" to end the Israel-Arab conflict. She also goes on in this My Way article,

Noting it was International Women's Day, Stone suggested that more women become involved in the male-dominated world of Mideast peace talks. Women consider thoughts and feelings more than men, she said.

"I think (men and women) need to be a team. We were meant to be a team," she said.

You should read the whole article and read it aloud, like a blond;). NerdDad couldn't help but laugh.

So on to a point. Has she heard of Golda Meir? Women have been involved and that doesn't magically fix anything. I mean I am pro-estrogen but really. It was just so ridiculous that I had to mention it.

(HT: K-Lo over at the Corner)

Scottish Dance to Kol Hamesameach

In the spirit of Jewish rap we now move to a dance mix...NerdDad found this for me and it just tickled my soul. There is no true description of this video from a wedding. I am not one for making a fool out of myself but these guys are funny. Now I have to say that I appreciated the short under the kilts(scarves?). I have to also say that I really like this song and it led me to do some research. There are some great download sites for Jewish music but, aye that is a post for another time.

Renting Purses

Yes, you read that correctly. I was reading the Sunday Paper(ok, just the front pages of the sections, after all it is only the Fresno Bee) and I saw an article called Rental Chic. So the theory is that you either pay a rental fee for a specific purse or pay a subscription fee. The reasoning is that this way you can have those outrageously priced bags and you aren't tied to just one. To give you some figures to rent a $475 Gucci bag you can pay $79.90 a month. Now let me in my boring logic point out that you could own that bag in less than 6 months if you just saved the money up. Now the other point is so you are not tied to a specific expensive bag. I would suppose this would be especially useful for those wild trendy bags. Bag, Borrow or Steal was one of the places that offer a subscription service. Their base starts at $19.95 a month and that is Cynthia Rowley and Moshino level bags. The highest level(appropriately called Diva) is $99.95 a month and you can get Hermes and Burberry. The Diva even has an option to pay an additional fee to rent a bag from the Couture Collection. I know that this is appropriate for certain trendsetters but is this just reaffirmation of trying to keep up with the Jones? I do have one friend who I can see contemplating, and perhaps even doing this(I will confirm or deny if you are she if you ask) but I think on the whole this is dangerous. We in society seem to feel this need to get things that are out of our budgets to pretend we are something we are not. Yes, I don't just get my purses at Target, but often on clearance. What statement am I hoping to make...While I would like to look cute it isn't my priority. I also am saying that this is how I carry my junk and my kids junk. I am just happy it isn't a diaper bag. I am not saying that there is anything wrong with having nice things that you pay full price for but...Why is it what defines us? Why is it how we judge one another. How about I never wonder how much your purse is and you don't judge me for mine?

Ultimate Simpsons Fans

We are true fans of The Simpsons here, but these people take the cake.

Quantum Computing and Wave-Particle Duality

First, I salute those who got past the headline and are now reading this.

Sara has requested our comments on an article on how a Quantum computer gives results without running at Science News Online. I am not a physicist, but as I understand it, the author is playing semantic tricks on you, the reader.

Wave-Particle Duality is the quantum mechanical term for saying that any given particle (such as the photons mentioned in the article) is also a probability wave, which can travel in multiple directions at once until it is nailed down by an observer (in this case, the computer itself). This means that a single photon is both going through the computer and around it. While it will never appears to do both (the probability wave collapses on observation), it's not exactly true to say that if the photon is observed to have gone around the computer, it didn't also go through it as well.

Fun stuff. Later I'll post why wave-particle duality will always have a special place in my heart.

CNN and BusinessWeek on Homeschooling

The NerdFamily is just beginning it homeschool journey. I believe abstractly that homeschooling is the best choice you can make for your children. I also abstractly believe that moms should all stay home. That does not mean I believe that these are the right choices for everyone. I also believe that these choices look different for everyone. I stay home full time but also sell Pampered Chef and am starting a business with NerdDad doing a couple websites. I do not feel that I am abandoning my children. In the same vain, I was in public school and I turned out fine(ok, at least I am not completely nuts;). If my mom would have homeschooled me one of us might not have lived to tell the tale. I say all this to let you know where I am coming from.

This year we are doing preschool with the NerdBug in sorts. I say in sorts because we are not keeping attendance records or anything that formal. FYI, you legally don't have to begin schooling your child(or have them schooled by others) until they are 6. So as we go through this adventure I will try to journal(or blog) on it. Part of the fun of homeschooling is that you do not really do it alone. I have a few friends at church that also home school their kids. I have also joined a couple Yahoo groups just to keep myself informed and to get recommendations.

In these groups I was alerted to 2 articles, one on CNN and one on BusinessWeek. I guess that we are cooler than we thought. According to the CNN article, homeschooling is the fastest growing sector in the US education system. In Business Week they talk about this movement growing among the intellectual elite and the white collar sector. Homeschooling is no longer seen as a compound living, back woods, extremist Christian way of life. People of all walks of faith and politics now(or at least willing to declare in public) homeschooling. The most conservative estimates put this population at 1.1 million but some say almost 2 million. Even if homeschooling is not your thing, I recommend reading these articles.

Simpson's Personality test

I took the Simpson's personality test. I admit it, I am a Simpson's fan(old ones, not new ones).

You Are Lisa Simpson

A total child prodigy and super genius, you have the mind for world domination. But you prefer world peace, Buddhism, and tofu dogs. You will be remembered for: all your academic accomplishments Your life philosophy: "I refuse to believe that everybody refuses to believe the truth"

The Simpsons Personality Test

Now I admit if I answer just a little more sarcastically I am Burns. Kind of scary. Thanks Sara over at Reckless Abandon for the site!

Why are we homeschooling?

Many reasons. Here's a few. If most college students

could not interpret a table about exercise and blood pressure, understand the arguments of newspaper editorials, compare credit card offers with different interest rates and annual fees or summarize results of a survey about parental involvement in school,

then we can stop teaching our kids at about 9 years old!

Lightbulbs give 865% average return on investment??

They do if you put them in a house that you're selling. Here's a short list of home improvements and the value they add to a house at Sound Money Tips.

Hat tip to LifeHacker.