11/30/11

No GOP Debate Tonight

Reuters reports: "The Arizona Republican Presidential/CNN Debate has been set back by two months to February next year to bring it closer to the state's presidential primary, CNN said on Tuesday.

The debate, which is being sponsored by CNN, will move to February 22, 2012, from the previously scheduled date of November 30, CNN said in a news release."

The AZ prez primary is Feb. 28.

Rewired Brains and Gaming in Higher Ed.

This article would provoke a strong reaction from my husband, the old-school college math teacher with a couple of engineering degrees. (If he had time to read it). The intro:

"At some point, engineering professor Brianno Coller realized he didn't like slogging through dry math problems as an instructor any more than he had as a student. So he thought about what could liven things up — animation! interactivity! —and it hit him: video games.

He designed one, and now his third-year students at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb build virtual race cars, complete with roaring engines and screeching tires, that must maneuver an increasingly challenging course. Along the way, they're exposed to computational math, a basic building block of engineering.

'I use games to, in some sense, throw away the textbook,' says Coller, 42, who played Lunar Lander and other video games as a kid. 'My philosophy is that learning can be a burdensome chore or it can be an interesting journey.' "

The burdensome chore can become the interesting journey, Mr. Coller.

Thanks to Mrs. Santana for sending this article.

Java Jolt

Startling way to begin a NYT article: "For decades, Democrats have suffered continuous and increasingly severe losses among white voters. But preparations by Democratic operatives for the 2012 election make it clear for the first time that the party will explicitly abandon the white working class."

Thanks to Mr. R for passing this along. The rest is here.

11/29/11

Sowell: No inherent 'right' to live in the U.S.

Do read Thomas Sowell's primo column on Newt Gingrich's silly, counterproductive remarks about amnesty.

Here's an excerpt: "The purpose of American immigration laws and policies is not to be either humane or inhumane to illegal immigrants. The purpose of immigration laws and policies is to serve the national interest of this country.

There is no inherent right to come live in the United States, in disregard of whether the American people want you here. Nor does the passage of time confer any such right retroactively."

Here's an another: "The more doctrinaire libertarians see the benefits of free international trade in goods, and extend the same reasoning to free international movement of people. But goods do not bring a culture with them. Nor do they give birth to other goods to perpetuate that culture.

Why do people want to come to America in the first place? Because America offers them something that their native countries do not. This country has a culture which has produced a higher standard of living and a freer life than in many other countries.

When you import people, you import cultures, including cultures that have been far less successful in providing decent lives and decent livelihoods. The American people have a right to decide for themselves whether they want unlimited imports of cultures from other countries."

Bravo!

11/28/11

Ron who?

11/27/11

Sunday Inspiration: October Baby

A coming-of-age flick with a twist ...



October Baby features a song performed by Gianna Jessen, the well-regarded pro-life advocate who is a walking-talking miracle. Watch her giving a riveting speech here. (In the first few minutes, Gianna explains the role Planned Parenthood had in sentencing her to death.)

11/26/11

Saturday Sighting: Jumbo Squash



Not colorful, but certainly unique.

11/25/11

Black Friday BUYcott Participant

I did my small part, for the BUYcott, and went to WalMart for the sales that began at 10 pm. No electronic gadgets, though. This pilgrim bought a red crock pot and a single cup coffee maker.

Oh, Susana

Allan Wall has written a very good column about GOP Gov. Martinez's (who is a fierce champion of rule of law and the country's first Latina governor) battles with treasonistas.

Here's how it starts: " 'DON’T LET NEW MEXICO BE THE NEXT ARIZONA - STOP GOVERNOR MARTINEZ' is the headline on a 'Send a Message' action page, on the website called America’s Voice.

Emblazoned on the page is a photo of New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez, who has run afoul of the Open Borders lobby for attempting to – can you believe this? – deny driver’s licenses to illegal aliens."

Read it all here.

In the photo: Susana Martinez

Tim Tebow Foundation's Hospital Project


The hosptial for children (a 30-bed surgical facility) is expected to open in 2013. Groundbreaking will occur early next year.

Location: Davao City, Philippines

From the press release: "The construction project is expected to cost $3 million, with donors from CURE and the Tebow Foundation sharing the costs. About one-third of the children treated at the hospital are expected to be charity cases.

The hospital will house a Timmy's Playroom, which will provide faith, hope and love to children before and after their surgeries. It will be the Tim Tebow Foundation's first international playroom."

Amazing, how much good he's accomplishing. And Tim's not even 25 years old!

11/24/11

Hosting While Pilgrim


Taken at: Gaylord, MI Thanksgiving annual community dinner (over 250 folks came!)

The One That Got Away


Happy Thanksgiving!




Photo: From the 'wild turkeys in my backyard' collection

11/23/11

Depicting The Early Settlers as Illegals

"Ay yi yi yi!" (As Ricky Ricardo would have said).

Andy Malby Buys a Paper

Andy Malby, the editor of the Belgrade News, and his wife, Lori (in the photo), are the new owners/publishers of the Three Forks Herald, a weekly newspaper. Three Forks is also located in Gallatin County, Montana.

Here's his announcement.

Andy is the quintessential, hands-on smalltown editor who snaps photos, writes the front page stories, does the layout, appreciates the advertisers, manages a couple of other reporters, and still makes space for a lively editorial page that features views that often transcend the concerns of his corner of the world.

I'm happy that Andy will have the opportunity to fulfill a longtime dream with this entrepreneurial move, but will miss him as editor of the BN.

11/22/11

Embarkation of the Pilgrims

by Robert Walter Weir.




William Bradford phrased it nicely in Of Plymouth Plantation, "One small candle may light a thousand."

11/21/11

Doug Bandow Visits Islamic Republic

Doug, who is affiliated with the Cato Institute and is a family friend, was part of a delegation that was briefed by General John Kelly in Afghanistan.

Here's a photo of the pair.



Intrepid reporter that he is, Doug managed to interview several liberty-minded types in Kabul.

He writes, "At another base I met a retired military man now serving as a civilian consultant helping to train Afghans. The problem, he declared, was their lack of understanding of the importance of liberty. Afghans are fiercely independent, but the allies were supporting creation of a centralized state in Kabul. He hoped American think tanks and organizations friendly to the ideals of liberty could help promote the principles of freedom here. He quoted Charles Murray’s In Pursuit of Happiness and Good Government. I don’t remember ever meeting anyone in Washington who quoted Murray’s elegant defense of a free society!

A Marine Corps captain sidled up to me at another stop and said when he heard that I worked at the Cato Institute he wanted to meet me. He was no enthusiast for big, expansive government and saw the consequences of such policies on the ground. Serving in a combat command hundreds of miles from Kabul and thousands of miles from the U.S., he declared that he was a fan of Rep. Ron Paul.

So much for the Neocons’ claim that critics of the warfare state are anti-military and anti-military personnel."

11/20/11

Ted Forstmann, RIP: Real School Choice Champion

From the press release: It is with great sadness that Children’s Scholarship Fund (CSF) announces that its co-founder and co-chair, Theodore J. (Ted) Forstmann [pictured, right], has passed away.

“Ted Forstmann was a great philanthropist who leveraged his business acumen to start Children’s Scholarship Fund along with my late husband, John Walton, changing thousands of lives for the better,” said Christy Walton, co-chair of CSF. “He was a powerful force for good for children who got a ‘raw deal’ in life, as he put it, and he will be greatly missed.”

The Children’s Scholarship Fund (CSF) is the country’s largest charity helping parents send their children to the school of their choice. In 1998, he teamed with the late John Walton and together they offered 40,000 K-12 scholarships -- worth $200 million -- to low-income families across America. Parents of more than 1.25 million students applied for the four-year scholarships.

As Mr. Forstmann said, “Every child, regardless of their parents’ income, should have access to a quality education – an education that will not only prepare them for successful private lives, but help them to build cohesive communities and a strong democracy. We believe if you give parents a choice, you will give their children a chance.”

Sun. Meditation: Grateful for those who honor the Basics

Bathing and working? What a concept.



Those who exercise and realize that good health is a gift that should never be taken for granted - those folks are starting to seem heroic.



1 Thes. 4:11 "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands ... "

In the photo: Holiday Inn pool of Petoskey

11/19/11

Sat. Sighting: Herman Cain Smoking Ad

If you missed it, here's the ad where Cain's aide-de-camp takes a puff.





Now here's the spoof of the ad by Jon Hunstman's daughters. (Fab ending!)

11/18/11

John Fox Thanks "the Good Lord"

Homeschooler continues to leave know-it-alls speechless.



Coach Fox has a press conference. "He never lays his sword down."

Sidebar: Meet the anti-Pam Tebow. An earthy-crunchy unschooling mom blows off her family to participate in Occupy Wall Street. It doesn't end well for her.

Fri. Fun: Breaking Dawn, Breaking Records

The big weekend has arrived.

Bella marries Edward and breaks Jacob's heart, and a gazillion tween gals swoon, and that's all I'm gonna write about that.

Nah.

I changed my mind.

This fogey reviewer didn't appreciate Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 1 and wrote a fun-snarky review.

Meanwhile, this blogger* tweaks some Mizzou feminists who didn't care for Twilight's traditionalist moral message. (Yeah, 'traditionalist' is a stretch when vampires and werewolves are in the equation, but go with the flow, people. Or, better yet, go with the fan-gs. Get it?)

Update: Ka-ching! Vampires yield big, big bucks.

*moi

11/17/11

Waiting for Superman: Middle Class Meltdown

More sobering economic news: "The number of middle-income neighborhoods in the United States has dwindled significantly over the past 40 years, as the rich-poor divide deepens across the country, a study released Wednesday showed.

In 2007, nearly a third of American families -- 31 percent -- lived in either an affluent neighborhood or a mainly low-income one, up from just 15 percent in 1970, according to the study conducted by Stanford University, and released in partnership with the Russell Sage Foundation and Brown University.

Meanwhile, 44 percent of American families lived in middle-class neighborhoods in 2007, down from 65 percent in 1970."

HT: K.R.

UK's (Scholastic) Changing of the Guard

This just in: "White British pupils are now in a minority in many secondary schools in England, according to academic research.


The number of ethnic minority pupils in secondary schools has sharply risen by 57 per cent in a decade, a survey by King’s College London has found.
In some parts of England, such as inner London, up to two-thirds, or 67 per cent, of secondary pupils across a borough are from ethnic minorities."

Read more here.

11/16/11

Carnival of Homeschooling 307: Twitter Edition

A change from the status quo from Dave, the Homeschool Dad, who writes, "I decided to tweet the entire carnival. As each submission came in, I tweeted the intro and even made up a hash tag for the carnival, #CH307." Go here.




Funny man, Dave

Old School Girl Power v. New School Girl Power

Lots of chatter. Some action.




Lots of action. Some chatter.

11/15/11

Higher Ed Scam: SNL Skit is Right on the $

In this video, actor Billy Crystal plays a recruiter for Winston 'University.'

Hilarious, safe for work, and prescient. (HT: B.D.)

11/14/11

N.Y. Post Cover Mocks Happy Valley's Dolts

11/13/11

Sun. Inspiration: Pastor Robert Krumrey

I was moved and challenged by this excellent sermon, by Robert Krumrey (pictured, right), titled "Blood and Guts of the Bible."

It deals with the topic of sexuality, but it's so much more. Well worth 40 minutes of your time. Pastor Krumrey works, largely, with college students, and his church, MERCYhouse, is located in Amherst, MA.

11/12/11

Of Schlafly, McManus, & Gaffney

Spending the day down state at this event.

11/11/11

Friday Fun: The Magic Yellow Rain Slicker


All summer long this raincoat was on display in various store windows throughout Emmet County, MI. It was marked down to $19.50 (from $59.50) and inscribed - discreetly - with the words "Up North Michigan." The coat, with the dark blue fleece lining, seemed to be marketed to the many tourists that visit Charlevoix, Petoskey, and Harbor Springs.

Au contraire. Loads of locals own one - including me.

It's fast become my favorite rain apparel, since it's lightweight and warm, and, of course, waterproof. I feel like a Mainer, or that I've inhabited Paddington Bear's world, when I put it on.

There's a pink version of the same exact rain slicker also for twenty bucks. Oddly, I haven't spotted anyone wearing one.

11/10/11

Remembering a Shipwreck

It was stormy and very windy last night - the gales of November have arrived.

And, today, sadly, is the anniversary of the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. I blogged about this last year, so I won't rehash what I wrote.

But this article - brief and descriptive - explains the weather component.

False Idols

This tacky mural was idolatrous to begin with.

And here's how it looks after the artist painted over the image of pedophile Jerry Sandusky (empty chair with ribbon on it).

Raison d'etre: Hardy Vermonters, Not Illegals, Built the Green Mountain State

The Vermont governor - Peter Shumlin (in the little photo) - says his administration's policy, when it comes to illegal aliens, is to "look the other way ... as much as we can."

Shumlin means he doesn't want to know the immigration status of the undocumented farm workers he claims are crucial to harvest the crops and get the milk to market in Vermont.

This is how a lazy New Age economite thinks; not the way an honorable American who cares about the welfare of his fellow New Englanders acts.

Here's the video where he makes the reckless statement (which contains information about the controversial situation that triggered it). After watching it, ask yourself this question: Would you feel safe driving on the public roads of a de facto sanctuary state?

Sidebar: Disheartening results of an amnesty poll conducted by a small Sooner State newspaper.

Go here, and scroll down.

Another sidebar: Disturbing video about Britain's Pakistani sex gangs. Go here. Related: The UK's 'no to 70 million' anti-mass immigration petition.

11/9/11

Penn State: It's Still All About the Football

I agree with Berry, but the fanatical Paterno should have hit the road years ago.

These immature students should be ashamed of themselves.

Adios, JoePa.


Occupy Penn State Update: Smoking column on this sordid mess by David Steele.

Fired!

Update: Expel these students and prosecute them, too. You got the vid, PSU.

11/8/11

Seven billion Plus Another One

Boy (girl?), is this news going to ruin this liberal's day.



Update: Some fair criticism, fair questions.

'Nother update: Tiff W. wrote me that the Duggars deserve kudos for "not going public for 3½ months" with the baby news.

The Oklahoma Earthquakes

Family friend Anna Marie Costello, the model in the ad below, is a student at St. Gregory's University in Shawnee, Oklahoma.



She told my son that a prominent hall (and then some) at the Catholic school was severly damaged due to the earthquake. Fortunately, no one was injured.

Here's the video:



The Pioneer Woman, whose ranch is located near Pawhuska, OK., also has an earthquake story.

11/7/11

Cranberry Bogs and Marshes: Beyond Cape Cod

Yes, Virginia, there are commercial cranberry farms in Michigan.

Also in Oregon, Washington, and New Jersey.

But here's your surprising fun fact for the day regarding the bright red tart berry: "Wisconsin grows almost 57% of the cranberries in the US while Massachusetts accounts for another 28%, NJ and Oregon have 7% each and Washington accounts for most of the remainder."

Suddenly I'm in the mood for a cranberry-orange muffin.

Graduation!

Our last Public Safety Citizen Academy featured a tour of the county jail, a lecture from the local tribal police chief, a pizza party, and a write up in the paper. A good time was had by all!



The Class of 2011

11/6/11

Sun. Inspiration: Female, Not Feminist

Believe it or not, it's been almost fifty years since the The Feminine Mystique was published. In light of that, Dennis Prager, the radio talk show host, decries four of feminism's 'fruits.'

Note: For mature readers.

Gen. 5: 2, He created them and .

Further reading.

11/5/11

Why did the skateboarding chicken cross the road?

Heather Lockwood, a young police reporter in Petoskey and a fellow member of Public Safety Citizen Academy, wrote a first-person account of her ride-along with Lt. Tony Rice.

Like my ride-along experience (which occurred on Halloween), Heather's night was largely uneventful but not at all boring.

My escort for the evening was Officer Randy Davis. He dealt with a hit-and-run accident and a verbal altercation at a convenience store between two burly men. But the most memorable moment was the call of complaint, from a citizen, about the large 'chicken' riding a skateboard on a city street.

This is not a high crime community.

Thankfully, so.

11/4/11

Fri. Fun: The Haunted Financial House

I didn't post this last week, but here's my latest column from the Belgrade News. It had a Halloween theme. (Cue the Addams Family theme song.)

Here's the opening graf: "Halloween is almost here. Jack-o-lanterns, orange and black decorations, full moons, and wee ones dressed in superhero and gypsy costumes never get old. Alas, if only my observations about Oct. 31 could remain lighthearted. But tough financial times mean cutting back on the whimsical and getting serious, or, at least, combining the two strains of thought."

I go on to discuss federal transportation grants, free trade agreements, occupy movements, and government pensions.

11/3/11

Nov. - Jan. Presidential Debate Schedule

November 5, 2011 Cain/Gingrich Lincoln-Douglas Debate
8pm ET on C-SPAN
Location: The Woodlands Resort & Conference Center in Houston, Texas
Sponsor: Texas Tea Party Patriots PAC
Participants: Cain, Gingrich

November 9, 2011 8pm ET on CNBC
Location: Oakland University in Rochester, MI
Sponsor: CNBC, the Michigan Republican Party and Oakland University
Participants: TBD

November 12, 2011 8pm ET on CBS
Location: Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina
Sponsor: CBS News, The National Journal and the Republican Party of South Carolina
Participants: TBD

November 19, 2011 Thanksgiving Family Forum 5pm ET on C-SPAN
Location: First Federated Church in Des Moines, Iowa
Sponsor: The Family Leader
Participants: Bachmann, Cain, Gingrich, Paul, Perry and Santorum all confirmed, Romney unconfirmed

November 22, 2011 8pm ET on CNN
Location: Washington, DC
Sponsor: CNN, The Heritage Foundation and the American Enterprise Institute
Participants: TBD

November 30, 2011 8pm ET on CNN
Location: Arizona
Sponsor: CNN and the Republican Party of Arizona
Participants: TBD

December 10, 2011 9pm ET on ABC
Location: Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa
Sponsor: ABC News, ABC5/WOI-DT and Republican Party of Iowa
Participants: TBD

December 15, 2011 9pm ET on Fox News
Location: Sioux City Convention Center in Sioux City, Iowa
Sponsor: Fox News and Republican Party of Iowa
Participants: TBD

December 19, 2011 4pm ET on PBS
Location: Iowa Public Television in Johnston, IA
Sponsor: The Des Moines Register, Iowa Public Television, PBS NEWSHOUR, Google and YouTube
Participants: TBD

January 7, 2012 Air time TBD on ABC
Location: NH
Sponsor: ABC News and WMUR
Participants: TBD

Hat tip: Rick O.

11/2/11

Will the real Herman Cain please stand up?

Everybody's talking about Mr. Cain's 'sexual harrassment' problem, but only the Washington Watcher (as far as I can tell) has noticed his 'amnesty' problem.

The National Restaurant Association (NRA), of which Cain was the head, is not only opposed to E-Verify, but the entity also champions comprehensive immigration reform.

In my book, this is like Barack Obama's association with ACORN. Maybe there's nothing illegal per se, but it certainly raises a red flag about how conservative Herman Cain really is.

Update: An Oklahoma Republican, who was a pollster for the NRA, claims he was a witness to one of the incidents involving a Cain accuser. 'Nother update: This Wilson fellow is a Perry guy. Hm.

11/1/11

Occupy UP/Marquette

I snapped this photo while in Marquette, MI., a fairly liberal city for the UP. This nattily-dressed young man (who eagerly invited me to the rally) was acting as a walking advertisement for last weekend's event.



Earlier in October, an academic controversy, associated with the 'Occupy' events, erupted: "MARQUETTE - Northern Michigan University administrators are reviewing the conduct of a university faculty member after numerous students took issue with an extra credit project that involved attending a local protest earlier this month.

In the week leading up to the Oct. 15 Occupy the Upper Peninsula demonstrations - a small part of the now global Occupy Wall Street protests - assistant NMU professor of sociology Jeanne Lorentzen told students in several classes that they could gain 20 points of extra credit through participation in the Saturday morning march.

In an email sent on Oct. 13 to her entry-level SO 101 class, Lorentzen gave students the alternative extra credit option or writing a 20-page paper about a social movement."

What a choice, eh?

More about the extra credit assignment from hell from The Blaze.

BTW: The light fare of (e.g. the soups) Babycakes restaurant in downtown Marquette is outstanding.

He Used to Bugle*


Sighting from my recent trip: I spotted this fella at a cute little coffee shop in High Point Village (in northern Wisconsin).

My next photo will be: 'Occupy Marquette.'

*Nifty video of a bull elk bugling