Miscellany

Gentle readers, I missed a major holiday two days ago: National Punctuation Day. My gravest of apologies! Tom Neven over at Boundless says of this auspicious day:

I know, it sounds like a crashing bore to a lot of people. But I've spent a large part of my 20-plus years in journalism as a copy editor. The copy editor is a nitpicker, a language curmudgeon. His motto: Go ahead and call me anal-retentive — just make sure you hyphenate it.

You can read more of his comments here.

And while we are on the general topic of words, how about a list of the top 50 greatest villains in literature? Well, the UK Telegraph has put together their list, if you are interested.

Meanwhile, back in the financial crisis, Wesley Priden over at the Washington Times had a clever take on the banking scandal, and reading it was rather cathartic for me. He said in part:

Now we see what Bonnie and Clyde could have made of themselves if only they had gone to Harvard Business School. Machine guns and fast getaway cars are not nearly as efficient as computers, lawyers and imaginative accounting...

But capitalism, with its winners and losers, risks and rewards, is only for the poor. The rich - the investment bankers, the high rollers and the croupiers at the Wall Street casino - get socialism, with never a worry about getting "shaken out" by the free market. So this is what George W.'s "compassionate conservatism" was all about. Who knew?

You can read the whole thing here. If you want a more Biblical, less cynical perspective, I have appreciated Al Mohler's article here.

And lastly, I ran across an interesting piece in the Wall Street Journal today that talked about the female culture on college campuses. Among the discouraging reality, there were some rays of hope shared:

Upon arriving with my sister at Hillsdale, a school known for attracting conservative and religious students, I noticed a contrast immediately. I began chatting with a rising senior, and she and I quickly discovered an acquaintance in common. Referring to this woman, the Hillsdale student said: "She is such an amazing woman. I just have so much respect for her." I was speechless. I was simply not used to hearing college women speak about their peers with such esteem.

A walk around the Hillsdale freshman girls' dorm confirmed my suspicion that young women at the Michigan college had more respect for one another and lived in a happier and healthier environment than what I had experienced at Tufts. The posters on the walls in my all-female freshman dorm at Tufts offered information about eating disorders, what to do if you think you have been sexually assaulted, and suicide and depression hotlines. The Hillsdale walls that I saw were covered with advertisements for quilting clubs, charity opportunities and a listing of local churches.

You can read the entire article here. And I admit, I am a bit biased about the type of fine young women that Hillsdale turns out, since my own dear dil is a grad!

Miscellany

In the midst of exhaustion from treatment and the wedding planning and trip, I have been storing up tasty morsels to share with you, gentle readers, but which threaten to be of little or no relevance if I continue to store them instead of get them shared. So, here are a few things I have found interesting or informative, or humorous. Hope you do, too.

* I rarely post anything about finances and taxes and the like, but have run across a few interesting items in this arena. Tim Bayly has an interesting take on tax policy and how it affects families here. And I am such an economics novice that the whole current financial "crisis" is a confused blur to me. But I have found interesting perspective on it here and here (with special thanks to D.T.)

* I have to admit, I am becoming a Sarah Palin fan. I've read a few interesting pieces on her here and here, one from a Canadian, and one from a homeschooling mom in Alaska. For a nice little piece of election satire, try this. And if you haven't seen this NY Times graphic on the words used at the political conventions, you should.

* And just for some fun, how about this delightful satire from The Onion, or the latest on global non-warming.

Sabbath Sentiments

Tomorrow, September 1, marks the beginning of the month of Ramadan in the Muslim world. Join many Christians in praying for Muslims during this important month of fasting and feasting by checking out this site. They offer prayer items for the 30 days, along with many other resources. May God be pleased to turn many hearts towards Himself during this time.

Wednesday Without Words (except the singing)

Spring and life

With the gradual blooming of Spring, I am again moved by the awe of life: whether it be the tulips and violas at the Albuquerque zoo (at left), or the house finches mating and flirting and flitting at my bird feeder and in my trees, I am struck by what a promise Spring is. It is God's promise to continue providing for the world, for the seasons to continue changing, for the sun to continue in its course. What a precious promise!

Whenever I contemplate life, I cannot help but be saddened by the culture of death around us. I have seen several manifestations of this recently:

• Read about presidential candidate Barak Obama's record on life issues in this Washington post OpEd piece by Michael Gerson.
• There is an excellent post from a former pro-choice feminists at the Radical Womanhood blog, detailing her journey and posting a Youtube video to the original pro-life video, "Silent Scream".
• From a slightly different approach, here is an excellent post about the role tax policies play in undermining the strength of the family (with lots of good links included).
• Here is an excellent editorial from the Washington Times regarding the abortion industry as a big corporation.
• And here is a piece from the Christian Post about legislation aimed at the practice of aborting the disabled.

All sober food for thought on this beautiful spring day... May I ever be grateful for Spring by praising the God from whom all these blessings flow. And may I never dismiss or belittle His good gift of life!

There will be poor always...

There is an interesting, short article in City Journal here by Steven Malanga, discussing poverty and the presidential campaign's addressing of it. He explains his interest:

Reading Obama’s speech prompted me to look at his larger economic policy proposals, especially those aimed at combating poverty. Clearly, he believes that our economy is failing many Americans, and to help the impoverished, he proposes everything from tax credits for the working poor to a higher minimum wage. In fairness, on these issues, he’s not much different than his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton.

Yet both candidates are largely missing the point. While they insist that strengthening labor unions or protecting homeowners from foreclosures will alleviate the hardships of the poor, the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of the Census remind us that the breakdown of the traditional two-parent, married family is a far greater contributor to poverty in America than many of the supposed shortcomings of our economy. It’s hard to imagine that America will make much more headway on reducing persistent poverty until it halts this long-term trend.

In the course of his compelling argument he reaches this conclusion:

Given that a significant body of research now shows that children raised in two-parent, married families do better in school, are less likely to wind up in jail, and are less likely to end up on welfare, the startling racial divide in marriage tells us that a new generation of children, especially blacks, are growing up destined to struggle academically, in the job market, and in forming their own families. And policy prescriptions like a higher minimum wage or tax credits are unlikely to help many of these kids. What they mostly need is another parent—usually a father.

In the course of the article, Mr. Malanga refers to another interesting article from the same journal back in 2006, entitled "Marriage and Caste". In it, author Kay Hymowitz states:

As family experts find themselves surrendering to their own research and arguing more and more that marriage is central to the overall well-being of children, they often caution that it is not a cure-all. “Is Marriage a Panacea?” is the illustrative title of a 2003 article in the scholarly journal Social Problems, and you know the answer to the question without reading a page. No, shrinking the Marriage Gap may not be a magic potion for ending poverty or inequality or any other social problem. But it’s hard to see how our two Americas can become one without more low-income men and women making their way to the altar.

Marriage may not be a panacea. But it is a sine qua non.

All this made me think of the Theodore Dalrymple (aka Anthony Daniels) book I recently finished, Life at the Bottom, and reminded me of my recent Marxist deliberations. What a difference our presuppositions make in the way we perceive and attack a problem. And it reminds me that the answers to difficult problems are often simple ones that are difficult to apply...like following God's commands regarding marriage and allowing consequences to be born by those who choose not to do so.

Marxist Theory Applied...

When I teach my worldviews class, one of the things we discuss is a Marxist view of the world. I will confess that, outside of China and liberation theology, I am sometimes at a loss for good, tangible examples of Marxism at work in the world today, after the fall of the old Soviet empire. I got some good food for thought from my recent read through Theodore Dalrymple's Book, Life at the Bottom, and just today, got another interesting example from, of all places, the Charlie Rose show.

I often listen to the last half of the Charlie Rose show over lunch, after the local news has finished. Today he was abuzz with the markets and with yesterday's speech by Barak Obama. One of the men being interviewed about the speech, and the hubbub surrounding it, was Rev. Floyd Flake, an AME minister from NY. He was an articulate man, and it was an interesting interview. He mentioned the emphasis on liberation theology when he and Obama's pastor, Jeremiah Wright, were in seminary. And then, in a rather breathtaking Marxist moment, said something along the lines of there always being "a W.E.B. DuBois with a Booker T. Washington, a Martin Luther King, Jr. with a Malcolm X...", the striving of which led to a better way. Well, any of my worldviews students should be able to tell you what this is: the old Marxist line of thesis versus antithesis leading to synthesis. In other words it is nothing less than Marxism in action in the interpretation of American historical events....

Fascinating, indeed...

The Price of Liberty

"Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty." Wendell Phillips

One very real example of the need for vigilance is last week's California appellate court ruling regarding homeschooling in California. In a case of possible abuse of children, a three-panel judge has taken it upon themselves to make sweeping statements regarding homeschooling as unconstitutional, and negating the rights of parents to direct the education of their children. It really is breathtaking and dismaying! In one sweep of judicial arrogance, these judges have attempted to dismantle the constitutional rights of homeschoolers in California, with broad implications for all parental rights. While I agree with the state prosecuting any family guilty of real neglect and abuse (and perhaps the family at the heart of the lawsuit is, indeed, guilty of such...) I rebel in every fiber at the idea that the court would attempt to make broad constitutional interpretations in such a manner! If this holds, no parents are safe from any kind of government interference.

If you wish to educate yourself on this issue, here are some resources I have been reading this morning:

• Denny Burk has listed many excellent resources at his blog here (with thanks to JT for pointing it out...) including a radio clip and several newspaper articles covering the ruling.
  

• The petition from HSLDA to depublish the decision can be signed here. I hope many of you will do so.

• Governor Schwartzenegger has issued a strongly-worded statement you can read here.

• A short video from The Daily Case Report explaining the issues in the case can be found here. (Thanks to LD for her links!)
  

• Kathleen has some excellent thoughts at her blog here.
  

Many of us were involved in the struggle to assure the right to homeschool our children back in the 1980's and 90's, and now we can't just relax on our laurels. Time to respond! Pray, educate yourself, and tell others, and look for ways to let your voice be heard.

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -- Edmund Burke

Miscellany

Ah, the joys of scrapbooking... I'm a novice, and not very good at it, but it is fun! Even if it is messy (see my table at left). I have some of those trays to organize things into; now I just need to do it. Last night I finished a some pages for a scrap book celebrating my Dad's 70th birthday. Belated birthday greetings, Pops!

Douglas Groothuis has an impassioned post about the evangelical loss of passion regarding abortion. He makes some excellent arguments, and urges Evangelicals to recover from the fetus-fatigue they've been suffering from.

We had a lovely spring snowstorm last night that left the world amazingly beautiful this morning. See a few photos below.

Miscellany

At left is a stack of books recently donated to my worldviews library. (Thanks, MAL!) These will be well used when I return to teaching worldviews next fall, D.V. {And D. V. stands for Deo volente in Latin, or Lord willing; it is an acknowledgment that the best laid plans are subject to the will of God...}

I ran across a rather horrifying story and some interesting commentary on the subject here today. This confirms the uneasiness I have felt for some time regarding transplant issues (which came to a head a few months ago when a friend lost her daughter in an automobile accident. This also confirms the need for Christians to think carefully about a biblical response to issues, not just theological, but medical, ethical, economic, etc. And it thus confirms my plan to teach another young group of students how to think from a Biblical perspective, stand up for their faith, and be wise citizens and clear witnesses in this broken world. May the Lord be pleased to bring fruit from such labor, and may He raise up an army of young adults ready to confront the culture for Christ!

And lastly, now for something completely different... Thanks to DesertMom for alerting me to the following hysterical video from YouTube. Any of you who have been subjected to children practicing violin will appreciate this....

The disturbing question of fetal pain

Here is an interesting article in the New York Times from yesterday, regarding the question of when, developmentally speaking, a fetus feels pain. There is much disturbing information in this article, and it raises many important questions. It reveals, for instance, that doctors used to perform open heart surgery (and other surgeries) on newborns without anesthetic based on their "medical" opinion that the nervous system of the newborn was not developed enough for them to "feel" pain. It also shows, I think, the motivation by the pro-choice movement to suppress the facts, as well as the investment in the medical community to maintain the status quo.

Any mother knows that newborns experience pain. It is a frightening world...

(Thanks to challies.com for mentioning this article...)