3 Ring Binder

There has been some discussion on HBL lately about reducing some concrete examples of the proper role of government into bite-sized pieces in order to have a quick slogan to combat the virulent spread of statism when such use is appropriate. As a twist to the old saying on individual rights (whose attribution I could not find), “Your rights end where your neighbor’s nose begins”, I submit the following: Your rights end where my pockets begin. I have to say, I find the double entendre quite clever as I can’t help but notice that many of the people who can clearly see a violation of rights in the innuendo of physical assault can not conceive of the economic battery of the individual by the state as the very same violation.

...to bring you news of a Martian invasion in Grover’s Mill, NJ. I just finished H.G. Wells’ 1898 novel The War of the Worlds and followed it up by listening to Orson Welles’ and Mercury Theatre’s infamous 1938 radio broadcast and watching an hour long video documentary subtitled as “an historical Perspective of the H.G. Wells Classic Book”. [Both links are to free downloads of the respective pieces.] The success of the original novel was considered by some to be due to the fact that Wells used real places in his tale of invasion which personalized and familiarized the story for many readers. Welles did the same in his radio adaptation (written by Howard Koch) by setting it in Grover’s Mill, NJ. In addition to Welles’ cheeky wrap-up of the broadcast (transcribed below for your enjoyment), what I found most interesting was that people panicked and were then quite angry about being duped. Don’t get me wrong – it was designed to incite fear, as many forms of entertainment are – but pani...

In yesterday's New York Times (print edition, online 4/26), More Atheists Shout It From The Rooftops , author Laurie Goodstein confirms what I've feared all along - by being an atheist, I have doomed my children to a life of unpopularity and loneliness. Despite changing attitudes, polls continue to show that atheists are ranked lower than any other minority or religious group when Americans are asked whether they would vote for or approve of their child marrying a member of that group. The article reports that while those who report themselves as Christian are declining in numbers, those who claimed "no religion" is the only growth group throughout all 50 states, which, I cannot but think is a good thing. (Graphic from The New York Times 4/27/09) . Regarding atheists as a group, however, is a bit more of a problem for me. While the author rightly points out that "A spate of best-selling books on atheism also popularized the notion that nonbelief is not just an...

From time to time, my ten year-old poses interesting hypothetical questions to me. She poses hypothetical questions to me all the time, but only from time to time are they interesting. Today, she asked: If you had to live without one of your senses, which would you choose? It was kind of a toss up between taste and smell, but in the end, I went with taste. I’m quite sure that taste has been essential for our survival as a species – I’d guess that a majority of poisonous substances have no smell before they’re mixed with saliva – but now, it that sense really necessary? Taste can be trained to help us evaluate and consequently elevate the enjoyment of the food we eat. I know that we can use our other senses purely for enjoyment as well, but they all seem to be vitally necessary. Only taste seems to be optional for our enjoyment. Being reminded of the inspirational success of Helen Keller and her teacher Annie Sullivan, no doubt, prompted her question. I remember playing this game w...

Last night, Red Sox center fielder, Jacoby Ellsbury stole home plate off of Yankees pitcher, Andy Pettitte. It's rather something to see , and a great way to commemorate the Sox' three game sweep over the Yankees this weekend.

Today was an another unseasonably warm day in the northeast, so we took the ladies out again. Here are the pictures I promised. Here they are milling around in the pen, being pretty happy. And here they are one second later after I say, "Hey chickens!" which I normally do. Don't believe me? Here it is in video: And before you ask: No - my voice is not normally that high pitched, and Yes - I do, on occasion, laugh like Muttley from Wacky Races.

If you've ever seen a pig eat, you know it's hard to stop yourself from saying, "It's such a pig!" If you've ever introduced chickens to a new environment - same thing. (photos tomorrow)

I am only one, But still I am one. I cannot do everything, But still I can do something; And because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do the something that I can do. Despite the title, this is not a stab at getting my daughter to love math facts (although I'm open to suggestions), this is my contribution to Poetry Friday via Edward Everett Hale (1822-1909). Mr. Hale was a Unitarian minister in Boston who wrote short stories, the most popular of which is " The Man Without a Country ". His short story, "Ten Times One is Ten", quoted above contains an idea that I wrestle with the everyday: "I can do something." Sadly, I've not yet read anything by Mr. Hale, so I can only comment on what I can gather from biographical sketches that I would not agree with his overall philosophy. He is a fascinating character, nonetheless, and is attributed with saying and doing some pretty interesting things. Mr. Hale's expression of individual activi...

I'm from Massachusetts, and all I can say is, I'm sorry. Ed Markey, Representative from Massachusetts "plays 'Dirty Harry' on cap and trade". Click on his picture (from the Wall Street Journal Opinion) to get the reference in the Wall Street Journal Opinion piece. Barney "Needs More Oversight" Frank, 13 term Representative from Massachusetts and House Financial Services Committee Chairman. Click on his photo (from Wikipedia) to read his thoughts on financial regulations in the Financial Times in 2007. What I don't understand is how these politicians can believe that are upholding the Constitution. I know I sound like a broken record, but it is that simple. Do these congressmen think that arbitrarily and frantically expropriating our money and restricting our rights will contribute toward any of the reasons for which the Constitution was established? Which ones and how? Worse, what are the people who voted them in really thinking? Can anyone beli...

Over the past three weeks the chicks have grown wildly. Last week it became obvious that we needed to expand their little brooder home, so we built them an addition. Now they have a lovely little chick condo with vanishing edge walls of glass (okay, plastic walls precariously cantilevered over the stairs) and a mod, stainless steel connecting corridor (well, really a big coffee can), dividing their living space into sleep & poop and eat/drink & poop. They seemed to be adjusting quite well to their new digs. Then, a new cleaning agency was employed at the condo: one whose wisdom included pine shavings conservation and warned against the excessiveness of two layers of paper towels. Well, the chicks, pretty well pampered up to this point, wouldn’t stand for such scrimping and trashed the place! Within an hour they were rolling on the naked plastic floor, poop was everywhere, and there were no signs that the mayhem would stop! So the old cleaning lady, who had only taken a day off,...

This weekend I had my first, and hopefully only, bout of illness this entire season! Yay for Vitamin C and clean living. Okay, yay for Vitamin C! When I get a cold I like to have really bad, sodium rich, dehydrated noodle soup. I don't know why exactly - I'm guessing it has something to do with the deep-rooted Noodle-O marketing impressions left on my young child brain (sorry, can't find link, but the animated hawker was rendered a la Yellow Submarine with long legs and crazy flair pants in a psychedelic background) - it seems to make me feel better. Anyway, in my house, when you request disgusting dehydrated salt juice for lunch, you get this. Could this be any more beautiful? A sprig of mint slightly submerged really broke through the clogged nasal passages, the beautiful brown mushroom slices floating gently on top gave visual interest, the dried apricot and cranberries on top of the wedge of cheese turned this into a real lunch.

Have a good night.

Immediately I want to sing the refrain to C+C Music Factory 's song, but I won't. I'll just link to it in the event that you might want to rap along with the video. Make-Up! While I'm certainly not addicted to cosmetics, I find the transforming magic of make-up fascinating. I'd like to report that I make a daily effort to be beautiful, but the truth is, most days I can barely muster the effort to be presentable. It's not that I don't place a value on looking good, or that I find such efforts exhausting, it's just that daily make-up wearing is just so...senseless. There. I've said it. Generally speaking, I don't wear make-up - until I do. And then I like to wear it BIG (though, admittedly, not this big). I found this series of videos on YouTube today. I have no idea how I stumbled across MakeUpGeek , but the hostess is a delightful young woman who gives her opinions on different types of make-up and presents "how-to" tutorials on make-u...

Mothers of young daughters (or those who were once young) may recognize this as the manner in which Miss Manderly teaches Felicity, Elizabeth, and Annabelle to refuse the service of tea during their gentlewoman lessons in the American Girl saga Felicity Learns a Lesson . Or, you could think of it as my answer to the recent call for “Tea Party” protests. It should be obvious that I support, applaud, and encourage the principled speeches given by individuals regarding individual rights and the proper role of government. (Here is where I refer you to the awesome, calm, clear, and concise presentation given by another Mother Objectivist Blogger, Rational Jenn , at the Atlanta Tea Party.) And, that I am encouraged by the very thought that any legislator might stand up and take notice of this grassroots display of displeasure about the unchecked growth of government. But, sadly, I am not yet ready to throw my body into the mix. Perhaps the mere fact of being from Massachusetts has sucked th...

A friend of mine (whose birthday is today) heard this song on the radio this morning and thought of me. Which made me laugh. In my defense, we've been friends since the 7th grade. Is it really any wonder that I'm feeling more like a lover than a fighter these days? This is the music that helped to form my ideas of what romantic love is all about. It was my absolutely favorite song between the ages of 12-17. Sure it's schmaltzy, but I can't help it; even now, I love it so. The singer, Kenny Nolan, was a sort of one hit wonder (okay - I know all about Love's Grown Deep ), but as a song writer, he gained fame through co-writing My Eyes Adored You, made famous by Frankie Valli, and Lady Marmalade , made famous by Labelle (Patti LaBelle lead singer). My Eyes Adored You has the honor of the goofiest line in pop music in its refrain: "Though I never laid a hand on you, my eyes adored you." Still - harp music, lush fades into and out of dream sequences, random k...

My love left me this morning, He past o’er the isle of green. My love is o’er the Channel, He’ll stop to lunch with the Queen. He’ll board the next flight eastward, Suspend half-day ‘fore he’ll rest. And when his weary eyes open, He’ll bid farewell to the West. Into the land of tall buildings, Where yoga is all but banned, And manufacturers flourish Hand over invisible hand. Seeking production that’s good, Cheap labor virtue, but not free. The Good of globalization, Discounts costs to my love and me.

After all these years, Stephen discovers he really is a chick magnet. At least Mushy, Alphaba, Hermione, and Ginger seem to think so as they flew out of their box and onto his arm.

The lyrics to this song: And to these: Christmas Time is Here , Get Happy , Wells Fargo Wagon , You'll Never Walk Alone , Together, Wherever We Go (a favorite version of ours), and Steppin' Out . Things I can't forget: the tune of the insidious High School Musical 3 (#12) theme song!

I just found out about this cool collaboration between You Tube and the London Symphony Orchestra this morning. Here's Michael Tilson Thomas welcoming the musicians who will perform tonight at Carnegie Hall . And here is the project page on YouTube.

I found this story to be quite interesting. While the fix is temporary, I'm impressed by the architect, Miguel Rosales, who refused to see the integrity of his design diminished by the poverty of government ownership and so paid the bill for the blue lights to stay illuminating the Lenny Zakim Bridge for the next three months.

Deteriorating Values Money and restriction are the cure to all societal ills; or so it would seem. Unfortunately for all of us, the money comes from, and the restrictions are placed on, the same people: those who produce the wealth. While I am optimistic about the ability of the producers to rise above this double-pronged attack, I am pessimistic about what I see as the deterioration of the values of individual rights and personal responsibility by the American people as demonstrated by their implicit or outright support given to the decisions made by our elected and appointed leaders. The Role of Government Governments do not produce anything; all are institutions of force. Ours was carefully crafted by our founding fathers to be limited to the specific functions enumerated in the Constitution. Limiting the government to its proper role of protecting individual rights helped to create the freest, and therefore the greatest nation that ever existed. Regardless of the fact that it pri...

As is our evening habit, I pour myself a glass of wine. Because we toast To Us , Its deep red drink becomes divine. But having no other with which to clink, It laments in its silent state, And delivers only a taste of you; My thirst, one glass can never sate.

I have stayed away from personal attacks on President Obama because I think they are not only unproductive, but also wrong (not to mention, they make me cranky). As the President of the United States, Barack Obama is my President, and as such, his words and deeds deserve at least the respect due his office even when I am in complete disagreement with them. If only the President shared my respect for his office. This picture (found at The New Clarion ) is one of the most disturbing things I have seen in a long time. This is the bright and articulate leader of the free world, who won the the hearts and minds of millions of intelligent American voters on the nebulous platform of "Change" actually bowing deeply to the King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia (who was named #4 on Parade magazine's list: Worst Dictators in the World ). While touching Queen Elizabeth's back may be a sign of the casual stance of the new First Family, or it may be attributed to nerves - neither of which...

This won't help.

LB's home office tip of the day: Do NOT keep time to your daughter's violin practice with your touch pad finger unless you want 17 instantiations of Outlook on your desk top. Just call me Hell, Louise?!

I thought I could make it. As the sky opened up, I noticed, not for the first time, that the outside world didn’t seem so scary, so far away. There had to be something better than this: something more than this mean existence. Instead of running scared like the others, I stood, silently…thinking. I craned my neck to get a better estimate of exactly what kind of power it would take to surmount the walls of my captivity. Then despite the gigantic eyes tracking my every move, I took my big chance, and flew! I flew! Up, up, and…(doh!) right smack into the top edge of the wall and tumbled back to earth. Damn that clear plastic. Victory was not within my grasp today. But I have tasted freedom. I will never give up until it is mine. Ginger (formerly Strawberry )

Today I learned the art of pysanky from a friend and couldn't resist putting the egg in with the chicks. While my egg may look nothing like the intricate designs on the pysanky website, I still like it. And the process was fun!

Grammar Police If this question were phrased properly, my answer would be 'yes'. Although my youngest doesn't have the advantage of having Lisa VanDamme (or an intolerant nun) as a teacher, she has been diagramming sentences for a while, has done some work in Rex Barks , and has two parents (both taught by the same intolerant nuns) who try to speak correctly. One of these parents, on occasion, may affectionately be referred to as the Grammar Police. Anyone who might also wear that hat proudly will enjoy Ms. VanDamme's article in Principles in Practice, the blog of The Objective Standard . Virtue Pays Having the oil changed in my car has never felt so good. Not only did I change my routine by bringing my car to a local garage instead of the dealer where we had been going, but I made a point to tell the garage owner why we switched: after begging for and then taking money from the government, GM and its affiliated outlets will no longer get any portion of my money wh...

This poem has some pretty inspiring lines, particularly in the second and last verses. Try to read it without singing or by singing it to the tune of Auld Lang Syne as was the custom for a while. America the Beautiful Katharine Lee Bates (1859-1929) O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain! America! America! God shed His grace on thee And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea! O beautiful for pilgrim feet, Whose stern, impassioned stress A thoroughfare for freedom beat Across the wilderness! America! America! God mend thine every flaw, Confirm thy soul in self-control, Thy liberty in law! O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife, Who more than self their country loved, And mercy more than life! America! America! May God thy gold refine, Till all success be nobleness, And every gain divine! O beautiful for patriot dream That sees beyond the years Thine alabaster cities gleam Undimmed by ...

No, not her - me. I'm happy to report that all eight chicks are still doing fine. One is clearly smaller than the rest but has become a sort of scrapper so I like that. Both Plymouth Rock hens keep pasting up, so not only is that disgusting, but it's exhausting for them to get things straightened out. I actually feel very badly about taking them from their nice warm home and poking and prodding and getting them wet. I'm not used to feeling badly about doing things that need to get done. Speaking of their nice warm home, at what temperature do you suppose I'll get fried chicken? It was 115 degrees right under the light today! Of course there were other areas of the brooder where is was 80, so it averaged out okay, but they were sprawled out right under the fry-o-later light. I raised the lamp, but they are either too stupid to move to a more conducive-to-life temperature, or they were shipped from some where near the equator. So I fixed it so that right under the light w...

Now that I have your attention... Yesterday, the ladies arrived in all their shipping box glory at our local post office (strangely with all the purposefully placed air holes covered up by shipping stickers). Our concerns that some might have died during shipping were not lessened by the postal worker who said, “Chicks? Really? I can usually hear them.” Happily, they just seem to be quietish chicks - for now. So, without further ado, I present to you, in no particular order, The Chicks at 95 Degrees : Jessie and Strawberry, the Rhode Island Reds , Tushy and Mushy, the barred Plymouth Rocks , Starburst and Hermione, the Golden-Laced Wyandottes , And Barbie and Alpha, the Easter Eggers . It’s true: there is no such breed as Easter Egger, but you can read about why they’re called that here . Of course, all these names are subject to change as their feathers and personality emerge. For instance, the Wyandottes should really be Fred and George since they're basically twins. And Jessi...