3 Ring Binder

Here is an excellent op-ed in today's Christian Science Monitor. It explains how the "Massachusetts Plan" for mandated health insurance has been an unmitigated disaster for the state, and how it infringes on individual rights. This plan, a model for the current administration's plan, insures that special interests healthcare costs are paid for by those of us who do not need, nor wish to pay for them. The author further explains how real health care reform, based on free-markets would, in fact, give more people access to health insurance while supporting individual rights. Health care is not a right. Disposing of your earned wealth according to your values, is.

I love George Gershwin. At Rockhound Place , I was reminded that I had forgotten his birthday! Oh well. Better late than never. I know it's really popular, but still, here is my favorite of his compositions, Rhapsody in Blue , what he called his love song for New York City even though he composed it on the way to Boston. And here is an excellent children's book to go along with it. And this is one of my favorite CDs.

Thanks to my IT guy, I finally have my Photoshop installed on my new laptop, the brains from my old desktop and laptop secured in a 1TB external hard drive, and actual room on one of my three desks for my laptop (I can’t sit in bed with a breakfast tray for a desk all day). Because I’ve become somewhat interested in simple video editing lately, Stephen also installed some sound effects program he had hanging around called Sound Forge Audio Studio 8 . In exploring the sound effects that came with the sound studio software, I came across the ambient sound of a crowd, specifically Bar Crowd Loop 01.wav . In listening to the four second effect, I was shocked to hear my own voice! Yes. I’m quite sure I’ve been sampled in this bar crowd. The strange thing is that I don’t ever remember saying, “Yes, cup of Gerry mon….psycho theatre scent of Gerry mon”. And you’d think I’d remember saying a thing like that. Here is my five second video with the voice, which is not mine but could have been, b...

“It was not lobbying politically,’’ [Representative Barney] Frank said of the meeting last summer in New York, which was held at his request. “This is lobbying intellectually.’’ From today's Boston Globe . Lobbying is a political term for pull-peddling . A wannabe intellectual like Frank ought to know that. No amount of descriptive dress-up will change its meaning or the reason for its existence: man's need to fight against the subjective nature of non-objective laws.

At the dump: Instead of curbside trash pick-up, we have a local transfer station in town. For reasons I'd rather not focus on, I've spent a lot of time there this month. Today I was talking to a guy who had two huge and well-behaved Spunoni Italianoes in his open hatchback. (Sure, I called them Italiano Spu m onis , but he gently corrected me). After apologizing for my love of ice cream and work in an Italian restaurant, we continued discussing the dogs. To my question about their gender, he answered, "Yes, they used to be male and female; now they're just brother and sister." Out to dinner: After dinner last Friday night, I ordered a dirty martini at the bar. When the bartender brought it over, I noticed a clear bottle behind him labeled SEX and he told me it was vodka. Feeling saucy in my argyle sweater dress, I asked him if I used that in my martini would it be called Dirty Sex. He said yes, and that if I added jalapenos it would be called Hot Dirty Sex. I cr...

By Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861) I 'BUT where do you go?' said the lady, while both sat under the yew, And her eyes were alive in their depth, as the kraken beneath the sea-blue. II 'Because I fear you,' he answered;--'because you are far too fair, And able to strangle my soul in a mesh of your gold-coloured hair.' III 'Oh that,' she said, 'is no reason! Such knots are quickly undone, And too much beauty, I reckon, is nothing but too much sun.' IV 'Yet farewell so,' he answered; --'the sunstroke's fatal at times. I value your husband, Lord Walter, whose gallop rings still from the limes. V 'Oh that,' she said, 'is no reason. You smell a rose through a fence: If two should smell it what matter? who grumbles, and where's the pretense? VI 'But I,' he replied, 'have promised another, when love was free, To love her alone, alone, who alone from afar loves me.' VII 'Why, that,' she said, ...

The latest Objectivist Round Up (#115) can be found at Amy's blog, The Little Things . Go muster yourself some good ideas.

I suppose I should no longer be shocked at the incursion of government into business, particularly not in Massachusetts, but I find this reported action of Governor Deval Patrick beyond shocking. In an emotional reaction to the laying off of 100 hotel employees in the Hyatt hotel chain in Boston, Patrick is threatening to call for state employees to boycott the chain. Yes. This is an elected leader using the power of his position to encourage consumer activism in order to hurt a business because it made a tough personnel decision that didn't sit well with the governor. What motivated the governor to threaten this unprecedented action? “There’s no question that the story about what happened to the Hyatt workers was made public in a way that, to say the least, was unusual - splashed across the front page of the morning newspaper. While perhaps these kinds of actions were not unique to Hyatt, certainly it was a . . . disturbing portrait of corporate behavior,’’ said Paul Watanabe, a...

In another fine example of how my daughter likes to make the most of her school day, this is how she transcribed her schedule on the whiteboard yesterday. For those of you unversed in all thing Harry Potter, I will translate: 1. Saxon Math 2. Dentist’s appointment 3. History at Our House 4. lunch 5. Biology 6. Grammar 7. break 8. take care of the chickens 9. Writing Frankly, I was relieved when she decided on Arithmancy for math instead of The Dark Arts .

I took this in the woods in the Berkshires last year. It's from my tiny digital camera, so the resolution leaves much to be desired, but the moment was fantastic. The leaves were raining down all over us and the woods smelled like a bright combination of sweet overripe fruit mixed with freshly fallen, newly turned leaves and cool earth. Leaves by Elise Brady How silently they tumble down And come to rest upon the ground To lay a carpet, rich and rare, Beneath the trees without a care, Content to sleep, their work well done, Colors gleaming in the sun. At other times, they wildly fly Until they nearly reach the sky. Twisting, turning through the air Till all the trees stand stark and bare. Exhausted, drop to earth below To wait, like children, for the snow. Love in Autumn by Sara Teasdale I sought among the drifting leaves, The golden leaves that once were green, To see if Love were hiding there And peeping out between. For thro' the silver showers of May And thro' the sum...

While tomorrow, the first official day of fall, promises to reach 80 degrees by mid-afternoon, the past week of mornings and evenings have been downright chilly. Hooray! Autumn is nearly here! And so I write this to celebrate the changing of both the season and the wardrobe. 1) Wrapping yourself in the colors of the fall: deep greens, dark reds, burnt oranges, dusty plums, and earthy browns (extra good if they're made of cashmere). 2) Finding a strangely sexy argyle sweater dress to wear for date night. Strange in that it's argyle and sexy: an interesting juxtaposition. 3) With sweater weather comes boot weather! 'Nuff said. How will you welcome the fall?

For the great number of people who think that calling the actions of this administration a slide into socialism is a gross exaggeration, please read the following two articles in Saturday’s Boston Globe and The New York Times . In the first, a new bureaucracy, The Consumer Protection Financial Agency (CPFA) is proposed to be established in order to redouble existing regulatory oversight under the premise of helping people, effectively further removing that quaint old quality of personal responsibility from one’s actions. The new agency Obama wants to create would be tasked with making sure people receive accurate information about mortgage rates, credit card deals, and other financial products, Summers said. In addition, the agency would have broad authority to monitor lending companies to ensure that they are not using deceptive practices to sell people mortgages that they can’t afford . It was the high default rate on so-called subprime loans that played a major role in the econom...

This afternoon, my friend and I went kayaking on the Concord River in Concord, Massachusetts. In this area the river has a gentle current that makes it perfect for kayaking back and forth among the interesting sites. It was a gorgeous, cool, and sunny afternoon - beautiful for being out on the river. While my camera wouldn't shoot when I had a good shot, where the statue was framed nicely through the trees along the bank, I thought the lens flare was pretty cool until I realized that you can't even see French's Minute Man through the trees. Even so, it was nice to kayak by it and under the Old North Bridge. There are a lot of beautiful stately homes that line the river, and while I didn't take any pictures of them today, here is one in the background. And finally, there were some pretty bold Great Blue Herons today. Bold, not only because this one seemed unafraid of us as we approached, but also because he was making a meal of mercury-laden fish (as the warning signs...

The theme in our homeschooling chorus this year is poetry in music. Now, as many have pointed out, all songs are a form of poetry, but I believe we are concentrating on established poems then set to music. One of the two first songs introduced yesterday was "Song of the Open Road" adapted from Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass (1855: Poem #082). It's a lovely song whose melody I cannot find anywhere right now (but in a few middle school chorus videos ), so I will leave you with the words to the first stanza and you can follow this link the remaining fourteen stanzas if you wish. Song of the Open Road Walt Whitman (1819-1892) 1 AFOOT and light-hearted I take to the open road, Healthy, free, the world before me, The long brown path before me leading wherever I choose. Henceforth I ask not good-fortune, I myself am good-fortune, Henceforth I whimper no more, postpone no more, need nothing, Done with indoor complaints, libraries, querulous criticisms, Strong and content I t...

Head on over to Reason Pharm to read this week's Objectivist Round Up.

It's not everyday that you find out you're spicy according to Google Trends. Okay. It's not really me that's spicy, but the subject matter of my blogpost Memorizing the Preamble to the Constitution . At my age, I'll take what I can get! A closer image reveals the actual print (hopefully): See bottom right to confirm my spiciness. For those of you who have never been spicy before, the topic was 19th on the Hot Trends list of the day and the topics ahead of "Preamble to the Constitution" were designated as "on fire" and "volcanic" as the list approached #1. I'm good with spicy - it's less destructive.

1. Beth’s collection of resources and lesson plans on the Constitution. 2. The National Archives has a good history of the document. 3. Truly the best way to learn the Preamble (except it will make you laugh when trying to recite it without singing).

In preparation for celebrating the 222nd anniversary of the signing of the Constitution of the United States on September 17, 1787, here are a few videos that I hope will inspire you to at least memorize the brief, but powerful Preamble. First, here is my first attempt at video editing with the bare bones Windows Movie Maker (no ability to step through frame by frame with sound, or ability to mark stops before cutting). My daughters are reading the Preamble to the Constitution from the little book I carry in my purse. They can recite it by heart, but it I thought it would be a little different (and a little less exposed) if they did it this way. Let's not even talk about the 20 takes due to laughter. If you knew it as a child, don't worry, it'll come back to you as Barney shows in this video. Finally, a little treat for my sci-fi loving friends. And if memorizing and reciting The Preamble in creative ways leaves you wanting more, you can find out which Founding Father you...

Something I can agree with from an op-ed in The Boston Globe of all places! For the past century, our schools of education have obsessed over critical-thinking skills, projects, cooperative learning, experiential learning, and so on. But they have paid precious little attention to the disciplinary knowledge that young people need to make sense of the world. ---- For over a century we have numbed the brains of teachers with endless blather about process and abstract thinking skills. We have taught them about graphic organizers and Venn diagrams and accountable talk, data-based decision-making, rubrics, and leveled libraries. But we have ignored what matters most. We have neglected to teach them that one cannot think critically without quite a lot of knowledge to think about. Thinking critically involves comparing and contrasting and synthesizing what one has learned. And a great deal of knowledge is necessary before one can begin to reflect on its meaning and look for alternative expl...

I think mine is a better title for yesterday’s Boston Globe article, “ Why Capitalism Fails .” Of course I had to read it so I, too, could understand what exactly the author meant, not only by capitalism, but also by its failure. Although it was a five page article (as the web crow flies), I didn’t have to look too far to find the second answer. The author reveals that capitalism’s failure is in its inherent instability. While the article carried an awfully big stick with its title, it did not explain what capitalism is. Perhaps this is because it is a seemingly self-evident, oft- spoken term. But it is clear throughout the article that the author uses “capitalism” as a synonym for our “mixed economy”. It is not. With its Potemkin village of a title, the article is not about the failure of capitalism, but about the recently rediscovered brilliance of the late economist Hyman Minsky by some currently popular economists. Minsky, a lesser-known economist who shared educational experience...

I saw this a while back on one of Beth 's friend's blogs but I just thought of it again this morning and wanted to share it. It's kind of magical.

This is not that kind of tea party. Since we couldn’t make it to Washington, D.C. this weekend, I’ve decided to host a mini virtual Tea Party protest right here on 3 Ring Binder. You regular readers (Hi, Bob!) may recall that I was particularly reticent to join what I was certain was a worthy cause because of the slate of mixed messages – some of which I found plain wrong – supported by the various protestors. I am not a Republican, I am not a shill for any special interest group, I am not against the American government. I support those who are rallying to protest the burgeoning governmental programs proposed under guise of promoting the common welfare at the expense of individual rights. I support the very principles on which this country was built. To start this party, I offer you some quick videos regarding the principles underlying these tea party protests. Here is Dr. John Lewis giving his tea party speech in Boston on the Fourth of July this year. Dr. Lewis gets right to the h...

Bryan Larsen 's A New Height Please see the entire image and a letter explaining its inception at Quent Cordair Fine Art . And an early Happy Birthday to me!

It wasn’t exactly like any other Tuesday. It was my three year-old’s fifth day at The Children’s House and my first job interview in many years. Truthfully, I was more nervous about my little one’s reaction to being dropped off at Montessori than about my interview as my would-be boss was a friend. The drop-off was unmemorable. I’m sure there was some clinging and crying, but I had four days of experience with that already under my belt. I went home to get ready for the interview. A little before 9:00 that morning, one of my girlfriends from high school called me. “Are you watching TV?” “No, I’m getting ready for my interview. Why?” “Just put on the TV – we’ll talk later.” For a few minutes I thought I was seeing the violent scene of an horrific accident. Our annual Girls Weekend was scheduled in New York City the following weekend. This accident had the potential to impact our plans because the city would probably still be reeling from its effects. This was my concern. As I watched th...

So I can read ze Objectivist Round Up at Titanic Deck Chairs ! I'm particularly excited to read about Rational Jenn's Mythbusting: Ayn Rand, Mommies, and Children , and Trey Givens' Caveman-Friendly Shepherd's Pie as both subjects are near and dear to my heart.

A (the senior college boy): Has class from 3:00 straight through to 9:00 PM. “At least I got to sleep late.” B+ Of course, I talked to him before classes started. K (the junior in high school): “Peer-wise, I’d give it an ‘F’. Teacher-wise, a ’B+’, so overall…a ‘C-‘.” Well, that’s encouraging. V (the sixth grade homeschooler): “History was good. I had a little trouble with math.” C/D LB (the supposedly responsible adult): Not a good day for man nor beast! The kid was the man and I was the beast! It became increasingly difficult to assume positive intent when my only student made statements such as this: “Four times three is seven.” It was a long and apparently brain draining summer. D- The actual day was beautiful so we got outside a bit, collected eggs, and picked up V’s Wizard of Oz video. So, I've decided that I’m going to leave school behind for today with this encouraging thought: Tomorrow is another day.

Anna Karenina (1935) Anna Karenina (1997) This may be like cheating (giving you only four of the advertised five), but I’m going to discuss both versions of this movie in one paragraph. I loved this book for Tolstoy’s ability to describe the psychology underlying a situation, except for the motivation behind the driving action of the book: Anna taking up with Vronsky. I know I may be alone in this, but I never bought it. The 1935 movie did not disappoint me in this respect, as I found absolutely NOTHING to recommend Count Vronsky, the inconstant playboy, to me, the viewer. The 1997 version at least had me believing that Anna was very much sexually alive and that Vronsky was worthy of her attention (mostly due to the onscreen presence of Sophie Marceau and Sean Bean, respectively). So I found their relationship plausible, which I never did in the book and which I saw as the fatal mistake Anna made. Still, this is quite possibly a book that a movie cannot do justice to. [no ratings, mo...

Dancing, as it is equal parts celebration and perspiration, is the one form of exercise that I never tire of. Yes, I turn into a sweaty ball of exhilarated exhaustion quickly, but rather than being tedious or boring, the process is pure fun. The best part is that I have to train my mind and body to coordinate in a new way in order to experience the sheer pleasure such synchronized movement to music offers. Slowly, but consistently I’ve added to my dance style repertoire. Not that I actually ever go dancing anymore except for the occasional evening of swing, or other ballroom styles (and I do mean occasional), but I still love to learn new forms and dance at home. Instead of causing potential embarrassment to my children, so far, they’ve been dancing right along with me! It feels good to master even the simplest new choreography and add it to our spontaneously erupted, Tuesday-night-before-dinner, crank-the-music, free-for-all, flash dance parties. A few years ago I took up belly danci...

Clap your hands in rhythm, Romper stomp to the beat. Then step and clap together, With happy hands and feet. Thrust your hip to the downbeat, Pop and lock to the boom, Undulate to sound waves, In the smoky, crowded room. Rock-a-bye your princess, Swing ‘round your little boy. Twirl in the arms of a lover, Move as one, embracing joy. Turn your face to the sun, Stretch your arms open wide, Spin with wild abandon to The music you hear inside. Sway gently to the memories, Tap softly without waiver. The beauty of dancing is in The celebration and the savor.

It's at Rational Jenn 's!

From this month's newsletter: You may not be able to trade in your old jalopy anymore , but you can plunk down a little bit of cash ($41.50) and get a lot of cluckers: 25! All female, too! The normal price for these birds, plus shipping, is $100. Orders can ship as soon as next week . Go now Offer Valid on: * Easter Eggers * Rainbow Variety Pack * Rhode Island Reds * Barred Rocks Sale price: $41.50 List price: $100.00

Since I came from a country guilty of the worst tyranny on earth, I am particularly able to appreciate the meaning, the greatness and supreme value of that which you are defending. So, in my own name, and in the name of many people who think as I do, I want to say, to all the men of West Point, past, present, and future: Thank you. Ayn Rand, Philosophy: Who Needs It, 1974 THANKS TED (next screen) THE PEOPLE OF MASS Massachusetts DOT, Electronic Highway Sign, Sunday, August 30, 2009 In the first thank-you, I would resolutely include myself among those who are grateful. In the second, I have been not only included without my consent, but also made to pay the bill for the public display.