gdp's Comments

Ludwig von Mises Institute : The Common School Movement and Compulsory Education - Barry Dean Simpson - Mises Institute

Wed, 23 May 2012 01:32:51 +0000

See "You Need a Schoolhouse: Booker T. Washington, Julius Rosenwald, and the Building of Schools for the Segregated South" by Stephanie Deutsch. An excellent history of private school for African-Americans.

Breitbart.com : CDC: Bread beats out chips as biggest salt source

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 20:49:39 +0000

But what if salt isn't so bad for you? http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=...

Big Hollywood : As Leftist Hollywood Turns Their Back Against Breast Cancer Reseach, Patricia Heaton Stands Up for K

Fri, 3 Feb 2012 18:29:21 +0000

I know - pathetic.

Big Hollywood : As Leftist Hollywood Turns Their Back Against Breast Cancer Reseach, Patricia Heaton Stands Up for K

Fri, 3 Feb 2012 17:07:50 +0000

But it appears that Komen has received a rush of donations following their decision - perhaps those who were not comfortable with their money going to Planned Parenthood now feel they can donate to Komen.

Big Hollywood : 'Hunger Games' Book Trilogy Celebrates Freedom, Smaller Government

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:12:45 +0000

While "The Hunger Games" is probably the most popular right now, there are a lot of post-apocalyptic totalitarian society books and series out there for young adults: Matched, Wither, Legend, Roar. It's become a popular sub-genre (thank God for anything that doesn't involve vampires!) I wonder if it is because it gives youth a sense of empowerment that they can be an influence against tyranny and do not simply have to endure it. I recently had the opportunity to meet Phillip Riteman, a Holocaust survivor who speaks in high schools, and I was struck by the thought that these sorts of books can help reinforce the idea of "never again."

Ludwig von Mises Institute : In Praise of Homeschools - Aaron Smith - Mises Daily

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:49:53 +0000

I have to agree with the other posters that this is not a homeschool issue, but a parenting issue. My 3 cousins went to public school, and their parents were very controlling.

Ludwig von Mises Institute : In Praise of Homeschools - Aaron Smith - Mises Daily

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:37:31 +0000

I have 4 children and it's true that I can't spend 6 hours each day on one-on-one tutoring with each child. However, I can individualize each child's curriculum so that it suits their particular learning style, and I can spend individual time with each child as necessary when they are struggling with a concept. I think I have a lot more time for individualized instruction in a homeschool with multiple children than a teacher in a classroom of 15-30 students.

Frontpage Magazine : Poor Get Richer, Rich Get Poorer

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 13:01:11 +0000

But I don't WANNA wait until I'm in my mid-50's to make that much money! It's so UNFAIR! I wanna make that much money NOW!!!! I graduated from college in 1999 with $30K worth of student loan debt and a degree in biochemistry (one of the much-touted STEM fields). My job offers ranged from $22K (in academia) -$30K (in private industry) a year. I was thrilled. Granted, the economy has changed since then, but who told these kids that they could graduate from college and start at $50-$75K? They live in a dream world and will tear the real one down if we don't let them stay there.

Big Government : Financial Reality Part III: Reforming Social Security

Tue, 1 Mar 2011 03:05:33 +0000

My husband and I are both 33 and while we know we will be paying payroll taxes until we retire - we are not counting on one dime of SS. We both figure it will be kaput by then. So we're paying for retired seniors (and the disabled, and everyone else SS covers these days) now, and also saving for our own retirement on a middle-class income, while raising four kids. Not easy, but responsible.

NewsReal Blog : New Book: "Cinderella Ate My Daughter" Blames Disney Princesses for Lost "Girl Power"

Thu, 3 Feb 2011 19:33:04 +0000

Good grief - my girls are little. They aren't old enough for Elizabeth Bennet, Eleanor Dashwood, or even Anne Shirley yet. Frankly, my daughters are more likely to ask to watch a Miyazaki film - which are lovely movies and I think the characters in them are wonderful. But if they ask for Cinderella, they won't be getting a lecture on the finer points of gender roles and unrealistically drawn physical characteristics, they're going to watch Cinderella and race around the house pretending to be the mice getting her dress ready.

NewsReal Blog : New Book: "Cinderella Ate My Daughter" Blames Disney Princesses for Lost "Girl Power"

Fri, 28 Jan 2011 19:57:08 +0000

I have friends completely opposed to Disney princesses, because they are too "commercial". But as the mother of 4 daughters I have a different view. Disney princesses have strong character. Disney princesses know right from wrong and stand for what's right. Disney princesses are attractive while being modest. Disney princesses are kind. Disney princesses are intelligent and well-spoken. Disney princesses insist that their prince have these qualities as well. While there may be some exceptions to any of these for a particular princess - in general I find Disney princesses to be wonderful role models for my girls.

Big Government : Helping Bright Kids Succeed Should Be A No-Brainer

Sun, 19 Dec 2010 20:49:19 +0000

The "gifted" program in my high school consisted of getting together once a week to practice logic puzzles. Say it with me now: Ohhh! Aaaaah! Reason #436 I'm homeschooling my children.

NewsReal Blog : Twenty Questions About Pornography. This Is A Test.

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 13:52:21 +0000

"Pornography is a multi-billion dollar industry, right up there with guns and drugs." I agree. Whether or not something is a multi-billion dollar industry has nothing to do if something is immoral or dangerous.

NewsReal Blog : Why My Kids Don't Watch Television

Wed, 13 Oct 2010 14:24:56 +0000

We carefully monitor what our kids watch but I admit to sometimes using the TV as a "babysitter". I thought about this A LOT and decided that I have less guilt over this than the alternative. The alternative is to busy my children with some other project while I cook dinner/nurse the baby/make important phone calls. But anything else (puzzles, crafts, free play time) results in constant calls for assistance, or the need for a referee, or "Mommy, Mommy look at what I made. Now look again because I added one more line!" In the end, I have to tell them, "Mommy cannot help you or look at what you are doing anymore or you will never have dinner to eat." That makes me feel MUCH more guilty than letting them watch Max and Ruby for half an hour. Then when I'm finished with what I need to do, we can do our project together and I can give them my undivided attention and that's much less stressful for me. Then again, I'm a stay-at-home homeschool Mom with 4 kids between the ages of 8 and 7 months, surviving on very little sleep and even less productive time - so I pretty much feel guilty about everything (including reading this blog instead of doing the dishes). I hope thing will be different when everyone's a little older and I'm a little more rested. :)

NewsReal Blog : I Now Pronounce You Temporary Lovers

Thu, 7 Oct 2010 15:28:28 +0000

I was the first member of my family to go to college - I got a degree in biochemistry. I also met my husband (yeah, college was an expensive dating service). After college we were both working and somehow I thought I would go on to get a PhD and run my own lab while having 3-4 kids and NOT putting them in daycare (my Mom HAD to work and I always swore I would never put my kids in daycare). Fortunately, nature messed up my plans and I got pregnant on the Pill before I could run up more debt in graduate school. 8 years later, I'm a proud stay-at-home homeschool Mom of four lovely daughters. But I really struggled with it for a while, because I was always taught in my public school education that intelligent women didn't stay at home. It was a new era and we had a responsibility to be MORE for all those poor housewives who hated their lives. I won't subject my girls to that.

NewsReal Blog : Hot Post: Why Johnny's So Pissed Off

Thu, 23 Sep 2010 14:54:28 +0000

@RuyDiaz - As someone with a degree in Biochemistry who has taken several genetics courses - there are no genes for "lack of self control, violence, and so on." While mental illnesses (such as bipolar disorder) have genetic components, plenty of people are screwed up by their environments and have no genetics to blame. I, on the other hand, was raised in a dysfunctional household with a drug addicted and alcoholic father. My response was "Screw this - my adult life will NOT be like this." And it's not. I am not required to re-live my father's life due to some genetic predisposition, and neither is anyone else.

NewsReal Blog : Odd Mom Out: In Defense of Nerdy Parents

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 13:57:35 +0000

I loved "Bringing Up Geeks". Since my kids are still small (my oldest is 8) I appreciated her recommendations for social networking (e-mail, facebook, etc). I know what you mean about wishing you could live in a community with like-minded people. The nice thing for us is that we homeschool our kids and that has made us seek out like-minded people for friends for our kids, since we don't have a built in peer group from our local school. I've found that even in New Jersey, there are lots of people who are still raising their kids in a traditional way. I really think it's the media messages that make us think we're odd and in it all alone.

Big Journalism : National Public Radio: Choosing Sides and Controlling the Terms Of the Debate With Our Money

Sun, 4 Jul 2010 14:47:52 +0000

The other term I see a lot referring to the pro-life movement is "anti-choice." As though simply being against choice with no context is a bad thing (and in our post-modern, relative morality culture - I guess it is). But I say, if the choice is between killing a baby and not killing a baby, then HELL YES I'm anti-choice. These people have taken what should always be a heartbreaking, ethical dilemma that is a sad part of living in this world and turned into a right of convienience. It's appalling.

NewsReal Blog : 50 Years Later and the Pill Still Hasn’t Given Feminists the Penises they were Promised!

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 16:56:45 +0000

NewsReal Blog : 50 Years Later and the Pill Still Hasn’t Given Feminists the Penises they were Promised!

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 16:56:01 +0000

How does making birth control an over the counter medicine jive with the complaint that insurance companies don't always pay for it? Last I heard, insurance companies didn't pay for any over the counter medicines. @ Rob - I'm a stay-at-home Mom - my husband makes 100% of the income, I spend most of the discretionary funds as I do all the household shopping. But my husband doesn't mind because it means he rarely has to step foot in a shopping center! :)