Not Dead Yet

Realistically, it will probably be the end of November before this blog starts getting updated again. The contract I am on is 100% travel right now, and is consuming all of my time. When I'm home on weekends, I want to spend it with my family. As a result, I don't really know what's going on in the world; and I don't want to write just to write.

Anyway, I'll be back, but probably not for a bit.

Thanks for reading.

The Graveyard of the National League

Oh well, maybe next year.

Yet Another Reason to Defund Government Schools

Frankly, I'm more disappointed than surprised by this.

Tell me again why a teacher employed by the government is teaching - seriously, not as a thought experiment - that the Constitution is inherently violent and unsupportable, because it makes it a duty of government to actually defend the citizens? Feh.

Carnival of the Capitalists

Real life has left me remiss in blog posting, but I did want to make sure to mention Jay Solo's new Carnival of the Capitalists. It is based on the Carnival of the Vanities, with content focused on capitalism, markets and the like. The first edition is here.

Do They Still Play the Blues in Chicago?

Not today!

They're Playing with my Head!

While the Cubbies are making me nervous, Pejmanesque has a prayer good for a laugh.

Hey, Cool!

I just noticed that Belligerent Bunny Blog is back!

Fan Baiting

It appears that David Adesnik has taken to baiting Harry Potter fans. Time to pop some popcorn and watch the show.

Good

Excellent news from Central Command, as the probable abductors and killers of two US soldiers - Sgt. 1st Class Gladimir Philippe, and Pfc. Kevin Ott - are captured (well, three captured, and one killed in the attempt). In addition, the prisoners were apparently active agents of resistance to the US occupation.

As Tasty Manatees (where I got the link) noted: "Military tribunal. Hanging." Yep, I think that would send about the right message.

Zero Tolerance Means not Having to Think

Zero tolerance means not having to think, and that is why it is such a good fit with public schooling. But this is more than just unthinking - it's stupid. (hat tip: One Hand Clapping) I mean, we can't let a little thing like actually educating children who aren't otherwise causing problems get in the way of just retribution for those little rulebreakers leaving their shirts untucked!

What is really terrible about this, actually, is that zero tolerance dress codes do provide a sort of education. They teach children that rules are arbitrary and mindless, and authority figures (teachers and administrators) are either complicit in their breaking or responsible for enforcing them no matter how pointless they might be. They teach corruption, bribery and toadying. They teach that school is not concerned with academics or learning, no matter what your teachers tell you while they work on their exercise routines after plopping you in front of a movie (honors English, 7th grade, happened to me).

Somehow, I think that's not the education taxpayers expected the government to provide.

UPDATE: Gak! It was 10th grade, as Steph points out in the comments. That's what I get for posting while apoplectic.

UPDATE 2: Kimberly Swygert comments on this as well - about an hour before I did in fact.

Breast or Bottle

There is likely nothing more heated than general policy questions about raising children and keeping them healthy. Everyone who has children has a stake in such debates. Among the most heated of these debates has to be whether it is preferable to breast or bottle feed.

There are more than two sides to this debate. There are breastfeeding activists, for whom any formula feeding is evil. There are women who feed their babies formula for convenience, and are fine with that. There are women who feed their babies formula for lifesaving reasons, because they are unable to feed their babies otherwise. There are women who feed their babies for convenience, but cannot face that. Some of these women are pretty defensive about formula, and mixing them with the breastfeeding activists can be volatile.

Steph strikes the right balance, I think. Of course, I would say that, because she is my wife and these decisions involved me. That said, life isn't fair, and it is unalterably true that the life of an infant depends upon his mother, and my role in these decisions was decidedly minor. So go read Steph's article.

Power

Bill Whittle writes about the moral use of power. You must read this. Seriously.