Good morning...

the view from my window.

After agonizing for weeks about where to put my computer desk (ok - maybe "agonizing" is a bit over the top), I decided to place it an angle beside my office window.   For years I have sat at my computer with my back to the window and had no idea of all the things I was missing.  Several times a day I'm able to witness the "march of the quail" as they file by in perfect order along the fence.  All sorts of little birds come to visit and sit in the tree branches within mere inches of the window.

I'm able to see cars coming down our private road (which will be very important if we're ever invaded by aliens), and observe the demented and quite vicious chihuahuas that live on the other side of us when they are out roaming around.  Our house sits very close to the property line on the west side.  The barn belongs to our "good" neighbor, while on the east side the "bad" neighbor, who owns the chihuahuas, is blessedly acres away.  

Next (shhhhhhh - don't tell hubby 'cause this will be his job) I'm going to have him put up a bracket over my window and install one of our bird feeders on a little pulley system for easy filling so I'll be able to watch the little birdies all winter.  Life is good!   

 Homeschooling

Pundette has the "must read" of the day about homeschooling.

Getting know where: Public school kids explain why it's better than homeschooling 

 

It would be funny, if it wasn't so sad, to read some of the comments.  Without fail, the students that my husband teaches (guitar, banjo, mandolin) who are homeschooled are bright, charming, hard workers, and able to carry on an intelligent conversation with an adult. 

It is rare for him to teach a public school kid who isn't much above the level of a "drooler", which is what we call them.  These public school children are not stupid - they're simply uneducated.  The worse part is neither the parents or the kids are the least bit aware of how dumb and dysfunctional these kids are.
 
Jeffrey Tucker, over at Whisky and Gunpowder, wrote an excellent article where he dares to ask the question:  "What's going on with the occupests?"

What is going on here? Let’s speak the unspeakable truth that is still nearly taboo in today’s world. They were raised by government. From the ages of 6-18, they were tended to by the state in a system they were forced to join.

This is a point made first in an incredible book published in 1974, edited by William Rickenbacker. It is called The Twelve-Year Sentence. It is not only one of the greatest titles in the history of publishing; it is a rare book that dared to say what no one wanted to hear. True, the essays are all scholarly and precise (the book came out of an academic conference), but a fire for liberty burns hot below the footnoted surface. Especially notable: This book came out long before the homeschooling movement, long before a remnant of the population began to see what was happening and started bailing out. read it all

A few "must see" videos:

Capitalist Preservation:  Chuck Woolery on Foreign Oil

Proof Positive brings us Bill Whittle:  Three and a Half Days