So we are going through a bible study, The Ten Commandments from the Following God series in my women’s study at church. We are on #9, No Stealing, and a discussion began during our Tuesday morning leader’s meeting about businesses. We were talking about how executives embezzle and companies declare bankruptcy just to avoid paying creditors (which is not really part of the book study). We were wondering when and why this behavior became acceptable for business. Frankly, it is because we don’t care (as a society) as long as prices are low. Well, I (and some of my friends) are not happy with that. In some cases, you should chose to patronize companies that promote something you believe in. A local and personal example for me is Majesty Bibles and Gifts. It is a locally owned Bible bookstore and they support churches in the area. So when I could shop at a slightly cheaper option I try to go visit Harry (the owner of Majesty).

On to the main point. We as homeschoolers have a variety of curriculum options to choose from. I have heard about some great things that one of these companies has done. With all of the damage that Katrina wrought, the Red Cross sent people to the effected areas from Fresno including a family from my church. They were sent to go help at a church that also had a small school. Due to the flooding, everything stored under 6 feet high was lost. My friend asked a woman with the school what they were going to do about all the lost curriculum. The woman started crying and my friend apologized for asking. The woman said it wasn’t a problem, she was crying out of joy. A Beka was going to replace all of their curriculum for free. So a couple of months later A Beka came to Fresno to show their products (as they do a couple of times a year). My friend relayed the interaction with the woman and asked if it was true. The sales rep said that A Beka was replacing all curriculum that was lost anywhere due to Katrina. This is going to cost A Beka a lot of money and they didn’t make a big media show out of it.

Now, I do know that A Beka isn’t always the cheapest option of books and definitely not when there are used options out there. But, if you are even considering it and the only reason you wouldn’t use them is due to price, please reconsider. If we want to encourage such behavior we need to support it!

BTW, I haven’t yet purchased anything by A Beka and I am not associated with them in any way.

I, like many people in the US, is concerned over the well being of Abdul Rahman. I have read a variety of posts and heard a plethera of news segments. I have to say that I also wonder what our position and role, as a nation, should be in all this. Shaun Groves talked about the wisdom of aiding a group that is opposed to the freedom we stand for, especially as Christians. I believe in religious freedom. I also believe in not being unequally yoked with those who do not share our beliefs (for example, I would only marry a Christian or go into business with one). But we are not a Christian nation, we are a Christianized nation so the evaluation doesn’t need to be the same. Also, did we truly “partner” with Afghanistan or are we helping them? Is it our right to set out what their society should be? A commenter on Shlog also pointed out that Christ helped those who wouldn’t worship Him. He healed 10 lepers but only one returned to thank and worship Him.
So all that said what are we as a nation to do? I have to say that I like what Mark Steyn said in his column:

I can understand why the president and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice would rather deal with this through back channels, private assurances from their Afghan counterparts, etc. But the public rhetoric is critical, too. At some point we have to face down a culture in which not only the mob in the street but the highest judges and academics talk like crazies. Abdul Rahman embodies the question at the heart of this struggle: If Islam is a religion one can only convert to, not from, then in the long run it is a threat to every free person on the planet.

What can we do? Should governments with troops in Afghanistan pass joint emergency legislation conferring their citizenship on this poor man and declaring him, as much as Karzai, under their protection?

In a more culturally confident age, the British in India were faced with the practice of “suttee” – the tradition of burning widows on the funeral pyres of their husbands. Gen. Sir Charles Napier was impeccably multicultural:
“You say that it is your custom to burn widows. Very well. We also have a custom: When men burn a woman alive, we tie a rope around their necks, and we hang them. Build your funeral pyre; beside it, my carpenters will build a gallows. You may follow your custom. And then we will follow ours.”

If we are protecting some in Afghanistan, shouldn’t we also protect others? Over all I have to say that God will receive glory. Either this man will be martyred and with Christ. Then it will cause many to check out Christ to see what the Muslims are afraid of. Or he will be released. His life will be spared and the humanity of a society will grow. There is nothing we can all do but pray (and blog;).

Carnival of Kid Comedy #3 is up and the NerdBug’s silliness is mentioned! Thanks Life in a Shoe for hosting!

IBM researchers put a 50MHz ring oscillator circuit on a single carbon nanotube molecule. Moore’s Law still applies!

I was cruising some of the other pro-homeschooling blogs and found The Common Room: Outrage of another sort. She pointed out the problem this piece of a poli sci lecture:

“Bottom line: We can reasonably conclude that infant mortality would appear to be a more pressing policy priority in a poor country like Cuba than it is in the United States. You should be outraged, especially given the disparity in the wealth of the two countries.”

Did it ever accur that leaving some things out of the goverment policy wonk’s hands might be the reason for success? It is stuff like this and geography teachers who say that Bush is like Hitler, that convince me I can homeschool. BTW what does that have to do with geography?

I have figured out why all the anger and back biting is in the blogosphere. It appears to be the only way to get comment traffic. It appears that if you post positive, non-inflammitory and informative items no one has anything to say. Come on people and prove me wrong. If you like see something that is interesting, say so and why! I find this not only on my site but others also. Let us revolutionize the blogosphere.

to build a Lego aircraft carrier. This must be seen to be appreciated.

I always tell people that if I didn’t love software development so much, I’d be a physicist researching new materials. There are new, cool things being developed all the time: paints that generate electricity, flexible LEDs that outperform Neon lights, solids that are more than 99% air.

If you ever read an article about a new material, always be on the lookout for words that start with “super”. That may not sound as exciting at “ultra” or “mega”, but in physics, “super” is where the crazy things happen. A supercondutive loop of wire can hold an electric current forever. A superfluid, placed in a closed loop, can flow endlessly without friction. And then there’s superhydrophobia, superdiamagnetism, supersolids, …

The Homeschooling Carnival is up over at Phat Mommy. Check it out!

Ok, so while I am ironing and trying to convince the older 2 nerdlings to take a nap, I am also finishing a pretty good movie. Now that I have 3 kids I watch movies in pieces. So, on to the movie…I just finished watching Monster-in-Law with Jennifer Lopez. I was expecting a fluffy light hearted movie and that is what I got. I have to say that it was better than I expected. The story line was mostly concerning the Jane Fonda character and the J-Lo character. I was pleased to see that Michael Vartan’s character wasn’t the idiot male character that is prevelant in these chick flicks. It was really clean, which was somewhat shocking given the subject. I would recommend this as a date movie. Now, NerdDad did opt out of this movie but I wanted to watch something while he was at work. So that is just my 2 cents, what did the rest of you think of the movie?