Lions and Eagles

Two weeks into Digital Learning Days with our kids. A bit of a learning curve at first, but we are not missing the old routine. I don't have to drag kids out of bed in time for a school bell. Classwork is generally done by noon. Afternoons are a mix of playtime and "practical learning", helping with cooking and cleaning. Don't get me wrong, we really like the teachers our kids ended up with this year. (Not every year has been this good.) But we don't miss the traditional school routine. The thing that holds us back from considering this as a long term choice is the impact on our work situations. More of an issue for my wife than for me, but there's no way I could do this without her. I'm glad we've had this experience. I'm sorry for the circumstances, the fear and uncertainty so many in the world are facing right now. I worry about the businesses and restaurants shutting down, how many will have trouble opening up again? The most dishea...

A good friend sent me an article today that was an interesting read. The crux of the article was that, while Steve Job's genius and willing to be "foolishly" creative contributed to Apple's success, the real credit goes to the government for subsidizing twelve particular technologies that Apple used in their products. This excerpt presents these technologies, and the fact that their development was subsidized by the government, as if to say that they would not have been developed if the government had not been involved. On that basis, the government seems to get all of the credit for Apple's success. But, until someone invents a device to accurately peer into alternate timelines and universes, we can't know for certain how these technologies, or even better, might have been invented on their own. People have been inventing for tens of thousands of years. We're rather good at it. Apple got to be big because their products were good, and their marketing...

I could have gone to an awards ceremony for Atlanta's professional theatres Monday night. Atlanta's version of the Tony's. With my wife representing Academy Theatre, she was dressed up and looking gorgeous, and she had two tickets, which included food and drink tickets for the bar. She went, and she brought a friend, and she had a marvelous time. I must be some sort of glutton for punishment. I went instead to go watch the Fayette County Board of Education steamroll over the objections of citizens, neighbors, experts, and even the government of Peachtree City. I went knowing that they were not going to listen to any more public input. I went knowing that their reasons and excuses were empty and full of contradictions. I went knowing that the only thing I would be able to do would be to stare them down. I sat through nearly an hour and 45 minutes of presentations. A presentation on the CCRPI indicators.(Summary: Even Fayette's "bad" schools are looking ...

Every election, I try to do some sort of voting research, and write up my opinions on the coming races. This time around, we have a simple election with just municipal races, and I did something new. I met individually with each of the candidates for my town council, and sat down for a conversation. It was an interesting experience, definitely enlightening, and I hope that I gave each of them some new food for political thought even as I learned about them.

I've gotten into an interesting Facebook conversation on rights. It started with an event invite to an upcoming meeting of local Libertarians on gun politics. A curious Facebooker asked a question, and I found that my answer was getting long, so, here it is in blog form:

Last night I went to a Q&A session with a couple of members of the school board for parents and members of the community. (I'm both.) Very nice event. Very glad I went out, and it was very encouraging to see the good turnout in the room. Steve Brown did a fine job of moderating, offering up questions gathered from parents via Facebook, and live audience had a number of questions as well. I have a few reactions to their questions.

I admit it: I’m a huge fan of sci-fi. From Mary Shelley and H.G. Wells, Ray Bradbury and Isaac Asimov, to Gene Roddenberry and every single superhero movie to come out in the last decade, I just can’t get enough. The imagination, the spectacle, the endless possibilities of hope… and, of course, utopias and dystopias that teach us about the best and worst of humanity.