Full disclosure: I am an unabashed fan of both the professors Tollefsen.
So I was very happy when the Pulp.It pointed me towards Chris Tollefsen’s stomping grounds. Where you can read a series of essays debating the morality of Live Action’s undercover Planned Parenthood sting, including Tollefsen’s latest response this morning.
Desdemona’s Rabbit.Written by an internet friend (non-catholic, for those who worry about these things). What I really love: the rating system at the bottom of each review. And no, I have not read the same books Sy has read, so if she happens to like really really awful books, um, I can’t help that. I’m the one trying to read less this year, remember? You just go visit your local library and do your own due diligence.
There are some other good blogs I’ve added to the sidebar lately, and I know I have a handful I mean to add but keep forgetting. If yours is that site, give me a good swift kick. Thursday. Wednesday is packed.
Three of them:
1) Months on end spent vomiting really is excellent preparation for parenthood. Allows you to stand calmly in the bathroom door at midnight and give your child practical tips for dealing with her stomach virus. And you are thinking, “Ha. Wish I couldda kept my popsicles down when I was pregnant with you.” But you don’t say that. You are tender and encouraging, and very pleased with the thought that the likely break is coming not at 14 weeks, or 24 weeks, or heaven forbid 40 weeks, but probably in just a few hours. Still, you will be quite happy when it is all over.
2) P.G. Wodehouse. Our friend. Just the companion for the restless mother, relaxing in the wee hours between pep-rallies in the bathroom. Better on the second reading, I’ll add.
3) H/T to The Pulp.It for this article on why you should not shop on Sundays. And since I am not afraid to be insufferable, let me just totally ruin your plans . . . Going out to brunch does more of the same. Just say no.
Sunday: Get up. Get a shower. Go to Mass. Come home. Rest.
Works great every time*. Try it.
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*Actual mileage may very, subject to some limitations due to VOMITING CHILDREN. DID I MENTION VOMITING CHILDREN?! Actually just one of them. SuperHusband took the healthy people to the usual mass then penitentially kept them out on the playground awaaaay from the ill sibling. I went to the Spanish mass after lunch. Lovely Mass, need to go to it more often. Note to self: Learn Spanish. Worth the risk.
The reference to ninjas is tucked inside Simcha Fischer’s otherwise apolitical posting of a Loretta Lynn housewife song:
It seems like a pretty good follow-up to the March for Life, doesn’t it? You know, that day when hundreds of thousands of ninjas march to show their support of women and babies. I say “ninjas” because they somehow slip by the attention of the media — amazing! It’s like they were never there. And yet they get the job done.
Our local March for Life, however, was not entirely ignored by the media. Our free entertainment weekly, which doubles as our incisive political reporting weekly*, made mention of the event: Our intrepid reporter tells us that the March happened, and then utterly topples the foundations of the Pro-Life movement, by pointing out that all those aborted babies would have grown up to be criminals anyway.
Not his idea, he was citing Levitt & Dubner in the very famous Freakonomics. (The hardcover was published William Morrow, 2005. You can buy other versions now, of course.) The book doesn’t make any moral prescriptions, by the way — economists general don’t. But it really does set forth the theory that the drop in the crime rate that occurred in the 1990’s was the direct result of Roe v. Wade. The idea being that the really bad mothers know they are really bad mothers, so they abort their children rather than raising them up to a life of crime. And 18 years later, you and I reap the benefits of that instinctive act of preemptive genocide.
If only all those marching ninjas had known!
But all mockery aside, our reporter got to the bizarre heart of the Pro-Life movement: We actually believe that even the children of ne’er-do-wells should not be summarily executed. We are willing to take the risk that you, child of poverty, decadence, and a very broken home, may or may not live out the hope embodied in your cute little baby smile.
Radical freedom. The idea that the right to life belongs even the children of those other kinds of people. The idea that having lousy parents is not, in itself, a capital crime.
And so I’m thankful to our reporter for giving us such a clear vision of the divide. We see how those who want to apply the abortion chapter of Freakonomics to public policy feel about the human race: What’s a few million dead bodies, if it lowers the crime rate?
Which explains why you would need thousands upon thousands of ninjas, if you wanted to go head-to-head with a regime like that.
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*I am not kidding about the politics — in addition to vast coverage of bars, restaurants, and services with 1-900 phone numbers, it really is the only local paper that does investigative reporting. And we wonder why the mainstream newspapers are failing.
CAITU: Coolest Author In The Universe.
[Be French. Speak in Acronyms. It’s good for your brain.]
I’ve lately determined that the CAITU is John McNichols. Who totally took care of my beleaguered boy after my complaining post the other week. And that’s not the first time he’s proven his credentials, though I will not embarrass him with too many tales of his kindness to internet strangers.
(And FYI, no I’m not an old friend of his brother-in-law’s cousin’s law school roommate’s favorite veterinarian. I have no stock in Sophia Press. I get no commission on the sales of Tripods Attack, which you should read, because it is fun and because it is what we need more of — enjoyable catholic fiction.)
So that’s how you become the CAITU. AND you write a steampunk alternative history alien-attack G.K. Chesterton catholic thriller, AND you take care of the fans with Strom Thurmondesqe responsiveness.
Nominations for SCAITU are still open. I think maybe the alien thing isn’t strictly required. But it helps.
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Other Castle News:
Thinking of going with Kolbe next year. For the two big kids. Am open to opinions if anyone wants to share. (Have already mined the brains of a couple trusted internet friends who are long time happy Kolbe families.) The reason is this: My kids really like checklists. Love ’em. Mr. Boy just wants to get his assignments, get them done, and be free. Aria likes forms so much she begged the SuperHusband to buy her a blank receipt book she saw at the hardware store. (I consoled her by printing off a handful of 1040-EZ’s to play with. She’s thrilled.)
We were planning to switch to a more formal curriculum with one of the major catholic curriculum providers come high school. Mr. Boy will be hitting middle school, so time to make the transition and learn the expectations, so he isn’t blown out of the water in 9th grade. Kolbe has a decent no-nonsense high school curriculum* of the kind that has gotten students into college for the past three generations or so. AND, they issue checklists. Which would free me up from writing my own.
So that’s what we’re thinking about.
Despite being a little out of rhythm this week, due to relatives visiting over the weekend, school is going pretty well this month. Which is noteworthy any time you combine “homeschooling” with “january”. What we’ve been doing is after breakfast and a morning clean-up, kids work independently on checklist items. (For the two littles, that’s just a box of activities they can choose from at will.) Then I call each kid in for an individual class, youngest to oldest. Then group class for penmanship, french and science. Then big kids get work assignments for the afternoon, and littles are free. When we stick to this, it runs pretty smoothly, and everyone is happy.
January is Science Fair Month. We took a break from Zoo Pass Science Class to work through A Drop of Water, and this week kids are now pausing that to conduct science experiments. Mr. Boy wants to know if acorns pop like popcorn. Aria asks whether hard boiled eggs truly are easier to peel if you plunge them into ice water after cooking. And the Bun is attempting to freeze bubbles. Results to be revealed to the admiring real-life public on the 29th.
Deskavation Sucessful. Found it. Wood! Then lost it again. And I’ll have you know my miraculously-given organizational system is still working, even with intermittent clutter-flooding. But here’s what, and sit down before you read this: The girls room is clean. Consistently clean. Three girls ages 4, 6 & 8, in a 12×12 room that is also used for storage. As the SuperHusband said before we tackled the place, we have 1950’s living space, 1990’s lifestyle. (And I would add: 1930’s personality.)
We cleared out the excess junk, designated and labled places for everything, including certain spots labeled “empty” so no one tries to pile stuff there. Then we developed a successful inspection method. We go through the room, and check each drawer and shelf, and toss anything that doesn’t belong there into the middle of the floor. I look on the label to remember. It is so much easier to ask “Are all the things in this space the ones on the label?” than it is to try to negotiate a generic sort of fuzzy standard of cleanliness.
The foot is great. Not exactly normal, but highly highly functional. In the category of attending pro-life marches, visiting museums, grocery shopping, cleaning out the house, all that stuff. It’ll do.
That’s the highlights of castle news. Upcoming on the blog:
And should I start a deskavation series? Because here’s the thing: Most organizational tips are written by people who are already organized. So they say ridiculous things like “throw out your catalogs as soon as they arrive”, or “write all event dates in your calendar the moment you learn of them, then throw the original away”. Ha! You make it sound so easy.
But I’m thinking that just like there people who can’t magically keep their bank accounts balanced just by “spending less”, but need little tricks like cash envelopes to make it work, there are people like me who need painfully obvious baby-step methods to keep the house running smoothly. And we’re discovering some of these things. So I thought maybe that might be helpful. Or else entertaining, in a voyeuristic reality-show kind of way.
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*Yes, I know that this whole “classical” education label thing is about as accurate a historical replica as a Red Ryder wagon is to a horse and carriage. That’s fine. I’m not running a seminary here. We are the trade-and-merchant class, our children are signed up for a nice practical education that will get them into engineering school. And ask my pastor about roofs, sound boards, and programmable thermostats — you could do worse than a business or engineering degree if you have a calling to become a parish priest. But for those who really do want the same type of education as Thomas Aquinas (whose grandfather was not a plumber), this guy is doing his best to re-create just that.
I’ve got a real weak spot for people who take the Gospel earnestly. Joel & Rachel write here about “Why We Love the Mennonites”. They share seven ways the Mennonites they have known act like actual Christians. Point #7 gets to the heart of it*:
Jesus is the centre of everything they do. All the points mentioned above are because they are trying to take Jesus seriously as he is presented in the Bible. That following Jesus is about more than just saying a one-time prayer. But it is entering into a kingdom that is slowly permeating and overtaking this world. Not in violent, loud ways, but in subtle ways. In a powerful love that actually believes the love of Christ is the most powerful force in this world and God entrusted his people with that power to use it for his glory and for his kingdom. Sometimes in Christian circles that become very social justice driven, for some reason Jesus plays a less central role. I love the Mennonites because Jesus is the center and is the motivation for everything they do.
Other than a disagreement about the details of non-violence, and of course the necessary passion for good catechesis, this is all catholic teaching. (It is not a huge surprise that protestants talking about protestants tend to prefer doctrinal minimalism. You just ignore that part.)
Take-away lesson is this: Act like a Christian. If you managed to pull off all seven points, you could accidentally end up beatified.
And your hostess, Guilty Party #1, adds this: Don’t whine about church unity when you haven’t got your act together. This is exactly why the church is all torn up right now. Peace and unity are the product of holiness, not the other way around.
This ends our morning kick-in-the-pants. Have a great Wednesday.
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*Apparently good German cooking is strictly optional. Though didn’t Thomas Aquinas study in Cologne? And see how well he turned out. I wouldn’t toss the spaetzle too hastily.
This is an excellent event. Free, no-obligation, and exceedingly helpful. Highly recommended. Open to any kind of writer, any skill level.
And FYI they are still accepting presenters. Say, if you could totally write the book, so to speak, on how to build the perfect bad guy, or maintain suspense, or some other important writerly skill. Ahem.
–> Classes BTW can be either a discussion-forum class led all week, or a on-hour, one-time chat session Q&A. (Or both — some people combine.) So you can pick the format that suits your needs and availability.
Here’s a little info from the conference website:
The annual Catholic Writers’ Conference Online is scheduled for March 21-27. Why join this conference?
* It’s Free!
* It’s Online! All classes are held via live scheduled chats or week-long forums. Work it around your busy schedule. Take as many or as few classes as you wish.
* It’s Opportunity! Meet writers, editors, publishers and marketers from around the world! Pitch Sessions with publishers (Catholic and non-Catholic) are available on a limited basis.
* It’s a Blessing!Calendar of Events for Presenters and Attendees:REGISTRATION: September 16-March 1
Feb 28: Deadline for Presenter sign-up with bio, description of course (please use survey link)
Feb 28: Deadline for Presenters who will hear pitch sessions to send guidelines or link to guidelines (please use survey link)
Feb 28: Deadline for presenter Amazon links for the Conference Kiosk
Feb 28: Deadline for presenter Banner ads
March 1: Deadline for participant sign-up
March 10: Presenters wishing to have us post handouts should send them
March 1-15 (or until full): Registration for presenting book pitches to publishers
March 15-21: Presenters post handouts and forum lessons
Learn more at www.catholicwritersconference.com.
http://educationnorthwest.org/resource/464
Internet friend pointed me here – guidelines for how to evaluate a student paper. (Thank you Sue.) Apparently “re-write until it is publishable or I get sick of it, whichever comes first” is not the best way to run a homeschool. Haven’t looked through the whole site, so don’t have an opinion. But figured if I stuck it here, I wouldn’t lose it. And could be of interest to others.
Painful news: Sophia is looking for a buyer. My eldest is going to cry if these turns of event delay the publishing of Emperor of North America. So would somebody please purchase this company. And then print my boy his book. Thank you.
H/T to Bearing for posting this. Here is the website for the study, if you are interested in participating.
Here is the entry at clinicaltrials.gov to see if you qualify. (Scroll down on the U.Utah page to the bottom if this last link doesn’t work. There’s a link there.) The point is to find a bunch of people using the Creighton Model, and follow them to see how effective a method it is.
(The hypothesis is a 1% method-failure unexpected pregnancy rate. I think that sounds ballpark to me, wouldn’t be surprised if study confirmed that.)
FYI’s for the uninitiated: “Natural Family Planning” means learning to read your body’s natural fertility signs, and then you either engage or avoid in intercourse depending on what results you would like. Men are crazy easy to read — barring a medical problem, they’re fertile all the time. Women are on-and-off: You cannot actually get pregnant any day of the cycle, but there’s a real trick in figuring out which days are the baby days, and which are not.
The Creighton Model is a very effective and obsessively scientific type of NFP. Trust me your instructor will not tolerating any ‘winging it’. If you wish to understand cervical mucus, there is no better way. No better.
[But, but. You will have to toss that thermometer. No thermometers for CM, nosireebob. Back awaaaay from the thermometer. Handy in the wilderness, yes.]
Check it out if you are a Creighton user, or have always wanted to be one. Now’s your big chance.
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FYI The Creighton Model can also be used for achieving pregnancy. As a first line for trying to solve an infertility problem, this is where you want to be. Catholic or not. Creighton has the corner on “We Help You Figure Out What Is Going Wrong So You Can Get Pregnant”. And bunch of options for treatment that are not one-size-fits-all expensive dangerous craziness. Top notch work there. Worth a look if you are trying to conceive and not having much luck.
