Unschool Radical

We are feeling the pain of buying too much too fast. We have lived pretty much denying ourselves nothing. Well that’s not true- we are very much in the habit of penny wise and foolish. I am very good at economizing with food budget and getting great deals, where we fall apart is the big tickets stuff.

we have a normal middle class house, we have an inground pool, trailer, hot tub, tons of toys, wii, ps3, 2 cars and a motorcycle and bunch of other “stuff We all have video Ipods and digital cameras and more computers and laptops than people in the house. We live beyond our means.

We have decided to take the horse by the reigns and pull ourselves together and get rid of this lifetime habit of buying now and paying later and saying yes to each other when we should say no.
We have a a lot of debt. We also have a lot of stress. And there have been some sleepless nights at times. I can make money doing some free lance consulting work and have let that slide over the winter months.

So, now it is time to pay the piper and face reality. i am going to try and chronicle my ups an downs as honestly as I can. This week we started this in-house revolution by getting rid of stuff and selling off some of our more expensive things to pay off some loans. My husband has made the biggest sacrifice by putting up some of his beloved belongings- his motorcycle and some other collectibles that he ha spent 20 years collecting. His heart is breaking and mine is breaking watching him do it but it is the right thing to do.
I have kicked things up notch money wise.
The stress is just unreal and we have to get out of this mountain of debt before it eats us up.

Tags: Money and Debt // Add Comment »

Little stickers to paste inside you text books ( mostly science books) eg.

This textbook asserts that gravity exists. Gravity is a theory, not a fact, regarding a force that cannot be directly seen. This material should be approached with an open mind, studied carefully, and critically considered.

and this:

This textbook contains a chapter about general relativity, a theory that very few scientists actually understand. And because Einstein was an atheist, it must certainly be incorrect.

Found these to be pretty funny.

Tags: Humanism // Add Comment »

I installed the plugin that removes nofollow attribute in comments. I you post your link in comments then your links will be crawled by search engines.

Tags: Unschooling // Add Comment »

Tomorrow, Ma3,2008 is Free Comic Book Day. Get your free comic book from participating retailers.
More info here
ARCHIE’S PAL JUGHEAD—FCBD 2008 EDITION
“Night At The Entertainment Museum!”—Jughead lands his dream job as a night watchman at the famous Geppi’s Entertainment Museum in Baltimore, but some of the exhibits are not what they seem. Mysterious things happen after hours! And when the museum’s one-of-a-kind items are replaced with identical look-alikes, it’s up to Archie and friends to unravel the clues and set things right! Especially since one of those items is Jughead!

BONGO COMICS FREE-FOR-ALL!—FCBD 2008 EDITION

by Matt Groening & Various

Sample The Simpsons and Futurama in the comfort of your own comic collection with this special pocket-sized Free Comic Book Day digest edition from Bongo Comics — boasting the best in humor comics!

HELLBOY/B.P.R.D.—FCBD 2008 EDITION

by Mike Mignola & Various

To celebrate the release of Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Dark Horse Comics presents an all-Hellboy/B.P.R.D. extravaganza for Free Comic Book Day 2008! Hellboy creator Mike Mignola teams up with Hellboy: Darkness Calls artist Duncan Fegredo for a look into Hellboy’s nightmares; Mignola also teams with his B.P.R.D. team of John Arcudi and Guy Davis for a breathtaking twist to recent events at the Bureau — a preview of the events in the upcoming series The Warning; and Hellboy Universe newcomers Joshua Dysart (Swamp Thing) and Paul Azaceta (Grounded) team with Mignola for another look into the world of their B.P.R.D.: 1946 series for an adventure from the early days of both the Bureau and its most famous member! A perfect jumping-on point for new readers and a terrific treat for seasoned fans of the rich Hellboy mythos! (C: 1-0-0)

ALL STAR SUPERMAN #1—FCBD 2008 EDITION

by Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely

Two of the comic industry’s biggest superstars, writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely, the acclaimed team behind JLA: Earth 2 reunite to redefine the Man of Steel for a new generation. The first issue of the Eisner Award-winning series that Entertainment Weekly and Time magazine named one of the best comics of 2007 features the World’s Greatest Super Hero’s rescue of a group of astronauts on the surface of the sun, where he’s exposed to massive amounts of solar radiation. No one could have anticipated how he would be affected — except Lex Luthor!

PROJECT SUPERPOWERS—FCBD 2008 EDITION

by Alex Ross & Jim Krueger

Dynamite Entertainment and Alex Ross unleash Project Superpowers for the 2008 Free Comic Book Day event! In this special FCBD Edition, the creative team of Alex Ross and Jim Krueger present a special tale that connects the threads begun in Project Superpowers #0 and the seven-issue opening story arc of the series! Featuring a new cover by Alex Ross, this special FCBD Edition will not only be an essential release to connect the pieces of the entire Project Superpowers saga, but will act as an excellent entry point for the superhero series to end all superhero series! Plus, special previews of such Dynamite series as The Lone Ranger, Brothers in Arms, and more!

TRANSFORMERS ANIMATED—FCBD 2008 EDITION

This special 2008 Free Comic Book Day edition celebrates the new Transformers Animated series. In this, their first official comic book release, readers will be treated to a special 30-page story featuring the debut episode of the animated series on the printed page! See the introduction of young Optimus Prime, veteran Ratchet, and newcomers like Bulkhead, as they go up against Megatron, Starscream, and the Decepticon forces!

[Read more →]

Tags: Unschooling // Add Comment »

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today issued the following statement regarding the controversial film Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed:

Anti-Evolution Film Misappropriates the Holocaust

New York, NY, April 29, 2008 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today issued the following statement regarding the controversial film Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed.

The film Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed misappropriates the Holocaust and its imagery as a part of its political effort to discredit the scientific community which rejects so-called intelligent design theory.

Hitler did not need Darwin to devise his heinous plan to exterminate the Jewish people and Darwin and evolutionary theory cannot explain Hitler’s genocidal madness.

Using the Holocaust in order to tarnish those who promote the theory of evolution is outrageous and trivializes the complex factors that led to the mass extermination of European Jewry.

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world’s leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.

Tags: Unschooling // 1 Comment »

A great article from the New Scientist

If you think you understand it, you don’t know nearly enough about it

It will soon be 200 years since the birth of Charles Darwin and 150 years since the publication of On the Origin of Species, arguably the most important book ever written. In it, Darwin outlined an idea that many still find shocking – that all life on Earth, including human life, evolved through natural selection.

Darwin presented compelling evidence for evolution in On the Origin and, since his time, the case has become overwhelming. Countless fossil discoveries allow us to trace the evolution of today’s organisms from earlier forms. DNA sequencing has confirmed beyond any doubt that all living creatures share a common origin. Innumerable examples of evolution in action can be seen all around us, from the pollution-matching pepper moth to fast-changing viruses such as HIV and H5N1 bird flu. Evolution is as firmly established a scientific fact as the roundness of the Earth.

And yet despite an ever-growing mountain of evidence, most people around the world are not taught the truth about evolution, if they are taught about it at all. Even in the UK, the birthplace of Darwin with an educated and increasingly secular population, one recent poll suggests less than half the population accepts evolution.

read complete article: http://www.newscientist.com/channel/life/dn13620-evolution-24-myths-and-misconceptions.html?DCMP=ILC-hmts&nsref=top1_head_Evolution:

Tags: Unschooling // Add Comment »

While I am on a creation “science” rant about movie “Expelled” This are quite brilliant

Tags: Science and Nature // Add Comment »

I have written before about how appalled I am the “creation science” has actually become mainstream. Nauseated in fact.
The movie Expelled talks about how scientist have been ridiculed and expunged for exploring the IP belief. ( GOOD!) I prefer my science to looked at without the filter of delusion.

Scientific America: Ben Stein’s Expelled: No Integrity Displayed

Six Things in Expelled That Ben Stein Doesn’t Want You to Know…

…about intelligent design and evolution

Tags: Science and Nature, Unschooling, World Events-Politics // 1 Comment »

A movie about the trend to dismiss anyone - scientists, etc you challenge the concept of “Intelligent Design”. The movie is supposed to be exposing the suppression of thought.
Here is official site for the movie http://www.expelledthemovie.com/home.php
I am an atheists. I am sick of right wing nut cases cramming their religion down my throats. I am saddened by their stupidity and their need to believe in a fairy tale.
ALL religion is design to control people. Make them feeling better by suggesting an afterlife-m then scaring the shit out of them into “behaving”. Women are the biggest victim in this charade.

I am also a believer in freedom of speech so I thin this movie has as much right to exist as any other. I am shocked that christian and religious fundamentalist think that they are oppressed. It is the atheists who keep their mouth’s shut and “tolerate” their dumbness.
The only pace I REALLY feel free to express myself and how I really feel is on this blog and maybe with my husband and very close friends. I do have friends who are believers in something. I on some level I respect there right to believe whatever they want to- I do wish more people would speak about about religion. Freedom of religion is one thing- to expect others buy into it is another.
I am not sure what the answer is. I am not a communist but I do think religion is the placebo for the masses. Adding fuel to this motion of Intelligent Design is a stepping stone to science meeting religion. An no- the tow have business being connected. Science should be address and looked at through a completely clear lens- not shaded or clouded by ANYTHING not morals, not values, etc. Judged solely an completely on face value.

Tags: World Events-Politics // 3 Comments »

My NEW strategy is to stop rewarding the fighting. They must be getting something out of it or getting a “payoff” if they keep doing it- it must be working for them on some level. Maybe they like the drama? My losing it? One of them ends up getting their way and they are willing to take the chance?

My NEW improved way of reacting - is to not react at all. Ignore it. BUT reward the positive behavior- like I like how you are sharing… thank you for giving B. a turn or do something fun with the other kids you is not on PC.

I am also trying to honour their need to have own space and time with me and DH.
So far it has been okay- will take some time to permeate and me to get used to it.. Was a bad habit to get engaged with them and react to screaming and fighting. Will keep you posted.

Thanks for all the suggestion- the cabin fever consept really rang true!

Tags: Unschooling // 2 Comments »