Bye Bye Television, It's gone!

July 1st, 2006 Podcast

It's Officially Gone!!! We are a TV free home and it feels good. If you remember from a previous post about two weeks ago, we put the tv on the floor in our bedroom by the closet to see what life would be like without television. The first few days were an adjustment (for Tamra and Kaitlyn, mostly), but we survived and feel like we have more valuable time together without it. Kaitlyn watched one or two 20 minute shows a day and then Tamra would watch a show for about an hour a night. Now, more work gets done and done by including Kaitlyn! She really likes to help us (she asks!)

Homeland Security Cyber Storm Exercise Associated Press Article
- Protection from misinformation and politcal rantings (from us evil bloggers)

Radio Free Liberty Podcast
- EXCELLENT!!!, usually only about 15 minutes
- Episode 23: more detailed discussion of above exercise
- RSS Podcast Feed: http://radiofreeliberty.libsyn.com/rss

Free Talk Live Podcast
- Excellent, but about an hour
- RSS Podcast Feed: http://freetalklive.com/netcast.xml

Supreme Court: Bush Oversteps Authority

June 30th, 2006 Podcast (about 1.2mb, over 10 minutes of Kaitlyn!)

Yesterday, the Supreme Court put Bush in his place (he still needs more of that, he's a President of a country that still has a congress, not a dictator). They ruled, as I'll think they'll rule in other cases in the future, that he overstepped his authority by starting Military Tribunals. You can read more at Aljazeera's website (linking to that site just for fun, the NSA is data mining blogs).

In the podcast today, Kaitlyn's molars aren't bothering her as much and she is sleeping through the night, Ellie is doing well after getting her state required immunizations, Kaitlyn has new shoes, and we read Dora's Rainbow Egg Hunt by Kristen Larsen.

No 'College Student' Left Behind???

June 27, 2006 Podcast

I can't believe the National Commission on Higher Education want to do to our universities and colleges what the Department of Education did our public schools. I can't imagine anyone would be happy with standardized testing in our colleges and universities. You can read the article by Justin Pope of the Associated Press. Our university professors teaching to 'the test'?? I just don't see it.

Today's podcast also features a little bragging about our wonderful weather and Kaitlyn and me reading together.

The intro and exit music is Beethoven's Ecossaise in E-flat recorded by Kevin Macleod. He has some nice music on his site.

Kaitlyn's Molars (sleepless night)

June 26, 2006 podcast

Kaitlyn's bottom molars are breaking through her gums (yes, both at the same time :( ). They were really bothering her last night (which means Tamra and I barely slept). But I a have some good news, it's been a week since the girls started taking an afternoon nap at the same time from 1-3 :). I can get so much more done when both of the are sleeping.

The rule "A Place for Everything and Everything in its Place" that I mention in my podcast is from half-way down this page which is part of a chapter from an online book called "The Joyful Child, Essential Montessori for Birth to Three." The rule has really improved Kaitlyn's play because she would get distracted or maybe overwhelmed (hard to pick the right word) when too many toys were out. She plays so much better since we started putting toys away after we were finished playing with them.

Kaitlyn also enjoys helping Tamra and me do chores around the house. She picks up her dirty laundry after bath time and puts it in the hamper, puts cloths into the washer and dryer, removes clothes from the dryer, and helps sort and put clothes away.

Podcasting???

June 25, 2006 Podcast

Well, I made a quick podcast. I think this is a feature that will improve with time as I practice. Today's podcasts covers weather for places we find interesting (only I read current temperatures instead of the highs, oh well), the New Jersey's Sales Tax, and Kaitlyn counting puzzle pieces (to nine) in Spanish. If you'd like to read more about the mentioned sales tax hike for New Jersey, the links are below (worked on date of publication)

War over Corzine's 7-percent solution - Philadelphia Inquirer
Corzine Says He Will Veto Budget With No Tax Rise - New York Times