Clipmarks | phatmommy's Pops

Who Do These Homeschooling Parents Think They Are?

Sun, 01 Jun 2008 04:18:10 GMT

clipped by: missangelyss
clipper's remarks: It's funny how some people seem so set against a parent's right to homeschool. This comment lampoons that beautifully.
(More at the site.)

Clip Source: phatmommy.com

There is an interesting discussion going on at the Asbury Park Press web site about the pros and cons of homeschooling.

TANSTAAFL2: I don’t know who these parents think they are. You would think they might leave the shaping of their children’s minds, careers and futures to trained professionals, but they insist on interfering in their offsprings’ lives every step of the way.

As if these children were actually their responsibility from birth to adulthood. Don’t they realize these are the people’s children, the state’s responsibility. As such, they must be molded by the state and educated in accordance with state requirements — no more and no less.

They must be taught the role of the state is to protect the individual from his own inherent stupidity, because the individual is incapable of making intelligent decisions for himself, and therefore cannot be held responsible for his actions. The state must act as parent, Big Brother, nanny.

Tags: homeschool

A 'fit' of panic is good when bad things happen

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 22:47:05 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: www.cnn.com

The military has given the English language two words that brilliantly articulate different types of crises: The first is snafu, an acronym for "situation normal, all f***ed up." The second is fubar, which stands for "f***ed up beyond all recognition." As we travel the bumpy road of life, we must prepare to deal with both.

Go ahead and freak out

Levine noted that people who have physical emergency reactions often cope better with crisis, and show fewer symptoms of trauma afterward, than people who hold still. Stress compels action; in snafu situations, Mother Nature gives just one instruction to all her children, and that instruction is, "Move!"

When the unexpected strikes, find a private space and let your body do whatever it wants. Heave, kick, shake your head like a wet cat. Then let that energy flow into constructive action, whether it's contesting a credit card charge, yanking cactus spines out of your child, or slapping duct tape on a broken pipe.

Tags: stress, health, mental, crisis, emergency, nature, trauma, emotion, reaction

40 Unusual Websites you should Bookmark

Sat, 06 Oct 2007 15:03:10 GMT

clipped by: tabsey

Clip Source: www.makeuseof.com

If you’re a long time makeuseof reader, at one point or another you may have seen several of these websites before. We have covered lots of lists and round-ups but this one is quite different: it lists undiscovered webservices that are original, rather unique, unusual, useful, free, and must-be bookmarked type. You won’t find any collaboration, storage or ToDo service here. Enjoy!

1. BugMeNot - instantly get disposable login details for any popular website that forces you to register.

2. DailyLit - read your favorite books by email (on your PC, mobile, etc.).

3. FranceRadio - neat MP3 Search Engine that lets you Find, Play and Download favorite MP3s for FREE.

4. Google SMS - provides mobile users with a quick access (via SMS) to a wide range of practical information and tools (i.e. business listings (pizzerias, shops, etc.), weather, movie listings, driving directions, currency converter and lots more.

Tags: computers

Girls entering puberty by the age of six - but are drugs the answer?

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 10:11:00 GMT

clipped by: michellezm
clipper's remarks: "Early puberty has even been linked to watching too much television. A few years ago, Italian scientists found that children who watched three hours a day produced less of the sleep hormone melatonin - low levels of the hormone play an important role in the timing of puberty.

But perhaps more worrying is the theory that it's exposure to environmental chemicals which is causing the drop in the age of puberty. These chemicals mimic the effect of hormones, disrupting the normal timing of sexual maturing.

Whatever the cause, growing numbers of children are being deprived of childhood and are turning, physically, into mini-adults at an increasingly young age. But without the emotional maturity to deal with these changes, they are vulnerable to exploitation.

In Britain, it is now estimated that up to at least one in six children under ten is affected. Indeed, there is a belief that schoolgirls as young as six are entering puberty".

Clip Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

Doctors are increasingly worried about the number of girls - and boys - being referred to specialists because of this phenomenon of 'precocious' puberty.

The normal age at which puberty starts in both boys and girls has dropped by about two years since the 19th century, to 14 for boys and 12 for girls. This is largely due to improved nutrition - onset of puberty is believed to be triggered by physical size. Another theory is that the epidemic of obesity is to blame.

Research suggests that children from broken homes experience earlier puberty. The stress of family breakdown apparently alters the balance of growth hormones and other chemicals in the body, speeding up a child's physical development.

Absent fathers may be another cause. American researchers have found that biological fathers send out chemical signals that inhibit their daughters' sexual maturity. Girls whose fathers had left home started their periods earlier.

Tags: puberty, children, paediatrics, hormones, health, medicine

10 Questions to Ask before launching your blog

Mon, 28 May 2007 22:11:28 GMT

clipped by: starweaver

Clip Source: www.instigatorblog.com

10 Questions To Ask Before Launching Your Blog

by Ben Yoskovitz

Clip Source: www.instigatorblog.com

Does the blog look OK in different browsers?

Does the feed work?

Did you setup stat tracking and a sitemap?

Did you update the About page and test the Contact page?

Did you test all the links?

Did you claim the blog in Technorati?

Did you write a few posts?

Do you have a few more posts ready to go?

Did you make a list of people to contact?

Do you know how you’re going to promote the blog?

Tags: blogs, bloggers, tips, tricks, list, lists

DANGERS IN OUR SCHOOLS…EXPOSED

Thu, 22 Mar 2007 19:11:05 GMT

clipped by: dorine
clipper's remarks: TODAY ON MONTEL

Clip Source: montelshow.com

Everyday, parents all across America entrust teachers and school administrators with the well being of our children but just how safe are our schools? We will meet Stephanie, the mother of an autistic little boy named Ryan. Ryan was repeatedly tied to his chair at the wrists and ankles by his teacher. Stephanie recently won a civil suit against the public school district. Andrea claims her 12-year-old daughter was molested by her gym teacher. Jill claims her 9-year-old son was sexually abused and raped by older bullies in the school bathroom. Jill had to take her son out of school temporarily to deal with both the emotional and physical scars of this experience. Shanna claims her son was violently beaten up by a bully in a racially motivated attack. Gina’s son, Johnny was “paddled” so hard by his principal that he fell forward and broke his nose.

Tags: schools, danger, teachers, education, abuse, children, crime

21 Things To Remember

Sat, 17 Mar 2007 06:33:35 GMT

clipped by: Sorgalim
clipper's remarks: 19. Success is getting up one more time.

20. Now is the most interesting time of all.

21. When things go wrong.....don't go with them.

Clip Source: mail.google.com

1. No one can ruin your day without YOUR permission.

2. Most people will be about as happy, as they decide to be.

3. Others can stop you temporarily, but only you can do it permanently.

4. Whatever you are willing to put up with, is exactly what you will have.

5. Success stops when you do.

6. When your ship comes in.... make sure you are willing to unload it.

7. You will never have it all together.

8. Life is a journey...not a destination. Enjoy the trip!

9. The biggest lie on the planet: When I get what I want I will be happy.

10. The best way to escape your problem is to solve it.

11. I've learned that ultimately, 'takers' lose and 'givers' win.

12. Life's precious moments don't have value, unless they are shared.

13. If you don't start, it's certain you won't arrive.

14. We often fear the thing we want the most.

15. He or she who laughs......lasts.

16. Yesterday was the deadline for all complaints.

17. Look for opportunities...not guarantees.

18. Life is what's coming....not what was.

Tags: remember, things, success, opportunities

4 Life Quotes

Sun, 18 Mar 2007 14:54:07 GMT

clipped by: BruceTC

Clip Source: www.mac.com

"A ship is safe in harbor... But that's not what ships were built for"

-- William Shed

"There is nothing either good or bad... But thinking makes it so"

-- William Shakespeare

"All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think, we become"

--Buddha

"Life is not measured by its length... But by it's depth"

-- Anonymous

--
Posted By Karl to Karl Blog

Tags: quotes, life

Rethinking Homework

Tue, 13 Mar 2007 03:10:16 GMT

clipped by: showket

Clip Source: www.alfiekohn.org

Rethinking Homework

By Alfie Kohn

Daily homework is the rule in most schools. Why not make it the exception?

After spending most of the day in school, children are typically given additional assignments to be completed at home. This is a rather curious fact when you stop to think about it, but not as curious as the fact that few people ever stop to think about it.

It becomes even more curious, for that matter, in light of three other facts:

1. The negative effects of homework are well known. They include children’s frustration and exhaustion, lack of time for other activities, and possible loss of interest in learning. Many parents lament the impact of homework on their relationship with their children; they may also resent having to play the role of enforcer and worry that they will be criticized either for not being involved enough with the homework or for becoming too involved.

Tags: school, homework, education

Why Intelligent People Tend To Be Unhappy

Mon, 12 Mar 2007 01:19:00 GMT

clipped by: serene_ore

Clip Source: www.scribd.com

Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.

- Ernest Hemingway, author and journalist, Nobel laureate (1899-1961)

Children develop along four streams: intellectual, physical, emotional (psychological) and social. In classrooms, the smartest kids tend to be left out of more activities by other children than they are included in. They are "odd," they are the geeks, they are social outsiders. In other words, they do not develop socially as well as they may develop intellectually or even physically where opportunities may exist for more progress.

Adults tend to believe that intelligent kids can deal with anything because they are intellectually superior. This inevitably includes situations where the intelligent kids have neither knowledge nor skills to support their experience. They go through the tough times alone. Adults don't understand that they need help and other kids don't want to associate with kids the social leaders say are outsiders.

Tags: people, intelligence, happiness

Negaholism

Sat, 03 Mar 2007 04:29:15 GMT

clipped by: wurdzgurl

Clip Source: www.drcherie.com

Negaholism is a condition that is sweeping the globe. Negaholism is a syndrome in which people unconsciously limit their own innate abilities, convince themselves that they can’t have what they want, and sabotage their wishes, desires, and dreams. Negaholism manifests itself daily in the lives of normal people. Self-imposed limitations on happiness, joy, and fulfillment contaminate the consciousness of the majority of the population in subtle ways. The beliefs, attitudes, and perceptions that keep us restricted, constrained, and curtailed have reached epidemic proportions.

How the Negaholic pastern becomes established

1) The need for attention
2) The inability to give or receive positive attention
3) The ingrained habit of focusing on what is wrong
4) The opiate peptides - chemical rush when being severely criticized
5) The simultaneous feel bad, coupled with the significant amount of attention (feel good)
The addictive pattern takes hold, and one becomes a Negaholic!

Tags: negaholic