A few things

I'm going to be nice and post these all as links....

1) I posted a "new" poem on my poetry blog; a walk today brought it back to mind. I'm starting to notice a symbol that I'm using overmuch in my writings (though I do use it in different ways)...

2) I re-filled out the "Mother of All Surveys" (my old copy was lost with my hard drive) which you can read here. Past reviews on it:

"Don't post it! For your own sake! No one will ever visit your blog again!" (That is why I'm posting it now as a link. ;-D)

"This looks alot like it was written by a Literature major with a strong interest in Theology."

"No way am I filling out that whoppin' big thing!"

Fill it out anyway, if you're ever bored beyond all belief. :-)

3) Another discussion from US History, discussing the 1920s. I expound my view of cultural conservatism, which could probably be summed up in this paragraph:

"The problem that I see with innovation without reason is that, fundamentally, it discards traditionalism for individualism. I want to do this, so I jolly well shall, and devil may care. Instead of honoring the wisdom of those who have gone before, or instead of at least giving the benefit of the doubt to our progenitors, it gives the benefit of the doubt to ourselves and our peers. For my own part, it seems inestimably foolish to trust oneself and others no more mature than oneself, in disregard to those who have lived before, have greater experience, and have fought through many of these same questions (cast in different terms, but nonetheless the same questions) for themselves. It shouldn't be necessary for every generation to reinvent the wheel."

4) Last summer, a classmate sent us an alert to the effect that the Senate of his native Hawaii was drafting a resolution encouraging the national government to accept the authority of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. He wanted us to email his senators, so I did, and in so doing gave pretty much a brief exposition of why I believe family education is so important. Further, I am beginning to think that the "free exercise" clause of the 1st Amendment is going to become more and more important to Christian homeschoolers, for the reasons I outlined in the letter. For those who are interested, it is here.

5) I made a few revisions to "The Thread Upon the Loom." I have the full poem here, with the revisions highlighted in orange and red (they're in parts I, IV, and V). I also included my reasoning for the changes and the concerns I had with the new form. If anyone has any suggestions or comments, I'd like to hear them.

6) Christopher Parkening is an amazing guitarist, trained by Maestro Andres Segovia, and a Christian, too.



7) A personal update on some school and military stuff coming soon. :-)