Comments for Caspar World

Comment on The Bald Eagle Next Door by Caspar

Caspar — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 21:51:21 +0000

We’d hang onto it if we could.

Comment on The Bald Eagle Next Door by RBH

RBH — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 10:43:40 +0000

Can you have that eagle hang out till next Saturday?!

Comment on The Pedometer Survives the Washing Machine by Caspar

Caspar — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:43:31 +0000

Great, thanks! I’ll pry it open and let it air out tonight. Superglue, here I come.

Comment on The Pedometer Survives the Washing Machine by Seth

Seth — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:23:44 +0000

There’s still moisture inside. You’d have to crack it open, let the PCB and display dry out better, then reassemble. I’m sure that the device wasn’t intended to be disassembled, but maybe there are screws or clips that will pop the thing open.

Comment on Geocaching with Grandparents by RBH

RBH — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 12:56:36 +0000

Cool! We’ll have to hook up with Andy’s gps too and see what we can find.
rbh

Comment on Geocaching with Grandparents by Shane & Cindy Ross

Shane & Cindy Ross — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 22:20:50 +0000

Glad we could get you guys started with this most awesome sport. May your feet stay dry, clothing stay void of burs and sticky seed pods, your limbs stay poison ivy free and Silas discover an abundance of “free toys!”
Happy Geocaching!
Shane & Cindy

Comment on Round Pond by RBH

RBH — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 23:15:29 +0000

Nice work…
rbh

Comment on Honor Your Father and Your Mother by Caspar

Caspar — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 20:07:32 +0000

Michael & Rochelle,
Thanks for your wonderful and thoughtful response. Yes! Ordinarily, we would have sent Silas to public school. He has been in public school up until this year, and we may well have him back in public school next year, too. And we agree that support of the public school system is essential for what remains of our democracy. However, after our experience of public school last year (which is perhaps a post all it’s own, or even a whole series) we needed a change. And this little Catholic school got great reviews from other parents. Now that we’re in it, though, we’ve had to take a deep breath and count to 10 on a number of occasions, the incident above being one of the latest. A case of live and learn.
Thanks again!

Comment on Honor Your Father and Your Mother by Michael & Rochelle

Michael & Rochelle — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 18:22:25 +0000

We (retired career teachers with years of elementary and secondary teaching behind us) agree with you about the teacher’s redefinition of the Baltimore Cathechism’s Fourth Commandment. As veterans in the battle of private v. parochial v. public schools, may we add that our preference strongly favors (1) the public school (for the main reason that exceptional children and their caring parents shouldn’t opt out of the system that’s the backbone of whatever struggling democracy there is in this country), (2) and a steady, strong effort on the part of parents at at broad enrichment of childrens’ educational (i.e. “living”) experience in and especially out of school. This must include daily reading, carefully monitored and interpreted media, travel, diverse friends, and, above all, a welcoming attitude by parents and their adult friends for the child in all parental activities. Children dine with adults; when interesting guests come to dinner, the children are actively involved. (It may be worth noting that we walked our talk and have three lovely 30-something children to show for our efforts.)
Our primary fear is that narrowing influences, such as charter and “Catholic” schools, poorly serve children who will be living in a very different world than is found under the nun’s ruler — in this case, as evidenced by the sick notion that the 4th Commandment means “be a good little soldier; do what you’re told; cower to authority.”
Education tends to lag, and at best children graduating with Silas in 2020 will be well-prepared for life and work in 2012 … if they’re lucky! Education with an axe to grind — creationism, separatism, apartheid, homophobia, even Christianity — is bound to lag farther, and do more disservice. In particular, as teachers, we see the perverse and subversive effects of narrow religious views imposed on children. I hope you can agree that the rich spiritual life comes from within, “an inward and spiritual grace,” if you will, and to achieve it, individuals must find and choose it for themselves. Imposition of religious attitudes by superiors — elders, parents, teachers, priests, bosses, politicians — may make for good soldiers, but it does very little to foster a deeply held sense of authentic worshipfulness, and all the creative, humane, and ethical benefits that accompany.

Comment on An Easy Trifecta of Adirondack Ponds: Copperas, Owen, and Wynch by Caspar

Caspar — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 00:33:44 +0000

Great. Should we call the guidebook, Run to the Hills or Just Praying We Get Home?