Green Oasis

It’s funny how television programs from childhood can embed themselves in the unconscious. I watch the 3-2-1 Contact intro and it’s as if the last 20 years never happened. I remember every snippet of the montage: the water drop, the kissed baby, the frog, the trampoline, everything.

(via kottke.org)

1. I am thankful for the friendship that I share with my wife. This may sound kind of pathetic, but so be it. Lacey is my first real best friend.
2. I am thankful to be able to watch my children grow up, to share in their joys and pains. The experience has made me a more selfless, more caring person. It’s hard to overestimate how much of who I am now is a result of them.
3. I had a sore throat for a few days this week. Nothing too horrible, just enough to make sleeping uncomfortable. I would remind myself that the pain that I felt was a good sign that I was still alive. Sometimes this trick would work, and instead of focusing on the pain, I would focus on how grateful I am to have my turn in the sun. I’m happy that my turn isn’t over yet and thankful for aches and pains to remind me how lucky I am.
4. I am grateful for public libraries. Money is tight, and so is space in our humble house. Thank goodness for the public libraries that support my learning habit when I can’t buy books.
5. Thank you to all those who have sacrificed in the defense of my liberties. The road to human liberty has been long and there is still a journey ahead. Progress has only been made through the sacrifice and strength of others. I live freely because of those others who have sacrificed for our freedoms.

Shhh. Don’t tell them: we got our firstborn and a child in the developing world XO laptops for Christmas. The current economic situation made us think long and hard, but we decided that its a good investment in the children of the world. You get a laptop for yourself and give one laptop to another child. (Or you can just give a laptop if you don’t want one for yourself.) The laptops are specially designed for children to allow them to learn, create, and collaborate.

The one feature among many that set its hooks in this code geek father’s heart is that the child can view and modify the source code for the programs they use with a simple keypress. Be still my heart!

A community of enthusiasts stands ready to support others in using the laptop.

Zimi says thank you.

The Big Picture shares heartbreaking photographs of children suffering from cancer in honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Just last night we gave a pittance to the Make a Wish Foundation. Now I wish we had given more.

As a newly minted atheist father, I worried about how to teach my children. Parenting Beyond Belief convinced me that teaching my children to be freethinkers was not only acceptable but preferable, even beautiful.