Creative juices

Not blogging at all of late, because my creative juices are more oriented towards art these days:

It's very much an experimental medium, and my art critic doesn't usually let them last for more than five seconds, but he does seem to enjoy them.

Ineffective argumentative strategies to stop a teething nine-month-old, classified by their ethical motivations

(Some of these things I actually find myself saying)

Role Modeling
“Look, T. and Daddy both have shoes. But Daddy doesn’t eat his shoes.”

Etiquette
“T., don’t bite the window. It’s a nice window.”

Purpose
“Books aren’t for eating. Books are for reading.”

Pleasure
“Sweetheart, your stroller can’t possibly taste good.”

Stoic Philsophy
“Precious, you’d have greater peace of mind if you didn’t give way to your lust for devouring Daddy’s shoe.”

Utilitarianism
“You know, you’re not helping anyone by biting the shelf.”

Fundamentalist Biblicism
“Son, the Bible says not to bite Mommy (Galatians 5:15).”

Kant’s categorical imperative
“Biting’s not right. Period. Do the right thing, because that’s your duty.”

Philosophy of a five-month-old

Well, this is my best description of my five-month-old son's philosophy of life, divided into some of the major branches of philosophical study.

Metaphysics - What is real?
That which is real is that which I can grasp with my hand. Toys and mommy's hair and daddy's hands are all real. A stream of running water may or may not be real; I'm still trying to decide.

Epistemology - How is knowledge acquired?
Knowledge is acquired by inserting the object of study in the knower's mouth.

Ethics - What is good?
That which is good is usually that which is colorful and/or shiny; that which smiles; or that which tastes like breastmilk.

Aesthetics - What is beautiful?
The most beautiful part of any given object is the while silk tag. Some other extraordinarily beautiful things include my parents' faces and feet.

Logic - What arguments are valid?
Valid arguments are those which take into account my need for food, a clean diaper, physical affection and sleep.

Behold! 3-3-2012

Behold!: some noteworthy pieces over the last couple of weeks:

Parenting

• Pamela Druckermann writes at the WSJ about the importance of educating children in patience. There's also an NPR interview.
• NPR reports on why it's a good thing that I talk to myself and why I'm glad we don't have a TV (and how those might be related).

Religion and Society

• M. Nenadov reminds us that Rick Santorum is obnoxious and wrong and why the current party system is obnoxious and wrong.
• In a NYTimes piece, the Amish of Sugarcreek, Ohio, in the light of betrayal, remind us what the Sermon on the Mount says.
• TGC reports that California judges are now required to reveal their sexual orientation. A very bad idea, as the piece points out, and strikingly discriminatory it would seem.

A prayer for our son

This is the prayer my wife and I prayed when we presented our young son before our church family (translated from the original Spanish):

B: Lord Jesus, we bring before you and your people our little son, T. B. We recognize that he belongs to you and that you have every right to his life.
V: We rejoice in your goodness demonstrated through his life, and we pray that his life would be a testimony that you are good. We are glad at the love that fills our hearts, which is but an outcome of your love, Jesus.
B: And yet, Lord, we acknowledge our sinfulness and limited perspective. So we plead for your wisdom and grace as we care for him. We marvel that you know not only the child T., but the man whom he will be.
V: Grant us the joy of guiding him in the knowledge of you as Lord and Savior, that he would be our brother in following you. Bless him with health and contentment, that his heart would always turn to you in gratitude.
B: And make him an agent of peace and reconciliation, that your name would be honored through his deeds. Be his refuge and hope, guard him from wicked men and women, and place him in communities where he can experience the grace and justice of your Kingdom.
V: We have full confidence in your good will for his life, and we will always hold high your name in our home. It is in this name we pray, amen.

Behold! 2-21-2012

Behold!: some noteworthy pieces over the last couple of days:

Technology, society, spirituality

• Jason Allen has a piece at TGC about if Facebook tempts you, especially on the dangers of envy in a social media world.
• Dana Goldstein writes that homeschooling violates progressive values. Frankly, I didn't realize that in our postmodern world you could still describe things as "progressive"... hasn't "progress" been debunked?
• D.L.M. echoes my disdain for politics in the light of the Kingdom of God
• NPR reports on a certain Open Source Ecology farm, which is the kind of thing I (and probably D.L.M.) could really get excited about.

Random

• Nuns run. I'm tempted sign up as a shadow runner, but won't.
• Andrew Peterson shares more about songwriting, and even offers up a new song.

Fatherhood

• Tim Keller's wife writes about why the city is a wonderful place to raise children, also at TGC. My mother and I were raised in the suburbs, my wife and father in the countryside. I've occasionally worried about living in the a huge metropolitan area with a kid, but Mrs. Keller puts a good turn to things. Not that all of the cool stuff on the list at the end actually applies to Asunción, but there are some things.