A trip to Boonesborough

My kids had great fun using the apple smasher (apparently one of the most important activities of the first white settlers west of the Appalachians was making cider and getting lit up)...

This was in the center of the fort, it was the powder keg/artillery.


Daniel Boone's fort is recreated in full, along with re-enactors, in the Fort Boonesborough State Park in Richmond, KY. It's about an hour's drive, give or take a little depending on what side of Cincinnati you are starting from.

It's $5/person (age 6 and up), and is well worth it. The re-enactors we saw were demonstrating how to cook on an open fire. Apparently there will be many many re-enactors after April 1 when the fort officially opens for the season. From the way the place is set up, it looks like there will be a Blacksmith, a basket weaver, someone carding wool and spinning it into thread (is there a name for that person?), a carpet weaver on a full loom, and much more.

For my husband and myself, the highlight of the place was in the authentic settler gift shop. They had hand-made period pieces such as wooden bowls and glasses, silverware made out of antlers, clothing from the period, flint stones with the iron for making a fire, and whatever that thing is called that they used to melt lead in and then pour it into molds for making bullets!

Driving fun

What is it with people almost coming to a complete stop in the middle of the lane of traffic that is going 50 mph whilst they are making a right-hand turn? I've never encountered so many people in one place who do this. Can anybody explain this to me?

Clearly this is a Cincinnati-area phenomenon.

Ok done ranting.

-Rockin' Hejabi

Teacher Personality Profiling

I am stunned to learn by first-hand experience that the local school districts in and around Cincinnati require teachers applying for a job to take a personality test!
This is a copy of an email I just received.

We would like to invite you to participate in the next phase of our application process for Sycamore Community Schools.
Please go to the following website and complete the online assessment:
https://gx.gallup.com/teacherinsight.gx

The district code for Sycamore Community Schools is 21214545

Thank you,
Carla Clark
HR
Sycamore Community Schools

The test took about 15 minutes to complete. It asked repeatedly questions that asked the teacher to rate statements about themself, such as "Teaching is the most important profession above all others," etc. It asked this question so many times that it gives me the impression that they only want teachers who actually think that teaching is the most important profession.

I have a real problem with this notion. Teaching is valuable, it's a necessary part of our society, but how can we say that *one profession is THE most important one of all? That's a really narrow-minded, I can-only-see-as-far-as-the-end-of-my-own-nose way to think. I am actually made ill by the thought that these school districts want Politbureau-minded teachers.

Teachers in my mind are valuable and important, because teachers are charged with the enormous task of teaching young minds how to think critically. Critical thinking skills are what (used to ) separate the West and the "first world" from the Third World.

I spent 2 years in Qatar, where the old, third-world way of teaching still operates. It's scary. Students are only taught by rote-memorization, and the entire region is stimied because there are entire cultures where the masses of people cannot think critically, they can only memorize and regurgitate and follow, not create and lead. They are historically ruled by Kings/Emirs, and lack Democracy.

What is happening to America when we are actually profiling teachers to be apparachiks of the State? It's one of the first steps towards Fascism, and that scares me to no end.

I also highly question the constitutionality of profiling a potential employee like this.

What are we coming to?

Not working

tried to move to the beacon's URL but it's not working; will stay here until the construction difficulties get worked out.

Heartland is Moving to the Cincinnati Beacon

New URl will be;

http://heartlandhejabi.cincinnatibeacon.com/

Call Congress: Support the Troops, Bring them Home Alive

ACTION ALERT-Call Congress: SUPPORT THE TROOPS -BRING THEM HOME ALIVE-VOTE NO ON THE SUPPLEMENTAL

Join with United for Peace and Justice and many other groups and organizations across the country in a week-long National Call-In Campaign to members of Congress, as they debate and vote on the upcoming $93 billion supplemental appropriations bill.

The message to members of Congress is:"STOP funding the war. Vote NO on the supplemental."

Voting NO on funding the war is the only way Congress can end the war.

To oppose the war, we say to Congress, means opposing all funding for it.

The war in Iraq has caused a global rise in terrorism and a dramatic drop in the standing of the United States in world opinion. The Iraq war has cost over 655,000 Iraqi and more than 3,100 American lives, and the money already spent has put our nation into debt for generations to come.

Support the Troops! Bring them Home! Vote No on the Supplemental!

The call-in day for the Declaration of Peace is today, Friday, March 9th.

We have an 800 number for you to use.The number is: 888-851-1879.

The number will go directly to the Congressional switchboard.

Just ask to be connected to your member of Congress.

Geoff Davis- Northern KY
Steve Chabot-"Westies"/Ohio
Jean Schmidt-"Easties"/Ohio

The message to your member of Congress is:

"STOP funding the war. Vote NO on the supplemental."

Make your voice heard in the halls of Congress.

Remember call Congress (888-851-1879) TODAY for "NO Vote on Supplemental".

Family Farmer Fights Monsanto

The following exerpt is from Nelson Farm.Net

Roger Nelson, grew up on a farm and went out on his own to begin share-renting farmland in 1961. Today, Roger is farming with his two sons, Rodney and Greg. Although now the family is buying some farmland, most is still rented. Landlords have sought out the Nelsons as tenants of their land because the Nelsons have had a reputation of meticulous farming practices and of being trustworthy, honest tenants. That reputation is now being tarnished as Monsanto is accusing the Nelsons of being thieves of their genetically modified soybeans (roundup ready soybeans). Monsanto is further spreading rumors of the Nelson's guilt as they prepare their lawsuit in hopes of extracting possibly millions of dollars from the Nelson family of which they don't have. "Our wives all have jobs," said Rodney Nelson, "farming doesn't pay all the bills anymore. The legal bills defending ourselves and other expenses incurred are becoming overbearing. We feel we must continue to fight Monsanto on the principles of our innocence. Our children will live with the ramifications of this lawsuit-it's not just us."

Take action here with Millions against Monsanto.

Friction in Frisch's

My family and I went to eat in a nearby Frisch's the other night.

I noticed right away a table of, um, young men sitting near us, but thought nothing of them.

For some reason they felt the need to make obscene noises at me while I walked by them.

How totally annoying!

I went and told my husband, he was like "never mind"...not worth getting into a fight for I guess.

The manager of the place wanted to know who it was, I was like no, they're just a bunch of boys that need to learn how to be men and grow up... she was like, well but I want to make sure my customers are all happy (meaning I was being harrassed and she wanted to go confront them)..I told her not to give them the satisfaction of knowing I was upset and left.