I do not think your house is from a Sears Roebuck Catalog. It doesn’t really conform to the correct dates the house was constructed and the dates Sears did this in their catalog. But, what do I know!
On other stuff, I think that there is some frustration in your writing that I have noticed which says you have something else going on. So, what’s up!

Nothing else besides garden variety burnout and mild depression is going on. A big part of my personality is “struggle.” I am always thinking and analyzing about everything including myself. One of my continuing frustrations is the isolation I experience at this time of life. Thank god for Eileen and my kids. Besides them there are few people who are at all interested in the things that interest me like historical music, books, poetry and what not. Part of this frustration is that at times in my life I have been surrounded by intelligent interesting challenging minds. Besides the people in my nuclear family, I miss that for sure.

Eileen says our house dates from the 20s which is in the time that Sears was making this kits (1908-1939) (Here’s a link to a bunch of the plans: http://www.arts-crafts.com/archive/sears/) If you’re referring to the house in my blog post, I just chose one at random. You’re right we haven’t found an exact duplicate in the archives. It’s kind of fun to look at. I do think that there are several of these in the Holland area however.

Jupiter Jenkins Wiki-leaks. Very cool post. Unfortunately I would point out my continued ideas about being less willing to divulge so much information about others. This probably stems from all my interactions with others PHI (protected health information). The way i saw your post is that not only did you divulge information about your heritage, but about half dozen others’ heritage as well unbeknown to them. As i am comfortable with the fact that you could care less who sees this info, I would not be so quick to insinuate that others are not bothered by this. This is just my little opinion. This is also one of the reasons I am not blogging these days, that and the fact that my writers block continues to plague me. I am curious, do you restrict access to your site?

I hope that the services go well. I sometimes feel ill at ease with public viewing of these kind of communications, because it changes the linkage of privacy to public type of communications. But it is for me,reading your daily thoughts, a connection with a part of my past that I have with you. I feel compelled to respond this morning, because it is about listening that I am interested. To become a good communicator, it seems to me, one must become a good listener. I think that this requires a sensitive respondent, knowing when to just listen and when to speak. And communication, if there is any, does require both ends to function in a responsive and sensitive way. It is a little like a two-way radio. Sometimes I need to adjust the volume and reception to properly hear the other person and likewise from the other end. However, if no one is listening on the other end then there is no communication. Your writing is like a radio and there is someone listening. So responding to you in this kind of forum is sort of saying “message heard”. I think that most people who are in the communication business need feedback to help them validate their own communications. I am here to say that I am validating your communication. I am listening.

Heh. I also can see (from my online counter and google analytics) that I get 30-50 hits a day. So I know people are checking the blog. Services went very well (as they tend to do). If you are uncomfortable with the public nature of this medium, feel free to email me…. or even call.

I’ve been thinking about changing the way that I eat in terms of the order of meals. Making breakfast a larger meal. Lunch (when I can grab it) lighter, and dinner very light. Not sure how this will work, if at all. But it seems like once I eat dinner I sort of keep in going to bed time. Of course, the scotch / Irish or bourbon doesn’t really help very much.

I do love you!!

[…] free mostly original sheet music […]

Beautiful church! The interior shot does not do it justice. It almost appears that the walls have water damage. Is the church still in use?

Do you remember the square grand that Susan and I bought Holly? I had it in our place at the old farm up from my folks house. Well, I had the piano completely refurbished including the strings. Spent a lot of money, eventually donated it to the university. It never sounded o.k. always had trouble staying in tune. Action was o.k., but I keep that tuning wrench always handy. I don’t know why I thought of that except I was reminded of it with your piano troubles. You didn’t mention if the people enjoyed their music. Maybe the staff should have the piano worked on. Merry Christmas!

There was damage throughout the building when I was there. And you are looking at damage in the photo. Right now it houses the Ecumenical Theological Seminary: http://www.etseminary.edu/

Yikes. Do you no longer need that tuning wrench? You gave it to me, remember? I still have it if you need it. Sorry, I should have mentioned that the residents seemed to enjoy my playing and especially singing with me. One of the staff asked me if there was anything they could do about the note. I replied sure, get someone in to fix it. Heh. Chrerry Mistmas!

The notion that the degree obtainment is materially relevant to the education of students is ludicrous. At one time there was an intellectual elite which offered study to students of those who could afford the education which is no longer. This changed substantively after WWII. The degree obtainment process is merely one element in the “journeyman’s card” in the eduction institutional game of remuneration. You are representative of the intellectual from long ago who used their mind to actually think about stuff. I approached the institution of education with a reticence of expectation. I merely wanted to share a lifetime of learning with young minds in hopes of improving their own prospects. Education is not enough. Talent is not enough. Only the person who is persistently determined to use their own intellectual gifts, whatever they may be, are successful. This is proven by your own example of your efforts. You are successful at achieving those things that are important to you and to your family. So, why do I comment about this? Well, that that you suppose is actually a great intellectual topic. I perhaps am a little less cynical, but feel that the business of education is not very good at educating.

I totally commend you for wanting to “share a lifetime of learning with young minds.” On the other hand I don’t think that learning and education is primarily a business.

I think it’s process and a life-lone one, at that. I’m pretty sure you agree with me when I join the chorus of US thinkers who think out education system is failing the US.

Where I diverge from much of the discussion is that the purpose of education is to prepare people to be able to earn a living or even make a lot of money.

The metaphor that life is business and business is life seems to permeate our values and public discussions in the US right now. I disagree with this basic idea as I suspect you do.

I know you value critical thinking. I do also and would be happy to see more people coming out of educational institutions with this skill.

But I think living is also about making meaning and connecting with people and simply enjoy life as a gift. As I age I see more clearly that life for me is at its best when I do things that help others. I do this in simple ways with my cooking and music.

So living for me is passion and a lot of my passion goes into music as you know.

Hope you and Susan are having a good holiday. My brother and his extended family arrive Wed or Thurs for a visit. That will be nice.

I think that we agree, education though is a business, even though I have actually not wanted it to be that. This effort agree or not, does change the focus of education in numbers i.e. attendance, graduation rates, and jobs attained. Rather than giving the individual the tools to be able to use their own mind in the critical thinking process and the understanding of their use of the information, we have shoved them into programmed training outcomes that must be measured. Big topic and I deal with this stuff daily. I thought that I could make a difference on the Academic Governing Council, but I was mistaken. The gobbledygook of learning outcomes and communication elements to validate the current structure of education is dubious at best. I looked into the structure of independent colleges, like Hillsdale College in Michigan. This institution made the decision not to accept any public monies from any source. It has apparently made a difference to their intellectual pursuits. As to their success, it apparently, does relate to the financial ability of their students, but as I understand it, they do find private sources of funding to support their students who are financially in need. This topic is one that continues to bother me. The only thing that I really control is the classroom education content, but that is only based upon academic freedom.

Our Holiday is at best marginal. Hope that you and Eileen are having a wonderful time. Say hello to your brother. I will post some pictures of him at our wedding. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Here’s what I think for what it’s worth.

Learning still happens despite framing the educational institution as a business. It happens despite not because of structures like business theology (sic) and educational theories.

I think it happens because of people (rare teachers) who love to learn and love to spread this contagion and are not concerned with the bullshit of institutions.

This has nothing to do with the business climate in the US to my way of thinking. If one persists in understanding educational institutions as businesses or in terms of flaky educational theories the chances that education and learning happen are further reduced.

Hillsdale is not the answer. (I am familiar with this institution, and some of its teachers and students….. Frankly I am appalled at their ideological approach…. Even Notre Dame which is rapidly following in its wake of reactionaryism was not so narrow.)

I think that Jeffersonian democracy is the answer: educate (truly educate) the people and they can govern themselves.

You and I see this differently, Ray. That’s fine. I know its futile to expect the society to rise to this occasion. But it is how I think. There is no way I can bring myself to put my faith in business as an answer to moral and learning dilemmas.

When I say business I think corporations not small business entrepreneurs. Corporation and money is a far more corrupt source of ideas and actions than government as far as I am concerned. If there is any hope it will be in the reform of institutions that are designed with public responsibility as their main concern. This means government. I know that there have been many leaders in the US who think that government is the problem and not the answer. Though there is some truth in this, to me it is even more true that business philosophy (I call it theology… ideology) is about profit not public service. In our time this has been short term exploitation (dare I say, plundering) of both the public and the government pocketbook.

It all obviously needs reform. But the problem is that after so many years of dilution of education and learning, there is a dearth of people up to the task of understanding the situation much less reforming it.

I hope I don’t offend you with my understanding. My experience of education is from the point of view of an artist, since that’s how I went through the educational system. I was just talking to my friend Jordan (who is finishing up his bachelors in music) about the idea that music is a difficult subject to fake in school. Many other areas are routinely more false than real,however.

Once again I point you to Paul Goodman’s idea of the community of scholars. “It is by losing ourselves in inquiry, creation & craft that we become something. Civilization is a continual gift of spirit: inventions, discoveries, insight, art. We are citizens, as Socrates would have said, & we have it available as our own.”

Remember it’s just how I see it. I don’t need to change your mind, only clarify my ideas and point of view.

Sorry to hear you Holiday was marginal. I hope this improves. We should get together. I would be willing to meet you in GR for coffee sometime.

Are you related to Roy Jenkins who is mentioned in the article on Churchill?

Not that I know of.

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Happy new year 🙂 Good article