In my last links intro I said the kids were happy because some of their favorite things about summer were happening one way or another. Well...disappointment has reigned here lately. Their most favorite thing about summer - church camp - has been cancelled at the last minute. (And that's after VBS was cancelled. And the local pool didn't open for swim lessons. And...)
I don't know if I've mentioned it in a minute or so but I really hate this coronavirus situation. The whole thing. I hate that people are dying from it. And I hate that everything is so politicized and divided about every little thing related to it. I really hate that you have to get an impromptu education in epidemiology to parse the statistics, which are...unreliable (she said, mildly).
Anyway, forgive the rant. It's been a rough week, for many reasons.
But enough about that, on to the links!
Covid Stuff
- The Tricky Math of Covid-19 Herd Immunity from Quanta Magazine.
- It hasn't been a good year to be named Karen. (If only my parents had foreseen 2020, 40 years ago.) But hey, at least my blood type is less likely to catch Covid-19, according to some studies! (Doesn't help anyone else in my house though, since out of the 8 of us I'm the only O.)
- Coronavirus: Why Everyone Was Wrong by Beda Stadler (translated from German). Somewhat controversial, and first published in June so some things have changed. But interesting.
- Good news: Doctors are Better at Treating Covid-19 Patients Now Than They Were in March from The Verge.
- Good-ish news, I guess, but good luck finding Lysol in the stores now: EPA Approves First Two Cleaning Sprays That Kill the Coronavirus in 2 Minutes.
Christianity
- Apart from Dogma, Inspiring Wonder is Reckless by Joshua Gibbs. This one irritated me because I think it's a deliberate fallacy (equivocation on the word wonder). But it made me think and I like articles that make me think.
- I did not know a lot of the history included in this obituary: Beka Horton, Who Developed Abeka Christian School Curriculum Died. (Full disclosure: I am not a fan or promoter of Pensacola, Bob Jones University, or any of the institutions mentioned herein, nor the views these institutions may or may not hold. But I do use A Beka math for my younger kids. They prefer it over several alternatives, because it's in color.)
- More history I didn't know: Christians Who Changed Their World: Leif Erikson from Breakpoint.
- History I DID know: On Eliza Hamilton's Faith from The Exchange with Ed Stetzer. I've read several Hamilton biographies and they all mention Elizabeth Hamilton's deep faith.
Reading and Talking About Race in the United States
- Our 2020 Summer Reading List from The Rabbit Room has some great suggestions for all ages.
- To Confront Racism, We Must Find the Strength to Love by Chloe Valdary.
- My homeschool philosophy could best be summed up "Read lots of good books." And there are many book lists to help us choose great books. But what about When "Really Good" Books Hurt? This is why reading aloud should be Plan A. When I come across a section like the one described in "The Secret Garden" (one of our favorite stories!) we can pause and address it.
- On "White Fragility" by Matt Taibbi. This book is a no-go for me and this review sums up why.
- Related to the above: Forget White Fragility: Here are 10 Books America Should Be Reading About Race by Thomas Chatterton Williams.
Interesting, Defying Categorization
- Agatha Christie, Hercule Poirot, and Reverse Modernism by Eric Martin.
- During the "stay at home" orders I read a lot of easy books on my Kindle Fire. Our library had lots of Georgette Heyer digital titles available so I binged a bunch. I enjoyed them thoroughly and wondered why Hollywood (or Britain's film industry) hasn't made them into movies instead of re-making Austen for the eleventy-billionth time. Which led me to this post: Heyer Films: Mythconceptions but there's still no real answer for why we don't have a The Grand Sophy movie or miniseries.
- Her Mother Goose is my youngest's favorite book so this definitely caught my eye: Gyo Fujikawa: It Began with a Page from Redeemed Reader. (P.S. My youngest calls this "THE nursery rhymes book." And he accepts no substitutes.)
- Fascinating archaeological news: Indigenous Americans Had Contact with Polynesians 800 Years Ago.
- More archaeological news: I may have to add some footnotes or asterisks to our "The Story of The World Volume 1"and Ancient History studies after reading this article: The Hyksos Didn't Invade Ancient Egypt.
Until next time: stay well, friends!
