Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Feb 2, 2012, 10:19 am
Welcome to the February 2, 2012 edition of the Objectivist Round Up! Today is Ayn Rand's birthday, so that makes this a very special edition of the Round Up. Objectivists and other fans of Ayn Rand's work often mark this day as special. However, this year, Dr. Harry Binswanger came up with a great ...
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Jan 30, 2012, 9:17 am
Among the lessons I have learned in the past week: Never surprise your mortgage company with surprising information. Oh, and don't be surprised if your mortgage company pretends that you have surprised them with surprising information that you have completely, fully, and honestly disclosed since, y...
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Jan 26, 2012, 3:45 pm
Note to non-Objectivist friends and family--if you have questions about this post, ask me about it in person and I'll try to explain. And please feel free to move on by. PLEASE. Normally, I don't wade into controversies and debates among Objectivists, at least not online. I prefer to discuss such ma...
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Jan 24, 2012, 11:24 am
Sheesh already. The video really says it all: I am someone who has always struggled with body image and weight and have, at the age of 41, only just now fixed some of the errors I've made, inside my head and outside. As someone who has been plus-size in the past, it's just hysterical to me that, in...
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Jan 23, 2012, 5:31 pm
To Whom It May Concern: The principal members of the Atlanta Objectivist Society (ATLOS) would like you to be aware that we do not advocate the eating of babies, even deliciously adorable ones with smooth skin and squeezable cheeks and beautiful smiles. We would also like to make it plain that we do...
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Jan 23, 2012, 11:49 am
I have no clear idea about what I'm going to write. I think you need to know this going in. The other morning on the way home from CrossFit, I caught the end of a local morning show on the radio. To my pleasant surprise, they were talking about homeschooling, and the discussion was generally very fa...
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Jan 19, 2012, 2:12 pm
Hey! Were you thinking of giving a presentation at this year's ATLOSCon? Well then now is the time to think a bit harder about this and send us your proposal! Here's the announcement we just sent out to our group:  ATLOSCon 2012 Request for Speaker Proposals! We at the Atlanta Objectivist Society ...
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Jan 19, 2012, 9:49 am
Sheesh. Since last we met, this intrepid blogger has managed to get all of the paperwork to the mortgage company (minus one last thing I'm waiting for a copy of), exchanged a dozen emails with the realtor about the new house, nearly completed the books for the cabin business, balanced all the checkb...
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Oct 28, 2011, 1:12 pm
So, you may or may not be aware that I have taken up two new obsessions hobbies over the last year. I started CrossFit in September 2010 and started knitting in November 2010. I love them both, and I'm here to tell you why. Now these two obsessions hobbies might seem like completely opposite types o...
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Oct 25, 2011, 3:52 pm
Having more than one kid, I am constantly, constantly involved in helping them resolve conflicts. Constantly. In a way, this is an advantage of having more than one kid--they all get TONS of practice. And in a way, it's a disadvantage because it's exhausting. As in to-the-very-core-of-my-being exhau...
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Oct 24, 2011, 2:01 pm
Aaaand, once again, Life gets in the way of Blogging! This is my life (in no particular order): Reading stuff to kidsHelping kids spell stuff Trying to convince (certain) people that there is Value in MathAnswering questions for kidsTeaching rational problem-solving and conflict resolution skills t...
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Oct 20, 2011, 10:24 am
So as I mentioned the other day, Brendan and I took a gun safety class with Ryan at a local shooting range. I've never ever done anything like that before and I've been thinking about the experience ever since. Here are some relevant facts: I didn't grow up in a home with guns, and had never ever ev...
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Oct 17, 2011, 10:38 am
We had a fun, busy weekend. Did you know that I routinely look forward to Monday mornings, because THAT'S WHEN I CAN SLEEP IN? That's the crazy life of a homeschooling mommy. :D It started off with 10 sets of 2 front squats at CrossFit: I have to say that I had excellent form all the way through, a...
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Oct 13, 2011, 11:49 am
Welcome to the 222nd edition of the Objectivist Round Up! 222--that's pretty awesome. Part of the reason I blog about Objectivism and organize this blog carnival is so that I can practice keeping the principles of Objectivism at the forefront of my mind; to remember to live the virtues as well as ta...
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Oct 11, 2011, 2:39 pm
Back in May, I wrote about an altercation between Morgan and Sean, and Morgan's tendency to give in to others for the sake of peace and quiet. I was thinking about this post today, because though things have improved, she still does this a little bit. And with a new twist. First, from the post: One ...
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Oct 10, 2011, 1:16 pm
Morgan and I sat down together and made up a weekly routine for her homeschool studies. It was a fun experience and, with her permission, I wanted to share what we came up with. To start off, I should probably explain a bit about why this wasn't done before now. And not just with Morgan, I mean, but...
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Oct 4, 2011, 7:12 pm
We had an experience last week, out in public, in which I was the recipient of compliments about my parenting, specifically about my "obedient" children. The person who provided me with this praise (and not once either) was super-impressed with my well-behaved children and just couldn't tell me enou...
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Oct 3, 2011, 4:17 pm
So, last week, we finished up our first-ever state-mandated bout of homeschool standardized testing. It was an interesting experience all around. Okay, so the law in Georgia is that homeschool kids have to take a standardized test at "the end of third grade" and every three years after that. There a...
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Sep 30, 2011, 8:30 am
In my never-ending quest to document the most trivial aspects of my life on this here blog, I present to you: A Snapshot Of Things Found In My Purse!  I KNOW! You're welcome very much. Okay, so besides the usual pens and lip balm and loose change and crayons, the other things in my purse turn out t...
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Sep 28, 2011, 7:41 am
One year ago today, I went to my first CrossFit class at CrossFit Kennesaw. Even though I have a friend who has done CrossFit for years and led an introductory class at our first MiniCon, I had no real idea what I was in for. I figured it was some kind of boot camp deal with kettlebells and weights....
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Sep 27, 2011, 4:04 pm
One of my favorite Positive Discipline Tool Cards is Decide What You Will Do. Really, it's my go-to parenting tool. I use it all the time, often in parenting situations where I am simply paralyzed by the WTFery of it all, or when I find myself standing at the edge of the Cliffs of Insanity, ready to...
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Sep 26, 2011, 5:06 pm
Check out the line up for our latest thrilling episode! Situation of the Week (Jenn): Mutual Problem-Solving with a Babysitter Topic: When Temperaments Clash! (begins 13:33) Link: Podcast #2: Temperament Q & A: Is it effective for parents to play good cop/bad cop with their kids? If so, why? And if...
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Sep 23, 2011, 4:53 pm
This is one of those posts where I just ramble on about what's been going on with the kids lately, primarily for my own amusement. And so I can remember this time in years to come. Feel free to move on by if this Mommy stuff is too boring. Ryan is 9 years and 5 months old as of this writing, and he ...
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Sep 21, 2011, 12:23 pm
I think every kid in the universe with a big head and wispy hair needs this shirt: Don't you?
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Sep 20, 2011, 1:06 pm
Okay, so this is the post where I out myself as a possible CrazyPerson. (Enjoy!) I don't know if you've noticed, but the economy is kind of crap, and we've been enjoying a nice long slide for many years now. This is concerning to me, because in addition to personal health and the health of my loved ...
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Sep 16, 2011, 9:47 am
Am I really lazier in the summer, or are there really that many more fun things to do in the fall? Here's my schedule for the next week: Today: Homeschool Day at the Carlos Museum to look at mummies (lots of ATLOS moms and kids are going, woohoo!), then tonight, the annual pirate party at our frien...
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Sep 13, 2011, 1:55 pm
I mentioned this post yesterday, and since Assume Positive Intent is on my mind, I thought I'd feature it for my TTT post. Back to these kids and their misbehaviors. Or maybe we should reframe that word, look it as a contraction of sorts: mis(taken)behaviors, instead of mis-- as in "wrong?" Anyway. ...
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Sep 12, 2011, 6:39 pm
We are happy to bring you yet another exciting episode of Cultivating the Virtues! This episode is a whole lot funnier than the others somehow. . . we laugh a lot. Yay! Situation of the Week (Kelly): "Storming off in a museum because of a pottery disagreement" If you want that to make sense, you hav...
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Sep 12, 2011, 11:17 am
This morning, a friend of mine told me about this song, See Me Beautiful. I challenge you not to tear up as you listen: Here are the lyrics: See me beautiful, look for the best in me. That's what I really am, and all I want to be. It may take some time It may be hard to find, but see me beautiful. ...
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Sep 7, 2011, 6:13 pm
In the last week, I've been to Chicago and back. By car. Actually, over the course of four and a half actual days. That ought to explain why blogging's been light. Which it does, though the light blogging was somewhat unintentional as it coincided with some technical problems (Hello, Google! The ne...
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Aug 30, 2011, 10:00 am
I'm heading to Chicago this weekend to attend the Chicago Objectivist Society's MiniCon and talk just a bit about Positive Discipline! Specifically, I'll be focusing on the really awesomely effective problem-solving and communication techniques that I've learned through my study of PD, and how they ...
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Aug 29, 2011, 6:19 am
I am pleased to pass along this message from the publisher of The Undercurrent: Dear Potential Supporter, In his lecture at this summer’s Objectivist conference, Yaron Brook, President of the Ayn Rand Institute, reflected on the first 50 years of the Objectivist movement. During that session, Dr....
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Aug 25, 2011, 1:58 pm
Our tribute to Steve Jobs (and Steve Wozniak and the others who made Apple possible) is displayed wherever we go, on the back window of our minivan: This is a terrific article at the Wall Street Journal, "Steve Jobs's Best Quotes." One of my favorites was this one (my emphasis): “We think the Mac...
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Aug 23, 2011, 10:13 am
Okay, so we skipped putting out a podcast last week, so we're making up for it by posting a REALLY INTERESTING podcast this time. :D Situation of the Week (Jenn): Teaching kids what to do instead of just fussing at them for making mistakes. Amazing how helpful that is. Links: On Minilectures at Rati...
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Aug 22, 2011, 9:19 am
Wow, it's been a while since I've updated the blog! Too many interesting things going on in real life these days. One of the interesting things was Lemonade Freedom Day, which was Saturday. My kids had their first lemonade stand ever and they had tons of fun. Their friend Livy (Kelly's daughter) was...
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Aug 16, 2011, 1:46 pm
Alliteration FTW! What is Tattling Tennis? Here is the basic way I handle tattling, when a child tries to involve me in a problem she ought to handle on her own--I think of it as a tennis match. Let's take an example, and I'll show you. Morgan: "MOM!!!! Ryan just threatened to cover me in snot ball...
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Aug 12, 2011, 2:26 pm
Yesterday, Morgan and I revisited her Things I Want to Know list from last year and created a new one, called the Things I Want to Do and Learn list. My reasons for doing this are the same as they were last year: because I think the kids need to have a huge voice in what they are learning, and it gi...
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Aug 11, 2011, 10:33 am
Welcome to the August 11, 2011 edition of the Objectivist Round Up! We've got a great group of Objectivist bloggers who contribute to this weekly blog carnival. We write about all kinds of topics (check out this week's first post!), which makes for an interesting selection, I think. Things hav...
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Aug 9, 2011, 2:40 pm
Today I'm going to share one of my favorite parenting WINS, for no other reason than I happened to remember this incident earlier today. Hmmm. . . it only occurs to me just now that the biggest wins must necessarily be borne out of complete and utter disaster. Good thing to keep in mind. So one of t...
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Aug 8, 2011, 9:29 pm
Look at that! Three weeks, three podcasts, woohoo! Situation of the Week (Jenn): "If I scream, he wins." (It'll make sense when you listen!) Topic: Living an "Adult-Centered" vs a "Child-Centered" Life (begins 8:48) Link: "Child Friendly without being Child Centered" at Reepicheep's Coracle (Kelly's...
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Aug 5, 2011, 3:09 pm
I think Morgan was a little envious of the THRILLING SUCCESS of Ryan's interview with Sean, which I believe may become a regular feature he's entitled Sean Talk. So, naturally, she made her own interview and was ever so happy when I told her I'd post it to my blog! She calls this Sean Talk: The Next...
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Aug 5, 2011, 9:34 am
So I knew that Ryan borrowed my Flip Cam yesterday (why he was using mine and not his, still not clear on that). And this morning I found this video: Had no idea that was on there! (It's really shaky at first, but he chills out a bit after the first 10 seconds or so.) You can tell that Sean is slig...
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Aug 2, 2011, 11:39 am
This week's Time Travel Tuesday post is an oldie, but a longie: Discipline without Punishment. It's one of the posts where I tried to lay out a case for non-punitive discipline which is based on my principles as an Objectivist. There are lots of examples, and includes the Ambassador Analogy (which i...
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Aug 1, 2011, 2:45 pm
Yay! Another episode! Please forgive the buzzing in the background; we're trying to figure it out. Situation of the Week: Handling problems among children when some of the children are ignoring anotherTopic: Brainstorming Parenting Problems--Kelly and Jenn discuss a problem that Kelly is having and ...
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Jul 29, 2011, 11:07 am
This is one of those challenges for which I don't think there's any actual solution apart from the passage of time. But I'll share it because it's on my mind, and if you have some advice, I'm all ears! Miss Morgan is six, and is experiencing growing pains. Not the physical kind, though she is more p...
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Jul 28, 2011, 3:18 pm
Looking back over my workout logs of the last month or two, I noticed that I've made awesomely great progress recently. I'm going to list my current PRs (personal records) and maybe in a few months, I'll revisit these and see if I've made even MORE progress. (Bear with me, some of this repeats thing...
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Jul 27, 2011, 10:49 am
Recently, we were once again the happy recipients of free cookies from Enjoy Life Foods. Oh happy day! This time, for our taste test, we decided to make a video. Two videos, actually. Here's the first one: And here's the second one: We tasted four kinds of their new cookies, the crunchy Chocolate ...
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Jul 26, 2011, 10:41 am
As an Objectivist who chose to become a parent, I have fielded many questions (addressed directly to me, and in indirect ways, too) about the seeming contradiction between a philosophy that holds rational self-interest as moral and the (supposed) sacrifice involved in being a parent. Parenting is on...
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Jul 25, 2011, 12:51 pm
Hey there! We're back and recording lots of podcasts this summer, woohoo! Astute listeners will have noticed that we've skipped ahead a bit in our numbering. We have not published podcasts 14 and 15 yet due to some technical issues, but we put them up as soon as we can. Rather than put everything on...
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Jenn C. posted an article on Rational Jenn - Jul 12, 2011, 10:26 am
One of the tools that is NOT in my parenting toolbox is the old standby "Because I said so!" I'd love to say that it's never crossed my lips, but it has. I do quickly correct myself. And now my children, who are used to and expect reasons for the things I am asking them to do, wouldn't let it go by ...
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