Maggie's Farm

We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.

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Saturday, October 2. 2010

Geology

Regular readers know what a geology buff I am, although I do not post about it very much. My view is that you do not know what the heck you are looking at when you step outdoors unless you know some basic geology.


I was recently reminded about John McPhee's Annals of This Former World.


The book is a treat, but much better appreciated if you know basic Geo.


(As my friends know, my kids are all given my list of what they are required to study in college - or as AP high school courses - if I am to pay for their education. Intro Geology is on my list. Maybe I should post my Dad's Required Courses one of these days. It might stimulate some fun discussion here. Being a Yankee, I am cheap and hate to waste money on transient nonsense du jour. One reason I love Columbia and the U of Chicago is because they dare have an opinion about what kids need to know from the wisdom of past generations.)

Posted by Bird Dog in Natural History and Conservation, Our Essays at 13:58 | Comments (10) | Trackbacks (0)

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I would like to see "Dad's Required Courses" and compare it to what I made our kids take or they could pay for college themselves.

Be interesting to a different approach.
#1 Tom Francis on 2010-10-02 18:49 (Reply)
I to would be interested in "Dad's Required Courses" and your rationale, my eldest will be starting college next September.
#2 Dennis on 2010-10-02 20:58 (Reply)
I've been a big fan of John McPhee for a long time, and if I could meet one writer in person in my lifetime, (besides Bird Dog)McPhee would be my choice.
#3 LP on 2010-10-02 21:09 (Reply)
I dunno, you gotta have rocks in your head to have an interest in geology. Which reminds me of once hearing Fire Red sing "Rocks in my Bed" w the Ellington Orchestra at Newport.
#4 Gringo on 2010-10-02 22:11 (Reply)
Okay, I too would be interested in taking a gander at "Dad's Required Courses." C'mon, please post it.

My son, a sophomore in high school, receives lots of encouragement from me that he plan on studying a hard science of his choice - preferably from an engineering angle - for the gift of a college education. Because, eck, don't get me going on the PC corruption of the humanities, which the young man would also enjoy studying. Bah.

Ha, my son's not into robotics like so many youngsters, but he recently discovered the explosives engineering course at New Mexico Tech and, boy, do his eyes shine with delight when he considers that program.

PS I adore Maggie Farm
#5 jayne on 2010-10-03 01:35 (Reply)
Yes, please post the list; we're homeschooling our
boy, now five years old.
McPhee is wonderful. Discovered in his book on
the N.J. Pine Barrens a place called Apple
Pie Hill. When I was a kid we read a book called
The Giant of Apple Pie Hill.
Fun to see it was real.
#6 DavidB on 2010-10-03 07:07 (Reply)
By all means, post Dad's Required Courses. I'm currently in remedial education, reading The Road to Serfdom, Democracy in America, and a big list of other titles that were never required in high school or college, but should have been.
#7 Phil in Englewood on 2010-10-03 09:25 (Reply)
OK, I will put it in ye olde Maggie's pipeline.
#8 Bird Dog on 2010-10-03 10:59 (Reply)
My view is that you do not know what the heck you are looking at when you step outdoors unless you know some basic geology.

The first lesson (four hours) in the Master Naturalist class I took was geology. A lot of students complained because it wasn't about wildflowers, trees, birds, critters, etc., but I thought it was fascinating.
#9 Earth Girl (Link) on 2010-10-03 21:06 (Reply)
Can't wait to check out Dad's Required....Darling Son choosing a college now. Wants to LA major, classical, and I am contemplating what that means. DS is already a conservative and has a good head on his shoulders....loves history and is amazed at how it really repeats itself, right before our very eyes, so he wants to dig into that even farther.
#10 g on 2010-10-03 21:22 (Reply)

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