Bonjour, Y'all!

Well, now, this is the day we find out if Texas is turning into France - arrogant without a lot of muscle to back it up, going our own way because, doggonit, we know we're in the right, and not giving a flip about what anybody else thinks.

Not that we didn't have these characteristics before.  What's new is that our influence is probably going to start going downhill, starting with the Texas influence on the nation's school textbooks.

We vote today on whitewashing, quite literally, Texas and U.S. History.  We're also voting on how much to indoctrinate our children in American Exceptionalism, which usually translates that everyone has to follow the major rules of decency, except for Americans.

California, that other hugely populous state, is considering blocking the revisions altogether, though it may not be necessary.  They won't be buying any new textbooks until 2013.  Who knows, we may have a whole different board or system by then.

So this is where we need to start.  We've had elections for some of the board members, now we need to "pack" the rest of the board with, you know, people who aren't so much into starting out with the answers to stuff into childrens' heads.

Our biggest mistake over the last few decades is the growth of the notion that schools must be run like businesses.  The product is "educated employees", which has translated to "cogs in the machine", not trained to question, in fact trained not to question.  It's translated to ridiculous "zero tolerance" rules that teach fear and that you're not safe unless you fit into this little pigeonhole, conveniently locker-sized.  Our universities are changing from places of inquiry to research mills for industry, and very high-priced vocational schools.

There's training, which is critical, and there is education, which is even more critical:  you get context, history, depth, and exposure to more than what you've seen before when you get an education.  With training, you're taught only what you need to know - actually what someone else has determined that you need to know.

What I see of today's students is a decided lack of willingness to find out, but a tremendous effort to believe - in something, anything, and as long as they're never, ever exposed to things outside their beliefs, that's fine.  But that kind of world can only be found in gated communities and desert compounds.  "Security" consists of staying there, forever.  Or changing the world to suit their needs, to everyone else's detriment.

There was a quote that I thought was inspiring for a number of years:  "Most people adapt themselves to the world around them. Occasionally, one person will adapt the world to suit himself.  All progress depends on that one man."

I don't buy that anymore, as I see the Regressive Movement trying to take the country back to a past that didn't really exist.  The world may need shaping, the world definitely needs leaders, but it doesn't need to be leading the way while blindfolded.

And the Texas Board of Education will vote today on just how tight that blindfold it wants to place on our children.

It Is (To Point) And Laugh: Tornado Of Ideas II

You might have noticed I'm s Star Trek fan.  Mostly TNG, some DS9 and Voyager.  Here's a little morality play.  

Snooty Dr. Bashir tells the resident expat Garak the tale of the Boy Who Cried Wolf - the obvious moral being that when you lie all the time, nobody believes you even when you eventually tell the truth. 

The moral obvious to Garak is "never tell the same lie twice".

My point in relating the tale:  You always find what you're looking for.

So, here are the "lesbians"...

If  you can't see it, the title of the book is "Lost Liberties". 

What else could this picture possibly represent?

Friendship. Family.  Sisterhood.   Comfort.  Commiseration.   I'm sure others could come up with more.

As for the always attention-getting word "sodomy", I'm going to let you judge for yourself.  Click for the entire pic.

Title of the book:  Theives in High Places

I'm going to stand by my initial interpretation.   

Wahhh-tention seekers kick up dust over Tornado of Ideas

This doesn't even rate being called a dust devil of stupid, but media coverage has been decidedly lopsided.

There's a guy who doesn't like the statue called Tornado of Ideas. That little opinion piece came out in 2007.  Apparently spending years gathering his resources, he started a Facebook group and a real life petition to get the thing removed a week ago.

The reaction on campus and around town is "huh?"  The media reaction is "Tech Conservatives Angered by Statue!" or something similar.  Major news outlets, mostly quoting the press release, talk about the group protesting and having a petition out.

Local news had them on TV.  Great attention, I'll bet.

Here's what you don't read:

1) There's a counter petition and there were counter protests.  Even a couple of counter FaceBook groups.
2) Real life signatures and online membership against the removal outnumber the "angered conservatives" by 10 to 1.

Now to clear some misconceptions about the work:

• Attempted sodomy depicted.  Since I've actually seen the work, in my opinion it does not depict attempted or actual sodomy.  This is a hot button word being used to get people exited.  I've always seen it as the rider at the end of a chase, pinning down the quarry.  Also, OMG LESBIANS! I'll have to admit I didn't notice this.  I'll check it out and amend as needed.

• "New" YCT group.  It's been pointed out that the YCT has been around a while, so there's nothing suspicous going on.  As the work has been here since 2004, and the founder of this movement has only been disturbed by it since 2007, and has waited until 2010 to actually do something, I call shenanigans.

• The sculpture is supposed to represent America.  I have no idea where this got started.  According to Tech,

"Symbolically, the books within the sculpture represent the polarized ideas within the United States that fuel the energy of the tornado, according to the University Public Art Collection."

(see the rest here: http://www.dailytoreador.com/2.13436/controversial-culture-1.1837508)

So there was no nefarious plot to endorse the "liberaly-ness" of anything.

• B-but-but TAXPAYER MONEEE!  Taxpayer money is used for a lot of things.  It's used for a lot of things I don't agree with, too.  This particular venture of public art started in 1998.  The reason?  To attract outsiders and get them to move here.  And pay taxes and buy stuff.  Business are given tax breaks all the time.  

http://today.ttu.edu/2005/06/communities-use-public-art-to-attract-and-retain-residents-and-businesses/

I wouldn't mind seeing more edifying and inspiring art in the world.  It's great stuff.  I also don't hide from things I don't like.  Listen to your enemies - they have information your friends are keeping from you.

The stated mission of the Tornado of Ideas is to depict the energy created by vigorous debate.  I say: Mission Accomplished.