CA vs. TX

California is right next to Texas in terms of number of textbooks bought, so it trying to say "fuck you" to Texas newest textbook lunacy would be huge if passed:

Under Yee’s bill, SB1451, the California Board of Education would be required to look out for any of the Texas content as part of its standard practice of reviewing public school textbooks. The board must then report any findings to both the Legislature and the secretary of education.
The bill describes the Texas curriculum changes as “a sharp departure from widely accepted historical teachings” and “a threat to the apolitical nature of public school governance and academic content standards in California.”
Tom Adams, director of the state Department of Education’s standards and curriculum division, said the Texas standards could make their way into national editions of textbooks, but those aren’t used in California. “Our main concern is whether materials meet California’s standards,” he said. “There’s nothing in our review process that says we should be following Texas or anything like that.”

Of course, this being a bill that actually makes sense means it probably will get shot down thanks to some hefty gun-totin' screaming from nutjobs about Hollywood fags and the nation-wide "liberal bias."

Don't forget to check out the PBS joint I mentioned the other day HERE.

Mostly, any talk about textbooks gives me a chance to blow up PETER LEROY! 

More Peter Leroy and where to buy it HERE.

Texas: Gettin' Dumber!

While looking at Texas' relentless pursuit to make itself as stupid as possible, it's difficult to decide which tactic will be the most efficient: refusing to accept the just-began-under-SocialBama's commie policy of using government money for education, or changing history textbooks to reflect a history that is unrecognizable to the rest of the world. Will be fun to watch.  But the textbook bit I like because it 1) is absolutely batshit and 2) points to something that I already knew about:

Texas is the nation’s second-largest textbook market and one of the few biggies where the state picks what books schools can buy rather than leaving it up to the whims of local districts, which means publishers that get their books approved can count on millions of dollars in sales.

I actually knew this because of my having met Eric Kraft, the creator of Xmastime Hall of Famer Peter Leroy, which gives me another chance to implore everybody to buy the book!  :)

Mostly I'm reminded of a college professor who introduced me to my super-slice Peter Leroy, and his telling of the first time he met the author Eric Kraft - he had been expecting to meet a small-time, scrambling to have his little stories published in whatever periodical would have them writer. Turns out Kraft had put together a series of children's textbooks that were accepted as the standard curricula for Texas and California. My professor was still chuckling almost two decades later at his slight disappointment upon seeing Kraft come rolling up the street in his brand new Porsche.

Rick Perry for President!

I like Texas because it makes me feel smart, but seriously, at some point an adult is gonna step in, right? Right?





Well, Texas schoolkids may not have textbooks, but for those of you who can afford textbooks, bachelor degree online is a resource that will provide you with information about classes. You might luck out and some of the online classes may not even require textbooks.

Xmastime TV Alert

Mostly I'm reminded of a college professor who introduced me to my super-slice Peter Leroy, and his telling of the first time he met the author Eric Kraft - he had been expecting to meet a small-time, scrambling to have his little stories published in whatever periodical would have them writer. Turns out Kraft had put together a series of children's textbooks that were accepted as the standard curricula for Texas and California. My professor was still chuckling almost two decades later at his slight disappointment upon seeing Kraft come rolling up the street in his brand new Porsche. -  XMASTIME

TONIGHT ON PBS:
Independent Lens looks into the debate over textbooks. Here's their look at 10 Interesting Lessons from Creationist-Inspired Schoolbooks. Wow.

The idea of Texas dictating textbooks all over the land is terrifying, as I've mentioned several times over the years (including having to slap Marley around a bit.)

Just Another Wednesday Morning

If you people think Marley slaps me around like a bitch on Xmastime, here's a glimpse of what he does to me in private emails. I see his name slip into my inbox, I'm like Tina Turner when Ike comes in the room. Shudder.

----- Original Message ----
From: iwishididnthaveatinypenis@marley.com
To: Xmastime
Sent: Wed, March 31, 2010 11:02:23 AM
Subject: DAMN THE PURVEYORS OF HATE AND VIOLENCE!  DAMN THEM ALL!!!!

----- Original Message ----
From: Xmastime
To: iwishididnthaveatinypenis@marley.com
Sent: Wed, March 31, 2010 11:02:23 AM
Subject: DAMN THE PURVEYORS OF HATE AND VIOLENCE!  DAMN THEM ALL!!!!

so youre fine defending Sarah Palin doing this, since apparently 6 years ago the same thing was done with Bush? can we even pause to imagine how your beautifully sculpted, probably just-gelled head would've exploded if I pulled out the 'ol "well, they were mean to Clinton too!" trope?

I know you're a gridlock guy. but pretending that such silence by the GOP is less of a political tactic than my pointing it out on Xmastime, and then defensively digging up "well, they did it too!" stuff, is nonsense and beneath you. In your defense ill chalk this up to tonight's episode of The Real World being the season finale. i know you get emotional.


----- Original Message ----
From: iwishididnthaveatinypenis@marley.com
To: Xmastime
Sent: Wed, March 31, 2010 11:02:23 AM
Subject: DAMN THE PURVEYORS OF HATE AND VIOLENCE!  DAMN THEM ALL!!!!

I'm saying that the entire thing, the whole shootin' match, whether utilized against the right or the left, is a creation, a story, and that it pains me to see you let them shove their hand up your bum to parrot their
line, and its even more painful to see you extract moral superiority from the proctological endeavor.  This same silliness was utilized against the left during the Bush administration - find the nuts, take the extremes, overblow and set your line.

Yet, your so invested in this built-to-suit drama, that you see me and immediately, in Pavlovian fashion, attack "the other."

I thought the video I sent you last night might have jarred you - a compendium of every stupid fucker out there parroting your line, like something right out of Network

And all you read was the title, and responded in standard puppet format. You eat the line.  You love it.  And it makes a fool of you.


----- Original Message ----
From: Xmastime
To: iwishididnthaveatinypenis@marley.com
Sent: Wed, March 31, 2010 11:02:23 AM
Subject: DAMN THE PURVEYORS OF HATE AND VIOLENCE!  DAMN THEM ALL!!!!

we can always go back to "well its always been that way, oh its the media" etc etc. which as a philosophy is fine, but it also demands an intellectual dishonesty. sure libs were "furious!" at Bush for things like the war, sure they called him "dumb." but i dont think they were showing up at rallies with posters with Hitler mustaches drawn on him, I dont think they were questioning his citizenship. i dont think they were promoting "bring your guns!" rallies, and I dont think they were planning rallies on the OK City bombing anniversary and claiming it has to do with Concord.

if you wanna say bah humbug to all that, thats fine. but to claim there's no discernible difference between the two "extremes" is laughable. it's all theater to you, since you're a gridlock guy anyway and dont want the govt to do anything except "kick ass!" But to people who would prefer otherwise, having someone like John McCain NOT increase their quality of life because he feels the need to play to the whims of these  people (the worst of tea partiers) is an incredibly frustrating misuse of time and government.


----- Original Message ----
From: iwishididnthaveatinypenis@marley.com
To: Xmastime
Sent: Wed, March 31, 2010 11:02:23 AM
Subject: DAMN THE PURVEYORS OF HATE AND VIOLENCE!  DAMN THEM ALL!!!!

Look, you want to be in the game, fine.  You want to eat the biscuit they - be they left or right - lay out for you, fine.

All I'm saying is that you can maintain a principled political philosophy without eating the pre-packaged, poll-tested, generally inaccurate biscuit.

Look if in your heart of hearts, you believe

a.  The Tea Party is racist
b.  The right is purveying violence
c.  Palin is a retrograde danger and moron
d.  the hate directed toward Bush was lesser and of a different stripe

Okay, fine.  You have company (just about every standard media puppet and an entire punditry and political apparatus prepared to reinforce your beliefs for their own aggrandizement).  I just think you're a dope eating an easy biscuit who doesn't really know shit about the history of these things, but just "feels" a certain way (a feeling bolstered by biscuit makers and biscuit supporters everywhere).

But I'm reminded of the girl in my Gilded Age class last night who, in a discussion of Michel Foucault's death by AIDS, said, 'Well, look, we're not talking the flu here.  We're talking about a devastating disease."

You are correct in one respect - it is theater.  And my sole goal is to get you to stop juggling for free.

----- Original Message ----
From: Xmastime
To: iwishididnthaveatinypenis@marley.com
Sent: Wed, March 31, 2010 11:02:23 AM
Subject: DAMN THE PURVEYORS OF HATE AND VIOLENCE!  DAMN THEM ALL!!!!

the entire point youre missing is that it doesnt matter if im a dope that eats the biscuit. hey, the part of it being theater goes like this:

1) some righty says/does something i take umbrage at, i post about it. hopefully im more witty than histrionic, but i wouldnt bet the farm on it.

2) you jump on me, pointing out that im an idiot falling for the media holding the football that ill never kick. which is never wrong, and we go round and round.

but the problem is that sometimes people eating the biscuit are people that are of actual power.

look at Texas. with the first Tea Party, Rick Perry sees opportunity and pops a hammy jumping up and screaming: "seccession!!!!" etc etc. which someone like me points out as lunacy/stupid, which you laugh at as theater, its how its always been/will be etc etc.

but Rick Perry is not some blogger in Brooklyn hoovering Cheetos. He's the governor of Texas. which means that while he dives in head-first to do cartwheels for Tea Partiers, people  of power take advantage of this to realize "hey, this would be a good time to change our history textbooks to say anything we want them to!!"

up to that point, everything can be laughed off. but what if these textbooks actually get changed? those are actual consequences. the danger isnt that I eat the shit biscuit at all. i dont really matter. you should be a little more concerned about powerful people that are eating the biscuit, lest you find your kids reading textbooks that claim "Rush Limbaugh was the first president and upset the Colts in Super Bowl III!"

----- Original Message ----
From: iwishididnthaveatinypenis@marley.com
To: Xmastime
Sent: Wed, March 31, 2010 11:02:23 AM
Subject: DAMN THE PURVEYORS OF HATE AND VIOLENCE!  DAMN THEM ALL!!!!

I get you, and its the most laughable part of the dance.  Textbooks are a perfect example.  For years, the liberals moved to have the emphasis changed, to de-emphasize white man history, to install "Billy has two Mommies."  The conservatives went batshit and the dance was begun.  In some of the jurisdictions where liberals held sway, the changes were made. Columbus a dick.  Billy has Mommy Frieda and Mommy Joan.  The conservatives cry, "It's the end of civilization."

Fast forward.  Now, the conservatives want a section on ID and to de-emphasize Jefferson and to make sure Pocahontas isn't showing her tits. The liberals go batshit.  The dance begins.  In some of the jurisdictions where the conservatives hold sway, ID is given nod, and Jefferson falls under "Jefferson, George."  The liberals cry, "It's the end of the civilization."

And you, you dramatic homo lug, who hollowed out your textbooks to keep your Wacky Packs cards,  conclude that there have been "actual consequences."

(you know - you should post this exchange)

----- Original Message ----
From: Xmastime
To: iwishididnthaveatinypenis@marley.com
Sent: Wed, March 31, 2010 11:02:23 AM
Subject: DAMN THE PURVEYORS OF HATE AND VIOLENCE!  DAMN THEM ALL!!!!

"(you know - you should post this exchange)"

then you admit I was brilliant!!!!!

:)

Pocahantas tits. dying.


----- Original Message ----
From: iwishididnthaveatinypenis@marley.com
To: Xmastime
Sent: Wed, March 31, 2010 11:02:23 AM
Subject: DAMN THE PURVEYORS OF HATE AND VIOLENCE!  DAMN THEM ALL!!!!

Actually, I admit that you're intelligible, owing mostly to me

Can We Please Launch Texas into Outer Space?

If you haven't been spurred into incredulity by my Xmassy quips about idiots in Texas insisting their kids grow up dumb (and, consequently, most of the nation's kids) because of a few right-wing nutjobs demanding that history textbooks claim Rush Limbaugh and Jesus trapped Cornwallis in Yorktown, check out Need to Know on PBS this weekend. Fucking stunning.

Idiots like this really highlight the irony of the sheer amount of brain power that's at the LBJ Space Center being in Texas.

Disappointment. A Clinic.

Watching Moments of Luxury right now I find myself a little disenchanted at what a rich, privileged family Edith Wharton was born into; I guess like everybody else I like to think of my favorite writers as dirt poor, starving artists writing their masterpieces on the back of coal shovels a la Faulkner (in other words, whether or not these stories are actually true is not really important either.)

Mostly I'm reminded of a college professor who introduced me to my super-slice Peter Leroy, and his telling of the first time he met the author Eric Kraft - he had been expecting to meet a small-time, scrambling to have his little stories published in whatever periodical would have them writer. Turns out Kraft had put together a series of children's textbooks that were accepted as the standard curricula for Texas and California. My professor was still chuckling almost two decades later at his slight disappointment upon seeing Kraft come rolling up the street in his brand new Porsche.

More Peter Leroy love HERE.

Reading Lund

I've blathered away on this blog a gazillion times about my favorite book of all time, Little Follies: The Personal History, Adventures, Experiences & Observations of Peter Leroy, including HERE, HERE and HERE. Today I was thinking about how much I love the author Eric Kraft when I was reminded that for 15 years I've had a book about Thackery sitting on my bookshelf that was written by the very professor who introduced me to the Peter Leroy series, Michael Lund.

Mostly I'm reminded of a college professor who introduced me to my super-slice Peter Leroy, and his telling of the first time he met the author Eric Kraft - he had been expecting to meet a small-time, scrambling to have his little stories published in whatever periodical would have them writer. Turns out Kraft had put together a series of children's textbooks that were accepted as the standard curricula for Texas and California. My professor was still chuckling almost two decades later at his slight disappointment upon seeing Kraft come rolling up the street in his brand new Porsche.

On a side note, it was Prof. Lund that brought the genius of the Muppets into the classroom:

Other than Fozzie being a comedic influence I can't really say I grew up on the Muppets any more than anyone else, but as I've mentioned it in this blog several times (although I can't fucking find any of the posts grrr) the highest-level English class I took in college as an English major was Literary Criticism, in which the professor would constantly tie in how, say, The Mimetic Theory, could be applied to The Muppet Movie. It sounds silly 15 years later, but at the time it was always like "...is this guy retarded? what the...oh, shit, look at that. He's right." Bizzare. "How would Aristotle or Pope have interpreted this particular passage from Frankenstein? Okay, let's go to the tape: here's Fozzie and Kermit coming to a fork in the road while driving and..."

So in deciding to read Vanity Fair at least just so I can read Lund's book Reading Thackery, I stumbled upon his website for his own Route 66 series of novels. Which, judging from the site, bears great resemblance to the Peter Leroy joints I love so much. I'm gonna read them, and sight unseen I'm giving them the offical Xmastime Book Club recommendation for you too!  :)

Disappointment.

Watching Moments of Luxury right now I find myself a little disenchanted at what a rich, privileged family Edith Wharton was born into; I guess like everybody else I like to think of my favorite writers as dirt poor, starving artists writing their masterpieces on the back of coal shovels a la Faulkner (in other words, whether or not these stories are actually true is not really important either.)

Mostly I'm reminded of a college professor who introduced me to my super-slice Peter Leroy, and his telling of the first time he met the author Eric Kraft - he had been expecting to meet a small-time, scrambling to have his little stories published in whatever periodical would have them writer. Turns out Kraft had put together a series of children's textbooks that were accepted as the standard curricula for Texas and California. My professor was still chuckling almost two decades later at his slight disappointment upon seeing Kraft come rolling up the street in his brand new Porsche.

More Peter Leroy love HERE.