Ben Stein's Movie: Expelled

Ben Stein has put together a documentary on the science of Intelligent Design and the price that scientists pay for exploring it. Somehow, if a scientist advocates that our universe and those of us in it were created by anything other than mere chance, they are ostracized and abused. The smug self-righteousness of those who purport to be open-minded is disturbing.

When did science and religion split? Was Darwin the beginning of it or was it already divided? I haven't researched it but it sounds like a worthy project. I'm sure someone has. Perhaps we can come up with a link that points to it.

Check out the trailer for Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, it looks intriguing.

Thanks, Tony.

Judge Orders Homeschoolers into Government Indoctrination...er... Education

It appears that in California (look for other states to follow suit) your kids are not your kids - they belong to the state. I feel like that little lady from the Wendy's commercials except that instead of saying, "Where's the beef?" We should all be saying, "Where's the Freedom?"

Hopefully efforts like RescueYourChild.org and CaliforniaExodus.org will help to bring some sanity back to the state of California.

Judge Orders homeschoolers Into Government Education

Thanks, Tony...

What's the Mission?

I've been carrying a copy of this letter around from an Air Force Project Warrior hand-out since back in the 1980's. It is a reminder not to get bogged down in the administrivia so as to forget the mission (whatever it may be at the time). I wonder how big a problem this still is...

Message from the Duke of Wellington to the British Foreign Office in London, August 1812:

Gentlemen:

While marching from Portugal to a position which commands the approach to Madrid and the French forces, my officers have been diligently complying with your requests which have been sent by His Majesty's ship from London to Lisbon and thence by dispatch rider to our headquarters.

We have enumerated our saddles, bridles, tents and tent poles, and all manner of sundry items for which His Majesty's Government holds me accountable. I have dispatched reports on the character, wit and spleen of every officer. Each item and every farthing has been accounted for, with two regrettable exceptions for which I beg your indulgence.

Unfortunately the sum of one shilling and ninepence remains unaccounted for in one infantry battalion's petty cash and there has been a hideous confusion as to the number of jars of raspberry jam issued to one cavalry regiment during a sandstorm in western Spain. This reprehensible carelessness may be related to the pressure of circumstance, since we are at war with France, a fact which may come as a bit of a surprise to you gentlemen in Whitehall.

This brings me to my present purpose, which is to request elucidation of my instructions from His Majesty's Government, so that I may better understand why I am dragging an army over these barren plains. I construe that perforce it must be one of two alternative duties, as given below. I shall pursue either one with the best of my ability but I cannot do both:

1. To train an army of uniformed British clerks in Spain for the benefit of the accountants and copy-boys in London, or, perchance

2. To see to it that the forces of Napoleon are driven out of Spain.

Signed,
Your most obedient servant
WELLINGTON

Voting Intelligence

Or more people interested in what the "government" will give them... Thanks, Tony...

Education Armageddon

Fulton County is testing a program that will pay students $8 an hour for attending after-school tutoring programs. Plus, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, students will be eligible for bonuses "if" their grades improve. I guess that means they can just show up and get the money - who cares about the bonuses? What a crock! So what's the incentive to do well in normal school hours? Even worse, the school staff used whether or not the students are on "free or reduced lunch status" as one of the determining factors...

I can hear it now... "Bubba, your grades are too high! You better quit studying, we need your extra income from tutoring..."

In other education news, a father in Oklahoma is upset about the number of movies (some rated R) his son is watching in class. The good news is that these were intellectually stimulating movies like "Dodgeball" and "Napoleon Dynamite."

Perhaps these two school administrations can get together and pay students to watch movies after school... Perhaps they can cut a deal with Blockbuster so the kids can pick out their own movies... Let's see, would downloading the movie trailer online work the same as Cliff Notes?

Winston Churchill Gets the Boot

Looks like Winston Churchill, famous for his two-finger "victory" salute, got the one-finger salute from the British education system. Seems that Churchill, a legendary and key figure in the Allies victory in World War II, is to be pushed aside in favor of more classes on drug and alcohol abuse and global warming. I have to think that things are definitely warming up in England these days. Perhaps they've pulled him from the curriculum so that they won't have to answer student questions about the ever-increasing appeasement tactics the British Goverment is using. I don't know - if choice comes down to Churchill or Chamberlain, I've got to go with Churchill. Let's hope the Brits figure this out soon.

The Sun Online - News: Two-finger salute

PS - For you libs, just so you won't think it's a "red" thing, the Brits are yanking Martin Luther King, Jr. too.

I, Pencil

Okay, I read the article "I, Pencil" referenced in the post below (Greenhut - Liberate Public Schools ). I said I'd post it if it is good - it's better than good, it's excellent. I was amazed to see that it was written in 1958 by Leonard E. Read. It very simply and eloquently explains why free markets must be kept free and why, even some industries we think of as government-oriented (he uses mail as his example) should be left to the free market. Wish I'd met Mr. Read.

http://www.econlib.org/LIBRARY/Essays/rdPncl1.html

Greenhut - Liberate Public Schools

I was surprised to see this in the AJC on Friday. I'd like to see a politician take this on as part of their platform. They'd probably get creamed but at least we'd get some discussion about the state of public education (other than "let's throw more money at it"). He also references a free, online book titled, "I, Pencil" that I want to read. The link is in the article. If it's good, I'll add it here.

Article - Opinion - Liberate the public schools