Missing the Point

I can almost understand those Republicans who are commited to giving their own party a thrashing by voting Democrat at the polls this November, though I think they're foolish and will want to eat that vote before too long. I can understand those that want to vote out every encumbant anywhere and at least try to start over. I heard Tom Delay on the AM yesterday, pleading with people to reelect their encumbants. I honestly don't see the point. If it's garbage already, it's not going to magically turn into pearls after being reelected for the umpteenth time. I personally think the American people should ride through Capitol Hill like the horsemen of the apocalypse, lay waste and ruin, and remind the spoiled brats currently running our country who signs their paychecks. And we should have done it yesterday.

What I cannot understand is the cadre of folks who think they're just going to stay home, ride this one out.

Regardless of how much voters may have to hold their noses over candidates for public offices, we are going to be in a world of hurt if the conservative masses take the media's advice and give up this year. Have you noticed there's no "Get out the Vote" campaigns this time around? Every other story on the news (what I see of it) is about a poll stating that Republicans are staying home, with a conspicuous lack of urging the populus to do it's civic duty.

Anyhow, regardless of candidates, the hurt is going to come from the propositions and bills on the ballot if we stay silent.

In my state we are facing a grand total of $42,600,000,000 (that's billions folks) in new bond measures. These are unsurprisingly characterized as a tax-free way to save babies and old people, turn California into an environmental Eden, and save the world. Anyone who doesn't vote for this is a seal-clubbing baby-hating bastard.

I am that bastard. We already have taxes that are intended to pay for these things, don't tell me that we need to spend effectively 80 billion (after interest) more unless you can show me that EVERY SINGLE DIME of the taxes already collected for road repair, and park creation, and welfare for old folks is being spent in the most efficent manner humanly possible. I already know it's not, so I won't be contributing to make an even bigger, less efficent system that loads California up with even more outrageous debt.

That's just one example. If you stayed at home you would also miss the chance to vote again on parental notification for abortions, and to limit the government's power of eminent domain. Each is a no-brainer, and one the left desparately hopes you ignore by skipping this election and staying home with your 200 channels.

This is Not a Democracy

Now that I've sealed my fate by publishing a blog with a highly google-able title, I have a short disclaimer regarding blog comments:

I review my comments before posting, in part because I hate spam comments, in part because I already have my nerves frayed enough at work and you really don't want to see me go all Defcon 4, man the torpedos.

It ain't pretty, I don't like doing it.

Therefore, I slaughter my free range rude before it has time to spawn. If you would like your comments posted to be read by all and sundry, follow these few rules. Please keep in mind that I am the Elected President, Dictator for Life, and Reincarnation of the Patron Saint of this blog, and I declare only I have free speech rights. Don't like it? Get your own blog. They're free.

1. Ad hominem no bueno

2. Any correspondance submitted as a comment to this blog hereby becomes my property which I may republish and mock at will without respect to intellectual rights claims. By posting a comment to this blog you explicitly agree to waive your intellectual rights to any such correspondance.

3. Any use of cutesy derogatory names for the President, such as Bu$h, Bushitler, Chimpy McBushitler, etc. is stupid. You can do better than that. Come on, impress me.

4. The more intellegent and reasoned your comment, the greater chance is has to be posted. Regardless of the fact that I am a die-hard curmudgeon, and look forward to a fulfilling retirement of shaking my cane at "damn kids," I do enjoy conflicting opinions and debate. What I do not enjoy is having my blood pressure raised by people with talking points chiseled onto their frontal lobes. If you send me one-liners from Kos (and I know what they are, isn't the interweb great!) you'll probably not make it into the hallowed Sent West archives.

Seeing that I only have one comment so far (thank you WarSong, you're the best) this doesn't seem like more than an exercise in hubris at the moment, but hubris is tasty with pita, and it's always better to have things in place up front.

Now you can't say I didn't warn you.

Unschooling

I have recently been introduced to the concept of "Unschooling" and as a rabid homeschooling advocate and proponent of the elimination of all vestiges of the current public school system, I am horrified.

Horrified.

I'm not going into a lengthy disscussion of what constituted unschooling here, for two very important reasons:

1. Apparantly unschoolers can't define it themselves (off to a great start here, guys)

2. Google "Unschooling" to find myraid pages that are just dying to tell you about it. There are hundreds of supporting sites, and no significant criticism that I can find (yet).

Firstly, let me state that I thoroughly dislike the public school system. I feel that I was a sucess in public school at the mercy of several very excellent teachers and despite the standardized curriculum, not because of it. I would like to homeschool my children to ensure that they are taught to their level and are not held back by the "teaching to the lowest common denominator" that occurs in public school. The other reasons, of course, are so I can indoctrinate them fully to be little evil conservative capitalists AND get them a decent education in biology (no warning stickers on MY textbooks, no sir).

That said, I think unschooling is the worst thing to happen to children short of being kidnapped and forced into the Zimbabwian army. I'll keep it to one reason:

Life Sucks.

When you are an adult you get really fun things like taxes and mortgage payments and insane middle management. Not everything will or can be fun, blissful and personally fulfilling.

You will discover that once doing something you find fun, blissful and personally fulfilling is your job, you'll probably hate it. You will discover you need this green thing called "money" if you expect to live anywhere other than your parent's basement. With the skills you have been able to teach yourself from playing video games all day and watching TV for most of your life because your parents had this idea that you would spontaneously decide to teach yourself calculus at some point, you will be able to get a job in a horrid greasy place with an evil hairy oragutan-like manager who will most certianly not give a crap if you've "found your bliss" that day.

Out here in life, where the rest of us live, one must often do things they do not like, and often do these things for a long time, so that we may do things that we DO like later.

It's called delayed gratification. It's a real difficult concept, much akin to space plasma physics, and I understand that many may never fully grasp it.

Yes, it is so much easier to let little Johnny and little Suzy do what ever they like all day and pretend that they are getting an education. Lord have mercy on you when they turn 16.

Hat tip to
Parentalcation for finding me yet another reason to never sleep again.