The fools in this video are probably the offspring of parents who promoted the use of multiple choice spelling tests in grammar school.

My kind'a dude!!!

Ha ha!
Admittedly... is part of why I love him so much. Of his own free will and all that. :)

I already like him!

:) I'm standing by it!

uncommon claims he always has hamburgers and hot dogs perpetually on the grill ;)

You seem like the kind of folks that if we lived next door, we'd have endless interesting discussions about all sorts of off-the-wall stuff. Prodigious quantities of hamburgers and hotdogs would be sacrificed to the occasions, we'd chat about all the old times we never had, and generally grouse around about life and such.

Someone who was trying to hammer on me once called me an "old curmudgeon." Little did he know that I'd use that to describe myself from then on... (after, of course, I looked it up)

:-)

charming-every cell...

The movie gets NO WHERE NEAR to the meat of it. I keep telling my husband to read it and he keeps saying "I saw the movie" (just to bug me I'm sure)... NOT the same thing AT ALL.
I promise!
(He'll walk by my office one day and pick it up...he did it with AS too. Cuz he wants to, not cuz I'm telling him to. arg.)

Let me explain further:

1) I might be the most anal person you know. That is why I am such a top notch ANALyst. I can't do a lot of things, but digesting and analyzing is one of the things I do best.

2) I have Asperger''s and dyslexia. Reading is not an easy task, especially something "deap." I normally have to read something 2 - 3 times before I am comfortable saying "yea, I read that."

So me reading AS is going to involve going through 3,600 pages of text, probably with a highlighter and pen and notebook.

Things like these blogs (which are called "loose text") are not (often) something that has to be digested before responding to. A book like AS simply demands too much attention.

Bring it! :)

Coolness. I hope my dry sense of humor doesn't cause any grief... ;-)

We bought the old movie and watched it -- I wasn't overly impressed. I *hoped* the book would be better. From some of the comments, yours included, I'm picking up that it is.

Thanks...

Y'all (khaling and the folks mentioned):

You have my greatest admiration for keeping up the fight in the "gaping jaws of the beast," so to speak. I am more than pleased to know I have such stalwart folks in my presence.

Long before my introduction to AS (literally within the past year), I tried to fight the battle. I went to the Texas state folks -- the ones who designed NCLB, etc. I spoke with them (many of them face-to-face, some on the phone, a few via email), and got to know them.

When I say these folks are evil, it is because I saw their eyes when they spoke of what they were doing, and the "success" they were having.

At the time I was writing a book. The title I was tinkering with was "How Leadership Principles Could Restore American Schools to Greatness." Yea, long and boring title.

Steven Covey started me doing leadership development work in 1987. I have read a lot of leadership texts and held leadership seminars. I knew how these principles helped *US* in homeschooling our children, and thought how they could help the public school systems as well.

It was doing this research that put me in touch with the Texas and national leaders who designed the system we are suffering through today. Hell, I even went back to college for another master's degree (in sociology, this time) to help me with gathering and writing the book.

I realized how totally corrupt the system was, and how feeble my pathetic voice would be against the machine I was attempting to do battle with. I went into it thinking that I understood something which could help, and so (obviously) these folks would welcome my thoughts. I left knowing their intentions were to do what they are doing -- destroying the minds of the youth.

I did what I probably should not have done -- I quit. I walked away from the book and the research. Had *this* group existed 5 years ago, who know what I would have done.

Every time I hear of someone who is fighting to make a difference, I applaud them, and see what I can do to help support their efforts.

...and kathywiso, successful business owner who was introduced to AS at 16 (if I remember right) by her father. She is also very involved with our troops who are about to be sent overseas. We have many fountains of knowledge, and many many interesting and enlightening discussions in here Lee. :) (We also like to meander off topic just for fun sometimes. Sharp, comedic minds!)

lol I was going to say, "I'm a public school employee"....but I see kh beat me to it. Thanks kh! :)

Let me add uncommonsense. Although he is still raising children at home, he spends hours keeping us informed and educated on Islam and its dangerous intrusion into our culture. pirate is always letting us know what she has been outspoken about in her community. Most of these people came to this site having watched the movies first. Then read Rand. There are so many more in here I haven't mentioned, like Objective Analyst who is vigilant with us on philosophical issues and Lucky who is ever vigilent on environmental issues and on and on. I encourage other members to include members I haven't brought up . like Wdonway, who was an Objectivist from the beginning, and set up talks on the campus of his alma mater and brought in heavyweights to Objectivism like David Kelley, founder of Atlas Society.

well, here is a secret weapon-LS is a public school employee. Go back and search her comments, and you will find many where she works tirelessly from inside the system with our youngest, most vulnerable to make a difference. That is one individual fighting out there. There are many, so many more. Have you checked out Overmanwarrior's blog? He is in another stae and works tirelessly within his school system for changes, and wins! He has also written two wonderful books, consider putting them on your reading list. Many come to the Gulch with school aged children or toddlers and ask how best to prepare their kids. Many of us respond. Many, like non-mooching artist and Eudamonia tirelessly put their states leaders on notice (check out the CT townhall meetings on recent gun legislation-Euda testified in front of the senators, as well as non-mooch's spouse). These are just a few examples of Gulch members working overtime to protect the ctizens of this nation. For myself, I actually made a huge life change. My husband and I left the country, so that we would have time to devote to reclaiming freedoms for americans. You are in good company here.

The problem, khaling, is that I can't argue with you. On a number of levels, I agree with what you are saying 100%. But I'm saying something different -- or at least *trying* to say something different.

There are any number of alternatives -- and people *should* use them.

So how do we overcome years of training and brainwashing by the most skilled psyops organization the plant has likely ever known (e.g. public school employees)?

Not finished yet. It's quite a tome, and I'm working 50+ hours a week, plus...

All we can do is NOT miss an opportunity to speak up, point out errors in thinking, highlight corruption and remind them that they need to keep informed and stay aware. How does that saying go?... Something like "Freedom cannot prevail with an ignorant or lazy populace"...that's not it exactly but it makes the point. Those who have just throw up their hands and given up don't realize just how ugly things can get. A good time to remind people of history and what happens when people give up and CHOOSE to be ignorant and defenseless. Also, political correctness and over sensitively works exactly to curb honest, fact based discussions that will open people's eyes. Speak FREELY.

I'm glad you found the movies and therefore read AS. You have, right? it is frustrating that the success rate in this is so low, but it's the old addage, you tell two people and they tell two people and so on and so on. It's one of the reasons I'm so grateful the movies were made. Look how many people have come to Ayn Rand from seeing the movies first! 60 years later!

yea, today, you'll run up against regulations on daycare and certification if you 'team teach". I still think in every medium sized community there are alternatives including charters

I agree these folks are the major players in their own destruction. But how do you wake up folks who don't think they are asleep?

I will say this, though: I have seen a LOT of folks who are starting to simply accept the premise that the government is corrupt. When that happens, the ones who are still sentient start to ask questions and challenge preconceived notions. THAT is when they are ready to hear the message!

Being someone new to the Ayn Rand environment, I have more ammunition to use. But before this time, I still tried to talk to people and help them see what was going on around them. I'd say my "success rate" was still less then 10%, though.

Thanks, yes, we tried to be vigilant.

We know many other families who WANT to be vigilant, but they just cannot "see" how. Your list if obviously off the cuff -- which is a good sign. But too many parents cannot "see" what is so obvious to you and me, thus they cannot "do" what you are suggesting.

Another point: when you homeschool, someone has to stay home. My wife did for most of it; I did the last bit. Convincing a dual-income family to have one of the parents quit their job and stay home to teach the children is a monumental task! It might actually be impossible for most families today.