Friday, July 15, 2011

Oh, California (Shakes head, disappointingly)

Friend of mine posted this article on FB today about the new mandate from the governor for public schools to teach gay history. What's the point? Isn't history, history? It's not like teachers ignore the contributions of gay members of society. We read several pieces from Oscar Wilde, and you know what? I love his stuff. The Picture of Dorian Gray is one of my favorite books, and the Importance of Being Earnest is probably one of the most clever plays ever written. Did our teacher mention that he was gay? Yes. Did it matter to anyone? No.  History is history. Does it really make a difference who made it? Shouldn't those details come naturally as a part of the course of learning? Why this emphasis?

Special interests groups. Always special interests.

And you may have heard about the "Amazon" tax that California passed recently that forces online retailers from California to charge sales tax. The idea was to try and cover some of the budget shortfall, but it recovers very, very little and will only serve to alienate companies from doing business in the state.

This post here by economist MJ Perry talks about how businesses are leaving California in record numbers. An average of 5.4 businesses leave California a week. A week! Where do they go? In order:

  1. Texas
  2. Arizona
  3. Colorado
  4. Nevada/Utah
  5. Virginia/North Carolina
It breaks my heart, this California business, or lack thereof. Every time I go home I remember just how much I love it down there, but I really cannot think of a place that is more hostile to my interests than that state. It's so upsetting. 

Something I do love about California? Still love KROQ. Sometimes I'll pop over to the website to see what new songs I'm missing and I am always surprised by how much of the stuff I just don't know about. Everything takes so long to filter our here to Utah. I really, really like this new song from Incubus:




Plus, the morning show is pretty funny. Nothing here in Utah even comes close. Well, 97.1 has some people that I do enjoy. This morning KROQ is having a contest for people to win tickets to an LA show and the trick is that they have to tell them which orchestral version of RATM song the guys in the studio are singing. Awesome, right? It's probably enhanced by the fact that I'm listening up here at the COB in a suit and tie and these idiots on the radio are doing guitar riffs and drum beats with their mouths in the most obnoxious way possible.

That's what I got for now. Have a good one, dear ones.

3 comments:

Dave said...

This morning Kevin and Bean had a contest for the red carpet world premier tickets to see Captain America with all the celebrities.

The only caveat was that it was ONLY open to girls because they always give Ralph a hard time about the fact that no girls care about these comic movies and only men call in. Ralph got defensive and said he gets all kinds of emails from girls who want to win these kinds of tickets but can't get through on the line. K&B were saying that's all b.s. and that the only girls who would call in are those who were forced to call by their boyfriends.

Well, this girl calls in and Ralph is rubbing it in K&B's faces that a girl called in with the right answer. Before she gives the answer, K&B ask her if her boyfriend just handed her the phone and she says, "No, my dad did."

Then they all were just laughing and Ralph was saying, "why didn't she just lie!?!?!"

I love those guys.

Kira Cook said...

I am SOOOOO disappointed in CA, not only for teaching gay and lesbian history which has already been in place for quite some time, but THE JOBS. My dad lost his job last week and is going back to CA obviously but for what? He's got two months before poop hits the fan and CA doesn't provide hope for many. Grrrrrrr!

Salt H2O said...

What's not terribly surprising is how little attention this is getting from the mainstream media. They don't want to draw attention to what's going on in California because CA is so liberal- and by their fruits shall ye know them.

The homosexual education would push all independents a bit more right, which is why it's hard to find much on this- and the story broke on a Friday.