Blog Smith is inspired by the myth of Hephaestus in the creation of blacksmith-like, forged materials: ideas. This blog analyzes topics that interest me: IT, politics, technology, history, education, music, and the history of religions.
Wednesday, November 30, 2022
Monday, November 28, 2022
Sunday, November 27, 2022
Saturday, November 26, 2022
Friday, November 25, 2022
Thursday, November 24, 2022
Wednesday, November 23, 2022
Tuesday, November 22, 2022
Monday, November 21, 2022
Sunday, November 20, 2022
Saturday, November 19, 2022
Friday, November 18, 2022
Thursday, November 17, 2022
Is My School District a Bully?
The news is filled with stories of parents who peaceably assemble before school boards for a redress of grievances only to find they are labeled domestic terrorists or at the very least ne'er do wells. During the Mid-term pushback victories parents are more aware of educational issues and how to successfully advocate for their children.
The first step for any parent to understand is whether your school district is a bully or not. Some parents have been banned entirely from their children's education but most often elements of the curriculum that parents object to are ignored or their concerns minimized. Included in this list are divisive and un-American indoctrination concerning CRT, pronouns, equity, social justice, LGBTQ+, BLM, drag shows, in short, any instruction that aims to create activists rather than academically prepare children. Well meaning teachers are free to advocate any social cause they are passionate about but they violate parent's rights as primary educators of their children once they cross the line into recruiting students.
You will have a sense of whether you are being bullied or not if you have raised concerns with a teacher, principal, or ultimately a school board. If you do not obtain satisfaction for your concerns it is time for you to call in allies.
Wednesday, November 16, 2022
Tuesday, November 15, 2022
Monday, November 14, 2022
Sunday, November 13, 2022
Saturday, November 12, 2022
Friday, November 11, 2022
Thursday, November 10, 2022
Changing Names
Anne Bancroft is a classic example. Her real name was Anna Maria Italiano, and she was told outright that it was, well, too Italiano, and she'd never have a successful acting career with that name. So she changed it to Anne Marno (Marno being a combination of her middle and last names).
Nope, they said. Still too “ethnic-sounding”. So she chose “Bancroft”, because, she said, she thought it sounded “dignified”. (I bet Mel Brooks would still have married her no matter what her name was, though.)
The same story happened over and over; non-Anglo people took Anglo stage names in the hope of it increasing their chances of Hollywood success.
So Issur Danielovitch became Kirk Douglas.
Volodimyr Palahniuk became Jack Palance.
Tadeusz Konopka became Ted Knight.
Charles Bunchinsky became Charles Bronson.
Jacob Julius Garfinkle became John Garfield.
Margarita Carmen Cansino became Rita Hayworth.
Alphonso D'Abruzzo became Alan Alda.
Emanuel Goldenberg became Edward G. Robinson.
Frederick Austerlitz became Fred Astaire.
Dino Crocetti became Dean Martin.
Bernard Schwartz became Tony Curtis.