Tonight, the School Board of Alachua Country approved a policy for “school uniforms” beginning the next school year for grades K-12, the same time my son begins kindergarten.

I don’t remember ever encountering a problem with clothing being a distraction growing up. I wore all kinds of t-shirts to school, no one ever expressed a problem with them. I personally didn’t care what other people were wearing, either. Admittedly, this may have been partially due to me being in a gifted school where people were interested in learning and may have also been partially due to me being a dork not overly concerned with social stigma. However, even when I was in general public schools K-5, I don’t remember clothes ever being an issue.

I fully understand the world is different now, but it’s hard for me to conceive of how clothes can be a distraction from learning. Yes, kids are going to concern themselves with interpersonal issues between classes and those interpersonal issues are going to include appearances. And, yes, kids are going to get picked on for various things. Since I haven’t experienced the social pressure of dressing to impress, it’s hard for me to comprehend it.

What I don’t understand are the statements from parents saying “it will be easier” to dress my children. I don’t think I will ever view “removing my choices so that I don’t have to think” as a positive thing. I like having choices. I like having to think. And, more importantly, I like teaching my children to think. I honestly don’t care all that much about my children’s right to express their individuality. I don’t like being told how to dress my child outside of a few obvious restrictions.

It was pointed out to me that lots of school systems are making similar rules. That doesn’t make it right. There are a large number of conservatives in this country that feel that a solution is needed for things they don’t implicitly agree with. For whatever reason, they find various actions, beliefs, books, clothing, and other things offensive and decide that they need to ban or restrict them for the good of society. And that’s the tough part, are the things that they think are hurting society actually hurting it? Sometimes it’s just easier to pass a law to restrict freedom encourage discussion and freedom of thought.

I acknowledge that I could have attended the public meetings for this to express my viewpoints. However, with my first child entering kindergarten next year and me never thinking that major policy shifts like this were pending, that’s a bit like telling Earth that it’s about to be destroyed to make way for an interstellar bypass.

In the end, there’s not much I can do about this. There seem to be enough parents and educators that think clothing is either the source of a problem or a treatable symptom. I don’t have any personal experiences to lead me to believe it is a problem, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. And I will have to admit that a limited selection of clothing will make selecting clothing easier. But I suspect there will always be an aspect of this that is anti-freedom, anti-thought, and overly knee-jerk conservative that will bother me. Sooner or later, they may be enough of those that I’ll do more than just blog about it.

Current Location: upstairs
Current Mood: angry

You may have seen my Facebook status: “Gary Geniesse is really trying to keep a positive attitude despite the ridiculous amount of manure he feels is being shoveled his way.”

I don’t think many people care what kind of manure is being shoveled my way. By no means is any of it a big deal. I just really need to do a brain dump to reduce it all echoing in my brain.
( Brain Dump )

Current Location: upstairs
Current Mood: relieved

Holding with last year’s theme, I’m going to set some goals for myself for 2010.

That being said, my success rate with my 2009 goals was technically abysmal. 2/25 success, 5/25 marginal success, 18/25 FAIL. My successes included maintaining my weight and winning a rackless patch in pool. My marginal successes revolved around quality time with my kids (something I could always do better on). My fails involved most of my business goals and pretty much anything to do with relaxing. Yes, there were unforeseen circumstances that led to lots of overtime, but there will ALWAYS be unforeseen circumstances in life.

So, without further ado, my 25 goals for 2010.
( Goals for 2010 )

Tags: goals 2010
Current Location: upstairs
Current Mood: accomplished

So here's the skinny on what happened.

( Since I posted before the LTC, I should post after, too. )

Tags: ltc, pool
Current Location: upstairs
Current Mood: accomplished
Current Music: Something by Massive Attack

Ok, it's been a few months since I blogged anything and an interested party has used the "nudge" feature on LiveJournal to get me to post something, so here's the skinny on this weekend.

( Pool Tournament Time! )

Tags: ltc, pool
Current Location: upstairs
Current Mood: energetic
Current Music: LCD Soundsystem - Sounds of Silver

My word for the first quarter of 2009 has been: suck. As bad as 2008 seemed, 2009 has sucked harder and more persistently. There has only been one other time in my life when I have been this completely frazzled. It’s where your legs are shaky and you don’t know if it’s because you’re so tired or because the ground isn’t as stable as you thought it was.

( Venting... )

Current Location: upstairs
Current Mood: tired

http://www.gainesville.com/article/20090213/ARTICLES/902130295/1002?Title=522_Marion_County_teachers_lose_jobs_in_massive_round_of_budget_cuts

This boggles my mind. According to the radio, roughly 17% of the Marion county public school teachers have just been laid off for next year - purely on lack of seniority.

I don't blame Marion county for needing to work within its budget, but why does it sound like a good idea to reduce a large number of the lowest paid personnel rather than looking for ways to keep more personnel and reduce higher paid (and potentially lower rated) personnel. But I'll give them a break, times are hard for them.

Yes, the economy is in bad shape, but this is more an artifact of Governor Crist and the Florida legislature reducing the tax rolls well before it tanked. And, with their reduced income, reducing essential funding to education and emergency services. The anti-thesis of "tax and spend", this is "let's erode civilization".

This is on top of Crist removing financially responsible insurance companies from operating in Florida by setting maximum premiums, rather than allowing free market competition set the prices. So much for "less government".

I'd like to send out a big "thank you" to everyone who voted for Governor Crist. Really. I mean it.

Tags: crist
Current Location: work
Current Mood: pissed off
Current Music: Pat Benatar - Heartbreaker

If you've ever watched “Inside the Actors Studio,” you've seen James Lipton ask the same 10 questions to each actor at the end of the show. Now's your chance. Replace my answers with yours, then tag a bunch of your friends (including me). Enjoy!

1. What is your favorite word?
Yes

2. What is your least favorite word?
Poopy

3. What turns you on (creatively, spiritually or emotionally)?
Attention

4. What turns you off (creatively, spiritually or emotionally)?
Unnatural odors

5. What sound do you love?
Laughter

6. What sound do you hate?
Gears grinding

7. What is your favorite curse word? (clean it up with an * for Facebook, please!)
F*ck

8. What profession other than yours would you like to attempt?
Musician

9. What profession would you not like to do?
Custodian

10. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?
You were wrong, but we're going to let you in anyway.

Tags: meme
Current Location: upstairs
Current Mood: content

Well, twelve hours later, things went south quickly.
( Read more... )

Tags: princess pukes-a-lot
Current Location: upstairs
Current Mood: sick

Ok, this is in response to my friend Steph telling me Moe's might not have been a good idea for a 1-year old with stomach problems...
( Read more... )

Tags: princess pukes-a-lot
Current Location: upstairs
Current Mood: okay
Current Music: XTC - Mayor of Simpleton (demo)