"Help! Mom! There Are Liberals Under My Bed!"

LA Times:

Publisher aims to teach kids right from left

A Torrance executive says he sees too many children's books with liberal views. His titles aim to tilt the shelves the other way.

By Stephanie Simon, Times Staff Writer
June 1, 2007

PUBLISHING executive Eric Jackson's first foray into children's books was a cartoon tale of two brothers and a lemonade stand.

Hoping to earn money for a swing set, young Tommy and Lou squeeze lemons until their little hands ache. But they are thwarted by broccoli-pushing, camera-hogging, Jesus-hating liberals who pile on taxes and regulations and drive the boys out of business.

The book, "Help! Mom! There Are Liberals Under My Bed!," came out two years ago. Jackson said it sold nearly 30,000 copies, which in the publishing world made it a bona fide hit. That success reinforced Jackson's view that the nation's bookshelves had tilted way too far left and that a correction was in order.

Kindergartners these days can leaf through a picture book promoting the virtues of medical marijuana. They can read a fairy tale about two princes who get married — to each other.

But where are the children's books denouncing affirmative action? The fairy tales promoting gun rights?

full article: http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-na-kidbooks1jun01,1,4368369,full.story?coll=la-headlines-frontpage&ctrack=3&cset=true

Terry Pratchett Quotes

Terry Pratchett is a British writer of fantasy novels, full of parody.

Here are a few of his quotes comparing Science with Magic:

=====

With magic, you can turn a frog into a prince. With science, you can turn a frog into a Ph.D and you still have the frog you started with.

Scientists have calculated that the chance of anything so patently absurd actually existing are millions to one. But magicians have calculated that million-to-one chances crop up nine times out of ten.

Magicians and scientists are, on the face of it, poles apart. Certainly, a group of people who often dress strangely, live in a world of their own, speak a specialized language and frequently make statements that appear to be in flagrant breach of common sense have nothing in common with a group of people who often dress strangely, speak a specialized language, live in ... er ...

"The Ghost Standard."

I read a science fiction short story by William Tenn, called "The Ghost Standard."

There are three characters; a computer, a human, and an alien.

The human is named Juan Kidd.

The alien is named Tuezuzim.

Hmmm, do ya think William Tenn's been to a Seder or two?

=====

Traditional Lyrics: http://www.usy.org/songs/view_song.php?songID=108
Chava Alberstein's modern interpretation: http://www.hebrewsongs.com/song-chadgadyachava.htm