The Seinfeld Post
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| A Post About Nothing |
I've had some time on my hands during this recent stretch of hot smokey, weather and I got kinda cranky and bored. It's a very dangerous thing, me having time on my hands. It doesn't help that, along with a lot of other people, we recently had hail damage (new roof, car totaled.) We also found out - $2000 dollars later - that Dear Prudence has diabetes. Great. The pièce de résistance: just this week we discovered we have a cracked sewer pipe. Hey, no problem what's another 10 grand - ha, I laugh at adversity! With that said, let's get on with the hilarity.
I can also admit now that I'm a hoarder. I hoard tons newspaper and magazine articles, thoughts on various books I’ve read and even some doggerel that I wrote as an angst-ridden young man - angst that life has beaten out of me. Much of which is of very minimal value. (I didn’t say I was a good hoarder.) Basically, I collect ideas for things to write about but then lose track of them. I have done this for years so of course Mrs Dear Leader finally had me get rid of suit-case size boxes of papers and junk. Now I hoard the same stuff - plus YouTubes on various topics - on my computer (take that Mrs DL!) I took this opportunity to use up some stuff I had been collecting. (Lucky you.)
So this post really is about nothing -
in particular - and not nearly as bubbly as my last one was.
Edumacation ‘R Us
Hope Carrasquilla, principal of the Tallahassee Classical School in Florida, was forced to resign - and it's all Michelangelo's fault.
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| Hey, you can see his weiner! |
From a BBC article in April of this year, apparently she allowed an art class of 11 and 12 year old kids to view this famous statue and according to some parents, other “pornographic” items like Michelangelo's painting "Creation of Adam" and Botticelli's "Birth ,of Venus." (Yup, more carn sarn nudes!)
"There is nothing wrong with the human body in and of itself," she continued. "Michelangelo would have done him wrong to sculpt him in any other way. I think it's wonderful." Said Ms Carrasquilla, a self-described conservative, as she was visiting the Accademia Galleria in Florence where the statue resides.
Oh yeah? Well, if Michelangelo wanted young people to see his creation then maybe he should have covered Dave's private parts with a fig leaf or something. We all know that art is the devil's work and meant for godless liberals. Next thing you know they will be brainwashing our kids about evolution and letting them read about slavery, gays, drag queens and other dangerous types!
(Besides, I wouldn't hire that guy to paint my kitchen ceiling let alone a so-called work of art!)
It does raise the question, though, of what the parents expected when they decided to send their kids to a place called a "classical school."
Paging Ron DeSantis, Paging Ron DeSantis, clean up in Tallahassee!
My take? Since parents obviously know more about education than the so called experts, I think everyone should just home school their kids - paid, of course, by taxpayer vouchers. That will solve a LOT of problems.
(I also think there is some fertile ground here for a future post.)
The Los Angeles Times brings us this depressing headline:
“California approves math overhaul to help struggling students. But will it hurt whiz kids?”
Essentially, because so many kids, especially those from less advantaged homes, are struggling with math classes and grades the powers that be basically want to redefine what math is and also forbid kids (well, the smart kids) from taking advanced math courses even if they are ready and want to i.e. before high school. You know, so the less math-inclined kids won't feel bad. Kinda like the "everyone deserves a trophy" thing?
Speaking as someone who is good at arithmetic but unskilled at anything but basic algebra this has the distinct odor of dumbing something down for political – and other - very poor reasons. Shocking, I know.
Education in America has a lot of issues. It definitely needs to greatly improve or we are doomed (see current political turmoil caused mostly by general ignorance.) It won’t help if we hold some kids back rather than help all kids be smarter better educated.
PS - Poor math and reading grades are not just a California problem.
PSS - Many of these folks worry more about kids reading "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" and "Of Mice and Men." Oh, boy,
PSSS - Maybe there's something to this not trusting more the education big wigs (this does NOT include teachers!)
A Book Review:
Augie's Secrets: The Minneapolis Mob and the King of the Hennepin Strip By Neal Karlen
Recommended by a neighbor who has lived in our Minneapolis 'hood forever (we call him The Mayor), this was a very interesting, true - according to the author - inside account of the well known Jewish gangster history of the Twin Cities from the 1930's to the early 60's. (And yes, The Mayor is Jewish.)
It's the story about Augie Ratner, the author's great uncle, and his "associates."
The current Augie's Bourbon Street Cabaret (he he) still stands on Hennepin Ave right where Augie established it in 1943.Then as now it's a bar that features "exotic dancers" - although now including hip hop music. (I can only go by hearsay on this.)
Augie, while not a gangster himself, was very close to the local ones as well as a lot of celebrities of the time. I can't describe the book any better than this blurb:
"Karlen brings back the days when Peggy Lee walked into Augies straight off the bus from North Dakota, when mid-century celebrities like Frank Sinatra visited Hennepin Avenue, and when the most powerful crime lords in the land checked their guns at the door when they visited Augies."
The history of our city was replete with crime and corruption that would make Chicago blush, most of it run by Jewish gangsters. The more important takeaway for me, however, is the widespread bigotry of the residents of our fair city that Augie - and anyone who wasn't white Anglo-Saxon protestant - endured most of their lives. And I mean blatant amd intense bigotry. Blacks and Jews were treated horribly by their fellow citizens, and the government for that matter for decades.
Call me "woke" (a preposterous word for a pretty simple concept) but it seems to me that we nice, liberal Scandinavians apparently were neither for a very long time.
"Demographics are Destiny" August Comte
Several years ago, a group of my moronic friends and I lowered the overall IQ of FL - no small task - by congregating there for a few days in March to play golf and party til the wee hours (almost 10:00 some nights!) Anyway, we also went to a spring training baseball game which are the only baseball games that I can actually tolerate.
As we were sitting there in the warm sunshine, drinking beer, and admiring the, uh, beach wear of some of the fans (of course, myself and a few of the guys actually watched the game too) when it dawned on me as I looked around that all I saw was white skin and gray hair. Now I grant you, this was FL in winter so of course FL is packed with snowbirds who are almost exclusively old, white people.
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| Heading to the game |
My point here is that at that time my main thoughts were: 1) if this is the fan demographic of baseball then it is in deep kimchee and 2) is this what we have to look forward to in the whole country?
Fast forward to an article in 7/23 in Strib: “World of Change is Coming in a Hurry.” It was regarding the impact of the aging population on the economy, social security/pensions, and society in general. Apparently by 2050 in much of the developed world people aged 65 or more will make up about 40% of the population. The US is lucky, we’ll only be up to 22%. That may sound okay but it ain’t because it means the whole country will be the same percentage then as Florida is today -"Death's waiting room." (Hey, don't blame me, I didn't think that up!)
Every day we see articles about the difficulty in finding workers for jobs, from hotel maids to teachers, veterinarians to police and firemen to the military. (And as we will see shortly, pilots.)
Police. Firemen. The military. Think about that for a minute.
Anyway, they can offer all the money they want (which is going to come from you and me) but it doesn’t matter if there’s no one there to take it.
And this. In 1950 there were over 16 workers for every Social Security recipient. Today it’s 3-1, in 2050 it will be 2-1. Boy, what a treat it will be for our grandkids to give most of their pay to support our kids. Terrific.
As an aside, 2050 will be an important year for another reason. By then non-Hispanic whites - you know, the Olsons, Kowalski's, Schmidt's and Pedersons - will no longer be a majority in the US. We - well, not me but the fruit of my loins - will just be a plurality, the largest minority group. Tres Interessant, non?
So, anyone still doubt that we babyboomers are the luckiest people in the history of the world? I am reminded of the great tune by the Steve Miller Band, "Take the Money and Run." That's us!
And in Other News, More Demographics - or Just a Changing Society?
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In any event, I guess it isn’t just those so-called lazy millennials and silly Gen Z'ers that we older generation types like to bitch about. You know, those young'un's who want to work less and settle for less money in order to have a better quality of life.
What all this means for the economy, on the other hand, is for someone who is not me to figure out. Good luck.
And Finally, (great sigh of relief by readers) Travel Ain't All it's Cracked Up to Be
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| I've got a great idea, let's drop off 5000 people in Venice and Amsterdam! |
Anyway. Mrs DL and I have been fortunate to make several trips to Europe over the past several years and generally had great experiences. It didn't take long, however, for good old, eagle-eyed DL to note the huge throngs of people everywhere we went. Yes, we visited mostly the same places everybody else was visiting - and the crowds sucked. In fact, our experience at the Vatican and the Louvre were so horrendous that I swore I was never leaving my house again. (Spoken like a proud old curmudgeon.) This also seemed to confirm one of Ped's Postulates: "Anywhere you might want to go will have too many people making it not worth going."
That's true from an Eagles concert to the Eiffel Tower.
Well, it turns out that many Europeans finally agree (as have some Asian countries.) Yup, many of those cities and sites that live by tourism are trying to restrict the flow of tourists to a simple flood from a total deluge (and, of course, make some money on the entrance fees.) Who can blame them? You know, actual people live there too.
Tourist Overcrowding (link)
So, it's another great paradox of life or perhaps even a Corollary to Ped's Postulate: too much of good thing . . . is bad for someone somewhere. A cynic's alternative might be: there is nothing so good that we humans can't screw it up.
My advice, if you want to enjoy the sights go in January (or go where they ain't.)
On a positive note, I don't think we have to worry about being the Ugly Americans anymore. (Well, I mean we still are the worst dressed but not worst behaved.) In my opinion, certain Asian travelers have stolen our crown and good riddance to it.
Say Good Night, DL
Well, I warned you, don't let Dear Leader get bored! Luckily, I am astute enough to know that I have overstayed my welcome so goodbye. No, please, don't thank me, really, it was nothing. (Besides I have to go look for a part time job. )
See you in the fall.
Can't leave without some appropriate tunes . . .
Take the Money and Run Steve Miller
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