"Hurray, Hurray the 1st of May . . .

Outdoor Kissing is Here Today!"

“In the Spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love”

Locksley Hall Alfred, Lord Tennyson

A tisket, a tasket

A special Mayday edition - who knew that May was so full of fun and interesting factoids. 

May 1, 1952 – Mr. Potato Head is introduced. (Not much later Mrs. Potato Head was created from one of his "eyes".)

May 3, 1978 – Digital Equipment Corporation sends the first bulk unsolicited commercial emails… spam is born! (The CEO was tried and convicted posthumously for his crimes against humanity.)

May 4, 1964 – Soap operas “Another World” and “As the World Turns” premiere. (Coincidently, Valium was created the year before so now with “mother’s little helper” and soap operas, millions of housewives could get through the day in the 60’s.)

May 4, 1970 (The year I graduated from the Harvard of the North - much to everyone's dismay.) At Kent State University, four students were killed by National Guardsmen who opened fire on a crowd of 1,000 students protesting President Richard Nixon's decision to invade Cambodia. (Song “Ohio” written by Neil Young and recorded by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young within a few days: “Tin soldiers and Nixon's comin'   We're finally on our own   This summer I hear the drummin'   Four dead in Ohio. . .”)

May 5, 1260 – Kublai Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan, becomes ruler of the Mongol Empire.

(Hopes that he would be nicer than his grandpa were soon dashed when he proceeded to slaughter 10% of all people alive then.

 

They say he had a gentle laugh though.)

May 6, 1937 - The German airship Hindenburg burst into flames as it neared the mooring mast at Lakehurst, New Jersey. 36 of the 97 passengers and crew were killed. A commentator famously exclaimed, "Oh, the humanity!" (On a positive note, 32 years later the picture of the incident made a great album cover  for the rock group Led Zeppelin.)

May 7, 1992 - The 27th Amendment to the US Consitution was ratified, prohibiting Congress from giving itself pay raises. (Congress apparently misunderstood and thought it meant they didn't actually have to do anything anymore either.)

Birthday - Psychoanalysis founder Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) was born in Freiberg, Moravia. (First doctor to confirm what every guy knows from birth - pretty much everything has something to do with sex.)

May 8, 1794 – The U.S. Post Office is established. (Almost immediately Republicans wanted to privatize it.)

What, me worry?

May 8, 1952 – Mad Magazine hits the news stands. (Almost immediately neither Republicans nor Democrats over age of 12 understand it.)

May 9, 1960 – The Birth control pill is approved by the FDA. (Almost immediately Republicans wanted to ban them.)

May 9, 1862 - During the American Civil War, General David Hunter, Union commander, issued orders freeing the slaves in South Carolina, Florida and Georgia. He acted without approval of congress or the president so the orders were countermanded and he was fired by President Lincoln ten days later. (“Sorry, slaves, just kidding so let’s get back to work.” His heart was in the right place though, he got another shot at being a general and 4 months later Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. He still sucked at being a general though.)

May 11, 1916 -Einstein presents his Theory of General Relativity. (It’s very complex so I'll mansplain: Basically, it says generally relatives stick together rather they want to or not. Or something like that.)

May 11, 1969 - During the Vietnam War, the Battle of "Hamburger Hill" began. While attempting to seize the Dong Ap Bia Mountain, U.S. troops repeatedly scaled the hill over a 10-day period and engaged in bloody hand-to-hand combat with the North Vietnamese. Shortly after they secured it, American military brass decided to abandon it. The North Vietnamese immediately retook it. (This apparently became a key US military strategy for most of our wars since then.)

Yours for only $2399!
(Gold sink sold seperately)

May 12, 1792 – The flush toilet is patented. (First manufactured by Englishman Thomas Crapper in late 1800's - no snickering!)

May 13, 1767 – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s first opera “Apollo et Hyacinthus” premieres in Salzburg. He wrote it when he was 11 years old. (Big deal, I put playing cards on my bike wheels with clothes pins to make a sound like a car engine all by myself when I was 11.)

May 14, 1686 Birthday - German physicist Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686-1736) was born in Danzig, Germany. (I know that name from some place! Didn't he change it to Celsius soon after inventing the thermometer or something?)

May 16, 1862 – Just 7 days after Gen. Hunter was fired, another Union General Benjamin Butler, military governor of New Orleans, issued his "Woman Order." Any Southern woman showing disrespect for Union soldiers or the U.S. would be regarded as a woman of the town i.e. prostitute. This set the stage for his dismissal as military governor. (Like Hunter, he was given another shot at general. Apparently the women of New Orleans had the last laugh because Butler was fired again a couple years later. With generals like this, how did the north win the war?! Oh yeah, we had Grant.)

May 17, 1792 - Two dozen merchants and brokers established the New York Stock Exchange. (Maybe they would have been surprised to learn that in the 1930's their creation would cause people to heave themselves out of skyscrapers. Or maybe not.)

May 18, 1860 – The Republican party nominates Abraham Lincoln for president.

 (It is true that he was the last great Republican president although Teddy and Ike were okay too.) 

May 20, 1927 - Charles Lindbergh, a 25-year-old aviator, took off from Roosevelt Field, Long Island, in the Spirit of St. Louis. Thirty-three hours later - and 3,600 nonstop miles - he landed in Paris, earning the nickname "Lucky Lindy" and an instant worldwide hero. (Later, it was reported that he said he would never fly economy again.)

May 22, 1931 – Canned rattlesnake meat goes on sale in Florida. (It was sold as chicken.)

Birthday - German composer Richard Wagner (1813-1883) was born in Leipzig, Germany. (Besides Nazi's, his music was also a boon for full figured female singers.)

Birthday - Sherlock Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) was born at Edinburgh, Scotland. (It is said that he had some difficulty in elementary school - and Watson never let him forget it.)

May 23

Birthday - Arabella Mansfield (1846-1911) was born near Burlington, Iowa (as Belle Aurelia Babb). She was certified in 1869 as an attorney and admitted to the Iowa bar and first female lawyer in the US. (Who knew that at one time Iowa was actually pretty progressive. They will have none of that nonsense today, however, under current lady Governor Kim Reynolds. On the other hand, she hasn't shot her dog yet so there is that.)

May 24, 1775 – John Hancock is unanimously elected president of the Continental Congress. (“Thanks, John, thanks a lot. Now all the rest of us have to squeeze our signatures in around the edge.”)

May 25, 2020 - George Floyd, an African American man, died during an arrest by Minneapolis police officers, including Derek Chauvin, who knelt on his neck for over nine minutes, despite Floyd's repeated pleas that he could not breathe. (Absolutely nothing funny about this for anyone.)

May 26, 1805 – Lewis and Clark are the first to see the Rocky Mountains. (Seriously? No humans had seen the mountains before? Really? We Americans ARE exceptional!)

May 27, 1647 – Achsah Young is the first woman to be executed as a witch in Massachusetts. (Notice word, first.)

A proud day in Salem!

(Reportedly, her last words were “Damn it! I thought they asked if I was bewitching and of course I said yes.")

May 27, 1919 – The pop-up toaster is patented. (Unfortunately, sliced bread wasn't invented until 9 years later.)

May 29, 1787 - At the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia the Virginia Plan was proposed calling for a new government consisting of a legislature with two houses, an executive chosen by the legislature and a judicial branch. (One evening they all got drunk at the tavern and thought the goofy Electoral College idea would be a great practical joke to play on the common folk. Unfortunately, due to a hangover, they forgot to take it out of the final draft so we are stuck with it today.)

Birthday - American revolutionary leader Patrick Henry (1736-1799) was born in Studley, Virginia. He is best remembered for his speech in 1775 declaring: "I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death." (There is no record of what Virginia's thousands of slaves thought about that.)

May 30, 1889 – The brassiere is invented. As we understand, it received a lot of support. (Note: I did not write that last part. This is mine: like cuddling and discussing feelings, figuring out how to operate these things is yet another mystery that women pose for men.)

May 31, 1990 – Seinfeld television comedy show premieres. (Like this blog, it was often about nothing.)

May 31, 2000 – The television reality show “Survivor” premieres. (Also about nothing.)

Seinfeld, among the greatest TV shows ever, was on for 10 seasons. Survivor, among the most inane TV shows ever, recently started its 25th year and 46th season. Tells you all you need to know about Americans’ taste in entertainment.

And that concludes our lesson for today, you're welcome for all this knowledge.

In closing . . .

“In the Spring an old man’s fancy darkly turns to thoughts of making it to autumn.” Anonymous

Have a great May nonetheless with some music!

Lusty Month of May    Camelot

OHIO    Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young

Sunday Will Never Be the Same    Spanky and Our Gang

Where Have All the Children Gone?

 Demographics are Destiny

Mea culpa: You know, in all honesty I have been following this demographic time bomb for years, even while I was still working, but never believed it would happen. I was wrong. 

Update 4/14 - As luck would have it, in today's Star Tribune was an another article by the columnist mentioned below about demographics. In this one he points out that contrary to popular belief, Minnesota is actually gaining people over 65. It's losing younger people that is hurting us. Taxes, schmaxes! 

Unless you’ve been in a coma (or maybe retired) the last several years, you’ve seen or heard about the growing worker shortages. 

• “58%  of survey respondents found hiring to be “very” or “extremely” challenging.” RSM Consultants

• “Jerome Powell, the Federal Reserve chair, says the United States has a "structural labor shortage" that’s unlikely to be resolved anytime soon.” 

• “The US Chamber of Commerce claims there are over 10 million job openings in the US for which employers can’t find workers.”

Police and fire departments all over the country are short staffed. (Although for many different reasons e.g. Mpls cops are 18th in pay in MN. Number one? Sauk Center - go figure.)   

And also the miliary:

• (DoD Undersecretary) “Ashish Vazirani said that during fiscal year 2023, the military services collectively missed recruiting goals by about 41,000 recruits.” 

Thunderbirds Missing Man Formation

The Star Tribune’s very own Business section writer, Evan Ramstad, has had several columns about this growing  problem, especially in Minnesota. 

There are a lot of things involved in this first-ever (for the US) phenomenon.

First, there is undoubtedly the effect of retirements. With about 4500 baby boomers retiring per day (and going up every year) a lot of experience is leaving the workforce, creating a shortage of skilled workers.

Then there is the so-call skills mismatch.

• “While the loss of skills and experience through retirement is certainly a contributing factor, the leading cause of the skills shortage is the integration of advanced technology, AI and automation in the workplace.” Minneapolis Star Tribune Feb 20, 2024

     (Just another way to say that companies no longer need bodies,           they need well educated bodies.)

There is also this take:

• “Here’s the truth: There is no labor shortage. There is, however, a shortage of jobs paying sufficient wages to attract workers to fill job openings. For most Americans, real (inflation-adjusted) wage continue to drop. Wages have been increasing less than prices.” Robet Reich, American economist.

       (You know, how supply and demand are supposed to work in America?)

Which of these and how much each matters is open to debate but in any case there are a lot of jobs that aren’t being filled. Yet ironically the workforce is still growing (with great thanks to immigrants who make up 20% of it.)

But for how long?

The US, like most of the world, has had strong population growth for the last couple hundred years and very robust growth for the last 80 years. We went from 140 million in 1945 to 340 million today, average growth around 3%/yr. First Baby Boomers, then Gen Xers, followed by Millennials, then Gen Z, this population growth supercharged our economy's growth too. The growth rate now is about .5%/yr. (Yeah, point 5!) Can you imagine what it would've been - and will be - without immigrants?!

Apparently to all the Einsteins that study this stuff - demographers - the single most important statistic is the fertility rate. (This number is not to be confused with your neighbor who has 10 kids.) Here’s what they are looking for:

“Assuming no net migration and unchanged mortality, a total fertility rate of 2.1 children per woman ensures a broadly stable population.”

So how are we doing, fertility rate-wise? Right now the good old USA is coming in at a 1.66  – we’re number 134!, we’re number 134! - in fertility. Not terrible, Germany is 1.54. Much better than Japan, 1.33 and way ahead of the lowest, S. Korea at .89 – yowser!  Who’s number one? Niger at 6.6 – double yowser! (How are we doing in MN? 1.75)

Demographics, like DNA, doesn’t lie; the US, like the rest of the developed world, is facing a declining birth rate and population. That said, I’m not sure we all really appreciate what this means. (Well, except that there will be a lot more kids in Africa.)

We in Minnesota, and many other slow growing states (think cold weather), are already feeling the bite and currently can’t fill many types of jobs. We’ll have a lot more to worry about when we encounter a shrinking economy with fewer police, firemen, military members, doctors, nurses, teachers and others. We won’t be alone; this issue is going to affect the whole country over the next several decades.

Simply stated, every woman needs to have 2.1 kids - let's call it 3 - just for us to stand still on population. (This used to be pretty easy, my mom did more than her share with 5 kids.)

Sorry, as usual it's up to women to fix our problems.

There was a time in America when we couldn’t wait to have kids because we knew that their lives would be better than ours. Now, not so much.

What to do about it? Well, besides welcoming more immigrants, I suppose we could try to bribe the ladies of America to have more kids like some countries are doing. But that seems a little transactional – and apparently isn’t working anyway.

Actually, none of this is astrophysics. Here’s a thought: 

How about just trying to make this country a place where parents might WANT to have more kids - or any kids. You know, like good schools (and ones where you don’t have to worry about them being shot.) Good health care that doesn’t bankrupt you; enough housing so you don’t need to be rich to have a roof over your head and an economy that produces jobs that pay enough so that it’s worth going to work  - and supporting a family. Oh yeah, and fix immigration. 

Wouldn't that be tax dollars surprisingly well spent? (I shall now hold my breath.)

On a positive note, no need to plan for a shortage of politicians.

The Times They are A'Changin'     Bob Dylan

Wish You Were Here    Pink Floyd

Reminiscing on a Spring Day

 

Right between the Ides of March and St Patty's day - perfect!

Our MENSA Club celebrating a very different spring day - Apr, 6 yrs ago
(True masters of the Y chromosome as you'll see later . . .)

I was looking for something different and light this month, appropriate for a spring day. I have several pages of ideas for blog posts and/or commentaries for the newspaper but everything seems too heavy or philosophical, just not right for the occasion. So I say to myself, "Come on Dear Leader, it’s spring (and has been for quite a while this marvelous winter) so lighten up."

Then it dawned on me: I have a deep catalogue of posts going back almost 20 years. Surely, I wasn’t a pedantic bore in ALL of them. 

Yahoo, I wasn’t! (Pedantic, that is.) I found several from some years ago that I think fill the bill with a combo of science, humor and brilliant insights into human nature that I hope you find entertaining. (Or at least not too boring.) 

Note: I have taken some license to, as we in the writing business say, "punch them up" a bit. Anyway, here you go.

June, 2016 - From the front lines of the battle of the sexes.

Men, I tell you that we are under siege! It’s not just that women are better organizers and at running companies or that they are the majority in law and medical schools. They are generally smarter than us most guys so that's okay. But now it's getting REALLY serious and frightening; our very reason for existence is being questioned! 

There are two separate but related bits of news that I have stumbled upon in this regard that I think may have dire consequences for us guys (and just plain consequences for women.) You be the judge.

First, from Verve Magazine.

No wonder guys like to play with sticks!

(Hmmm, I wonder if I could hit a little white ball with it)

Scientists have discovered that us guys perform spermicide on our own, you know . . . 

Apparently somewhere along the line - perhaps after the first thousand generations of wives nagging about raising idiot children - evolution (without our permission) caused us to start to kill off some of the DNA of our "contribution" to life in order for the woman’s DNA to, quote (get this!) "have a bigger influence.” A bigger influence?! Ha, I laugh at their impertinence!

Well, they certainly got what they wanted. Just looking at our current crop of male (and a few female) political leaders today it seems to me that some genetic improvement could be helpful. Which begs the question: would humankind have been better off if we men had been allowed to share, as it were, all our DNA wealth all along? 

As a patriot I can only say, ask not what your DNA can do for you but what your DNA can do for the country!

Science Update 2/26/24: Headline from Latrobe University - "Men are slowly losing their Y Chromosome." You know, the chromosome that gives women - and the world - the gift of us men? Perhaps that DNA suicide thing is working too well, huh? You'll miss us when we're gone! (Maybe - see picture at the top)

While elsewhere in the world of indiffernt females . . . 

One less man to pick up after . . .

It seems the Cape Honeybee ladies have decided they've had enough of the males in their lives, they're going to wash that man right out of their hair - permanently. Apparently, once they escape the queen bee they wander off and reproduce on their own with no help from the males. (But men are so much fun - just ask them.) On the other hand, who can blame them; how attractive are a bunch of drones in the first place? 

You might have had an idea by visiting any number of military stag bars I once knew, er, ah, heard of. I, for one, am happy that wiser and more progressive leaders saw the obnoxious unfairness of a "boys only club" where mindless humor and drunkenness served as entertainment . . . so they shut them down. (Acknowledging, perhaps, Mrs DL's loving insight about men: "one is one and two is a pack.")

What?! Women just don't understand us - we need
a quiet place to talk and reflect on our love for them.

Anyway, this is the sort of thing that if it were to spread among humans of the female persuasion might just have a great impact on us guys, don’t you think? Well, on some of you anyway. 

On a positive note, if women didn’t need us around anymore I guess we wouldn’t have to kill off any of our own DNA anymore either, right? (And besides we'll still have the only Y chromosome, ha ha! No, wait . . . hmmm.) 

Anyway, hope for the best, men, and plan for the worst! 

More June 2016 (What can I say, it was a good month for nonsense.)

Farm to Table Fresh Veggies - Like the SW Light Rail, another failed urban experiment

Along with lutefisk, some other inedible things

 "I’m NOT eating arugula. You can’t make me and I won’t do it!” 

Confused? Let me explain. This is our second year of buying into a sort of a home delivery of farmer’s market veggies. You buy a share of farm grown veggies and they are delivered to a house in the neighborhood where everybody goes to picks up their share and every week the box has a little different mix of vegetables. When I peered into this first box, I knew I was in trouble; nothing really edible in there like carrots or peas or beans or tomatoes. There was a collection of stuff in various shades of green. Don’t get me wrong, I like green.  . . when it’s on a golf course or in my yard right after winter but I’m just not a fan of many of the green vegetables and especially of the leafy variety.

 Which reminds me that I once had a co-pilot with whom I flew all over the world. His self-given nickname was “Golden Hands.” (There were times that his hands did indeed act like hunks of metal, gold or not, but that’s for a different story.) In any event when it came to food he had a motto he called Collette’s Corollary (not coincidently his name was actually Collette.) It was, “If it’s green don’t eat it.” Now why I have taken the advice of a person who clearly had a lot of personal issues is beside the point but I have never forgotten that important warning and apparently took it to heart.

Back to my story. Sooo we open this box of stuff and it’s confirmed, there’s nothing good to eat in there. Spinach, arugula, kale – yuck! There were a few really good radishes which I devoured right away. I know what you’re thinking, you Epicureans you, what a food swine I am. How can I not like kale and arugula?! Well, I’ll tell you why. Because it tastes crappy! If I can put enough 1000 Island dressing on it, I can probably choke it down (but that seems like a terrible waste of good1000 Island dressing.) I mean when I was growing up, fresh peas were like a delicacy. Green beans from a can, mmmmm. Iceberg lettuce; what a treat! 

Before you go all smug on me think about this: 

The first time my mom made (or tried to make) "Eyetalian spaghetti" – basic tomato sauce and some sort of noodles, I think - in the early 60’s sometime, my dad simply said, what is this and what do I do with it? Good question. Also, I had never heard of pizza until I went to college in the big city of Duluth. I'm not kidding. Chinese food? Same thing, Duluth's own Chun King chow mein in a can!  (Quite the culinary foundation for a connie sewer,) 

Don’t get me wrong, though, through my 68 19 76 years on this earth I have developed a taste for some of the more . . . interesting foods. Like asparagus (sparingly and only with sauce); broccoli (sparingly only with sauce) and mushrooms (sparingly and only on pizza.) There are still things, however, that I simply don’t care for and it’s too late to change now. Among them, arugula, kale and sushi.  OMG raw fish? Seriously? What am I, a porpoise?! 

Luckily, this year, having learned our limit on how many fresh vegetables we can eat, we split a share with a neighbor. They don’t know it but they are our saviors! (well, MY savior.) And, much to Mrs. Dear Leader’s chagrin, I can pawn off all the crappy green things to them. Ha ha ha! (Oddly, they apparently like that stuff – vegans? vegetarians? veterinarians? Whatever.) Better yet, I get to make them feel bad that we “sacrifice” the green stuff just for their kids. This will work out great. Now for some REAL veggies! 

 

Now you're talking!

 Come on, just one more quick food related one 

 Finally this . . .

Oct 2015

Now I know how the Inca’s may have felt. Or the Hittites. Or even those stone worshipping people on New Guinea.

My life and the society that I have lived in is being buried. First, they take away a man’s real beer like Budweiser or Grain Belt and replace it with Moose Drool or something with an equally stupid name. Then they make him wear dayglo green lycra shorts and a helmet to go for a bike ride. Isn’t that enough?  Nooooooo apparently not . . .

. . . now they’ve gone too far; they’re stealing my childhood food! No, that's not right. They're are appropriating it.

Listen to this (From Sept 15 Star Tribune Food section): ”Delicately spiced pork shoulder defies its bologna shape; its thinly sliced, warmed and slightly scorched on the stove, cloaked with Gruyere and sharp cheddar and tucked into a toasted and buttered roll.” All for only $11. This is the modern replacement for the good old bologna, Wonder Bread and chunk of (fake) cheddar cheese sandwich. Really.

First, if you even know what Gruyere cheese is I don’t want anything to do with you. Next, why would anyone do this? Can you imagine your mom saying - when you come in from a morning of playing ball with your buddies without a single adult interaction - “Come on, honey, it's almost done, I’m just slightly scorching your pork shoulder and Gruyere sandwich. I’ll get the sugar free koolaid and low salt chips in a second.” Oh boy.

Now THAT is a samich!

Thanks, mom, but could I just have a hotdog? “Sure, dear, I’ll get your Limousin beef dog blanketed with a barrage of Asian inspirations: tangy kimshi, yuzu fruit mayonnaise, avocado, chopped egg, charred shishito peppers, pickled ginger. . .” Limousin beef?! Fruity mayonnaise? First, I only use Miracle Whip and second, NEVER on a hot dog. (Although I do put it on my bologna sandwich - and almost everything else.) And I’ve got your shishito right here. 

Well, can’t screw up dessert, right? How about S’Mores? Sure, as long as it’s “a light, spongy graham cake indulged with chocolate cremeux (fancy word for pudding?) with picture perfect pillows of meringue marshmallows strategically placed around the artful plate.” Picture perfect pillows. . . huh? That will NOT look good on the camp fire. Is nothing sacred!? 

You know, it’s okay if all stores have to be "upscale." It’s also fine if we only build “upper end” homes and apartments. It’s even okay if no hip person would be caught dead going to a regular restaurant. (Gotta be a trendy joint that serves this kind of stuff – and covered with kale, no doubt.) But this is going too far! Taking the remnants of my youth and trashing it and then charging $11 dollars for a bologna and cheese sandwich (replacement), well, that’s just too much. 

 

"Remember the Embers"     Now THAT was a restaurant!

I guess this is a not too subtle reminder that I just might be a bit out of step with the times and need to go gently into that good night (on the town at Olive Garden - if I can find one.)

Move it on over (Inca’s) a big old dog is movin’ in! 

Note: these stories are from several years ago so please rest assured that I am a totally different man now; I will eat broccoli without sauce. 

You've been warned!

Sorry, pay no attention. Not sure how this old man got in my blog.

Now Music for reminiscing

Reminiscing     Little River Band   1978
Love of a Woman     LightHouse  1971
Vegetables    Beach Boys  1967

Home Schooling for Everyone?

 

An Old Guy’s View of the School Controversy

  

One parents' view

As the Florence Nightingale of Bryn Mawr I go about my duties quietly and without complaint, slaving night and day to make Mrs DL comfortable after her surgery. In fact, I actually made a meal the other day with three different ingredients that did NOT include water, wieners and beans! That said, I feel I can take a break from my caregiving to share some deep thoughts (from a shallow mind?) about the current state of education in the US.

There was an article in the Star and Sickle back on 1/21 regarding the Anoka-Hennepin school board and their difficulty in selecting a president due to conflicting views of the board members. If you haven't been paying attention, this is just the latest example of a phenomenon not just here in Minnesota but across the country. Ostensibly it is about how much input parents should have to their kid’s curricula. While that is certainly part of it, I believe it is also a proxy for the ideological war that is being fought across all of American society.

You may remember this little tidbit that I mentioned in an earlier post:

For God's sake Marge, cover the kids' eyes!

A BBC article in April of this year reported how the principal of a Florida school was forced to resign after allowing an art class of 11 and 12 year old kids to view Michelangelo's famous statue "David." Almost as bad, according to some parents, the kids viewed other “pornographic” items like Michelangelo's painting "Creation of Adam" and Botticelli's "Birth of Venus."  Seriously?  (Interestingly - and ironically - the school is called the Tallahassee Classical School.) Sheesh.

I hate to go further down the slippery slope of Florida education but this is too interesting not to share.

“In November, the Miami-Dade School Board adopted new rules requiring schools to fully inform parents of any school-sponsored events, activities, or supplemental programs and to obtain signed permission forms from parents in order for students to participate.”

So far so good – I guess.

Then this . . .

Parental permission slip: Whew, thank god it's only for a Black guy reading, could be for that libtard Dear Leader!

The state education department said, “Of course you don’t need a permission slip to listen to a Black author!” 

However, if you ran a school in FL and knew Ron DeSantis what would you do just to be safe? 

Permission slip, coming right up!

Anyway, right, wrong or indifferent, school curricula is a very sensitive issue.

Another parents' view

Like most folks of a certain age I attended public schools from kindergarten through bachelor’s degree. (Don't tell anyone but I snuck off to a Lutheran-affiliated college for my Masters. Lower entrance requirements?) Anyway, it’s been about 60 yrs since I was in junior high but despite calling someone “gay” (not intended as a homosexual term) I’m not sure I knew exactly what a homosexual was – let alone a transexual. And certainly there weren’t any in our town. Right? And I definitely did not hear about them in school.

 

There were no people of color in town either except for an exchange student from Ethiopia (great guy.)  In fact, the only “different” people were Catholics. (Relax, protestant humor.) Racism? Well, I did know there had been slaves but I understood that problem had been solved with the Civil War. Racist jokes were apparently still okay though.

I know the kid in front row left looks like me but no, I'm not THAT old!

Yes, I went to school in a few small Minnesota towns but I'm not sure that mattered then or should now. Nor do I think my experience was all that different than most people my age.

You know, I have no recollection of my mom and dad ever having any opinion about the curriculum (granted, they had a 10th and 8th grade education respectively but they were very smart people.) I'm not sure but I don't think other parents did either. Nor, I admit, did we for our kids. Perhaps it was our lack of time or attention. Or perhaps there just didn't seem to be any issues to fight about. I might, however. today if they wouldn't let my kids see a Michelangelo painting or statue!

So here we are today. This is not the America I grew up in - duh! - it is much larger, much more complex and much, much more diverse. I’m an old white guy, kids long out of school – one of which was public, the other two split split private and public – so I don’t really have a dog in this hunt. No surprise, however, I have an opinion. Yup, I am in no position to offer advice or solutions but I won't let that stop me. Besides, age is suppose to bring wisdom so I will presume to offer what little of that I might have. And perhaps a mea culpa for my own educational shortcomings?

The curricula today is obviously much different, as it should be. It also is fair to question it, especially on the more controversial or sensitive issues. In general, however, on most of those issues I personally believe it’s better for kids to have a fuller knowledge of the lives of their peers, lives of those with a different race, gender or sexual orientation. What harm can it do? They’re going to be around other people not like themselves the rest of  their lives. (Who knew there were gays and Black people in college and the Air Force!) 

Likewise, our state and nation’s history should be honest as well. We have a great history and it neither needs to, nor should, be whitewashed by myths and omissions. Systemic racism does exist here as it does virtually everywhere else - as well as sexism and ageism. It’s also a fact that there was genocide of the indigenous people. Sadly, also common around the world - and often encouraged by the governments. We're humans, we make mistakes so denying them by banning books and education about it is wrong and foolhardy.

Mass hanging 38 Indians - Mankato 1862

Also, most of us would acknowledge that our classes in civics – if we even had them - really left us with no idea how the government actually functions. Kids need to know more about our government, the good and the bad e.g. the power of political parties, special interest groups and money. And the mistakes that it has made. (A few extraneous wars come to mind). 

These are just some of the “truths” we need to share them, things we learn as we grow older anyway. Perhaps that's why so many people become disillusioned or bitter later; they feel they’ve been lied to all their life. But these things need not define us, real patriotism (a much-abused term) can handle the truth. Sure, it’s tough stuff and must be handled sensitively and age-appropriately but kids are smart and tough themselves - and probably already know or intuit a lot of this anyway.

I am a huge supporter of education at all levels but I am also a taxpayer and we spend vast amounts of money on education in this country with generally awful results. This is bad for everyone, especially the kids. Clearly, we all need to do better: teachers, administrators, kids – and parents. Maybe especially parents.  

Of course there’s a place for private and charter schools. (I suppose home schooling is an option too but I believe does a great disservice to kids.) Nothing, however, can replace public education for the vast majority of kids. It bears the brunt of our society's issues and problems but also offers the most hope for them. We can’t afford to lose it now. If we don’t resolve this then what’s left? Just homeschool every kid - so they can be protected from things their parents fear?

Okay,  special question for Dougie: will you give us an overview of quantum mechanics? 

 

For 150 years public education has been a foundation of our country and our democracy. I think it's the only defense against the further fracturing that is destroying it today. If we fail I suspect the nation is probably doomed as a going concern.

"It is only the ignorant who despise education."

  Publilius Syrus

"Education is our only political safety. Outside of this ark all is deluge."

  Horace Mann

"Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all."

  Aristotle

 "The weekend at the college didn't turn out like you planned

 The things that pass for knowledge I can't understand."

                                    Famous Philosopher Steely Dan

Oh well, who cares, this is just an old guy's mutterings - and as usual offering very few answers. So excuse me now, I must get back to my care giving duties.

Educational Music

Education    Pearl Jam

Another Brick in the Wall    Pink Floyd