Sic Transit Gloria Mundi

Happy Saturday morning, and a Happy Baby Boomers Recognition Day – “Better start writing things down before I forget” Day is what it should be called, cause that time is fast approaching.

Yesterday ‘it’ started up. Thinking about ‘it’ will require a fresh mug of fresh coffee.

Recently it began again, Marcia’s slow start of the “it’s time you get a haircut” song.

Haircuts, I just never know what to do. So, I just postpone. Do I ask for scissors? Or, and I can never remember which, is it a number 3 or a number 4 on their little buzzer machine? Or possibly skip the cut altogether and just go for a scalp massage?

Maybe I’ll just let another week slide by. But since it’s an important decision I probably should just ease back a bit with my coffee and think it through.

Meanwhile, as I ponder, brood, and agonize, Marcia actually seems calmer.

Celebration – This is not any lesson in a foreign language – please understand. It’s just a video of the Taliban’s 3rd Anniversary celebration of the gift of Bagram Airfield (‘celebrated’ this past week). They’re thanking their friend ‘Joe’ for giving them this wondrous gift along with the $-billions of military equipment – “Let’s go Brandon”.

When watching you will not find any reference to the 13 military killed with this simple transfer. Also missing is mention of the hundreds of US citizens and even more of the native helpers which ‘Joe’ also tossed into the mix – question, were these merely labeled Collateral Damage as we closed the books on Afghanistan?

I wonder why this major anniversary fest has not been plastered on our newscasts.

Less than 120 miles distant – Aging means that we’re observing, experiencing, and thereby learning more. Often times we’re inadvertently, or by design (think grandparent age), pressed into service as educators. Wearing your ‘educators’ hat I thought you’d appreciate this attached directive to best standardize the learning of kids in what was then one of the poorest areas in the USA. A place (a ‘hollow’ in Kentucky) much like the hollow Trump’s selected VP, JD Vance, was born in (Jackson County, KY).

The place is Bullitt County , Kentucky — 1912 — and then about as back woods as you can get. And here is what their then Board of Education required for students to graduate from the 8th grade public school.

I wonder how those requirements if given to to today’s crop of 8th graders how they’d fare – in any State or any County or any school? I have my thoughts. As a friend, a University Professor, wrote me; “I think all kids would fail, even the ones in elite private schools.”

Yet, through the many ‘ism’ fogs of the DEI, sexism, racism, equityism, climateism scams, there is sanity to be found. And along with ‘sanity’ comes Hope.

A week ago, two of our best intellectuals held a discussion.

Victor Davis Hanson, who prides himself as being a 5th generation farmer (still running the old family farm in Selma, CA). Is a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution; a visiting professor of classics at Stanford University (1991–92), the annual Wayne and Marcia Buske Distinguished Visiting Fellow in History at Hillsdale College (2004–), the Visiting Shifron Professor of Military History at the US Naval Academy (2002–3), and the William Simon Visiting Professor of Public Policy at Pepperdine University (2010).

Mike Rowe, even though best known for the TV Show “Dirty Jobs”, is basically working hard at keeping America open and things working with MikeRoweWorks Foundation. MikeRoweWorks Scholarship Program gave away $1,000,000 in scholarships this year. ”Scholarships for hardworking men and women who will keep the lights on, water running, and air flowing–people who will show up early, stay late, and bust their asses to get the job done”.

OK, proof enough? OK? Then let’s keep on going. These two giants got together last week and discussed a variety of issues. Towards the end of the discussion Rowe brought up the subject of education in the USA.

Since it’s a 1-hour 20-minute video, I am helping you by pasting a link which is set to begin at the final segment which is the one on education.

https://youtu.be/k-bgX9eQ58w?t=3661

Be certain to stay with them till the end and their special insight. Want to listen to their complete ‘chat’, no problem, just slide the icon over to the beginning.

Socialism – My High School years were spent at a school named Winston Churchill Collegiate Institute. Not sure if it was the school, but Churchill has, as long as I can remember, been a hero of mine. His strong feelings about Socialism had him elaborate that “Socialism is the philosophy of Failure, the creed of Ignorance, and the Gospel of Envy, its inherent virtue is the Equal Sharing of Misery”.

Here’s my favorite quotation by Sir Churchill: “Socialism will only work in two places; in heaven where it is not needed, and in hell where they already have it”.

Winston Churchill & Clementime 1910

The above I’ve posted primarily so that, should we end up with a ‘cackles’ in the drivers seat — at least a few here in the hinterlands are quite happy living with capitalism, thank you very much.

Let’s go out with a song – Last Sunday, a beautiful early evening at our Washington Park (across from Music Hall). Some great music by the Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra (CCJO), and jazz singer extraordinaire Mandy Gaines doing music by Burt Bacharach, sounds of Herb Alpert, and Sarah Vaughn: ‘This Girl’s in Love With You‘

Life is AMAZING! (especially since news just broke that the Supreme Court ruled that Title IX be left alone in a 5 to 4 decision))

May Peace prevail! Shalom.

Dirk

BONUS POINTS:

I just added my Driver’s License to my Mobile phone. Question, which 4 States listed are not yet accepting a license in your digital wallet?

1) Rhode Island
2) Colorado
3) Georgia
4) California
5) Maryland
6) Florida
7) Nebraska
8) Arizona