On Many Subjects

I have down-graded to basic cable on my TV, going from Hi-Def and 9 million channels to just 70 channels. When I had access to everything, I watched TV maybe 2-3 hours a week and it just seemed to be very expensive to continue to pay $80 bucks a month for that. So, I removed the DVR, and radically reduced the number of available channels. Now, all I want to do is watch TV. There has to be something deep and psychological going on, but I probably don't want to know what it is.

Watching my granddaughter grow up is fascinating, to say the least. More than that, I am enjoying watching my child be a parent. The rules are different now. Children are taught things now that were never taught when I was a child. Things I never taught my children. Children were not considered the center of my world. We didn't have play dates for the children because we assumed they would learn social skills in school. There were no entrance exams for kindergraten. We just enrolled the kids and they started. We assumed the teachers would teach them things like math and fair play. No one had ADD or ADHD. I raised my children in the old way. That meant the men were out hunting or foraging while we women produced the children in a sterile environment. Child birth was neat and clean. The men saw the baby after the nurses had a go at it and cleaned it up, polished it and made it all neat and shiny. Most men thought babies were born with either a pink blanket or a blue one. That was how

Talking to one of my kids on the phone: Me: You know there was a time when there was no kitty litter. Everyone had to use shredded up newspaper in a carboard box. No fancy plastic kitty litter boxes, either. Tin foil wrapped over a box. And shredded newspaper. Kid: Wow. And I bet you had to walk to school in ten feet of snow. Uphill. Both ways. Me: Actually, I grew up in Florida. Only five feet of snow... and hurricanes. I had to walk to school during hurricanes in ten feet of raging water. Kid: Uphill? Me: Yeah. Both ways. You should try that. Walking uphill when there is a torrent coming down the hill. Kid: What's that got to do with kitty litter? I told you I needed to buy kitty litter and you start telling me about the good old days. Me: It was the ultimate in recycling. People got rid of old newspapers at the same time as they filled their litter box. That was before kitty litter was invented. Kid: I think kitty litter was discovered, not invented. Me:

I found it here.

Today, I received a special iunvitation to attend a dinner some students were presenting. The Big Boss came to my office and asked if I wanted to go to lunch and I said yes, of course. In the formal dining room, the students were showing off their cooking ability, their presentation ability, their ice sculpture ability and their table service ability. I was seated with another student named Chris and the Large Boss. We chatted amiably during the meal while we watched very nervous servers try to fill the water glass without spilling. The instructor was watching every move, of course. After I returned to my office, my CoWorker asked me about the event. CW: How was it? Me: Very nice. I have a spring roll with a sweet chili sauce and beef with more spicy chili sauce. CW: Sounds good. How did it taste? Me: I don't know. After the first bite, my taste buds were permanently burned out of my mouth from the sweet chili sauce.

College Admission's Representative: You know it is a tragedy when a student drops. I mean that student is loosing out on the greatest opportunity of their life. They are loosing out on a chance to totally better themselves. So, a student drops and I get an email from you with an exclamation point on it. It is tragic when a student drops. It is not an exclamation point moment. Me: OK. I understand, now. AR: No more exclamation points on emails when a student drops. That is a new rule. Add a sad smiley or something. Just no more exclamation points. Me: I told you, I understand. It is a sad, sad day when a student drops because you loose your commission. AR: That's right. Like I said. It is not an exclamation point moment.