Originally published in 2009. “Those who fail to remember the lessons of history yadda yadda yadda …” — GEORGE COSTANZA on SANTAYANA To be fair, I’m not sure this particular quote ever appeared on “Seinfeld.” It’s just that I figure you all know it, so rather than talk down to you by making a big …
“Those who can’t do, teach. Those who can’t teach, teach gym.” — WOODY ALLEN Whenever I write anything to suggest that the way we educate our children is less than perfect, there is always at least one teacher who comes out of the woodwork and suggests that my feet stink, my parents weren’t married and …
If you’re serious about fixing our educational system, you should read John Taylor Gatto. Gatto actually taught in the New York City public schools for more than 30 years, and was named both NYC Teacher of the Year and New York State Teacher of the Year for his efforts. It’s precisely because he was such …
“Florida, where woke goes to die.” Actually, Gov. DeSantis, your particular Florida is where America goes to die. For all the different ideas about what makes America special, the freedom to think, speak, read and learn has always been what matters the most. And if there’s one thing true about that, it’s that we grow …
A hundred years or so ago, most Americans did not live in cities. A majority of Americans spent their entire lives living in one place, many of them never traveling more than 50 miles from where they were born. Even if they did move somewhere else when they came of age, they were usually able …
Editor’s note: This was originally published 15 years ago and has appeared several times in various forms. It will be included later this year in “Humor and Heart,” an anthology of my 40-plus years as a columnist in various venues. I thought this was particularly appropriate for Memorial Day. Georgeanne Fletcher says Jon Rumble was …
Remember when you were 16? Remember what it felt like to fall in love for the first time … and then to have your heart broken? Most of the kids who came of age in the ’60s, at least in this country, may have loved and appreciated the Beatles. But for most of us, the …
Reworked from 2009: “People are smarter and more aware of what’s going on than at any other time in human history. The average 19-year old today knows ten times as much as a 19-year old did forty years ago. Look at the technology and information that is routinely mastered.” — AARON, commenting on earlier post …
“What good is a book? Not much in the hands of people who do not think, and to be honest, most Americans do not even know how to think. Just consume.” — JOE BAGEANT If you’ve been following this blog and its earlier incarnations, you know how much I admire the late Joe Bageant, the …
Let me start by saying I have nothing against ’60s music. It was the soundtrack of my life from ages 10-20 and there were so many wonderful performers — individuals and groups — that had their heyday in that decade. Yeah, there was terrific music. But we really ought to understand that not everything was …
