Humor
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An Unexpected Musical Treat: A wonderful comedic take on classical music
Reminiscent of the great Victor Borge.
They don’t just do one musical form, they do several and have fun with all of them.
Thanks to my friend Shlomo Dror for finding this gem.
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ZipDialog Roundup for Tuesday, August 15
Articles chosen with care. Your comments welcomed.
Linked articles in bold purple◆ The aftershocks of Charlottesville continue
The main story is the fallout from Pres. Trump’s initial failure to single out the instigators of the fatal attack. He has since issued a full-throated condemnation of the white nationalists, but not until he incurred serious political damage.
The Washington Post makes an important point: “Turmoil in Virginia touches a nerve across the country”
◆ Kim Jong Un backs down from his threat to Guam. (Story here)
Comment: The Chinese probably told him he went too far, but we don’t know the next shoe to fall. Kim has not been seen recently, which may indicate another test is near. In any case, the main problem remains, and there is no indication yet that China intends to resolve it.Henry Kissinger, writing an op-ed in the WSJ over the weekend, says the only solution lies in the US and China working out a joint plan to deal with North Korea. The incentive for China is that North Korea’s provocative behavior could lead to nuclear proliferation in the region, which would be very bad for China. (Op-ed in WSJ, subscription)
Comment: Another problem with pulling out: Obama front-loaded all the benefits–ace negotiators, eh?–so the Iranians have already received them.
◆ Democratic Party flailing: Four-state tour to reconnect with workers (New York Times)
The need for the Democratic Party and the labor movement to take stock of their historically close alliance became clear after November’s election when Hillary Clinton’s support among union voters declined by 7 percentage points from 2012 when former President Barack Obama was re-elected.For months, Democrats have been grappling with how to reconnect with the union and working class vote they once considered their base, prompting former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. to lament after the election that “my party did not talk about what it always stood for.” –New York Times
Comment: For the party of Nancy Pelosi, Tom Steyer, and Keith Ellison to connect with workers, they will need to hire an anthropologist.
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China’s economy continues to cool as Trump Administration looks into its unfair trade practices (US News and World Report)Comment: The investigation could lead to tariffs or other punishment. As for Chinese economic performance, it is hard to assess because no serious economist trusts Beijing’s official data.
◆ Today in teaching
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More on receiving lots of news updates; ZipDialog and The Onion are on the same page
Yesterday, as news about the Charlottesville killing and rioting was breaking, I recommended taking a break from the incessant nattering of cable TV.
The all-important ratio of agita/information is too high.
Instead, get your news updates from websites like Associated Press or the cable channels’ own web sites. (ZipDialog post here.)
The Onion has a related comment on the torrent of scary stories.
As regular ZD readers know, I consider the Onion to be America’s Most Trusted News Source.
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The NYT meant it as a political statement
I thought it was better under a partner.
But the NYT does it differently.
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I thought it was supposed to be a LITTLE depressed
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Comment: It’s only bipolar if you have sex with two men at once.
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Oh boy, I won a Participation Trophy!
UPDATED BELOW THE ORIGINAL POST, THANKS TO YOUR COMMENTS
This poster nails it.
Well, partly.
How about building a virtuous circle, one that does not forget that minor issue: actually learning something?
Then, when you receive a pat on the back, you build your sense of self-worth on a solid foundation.
Otherwise, deep down, you’ll know your self-conception is really self-inflation, a fragile fairy castle in the sky.
Just a suggestion.
UPDATE
When we say we can learn from these discussions, this thread is a fine example.
What I should have said, but didn’t grasp, is that, in praising young people, we need to do it thoughtfully.
The Special Olympics is a great example, as Margaret Shelton says. Penny Ziemer Ford makes an excellent, closely-related point.
I would say that everybody who completes a marathon or half-marathon or some other difficult event deserves praise for meeting the difficulties. Everybody who sells cookies for Girl Scouts deserves praise, not just the one who sells the most. We should do whatever we can to increase the self-esteem of people with special needs, young or old. You folks were absolutely right in pointing to that crucial distinction. I should have been clearer in my thinking and writing.
The problem is not those well-deserved pats on the back.The problem is that we are giving too many kids a trophy and a blue ribbon for not eating their crayons . . in fourth grade.
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Kid Rock’s World. What Theme Song Will He Use if He Runs for Senate?
Before getting into those choices, take a look at his amazing video, Po-Dunk.
In four minutes, it captures the world of J. D. Vance’s “Hillbilly Elegy” (his memories of growing up in Appalachia) and Charles Murray’s “Coming Apart” (his pathbreaking study of the social disintegration among lower-class, poorly-skilled, poorly-educated whites).
The video is a revealing, affectionate gaze at this disturbing world.
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Turning to Theme Songs
Since people seem to be taking Kid Rock’s PR stunt as a real thing, I thought we might consider which theme songs he would play as he tours Michigan looking for votes.
This one would make for some great political yard signs:
And that was the cleaned-up version. The explicit one is here.
Hard to believe, but that song is probably more family-friendly than this one. Here Kid Rock is with Hank Williams, Jr., describing the day-to-day events of their life on the road:
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