Maybe you're having a (perfectly understandable) inflammatory reaction to the state of the nation, too.
This. Also, I have known several near and dear who have had Roid Rage - it's quite entertaining when you realise what it is. Anyway, IMO, you have no need whatsoever for more concision. What you say is always worth listening to - your jaundiced and despairing viewpoint is perfectly understandable, though nobody who knows you at all would wish it on you. This too shall pass (we devoutly hope).
2025-08-17 15:37:57
Sorry, I posted that before I saw russell's and nous's. nous: thanks for further link. I read the synopsis which refers to it tangentially, but will certainly follow up.
russell: I hear you. And I can only hope that a lot of other people reading the NYT are less subtle than you, and take the general theme of the piece (segregation by income and education) seriously when they may not have seen it in quite that way before. It's easier to be virtuous when your larder is full.
A truer word was never spoke.
2025-08-17 15:26:56
Clarification: if it wasn't obvious, by "the ways and customs of an utterly foreign culture" I didn't mean Greek v English, I meant rich v poor.
2025-08-17 12:33:18
So much fascinating info, thank you all! It's quite clear that my impression of the relevant southern states' educational standards was seriously out of date. I haven't yet read nous's Reichman link on CA higher education, but I will certainly do so - I'm particularly interested in the Humanities subsidising STEM aspect. The story about wearing a Mets hat to break the ice with "ordinary people" just makes me think of that Pulp song. You know the one.
russell, I think Common People is a brilliant song, but to me it describes a different phenomenon. The girl in it is acting as a tourist, sampling the ways and customs of an utterly foreign culture. It seems to me that the Mets hat thing is a way of trying to experience goodwill and a human connection between groups who may not have many other interests or passions in common (but who may find they do when they start to talk). I think it is like when people from completely different backgrounds and experiences love the same music, and can talk passionately and knowledgeably about it. The ability to do this, and to value it, seems to me to be a good thing.
2025-08-16 19:22:52
What you say about the reason for the class based segregation makes plenty of sense, russell. I must say, I was very surprised by this: Research by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute’s Michael Petrilli has demonstrated that red states are now much more active than blue states in adopting new education reform ideas. As a result, red states are leaping out ahead when it comes to student performance. The biggest education story of the last few years has been the so-called Southern surge, the significant rise in test scores in states such as Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and Tennessee.
I'd be interested to know whether this is a well known phenomenon - I had certainly never heard about it, but that's not particularly surprising I suppose.
wj, I think you underestimate the effect on the Russian people of seeing Putin treated like an honoured guest in America. However, neither Ubu nor Witkoff nor any of their stooges have enough knowledge about internal Russian politics to understand that. Not to mention there is symbolic value in keeping tyrants and aggressors as isolated as possible, out of the G7 etc. But of course, with Ubu as POTUS, expecting any such idea to have currency is hopeless. I like TonyP's Make America Decent Again, but can't see it happening anytime soon. I dread the Zelensky meeting on Monday, and I can't imagine how he must feel.
Maybe you're having a (perfectly understandable) inflammatory reaction to the state of the nation, too.
This. Also, I have known several near and dear who have had Roid Rage - it's quite entertaining when you realise what it is. Anyway, IMO, you have no need whatsoever for more concision. What you say is always worth listening to - your jaundiced and despairing viewpoint is perfectly understandable, though nobody who knows you at all would wish it on you. This too shall pass (we devoutly hope).
Sorry, I posted that before I saw russell's and nous's. nous: thanks for further link. I read the synopsis which refers to it tangentially, but will certainly follow up.
russell: I hear you. And I can only hope that a lot of other people reading the NYT are less subtle than you, and take the general theme of the piece (segregation by income and education) seriously when they may not have seen it in quite that way before.
It's easier to be virtuous when your larder is full.
A truer word was never spoke.
Clarification: if it wasn't obvious, by "the ways and customs of an utterly foreign culture" I didn't mean Greek v English, I meant rich v poor.
So much fascinating info, thank you all! It's quite clear that my impression of the relevant southern states' educational standards was seriously out of date. I haven't yet read nous's Reichman link on CA higher education, but I will certainly do so - I'm particularly interested in the Humanities subsidising STEM aspect.
The story about wearing a Mets hat to break the ice with "ordinary people" just makes me think of that Pulp song. You know the one.
russell, I think Common People is a brilliant song, but to me it describes a different phenomenon. The girl in it is acting as a tourist, sampling the ways and customs of an utterly foreign culture. It seems to me that the Mets hat thing is a way of trying to experience goodwill and a human connection between groups who may not have many other interests or passions in common (but who may find they do when they start to talk). I think it is like when people from completely different backgrounds and experiences love the same music, and can talk passionately and knowledgeably about it. The ability to do this, and to value it, seems to me to be a good thing.
What you say about the reason for the class based segregation makes plenty of sense, russell. I must say, I was very surprised by this:
Research by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute’s Michael Petrilli has demonstrated that red states are now much more active than blue states in adopting new education reform ideas. As a result, red states are leaping out ahead when it comes to student performance. The biggest education story of the last few years has been the so-called Southern surge, the significant rise in test scores in states such as Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and Tennessee.
I'd be interested to know whether this is a well known phenomenon - I had certainly never heard about it, but that's not particularly surprising I suppose.
OT, so a bit of a pivot back to class, but in this case class in America. David Brooks, on America's New Segregation:
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/14/opinion/trump-democrats-resistance-reform.html?unlocked_article_code=1.ek8.T4vb.EoYRJkuNSb_8&smid=url-share
wj, I think you underestimate the effect on the Russian people of seeing Putin treated like an honoured guest in America. However, neither Ubu nor Witkoff nor any of their stooges have enough knowledge about internal Russian politics to understand that. Not to mention there is symbolic value in keeping tyrants and aggressors as isolated as possible, out of the G7 etc. But of course, with Ubu as POTUS, expecting any such idea to have currency is hopeless. I like TonyP's Make America Decent Again, but can't see it happening anytime soon. I dread the Zelensky meeting on Monday, and I can't imagine how he must feel.
Utterly enraging, and completely unsurprising.