It's good to see Old Dog posting again, it seems like it has been a pretty long time. I think he rather leavens the pound cake of Beagles and myself pounding each other.
The video I was talking about was the one where the actors read the Mueller report. I didn't remember the Bachelors but when I went to the YouTube I do remember the songs, but they didn't make an impression on me, not the sort of songs that would worm my ears, or so I say now. I may find that they have wormed their way in by afternoon. Kind of an odd thing when out of nowhere they come into your ears like when you are listening to the radio and suddenly another channel intrudes on your frequency.
I'm not sure what Old Dog means by 'your kind,' if it means like Cub fans vs Sox fans or people who are interested in the same things you are that's fine, but if it means people of the same ethnicity then it gets a little dicey in my eyes.
Old Dog threw me a bit when he abbreviated 'those guys,' into TG. Not reading it closely the first time I thought he was referring to trans gender. I don't get the part about making them your new best friends. Does that mean you would be polite, but you wouldn't want to hang out with them?
The heat dome has passed and outside on my balcony my morning glories are blooming and it is a soft summer morn, and I am not inclined to pick up my cudgel. The Institute came from maybe two years of Beagles and myself exchanging emails. It became the blog on 11/7/2013, about six years ago. I don't remember when Old Dog joined, oh there it is June of 2016, he began by making a couple of comments. Brexit seems to have been the issue of the day. And it still is as of these days.
Here are the first two posts of The Institute, make of them what you will.
Introduction
About a year and a half ago, I ran across one of my old high school buddies on the internet. We hadn't been in contact since we graduated back in 1963, so we had a lot of catching up to do. Truth be known, we hadn't known each other all that well in the old days but, by now, we have become fast friends. Funny thing is that we have very little in common, in fact we are on the opposite sides of most issues, yet we seem to be able to discuss those issues in a fairly rational and dispassionate manner, which is kind of unique nowadays. We have been communicating exclusively by e-mail because both of us were tired of the abusive and insulting dialog that has become so common in both cyberspace and in the real world of today. Nevertheless, we recently decided that our ponderings and permutations are just too good not to share, and that the world would become a better place if everybody else would follow our shinning example. Neither of us are spring chickens anymore and, all too soon, we will belong to the ages. Will we be remembered for our wit and wisdom, or will we be buried under the ash heap of history? Only time will tell, but we'll never know if we don't try.
Ken and I grew up in a decent neighborhood on the South West Side of Chicago. I was exposed to rural living at an early age and quickly decided that was what I wanted to do when I grew up. Ken, on the other hand, was a city boy at heart, and still is. He ended up living in a high rise apartment downtown, and I ended up living in a modest home in the swamps of Northern Michigan. Politically, I like to think of myself as a reactionary, but I get tired of trying to explain to people what that means, so I usually tell them that I'm a conservative. Ken is a self described liberal who marched in protest demonstrations during the Vietnam era, while I marched with the U.S Army in Berlin, Germany. Our discussions have helped us to understand what was going on in each other's heads in those days so that we have both become more tolerant of diverse and dissenting opinions. May they do the same for you.
Ken and I grew up in a decent neighborhood on the South West Side of Chicago. I was exposed to rural living at an early age and quickly decided that was what I wanted to do when I grew up. Ken, on the other hand, was a city boy at heart, and still is. He ended up living in a high rise apartment downtown, and I ended up living in a modest home in the swamps of Northern Michigan. Politically, I like to think of myself as a reactionary, but I get tired of trying to explain to people what that means, so I usually tell them that I'm a conservative. Ken is a self described liberal who marched in protest demonstrations during the Vietnam era, while I marched with the U.S Army in Berlin, Germany. Our discussions have helped us to understand what was going on in each other's heads in those days so that we have both become more tolerant of diverse and dissenting opinions. May they do the same for you.
About a year and a half ago I started thinking about my high school friend, Talks with Beagles. We were both in what were called advanced classes at Gage Park High School on the southwest side of Chicago, and it was drummed into our heads constantly that we had to go to college. But when it came to time to apply for college, Talks with Beagles announced he had no plans to go to college. It was a bit of a scandal, how could he not go to college? It was the American dream of getting ahead. I didn't agree with his decision, but I rather admired him for standing against the tide.
I went to college, dropped out, and dropped back in. Became a hippie, was a Conscientious Objector during the Vietnam war, spent about twenty years tending bar, had a state job for about ten, and was a substitute teacher for about seven. All this time I have been a liberal democrat, and I follow politics the way some follow the sports page.
When I got in touch with Talks With Beagles I learned that his politics were about 180 degrees of mine, and he liked to write, and so far we have been exchanging about an email a day.
So now we need a subject to gnaw on. Beagles, the ball is in your court.
PS, 7:36 AM and Marie has wormed her way into my ear. Thanks a lot Old Dog.
PS, 7:36 AM and Marie has wormed her way into my ear. Thanks a lot Old Dog.
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