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A Few Quick Things, vol 217

August 27, 2012 By Jeff 58 Comments

You know, I’ve written about this before, but many young people are incredibly stupid, aren’t they?  Well, stupid might not be the right word… Aggressively uninformed is probably more accurate.

When news broke a few days ago, about the death of Neil Armstrong, lots of dumbasses took to Twitter to mourn the passing of the lead singer of Green Day.  You can read about it here.

Plenty of folks feel compelled to defend today’s younglings, and I’m sure a few of you will, as well.  But I’m constantly amazed at how little they know.  I’ve encountered teenagers who don’t know when Clinton was president, believe we fought the Germans in the Vietnam War during the late 1980s, and think Pearl Harbor was a country/western singer.

I grew up in the 1970s, but my general knowledge extended back a few generations. I wasn’t an expert on most topics, but knew enough to follow a conversation.  Today?  They don’t know shit, and don’t want to know.

Our kids are exceptions, because we’re always talking with them.  They learn about things through our conversations.  Ya know?  And they watch TV, and read books.  I sincerely don’t understand how a person can reach the age of 16 or 17 and have no idea about history or culture beyond the last five years.  Do they just live inside a bubble where they hang out and talk with their equally dumbass friends, and nothing else? It appears to be the case.

I could say it makes me sad, but that would be melodramatic and untrue. It just amazes me, and pisses me off a little.

Anyway, our trip to New York City already feels like it happened in June or something.  It’s crazy how cluttered our lives have become.  We’ve sifted through a mountain of bullshit since last Thursday — nothing unusual, just the normal mountain — and it seems like NYC was a good while ago.  By this time next week it’ll be in the same memory bucket as the game I saw at Fenway Park in 1978. I long for the days when a weekend was a big luxurious expanse of time, filled with adventure and wonder. Now they pass in the wink of a sphincter.

Last week I offered Crossroads Road for free in the Kindle Store: Monday through Friday. I didn’t mention it here, because I figured most of you have already read it, or are not interested.  But here are the results:

U.S.: 22,035 downloads
United Kingdom:  446
Germany:  12
France:  1
Spain:  0
Italy:  0

The top two numbers blow my mind a little.  And it’s already led to seven new Amazon reviews — all positive, thank you very much.  I fully expect a couple of one or two-star criticisms before it’s said and done, though.  When so many copies go into circulation, all at once, there are bound to be a few folks who hate it, and feel motivated enough to tell the world about it.  It’s the downside of such an exercise.

But, on the whole, I think it’s great that Amazon lets us do this now.  When the book was originally published they didn’t allow free pricing, unless you jumped through a million hoops.  Now they let you have five free days per quarter.  This time I chose to use them all at once, and for a few magical hours Crossroads Road was one of the top 20 most-popular books in the Kindle Store.  Very cool.

And speaking of books, I have a deadline approaching for the first 100 pages of my next one.  I’m supposed to turn them in during the week of Labor Day, which is… next Monday.  So, I’ve taken vacation days on Wednesday and Sunday, which will translate into six days off in a row.  I don’t know how often the site will be updated during that stretch, but I’ll try not to let things get too far out of hand.  Just a heads up.

I think it’s going well,  so far. I’m cautiously optimistic.  Sure, on some days I feel like slugging myself in the genitalia, and screaming LOSER! in the mirror.  But then I read what I’ve written the next morning, and think everything’s going to be OK.  I’ll keep you updated, without going overboard like I did with Crossroads Road.  I’ve adopted a strict no-droning-on-and-on policy.

And I need to go to work now.  Lots of stress there… Holy hell.  I wish I could tell you about it, but the Eye in the Sky is watching our every move.

See you tomorrow, my friends.

Have a great day!

Now playing in the bunker
Treat yourself at Amazon: US and Canada

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Filed Under: Daily

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. hot fuzz says

    August 27, 2012 at 1:47 pm

    I hate myself for this but couldn’t resist… popped the cherry on this one…

    Reply
  2. hot fuzz says

    August 27, 2012 at 1:53 pm

    AND I read the article first… having a 17 yr old and a 22 yr old it is a constant 2 way cultural exchange … when a particularly “old” song comes on that they have previously never heard and I know all the words they are amazed (as much as one can tell from a smirk from these two)… What’s even better is when they can tell me something I didn’t know from reading about my generation’s history.

    When the moon landing took place, my older brother had a bunch of his fiends over to watch. I was seven and already loved making people laugh. I also had not developed a sense of boundaries… One of his friends stuttered… he said it sounded like they were walking on rice crispies… I said “that was easy for you to say”… complete silence and then a roar of laughter from the whole room… I still don’t think I have that sense of boundaries though…

    Reply
  3. icecycle66 says

    August 27, 2012 at 1:57 pm

    None in Italy.
    What the hell Knucklehead?

    Reply
    • Knucklehead says

      August 27, 2012 at 2:29 pm

      Bought that bitch AGES ago!

      Reply
      • CADude says

        August 27, 2012 at 6:26 pm

        What, you don’t have any friends??!!

        Reply
  4. Davef says

    August 27, 2012 at 2:25 pm

    Top 5?
    Everyone knows Pearl Harbor is that bright green drink from the ’80’s .

    Reply
    • chill says

      August 27, 2012 at 6:11 pm

      Everyone knows Pearl Harbor was New Wave, not country-western.
      .

      Reply
    • Henderson says

      August 27, 2012 at 6:17 pm

      Every one knows the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor. At least that’s what Dean Wormer told me before he put me on Double Secret Probation.

      Reply
  5. Brian says

    August 27, 2012 at 2:25 pm

    I saw a yurt over the weekend and thought of you.

    Reply
  6. Erin says

    August 27, 2012 at 2:45 pm

    I am constantly astonished at how dumb some people are. Then I feel very frightened. Is this what happens when all the teenagers are texting and facebooking during school? We’re all doomed.

    Reply
  7. madz1962 says

    August 27, 2012 at 2:56 pm

    I can’t tolerate stupidity and ignorance – it really puts me in a bad mood how dumb too many people are. And this is what really gets my ass in an uproar. The news was all over “FIRST MAN TO WALK ON THE MOON, NEAL ARMSTRONG, HAS PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 82″ Now I know kids have the attention span of a door knob but how the hell do you mistake that for the lead singer of Green Day? And if, God forbid you DID think for a second (all you caught was NEAL ARMSTRONG DEAD” wouldn’t you google a news article to find ut the facts before being the fucktard you are and NEEDING to be the first flaming asshole on Facebook? MY GODDAMN BLOOD PRESSURE IS PULSATING!

    Reply
    • required says

      August 27, 2012 at 3:51 pm

      His name was Neil.

      Reply
      • madz1962 says

        August 27, 2012 at 4:08 pm

        HA! Thanks – that shut me right up! (blood pressure starts to fall). Thanks for the laugh!

        Reply
      • Root 66 says

        August 27, 2012 at 4:15 pm

        Madz was just testing us to see how smart we were! 🙂

        We’re on it!

        Neil Armstrong was an icon of our time, and as an Ohioan, he was one of our number one sons! He was a very private, unassuming and humble man. He will be greatly missed…

        Reply
        • madz1962 says

          August 27, 2012 at 4:45 pm

          I could have really fucked it up and hammered out KNEEL!

          Reply
  8. Ognir says

    August 27, 2012 at 3:01 pm

    What is even more amazing is that people post that sort of thing on Twitter.

    I am thinking of all the posts I saw somewhere about people who didn’t know the Titanic disaster was a real life event.

    Reply
  9. Jason says

    August 27, 2012 at 3:07 pm

    Kids really are stupid as shit, but most people are stupid as shit too. It’s a growing problem, I think. I can understand (somewhat) if you can’t name your US Senators, but you can’t name the Vice President of the United States, you goddamn bag of rocks? And they think that the Supreme Court is a regular court that has sour cream and guacamole.

    It’s not just political shit either. They don’t know shit about shit. Except shit that doesn’t matter – reality shows and such.

    Reply
    • madz1962 says

      August 27, 2012 at 3:46 pm

      I aree – most people are stupid as shit. We can’t blame just the kids. Just get a load of “Honey Boo Boo’s” mother.

      Oh God, I can’t believe I threw “Honey Boo Boo” into a conversation

      Reply
      • WB in OH says

        August 27, 2012 at 3:56 pm

        FUCK! Five minutes ago I didn’t know Honey Boo Boo existed. Can’t undo seeing that. And also hate to be a grammar nazi but I think you got you quotations in the wrong spot. Should be Honey Boo Boo’s “mother”.

        Reply
      • johnthebasket says

        August 27, 2012 at 4:01 pm

        I just did a WWW search for “Honey Boo Boo”. It made me start to question my agnosticism. Holy shit in a handbasket.

        jtb

        Reply
        • T. Farty McAppleass says

          August 27, 2012 at 5:43 pm

          I had to google Honey Boo Boo. WHAT THE FUCK!!!!!????

          Reply
        • CADude says

          August 27, 2012 at 6:38 pm

          I had no idea that I was sharing space on this planet with someone nicknamed Honey Boo Boo. Google showed me that I didn’t really want to know.

          But I do know the name of the backup tight end for the San Diego Chargers. And I could identify the tuba player who appeared on a Jackson Browne record in the 70’s.

          Just different shit, I guess.

          Reply
      • Henderson says

        August 27, 2012 at 6:50 pm

        And her vote counts the same as mine. Kind of makes me want to breed faster.

        Reply
    • Limey says

      August 27, 2012 at 3:57 pm

      You can blame George W Bush for making it acceptable for not knowing shit and being *proud* of it, what was his personal highlight after 8 years of being the most powerful man on the planet – “that big fish I caught in my lake”. Good god.

      Looking at the unbelievably stupid children in my extended family, a lot of the blame lies with their parents. Let your children skip school, watch crap on TV instead, spend hours a day texting crap back and forth with their equally stupid friends, don’t bother teaching them anything yourselves… and what do you get?

      I have a 16 year old niece from the Mid West who wanted to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa when we took her for a trip to NYC.

      Reply
      • WB in OH says

        August 27, 2012 at 4:02 pm

        How’d she like it?

        Reply
        • Limey says

          August 27, 2012 at 4:22 pm

          🙂

          She spent most of her time in NYC in A&F and other stupid stores that are exactly the same as the ones in a mall in the Mid West.

          The level of ignorance is shocking. Just basic knowledge that you’d need to live outside a permanent cloud of confusion in your day to day life. Of course, she can give you a perfect synopsis of every episode of “Jersey Shore”…

          Reply
      • johnthebasket says

        August 27, 2012 at 4:03 pm

        True dat.

        Reply
  10. Root 66 says

    August 27, 2012 at 3:08 pm

    I’m thinking it was Minnie Pearl Harbor, but I could be mistaken…

    It terrifies me when I think that the next generation is eventually going to start running things (like nursing homes, banks and missile silos.) I hope I croak before then!!

    Reply
    • johnthebasket says

      August 27, 2012 at 4:05 pm

      It wasn’t Minnie Pearl Harbor unless the Japs left the price tags dangling from the Zeros.

      jtb

      Reply
      • Root 66 says

        August 27, 2012 at 4:17 pm

        How well does “HOWDY” translate into Japanese?

        Reply
        • johnthebasket says

          August 27, 2012 at 4:21 pm

          I think it translates as “tora”.

          Reply
  11. Big John says

    August 27, 2012 at 3:29 pm

    Jeff.. Well said.. really…. I’ve got 5 kids.. from ages 7 to 25.. 2 boys and 3 girls.. They are required daily… to watch at least a half hour of news. I encourage newspaper reading.. and I question my kids.. things that they might know.. don’t know.. or need to know. When Armstrong died.. My oldest daughter ask me, “Do you remember when he walked on the moon?”.. That was good.. My middle daughter.. “Yea.. when are we going back to the moon again?”.. the youngest.. “Daddy.. will you play Polly Pockets with me?”.. (Ok..she’s does know ..)..

    The problem.. Parents don’t parent anymore.. Everybody wants to be their kids friend.. My older sons.. Are police officers in NC..They are my best friends.. but, I am their father, And they respect me .. I respect them as adults..

    BIGN

    Reply
    • Henderson says

      August 27, 2012 at 6:45 pm

      Way to go Big John. My father used to make me take a break from the kid stuff to watch Lawrence Welk with him. 45 years later, I’m watching those very same shows with my kids. The only lesson to be learned is that life existed before they were born.

      Reply
  12. Caveboy says

    August 27, 2012 at 3:31 pm

    I don’t think that most people are stupid or ignorant, just apathetic. If won’t directly impact them in the next 30 seconds they just don’t care, and besides who cares about history that’s something that happened a long time ago. That means if it happened once it’ll never happen again, right.

    Reply
    • johnthebasket says

      August 27, 2012 at 3:54 pm

      It looks like the declarative sentence and punctuation are suffering the same fate as history. Sorry to bust your balls.

      jtb

      Reply
      • caveboy says

        August 28, 2012 at 7:35 am

        Thanks for the ball bustin. After 28 years of marriage it is the most attention they have received in a long, long, long time.

        Reply
  13. bikerchick says

    August 27, 2012 at 4:11 pm

    Even more scary than these stupid, appathetic kids is the fact that they are breeding. And the offspring will be even worse. Shit rolls down hill. We had current events class in high school. We had to talk about an article we read each week in the Sunday paper. If it’s not on Facebook or Twitter nowadays, kids dontt pay attention. Or care.

    Reply
  14. johnthebasket says

    August 27, 2012 at 4:12 pm

    In my day, Honey Boo Boo would have been a midget wrestler. Like Sky Low Low and Little Beaver. I’m not making those names up. I actually saw Sky wrestle toward the end of his career. I mean I think I did. That’s a pretty small target to identify from the thirtieth row.

    jtb

    Reply
    • madz1962 says

      August 27, 2012 at 4:27 pm

      I just cleansed my screen when I shot out a mouthful of water. Why is “midget wrestler” so freaking funny?

      Reply
      • Uncle_Wedgie says

        August 27, 2012 at 6:09 pm

        “midget wrestler” is not as funny as “midget stripper”.

        Reply
      • chill says

        August 27, 2012 at 6:59 pm

        I once set up a wireless network where the encryption key was “MidgetSumo”.
        .

        Reply
  15. Fancy Pants Maguire says

    August 27, 2012 at 4:16 pm

    I just read the Further Evidence link, and it reminded me of another recent death….

    RIP Jack Lord, now there will never be another Deep Purple reunion.

    Reply
    • Bill in WV says

      August 27, 2012 at 4:45 pm

      Effin’ LOL!

      Reply
  16. bikerchick says

    August 27, 2012 at 4:19 pm

    New phone….hate this touch shit!!!!

    Reply
  17. Gary says

    August 27, 2012 at 5:19 pm

    In 1981, when I was 17 years old and living in the dorms at Lowry AFB (yeah, I entered early) I was happily blasting Paradise Theater on my 1-speaker alarm clock/cassette deck, it was the first album (tape I’d purchased as an adult.

    Fast-forard (seewhatIdidthere?) about 28 years, and my 17 year-old son is happily blasting “Mr Roboto”.

    (he thought it was a cool new song. It was fun bursting THAT bubble, heh…)

    Reply
    • Lori in cbus says

      August 29, 2012 at 9:47 pm

      In 1987, when I was 17 years old, I also lived in the dorms at Lowry AFB.. bought my first CD at the BX there.. Robert Palmer.. I liked Addicted to Love (so sue me).. I blew my whole first few paychecks at the BX that first month haha.. god i was stupid..

      Reply
  18. Fancy Pants Maguire says

    August 27, 2012 at 6:33 pm

    I am going to start using that term: “Aggressively uninformed”

    Reply
  19. chuckinbelpre says

    August 27, 2012 at 6:33 pm

    Well there is this:
    http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/27/13509508-teen-pot-use-linked-to-decline-in-iq?lite

    Reply
  20. Bum says

    August 28, 2012 at 12:53 am

    I work with a Registered Nurse who I’m guessing is in her mid-to-upper twenties. She has never heard of Bob Hope. It’s not that she has heard his name but doesn’t know anything about him….. she has never heard the name Bob Hope. Incredible. She was a teenager when he died, and you’d think, if nothing else, she would have heard of him then, since it was all over the news.Even when I was friggin eight, nine and ten years old, I remembered hearing about the deaths of Bobby Darin, Duke Ellington, Jack Benny, General Franco [“still dead”] and lots of others. These morons are finding each other, breeding, and spitting out even dumber offspring at an alarming rate……….

    Reply
  21. Mitzi says

    August 28, 2012 at 1:32 am

    Our local NBC station (DFW) posted the headline “Neil Young, the first man to walk on the moon, dead at 82.” I’m guessing the person in charge of updating the news on their Facebook page is a recent grad of aggressively uninformed university.

    Reply
    • neilyoungfan says

      August 28, 2012 at 6:53 am

      And that caused quite a stir with the Neil Young fan community!

      Reply
  22. hardoxdan says

    August 28, 2012 at 1:40 am

    Man, I feel so lucky.

    Daughter (age 18 only child) Freshman at WVU.. Day 1: Half excited, half scared to death.

    Days 2, 3, and 4: Mild, dramatic phone calls every 2 hours.

    Day 4: I love it here, I met a girl from wherever that lives 2 doors away and we have 3 classes together. The Biology teacher is awesome. . . . .

    Day 5: Dad, put another $100 in my Mac card account. I need to go to Target and buy . . . . .

    Day 6, 7 ,8. Didn’t get a text or phone call.

    Day 9: Quick phone call. Dad, I am so glad you talked me into WVU. My friend Megan is at Pitt and hates her room mate. Maria is at Temple and says she lives in a cockroach slum full of cockroaches. Dave is at Albright and his mom keeps stopping over bringing him underwear and tube socks, he wishes he went away to school about 5 hours away, he should transfer to here. Miss you, all good here, when are you going to come and visit?

    Reply
    • johnthebasket says

      August 28, 2012 at 3:44 am

      Congrats, Dan.

      jtb

      Reply
    • bikerchick says

      August 28, 2012 at 12:33 pm

      That put tears in my eyes. Awesome.

      Reply
  23. Average Jane says

    August 28, 2012 at 8:36 am

    I saw tweets confusing Neil Armstrong with Lance Armstrong and Neil Patrick Harris as well. The stupid, it burns.

    Reply
  24. Bill in WV says

    August 28, 2012 at 1:03 pm

    Combine those three, and you have a poofter, with one nut, mooning everyone.

    Reply
    • Bill in WV says

      August 28, 2012 at 1:03 pm

      ^^^ Meant as a reply to Avg Jane ^^^ POS!!!

      Reply
  25. Ognir says

    August 29, 2012 at 12:22 pm

    This is a good one:

    The owner of an Indian clothing store said Wednesday that he would only change its name from “Hitler” if he was compensated for re-branding costs, amid a growing row over the new shop.

    The outlet, which sells Western men’s wear, opened 10 days ago in Ahmedabad city in the western state of Gujarat with “Hitler” written in big letters over the front and with a Nazi swastika as the dot on the “i”.

    “I will change it (the name) if people want to compensate me for the money we have spent — the logo, the hoarding, the business cards, the brand,” Rajesh Shah told AFP.

    He put the total costs at about 150,000 rupees ($2,700).

    Shah insisted that until the store opened he did not know who Adolf Hitler was and that Hitler was a nickname given to the grandfather of his store partner because “he was very strict”.

    “I didn’t know how much the name would disturb people,” he told AFP by telephone from Ahmedabad. “It was only when the store opened I learnt Hitler had killed six million people.”

    Reply

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