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S11.E12: AWOL


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21 hours ago, Bastet said:

And, aww, Eldin’s mural – complete with his signature – and his picture in Avery’s room is almost as sweet as Avery and Murphy with the adorable dog (especially Avery's continued sheer glee over the little guy).  That legit choked me up; best nod to Eldin since the season premiere.

I knew right away that Eldin had painted it, but missed the other details, thank you. 

10 hours ago, iMonrey said:

The story about LBJ saying if he lost Walter Cronkite he lost the country is something I've heard a dozen times in my life. To work that into the dialogue as though it were news to anyone felt so didactic and condescending. I mean, everyone at that table knows that story like the back of their hand . . . why would anyone recite it as though nobody had ever heard it?

I'm pushing 50 and have never heard that story.  I'd like to think that some of the younger set are watching and maybe learning something about history and I never mind learning something new.

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3 hours ago, AntiBeeSpray said:

Was fortunate to have teachers who taught us about the Vietnam War, Walter Cronkite and so on, and I still appreciate learning more and more about the history itself.

I grew up in Canada where they only focused on the history of Quebec and a little bit on the history of Canada. I wanted to take world history my senior year but not enough people signed up for the class and it was cancelled. I took typing instead so no, I don't know a lot about the Vietnam war or WW1 or WW2, etc. 

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11 minutes ago, jewel21 said:

I grew up in Canada where they only focused on the history of Quebec and a little bit on the history of Canada. I wanted to take world history my senior year but not enough people signed up for the class and it was cancelled. I took typing instead so no, I don't know a lot about the Vietnam war or WW1 or WW2, etc. 

That's unfortunate :(. 

 

Found some good info on Walter Cronkite via History.com's site and via biography.com's site.

https://www.biography.com/people/walter-cronkite-9262057 (about him as a person and as a journalist)

https://www.history.com/topics/1960s/ask-steve-walter-cronkite-video  (a bit about what was on this episode of Murphy, info wise)

Sources:   history.com and biography.com

 

Found another interesting article:   https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/walter-cronkite-and-a-different-era-of-news-128375738/

Source:   smithsonianmag.com

Edited by AntiBeeSpray
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Not nearly as important as the history gap, but when they named the dog Benny for Ben Hur, a friend and I started wondering if everybody would get the reference.  So I did some asking around at work:  what comes to mind when you hear "Ben Hur" and of the seven folks I asked, only two had any inkling what I was talking about.  20 and 30 year olds.  On the other hand, none of the people I asked are watching the show so there is that!  

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Benny's little head tilts melt my cold heart.

 

3 hours ago, theredhead77 said:

September 11th, 2001 is being taught in history classes now, right? The graduating class of 2019 will be the first high school class that wasn't alive for it.

Yikes! My cousin's kids are too young to remember much, if any (they were 3½ and almost-6), but their grandmother was there (she was fine) and also their mother's cousin (he died). The younger one is now a junior in college and the older graduated a year ago. I sometimes have to do the math to convince myself it was that long ago. 

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14 hours ago, friendperidot said:

I was shocked a few years ago when speaking with a young co-worker about my early days living in WDC when she commented that those things were history. History? It's my life!

My cousin has no interest in anything before the 60s because it was "before her time."   She has no knowledge about history.   Boggles the mind.  

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4 hours ago, sas616 said:

My cousin has no interest in anything before the 60s because it was "before her time."   She has no knowledge about history.   Boggles the mind.

very sad, my favorite quote, "those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it."

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On 12/14/2018 at 2:45 PM, Kohola3 said:

I was at a fundraiser for Honor Flight (takes WWII vets to see their memorial in Washington for free) and a 30 something asked me 1) who the US fought against in WWII and 2) was WWII before or after Vietnam.  Appalling and sad to think these world changing wars are so easily forgotten.

I bet 90% of those who didn't live those nightmare years of Vietnam have no knowledge of Cronkite and his impact on that war.  After all, it wasn't on Facebook or Twitter so how important could it have been?

To be fair, many high school history courses end with WWII, which would explain not knowing about Vietnam. Unless they did the research on thier own, they would be clueless. They probably would not do the research on thier own unless they had a reason to do it. 

On 12/14/2018 at 8:34 PM, theredhead77 said:

September 11th, 2001 is being taught in history classes now, right? The graduating class of 2019 will be the first high school class that wasn't alive for it.

If many high school history classes end with WWII, I doubt they are covering 9/11/01.  

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I remember my high school's history books being very up to date-I was in high school in the early 2000s, and the books went right up to around the time of the 2000 election and all the fallout that came with that. 

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1 minute ago, Annber03 said:

I remember my high school's history books being very up to date-I was in high school in the early 2000s, and the books went right up to around the time of the 2000 election and all the fallout that came with that. 

We're roughly the same age. I learned about Vietnam and Reagan in middle school and high school history class, but then I got to college and met people who never had a history course that went past WWII. I'm not saying it's totally generational, but there are a large number of people 30-40 who had history courses that never went past WWII. 

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1 hour ago, Sarah 103 said:

We're roughly the same age. I learned about Vietnam and Reagan in middle school and high school history class, but then I got to college and met people who never had a history course that went past WWII. I'm not saying it's totally generational, but there are a large number of people 30-40 who had history courses that never went past WWII. 

A lot of the individual state testing requirements on history don’t require the teacher to teach past WWII even though the books went through the 00’s.  I think our last week was spent on MLK and the civil rights movement.  I don’t remember learning about the Berlin Wall in school past “tear down that wall” and I don’t remember anything about the Korean & Vietnam wars.

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2 hours ago, Sarah 103 said:

To be fair, many high school history courses end with WWII, which would explain not knowing about Vietnam. Unless they did the research on thier own, they would be clueless. They probably would not do the research on thier own unless they had a reason to do it. 

If many high school history classes end with WWII, I doubt they are covering 9/11/01.  

That's where history books at my middle and high school always end after WWII. They were printed in the 50s but still used decade after decade. 40 years later my schools were still using the same books.  

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23 hours ago, labresq said:

Not nearly as important as the history gap, but when they named the dog Benny for Ben Hur, a friend and I started wondering if everybody would get the reference.  So I did some asking around at work:  what comes to mind when you hear "Ben Hur" and of the seven folks I asked, only two had any inkling what I was talking about.  20 and 30 year olds.  On the other hand, none of the people I asked are watching the show so there is that!  

Truly indicating that NO ONE saw that 2016 remake of the film!

2 hours ago, Sarah 103 said:

To be fair, many high school history courses end with WWII, which would explain not knowing about Vietnam. Unless they did the research on thier own, they would be clueless. They probably would not do the research on thier own unless they had a reason to do it. 

If many high school history classes end with WWII, I doubt they are covering 9/11/01.  

Even if textbooks go further than WWII, it seems as if the school year ends before the period from 1945 to the present gets covered.  In my opinion,  less time should be spent on colonial America, the Revolution and even (gasp) the Civil War, leaving time to cover the '60s, Vietnam, Watergate, the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe, Reaganomics, Iran-Contra, American involvement in the Middle East and so on.  So much history of immense importance has taken place in the 70+ years since the end of WWII that young people should be aware of.

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12 minutes ago, ProudMary said:

Truly indicating that NO ONE saw that 2016 remake of the film!

3 hours ago, Sarah 103 said:

there was a remake? I don't pay attention to movies anymore, obviously. But growing up, it was an annual event to watch the Charleton Heston movie, along with The Ten Commandments and The Wizard of Oz. 

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1 hour ago, ProudMary said:

Even if textbooks go further than WWII, it seems as if the school year ends before the period from 1945 to the present gets covered.  In my opinion,  less time should be spent on colonial America, the Revolution and even (gasp) the Civil War, leaving time to cover the '60s, Vietnam, Watergate, the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe, Reaganomics, Iran-Contra, American involvement in the Middle East and so on.  So much history of immense importance has taken place in the 70+ years since the end of WWII that young people should be aware of.

This sounds about right. Maybe they need to do U.S history in two parts. One year you cover pre WWII and the next year you cover post WWII.  

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On 12/14/2018 at 9:05 AM, GHScorpiosRule said:

Frank and Murphy talked about how during their hey day, how journalists would dig out the stories themselves; would make contacts; how there were news bureaus to know who to reach out to, etc. How Cronkite went to Vietnam and when he came back, told the world "we were losing" and how that impacted President Johnson. When journalists had RESPECT. Instead of today, with social media and phones, and blah, blah. It was very, very good. And that gave Avery the boost to go to Afghanistan to suss out Murphy's source. I'm leaving a lot out, but just watch it on demand. Or if you can, dvr or TiVo it.

You can also watch it on CBS.com &/or the CBS app (I think the app’s better; I gave up trying to watch/watching CBS shows on the website after it directed me to watch something on the CBS app instead).

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On 12/14/2018 at 10:25 AM, chitowngirl said:

Murphy chasing the General would have been funnier if she would have been wearing the PJ bottoms and slippers she has been known to wear while on air.

Joe Regalbuto directed this episode!

That explains why he didn’t seem to be in it too much, but I also figured out that was the reason he wasn’t while watching. He actually started directing either during the show’s original run or after it ended & has directed other episodic TV shows. I don’t know if he thought he’d stop getting acting parts & decided to do that as another way to make money, or not.

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On 12/14/2018 at 2:45 PM, Kohola3 said:

I was at a fundraiser for Honor Flight (takes WWII vets to see their memorial in Washington for free) and a 30 something asked me 1) who the US fought against in WWII and 2) was WWII before or after Vietnam.  Appalling and sad to think these world changing wars are so easily forgotten.

I bet 90% of those who didn't live those nightmare years of Vietnam have no knowledge of Cronkite and his impact on that war.  After all, it wasn't on Facebook or Twitter so how important could it have been?

Honor Flight, at least in my hometown I’m pretty sure (they’ve said it on our local TV news), takes vets from any war to see “their” memorial in Washington, not just WWII vets (though mostly vets from the older wars—through Korea & Vietnam—do seem to go, as opposed to veterans of recent wars, like the Gulf War &/or the War on Terror). I’m pretty sure they visit all the war-related monuments (& possibly other monuments before flying back after their day trip).

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On 12/14/2018 at 11:40 PM, labresq said:

Not nearly as important as the history gap, but when they named the dog Benny for Ben Hur, a friend and I started wondering if everybody would get the reference.  So I did some asking around at work:  what comes to mind when you hear "Ben Hur" and of the seven folks I asked, only two had any inkling what I was talking about.  20 and 30 year olds.  On the other hand, none of the people I asked are watching the show so there is that!  

I knew. The wheelchair reminded Avery of Ben Hur’s chariot.

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10 hours ago, Sarah 103 said:

To be fair, many high school history courses end with WWII, which would explain not knowing about Vietnam. Unless they did the research on thier own, they would be clueless. They probably would not do the research on thier own unless they had a reason to do it. 

If many high school history classes end with WWII, I doubt they are covering 9/11/01.

If 9/11’s being taught in schools now/yet probably depends on when their textbook was written & finally published after being written, then when the school/school district/school system involved adopted the book for use after publication & how long the agreement for using it specified it would be used by the schools involved. That’s what happened in my school system. We changed textbooks in our subjects every certain number of years.

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1 hour ago, BW Manilowe said:

Honor Flight, at least in my hometown I’m pretty sure (they’ve said it on our local TV news), takes vets from any war

We only took WWII vets because their memorial wasn't built until 62 years after the war ended.  By then most of them were too old (80s and 90s - our oldest was 98 when we took him), too poor, had no family to help, or were in poor health to get their on their own.  So we did fundraising (it cost $22,000 per flight) to take them 40 at a time. 

The other wars already had memorials and the vets were mostly young enough to get there on their own.

Talking to the vets was a living history lesson for some of the young folks there at the same time.  Putting faces to history is an eye-opener.

Heston and Ben Hur - seems eons ago.  Great name for Bennie.

Edited by Kohola3
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7 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

We only took WWII vets because their memorial wasn't built until 62 years after the war ended.  By then most of them were too old (80s and 90s - our oldest was 98 when we took him), too poor, had no family to help, or were in poor health to get their on their own.  So we did fundraising (it cost $22,000 per flight) to take them 40 at a time. 

The other wars already had memorials and the vets were mostly young enough to get there on their own.

Talking to the vets was a living history lesson for some of the young folks there at the same time.  Putting faces to history is an eye-opener.

Heston and Ben Hur - seems eons ago.  Great name for Bennie.

Thank you for sharing your story with us.

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 In terms of whether a show like "Murphy Brown" can expect the audience to get the reference to historical factoids and tidbits, I think comedies that are a bit more cerebral have the confidence to know that either the audience will get the joke, or the audience will perhaps be intrigued enough to learn more about the background to the reference. I remember reading the "Frasier" show book a long time ago and the creators talked about how they left in the more "intellectual" jokes because they knew that the audience would be sophisticated enough to get them (or at least get most of them). "Murphy" has always had a similar sensibility, in terms of references to politics and the history of journalism.

Regarding kids watching, I think that's why it's even more important for shows to include historical and artistic references because you never know what may click with a kid. When I was 11 years old or so, a throwaway line on "Designing Women" taught me that Gauguin was a French painter who had spent a lot of time in Tahiti (which actually came in handy later in a trivia game). I'm not sure I would have ever learned that otherwise, certainly not at that age. If a kid watching "Murphy Brown" now is intrigued to learn more about Walter Cronkite or Edward R. Murrow, in this day and age that's a major public service.

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42 minutes ago, PumpkinPK said:

Thank you for sharing your story with us.

We ended up taking almost 1400 vets.  It was about an 18 hour day for the guardians and team members and I look back on it as the single most gratifying thing I have ever done.  To escort those vets was truly and honor, they are called the Greatest Generation for a reason.   Some had never spoken of the war before this trip because it just wasn't something you did back then.  We had one set of twins who served in separate units.  It wasn't until they were on an Honor Flight that they would out they had both been wounded on exactly the same day about 2 miles apart.   Not a dry eye in our team, I can tell you!

Wonderful men and women many of whom cried outright when they saw their reception at the airport with crowds cheering for them.  They all thought they had been forgotten.

And from what I am reading about the history texts, apparently they soon will be.

I apologize for wandering off topic but I had to share.

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I took a trip to visit my brother in DC pretty soon after it opened in 2004.  We took an afternoon to go monument hopping.  I particularly wanted to go to the WWII memorial.  My dad was a vet who served in the Army, in Europe as a paratrooper, and in Japan during the occupation.  It was a very emotional experience.

A quick review of the NY State framework for grade 11, shows instruction up to and including the end of the Cold War.  The 12th grade curriculum includes vivics, economics and social topics.  

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I loved this episode. The last scene with Avery and Murphy was heart wrenching. I loved history but our textbooks covered more information about the Revolutionary and Civil wars then more current events. I learned more about Teddy Roosevelt and World War ! from watching Ken Burns' documentaries then I learned at school.

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On 12/14/2018 at 4:03 PM, Tanichka said:

That’s what I’ve been saying!  Political is fine, as long as it’s funny, which this show is not.  The ‘choir’ wants humor!

This choir member loves it!

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On 12/14/2018 at 6:37 PM, friendperidot said:

History? It's my life!

In high school, during Watergate, independent special prosecutor Archibald Cox, who was fired by Nixon, was making a speech at Columbia University in New York. My history teacher, who was awesome, yanked us all out of class (British history?) and took us to Columbia to hear him speak. She said that history didn't happen just in books, that it was happening every day, and dammit, we were going to witness one of the most important players in history, so get on the subway girls, we're going uptown!

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Re the history taught in school: Remember that kids and esp teens are just not into anything except what affects them immediately.  

We learn alot more after leaving school because we're interested in a certain aspect or it is presented in an entertaining way (Hamilton, Ken Burns, historical site visits, movies,  Private Ryan) ....and we don't have the stress of an upcoming test. 

I learned even algebra and geometry after leaving college, because I had to teach the basics in an adult program. None of the other teachers wanted to do math and I needed a job.

I got a book with answers in the back and taught myself with the help of a tall Native American guy named Leon who was freshly out from prison. named. Now I love it cuz its like a game. The key was mrmorization of formulas, triangles, angles, degrees, etc... i just didn't get it as a 9-10th grade teen. 

I also didn't have the patience for sewing/cooking in high school. I learned on my own, with alot of mistakes,  and my mom's old Singer and her advice.  I found sewing calming cuz there wasn't a deadline and I love beautiful fabric.  Again,  it's being mindful. 

Murphy is a saint for us women who grew up during her timeline. Strength, straightforwardness, and beauty.  

Bergen still is. 

Edited by Tosia
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On 12/16/2018 at 5:34 PM, ombelico said:

 Regarding kids watching, I think that's why it's even more important for shows to include historical and artistic references because you never know what may click with a kid. When I was 11 years old or so, a throwaway line on "Designing Women" taught me that Gauguin was a French painter who had spent a lot of time in Tahiti (which actually came in handy later in a trivia game). I'm not sure I would have ever learned that otherwise, certainly not at that age. If a kid watching "Murphy Brown" now is intrigued to learn more about Walter Cronkite or Edward R. Murrow, in this day and age that's a major public service.

Sorry, off topic, but I knew what "morose" meant, and how to pronounce "New Rochelle", from watching the Dick van Dyke show as a young kid.  So I agree, who knows what someone will pick up on.  Hopefully the significant stuff.

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I knew when the gang  was sitting around talking about the war correspondents that Avery would be on a flight out. 

We had a local honor flight fundraiser speak to our quilt group a couple months ago.  In our area,  Korean and Vietnam War vets are now going. WWII vets take priority though.  As it should be.  She listed all the places they go - and it sounds like an extremely busy day.  There is a dinner the night before for those who arrive in town and wish to attend.   

Every episode of this show gets better than the last.  Is it must see TV? No, but it’s a darn pleasant way to spend 30 minutes.  

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There's a great quote...i think from poet,  Richard Brautigan, that "my teachers could have ridden with Jesse James for all the time they stole from me. " 

There's another saying that "you don't become a reader until you find the right book"......  

History is wonderful stories all true. Murphy and Frank and Jim, Walter, know it, and I love their passion for truth.  

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On 12/17/2018 at 1:50 AM, ChicagoCita said:

In high school, during Watergate, independent special prosecutor Archibald Cox, who was fired by Nixon, was making a speech at Columbia University in New York. My history teacher, who was awesome, yanked us all out of class (British history?) and took us to Columbia to hear him speak. She said that history didn't happen just in books, that it was happening every day, and dammit, we were going to witness one of the most important players in history, so get on the subway girls, we're going uptown!

Exactly why many are now saying that courses in civics should be mandatory at all educational levels of right now.  Keeping future constituents undereducated is part of the right wing agenda to remain in power.  Anything inspiring critical thinking is problematic for them.

12 hours ago, Tosia said:

There's a great quote...i think from poet,  Richard Brautigan, that "my teachers could have ridden with Jesse James for all the time they stole from me. " 

There's another saying that "you don't become a reader until you find the right book"......  

History is wonderful stories all true. Murphy and Frank and Jim, Walter, know it, and I love their passion for truth.  

"When I look back on all the crap I learned in high school, it's a wonder I can think at all." --Paul Simon

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4 hours ago, ProudMary said:

"When I look back on all the crap I learned in high school, it's a wonder I can think at all." --Paul Simon

We don't need no education

We don't need no thought control

No dark sarcasm in the classroom

Teacher leave them kids alone --  Pink Floyd

(We used to sing this in a high school biology class to annoy the teacher).

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4 hours ago, ProudMary said:

Exactly why many are now saying that courses in civics should be mandatory at all educational levels of right now. 

Absolutely.  The agenda is to "keep them stupid" so they get their information from Facebook and can be manipulated without asking any questions.  This program is the only one I can think of calling out this BS.

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On ‎12‎/‎16‎/‎2018 at 2:43 AM, Sarah 103 said:

This sounds about right. Maybe they need to do U.S history in two parts. One year you cover pre WWII and the next year you cover post WWII.  

When I was in school, it was split.  8th Grade did the original settlers - late 1800's (post civil war).  9th grade picked up there, and ended shortly before the Korean War - the books were even the same maker - 8th grade had a blue cover, 9th had a red cover, but the title, design  -all the same.  10th grade was world history, and after that, the only requirements were civics and current events.  So a whole era was skipped.  You could take other topics, like sociology, the legal system, and even an entire course on the Civil War, but it always boggled my mind ,even in the 80's, how 30+ years could be just glossed over.

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On ‎12‎/‎16‎/‎2018 at 11:50 PM, ChicagoCita said:

In high school, during Watergate, independent special prosecutor Archibald Cox, who was fired by Nixon, was making a speech at Columbia University in New York. My history teacher, who was awesome, yanked us all out of class (British history?) and took us to Columbia to hear him speak. She said that history didn't happen just in books, that it was happening every day, and dammit, we were going to witness one of the most important players in history, so get on the subway girls, we're going uptown!

I was waiting for a tram in Amsterdam, and a guy who appeared to be around my father's age (born 1932) sat down and started talking to me. He was telling me about being a child and watching the Nazis march their prisoners up the street to take them to internment camps. It was an amazing living history moment. He told me he hadn't spoken English in 60 years, but his vocabulary was excellent. I wish I had recorded it.

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1 minute ago, eel2178 said:

I was waiting for a tram in Amsterdam, and a guy who appeared to be around my father's age (born 1932) sat down and started talking to me. He was telling me about being a child and watching the Nazis march their prisoners up the street to take them to internment camps.

Oh, wow. There's one hell of a memory to have. 

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Quote

I knew someone who did the same with her cats. They had a bell hanging from the front door, and they would ring it if they wanted to go outside.

On her own, my cat has realized that all she has to do is shake and the jangling of her tags on her collar will wake me up. Reminds me of the line from the Robert Frost poem, "He gives his harness bells a shake, to ask if there is some mistake". 

Quote

I took a trip to visit my brother in DC pretty soon after it opened in 2004. 

I always thought DC was a little older than that....  😏

Kids still learn history in grade school, don't they? I learned history from the fourth through eighth grades. No world history until college. Other countries must laugh at how little Americans know their own history, especially since pretty much there's a summary of pre-colonial days and then we mostly only focus on 250 years. 

Ben-Hur is the new Eldin. Nice touch. 

I remember when our "new" history books covered the Korean War--um, I mean Conflict. I can feel my arteries hardening...

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8 minutes ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

And it turns out that the painting/drawing of wee Avery in the astronaut suit isn't something Eldin did--it's actually one of Jake as a kid. The show's podcast on Twitter I think it was, mentioned it.

I thought it had Eldin's signature on it.  Can't find the picture right now.

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On 12/17/2018 at 10:31 PM, Tosia said:

There's a great quote...i think from poet,  Richard Brautigan, that "my teachers could have ridden with Jesse James for all the time they stole from me. " 

There's another saying that "you don't become a reader until you find the right book"......  

History is wonderful stories all true. Murphy and Frank and Jim, Walter, know it, and I love their passion for truth.  

When the student is ready the teacher appears.

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