jiminos

for years, my favorite quote was from Gen. Jorge Santayana.... He who remembers not of history is doomed to repeat it. it implied (for me) the necessity to learn history, in order to apply that which was learned.

somewhere along the way things changed. history seems less important now.

now my favorite quote is by Ernie Sanders.... "Dad, I love you. Need a hug?"

be well,

jim

MikeLD

1973 was a groovy year. I recall having cool tie died bell bottoms ... long side burns ... a 1966 VW fastback (6 volt system) ... and a much smaller gut.

Bob Nichols

I've been teaching a land surveying course, boundary law, at a local university this semester. I tell them how we used to have to use a transit and measuring tape to survey. All they have to do now to measure a distance is push a button. I have to admit that if I had to go back to the old way I would find something else to do.

NOS88

Commentator Dennis Miller summarizes a sentiment felt by many Xers, “It’s no wonder Xers are angst-ridden and rudderless. They feel American’s greatness has passed. They got to the cocktail party twenty minutes too late, and all that’s left are those little wieners and a half-empty bottle of Zima.”

Generally, those younger than me don't make me feel old. In fact, the more I'm around younger people, the younger I feel.

CbadRider

This one might only apply to Californians: I was on a shuttle bus yesterday, and someone made a comment to the driver about taking us on an "E ticket ride". The driver had no idea what that was. I had to explain to him that Disneyland used to require individual ride tickets, A through E, depending on the ride.

I was talking to my daughter's friend and mentioned my sister used to work at a Licorice Pizza store. She thought it was some sort of fast food.

howsteepisit

Seems to me Arkansas hit it right, we all have perspectives driven by our life time. Skills and communication skills and styles also differ greatly. I have been working with computers since 1980, but the young guys have a skillset way beyond moine. OTH, I learn to be polite and considerate, which I see little of these days. We all got the good, we all got the bad.

ollo_ollo

Back in the 60's, my college History prof liked to give that Santayana quote on the 1st day of classes but he would then contrast it with a quote from Henry Ford: "History is bunk!", then cautioned us the truth was usually somewhere in between the two, but often closer to Ford's insight than Santayana's. Don

jiminos

one must remember when reading/studying history.... all recorded history was written from a biased perspective... usually that of the victor.

be well,

jim

trackhub

When I speak to them of such things as rotary dial phones, black and white tv's, with only a few VHF channels, and two or three UHF channels, slide rules, (you should see their eyes pop when I pull out one of mine), usually, they look at me with total bewilderment, or total boredom. One, (female, 25 years of age) said, "wow, I could never have lived like that". Yeah, it happens.

Some time ago, there was a Dave Berg cartoon in MAD magazine. A school teacher, with a grade school class, asked the students about the great depression of the 1930's. One student stood up and said he knew all about it. When asked to explain, he said "Back then, they didn't have cell phones, or DVD players, or iPods, or computers. That made everyone depressed".

Retro Grouch 

You're kidding - right?

How many parallels can we draw between Iraq and Viet Nam?
Why do the things that are happening in Afganistan surprise us?
Why didn't our administration think putting the cost of the Iraq war on a credit card would eventually bite us?

Idiots!

Artkansas 

Or as an irish proverb puts it.

The victors write the history, the losers write the songs.

jiminos

i'm not kidding in the least. history has lost much of its importance.... FOR ME. i think you missed the point of my post entirely. i was stating a personal position. but, in thinking about it, i suppose it applies on a broader scale, too. consider this.... using historical outcome as the basis for present decisions bears the flawed failure to recognize that individual, cultural, societal, international and global values, wants, needs, desires and motivations are not the same today as during the historical point of comparison. additionally, because the accuracy of the historical record is not (as taught in the U.S.) all that accurate, one is again left with decisions based on incomplete, flawed or deliberately misrepresented information. this becomes somewhat reminiscent of the GIGO concept in the application of logic or operation of computers.
i haven't watched the news for almost five years. interestingly, i feel none the lesser for it. i rarely pick up a newspaper. i stopped reading history books (particularly those written by the victors or endorsed by any governmental entity.) it is amazing to me how much less stress and anxiety there is in my life since i started focusing on, and living in, the present and on the things in my immediate life. not that i have any more control over my life than before, mind you. but, i now recognize that i have no control over those things outside myself, and very little control, if any, over those things within myself. and... i recognize that i can control how i react to those things outside myself and witness those things which occur within.

and.... i don't think i can answer your rhetorical questions.

be well,

jim

zonatandem

Gee kidz, hate to tell you, but World War II was living history for me as a kid in Nazi-occupied Belgium.
Must be gettin' on in age, as we will be great-grandparents this year. Y-i-i-i-i-kes!

Burr

Wait, if Obama gets in. We are going to rewrite the book.

stapfam

Us Europeans have a lot more to remember about the war. Born just after it but still the reminders are still here today.

maddmaxx 

I'd have to agree with grouch on the subject of history being important. It's not so much that history will repeat itself exactly as pointed out above by jiminos but rather that the dynamics of historical situations will repeat. Trying to understand what dynamics caused what results and why serves as an example to follow in future decisions.

Example: You burned your finger on a hot frying pan when your were young. You may be more wary of touching your George Foreman Grill today. History hasn't repeated, but you have learned something from the past.

Artkansas 

When I was in school, there was enough history to fill the whole school year. Now with all that extra history that kids have to learn these days, how do they fit it all in?

stapfam

They condense it down to a ZIP file to be forgotten about later.

cranky old dude

Global History is now a two year course in our High Schools!

Born in '51 and WWII seemed like ancient history to me. Met my bride in '73 and
the world seemed to be so technically advanced at that time. Looking back at
what all has happened in just those past 35 years wears me out. Yawn, time for
a little nap.

Oh. here's a chuckle. Until we dropped our "Land Line" a couple years ago, our
daughters had to teach their friends how to dial our wall mounted phone if they
had forgotten to charge their cells.

Retro Grouch 

I'm thinking that Obama shouldn't be counting on your vote.

jiminos

the other guy shouldn't count on my vote either. near as i can tell, the democrats want the government to solve all our problems... the republicans want the government to legislate morality... they both want my money and more control. i want the government to leave me (and everybody else) alone. you know... kinda like how it was set up originally... or would that be history?

be well,

jim

deraltekluge

Or, as P. J. O'Rourke put it...

"The Democrats are the party that says government will make you smarter, taller, richer, and remove the crabgrass on your lawn. The Republicans are the party that says government doesn't work and then they get elected and prove it."

Widsith

That was the year I graduated high school, and also the year I bought my first road bike.

Burr

Sh----t, I think I came back for Nam in 1970 or 71 I think. Had a wife and four children.
Lived in Dallas.

zonatandem

stapfam:
Remember being in London in 1947. You Brits still had food rationing.
Left from Southampton to New York on the (original) Queen Mary, it's first trip as a passenger liner since WWII, when it served as a troop ship. Well, we traveled Tourist Class, but even that was quite an eye opener for me! Never saw such food and luxury before!
It was years before I quit having screaming nightmares from the war. Finally sort of outgrew them until the 50th anniversary from WWII when everything came flooding back.
No matter how bad things may seem to be, life is still good compared to back then!