Sunday afternoon some three months ago was a warm, spring day in Muncie, Indiana, the “Middletown” of Robert S. and Helen Merrell Lynd’s famous sociological study of an average American town. I was stopped in the right hand turn lane of the second most heavily trafficked intersection in town, second in line to turn. In the through lane to my left was additional traffic, including one gentleman on a motorcycle slightly behind me. And hidden from my view by the traffic in the middle lane were several other cars waiting to turn left. A few seconds later I heard loud, angry voices and rolled down my window in order to better hear. I’d hardly done this when a skinny kid in a county high school jacket ran around the center traffic lane and began punching the driver in my front, striking through the rolled down window. The driver quickly succeeded in getting out of the car, along with his passenger, evidently his girl friend or date, and grappled with the attacking kid, finally getting him on the ground. The girl gamely tried to help. All this took only a few seconds, and the attacker quickly fled back to his car in the left turn lane as he realized he’d lost the upper hand (and that witnesses were on the verge of intervening). As the light changed, he made his escape. The motorcyclist urged the kids back into their car and around the corner into an Aldi’s parking lot, where I followed and waited for the police, who’d been called by, I believe, the motorcyclist. When they arrived I spoke to the first officer and told him what had happened. So did the motorcyclist and I believe at least one other witness. The victim had my name and telephone number and someone had written down the plate number of the attacker. I expected that I’d hear from detectives. That hasn’t happened and I am disappointed, but not surprised. The victim, after all, was a black kid and his girlfriend was white and this is Muncie, Indiana, still Middletown, U.S.A., where racism is alive and well, despite the denials of government and civic leaders both black and white.

(more…)

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

How smart is your neighbor? Regardless of what you think of him, the odds are fifty percent that he’s smarter than you are … and conversely, fifty percent that you’re the smarter. That’s because of the curve of intelligence from dumbest to brightest as measured by IQ tests, which place the norm of average intelligence at between 85 and 115 (by distribution across the population). On most scales a score of 100 represents the exact middle.

(more…)

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Some things in American politics are remarkably consistent. Every presidential year the American people divide themselves into two segments, each comprising roughly half the population, and proceed to invest their personal emotions, their aspirations and the future of their families and the well being of the country in one or the other of the handful of Americans who are arrogant enough to offer themselves as candidates for the formerly most prestigious post in the world, the presidency of The United States of America. In the silly season of presidential politics most Americans, regardless of political party, are satisfied that their neighbor, their work mate and sometimes their life mate, are devoid of merit, morality, patriotism and reason, and conscious agents of the hordes of the deranged (take your pick) left or right. (more…)

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

I am one of those news junkies who routinely start their computer day by clicking on the Drudge Report … not because I give a tinker’s damn about what Matt Drudge says (in point of fact he hardly ever says anything himself, at least on his website), but rather because it’s a very complete collection of news and opinion links. I seldom bookmark anything because the Drudge list obviates any necessity for doing so. Likewise, his newsreaders diligently and reliably pick out the most controversial political headlines of the day. With most of the big stories directly linked, reading time for the real news junkie is greatly enhanced. (more…)

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Convenience, Customer Service and Protective Packaging, or”Those were the good old days”

Among other things, the dictionary tells us that “conveniences” are things that are “easy to obtain, use, or reach.”

Fast food joints are “convenient.” In fact you’ll find them in every town and hamlet, and at virtually every intersection on every interstate highway in the land, most of them with drive-through windows. Nothing is easier to “reach” than Ronald McDonald or “The King,” and given a five dollar bill, nothing is easier to obtain than a Big Mac. Or is it? A significant percentage of the time what you wanted, and ordered, is not what you find in your bag. And I can personally assure you that the consequences of a long term diet of “convenience” foods, including medical treatment for strokes and heart disease, are in fact very inconvenient. (more…)

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

I heard that advice repeatedly while I was growing up, from both my father and my mother. I heard it before my first date, before my first job interview and sometimes when we arrived at the homes of relatives and friends. It’s probably the best advice one can get concerning how to get along in society at large. But it’s damnably hard to follow.

(more…)

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!