Letter to KPCC

Thanks for sending "theshortlist." I have been reading "Need2Know" for some months. That publication has it's ups and downs, but they almost never fail to include something (an article or a tweet) that makes me smile. Reading "theshortlist" for a short time I ask myself, "Why does KPCC have to be so damn serious and verbose?" If you grind on with boring and repetitious Garrison Keillor who is not funny, and continue with "Car Talk" which I find creepy now that it includes a voice from the beyond, I wonder if you have completely lost your sense of humor?

Ron Walcott

Family Pigeon Holes

Sometimes I think about my lack of extended family, or family. But tonight I felt the creepiness of "family" oriented people who revel in the practice of pigeonholing people and never forgetting any little past error. Initially, how depressing to be on the receiving edge of unnecessary and unfair criticism. But on second take how liberating to realize I'm not boxed into their family world and can completely ignore them. Sad people.

Food Giveaway in Pasadena and the Asian Horde

About food distribution. Leaving an inspired talk by General Manager of the Los Angeles Economic and Workforce Development Department, Jan Perry, at Innovate Pasadena this morning I passed by he Pasadena Senior Center where a large gathering assembled for a monthly food distribution. I noted a marked predominance of Asian lady groups loading multiple bags of food into the trunks of very nice cars, much, much newer than mine. They looked more like a horde raping the system rather than hungry children needing to learn. Oh my. I'm going to be accused making a racist observance. But my only defence is that is exactly what I saw.

Semester At Sea New Ship Video

The comments following this video about the Semester At Sea new ship were predictably glowing and, for me, shallow and boring. https://vimeo.com/128899645 

 

For example, "What a beautiful video, " or "Wow, the ship looks great! Congrats SAS!"

Sometimes I feel like such a grouch, but the following atypical comment seems justified in the face of irrational exuberance.

Ron Walcott

Without the disclosure of much detail, the new ship looks interesting. I'm wondering about the segment that shows a classroom with some chairs positioned with their backs to the front; perhaps students will use their smart phones to connect the the instructor.  However, nice windows useful for extended gazing. Further,  I don't understand the strange new technique or reason for having all the talking heads looking to the side, just off center, and never at us, the viewers. That includes you, John. Maybe someone will explain this to me.

Best Healthy Eating Presentation

 I attended a senior health event and heard Carole Bartolotto, MA, RD, Senior Consultant, Regional Health Education, Kaiser Permamente give a talk, "Eat Well for Your Health! Current Trends in Healthy Eating." During her presentation it was obvious that she had read massive amounts of current valid research on her topic.

When the nut cases started asking all their stupid questions such as, "My doctor at UCLA who is a leading expert in his field, a Ph D. teaching doctor, and a Nobel Prize winner said blah, blah, blah." She was able to counter with, "What is the doctor's name? I teach doctors about nutrition. According to the over whelming amount of research that I have read he is wrong.

She went after supplements in a big way. She showed slides of bottles whose labels said it contained St Johns Wort purchased from Walgreens or Sprouts and revealed that tests showed that it contained no St. Johns Wort. Many similar examples. She showed that supplements are not only a waste of money (provide you with very expensive urin), but also may be dangerous.

Her slides comparing side by side  unhealthy and healthy meals on a similar plate were visually spectacular. Much more convincing than numbers.

Bottom line, we all need to eat more vegetables and less meat, salt sugar, fat.

Best talk on healthy eating to date.

USC Please Contact Your Satelite

I just received this "invitation:"

The League of American Orchestras in association with the USC Arts Leadership Program presents The Essentials of Orchestra Management

July 7-16, 2015

This summer, the 2015 Essentials of Orchestra Management workshop will be hosted by USC Thornton School of Music.

Seminar Details
July 7 – 16, 2015
USC Thornton School of Music
Los Angeles, California
Application fee: $60                              
 Tuition & Housing: $3,512

1. I like true invitations, not ones inviting me to empty my wallet
2. Last year at the USC satelite, the Colburn School, during one of their "Art Speaks," the guest speaker told  Colburn music students that very few of them would find  jobs in orchestras because an alarming number of US symphonic groups are going bust.
3. My question is, "What orchestra are these potential administrators going to manage after they spend $3,512 to supposedly learn how to do it?
4. Who are going to be the teachers? People from failed or failing orchestras?

Require advanced chemistry class as part of COMMON CORE?

This article just came in on "Need 2 Know."

http://gawker.com/gov-screw-up-temporarily-legalizes-mdma-and-crystal-me-1690676165

Please note the extremely long list of drugs listed just below the article. Amazing.

Just a personal addition.  When I was a resident at the UCLA Coop during my graduate study days I remember an undergraduate  chemistry major with the last name, Harrison, who was related to the  US president, William Henry Harrison, who made himself famous for two things: 1. He when bare foot everywhere, even to his chemistry classes, for all four years and only put shoes on for his graduation; 2. He samples every known legal and illegal drug known at the time and wrote about each experience in the Coop newspaper, the Chatter Box. It was a time when I remember the day LSD was made illegal. I don't think he would be able to get through the above, 2015 Irish list alive.