The Romney campaign Vs. The Keystone Cops

In referring to a recent incident involving the Mitt Romney Campaign, former President Bill Clinton said, “….I did not know whether to laugh or cry” and Pres. Obama with the companion  and pristine quote, “…they shoot before they aim”. With that quote,  I am mindful of the questionable gunshot  incident involving  seasoned hunter VP Dick Cheney and campaign contributor Harry Whittington

I can both laugh and cry at the whole Romney Campaign with fading memories of seeing The Keystone Cops in silent films.  Most memorable is an episode involving the precinct cops preparing to go to a fire.

To further narrow my episodes of laughing ‘til I cry is yet another fading memory relating  team  Romney and Ryan to the hilarity in the Laurel and Hardy film titled “The Piano Movers”.

I use to show these films to students in my General Music Classes in the 70’s and 80’s (memory fades once again) as part of my unit on background music, adding music to a scene or a relationship to incidental music in  Broadway Musicals. I really do not recall my justifications but I do remember the students enjoying them very much and got my musical point, whatever it was. I do not know if these films are still in existence for public viewing and I could not find these specific films during a google search.

As always,
BB
P.S. Riots in Syria and Egypt: I note mainstream media has thus far avoided  mentioning the fate of film maker Theo Van Gogh and another man who wrote an Anti-Muslim book sparking riots in the Muslim world. Without question, I feel we can look forward to more U.S. troops dying for the deliberate and contrived religious insensitiveness of others.  Sad..

U.S. top down education reaches a snag?

When my daughter told me her g-son (my gg-son)  was learning his colors and how to count at  20 months old,  I related to her a story I heard long ago……..

Harvard College, founded in 1636, was the first school in America. The faculty found a need to prepare students for  college work so they initiated a pre-college class later known  as the twelfth grade.

They told  twelfth grade teachers what they wanted students to know upon entering Harvard. A plan was made and the newly recruited  twelfth grade teachers quickly discovered  students with  whom they were working needed  more training so the eleventh grade was initiated and so forth down the educational ladder  to Kindergarten classes.

About forty years ago and due to an educational program called “Head Start”,  I heard of quarrelling amongst elementary school teachers. Elementary school principals and their teachers were having it hot ‘n heavy as to which  teacher was to teach what and when!

It seems kindergarten grade teachers were getting students who already knew most of her curricula from  Head Start Classes and therefore became bored and off’times un-manageable.  In a survival situation, she was forced to teach parts of the first grade teachers’ curricula and the practice went up the educational chain to grade twelve.  I was told by this time there were many “New and improved”  educational approaches and confused teachers. (Perhaps  some frustrated teachers and principals even wanted to go back to the one classroom system.) 

There is no question in my mind my gg-son and his peers will not be geniuses! How in the world could they not be? What with learning how to read, count, recognize colors,  do work on the computer and all that stuff at 20 months old, genius-hood is a slam dunk! Look out, world, here comes the Americans!!

As always,
BB :)

Americas' first college debate
Read more at:
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_was_America%27s_first_f-ing_college