Meme Scholar with Madness (PhD)

[EndtheMadnessNow]

Nov 14, 1959: Men, Gods and Myths
"The world is too much with us;
late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste
our powers..."
— Charles Van Doren


Charles Van Doren (February 12, 1926 – April 9, 2019) was an American writer and editor who was involved in a television quiz show scandal in the 1950s. In 1959 he testified before the United States Congress that he had been given the correct answers by the producers of the NBC quiz show Twenty-One. Terminated by NBC, he joined Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. in 1959, becoming a vice-president and writing and editing many books before retiring in 1982.

Hmmm, when I was 11 my aunt gave me an entire volume set of Encyclopædia Britannica, gold tipped pages that I spent untold number of hours reading them.


Nov 14, 1981: the mighty boomer USS Florida (SSBN 728) was launched.
★ Converted to SSGN in 2006 with 154 Tomahawks capacity
★ 1st Ohio-class to launch a Tomahawk
★ 1st Ohio-class to be used in combat (Operation Odyssey Dawn, Florida launched 93 Tomahawk missiles on Libya in 2011)

Motto: Fortes Fortuna Adiuvat ("Fortune Favors the Brave")




This Richard Bachman guy was on to something. LOL.




My top recommendation to anyone with a sincere interest in current American political (dys)function is the darkly funny and tragically prescient BOB ROBERTS (1992) by Directorial debut/writer & starring Tim Robbins. Much like IDIOCRACY after it, some of the film’s comedy now feels like a documentary, because we’re living it. Bonus: has actors Alan Rickman, Gore Vidal, Jack Black (feature film debut), John Cusack, Susan Sarandon, Fred Ward and Helen Hunt (cameo). Tim Robbins and his brother David, who co-wrote the songs in the film, are the sons of folk singer Gil Robbins of the Highwaymen, who also has cameos in the movie. Many are first time actors. Jack Black sings background vocals on the soundtrack.


Alan Rickman helped Tim Robbins fund the production of Bob Roberts with his own money.

Bob Roberts: The times they are a-changin' back.

Bob Roberts: [singing] Some people will have / Some simply will not / But they'll complain and complain and complain and complain and complain / Some people will work / Some never will / But they'll complain and complain and complain and complain and complain / Like this: / It's society's fault I don't have a job / It's society's fault I'm a slob / I'm a drunk, I don't have a brain / Give me a pamplet while I complain / Hey pal you're living in the land of the free No-one's gonna hand you opportunity.

Mrs. Davis: We all think you are wonderful and we just wish there was a way we could vote for you three times.
Bob Roberts: Well, there is.
Mrs. Davis: Really?
Bob Roberts: [after a pause, then laughs] Just kidding!


A fine rare actor who hasn't sold out to the blob.


https://x.com/TimRobbins1/status/1988683663010390476



Zero proficiency schools are an interesting phenomenon. In Maryland's 2025 MCAP (Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program) results, 23 schools had zero students proficient in math, despite statewide funding rising 16%. There were another 15 schools where just one student tested proficient in math. Overall, 46 Maryland public schools had two or fewer total students test proficient in math.
Note: Montgomery county Maryland is one of The wealthiest counties in America.

Eighty Illinois schools don’t have a single student proficient in math, and 24 have no student proficient in reading, despite many schools spending more than the annual state average of $24,700 per pupil.

A Baltimore high school has had 0% math proficiency for four straight years (2021-2024), despite per-pupil funding more than doubling to $42,618 by 2024 (though this includes district-wide costs).

In an era where technology and mental skill are the key to everything, the educators are failing to educate. It's almost like they make things worse.

U.S. Department of Education, showed that 69% of Pennsylvania 8th grade students aren’t proficient at math, and an equal 69% cannot read at grade level, based on results on the NAEP.

Maybe not everything about the educational establishment is fake, but far too much of it is. The Ian Roberts fiasco is emblematic of the shambles that money can't fix.



Zero students test math proficient in 23 schools, as Maryland boosts funding by $2 billion

80 Illinois schools are ‘zero-proficiency’ in math

Pennsylvania’s Students Fall Behind in Math and Reading

New trial date set for former Des Moines Public Schools Superintendent Ian Roberts



Across the pond, British eco-disaster in the making... Why did the Environment Agency allow it to get this bad?? They got thousands of illegals to clean it up, right. Oh never mind. If they were given a blank check they'd complain about not enough space to add all the zeros.


Fly-tippers bury field in 'shocking' mountain of waste

“Fly-tipping” - I don't think I've ever heard that term before. Definitely British. Anyways, the Cherwell is to Oxford as the Charles is to Harvard. So, I'm guessing this goes to the very heart of British self-esteem.
The appeal of the syndicates is they charge 20 pounds a ton for waste disposal compared to the 100 to 300 pounds a ton for the official waste disposal. With a 5 or 15 to 1 cost advantage consumers will hire the syndicate.


Whenever the gubermint hands out free money (loyalty checks) you know it's a sign of bad things to come.


https://x.com/nicksortor/status/1989037321497538885


Over in the AI realm of delusion, Grok confuses itself by referring to the Secret Space Program in answer to Eric Weinstein in exchange, but Weinstein then backtracks in response.




Weekend Words...




Crazy Friday night mashup...