ot; valedictorian speech

[paramount]

[quote=6packscaredy]

my college kid is totally functional. SDSU is just right. He can get high grades in science and math classes, where his nontotallydriven self might not have gotten them in a UC school. i think there’s something to be said for less competition…

[/quote]

SDSU has a lower acceptance rate than UCSD:

30% (2010)
San Diego State University, Acceptance rate

35.5% (2011)
University of California, San Diego, Acceptance rate

[scaredyclassic]

ok. but it could be a higher qulaified applicant pool.

anyway, he can get an A in physics at SDSU, but I bet it would be a B or C at UCLA.

Welcome my son, welcome to the machine.
Where have you been?
It’s alright we know where you’ve been.
You’ve been in the pipeline, filling in time,
Provided with toys and ‘Scouting for Boys’.
You bought a guitar to punish your ma,
And you didn’t like school, and you
know you’re nobody’s fool,
So welcome to the machine.

Welcome my son, welcome to the machine.
What did you dream?
It’s alright we told you what to dream.
You dreamed of a big star,
He played a mean guitar,
He always ate in the Steak Bar.
He loved to drive in his Jaguar.
So welcome to the Machine.

man that song makes me feel superyoung and kind of enlightened in the dumbest possible way. it feels liek secret knowledeg

[NotCranky]

I hate pink floyd.

[CA renter]

[quote=Blogstar]CaRenter,

My mother got me started on the trumpet in the 4th grade …she died when I was in the 5th and a few years later I had to go back and live with my father who killed my trumpet playing. He killed everything constructive and inflicted harm in its place. I was the only one out of 5 living with him who finished HS . In grade school all my brothers and sisters were some of the best kids….some never made it to the 9th grade. I only did a little better because of those years away from him…those other 4 did not have that. I actually have 100 units of college but didn’t want to finish for many reasons.

I shouldn’t make the trumpet joke because of this back story…but it’s funny when careers are being discussed. I don’t want to play the trumpet anymore but I help my kids with any musical interest and tell them of the benefits learning an instrument can bring. My middle son wants to play percussion and I am going to facilitate that. Last summer we enrolled him in a “stomp” class. I want them to play guitar, or a wind or brass instrument, but they are not having it.[/quote]

Sorry to hear about your parental situation growing up. It breaks my heart to think about your mom. Wish there would have been a way for you to stay with a more nurturing family member than your dad after your mom’s passing. This also explains why you seem to have your priorities straight and why you value your family so much. I hope that you can get from your existing family some of what you missed in your youth.

You should think about picking up trumpet playing, anyway (or some instrument that you’ve always wanted to play). Maybe you were joking, but I think you could still get something positive out of it. Mariachi music feeds the soul.

[NotCranky]

Thanks Car,
My sad story really isn’t that off topic.

People basically do and think what they are groomed for with a little variance here and there.

I am in a hurry this morning but was think about your post about soulless jobs and whatnot yesterday.

How many people do we now who were groomed for the machine including it’s academic institutions. conformed wonderfully and now have some nice skills and a life with no stronger attributes than a job for a very mentally strong monkey and conspicuous and invidious consumption to show for it. We have some on piggington’s that nearly fit that mold. Lots of ways to have a sad life. Not aimed at piggs because we are all great parents no matter what..but you probably don’t want to be the child of this kind of person either. At least I was not Dick Cheney’s son , for instance.

I don’t want to expend the energy to relearn trumpet but I am leaning towards guitar for myself with the hopes that one of the kids will at least take it to the level of playing 3 or 4 chord songs and singing nice songs.

[Jazzman]

At least she can be sure the Taliban won’t be trying to shoot her.

[scaredyclassic]

[quote=Blogstar]Thanks Car,
My sad story really isn’t that off topic.

People basically do and think what they are groomed for with a little variance here and there.

I am in a hurry this morning but was think about your post about soulless jobs and whatnot yesterday.

How many people do we now who were groomed for the machine including it’s academic institutions. conformed wonderfully and now have some nice skills and a life with no stronger attributes than a job for a very mentally strong monkey and conspicuous and invidious consumption to show for it. We have some on piggington’s that nearly fit that mold. Lots of ways to have a sad life. Not aimed at piggs because we are all great parents no matter what..but you probably don’t want to be the child of this kind of person either. At least I was not Dick Cheney’s son , for instance.

I don’t want to expend the energy to relearn trumpet but I am leaning towards guitar for myself with the hopes that one of the kids will at least take it to the level of playing 3 or 4 chord songs and singing nice songs.[/quote]

Songwriter Harlan Howard once said “All you need to write a country song is three chords and the truth.”
Lou Reed said “One chord is fine. Two chords is pushing it. Three chords and you’re into jazz.”[4

[NotCranky]

If you aren’t going to be the next Santana you are wasting your time.

[scaredyclassic]

[quote=Blogstar]I hate pink floyd.[/quote]

what about pink freud?

http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=28452787&color=010&cm_mmc=SEM-_-Google-_-PLA-_-55041999424adwords_labelsM_APP_TEESSHORT&device=c&network=g&matchtype=&gclid=CJC8ooOi9boCFQ3hQgodiHIAOQ

[scaredyclassic]

i can understand hating pink floyd. but in 1976, it seemed so, crazy weird to me. plus, the early weird acid stuff with syd barrett…it just seemed so insane and bizarre and interesting…

but yeah, they probably do suck.

[CA renter]

Enjoy the guitar playing, Rustico! 🙂 It’s a bit like singing in that it doesn’t matter how good you sound, the important part is how happy it makes you when you’re playing/singing music.

Yes, far too many parents are pushing their kids into things that the kids might not have any desire to do. Of course, this has probably been going on for all of human history in one way or another. Most parents want their kids to be “more successful” than the previous generation. It’s hard not to get caught up in it, I think. Especially when times are tough, like now, you look around at everyone scrambling to survive, and it makes you worry about what your kids will have to face as they grow up.

[CA renter]

And Pink Floyd does not suck.

[NotCranky]

Hey CaRenter,
There is a neat PBS movie in the County library system called “Mariachi High”…good for the family to see. A bunch of high school kids in mariachi competitions. I have it now, but you can put it on order it for a “hold” if you want.

It’s inspirational and fun. It kind of reminds me of “Hoop Dreams”, one of my all time favorites, but lacks the desperation of Hoop Dreams.

[CA renter]

Thanks for the heads-up on that, Russ. We’ll check it out.

[Author]

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