Yes, this is a follow up on yesterday’s driving lesson story.
I was reminded of the time my dear mother who, already in her early 70’s, took it upon herself to teach one of her granddaughters to drive. They went to the cemetery in Mom’s old Cadillac on a weekday morning.
“The roads are narrow so you have to learn to maneuver and if you hit anyone, they’re already dead.”
Wisdom comes with age, friends.
Such a lofty title for such a a mundane topic. As in, I’m actually just going to rant a bit about licenses – actual drivers licenses (or as the state of Texas calls them, driver licenses).
As a homeschooling family with teenage children, it dawned on my wife and me last year that we would have to undertake the task of helping our children learn to drive. My son was first. And yours truly vowed many years ago that he would never, under any circumstances, be the “instructor” in a situation involving a new driver. I am not afraid of anything in this world. Except new drivers. And clowns.
I came to discover a few things about life in 2024 in America. The first is that young people today do not have the same drive (pun intended) as previous generations to learn to operate a motor vehicle. Granted, I grew up in New Jersey where one may not get a permit until he turns seventeen under normal circumstances. But in Texas where nine year-olds routinely drive farm equipment on local streets, the apparent legal age is fifteen. I thought my boy would be more excited to get behind the wheel and earn his freedom. It seems that most his age, however, could care less. “Don’t you even just want to be able to run out to McDonald’s once in a while on your own,” I asked him. “I can always DoorDash,” came his reply. Wow.
Back to the homeschooling family aspect. In Texas, parents are given the option to do something called “Parent Taught Driver Education”. This is just what I wanted – not. After pleading with my wife it was determined that I would help him with the classroom portion (a series of online modules designed for a mentally incapacitated monkey to pass) while she would handle the behind-the-wheel stuff. Well, things got away from us and due to a number of factors including his aforementioned lack of interest, we’re still working on it a year later.
Deciding to tackle this bull by the horns, we opted to just find a driving school. And did you know that this requires a “transfer document” ascribing instructor roles to the new school? Oh yes, it reads like an admission of parental failure. “I hearby authorize XYZ Driving Academy to take over the portions of my previously designated responsibilities for my child because I suck.” My pride. I let it bother me for all of three seconds before looking for the signature line. And it has to be notarized.
So say a few prayers for all the drivers of the Lone Star State. We’ll get this done.
Of course I could probably just drive him down to Juarez and let him walk back in with the millions of others. Then Catholic Charities will get him a license no problem and probably even a new iPhone.
God bless Texas!
And from the “happiest news I’ve heard in a while” files…
https://www.barnhardt.biz/2024/08/22/were-back-barnhardt-podcast-206-meet-art-decco/
“An ex-TV producer… who refused the death jab”?
Nope, it’s not me but I’m sure Mr. Decco will do just fine. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some listening to do.
All these years later… For some reason I had a video running through my mind and I simply had to look it up. Unfortunately, after much tracking I discovered that the original long-form video I had seen in 2011 no longer exists. Instead, a shorter version is available.
The video is of a Mass in Olympic Stadium, Berlin celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI. The part in question is whatever passes for the offertory at Novus Ordo Masses. Thereason it has stayed with me all these years? It’s funny as hell. Oh I wish the whole thing were online just for that groovy, chillaxy muzak. Don’t get me wrong, I’m actually a fan of authentic Muzak but this stuff is pure schlock (to borrow a German sounding word). Don’t believe me? Go to the about 1:46 in the video below and have a listen. Then, imagine that “song” playing for another 2 full minutes.
UPDATE: I had always remembered this as the offertory of the Mass but I found at least one source claiming this to have been the “musical interlude” of the “opening part” of Mass.
Check this out from Breitbart…
First, the simple creature doesn’t seem to grasp basic logic. Poor Andy. He’s a repulsive fool, by the way, so don’t feel too bad for him. But still, Kentucky is a beautiful state and I surely do feel bad for the residents of the Blue Grass State that they have to suffer with this dipshit.
Let’s examine his desires, shall we? He wishes for a member of Senator Vance’s family to get raped so he’d have to “experience the ramifications”? To my knowledge, JD Vance has three young children. Obviously, the party of death is all into kiddie-freak so I guess that’s not out of the ordinary for them. But still… Who wishes rape upon anyone? A minion of Satan, that’s who.
I spent years teaching in the Catholic school system in this country. Three states. Large schools. Small schools. Every grade level from 9-12. I taught every imaginable subject in the field of theology. The abortion issue was actually a very small area in terms of questions fielded. When I walked through the doors of my first teaching post I really believed it might be all abortion all the time. To my surprise questions about whether dogs can fly when they get to heaven were higher on the list. Yes, folks, people are just that dumb. But it was endearing; especially at the all girls’ high school. They really believed Fido was going to be doing backflips arfing up a storm when they themselves crossed the threshhold of the pearly gates. Because, of course they would. Duh.
But abortion? Nope. By the early 2000’s it had become very easy to have that conversation. Even a high school freshman knew which end was up. There really wasn’t much confrontation. There was no pushback. It helped that my wife and I had newborns and infants at the time and I, proud daddy, couldn’t shut up about my kids, hanging their pictures all over the classroom so I wouldn’t have to wait to see them until I got home. I really am quite taken by my own studliness. Did I say that aloud? No, the kids (my students) understood. And for the odd man out who might have still been confused? Well, here’s a little lesson I used. Pay careful attention and you might get a gold star.
…Is a baby conceived in love to a man and a woman in a sacramental marriage. (Actually it’s a stock photo but you get the point.)
…Is a baby conceived as a result of rape.
Notice the horrendous differences between the two?
Exactly.
Class dismissed. Don’t forget to tip your teacher.
As always, the Marian Friars Minor offer some solid advice. Take a listen. It’s only 9 minutes.
I suppose it’s somehow better than the back alley they always deride?
Step right up into our creepy van to have your parts snipped and your baby slaughtered. Totally safe. Nothing could possibly go wrong.
What in the hell is wrong with these people?!
Harvey Millican's Blog: Musings of a Trad Dad 