St. Louis Area 2014 Fall Events, Festivals and Venues

There are many other events that happen in the St. Louis Metro area other than the ones listed below.  These are my favorite fall cultural events.  On-going attractions, such as The City Museum, etc, are indeed 'another show for a different day'. .....

BELLEVILLE, IL's 200th ANNIVERSARY....

Featuring:
(Highlights, but not limited to...)Friday, September 19,  9:00 PM- 10:30 PM
The Beach Boys

Saturday, September 20, 9:00 PM
The Roots & Boots Tour
Featuring Sammy Kershaw, Aaron Tippin, Darryl Worley

Sunday, September 21, 7:30p-9:00p
Craig Morgan

Please keep in mind that those are the headliner bands in the evening, and on only stage.  There are multiple stages (at least 4) at this event with other genres from classic rock to German music, with a lot of other activities

For more information, please visit:
http://belleville200.com/

Event map:


Missouri Festival for the Arts

 

When:
2014 dates...
Sept 19, Friday, 4:00 to 9:00 pm
Sept 20, Saturday, 1:00 am to 9:00 pm
Sept 21, Sunday, 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Where: Historic Main Street St Charles, MO

Fantastically, detailed art, music and food!
The MOSAICS Missouri Festival for the Arts – hosted annually by the Art Festival Association – offers a free, family-friendly community arts event that has provided art appreciation, live entertainment, children’s art education activities and enjoyment for the past 18 years.

This free festival in the City of St. Charles, held on North Main Street in the Historic District, appeals to artists and visitors of all ages – from individuals to families, to those who appreciate art to the serious art collector, as well as aspiring artists and working arts professionals.

The MOSAICS Festival draws from across the St. Louis metropolitan region and surrounding states. The festival is also accessible to individuals of all abilities.

114 juried artists exhibit, sell their art, and compete for cash prize awards.

For more info: 
http://stcharlesmosaics.org/home/
The Great Forest Park Balloon Glow and...The Great Forest Park Balloon Race


The oldest and most well-attended FREE Hot-Air Balloon Event in the World

When: Fri, Sept 19 (evening) - the Balloon Glow

When: Sat, Sept 20 (afternoon) - the Balloon Race

Where: Forest Park, St. Louis, MO

Admission: FREE!

(Bring $$ if you want to purchase  food / drink from vendors, or you can bring your own in a cooler, backpack, etc.)

The Great Forest Park Balloon Glow and Race is the second-largest Hot Air Balloon event in the United States, second only to...well...you know who!  :)

The Great Forest Park Hot Air Balloon Race's web site:

(After this page loads, click on the "Experience the website: Click here for a ride.  After a few seconds of a digital hot air balloon ride, you will see pics of both the balloon glow and the actual race from the same ride you would get if you were in a helicopter - or a hot air balloon!)

http://greatforestparkballoonrace.com/

Admission and parking for this event is free. There is a large midway area that has food, other sponsors, as well as a Purina Pet area, live bands, and much, much more.  Most people 'make a day of it' by bringing lawn chairs and / or a blanket and they spend a few hours relaxing under the trees down over the hill from the ball fields where the events are held.  You can buy food and drink from the vendors, or bring your own.

On Friday evening (the night before the actual race), they do the 'Balloon Glow'.  You can walk up to the balloons, and go feel the heat from the burners when they all Glow in the Dark!  The ring leader has an air horn, and every 5 - 10 minutes, he blows that air horn as a signal to the balloon captains. All at once, 40 - 60 balloon captains add turn up the gas, and the resulting flame is bright, but somewhat inefficient:  It produces a brighter, prettier glow  The entire area glows, the crowd cheers, and cameras flash!

You can find many more pictures and video of this event on YouTube (search "Great Forest Park Balloon Race or Glow"), and more photos on sites like Flickr.com.  This YouTube video is a good example of the atmosphere at the Balloon Glow :

This link is to Flickr.com, and some pics of the race and Balloon Glow:
http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=Great+Forest+Park+Balloon&f=hp

It gets a bit crowded at both the balloon glow, and the actual race the day after the glow (Saturday), but with some planning in advance, it is a very enjoyable experience.

**DO NOT DRIVE INTO THE PARK ON EITHER DAY!**

You will be stuck there, and never get out!
We always park out of the park and walk in.

On the day of the actual race, we like to 'park out and walk in', and we find a  little spot under a tree, just down over the hill behind the launch area, about Noon - 1:00 PM. 

The largest hot air balloon in the world, St. Louis' own Energizer Bunny is the 'hare' the leads the 'hounds' (the other 69 balloons!) in a make-shift race, lifting off about 4:30 PM.  It isn't really a race, at all, but more of a competition.  The captain of the Energizer Bunny drops a bag of bird seed from his balloon.  The remaining captains have their own bags of bird seed. They drop theirs as close as they can to where the Bunny dropped his, thus declaring a winner.  (It's not all about the competition - it's all about the beautiful balloons going up on an early fall day, a large, energized crowd, and a good day to be out and about, in general!)

The Taste of St. Louis
(Not to be confused with the Taste of Clayton - a very different event!)



2014 DATES & TIMESFriday, September 19, 2014 – 4pm to 10pm
Saturday, September 20, 2014 – 11am to 10pm
Sunday, September 21, 2014 – 11am to 9pm
LOCATION:
Chesterfield Amphitheater in Central Park & Chesterfield Village.

ADMISSION:
Free to the Public - open to all ages

(Bring $$ for food, drink, and merchandise that you might want to buy)

At 2012's Taste of St. Louis, they had over 350,000 patrons.

This event is a bit different this year, because the ridiculous St. Louis dick heads forced this venue to the county, but it should still be welt worth attending.  I, for one, certainly will!


http://tastestl.com/about-the-taste/


THE STRANGE FOLK FESTIVAL





WHEN:
Saturday, September 27, 2013 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday,   September 28, 2013  10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Where:
401 E. 5th St., O'Fallon, Illinois 62269


Featuring 150 indie vendors selling handmade, upcycled, and vintage wares. 10 bands, unique exhibits and DIY activities for kids and adults, a variety of concessions, and new this year:
the Running with Scissors 5K on Sunday morning!
You can find everything at this event from handmade furniture to handspun yarns. jewelry and findings that would be **GREAT** on your own upcoming projects.  I could have loaded up on watch parts and other 'parts' to be used in future projects. One entire section of this event was wool sheering, spinning, etc.  It's a great event that I am looking forward to.  I bought several things at this festival last year.

For more info:
http://www.strangefolkfestival.com/

The Best of Missouri Market & Shaw Art Fair

When: The first weekend in October each year.

Friday, October 3
6 - 9 p.m. First Look Friday

Saturday, October 4
8 - 9 a.m. Members' Hours
9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Market Hours

Sunday, October 5
8 - 9 a.m. Members' Hours
9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Market Hours

Where:  The Missouri Botanical Gardens and Shaw Park, right across the street from the Gardens

Go early!  This event is 4 HUGE tents that are packed with vendors featuring products that are hand made in Missouri...

These products range from many food products to wools, yarns, candles, wood products, artwork, jewelry, lawn ornaments, plants, and much, much more.

Adults (ages 13–64)    - $12
Seniors (ages 65+)      - $10
Children (ages 3–12)   - $5
Garden members        -  $5
(free for members' children 3–12)


There are TONS of free sample at many of the vendor's booths.  Additional items are available for purchase at each booth.

THE HISTORIC SHAW ART FAIR

The Shaw Art Show is held directly across the street from the Gardens, and it is held at the same time as the Best of Missouri Market.  This show features fine artists from all over the country, and occasionally - from around the world.

When: (Located right across the street from the Best of Missouri Show & Sale, the times and dates are pretty much the same.)

Admission:
$7 per person – good for both days. Children 14 and under enjoy free admission when accompanied by an adult.


For more information about The Historic Shaw Art Fair:
http://www.shawartfair.org/

For more information about The Best Of Missouri Show & Sale:

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/things-to-do/events/signature-events/best-of-missouri-market.aspx

THE GROVE FEST


While the Grove Fest is the smallest event out of all that I have listed in this blog entry, it is well worth a visit.  Last year, I entered - and won - my first beard contest!  :)



When: October 4, 2014 at 2:00 pm until Midnight

Where:  Manchester Ave between Boyle Ave. Sarah Ave.
GroveFest is an outrageously eclectic FREE street festival in the Grove, a vibrant commercial district here in St. Louis located along Manchester between Kingshighway and Vandeventer. Last year the festival drew over 12,000 attendees, was likened to funky New Orleans street festivals, was praised for the diversity in programming and turnout, and won Best Event Entertainment Concept and Best Public Event Planning ISES awards. At this year’s GroveFest, expect a diverse set of live music, live and interactive art, fashion shows, street performers, and of course, local food, drinks and wares of the Grove’s and St. Louis’ finest establishments.http://www.thegrovestl.com/events/grove-fest/

After your evening at Grove Fest, you can visit one of the nightspots on Manchester - maybe catch a female impersonation (translated: Drag) show at Meyer's Grove?  If you go to Meyer's for a show, plan on being there at least by 8:30 PM (or earlier!) for a 10:00 PM show if you want seating in the stage area.

Just call me "Julie, the tour guide" !  I have gone to these events every year since the late 1980's.  If you want to go, but don't want to go by yourself, give me a holla!

THE LAST OUTDOOR ART FAIR OF THE SEASON:
Friday, October 17, 2014
Saturday, October 18, 2014
October 19, 2014


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Below the solid line are past events.... but you can attend them next year!

The Festival of the Little Hills

**FREE ADMISSION**

2013 Festival Dates

FRIDAY, AUGUST 16
4:00 PM - 10:00 PM
SATURDAY, AUGUST 17
9:30 AM - 10:00 PMSUNDAY, AUGUST 18
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
This huge event is held in in the Historic district of St. Charles, MO, just a few minutes drive from downtown St. Louis.

Lots of arts, crafts and vendors.

(I bought the hat you see in my pics at this festival from the representative from Head'n Home Hats.

( http://www.headnhome.com )

I just got a memo from Head'n Home, and they confirmed that they are going to have their booth at this year's festival.  The same spot as last year:  Booth # 910, which is closer to Old Millstream Inn Restaurant and Beer Garden.  I'm gonna pick out another hat!

You will find many vendors selling products ranging from key chains to fine jewelry to not-so-cheap hats, fine art and much more.  Live entertainment. Great food, and an early fall good time.  


For more info on the Festival, itself:

http://www.festivalofthelittlehills.com/index.html


The Festival of Nations



When:Saturday, August 24, 2013 - 10am - 7pm
Sunday, August 25, 2013   - 10am - 6pm

Where:
St. Louis' Tower Grove Park,  located near Grand and Arsenal on the City’s South Side, only steps away from St. Louis' famed International District!

Admission:
FREE!

(Bring $$ if you want to purchase food or merchandise from the many vendors at this event.)

Founded as recently as 2000, our annual Festival of Nations has QUICKLY grown into the St. Louis region's largest multicultural festival.  The first few years, this Festival was relatively small, located in a tight circle within the park, and having only a few vendors, etc.  The festival continued to grow at a modest rate each year since 2000, and in 2010, it suddenly exploded, expanding exponentially into the large festival that it is today.

With over 140,000 annual visitors, this festival has over 40 ethnic food booths, non-stop dance and music, arts and crafts, and an international bazaar with unique gifts from around the world.

Providing food, entertainment and education all day long during both Saturday and Sunday, this festival features:

	Stage Performances & Entertainment		World Religions
	International Food Court		Global Corner
	World Bazaar		Village Green
	Family Arts & Crafts		Highland Games
	Citizens Corner		Our Green Efforts

For more information, please visit:
http://www.festivalofnationsstl.org/ 

The Greek Festival

WHEN: Held every year on Labor Day Weekend
(This year - 2014 - this event will also be held on Fri. afternoon before Labor Day weekend)
Friday, Aug 29 (5 PM) - Monday, September 1, 2014
WHERE: St. Louis, MO - Forest Park at Kingshighway, just off I-40
Admission:  The admission is free, the food is not free!

There is a gift shop on-site, a small band might be playing Greek music in the corner of one of these massive tents, and on-the-hour, you can take a tour of the Greek Orthodox church - if you want to, but not of these extracurricular activities are required.

THIS FESTIVAL HAS BEEN AND WILL ALWAYS BE 'ALL ABOUT THE FOOD!'
The food is all Greek, and it doesn't get any better than this.

For more info:
http://www.sngoc.org/content/welcome-st-nicholas-greek-festival-2014

The Japanese Festival

WHEN: (every Labor Day Weekend)Saturday, August 29 - Monday, September 1, 2014
WHERE: The Missouri Botanical Garden
4344 Shaw Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63110

From the Opening Ceremonies to the Lion dance, the food court and other vendors to the many demonstrations and displays, this festival continues for 3 days.

I always start my day at this festival by eating at the Food Court (before the crowd hits hard!), then I grab some good Sake, and walk through The Gardens, soaking up as much Japanese culture as possible.

GOTTA HAVE SAKE! (That's not *Sake* as in "For Chrissake!", but is is "SAKE" (SAH-KEY), as in good Japanese Rice Wine

I have a Member's Pass to the Gardens, and our price of entry is greatly reduced.

The Admission is as follows (it is well worth the price!):
Admission (ages 13–64) - $15
Seniors (ages 65+)     - $10
Children (ages 3–12)   - $5
Garden members         - $5

(free for members' children 3–12)

For more info:

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/things-to-do/events/signature-events/japanese-festival.aspx
https://www.facebook.com/events/114178962122203/

- Michael

Bye, Bye Borders (and books!)

Starting this Friday, July 30, 2011, all Borders Books stores started their Going-Out-of-Business sales.  They are "selling everything not nailed down", including the fixtures and cafe equipment.


By their own admission, there are several factors that have lead to these store closings. 


1) The economy
2) eBooks


I wouldn't be true to myself if I didn't elaborate!  :)


Any catastrophic failure is usually the result of a series of combined events, rather than a single circumstance.  For example, let's consider the sinking of the Titanic.  Yes, I am an amateur sleuth, at best, but off the top of my head, I can name several issues that, when combined, led up to the sinking of the Titanic.   The Titanic could have most likely survived any ONE of these concerns, alone by itself, but in combination, they resulted in the sinking of the Greatest Ship on Earth (at the time).


a) Questionable craftsmanship of the rivets used in the construction of the hull.


b) Only after the sinking of this ship was a double-hull mandatory.  The Titanic's hull was a single thickness.


c) After the sinking, shipping routes were changed to a more southerly route, to avoid iceberg flows.
d) It was night time!  Icebergs could be easily seen during the day.


e) The lack of moonlight made visibility almost impossible.  This was a totally moonless night. Any other phase of the moon would have been more helpful!


f) The night of April 11 - April 12, 1915 was unusually calm.  Even during the night, if there were any waves at all, the foam from the waves crashing on the surface of an iceberg would have been an early warning sign to the men in the crows nest.


g) This ship had, at best, poor maneuverability for it's size.  Emergency maneuvers or hastened moves were out of the question.


h) Even though they still had two boilers that remained unlit, this ship was moving at an excessive rate of speed.  If they were going a bit slower, they would have had more time to react to an emergency situation.


i) There was an iceberg directly in their path!  No iceberg = no sinking!


j) They did not heed iceberg warnings sent via wireless radio from other ships in the area.


....and this list could continue for quite some length.  Here, I have listed just the most obvious circumstances that led to the Titanic's sinking.  Granted, several of these circumstances could not have happened without the presence of another.  For example, if there was no icebergs in the area, iceberg warnings from other ships would have not been issued, in the first place. 


At any rate, had only ONE of these circumstances been true, but the remaining circumstances had not taken place, there is a really good change that the story of the Sinking of the Titanic would not have been told, because it wouldn't have happened.


Another good example would be the Terrorist attacks that were directed at the United States on September 11, 2001. 


(When referring to the events that occurred on September 11, 2001, I **WILL NOT** follow lazy suit and say, "9/11".  How incredibly disrespectful! Can't we honor those that died on that day by at least giving them the dignity - and your TIME - by not bastardizing this tragedy by shortening or abbreviating it's title, TOO?  But the bastardizing and shortening of everything on the damned planet is another topic for another blog!)  Happily continuing......   :)


There are several factors that contributed to the tragic loss of life and property on the morning of September 11, 2001. It wasn't one event of circumstance - it was several.  The obvious events were the attacks on the Twin Towers, the Pentagon and in a field over rural Pennsylvania.  Less obvious, but equal contributors are (at the time) the general lack of airport security, and many, many more factors. 


More elaboration on the multiple factors that brought down Borders is necessary:


1) The economy


I will try my damnedest not to wax political, so I will just leave it at this:


During the duration of recent past Presidential tenures, the economy took a serious downturn.  Even though many people are trying to blame it on the current administration, his job is to make an honest effort at cleaning up the gargantuan-sized hot mess created by his predecessor.  I will readily admit that personally, I would not want to take on that job!


Many of today's young adults have not experienced anything but a bad economy (that started at least 12 years ago!)  They have lived with financial 'hard times' all of their recent memories.


When compared to the average American's income, and unless a serious sale is running, books are by no means an inexpensive adventure.


I have spend thousands of dollars on new books at the long-defunct Walden Books (owned by Borders!), Barnes & Nobles, and Borders.  The subjects that interest me are, minimally stated: VARIED!


I have purchased books on everything from Inderior Decorating (Divinely Decadent by Stephen Calloway) to many, many books on knitting, probably 200 lbs of music books and two books on computer modeling and graphic rendering (for the free downloadable "Blender" modeling program), and a couple cookbooks.


The least expensive books that we have purchased from these book sellers were close-out sale items, at $4.99 - $7.99 each.  The average full-priced book that I have purchased starts at $25, and goes up in price quickly.  Most of my music books were at least $20 - 25, and one that I can recall off the top of my head was $50.  The two books that I bought for the FREE Blender program were $45 each.  With tax included, these books were  $105.  One hundred and five dollars for two books to learn how to use a free program! I don't know why the hell I am complaining, because the prices of many of the other books are much higher than $45.  There is a Lego model version of Frank Lloyd Wright's "Fallingwater" house.  I was interested until I noted the price: $129!  $129 - for a box of Lego bricks that isn't a foot square, total.  If one was in the least bit creative, you could get the Lego blocks, yourself, and construct this project for a mere fraction of the cost of that kit.


Please do not misunderstand the intent of this blog. I am the last person that will bitch about the price of QUALITY items.  For example, I go to national award-winning art shows in the St. Louis area several times a year.  While walking through every show, I will always hear somebody mumbling - or NOT so mumbling! - about the price of the art work. Without a doubt, I know that they aren't aware. nor do the complainers care about:


1) The artists are out of work for 6 months while touring the country, pedaling their wares.


2) The entry requirements for any major art show are simply **unbelievably** difficult.  It is not as simple as signing up and paying your entry fee, my good friends. In fact, I don't know of a single art show where the requirements are that simple!


3) Once you get accepted by the panel of judges (!!!), the price of entry to the St. Louis Art Fair, for example, is $1,500 - $2,000, depending on where the booth is located. 


4) Have you stopped at an art store and looked at the price of materials lately?


5) Most of these artists have spent many years experimenting and refining individual techniques that got them to the Art Show level, in the first place.  Is there any compensation for these years, please?


6) The majority of artists at any art show have to travel across the country - and some from around the world - to get to the shows.  We then have to consider the cost of travel: Wear and tear on a vehicle - including the trailer used to tow your art work, lodging, food, fuel for the vehicle, and any other expense incurred on the road.


Admittedly, I am an amateur artist. I have probably inadvertently overlooked half of the items that should be on this list!


Considering these facts, I think all artists that enter art shows should DOUBLE the prices of their work, and start going up from there!  The only downside of that action would be that the murmurs from the idiots would increase continue, and they would be eliminating more possible sales.  


The moral of this segway: I am the last person that will complain about the price of handmade QUALITY.  I do, however, have a beef when I know most books are mass produced using paper and machines, both of which can function fairly inexpensively. 


In an era where we have to worry about feeding ourselves, health care, housing and general living expenses, you will find that "purchasing an expensive book" to be way down that list of priorities.


2) eBooks


Are you kidding me? Both Barnes & Nobles and Borders sell eBooks - Nooks, etc. 


Call me "old", if you want to, or if you will have it that way, but calling me "old" is better than calling me "dead", if you know what I mean. 


Don't knock on my door asking me to buy an eBook (or asking me to pay for on-line games), or virtually anything that I cannot **HOLD IN MY HAND**.  I will tell you here and now that the answer is, "Thank you, but no THANK YOU!"


In 2 - 3 years, your eBook will be horribly outdated and worthless. Ten years after I am dead, the books that I buy will still be on their shelves. The only effort that has to be applied to get them to be useful is to take them off the shelf, and open the cover!  The money that I spent on those books can be spread over a lifetime.  When your eBook is outdated, or becomes obsolete, all that money you spent on downloading 'books' (that you can't hold in your hand!) will go to waste.  If you really, *really*, need to spend your money, and you would rather spend it on a worthwhile cause, please send it to ME!  I still have the things that I buy. I can still hold them in my hand.  And I can still use them on a daily basis.


Example:  An MP3 player.


The 2 year extended warranty on my 2 gig MP3 player expired 3 years ago!  I bought my 2 gig MP3 player (an iRiver) 6 years ago - for $169  I just checked BestBuy.com for comparable players.  The smallest player that Best Buy offers now is a 4 gig - for $39.  


$39 for 4 gigs will get you twice as much memory on the MP3 player that I have for 1/4 the price!


The only computer that is still compatible with this device is my laptop, which still runs Windows XP.  This MP3 player has no updates that are available, so when my XP-run laptop dies (and it is also 6 years old!), I will have to replace my MP3 player. I use this player 45 minutes a day, every-other-day, and I have since I bought it.


However....


Can I confide in you, because you're my favorite confidant?  OK.  Here goes:


Mark, my significant other, has 4 MP3 players that are sitting on his desk even as we speak, and he has used them a combined total of maybe one hour.    They are all of much newer vintages, and have at least 3 - 4 times the capacity of my MP3 player.  His MP3 players have to be charged via a USB connection, and do not have removable batteries.  They *all* hold a charge for only minutes at a time before needing to be recharged.  MY old MP3 player still uses a single AA battery, and my digital camera uses two AA batteries.  When the charge in the batteries in my camera get so low that the camera won't even power-on, I remove them and save them.  I can run MY old MP3 player for 4 - 6 MONTHS, 45 minutes a day, every-other-day on the run down batteries that I have discarded from my camera!


What is the point of all these numbers, and all of this ranging and raving?  My point is:  My old technology, even though a bit outdated, still functions as it was expected to do so from the day I bought it to this very second. Your newer technology is being produced with considerably less care and quality, and I will be using mine long after you have discarded yours in the trash (or abandoned it in the junk drawer!)


My minor point:
Books:  Will still be functional hundreds of years into the future.
eBooks: (Understated) Uh -  Not so much!


Making matters worse, Borders sold the very device that helped to put them out of business.


Class, can I have a volunteer, please?  C'mon!  Raise your hand!  OK...OK.. You... In the front row... Go ahead.. Give me your answer to this question:


"How very intelligent of a business decision do you think it is for a book store (Barnes and Noble - are you LISTENING?) to sell the very device that will predictably run them out of business?"


(Teacher pausing, waiting for the student to answer the question)
(Students looking blankly at the teacher, because they are more worried about the cell phone vibrating in their pockets, rather than actually learning something......)


Teacher:
"OK, I'll give you a little hint:  An example of a good business model would NOT be to sell the very item that would soon put you out of business, and to make the minds that use them even more mushy. That, my good students, would be better examples of laziness and GREED!"


In Summary:


There are (were) at least 2 two-story Borders stores that are on the route that I use to commute to virtually anywhere in the St. Louis area.  One is in the same shopping center as a Whole Foods Market. On a very regular basis, I would go to the Whole Foods Organic Market, get my lunch from the hot food bar, and sit in the window seat in the cafe in the front of the store, eating my adventuresome lunch and watching folk walk by, about their daily business.  After my lunch, I would usually walk 2 stores down to Borders.  Like several other Borders stores in the St. Louis area, this store was 2 floors tall, with a cafe inside.  I didn't just use this establishment as a library, I shopped there. As I said in this blog, I have spent several thousand dollars on many different genres of books and merchandise from Borders stores. I not only lived there, but I shopped there, too! 


Removing major book sellers can't possibly serve to help today's society, and the diminishing levels of education, morals, values, and energies, in general, of the American public, and specifically our youth. 
The fibers of the fabric of our society are becoming unraveled at a rate that is alarming.  Withing ONE generation, our youth went from "glad to be here / eager to learn something" to "You owe me, and you know it / I don't give a crap about you / What can you do for me?" 


To make matters worse, lazy-assed adults are following in their KIDS footsteps. They have learned from their children on how to get by (for now!) by thinking and DOING less, and being incredibly lazy in every aspect of their lives. Neither generation is aware of the long term ill effects that this behavior (or lack, thereof!) will produce. I can tell you one thing that is certain:  When other countries beat your pants off, and kick your ass in technology, art, skill, education - and virtually every-other issue on the damned planet, you only have yourselves to blame.


There is something to be said for the old children's song, "Make new friends, and keep the old!  One is silver, and the other - Gold!"  A well balanced society keeps a F-I-R-M grip on their past, while bravely charging forward. Please note that I didn't say that you need no grip at all on the past, OR a death grip on the past, I said a FIRM grip on the past.  Likewise, nothing was said about having a weak grip on the future, or a strong hold on it, either. BALANCE. 


Closing bookstores is NOT included in this balance.


Closing bookstores = an increased lack of education


Lack of education produces BLOCKHEADS.


I hope to God that fate chooses one of these BLOCKHEADS to administer a pain shot, for example, to those who think it is a good idea to further diminish our country.  My guess is that at that time, it will be a bit too late to hope that the person filling that syringe paid attention in class, and that they are observant, and detail oriented.  BOOKS help to achieve those qualities. BLANKNESS - not so much!


- Michael