My 2¢ about yesterday’s Kentucky Derby…what happened is a microcosm of a country where outcomes based on merit and competition are, sadly, seen as inherently unfair and where smug, self-righteous and arrogant people believe they have the right to impose outcomes that they think are fair. In the interest of full disclosure, I used to be a co-owner of a thoroughbred race horse.
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It is largely due to government subsidies that the cost of college has risen so dramatically. The price of a good or service can never be lowered by subsidizing demand especially when that good or service has a relatively fixed supply. That fact can actually be used to argue in favor of a plan to wipe out most college debt. HOWEVER, government should then endeavor to stop its ridiculous programs designed to get everyone into college. Two-thirds of high school graduates in academic year T are in college in academic year T+1, an absolutely preposterous proportion in my opinion. It is NOT beneath you or your children to learn a trade and to work with your hands. Part of me still wishes I had attended an automotive trade school after graduating from high school.
In my last college teaching gig less than half the students in my class belonged in college, in my opinion. Don’t get me started on students having almost unlimited flexibility in terms of taking exams.
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From 365 Days of Motoring via Twitter a picture of a Jaguar XKR Coupe. On this day in 1998 Jaguar introduced the XKR variant of the XK-8. It was the company’s fastest accelerating car (at that point); the XKR could accelerate from 0-60 MPH in 5.2 seconds. Twenty-plus years later that’s still fast, even though cars can now be purchased that go 0-60 in three seconds. The XKR didn’t look too bad, either. 🙂
#BringBackMerit!
#somanycarsjustonelife
#disaffectedmusings
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Disaffected Musings 
I only read one article about the finish, but it sounded like simply a controversial call. Why was the DQ decision another attack on merit and competition? Genuinely asking. I don’t understand horse racing, so I’m sure I’m not seeing something you are. PS: Totally agree that our culture increasingly sees unequal distributions of talent as unfair. That’s why I wanna see what you’re seeing. Thanks. 🙂
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Thanks, Joshua. It just seemed to me as if the Chief Steward felt she had to “right a wrong.” Hey, I could be wrong. Maybe it really was a blatant foul. Just seems as though people are too obsessed with fixing things that aren’t really broken. People may have equal rights under the law, but not all people are created equally. I don’t care if that sounds elitist; it’s true.
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Ohhhh, gotcha. So too loose an application of the interference rule?
Your equality comment reminds me of Atticus’ speech in To Kill a Mockingbird (the book, not the film). Also, of an Onion article from many years ago about President Clinton signing an Americans with No Abilities Act into law to help all the people who aren’t good at anything and suffer at the hands of people who are. Hilarious.
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I don’t know about the application of the rule. I know that my best friend, who has a Ph.D. in Biochemistry, was forced out of his job because he’s over 40. I know that I wrote a book that The Wall Street Journal called the best book of its kind ever written, that I am a pioneer in sports analytics, that I have received rave reviews from students in every class I’ve taught, but I can’t find a fulfilling and interesting work situation.
Sorry for the rant, but I understand the frustration in this country that gave Trump the White House. No, I am not a fan of the guy.
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