compulsory vaccination for smallpox.

That's old information based on medical science. Today we get better information on vaccines from Hollywood celebrities. Who you gonna believe, the CDC or Jessica Biel?

I blame the schools. Worse recently, but been going on for years. The kids (and many of their parents) just don't know history, including world history, political history, science history or cultural history. Most don't even know anything about smallpox, never heard of Jenner, are unaware of requirements for proof of smallpox vaccination for entry into the U.S. and many other countries for many decades until the WHO declared the virus was declared no longer detectable in any population anywhere in the world in 1979.

I can't tell the difference between Jessica Biel and Jennifer Biels, so they get two votes.

But they can tell you every feature on the latest iPhone and what the Kardasians are up to.

My school years were in the 50's and 60's and glad of it. Growing up today is different, but I don't think better in spite of technology.

Me too. Graduated high school in 1963. Went through the NYC public school system in my neighborhood's local schools and received superb preparation for higher education and for life. Today, in NYC, unless you're at one of the 4 specialty high schools, you won't do nearly as well.

"We got high-school kids running 'round in Calvin Klein and Guess who cannot pass a sixth-grade reading test but if you ask them, they can tell you the name of every crotch on MTV and it feels like I am living in the wasteland of the free"

You can tell it's dated by the MTV reference. Iris DeMent wrote it in

"We got politicians running races on corporate cash Now don't tell me they don't turn around and kiss them peoples' ass"

Guess that got too close to home for him. fwiw DeMent seldom is political. She does a lot of gospel based stuff. She doesn't care much for the religion but likes the music.

Beals is the darker one, which really worked well in 'Devil in a Blue Dress'.