Chess for Oldtimers --- Good Idea !

   ---   Yes indeed it's been a couple of weeks since your most recent visit Fightingbob, nice to have you here again.

I teach 20-somethings and I have to perform a quick 'time-relevance censorship' of all my cultural references that creep into the lectures, since all they say to the audience is that the lecturer is old.  This lack of awareness of anything that has happened before the students came into existence is more extreme now than it ever used to be, I suspect because electronic sources of information and communication have concentrated their attention more on current data and crowded out any awareness of arcane, antique things like World War II, the atomic bomb, Albert Einstein, Abraham Lincoln, etc.

I realize you're being sarcastic, but I wouldn't self censor.  It's your students' responsibility to look up your references; it's called education.  If they are too lazy to do so, then let them remain ignorant children, unfortunately to the detriment of our culture.

I added "children" in the previous sentence because of George Norlin, the President of the University of Colorado from 1917 to 1939.  He was quoted as saying "Who knows only his own generation remains always a child."  The phrasing is Dr. Norlin's, but it was originally expressed by the Roman philosopher and orator, Marcus Tullius Cicero.  The quote is found over the west entrance to the university library, which was named after Dr. Norlin.

In short, don't dumb down your lectures (if you really do) because you have a bunch of ignoramuses who slid through grade school and high school; you're not doing them any favors.

Just my two cents worth.

i like those two cents.

now, who is this abraham lincoln dude?

Right on, brothers.

Thanks for the new posts.

A fun quote from Jim Eason: " If you want to look young and thin, hang around old fat people. "

At the last lecture I was talking about a contract that was unable to be performed because the occurrence of World War II frustrated it.  I introduced the idea by saying to the class that the contract was signed in July, 1939, and asked them what significance that date might have.  "Was there a war near then?" asked one student.  "Yeah," said another, "I think it was a world war, like, World War II?"

Another student once told me she was interested in the First World War.  She said she remembered that it had something to do with an Austrian Archduke being assassinated in Pearl Harbor.

Maybe those kids studied history with John Belushi ...  https://youtu.be/ep-xgd_eETE 

In the past you might have received the answer, "Hummm, was that when Hitler invaded Poland? ... no, that was September," but not today.  Now they don't even know the years spanning World War II and you have Archduke Ferdinand rubbing elbows with King Kamehameha, which is a real trick.

Next time ask your class who Neville Chamberlain was?  If a hand goes up and says, "I've heard that name somewhere ... wasn't he a basketball player?" I'd get up and walk out of class.  Of course, you don't get paid for walking, but I bet you'd like to sometimes.  Then again, I guess it's good for a laugh until you think these kids will be running the country in your old age.

Thanks for the clip, Mil, but today's college kids could never study with Belushi because he's a dead, white male. (where's the sarcasm emoji?)

Great idea: an emoji for sarcasm/irony.  Where's a clip of SNL's "Sarcastic Clapping Family" when we need one?

Thanks for all of the new posts ( Oh Oh did I forget about this thread  lol ).

One publication that I like to look at when I'm in the supermarket is " Prevention " magazine. The March issue had an interesting item on some work being done at the Duke University School Of Medicine regarding the early detection of Alzheimer's. I gather that it involves close examination of the small blood vessels in the retina of the eyes ( it seems that these blood vessels are very similar to the small ones in the brain ).

 ___ "What?!  You trying to tell me I'm Losing my Mind?!  You Better Look Me in the Eye when You Say That, Partner!"

____ "OK, I will." ... "Yep, I was right,  Buddy.  You are definitely losing your mind.  It's as Plain as the Pattern of Retinal Vascularization that can be Observed easily by Performing a Close Examination of the Back of Your Eyeball." 

(Too wordy?  How's this for a catchy saying?   "The truth's in the eye of the guy getting older.")

I can't speak for the others, but i have no problem with younger people who are interested in conversing with, and learning from us, the Elders.  As long as you agree to wear a tie, and you're reasonably polite.

Just one warning, something you probably know already:  if I ever catch you walking on my lawn, I'll probably go berserk or something.   (It turns out that lawn-walking business is the Only thing that makes old people go all Wrath of Kahn on young people.  Interestingly, nobody knows why.)

Thanks for the new posts.

I just realized I resemble Motherinlaw's remarks.  Uh oh. 

Oh, sorry.  I should have said "Present company excepted."  That always makes people feel better.