I think the idea of cool defeating the Babbit ideology is very important. The Baby Boomers did their best to hold onto the culture of their youth more than any generation in recent memory or human history. There isn't much of a generational difference in entertainment, culture, or values as their were in the past. Young people listen to the Beatles. Parents listen to what their kids do. People of various generations dress relatively alike. You can't have a Babbit mentality without clear cultural differences between adults and youths/children.
Elaborating on my point. Most of the people on this blog are either Generation X or after with a few baby boomers. Our parents are either Baby Boomers or Silent Generation. Can any of us really imagine our parents engaging in the rituals of Babbit-dom? When people still did most of their big shopping downtown and when big, fancy department stores were a mainstay in most cities; going shopping was a big event. People would dress up in suits or dresses and look their best for these trips down town. It was part of the ritual. Can any of us imagine our parents dressing up to do their holiday shopping at the mall? Now most people enter the fanciest stores in much more informal clothing. The last time that people really dressed up in Babbit style was when it was de regieur to wear your best clothing on flights because it was a new experience for most people. This seemed to stop being common in the late 1960s or early 1970s.
The entire look that the middle class was trying to achieve when it dressed up a la Babbit also quickly disappeared after WWII. The men were attempting to appear authoritative and imposing, as people of authority and seriousness. The women were attempting to look alluring and pretty but in an elegant rather than a sultry fashion. Things are more relaxed these days. Even when dressing up, people attempt for a casual appearance and feel than the Babbits and their wives. Last night I attended a jazz concert in San Francisco. Most people were in jeans. This would have scandalized the Babbits of the past.
Simply, the entire Babbit mentality started to disappear for various reasons after WWII when society grew less formal fast. The 1960s delivered the death blow. Even if our society still had Babbit like economics, there would be no Babbits.
Than you make do. I have yet to hear single program for enacting radical change that makes sense or seems even slightly likely to work besides "heighten the contradictions."
I think that the 1960s did more to kill to the Babbit mentality than any sort of growing income inequality that happened after 1980. The great and radical social changes that occurred during the 1960s made the entire Babbit lifestyle hopelessly quant at best or very reactionary at worse. The Baby Boomers, even the conservative ones, simply had no desire for any of the trappings of Babbit's world even if they were prosperous and managed to stay in the same office since they started their careers.
I also think that if the changes of the 1960s were less great than the Babbit mentality would still have disappeared. The erosion started after WWII. Fashion got less formal, civic organizations like the Rotary Club less prominent because of suburbia and other factors, etc.
I strongly disagree with the notion that radicals help liberals by making them look moderate. Many conservatives have long opposed the demands of the liberals as being nothing more than a stepping stone towards something more radical.
A couple of years ago, I was walking around the mid-West twenties and saw an add for a formal ball. Women were required to wear gowns and men tails. The entire thing seemed really strange. I also know that some people learn really antiquarian dances and dress up in period custom. I think that a lot of people like getting dressed up really fancy and like a bit of formality but modern society doesn't really allow that many occasions to dress to the nines much. A lot of people find modern clothing a bit lacking.
Maybe your right but doing the proper thing to ensure equality on the law sometimes requires things like treating religion as an innate characteristic to prevent things like discrimination based on race, gender, sexual presence, or physical and mental disability. Considering how strongly some people feel about their religious beliefs and that religious groups form communities, its close enough even if it isn't as permanent as race or something else.
Michael, my belief is that all commercial establishments should have to accept as a customer anybody who can pay and that the prices should be the same for everyone. I don't believe that any commercial business should be a safe haven for any particular community. A business could cater to a particular community but it can't deny its services to anybody with money. If a scantily clad woman wants to buy meat from kosher butcher fir supper than the kosher butcher must sell her the meat.
See it as the same drive for the desegregation of commercial businesses. On one level you could say why bother when you could go to a business friendly to you. At the same time, it's not the point. People should not be excluded from a business because of an innate characteristic. If they could pay, they should be able to patronize. It's a fight against segregating the LBGT community.
I think that part of what's makes us human is our ability to contemplate whether or not something is moral or immoral, good or bad. These things are present in other animals but not to our extent. Considering that the ability to be moral is one of the things that makes us human than it would be better to be killed by a villain than to be a villain. The villain has made a choice not to follow one of the best parts of being human.
I can't see Gotham as Philly. Philly doesn't have the right reputation. I can see Gotham as Chicago, which kind of has the same reputation but the wrong geographical feel.
I think this is why why Marvel made a wise decision when they decided to use real world geography as much as possible.
Japanese courts have a legal backlog that makes our legal backlog look like nothing. Several years ago the Times ran articles as bout the lack of judicial candidates because not many young Japanese people aspire to the bar.
Florida is really tacky place besides Key West. I like other parts of the South like Louisville or New Orleans. They just need to be more walkable and have better transit.
I think the problem with Southern pride is that the South has a stronger regional identity than any other part of the United States. We talk about the North East or the West but in every other region local pride is more important than regional pride. I identify as a New Yorker, not as a North Easterner. Southerners seem to identify more by region than locality.
ND, in law school I never heard any gossip of a person being an escort to pay for as school or to even help with payments. I know a lot of professionals and never heard anything like that happening. The sheer amount of studying you need to do and the costs kind of prevent these things.
Yes, I agree with this. I'm a bit of an antiquarian but I think that a lot of institutions hurt themselves by thinking that they must be modern and up to date to be relevant. A lot of value can be found in the old to and many things are fine the way they are. I like things that are true to themselves.
Kim, that's why I can't go to rallies and demonstrations. I listen too closely to the speakers and pay too much attention to the signs. I find that I can't keep the constant applause up.
Is the weeding out of students in the bottom third of each year even enforceable? I imagine that a lot of them are going to want a refund, especially if they used loans to pay for their legal education and have to pay them back on a more ordinary salary.
I'm also unsure of the specialty degree. What I do think non-profits law schools should do is focus on preparing their students for less glamorous legal work as ND pointed out happened in the past.
A lot of people, even if they are intelligent, really don't put to much thought into the things they support. They have enough problems in their life and most people aren't fond of abstract thought. I've talked with people I agree with and still felt a bit ashamed on hoe they reach their conclusions.
Confederate leadership was dealt with very gently. Many of them were guilty of treason and could be convicted of such and hanged. Lots of governments, including the United States government, inflicted a lot worse punishment for less. What would have happened if the Confederate leadership was charged with treason?
Russel, see my comments above. There are seemingly a lot of people who like sex so much that they simply get when they can and damn the consequences. I suspect that the number of people who watch porn at work is higher than you think. I've heard a lot of tales of office sex in the legal community that isn't exactly professional. I'm honest enough to admit that I'm a little jealous at the people who can indulge in these things but I also like being in control.
One thing that really and constantly surprises me is what people are willing to do to get sex. I keep hearing these stories in the media or among friends in real life and all I can think is about the potential problems that happen after you get caught. Maybe I'm just cautious but I can't bring myself to do these foolish things simply for the possibility of sex.
*Comment archive for non-registered commenters assembled by email address as provided.
On “Whither Babbitt?”
I think the idea of cool defeating the Babbit ideology is very important. The Baby Boomers did their best to hold onto the culture of their youth more than any generation in recent memory or human history. There isn't much of a generational difference in entertainment, culture, or values as their were in the past. Young people listen to the Beatles. Parents listen to what their kids do. People of various generations dress relatively alike. You can't have a Babbit mentality without clear cultural differences between adults and youths/children.
"
Elaborating on my point. Most of the people on this blog are either Generation X or after with a few baby boomers. Our parents are either Baby Boomers or Silent Generation. Can any of us really imagine our parents engaging in the rituals of Babbit-dom? When people still did most of their big shopping downtown and when big, fancy department stores were a mainstay in most cities; going shopping was a big event. People would dress up in suits or dresses and look their best for these trips down town. It was part of the ritual. Can any of us imagine our parents dressing up to do their holiday shopping at the mall? Now most people enter the fanciest stores in much more informal clothing. The last time that people really dressed up in Babbit style was when it was de regieur to wear your best clothing on flights because it was a new experience for most people. This seemed to stop being common in the late 1960s or early 1970s.
The entire look that the middle class was trying to achieve when it dressed up a la Babbit also quickly disappeared after WWII. The men were attempting to appear authoritative and imposing, as people of authority and seriousness. The women were attempting to look alluring and pretty but in an elegant rather than a sultry fashion. Things are more relaxed these days. Even when dressing up, people attempt for a casual appearance and feel than the Babbits and their wives. Last night I attended a jazz concert in San Francisco. Most people were in jeans. This would have scandalized the Babbits of the past.
Simply, the entire Babbit mentality started to disappear for various reasons after WWII when society grew less formal fast. The 1960s delivered the death blow. Even if our society still had Babbit like economics, there would be no Babbits.
On “The Liberal-Radical Relationship”
Than you make do. I have yet to hear single program for enacting radical change that makes sense or seems even slightly likely to work besides "heighten the contradictions."
On “Whither Babbitt?”
I think that the 1960s did more to kill to the Babbit mentality than any sort of growing income inequality that happened after 1980. The great and radical social changes that occurred during the 1960s made the entire Babbit lifestyle hopelessly quant at best or very reactionary at worse. The Baby Boomers, even the conservative ones, simply had no desire for any of the trappings of Babbit's world even if they were prosperous and managed to stay in the same office since they started their careers.
I also think that if the changes of the 1960s were less great than the Babbit mentality would still have disappeared. The erosion started after WWII. Fashion got less formal, civic organizations like the Rotary Club less prominent because of suburbia and other factors, etc.
On “The Liberal-Radical Relationship”
I strongly disagree with the notion that radicals help liberals by making them look moderate. Many conservatives have long opposed the demands of the liberals as being nothing more than a stepping stone towards something more radical.
On “Linky Friday #33”
A couple of years ago, I was walking around the mid-West twenties and saw an add for a formal ball. Women were required to wear gowns and men tails. The entire thing seemed really strange. I also know that some people learn really antiquarian dances and dress up in period custom. I think that a lot of people like getting dressed up really fancy and like a bit of formality but modern society doesn't really allow that many occasions to dress to the nines much. A lot of people find modern clothing a bit lacking.
On “Religious Liberty Means Religious Privilege”
Maybe your right but doing the proper thing to ensure equality on the law sometimes requires things like treating religion as an innate characteristic to prevent things like discrimination based on race, gender, sexual presence, or physical and mental disability. Considering how strongly some people feel about their religious beliefs and that religious groups form communities, its close enough even if it isn't as permanent as race or something else.
"
Michael, my belief is that all commercial establishments should have to accept as a customer anybody who can pay and that the prices should be the same for everyone. I don't believe that any commercial business should be a safe haven for any particular community. A business could cater to a particular community but it can't deny its services to anybody with money. If a scantily clad woman wants to buy meat from kosher butcher fir supper than the kosher butcher must sell her the meat.
"
Christianity is the most widespread and least widespread religion at the same time.
"
See it as the same drive for the desegregation of commercial businesses. On one level you could say why bother when you could go to a business friendly to you. At the same time, it's not the point. People should not be excluded from a business because of an innate characteristic. If they could pay, they should be able to patronize. It's a fight against segregating the LBGT community.
On “Beyond Redemption”
I think that part of what's makes us human is our ability to contemplate whether or not something is moral or immoral, good or bad. These things are present in other animals but not to our extent. Considering that the ability to be moral is one of the things that makes us human than it would be better to be killed by a villain than to be a villain. The villain has made a choice not to follow one of the best parts of being human.
On “Suck on That, Everywhere Else!”
I can't see Gotham as Philly. Philly doesn't have the right reputation. I can see Gotham as Chicago, which kind of has the same reputation but the wrong geographical feel.
I think this is why why Marvel made a wise decision when they decided to use real world geography as much as possible.
"
Where do all the people come from? At lest NJ has enough people to at east theoretically house a major city. Delaware does not.
Placing Metropolis in Delaware makes no sense. The city always had a Mid West feel to it. A city surrounded by prairie.
On “Hacking The Legal Academy”
Japanese courts have a legal backlog that makes our legal backlog look like nothing. Several years ago the Times ran articles as bout the lack of judicial candidates because not many young Japanese people aspire to the bar.
On “The Southern Problem”
Florida is really tacky place besides Key West. I like other parts of the South like Louisville or New Orleans. They just need to be more walkable and have better transit.
"
Appalachia is the only other region besides the South with a really distinct regional identity. A large part of Appalachia is in the South though.
"
I think the problem with Southern pride is that the South has a stronger regional identity than any other part of the United States. We talk about the North East or the West but in every other region local pride is more important than regional pride. I identify as a New Yorker, not as a North Easterner. Southerners seem to identify more by region than locality.
On “A Risk Manager’s Take on Anthony Weiner”
ND, in law school I never heard any gossip of a person being an escort to pay for as school or to even help with payments. I know a lot of professionals and never heard anything like that happening. The sheer amount of studying you need to do and the costs kind of prevent these things.
On “Cultural Institutions in Flux”
Yes, I agree with this. I'm a bit of an antiquarian but I think that a lot of institutions hurt themselves by thinking that they must be modern and up to date to be relevant. A lot of value can be found in the old to and many things are fine the way they are. I like things that are true to themselves.
On “Burning the Stars and Bars, Again.”
Kim, that's why I can't go to rallies and demonstrations. I listen too closely to the speakers and pay too much attention to the signs. I find that I can't keep the constant applause up.
On “Hacking The Legal Academy”
Is the weeding out of students in the bottom third of each year even enforceable? I imagine that a lot of them are going to want a refund, especially if they used loans to pay for their legal education and have to pay them back on a more ordinary salary.
I'm also unsure of the specialty degree. What I do think non-profits law schools should do is focus on preparing their students for less glamorous legal work as ND pointed out happened in the past.
On “Burning the Stars and Bars, Again.”
A lot of people, even if they are intelligent, really don't put to much thought into the things they support. They have enough problems in their life and most people aren't fond of abstract thought. I've talked with people I agree with and still felt a bit ashamed on hoe they reach their conclusions.
"
Confederate leadership was dealt with very gently. Many of them were guilty of treason and could be convicted of such and hanged. Lots of governments, including the United States government, inflicted a lot worse punishment for less. What would have happened if the Confederate leadership was charged with treason?
On “A Risk Manager’s Take on Anthony Weiner”
Russel, see my comments above. There are seemingly a lot of people who like sex so much that they simply get when they can and damn the consequences. I suspect that the number of people who watch porn at work is higher than you think. I've heard a lot of tales of office sex in the legal community that isn't exactly professional. I'm honest enough to admit that I'm a little jealous at the people who can indulge in these things but I also like being in control.
"
One thing that really and constantly surprises me is what people are willing to do to get sex. I keep hearing these stories in the media or among friends in real life and all I can think is about the potential problems that happen after you get caught. Maybe I'm just cautious but I can't bring myself to do these foolish things simply for the possibility of sex.
*Comment archive for non-registered commenters assembled by email address as provided.