So while I’m at Sears, buying my air conpressor, I tell the young clerk that this is a birthday present to me. He tells me that his sister’s birthday is also next week. “Oh, so she’s a Pisces too,” I says. Then I add, “Ya know who else is a Pisces? Mario Andretti, whose birthday is February 28.” At this point, the kid looks at me and says, “Who’s Mario Andretti?” I explained but it was painful.
I’m surprised he didn’t ask what a Pisces is as well… and to answer your question, yes…the world is getting stupid. It is my opinion that we are getting to the point that the gene pool could use a little chlorine…
later all Gerry
P.S. Happy Birthday …mine was the 8th
Both!!!
Happy Birthday, Joe!
-Kevin.
So, who is Mario Andretti?
Joe, you are just getting old.
When I was a youngster, fresh out of high school, two weeks ago… I happened to be at the Unlimited Hydroplane races on Lake Couer D’ Alene, Idaho. Well, ok, maybe it was more than two weeks ago…
Anyway, there was a chop on the water such that the boats were not safe at speed, so to keep the crowd entertained, this young feller, Mario Andretti, did aerobatics in his P-38 over the lake in front of the crowd.
Wowser!
Haha my wife and I was just talking about that. Shes a school teacher. Its amazing how stupid and crazy people are today. I see it all the time at work.
Our younger generation have no social skills and are clueless. I think that can be blamed on video games, cell phones, etc… Kids today are being shuffled from one activity to the other and never have the time to actually be kids and think for themselves.
Makes you wonder if its all the medication that people are on is another factor.
God, Steve, unlimited hydros! Racing boats were my first love (outdoors, away from my trains) and I actually belonged to the Niagara Frontier Boat Racing Assn. which still exists. Anyway, a bunch of Western New Yorkers got all worked up and bought a used unlimited, possibly an old “Oh Boy, Oberto,” which Bob Schroeder drove. Never did much, mostly because it was old and Allison, versus Rolls-Merlin, powered. I loved to see the unlimiteds and all the other boats run on the Niagara River. The sound of those huge engines and the sight of those incredible rooster tails is something I’ll never forget.
BTW, a few months ago when I got to reminiscing over the racing boats of my youth, I learned that all the stuff I watched race is now considered vintage. Sure the new boats are incredible, but they don’t seem very romantic. Plus I doubt if these guys drink, whereas I could tell you about a pre-race party in New Martinsville, West Virginia, where a certain person got so ripped on Irish whiskey that he had a hangover lasting the entire weekend.
Don’t feel left out Joe. We are getting old and the world is getting stupid.
Honest answer(s)?
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Yer old. When you were the clerk’s age would you have known who (or what) Dan Patch was?
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The world probably ISN’T getting “stupid” so much as: There are a gazillion more things to know now, it’s hard to keep up on everything, and your idea of what’s ‘important’ to memorize may not be someone elses -AND- Thanks to the 'net you also get to HEAR about a lot more stupid people than you used to.
As for calling the world “stupid” maybe the real question is; Are we getting more opinionated, doctrinaire and self-centered? Maybe. After all, it used to be that if you were too far “out there” you had trouble finding anybody who agreed with you, now they are a mouse click away. 
dieseldude . said:
Both!!!
Happy Birthday, Joe!
-Kevin.
Zackly what I was going to say.
Ah - Mario Andretti. Great driver, as was Emmerson Fitipaldi and a host of others from that era. Reminds me of a funny story;
In the 70’s Marilyn and I worked as Paddock Marshals at Watkins Glen NY for the US Grand Prix. Marilyn had charge of the auto gate at one race. Jackie Stewart had left his credentials behind and plead with her in his best Scottish accent 'don’t 'cha know how I am girl?". Marilyn replied something like ‘of course I know who you are; but even the Pope isn’t getting in here without credentials!’
The unlimited Hydros are coming back to Coeur d’ Alene lake this labor day weekend.
Hehe! Typical these days Joe.
You think not knowing Mario was bad…!?! I went into a Staples and asked the clerk if they had any ink blotters. Now I would expect maybe they might not carry them anymore but this guy didn’t even have the slightest idea what I was talking about and he was at least in his forties. Definitely not a kid.
I’m scared now to shop for some new bridle buttons for my surrey harness. hehe!
Or maybe some fine new stainless ware with USN initials. :o 
Is this the wrong time to ask for a pony?
You’re just getting old. So am I. Don’t 'spect you have any idea who Franz Liszt is? He’s been dead a looong time.
Please Joe, you could have said it was Sebastian Vettels Bday and gotten the same blank stupid stare back…auto racers are about as well known in the US as quantum physicists.
PS if you read this with a blank stupid stare…Sebastian Vettel is the current World Formula 1 champ
…3 years in row now.
So many comments, so much to say. First, thanks all for the happy birthday wishes. Makes me feel like I’m part of one, big, happy family. No, strike the family part. Based on my wife and my familial relationships, I’ll stick to what I once told the supermarket clerk who asked if we were going to celebrate Thanksgiving with our family. I said, “All of our relatives are either dead or in rehab.” So let’s just say that on this here site, we’re all “good friends.”
About the heading of my post, I should have said, “Uninformed,” instead of “Stupid.” Uninformed means you’re out of touch with the world’s happenings, past and present. Age has nothing to do with it. Back at Road & Track, our associate art director, who’s at least half my age, knew more about old racing drivers, tracks, and events than I ever did. Bert has a mind like a sponge and just sops up everything. And he does a mean impression of the Loch Monster skit on South Park (ask McCown to explain it), complete with dialect.
Vic and others: I agree, NASCAR excepted, the average American knows dang little about auto racing. And the newspapers don’t help either. Down here, where the Long Beach Grand Prix is a big deal, the LA Times devotes less time to it than it does to say, golf. And to think that back in the day when Otis Chandler, a super, car guy and boy racer with a multi-million dollar car collection, was publisher, The Times used to sponsor the Riverside GP.
Jon: Yeah, the Glen. Had some great times there and often got soaking wet or freezing cold (or both) back in the day. I have stories…
Mik: I don’t know how old you think I am, but when I was that young clerk’s age (about 25, I reckon) Dan Patch had been dead for more than 40 years and my folks weren’t exactly race track touts. Plus when Dan Patch was king, the automobile was in its infancy and not that common, compared to the post war era when racing began its upward arc. And events like the Kentucky Derby aside, the Indy 500 is still the biggest “sports” event in the world.
I think the keyword, which I think somebody touched on, is inquisitiveness–the “why” or “how come?” part of life. Most of us on this site seem to have that gene, but then, we’re special, right? As for Mario’s fame, when a guy wins as many races in so many places (but never at Indy) in so many different’s cars including Formula 1 racers (he’s America’s only surviving F1 World Champion), you’d think most people would know who he is. Ya can even Google him on the internet!
Tom: Sorry to disappoint you but I do know who Franz Liszt is.
Finally (Whew, the boy do go on!): No David, it’s not the wrong time to ask for a pony–red, with polished mags, and PDK stick shift automatic gearbox.
Ummmm, who are you all talking about???
What was the question?
Joe Rusz said:
What was the question?
Joe, i’m not sure, but I believe the answer is ““cherry pie””…
Joe.
I used Dan Patch because it was an easy reference, but you’re STILL talking about SEARS…
You know, the place where whatever is on sale this month just happens to be what’s wrong with your car - even if it’s running fine and you’re just there to get a new battery and wiper blades before winter sets in. And it doesn’t MATTER if says "Craftsman’ and “Sears, Roebuck & Co” in nice bold shiny letters on the tag, if it ain’t in their computer database, they NEVER sold it …
And for what they pay, you’re probably lucky the clerk could tie his own shoes. He sure couldn’t afford to BUY them there without his employee discount
Joe Rusz said:
About the heading of my post, I should have said, “Uninformed,” instead of “Stupid.”
Nah, its the right word, and certainly makes the Darwin Awards interesting…
(http://nekneeraj.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/633620163389800242-stupidpeoplerule.jpg)
PS I have to chuckle at whoever did the above pic, if you see it too, you too will get a chuckle.
(http://weknowmemes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/im-not-saying-lets-kill-all-the-stupid-people.png)
