I had an eighth grade graduation ceremony in Hillside, IL in 1962 . My three daughters had graduation ceremonies (in Des Plaines) in 1987, 1990, and 1993. I feel it important to mark the passage from elementary/middle school to high school.
Your correction of Dennis "Demographers estimate that a little more than 1 billion human beings have died throughout history, but, yeah.", seemed very low to me. I found this with a google search, don't know if it's right... "Not even close. It is estimated that in the 50,000 years of human history, more than 100 billion (in the American sense of billion as a thousand million) human beings have been born. Most estimates run somewhat higher. There are fewer than 8.0 billion alive today."
Simpler for those of us willing to settle for rejecting "one billion" and old enough for Medicare: In elementary school I were taught that the world's population was somewhere in the 2 millions, or else that it had just hit 3 billion. Most of the population was older than me, born 1/3 of the way into the Baby Boom. No way are fewer than half of the people who were alive around, say, 1963 and aged 10-100, and who now would be aged 70-160, still alive.
The Tribune business pricing practice feels criminal to me. I went through the whole negotiate, renegotiate thing for a year or so. Found I could do a deal every time I'd call. Some times a couple of times a week I make the call just to see what they were doing. However, I could also see them changing the rules to add back charges. I got so frustrated, I went to some supervisor with the proposition that we agree to a fair price for the year, something between what I wanted and their annual price. The response was "can't do that". I canceled and haven't looked back. Such a shame after 40 years of paying the cover price.
I had an 8 th grade graduation in the early 1970’s so that tweet is nonsensical. It’s the thinking of someone who does no research but is sure that THEIR experience is EVERYONE’S experience. And I love the fact that 8 th grade graduation is often among a smaller group than a high school graduation.
I graduated in a cap and gown from 8th grade in 1977. It was a nice ceremony and I was happy to participate in it. What I don't get is seeing kids graduate from 5th grade.
I was a Trib subscriber for a while, but got tired of the obscured billing. I tried to lock in a price for a full year to avoid making the call every six months to adjust my rate (no luck with that). After several failures of vacation hold to both stop and resume delivery, I canceled my Trib subscription and picked up a Sun-Times digital subscription. I was pleased to see them merge with Chicago Public Media, and the reporting and editorials are first-rate. Also, Neil Steinberg.
Eric, I'm surprised that you didn't include Steve Goodman's "My Old Man" in your list of "Father songs". He wrote it the week after his dad died, and the pain is evident in his lyrics and voice. I'd also include Dan Fogelburg's "Leader of the Band".
Lots of stories about different rates for the Tribune, Eric how about a discussion of what a fair price should be for all people.
Perhaps a paper/delivery cost and then an online cost. I think their value has gone down as a result of losing a lot of good writers and other folks.
And after a discussion of a “fair” price why not stage a boycott and demand that this fair and consistent pricing be put in place.
This seems to work for gas prices. Charging a different rate for different people with no basis just reeks of bad faith. Why would you trust the Tribune’s content when they seem eager to charge extra costs when they can get away with it? They fit the role of scammer if you ask me.
The whole "charge different prices for the same thing" is more and more prevalent; airfares are another place to see this. It is not a business model that I like, and especially not that it is on the consumer to remedy the situation. In a way it is haggling, but without the drama - which some would say is the fun part.
My North Side parochial grade school in 1967 had a simple graduation ceremony on a closed off street. The caps and gowns made us working-class kids feel like a million bucks. And it was everything you mentioned. Afterwards, my parents (the only guest attendees any kid had) took me to a restaurant for lunch (a rare occasion that I can vividly remember to this day). So I vote "good idea" but with a caveat:
Keep it simple. Avoid the parental urge for big parties (or cash grabs). There will be more poignant opportunities in 4 and 8 years for non-immediate family and friends to celebrate.
And for gosh-sakes, NO kindergarten or middle-school graduations. Ever. That practice should have remained unheard of for so many reasons.
I think Catholic Schools (like mine, in suburban Detroit) made a big deal about 8th grade graduation, because of the "jump' from Catholic grade school to Catholic high school (1st-8th grade Catholic schools). This differed from the pattern of many local public school systems (K-6th [Elementary], 7th-9th [Junior High], then 10th-12th [Senior High). Just a guess, though.
“Golf has a deserved reputation for being a sport of the privileged.” I’m not sure where this assertion came from, but my experience (and data from https://www.ngf.org/) speak otherwise. Around where I live, you can play for as little as $18 (Columbus Park, my de facto club) or as much as $112 (Preserve, including cart). I carry a handicap but don’t get too upset (most of the time) when I shoot poorly largely because of the courses I choose to play and the corresponding attitudes of their “patrons.”
My view on 8th grade graduation would be "sweet but unnecessary." I did not have one in 1962, though my kids a generation later. It was not that long ago, however, when 8th grade was as far as most students went. If you actually made it though high school, you were probably qualified to teach.
I had an 8th grade graduation ceremony in 1972 (Evanston). I recall it being very nice. (By the time I slogged thru three different colleges in five years, I could not have cared less and did not attend the ceremony. My mother, for some reason, was very disappointed.) I think young people enjoy the sense of celebration that they made it through something. Middle school is a tough time for most kids. Finishing it and leaving it behind is something to relish!
I have to admit, I picked the “dog in the sweater” treat as my favorite because I once had an Italian greyhound. Cool dogs. Very quirky.
I had an eighth grade graduation ceremony in Hillside, IL in 1962 . My three daughters had graduation ceremonies (in Des Plaines) in 1987, 1990, and 1993. I feel it important to mark the passage from elementary/middle school to high school.
Your correction of Dennis "Demographers estimate that a little more than 1 billion human beings have died throughout history, but, yeah.", seemed very low to me. I found this with a google search, don't know if it's right... "Not even close. It is estimated that in the 50,000 years of human history, more than 100 billion (in the American sense of billion as a thousand million) human beings have been born. Most estimates run somewhat higher. There are fewer than 8.0 billion alive today."
Simpler for those of us willing to settle for rejecting "one billion" and old enough for Medicare: In elementary school I were taught that the world's population was somewhere in the 2 millions, or else that it had just hit 3 billion. Most of the population was older than me, born 1/3 of the way into the Baby Boom. No way are fewer than half of the people who were alive around, say, 1963 and aged 10-100, and who now would be aged 70-160, still alive.
Yeah, that was a typo and I fixed it for the online PP Thanks.
100 billion! That's a lot of compost!
The Tribune business pricing practice feels criminal to me. I went through the whole negotiate, renegotiate thing for a year or so. Found I could do a deal every time I'd call. Some times a couple of times a week I make the call just to see what they were doing. However, I could also see them changing the rules to add back charges. I got so frustrated, I went to some supervisor with the proposition that we agree to a fair price for the year, something between what I wanted and their annual price. The response was "can't do that". I canceled and haven't looked back. Such a shame after 40 years of paying the cover price.
I had an 8 th grade graduation in the early 1970’s so that tweet is nonsensical. It’s the thinking of someone who does no research but is sure that THEIR experience is EVERYONE’S experience. And I love the fact that 8 th grade graduation is often among a smaller group than a high school graduation.
I graduated in a cap and gown from 8th grade in 1977. It was a nice ceremony and I was happy to participate in it. What I don't get is seeing kids graduate from 5th grade.
I don't remember a junior high graduation ceremony, but we were given certificates.
Both of my daughters had what are now called 8th grade promotion ceremonies.
"In the 80s we didn't "graduate" from 8th grade. That was some shit the
90s started."
I had an 8th grade graduation in 1965.
Also, I don't get the Canada/New York thing.
Wildfires, I think…
Oh, that's what it is. I had no idea either. :)
I was a Trib subscriber for a while, but got tired of the obscured billing. I tried to lock in a price for a full year to avoid making the call every six months to adjust my rate (no luck with that). After several failures of vacation hold to both stop and resume delivery, I canceled my Trib subscription and picked up a Sun-Times digital subscription. I was pleased to see them merge with Chicago Public Media, and the reporting and editorials are first-rate. Also, Neil Steinberg.
Eric, I'm surprised that you didn't include Steve Goodman's "My Old Man" in your list of "Father songs". He wrote it the week after his dad died, and the pain is evident in his lyrics and voice. I'd also include Dan Fogelburg's "Leader of the Band".
Love “Leader of the Band”
Lots of stories about different rates for the Tribune, Eric how about a discussion of what a fair price should be for all people.
Perhaps a paper/delivery cost and then an online cost. I think their value has gone down as a result of losing a lot of good writers and other folks.
And after a discussion of a “fair” price why not stage a boycott and demand that this fair and consistent pricing be put in place.
This seems to work for gas prices. Charging a different rate for different people with no basis just reeks of bad faith. Why would you trust the Tribune’s content when they seem eager to charge extra costs when they can get away with it? They fit the role of scammer if you ask me.
The whole "charge different prices for the same thing" is more and more prevalent; airfares are another place to see this. It is not a business model that I like, and especially not that it is on the consumer to remedy the situation. In a way it is haggling, but without the drama - which some would say is the fun part.
My North Side parochial grade school in 1967 had a simple graduation ceremony on a closed off street. The caps and gowns made us working-class kids feel like a million bucks. And it was everything you mentioned. Afterwards, my parents (the only guest attendees any kid had) took me to a restaurant for lunch (a rare occasion that I can vividly remember to this day). So I vote "good idea" but with a caveat:
Keep it simple. Avoid the parental urge for big parties (or cash grabs). There will be more poignant opportunities in 4 and 8 years for non-immediate family and friends to celebrate.
And for gosh-sakes, NO kindergarten or middle-school graduations. Ever. That practice should have remained unheard of for so many reasons.
I think Catholic Schools (like mine, in suburban Detroit) made a big deal about 8th grade graduation, because of the "jump' from Catholic grade school to Catholic high school (1st-8th grade Catholic schools). This differed from the pattern of many local public school systems (K-6th [Elementary], 7th-9th [Junior High], then 10th-12th [Senior High). Just a guess, though.
“Golf has a deserved reputation for being a sport of the privileged.” I’m not sure where this assertion came from, but my experience (and data from https://www.ngf.org/) speak otherwise. Around where I live, you can play for as little as $18 (Columbus Park, my de facto club) or as much as $112 (Preserve, including cart). I carry a handicap but don’t get too upset (most of the time) when I shoot poorly largely because of the courses I choose to play and the corresponding attitudes of their “patrons.”
My view on 8th grade graduation would be "sweet but unnecessary." I did not have one in 1962, though my kids a generation later. It was not that long ago, however, when 8th grade was as far as most students went. If you actually made it though high school, you were probably qualified to teach.
I had an 8th grade graduation from public school in Chicago in 1969. As I recall, parochial schools also had them.
I had an 8th grade graduation ceremony in 1972 (Evanston). I recall it being very nice. (By the time I slogged thru three different colleges in five years, I could not have cared less and did not attend the ceremony. My mother, for some reason, was very disappointed.) I think young people enjoy the sense of celebration that they made it through something. Middle school is a tough time for most kids. Finishing it and leaving it behind is something to relish!