It's Still Happening

   Tonight I went to the fourth in a series of talks by Gary Hoover on the History of Enterprise. I've been to three of the for, and I can't say how impressed I have been with his treasure trove of knowledge and his passion for sharing history as a tool for making the future better. I think that the original plan was to be about an hour, but that's gone by the wayside. Tonight's went nearer to 100 minutes. Mr. Hoover is an asset in any of the many circles in which he walks. Check out past talks on the Big 3 Automakers., airlines, and film (video on the last seems to be down). Coming in June, a history of computer makers!
    Awesome as it was, the defining moment of the evening was on the way out, as I was talking to a pair of MBA students. The conversation nearly ground to a halt when one of them (not the blonde) said "It's amazing how that's all, like, happening right now, too." For a long, awkward moment, I hoped that this was a joke, but it wasn't. By her silence, I think the blonde saw the ignorance of the statement as I did. To end the moment and allow us to move on down the sidewalk, I said, "Yeah, I think you're right" and proceeded to be sure to NOT mention that I'm a history teacher. I think that I then mentioned how Amazon is still only the 25th or so largest retailer in the country. And we talked forgettably until I peeled off to head to my car.
    Really, now, UT. Is this the quality of grad student that you're accepting? I couldn't help but think "Exactly what strings did her dad pull to get her into McCombs?" Upon reflection, I really do hope that that thought isn't far off the mark, because if she is an average MBA student at one of the better business schools, then our country is headed in a bad, bad direction.