[WITI No. 65] In between books, predicting the future for my kids, Valentine's day related new word, and a horrible anniversary in south Florida (but really, all of America)
Ciao, amici, it’s me, George. Thanks for reading. We might have met online or IRL. Welcome to my weekly exercise, where I ask What Is The Information? Here I usually write about what I’m reading or what audiobook I’m listening to and how to turn that into wisdom I can pass along to my kids. I also write about tax debt here, if that’s how you found me. Sometimes, I share interesting bits from the internet too.
Welcome!
Still on the todo list….
One bit of housekeeping, by the end of February, I plan to purge this list and move to a different newsletter provider. The list I’m maintaining is overflowing with fake subscriptions. If we’ve spoken, you’re safe. If not, leave a comment or drop me a line.
Special thanks to those loyal readers who have checked in, I appreciate it.
There’s a particular irony to this action. When I started this newsletter, I didn’t have many followers, just some friends who were willing to indulge my writing itch. The list of new readers hasn’t grown very large, yet I wrote as if my list was growing and growing. So, I do have to thank the hundreds of fake subscribers who may have gotten this newsletter and though, what in hell is this and why is it in my email box?
Danke Schoen, Salamat, Merci beaucoup, Muchimas Gracias, Muito Obrigago, Grazie, Spacibo, Chukran, Arigato, Kamsamida!
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I’m in between books at the moment. I’m nearly done reading John Kampfner’s Why the Germans Do It Better. Germany, Memories of a Nation by Neil MacGregor was mentioned in Kampfner’s book, so I picked that up too. We’re soon headed to Germany for spring break - so studying up a bit more on Germany makes sense. You might have seen some of my thoughts about higher education and the plans I have for my children. Oof, whenever I think about long-term plans, I think of the old saying…
Man plans, God laughs.
This weekend, I spent more time than I want to admit researching how my children will attend school in Germany. There’s a ton of resources out there. I’ve learned there are nearly free programs, affordable ones and expensive ones which are basically stealth for-profit US programs operating in Germany. We’re still trying to figure it all out.
The US puts too many young kids in a difficult predicament - choose a career at age 18 and bet $100,000 (or way more) to see if you’re right. This is sometimes OK for kids who end up in technical careers like engineering, computer programming, pretty much anything STEM-related but I don’t want my kids to have the flip side of that bet. It’s a ridiculous burden at the start of their career.
Germany isn’t accepting foreign kids for no reason. This is a smart immigration strategy. 70% of foreign students attending university in Germany end up staying there and speak German and they’ll be skilled. Some programs have a sneaky acculturation process where you learn in English for the first three semesters while improving your German, then learn in German for the last four semesters, which suggests you’ll be employable in the German economy.
I haven’t made my mind up about if I’m OK with my children staying in Germany or not. These days video calls make communication a little better - but there’s no replacement for a good old-fashioned hug. I suppose I can jump on a flight to do this - hopefully costs are too prohibitive.
I’ve abandoned How to Live or A Life of Montaigne by Sarah Bakewell. I will have to go back and read it but as you know there are now a couple books ahead of that one.
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Words of the Week: Cockatrice
I discovered this word while researching the Marian Column at the Marienplatz in Munich. The column has four “Putti" at each corner of the column, four separate beasts symbolizing the adversities the city has overcome - a lion representing war, a cockatrice representing pestilence, a dragon representing hunger and a serpent representing heresy.
Find of the Week
It was the four year anniversary of the killings of high school students at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. I encourage you to read to Fred Guttenberg’s thread. After Sandy Hook in 2012, I thought the US would come to its senses about guns, six years later, the mass shooting at the Parkland high school happened. This country has taken a wrong turn on guns and I don’t think we’ll get back on track. If my kids stay in Germany, at least my grandchildren won’t ever have to do active shooter lockdown drill.
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Think I’m crazy to not spend money on an overpriced education? Is your preferred putti, cupid or one of the daemon types? Love guns? Hate my writing? Smash that button below…
And think someone might be interested to hear the opinions of a husband, father, tax debt studier, voracious readers, and continuous writer?
That’s all for now…see you a week
-George
Those kids would be G and Jac’s age. It’s too hard to even think of.