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PANDEMIC HOMESCHOOLING REMEMBRANCE
As I shelved my books, I came across the ones that my grandson Max and I read together during the pandemic (some of which are pictured below). We started with a reading group of Max and some of his friends in the pre-fourth grade initial period in 2020. Then Max and I did fourth grade in the 2020-2021 school year, fifth grade in the 2021-2022 school year, and sixth grade in the 2022-2023 school year. [Logistics prevented his friends from continuing with us.]
Now, as I wait for the final pieces of the apartment puzzle, I have drawn up our complete pandemic homeschooling curricula in Literature and History. On the off chance that others might find it useful, I have placed them in the series of comment spaces below.
[PS: My daughter Cordelia covered mathematics, science, and art; my son-in-law Mike covered non-English language and music.]

ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER DOL—
—DRUM:
A BRIEF YET CIRCUITOUS COMMENTARY ON LAST NIGHT’S REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE DOG-AND-PONY SHOW*
In 1933, the Marx Brothers released their finest film, the politically panoramic Duck Soup, an account of the state of Freedonia. Freedonia is dependent on the deep pockets of the wealthy Mrs. Teasdale (Margaret Dumont) who has come under the spell of the fast- and smooth-talking Rufus T. Firefly (Groucho Marx). A national financial crisis has led Mrs. T. to blackmail the nation into installing Firefly as its ruler, and not a moment too soon, because the rival nation of Sylvania under the leadership of its ambassador Trentino (Louis Calhern) is threatening a Putinesque takeover of Freedonia, to forward which aim Trentino has sent the spies Chicolini (Chico Marx**) and Pinky (Harpo Marx). Firefly is warned of the treachery by his assistant Bob (Zeppo Marx). Chicolini is arrested and put on trial: the Prosecutor (Charles Middleton***) and the ensemble sing and dance their way through the judicial proceedings, after which Chicolini and Pinky defect to Freedonia, just in time to enlist with Firefly in going to war with Sylvania, a war that is cinematically portrayed as the exemplar of the insanity of all wars.
During the trial, Firefly turns to the judges/jurors and says about Chicolini, “Gentlemen, Chicolini here may talk like an idiot, and look like an idiot, but don’t let that fool you—he really is an idiot.”
This is also a succinct way of describing each candidate at last night’s GOP hoedown. Christie, for all his blustering attempt to stand alone in condemnation of Trump, wants us to forget that he endorsed Trump in Trump’s first run and helped him in his second run, having finally discovered what anyone with a modicum of sense would have known from the start, namely that Trump is unfit for any office, even for membership in the human species: expecting Christie to shed his opportunism is like expecting a leopard to change its spots. Haley is equally tainted by having served at the UN for Trump and for having sworn her allegiance to him at an earlier candidate show. DeSantis is limply trying to sell himself as a more effective Trump, while Trump fanboy Ramaswamy is doing his best unhinged Trump on steroids impersonation. Therefore, instead of Duck Soup, one has here Muck Soup.
*[I refuse, as I have said before, to dignify these fiascoes (Republican and Democratic alike) with the sobriquet “debate” lest I be guilty of linguistic and intellective malpractice: if you want to know what a true debate looks like, read accounts of the Lincoln-Douglas debates.]
**[According to Groucho, who should know, the correct pronunciation of the name “Chico Marx” is “Chicko Marx,” not “Cheeko Marx.” His name was meant to signify his predilection for pursuing chicks (i.e., females).]
***[Charles Middleton would go on (three years later) to incarnate Emperor Ming the Merciless of the Planet Mongo in the Flash Gordon serials starring Buster Crabbe.]

This Means War! - Duck Soup (9/10) Movie CLIP (1933) HD Duck Soup movie clips: http://j.mp/1xG3OERBUY THE MOVIE: http://amzn.to/rCYHpQDon't miss the HOTTEST NEW TRAILERS: http://bit.ly/1u2y6prCLIP DESCRIPTION:Just...