Kendall - the dumbing-down (of America or anywhere else) won't stop anytime soon. But there are still opportunities for people who give a shit to prod the young to think and strive, and to connect with the world beyond the end of their nose. And maybe that's all anyone can really hope for - to light a few fires. One way is by insisting on teaching "hard stuff" in school, especially literature; another is to keep traditions such as all the odes of folk music alive. Some of us do it on purpose, and some of us just can't help ourselves. Sic semper....