SHOW NOTES: It seems as if civilization, especially the arts, are in decline. Famed authors are "mailing it in" (or really writing to try to sell a screenplay, not a book). Laugh tracks have to remind us when the writers think something is funny, but otherwise it isn't. Quiz shows, talk shows, news shows all seem out of the same mold, which is 50 years old. No newscaster ever says to a politician being interviewed, "But you didn't answer my question. It was a 'yes or no' question." Despite the decline, athletes, celebrities, news anchors, and politicians receive obscene salaries, endorsements, and benefits. We seem to have lost our taste, misplaced our judgment. We're receiving pap and being told it's wagyu beef. You might find it easier to be getting around these days. But that might have nothing to do with quality or smarts, but rather just the direction in which society is heading.