Paul Fussell wrote an amusing book titled BAD, Or, The Dumbing of America. I was reminded of it when I picked up the Chicago Tribune's "Red Eye," which is a free paper aimed at that elusive demographic: 18-35 year old white males. I turned to the Jumble and was shocked and appalled to find clues beside each jumble. Clues? For the Jumble? "DITIOS!"

I was also reminded of BAD while at a job interview where they asked me about my GPA. I said, "3.5 or so." And they asked, "Out of 4.0?" I looked at them quizzically and replied "yes, how much did you expect?" And they said, "Oh, many schools now have a 5.0 system, so we always ask." Do you want to laugh or cry?

OK, last one. I was in Oak Park with my cousin Dirk who was visiting from Germany. We got lost looking for Frank Lloyd Wright's studio, so I asked a teenage girl for directions. She said, "Well, you go down this street and then turn that way [gesturing to her left]." I asked, "We're going to turn left?" She repeated the gesture, "Yeah, that way." And it dawned on me, she didn't know left from right. She's probably a 4.0 student... out of how much is anyone's guess.

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