Alpern at Large: Jumping Sharks in Sacramento … or, What Would Fonzie Do?

By: Ken Alpern, Chair
Alpern@MarVista.org  

ALPERN AT LARGE-You remember that famous two-part episode in the old sit-com Happy Days, when Fonzie jumped over a shark in water skis ... and demonstrably proved that an otherwise funny and smart family-oriented comedy series was running out of ideas?  Or is that too far back in the past, back in the 1970's, when obeying the law and living within one's budget was still hip and cool and obvious? 

Oh, my, aren't I dating myself...  So many of the younger and more evolved readers are so much more adept at navigating their way in the 21st Century, and its associated alternative thinking that gets beyond old-fashioned morals, common sense and seeing the big picture.

Especially since the term "1984" is...well...thirty years old! 

Ah yes..."1984" and "Big Brother" and "Groupthink" and "Family Values".  Terms and concepts so passé...so ridiculously old-fashioned.   

I mean, living within one's means, and government accountability and service to others...boy am I living in the past!
 
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Ken Alpern chairs The Transit Coalition and is a LA Westside Village Zone Director and Boardmember of the Mar Vista Community Council. The views expressed in this article are solely those of Mr. Alpern.