Went out dog walking, with an iPod and an excellent book, ready for some excellent sitting-in-the-shade-alone time. The single picnic table was already occupied, so I sat down and made nice. Soon two others arrived, and the three of them got in a conversation. I turned up my iPod, but those cute little earbud speakers don’t seal well enough to keep the stupid out. First was an individual who had paid for his daughter to get an undergrad and a master’s degree in … wait for it … human resources