Beautiful & Fun Things

Ever Present Past

2008-06-18T12:49:00.005+03:00

Here it is again, Paul McCartney's birthday, 18 June. Looks like this is going to be an annual post at BFT BLOG, The Ever Present Past, especially for us Aging Boomers.

This year, let's let Paul, that is Sir Paul do the speaking, in song. Enjoy!

Many Years From Now Is Suddenly Now,

Onward & Upward,
Paula

An Andy Rooney Rap Session

2008-03-28T16:46:00.003+03:00

Do you know who Andy Rooney is? The wry, witty, fuss-budget octogenarian who's been appearing on CBS's 60 Minutes forever? Andy always has a gripe about something and vents his spleen without shame, all the while posing pointed questions about things that probably aggravate many of us. Could it be that this is the reason that Andy's lived to be an octogenarian and is still so with it? I've always identified with Andy. He tends to complain about many of the things that drive me nuts; and I suspect that I'm not the only one. However there's one issue I've never heard him mention.

Everybody's probably seen those Turning Numbers, Security Codes that many web sites for programs have. We all understand that they are a necessary aggravation these days because so many bad guys out there could automatically sign us up for programs that we have absolutely no interest or need for. But why the heck do the majority of them have to be illegible? Yes, many of them have a sound option, but we fuss-budgets prefer to go about our Web business with the speakers off, without unexpected messages blared out at us. From my experience, these turning numbers are graphic files, as opposed to text. One would assume that robots are scanning for text, and can't read any graphic file. So why the *#@ do the security codes have to look like something that a two year old wrote, then put out on the barn yard for the chickens to scratch Anybody know? One final gripe. While writing this post, I typed in andyrooney.com in the browser window only to be diverted to an apparently hard core porn site. On principle, as a strong feminist, I refuse to open such sites. And to add insult to injury, after a little web research, discovered that the owner of the domain name, "andyrooney.com" has rights until November 2010. Really burns me up and I'm sure that if Andy's aware of it, he's none to happy either!

Onward Through the Fog,
Paula

Has It Really Been Almost 40 Years?

2008-03-13T23:54:00.006+02:00

To Woodstock's 40th Anniversary 15 August 2009

Can you believe it? We're coming up on Woodstock's 40th Anniversary.
I sure can't believe it. Weren't we just laughing at our parents' reactions
to some of the songs, if they caught on at all? It was so obvious to us that
their generation had made a total mess of the world and couldn't possibly
understand such a phenomenal event of peace and love. What happened?
We're too young to be this old.

Where were you in August 1969? I was a minor, still in high school, too far
away and broke to have made it there. Even if I'd tried, my parents would have
sent the "Pigs" after me. None the less, had plenty of fun the next couple of
summers at the "Woodstock Spinoffs". But after all this time, can't help but
wonder what the Original Woodstock was like.

Were any of you there? Got any pics or stories to share about Woodstock itself or the era? Let's hear it! And here's a little added fun whether you were there, not yet born, still crawling around, too young or too old. Follow this link to take the Woodstock Trivia Quiz. And let it all hang out!

Peace & Love,
Paula

New Years, Web 2.0 and Business Social Networking

2008-01-29T19:00:00.000+02:00

Wishing all a belated Happy New Year and welcome back to BoomSpress Times. We've finally succeeded in standardizing all formats, making navigation easier for you and updating easier for us.

The New Years well under way, ushering in constant changes in the Web. Don't think I'll ever stop feeling like a newbie. Every time I open email or research an issue there's a new acronym for a new technology; social sites and multiplying like guppies. In any case, here's my take on the current situation.

The Web is well out of infancy now. It's at least middle age, long past the excitement of its adolescence. Since Google's "Slap", the crackdown on spam blogs and sites whose only purpose was to generate ad revenue, the Web must now function as a serious medium. Whether one needs to sell, shop, research or just hang out and rap with friends, we all want readily accessible information without a lot of junk and confusion.

Enter Web 2.0. What the heck is it? Well, after a few searches, the best definition that I've seen is "participatory architecture". Makes a lot of sense when you think about it. The medium is now so vast and ever-changing, people (especially marketers) need to be able to exchange information, that is, participate actively in the building of their goals. The real irony in all of this is the fact that in spite of all of the High Tech that we've developed in the past couple of decades, we're learning more and more by osmosis, constantly absorbing strategies and knowledge from millions of virtual contacts. Will wonders ever cease?

Paula Gaon

At Last, We Find Out What Really Happened At The Hallows

2007-07-19T21:40:00.000+03:00

If you are a Harry Potter Fan, this weekend will mark a monumental event! OK, maybe I exaggerate. But at long last we find out what really happened to Our Hero back in 1980, an event that started the whole chain of events that we Fans just can't get enough of. The seventh and final book of the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows goes on sale this Saturday, 21 July 2007. After more than a few traumas in the past six years, including the loss of two beloved elders--as far as we know, Harry enters adulthood and begins his quest to find out what really happened when he was a babe in arms, an event that will possibly determine whether he lives or dies.

I've read all six books at least twice, and each time have discovered more and more depth to the story. J K Rowling, the author of the series, is truly a genius. She has tapped into the mythologies of world literature and written a timeless story of fantasy and magic that feels so real we can touch it, but still tells the universal, timeless and all too human story of Coming Of Age and Dealing With The Past. I for one plan to enjoy a refreshing break from the keyboard next week, and run with Harry to his final boyhood adventure. See you there!

Onward & Upward,
~Paula

Dance Tonight And Keep On Dancing...

2007-06-18T14:21:00.000+03:00

Well, here it is again, another Paul McCartney Birthday Post. This year, I thought for sure I'd give it up--really how much can you write about someone's birthday. But, in true McCartney fashion, make that Sir Paul McCartney, there's continuing renewal. Last year, that long-awaited 64th birthday arrived on a sad note with Paul & Heather's estrangement and pending divorce. But thank goodness, this year seems to be another story as the couple are to have a birthday date.

Happy Birthday, Paul
Keep On Doing What You Do Best,
Many, Many, Happy Returns,
And Of course, A Happy Reunion!

Many Year From Now Is Suddenly Now

It Is The Third Of June...

2007-06-03T17:34:00.000+03:00

Today's the Third of June, sleepy, dusty, I'm not in the Delta, how about you? Forty years ago today, singer Bobbie Gentry's fabled and famous Billy Joe McAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge. Did anyone ever discover what they were throwing off the Tallahatchie Bridge?

The First of June marked the 40th anniversary of The Beatles' release of the Sgt. Peppers Album--the beginning of the Summer of Love.

What memories, hey? Wonder if GenX'ers will have these kinds of memories in 2047?

Onward & Upward,
~Paula

The Other First Lady

2007-05-16T21:26:00.000+03:00

Rob & Laura Get Married Again

In keeping with the spirit of "Who's Still Alive and With It" among those we Boomers remember from childhood, I've come across another shining example of a real pacesetter.

We Boomers who were in grade school in the Early 60's certainly remember the Kennedy Era- a young and growing family in the White House, an attractive, educated, fashionable, and spirited First Lady -remember the pics of Jackie Kennedy in a leg cast after a touch football scrimmage with the Kennedy Clan?

TV sitcoms were still the entertainment of the day, but they were already taking on a different character. TV couples were a lot more vivacious and starting to have challenges that Ward and June Cleaver never dreamed of! Just take a look at the above clip from The Dick Van Dyke Show, one of the most popular shows of the 60's. Rob & Laura (Mary Tyler Moore) Petrie are up against a real challenge here--having to get married all over again. But of course they come through with shining colors in true sitcom fashion.

How we did loved Laura, though! She was a perfect lady in Jackie Kennedy-styled tailored suit, pill box hat, pumps and all. She could get goofy, sing, dance, lose her temper, cry, however human she wanted to be, and never come across as a dizzy broad or a staid suburban housewife that was simply an appendage of her wise and wonderful husband. A few years later in the Early 70's, Mary Tyler Moore became the spirited, independent, single (not divorced from Rob, heaven forbid) professional, Mary Richards in her own show, The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Again, Mary was the Woman of the Day, facing life's challenges in an imperfect world that we were finally admitting is imperfect.

So what's The Other First Lady doing now? True to form, she's still active. In the past few years, Mary has been active in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Has testified before the Senate Committee of Governmental Affairs, coming out in favor of stem cell research. Mary herself put it best: "I'm not an actress who can create a character. I play me."

BRAVO! Mary, you know how to be a First Lady.

Mary Tyler Moore Show Reunion

Happy Birthday Kinsey!

2007-05-05T22:06:00.000+03:00

Happy Birthday, Kinsey Millhone!

For us feminist, murder mystery fans, today's a happy day. Sue Grafton's free-thinking, maverick, feminist, private investigator, Kinsey Millhone of the so-called Alphabet Series is celebrating a birthday today. Which one, I'm not quite sure--the series has progressed to 1987, but in reality we're in 2007. Since Kinsey was born in 1950, she's either 38, maybe 37 still, or 57. Frankly, I prefer to stay in the context of the series and keep Kinsey in her late 30's--with fresh memories of childhood traumas and the 70's counter culture. This way, I'm reasonably sure that all of the characters I've come to know and love, many who are well above the trustworthy age of 30, are still alive and well.

Kinsey's a woman after my own heart--she's learned the lessons of the swinging 70's and is coming to terms with the Yuppie ethos. But with all that, she has a mind of her own, and knows how to use it to her advantage--the gal's an inspiration. Just wish that I'd had her focus and determination back in the 80's...

Onward & Upward,
~Paula

Live It Up, Boomers; Live It Up!

2007-05-04T15:32:00.000+03:00

If you tried to give rock and roll another name,
you might call it Chuck Berry. ~John Lennon

For the past few years, all too often when we Boomers tune in the news, we learn that yet another symbol of our Generation has passed on. Come on, we made it through the Sanguine Sixties--political assassinations, Viet Nam, Kent State. Wasn't all this violence over and done with after John's murder in 1980? Guess again... Like previous generations, we're fated to witness the passing of the generation before us--yes the very one with whom we had that proverbial Gap--humm, interesting thought; so where does that leave us now?

In any case, for these past several years, I sometimes feel a little slump when the fact that my mental associates of youth are rapidly disappearing. Where'd the time go? Has it really been more than 40 years since the British Invasion? Has Hendrix been gone almost 37 years already--whew--it wasn't always an easy haul! Come on, really, I don't plan on spending the next 20+ years muddling along and wondering what happened.

So, to stave off Alzheimer's as well as give all us Boomers a lift, decided to surf around to find out who's still with us. And guess what--the man who started it all, even before Elvis was anybody is still with us and going strong--in spite of his 80 years. Chuck Berry gave a concert in Rome just a few days ago, and was in Istanbul back in March! Amazing, hey? The Prime Minister of Rock & Roll, the man who got it all rolling is still doing it--'till 120, Chuck, 'till 120.

Follow this link to read more...

Rock On, Boomers, Live It Up!
~Paula

What Goes Around Comes Around...

2007-04-10T18:39:00.000+03:00

My friends at Aging Hipsters have done it again--brought us BabyBoomers a real Warm Fuzzy--awsome; take a look and enjoy!

Big Brother & The Message Of Our Medium

2007-04-06T15:36:00.000+03:00

Remember the fears we Baby Boomers had back in the 60's and 70's about Big Brother's watching us? And how many of us had to read Marshall McLuhan's The Medium Is The Message during our college careers? Then Ralph Nader, American's toughest customer, came along to defend us against the evils and greed of cooperate America--remember Unsafe at Any Speed? My goodness, weren't we in a tither--guarding our privacy and lives as well as our precious psyches against the bombardment of subliminal messages and cooperate greed.

Enter the Internet, a medium well beyond Mr McLuhan's (1911-1980) imagination. What indeed is the message of this vast medium? One can do everything from surfing porno to getting religion. Great numbers of us Baby Boomers are involved in E commerce--some claiming fame and fortune others yelling bust.

But hold your virtual horses. Back in 2001, Mr Nader tossed his consumer watch dog hat into the e commerce ring. He went so far as to call for the formation of a new World Consumer Protection Organization (WCPO) whose functions would include guarding online privacy, intellectual property rights, and Internet governance. After a cursory Google search, I found no evidence that WCPO has become reality; and in my humble opinion, such an entity is not likely to ever exist. Really, if governments can't agree on what to do about major issues such as global warming, can we expect international regulation of the Internet? Granted, since 2001 laws have been passed against spam, the scourge of the Web; more and more e merchants are claiming to be hack proof; and most of us feel more secure about our "privacy"-i.e. it's close to impossible to steal credit card numbers during transactions. But let's face it, there'll always be a few bad guys ahead of the system.

Frankly, I've decided that the Internet is the New Industrial Revolution--And Beyond! Most of us agree that by and large, we benefited from the First Industrial Revolution--if only to be freed from backbreaking and tedious labor. Granted, we had to come to terms with protecting ourselves from poisons in our food and auto companies who calculated our lives against their quarterly profits, not to mention sometimes suffering the interference of heavy-handed government agencies.

As an aging Baby Boomer who in all likelihood has to worry about funding a decent retirement, and covering medical expenses, I'm prepared to give the Internet the relative freedom that businesses enjoyed during the First Industrial Revolution. Nobody's going to get crushed and burned during a computer crash, nor can one ingest or inhale toxins while engaging in E commerce. We Boomers who grew up with television and all the advertisements for those miracle products that would give dogs shiny coats and make everyone blond and beautiful should have enough sense not to believe in one-week millionaires--but, we can always hope... Can you imagine the nightmare of bureaucracy that one would have to suffer if world governments all got a hand in what one must or mustn't do just to open up an email account? I shutter at some of the possible scenarios--waiting in a virtual line for this number or that certification. No, no! For now, let's get used to using our heads, hooking up with others to get the score, making our own decisions and leave the Internet's relative unregulated state as is. For many of us Boomers, it's a last ditch chance at a measure of financial independence. So for now, please, Let It Be...

Onward & Upward,

~Paula

Free Hugs

2007-02-18T09:30:00.000+02:00

A couple of months ago, a friend sent me the link to You Tube's Free Hugs clip. Of course as an aging Boomer, I quickly forgot it. But, like my friend at Aging Hipsters,
Free Hugs popped back into the conscious memory, and voila--here it is on BFT.

It's hard to believe in these days of lawsuits, Politically Correct, fear of sexual harassment and all the other complicated issues that scramble our aging Boomer brains, that such a blast from the past could really happen and even gain grassroots support. Can you believe it?

The more things change, the more they stay the same. I dare any Boomer who remembers the 70's to not choke up at this clip.

Dig this story? Then create your own custom apparel & gift items.

It's all the same...
~Paula

On With The Dream-February, Short & Sweet

2007-02-08T16:54:00.000+02:00

February's always been one of my favorite months, although nothing beats June and July. But think about it. Sun is in Aquarius most of the month, a nice, intellectual air sign, putting Sun at a very comfortable angle for us Libras and Geminis. All the holiday hype is definitely over. February's holidays are quiet and low key--Valentine's Day--a little chocolate, maybe some flowers. Presidents Day--we Baby Boomer kids cut out silhouettes of George and Honest Abe, read a few stories to instill a bit more patriotism; and in later years, Black History Month--more stories and history, but at least another diversion from the beaten path. And last but now least, Ground Hog's Day reminded us that Spring Break was just around the corner!

Most of us don't get a Spring Break anymore, but chocolate still tastes good in the February cold, and it's sort of fun thinking about wearing light weight clothing again--really they're making winter clothing heavier and heavier every year!

Onward & Upward,
~Paula

Be Who You Are And Say What You Feel, But Don't Mess With Dr Seuss's Lawyers!

2006-12-26T23:52:00.000+02:00

Many of us BabyBoomers grew up, learned to read, or read to our younger sibblings with Dr Suess's books. How we loved that rascal, The Cat In The Hat, and split out sides at the idea of eating Green Eggs and Ham. Even back then, I suspected that Dr Seuss was inciting a rebellious generation. After all, who else among the then Older Generation was telling us to "Be Who You Are & Say What You Feel..."?

But guess what! We Boomers who have a creative bent dare not try to use a Dr Suess's quote on any product that we intend to market--try it and you'll hear from a representative of the international law firm that represents our Hero's estate. These folks pull out some big guns--won't even discuss licensing possibilities! Sort of ironical, isn't it? But they do matter, without a doubt! Believe me, they meant what they said and they said what they meant!

A Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year To All,

~Paula

Rockin' Boomers

2006-12-21T15:52:00.000+02:00

We just don't give up, do we? Friends at Aging Hipsters recently ran an interesting article about us Boomers and our music tastes with an invitation to post comments on our most recent aquisitions. It's not surprising to learn that many of us are still rocking out--some with iPods, and some who don't like to close themselves off and listen preferring to rock out in the more traditional ways. High Tech, of course, has made an impact with the added ability to download tunes from the Web.

Take a look at the article, "Do Boomers Still Dig Rock & Roll Music? What's on Your iPod?" to get the scoop.

One of the most famous and perhaps infamous of our generation, Cat Stevens, now known as Yusuf Islam, is making a comeback to the music scene. After converting to Islam in 1977, donating his guitars to charity, and walking away from the world of pop culture, Cat/Yusuf has returned to pop music. It's not at all surprising that his son was actually the catalyst--Remember Cat's Father & Son Song? Check out the interview that Cat recently gave to CBS. Whatever his alleged connections to terrorism may be, the Cat/Yusuf claims to be looking for that "middle ground, where we all live". Funny, all these years I've always had a feeling this day would come.

Do we dare hope for a reasonable balance of religious forces in the New Year?

Onward Through the Fog,
~Paula

Ain't LOVE Grand?

2006-11-26T11:01:00.000+02:00

Pics From LOVE's Opening Night

Ain't LOVE grand?!--and cyberspace too. Those of us who are lamenting the fact the we don't have the bread, time, or means to get to Vegas to see LOVE can at least enjoy something of this fantastic show! Follow the above link to see 10 great pics.

Peace,

~Paula

Return To Strawberry Fields With LOVE

2006-11-21T23:23:00.000+02:00

Here it is, finally!! That long awaited Beatles' Reunion. LOVE , even if it's not really all we aging Boomers need (The bread to see LOVE would be nice!) it's exactly what we need now! Cirque du Soleil's production and virtual Beatle "Reunion" has opened at Las Vegas' Mirage. Overwhelming! When the Fab Four first hit the American shores, the technonogy used to produce LOVE was still science fiction. And, those Gen Xers dancing around the stage weren't even a gleam in their fathers' eyes. It doesn't really matter. I still discover Beatle lyrics again and again and wonder how I loved them so much then and continue to rediscover their depth now. George Harrison must have had a small measure of prophecy when he said that the Beatles would exist without them!

See You Down The Long And Winding Road,

~Paula

Bread Cast Upon The Waters

2006-10-16T16:35:00.000+02:00

Many years ago (more than I like to think) I was an often times hungry graduate student in a church supported university. Every day, upon entering the beautifully hewn portals of the art complex, my eyes would slide across the Biblical quotation, "Cast your bread upon the waters…" The self-made millionaire who'd donated the money to build the complex, and of course whose name it bore claimed that living by this verse earned him millions. At the time, I had a hard time understanding the whole idea of throwing bread out at all! Sometimes a quarter would be the deciding factor between an afternoon sandwich or not.

However, as the years have passed and I've learned to think in much less literal terms, reached young adulthood at the beginning of the high tech era, and am approaching old age in its full flowering, I'm beginning to understand what the old guy meant. Many of us Baby Boomers who entered the job market in the early-mid 70's often found employment a challenge. Our large numbers made competition stiff for so many college-educated young people. Since many of us didn't get into what we intended, we've had checkered careers, jobs scattered here and there. On top of all that the rapid development of high tech made so many of our skills obsolete--ever notice how so many of Gen X can't spell and don't care; they have Spellchecker for goodness sake. So, what's happening now? We Boomers are casting our "bread" upon the "waters" of cyberspace in incredible numbers. High Tech has been transformed from
E-Commerce, to Net Marketing and List Building; you name it.
And who knows where it'll all end?

In any case, after thirty plus years, I finally looked up the entire verse: "Cast your bread upon the waters, for you shall find it in many days." Nice, hey, is that what we called Karma back then? So, as we cast our virtual bread upon the virtual waters, what can we expect to get in return? I find it hard to believe that we'll all end up dot com millionaires as all the marketing ads and schemes promise. The waters of cyberspace are often murky. At least once a day, I'm asking what's the product? What's the service? What am I supposed to do? And did I ever learn the hard way that some of these so-called free services take a dim view of a user with too much initiative; more about that later. But we continue to cast our bread, time, strength, creativity and energy out onto the waters of cyberspace. For what? Some of you out there have probably found your bread. Mine's still trickling in crumb by crumb. But, it's not over till it's over. Waters can be bitter or sweet; bread can be sweet, sour or bland. I have a feeling that returns will be mixed likewise.

Onward & Upward,
~Paula

We All Get By With A Little Help From Our Friends

2006-09-11T00:17:00.000+03:00

Are you familiar with the Blog, Aging Hipsters, one of the best on the Web--especially form us aging hipsters? But surely you Gen X folks must enjoy our Baby Boomer tales. In any case, the editors of Aging Hipsters were kind enough to give me a link on their Blog; and I've gotten more than a few referrals from them. Thanks, Guys--really appreciate it! These folks have an interesting story to tell; take a look.

Speaking of help and friends; today marks the fifth anniversary of 911--may we never know such tragedy again. None of us will ever forget the horror of those images on the TV screen. But hey, it made us realize the triviality of so much of our day to day lives, and how fleeting a nice and comfy situation can be.

May random acts of kindness abound,
~Paula

Gleanings...

2006-08-01T21:57:00.000+03:00

In this age of mega-mass media, information is constantly bombarding us. I sometimes wonder if we remembered more when we were exposed to less.

Recently, I've come across some priceless quotes; even managed to remember them long enough to commit them to writing:

"If you kill all of the predators, the weak will eat us alive."
~Mr. Cosey, character in Toni Morrison's novel, Love

Humm...how do we know who the predators are? Maybe all of them have already been killed.

"You can live with anything if you have what you can't live without."
~Mr Cosey, character in Toni Morrison's novel, Love

Could this really be true? Some things I thought I couldn't live without became quite disposable when a given situation became unbearable.

How does one tell the difference between hard work, diligence, persistence, consistency, and whipping a dead horse.
~This just popped into my head, but I know I've hear it somewhere.

Maybe quitters aren't really quitters--they just know when to go look for a viable horse--better not to hang around too long and get eaten by the weak or the predators.

I know this all ties in somehow; and the connection will hit me later.

'Till then, or something else,
~Paula

Lighten Up

2006-07-19T23:42:00.000+03:00

So lighten up, already... How many people are still mad at Herbert Hoover?

Traitors Among Us?

2006-07-18T14:19:00.000+03:00

Paul McCartney celebrated his 64th birthday in good time--not a lot of fanfare, but we Baby Boomers did take note. The whole thing was rather bittersweet. Paul is a true marker of our Generation, versatile, accomplished artist and highly successful to boot, but nonetheless a romantic. I heard a news report on Paul's birthday that he admitted feelings of sadness on his 64th birthday--not that I blame him. It is a cruel irony that such an accomplished person also falls victim to the nasty stuff that Life can hand out. As another great of our Generation said. "Everybody must get stoned"--and I don't mean the weed.

Another famous guy has also celebrated a birthday recently--none other than President Bush. George W. has turned 60, making him, by most opinions, a Baby Boomer. Interesting thing though, there are those of our Generation that don't want to include Baby Bush in our numbers. Weren't we the Generation that was going to make a big difference in the world, make it all better, bring justice to the world, etc.? Frankly, I don't trust any politician any farther than I can throw an elephant, or a donkey for that matter. As a Baby Boomer who's past the half century mark and closer to 60 than I'd like to admit, I've experienced, seen and done enough to have come to the conclusion that the average guy or gal (even more so) is more often than not kicked or stomped. We Boomers still find it painful to admit this fact; we so badly wanted to right the world and have one big happy family--guess again.

Below is a snippet from one of my favorite Blogs, Aging Hipsters. A recent post laments the fact that Baby Bush, by most counts, is one of our Generation (Follow link below, opens in new window, to read the entire post.)

"… No, not Bush, his 60th birthday. Confronted with the stark reality that this man is actually a member of the Baby Boomer Generation I shuddered, retched slightly…
Back then, we fought "The Man" and recognized "The Establishment" as the enemy. I guess we knew there were spies among us, but the battle front was drawn mostly along generational lines, so we ignored the rare exceptions. How foolish that was!
Thirty years later we have a generational Tory (and his right-wing Tory militia) running our country. Geeze, couldn't we have introduced George and Karl to Alice B. Toklas' brownie recipe back in 1969?"

I don't know about this. Wish that life had been and still were so simple. From my experience as a college student in the Southwest/Bible Belt, the lines were never that clear. Yes, we all looked and sounded much the same, but I soon learned that a scratch below the surface still revealed a lot more information. I'll never forget discovering that "Mr. Young Republican/Re-elect The President (Nixon)" was the biggest dealer on campus for whatever high one wanted. And many of those cool hippies that smoked, toked, got down and wolfed down Alice B. Toklas brownies were George Wallace supporters. Even back then I would have bet my last brownie that their white robes and pointed hoods were stashed away in their closets.

Baby Bush a Tory? I don't know about that. In my humble opinion, he's just being what he is. Our generation was not hallmarked by its fidelity. What was Free Love all about? From my experience, most of us couldn't deal with it anyway. It may not be pleasant for us to admit, but with all our noise and goings-on, we couldn't and still can't change human nature. Remember David Hapgood's 1974 book,The Screwing of the Average Man, how the rich get richer and the poor get poorer? We Boomers are no more willing than members of the "Establishment" of our Generation to give up any measure of power or control. Think back to '73-'74: oil crisis, energy shortage, and slumping economy. How many of us well educated (better than any previous generation) were happy about being relegated to jobs way below our expectations? Didn't we see that as a loss of control and power--selling cosmetics at a drugstore counter instead of designing the labels? I would surmise that George Bush is not so different from the rest of our Generation or any generation. He just had the good fortune to have been born to money and power (Them that’s got the gold make the rules), and like most among us, is not giving up anything that he doesn't have to.

Onward & Upward,

~Paula

Many Years From Now is Suddenly Now...

2006-06-12T14:38:00.000+03:00

"When I get old and losing my hair many years from now..."
~Paul McCartney

Who can believe it? In less than a week, Paul McCartney celebrates his legendary and long awaited 64th birthday, 18 June 2006. (Now please don't ask which birthday I celebrate this year on 9 October, same birthday as John Lennon.)

It's been rough for Paul these past few years--brings back the heartbreak of Linda's loss--Paul's wife, companion and friend of 30 years. I'd always dreamed of them having a big party and Linda presenting Paul with that "Bottle of Wine", "Birthday Greeting", maybe even a "Valentine". Guess some of our dreams just aren't meant to come to true... In any case, Happy Birthday, Paul, many, many happy returns. Hope you come acoss my virtual "Birthday Greeting", "Bottle of Wine" & "Valentine" out there in CyberSpace, and totally enjoy.

Still Love You,
~Paula

Congratulations, Class of 2006

2006-05-29T15:19:00.000+03:00

Greetings, Cyber Friends,

How's it going? Summer's here for many of us. That means hot weather, maybe some vacation trips, at least a few jaunts to the beach or the lake. This time of year is characterized most by graduations from kindergarten to post grad. Makes one feel a bit nostalgic, doesn't it? It occurred to me the other day how much history has repeated itself in the past 30+ years. We Baby Boomers who graduated high school in the early 70's certainly remember the Anti-War movement of our time. Then, just as we got out of college, the Oil Embargo and soaring gas prices hit us--made getting those first jobs tough. Many of us were very disappointed after graduation. We'd grown up during the prosperity of the 60's, and had the virtues of higher education beat into our heads daily. However, so many of us young educated hit the job market at the same time, during an economic downturn on top of our numbers…It doesn't take a Rhodes' Scholar to get the picture. More than once I've regretted not just going for technical training or career military.

Whatever, (as Archie used to say) we Boomers have done our damage and the senior members of our generation are heading out to retirement. So with all that BFT wishes The Class of 2006 all the very best, success, prosperity, happiness, and all that groovy stuff. And take it from an "Old Timer", find your passion, and follow your own gut! There's always a price to pay no matter what you choose.

Onward & Upward,

~Paula