Music for your every mood!

Start your week with music.

b5media's Music Channel offers 38 tracks to get you through your Monday.

The selection is vast. The tracks are ones we feel you should hear. Discover music and let us know what we should be checking out. Have fun and welcome to a great selection of music.

Every Monday should start off with some quality Jazz. The Jazz and Blues Lounge is our online authority. Keeping with the jazz era The Good Musician gives us two of the greatest of all time. Finish your third cup of coffee and bring it upbeat a bit with either Pop and listen to some new Nelly & Fergie at Pop Music Scene or download two free metal tracks at Metal Martyr.

From the world of four global music meccas....Jet-set half way around the globe for two must have Aussie tracks at Oz Music Scene. Heading back to the new music mecca of America, Big Apple Music Scene gives you two tracks that should be on every iPod. Down to one of America's strongest indie cultures, Austin Sound Check gives us two tracks that you need to hear. Toronto is a bustling and exciting music scene and Toronto Unplugged gives us two solid, solid tunes.

Our online music resource Our Digital Music lets us in on two key tracks to download. Anything with Dylan is good, but this Rock Dose is the best. Christian Music Fan outlines two tracks within the Christian genre. Ear Sucker always features a wide variety of quality music and these tracks are no different.

After your coffee, enjoy a martini and crank up some good ol' fashioned crooning by blasting these two gems from Crooner Culture. No day is complete without some top notch classic rock - head to the Rock Relic for your rock fix. After the magical mystery ride in rock, float over to New Age Vibe for two favorites. New Age to Industrial Addiction for great cuts from that growing genre. She Plays Music always has the inside track of women in music - here are two solid recommendations. Punk Rock is alive and well! News in Punk features two outstanding punk tracks. Add a little Hippie to your day with these diamonds at Hippie Sounds.

Hope you enjoy the wide array of selections!

This is a sweet little nuthatch who showed up for lunch last weekend. My sister puts food out for all the different songbirds. Her retreat in Wimberley is a popular stop on their migration routes. It was her birthday, so the immediate family had a nice get-together, and I spent the weekend in the Hill Country. A nice break away from the city.

The Good Musician

Image details: ECHO Klassik 2006 served by picapp.com


I've been so busy, I just realized that I have not announced my latest endeavor. I contracted with b5media to blog as The Good Musician. This requires 1-2 posts per day, plus various music channel activities, group posts, et al. Not to belittle the opportunity, the pay is not why I'm doing this. I have a lot of building and connecting to do.

In addition to this disclosure, I'd like to invite you all to visit The Good Musician and send me your reviews, ideas, comments, anything you'd like, as long as it's not rotten tomatoes or worse. You don't even have to be a musician.

I'm happy to accept new CD releases for consideration for reviews. Or if you heard something on the radio and want to investigate further, let me know and I'll try to help.

As soon as I get some posts queued up, I'll be able to post more regularly here at Fried Okra Productions.

Come visit!!

Theraplex: the medical moisturizer

This is a lengthy project completed. A while back, some folks asked me to sample Theraplex, a new medical skin moisturizer--no strings. I've never reviewed a product in FOP, and don't know that I'd want to do it on a regular basis. Over a couple of months, I sampled the four types of products.

I read the brochure, looked at the site, and used each of the four products. The important features for me were

• Do they test on animals? No, or you wouldn't be reading this.
• Do the products live up to their claim of effectiveness? Yes. Each product did exactly what it said it would do, to a greater degree than I expected. Theraplex is hypoallergenic, fragrance-free, and non-comedogenic, which we insist upon as well.
• Is their Web site smoothly navigable for elderbloggers as well as younger users?

The last may have to wait for another post--I'm working on a rubric to (anecdotally) assess elder blogs and sites, plus not-elders wanting to sell, er....communicate with elders. Authenticity is in the top five.

I gulped at the price, but compared to other equally pricey, top-of-the-line skin moisturizers, I was impressed with the Theraplex results. It takes a much smaller amount to get results, though, so it would probably be accurate to say that in this case, you get what you pay for.

There. Not a particularly well-written review, that's true. However, it is an authentic opinion, and over the months this project has been worth pursuing as much for the philosophy of the blogosphere, as for the pure joy and satisfaction of bumping my thinking up a level. Or informal learning, as a group of colleagues would identify this activity. So many possibilities. So many challenges.

Indie book stores

Joared, of Along The Way, recently wrote a wonderful post about books. Are you aware that there is one and only one woman-owned independent book store in the entire state of Texas? Yep, and it's right here in Austin. The store is BookWoman, and it just moved from mere blocks away to North Austin.

In addition to books and assorted eclectic sundries, BookWoman is the place to go for live music, book and poetry readings, and lots of other celebratory activities.

If you're in Austin, I urge you to make BookWoman a regular stop--you'll enjoy the store, and help preserve a vital, independent book store. If you can't be in Austin, order online.

The photo is a view of Panther Canyon, behind Devil's Backbone.

AVAE's American Tapestry concert

The extended drought has severely limited the bluebonnets this year. As you can see from the photo, they're sparse. If we'd had enough rain last fall and winter, the frame would be filled with a deep saturated blue, with contrasting Indian Paintbrushes scattered throughout. They are companion plants, and you won't see one without the other, except perhaps in a drought. Few Mexican Blankets, either.

So what does any of this have to do with Austin Vocal Arts Ensemble, you may ask? Well, some of the best music happens during bluebonnet time, however lush or sparse the blooms. The concert was very satisfying, good crowd, pitch stayed up pretty well, although I hate flatting at all.

A new opportunity presented itself: I've been hired by b5media to blog as The Good Musician, and went live on March 31. I can still write about music on Fried Okra Productions, and am free to publish any post from TGM a month later. You might as well go over to TGM, check it out, give me your ideas, contacts, and critique. I'm open for suggestions--anything having to do with music.

Learning curve on WordPress, I like it. It will take a bit to get up to speed. I'd love to hear about WP tips or advice--anything to fine tune the digital media, it's a frisky pony at present.

Vernal equinox + full moon + maundy thursday

We have achieved springiness. Perfect early spring weather in Texas. We won't get many bluebonnets, due to the winter drought, but I do love me a cool, sunny, blustery day after a good rain kind of Texas spring. I'm also singing with the music director whom I worked with to promote the Texas Bach Festival a few years ago. The festival, also in March, prompted me to write an article which nobody was interested in, but it did paint a picture of exquisite Baroque music resounding in the turbulent, central Texas spring.

We adore the bluebonnets. They represent the most maternal aspect of the Hill Country. A velvety, electric blue blanket flowing over the land. We watch that endless ocean of transform through purple to red through orange to yellow by the time summer heat parches the land.

Some folks from Texas A & M University have an excellent bluebonnet site. Those Aggies are experts in plants, among other things. A children's book, can't remember the name, tells the bluebonnet story of a little girl's sacrifice to save her people. I like both stories.

At the risk of sounding trite, the music I associate with this time of year is Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring." The rawness and frenzy of musical lightning and wind (sturm und drang) is a perfect soundtrack for Texas in the spring. There's the more refined version of the vernal equinox as inspiration--"C'est moi de mai," is one of my favorites from the French Renaissance.

The full moon serves to intensify the forces at work. I'm drenched in psychic energy. My friend Bruce from the Sangha Cafe in Wimberley says this is the second of the "four Maiden Moons of the Triple Goddess cycle. It means whatever you want--except undeniably the lunar energy overflows & you can ride the crest of the wave only if you observe it consciously." Actually he wrote it last month for the first of the MMs, but the overflowing lunar energy is what drenched me today.

Then there was the washing of the feet and the stripping of the altar, accompanied by Schutz, Tallis, and Palestrina, representing the German, English, and Italian Renaissance. A magical day celebrating the renewal of the body and spirit.

SXSWi images

Some of the intriguing glass sculptures in the SE stairwell of the Austin Convention Center. Quite a bit more appealing than the institutional drab of the meeting rooms.

Met some great people, including Rhea of The Boomer Chronicles, and Virginia of First 50 Words. Plus a lot of cool, nice, smart techies.

Yes, I was at the PostSecret session with Mr. Warren, and witnessed the young man sharing his secret with the audience--he proposed to his girlfriend on stage, and to his relief, she accepted. A young woman shared her fear about her sister's illness. This was not your typical SXSWi session. "PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard." The art and the revelations compel you to dig deeper.

The only two sessions I could find on elders and technology were "Over Fifty and Not Dead Yet," targeting enterpreneurs who want to know how to market to us geezers and geezettes. I made a little comment at the end of the session, which resulted in an invitation to one of the "Conversations," a new feature this year. "Your Mom 2.0" slanted toward the usability and design techies. Some interesting discussion there.

I was disappointed that these were the only two this year. I suppose we're not that interesting--either that, or the generational gap is deeper than I thought. The obvious answer to that is to propose more sessions on aging and technology. Anyone game to work on such a presentation?

SxSWi on the horizon

The South by Southwest interactive, film, and music conference is just around the corner. Literally. I live only a mile or two from the Austin Convention Center, where it headquarters every year, so it's on my mind year-round. Of course, it spreads out all over town, especially in the case of music.

I learn a lot at interactive, and I love seeing old friends and making new ones. Each year, more and more graymanes come out, which pleases me no end. This year, Rhea of The Boomer Chronicles will be here, and she's already on my schedule.

Darren from Problogger Tips will be here too. I subscribe to his blog as well, and really should get it up on my bloglog.

Glenda Sims, my accessibility guru at UT once again lends her expertise to Web developers and writers. She slipped me the tip that WordPress is 508 compliant, and no offense to Blogger, but I'm considering switching for that very reason.

Are you coming to SXSWi? If so, let me know, we can plan a meet-up!

Austin: Grackle City USA

Other cities have pigeons. Austin has pigeons, too (wood doves), but our trash bird with pride of place is the Great-tailed Grackle (quiscalus mexicanus). The male is a blackbird with rainbow sheen, and a very long tail. Their song is made up of two sounds--one like a rusty gate, traveling up and down the scale, and the other a "chuck, chuck" single "caw."

The female is smaller, brown, with black wings and tail, no rainbows for her. Also not as vociferous.

Both are considered "trash birds," just as pigeons are. They are deafeningly noisy and nose-wrinkly messy. Huge clouds of them crowd trees, utility poles, wires, anything sturdy enough to hold them up. They love trash cans and garbage dumps. They steal food from the plate of any unsuspecting human who foolishly leaves their food unguarded on a restaurant patio table--which describes most Austin eateries.

The university had a huge sanitation problem with the birds, layers of guano on sidewalks, entry-ways, garbage cans, everywhere. Everyone on campus has been gifted with a plop on the head or shoulders at least once. Critter services couldn't shoot them, so they came up with a loud canon boom thingy that frightened them away. Some faculy/staff put fake owls on their windowsills. Interspersed with church bells, local places of worship broadcast tapes of raptor birds--owls, hawks, etc. in an attempt to keep them from settling. One misbegotten project experimented with covering enclosed spaces with netting. Try not to imagine the inevitable consequences--broken bird families, entangled feet/wings, the horror of it all.

On the other hand, between the squirrels and grackles, we don't have to worry about spilled or littered food. Each and every trash bin is a popular lunch spot for squirrels. They feature private dining, and an eclectic menu, with contributions from the numerous human eating-places. Sidewalks and roads are scooped clean by bird beaks. They remind me of the catfish (hypostomus plecostomus) that clean algae in aquaria.

Clinton/Obama debate by invitation only

Gee. CNN and Univision have teamed up to produce a Clinton/Obama debate on the UT-Austin campus. Citing security reasons, attendance is by invitation only. If that is truly the case, why were the authorities not concerned when Obama attracted 20,000 supporters at an outdoor venue in Austin a year ago?

Half the tickets go to the Texas Democratic Party. The other half to CNN/Univision peoples, the campaigns, and only a few to students, none to the general public. It's turning out to be a media event for the producers, not a debate for the students. If no more students are allowed to attend, then why tout the fact that it's on a university campus? This seems to run contrary to what Clinton and Obama are saying--that they value the youth vote.

I can guarantee, they will both have about 50,000+ really pissed off UT-Austin students. Unfortunately, the candidates will get the blame, rather than CNN/Univision--the MSM calls the shots once again. Bummer.

Elder Human Computer Interface and my 62nd birthday

There is a loverly article in Interactions Vol. 13, No. 6 that deftly and gracefully frames the elder human computer interface opportunity and gives it legs. Aaron Marcus illuminates the galactic brain power of the eldest third of the U.S. population.

If I could distill the essence, it would be "Oldest Humans + thoughtful technology = the National Treasure."

The cross-human communication technology opens a new world of functional design necessary through all the stages of human growth. A tumbling arc, a continuum of age.

I've started a list of hard- and software that I anticipate needing in the future if I am to continue to write and communicate, that's a given. Have you started your lists yet?

Hardware: I want an "Enter" key for my left pinkie. It can occupy one half the space of the Caps Lock key. It's kinda like having the low B attachment with it's just a little further out key for your right pinkie. That way, you can access a body of flute repertoire that appeals to me the most. The Impressionists, the contemporary bloom of composition for the flute.

I had the great pleasure of spending four days with friends in Dallas, reuniting with several whom I have not seen since 1974. What made it extraordinary is that some of it was spent in a friend's recording studio (James Neel Music House) with musicians I used to play and sing with. Got a few tracks laid down before a technical glitch shut down the action. I gave 'em a sample of some backup vocal lines. Looking forward to getting a backup group together. I do love whuppin' up a bluesy girl group in close funky harmony more than anything. Unless it's playing me some Poulenc and Hindemith sonatas, or Cage and Castelnuovo-Tedesco flute duets. Yeah.

So, I need a little key revision on my keyboard. Bear with me while I think ahead...at some point, I may have to add some audio technology, and visually, we pretty well know what we need: uncluttered, clear, intuitive, impeccably organized. Perhaps a style guide for techies of any age that describes best practices in communication among all ages. Hmmm...

One of these days I'd like a decent recording sound on my computer, with some voice transcribing software on board. Before I get too croaky to sing. That'll be a while coming, I expect.

Meme tagged by Kay's Thinking Cap

My pal Kay, over at Kay's Thinking Cap, tagged me with a thought-provoking meme. Here's what she asked:

Name five things in your life now that you never dreamed would be in your future when you were 25 years old.

Well, Kay made such a dynamite list she inspired me to do some digging.

1. When I was twenty-five, I never dreamed that age- and appearance-bias and discrimination was so prevalent, even among my friends and lovers--that anyone could reject me just because my body changed shape--after all, it was my mind that I considered my most important asset.

2. When I was twenty-five, I never dreamed I could ever commit to an addictive relationship that would eventually strip me of my soul, my spirit, my self-worth, and ultimately endanger my mental and physical health, or that it would take twenty-five more years to extricate myself, and another ten to recover.

3. When I was twenty-five, I never dreamed that even though I scorned chauvinism and male domination, it would be years before I finally learned how to break the shackles and become my own woman-self.

4. When I was twenty-five, I never dreamed I would travel the world and sing in wonderful venues, or have so many fascinating adventures abroad.

5. When I was twenty-five, I never dreamed that I would have a natural childbirth at home--a daughter who would grow up to be such a fabulously wonderful woman.

I have to add a sixth: When I was twenty-five, I never dreamed that I would encounter so many paradigm shifts in my life, and question so many basic beliefs--justice, fairness, sense of self-worth, ad infinitum...

Thanks, Kay, I'm going to check out the other women you tagged now!

I'm tagging Cowtown Patty at Texas Trifles, Rhea at the Boomer Chronicles, Pam at Mind Trips, Wintersong, and Dorothy at Boomer Chick: Musings of an Over the Hill Chick.

Koko's recipe for winter evening posole

I haven't messed around with recipes for decades. Haven't followed one for even longer, maybe junior high. I generally make up my own, or wing it. Tonight I made posole, a traditional pre-
Columbian stew, and it was so good I thought I'd share my version.

Some folks cook up dried posole, which is hominy corn that has been processed. I usually get the canned, already cooked version. Grits are ground hominy, BTW, and are yummy cooked with garlic and cheese.

Back to posole, though. This is a dish that cures what ails ya, especially on a cold winter night with the cedar (juniper) pollen count off the chart. Kinda the Central Texas version of chicken soup. I usually make up a 4 qt. pot, as it freezes well, and seems to improve the longer it has to infuse the flavors.

Traditionally, indigenous New Mexicans make it with mutton or lamb, but you can make it with pork, chicken, or I've even done a veggie version with tofu. The trick is to simmer on very low heat for a couple of hours so the goodness can blend. You'll need a 4 qt. stainless pot or cast-iron Dutch oven with cover, and a large cast-iron or non-aluminum skillet or wok.

2 to 2-1/2 lbs. of mutton, lamb, pork roast, pork ribs, chicken, or hard tofu, no need to cut the meat; tofu is best in bite-sized pieces

2 two-pound cans of hominy (maiz posolero)--I use one can of white, one can of yellow for color,
including the liquid

2 fresh green Hatch or Poblano chiles, seeded and chopped
(or 2 seven-ounce cans of diced green Hatch chiles, with liquid)
(or fresh AND canned, for extra zing and vitamin C)

1 large onion (red is my favorite, for flavor and color)

6-8 cloves of fresh garlic

2 T oil for saute'ing

a quart and a half of chicken or veggie broth

Fresh cilantro, lime, and avocado to garnish.

Brown meat or tofu in 2 T oil in the skillet or wok. Place in large pot or Dutch oven.
Saute fresh chiles, onions and garlic in leftover oil/bits until clear. Add to browned meat/tofu.
Deglaze skillet with a cup or two of the broth. When all bits come off the bottom, add to pot.
If you are using canned chiles, add them to the pot.
Add the hominy.
Add rest of broth, and if necessary, water to within two inches of pot rim.
Simmer on very low heat for 1-1/2 to 2 hours, checking every 20 min. to make sure there is plenty of liquid.

When the meat is falling-apart tender, serve it up, garnish with a squeeze of lime, a couple of T of cilantro leaves, 2-3 slices of avocado, and enjoy! Doesn't need salt, since the hominy will be salted. Just the thing for cedar fever weather--the heat and the chiles help clear out your head.

Photo attribution: Pozole soup served in clay bowl in Cuernavaca, Mexico, December 2006. By Meutia Chaerani/Indradi Soemardjan http://www.indrani.net

Back in the saddle again

This holiday break was wonderful. A white Christmas and New Year's, spending quality time with my baby and her sweetie and his family, and generally ratcheting down from a busy fall semester. I shamelessly did not contact my Boston peeps, for which I will now apologize. I will be back, and I will contact you.

But this visit was all about my daughter and her bf. And enjoying snow for a change. Funny thing, as soon as I got back from Texas, we've had record-breaking hot weather--all the way up to 80 degrees one day. Then down to freezing two nights later. We really are in for several decades of turbulent, rogue weather while we figure out what in the hell we're going to do about global warming.

Following the caucuses, as evident from my last post. Thinking of past campaigns and the state of the Republic at those nexuses (nexii?). Remembering campaign promises made and broken, or kept. Hoping that one day my vote will count as it used to. Like Bill Clinton--whatever his faults, he reminded me more of Stevenson and Kennedy than any other candidate before or since, and that's a good thing, in my mind.

The internet phenomenon is even more evident this campaign. After a shaky start in '00 and '04, it seems to have matured to the point that more people are listening to what the on-line buzz is rather than network TV. Another good thing. I love the badge Ronni Bennett has on Time Goes By that shows a '40's style blue-collar woman with her sleeves rolled up in front of a typewriter: "Blogs are like little first amendment machines." YES! I want that badge in a bad way.

Thus my fascination with gerontechnology vis a vis politics. I am convinced that if we make the internet more accessible to Boomers, we can actually make a difference. Thus my intention to launch a Web site dedicated to two things: making technology available and inviting for Boomers, and offering awards to Web sites that promote and embody universal usability. You heard it here first, folks, that's a long-term dream of mine. Should anyone want to participate, let me know--many heads are better than one in the blogosphere.

So to that end, I am initiating a new blogroll for sites that address gerontechnology issues. The elder blogroll will remain; this new heading is for actual Web sites that advance usability for elders. This is a subject I've been researching for years, and it's time to do something about it.

There are so many great elderblogs out there--I've had a wonderful and enlightening experience visiting every link on Ronni's elderblogroll. You can all expect at least one comment from me in the coming year--it's time to reach out and move forward with vigor!

Thank you all for blogging and enduring. Experience does count, and when we work together, we can make great things happen. Cliched, I know, but true, doncha think?

2008 already?

Time seems to speed up the older you get. When you're a kid, you have eons of days before you. When you get older, you wonder where the time went.

This last eight years have been so depressing, in terms of the larger picture in politics. The Bush team has degraded America to a shambles of what was good and great. The Constitution has been shat upon, personal liberties have been curtailed, and not towards a common good. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer, and our oil dependency is hastening the end of the globe as we know it.

Frankly, I don't care who gets into the White House next January. I only care that the short-sighted, greedy, hypocritical assholes who have been in power the last eight years are gone and we never hear from them again, unless it is in the context of criminal charges.

As happens with all presidents, at least since Truman, who was in power when I was born, each one of them has looked decades older from the stresses of running, or being run to run the country when they leave office. I find it ironic that Bush plans to spend his retirement at his compound in Crawford, where he has all the latest in green technology, and can survive in any catatastrophe in which the "grid" is compromised. So why the hell didn't he afford the rest of America the technology which he knows is optimum?

It blows me away that there are real human beings for whom material possessions and amassing of money means more than human lives. It's like a rot, no better than the pitiful, power-hungry third-world despots that use people as cannon fodder, or as disposable servitors to accumulate more and more wealth. What the heck are they going to do with it? It's such a disgraceful waste.

Which brings me to the issues of "entitlement," fear of aging, the desire to be "better than," the willingness to abandon all morality to attain an unreal state of something, success? Power? Adulation? Is it worth the trashing of basic values to look two years younger than your neighbor? To drive a car that costs more to procure, maintain, and gas up? To snag a heartless, boring job?

We have become a nation of mini-bullies. The Bully in Chief is simply one symptom of what has gone terribly awry in national integrity. This is way beyond politics. This is a sad side-tracking of the human condition. The real shame is that it doesn't have to be this way. We've got too many brilliant minds, way too much of the world's wealth, and certainly too much democratic freedom to not be able to come up with real answers and action. There is no excuse for what we have become. We could take care of our planet, our various populations, and diseases if we just decide to do it. We have access to all the resources on the planet, most notably the mental capacity to solve the largest of the world's problems.

Why are we taking the low road? Have we sunk to the level of the ancient barbaric civilizations? Are we living out the predictions of old scientific experiments that show that when an environment becomes over-populated, the inhabitants become psychotic and homicidal? We have the resources to take care of overpopulation--this is a sociological, not a moral issue. As is the issue of AIDS.

Where does this all stop? Is it simply a question of relinquishing our individual responsibility? What happened to that wonderful rebellious energy from the 60's and 70's? Complacency? How could we have gotten ourselves into this mess?

What can we do as responsible adults to turn this stupid train around and work towards the good? We have the means to communicate on a massively inclusive level. What are our candidates willing to put on the line to turn America around? Which one is most capable of doing that? Are any of them capable? Is that where the responsibility lies? Who can talk to the Supreme Court? Who can convince Congress? Who can lead the way? Anyone this particular election period? I'm not convinced yet.

The holidays came early this year

Joared at Along the Way gave me the perfect gift today. She heard me. And she told other people that she liked what she heard. Joared gifted me with an absolutely amazing review in her blog, and at the same time, introduced me to some other truly wonderful, thoughtful, creative, world-changing people who are quietly blogging about things that matter to all of us, from the local to the global.

And elderbloggers rule! We've been there, tried that, given up, tried it another way, failed, succeeded, and learned from it. Now we want to share. Not only with other people our age, but with anyone who recognizes that we have something to share.

I invite you to visit the blogs joared recommended--you'll see what I mean.

Thank you, joared, this is an exquisitely thoughtful gift. I am humbled, and gratified.

S 1959--say goodbye to Grandma and freedom

How many of you know about S 1959? Have you heard anything via the MSM? I haven't. I first ran across it on Time Goes By, and figured I'd better do a little investigating.

If this bill goes through, you are liable to find your blogging grandmother in a federal pen at some unknown location, or worse, in a black hole in some country the US keeps on retainer to hide their most egregious human rights violations.

Again, this is not a Chicken Little post. The further I read, the lower my jaw dropped. This is the one, folks, this is the bill that will excise the First Amendment cleaner than laser surgery. The last door slamming on what used to be a free, democratic society.

This is the most audacious, stunning attempt yet in the witch-hunt to rid the US of any healthy, intelligent, fundamentally democratic debate. Not satisfied with simply lying, the administration is attempting to block our right to peacefully dissent by criminalizing free speech.

I urge you to read the bill for yourself. If it scares you as much as it does me, then educate everyone you know. Write your leaders, your churches/synagogues/mosques, your local and national media. Ask THEM if they've heard about S 1959. If they haven't, be afraid, be end-of-life-as-we-know-it afraid.

Want to know who the most courageous, patriotic Americans are in this country today? Elderbloggers who are trying their best to get the word out. Koko kisses to you all :)

Christmas is killing the planet

This is my own conclusion after viewing "The Story of Stuff," by Annie Leonard--produced by Free Range Studios, who brought us "The Meatrix." Not that I have anything against the real Christmas. What terrifies the stuffing out of me is that we don't need to worry about terrorists as much as we do our own capitalistic society. Mass consumerism is devastating the planet to a much greater extent, and more quickly than all the so-called terrorist countries put together. Mass consumerism will get us faster than global warming, and I've seen enough change in my lifetime to notice.

It's us. We are gobbling up resources to the point that we are teetering on serious shortages. This is compounded by all the toxins that go into "stuff" gludging up the world. Toxic air, water, food, you get the idea.

I am not an alarmist. I've never uttered the phrase "The sky is falling" in my entire life. I am intelligent. I do read about and research controversial issues. So far, I've been able to sift the garbage from the truth, and never have trusted main-stream media as my own personal savior.

And spare me the "we need consumerism to support jobs, keep the economy strong" argument. That is utterly untrue and one of the three biggest piles of horse shit ever dumped on mankind (the other two being "We have to fight them over there to protect us over here," and "Don't worry, honey, I'll pull out in time.") I am living in a house built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930's. This program, under the Works Progress Administration created boodles of jobs, used local, natural materials with little or no extra chemicals, and were built so solidly they'll be standing for at least another hundred years or more. Many of our state parks were built and maintained by the CCC, and they're doing just fine. We could reduce our unemployment ranks to nothing by putting folks to work in alternative energy projects, sustainability projects, so many more intelligent, humane, healthy, SUCCESSful projects.

Annie Leonard is funny. Yep, you read that right. She's warm, and informed, and sings it out clear as a bell.

If you've not yet watched it, open another tab, copy and paste that url, sit back, learn, and enjoy! Here it is again: http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/120907E.shtml. Annie said it was OK to spread it around, so do it :)

The sublimation of Ronni Bennett

Ronni Bennett is retiring "Time Goes By," her ground-breaking, nationally known blog on what it's really like to get older. Authentic, warm, humorous, and intelligent, Ronni led the way for many bloggers over fifty, and was generous in sharing her knowledge and wisdom about the way things are for many of us as we age. She even shared her blog space, inviting elder bloggers to guest from time to time.

She crafted thoughtful memes for her readers and blogosphere to encourage them to engage with each other. In one, readers were to choose and visit a blog from her prodigious elder blog roll that was new to us, and report in the comments to that post.

Ronni created and will continue to maintain "The Elder Story Place," encouraging folks to write the stories in their lives, offering a space to record memories, or special wisdom we received from our elders.

Ronnie researched and wrote about global and personal issues on aging. You can count on Ronni to be rigorous and timely on the latest information. She did not flinch from the truth. She did not sugar-coat getting old. She did find and share vital facts, figures, comings and goings, inconsistencies, legislation, the whole nine yards, on the latest, expert reports about age, aging, and how the US treats its aging population.

She issued a call to arms to learn about and vigorously resist the insidious S.B. 1959.

Oh, frabjous day! Ronni has reconsidered! That doesn't change this post a whit. I am relieved that she is still with us on this journey into elderhood.

Beverly Sills, music, and aging

This is where I spend most of my time at work. You will notice the wave keyboard and orthopedic mouse. Also the theater monitor screen, which is more for opening several docs at once for reference and comparison.

Just the floaters that swim around in my eyes (I know they really don't!) can make me swear there's a comma rather than a period at the end of a sentence. Needless to say, unless I'm 8" from the laptop screen, I always bump the magnification to 150-200%. Don't get me started on dotted note values in music...

This issue of reading music is looming on my horizon. It may come down to a race between which goes first, the eyes or the voice. The limiting feature of musical scores is that the larger the notes/words, the larger and heavier the printed edition, and the more pages to turn. The only solution I can see at the moment is magnifying glasses. This would mean scaring myself or the conductor to death with alien bug-eyes, or relying on peripheral vision to watch the conductor.

I refuse to give up my musical endeavors. I just hope that I have the perspicacity and class to bow out before I 1) make a pitiful fool of myself, or 2) compromise the musicianship of a group. One of my sheroes, Beverly Sills, the gifted opera soprano, retired at the peak of her career. I admire her more for dealing with the personal loss she must have felt than for reasons 1) and 2) above.

Ms. Sills filled her life with activities just as meaningful as performing at the Metropolitan Opera. After retiring from singing, she became the director of the New York City Opera, elevating the organization to the top of the field. She didn't stop there--she eventually directed the Metropolitan Opera and Lincoln Center.

Even as she guided the fortunes of these stellar organizations, she managed to raise more than $70 million over ten years as national chair of the March of Dimes Mothers' March on Birth Defects.

My musical career is miniscule in comparison. I hope that when the time comes, if it does, I have the integrity to make as graceful an exit as she did.

Brava, Bubbles. You made the world a better place in many ways. We miss you.

The dark side of Austin

I listen to NPR on my drive to and from work--KUT-FM, with studios on the UT campus. Mornings, I listen to "Eklektikos," hosted by the marvelous John Aielli. As he read a few announcements this morning, he paused, then spoke as if he was having difficulty controlling both his emotions and his words.

"The Austin Interfaith Ministry Thanksgiving dinner and gathering this Sunday announces a change in venue."

Pause.

"Originally scheduled at the (a prominent, central Austin Baptist church)... pause...the dinner has been relocated to (a central synagogue)."

Longer pause.

"The reason given for the venue change...was that the (HPBC) learned...that there would be non-Christians attending."

Even longer pause.

The silence stretched.

"Here's a song by (xxx), called 'Jesus Loves Me.'"

There followed a C&W song distantly resembling the Sunday School version, with significantly different lines such as, "Jesus loves me, but he hates you."

Longest pause of all.

Perfect.

Straight to pre-recorded piece. No further comment from Aielli. Good man.

I am not bound by the restraints of maintaining a sense of decorum in a conservative public forum. There is no way I can refrain from commenting, especially since my father was a well-educated, responsible Christian minister. This is not the Christianity he believed in and preached.

Fer Chrissakes, even the puritan Pilgrims invited non-Christians to the first Thanksgiving. Is not the tradition we honor based on charity and an open heart and mind? The event in question wasn't even scheduled in the church proper, but in another building. If what my father taught me is true, I hardly think Jesus would have turned anyone away from an expression of good faith and brotherhood. Maybe my daddy knew a different Jesus. Jesus Jones, or Jesus Garcia ma