hippytowiki

A re-run of a 2009 Post: The Retroactive Feast

Squanto Saved the Pilgrims...Who Saves Us?

Alas, when we are younger, we are often cocky and proud and think that all of the things we accomplish are because of our own smarts and coolness.  Now, looking back, I realize that I wasn't born knowing how to "hunt and fish," and that I had many guides who saved me from freezing winters (metaphorical ones, mostly, although there was the time when I had to be rescued off a mountain in Colorado by a ski patrol dude).

So, if I was assembling a feast of celebration and gratitude and could invite anyone (living or dead), the guest list would include (in no particular order):

1. My parents who gave me good genes and fueled my dreams.  My brothers who taught me how to hold my own against boys.
2. The hippie friends and drummers of my youth who gave me an appreciation of rock and roll and bad behavior. 
3. My daughters, who taught me not to take myself too seriously and always make me laugh.
4. Various bosses (even the quirky and borderline abusive ones). The great ones inspired vision and confidence and the bad ones taught me not to take anything personally in the business world.
5. The folks who supported my late-life decision to become an entrepreneur.  Many of them still keep me focused and boost my spirits in tough times.
6. The wonderful people I've worked with over the years.  I learned something from each one of you.
7. The people who serve as my left brain or right brain, when I need a whole brain.
8. Girlfriends.  Who else will tell you the truth AND keep secrets?
9. Well-trained doctors who fix various body parts and necessary organs. 
10. Writers, filmmakers and even reality TV producers who entertain me and help me relax.
11. People in my life who are vigilant about health, exercise, and spirituality.  Without them, I would be quite slothful.
12. The teachers from grade school through college (even the ones we made fun of) who gave me an appreciation of the English language.  Whether I'm writing a 1,000 word business article or a 140 character Tweet, I thank them for making me fearless and reasonably articulate in expressing myself.
13. My social media community.  They share cool new tricks and devices(some of which actually have real-world value).
14. Whoever actually invented in the Internet. If not for the power of the blog, how else could I possibly offer up so much universal gratitude in just a few bullet points?

 

Return to the Meadows...

Fresh Meadows, that is!

Although the photo hardly matches the name, it was a rather pleasant place to hang out in my youth.

Later this year, I'm attending a book launch party in my old 'hood.  Although the lavish steak house, Bloomies, the bowling alley, and the bookstore have been replaced by a Hooters, Daffy's and Five Guys, I'm jazzed to set foot in the old Century Meadows Movie Theater (now the AMC Loew's million-plex) where I first saw Sean Connery as James Bond and made out in the dark -- long before the term "hook-up" was coined.

I didn't technically live in Fresh Meadows...I lived in the small private homes on the other side of 73rd Avenue.  I always wanted to live in one of the apartments though...they seemed to have more of a community feel.  And now, both sides of the Avenue seem to be reuniting.

My classmates have grown up to be amazing and funny 50-something boys and girls -- including a TV producer, an optician, an actor, and a medical educator.  (Of course, we have a bunch of doctors and lawyers too.)  Our grade school is now 75% Asian, but it looks and smells exactly the same as it used to, and I'm happy to report that oak tag is still available in the corner store.  However, the 20-story building, which once appeared to be a luxury skyscraper, looks rather small and average.

Many of my classmates have raised sons and daughters of their own (who are probably sick of hearing our tales of assembly day, dixie mesh, shop classes, and Vietnam protests). 

Sadly, we have had some suicides and early deaths like all boomer graduates.  We will miss Ira and Fred.  And some of our coolest teachers (like the beloved Yvette Levy) cannot be found online and may be long gone.

But the miracle that is Facebook is bringing many of us back together.  The community's name of Fresh Meadows is actually appropriate now.  We will all roll around in our field of memories and dreams and breathe in our collective wisdom and wit.  Perhaps we will even imagine that we can smell that lingering scent of our first cigarettes and whiskey sours at Leonard's of Great Neck or that essence of school yard weed.

Class Decorum

I grew up in a different era, for sure.

It was a time of "command and control," and school kids generally did what their teachers told them (not asked them) to do. Despite all the rules, we grew up to be a pretty creative generation, I think.

Although we didn't invent Facebook and we pretty much made a mess of the economy, we (not me personally) discovered cures for diseases, manufactured small smart devices, and wrote some epic screenplays. And many of us have awesome penmanship and phone and interpersonal skills which come in handy during hurricanes and when the servers go down.

Hard as it may be to believe, boys and girls, here are some of the realities of life in the 1960s: We couldn't call teachers by their first names (ever) and they never gave us the "rubric" they were using to grade tests. In fact, rubric back then would be translated to "give a massage to someone named Richard." The girls had to wear skirts to school every day. When it was below freezing, we could wear pants under our skirts. We also had to take "Home Ec," Sewing and Childccare rather than Wood Shop, Electrical Shop, or Auto Shop. I always wanted to build a lamp with popsicle sticks (like my guy friends did) but it was forbidden.

We had to do math in our heads. No calculators were permitted in class. Slide rules were allowed later on, I suppose. We got to play in the street, without fear of drive-by shootings, kidnapping, or disease-carrying mosquitos. A visit from Good Humor was as exciting as the release of a new iPhone app. We engaged in "Spin the Bottle" and the term "hook-up" was a term only uttered in electrical shop, when the popsicle stick lamp was plugged into a wall outlet.

We had to do lots of stuff on our own -- get to the library (a physical building) to do research, figure out how to apply to college and make our own beds when we got there, and create fake IDs without the benefit of personal copier machines. We had to listen to music in groups. We had no iPods or earbuds. And because we had vinyl rather than mixes, we had to stand up and move to "change the record." We didn't play many competitive sports, so that was exercise for us.

And yeah, we were restless and bored and impatient and angry. But we never thought of ourselves as depressed or hyperactive. "It was the best of times...it was the worst of times," to quote one of my favorite tomes about revolution. And I read it in paperback, not as a download or Sparknotes. Revolution and evolution are great in many ways, but so is nostalgia.

I wonder if Charles Dickens had an iPad if he'd have penned his masterpiece while sitting in a foreign country (like I am as I'm writing this post). Or whether he just would have posted "It is a far better thing that I do #frenchrevolution #FF @madamedefarge" on his Twitter feed.

Let's bring back good penmanship!  Click here!

How to make a popsicle stick lamp

Yearbook yourself! and travel back in time.

Re-makes and Re-runs...where's the Renaissance?

I just saw the preview for the Charlie's Angels TV series.

Wait a minute...wasn't there already a Charlie's Angels TV series?  And a movie?  (Or maybe two movies...I can't remember.)  And yesterday, I went to see the new Planet of the Apes movie.  It was not really like the original.  Except there were apes.  And Caesar could talk.  But it was much more violent and I'm sure the budget was much bigger. 

Have we simply reached a point in our evolution where the only new inventions relate to technology?  Perhaps we have simply run out of new ideas for film and literature. 

And although I'm not sure it really counts as culture, the staying power of Jeopardy is truly fascinating to me.  The show first aired in 1964 and now has 9 million viewers, 292K Facebook fans, and lots of apps. 

So, what can one conclude from all this?  Despite our many cultural and scientific advances, we still like women with weapons, talking animals, and quiz games.  But we can now watch them all on small devices on  airplanes instead of simply carrying their images on metal lunchboxes.  Now that's progress!

a;sldkfjgh (translation: Thank you Mrs. Bachman)

I learned to type in 7th grade    

At Ryan Junior High School (216), a rather forbidding and humorless woman named Mrs. Bachman (our teachers did not have first names back then) taught us to type on manual typewriters.  She clapped her hands loudly and shouted "a;sldkfjgh" as our sweaty little fingers flew across the keyboards, filling the room with a cacophony of clickety-clacks.  I learned to type 90wpm (but alas, never learned to masterfully type numbers because someone broke into the typing room one weekend -- perhaps as revenge against the formidable Mrs. B -- and broke all the typewriters.  We had study time for the rest of the semester).

I still type in the range of 90wpm, which proved to be a useful skill when I was interviewing for my first pathetic editorial assistant job out of college (which paid a whopping $130 a week).  When I rose in the ranks to the CMO level I was able to churn out PowerPoints at record speeds.  And now, as an entrepreneur and blogger, I am able to get concepts from my head to a screen in no time flat.  Of course, I have also had to learn to use my thumbs -- so I can operate my Blackberry as rapidly as my notebook.  And I'm just tackling the touch screen thing, teaching my middle-aged fingers to scroll and drag.  (The touch screen thing freaks me out, since I was always told by my mother NOT to get fingerprints on surfaces.) 

So, Mrs. B is probably long gone.  She was nowhere near as inspirational as some of my other beloved elementary school and high school teachers.  In fact, she scared the crap out of me.  But her militaristic approach to keyboarding has helped me in later life.  And for that I must be grateful. 

Where to buy a fabulous manual typewriter

Why the digital generation likes manual typewriters

A new cool local store that sells stationery and pens and has manual typewriters in the window.  Mrs. B would be proud!

Talking Dirty

I confess...I watch a lot of reality TV

And I spend a lot of time online.  And I am often a bit surprised at what passes for acceptable language these days.  Believe me, I have quite a colorful vocabulary at times. I'm tough to shock and my grammar is certainly not pristine.  I lose my temper on occasion.  But I was raised with the notion that certain words should never be uttered in public...that spelling counts...that "smart" people think before they speak...and that public brawling and name-calling is not cool.

Although TV censors bleep out some words, terms like "bitch," "retard," "schmuck" "you suck," and "crap" are now quite common in day-to-day chatter.  (In fact, one of my own books is called "Bitch Slap.")  The media is filled with assaultive and abusive behavior.  Is this a harbinger of things to come?

The expression, "I'll wash your mouth out with soap" is probably going to eventually fade away.  (Soap now comes in those plastic pump bottles, so the act itself would be rather inconvenient.)  Will the average length of a sentence eventually become 140 characters?  Will we no longer speak in calm voices, but scream at each other like "The Real Housewives" and the kids from the Jersey Shore?   Perhaps this is all just the evolution of the English language and changes in social norms. 

Shakespeare and Emiy Post are probablly rolling over in their graves.  (And someone will, most likely,  post a video of it on YouTube!)

Who used to be considered "dirty?" George Carlin, Lenny Bruce, and Richard Pryor

The first films to receive X ratings in the U.S.

The Bleep Censor -- its history and various forms 

Food (and Beverage) for Thought

What's been eating away at me for 55 years?

New food guidelines were revealed on 1/31.  We finally realized that Americans are fat and unhealthy.

I stopped eating meat in September 2010.  I consume mostly "clean food" these days.  Sometimes I'm quite amazed that I've lived until almost 55 after having spent the first 10 years of my life devouring red meat five times a week, Quisp for breakfast, Fluffernutter sandwiches for lunch, and all manner of Hostess products.  Oh yes, I also remember the Tab and celery days of my teen years, with a healthy swig of Boone's Farm or blackberry brandy on the weekends.  Yikes!

I confess...I still love my sugar-free gum and an occasional Fresca (containing all manner of chemicals that penetrate the blood/brain barrier) and a dirty martini with bleu cheese stuffed olives really does still belong next to the "Power Plate" of 2011 on a Saturday night.  But I'm truly glad our scientists figured out that we are all poisoning ourselves with sugar, chemicals, and too much cow flesh. 

So, hoard away a few of those Snowballs and Ring Dings (because they may be replaced soon by Soy Balls and Rice Rings) and take better care of your body in 2011.  

What is Slow Food?  (Hint:  NOT chewing a Twinkie in 100 bites)

A great healthy and beautiful cookbook, by my friend Darryl

Eat Happy...be happy.  Is food linked to depression?

Fancy stuffed olives can be found here

Is there still comic in comics?

I went to ComicCon for the first time. 

Where the hell did Betty (of Betty and Veronica) and Casper the Friendly Ghost go?  Have the fresh-faced, all-American, heart-of-gold girl and the helpful little ghost have been eaten by vampires, flesh-eating zombies, and goth creatures?  The original Incredible Hulk (Lou Ferrigno) seemed lonely at his booth, as crowds lined-up instead to get autographs from the new wave of artists, villians, and characters.  "Who are you waiting for?"  I asked a young woman.  "Spike!" she proudly announced.  "You know, 'Spike of Buffy?'  I don't know his real name."  Where is Adam West when you need him?  (I actually know where he is...he does voiceovers for "The Family Guy.") The batmobile, however, has been replaced by a simulation vehicle, as high-tech companies displayed their "virtual reality experiences" and life-size immersive video games.

I've always been a "When in Rome..." kinda gal, so I suited-up (not literally,, although maybe next year) and immersed myself in the experience.  As a marketer, pop culture fan and media freak, I was thrilled and inspired.  I saw origami comic books, plastic brick sculptures, amazingly talented artists and musicians, and awe-inspiring technologies. 

The most unsavory and comic moment of the show was when an exhibitor tried to sell me an adult comic book about a stripper who has amazing adventures with her pet dog.  Sort of like a new age Dorothy in Oz.  I appreciated the concept, but the idea of having pulp porn on my shelf along with Nancy Drew did not sit well with me.

But, all in all, it was a lot of fun.  I would even go back this weekend if the weather weren't so glorious and I didn't have my "real life" to attend to. 

I bought a few Classics Illustrated comic books and a Little Lotta.  And Dan Parent signed a poster for my daughters. 

I found Betty...she was not, in fact, murdered by evil warriors.  She is just hanging out on a different part of the world these days (and now she has cleavage).

Who Loves a Man in Overalls?

Many of us did in the 1970s!

And, these guys weren't farmers either.  They were just average Joes.  (Not to be confused with Country Joe and the Fish...that Joe now has his own website.)  Flannel shirts, overalls, and clunky lace-up boots were standard attire back in the day, even though I grew up in Queens.  We did, however, have a small farm next to my elementary school. 

Americans are now obsessed with iPads and Smart Cars, over-the-knee boots and fast food.  But we still have a penchant for stuff that takes us "back to the farm."  (In fact, overalls made a comeback in the spring!)  Farmers markets are booming, organic food product sales are through the roof and urban farmers' markets (on city skyscrapers) are cropping-up all over! 

Perhaps we're just tired of all this "stuff" and really want to get back to the earth, grow our own food, and throw on a pair of overalls and work boots in the morning.  (As long as my pair has a pocket for my Blackberry, I'll be just fine!)

Where you can square dance in New York

Favorite farm songs

How to milk a cow

Track your potato chips back to the farm where the spuds were grown

College Bound

My younger daughter goes off to college on August 20th.  The assumption is that all parents these days will accompany their kids to campus, help them make their beds, drive them to Target to fill in the empty spaces and ensure ample creature comforts, and attend special "parent orientations."

In 1974, my parents waved goodbye at LaGuardia and I arrived in Ann Arbor solo, with a clumsy big trunk, a funky granny square afghan that I crocheted for myself, a bunch of jeans, tee shirts, boots, and a turntable and albums.

My daughter also already has new "friends" at school, thanks to the great connector that is Facebook.  I needed to start from scratch, striking up conversations in my dorm, at class, and at parties. 

Is this generation better off than mine?  Are we giving our kids a sense of support, reassurance, and acceptance or are we destroying their spirit of self-sufficiency and resourcefulness.  Only time will tell.  But truthfully, I still like making my daughter's bed.  And an iPod is much lighter than 100 vinyls!

Dorm room essentials, according to Real Simple

How to make a granny square (in case you're wondering)

Yes, the College Board even has a quiz to determine if you are a "helicopter parent!"