The Elusive Film Festival

I don’t know about you, but I always miss film festivals. I have the best intentions – marking off the dates on my calendar, browsing through the list of films online, and selecting ones I would like to see – but the festival usually comes and goes without me.

Here in Los Angeles, we are blessed to host several annual film festivals. These festivals are a great opportunity to see international films, independent films, and documentaries that may never make it to mainstream movie theaters.

I recently stumbled upon a listing for a homegrown film festival right here in the South Bay. There isn’t much information about the South Bay Film Festival online, but it is a local event that may be worth checking out! The festival is on Nov. 12, just a little over a week away, at the James Armstrong Theatre.

If you prefer larger film festivals, the American Film Institute Festival is just about to end on November 9 and one of my favorites, the Pan African Film Festival, is just around the corner in February.

Plan your film festival going for next year! This list covers film festivals in Los Angeles for 2009, but gives you a sense of when the festivals are generally scheduled as they usually occur around the same time every year.

Of course, if you don’t want to leave the comfort of your home movie theater, you can check out films at the Torrance Public Library. We carry an impressive collection of VHS and DVDs – feature films, documentaries, international films, educational and workout videos, and more!

In the comments, share where you see your favorite films – what are the festivals, movie theaters, and movie rental stores (for those that are still in business!) that you frequent?

- rs

 

How Not To Act Old

The best part of working in a library is being able to see all the new books that come in. Occasionally when examining a new book, staff will find something so amusing, they have to share a few tidbits with fellow workers. The most recent title to have my Boomer co-workers and I laughing is Pamela Redmond Satran’s How Not to Act Old. Satran, creator of a popular website with the same name, hownottoactold.com, has provided an irreverent guide with advice for how old folks like me can avoid embarassing their kids or themselves by eliminating behaviors and viewpoints that are clearly passe.

The book features at least two-thirds all new material that’s never appeared on the website and while Ms. Satran clearly has her tongue in cheek, much of what she includes is funny because it is so spot on.  For example, tip #1 is Stop Using E-mail.  As the author says, “Leave it to the evil young to get all of us old people addicted to e-mail, and then to abandon the form in favor of texting and Facebook.” I know this to be true because my 23- year-old daughter tells me the only way to reach her is by text – it’s a good thing I have a smart phone!

With each tip the author provides context and explanation. For example for tip #33 Don’t Advise People to Carry an Umbrella, she explains you don’t need to be the world’s mom and with all the energy you’ll save once you stop “nannying the entire world,” you can do something really productive like find a way to reverse the aging process!  She also provides 16 other things you need never say to another adult, such as “Bring some money along if you’re going out” or “Don’t stay out too late.”  I’ve certainly been guilty of repeating all of her list of annoying parental warnings at one time or another.

As Satran says in tip #163 Hold the Moo Goo Gai Pan…”when we first tasted ethnic food, what counted as exotic and exciting was some stew made of indefinable ingredients…but in this era of McDonald’s sushi… and Indian frozen dinners, it’s time to update your palate.”   Her chart of old food/young food is a hoot.  Don’t order or eat pork chops – try pork belly.  Chicken teriyaki – no! Go for chicken lollipops.  Shrimp cocktail is so old school when you can have Kumamoto oysters.  While listening to today’s edition of KCRW’s excellent food program, Good Food, I smiled knowingly, basking in my new found knowledge of old food/young food.  Guest Ruth Reichl, author and editor of the recently defunct Gourmet magazine, spoke about all of the great foodstuffs available to us now and when she mentioned pork belly* I was ready for it!

So when you’re looking for information on how to be cool, when you’re afraid you’ve forgotten how, don’t forget to check out the Library – it’s always got what’s new and hot!

* click here for a recipe for pork belly

Exploritas: Learning Adventures

Having attended an orientation to Elderhostel travel programs fairly recently, as well as picking up their literature at our own LINK Travel Fair and Expo, I was surprised to receive an attractive magazine style catalog in the mail this week entitled Exploritas.  The publication had “inaugural edition” stamped across the front of the issue and it took me a few minutes to realize that the catalog was produced by Elderhostel and that the well known organization had changed its program name!

Elderhostel, a nonprofit travel and educational organization that arranges guided and individual tours for seniors in both the United States and overseas has been around since 1975.  Typically, their age requirement for participation is 55 or older.  However, with the number of active Boomers reaching retirement age and having different perceptions about their needs and abilities, it’s obvious that calling the organization “Elderhostel” might affect the number of individuals signing up for their offerings. The new Exploritas programs will be opening enrollment to all adults 21 years of age and older. 

As President Jim Moses so eloquently states on the Exploritas website, ” Our mission is to empower adults to explore the world’s places, peoples, cultures and ideas, and in so doing to discover more about themselves. A fellowship of learning and the joy of discovery are the hallmarks of the Exploritas experience.”  Exploritas, is a word created by brand consultants to combine “explore” and “veritas,” which is Latin for truth. The organization’s leaders hope the new name will evoke the idea of “exploring the world and your mind, and searching for truth,” Moses said in an article appearing in the Wall Street Journal.

The educational focus and content of Exploritas programs is what differentiates them from commercial travel tours. Exploritas programs offer educational experiences in all their infinite varieties, answering the what’s, the why’s and the how-to’s.   They’ve made connections with educators and other local “insiders” all around the world and they make an effort to show the world’s landmarks, natural wonders and myriad cultures in a way that enhances the experience and gives the traveler a deeper appreciation  for the lands and peoples they are visiting.

Start talking among your friends and acquaintences and, if you are a Boomer, you will probably find someone who has taken a trip through the Elderhostel program. I know several people who have and they highly recommend the experience. Don’t be put off by the new name, it’s a great way to travel and make new friends. In fact, one of the new positive changes is that the website is now offering a social networking section where participants in the programs can connect and stay in touch with people they have traveled with.

Check out the Exploritas website and browse through the thousands of adventure and travel opportunities listed. And if you sign up for a trip, please post a comment and let us know about your experience.

Finding Fun and Cheap Entertainment

free sign by klbusta

Right now we are all looking for ways to cut back our expenses, and reinvigorate those old values of frugality and thrift.  Some of the recent economic forecasts have predicted that we will not make major gains in employment until 2017!  With over 7 years of a potentially sluggish economy, many of us will be in need of cheap (or free), wholesome ways to enjoy ourselves, spend time with family and friends, and lift our spirits.

First, let’s start with some different strategies you can use to find things to do locally.  You may be familiar with some of these suggestions and some might be new. Set aside a few minutes before your weekend to explore your options and plan an awesome day!

1. Check out the City of Torrance’s City Events Calendar. The calendar is a relatively new feature of the city website and is designed to make locating city-sponsored events easier to find. Events hosted by other agencies may also be included. Library events are listed here!

2. Pick up a copy of your city’s recreation calendar. You can get print copies of the Torrance Seasons at the library or online. To access the recreation services of other cities in the South Bay, sign up for Redondo Beach’s e-zine or see Rancho Palos Verdes website. Recreation guides don’t only feature ongoing classes, but other one-day programs that have been planned in advance.

3. Scour your local print media – the Daily Breeze, Los Angeles Times, Easy Reader, Palos Verdes Peninsula News. Browse the entertainment and calendar sections of the print and online versions of your favorite paper. Don’t forget the Los Angeles Weekly’s vast entertainment calendar.

4. Browse through Yelp. Yelp is a community review site where you can find information on the best restaurant in your neighborhood, where to fix your shoes, upcoming events, and more. Become a “Yelper” yourself and contribute your opinions. Here are some recent lists created by Yelpers on restaurants and bakeries in the South Bay.

5. Sign up for Yelp’s weekly email. If you are adventurous and like to explore new neighborhoods, Yelp spotlights different parts of town, as well as different themes.

6. Explore Upcoming. This event site is owned by Yahoo so you can log in using your Yahoo id.  Enter your hometown in the search bar and see all the events nearby. You can browse events by type as well – music, family, sports, etc.

7. Word of mouth. Truth be told, most of us discover things to do through people we already know. Reconnect with your family, friends, and co-workers - some of the best fun there is.

8. Boomer-specific fun. Last but not least, visit the list we created especially for local Boomers with links to some of the local events you might be interested in.

More ideas, suggestions, and featured events to come, so stay tuned. By the way, many of these sites are good ways to promote your own events!  If you have any additional suggestions or tips, please include them in the comments – we would love to hear from you.

- rs

Getting Real About Retirement

Most major news and business  magazines have devoted one or more recent issues to the topic of retirement and U.S. News & World Report   is no exception.  This journal’s outlook is a bit more cautious and pessimistic with their October 2009 Fall Money Issue cover story stressing  ”Yes! You Can Still Retire.”   Contrast that to the Fortune Magazine we profiled in our post on August 14, 2009,“You Can Still Retire Rich (Really!)”  I’d like to retire rich but frankly I’m setting my sights a bit lower and, after reading through the issue, I think the magazine presents valid, if conservative, advice on looking at retirement realistically.

The lead article in the issue “Getting Real About Retirement,” contends that the recession of the past year or so is forcing those of us closing in on retirement to reset our expectations for the golden years. While the economy appears to be making gains, it could be a decade or more before lost wealth and other damage is repaired and author Rick Newman points out we may be seeing a drift down in middle-class quality of life. He speculates that for Baby Boomers the economic tension of the next ten years will play out as a battle between spending and saving.

Newman cites John Bogle, founder of the Vanguard mutual-fund firm and author of Enough: True Measures of Money, Business and Life. Bogle says we’re not going to be able to live the way we used to and we’ll have to be content with a little bit less. In Bogle’s view, imminent retirees are working their way down the “inverse priority” pyramid – the progressively painful list of things they can live without. Most economists expect unemployment to stay high for the next five years and agree that more people are going to postpone retirement.

Other articles in the issue offer advice and guidance on retirement concerns such as best places to live, entrepreneurship, financial planning and investments, careers, and health & lifestyle. For example, here’s a listing of the 2009 “Best Affordable Places to Retire” (in the order they appear):
Columbus, Ohio
Fort Worth, Texas
Asheville, North Carolina
Eugene, Oregon
Kansas City, Missouri
Columbia, South Carolina
Tucson, Arizona
Jacksonville, Florida
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Aurora, Colorado

The U.S.News & World Report Website has an on-line search tool that uses some of the following factors to help readers made decisions about where to live in retirement: strong job growth, low unemployment rate, low business tax rates, reasonable home prices, affordable cost of living, proximity to health care, and ample recreational opportunities. I would add proximity to educational institutions and public libraries to that list!

The issue cites a study we mentioned in a previous Link Logs post, “Boomer Entrepreneurs are Hot!” (July 26, 2009) conducted by the Kauffman Foundation that concludes that we’re going to see an increase in necessity entrepreneurship because people have been laid off and have few, if any, options other than to start their own business.  According to an Urban Institute and AARP Public Policy Institute analysis of late-life working patterns, roughly one quarter of all workers who change careers after age 51 become self-employed.

Kirk Shinkle, author of an article on rebuilding your portfolio, provides some facts about the damage done specifically to the Baby Boomer aged population – the median decline for 401(k) plans that posted losses between January 1, 2008, and early August 2009 for Baby Boomer investors was 19.6%, or a median loss of $12,386   (source: Jack VanDerhei, Employee Benefit Research Institute). To see a full recovery, Shinkle says, will depend on how much one saves and how quickly markets grow but he feels the key will be savings.

One of the shortest articles in the issue, “Making the Most of Frugal Living” has practical information culled from Jan Cullinane’s book, The New Retirement: The Ultimate Guide to the Rest of Your Life.  Recommended is developing habits such as being more vocal about asking for deals from companies, tracking coupons, and using retailer benefits such as gift registries.

There’s a nice photo essay on NORCs (I had never heard this term) “naturally occurring retirement communities.”  The communities which began about 20 years ago, have grown to approximately 300 in the United States, are located in areas with heavy concentrations of seniors, and are natural in that they are not retirement complexes or facilities that seniors move into. These communities provide support services (e.g. home repair, social activities, volunteer support, access to health and fitness opportunities, discounts at local merchants, etc.) to residents so they may age in place.

There are numerous other articles in the magazine, but I particularly enjoyed the “10 Tips for Living to 100″ by Deborah Kotz which gathers information from a host of studies on the subject of health, fitness, longevity, etc. Here’s the summary list:

1. Don’t retire!
2. Floss every day
3. Move around
4. Eat a fiber-rich cereal for breakfast
5. Get at least six hours of shut-eye
6. Consume whole foods, not supplements
7. Be less neurotic
8. Be a creature of habit
9. Live like a Seventh-Day Adventist
10. Stay connected

Has all this information about retirement made you more or less likely to retire while still a Boomer (46-64)?  Do you have any tips to pass on to others about things you/they can live without on that inverse priority pyramid?  Please post a comment below – we look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Spare the Rod – Manipulate the Child?

As a Boomer child growing up in the 50’s, my parents were heavily influenced by one of the best selling authors of all time – Dr. Benjamin Spock (not the Spock of “Live long and prosper!”) Dr. Spock’s seminal work, Baby and Child Care, was filled with practical and radical (for its time) information that helped millions of parents cope with their fears about caring for and raising their children.

Dr. Spock offered a reassuring alternative to the rigid rules and practices fostered by the medical establishment prior to the publication of his manual. His contention was that parents know their children best and could be trusted to make good decisions. In particular, he stressed that providing natural affection and responsiveness to your children, adopting a more permissive and communicative style, and allowing your children to explore and experiment was not going harm them and, in fact, would result in healthy, happy children.

Fast forward some sixty odd years since the penning of Dr. Spock’s masterpiece to the present day confusion of child rearing advice and techniques. While the methodology advocated in her book may not win any prizes from pediatricians and family practice physicians, the Torrance Public Library Foundation is delighted to be presenting “An Evening with Elizabeth Beckwith” this coming Wednesday, October 7 at 7:00 p.m. (Foundation members only are invited to a reception with the author beginning at 6:30 p.m.*) at the Katy Geissert Civic Center Library Community Meeting Room.

Ms. Beckwith, a stand-up comedienne and author, has appeared on The Late Late Show and was one of seven comics featured in the Time magazine article “Funny: The Next Generation.” She has just written a book entitled Raising the Perfect Child Through Guilt and Manipulation. While the book is a satire of traditional parenting guides, it does have some sage advice mixed in with autobiographical information about the author and her family. Ms. Beckwith will be reading from her book, as well as talking about her experiences raising her children, and will answer questions from the audience.

An Evening with Elizabeth Beckwith is free to the public; however, the Foundation is suggesting a donation of $10.00 to help defray the cost of the program.  Copies of Raising the Perfect Child… will be available for purchase at the event.  And if learning about the real way to effectively raise children inspires you, try checking out one of the hundreds of titles the Library owns on the subject of child rearing.

* Attendees who wish to become members of the Foundation on the night of the program may purchase a membership between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Got Lunch?

If you are like many Boomers thinking about saving a little money right now, one of the easiest ways to do so is to give up going out to lunch during your work day. From $12.00 and up per meal at a restaurant to $5.00 or less for a nice home packed lunch, that saved money adds up, and more and more people are finding uses for the lunch box!

The Los Angeles Times ran an article on the “grown up” packed lunch, “Grown Up Lunches that Pack a Punch,” featuring French, Italian, and Middle Eastern options that pack and keep well. Back-to-school lunchbox ideas (for kids and adults), an accompanying photo gallery from the Times, displays lunch box treats that look good enough to make anyone hungry. Parents need to remember that a healthy lunch is as important for them as it is for their children, and the vending machine just won’t do. This list from the Mayo Clinic includes many useful ideas for packing lunch, such as pre-heating insulated containers before putting soup into them, or packing frozen food that will thaw by lunchtime, such as the drink, to help cool the rest of the lunch.

Find a container for your lunch, from an insulated carrying case to a retro tin lunchbox from childhood. Laptop lunches makes boxes based on the “Bento Box” and also provides tips on packing healthy and imaginative lunches for all ages. Vintage and antique stores are full of lunchboxes, and what a conversation you can start with colleagues with a collectible Star Trek or Marvel Comics character lunchbox (as long as it isn’t valuable enough to get stolen from the communal fridge). Label your lunch and include all your silverware and condiments such as salad dressing and salt. Plenty of napkins and a wet wipe will have you going back to work neat and clean, even if you had to lunch on your lap.

Once you have made your lunch, find a lovely place to eat – the City of Torrance has many parks with picnic tables under trees, not to mention ponds, treehouses, and walking paths if you want to pair a little fitness with your soup or sandwich. I personally love the Pine Wind Garden which is just a hop across the parking lot from the Katy Geissert Civic Center Library. Keep a big hat in your car or at your desk to take advantage of nice weather, get out of the corporate lunchroom at least to the patio, and feel the fresh air fill your lungs as your fresh food fills your stomach.

If you eat alone, bring along some lunchtime crosswords or Sudoku puzzles, or a good paperback book you can hold with one hand leaving the other free for your food. The Chicken Soup for the Soul books are packed with brief passages that can be read even if you only have twenty minutes to eat before work calls you back to your desk. The Library also has magazines that check out at all branch libraries, books of poetry, essays, and short stories that are perfect for lunch hour reading. Or keep reading that fabulous novel you started…just don’t get so absorbed in the story you forget to go back to work!

If you pack a lunch for someone else, don’t forget to include some fun. A “lunchtime limerick” from Stephen Krensky’s There Once Was a Very Odd School, or a riddle or inspirational quote is easy to write on a napkin and packs more punch than a fortune cookie if it comes from someone you love. You can cut a sandwich into fun shapes with cookie cutters, or use food coloring to generate a harmless and fun surprise at lunchtime. In the middle of a bad day at the office or at school, a little pick-me-up from someone who cares can make all the difference.

So what was your favorite childhood lunchbox? Have any great lunch sandwich or soup recipes to share with us? Add a comment below. Take a look at this fun history and start thinking about delicious things to put in your next home packed lunch!

- ht

Your “Falling” Health

Several days after reading the Washington Post article on balance and posting about it (Finding Your Balance 9/4/09), I heard a segment on NPR’s All Things Considered (September 8), “Hospitals Work To Prevent Patients From Falling” that served as another reminder of the danger of falling (and the importance of balance). The segment reported that the number one cause of injuries at hospitals is patients falling down and it focused on how hospitals are taking measures to protect their patients’ safety through fall prevention programs.

Listen to the link above for more information and/or read the full transcript.  And if you’d like to work on strenghtening your balance skills, try one of the Library’s many DVDs/videos on yoga, tai chi, and other titles linked in our previous posting.

In following up on our search for balance classes in the City of Torrance or the South Bay, we checked with Bartlett Senior Center staff who responded with the following information:

“We offer yoga at the Friday Recreation program, which is taught by an instructor from Torrance Adult School. We also offer low-impact fitness classes at Bartlett Center Monday – Friday mornings. They do cover some aspects of balance training. These classes are offered in cooperation between the Bartlett Center and Torrance Adult School. In addition we offer “Fitness Difference by Catherine McRae” at Tillim Center on Wednesday mornings. It is a DVD based program and is mostly stretching and gentle movement. It does address balance issues in many of its segments. Our seniors are loving the program and asking for more!

For more information on fall prevention, visit the extremely informative website, the Fall Prevention Center of Excellence. September 20-27 is Fall Prevention Awareness Week so here’s to your “falling” health!

Best Blogs for Books!

Social media is so prevalent and mainstream we now have awards for such things as web sites, blogs, etc. Book lovers (and many of us Boomers are book lovers) are fortunate that not only are there countless blogs devoted to books and reading, but there is now also a Book Blogger Appreciation Week! This event (September 14 – 18, 2009) is held to spotlight and celebrate the work of active book bloggers through guest posts, awards, giveaways, and community activities.

One of the best things about the “event” is learning about the nominations and awards for best book blogs. If you love books and take pleasure reading about them, and/or you would enjoy participating in an on-line community with other like-minded individuals, check out the extensive list of nominees. There is an amazing variety of categories – for example, Best Book Club Blog, Best Book Community/Cataloging Site, Most Chatty Blog, Best Thriller/Mystery/Suspense Blog, Best Name, Best History/Historical Fiction Blog, Best General Review Blog, and many others. There are categories for young people as well – Best YA (Young Adult) Books Blog and Best KidLit Blog – if, on occasion, you like impressing your children with how cool you are, or you’re a closet Twilight fan. It would take me days to search out this kind of information so I am thankful that Amy Riley, author of the blog, My Friend Amy has collated this great list of resources.

Don’t be passive about your book passion. Bloggers want to hear from you and wecome your input. You don’t have to use your name – it’s easy to post to any of these blogs using an adopted screen name. Please do post a comment below on our blog or visit one of the many blogs nominated and comment there. Voting has closed for this year but come next September you can participate and suggest favorites of your own!

Retirement Revolution – PBS Special

If you’re looking for more information on retirement from a reputable source, PBS is airing a special entitled “Retirement Revolution: The New Reality,” hosted by Paula Zahn, this evening, Tuesday, Sept. 15. Our local PBS station, KCET is airing the show at 9:00 p.m. The blurb on the program states, “Millions of Americans have had to change their retirement plans in the wake of the 2008 financial meltdown.  Retirement Revolution looks at the stories of everyday people who have found ways not only to survive but thrive in this new reality.”

If you are unable to view the program on television, here is a link to watch the show in its entirety online!