Making Sense of Nonsense

I’ve recently been watching episodes of the television series Fringe and while sometimes the characters may annoy or intrigue my Boomer brain with their idiosyncratic or enigmatic behavior, the plot line puzzle always gets my attention.  For those not familiar with the series, the first several minutes of the show most often begin with a mysterious and horrific incident that is seemingly nonsensical, but that a special FBI team (organized to study paranormal behaviors and activities) investigates in the hopes of solving who or what did it and why…and most importantly is there a pattern to the seemingly random events portrayed?

I believe the reasons for my increasing tolerance for the bizarre story lines and plot twists can be attributed to an article I read in the New York Times dated October 6, 2009, “How Nonsense Sharpens the Intellect,” authored by Benedict Carey. The article cites a study that suggests that when encountering something that seems to go against logic and expectation, our brains try to sense patterns that might otherwise be missed – in mathematical equations, language, and life in general. According to the article, coming across something absurd or uncanny can be disorienting and/or creepy and our brains grope for something, anything that makes sense. Travis Proulx, a researcher at the University of California, Santa Barbara, is quoted, “We’re so motivated to get rid of that feeling that we look for meaning and coherence elsewhere.”

An assistant professor of psychology at the University of Toronto, Michael Inzlicht, relates that brain-imaging studies of people evaluating paradoxes or working out unsettling dilemmas showed an increased level of activity in an area of the brain called the anterior cingulate cortex and that the more stimulation of this area, the greater the motivation or ability to seek and correct errors in the real world. On the other hand, some studies have found that people in the grip of the uncanny tend to see patterns where none exist, and thus might become more prone to conspiracy theories. The urge to make sense may be overly compelling no matter the evidence at hand. If you do watch Fringe, Dr. Walter Bishop and his friends certainly would seem to be under the sway of pattern recognition.

While scientific evidence is still being collected, the latest research appears to be encouraging to those of us who love puzzles and spine tinglers - for at least some of the time, disorientation leads to highly creative thinking and the ability to make complex connections and piece things together in an entirely new way. So the next time your friends make fun of you for watching any of the seemingly silly entertainments such as Fringe, Lost, Bones, Heroes, etc., just tell them you’re exercising your brain and you’ll get back to them when you’ve solved the mysteries of the universe!

Best New Year’s Resolution: Read More!

Working in a Library affords me proximity to my ultimate objects of desire – books! However, a librarian’s work day does not always provide time to engage in that favorite activity, reading. With the advent of a new year and a new decade, I vow to read more, read wisely, and allow myself time to delve into new experiences through literature.

But where to start? The new year also typically brings dozens of articles, blog postings, and lists of the “best” pickings of the previous year. Such lists can form the basis of your personal reading program. Here’s a sampling of “bests” that I’ll be turning to:

2010 Edgar Award Nominees (the best in mystery fiction, non-fiction, and television published or produced in 2009)

Booklist Editors’ Choice 2009: Top of the List and Booklist Editors’ Choice 2009

Library Journal Best Books 2009

Los Angeles Times Favorite Fiction of 2009

National Public Radio’s Best Books of 2009… including a list of the Top Picks from Independent Booksellers, Best Books for a Book Club, Librarian Nancy Pearl’s 2009 “Under the Radar Books,” 10 Best Cookbooks of 2009, the Year’s Most Mezmerizing Mysteries, 2009’s Best Young Adult Fiction, and a dozen other lists.

New York Times 10 Best Books of 2009
New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2009

Publisher’s Weekly Top 10 List

Salon.com’s list of Best Non-Fiction of 2009

Slate.com’s Best Reads of 2009

Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) 2010 Best Books for Young Adults

I’m also planning on keeping a reading diary – a journal where I can jot down notes on the books I’ve read so I can remember plot lines, favorite characters, phrases, etc. since my Boomer brain no longer provides instant recall when friends ask for recommendations.

What books are on your “best reads” list for the past year? Please add your comments below and share your favorites with us. And don’t forget that most of the titles on the “bests” lists linked here are available at the Torrance Public Library. Resolve to visit us and read on!

Disaster Preparedness in Torrance

In California, many of us are aware of the almost certain likelihood of a large-scale earthquake.  There are many other disasters that may also affect us, however, including epidemic viruses, fires, and more.  While all of the potentially frightening possibilities may paralyze us in fear, the most important action we can take is to learn more and be prepared.

The City of Torrance held a Disaster Preparedness fair in October 2009 with just this goal in mind.  In this podcast, Rachel Bieber, Reference Librarian, interviews Kristin Matsuda on the role of the Torrance Disaster Council, Peggy Kramer from Earthquake Disaster Kit Sales (EDKS) on kits and supplies, and Paul Vuoso and Paul Solorzano, respectively from the Torrance Fire and Police Departments for helpful tips.

All of the speakers reiterate do not panic! Other tips include:

1) Duck, cover, and hold.
2) Be prepared. Plan on being self-sufficient for at least three days before help arrives.
3) Start with small changes that will impact you and your family.

Tune in to learn more.

For more information, take a look at the Torrance City disaster preparedness page.

- rs

Give this Holiday Season

The day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday, is one of the busiest shopping days of the year. In response to rampant consumerism, some organizations have advocated that we refrain from shopping that day and BUY NOTHING.

If you are planning to spend money this holiday season, there are many options for you to purchase locally and buy goods that are hand-made, fair-trade, and support a local organization. Here are some options:

Los Angeles Regional Food Bank Eat My Blog Bake Sale, featuring over 600 baked goods from L.A. food bloggers

WHEN: Saturday December 5th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m..
WHERE: Zeke’s Smokehouse, 7100 Santa Monica Blvd. West Hollywood
CONTACT: 323-234-3030; www.lafoodbank.org

All Saints Alternative Christmas Market

WHEN: Sunday, December 6th
WHERE: Sweetland Hall and the Guild Room of the church, 132 North Euclid Ave. Pasadena, CA. There will be free parking.
CONTACT: (626) 796-1172; www.allsaints-pas.org

Garment Workers Center Shop With a Heart Annual Fundraiser, featuring fair trade items and music performances

WHEN: Sunday December 6th from 3-7 pm.
WHERE: On Los Angeles Street between Pico and 12th
CONTACT: 213-748-5866

4th Annual Fair Trade and Conscious Gifts Holiday Bazaar,  featuring local and international fair trade and hand made items

WHEN: Saturday December 12th 2009, 11 am – 4 pm
WHERE: Immanuel Presbyterian Church, 3300 Wilshire Blvd, LA (Geneva Room)
CONTACT: (626) 676-7884; info@afghanwomensmission.org

Unique Los Angeles Holiday Show

WHEN: December 5&6, 11am – 6pm both days
WHERE: 110 E 9th St. Los Angeles, CA 90079
CONTACT: www.uniquelosangeles.com/about_theevent.html
* This event costs $10.00

If you can’t make it to any of these events, you can shop at Ten Thousand Villages in Pasadena year-round, or visit Etsy.com for thousands of handmade goods sold directly by the creator!

You can also redirect any money you might have spent on consumer items to supporting projects around the world. Global Giving is “an online marketplace that connects you to the causes and countries you care about. You select the projects you want to support, make a tax-deductible contribution, and get regular progress updates – so you can see your impact.”

Global Giving is part of a trend that harnesses the power of the internet to put potential donors in more direct contact with those who receive their donation. An organization with similar principles is Kiva, a person-to-person micro-lending website, where lenders loan money to low-income entrepreneurs for the purpose of alleviating poverty.

Due to the economic crisis and the growing interest in sustainability and simplicity, many of us are choosing different ways to celebrate the holidays. Read more about how to give when you don’t have a lot and giving gifts that won’t add to your loved one’s clutter!

Share your ideas in the comments – where do you like to buy meaningful, affordable gifts? What are your family’s rituals? What do you do to encourage connection and emphasize relationships rather than consumption?

Happy Holidays!

- rs

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.