You read everywhere that the world has changed; things will never be as good as they were; we have to get used to the new reality. Get faster, do more with less, implement more technology—run, Forrest, run!

I’m not so sure about that. I think the basic principles for success are the same as they have always been. If you run your business and your life according to these, you’ll be successful.

1.) Treat others as you want to be treated. Do you want to be on hold for 20 minutes? Do you like dealing with a recorded voice? Do you want people to seem excited at the prospect of serving you or of having you for a friend or a customer? Companies are more worried about having a blog than treating their live customers well. We ignore those we love in order to check our Blackberries and IPhones. What are we becoming?
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Dear baby Boomer Divas, I had some issues with this before, but I have fixed the script and all seems to be working now, so please link exchange with me at your earliest convenience, thank you!

http://www.karlyns.com/links-to-divas/

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By 2030 the number of older Americans will have doubled to 70 million. That’s 1 in every 5 Americans. That’s why anti-aging information is often on the evening news. What isn’t there are aging women. There are no female counterparts for Walter Cronkite, Dan Rather or Charles Gibson. Is it just me or is this sexist ageism? Is it just me or is there a one-word explanation – man-age-ment?

Yes, we’re flattered when people tell us we don’t look our age; but what does forty or fifty look like these days? I’d like to see a skin care model that looked older than twenty-five. In fact, I’d like to see pictures of models before they’ve been air brushed. Although my grandmother always said to just look yourself, it helps if you like what you are looking at.
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There are many different aids to memory. Below are two very helpful devices to give you the edge in memorizing lists and in learning the spelling of difficult words.

1. Codes and Rhymes:
We are all familiar with the rhyme “Thirty days hath September…” Many times in childhood we turned to it for the information that it contains. Some older persons still refer to it as a simple and sound method for ascertaining the number of days in a stated month.

Codes that we develop ourselves are very effective. Those that we prepare, to include certain information, can be a sure-fire way to success in memorizing. Use of initials can be helpful also.
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There are times when one is struck, by a breath-taking scene that may never be encountered again. Should you lack a camera in such a situation, put your pencil to use and do a quick sketch of the scene with detailed pencil notes about the actual color. This will give you a chance to apply your knowledge about the warm and cool classifications of color because it will be almost impossible to remember each individual color by name.

A sketch like this should not be too detailed, yet it should includes the essential elements in proper relation to each other. Any hills in the background are merely outlined and if there are woods at left and right, as they get nearer, they should still be merely wiggly lines. Buildings, too, are merely indicated rather than actually constructed.
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Google has been bambooziling my email with alerts, many relating to the boomers… sometimes not always flattering, but suppose everyone’s entitled to their opinion,right? This particular post caught my attention as it centres around music and the ‘generation’ of today-personally,if the theme is a festival of music, I don’t see why we can’t share?!

Too Many Oldies? Readers speak out about Musikfest-

By Len Righi | Of The Morning Call
April 25, 2009

One person’s music legend is another person’s old fogy

Some readers applaud the classic rock groups at Musikfest. Others want fresh voices.

Those are the two dissonant notes you sounded in response to a Point/Counterpoint in last Sunday’s Go Guide. Music promoter Gerald Deifer and ArtsQuest Performing Arts Director Patrick Brogan squared off on the question of whether Musikfest is too heavy on classic rock and ”American Idol” acts and doesn’t have enough music that speaks to younger people.

Musikfest: Too much oldies & ‘Idol’?

Still others said classic rock reflects the taste of the Valley, and that Musikfest’s booking policies, like the Corleone family dealings, are not personal, just smart business.

Here are some of your best observations.

WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT MUSIKFEST

”Yes they do rely on older groups, but they are appealing to the crowd that, quite frankly, spends the most money. That is just good business.  Many of the acts  have more talent in their pinky than some of the novelty acts of today.” Music Fan

” Musikfest is supposed to bring all people together from all walks of life through the expression of music. I for one do feel they ignore the more urban community style of music ? Take a look around the Lehigh Valley. The demographics are changing and changing fast. Embrace it and it will bring sweet rewards. Ignore it and it will bring negativity and ignorant thinking and therefore cut into the real profit margin!” Joshua Ramirez

”It is not often we get to do family functions, but Musikfest is one! Rock on!!!” Bonnie

”Musikfest is not trying hard enough to bring exciting, vibrant, current bands to the area. They are pandering to the status quo Â? Enough with the baby boomer propaganda machine! It is time for the youth to truly rebel against our corporate, cookie-cutter culture!”

Dennis Christman

”This is not a public concert series, it’s a business trying to make money. Selling concert tickets to a bunch of teenagers that will then buy a soda and a hot dog won’t cut it. Keep pandering to idiots like me who drop a C-note a night!” Rob

”It’s either the American Idols or the washed up ’60s and ’70s acts that Musikfest has to continue to book. I’ll stay home and watch what I want on YouTube.” Jeff

”Who wants to see a bunch of geezers, rejects and wannabes? Let’s be fair and have all kinds of genres represented.” Julia

”I volunteer every year at Musikfest. The quality of acts that they get I think is great. … The age of most festgoers (with the exception of the brats and gangs on Main Street) [is] from 30 on up, and [they] appreciate good music from the past.” George Carvis

”The Allentown Fair has done a much better job of attracting bands that hit the 20-35 [demographic].” matt_psu

”Yes, Musikfest does rely heavily on oldies. However, those are the performers people want to see. I am only 24 and would prefer to see CS&N, Thorogood or like last year, John Fogerty, rather than these newer groups. No one has the talent anymore. None of the new performers will ever even make it to be an oldie. I want to see the classics, not the one hit wonders.” Beth

”It is not a music festival; it is actually a festival with some music. The generation attracted to and controlling Muzakfest is aging.” Bull

”The music offered appeals to those who spend the most money at Musikfest. Simple economics and the corresponding marketing. Try a hip-hop act on the main stage &? it would be an economic loser in more ways than one. ? I’m of the era that typically gets represented on the main stages and I won’t go to some of the shows because these acts taint my memories of what once was and can never be ever again. I want a blast from the past? I put on a CD.” Stabe

”The standard formula of ‘classic’ rock and beer has been a gravy train, but has resulted in a stagnant, bloated noise-fest. It’s time to upscale the musicality and increase the diversity of the offerings.” Rocky

”Musikfest ain’t Coachella, folks. If someone wants to initiate a more cutting-edge music festival in the Valley, more power to them.” West Ender

”The has-beens are cheaper to book, therefore more profit for the money-making machine that Musikfest is today — who cares what the citizens of Bethlehem want, right?” Sherry

”Quite frankly, Musikfest has grown stale. They’re relying on over-the-hill novelty acts to bring in crowds. Â? Consider that they actually considered moving the festival and gating the thing with an entrance fee. Does that sound like a group of people who are really committed to the community or interested in creating ‘America’s music festival’?” Former Fan

”Remember when Musikfest headlined classical music and German music? This argument about which pop singers it should promote only shows how downhill it went.” Don Schenk

”Booking acts like Deep Purple or Kansas makes us look as limited as our local radio station’s playlist. What about more progressive metal or alternative acts that aren’t cookie cutter? Promoters really should be looking at the South by Southwest Festival for inspiration and not the cover of a 1978 Circus or Rolling Stone magazine.” Stephen Durfee

–By Len Righi

Cheers,

Debbie Stevens

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There are too many activities available for both you and your family. Between work, networking events, training, school, baseball, soccer, football, lacrosse, dance, gymnastics, scout meetings, household responsibilities, and family commitments—today’s children and parents are bombarded with activities and responsibilities.

When you and your family are involved in too many activities, eventually, everyone gets burned out and quality family time suffers. When it seems like you, your spouse and your children are all going in opposite directions, you need a system for keeping it all together and setting limits. With solid scheduling and continued communication, you and your spouse needn’t ever experience that last-minute panic over who’s expected to take whom where and when, or the stress of over-commitment.
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Did you know that today’s midlife women (ages 40 to 65) are the first generation of women to be culturally free to transition into their Second Adulthood?

Did you know that the midlife transition often includes:

- being dissatisfied with your life, your career, and your important relationships that have provided fulfillment for a long time.

- feeling anxious or restless and wanting to do something completely different, but not really knowing what it is.

- feeling confusion about who you are really, or where your life is going.

Most of our mothers and grandmothers never had a chance to blossom into their Authentic Selves. Trained from childhood to be subservient, and being financially dependent in a patriarchal society, they were expected to fade into the background, their main value being unpaid babysitters and community volunteers. Instead of fading some had “nervous breakdowns.”

The Current Generation of Baby Bloomer Women Are Simply Not Going To Stand For It!

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