Don't Gel Too Soon

Off the Grid - Torah and A Major Light Show

I'll be offline until Sunday celebrating a somewhat (and undeservedly) obscure Jewish holiday called Shavuot.*  It celebrates the giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai - a story I love not only for its religious importance but also because it sounds like such a wild light show.

16. It came to pass on the third day when it was morning, that there were thunder claps and lightning flashes, and a thick cloud was upon the mountain, and a very powerful blast of a shofar, and the entire nation that was in the camp shuddered.  

17. Moses brought the people out toward God from the camp, and they stood at the bottom of the mountain.  

18. And the entire Mount Sinai smoked because the Lord had descended upon it in fire, and its smoke ascended like the smoke of the kiln, and the entire mountain quaked violently.  

You know I'm not a Bible quoter but this is just so great and dramatic - isn't is?  Anyway I'll see you Sunday.    

*OH and the cheesecake is up there because this is a holiday that is, traditionally, heavy with dairy meals. 

Sonia Sotomayor: A Blogger Tour (of Sorts)

What do Sonia Sotomayor and Elle Woods have in common?  Plenty, according to a wonderful post by the ever-original PunditMom.  That's just one of many, of course.  I'm offering here a kind of tour - mostly of women whose views are notable in one way or another. 

At the ABA Journal, Debra Cassens Weiss offers - and debunks, the four most likely knocks on Judge Sotomayor.

We all love Culture Kitchen's Liza Sabater.  This time she's outdone herself in several intriguing (and some fun) posts on the nomination.  Meanwhile, Jill Tubman's post on "sexist attacks" appears both at New Agenda and Jack and Jill Politics.  There's a video conversation at Laura Flanders  among  Firedoglake's Jane Hamsher,  Lynn Paltrow, Executive Director of National Advocates for Pregnant Women, and Jose Perez who's a lawyer with Latino Justice.

Thinking about the judge's environmental record?  There's a brief exploration by Karen Murphy at SuperEco.  Want to review more newsy discussion?  Professor Kim Pearson, at Professor Kim's News Notes, has a nice early review.  Jezebel has a survey with a little more attitude, too.

Jen Nedau provides a review of the record and some thoughts beyond and Jill Filipovic a nice exploration of differences of opinion and the judge's underlying value.

Finally, at Tech President, Nancy Scola offers, as usual, an original perspective: just how has the White House put the nomination out, and with what ammo?  It's pretty interesting.

This is just a sprinkling of what's out there; add your own in the comments and I'll include them too.

Sonia Sotomayor - Sharing the Obama, and the American, Story

It was striking to listen to the President and Sonia Sotomayor today.  Listen to her story, and think of his.  The parallels are striking.  Early "modest circumstances", early loss of a father, strong women supporting them (for Obama his mother intellectually and his grandmother in other ways, for Sotomayor her mom), and the power of - the huge, profound belief in -- the power of education to change a life.  It is becoming a mantra of this administration - the President's speeches and appearances with young people, certainly those of Michelle, and, we see today, of his choice for Supreme Court nominee.  I was liveblogging with Kim Pearson at BlogHer and wrote that I believe Obama is "retuning the American sensibility." By "retuning" I mean returning us, like a tuner with a piano, back to the standards that  sustained us for so long.

My father made it impossible not to understand the value of education.  His father came here from Eastern Europe with nothing and my dad, with the help of several scholarships and three jobs at a time, graduated from Harvard and Harvard Law School.  He told me once we probably wouldn't inherit much - that "your education is your inheritance."  And so it was.

For much of the past couple of decades though, that belief has been blunted - by the tech revolution (even though much of it was produced by immigrants who also built a life here) and the greedy 80's, by the growing gap between the wealthy and even the middle class, and by what has felt to many like disproportionate power in the hands of business.  It has just looked harder to get from those humble beginnings.  Our values were so much more about money: the sports stars and rock stars and the Donald Trumps of the world than education and service and personal responsibility. 

Of course, the barriers are still devastating for many.  How does a child entering preschool with a 500 word vocabulary keep up with one entering with 15,000 words?  Research tells us that's often the difference between kids from well-to-do versus economically challenging households at preschool age.  There is a wealth of work to do to make it possible for us all to truly start out on a level playing field.

Even so, it's exciting to think about what happened today because the central players have "walked the walk" within their own communities and beyond, managing challenges in race, gender, ethnicity and class.  No matter how the nomination turns out, it's a reminder of what we want to - and often do believe about our country: that those dreams are still possible, that the stories with which many of us grew up are still true.  It's up to all of us to make sure that we continue to return to these beliefs, and where they are not yet true, work to make them so.

Maureen Dowd, Michael Wolff, The New York Times and Notoriety

I have been a fan and follower of Michael Wolff for years.  Read his stuff in the bubble and afterwards.  Even read Burn Rate, his lively, funny and very interesting history of the rise and fall of his Web company.  So I get his email every day, with links to his Newser columns. They're usually fine, when I have time to read them.  Today though, he's outdone himself so I wanted to be sure you knew.  The piece is called "Maureen Dowd is All in Your Head"

Given what Wolff writes about The Dread Plagiarism Incident, I'm not offering any of my own perspectives here.  I just wanted to take note of this very interesting discussion of journalist celebrity, aspirational followers and the New York Times in general.  Here's a sample:

Here’s my question: Why are boring people so interested in her? Ever since she began her column in the mid-nineties it has been de rigueur among people who, relatively speaking, have no opinions about anything to have very firm opinions about Dowd. Among a great swatch of uninteresting people she is the officially sanctioned, government-approved lightening rod.

The role Dowd has played is striking.  Even in the context of being declared tiresome,  she evokes a pretty acid response from a pretty touch cookie.  Interesting, no?

Playing With the Big Boys: Bruce Springsteen's New Drummer and the Rest of Us

Does the young drummer in this photo look familiar? He's definitely not Bruce's long-time drummer The Mighty Max Weinberg. He is, however, a Weinberg, Max's son Jay.. I learned about this from my own son, who IM'd

"Did you know that Max Weinberg's son is now the drummer for the E Street Band?  It's a great story - little coverage.  Seriously - he is 18 and no one has picked up that an ageless band now has an 18-year-old on drums."

He's right.  It's a wonderful story, for many reasons.  Just because it is, first of all.  But also because all parents love it when their kids go into the family business; at least I think they do.  That's not all, though.  To be fair, Jay is only going to tour with them when his dad has to stay in LA to help launch the new Conan O'Brien Tonight Show. Even so, there's something lovely about Bruce calling and inviting him to join the band. Anyone who's ever watched a sound check or read about Bruce knows he's got high standards; this was NOT a sentimental decision. Jay can play the drums.

So why do I love this?  A demonstration of that kind of trust by a national legend close to three times  his age is pretty impressive.  The idea of two generations on stage together as peers is an example of something that's been important to me for years: alliances across generations in all manner of venues.

I've been writing both here and on SVMoms about the tensions between Boomers and Millennials.  There is a growing stress between us.  Just a month ago I heard a young political social media genius - a serious one - mock the Boomers who claimed they helped to end the Vietnam War.  "Dead soldiers ended the war, not you guys." he said with determination.  Permutations of that attitude abound; although perhaps less so in families where parenting was respectful and strong and included a history of those times and a modest explanation of what we were trying to do.  

President Obama, whose attitudes and capabilities I admire, tends to imply that it's time to ditch, at the least, a lot of the rhetoric and style of that time.  I don't disagree.  All that I want is for those of us in my generation and the younger people whose core values we share to be free to travel across the boundaries of style and execution to be allies and friends rather than adversaries.  That kind of sharing emerges from respect in both directions, from engaging younger people more as peers than acoytes.  That's what the Obama campaign did, and look what happened.

I've been fortunate, because of my relationship with my sons, because I've worked in the Internet world for ten years -- so much with younger people, and because I am part of a community full of young families, to be able to do the same.  But the divisions are growing for many of us, and they're sad.

So when Bruce, who has so often spoken for so many, crosses two-thirds of his life to, at 60+, add an 18-year-old drummer to his band, it's an example and a message for which I am grateful.  No one who knows his music would ever think he would add a drummer to send a message; he takes his music, and his fans, too seriously for that.  He is, however, reminding us all that, 18 or 80 - talent, music, dreams, ideas, faith or fun, the walls need not be so high.  Whether it's campaigning for a candidate, working for women's rights, writing a poem, cooking a meal, building a house, growing tomatoes or making music, we are all pooer for the walls we build, and richer for the gifts we share. 

Blogging Boomers Carnival #116: From 401(K)s to Folk Art

Welcome to the 116th Carnival of Boomer Blogs.  This crew has been a joy and a great resource for as long as I've been privileged to be part of it, and this week is no exception.  Given the economy and all, let's start with John Agno of So Baby Boomer.  John, always wise, warns us this week that early withdrawals from Individual Retirement Accounts and 401 (K) plans are a "No, No!" because they trigger taxes and penalties that can really add up.  Good advice, no?

While we're on serious "boomer interest" topics, we'll move to Wesley Hein at LifeTwo.  This week he's writing about HBO's multi-part documentary on Alzheimer's Disease.  The underlying message is that Alzheimer's can no longer be ignored.  I've actually seem some excerpts and would concur.

That health issue is part of what makes Janet Wendy at Gen Plus "mad as hell" and she's not going to take it anymore...maybe.

On another side of the economy, let's talk business.  Andrea Sternberg at The Baby Boomer Entrepreneur asks: "With Twitter you can have conversations with a large number of people, but do these twitter conversations convert to actual sales?  That question haunts many small business Twitter users and is the main thing", Andrea says, "holding others back from giving Twitter a try."  You'll find her answer to this dilemma in her post Make Money with Twitter - Is It Possible?

Also on the business end of things: do you ever feel like a loser?  The Midlife Crisis Queen did often after she lost her job.  This is how she dealt with it.

One of our founders and leaders, Rhea Becker, reports from Boston on The Gemini Web "I can't read my favorite magazines any longer without eyeglasses.  I think they're using smaller type.  Or maybe it's just me."

 On a cheerier note, the Glam Gals (style experts for women over 40) ask, "Have you heard the true story of the woman who overcame having diabetes, while losing 100 pounds and then entered the Mrs. Idaho pageant?"  This is a must-read and inspiration story, they  tell us.  Find out more from FabulousAfter40.com.

Oh - and do you remember watching Art Linkletter?  Dina at This Marriage Thing, who loved the show Kids Say the Darndest Things shares some newly discovered gems about marriage "out of the mouths of babes."

Feeling artsy?  During her recent travels in the Florida Keys (who wouldn't love that?) Barbara Weibel at Hole in the Donut discovered Stanley Papio, whom some consider an important folk artist, while others insist he was nothing more than a welder with a yard full of junk.  Stop by and contribute to the conversation!

In the same vein, Ann at Contemporary Retirement has a video clip of some amazing sand art, crated by Ilana Yahav using just her fingers, some sand and a glass table.

One more travel contribution from Nancy Mahegan at Vaboomer. Ever want to sell everything and retire on a beach in Mexico?  Read about real people who did at Vaboomer.com,

Finally, my own contribution is a tribute to an old friend, long-time New York Times Book Review Children's Book Editor Eden Ross Lipson.  If you have children you've probably made use of her classic NY Times Guide to the Best Books for Children.  She was something special.

Shabbat Shalom

Have a wonderful weekend.  See you later.  Watch for the Blogging Boomers post Sunday night.

Racism in School: a Story from My Sweet Friend Kelly

 Mocha Momma is not your usual person, no way, no how.  Alive, loving, energetic, a committed, amazing educator and Vice-Principal in an underserved school, she is a jewel to all who know her.  You will find her friends and admirers all over her own blog and BlogHer.  but today, she had a bad day.  One she didn't deserve.  One that would not have happened if she hadn't been doing her job so well.  And it wasn't a kid who did it, it was a parent.

Take a look at this story, in her words.  It will make you angry, but it will make you love her too, and remind you of the wonderful people fighting all the odds they face trying to help our kids.  If you're so inclined, leave a comment and tell her.

Farewell to Eden Lipson, A Great Mother, Editor and Friend

There were so many of us in 1968, joined to battle the Vietnam War by helping Eugene McCarthy run for president.  We lost the Senator several years ago, and Eli Segal, one of the best, soon after.  Today I learned of the loss of another of the dear ones, Eden Ross Lipson.  She died this morning of pancreatic cancer.  You can see from this photo that she was a woman who relished life and laughter.  Her greatest joys: her husband and her kids.

Although we shared a history from the campaign, we also shared some great lunches and adventures in Manhattan, where she had dozens of friends who loved and respected her.  Principled and kind, she was a joy and support to so many.

In her work as Children's Book Editor of the New York Times Book Review, Eden produced what is still the classic work on children's literature.  I knew her as she wrote the first edition; it was a real labor of love.  Her understanding of kids, of books and of writing and purpose made her an ideal guide for anxious parents and savvy librarians alike.

Her generosity went far beyond the love of children that made her such a great advocate for the joy they would find in their books.  It was she who gave me my first review assignment and it led to an entire side career as a book reviewer that lasted for years.  She was a tough and smart editor, too. 

I remember my review of one of my favorites: Jane Yolen's The Devil's Arithmetic.  A time-travel Holocaust story, it is a beautiful book.  I submitted a very positive review.  Soon after, Eden called.  In a tone slipping between amused and professional, she reminded me that not all parents were as open as I was, and that I needed to add some kind of caution to parents who were more protective about at what age their kids were exposed to tough information.  She was right, of course.  I began an embarrassed apology.  Her response:  if people didn't need editors she wouldn't have a job!  I fixed the piece and it ran.    Later, it was Eden who connected me with the editor who published my first book.  She did it, as she did all things, with no expectation of reciprocal benefit.  These sorts of things are typical of the warmth and kindness she showed to everyone who knew her.

Life is strange.  Eden was someone I knew, respected and cared about.  I lost touch with her, as with so many others, when we moved to Los Angeles.  My life then just didn't allow for working to stay connected; there were hard things happening and they made it difficult to think outside the immediate circumstances of my life.  And so I'm doubly sad as I struggle to write about a woman with such a mind, and a spirit, and a heart.

I'm comforted to know, though, that she had friends and family around her, supportive and caring, in her last days. That's no surprise; it's what she offered so many others.  

Live Blog of Education Secretary Arne Duncan at Brookings Institutution