Thursday, March 10, 2016

Climate Change


Another mild day in the city with clouds and sun as we adapt to - and enjoy climate change. To break a record - as we did yesterday - we need more sun. There's nothing wrong with temps in the 70's. Sadly, over in Louisiana, expect another 5 inches of rain today with flooding and the possibility of tornadoes. The devastation once again is heartbreaking. Talk about flood stories ...




Hipsters


Wednesday, I was interviewed by Laura, a college student in Idaho, collecting research for her term paper about life in the 1960's focused on the hippie generation past and present. Another journey back into the past with issues from the arts, politics, culture, drugs. I learned that the term " Hipster" has returned with a different meaning. The Hipster Subculture is composed of affluent or middle class young who reside primarily in gentrifying neighborhoods.

On the matter of the 2016 US presidential election - Laura told me she didn't have a chance to vote in the Idaho primaries Tuesday but she would've voted - just like most people in her state - for Ted Cruz.

The latest political updates are all here on CNN News. I hope Trump takes it all next Tuesday and we put an end the Republican party as we experience it today. Tonight is another GOP share again Miami - five days ahead Super Tuesday 3 featuring Florida and Ohio which should eliminate Marco Rubio and John Kasich - cementing the party's candidate as Donald Trump.

Last night's Democratic debate in Miami was dominated by questions about immigration. By this point in the race, Hillary and Bernie must be running on adrenaline and Bill Clinton looks and sounds like "the walking dead". Bernie and Hillary argued over who would better represent Hispanic voters' interests taking questions from the audience. Pundits gave Mr. Sanders higher marks on performance.




Generation Z

We come to another subculture term that I just read about. Isn't it interesting that the next generation - which in my opinion would be the final generation as the hologram closes - is called Generation Z.

Generation Z (also iGen, Post-Millennials, Centennials, or Plurals) are the cohort of people born after the Millennials. The generation is generally defined with birth years ranging from the late 1990s through the 2010s or from the early 2000s to around 2025. A significant aspect of this generation is its widespread usage of the internet from a young age. Members of Generation Z are typically thought of as being comfortable with technology, and interacting on social media websites accounts for a significant portion of their socializing. Some commentators have suggested that growing up through the Great Recession has given the cohort a feeling of unsettlement and insecurity. Read more

How Generation Z is changing the tech world   CBS - March 10, 2016
They are the most web-savvy, app-friendly generation. And no, millennials, we're not talking about you, but instead what you could call social media's new class. Welcome, Generation Z (also nicknamed "iGen"), the generation born in 1996 or later, who have been shaped by and are in turn shaping technology and social media in very different ways from the Facebook-reared cohort just above them.




State Dinners

President Obama and his wife, Michelle, will host a glittering state dinner tonight for Canada's first couple. These soirees for foreign leaders began in 1874 and are fairly standard. But one stands out. Fifty-five years ago, President Kennedy and his wife, Jacqueline, had perhaps the most majestic of all state dinners at Mount Vernon, George Washington's Virginia home. A fleet departed the Navy Yard and headed down the Potomac River, led by Kennedy's yacht, to the 18th-century colonial, which sits on a bluff overlooking the river. The Fife and Drum Corps put on a parade before the 138 guests, including President Ayub Khan of Pakistan, took a tour. Dinner was served under a candlelit tent with a spectacular view. The food was prepared at the White House and brought over in military vehicles; Mount Vernon did not have a modern kitchen or much electricity. Mr. Khan later gave Jacqueline Kennedy a black gelding. Known as Black Jack, it was the riderless horse in President Kennedy's funeral procession.


President Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy hosted many state dinners.
She was known for her elegant elaborate fashions featuring the color red.


Hillary, as first lady, hosted many state dinners.

The way we were ..

Segue to 2017 and beyond ..

Can you imagine Donald Trump as president
with his wife Melania hosting a state dinner?