Yesterday and today, keeping up.

My, how times have changed things. Cell phones, computers, electronic games, electric cars and wind turbines are so common they don't elicit a second thought from most people. Record players, crystal radios, slide rules, mimeographs, carburetors and tinker toys are almost ancient history. New countries pop up overnight causing maps become irrelevant even as they are printed. Language too evolves at nearly light speed and words and their meanings change sometimes overnight. It's kind of difficult to keep up with all the changes. Particularly, for me anyway are the social and cultural differences so far removed from what I learned in school. Here are a couple examples from my high school classroom days.

In social studies the teacher described how the communists had the citizens bring their kids to a "government" provided day care. "That just goes to show you how much the communist government controls their people and take their freedoms away." She said.

All through junior and high school the hot topics of conversation most often surrounded sports, college prep, getting a part time job, practical jokes and cars. Girls were mixed in like seasoning.

In high school, getting into trouble usually involved being late, chewing gum in class, smoking in the bathroom, passing notes in class, running in the halls or squealing tires in the parking lot.

Most guys showed respect to the girls and did things like open doors for them, pay the check at restaurants, not swear around them and would almost die before passing gas in front of them. Girls flirted and giggled and mostly left it at that when they were with boys.

When fights broke out between the guys, as it sometimes did, it usually ended with a bloody lip, a bruised ego and if a teacher found out, detention. A couple of regular trouble makers were sent to "Juvy." (juvenile home)

About three or four times a year the entire high school had an "assembly" and a recent graduate would talk about his or her success due to their education. At least one was enlisted in the armed forces giving us local heroes to think about.

Being "nice" was considered a good thing, something to strive for in spite of raging hormones and unlimited innocent, youthful ignorance and stupidity. Even if we failed at it we admired it.

History will determine if today is better for us or yesterday was more beneficial. I just know that it's a interesting ride either way. There are advantages on both sides and it's good for some of us to step back and take a look at the differences from time to time. How far have we come?

The Pink Pill for women

The airwaves are filled with news about the long anticipated "Pink Pill" for use by the ladies. The purpose is to bring certain situations to a much more amorous conclusion than could otherwise be expected. It doesn't work! What do we do now? Millions of dollars were spent on hopes of restoring a drive that nature thought necessary to lower if not totally eliminate. Evidently there is a reason the scientists hadn't anticipated. It's not all about the ability like it is in men. The difficulty runs much deeper. It's got to do with: Feelings! Apparently the pink pill doesn't deal with that. Back to the old drawing board. Meanwhile we're stuck with the old tried and true methods that come to us down through the ages in song and tale.

A while back our favorite health and fitness guru, Jack La lane was on TV hawking his latest juicer and flexing his muscles to show how well the juice diet works. He actually looks great for someone half his age. The reporter was asking him lots of health related questions while Jack's wife stood by smiling. She is up there in years and looks very good too. A couple most of us would like to emulate I am sure. (Except it takes so much work to look that good and most of us aren't that energetic or motivated.) A comment was made that being two healthy people of advanced age do they still get intimate? Jack displayed that huge toothy smile, squared off his muscular body and said, "Look at my wife, do you see her complaining?" The reporter then turned to her and asked the same question, her answer was, "Sure we do, once every week Jack gives me a couple glasses of wine, that sets the mood and we just do what comes natural. We are very happy!"

There is a popular singer that touts the benefits of tequila in song. It's on juke boxes and Karaoke machines around the world. One of the lines in the song goes something like: "Tequila makes your clothes fall off." And, when it comes to bringing a woman to a rather more, shall we say, accepting mood, an old saying from ages ago says that: "Candy is dandy but liquor is quicker!"

Agree or disagree it kind of makes you wonder if that little pink pill should be augmented with a creamy filling of 151 rum. I wonder if the scientists working on this pill include women of the age they are targeting. Maybe they need more. Maybe they need to talk to good old Jack and his wife about it. Then again maybe most women like life just the way it is and would just as soon be doing something else. I'm sure more research will follow, Those scientists are pretty persistent when they work on messing with nature aren't they? I hope you enjoy the day. It's the time of year to be outside anyway.............................Joe