Reflections of a Baby Boomer

We're at it again.

We're back in Florida for the Winter, living in our rented condo in New Smyrna Beach. It's a great place for geezers, also known as snowbirds, to gather, play high risk sports, like shuffleboard, and avoid snow. It can get very cold, too, but although we shiver, we do not shovel.

It gives me a chance to watch dolphins from our living room, walk the beach with Louise and focus on my writing adventures. And, of course, I sacrifice some golf balls. The gators can have them.

We Boomers need to find ways to extend our Boomerdom for many years. I'm betting on Florida winters to help.

Just finished a couple of fun reads from first time novelists.

Arlene Kay's book Intrusion has protagonist Elisabeth Buckley out to find the killer of her good friend, even though she's still smarting over the loss of her husband. She's caught up in Boston's biotech industry and there are plenty of suspects, including a man who is either the killer or the second love of her life, or both. Arlene keeps you guessing right to the end.

J.E. Seymour wrote Lead Poisoning, an exciting twist on crime novels. Or maybe it's a twist on family novels (if there is such a thing) since this is about a hit man who is living a simple family life in New Hampshire while retired. Well, not so simple, since he's on the lamb for a hit he didn't make. Life is mighty complicated and the mob has a lousy retirement plan.

Both writers are from New England and both books are published by Mainly Murder Press. Try 'em, you'll like 'em.

 A terrible disaster took place on November 28th, 1942 in Boston, MA. The top nightclub in the city, the Cocoanut Grove, experienced a flash fire in the basement's Melody Lounge, that spread up into the main floor. When it was over, nearly five hundred people died and many more were injured.  As bad as it was, it could have been worse.

The 1942 Boston College football team was first in the nation, a powerhouse. That afternoon they played their local rival, Holy Cross, a weak team. An end of season party had already been planned at the Grove, but Holy Cross stunned BC and the party was cancelled. That kept many more people from crowding the already over crowded club.

The fire may have been caused when a busboy tried to replace a lightbulb in a dim area. He lit a match to help see what he was doing, replaced the light and blew out the match, but the damage was done. The smoke and fire appeared shortly after.

A famous movie actor of the day, western star Buck Jones, died in the fire. To me. the most tragic case was a survivor. Coastguardsman Cliff Johnson spent twenty-one months in the hospital, undergoing numerous operations and skin grafts. His treatment was experimental for its time but it worked. He eventually married his nurse and went back home to Missouri. Unfortunately, he died ironically in an auto fire after a crash fourteen years later.

The Grove fire led to reforms in fire codes nation wide, such as the need to have a conventional door next to a revolving door (which was the main entry and exit at the Grove and jammed up with bodies). So, something good came out of the fire, but at a great price.

Holidays are sometimes accompanied by tragedy. As you enjoy your Thanksgiving celebration, be grateful if yours remains without one.

Perhaps you've heard the recent comparison of the late Steve Jobs to Thomas Edison. It's an interesting comparison but there are differences.

I recall reading about Edison when doing my graduate work in Educational Technology. He said that he expected the motion picture projector to be used as a teaching tool, but "when the educators failed to respond, I lost interest." That may not be an exact quote, but it captures his message.

I saw a film clip the other day showing Jobs talking about the Apple II. He said it will seduce people into wanting one in their homes. He was right. Nobody needed a personal computer back then, but today we can't live without them.

Edison never saw the seductive power of motion pictures the way Jobs saw it in his computer. So let's remember Jobs and the other guy, Wozniak, for their great invention. Two guys named Steve.

It's a good name.

I'm in a strange situation. I have not gotten a response from my "publisher" Aspen Mt. Press, even though I mailed in my contract, tax form and a formatted manuscript.  So I picked a novelist from their stable and emailed her, Cindi Meyers. She told me that the publisher, Celina Summers, who offered me the contract, has left suddenly along with other people. They have set up a new publishing company, Musa. So, I'm trying to contact Celina at Musa to find out what is happening to me. I still can't get through to Aspen.

Good thing I'm NOT a young man planning on a writing career. Being a geezer, I don't need to plan a career as a novelist, but I was kinda hoping for some success to impress my grandchildren.