Post by islanderPost by j***@gmail.comRumpel,
There no longer seems to be any
"conversation," and certainly
very few retirement subjects.
I found another retirement
board called " soc.senior.issues
but that seems to be defunct,
although there are a few posts
from Jim Higgins, as late as
last December. There are some
old posts from people like
Olly Mensch, on topics such as
"Mercurochrome."
The demise of soc.retirement has been predicted for years, yet it continues.
The more serious question might be what has happened to civil
discussion? The country has become increasingly divided along political
lines and that seems to be resulting in an end of discussion, civil or
otherwise.
Politics has always been in the discussion here, worse in election
years. Retirement issues come up when participants want to discuss
retirement issues, but otherwise the discussion drifts in whatever
direction us old timers feel inclined. Sticking to the topic is often a
victim of the way things drift.
Generally, it is just a bunch of old farts sitting around the virtual
cracker barrel talking about whatever they want. Personally, I keep
getting drawn back to it because I have been discussing/arguing with a
few regulars for nearly 20 years.
If you are looking for an alternative, I have been using Quora for a
couple of years now. It is a much larger forum and uses a more modern
format including the ability to incorporate graphics which allows me to
include some of the charts from my work on comparative state politics.
It is moderated, so a lot of the ugly side of the Internet is eliminated.
I hope that you will continue to participate in soc.retirement. With
Emily becoming much less involved, you are the only woman in this group.
Your mention of Olly reminds me that she is probably gone. Last I
recall, she was in an assisted living facility and not liking it at all.
Jim Higgins drops in occasionally, so I guess he is still alive. One
of the difficulties with soc.retirement is that people just disappear
and we often don't know if they have died.
This group was at its best when Rita was a regular. Her death took a
lot away. But I think there is still hope. Let me remind us all of
her passing. It was her son who posted the information below:
--------------------------------------------------------
8/18/12
Hey all you soc.retirement folk. Rita (Marita Kingkade) was my
mother. She passed away two weeks ago. In a web search I came across
this string, obviously going back 10 years. Don't know if this is
still active or not, or if the participating parties are alive or not,
but thought I would reach out.
If Cajun is dead, god (but not Rita's god lol) rest his soul. Of
course Rita did not believe that much in God, and Cajun if not here,
is turning in his grave at that. I can tell you that I am so proud of
my mother. She raised eight children. I was #8. She worked full
time from two months after I was born, yet still had dinner on the
table, dealt with school, clothes, etc... She was a newspaper
reporter for the Ames Tribune, proof reader for the Des Moines
Register, then head of communications for Dial Finance in Des Moines
Iowa. My parents divorced when I was 12, and my mom worked very hard
to insure we had what we needed. She later earned her Masters Degree
from the New School for Social Research and worked toward a PHD.
Rita was an early member of NOW, a womens rights champion. She was
cut off from Sears, JC Penney credit which we heavily relied on when
divorced from my dad, even though she was the chief bread winner. She
fought and gained her credit. People like her are the reason women
have the credit and other rights they have today. She moved to NYC in
1980 when I was 18. First on the Upper East Side, then West Side
(72nd st and Columbus), then 92nd and Broadway, then Park Slope where
she was joined by my oldest sister and husband and their three
daughters from Iowa. Later she moved to Queens. Rita traveled to
Europe in her 60's, mostly staying in hostels. She took a green
tortise bus tour in Mexico for months, living there. She always
traveled cheap, hostels, school buses, even in her late 60's and early
70's. She was fiercely independent. I remember when she lived in
Marlyland with me for a short time, driving to the Wash DC jail to
pick her up when she was arrested for sitting down in the U.S Capitol
Rotunda to fight for the plight of the homeless.
She moved to San Diego to be near my brother and I six years ago. She
lived in Pacfic Beach, near the ocean in a studio surrounded by young
adults. She had a three wheeled bike which she rode to the library,
Trader Joes, etc..such a sight! She never asked anyone for anything.
If you would like to hear more, let me know. Just want you to know
that yes Rita was outspoken, but then you know that. Our love of
reading, challenging conventional authority comes from my mother and I
am proud of that. I have four daughters and know that what Rita
passed on to me, is now passed on to them. Cajun will be sad to know
that my oldest just graduated from UC Berkeley, as well as my second
daughter who will be a senior next year. They are following in my
mothers activist footsteps which makes me proud.
If this note reaches anyone that used to be in this news group, that
is great. If not, I am happy just to write a few words as I shed a
few more tears thinking about my incredible mother who I miss so much.
Jerome Kingkade
Newport Beach, CA