Publishing Guidelines for SrMeetUp!

Calling All Writers: Either Accomplished or Aspiring...



Do you have an area of expertise, experience or passion that you would like to share with our Boomer audience?... If you do, and if you would be truly interested in becoming either a Featured Columnist or a Guest Columnist, click on the button above in order to instantly download our SrMeetUp! Publishing Guidelines. These positions offer no cash compensation, but think of the taxes that you won't have to pay!

Featured Columnists get to write regular columns either once or twice monthly, while Guest Columnists write when they see fit. Many excellent Featured Columnists have started their brilliant careers as freelancers and guests. The material contained in the articles is geared to the interests and needs of Baby Boomers -- social, emotional, business, financial and investment, entertainment, travel, hobbies, events, education...you name it!

Our articles are not promotional -- they are entertaining and/or educational -- but they do provide fine writers with a chance to promote themselves and their products, services and organizations through well-constructed article by-lines, where they have an opportunity to describe their services, add live website or blogsite links and to display their contact information.

Irregardlessly (as Bob and Ray were inclined to say), content is critical, and that is what we are looking for from any of our contributors.

If you truly have an interest, click on http://www.mediafire.com/?zefmwnhg5go , download and review the Guidelines, and then send us your first article.

Before you do any of this, be certain that you've reviewed some of the posts on http://SrMeetUp.blogspot.com to get into the Boomer spirit. You are also welcome to follow us on Twitter. Just go to http://twitter.com/SrMeetUp .

--We hope to be hearing from you soon.

DO OVERS

Do Overs

Hey guys, you may not recall, but Do Overs usually don’t count. Unless you are one of the very lucky ones that not only get a second chance but realize that you ARE getting this second chance – This Is It!

Another futile word is Rationalization. I still don’t understand the purpose of justifying. Having acquired either a formal and/or streetwise education, you choose to do or react to something; consequences usually occur and you move on, hopefully learning by these experiences. Funny, we only rationalize when something doesn’t work out as we planned. When we are uncomfortable with the outcome or make a mistake (heaven forbid!), we rationalize why the outcome was less than perfect –- in other words “It’s not my fault-he made me do it”. Really doesn’t matter WHY you acted as you did – you simply did. Now stop whining and do something about it.

Essie’s Fable (with attribution to Aesop):

A friend, who will obviously remain anonymous, (hereinafter called the "unkind friend"), took financial advantage of another friend (the "kind friend"). Instead of coming right out and accusing the unkind friend, the kind friend sent an email suggesting that there might have been an error due to miscommunication, etc. The unkind friend’s response was full of nonsensical fantasies and justifications so numerous that it really didn’t even matter what the initial infraction was. What I was truly amazed at was how the unkind friend put all of that creativity and energy into rationalizing and not taking responsibility to remedy the issue – all those creative juices working for evil instead of good. He brought a new meaning to the word rationalization. – Moral of the story – if it ain’t in the Sunday comics, I’m not interested in unkind evil doers.

However, today is your lucky day. We now have a chance to Do Over, to reconnect and network with the best and brightest Baby Boomer 60+ -- To revitalize, reinvent, and reinforce all that we are. Maybe even to figure out WHO (whom?) we are. But one thing is certain; we are still kicking up a storm. If only we lived in Kansas it would be more apparent. But SrMeetUp is the next best place to kick up our heels and get back in the game (so many clichés, so little time). No need to rationalize why you can’t find the time, or why an internet “thing” is not for you – you have plenty of time – retired or not – and the internet is for everyone, that is, unless you never want to communicate with your kids and family again. You can’t rationalize not becoming a member of our Boomer Community because you already are THE community... you have involuntarily turned 60 and you should be loving it. SrMeetUp is here to help get your creative juices back on track and to put an address to our neighborhood.

This is not my site; it is our site, our space to be heard, to strike a chord. Not to repeat, but to continue with the energy and enthusiasm that we’ve always brought to our social and professional lives. I challenge anyone of you to rationalize why you cannot join us – double dare you!

--Elaine

p.s. In the upper right-hand corner of this article, there is a photograph of a Nok Hockey tournament, where Do Overs happen all of the time, as do "hamburger shots" and other exciting innovations to make the game (and life, in general) much more interesting, and far more fun. "Once, twice, three --shoot!" And then the puck is in motion.

LIFE LINKS HAS BEEN RENAMED "LINKS 4 LIFE"

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: Life Links has been renamed "Links 4 Life"

Dear Friends:

Effective immediately, LIFE LINKS has changed its name to "LINKS 4 LIFE." Our web address will remain the same, at http://lifelinksiep.blogspot.com/ , and our updates will be posted more frequently. As a not-for-profit service for the benefit of the public, we offer unsurpassed resources in the event of a health, financial or psychological crisis. We have contacts for returning soldiers, the recently unemployed, the elderly and the chronically ill. Please visit the site and make us a favorite.

Please forward this message to all of your family, friends and business associates...it could save somebody's life.

Thank you.

Douglas Castle

---This message is sponsored by THE NATIONAL NETWORKER, INTERNAL ENERGY PLUS and SrMeetUp!---

TWITTER FOR BOOMERS

Dear Friends:

We are becoming increasingly active on various social media, including TWITTER. The latest Twitter post from us at SrMeetUp! was:

SrMeetUp Baby Boomers 60+ Join our community! http://SrMeetUp.blogspot.com. Bring your Pez and your slinkies. We double-dog dare you! JUKEBOX, too...less than 5 seconds ago from web.

In the right-hand column of this blog, we feature a steady feed of our most recent "tweets" from Twitter. Just click on any item, and read the whole story. Also, if you would like to join (follow) us on Twitter, or perhaps offer up some Tweets of your own, just go to http://twitter.com/SrMeetUp .

The question remains...(visualize Elmer Fudd)..."twick or tweet, wabbit?"

--Douglas Castle

SHRINKING URLS - BLESSING OR CURSE?

Dear Friends:



We have decided to use a special service to shrink our urls for more effective twittering. The url is the fancy (but oftimes lengthy) http://...etc...etc/... address that you, the innocent and curious reader, click upon to access an article or website in cyberspace.


Just for the sake of wholesome scientific experimentation, click on http://twitlik.com/808 and see what you get.


The service that provides this "instant url circumcision" capability for us is http://twitlik.com/ . We do not endorse them, or pass on their merits. Their name even sounds remotely vulgar. The truncation process is painless, though, even without an anesthetic.


But one has to wonder...is a shorter url a better url?


Speaking for myself (as I sometimes do), I prefer the lengthy old-style url...it contained so much information...it had character...it was a bit like a "sneak preview," whereas these newfangled shortened urls leave us clueless as to their content and origin.


For the sake of contrast, here's an old-fashioned url that I particularly like:
http://thenationalnetworkerweblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/irrelevant-post.html.



As you can see, it carries a wealth of information and intrigue.



Perhaps, as they say on at least one late-night television commercial, "bigger IS better."



Faithfully,



Douglas Castle

p.s. Here are useless SEO terms which have no bearing on this article: shrinking urls, Twitter, SrMeetUp Blog, TNNW Articles, Elaine Ingis, Adam J. Kovitz, IEP, Tweets, progress, social media, size matters, blessing, curse, Angels & Demons, Brangelina, google, yahoo, msn, Topper, My Little Margie, spiders, American Idol, Leave it to Beaver, Make Millions While You Sleep.

Editorial Guidelines for SrMeetUp! Authors

Dear Friends:

Many of you have expressed an interest in writing Featured Columns for the SrMeetUp blog, and we are delighted at your enthusiasm.

We anticipate that we will have our uniform SrMeetup Editorial Guidelines published in a downloadable .pdf format within the next week or so. As soon as we have finalized them, we will create a button link so that all aspiring contributors of content can be familiar with our parameters before they begin submitting articles for editorial review and possible publication.

Please keep a lookout (Keemosabe -- watch for smoke signals...Hmmm...) for the new button link, and thank you again for your overwhelming show of enthusiasm and interest. Boomers have so much to say; what is more, they/we express it profoundly and poignantly.

Yours,

Elaine Ingis

Douglas Castle

SrMeetUp!

ELAINE INGIS - HAVE YOU NO SHAME?

Dear Readers:

Ms. Elaine Ingis will stop at nothing in order to promote her own agenda, interests and popularity. I am oftimes shocked (as are many other sensible and fine persons of breeding, cultural refinement and impeccable taste) at her shamelessness. To her, we say, "Act your age!" In response, she sticks out her tongue and loudly utters something unprintable.

In the brief video which follows, Ms. Ingis, who happens to be the Founder and Visionary behind SrMeetUp!, shows us, once again, that she will stop at nothing to be in the spotlight. Such vanity. Such brazenness. Such fun!

I hope that she won't fire me (again).

Watch this video!: [Note -The actual video, wherein Ms. Ingis received the coveted "Mother Of The Year Prize" has been eliminated in the interest of National Security due to the logjam in internet communications produced by excessive viewings, and due to the many requests Ms. Ingis has been receiving from children in excess of 30 years of age who wish to be adopted, and who are already calling her "Mommy."].

Oh Elaine -- how could you?

--An Anonymous Detractor

p.s. Follow us on TWITTER! http://twitter.com/SrMeetUp . If you behave, we'll follow you back!

p.p.s. The photo in the upper right-hand corner of this post was taken while I was in college, studying to become a vampire.

LYNN PATNER - 101

All About Lynn Patner…… lpatner@sbcglobal.net.

Most days you can find me in a tee-shirt, jeans, sneakers and a baseball hat, (because I didn’t do my hair) chasing after my grandchildren or at the dog park giving my new dog a quality life.

Being a wife, mother and grandmother has been the best part of my life. I grew up in Chicago, got married and moved to San Francisco in the sixties. It may have been the heyday in San Francisco, but I was playing Donna Reed in the suburbs; dressed up and ironing. In the seventies I made a major leap and took EST. I was officially a “kookie” Californian.

I have been a Head–Start Teacher; Interior Designer, Social Worker and now a Transformational Life Coach. If you look closely they all fit together. If anyone is looking for someone that can design a prison, and counsel the inmates at the same time - I’m your person. So far, I have not had any offers.

As a Children’s Protective social worker, I worked with families in abusive situations. This experience led me to ask questions that could not be answered. So I asked God. This step jet propelled me on my spiritual journey. That journey stared in 1994 and it has been one of the most incredible learning experiences of my life. Now I am in my sixties and I am a Transformational Life Coach. This is my passion. My business cards say that you are the producer, director and the star of your own life. I assist individuals in becoming conscious. When we are conscious, we have the ability to change the old patterns and beliefs and step into a new world of creation.

That is exciting.

Stepping into the future on a Blog is also exciting. Elaine has a fantastic idea that she is birthing, and I, for one, am excited for all the possibilities available. I look forward to actively participating in this new style of communication.

- Lynn

P.S. We are delighted at the prospect of having Lynn join us as a Featured Columnist here at SrMeetUP!

SUSAN BOYLE - AN HONORARY BOOMER

SUSAN BOYLE – AN HONORARY BOOMER
By: Elaine Ingis

Dear Friends:

When was the last time you looked in a mirror and thought “who is this person”? And if you are brave enough to recognize yourself 40 years older with a few (I am being kind) grey hairs and a physique that is specific to a life well lived, well, then you might make the most profound of statements –“How the f--k (censored for those under the age of 60 that just had to take a peak at our site) did I get here?” or another profundity “This was not a part of the plan!”

NO! Being 60+, during one of the most difficult economic times in our lives, being downsized, overruled, underestimated and simply overlooked is just not the way it should be – not the way it was planned to be. After all we are the Woodstock Generation - we make the rules, our experience should be invaluable.

I don’t mean to sound like spoiled grapes (never could figure out how spoiled grapes sound) but this isn’t fair. We haven’t lost our sense of self; we know exactly who we are. If it is true that we learn from our mistakes than I personally think that I finally got it – many times over.

“I had a dream… I had a life so different from the life I’m living” – Those words were sung by the now legendary Susan Boyle. One of the most unlikely people to perform on the British version of American Idol. Susan’s appearance is a bit off, her age is way off, her fashion sense is not a concern for Susan because she obviously doesn’t care – she simply has a gift. This gift does not come in society’s preconceived package. In fact when she gets ready to perform, you have to hold back the giggles but when she opens her mouth and these angelic lyrics come from her, you feel humble, ashamed at your cynicism; you feel kinder, more hopeful and buoyant about yourself and the world – she truly is amazing. When she is critiqued by the judges, one being Simon Cowell, the compliments bring tears of humility to her eyes... Since I’ve never met Susan, I can only imagine that, with this great disparity between appearance and the entertainment world she hopes to engage, her life has not been easy. The courage it took for her to stand up and be heard –still amazes me. So Boomers take note, Susan, at the age of 48, isn’t even a Boomer, never had the experiences we share, the sense of community we enjoy, an entire generation named for us, but Susan is a boomer in the best sense. With her courage, strength of conviction, positive self awareness, I vote we nominate Susan Boyle as our talisman. –You must watch her performance on YouTube.

So the moral, there always is a moral, is don’t let superficial appearances or other people’s perception of who we are and what we should be doing make a bit of difference – We don’t give a hoot – why should we? Subconsciously “they” all want to be us. To all of the non-boomers out there – eat your hearts out.

Yours,

Elaine