LIFE Society Newsletter

President: Joy Junkert
Editor: Eleanor Lippman (951) 684-3513

Providing intellectual stimulation for those over 50 years of age interested in lifelong learning.

President's Message

It is my great Joy to come to LIFE each week to see good friends, meet new friendly people, hear lectures and take classes to learn more about the world. We are indebted to all those on the board who do their job so capably. Christina Miller has a flair in making us feel welcome; Wilma Printy, Toshi Kano and Nancy Stephens present to us the speaker's informational sheets that Doris Weingart has so capably prepared; Judith Auth's introductions include perfect quotes appropriate to the occasion: Eleanor Lippman creates an outstanding Newsletter: Bernie Waltzer and Gail Watson have taken us on many field trips to interesting museums and gardens. Our board secretary, Nancy Gordon, and treasurer, Mary Joy Barnett, are conscientious in their jobs.

We who live in Riverside are so lucky – please sign up NOW for LIFE 2009-2010 and become involved in all the exciting lectures and events the Curriculum committee is researching. Thank you for filling out your questionnaire and for volunteering to help with the duties of running this organization next year. Two of our new members have agreed to serve together on the Culture and Camaraderie Committee. Here are their brief biographies.

Sylvia Briskin

Sylvia came to Riverside from Staten Island, New York, just in time to start 8th grade at Central Junior High School followed by Poly, the only high school in town at that time, and finally on to Riverside (Junior) Community College. At RCC she became interested in performing in Theater Arts and that interest continued on when she studied at San Diego State College minoring in Theater Arts and majoring in Elementary Education. After teaching 4th grade several years, she switched to working for the Riverside Public Library in both the Information and children's departments. It was a dream come true when Sylvia was chosen to be the "Roving Storyteller" for the county branches of the library. For the last few years of Sylvia's library career, she was working with the staff of the Children's Room at the main library and conducting "Preschool Storytimes" at the city branches. When she got a chance, Sylvia took roles at the Riverside Community Players and was a member of the Riverside Storytellers' Guild.

Sylvia found time to be a Den Mother, and on the board of several organizations, as well as to keep up her love of sewing, knitting and crocheting. All this had to fit in with keeping her brain active by belonging to two book clubs, playing Mah Jongg, and being a part of the LIFE Society.

Best of all, Sylvia is now retired and enjoying being with her husband Boyd as they cruise whenever possible. They have two sons, Paul and Randy, and 5 grandchildren, all of whom are adorable and brilliant.

Meet Felice!

You may know Felice as one of the students in your Osher class or as part of the Culture and Camaraderie Committee, but you probably didn't know about her biology degree, also quarantine pest/disease certificate, also California Weights and Measures Standardization and Agricultural Inspector certificate, also Horticultural Pest Control Advisor. To broaden her knowledge, she also received a master's in college counseling and worked in that field at various southern California colleges and universities.

Felice was born and raised in East Los Angeles and went to elementary/high school with Latinas and girls who spent years in Japanese internment camps – where Felice was the minority student!

Felice spent her "working years" alternatively teaching, being a student, doing research, plant pathologist, advising, and being in private business with her husband investigating, writing and recommending mitigating measures of biological resources of Environmental Impact reports. Should I also include the times spent assisting refugees from Vietnam and Cambodia learning English and getting jobs, as well as facilitating learning disabled adults at OCC?

Being biologist married to a biologist, the Popes raised their daughter with a variety of 4-legged creatures (horse, dogs, raccoon, pet gopher, the rabbit Ferdinand who became Ferdinanda -- surprise, surprise -- along with swarms of hatched butterflies and moths, and a myriad of others).

Botany is her favorite subject and so it is not surprising to find her among the docents at the UCR Botanical Gardens.

By the way, Felice Pope is probably the only lady LIFE member who piloted an airplane.

Joy Junkert

life society officers

Officers for 2008-2009

Committee Chairpersons and Members

Study Groups

UCR EXTENSION ASSOCIATES
Marion McCarty, Eilleen Milam
(951) 827-4102
Room 335, UCR Extension
1200 University Avenue
Riverside, CA 92507-4596

LIFE Society Officers for 2009-2010

quotes

"Exercise is the poor man's plastic surgery."

"I just had my wisdom teeth pulled — now I don't know which teeth to turn to for advice."
—Unknown

"The art of taxation consists of plucking the goose so as to obtain the most feathers with the least hissing."
—Jean-Baptiste Colbert (1619-83)

nominating committee

Nominations for the officers of LIFE Society for 2009-2010

President: Gloria Rabenstein
President Elect: Molly Carpenter
Secretary: Nancy Gordon
Treasurer: Grace Press

Nominations from the floor and the election will be at the General Meeting on March 10, 2009

Nominating Committee Chairman: Florence Sussman

Non-fiction Book Study Group

Tuesday mornings, 10:30-11:45 am, UCX room 303

Ferguson, Niall: "The Ascent of Money: A financial history of the world."

Bread, cash, dosh, dough, loot: call it what you like, it matters. To Christians, love of it is the root of all evil. To generals, it is the sinews of war. To revolutionaries, it is the chains of labor. But this author shows that finance is in fact the foundation of human progress. What's more, he reveals financial history as the essential back-story behind all history.

The evolution of credit and debt was as important as any technological innovation in the rise of civilization, from ancient Babylon to the silver mines of Bolivia. Banks provided the material basis for the splendors of the Italian renaissance while the bond market was the decisive factor in conflicts from the Seven Years' War to the American Civil War.

The author explains why the origins of the French Revolution lie in a stock market bubble caused by a convicted Scots murderer. He shows how financial failure turned Argentina from the world's sixth richest country into an inflation-ridden basket case — and how financial revolution is propelling the world's most populous country from poverty to power in a single generation.

Yet every bubble bursts sooner or later, so there is never a better time to understand the ascent of money.

Next Book: Steven Johnson's "Mind Wide Open"

Video Study group

Tuesday mornings, 10:45 - 11:45 AM, UCX Room 304

The Video Group will go dark and continue video showings on September 15, 2009.

Have a wonderful summer!

The Land That Time Forgot

Long ago and far away, in a land that time forgot,
Before the days of Dylan, or the dawn of Camelot.
There lived a race of innocents, and they were you and me,

For Ike was in the White House in that land where we were born,
Where navels were for oranges, and Peyton Place was porn.

We learned to gut a muffler, we washed our hair at dawn,
We spread our crinolines to dry in circles on the lawn.

We longed for love and romance, and waited for our Prince,
And Eddie Fisher married Liz, and no one's seen him since.

We danced to 'Little Darlin,' and sang to 'Stagger Lee'
And cried for Buddy Holly in the Land That Made Me, Me.

Only girls wore earrings then, and 3 was one too many,
And only boys wore flat-top cuts, except for Jean McKinney.

And only in our wildest dreams did we expect to see
A boy named George with Lipstick, in the Land That Made Me, Me.

We fell for Frankie Avalon, Annette was oh, so nice,
And when they made a movie, they never made it twice.
We didn't have a Star Trek Five, or Psycho Two and Three,
Or Rocky Rambo Twenty in the Land That Made Me, Me.

Miss Kitty had a heart of gold, and Chester had a limp,
And Reagan was a Republican whose co-star was a chimp.

We had a Mr. Wizard, but not a Mr. T,
And Oprah couldn't talk yet, in the Land That Made Me, Me.
We had our share of heroes, we never thought they'd go,
At least not Bobby Darin, or Marilyn Monroe.

For youth was still eternal, and life was yet to be,
And Elvis was forever in the Land That Made Me, Me.

We'd never seen the rock band that was Grateful to be Dead,
And Airplanes weren't named Jefferson, and Zeppelins were not Led.

Beatles lived in gardens then, and Monkeys lived in trees,
Madonna was Mary in the Land That Made Me, Me.

We'd never heard of microwaves, or telephones in cars,
And babies might be bottle-fed, but they weren't grown in jars.

And pumping iron got wrinkles out, and 'gay' meant fancy-free,
And dorms were never co-Ed in the Land That Made Me, Me.

We hadn't seen enough of jets to talk about the lag,
And microchips were what was left at the bottom of the bag.

And Hardware was a box of nails, and bytes came from a flea,
And rocket ships were fiction in the Land That Made Me, Me.

Buicks came with portholes, and sideshows came with freaks,
And bathing suits came big enough to cover both your cheeks.

And Coke came just in bottles, and skirts below the knee,
And Castro came to power near the Land That Made Me, Me.

We had no Crest with Fluoride, we had no Hill Street Blues,
We had no patterned pantyhose or Lipton herbal tea
Or prime-time ads for those dysfunctions in the Land That Made Me, Me.

There were no golden arches, no Perrier to chill,
And fish were not called Wanda, and cats were not called Bill..

And middle-aged was 35 and old was forty-three,
And ancient were our parents in the Land That Made Me,Me.

But all things have a season, or so we've heard them say,
And now instead of Maybelline we swear by Retin-A..
They send us invitations to join AARP,
We've come a long way, baby, from the Land That Made Me, Me.

So now we face a brave new world in slightly larger jeans,
And wonder why they're using smaller print in magazines.
And we tell our children's children of the way it used to be,
Long ago and far away in the Land That Made Me, Me.

(Sorry, I wish I had a citation source for this one, but it was one of those internet postings that get forwarded on infinitely.)

Lunchbunch

One of the activities we have at Life Society is the "Lunchbunch." About 3 to 4 times a year, I arrange lunches at various restaurants around Riverside and vicinity.

Usually, I try to find new restaurants, mostly those that serve ethnic food. It's fun to get together in an informal atmosphere, and it gives us a chance to get to know one another more easily. I appreciate suggestions for restaurants, so if you have an idea, please share it with me. Please join us for these luncheons that are scheduled for either Wednesdays or Thursdays.

     See you at lunch.

          Myrna Waltzer

May 2009 Lunch agenda:

Wednesday, May 6 or Thursday, May 7 at 11:30 AM at the Riverside Kabob, located at 1490 University (intersection of University and Cranford), 951 684-3997.

LIFE Society was advised that the best way to avoid the rush of students around the noon hour is to arrive EARLY. He suggested 11:15 to 11:30 to be sure. So eat a light breakfast and join us for lunch.

Dates to remember

Field trip: Nethercutt Museum, Thursday, May 14, 2009.

Final LIFE Society meeting for 2008-09: Tuesday, June 2, 2009.

LIFE Society resumes on September 15, 2009.

Field Trip

Nethercutt Museum
Thursday, May 14, 2009
10 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Classic cars and classic many, many other things. Fascinating is the Nethercutt Museum in Sylmar, California. For only $25 plus the cost of your lunch, LIFE Society has scheduled a memorable field trip for this spring. Traveling to the museum in a plush, air-conditioned bus (complete with restroom), we will have a guided tour of historic automobiles, Louis XV furniture, automated mechanical musical instruments, a demonstration of a mighty Wurlitzer theater organ and much, much more.

For more information contact Sylvia Briskin at sylbris@earthlink.net

or Felice Pope at felice.pope@verizon.net.

Sign up after LIFE Society meetings prior to May 12.

E-Waste

Do you have any printers or computers you no longer need? Donations may be made to the City of Riverside Digital Inclusion Program.

Donated computers and printers are cleaned, refurbished and donated to low-income Riverside families. Employees at the Digital Inclusion Center at 5950 Acorn near the Riverside Animal Shelter will carry the equipment from your car and provide a charitable donation receipt. The office is usually open Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.

Computers and printers (not more than 30 lbs) for this program may also be dropped off at the loading dock behind the Main Library Monday-Friday 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Ring bell to inform library employees. You would then need to walk into the library to obtain the receipt.

For further information call 311, the City of Riverside call center, and they will forward your call to the Digital Inclusion Center.

Joanne Butke

Life Society Proposed Budget 2009-2010

The budget is based on an estimated 175 members. Of the $110 tuition, $30 goes to UCR for parking, $65 goes to UCR for services - room and support, and $15 to Society for expenses.

Mary Joy Barnett

Publishing Policy

All articles for publication should be submitted by e-mail to the editor, Eleanor Lippman at

elippman@aol.com

The Life Society Newsletter is published bimonthly.

Deadline for the next newsletter will be August 15, 2009

Helping Everybody Hear

Auditory Assistance devices are available at our meetings.

Lost or Misplaced Name Tags

Give Wilma Printy or Toshi Kano your name and we'll have a new one for you at the next meeting. Or call me (Newsletter Editor, Eleanor Lippman, at 951-684-3513) and I will see that you get a new one.

UC Riverside Extension Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

Summer 2009 Class Schedule

SPECIAL SUMMER PRICING FOR LIFE Society members: Take Osher classes at $25 per class with a special per class Parking Rate of $18.

See schedule of classes to be held at the UC Riverside Center below. For more information, please call 951-827-7139 or visit us at: www.extension.ucr.edu/olli

The Eightfold Path — A Treatment for the Human Condition
Beth Skinner, M.A.
Date/Time: Tues. 9 – 11 a.m., June 16 – July 21 (6 meetings)
Reg #091-AHS-S41

The Fabliaux: The Medieval Tales, Part 2
Mireille Rydell-Savona, Ph.D.
Date/Time: Tues. Noon – 2 p.m., June 16 – July 14 (5 meetings)
Reg #091-AHS-S42

Selected Voices in American Poetry
Zivile Gimbutas, Ph.D.
Date/Time: Thurs. 9 – 11 a.m., June 18 – July 23, (6 meetings)
Reg #091-AHS-S43

Creating Slide Presentations from Your Digital Photographs
John Epps, B.A.
Date/Time: Thurs. Noon – 2p.m., June 18 – July 23, (6 meetings)
Reg #091-AHS-S44

Memories to Memoirs: Taking a Personal Journey through Your Past
Carlos Cortes, Ph.D.
Date/Time: Fri. 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. and 1- 3p.m. July 10 (1 meeting)
Reg #091-AHS-S45

Native American Rock Art in Southern California
Steven M. Freers, M.S.
Date/Time: Fri. June 5 – June 26
(5 meetings)
Reg #091-AHS-S46

Life Society Endowment Fund

Did you know that the LIFE Society has an endowment fund managed by the UCR Foundation?

Please remember us when making your donations or memorial gifts to UCR and have your gifts designated for the LIFE Society. For information, call Marion McCarty at 951-827-4102.

Thanks to your generous contributions, our endowment fund is growing. Our goal is to ensure that our quality program continues as our expenses continue to increase.

LIFE SOCIETY TRIP TO THE NORTON SIMON MUSEUM

On March 18, 2009, 48 members of LIFE Society had an outing to the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena. We were fortunate to have a 90-minute private tour of Renaissance and Asian art and we enjoyed a lovely lunch at their Garden Cafe. Afterwards we had time to visit other areas of the museum and view a film. Everyone seemed to enjoy their day.

Look and listen for future LIFE outings!!

Bernie Waltzer and Gail Watson

Note: If you signed up for a LIFE bus trip and have to cancel, LIFE will refund your money only if we can find a replacement to take your place. Trip costs are fixed; they cover the bus rental and the driver as well as entrance fees, a charge LIFE Society must pay whether you can participate or not. We will try to find someone to take your place and often can accommodate when we have a waiting list, but we can't make any promises in advance.

LIFE Speaker Schedule for may and june 2009

LIFE Meetings are on Tuesdays at 1:30 PM, in Conference Room E (or nearby) at University Extension

Links on this page to non-affiliated Web sites do not represent endorsement by the University of California.