Perhaps Kyle was just kidding about the next CD club or maybe he's just tongue tied as a result of his Downy induced affliction. At any rate I just hate to see Stuart left dangling in the breeze twice over and I am long overdue to post something.

In catching up on my Sunday NY times reading I came across an article from 2 weeks ago that dealt with the resurgence(?) of 80's bands and their music. Can't actually say that the re-emergence of Tears for Fears, Billy Idol and Motley Crue is taking up much of my headspace but that was partially the gist of the article. One particular segment in the article did stand out for me and that was only because I thought it was entirely ridiculous. I will lay it out here for your edification and comments.

The woman quoted below is speaking in regards to 30 somethings not turning up in droves for the new work put out by these aging musicians.

According to Ann Fishman, president of Generational Targeted Marketing, the problem's not with the music, it's with the memories. The fans from Generation X, she says, "are not particularly grounded in their youth."

"Would you be grounded in something where you had divorced parents, poor schooling?" she asks. "We presume nostalgia is a great selling tool. It is to the baby boomers. It's not to Gen X. The history of their youth has forced them to grow up more quickly. Nostalgia is not necessarily something that's going to move them ahead. They enjoy the music of their youth but it's not a need."

What is this woman talking about? Normally I'd just read right through paragraphs like these without a second thought but I just couldn't ignore the ramblings presented here. The only thing I partially agree with is the last sentence. Yes the music of my youth (for me 1976-1983) was enjoyable but probably not a necessity at this stage of my life. But isn't that true of most intelligent, maturing, and responsive music lovers?

I also did not realize that a fine education and a solid family life were the keys to my subsequent realization that "Pass the Dutchie" was indeed a musical milestone.

And finally weren't we always being told that for Gen X'ers growing up was the last thing on our rather empty agenda? Weren't we the group that was happily postponing all the pleasures that come with responsible adult life? Apparently we were mislead.