60s Hippies

William Nugent asked:


The age of reason gave way to the age of emotion. The optimism of the modern philosophers gave way to the pessimism of the postmodern philosophers. Modernism is the idea that ultimate truth and absolute morality can be discovered by rational thought.

(Absolute morals are morals that apply to all people across all cultures at all times.)

Modernists asserted that this newly discovered rational system of absolute morality would cure the world. This optimistic modernism crashed on the shoals of the massacres under communism and the mass murders under Hitler.

There arose a postmodern pessimism along with its prophets, Jean Paul Sartre and Albert Camus after World War II.

Sartre and Camus were not only philosophers but were also playwrights. Their plays promoted the new pessimism and the philosophy of nihilism. Nihilism means nothingness, that is no meaning for life.

In his book, Nausea, Sartre described man as “a useless passion.” Sartre’s assertion was that the modern concept of reason can’t solve man’s dilemma.

Sartre was an ardent atheist. If there is no God then death causes the cessation of consciousness. To the atheist, humanity has no future, only nothingness.

There arose a new movement in the late 1940s called the “beats.” They resented the term “beatnik” with its “nik” suffix because it was a label pasted on them by outsiders. Out of the alienation and anonymity of 20th century urban life came the Beat generation.

The term “Beat” means down and out. They rejected the material success of the 1950s.

The Beats admitted they were down and out as they hitchhiked and bummed around yet they claimed to be full of emotional dynamism. It was a new optimism that arose not from reason but from emotion. It was a denial of nihilism and an embrace of narcissism (self love).

They were also called “Bohemians” and “hipsters.” The men wore goatees, sunglasses and berets; the women wore black leotards and let their hair grow long and flowing. Their politics was liberal but their political involvement negligible. They used expressions such as “groovy” and “cool man, cool.”

There was a generational shift when the crowds of young hipsters started hanging out with the old beats. The younger people wore bright clothes and believed in political activism to change the world. The Beats called them “Hippies.”

The beats hung out in the North Beach section of San Francisco. The Hippies preferred a neighborhood around the intersection of two streets called Haight and Ashbury in San Francisco near Golden Gate Park.

The leaders of the new Hippie movement put out a call to all the Hippies all across America to come to San Francisco in the summer of 1967. It was to be called the “Summer of Love.”

The Summer of Love unfolded in a chaotic way and brought in about 100,000 people by most estimates. There were speeches, rallies, free food, sexual promiscuity drugs and boatloads of emotional idealism. As the Beatles song of the time said “All you need is love!”

They really thought that their appeals to love would unite the world in peace. Not a bad idea. In fact it’s very similar to the idea God had all along. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:16).

The Beats had often dabbled in eastern religion and the Hippies who followed them often did too. But there arose among the Hippies many who turned to the love of God through Christ.

The year 1967 also saw the rise of The Jesus Movement. It was an ironic sight to see young people who overtly rejected their parents conservative ways suddenly embrace Bible based Christianity. Many were baptized in the Pacific ocean.

The Jesus movement spread across the nation and lasted for years as young people by the thousands, dare I say millions, turned to Christ to receive forgiveness of sins.

The majority of the Summer of Love Hippies didn’t turn to Christ but rather returned to their homes with a new narcissistic zeal. Their moral values were based on emotion rather than logic. “Whatever feels good, do it” was a popular slogan among them.

Their culture of sexual promiscuity, drugs and alienation from the norm soon filtered all through American society so that today Hippie values are mainstream. The idealism that led them to believe that they could unite the world in love has long ago subsided.

The 1980s saw the rise of the “Me Generation.” The “free love” sexual promiscuity fueled family breakdown. Broken families produce broken people and they’re everywhere.

Now a new generation has arisen. On Saturday, July 7, 2007, nearly 100,000 people gathered at the Titans stadium in Nashville Tennessee. It was not a celebration but rather a fasting and prayer time in which they called out to God to send revival to America.

A Christian organization called “The Call” sponsored the event. In the weeks following the event Lou Engle, one of the leaders of The Call, led busloads of young people all across the USA to pray for revival. Engle’s cross country prayer initiative was called “The Summer of Real Love.”

There is ultimate truth and absolute moral values. These moral absolutes are not discovered by modern man’s reason or conjured up from the emotions of the postmodern narcissistic self.

The moral absolutes were revealed by God in the Bible. They include the Ten Commandments and the teachings of Jesus.

The Bible is a book vindicated by more than 3,000 predictive prophecies and their fulfillments. No other writing of any kind throughout all of human history has anything to compare with that.

Virtually all sacred writings of other faiths have no prophecies at all. The thousands of predictive prophecies contained in the Bible are like God’s signature on His holy book. His holy book says “God is love” (I John 4:8). Emotions do matter after all.



NICOLE

Alejandro Ramírez asked:


Besides of the well-known clubs, beaches and night life, There’s in Ibiza - like in any other place of the world- a list of special places or events that may be interesting for visitors for its extraordinary originality and beauty. If the sunset in Café del Mar is something you can’t lose. Ses Salines it is not less extraordinary , and no forget the extravagant fashion created in hippy Market d’es Canar or the Dalias.

Let us give you a short description of these particular events which are good alternative to spend your time in the island during your stay.

Hippy market Las Dalias

Situated at the 12km mark on the road to San Carlos and created in 1954, originally as a bar and open-air barbecue, to coincide with the patron Saint’s celebration of the village of San Carlos

From the 1980’s, with the creation of their Hippy Market, las Dalias began its now well known History above all, thanks to the opening of musical studios nearby, which attracted many musicians and actors from all over the world ex: Mike Oldfield or The Rolling Stones and Queen etc.

There are 2 Basic days to visit Las Dalias:

On Saturdays, all day long their typical Hippy Market is held with everything from handmade goods to clothes, shoes, jewellery, candles, etc… in a relaxed atmosphere in this rural area. In The summer every Wednesday between 8 pm until 6 in the morning is the “namastert experience”, a real chill-out night in full Hippy Style.

Es Canar Hippy Market

Near Santa Eulalia is the original Hippy market of Es Canar, the biggest Hippy market on the Island. It was originally started in the early 70’s by a group of swiss hippies selling jeans to “5 pesetas” -2 pens- a pair. They converted a small piece of land into a place where the could sell articles –all hand made- to be able to live, very simply in their own hippy style on this magical island.

Nowadays, it’s a market full of life and colours, very well known, and much visited by tourists. Although it has lost a lot of its original ideas. Now very few things are artisan or hand-made, it has grown with the times, therefore apart from hand-made-jewellry, pottery, leather goods and food. It now has various stands dedicated to tattooing or piercing and, of course, there are many stands selling the typical ad-lib ibicencan clothes in pure white cotton –dresses, skirts, tops, trousers etc. The ad-lib clothes are now sold all over the world, one of Ibiza – the White Island’s most famous products.

The market is held only on Wednesdays and is open until six in the afternoon. Well worth a visit to this colourful and fun market. Best spend the day there to visit also the beautiful surrounding area in the countryside and by the sea.





VALENTINE

Dr. Reinaldo Irizarry, Sr., Ph.D asked:


The sixties was an era of great distress and confusions. Yet despite all the bad events, taking place it was the age of innocence. There was an unpopular War waging across a large ocean, in a Country, which few people new little about. A country, which had been at war with France and had known war for generations; a country, which the United States in trying to help bring democracy became in tangle with its internal affairs, having unpleasant results.

It was a time, when there were demonstrations all across our Nation, dividing the country. Still it was an era rich with charm and grace, a time of innocence when hippies, flower people held hands while protesting the war. I was the era for giving, an era of caring, an era for forgiving. The hippie’s philosophy was to love your next-door neighbor, not meddle in other countries affairs and smoke grass.

A time when there was a War, which caused the US thousands of lives with nothing to show for but a black marble wall in Washington DC with over fifty-eight thousands names on it. A time family members would gather on weekend BBQ’s to discus the War that was unpopular, and gather their thoughts about the doubts that lay ahead.

We had the youngest president ever elected, John Fitzgerald Kennedy. A man with dreams cut short by lunatics’ bullet whose ideology and twisted agenda we will never know. It was suppose to have been the age of “Camelot” for this country. It was a period in our country’s history when it was going through a transition and everyone was full of uncertainties. A time when democracy was at it highest and peoples rights tested. The war was having grave negative impact to the economy and was causing great disparity among our younger generation.

It was the age of the Supremes, Otis Redding’s, the Impressions and many other groups, which kept our young people and our nation regardless of the war, dancing and happy. An era of warm love when every one cared for one another. It was the age of innocence.

During the war, I was still in High School. I was working part-time as a stockroom boy, in a Mama, and Papa Pharmacy earning ten dollars a week. Out of my salary, I was able to pay two dollars a week for my Mothers washing machine she had bought, and still have enough to take my girlfriend to the movies in the weekends.

However, when I saw my best friends come home in body bags I decided to do my part in sharing the responsibility for going to Vietnam. I attended many funerals of friend with whom I had gone to school with, hang out and gone to parties. That is when I realized I could not seat by idle while my friends were being kill in a foreign land.

I pulled my Father and Mother; aside and I told them I needed to make a difference that I was not going to standing by while watching my friends die. Both my parents did not like the idea however, after explaining to them the importance in helping my country they understood.

It was a hot period during that summer school vacation in July 1962. Most fire hydrants throughout the city were open by young kids trying to keep cool. I was desperate; it was hot and nothing to do. Most of my friends had already left and joined the army. Most had already left for Vietnam. On July 11, 1962, I decided to go downtown to the Army recruiting station in lower Manhattan, Whitehall Street.

After a series of academics and psychological test, I took my oath. I was proud that day because I new days, I was on my way to the Army training base at Fort Dix, New Jersey. When the day finally arrived, I was full of gratitude knowing I was going to contribute my share in the fight alongside my bodies.

I spend sixteen weeks in training. The first eight weeks was basic Infantry training, the second eight weeks was in Advance Infantry training. I graduated and I went to Fort Benning Georgia where I received training as a Paratrooper.

After graduating from paratrooper school I went to the elite 101st. Airborne Division, “C” company 327 Infantry First Battalion First Brigade the “Screaming Eagles” at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

To continue:



MARICELA

Dr Karen asked:


It’s no big secret that fashion recycles its old trends. Ask any fashion slave, and she’ll be happy to confirm that the styles are cyclical. Currently, this fashion practice seems to be taking place more than ever. Recent fashion is taking its clothing cues from numerous 20th century styles, running the gamut from the 1950s through the 1980s.

What does this mean for us Baby Boomers?

Whether you once wished you were old enough to be a Beatnik or a teenybopper, or as a teenager turned into a hippie or a Mod, you’ll easily spot some of the fashion elements from your formative years in today’s trends.

Still have a pair of cigarette pants stashed away? Go find them, because they are today’s skinny jeans. Same goes for 1960s-era pyramid coats, A-line shift dresses, and pea coats.

If tracksuits, tweeds or fringed boots from the 1970s were more your style, you’re in luck. Those are back in, too. You might also want to look through your closet for 1970s granny skirts, peasant blouses, and anything resembling the hippie look. It’s all the rage again, only now it’s called bohemian style.

Feel silly wearing this look? Give it to your trendy daughter in college, she’ll know what to do with it.

All of this fashion “borrowing” from past trends may seem to cast current style makers in a lazy light, but it has been common practice for ages. The hippie and Mod looks of the 1960s borrowed elements from the 1920s flapper style. The 1980s “big shoulders” look was a throwback to the 1940s.

Yes, the term for hip huggers is now low-rise jeans and Mohawks became faux-hawks, but everyone knows they come from our generation. Remember what your mother said? Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Baby Boomers, consider yourselves complimented.

Have something to add to this story? Continue your trip down memory lane at Boomer Yearbook.

For www.boomeryearbook.com



MADGE

Thomas Cohen asked:


It seemed that as the 60s faded out and the 70s came along to replace an ere there was a few characters that failed to notice that the decade had changed. They were referred to as “old hippies” and they hung on tight to what they felt looked good and many of them are still dressed that way today.

It was definitely not an “off the shelf” look, because just about every customised feature that was worn during the Hippie or “flower child” era had to be created by hand. So much of what they did during that time was done on a pair of old faded “Levi” jeans. This is because, what many people don’t realize is that during that time “Levi Strous” was, for the most part, the only show in town.

Sure, there were a few other brands of jeans such as Wranglers that a true hippie would not be caught dead in, due to the fact that Wranglers were the favorite garb of “red necks”, who happened to be the arch enemy of the hippie. Then there were other “off brands” of jeans that were sold in places like K-Mart and J.C. Penny stores that just wouldn’t “cut it” in the eyes of the true discriminating hippie.

So, it was Levis and not just any Levis, because they had to be faded somewhat. When the straight legged look went to bell bottoms in the middle of the hippie era, rather then throw out perfectly good faded Levis, many hippies adapted. What they would do is cut out a big “V” in the bottom of the leg and then stitch in some fabric of a contrasting color and design. This effectively turned what was once straight legged Levis into bell bottoms, only with a personalized unique look.



RONDA

Alex Coulson asked:


Attracting and dating younger hippy chicks is not as difficult as you might think.  They less materialistic, less status conscious, and not as motivated by money as career-minded girls.  And they are much more open-minded about relationships.

The first thing to consider when looking for a hippy chick is knowing where she’s going to be.  Since you know she’s into eco-friendly goods and fair-trade ethics, look for the coffee shops, book stores, organic food stores, and boutiques where they cater to this industry.  Also, consider taking up yoga. 

Know what eco-issues are current.  Just check the daily paper, or do a search on the internet.  There are tons of issues being considered today.  If you’re overwhelmed by all of them, look at a few to be versed in.  When an issue comes up that you don’t know about, all you have to do is be honest and say “I don’t know enough about that to share with you”.  She will actually get excited and tell you what’s going on.

Here are some things to remember when looking to attract a hippy chick

1)  Don’t use plastic bags.  Buy an inexpensive cloth bag that you keep in your car or pocket for when you shop.

2)  Get a travel mug for coffee or tea and a reusable bottle for water. 

3)  Use public transportation or ride a bike for getting around town.  Keep the car for out of town driving only.

4)  Don’t wear leather.  Buy organic clothing when possible.

When you do date a hippy chick, think about where you’re going to take her.  Independent coffee shops are small and carry organic bakery items.  Little restaurants where the cuisine has a lot of organic ingredients.  This will usually be authentic Indian, Middle Eastern, or Thai cuisine.  Or, even try out a vegetarian restaurant. 

You might find that dating hippy chicks is fun and makes your carbon footprint smaller.



JERROLD

John Parks asked:


Berkeley is so integrated with the UC campus that one may not know whether a person is referring to the town or the school. One of the reasons Berkeley is such a household name nationwide is the political movement of the late 60’s where Berkeley became a focal point for the hippie movement. It remains today one of the top liberal colleges in the nation. Between 1967 and 1969 the hippie movement became energized with heavy intellectual activism and radically left activities, protests and organizations.

The main publicity and video footage that has become a part of our collective memory of the movement was captured when Ronald Regan, the then governor ordered in the National Guard which resulted in a month long occupation. The conflict was over a portion of University property then occupied by the hippies and now known as People’s Park.

The university town has a big reputation but in all actuality a small population. In Alameda county Berkeley is ranked fourth in population behind Oakland, Fremont and Hayward. Still the small town is known around the globe as a center for academic achievement, scientific exploration, for its encouragement of free speech and for its achievements in the arts. This cutting edge approach to business development was brought about by the long standing philosophies that went into the development of the University of California Berkeley and the changes it has undergone since it was chartered in 1869 – envisioned even then as a ‘city of learning’ on the San Francisco Bay. This makes it the oldest campus of the University of California system.

The small town owns around 36 local television and radio programs on the air and fosters an environment of community activism and environmental accountability. The local office of economic development is partially responsible for the self-actualized business endeavors because it provides business services that foster a community-based approach to entrepreneurial, artistic and environmental causes and business undertakings.

35,409 students are at UC Berkeley while the town had a total resident population of over 151,000 as of 2005. Today, Berkeley still has vendors on the famous street Telegraph Avenue where street vendors can be found selling 60’s reminiscent hippie wear, handmade jewelry and incense and someone has spray painted all the stop signs with a stencil that reads driving, making the stop signs read, ‘stop driving’, reminding people to take accountability and stop using up our fossil fuel resources. Regularly college students will plough thru to the bars on Telegraph or College Avenue, screaming over the latest sports event and blocking traffic reminding us that college students are the same all over more or less.

While the city is liberal, it is not the most liberal place on earth. One study named it the third most politically liberal in the United States. While some people may find a few fringe residents with brightly colored houses or Art Cars, unusual most of the charm of the city is in its many Yoga studios, great educational facilities, and the rampant promotion of cultural awareness and community involvement. Most residents of the East Bay will notice that getting involved and promoting change is almost a requirement or a strong trend among Berkeley residents. As Los Angeles is invested in tabloids about Brittney Spears, Berkeley residents are dedicated to supporting their local farmers markets and taking action to help improve their community. Fringe leftist hippies of the 60’s now find spiritual awareness in their vegetable gardens and permaculture classes and all work together to make Berkeley a very nice place to live.

For more information on Berkeley, visit http://www.berkeleyblog.net and http://www.berkeleymicroblog.com.



MEGHAN

Wendy Stenberg-Tendys asked:


For some unknown reason, we coin phrases in each generation, to put people in their place. Or,is it to define subcultures of certain patterns of behaviour?

Mobileers were a community of early two way radio users. According to Wikipedia the Mobileers popularized the technology that birthed the mobilephone.

Permanent installations in vehicles soon gave way to the portable Bag Phones, equipped with a cigarette lighter plug. You wouldn’t recognize the huge clunky piece of equipment these phones were, compared to the dinky pocket size we carry today. But I am getting ahead of myself.

In the early 1960’s there was a youth movement that evolved into the Hippies. According to Wikipedia, Hippies were originally known as Beatniks. They were black by nature, not skin colour. Black clothing was their hallmark.They had only one message, “Danger is fun”.

Hippies were a group of people who moved into the Haight-Ashbury San Francisco area. Psychedelic rock, the sexual revolution, cultural diversity and drugs like cannabis and LSD, in order to explore alternative states of consciousness, became one of their hall marks. Flower Power symbolized their cry of ‘Make love not war’, as they gave out flowers to passers-by.

They were the frontier group of the ‘Wild West’ of our culture. We have inherited affects from them as far reaching as health food, musical festivals, through contemporary sexual concepts (free love) and the use of drugs. Many were eco-friendly and even the forerunners of the cyberspace revolution. Terms like ‘Big Brother’, or ‘The Man’, representing authority, were coined in this generation.

Today every school kid has a mobile phone, though I often wonder just who pays the bills. In the early days when mobile phones were relatively unheard of, there rose a group of Male Yuppies. These Young Urban Mobile Professionals represented the affluent young professionals of the day.

They had a particular stance that went with the title, as did most subgroups:

• One hand raised to the ear,

• Other hand protectively placed on their briefcase

• Head cocked to the side

• Eyes glazed over as they stared into the distance

• A noncommittal grimace on the face.

They were seen to eat at all the Yuppy restaurants and naturally drove a Yuppy car.

Most of us thought they just evolved. But me thinks they were the result of a very clever marketing guru.

Either way, the Yuppy generation took over from the Baby Boomers – suburban, couple of kids, mortgage and the backbone of the community. That is after the Baby Boomers had dried out and come off the Grass, introduced through the Hippy stage.

Lets not knock the Baby Boomers though. Many a prominent politician and Lord Mayor came from the later end of the Baby Boomers.

Strictly speaking the Baby Boomers may have been too long a period to be classically described as a ‘generation’, as the baby boom lasted over a post-war, 18 year period.

Why we have to try to put a name to every generation is totally beyond me. I could never work out just where I belonged, even though I contributed to the Baby Boomer period.

In Russia the Baby Boomers were called the Sputnick Generation, from their race in space. How the two became connected is totally beyond me.

It was the rise of the contraceptive pill that heralded in the end of the Baby Boomer period.

Next came the DEWKS – Double Employed With Kids. Welcome the era of Child Care. Have a child, six weeks later dump the kid in the Creche/Child Care and back to competing with your partner as to who brings home the most income.

The Yuppies had become Yappies – Frustrated Yuppies having to deal with a couple of screaming kids, now that spanking children (corporal punishment) was being put out of fashion, by the government.

Sadly this was followed by the predictable KOOPF – Kids Of One Parent Families.

Next came the DINKS – Double Income No Kids. It was fashionable now not to have kids. Why not if you could no longer discipline them?

No longer could you assume the person was with their husband/wife. It had become ‘partner’.

Dinks became more widely used than the usual generation terms. A midget wrestler, Claude Giroux took the stage name Dink. Then there were Gay and Lesbian Dinks. The water was becoming decidedly muddied.

The concern is, according to some experts, that if the trend of Dinks continues, intelligent professionals will become another dinosaur and extinct, due to the lack of not having kids and reproducing themselves.

However, gays and lesbians have also contributed to the downturn in population growth, right up to same sex marriages.

Supposedly the DEWKS and DINKS are the privileged ones who have Disposable Incomes. That which the economists say gauges the state of the economy.

Let me ask you this though, does anyone have income that can be ‘disposed of’, like polystyrene containers, paper tissues, disposable plastic bags etc. That of course is before bio-degradable became the ‘in’ thing.

Somewhere in the middle of all this we have the term Nerd. The original stereotpyical Nerd was ‘white males with glasses and braces’, according to Wikipedia. Imagine trying to get away with such gendre orientated terms today, in our new found non-gender consciousness.

Some believe Nerd, or Nurd, was originally known as ‘knurd’, which is drunk spelt backwards. In other words a nerd was a person who studied rather than partied.

With the maturing advent of Cyber Space the term Nerd has gained respectability. It is the Nerds of our world that drive Cyber Space.

Charles J. Sykes said. “Be nice to nerds. Chances are you’ll end up working for one.”

Then of course we always have the Trendys who set the pace for the next generation. The feeding grounds of the latest fashion gurus and their high paid advertising junkies.

So we keep creating new terms, putting each generation into a neat little box. But society also likes to do the ‘crab trick’ - don’t let anyone else get out of the box. Pull them back if it looks like they are escaping out of the box we are in.

If you live long enough, chances are you will be around for quite a few of the names. Or should ‘names’ be simply classed as cultural evolution?

Is it more accurately plain rebellion to the established mores – status quo?

I want to add a couple more names to the list.

The world is full of Luzas. Yet, in every generation there is a minority of Wynas, about 2%. If you have difficulty picking up what I am saying (writing) try speaking those two names out loud.

Most of us only dream of being a Wyna. What did the song say, ‘Climb every mountain, ford every stream…’?

Being a Wyna is better than being a Luza, because Wynas live ‘out of the box’. That is if the box really exists.

Wyna wants to know if you want to own a South Pacific island resort, because Wynas live ‘out of the box’. You coul help some kids who can’t help themselves, living in a cashless society.



RUSSELL

Joe Cline asked:


If you are looking for something fun to do that combines great music with great food, you should look no further than Shady Grove Restaurant. First open in January of 1992, Shady Grove was built amidst a grove of pecan trees, just moments from downtown Austin. Inside, the cozy atmosphere, juke box and delectable dining options create the perfect setting for a relaxed, casual meal, and on warm, clear nights, you can find the same outside on Shady Grove’s patio. If you get there during a rush and have to wait for your table, relax at the hippie trailer - a site that is exactly what it’s named: a trailer with lawn chairs and a very hippie air, the perfect spot to relax before dinner. And if you’re looking for great music, head to Shady Grove every Thursday night for Unplugged at the Grove.

Unplugged at the Grove is a weekly event, occurring every Thursday from April through September at 8 pm. Bands set up outside and play while guests enjoy great food and drinks. It’s free of charge - you only have to pay for what you consume, but even then there are deals. Past sales have included $2.00 Zeigenbocks and $3.00 Bud Lights. And if you show up with a 107.1 KGSR (the radio station sponsoring the concerts) bumper sticker you’ll get free KGSR CD singles.

Of course, you’ll definitely want to show up early to get a good parking spot, as the bands who play aren’t unknowns that will never draw a crowd; they are some of the best and most popular in music today. Fastball, for example, has played at Unplugged at the Grove. The band is known for songs such as The Way, Out of My Head, Shortwave and Perfect World. Carolyn Wonderland of Houston (although now an Austin resident) who has won numerous awards and had her music featured regularly on popular television shows is also a common site at Unplugged.

In addition to the music and drink deals, there is also great food. Shady Grove has a full menu, with more delectable dishes than your stomach will be able to handle. Start with an appetizer; your options run the gamut from nachos to onion rings to Frito Pie. For dinner, try the meatloaf, the chicken fried steak, the tortilla fried Queso catfish or the Campfire Vegetable Plate. If you’d rather just a sandwich or salad, consider the Noodle Salad, the Southwest Caesar Salad, the Green Chile Cheeseburger, the Bad Chili Dog or any one of several chicken sandwiches. Just make sure to leave room for dessert, lots of room. With Chocolate Pecan Pie, Homemade Cobbler, Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Pie and Chocolate Icebox Pie on the menu, you’ll probably have to order more than one.

So if you’re looking for a fun way to spend your Thursday nights, add Shady Grove Restaurant to your list of possibilities. You’ll have great food, great music, a great atmosphere and a great time as artists from throughout Austin add music to the night with Unplugged at the Grove.



IRVIN

Scott Patterson asked:


We all know we should be doing our bit for the environment, but if low energy light bulbs and recycling have always seemed a bit boring to you, here’s a great reason to sit up and listen: hippy chicks.

Eco-girls may be ahead of the crowd when it comes to waste awareness, but their approach to dating is often straight out of the sixties - they’re laidback, open minded and lack that materialistic streak which makes so many women covet extravagant gifts. Sounds great, right?

But if you spend all day every day in high-tech offices and fancy wine bars, how are you going to meet one?

Let me be your guide.

Start by heading to the places where hippy chicks hang out. We’re talking Fair Trade coffee shops and progressive book stores here. Ditch the supermarket in favor of farmers’ markets and organic food stores. Yoga may sound silly, but it’s great for getting rid of aches and pains and day to day stresses, so consider joining a class.

Get yourself up to date with the main issues. There are plenty of books and websites offering the latest information, so read up on everything from recycling to animal testing, alternative energies to over population.

If you can’t keep track of all those issues, don’t worry. Admitting you know very little about nuclear waste can actually be a good thing. Hippy chicks love to share their wisdom, so asking for more information can be a great way of getting her to talk to you. Make sure you show that you’re willing to learn and she’ll be more than happy to help you.

Act the part. At the risk of sounding preachy, lots of eco-friendly activities take surprisingly little effort and some even give you a little glow of pride. Consider trying the following:

* Don’t get caught carrying plastic bags. Reusable cotton bags fold up really small, so stuff one in your jacket pocket next time you go to the store.

* Invest in a quality travel mug and some Tupperware, and take coffee and sandwiches to work. This results in less waste and saves you a fortune, too.

* Lots of smart brands now stock organic clothes, so, given the choice, take the ethical option.

* Use public transport or get on your bike.

If you can’t or won’t go green for real, you’re going to need to pretend. Avoid wearing shiny leather shoes on your first date, and don’t even consider picking her up in a gas-guzzling SUV.

When making a date, think carefully about the destination. She may be vegetarian, so a steak house is out of the question. Consider independent coffee shops and small, quirky restaurants with menus full of organic ingredients. Hippy chicks love to get back to nature, so walks in the woods or strolls along the beach will also be a hit.

Scoring with an eco-babe may take a bit more research than your average girl, but they’re worth the work - and don’t forget that all those ethical new habits you’ve picked up will more than offset any less than virtuous intentions you may have for the end of your date.



ROYCE