Good morning, Netizens...

In this morning's picture, former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr, right, flashes peace signs with his wife Barbara Bach, left, during his 68th birthday celebration outside the Hard Rock Hotel in Chicago, Monday. (July 07, 2008) Associated Press

I have historical images of the Peace sign engraved upon my mind, thousands of images that stick in my consciousness like flies in a room filled with flypaper, but none of the images are current. We have become a generation of the uninvolved, pressed by pressures against our will into molds that are either the Haves or the Have-nots, the Republican and Democrat, to a degree we have all become suspects when viewed through the eyes of an increasingly-observant law enforcement community. Once upon a time, long ago, we as a culture believed we were going to end war, and we wore the badges of our cultural revolution, including the Peace sign which we flashed at everyone, proudly. Do you still believe we can achieve true world peace in our lifetimes?

Granted, Ringo is probably one of the world's most-affluent aging Hippies, but in all fairness this lovely morning, I have some auspicious questions to ask of our lovable collective of Netizens.

In the heyday of the 60's did you ever flash the peace sign at anyone? How about in the last five years? The last six months?

Did you, as Ringo has done recently, EVER use the word “groovy” to describe a sublime experience?

As you can see from the picture above, nearly all the crowd were waving the peace sign for the benefit of the camera, all except for the dolt at the far rear who mistakenly takes a picture of the back of Ringo's head with his cell phone. I understand him. Idiots abound.

Thus we start yet another day in the Virtual Ballroom with more questions than answers. Contribute both freely.

Dave

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