Vaboomer -- Baby Boomer Views & News

NEW! Nancy Drew Inspired Boomer Mystery Series--NOW on Kindle

Now Available -- Kindle copy:

 

Art Theft & Sex Trafficking

The Mystery of the Ming Connection is a light-hearted and riveting page turner with two serious themes: international art theft and sex trafficking.

Boomer retirees become Sleuths

 The story opens with the theft of a valuable Ming Dynasty jar from the New York City Metropolitan Museum of Art. Dr. Sandra Troux and her life long friends, Bobbi Power and Lizbet Sheridan, are quickly engaged in pursuing the elusive Gold Scarf Man, the probable art thief, across Korea and China. Two additional thefts of Ming porcelains from Seoul and Beijing threaten to set off an international scandal that is overshadowed only by a series of scurrilous kidnappings of local and foreign girls and young women—the closest to home being Bobbi’s college-student daughter Sophie Rose, adopted from China as an infant.

Taina Ziping

At the site of each theft and kidnapping is left a curious coin on which is engrave

d the words in Chinese characters — "Taina Ziping" and a right-facing swastika, the hideous sign of the Nazis. Two of the words on the coin hark back to the Taiping Rebellion of 1800s China. But what do the other two words mean and why is the Nazi symbol engraved on it as well? Is the coin left as a clue, an arrogant calling card, or a threat? And what does the Taiping Rebellion, the Nazi swastika, the desire for a valuable gold and diamond bracelet, art thefts and kidnapping all have to do with each other?

Chased on the Great Wall of China

In a series of thrilling chases and adventures—by horseback on the Great Wall, through the streets of Beijing in a blinding blizzard, and underground in a secret Xian tunnel system filled with cells of trafficked girls, Sandy and her sister sleuths pursue the heinous criminals to unravel the mystery of the Ming connection. The book’s climatic chapter brings the super shero trio face to face with the surprising and heart-stopping solution of The Mystery of the Ming Connection.

NOW here is another mystery: WHO IS CRYSTAL SHARPE? AND WHY IS HER BOOK FEATURED ON VABOOMER?

To Find Out:  Buy this exciting new mystery on Amazon Kindle:  

Order Kindle copy here:

 

 

Supreme Court Judge Sotomayor (Boomer Icon) Judge Sonya Sotomayor to ascend the high court bench,Brings Us Towards A More Perfect Union

Purple, green, polka dotted or what ever, I am so glad Judge Sonya Sotomayor was confirmed  today as only the third woman EVER! to sit on the Supreme Court. Her seating represents, as President Obama noted--that our nation is moving towards a more perfect union. I think often about The Constitution and its language--the pursuit of happiness, about which I have written, and towards a more perfect union. I love the action and volition that is implied in the language. That each of us citizens is offered the possibility to gain a state of happiness by what we choose and how we conduct ourselves. And that our nation as a whole moves towards a more perfect union. That union makes a happier, more productive, peaceful and satisfying national life by our collective choices. We have just moved forward today. Congratulations to us and to U.S. And congratulations to Judge Sotomayor.

See this article for a round up discussion:

A Latina on Top Court

Now playing: Slate V, a video-only site from the world's leading online magazine. Visit Slate V at www.slatev.com

By Daniel Politi

Friday, Aug. 7, 2009, at 6:55 AM ET The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, New York Times, and Wall Street Journal's world-wide newsbox lead with the Senate confirming Sonia Sotomayor as the first Hispanic justice on the Supreme Court. After three days of debate, the final vote, 68-31, was largely along party lines, although nine Republicans did cross over and vote for Sotomayor's confirmation. The White House went into celebratory mode, and President Obama hailed her confirmation as "breaking yet another barrier and moving us yet another step closer to a more perfect union." Chief Justice John Roberts will swear in the Supreme Court's newest member Saturday morning.

USAT says the White House celebration was tempered by the fact that "the vote was not nearly as bipartisan as Obama had sought." But the LAT says that, ultimately, more Republicans voted for her than was expected. The WSJ declares it was a victory for the White House that senators voted within the timetable that the administration had requested. The WP highlights that Sotomayor got more votes against her than Roberts but fewer than President George W. Bush's other nominee, Samuel Alito. Republicans also tried to claim a victory of their own, stating that during the hearings, Sotomayor and Democratic senators spoke against the idea that empathy is an important qualification to serve on the nation's highest court. "It will now be harder to nominate activist judges," Sen. Jeff Sessions, the top Republican on the judiciary committee, said.

To continue reading, click here.  Daniel Politi writes "Today's Papers" for Slate. He can be reached at todayspapers@slate.com.

Donald Tang: A Man Moved by Love

How Love Can Shape a Boomer's Life

My Country Series books

I came across Donald Tang, a trailing edge boomer, because I am starting to work on a new book, the first in our new www.thimbleberrypress.com My Country series intended for middle school social studies classes.  (In the works also in this series is Vol II. My Country: Haiti, which will be in English, Creole and French with a companion Draw on Culture Activity and Coloring book.)

I was noodling around the internet, since almost all my China research materials and books are in NJ and the local library in Calumet, Michigan has 6 books on China, the most recent of which was published in 1984. I found my way to the Asia Society of So Cal site and discovered Donald Tang who is now its Chairman. This quote from a 2007 speech really grabbed my attention:

He Came for Love

Following the woman he loved from China to America, here are his words:

And I want to use this occasion to thank my girlfriend of 28 years, my wife of 23 years, the girl who stood by my side since I was 14--if I have done one thing right in my life it has to be my choice of a partner in love, my partner in life, my partner in giving, Thank you, Jean. And for giving me the greatest gifts of all, our daughters Rosemarie and Elaine.

For many of us, the kids are what inspire and motivate us to make a difference--because they are the future, they are what we are living for, not only in India, in China and but everywhere in the world. They are our legacy.

Wow! here is a man after my own heart--that love can and should be the greatest motivator. So let me add to my list in a former post about the GNH (Gross National Happiness)and so on with GNL (Gross National Love), GNE (Gross National Ease), and GNHR (Gross National Harmony). How amazing it would be if we measured our world on these metrics...

The article below is from a year or so ago and he is now embarking on new projects that will bring Chinese culture and language to the US! I have worked so long on these projects that  I am thrilled with some one of his skill, talent and heart undertaking such a project. And that kids are at its core--well, kudos, Mr. Tang.

So enjoy this profile of Donald Tang...

(Read More:)