this ain't the summer of love

forty yrs ago, 100,000 hipi kids, inspahrd by life magazine and insipid pap like scott mckenzie's "if you're going to san francisco," descended en masse upon the haight-ashbury district of san fran without money to do drugs, have sex, experience stumblebum passivity 'n' squalor. this was what the media referred to as the summer of love, which was neither the first nor the last time mass communications would inspire large-scale foolishness 'n' self-defeating behavior. (for perspective on the event, read joan didion's essay "slouching towards babylon" from the collection of the same name, and/or listen to frank zappa's we're only in it for the money.) my sweetie sez the worthwhile part of the '60s was the early part (e.g., the civil rights movement), and i'm inclined to agree with her.