Backpacks? We don't need no stinkin' backpacks!

As the first generation for whom consumption of marijuana spread beyond avant-garde bohemians and jazz musicians, it has been interesting to watch the growing legalization of what we called pot and the kids call weed. Okay, not as dangerous as our parents warned us, but how beneficial is it?

Growing legalization has finally led to scientific studies of the various claims made about marijuana. Studies have confirmed that marijuana has some benefit in reducing chronic pain as well as helping people with sleep problems. But surprisingly, there’s still a lot we don’t know. As with many mind/mood-altering substances, it appears that everyone has different tolerance levels, so medical experts stress newbies should start slow and actually keep a journal of how much marijuana they’re taking and what the effects are.

Also, as the idea of smoking anything has decreased in popularity, gummies and other pot-infused edibles have now overtaken smoking/vaping as the most popular way to consume weed.

In these days of streaming, mp3 files, and super-expensive vinyl editions of classic albums, most music lovers of today are blissfully unaware of a super-cheap method Baby Boomers used to build their record collections back in the day – the “cut-out” album or 45!

These were older releases that the record labels were “cutting out” of their catalog, meaning the label would no longer press new copies of these recordings because sales had dwindled to extremely low levels. These records were then sold, in bulk to wholesalers, who in turn sold them to record stores or large discount chains (think of the forerunners of Wal-Mart, like Zayres and Arlens).

To prevent retailers from selling these heavily discounted items at full price, the label would disfigure the record in some way before selling them to the wholesalers. For albums, that meant clipping a corner of the LP’s cover, adding a slot to the cover, or even a small metal grommet. For 45s, it usually involved boring a hole right through the single’s label.

At a time when LPs typically were selling for $3 to $4 and singles at $0.79 to $1, cut-outs could come as cheaply as $0.69 for an album and $0.29 for a 45. If you were a savvy rock fan, you could build an impressive collection for literally pennies on the dollar. Nearly every recording act (with the singular exception of the Beatles) had at least some of their catalog hit the cut-out bin at one time or another. Early albums by the Who, the Rolling Stones, the Kinks, and Pink Floyd (pre-Dark Side of the Moon) could be found in abundance. Ditto for 45s that featured B-sides that never made it onto an act’s albums.

When computers arrived with software that allowed for easy ripping of CDs along with early music-sharing sites like Napster, the entire notion of paying retail for music became quite quaint, joining the rotary phone, trading stamps, and manual transmissions in oblivion. But among the small group of dedicated vinyl collectors, those cut-out editions are now often worth more than the legitimate full retail copies. Had we only known, we’d have saved a lot of ours.

Mike Nichols’ 1967 breakthrough film, The Graduate, was a surprise blockbuster that signaled to studios baby Boomers were ready for more than Walt Disney movies. The film boosted the careers of Dustin Hoffman & Katherine Ross (making them A-list stars overnight) as well as providing a huge lift to the musical careers of Paul Simon & Art Garfunkel (and indirectly resulting in an acting career for Garfunkel).

But here are a few things you might not know about it:

1.) The film’s legendary ending came about by accident. Much has been written about The Graduate’s ending, where Benjamin & Elaine board a bus and then look at each other in a prolonged nervous silence that seems to indicate this isn’t a traditional happy ending. Still, there may be problems for these two down the line.

That ending was never planned. It came about because, on the day that scene was filmed, director Mike Nichols couldn’t be there. He left the film’s editor, Sam O’Steen in charge. O’Steen, very green when it came to directing, didn’t know enough to call out “cut,” so Hoffman and Ross sat there for several moments unsure if the scene was over or, really, what to do next.

When Nichols saw the footage, he liked it and left it in the film.

2.) Hoffman had to give up a part in Mel Brooks’ original version of The Producers to take the part in The Graduate. Brooks had cast Hoffman as Franz Leibkind, the German playwright, a small but flashy part in the film. He totally understood why Hoffman wanted to give that part up to take a lead role. Besides, Hoffman would be appearing with a co-star who was Brooks’ wife, Anne Bancroft!

3.) Mrs. Robinson was really only 6 years older than Benjamin. Although Benjamin is supposed to be a recent college graduate, Hoffman himself was 29 when he got the part. And Bancroft, at 35, was younger than the character she was playing.

4.) None of the characters who are older than Benjamin have first names. Despite boinking on a regular basis, Benjamin always calls his lover, “Mrs. Robinson.” Her first name is never mentioned. That holds true for all other characters in the film who are older than Benjamin & Elaine.

5.) Gene Hackman was cast in the film but fired. Hackman was originally set to play Mr. Robinson, but director Nichols thought he looked too young (he was actually a year older than Bancroft). So, his part was recast. Don’t feel bad for Hackman. That same year, he also had a part in a little film called Bonnie & Clyde, which launched him on a long & successful film career.

6.) That iconic leg Hoffman is looking at in the movie’s poster and the best-selling soundtrack album does not belong to Anne Bancroft. Instead, producers hired a young model for that shot and paid her $25. That model was Linda Evans, who went on the fame on Dallas and later played Mrs. Robinson in stage version of The Graduate on Broadway and London’s West End.

If you’ve been scammed, the odds of ever getting your money back are not great. But experts say there are some things you can do to improve your chances of recovering the money that was stolen. Here are the 3 biggest areas for phone & online scams operating today:

1.) Peer-to-Peer Apps – Touted as being a “safe” way to pay for things using your cell phone, peer-to-peer (P2P) cash apps like Zelle are now one of the major ways fraudsters extract money from their unsuspecting marks. Recently, Zelle has stepped up their investigating and recovery efforts for users. If the scammer was impersonating a government official like the IRS or Social Security Administration or pretending to be a service provider like a utility company, you may be able to reclaim the scammed money. The key is to report the scam to the bank or financial institute where you have your Zelle account as soon as possible. You have 120 days to make a report, but the longer you wait, the less your chance of ever recovering anything.

Unfortunately, other cash apps like Venmo and CashApp do not offer similar recovery services.

2.) Gift Cards – In the first place, any time someone you don’t know is asking you to purchase and send them gift cards, should be a huge warning sign. If you keep your receipt(s) and report the fraud quickly, you stand a chance of recovering some if not all of the money.

3.) Cryptocurrency – Typically, this activity usually involves scam artists getting their victims to “invest” in cryptocurrency. If you feel you have been ripped off in such a scheme, contact the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (at ic3.com). It’s also recommended that you contact your local police.

Experts also warn you, NEVER trust offers from so-called asset recovery organizations. More often than not, these are also scammers who purchased details about you from the people who ripped you off in the first place. Never pay anything in advance to any group that promises to get you a refund.