If you're going to San Francisco, should you wear a flower in your hair?

Who's asking: Tod Goldberg, La Quinta, CA

I'm tempted to say "Yes" to this question only because I'd like to see what Tod looks like with a flower in his hair.

Nevertheless, the correct answer is "No" -- unless you are a teenaged girl with an elaborate MySpace page and a running narration of "The Story of My Noble, Misunderstood Life" in her head.

Sorry if that sounds harsh. I was one of those girls myself, once, in the days before MySpace. The internal narration goes away with appropriate medication and the development of a sense of humor. The photo of yourself with a flower in your hair survives to embarrass you well into middle age.

I could give you a full-scale rant about the misguidedness of nostalgia for hippie days -- a time of petulance, sexual irresponsibility, and poor personal hygiene -- but it's too nice a day, and I'm in too good a mood. My car is fixed, and it only cost me $46; my laptop seems to be fixable, and in the meantime I have a nice little loaner.

Happy birthday today to my Uncle John McLaughlin, in whose honor I am listening, once again, to "Uncle John's Band."