Something on your mind? Do you want to talk about it -- or text message? In this electronic age, some fear the art of conversation is on its way out.

The staff at Whitehall Borough Public Library has the cure, a program that is part old-fashioned salon and part 21st Century coffee talk.

At 1 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month, the library sponsors a ''conversation salon'' where participants gather around a table with coffee and other refreshments to talk about the headlines -- or whatever strikes their fancy.

A salon, historically, is a fashionable assemblage of notables [literary figures, artists or statesmen] held by custom at the home of a prominent person. The Founding Fathers, for example, were fond of them.

These days in the South Hills, moderator Pat Kraus encourages the group "to bring in topics that interest you." Mostly senior citizens attend this monthly event and about 10 attended this month.

On this day -- even with a nationally important Pennsylvania primary election just weeks away -- politics wasn't on any one's mind, but the local economy sure was.

Still, Ms. Kraus, 77, of Whitehall, feels that "politics can become very heated, but I feel we should try to discuss it."

As a moderator, she has learned, "certain people want to relate their life history while others are content to just listen."

For most of the two-hour session, the conversation was quiet and evenly paced until the subjects of health care and Port Authority retiree benefits came up.

Cathy McGinley, 72, of Whitehall, brought a clip of the March 10 edition of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and pointed out that she was in a photo as a participant in the Empty Bowl Lunch at Temple Rodef Shalom in Oakland. The lunch benefited the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank and participants bought bowls made for the event for $20.

Ms. McGinley, who is a volunteer in five organizations, said she was impressed by the community turnout for the event, which called attention to hunger in our back yard.

"There were more than 1,800 people there. Participants ate only a bowl of soup for lunch, symbolic of the way many poor people must eat.

"Soups were donated by area restaurants and the temple was a perfect place for the event, because its members are very family-oriented. And, the Matzoh Balls [a musical group] performed,'' she said.

Ms. McGinley, a sales representative for TransWorld Airlines for 37 years before her retirement in 1998, also brought along a letter to the editor printed earlier this month in the Post-Gazette. In that letter, the writer complained about the $19 million purchase by UPMC of the Monroeville Palace Hotel. The letter also noted that the hospital conglomerate has refused to accept the cancer insurance of some patients.

"That eliminates treatment for some,'' she told salon participants.

A few in the room questioned why the hospital is expanding into Monroeville, but Ben Augenstein, of Whitehall, whom Ms. Kraus called the "spark plug" of the group, said, "I have no problem with [the healthcare giant] extending medical treatment to [a site in] Monroeville. But the guy who bought the Palace before UPMC in hopes of securing a casino license paid just $10 million. The $19 million price in today's down real estate market is just too much."

Mr. Augenstein, 68, is a retired mainframe computer operator for Consol Energy. He says, "It is cool to get other people's opinions."

Adriana Smith, 80, of West Mifflin, talked about what she said were mailing problems at a local hospital. Ms. Smith retired a decade ago from a clerical job at what was then Kaufmann's, but is now Macy's.

Pat Backes, 82, of Whitehall, wanted to talk about the new federal economic stimulus package, which is slated to provide cash rebates to almost everyone.

"I don't know how much it will help, [taxpayer will start getting checks in the mail in May] but did you see how much it cost the IRS to inform us: $42 million!"

Ms. Backes was the original moderator of the group until some health concerns lead her to give it up. She is a retired flight attendant who worked for British Airways and TWA. She started working in the 1920s.

"I like people and talking about ideas," she said. "Older people often live alone and have nothing but television and computers for company. They need the interaction only people bring."

And when it comes to retirees how can the conversation not turn to golf?

Resident golf expert Ray Kienzl, of Whitehall, a retired sports writer who specialized in golf reporting, defended the game as "more than just chasing after a ball. In golf, you are playing against a course."

Mr. Augenstein said he couldn't help but 'chip' in. "A round of golf may last three to four hours, that's pretty much what a football or baseball game takes," he said.

Joanne Hamel, of Brentwood, a retired homemaker and mother of five children, now grown, said that she is "inspired by Oprah Winfrey. She is a wonderful person, giving away so much for good causes," she said of the new television show, "Oprah's Big Give."

"Oprah puts her money to work helping others. When she established a girls' school in Africa and problems developed, she went there personally to straighten things out."

From there, the talk segued into the subject of celebrities in general and sports figures who make too much money.

"How can these people spend all of that money, money such as Ben Roethlisberger's $102 million." Mr. Augenstein asked.

Ms. Backes chimed in, "Remember, most CEO's also make too much money, too."

And from Ms. McGinley: "Did you see those finance company execs before Congress recently? They make way too much money."

That led to a discussion of the pensions and retiree health care benefits for Port Authority employees.

Snippets from the free-for-all:

"Free health care for the retirees and their families for life, while PAT is $80 million in debt?"

"Bus service is cut and then someone decides to build this useless tunnel under the Allegheny."

And round and round if went.

As salon members were draining their coffee cups, one man wanted to know, Were the good old days really better?

The group consensus: Probably not.

Everyone agreed that today's young cannot spell or do math as well as their more senior counterparts. But, all also agreed that the younger generation is certainly more comfortable with the world of e-mail and high tech than are most seniors.

For more on the program, or to join, call the library at 412-882-6622.