tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54146822820806667452024-02-07T22:40:11.216-05:00BoomVistaStill Typing Through The Stiffness, Just For YouMarty Merzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939358567479460969noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414682282080666745.post-89512712157924670582007-06-06T15:46:00.000-04:002007-06-06T15:59:30.461-04:00Securely taking Social SecurityIt surely is one of the most difficult and consequential of decisions for Baby Boomers: When can I retire and, more importantly, when should I start collecting my Social Security benefits.<br /><br />Well, a writer at CNN.com (of all places) has done some of the heavy lifting for us:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1LQCMvnt0rh2rM4NHm1LxIgeC9Ab3Jy5JmI7M3ET9ZnZNbqWtxKq416Jm-nPQUJ3Uf2Dqh-T2p0ZfxhHFnevPG6DJy39pcVQL54BxTI44Rcmq6faIVYHZa8XMFgk_39cIIZRufx2y9ZIs/s1600-h/social+security+card.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5073043015987818738" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1LQCMvnt0rh2rM4NHm1LxIgeC9Ab3Jy5JmI7M3ET9ZnZNbqWtxKq416Jm-nPQUJ3Uf2Dqh-T2p0ZfxhHFnevPG6DJy39pcVQL54BxTI44Rcmq6faIVYHZa8XMFgk_39cIIZRufx2y9ZIs/s400/social+security+card.jpg" border="0" /></a>"Say you want to retire at 62 and would draw a Social Security benefit of $1,125 a month. That's 25 percent less than the $1,500 you would collect if you waited until age 66.<br /><br />"By age 77 and 11 months (let's call it 78) you'd have collected roughly $216,000 in total benefits, whether you opted for early benefits ($1,125 x 192 months from ages 62 until 78) or full retirement age benefits ($1,500 x 144 months from ages 66 until 78).<br /><br />"But your break-even age is actually later when you factor in the investment value of your early benefits. Even if you don't invest those early benefits directly, taking them might mean you can leave other savings to keep growing. That could add three to five years to your break-even point...."<br /><br />She even linked to the Social Security Administration's <a href="http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/quickcalc/when2retire.html" target="_blank"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">breakeven</span> calculator</a>.<br /><br />The full piece is <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2007/06/06/pf/retirement/social_security_early/?postversion=2007060613" target="_blank">here</a>. It is worth your time.Marty Merzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939358567479460969noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414682282080666745.post-62754424397141566332007-05-28T10:13:00.000-04:002007-06-03T12:02:32.838-04:00A Father's Story; A Pentagon TributeWe live in extremely difficult times, and we Baby Boomers have seen all of this before.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_eqC0hYE4d4N3WBPOCksg3UJ2d6jiRBZ4Bf7g44MSaWMtvMmRcz_Qh2C7REdYrNGHUl9YcPJ8i6C66UfJV1T0Ks6EtBmTU7URIntjvE5kg98MATUzSKu7jw50Bgc7GNnM7AX4eMrG28p9/s1600-h/flag+half+staff.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5069619209247490722" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_eqC0hYE4d4N3WBPOCksg3UJ2d6jiRBZ4Bf7g44MSaWMtvMmRcz_Qh2C7REdYrNGHUl9YcPJ8i6C66UfJV1T0Ks6EtBmTU7URIntjvE5kg98MATUzSKu7jw50Bgc7GNnM7AX4eMrG28p9/s400/flag+half+staff.jpg" border="0" /></a>It is nearly impossible to believe that so many of us have forgotten the lessons learned from - and the pain inflicted by - the Vietnam experience, but clearly we have.<br /><br />An ill-conceived, disastrously managed war. Our young, and in some cases, not-so-young maimed and killed. Our economy and our serenity and our standing in the world damaged nearly beyond repair.<br /><br />Our troops richly deserve our support and respect and gratitude, but the cause for which they and their families must sacrifice - while so many of us remain untouched? We must think carefully about this. Yes, our enemies are vicious and tenacious and they must be confronted, fought and defeated, but where were they before we invaded Iraq and where are they now?<br /><br />Here, on Memorial Day, are two relatively brief pieces worthy of your review.<br /><br /><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118013715744415303.html?mod=hps_us_pageone" target="_blank">One</a> is from the Wall Street Journal and reflects the anguish of a father who not only lost a son to the war but must struggle to come to terms with his role in that loss; <a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/851/story/120712.html" target="_blank">the other </a>is about a moving weekly ceremony at the Pentagon and is written by - actually relayed by - a friend and colleague, military correspondent Joe Galloway.<br /><br />Please read them. Please think about them.Marty Merzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939358567479460969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414682282080666745.post-54027018981046426492007-05-23T09:56:00.000-04:002007-06-03T12:02:51.952-04:00A Crisp Salute......to the fallen who died in service to their country.<br /><br />BoomVista will be away for the holiday weekend, but let's try to keep in mind the purpose of Memorial Day. It is not to shop, picnic or drive to the shore, though there's nothing wrong with any of that.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCpjPYQ9CR1l6FSzrrrbURUuIjj8zyiCggxj7aV184WpXIputAjGq6padpiQKWgXB6fjX2Yct9nAbL9OugwYMy-UxcxTLEqWdJ2xPLEfUkP0FFO0mUk-hQBGToXJO4R5cXF0pKH86IgBI0/s1600-h/memorial+day+salute.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5067501292154356370" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCpjPYQ9CR1l6FSzrrrbURUuIjj8zyiCggxj7aV184WpXIputAjGq6padpiQKWgXB6fjX2Yct9nAbL9OugwYMy-UxcxTLEqWdJ2xPLEfUkP0FFO0mUk-hQBGToXJO4R5cXF0pKH86IgBI0/s400/memorial+day+salute.jpg" border="0" /></a>The purpose of <a href="http://www.usmemorialday.org/" target="_blank">Memorial Day </a>is to honor soldiers, sailors, Marines, Air Force personnel and Coast Guard men and women who were killed in the line of duty.<br /><br />As a veteran, I find myself feeling this more keenly as each year passes and as each Memorial Day and Veterans Day pass.<br /><br />And, for what it's worth, I think this would be a better nation if everyone were compelled to devote two years of service to their nation.<br /><br />Could be military, could be a form of civilian service. No matter. The country needs it, and many of our young people could use a bit of discipline, a sense of responsibility to something larger than themselves.<br /><br />End of sermon. Enjoy the holiday, but also...remember.Marty Merzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939358567479460969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414682282080666745.post-7103405073259337302007-05-20T13:55:00.000-04:002007-05-20T16:18:06.812-04:00R.I.P. And Pass The Buffalo WingsHard to know what to think about this one.<br /><br />An interesting story in the Press-Enterprise, a newspaper that is based...somewhere (its website is amazingly vague about that), is promoted with this irresistible headline:<br /><br />"Funerals are becoming a personal celebration."<br /><br />This is how it begins:<br /><br />"Louise Felicetta threw her husband, Dominic, a big bash on Feb. 24, the day after his 72nd birthday. At the Gourmet restaurant in San Bernardino, 200 friends and family members nibbled on wings and meatballs, danced to a live band, watched the couple's life unfold on videos and sifted through photos and memorabilia.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkqOR7p5IeOTKI5x-QMOUsEriPWW2Ie2R_oM7mHtl8oUiOIB3iJpERGDnvdy1GewjzcvXHQJnFyf8xFtiXXqLXgn6rXfzW4ER5wnWrySvlJWORW7lg1bRvTm-NjLIvNp2sGJtKMcBMcCYx/s1600-h/funeral+home.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5066709849940787842" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkqOR7p5IeOTKI5x-QMOUsEriPWW2Ie2R_oM7mHtl8oUiOIB3iJpERGDnvdy1GewjzcvXHQJnFyf8xFtiXXqLXgn6rXfzW4ER5wnWrySvlJWORW7lg1bRvTm-NjLIvNp2sGJtKMcBMcCYx/s400/funeral+home.jpg" border="0" /></a>"But the guest of honor wasn't there. Dominic Felicetta, of Rialto, was dead. After a short bout with pancreatic cancer, he had been cremated. His ashes eventually will be co-mingled with his wife's and buried in the family plot.<br /><br />" 'He didn't want a funeral or memorial," says Felicetta, 79. "It was a special day. I came home a little sad, but uplifted." '<br /><br />Yep, that's how I'm hoping Mrs. BoomVista will feel on that somewhat special day. A <em>little</em> sad, but oh-so-uplifted.<br /><br />Setting that aside for the moment, along with the fact that the piece attributes all of this to self-absorbed Baby Boomers, even though Mr. Felicetta and his slightly melancholy but uplifted widow are Boomer Emeriti, the article does reflect a growing reality.<br /><br />Many of us are unlikely to do the fill-in-the-blanks funeral routine. As the piece says, without any apparent awareness of the pun, "Blame it on baby boomers for thinking outside the box."<br /><br />Mrs. BoomVista, for instance, knows that I want to be buried with a portable XM Satellite Radio and a six-pack of batteries. Yes, XM's 60s music is <em>that</em> good. I'm serious (not to be confused with Sirius).<br /><br />What about you? Given it any thought? Oh, c'mon, you know you have.<br /><br />The rest of the article is <a href="http://www.pe.com/lifestyles/stories/PE_Fea_Daily_D_funfunerals0520.1154f0c.html" target="_blank">here</a>. (Upon close examination, the Press-Enterprise might cover the Riverside-San Bernadino area of southern California. But it's apparently not the sort of thing they want to say definitively on their web page.)Marty Merzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939358567479460969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414682282080666745.post-22851220077089664262007-05-19T14:12:00.000-04:002007-05-20T16:22:16.130-04:00A Balancing Post (rimshot)OK, so most of us remember the days before Black/CrackBerries, before cell phones and, more to the point I'll eventually get to, before pocket calculators. We remember pencils and paper. We remember those damn multiplication tables.<br /><br />Boy, do we remember those multiplication tables. And, speaking for myself, I want to keep remembering them.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixIXHCna5Y8pxqXV_NfS-k4xbHw18wx2JEa8oGbd_e45MNY0SGhq30QF7YSe9noNaRx68RpgHn6YIfHv5g0IW-49-QhxfhvORi8ToQZlq2TXWd3_GJ36GW3WS4IEns_N0Ba2P6dgXVWJvL/s1600-h/checkbook.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5066340495638233698" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixIXHCna5Y8pxqXV_NfS-k4xbHw18wx2JEa8oGbd_e45MNY0SGhq30QF7YSe9noNaRx68RpgHn6YIfHv5g0IW-49-QhxfhvORi8ToQZlq2TXWd3_GJ36GW3WS4IEns_N0Ba2P6dgXVWJvL/s400/checkbook.jpg" border="0" /></a>So I balance my checkbook the old-fashioned way. I insist on receiving hard-copy monthly statements in the mail (you have to be careful - banks are developing all sorts of tricks to get you to click the 'electronic delivery' box). And when the statements arrive, I pull out a pen and the checkbook, and I add and substract and curse and whine and so on and so forth.<br /><br />Now, I'm no Luddite. I have computers, 6.0 DSL service, a wireless home network, satellite TV and XM Satellite Radio (I still have to get to that post), and I know I can go online and pretty much have the bank do it for me or program the computer to do it.<br /><br />But I don't. And I usually don't use a calculator either, for the same reason I sometime walk stairs when I can ride an elevator. Exercise.<br /><br />I want to keep this brain - or reasonable facsimile thereof - as sharp as I can. And I'm thinking (rimshot redux) the best way to do that is to keep exercising it.<br /><br />Whaddya think? Anyone have a similar hard-headed policy about bank statements and checkbooks? Other examples of the same sort of thing?Marty Merzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939358567479460969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414682282080666745.post-84293068041178856652007-05-18T09:12:00.000-04:002007-05-20T16:20:03.562-04:00We Bet They DoFirst, the kicker quote from an AP story about nudist colonies seeking to recruit younger members as an offset to the <strike>wrinkling</strike> maturing crop of Baby Boomer customers:<br /><br />"Unlike any other place in life, people actually look at you when they talk to you."<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhajMs5odlPMF517qEWRiZM3PNc-B0HRLpC83dpJmyxhOeTdfYmoJ1ad3DrDm8shmJVkKMjsKPHWQvLroB-Qb-kN0RcmtJE8wMMN5RWnrva4BlQoEa_Q8rXmlTxUWH1yMNhyre2q2vMFhRL/s1600-h/nudists.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5064777566640184210" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhajMs5odlPMF517qEWRiZM3PNc-B0HRLpC83dpJmyxhOeTdfYmoJ1ad3DrDm8shmJVkKMjsKPHWQvLroB-Qb-kN0RcmtJE8wMMN5RWnrva4BlQoEa_Q8rXmlTxUWH1yMNhyre2q2vMFhRL/s400/nudists.jpg" border="0" /></a>Yes, we bet...<br /><br />Anyway, the rest of the article is <a href="http://www.wilmingtonstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070514/NEWS/705140337/-1/State" target="_blank">here</a>. It, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">uhm</span>, raises the question: How comfortable would you be on the receiving end of widespread visual attention?Marty Merzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939358567479460969noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414682282080666745.post-31211440617273906792007-05-17T17:29:00.000-04:002007-05-20T16:20:23.767-04:00Sad News TodayLauren Terrazzano, the young Newsday reporter who <a href="http://boomvista.blogspot.com/2007/04/what-matters-is-present-moment.html">wrote so movingly </a>about her battle with cancer, has died.<br /><br />She was married for just over a year. She was 39 years old. "What matters is the present moment," she wrote.<br /><br />Our condolences and best wishes to her husband, other relatives, friends and colleagues at Newsday.<br /><br />Here is the <a href="http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-hsterr0515,0,6326351,print.story" target="_blank">obituary published by her newspaper</a>.Marty Merzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939358567479460969noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414682282080666745.post-37879443086181733152007-05-15T18:34:00.000-04:002007-05-20T16:17:21.829-04:00Standards and Practices, Part 2Well, I guess some standards still exist and <a href="http://boomvista.blogspot.com/2007/05/standards-and-practices.html">some lines cannot be crossed </a>without consequences.<br />--<br />XM Radio Suspends Opie & Anthony<br /><br />WASHINGTON and NEW YORK, May 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- XM Radio announced today that the company has suspended Gregg "Opie" Hughes and Anthony Cumia, hosts of "The Opie & Anthony Show" and ceased broadcast of the show for 30 days, effective immediately.<br /><br />XM Radio deplored the comments aired on "The Opie & Anthony Show" last week. At the time, the company strongly expressed its views to Opie and Anthony, and they issued an immediate apology.<br /><br />Comments made by Opie and Anthony on yesterday's broadcast put into question whether they appreciate the seriousness of the matter. The management of XM Radio decided to suspend Opie and Anthony to make clear that our on-air talent must take seriously the responsibility that creative freedom requires of them.<br /><br />As a company, XM provides customers with tools to control what they listen to on XM. "The Opie & Anthony Show" appears on one of XM's explicit language channels (XL). Whenever a radio is tuned to an explicit language channel, the letters "XL" continuously appear on the screen. XM frequently mentions on its explicit language channels that the content may be inappropriate for certain listeners and tells how to "block" channels that feature this type of content. Channel blocking is available through xmradio.com or by calling 1-800-XMRADIO.Marty Merzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939358567479460969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414682282080666745.post-2118110762898599832007-05-14T15:04:00.000-04:002007-05-15T11:18:56.065-04:00Keeping The 'Lights' OnExcellent news was confirmed on Monday.<br /><br />NBC renewed <a href="http://www.nbc.com/Friday_Night_Lights/" target="_blank">"Friday Night Lights," </a>one of the best - if not <em>the</em> best - television programs of recent years.<br /><br />In addition, NBC says that repeats of the first season will begin airing on Sunday, May 27. Pass the word. As <a href="http://boomvista.blogspot.com/2007/04/our-kind-of-tv-program-and-it-needs-our.html">previously discussed</a>, this is a high-quality program that Baby Boomers and their children and grandchildren should support.Marty Merzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939358567479460969noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414682282080666745.post-69071349755968574812007-05-12T07:08:00.000-04:002007-05-12T09:49:53.128-04:00Standards and PracticesPeople who know me well are a little surprised that I haven't yet mentioned one of the things that is making this Baby Boomer's journey into the Third Third most enjoyable: <a href="http://www.xmradio.com/"target="_blank">XM Satellite Radio.<br /></a><br />One day, I will wax poetic about XM and what it delivers. One day...but not today.<br /><br />Today, in a bit of an echo of the <a href="http://boomvista.blogspot.com/2007/04/imus-and-civility-and-us.html">Don Imus</a> situation, I am compelled to speak harshly about something that was broadcast on XM this past week.<br /><br />This is difficult for me because I am such a fan of XM and such a proponent of free speech, so I think I'll begin with this description of the event, posted on the web by someone else:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWi_UDh2dZ6uWkl7dc5O3wQBuG9vYG7EawjTDVAPvmfL4EKnY7AuPwd5MkBmv28ecZ6Iq59XbPnLLkN7Jez1bVoOHs7RfsBBO9H0MsjVXYacV4v-naFjHAqJk8-V6ke2NRyJBkiceiY6nu/s1600-h/o&a.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5063634306475531138" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWi_UDh2dZ6uWkl7dc5O3wQBuG9vYG7EawjTDVAPvmfL4EKnY7AuPwd5MkBmv28ecZ6Iq59XbPnLLkN7Jez1bVoOHs7RfsBBO9H0MsjVXYacV4v-naFjHAqJk8-V6ke2NRyJBkiceiY6nu/s400/o&a.jpg" border="0" /></a>"Warning: Extremely Vulgar Language. XM Shock Jocks Opie and Anthony engage in discussion about forced sex with the Secretary of State. A studio guest, Homeless Charlie, begins describing the scenario as the hosts laugh and encourage him. Anthony talks about the horror for Rice as the guest is "holding her down" and assaulting her. They invite Charlie to be a regular guest."<br /><br />If you want to hear this for yourself, and I don't particularly recommend it, you can access an audio clip <a href="http://www.breitbart.tv/?p=450" target="_blank">here</a>. A full New York Times account of the resulting controversy can be found <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/12/arts/music/12radi.html?ref=media" target="_blank">here</a>.<br /><br />Some people I know, also XM fans, are shrugging their shoulders about this. Just a skit, they say. You could hear the same thing on HBO or Saturday Night Live. Some other shock jocks are expressing alarm, saying that criticism of O&A shows that it is becoming a "dangerous time" to be on radio.<br /><br />Let's be clear. This was not a 'skit.' This was not a comedy routine you would see on HBO. It was not a segment of Saturday Night Live. It would have been edited out of any program broadcast on any television network in this or virtually any other country.<br /><br />This was a detailed, profanity-laced discussion about forcible, violent sex - also known as rape - on someone, a discussion that appeared to approve of that act and made light of it.<br /><br />If someone were to rationalize this away, what is next?<br /><br />Is it OK to have a similar, approving discussion about, say, slavery?<br /><br />The genocide of Armenians, Jewish people or others?<br /><br />A forcible, violent sex attack on a six-year-old child?<br /><br />This was an abuse of free speech every bit as much as yelling 'fire' in a crowded theater is an abuse of free speech, and - in my opinion - it should be condemned as such.<br /><br />Back in the '60s and early '70s, the most popular weatherman in New York City, the largest market in the country, was Tex Antoine. One night, his weather report came on right after a news report about a violent rape of a five-year-old girl.<br /><br />Antoine said, on the air: "With rape so predominant in the news lately, it is well to remember the words of Confucius: 'If rape is inevitable, lie back and enjoy it.' "<br /><br />He was suspended and ultimately fired. His career essentially ended that night.<br /><br />I don't remember anyone raising free speech issues or complaining that it was becoming a dangerous time to be on television.Marty Merzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939358567479460969noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414682282080666745.post-40868120491445854692007-05-09T08:28:00.000-04:002007-05-20T16:20:56.235-04:00And The Answers Are1. The Lone Ranger left behind a silver bullet.<br />2. The Ed Sullivan Show.<br />3. On Route 66.<br />4. To protect the innocent.<br />5. The Lion Sleeps Tonight.<br />6. The limbo.<br />7. Chocolate (Bonus opportunity: Who was pictured along side that question?)<br />8. Louis Armstrong.<br />9. The Timex watch.<br />10. Freddy The Freeloader, and "Good Night and may God Bless."<br />11. Draft cards (bras also were burned).<br />12. Beetle or Bug.<br />13. Buddy Holly.<br />14. Sputnik.<br />15. Hoola-hoop.Marty Merzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939358567479460969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414682282080666745.post-15346196736779505552007-05-06T09:55:00.000-04:002007-05-06T10:38:01.833-04:00There Will Be A Test<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLcTh7X2l27330jqrblkJ_SQjQep0XTw7DPhhTmwCVb6prFCsx-7BcB7lG5LwOnyk2qQdgTRNmQIWQ24LnvaySM5ww8hn8Mb7gsOWU1g9TVDa4i_L1yvDaQ0-jrzOf44W5l6GILh3Uwqh1/s1600-h/red+skelton.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5061451118764399410" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLcTh7X2l27330jqrblkJ_SQjQep0XTw7DPhhTmwCVb6prFCsx-7BcB7lG5LwOnyk2qQdgTRNmQIWQ24LnvaySM5ww8hn8Mb7gsOWU1g9TVDa4i_L1yvDaQ0-jrzOf44W5l6GILh3Uwqh1/s400/red+skelton.jpg" border="0" /></a>And here it is.<br /><br />Most questions are easy; some not so much.<br /><br />Click 'Comments' at the bottom of the post to list your guesses/answers or to comment about someone else's comments. The full list of correct answers will be posted later in the week.<br /><br />(And thanks to Mark, a loyal BoomVista-ista, for the contribution.<br /><br /><br />------------------ A TEST FOR OLDER KIDS ---------------<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVGe8NO_fgXC463kkENG89sh2sDyP62avqyBqvYWViZnt8S4q0Z8D_kFeLMJS1_hLKK88AFKJOCbKSXo3x31Jgmvs1i981drymUSLcd5CX4meQstdZ7CpvfNvMt3Xd_g3RcLB0OvAqr2pv/s1600-h/Lone+Ranger.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5061452153851517778" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVGe8NO_fgXC463kkENG89sh2sDyP62avqyBqvYWViZnt8S4q0Z8D_kFeLMJS1_hLKK88AFKJOCbKSXo3x31Jgmvs1i981drymUSLcd5CX4meQstdZ7CpvfNvMt3Xd_g3RcLB0OvAqr2pv/s400/Lone+Ranger.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />1. After the Lone Ranger saved the day and rode off into the sunset, the grateful citizens would ask, "Who was that masked man?" Invariably, someone would answer, "I don't know, but he left this behind..." What did he leave behind?<br /><br />2. When the Beatles first came to the U.S. in early 1964, we all watched them on The _______ Show.<br /><br />3. "Get your kicks, ________."<br /><br />4. "The story you are about to see is true. The names have been changed __________."<br /><br />5. "In the jungle, the mighty jungle, ___."<br /><br />6. After the Twist, The Mashed Potato, and the Watusi, we "danced" under a stick that was lowered as low as we could go in a dance called the "_______."<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP8kKdP8LdmyV7JLnL6ZJERDi0uQ7WNlCqobxSiq-8AjY16zg1te8rM8kyGwlEG_jqAYyapgtBtlvdaGxj1DoNLsIMyiB7XsoP5QpoLCJgG1NkHVLl8WvLIGFGQ6JWaEG76JilhUDl5Ou0/s1600-h/jimmynelson2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5061453025729878882" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP8kKdP8LdmyV7JLnL6ZJERDi0uQ7WNlCqobxSiq-8AjY16zg1te8rM8kyGwlEG_jqAYyapgtBtlvdaGxj1DoNLsIMyiB7XsoP5QpoLCJgG1NkHVLl8WvLIGFGQ6JWaEG76JilhUDl5Ou0/s400/jimmynelson2.jpg" border="0" /></a>7. "N_E_S_T_L_E_S", Nestle's makes the very best___."<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />8. Satchmo was America's "Ambassador of Goodwill." This great jazz trumpeter's name was ___.<br /><br />9. What takes a licking and keeps on ticking?<br /><br />10. Red Skelton's hobo character was named _____ and Red always ended his television show by saying, "Good Night, and "___ ___."<br /><br />11. Some Americans who protested the Vietnam War did so by burning their ______.<br /><br />12. The cute little car with the engine in the back and the trunk in the front was called the VW ___? What two other names did it go by?<br /><br />13. In 1971, singer Don MacLean sang a song about, "The day the music died." This was a tribute to _______.<br /><br />14. We can remember the first satellite placed into orbit. The Russians did it. It was called _____.<br /><br />15. One of the big fads of the late 50s and 60s was a large plastic ring that we twirled around our waist. It was called the _______.Marty Merzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939358567479460969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414682282080666745.post-21163267865815852672007-05-04T15:48:00.000-04:002007-05-20T16:21:35.656-04:00Extra! Extra! Read All About Us!Two messages here.<br /><br />1. We mentioned this <a href="http://boomvista.blogspot.com/2007/04/q-seven-letter-word-for.html">awhile back</a>, but this Sunday's New York Times Magazine is entirely devoted to Baby Boomers. More about that in a minute, but first...<br /><br />2. It seems like advertisers finally get it, and they are warming to us.<br /><br />For many years, ad agencies made it clear that they weren't interested in us. Too old. Too locked into our ways.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-6BRvI0wbCbwgHFG8TqkWULEqHAhr5VwSJVB1IIaCYiDJA8QckAGEAqTZXalI1Zhttj9cP1TSe2bngQvd9GbydA3u0LbRzAYMIqulwT82KksptHadT0K7ASxDQoGo9QE1tvDvts4rc0Kr/s1600-h/nytimes.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5061457844683185010" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-6BRvI0wbCbwgHFG8TqkWULEqHAhr5VwSJVB1IIaCYiDJA8QckAGEAqTZXalI1Zhttj9cP1TSe2bngQvd9GbydA3u0LbRzAYMIqulwT82KksptHadT0K7ASxDQoGo9QE1tvDvts4rc0Kr/s400/nytimes.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />This made so sense, of course, because we tend to have considerable disposable income - not all of us, but many of us - and we have a history of disposing it.<br /><br />Well, it took 'em awhile, but advertisers are wising up.<br /><br />The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">NYTimes</span> calls this Sunday's edition: “The New Middle Ages: A Special Issue.” It says the magazine "will be devoted entirely to topics facing baby-boomers as they hit middle age. It will cover the ways in which our nation’s most talked-about generation addresses lifestyle choices concerning work, money, travel, politics, spirituality, relationships, health and more."<br /><br />And here's the kicker: The issue has attracted what the magazine calls "significant advertiser interest" - 56 advertising pages, with the largest contribution in ad sales coming from the financial sector.<br /><br />(The paper says that <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/magazine" target="_blank" shape="rect">NYTimes.com/Magazine</a>, an online version of The New Middle Ages issue, will <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">offer exclusive</span> interactive features, including a crossword puzzle with clues created by former President Bill Clinton, an original documentary on boomer sex lives by Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Rachel <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Dretzin</span>, a video Q&A about the new science of longevity and a questionnaire that measures a person’s wisdom.)Marty Merzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939358567479460969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414682282080666745.post-86246637775734119672007-05-02T16:25:00.001-04:002007-05-02T21:02:50.794-04:00Inexpensive travel to LondonWe're always looking for bargains to share. So, here's a travel tip contributed by John, a loyal BoomVista-ista:<br /><br />Google Maps is awesome for making travel plans ... follow the steps below to find the cheapest route to London.<br /><br />1. Go to <a href="www.google.com">Google</a><br />2. Click on "maps"<br />3. Click on "get directions"<br />4. Type "New York" in the first box (the "from" box)<br />5. Type "London" in the second box (the "to" box)<br />6. Hit 'Get Directions'<br />7. Be sure to see step #24Marty Merzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939358567479460969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414682282080666745.post-80945627889278883752007-05-02T08:28:00.000-04:002007-05-02T09:03:53.427-04:00It's Never Really Enough, Is It?So, how much money do or will we need to retire comfortably? And what does that mean exactly anyway...comfortably?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtegZdqNVXVm7pkxlzgjUh8QIXGV7v8XDjIta2yD-7u2lpWnFcYhYmnyNkTENwb7T-5thOS7XbiDwthj9scwASSH6wtFKzQOsn6IcXoRqUx7OaP-tGs4Uomyse7AvAWH2uUIWAn_Ra_8xI/s1600-h/money+tree.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5059947223080803058" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtegZdqNVXVm7pkxlzgjUh8QIXGV7v8XDjIta2yD-7u2lpWnFcYhYmnyNkTENwb7T-5thOS7XbiDwthj9scwASSH6wtFKzQOsn6IcXoRqUx7OaP-tGs4Uomyse7AvAWH2uUIWAn_Ra_8xI/s400/money+tree.jpg" border="0" /></a>I think a reasonable definition is: Will Mrs. BoomVista let me buy a new car when I want to? OK, more seriously, a reasonable definition is: Enjoying your retirement while spending wisely and modestly and, most importantly, without becoming obsessed by your bank account or net worth.<br /><br />Coop, a loyal BoomVista, sends along some advice that passed through his computer the other day. It comes from a firm called Daniel A. White Associates, which says it "solely serves the financial needs of those nearing retirement and those already retired."<br /><br />Much of it is pretty obvious, but it never hurts to review the obvious. Here is the material, which some bracketed remarks from BoomVista:<br /><br />As retirement rolls into view for the Baby Boomer generation, many people are wondering if their nest egg will provide the quality of life they have been dreaming about for so many years.<br /><br />There is no universally accepted method for calculating how much money is needed to cover retirement expenses. But a comprehensive evaluation of your financial situation will improve the accuracy of whatever planning tool you use to measure your nest egg. Here is a summary of information you will need.<br /><br />- Retirement expenses. Start by figuring out current living expenses, then determine what will change in retirement. Most retirees spend less on expenses like food [Huh?] and clothing, but many spend more on travel and second homes. Don't forget health care when estimating your annual retirement budget in today's dollars. [That's certainly the biggie, isn't it? BoomVista's plan - Have Mrs. BoomVista continue working for the health insurance...pretty much forever. :) ]<br /><br />- Cash flow sources. Be conservative on what you expect from Social Security, although President Bush has promised full benefits for everyone born before 1950. [See <a href="http://boomvista.blogspot.com/2007/04/good-news-bad-news.html">this previous post</a>.] Pensions, annuities and reverse mortgages will reduce the amount you need to withdraw from investment accounts. [Many other experts advise extreme caution when considering reverse mortgages.]<br /><br />- Future events. Downsizing to a smaller home or selling property will add to your nest egg. Money you expect to inherit should be included in your calculations.<br /><br />- Investment return and risk. How much risk you are willing to take will affect how fast your nest egg grows and how safe it is after your retire. While you are still working, you can take more risks to increase investment returns because you will have time to recover from a stock market setback. But once you've retired, it's advisable to reduce investment risk in order to protect your nest egg from sudden declines in value when you need to make withdrawals.<br /><br />- Retirement date. People who work past 65 will have a bigger nest egg and fewer years of retirement expenses to cover. [They also will get more work-related aggravation.] Some retirees have found they should have kept their jobs for a few more years.<br /><br />- Expect the unexpected. Don't rely on formulas based on average investment return, inflation and longevity rates, because deviations from the norm can throw off projections. [This is good advice.}<br /><br />- Keep saving. The best way to improve your odds for a carefree retirement is to keep adding to your nest egg. [Duh.]Marty Merzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939358567479460969noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414682282080666745.post-71807692811833974422007-04-29T09:43:00.000-04:002007-04-29T15:49:23.857-04:00I Think, Therefore I Am...I ThinkLet's face it, we're slowing down on all fronts. We're fighting it and we'll keep fighting it, but there's no doubt about it - it's a struggle.<br /><br />And I'm not talking about our tennis games, our jogging, our ability to sink those putts. I'm talking brain power - our ability to process information as efficiently and reliably as in the past.<br /><br />The other day, I finally solved an annoying little problem with our pool pump. Darn thing kept <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghtr6WAQKL3r3w2y9EKYEiuOZvcTuOWpZCFtO1B66JV6_xYCx3Ho3mxTy8jabZPFfXtxESA5Zba_opyBdfJGqQ8UpWKxmLDpswLAHboiqBFQ2fAt1y0rud3UwjVhulODxyJwQZoE7gisj5/s1600-h/head+scratching.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5058851830326663906" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghtr6WAQKL3r3w2y9EKYEiuOZvcTuOWpZCFtO1B66JV6_xYCx3Ho3mxTy8jabZPFfXtxESA5Zba_opyBdfJGqQ8UpWKxmLDpswLAHboiqBFQ2fAt1y0rud3UwjVhulODxyJwQZoE7gisj5/s400/head+scratching.jpg" border="0" /></a>taking in some air. In previous weeks, I tried lots of stuff - searched for leaks, replaced two rubber O-rings in the system, cursed it, banged it, kicked it. Nothing helped. Then, staring at it in pure hatred, the cause came into focus - the valve that controlled water flow into the pump. Gee, maybe if I readjust that? Sure enough. Problem gone. The simplest, most obvious solution had eluded me for weeks. I am utterly convinced that this would not have happened 30, 20, 10, even five years ago.<br /><br />This is familiar to all of us. Some days, we're just sharper than other days, and it has nothing to do with how much sleep we had the night before, how much...see, right there, I momentarily forgot the name of my favorite beer...Corona we might have consumed, or anything else that we readily can point to. Some days, we wake up and the old sharpness is right there; some days, it's not.<br /><br />Not to worry, it's normal, the experts say, and there is some compensating mental value to <strike>getting old</strike> moving along in time.<br /><br />A study (actually a study of previous studies) recently found that the human brain's ability to process information deteriorates with age, but at the same time, our deepening well of experience provides growing benefits.<br /><br />"Thinking capacity declines with time," said Ellen Peters, a professor of psychology at the University of Oregon and a senior research scientist with <a href="http://www.decisionresearch.org/"target="_blank">Decision Research</a>, a non-profit research group. "We learn less easily. We process information more slowly."<br /><br />However, from the emotional side of processing, "we may show improvements over time, she said. "We may tend to feel our way through decisions more when we are older."<br /><br />Her work mostly involves the truly elderly, but much of it applies to Baby Boomers.<br /><br />Take this insight and conclusion, for instance:<br /><br />As we grow older (and time grows shorter), our motivation begins to change from doing what might be best for us in the future to doing what might feel best to us right now. (Yeah, I know, Boomers and self-indulgence and living for the moment and blah blah blah, but we're being serious here).<br /><br />For instance, Another recently published study found that, when it comes to making choices about health and medical treatment, older people focus more on positive and fairly immediate benefits and less on the long-term negative risks.<br /><br />So, for instance, though your doctor might tell you to try that <a href="http://www.prilosecotc.com/index.jsp?visitedJeffBurton=yes""target="_blank">Prilosec OTC </a> for 14 days and then lay off it for awhile, if the acid reflux returns after just a day or two without it...boom...there you go, unsealing that annoying foil wrapper and popping one of those wonderfully effective pink pills. The heck with the future; I need this <em>now</em>.<br /><br />Probably nothing wrong with that, but it could be helpful as we get older to keep in mind that...our minds keep changing.Marty Merzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939358567479460969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414682282080666745.post-56498227813877631992007-04-26T19:52:00.000-04:002007-04-29T10:18:59.548-04:00We'll Eventually Come Up With A Reason Why We Posted ThisBoomVista has a rigidly applied rule that every post somehow must be related to Baby Boomers. But this one...wait...I have it! Baby Boomers have senses of humor, right?<br /><br />Allrighty then, here we go (and thanks to Rick, a BoomVista-ista, for this contribution).<br />--<br />These are from a book called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0393319288?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwboomvistac-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0393319288">Disorder in the Court: Great Fractured Moments in Courtroom History</a> and are things people actually said in court, word for word, taken down by court reporters who had the torment of staying calm while these exchanges were actually taking place.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP-ygVJxK7_MjyB5wOADMd8tiICejvSjxRNd9oORKdBouwtZrAW6V_7Np0SyMep5pomw4tYPfc5BgjOSPibCrTeR1dteISN6z2q5EYN6ZHAnxoYfkLb2dpbhyHRIkNoC6WC-DuIsF_M6yX/s1600-h/justice.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5057896470686243538" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP-ygVJxK7_MjyB5wOADMd8tiICejvSjxRNd9oORKdBouwtZrAW6V_7Np0SyMep5pomw4tYPfc5BgjOSPibCrTeR1dteISN6z2q5EYN6ZHAnxoYfkLb2dpbhyHRIkNoC6WC-DuIsF_M6yX/s400/justice.jpg" border="0" /></a>ATTORNEY: What is your date of birth?<br />WITNESS: July 18th.<br />ATTORNEY: What year?<br />WITNESS: Every year.<br /><br />ATTORNEY: What gear were you in at the moment of the impact?<br />WITNESS: Gucci sweats and Reeboks.<br /><br />ATTORNEY: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all?<br />WITNESS: Yes.<br />ATTORNEY: And in what ways does it affect your memory?<br />WITNESS: I forget.<br />ATTORNEY: You forget? Can you give us an example of something you forgot?<br /><br />ATTORNEY: How old is your son, the one living with you?<br />WITNESS: Thirty-eight or thirty-five, I can't remember which.<br />ATTORNEY: How long has he lived with you?<br />WITNESS: Forty-five years.<br /><br />ATTORNEY: What was the first thing your husband said to you that morning?<br />WITNESS: He said, "Where am I, Cathy?"<br />ATTORNEY: And why did that upset you?<br />WITNESS: My name is Susan.<br /><br />ATTORNEY: Do you know if your daughter has ever been involved in voodoo?<br />WITNESS: We both do.<br />ATTORNEY: Voodoo?<br />WITNESS: We do.<br />ATTORNEY: You do?<br />WITNESS: Yes, voodoo.<br /><br />ATTORNEY: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning?<br />WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam?<br /><br />ATTORNEY: Were you present when your picture was taken?<br />WITNESS: Would you repeat the question?<br /><br />ATTORNEY: How was your first marriage terminated?<br />WITNESS: By death.<br />ATTORNEY: And by whose death was it terminated?<br /><br />ATTORNEY: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice which I sent to your attorney?<br />WITNESS: No, this is how I dress when I go to work.<br /><br />ATTORNEY: Doctor, how many of your autopsies have you performed on dead people?<br />WITNESS: All my autopsies are performed on dead people.<br /><br />ATTORNEY: ALL your responses MUST be oral, OK? What school did you go to?<br />WITNESS: Oral.<br /><br />ATTORNEY: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?<br />WITNESS: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m.<br />ATTORNEY: And Mr. Denton was dead at the time?<br />WITNESS: No, he was sitting on the table wondering why I was doing an autopsy on him!<br /><br />ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?<br />WITNESS: No.<br />ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure?<br />WITNESS: No.<br />ATTORNEY: Did you check for breathing?<br />WITNESS: No.<br />ATTORNEY: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?<br />WITNESS: No.<br />ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, Doctor?<br />WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.<br />ATTORNEY: But could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?<br />WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law.Marty Merzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939358567479460969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414682282080666745.post-29020544777281529852007-04-25T17:09:00.000-04:002007-04-25T19:46:32.838-04:00Where WERE These Women? (I Was Looking Everywhere)OK, this is really a little depressing.<br /><br />Remember that sexual revolution thing in the 60s? That one that seemed to pass you right by? Well, you really have NO idea just how passed by you were.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYZeZ3F-ZO31dRcCCNf4_bacmVe1rs9tnqCTe0aYb9vZGBjiVb4O3onOAxv6XOi6RsofHSN_LeRpd2HiotYUQUCKs32QQDhLZsJlwIJw0ar9hLWpDjD24m2zNn_NYpJMW1dUNCaexwsahM/s1600-h/man+woman+kiss.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5057480833816107698" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYZeZ3F-ZO31dRcCCNf4_bacmVe1rs9tnqCTe0aYb9vZGBjiVb4O3onOAxv6XOi6RsofHSN_LeRpd2HiotYUQUCKs32QQDhLZsJlwIJw0ar9hLWpDjD24m2zNn_NYpJMW1dUNCaexwsahM/s400/man+woman+kiss.jpg" border="0" /></a>A truly fascinating study has just come to BoomVista's attention through a link provided by an interesting site called <a href="http://www.seniorjournal.com/" target="_blank">seniorjournal.com </a>. Released earlier this year and published in Public Health Reports, it concludes that pretty much everybody was doing it. All the time. Back then. Before back then. After back then. Allthedarntime.<br /><br />From the report:<br /><br />"Among cohorts of women turning 15 between 1964 and 1993, at least 91% had had premarital sex by age 30. Among those turning 15 between 1954 and 1963, 82% had had premarital sex by age 30, and 88% had done so by age 44.<br /><br />"Conclusions: Almost all Americans have sex before marrying. These findings argue for education and interventions that provide the skills and information people need to protect themselves from unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases once they become sexually active, regardless of marital status."<br /><br />Yeah, and it also argues that some of us Baby Boomers were incredibly unlucky back then.<br /><br />Click <a href="http://www.publichealthreports.org/userfiles/122_1/12_PHR122-1_73-78.pdf" target="_blank">here</a> for the full report.Marty Merzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939358567479460969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414682282080666745.post-81577258178292387162007-04-24T11:46:00.000-04:002007-05-02T08:45:01.094-04:00Good News, Bad NewsSo, the nation may have a little extra time to deal with the...timebomb...that is Social Security and Medicare, but once again, we Baby Boomers are inadvertently causing a problem and, once again, we'll be penalized.<br /><br />Once again, something we were promised , something on which we depended, will be reduced, curtailed or withdrawn.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL_Iz3sosOBsATlBd-CRZqaOjn6MK-jw9T8CbMV7PhsNXlATlkPXE0qpEOII3uKVDw9x96AcGnNKHAquF-WuTdWvINRbV8FiLF2Fp2fWHtj2f4qLGtRtX_5poMomS3rFwlRMbU9y-LG7pi/s1600-h/social+security+card.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5057025116698528546" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL_Iz3sosOBsATlBd-CRZqaOjn6MK-jw9T8CbMV7PhsNXlATlkPXE0qpEOII3uKVDw9x96AcGnNKHAquF-WuTdWvINRbV8FiLF2Fp2fWHtj2f4qLGtRtX_5poMomS3rFwlRMbU9y-LG7pi/s400/social+security+card.jpg" border="0" /></a>Yesterday delivered news that, as the Associated Press put it, "Fewer benefits, more tax money and some accounting magic have bought an extra year of life for Social Security and Medicare, trustees of the government's two largest benefit programs said Monday."<br /><br />Still, the article said, the Medicare trust fund could crash by 2019 and the Social Security trust fund could run dry by 2041.<br /><br />"Today's report reinforces the need for Congress to address runaway entitlement spending that will bankrupt future generations of Americans," said House Republican leader John <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Boehner</span> of Ohio.<br /><br />Yep, that's you he's talking about, Mr. and Mrs Runaway Entitlement Spending. That's where we're wasting money. Not on an ill-conceived war gone bad. Not on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Halliburton</span>. Not on bridges to nowhere in Alaska or tax cuts for the super-rich. You. You and your oh-so-precious Social Security and Medicare funds, those safety nets you've been buying on the installment plan for the last 40 years or so.<br /><br />Shame on you.<br /><br />So, what's the plan? Should we end that expensive war? Rollback those tax cuts? Nah. Here's the preferred plan, according to the Social Security trustees' latest report:<br /><br />"An immediate increase of 16 percent in payroll tax revenues or an immediate reduction in benefits of 13 percent or some combination of the two."Marty Merzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939358567479460969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414682282080666745.post-22124668752030716752007-04-23T07:07:00.000-04:002007-04-24T12:08:28.314-04:00Maybe He Just Fell?From a Reuter's article:<br /><br />"SAN FRANCISCO: Iggy Pop marked his 60th birthday just like any other respectable senior citizen would.<br /><br />"The eerily athletic Godfather of Punk stripped down to a tight pair of blue jeans and dived off the stage into the arms of his adoring fans during a concert in San Francisco with his reunited band the Stooges.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGFZ-Evv2H53Z1FQnJjPSx4MgdPvsYNqI4ldxDET0ezrghWMqmuIpZZDKGy8fYdc7h3LcTjZSllpqdt3Q4Mt5f6SRCxD9cPM2kGHWdjXyTVL58szIC48HHxfoSUhlQ5csQlmwWcWdt41Qt/s1600-h/iggy+pop.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5056347237715233554" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGFZ-Evv2H53Z1FQnJjPSx4MgdPvsYNqI4ldxDET0ezrghWMqmuIpZZDKGy8fYdc7h3LcTjZSllpqdt3Q4Mt5f6SRCxD9cPM2kGHWdjXyTVL58szIC48HHxfoSUhlQ5csQlmwWcWdt41Qt/s400/iggy+pop.jpg" border="0" /></a>"Towards the end of the 80-minute show, the crowd at the Warfield theater sang along as his bandmates struck up Happy Birthday, and Pop was surprised as balloons bearing his image dropped from the ceiling.<br /><br />"A fan also handed him a white T-shirt inscribed 'Birthday Boy Iggy,' which the singer proudly displayed to his unimpressed bandmates.<br /><br />"Pop, whose real name is Jim Osterberg, seemed thrilled by all the attention, but did not dwell too much on the special occasion. He muttered a few thanks along the way before resuming his usual routine: manic singing and dancing, spitting into the crowd, scampering onto the speakers and throwing his microphone stand around the stage..."Marty Merzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939358567479460969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414682282080666745.post-61332964917908473952007-04-22T09:13:00.000-04:002007-04-22T10:40:59.245-04:00Downsizing consultantsNo, we don't mean getting rid of consultants, though our experience suggests that would be a terrific idea.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIvMEe4WSBXhfPOUo2TtWFay327ZYntzUwC-7OA8fVtNbBSJ_zXqCcI0xtEBqfd8w7LcngugXcW86ShSMwe2RrudGCUY1RiKGsu7cOYqI9VleBND2VWYT2oxJ0jBMMjQAoQJqf5VFvhvkZ/s1600-h/moving+van2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5056243789132942082" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIvMEe4WSBXhfPOUo2TtWFay327ZYntzUwC-7OA8fVtNbBSJ_zXqCcI0xtEBqfd8w7LcngugXcW86ShSMwe2RrudGCUY1RiKGsu7cOYqI9VleBND2VWYT2oxJ0jBMMjQAoQJqf5VFvhvkZ/s400/moving+van2.jpg" border="0" /></a>What we have here is a whole new business model: People who advise Baby Boomers about what to take with them when they go. To a smaller house or apartment, that is.<br /><br />According to an interesting piece in today's Baltimore Sun, these folks are called "senior move managers."<br /><br />From <a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/realestate/bal-ml.boomer22apr22,0,4311914.story?coll=bal-realestate-headlines-1" target="_blank">the article</a>:<br /><br />"These professionals guide clients through a journey that's often as much about sorting through a lifetime's worth of memories as it is about possessions. They help clients decide what to take, what to leave and how to redirect it. They also set up and organize their new homes.<br /><br />"The field is attracting many middle-aged women who are searching for a career that combines their entrepreneurial dreams with their nurturing abilities.<br /><br />" 'Our service is far more than packing items; it's providing the intelligence in sorting through and interpreting a customers' needs and wants,' says Kim McMahon of Let's Move Inc. in Howard County."<br /><br />Sounds good, Kim. But we're telling you right now that we're taking the drums (including the cymbals) and every single one of our baseball caps, and that's that.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrqNaWmcDqidC1lszSaBYIcX1yTQ8goLzll9kFNmSIrAs9TfL6WlQXH_AmjhY9fp0M9n2FCNAf2BsygxgBbvw_YSVCta-jKpHWKnn4XmVj5GC6H_aPwVRphYHi1z1ktI51NHIKA9bSeV8x/s1600-h/moving+van.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5056243101938174706" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrqNaWmcDqidC1lszSaBYIcX1yTQ8goLzll9kFNmSIrAs9TfL6WlQXH_AmjhY9fp0M9n2FCNAf2BsygxgBbvw_YSVCta-jKpHWKnn4XmVj5GC6H_aPwVRphYHi1z1ktI51NHIKA9bSeV8x/s400/moving+van.jpg" border="0" /></a>(Just like we did the last time we moved, pictured to the left.)Marty Merzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939358567479460969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414682282080666745.post-27784992589035573822007-04-20T18:56:00.000-04:002007-04-21T10:22:36.994-04:00HEY! Get Off Your ButtIf this is true, it's scary stuff.<br /><br />According to a front page Washington Post article, our generation may be the first to enter retirement in worse physical condition than the previous generation.<br /><br />Basically, it suggests that the many advances in medicine and health are being counteracted by overweight and stress, among other things.<br /><br />The first two paragraphs:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLRijQP3ISN63QLuZGRoTiM0ULpTMHAqKWnQ9mahJUyiGduydTiMCv22ROukjYW-pgPEmMpdpHs43d-pGi4mXg7c56yEvrMN_PghIdaQafVQfOPeezvhgB-iC1_uAWzaZcsO3wgTKX1fQR/s1600-h/extremely+fat+ass2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5055651169545439970" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLRijQP3ISN63QLuZGRoTiM0ULpTMHAqKWnQ9mahJUyiGduydTiMCv22ROukjYW-pgPEmMpdpHs43d-pGi4mXg7c56yEvrMN_PghIdaQafVQfOPeezvhgB-iC1_uAWzaZcsO3wgTKX1fQR/s400/extremely+fat+ass2.jpg" border="0" /></a>"As the first wave of baby boomers edges toward retirement, a growing body of evidence suggests that they may be the first generation to enter their golden years in worse health than their parents. While not definitive, the data sketch a startlingly different picture than the popular image of health-obsessed workout fanatics who know their antioxidants from their trans fats and look 10 years younger than their age.<br /><br />"Boomers are healthier in some important ways -- they are much less likely to smoke, for example -- but large surveys are consistently finding that they tend to describe themselves as less hale and hearty than their forebears did at the same age. They are more likely to report difficulty climbing stairs, getting up from a chair and doing other routine activities, as well as more chronic problems such as high cholesterol, blood pressure and diabetes."<br /><br />Read more <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/19/AR2007041902458.html" target="_blank">here,</a> preferably as you work out on the treadmill or <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">somedamnthing</span>. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">C'mon</span> people. This is not acceptable. And, in most cases, it's at least somewhat under our control. (And thanks to David, a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">BoomVista</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">ista</span>, for the tip.)<br /><br /><span style="font-size:0;"></span>Marty Merzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939358567479460969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414682282080666745.post-29079961040799984522007-04-19T13:04:00.000-04:002007-05-20T16:22:38.482-04:00Beep-BeepSubmitted for your consideration:<br /><br />This paragraph from today's Wall Street Journal story about the Blackberry/Crackberry service outage, an article that is reproduced here with a little emphasis but no additional comment.<br /><br />"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizHPZlZogyuWkUS8SLO8wPC4JnRzWowGJZn0MlWPbAv-wFLVE8NpTkB0RVzW5XQ9c0_RoH06mOlUhhEH1HRYJpyA2TsoXPLd-pM39zhexhmZm1FKiFaOseTLZp04BJPkBc7d0Gll6ERa48/s1600-h/road+runner.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5055188172070931138" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizHPZlZogyuWkUS8SLO8wPC4JnRzWowGJZn0MlWPbAv-wFLVE8NpTkB0RVzW5XQ9c0_RoH06mOlUhhEH1HRYJpyA2TsoXPLd-pM39zhexhmZm1FKiFaOseTLZp04BJPkBc7d0Gll6ERa48/s400/road+runner.jpg" border="0" /></a>Tuesday night, the West Coast was wrapping up its workday when the outage began. Lori Sale, a senior agent at the Los Angeles-based talent agency International Creative Management, was at her 14-year-old son's baseball game when her BlackBerry stopped working.<strong> </strong>She first realized something was wrong at about 5:15 p.m. PDT, when she noticed she had received no emails on her BlackBerry since 5:03 p.m. Ms. Sale, who estimates <strong>she receives more than 500 emails</strong> <strong>a day</strong>, became alarmed when her boss then called and asked why she hadn't responded to his email sent <strong>four minutes earlier</strong> about a sudden problem."Marty Merzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939358567479460969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414682282080666745.post-67332600228895007182007-04-18T20:26:00.000-04:002007-05-20T16:23:12.950-04:00Turning (gulp) 60Here it comes. Just a few months away.<br /><br />Mrs. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">BoomVista</span> has been insisting that I choose an appropriate way to celebrate The Big 60, so I finally did. We take a quick getaway to a nearby resort with the daughter and son-in-law. Minimum travel, maximum relaxation.<br /><br />Was just informed that it was vetoed. The four of us are going to Vegas, I was told. As soon as I make the plans for everyone.<br /><br />That sort of thing aside, I've been trying to get my head around turning 60.<br /><br />Never had a problem with any prior birthdays.<br /><br />Thirty. Forty. No prob. Slid right through them. Fifty? Slight hesitation, interesting number, but not all that significant. Let's move on. What's next?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtuUUbgH0Hb44i6IeisuHah9LfqgmiyH-v-qs86ncUOxKyI7t2yDVaHXiT14CoDl-rcQ5NpKQ3fCbYW9HmSw9BH4lH60LseuIq-0-QcNseUTL9dN3nfrAdPiNrVdM7_05PQszA-PH3Sz-p/s1600-h/60+years+old.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5054934736834654946" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtuUUbgH0Hb44i6IeisuHah9LfqgmiyH-v-qs86ncUOxKyI7t2yDVaHXiT14CoDl-rcQ5NpKQ3fCbYW9HmSw9BH4lH60LseuIq-0-QcNseUTL9dN3nfrAdPiNrVdM7_05PQszA-PH3Sz-p/s400/60+years+old.jpg" border="0" /></a>Well, 60. That's what's next. And this one is causing some pausing.<br /><br />Not too hard to figure out why. Let's face it, when we were kids and our grandparents were 60, they were old. Really, truly old. Get-some-pocket-change-right-now-from-them-because-they-may-not-be-here-tomorrow old.<br /><br />So 60 equaled old. No two ways about it.<br /><br />Now, times have changed. With luck, we're healthier, wealthier and...younger...than they were at 60. And that's good.<br /><br />But...stilll...60.<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Hmmmmmm</span>....<br /><br />Thoughts? Click the comments button. (And...hurry)Marty Merzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939358567479460969noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414682282080666745.post-39372133602408799322007-04-17T12:14:00.000-04:002007-05-20T16:23:34.006-04:00Q: Seven letter word for......a former president who will create a boomer-focused crossword puzzle for the New York Times.<br /><br />A: Clinton<br /><br />Advertising Age reports two facts of interest to us.<br /><br />- The New York Times Magazine apparently will devote much of the content of its May 6 issue to baby boomers.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvyxtJLAD7OSWyJlF7RhN66bpBeMXKMIMGUEsHW-Bzax8UPOlgsCVZZJzX5d2aI0_kJW1c2_MIuEIXmux3VENdfR21-8qQqAFV1JbF9FMykI4FbTWf11tA2vtjITsRJtH-Rk2d61Ge1Sgg/s1600-h/clinton041607.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5054434899914717314" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvyxtJLAD7OSWyJlF7RhN66bpBeMXKMIMGUEsHW-Bzax8UPOlgsCVZZJzX5d2aI0_kJW1c2_MIuEIXmux3VENdfR21-8qQqAFV1JbF9FMykI4FbTWf11tA2vtjITsRJtH-Rk2d61Ge1Sgg/s400/clinton041607.jpg" border="0" /></a>- Bill Clinton, a known crossword freak, is producing a boomer-oriented puzzle that will be available that day, though apparently only online at the Times' <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/" target="_blank">website</a>.<br /><br />"This is all part of building out the game portal," Robert Z. Samuels, senior product manager, games and mobile, New York Times Digital, told Advertising Age.<br /><br />Presumably, the crossword puzzle will include a clear and definitive definition of the word "is."Marty Merzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939358567479460969noreply@blogger.com0