Have We Become The People We Said Never To Trust?

Anyone who has spent all or part of their teen or growing-up years in the sixties will surely remember the famous slogan delivered from under protest banners flying high or tacked up in seedy apartments and dorm rooms decorated with day-glow posters of Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix.

Remember what it was? Come-on, sure you do. Here's a hint - it was one of the catch phrases of the hippies - the 'Love' generation. It went right along with, "Make Love Not War". And it was usually drawn with magic markers on rumpled 'used-to- be white', dorm room sheets.

Still nothing? Hey man you're not trying.

OK, last clue. What could the most ironic thing that millions of settled, responsible movers and shakers of today's society (us) could have said all those years ago to make us squirm now in our CEO chairs or heated leather Lexus seats?

No guesses? Really?

OK, well everyone who thinks they know the answer, jot it down on an old 'zigzag' joint paper and stuff it into the back pocket of those jeans, (despite the fact that they're three sizes larger than they were in 1968, and now fit a whole lot tighter) And even worse, you're not wearing them tight in the butt any more to be sexy! Then send it off to me in your old college laundry bag. Winners will be chosen completely at random by the judge (me) whose thoughts are likewise completely random (me again) and.... Oh forget it. You give up?
All right - well if everyone has guessed or is so stumped that they're about to give up and turn on the 24/7 'Bad-60's-sitcoms-all-night' cable channel's Beverly Hillbilly's re-run marathon, here is the answer. It was;
"Never trust anyone over Thirty."
Let me explain.

The whole irony thing slid insidiously into my consciousness the other day when I happen to hear a song that was pretty silly and pretentious forty years ago (and it hadn't improved with age) spilling out from the speakers of my Cadillac.

It was a little ditty called 'Signs' or some such title. To be honest I don't really re-call who did the thing back then nor would I recognize the singer nasally droning it out today, even if you picked him up by the scruff of the neck and bodily wumped me over the head with him.

But it was the words to the song - silly and naive as they were back then, that really started me thinking. The song, as I began to remember, was about how the middle class, up-tight, grown-ups (definitely not us back then!), had made up way too many rules in order to force their stodgy, middle class values on the free and uninhibited sprits (us - the 'cool' Baby Boomer kids). And even more insidious, the song reminded us Boomer kids back in the 60's, that the adults had put up all kinds of 'Signs' to infringe on the rights of all of us mellow, young Boomers, who asked for nothing more than to, 'let-it -all-hang-out.
As the still unknown pop vocalist of today sang about how the sign and the rules were encroaching on our freedoms and individualism, I started to get this unpleasant little nagging feeling at the back of my mind.

And then it hit me.

We were the ones who were now putting up the signs and making everyone conform. The signs that tell everyone what they can and can't do and what they better do if they know what's good for them.

For instance, the environmental movement which had started out as a quasi-religion of 'love mother earth' by free-spirited hippies in communes, has now been taken over by grim humorless bureaucrats who watch over things like 'Big Brother' and use a bewildering array of sometimes contradictory government laws to enforce their will.

For heaven sakes I heard only last week about someplace across our fruited plains where not only were you ordered to recycle, but you had to put your garbage in clear plastic bags so that the enviro police could make sure you were!

Whoa... Hey 'Bro' was this what the free spirits in the commune had in mind? Weren't we protesting the heavy hand of government telling us what to do?

It sort of reminds me of that great old movie from the 60's by Woody Allen. It was called Bananas and was about how a Latin/American freedom fighter (who looked suspiciously like Castro) changed when the 'outsiders' became the 'insiders' and could make all the rules.

As the farce, broadened into the ridiculous, I recall one scene where the dictator makes a law that everyone will have to wear clean underwear every day and they have to wear them on the outside of their clothes so that the 'Underwear Police' can check them daily.

Want another one we would have protested as infringement of free expression? How about a planned community that recently told a resident that they would have to take down their colored Christmas lights or risk a fine. Why? Because someone had passed a 'rule' that all Christmas lights had to be white! (I wonder if they not only require underwear to be worn on the outside, but mandate that it must be white as well !!) Hummm. Are we seeing a pattern here?

Or take the government itself. Now I know that I wasn't so stoned that I don't remember those protests. The ones where all we wanted was to get the government out of our lives and off of our back - right?

Now it seem like we've not just invited them to tell us what to do, but are demanding it ! You know the drill. "Why doesn't the government do something about this or "we need a law that says...." Ah uh.

There are underwear laws and white light rules in our futures folks.

Now don't get me wrong - I know that a lot of these laws and regulations have been put in place "for our own good". But wasn't that what an older generation told us forty years ago?
Ah well, maybe we should just shrug our collective shoulders, light some sandalwood incense, pass around the old bong pipe and just chalk it up to just another 'sign' of the times.

Peace dude.



"Shadow of Inocence" - Rick Wasley



http://www.kunati.com

http://www.kunati.com/shadow-of-innocence-hip-myster/
Ric Wasley has spent almost forty years wandering through corporate board rooms and honky-tonk bars. He now divides his time between writing mystery novels - Shadow or Innocence - A McCarthy Family Mystery - Published by Kunati, http://www.kunati.com , and observing the really 'juicy parts' of the human condition.

Considering Florida For Retirement: Part 3

Note: This is Part 3 of a 3 part article on Florida and its many different regions for retirement.

In Part 1 we laid out the basic facts about the Sunshine State and Part 2 we had descriptions of 8 different regions of Florida (my definitions):

- Panhandle
- Northeast Atlantic
- Mid-Atlantic – The Space Coast
- Central Florida
- South Atlantic
- Middle Gulf – The Nature Coast
- South Gulf Coast
- The Keys

In this article which I'll will call Retirement 303, I will provide my opinion about the pluses and minuses of these regions, and why certain ones might appeal more to different people.

Please note this is not a scientific study, merely a collection of opinions. These areas are quite large, so generalizing is definitely a hazard – there will be exceptions to everything.

The state is so big that people who can warm up to the idea of living in Florida could be happy in many, if not all, parts of the state.

1. Panhandle:
This area goes from Pensacola in the west to Tallahassee (Florida’s Capital) and the Big Bend Area. Much of the population is situated along the coast in the west, while the coast is almost totally unpopulated for a huge distance between Carrabelle and Homasassa Springs to the south. The non-coastal region is similar in terrain and feel to southern Georgia.

Pros
Long Coastline
Many Bays
Moderate Home Prices

Cons
Hurricane History
Spring Breakers
Coldest winter weather in Florida (but not that cold)
Not so great airline travel options

Who Might like living in the Panhandle
The area around Pensacola and Panama City has many military bases, so it is obviously very attractive to military retirees.
People who like beaches and boating will have plenty to do in the Panhandle.


2. Northeast Atlantic
Butting up against southeastern Georgia, this part of the state has the huge Jacksonville Metro and then goes down the coast with quite a variety of different towns – from posh Ponte Vedra to rough and tumble Daytona Beach. Jacksonville is like many other fast-growing American cities, although it is in Florida it could fit in anywhere.

Pros
Big city with major sports and culture
Beaches and barrier islands on the Atlantic Ocean
History around St. Augustine
Many developments to choose from
Reasonable home prices in many communities

Cons
Crime and traffic in Jacksonville
Snowbirds might be disappointed with cooler winter temps

Who Might like living in the North Atlantic part of Florida:
Jacksonville area multi-generational communities offers a way to live near children/grandchildren
Golfers will find plenty of courses including some very high end ones in Ponte Vedra.
St. Augustine offers history


3. Mid-Atlantic – The Space Coast
The central coast of Florida might offer the least traffic and congestion of Florida’s Atlantic coastline. It has beautiful barrier islands, plenty of birds to watch, and a lower key way of life.

Pros
Less traffic and congestion
Access to nature
Affordable real estate prices

Cons
No big towns nearby
Winter ocean is cold
Medical care

Who Might enjoy living on the Space Coast:
People who are looking for a less congested, slower way of life away from big towns and cities but close to beaches might enjoy a Space Coast retirement.


4. Central Florida
The region we define as Central Florida goes from Gainesville in the north all the way through Orlando and down to Sebring. It is a relatively flat interior region with many lakes, along with the giant Ocala National Forest.

Pros
Some of the most inexpensive real estate in the U.S.
A choice of hundreds of 55+ communities, some of them very big
Opportunity to live on a lake
Places designed to retirement towns, like Winter Haven
Quieter than along the coast
Orlando Airport

Cons
It’s a drive to the beach
The Orlando area has some high crime and traffic
Quieter than along the coast

Who might like living in Central Florida
People who want a very big active community like On Top of the World or The Villages.
Bargain hunters will find the best deals in Florida.
Folks who prefer the country to the coast, including horse lovers who might gravitate to the Ocala area.


5. South Atlantic Florida
The region I'm talking about is the Atlantic coast of Florida beginning in about Stuart and going south to Miami. This part of the coast certainly has the warmest winters. It is also the most congested, and offers the greatest variety of towns to live in. From the poor cousin Pompano Beach to Rolls Royce-afflicted Palm Beach, there are many towns to choose from. Miami is one of the most unusual and complex cities in the world. It has an Art Deco tourist section on the beach, super-affluent islands, ethnic neighborhoods and culture, a thriving international business community, and quiet neighborhoods for retirees.

Pros
Warmest winters
Great variety of towns and communities
Culture
Mass transit, big airports, cruise ship departures

Cons
Higher real estate costs
Traffic
Congested
Hurricane threats

Who Might like living in the South Atlantic part of Florida
Originally, and this is still somewhat true, the east coast of Florida attracted snowbirds from the Northeast – New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, New Jersey. If you are used to a fast-paced lifestyle, attention to status, and a strong interest in things cultural, this might be the place for you.


6. Middle Gulf – The Nature Coast
Starting below Tallahassee the west coast of Florida is sparsely populated and eventually ends in the bustling Metro of St. Pete/Clearwater/Tampa. The beaches aren’t generally as well developed or populated as elsewhere in the state.

Pros
Less populated and developed
Lower prices
Nature is less disturbed

Cons
It is not generally that exciting
Fewer choices in towns and communities

Who Might like living on the Nature Coast
People who like less development and more access to nature (like the Suwanee River or an an undeveloped coast) will enjoy this area. So it appeals to those who are looking for a quiet, as well as inexpensive, place to live.


7. South Gulf Coast
For our purposes this region starts with St. Petersburg and eventually ends in Marco Island, just above the Everglades. It includes the huge St.Pete/Tampa/Clearwater Metro, sophisticated Sarasota, sprawling Ft. Myers, and chi-chi Naples. The beaches are fantastic, such as those on Sanibel or the Keys off Sarasota. There are also dozens of little towns with a low profile.

Pros
Fabulous beaches
Warm winters
Tremendous choice of towns and active communities
Wide range of where to live – from big to small
Like most of Florida, great boating, fishing, golf
Culture

Cons
A history of hurricanes
Traffic and congestion
Suburban sprawl

Who Might like living on the South Gulf Coast
As the East Coast of FL was traditionally populated with northeasterners, so is the West Coast home more often to midwesterners. Lots of retirees here followed their friends down here from western Pennsylvania, the Midwest, Canada, and West Virginia. As a result many communities have a more laid back, less frenetic pace. As just about everywhere in Florida, if you like golf, fishing, going to the beach, and shopping, you will have found your retirement heaven.


8.The Keys
Our final district starts in the Everglades below Miami and ends in Key West, the Bohemian center 90 miles from Cuba that locals refer to as Paradise. Along the way are many narrow keys, some of which host small towns and bigger ones that are home to Islamorada and Marathon. This area is about as different from Florida (and the rest of the U.S.) as it could be.
Pros
Warmest winters of all
Arguably the best fishing in U.S.
A boating paradise
Ultra-relaxed
The Keys and Key West are unique in many ways

Cons
Some of highest real estate prices in FL
A hassle to drive to the mainland
Mandatory hurricane evacuations
Sophisticated medical care is a long ways away

Who might like living in the Keys
A lot of people who live here are escaping from somewhere else. Or they are obsessed with fishing, boating, or an artistic lifestyle. Or they want a very relaxed lifestyle where shoes and shirts are optional, or where you spend more time on your bike than you do your car.


Summary
Florida has just about something for everybody, except for cold winters and mountains. Its different regions are diverse and worth exploring to find which one offers you the best fit. There is no substitute for getting out and exploring different areas and towns to see what you like and don’t like firsthand.


Resouces
Part 1
Part 2
Directory of Florida Towns and Active Communities


Comments: I hope you have enjoyed this rundown of Florida by region. I would love to hear your reactions, agreements, and disagreements with these assessments. Please let me know in the Comments section below.




View the original article here

Consider Florida For Retirement: Part 2

Note: This is Part 2 of a 3 Part series.  In Part 1 we laid out the basic facts about the Sunshine State and divided it into 8 different regions.  Now we'll get a little more discriptive about each of those regions. 

Panhandle

First, in Florida’s Panhandle on the Gulf of Mexico you will find towns like Panama City and Pensacola. Both are relatively low key, lower cost, and very popular with retirees. Panama City has a reputation for attracting spring breakers in the springtime. Since there is several large military bases in the area, many military retirees have decided to retire here. There are great beaches here and numerous bays – fishing and boating are topnotch.

At the start of the Panhandle in the “Big Bend Area” is Tallahassee, a completely different kind of place. A college town, it is home to both Florida State Univ. and Florida A & M. Also the state’s capital, it is considered one of the more liberal enclaves in the state (although people who view themselves as conservatives will find like-minded people too). Though not on the water, it is only an hour’s drive to very peaceful areas of the Gulf, such as Apalachicola.

The real estate market is relatively stable and slightly below the state median price. Traffic can be bad. Winters are mild. Although there is an occasional frost, the prime vegetable growing season is winter.

Northeast Florida – Jacksonville to Daytona Beach

Jacksonville is one of Florida’s 3 big urban areas, along with Tampa/St. Pete and Miami. This one tends to attract the youngest residents. There are huge suburbs and new developments. Some of these include neighborhoods for families with children, along with others designed for the 55+ crowd, an approach that is attractive to many who want to retire near their grandchildren.

Going east from the city, Jacksonville Beach offers many little neighborhoods on the beach. Jacksonville has a great airport and some of the country’s top medical facilities.

As one goes south along the beach you run into very wealthy enclaves like Ponte Vedra, home to many famous and/or wealthy people.  Historic St. Augustine is an interesting, if touristy town.

Palm Coast is a massive development originally started by ITT in 1969. Now a city, it is one of the largest developments in the country. It has multiple neighborhoods and developers, and attracts families and retirees for the recreation, newer homes, and attractive prices. At $120,000, 2011 home prices were lower than the Florida median.

Finally there is Daytona Beach, site of the famed speedway. The city on the beach has somewhat of a checkered reputation as first a destination for spring breakers and now for motorcycle rallies.


Mid Atlantic – the Space Coast

From Titusville to Port St. Lucie, Florida’s Atlantic Coast tends to be overlooked. The traffic isn’t as bad, and the climate is a bit warmer in winter. Real estate is quite inexpensive, with the median home in Melbourne going for $120,000 in late 2011.

The area generally has inhabitable barrier islands that many of the nicest neighborhoods are on. It is quite easy to live very near the water. The bigger towns are on the inland side.

A drawback is that in otherwise great retirement towns like Vero Beach it is a long drive to the nearest big airport. Parts of this area were severely walloped by hurricanes in the mid 2000's. A significant percentage of the people who live in this area are retired.


Central Florida

Moving away from the coast there is the gigantic center portion of Florida, which runs from the college town of Gainesville (University of Florida) in the north to Ocala’s horse country, the major metro of Orlando, and on down to Lakeland, Winter Park, and smaller towns below that. The climate is different in central Florida – humidity is a bit lower and it gets hotter in the summer.
The area is filled with countless lakes – in many areas like Lakeland and Cypress Gardens it often seems like there is more lake than land. The housing crisis has hurt this part of Florida as hard or harder than anywhere in the country. It is filled with inexpensive active adult communities, RV communities, and inexpensive communities of manufactured homes. As an example, the median price of a home in late 2011 was $80,000 in Ocala.

Nearer the huge city of Orlando the selection of communities is more varied, going from very low budget to gated golfing communities where all the homes sell for more than a million dollars. For budget-minded retirees, we like this area. Real estate prices are cheap and there are tons of communities to choose from.

Check out places like Mount Dora and Kissimmee. Famous active communities like On Top of the World and The Villages are in this part of the state. Many people believe that central Florida is the most conservative portion of the state.


South Atlantic Coast

Stuart is not only a very cute town on the coast, it is reputed to be the northernmost part of Florida benefiting from proximity to the warming influence of the Gulf Stream.

From here south the coast gets more and more crowded, going through retirement towns like Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Boca Raton, Palm Beach, and finally, the huge and most unusual city of Miami.

Here in this region the ocean and the beaches are beautiful. One can find any type of community for any budget here. The Century Villages (there are 4 of them) are old-line, very large active communities dotted throughout the region. Those are fairly inexpensive, but it is easy to spend plenty to live in very exclusive communities like Sailfish Point on Hutchinson Island near Stuart.


Middle Gulf – The Nature Coast

The Gulf Coast is surprisingly unpopulated in its northern regions below Tallahassee. The first town of any consequence coming from the north is Spring Hill. It has a lot of communities to live in, most of which are nothing special. It is a short drive to the beach.

Tampa/St.Petersburg/Clearwater is one of Florida’s biggest Metros. Tampa tends to be the commercial center, while St.Petersburg’s island location and many nice neighborhoods and beaches make it more relaxed. Although has a lot of interesting neighborhoods rather than 55+ developments, the city is filled with retirees. Home prices are low (about $70,000 according to City-Data.com).

Going south from there is Sarasota, a wonderful place to retire for people who are looking for culture, restaurants and a vibrant community. It has active adult developments and nice general neighborhoods. The beachfront barrier islands of Siesta Key and Longboat Key offer a chance to live on the beach but be right next to a city. Sarasota proper has a more liberal outlook than many other places in Florida.


South Gulf Coast

Fort Myers is the biggest community in this part of the state. It is a diverse community in its own right – from a very pretty and restored downtown area to sprawling developments to a very long coastline. Real estate prices are low and traffic in season is high. It has a terrific new airport and active cultural life. Towns around it and south of here offer different attractions.

In Cape Coral anybody can buy a house on a canal for well less than $100,000, whereas Punta Gorda is strikingly more upscale.

To the south Bonita Springs offers great beaches and plentiful golf. Naples and Marco Island, the last 2 towns before the Everglades start, are the decidedly upscale parts of the state. Naples has a wonderful downtown and beautiful neighborhoods on the beach, plus very expensive active adult communities on the bay.


The Keys

Starting below the Everglades on the East Coast of the State the Keys begin on a series of mangroves. Narrow Route 1 connects them to Miami over a series of bridges and narrow coral islets, ending in Key West just 90 miles from Cuba. In most places the Keys are less than 200 yards wide, although the principal towns of Marathon and Islamorada are bigger.

While great for vacationers who love the beach and fishing, the Keys are better for younger retirees than older ones. That’s because it can be a long way to Miami for healthcare, not to mention the problem of mandatory evacuations that can come in hurricane season. Property values in Key West, the tropical and bohemian paradise, are among the highest in the count

In the next post, Consider Florida For Retirement: Part 3, we'll get deeper into what would attract different types of people to the different regions.



Resources:
Directory of Florida retirement towns and active communities



Comments?
What are your favorite parts of Florida? Do you think I have characterized it accurately? 
Let me know if you have any thought about it.

Consider Florida For Retirement: Part 1

There are people that “hate” Florida, and there are those that “love” it. Surprisingly, the people who don’t have a strong opinion seem to be a smaller group.

In Part 2 of this article I'll get into more about the regions and which ones might appeal to different folks better than others, but here in Part 1 I would like to provide a “Florida Retirement 101" crash course.

My objective is to help you understand this very large and popular state, which is diverse in more ways than you might think. You still might not like the idea of Florida, but at least you will know more about it.


First, a few facts

The 2010 household population was 18,800,000, the 4th most populous in the U.S. Median age is 40.7, higher than national average. Some 21% of the population is 62 and over.

Part of Florida’s geographic diversity comes from its unusual shape – it is both tall and wide. So tall and wide that it takes over a day to drive from Pensacola to Key West. Its different regions tend to attract different kinds of people, offering another kind of diversity.

Florida is the 22nd largest state, has the longest coastline in the contiguous states, and the only state to have a coastline on the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico. It is a very flat state, which is one of the things that people tend not to like about it (Mount Dora, at 185' is one of its “loftiest” towns).

Florida’s median home value in early 2012 was $120,600 (Zillow), about 20% lower than the U.S. median ($145,000 – Zillow, or $163,500 – NAR). According to Zillow.com the priciest metro in the state for homes is Naples ($199,000) and the most inexpensive is Ocala ($84,200).

From a tax viewpoint Florida is very friendly to retirees. There is no state income tax. There used to be a tax on intangible assets (stocks, etc.), but that has been eliminated. Sales tax is 6%. Florida has a homestead law, Save Our Homes, that protects full-time residents from property taxes above the rate of inflation.

One of the few economic negatives about Florida is that in many areas near the coast, property insurance is very expensive. Many private insurers have pulled out of the market after several bad hurricane seasons, leaving the non-profit Citizens Insurance Co. as the insurer of last resort.

Weatherwise, it is a well-known fact that Florida is pretty warm in winter and hot in summer. Along the coasts you can count on very high humidity. In the interior it will be less so. Hurricanes are a problem everywhere in the state, but worse along the coasts. Winters in the north around Tallahassee and Jacksonville will have an occasional frost, but generally warm up enough in the day for any outdoor activity. As you move south winter temps get higher and higher. Key West is the only true frost-free city in the continental U.S. – yes, even Miami has seen a few snow flakes on the rarest of occasions.


The Diverse Regions

Florida is quite representative of the U.S. from an ethnic and political basis. It has every ethnicity and political stripe – in fact many of its residents, young and old, have moved here from somewhere else. As Florida votes in our Presidential elections, so usually does the rest of the country as a whole.


We'll break the state into 8 regions:

The Panhandle

Northeast Florida – Jacksonville to Daytona Beach

Mid Atlantic – the Space Coast

Central Florida

South Atlantic Coast

Middle Gulf – The Nature Coast

South Gulf Coast

The Keys


In the next post, Consider Florida For Retirement: Part 2, we'll get into some of the differences in the 8 different regions



Resources:
Directory of Florida retirement towns and active communities

The Top Military Recording Artists

OMG!  This is seriously bad.
I'm gonna go ahead a apologize ahead of time...

USMC Hammer

The Captain & Ten SEALs

My Morning Flak Jacket

The Dandy Warheads

Tank Williams, Jr.

Donny & Marine

Jeep Trick

Booker T. and the MiG's

M*A*S*H Mouth

Fatigue

Boy Slim

SEALs and Crafts

The Grateful Collateral Damage

Black Hawk Sabbath, featuring Osprey Osbourne

The Omaha Beach Boys

$500 Billion for Fighting

George's Thoroughly Good Destroyers

I warned you!!


Okay, smartypants ... Can you think of any?






View the original article here

Living to 100

Do you want to live to be 100?

Someone sent me an article (see link below) that identifies health and lifestyle habits that it says will increase your odds of getting there.

But let’s start at the starting line. If you continue living in your current fashion, how long would you expect to live?

I tried this Longevity Calculator, and it’s great! Give it a try (it’s free) – and answer the questions honestly. Once you know how long you can expect to live, if your life continues on its current path, then answer the “live to 100” question.


Those who say that they do want to live to blow 100 candles on their birthday cake usually have a few qualifiers that they add. Here are the qualifiers that I personally would add:

1) I don’t want to be physically frail. I want as much vitality and vim as possible.

2) I pray that the dementia that afflicted my father will not pass to me. I want to be able to partake fully in the world – regardless of my age – and that requires an active, curious mental capacity.

3) I would want to still have a social community around me and in which I participate.

4) I would want to have a sense of purpose.

5) I would not want to be a “burden” to my loved ones – physically, financially, or otherwise.

I ask you to undertake the same exercise that I just did. Ask yourself under what circumstances would you want to be able to live to 100 and more.  Then turn to this article - for the health and lifestyle habits it identifies – to help you get there.

As you review each of the 11 items, ask yourself: am I willing to do this (flossing daily, moving around and exercising daily, maintaining old friendships and developing new ones, for example). Be as honest with yourself as you were with the Longevity Calculator above.
If you’re going to make it 100 – and be happy that you made it there – then you’ve got to “walk the walk.” People who simply pay lip-service to this kind of advice, well, they’ll fall significantly short of the mark.

Hopefully, most of us have many years ahead of us. Let’s make the most of them!

Life Expectancy Calculator - http://calculator.livingto100.com/calculator

How to live to be 100 -  http://www.ehow.com/how_136642_live-be-100.html

View the original article here

Things We Have Learned About Sex by Watching the Olympics

Things We Have Learned
About Sex by Watching the Olympics

Post-sex cuddling is like soccer: It's hugely popular in other parts of the world, but guys in the U.S. simply don't give a sh*t.

It is critical that one verifies the sex of the participants before the start of the event.

The pole vaulter sprints to the pit, sticks the pole, reaches climax, collapses onto the matt -- all in under 10 seconds. And he hopes to be awarded a medal!

Nobody remembers who came second.

Just like in wrestling: Slam 'em to the floor, pin 'em for a few seconds, and *boom* it's pretty much over.

The person finishing in the fastest time wins.

A sandy, sweaty, girl-on-girl ass smack can be more effective than Viagra.

Be careful! If your ladyfriend bends too far backward while she's on top, she could get flung up and over a 19-foot-high bar by the spring-back of your junk.  (Yeah, right!)

Whatever you do, don't want to lose fluids too early.

Like sex, there's a lot more to water polo than simply thrashing around and slamming your balls between the uprights.

Getting laid is like the biathlon -- your scoring chances are greater if you carry a weapon.  (May be your ONLY chance) 

No matter how hard you try, synchronizing is a bitch.

"Doing it doggie style" means something entirely different at Beijing restaurants.

You prepare for it your whole life, but the moment is over in mere seconds.

Shaving reduces friction.

and the Number 1 Thing We Have Learned About Sex by Watching the Olympics...

Watching the experts and following along by yourself at home is often more gratifying than actually participating.


View the original article here

“You’re Never Too Old…”

“You’re never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” – CS Lewis

What a great saying! So upbeat, so positive, so reaffirming.

But you’ve gotta ask, “Is it really true?” I’ve concluded that there may be a time when setting another goal or dreaming a new dream is indeed impossible – but (and this is a big BUT) – not being able to do so isn’t really related to your age. So I’ll tell you my bias right up front. When I’m around, don’t use “age” as an excuse for not achieving, or changing, or improving, or yes, even dreaming new dreams or setting new goals.

But if you live long enough, you’re bound to experience some of life’s difficult challenges. You may learn that sometimes a door that was open will be shut in front of you and regardless of how fervently you hope or pray or dream, that door will not ever open again.

Recently a 48-year old NH police chief was killed in the line of duty only 8 days before he was to officially retire. He and his wife had a month long vacation planned. His wife has seen the doorway to a wonderful retirement slammed fiercely in her face and she’ll no longer be able to set new goals or dream new dreams that involve her now deceased husband, but that’s not because she’s too old. It’s because life has intervened.

Some of us may have lost jobs – and may be having a tough time finding new work. It’s hard to be positive with that cloud overhead. But do keep setting new goals. Explore new avenues, hone your skills, network and connect. You may feel at times that you’re facing discrimination because of your age – and you may very well be right. But don’t let that keep you down. If a doorway has been slammed shut in front of you, move sideways instead.

Every time a door has been slammed shut in my face, (and there have been many slammings over the years), I’ve fought hard to rise out of the ashes and dream a new dream. Some may think it’s harder to dream new dreams if you’re After Fifty. Actually, After Fifty dreams are probably “better quality” dreams, as they’ve been honed by years of experience and the wisdom that comes with maturity. As a group, we’re probably more insightful about what will and won’t work.

So will we ever be too old to set a new goal or dream a new dream? I say age alone won’t prevent new goal setting. What about you – do you have a new goal, a new dream?

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The Top Signs You Hired the Wrong Attorney

The Top Signs You Hired the Wrong Attorney

Most of his "legal" experience is as a convicted felon.

He sends all your documents to opposing counsel.

Citations he's obtained this week for relevant cases: none.
Citations he's obtained this week for Drunk and Disorderly: three.

He makes a casual remark that he never knew so many people had "V" as a middle initial.

You overhear a phone call that ends, "You don't have to actually WIN?  I can't find my ass with both hands and a flashlight and they still let ME be a lawyer."

The only Latin terms he understands are pig latin.

When he hears anything concerning Guantanamo, he says he doesn't like avocados.

When told that "the jury was hung," he starts laughing.

His idea of multitasking includes filling out legal documents while watching Jerry Springer.

Confuses "steno" with "sterno," causing an unexpected office fire.

No matter what his clients are accused of, tries to get his secretary to confess to the crime.

Every time he drafts a request for a continuance, he cites as the reason, "scared of losing."

and the Number 1 Sign You Hired the Wrong Attorney...

"Bill of Rights? I paid it with the firms credit card."

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The Path to Osama Was Through Bobby Brown

Clearly, I'm not as up-to-date on the intersection between world politics, entertainment and the bizarre because otherwise I would have heard much earlier than last night about the fact that Osama bin Laden was obsessed with Whitney Houston and wanted to kill Bobby Brown.

It's true. Honest.

Someone told me this last night. It's in the newspaper so it must be true, right?

Let's assume it was true. It seems obvious to me at that point capturing Osama bin Laden should have been easy. Why the US government didn't think of this is beyond me.
Or maybe they did.


The US government could have used Bobby Brown as bait. Getting Bobby Brown to Afghanistan would be easy..."they grow LOTS of poppies there, Bobby...it's the #1 source of materials needed for heroin, Bobby. H-e-r-o-i-n."

Ok, so maybe Bobby's more into the ganja than shooting up with heroin, but still all they needed to do was give him immunity for anything retarded he did in the future.


They could have drawn Osama bin Laden out with Bobby Brown and found a way to kill him (Osama, of course, not Bobby).   It would have been a foolproof plan. If we had lost Bobby Brown to the cause...well...exactly.
_________________

Unfortunately, after this was written, we lost Whitney Houston.  Such a sad day and a waste of a beautiful young life.


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What You Think You Know about Social Security Could Hurt You – Part 1

Note:  As we wrote this the public trustees of the Social Security programs reported that its fiscal health has significantly worsened. See our companion story in our Blog, “Social Security Crisis Worsens“.

We were vain enough to consider ourselves experts on when and how to start collecting social security. That is, until we heard a talk last week by Kurt Czarnowski.  Boy, the things we didn’t know, and the others so misunderstood! This article will give a brief background on Social Security and then dive into successful strategies for optimizing your return from this important safety net.

Part 2 of this series will focus on issues related to claiming strategies for couples, the rights of divorced spouses, and frequent misunderstandings/questions about Social Security.

About Czarnowski ConsultingKurt Czarnowski is currently the principal in “Czarnowski Consulting,” a retirement planning company which provides “Expert Answers to Your Social Security Questions.” Czarnowski is the former Regional Communications Director for the Social Security Administration (SSA) in New England, a position he held from December 1991 until his retirement at the end of 2010.

First, let’s start with a quote from Kurt Czarnowski: “The myths and misunderstandings about Social Security are staggering”. This from a man who spent 34 years within the Social Security Administration, the last of those as a Communications Director. Given all the misinformation, it is important that we all address this topic with an open mind. Note that this article was prepared from notes as well as our observations. If there are any errors they undoubtedly stem from our misunderstanding and not as any reflection on Mr. Czarnowski.

Social Security – A Safety Net
This 76 year old program was designed as a safety net for seniors, widows, and the disabled. It was never meant to be the sole source of retirement income; rather it was meant to be the base to help supplement income from pensions, savings and investments, and other income.

To be eligible for a retirement benefit you first need to become “vested”, which means you have to have earned 40 credits from Social Security. In 2012 you get 1 credit for each $1130 you earn, with a maximum of 4 credits per year. Employees currently pay 4.2% on their earnings (up to a maximum of $110,100 in 2012). In addressing a question from the audience, Mr. Czarnowski commented that for an individual who has not earned their 40 credits, it might be worth while taking a job to do so, given the potential value of the payout over time (including some considerations about your Part B premiums).

How Social Security determines your benefit
It is worth knowing how the Social Security Administration calculates your retirement benefits, once you become eligible and decide to start collecting. These are the 3 steps in determining your benefit:

1. Adjust prior year earnings to current dollars. This neutralizes your early year earnings, which are unreasonably low in today’s dollars.

2. Take the average of your 35 highest earning years. Non-working years are counted as 0's.

3. Adjust the benefit according to income. This progressive approach means is that lower earners get a higher percentage benefit (56%) relative to their earnings than do middle earners (41%). The highest earners get the smallest percentage (34%).

The average monthly Social Security retirement benefit paid in 2012 is $1,229, or $14,748 per year – hardly enough for a comfortable retirement by itself.

How much you collect depends on when you start collecting
The age you have attained when you start collecting has a major impact on the size of your monthly check. The program is designed to be neutral no matter when you start – assuming an average life expectancy.

For workers born between 1943 and 1954 (the baby boomers and a few years older):
Age 62       Benefit  is  75% of the Full Retirement Benefit
Age 66       Benefit  is  100% of the Full Retirement Benefit
Age 70       Benefit  is  132% of the Full Retirement Benefit

Your benefit increases the longer you wait to start collecting – up to age 70. Note that you can start collecting at anytime after age 62 (for example, 63 years and 2 months). Your benefit will be adjusted according to a formula. Between age 62 and your Full Retirement Age (FRA) – 66 for baby boomers – the benefit goes up .5% per month. Between FRA and age 70 the benefit increases .666% per month, or 8% per year.

Myth busters – working in retirement
How your benefit is affected by working is one of the most misunderstood aspects of Social Security. In general Mr.Czarnowski and other experts all agree that there is no reason not to work, even though your social security benefits might be reduced if you claim your benefits and work before you reach your FRA.

The theory is that it is better to have more money, rather than less.

Between the ages of 62 to 65 there will be a reduction of your benefits of $1 for every $2 you earn above $14,640.

In the year you reach FRA your benefit will be reduced by $1 for every $3 you earn above $38,880.

Once you attain your Full Retirement Age there is no reduction in your benefits, no matter how much you earn.

Taxation of Social Security
About one third of social security recipients pay income tax. If you earn more than $25,000 (individuals) or $32,000 (filing jointly) you are required to pay tax on up to 85% of benefits received. Additionally, there are several states that tax social security (although most do not).

Collection Strategies
Mr. Czarnowski gave us the clearest explanation of various collection strategies we have ever heard. Which is not surprising since he is in demand as a consultant with leading financial planners, assisting individuals in their social security planning. Here are some of the key strategies he discussed.

Delay taking your benefits?
Mr. Czarnowski stresses that the decision on when to take Social Security is yours, but you do need to know the facts before you decide.

Social Security retirement benefits are structured to be neutral, regardless of when you start claiming, assuming that the average person lives to be 78.

If you die before then, you were better off claiming early. If you claim later to get a higher monthly benefit and then live to be 100, you will have hit the Social Security jackpot, because your monthly benefit would have been so much higher for all of those extra years beyond 78.

Factors affecting your decision
There are 4 major factors you need to consider when deciding when to start claiming your social security:

- Your health. If you have a serious health condition that might affect how long you will live, earlier collection is probably better.

- Family life expectancy. Assuming you are healthy, how long did your parents live? How about siblings? If your genes point to living into your 80's or beyond, delaying your claiming date might be wise.

- Do you need the money. If you got laid off and your job prospects aren’t that good, you might need to claim early just to stay afloat. But if you can live using other savings, you still might consider delaying.

- Are you still working. Since your benefit will be reduced if you earn more than a modest amount before your full retirement age, there is not much point in claiming before your FRA. Plus, if you are in your high earning years, there is even more reason to delay claiming your benefit. That’s because you might be able to drive up your 35 year earning average, which will increase your future monthly payments.

The effect on your surviving spouse also needs to be considered
When the first spouse dies the survivor has two options: he or she can keep their own benefit, or take over their spouse’s. For the couple with a higher earning spouse, the benefit of taking the delayed benefit is magnified. Not only does the higher earner get the higher benefit during his or her lifetime, but the surviving spouse will also benefit as long as he/she lives.

Next time – Issues related to couples and when to take Social Security
Married couples need to carefully consider their options before claiming Social Security in order to maximize their lifetime benefits. We will explore those options and different claiming strategies in more detail in Part 2, along with other issues such as the rights of divorced spouses.




For further reference:
Part 2: Marital Claiming Strategies, the Rights of Divorced Spouses, and Frequent Misconceptions
Exploding 5 Myths about Social Security (Jane Bryant Quinn for AARP)
It Pays to Work in Retirement
When Should You Start Taking Your Social Security Benefits
10 Things You Need to Know Before You Start Taking Social Security
Too Many Boomers Leave Money on the Social Security Table
Social Security Administration: Social Security Benefits Estimator
Comments?  What are you thinking about your Social Security claiming strategies? Please share your thoughts in the Comments section below.


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The Top 12 Things Overheard in 'Math'lete Locker Rooms

(Okay, okay......I admit it!  I was a math nerd)

The Top 12 Things Overheard in 'Math'lete Locker Rooms

12. "You're everyone's problem.  That's because every time you calculate a square, you're unsafe.  I don't like you because you're dangerous."

11. "Did you ever notice if you put dots in each loop of the infinity symbol it looks like breasts?"

10. "I'm so keyed up, I could sh*t an icosahedron."

9.  "Doing 100 pushups is *WAY* easier when you count in binary!"

8.  "Guys, did you see who's in the stands? It's my dear Aunt Sally!"

7.  "Do your stretching exercises before we start. I don't want to see another mathlete blow out a frontal lobe on a 90 degree tangent calculation."

6.  "Coach says anyone who doesn't complete round 3 gets busted back down to Chess Club."

5.  "Sorry I didn't steal on that last play, Coach. I got my sines messed up."

4.  "Did you see the size of the other team's heads? They're HUGE!"

3.  "You looked like a bunch of little Algebra 1 kids out there!"

2.  "Our minds are more beautiful than their minds!"


and the Number 1 Thing Overheard in Mathlete Locker Rooms...

"There's no 'I' in Pythagorean theorem."


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Whiny Baby Boomers

I know that the baby boomers (and I am a proud member of said group) complain and whine endlessly about their spouses, their sex lives or lack thereof, their diminishing stamina, politics, taxes, inflation, traffic, air quality and global warming, but - hold on a sec - you mean some boomers don't complain about these things! Nah, they all do. Don't they? You mean it's just me?   Right.......

In any case, I was talking to a fellow boomer the other day...man, was she complaining. She said that after all these years of marriage (and she claimed her's was an arranged marriage - arranged by Satan) that it couldn't get any worse. She said she had mentioned to her husband that she wanted to go to a warm vacation spot this winter...he told her to go to hell.

She told me that they both found each other's body somewhat gross and ugly and that before sex he takes a Viagra and she takes a Gravol...
he wants to make sure he can perform, she wants to make sure she doesn't vomit.

Ah, these are the years!

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Family Caregiving

One of my older sisters, Shaye, assumed the role of family caregiver. She drove to our mother’s home, and did bills & pills, grocery shop, wash clothes and dishes, take her to appointments (which she had made for her), and more…much more.


When she wasn't on the road or at Mom's house, she did things that didn’t require being on-the-spot. Was she a noble person? I think so. She didn’t think of what she did in those terms.  She did it because it had to be done. And, like the 65 million others out there doing the same thing, she didn't charge for her services.


It’s been estimated that annual costs associated with family caregiving in the US amount to approximately $535 Billion. But wait – 70% of the cost for caregiving services, about $375 Billion, is provided free of charge by people like my sister (with only $158 billion in cash actually being “spent”). But does that mean that 70% of services are really free? Read on – and draw your own conclusions.


I saw, and still see, the toll this responsibilty took on my sister, and I do not know how she held up through it.  There is no way she could have any idea how much I appreciate everything that she did and how aware I am of the strenght of character it took for her to endure.

 
Did I forget to mention that, during these years, she also had a disabled husband at home and was raising her 2 grandchildren?


These statistics are from the National Family Caregivers Association:

• 20% of employed caregivers over 50 report symptoms of depression compared to 8% for non-caregiving peers.

• 40 – 70% of family caregivers have clinically significant symptoms of depression …and about half of these caregivers meet the diagnostic criteria for major depression.

• Family caregivers experiencing extreme stress have been shown to age prematurely. This level of stress can take as much as 10 years off a family caregiver’s life.

• The stress of caring for a person with dementia can impact the caregiver’s immune system for up to three years – thereby increasing the caregiver’s chances of developing a chronic illness.

• 72% of family caregivers report not going to the doctor as often as they should.

See the National Family Caregivers Assoc. website for these statistics, and more.


And while we Boomers are struggling right now to provide care for our parents, our spouses, our disabled children or other loved ones, what are we going to do to prepare for our own care when the time comes?


Read those stats again. Family caregiving is thankless, stressful, damaging to one’s health and well-being. Yet, if we continue to wake up each morning, then the day will come when we’ll need care, too!


As we Baby Boomers age, we will see the numbers of those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia double within our lifetimes. Exactly how is care going to be provided?


We need a national discussion about how caregiving will be provided for us Boomers in the very near future. We can’t continue to provide caregiving in a haphazard, health-depleting fashion.


A tsunami of caregiving need is heading in our direction. And I predict – if we don’t prepare, then this tsunami is going to wipe every last one of us off our feet!


NOTE TO SHAYE:
You've spent a lot of years in hell.  The sacrifices you made were selfless and many.  I am so proud and happy for where you are now and the struggle I have witnessed gives me strength and hope.  I love you. 


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Social Security Crisis Worsens

The public trustees of Social Security delivered bad news to the country this year: the Social Security trust fund will not be able to pay 100% of promised benefits beginning in 2033, 3 years earlier than previously predicted.

Piling it on, the trustees also predicted that the disability component of Social Security will run out of money 2 years earlier than previously thought (in 2016).

Medicare’s trust funds had no change in the date of their expected exhaustion (2024), although the chief Medicare actuary, Richard S. Foster, that the projections in the report “are probably poor indicators of the future financial status of Medicare” (as based on current law).

Several factors combined to speed up the depletion of Social Security trust funds. For one, this year’s cost of living projections are higher than originally projected (3.6% vs. .7%). Workers’ earnings are growing slower than thought, while stubborn unemployment remains high.

It should be noted that Social Security was meant to be a pay as you go system – taxes paid into it from younger workers are meant to provide current payments for today’s retirees. The current problem is not only an economic one (lower earnings to be taxed), but more importantly a demographic one. The 76 million baby boomers outnumber those in comparable younger segments of the population, so the payments they are receiving overwhelm what is coming into the system.

2033 doesn’t mean the system will pay nothing
Retirees will still receive benefits beginning in 2033 because Social Security is pay as you go. The system will have enough money coming in to pay 75% of promised benefits – assuming Congress does not correct the problem.

Most experts believe that relatively minor tweaks to the program could repair it in time to keep most or all promised benefits. Those changes might include raising premiums and taxable thresholds, and/or delaying benefits by a few months. However, there is universal skepticism that Congress has the guts and/or the ability to compromise to make these repairs. We can only hope!

Medicare situation tricky too
Though there was no change in the estimate of when Medicare will exhaust its trust funds, many experts question the assumptions that led to that conclusion.

For one, many doubt that the payments to doctors will really be cut by 31% beginning Jan. 31, as is stipulated in Affordable Care Act. Others question the health care productivity assumptions that are baked into the current estimate.

Bad news: fixing Medicare will probably prove more complex and difficult than repairing Social Security.

Report from Social Security Trustees

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The cold war fallout shelter: baby boomers remember a unique part of the history of the United States

Like many Americans, I've been watching the situation in Japan with the nuclear reactors with great concen and interest, hoping that things will improve, there's no meltdown, and the people will feel safe again.

The thought of "nuclear fallout" has brought back many memories for me. As a child on a farm in rural South Georgia, we were the only family I knew that had a fallout shelter. That's right - my dad built an underground shelter of concrete walls and a concrete roof. All we had to do was walk several cinder block steps down into the earth, make a left at the bottom of the stairs, then an immediate right and we were in a dark, damp room measuring about 16x18 feet.

In 1957, the year I was born, the Gaither Report was published to inform people of the nuclear strike capabilities of the U.S.S.R. and the United States, and frankly, President Eisenhower felt a responsibility to encourage the building of fallout shelters across the country. The U.S. Department of Defense issued instructions on how to build one. All my patriotic Dad had to do was order the manual, wait two or three weeks for it to arrive, then get to work! Imagine if Facebook, Wikipedia, and YouTube had existed then! Shelter owners could have just told one another what to do, what to avoid and how else the shelter could be used once the fear of war subsided. Today, of course, we're at war with nuclear power plants when we aren't embracing them as a solution to our energy challenges.
Anyway, our family fallout shelter was very simple. There was a single light bulb in the ceiling with a pull chain. In reality, our family of eight couldn't have survived 14 minutes down there, never mind the 14 days the government told us to expect to have to stay underground should a nuclear fallout occur! I wasn't worried, though. I was confident my parents would know exactly what to do and they'd keep us safe.

Meanwhile, we discovered that a fallout shelter also made for an awesome place to play with friends. And my enterprising father figured out that we could take advange of the dark, underground, cool space, which was a perfect environment for storing farm-grown potatoes.
Ten years ago, shortly after 9/11, I read that underground shelters and in-home bunkers were regaining popularity as Americans looked for anything they could do to keep their families safe. This new incident has caused yet another uptick in people fearing the worst and trying to prepare for it.

Ironically, my father filled in the fallout shelter with dirt and sealed it permanently several years ago. Why? Because as a grandfather, he thought it was the safest thing to do. He didn't want the grandchildren to fall down the steps or get hurt (or even bitten by a snake) while playing in the big dark hole.

So, we've come full circle. That which was supposed to protect children by being readily available became the thing that could harm them by being readily available.
As I'm writing this, it occurs to me that I still haven't met a boomer who had a fallout shelter at home as a child. Or maybe I just didnt' know that tidbit about them because it was a distant memory nobody thought to mention. How about you?  Did your family have a fallout shelter? What are your memories of that time?


Comments The Cold War fallout shelter: boomers remember a unique part of U.S. history

What You Need to Know Aging Baby Boomers

Baby Boomers are a group of people who experienced similar events within similar periods of time.

They were born in the United States during the 20th Century after World War II and became the biggest demographic group in history. Children who were born between the years 1946-1964 are considered Baby Boomers. They are identified by their favorite toys and friends, grew up with televisions and have a desire to stay young forever.

Baby boomers came to the stage as a generation of hopefulness, adventure and success. They are also considered the healthiest and wealthiest among the generations.

At present, many of these adults are in their 60's. At this age, they still want to go to work without fileing for their retirement or without saying "I am too tired to work", because they think they can work more just like the old times. They think that working beyond 65 years old can make them stay active, alive and of course, can make them feel and remain young for the rest of their lives, which is the opposite side of what the aged baby boomers should feel.

It is clear that this generation of adults is not satisfied to simply sit back and ease into old age. They are staying physically active, involved in community relations, being confident in their daily tasks, seek collaborative group discussions and mainly focused on physical condition and diet.

These adults will experience constant diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, obesity, heart disease, disability and many more. At this age, they have a larger proportion being hospitalized. But more aging baby boomers focus on diet and nutrition since they found out the advantages of taking nutritional supplement,s and they are very aware of the impact of nutition on their overall health. They are using medical advances, enhanced knowledge on nutrition and exercise to fight all kinds of disease and illness which are caused by their aging.


Care to know more about Aging Baby Boomers [http://www.BabyBoomersAndAging.com]? Visit this site for more information [http://www.BabyBoomersAndAging.com].

Alzheimer's Becomes the Defining Disease of Baby Boomers

Alzheimer's becomes the defining disease of baby boomers

Several  days ago, a friend of mine who's in his mid-fifties told me that he always puts his car keys in the refrigerator. This struck me as the kind of behavior I've heard about from really stressed out moms and my late grandmother, who died of Alzheimer's, not a hip, successful boomer. But he explained that he did it simply because that's how he reminds himself to take his lunch to work (he prepares his daily lunch each night before going to bed).

It certainly seems like a clever solution to a common problem. Still, I can't help thinking there's no way I'd tell people I do that. It seems every little quirky, unexpected thing like that makes people think, "I wonder if she's losing it."

We boomers live in fear of being diagnosed with Alzheimers. Too many of us have watched our grandparents die with it and some of us are already dealing with parents who are showing signs of dimentia or Alzheimers. Now, there's evidence that our fear is not unfounded. We boomers are actually now regarded as "Generation Alzheimers." One out of every eight of us will die with or from the disease. And unlike other common boomer diseases like diabetes, arthritis, and heart conditions, there's really nothing we can do about it. There's no cure; in fact, there's not even a known way to signficantly slow the progression of the disease.

Many of us will spend our retirement years either fighting Alzheimer's ourselves, or caring for someone who has it.I feel very fortunate that my parents, both in their mid-80s, haven't shown signs of having this awful disease, even though both can be a little forgetful now and then. My mom even jokes that one of the great things about being over 80 is that you no longer have to worry about early onset of Alzheimer's! It's too late!

Recently, the Alzheimer's Association released the results of a study called Generation Alzheimers: the Defining Disease of the Baby Boomers. It's quite enlightening, even scary. According to the findings $172 billion is spent annually on and by the 5.2 million people with Alzheimers! Predictions are that Alzheimer's will cost $20 trillion over the next 40 years. Wow! Moreover, It's the 6th leading cause of death.

Many of us "sort of" joke about having Alzheimer's when we misplace things, forget a loved one's birthday, or have dificulty recalling someone's name.So, I was a bit relieved to discover the association's 10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer's. Somehow it made me feel more confident that my occasional memory lapses are probably more the result of being 54 and very busy.

Boomers should pay attention to this new study and understand the risk factors of getting Alzheimer's. Turns out that the disease most often strikes after age 65, and 2011 is the first year boomers reach that age. It's not a normal part of aging, though most people do seem to write off forgetfulness as an inevitable part of getting older.

I'd encourage you to check out this important study and stay on top of the signs of this awful disease.

Comments Alzheimer's becomes the defining disease of baby boomers
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