The Happy Terrorists

A few days ago a friend was pondering over why Muslim terrorists are so quick to commit suicide.

Lets have a look at the evidence:

- No Christmas
- No television
- No football
- No pork chops
- No hot dogs
- No burgers
- No beer
- No bacon
- Rags for clothes
- Towels for hats
- Constant wailing from some idiot in a tower
- You cook over burning camel crap
- Your wife is picked by someone else for you 
- More than one wife
- More than one mother in law
- You can't shave
- Your wife can't shave
- You can't wash off the smell of your donkey
- Your wife smells worse than your donkey 

then they tell them they get WHAT when they die???

Well......

“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?

View the original article here

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!

View the original article here

The Top 17 Signs You're Working Too Hard

A Japanese labor bureau ruled recently that one of Toyota's top car engineers died from working too many hours. This is one in a string of such findings in a nation where extraordinarily long hours has long been the norm for some employees.


The Top 17 Signs You're Working Too Hard


17. Your job in 2011: opening Starbucks stores.

16. Your job in 2012: closing Starbucks stores.

15. Last week alone, you put two robots out of work.

14. Everyone comments on the artistic nature of your Leaning Tower of Empty Cup Noodles.

13. You keep dozing off at your job at the meth lab.

12. You desperately want to spend more time with your kids, so you hire them as interns.

11. Your "vacation" this summer? Telecommuting from home -- but you wore shorts!

10. You get a bad case of tennis elbow -- because of your job as a fluffer.

9.  Your boss even refuses to give you time off to attend your own funeral.

8.  Prescriptions filled today: 300

7.  Prescriptions filled incorrectly out of spite: 78

6.  You drop the kids off at daycare on the way in, and pick them up from junior high on the way home.

5.  Satan suggests you take a water break.

4.  Three people buried to death since your hair started falling out. 

3.  You've somehow managed to convince yourself the evening traffic *finally* eases up around 1:00 a.m.

2.  Your unborn child is diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome.


and the Number 1 Sign You're Working Too Hard...

Your husband's partner in couples therapy is inflatable.  

View the original article here

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. 


View the original article here