Boomersberg

Snarky Boomer’s First Days In a New Direction

2012-01-30T17:23:00.001-08:00

The new career as a caregiver.

I hope that these blog posts will encourage any boomer who is struggling to find a road map. If you read some of my first blog posts, you will see that I was pretty down. I have decided with some found energy to reinvent my final act for a living. After assessment of all the particulars, I settled on caregiving. Was hired by a local facility and started training. The day of training I was asked to sit for a client the following Monday, it was to be a 12 hour shift. I accepted the duty and enjoyed it very much. I now have my Red Cross CPR/First Aide/AED certificate. I have sitting on my desk 4 CD’s I ordered “Savvy Care Giver”. The information pertains to caring for clients with dementia or Alzheimer’s. The facility of my employment offers further training.

Now, granted, I am not making a ton of money, but I have an objective here and anytime you start on anything new, you start at the bottom.

I have my new fitness membership as of January 17th and I am on day three of my 21 day diet detox (over seen by a nurse practitioner). My strides are getting longer and stronger. Remember, that without your health all the money in the world will not matter. Inspired by this site http://mvdietdetox.com/

I am reaching out from under my rock and headed up, how about you?

BANG! Start Off 2012

2012-01-20T11:58:00.000-08:00

New year, new beginning. Off with the old and on with the new.

In previous post, I told of how after much deliberation I had decided to go in a career change direction, becoming a professional caregiver. So, I applied and have been accepted with a very nice local assisted living facility as sitter/caregiver.

I start my new career with training. The 13th will be in house training. On the 18th I will have a full day of CPR, First Aid and AED training. Then the 25th will be another day of training. I have signed up for some on line classes in caregiver to persons with dementia/ Alzheimer. So I am off to the races.

Now, I know most all of us commit to get on diets for the new year, but this time I am going a step further and I signed up for a 21 day 21 pound detox program. During this course or shortly after I will sign up for a gym membership. I need to strength train and I know I will not do that at home on my own. Plus, I like the big machines for strength training and not just using dead weights.

If you read the first posts I started with back in 2011, you can see that I was pretty depressed and really felt as if I was in a hole and someone was trying to shovel dirt in on top of me, so as you can see, I have become the Phoenix bird.

Time, prayer and a lot of sorting has created a new beginning.

The Finer Things In Life Are The Simple Things In Life

2011-11-14T10:22:00.000-08:00

The Finer Things In Life Are The Simple Things In Life

1. Sharing fun times with friends and loved ones.
2. Being in the forest with no sound other than the birds.
3. A cool breeze on a hot day.
4. Music that speaks to your soul.
5. A warm blanket, thick socks and a cup of cocoa on a cold night.
6. A friend calling to just check in and ask how you are doing.
7. A Hug from a little child or dear friend.
8. Puppy kisses, wiggles, and waggs.
9. Looking out over the ocean waters with wonderment.
10. Looking to the heavens with wonderment.
11. Getting caught in a spring rain.
12. Getting out of bed because you can.

When You Need to Change, Where Do You Start?

2011-10-25T07:16:00.000-07:00

When You Need to Change, Where Do You Start?

10 Surprising Clues You'll Live to 100

2011-10-19T05:35:00.000-07:00

10 Surprising Clues You'll Live to 100

Posted in Yahoo Health is a quick article about clues to how long you may live.

As usual genetics are a major factor. Information that may help with your long term financial planning. Because if you are healthy you may want to plan on working longer or adjust your work hours to less than 40 a week, but stay in the game as long as health will allow.

Wake up America, We Have the Answers, Not Big Government

2011-10-18T14:43:00.000-07:00

http://boomersberg.com/boomer-buzz/wake-up-america-we-have-the-answers-not-big-government-2
I reference you to my new domain at http://boomersberg.com

The 401-Keg Plan

2011-10-06T08:23:00.000-07:00

The 401-Keg Plan

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

2011-10-01T07:53:00.000-07:00

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Can You live on $9 an hour? Play “Spent” game to see

2011-09-28T06:55:00.000-07:00

Can You live on $9 an hour? Play “Spent” game to see

I am Somebody from Nowhere

2011-09-18T13:42:00.000-07:00

I notice that we look at information or a person, picture and process the information rather quickly with preconceived prejudices at a completely subconscious level. This is a primitive hard wire set up in the brain, that would allow us to move quickly either toward or away from an entity or thing. Unfortunately, when applied in our modern world set up it causes us to miss out on some very meaningful experiences. As an example of this: If I post my business address as XXX Maple St.; Small Town; MS-- how serious will I be taken? Rather if I set up my business address as XXX Park Pl; New York, N.Y. XXXXX..... Admittedly, you look at the N.Y. address as being more substantial and having more veracity than the small town address.
We do the same with people, as was done with Jesus, "can anything good come from Nazareth?" It was too small, too insignificant to foster anything of worth.
All the above to get you and myself to question our knee jerk reaction to some of the information we assimilate and filter through an ancient filter that may NOT lead us to a correct assumption. “The Thinker”
Just another day floating on my iceberg. See you in cyber space friend. http://boomersberg.com

Baby Boomer madness, That was yesterday and yesterday is gone!

2011-09-15T09:57:00.000-07:00

Baby Boomer madness, That was yesterday and yesterday is gone!

Baby Boomer retirement is in constant change

2011-08-22T13:06:00.000-07:00

http://boomersberg.com/baby-boomer-retirement-planning-is-in-constant-change/

Also I have added a newspaper compilation to boomersberg.com of who I follow on Twitter "The Snarky Boomer Express". Look for a page in menu of Boomer helpful links. These are sites on the net that address baby boomer interests. Adding more as I come across good ones. Trying to make it easier to navigate through the blog posts by having similar post links after each new post. If you use Firefox, IE, Safari (not Chrome) you are able to highlight words or phrases that will search the net for more info in a pop up window while you stay on the blog. Helps you to learn more. Say you want to know more about Betty Friedan, you highlight her name and information about her will come up. Also have a contact me form now up in menu.

Thanks for following my blog and just because I went to my own domain, you know you are just as welcome on boomersberg as here (really more so) as I make my investment of time and energy at boomersberg.com.

I am a baby boomer anomaly, are you?

2011-08-19T06:11:00.000-07:00

I'm a Baby Boomer anomaly, are you? posted on boomersberg.com and daily quotes.

Baby Boomers depressed, overweight combo, can I super-size that?

2011-08-18T08:28:00.001-07:00

This article is posted on the boomersberg.com blog and all future posts will have a link to it. http://boomersberg.com/baby-boomers-depressed-overweight-combo-can-i-super-size-that/

Please follow me there as I am adding more as fast as the brain will allow. Everyday is a learning curve as I try to do this solo and learn from articles and postings on the internet. My relationship with my blog: It’s complicated.

Maxine–my alter ego

2011-08-15T15:18:00.001-07:00

I must have my daily dose of Maxine. I have found her on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/maxine

When I really want to express my snarky side I get a card that has Maxine on it. She brings it home with humor, spread with quick wit, between two slices of truth.

Her real home is here at Hallmark http://www.hallmark.com/online/maxine/animation/

Drop by and see her on facebook, she really enjoys hearing from her fans. She is certainly good for a laugh or a smile.

Another day floating on my iceberg. See you in cyber space friends.

Betty Friedan Vs. Warren Jeffs

2011-08-15T07:34:00.001-07:00

Betty Friedan, Legacy-In 1966, Friedan founded and was elected the first president of the National Organization for Women, which aimed to bring women "into the mainstream of American society now [in] fully equal partnership with men".

Warren Jeffs, Legacy

In 2003, author Jon Krakauer published Under the Banner of Heaven, a nonfiction book that explores some of the history of both the LDS church and its spin-off sects, focusing largely on the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The book describes illegal activity in the (Fundamentalist) Church, mainly polygyny, statutory rape, murder, and rape.

Escape by Carolyn Jessop with Laura Palmer is a personal account of the deterioration of human rights (especially women's and children's rights) and institutionalized abuse in the FLDS organization under Warren Jeffs' leadership.

Stolen Innocence by Elissa Wall with Lisa Pulitzer is an autobiography about a girl inside the FLDS church and her experiences in the community and her escape as well as her accounts in the Warren Jeffs trial.

I will leave it for you to explore these two polar opposites as to what they espoused to believe and their far reaching influence on others, whether to the good or the bad.

I personally ponder over these people and their extreme position of how they believed (believe) that women should function within our society. Does any good thing ever come from an extremist? I strongly believe that extremism is a dangerous place to be. Anything that takes on the tone of fanatical spooks me. Far to many cults, religions and groups have picked up under the banner of some fanatical leadership, to their own detriment and others.

Myself? I fly under the banner of apathy, who gives a #@!*? Some of us took the game “follow the leader” as a child, way to serious. The world at large has gone mad, MAD, you hear me, MAD!!! It tires me out to deal with most of what passes out here as intelligent life

Just another day floating on my iceberg. See you in cyber space friend.

Boomer Bashing, why not?

2011-08-12T06:36:00.001-07:00

In a previous blog post Will boomers ever admit their to blame. Today I picked up this off the net Showing no empathy Quote from the article: The lack of empathy for others confirms what psychologists have reported about the implications of baby boomers treating their kids like royalty, raising them to think about themselves and their success above anything else. In The Narcissism Epidemic.

Baby boomers have destroyed every cultural institution in America they have touched: marriage, family, public education, government, financial markets, healthcare, and more, say some critics, whose views may be supported by a Personality and Social Psychology Review study. Read more: Baby Boomers lack empathy, ability to care.

When I first saw the title of the blog article above, Baby Boomers lack empathy, ability to care, of course I was curious as to what it had to say. Then as I am reading the article it goes on about how we (boomers) have created all the current social ills in our country and possibly the world (might as well grandiose it). But the summation of the Social Psychology Review study is NOT that boomers do not possess empathy, it is that we raised our children to have no empathy. Now the boomer generation (sandwich generation) is taking care of kidults who can’t find work or will not, possibly one or both of their parents, and making donations to every appeal for help from the latest disaster.

Hey, mister media reporter, can you spare a dime (err some empathy) for a boomer who does not fit your profile? Probably not so much, as you were raised by a selfish boomer.

Just another day floating on my iceberg. See you in cyber space friend.

Word for the day - proactive

2011-08-11T15:57:00.001-07:00

Korean baby boomer delima This was enlightening for me on at least two fronts. 1. We are not the only country with “Boomer Problems” near retirement and 2. as quoted from the article “The ministry this year launched a pilot program that offers “civic engagement jobs” such as managers or advisors at welfare facilities and mentors for young students to former salaried workers.”

It is a Korean problem and they are taking steps to address it, it is called being proactive. I commented earlier today on another blog about our current countries financial woes that the focus needs to be on education and training. Those on any subsidized program should be enrolled in SOME KIND OF EDUCATIONAL, TRAINING/RETRAINING PROGRAM. If you get money from anything other than a job it should be mandatory that you are taking some classes or retraining program. Those hiring, need incentives to take a person in for mentoring or job skill training. Only the most severely physically and mentally challenged would be exempt. Provide child care for those who need it while in the hours of training or class. At least “IF” a job or jobs did become available there may be some qualified person to fill the slot. The bad side of what I propose is that right now there are many over qualified people out here having to dig out of job trash cans to make a living and survive.

What I have seen and read about so far in most of our country is very anemic. There are places around the country, that on their own initiative have started some quality programs. There needs to be a nationwide accessible program for unemployed, welfare, SSI, ad infinitum.

This is all to serious and now it is 5 o’clock, yep, time to take my medicine

Just another day floating on my iceberg. See you in cyber space friend.

Discouraged workers- not in the unemployment stats

2011-08-10T07:53:00.001-07:00

USA today discouraged workers

Quote from article: It's a product of something the government calls "discouraged workers," or those who were unemployed but not out looking for work during the reporting period.

Word for the Day-Week- Month- Next two years- Discouraged- Merriam Webster online definition-: to deprive of courage or confidence : dishearten <was discouraged by repeated failure>

Another dirty little secret that is a part of the jobless stats is ageism. As the numbers continue to stay high, those that are hiring, get to pick from the best of the best. Like grading a young bull, the owner looks at the characteristics of the bull to determine whether he will remain a bull (get the job) or become a steer (stay unemployed).

For those of us not blessed with the “optimism gene”, the current daily dose of bad news makes for extra effort to smile and put one foot in front of the other. I take extra b12 just so I will have energy enough to think positive. Tomorrow is another day, Ms. Scarlet. I think I will go pull up that turnip root that is still in the garden and eat it for super. The south had to recover from (did we ever?) Sherman’s march. Now, the current state of our economy is setting fire to businesses, one by one.

Just another day floating on my iceberg. See you in cyber space friend. Head on over to the new and improved version at http://boomersberg.com

Boomer Health Issues- Scary Future

2011-08-09T07:27:00.001-07:00

But a person's health, attitude, genetics and situation can make a big difference. "You can't assume everyone's average," says Fronstin. "Because they're not."

Carolyn McClanahan, who is both a Certified Financial Planner and a medical doctor, agrees. Regular exercise, a good diet and healthy habits not only can prevent, but reverse a host of health problems. And that gives consumers a financial advantage, too. McClanahan tells her clients, "The best way to take care of your health care costs is to take care of your health."

A healthy couple at age 65 in 2018 will need $511,000 for health care. And you thought the National Debt was bad.

The best way to control health care costs is to take care of your health.

One-third of people will need some type of long-term care. Where is my alert button? Can’t remember where I put it.

For some, those health care bills (and rising costs in general), are forcing them to rethink plans and retire later or look at part-time employment during retirement. Or like this boomer, find an iceberg and set sail

"We're hearing that people are working longer because they can't afford not to work," says Matheis. "Or they're retiring and going back to work." You know these are not boomers writing this piece. If you are one of the fortunate to keep working (God Bless You-I think) Going back to work!! Haa HAAA Hooo – just to hilarious

Health care for retirees

By Dana Dratch • Bankrate.com

Boomer Health Issues- Scary Future

2011-08-09T07:01:00.001-07:00

But a person's health, attitude, genetics and situation can make a big difference. "You can't assume everyone's average," says Fronstin. "Because they're not."

A healthy couple at age 65 in 2018 will need $511,000 for health care. And you thought the National Debt was bad.

The best way to control health care costs is to take care of your health.

One-third of people will need some type of long-term care. Where is my alert button? Can’t remember where I put it.

"We're hearing that people are working longer because they can't afford not to work," says Matheis. "Or they're retiring and going back to work." You know these are not boomers writing this piece. If you are one of the fortunate one to keep working (God Bless You-I think) Going back to work!! Haa HAAA Hooo – just to hilarious

Health care for retirees

By Dana Dratch • Bankrate.com

Hasn’t changed in 27 years

2011-08-08T04:00:00.000-07:00

Copyright 1984- excerpt from a book “This is the Age in which nobody believes anybody, in which claims of superiority are challenged just because they’re claims, in which consumers express surprise when something they buy actually performs the way it was advertised to perform.

What has changed for the worse, is that customer support now is non- existent. Throw a product out there and give them an automated menu for help press “go to H!!”.

I keep a lot of my books, I have had to purge over the years, but do so very reluctantly. I was looking at the afore mentioned book yesterday and the information seemed just as relevant to current trends as it did in 1984. If anything, the degree of skepticism has continued to increase, just like the temps for the Mid-West this summer.

I think about these things and reflect back and then look at current attitudes. I ponder how or why we continue toward a total distrust of everyone, each other and even your own self. You cannot even trust yourself to give yourself good advice sometimes. Dang, it!! Is that peanut butter fudge calling me again? Don’t listen. Don’t trust that little kid in there trying to get you in trouble again.

Most of our social ills, I believe (wish it were that simple) is our inner child left to run wild in the streets with no consequences.

God forbid that we be taken to the wood shed for our miss deeds.

Just another day floating on my iceberg. See you in cyber space friend.

OMG- who the heck is that?!!!

2011-08-07T07:55:00.001-07:00

Boomer reaction after passing by the full length mirror coming out of the shower. Space aliens have landed and taken over my body!!

As a boomer, having memories is great. We get to reminisce about the good old days. Unfortunately, I can remember (only yesterday wasn’t it?) when I was slim, trim, toned and everything in its place. I used to fight with a pimple, a little cellulite on the thigh or the thought of my boobs being too small. Now, the thoughts are more about, where did that age spot come from overnight (age spots take the place of pimples), the extra roll on the midriff (used to have a stomach so flat and tight you could bounce a quarter off it) don’t try that now or you will lose the quarter. I stopped worrying about the thighs and watch in horror as my stomach (that I never had before continues to inch forward). The boobs thing, I just try to collect them and corral them into my wonder bra.

I know, not every boomer will appreciate the honest humor, but fighting getting older really just makes me feel old. Heck, I give up, why fight with the inevitable? I just want to enjoy it, laugh at it, and continue to do the things that bring a smile to my face. That is the best face lift a body can have and it’s free.

For those who follow me as I started posting from blogger, I have transitioned to my own domain. http://boomersberg.com and it has some pretty cool perks. Apture is on my site. This feature allows you to highlight any subject or word and will give you (without leaving the page) info found on the internet of the subject or word. Real cool, I think, give it a try. Also, I have a forum there for those who want to start a conversation on any subject which would be boomer related or a boomer rant. I have started some links to some cool boomer places on the net and hope to actually have a page that will be like a boomer directory to places on the net especially pertaining to boomer subjects of interest.

Just another day floating on my iceberg. See you in cyber space friend.

Intelligence Lost: The Boomers Are Exiting

2011-08-05T16:44:00.001-07:00

Intelligence Lost: The Boomers Are Exiting - BusinessWeek.

The author goes on to give eight steps to ensure that boomer retirement doesn't leave a knowledge vacuum

On the top of my resume' was a quote "Experience that works". Alas, living in a small town and the current job market only served to fuel my frustration. That’s another blog already covered http://goo.gl/IwiBr

Boomers are retiring. Years of hard data and soft know-how is preparing to leave your organization. Are you prepared to avoid the vacuum? – stated in article

In my humble opinion (uuhhmm, clearing of throat) the vast majority of boomers have been devalued by the younger generation for the most part. The soft know-how mentioned above is something that is either intuitive or takes years of practice. I understand that computers, data, technical knowledge is fueling the future, I use and appreciate the advances made. The things we do not learn from previous generations are mistakes we make in the future and some of those mistakes are very costly.

Unlike Asian culture, where each generation is taught to respect and value the wisdom of the elder, American culture seems all to quick to pitch aside anything that does not move at the speed of light. Sad, sad that a LOT more than meets the eye is being lost in the current fast paced American culture.

Just another day floating on my iceberg. See you in cyber space friend.

President Obama is a boomer-Turns 50 August 4th, 2011

2011-08-03T18:30:00.001-07:00

Well, Mr. President, how does it feel to be a boomer? I feel confident that your view of being a boomer is nothing like mine. But then again I wouldn’t want yours either.

I am sure your current job has put a few extra wrinkles in your brow and probably whittled a year or two from your longevity genes.

"Being at the top may not be all it's cracked up to be," said Thore Bergman, a biological psychologist. Researchers from Princeton University and the Institute of Primate Research in Nairobi, Kenya discovered that a baboon's stress level dropped as his rank rose — except for the alpha males. The top baboons had 10% more glucocorticoid than their runners-up, and matched those of the lowest-ranked baboons. (Testosterone levels, predictably, rose with rank.) The findings were published online last Thursday in the Journal of Science.

So, there is a sunny side to being in the middle of the pack, you are not picked on (translate-ignored) nor are you looked to for leadership (translate-you have all the answers).

Another day floating on my iceberg. See you in cyber space friend.