The kids are gone, pass the joint. Recent studies indicate that baby boomers support legalizing marijuana in greater percentages than younger cohorts, especially more than the 30-40's--the generation most likely to be in the midst of family building and child-rearing. In the past year or so, pot use among those 55-59 tripled to about 5%. A whopping 72% of AARP members support medical marijuana, possibly because we have a pretty clear first-hand understanding of the benefits.

Many who stopped smoking pot while raising children and advancing careers now have returned to pot to "soften the pains of aging" as the article points out. And many of us would rather turn to marijuana than to pharmaceuticals. This applies to non-medical drug use as well. Boomers are more likely to indulge in pot than pharmaceuticals for recreational use.

So, empty nesters, if you put off pot during the family-raising years, you won't be alone should you decide to light up once again. Let's just hope these arthritic old fingers can remember how to roll a joint.

Are baby boomers finding fulfillment in less material, less consumerist ways because we want to...or because we have to? Are you buying a Porsche or learning how to throw pots? This article in the Leader-Post explores how baby boomers are fulfilling ourselves these days. We're quoted, by the way, which is possibly how we at AgingHipsters find our fulfillment.

I came across a lovely website today--one that celebrates youth and hope and joy and no...it's not about the next generation or the next-next generation. The site, My Parents Were Awesome, consists entirely of photographs of couples when they were young...submitted by their children. There's something moving and full-circle about seeing a parent as a discrete human being..with a life before kids and all the other grown-up things. Or....as the country song says, "Mama..before she was Mama.'

There will be photos that seem familiar to all of us--- from the 50's (and before) through what look like the 80's. But unlike sites that celebrate the snarky, the derisive and often bizarre, like Awkward Family Photos, My Parents is a tribute, not only to our own youthful awesomeness, but to the fact that our kids see it that way too. One quibble: what's with the My Parents Were Awesome?

Yes, it's the 40th anniversary of the real Woodstock. Several sequels notwithstanding, the 3 days of peace and love was a defining event of a generation. What's interesting to me is how many people use Woodstock as a frame of reference:
"I was there and..."
"I was on the way there but..."
"I wasn't there but my (fill-in-the-blank) was...."
"Um...I think I was there..."

We would love to hear your Woodstock weekend stories--whether you were there or couldn't be there or didn't even want to be there. What were you doing the weekend of August 15-18, 1969?

We asked a few friends and here are some of things we've heard so far:

"How could I be there? I was so young I would've had to go with a babysitter."
"I was all ready to go, but my parents grounded me."
"Even then I wasn't so much about camping and stuff. How would I have dried my hair?"
"I was there..no, really, I was."

Personally, I was engrossed in the music scene in Newport, Rhode Island that summer. I stayed for a few months and went to the Newport Jazz and Folk Festivals. It required taking odd, odder and oddest jobs, copious amounts of drugs, occasional sleeping in parks or on floors, and some of the best music I had ever heard. Sadly, I was summoned (ordered) home in mid-August--August 15th to be exact.

Here's a fun site about Woodstock. You can read other people's reminiscences there too.

As boomers ponder their dream retirement havens, it would be wise to consider more than just the state tax element of the benefit/drawback equation. Amenities aside, considerations such as sales tax, social security and property tax need to be taken into account as well. Of course, when you live in one of the most expensive states in the country like we do, almost anywhere else looks good. This article on nj.com is a good overview of tax considerations.

While reading a NY Times article about the Michael Jackson memorial, I came across one of the strangest juxtapositions of words I have ever seen.

"Two of Mr. Jackson's closest friends, Elizabeth Taylor and Diana Ross, both sent regrets. Ms. Taylor via Twitter..."

I'm struggling to imagine Liz Taylor's 77-year old bejeweled fingers texting her RSVP. What did she write? 'Can't cm 2 ur prty'? For those who think the newest tech toys are only for the young, please take a moment to visualize this.

OK, it's probable that one of her staff did this for her. Did they have to explain Twitter first? And did she, brought up in a more etiquette-conscious time, think that a tweet was an appropriate response? When I think of all the stupid things I could use my Twitter account for, condolences to a close friend's family doesn't make the list.

I have to return to my vision of a mu-mu clad, diamond-dripping Elizabeth Taylor texting while she waits for the elevator.

"No one in America can know what will happen. No one is in real control. America is having a nervous breakdown ... Therefore there has been great exaltation, despair, prophecy, strain, suicide, secrecy, and public gaiety among the poets of the city."

How contemporary, how relevant. Except it was written by Allen Ginsberg in the Village Voice 50 years ago. The Ginsberg quote is cited in New York Magazine's feature, "1959: Sex, Jazz and Datsuns."

Being only 8 at the time, I wasn't purchasing Miles Davis' Kind of Blue or worried about Fidel or reading Lady Chatterly's Lover. But the story is an interesting look at a year in the life of our Boomer experience.

The House has passed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act which, besides providing more volunteer opportunities for middle school and high school students, recognizes baby boomers' enormous potential for civic engagement. The bill expands existing services such as AmeriCorps , which will now have money reserved for enrolling adults over 55. It also creates new service corps focused on education, health care, energy and veterans.

Older adults (meaning us) will be encouraged to take both volunteer and paid non-profit positions. The New York Times quotes John Gomperts, president of the nonprofit research group Civic Ventures, "It represents an attitudinal shift in Congress -- an important recognition that national service isn't just for the young." Well, we know that!

The bill includes the following:

Expands Service Opportunities for Older Americans and Public-Private Partnerships

* Creates two new fellowships to engage social entrepreneurs, boomers and retirees, the private sector and Americans from all generations into service. Older Americans will be allowed to transfer their awards to a child, foster child or grandchild to help them pay for college.

1. ServeAmerica Fellowships: ServeAmerica Fellows are individuals who propose their own plans for serving in their communities to address national needs and are matched up with a service sponsor.

2. Silver Scholarships and Encore Fellowships: These programs offer Americans, age 55 or older, post-career service opportunities as well as entrance into new careers in the public or nonprofit sector. Silver Scholars will be able to earn up to $1,000 in exchange for 350 hours of service.

There are many more provisions to encourage boomers to become involved; you can read a more detailed summary of the bill on GovTrak.us

Times have surely changed since I wrote about being the oldest living human on Facebook a few years ago. Not only are the original college-aged kids now out in the real world and using Facebook for both social and business networking, but Boomers have discovered it too. And, like everything else we do, we do it in a big way. These days you'll find everyone from your distant 4th-cousin-once-removed to your BFF from high school. Lev Grossman, on Time.com, has presented the ultimate top 10 reasons for the old fogie invasion.

We've enjoyed Michael Winerip's Parenting column in the New York Times, mainly because his kids are relatively close in age to ours, so we were sad to see it end.

But wait! He's back! And now he's writing about...well...hmm....baby boomers. The new column is called Generation B, probably because Aging Hipsters was taken. First article talks about talking about Boomers and lists some of us who are particularly impressive. Including our new president, who probably really wishes he weren't one.

With the kids out of the house, it's only natural to turn reflective about age. All those years we had kids at home to keep us feeling young, in touch, and way too busy to think--what a welcome distraction that was. We're looking forward to this addition to boomerography.

Got the Bug, Got the Motorcycle Bug
Driving along you notice the graybeard motorcycle rider in the lane next to you. The wind is blowing his beard back and you can see the wrinkles on his face. You figure he must be fifty or sixty years old. It gets you thinking.

Or, what about all of these new motor scooters that seem to be popping up all over the place? Students, blue collar workers and the occasional professional are all just putting along enjoying the 90 miles per gallon fuel savings. Hmmm, looks like fun.

A lot of people just like you have the bug, the motorcycle rider bug. But you have it real bad and you are seriously thinking about actually doing it, buying a motorcycle and having a little fun yourself. What’s the holdup?

Well, motorcycles can kill you. Yes they can. But on the other hand, you spouse may kill you just for considering a motorcycle. OK folks, a little humor, lets not get too morbid here, you are only thinking about getting a motorcycle right? You haven’t actually done it yet.

I was going to write today about the Presidential debate, but instead find I need to say goodbye to the first man I ever loved--Paul Newman. As a pre-pubescent girl curled up in an armchair on rainy Sundays watching movies, my teeny nascent lust was aroused by the eyes, that attitude. Who wouldn't follow Ari Ben Canaan to Palestine? What woman wouldn't stick with Fast Eddie Felson? And who could play the grifter/drifter/anti-hero better?

He aged perfectly--staying interesting till the end, both as an actor and a man.

Imdb has a complete filmography. Even I, a lifelong fan, was surprised by how many of his movies were iconic milestones for me. And how many were just so damn good.

We recently received this release from the Social Security Administration and think it may come in handy.

By Brandon Robertson
Social Security Administration

More Americans than ever are using the internet to conduct business. On behalf of the Social Security Administration, we would like to share some of the many resources available at our website www.socialsecurity.gov.

Visitors to the website may apply for retirement, spouse's or disability benefits. If visitors to the site are already receiving benefits, they may request a replacement Medicare card, report a change of address or update direct deposit information.

Social Security has recently introduced a new "Retirement Estimator" at www.socialsecurity.gov/estimator. Getting a personalized online estimate of your future retirement benefits is now easier than ever before.

The online Retirement Estimator is a convenient, secure and quick financial planning tool that lets visitors to the website calculate how much they might expect to receive in Social Security benefits when they retire.

The Estimator allows visitors to create multiple "what if" scenarios. Visitors may, for example, change an expected retirement date or projected future earnings to create and compare different retirement options. Just visit www.socialsecurity.gov/estimator to use this terrific financial planning tool!

The website also offers a Frequently Asked Questions feature. Visitors to the site may select a topic; the site then displays all available information on that topic.

Much Social Security business can be done from the comfort of a home or office by visiting our website or by calling 1-800-772-1213. Social Security offers a variety of service options: you can visit us online, by telephone or at one of our community based offices.

Social Security is just a click away! Save a trip and go to www.socialsecurity.gov to get started. You can rest assured that doing business with Social Security online is fast, secure, and convenient.

There was an interesting essay in the Sunday NY Times written by a 30-something about her parents' decision to pick up and move to Hong Kong. So many of us are still watching the last of our children leave and yet Baby Boomers are also relocating.

According to a report on HomeInsight,
59% of younger Boomers (ages 41-49) and 50% of older Boomers (ages 50-59) indicate they plan to buy a new home for their retirement. Of course, some of are moving for a better job as is the case in the NY TImes essay.

With all the hand-wringing some of us experience as the babies leave, I hadn't realized it could work both ways. Blame it on mid-life crisis, empty-nest syndrome, downsizing, work or just a spirit of adventure. While many of our parents went somewhere to wait to die, Baby Boomers are often moving on to thrive.

I love Lynn Ermann's final thoughts on the matter:
Like so many in their generation, my parents are remaking the rules once again. Watching them has liberated us, too. Suddenly, our own lives seem less circumscribed, less finite. We can always go nuts at 60.

I just returned from San Francisco where I attended the BlogHer conference at the request of a client. Over the weekend I met, or at least was in the same room as, maybe 1000 women bloggers. Yeah--there's a boatload of us/them. The largest contingent by far was the group known as MommyBloggers, a designation I'm pretty much over, if I was ever there at all. No doubt I adore my children to the point of idiocy, but my days of full-time mommyhood are long gone and I'm old and cranky enough to no longer be fascinated by first words, first steps, and which are the best car seats.

My favorite 45 minutes by far was spent in the 'Boomers and Beyond' breakout session, moderated by Virginia DeBolt who looks all the world like a 3rd grade teacher and, now that I've read her blog, I've realized is a kickass technology ace.

The women in this group seemed to range from mid-40's to late 60's and all of them are online writing blogs and pretty much putting to rest the silly notion that we old folks don't 'get' technology. Many of them use Twitter with the ease of a teenybopper.

It was downright relaxing to be among peers. Maybe we have a little of the been -there-done-that attitude, but all of them had ideas as fresh and interesting as tomorrow's technology. The session was way too short. Could've done with less long breaks and more long break-outs.

So, here are a few fellow boomers you might enjoy:

A Boomer's Life After 50
Yes, there is life after 50.

Menopause, the Blog
Pretty substantive stuff--great title.

The Geezer Sisters
Been reading the Geezer Sisters now and again for awhile. It was fun to meet one.

Out On the Stoop
Thought provoking, literate and welcoming

Purse Stories
Lovely site, lovely stories.

There were several more whose cards I didn't get, but they're listed on Virginia's Web Teacher site.

A recent Pew Research Center study finds that Baby Boomers are the most dissatisfied generation. This comes on the heels of a University of Chicago study reporting that it's not a sign of the times, we've always been this way.

A recent article by Monica Hesse on washingtonpost.com takes a pretty tough view of what may end being called Generation W(hine).

Growing up in New Jersey, you were sure to either know some surfin' Beach Boy blonds or be one. Well, it seems the Jersey shore is seeing more surfers than ever and some of them are likely to be the same Jersey boys of summer one knew in high school.

According to an article in the in the NY Times, "in New Jersey, people who follow the sport say, a quarter to a half of the surfers may be middle-age or older."

They may be a little creakier but you'll know them by their long boards and by the fact they may just as easily be in the water in winter as summer. Some have been surfing since they were kids; others have taken up the sport in middle-age.

Something to add to the 'never-too-late' list.

If there's one thing that can remind us how time flies and yet how some things seem to stand still, it's a local community tradition. For us, it's our annual July 4th carnival, a major fundraiser for our volunteer fire squad.Held on a small field that spends most of the year overgrown and open, (and an excellent place to let dogs run), the carnival anticipation starts when we see the volunteers out there mowing. The banner goes up over the bridge, the rides seem to show up magically and suddenly it's carnival time again.

For an event with few rides and a layout you can walk in five minutes, it can generate up to 6000 visitors on a good night--the good nights being 'bracelet night,' when kids can ride all night without using up their college funds, and fireworks night. And for a teeny town, they put on a damn good show. One thing that never ever changes is the food. Believe it or not, aside from the usual fare, our landlocked carnival is known for its steamed clams.

Now here's the thing about time. I've been visiting the carnival for 23 years-- from the time my older son was in a stroller. With only a few exceptions, I've been there every year. I watched my kids graduate from the kiddy rides to the big boy rides, from us winning stuffed animals for them to them winning stuffed animals for me. From very long bracelet nights of ride after ride to keeping a watchful out for roving bands of young thugs---yup...my kids and their friends.

You probably have an elevated level of skepticism when it comes to guarantees. In most cases it's a time limit, mileage or hidden prerequisites that slant the guarantee in favor of the manufacturer. Then, even when you've met all the criteria, try to actually get the retailer to honor it. Good luck.

So when I headed to Sears Sunday with my broken Craftsman ratchet, I was expecting a few hoops to jump through. After all, the rachet was part of a set given as a wedding gift over 30 years ago. But Craftsman has an unconditional guarantee - if it breaks, return it to Sears for a replacement. Yeah, right.

I went to the customer service counter and simply said - "this rachet is broken," and added "what do I need to do to get it replaced," thinking perhaps I needed the original sales receipt or would have to mail it in or some such nonsense.

The woman behind the counter took the rachet (without saying a word) and started rooting around in a couple of bins under the counter. Then she began comparing my rachet to several in her bins. Nothing seemed to match.

Still in doubt, I said, "so it's true?" "

"Yes," was her response as she continued to look for a match.

After comparing several, nothing matched and I began to have this sinking feeling that if there wasn't something in her bins, I was going to have to start hoop jumping. But she just called over the manager and told him there was nothing in her collection that matched my rachet. He took my rachet, walked over to the shelf stock, compared it to one on the pegs and handed over a brand new rachet.

"That's it? No complicated paperwork, no special order, no first-born clause?"

"Yer set," said the manager.

Bravo, Sears!

On a side note, I'd just like to thank my good friend Bob for this wonderful wedding gift from way back in 1978. At the time I thought it was an odd gift, but over the years, it is truely the one thing that has endured. The marriage broke up but I got the Craftsman rachet set (still complete with every piece). And thanks to Sears, it should go on into the next generation.

Many of us Baby Boomer men have been collecting the things that define us for a lifetime. From tools to trains. We started with a little corner of the basement and somehow this collection obsession has evolved into the places we go to be - well, men.

I'm assuming here, but to many women, our spaces look disorganized, random and down right filthy. But pick up any random thing in my man-space and get a story (or an excuse about why I kept a broken thing-a-ma-bob). Frankly, it only looks like a mess to someone else. Need trumps order, nostalgia naturally gets dusty and whether or not I can actually find something is irrelevant.

Someone recently suggested that she could do wonders with my office helping organize, categorize, sanitize and de-randomize. Fine for her, but if I'm relegated to a single room, it's going to be the way I want it - and the way I want it is exactly the way it is. Free-form.

The pile of gravity-defying stuff at the door isn't there because I like stuff so much, it's a physical barrier. It says (very loudly) "you really have want to come in here." Besides, the element of risk adds a certain masculinity to the cave entrance, I think.

Which brings me to a book - written by James B. Twitchell called "Where Men Hide." Last Sunday, we attended the opening of an exhibition by the photographer who Illustrated the book - Ken Ross. Ken is a friend who's been a photographer and teacher (and by the way is retiring this year). While I connected with the words - the photographs had me nodding in appreciation for the various ways we men decorate our grottos.

I actually believe I have genetic disposition for this sort of thing. My father had his own space (at the farthest reaches of the basement) where he hoarded a collection of off-sized pieces of mahogany salvaged from the Chris Craft plant down the road. According to dad, the short cut ends of planks were piled so high in the factory yard it looked like one of those giant salt mounds at the DOT garage.

Dad saw the value in gluing up all those little pieces into bigger pieces - which supposedly were to become something grand one day. But looking back, I think it was the mere fact that he had those treasures - and not necessarily what he was going to do with them.

Then there was Mr. Draper, our next door neighbor. Mr. Draper (I don't know his first name because he will forever be "Mr. Draper" to a five-year-old) had what could only be described as the palace of men's spaces; called simply, "The Doghouse." He had a WWII Jeep that ceremoniously guarded the entrance, and the mother of all workbenches on the back wall.

He would let my brother and I sit in the Jeep, toot the horn, pretend to drive and occasionally turn on the wipers (individually controlled with their own tiny electric motors).

But to behold his workbench was to look upon heaven itself. Each tool (hundreds, I'm sure) had it's own space on the pegboard - represented by a painted outline. The bench had a HUGE vice that could crush a head (yeah, we tried). And lining the ceiling were at least 1000 baby food jars with their lids screwed to the ceiling joist. Each jar filled with a single-sized screw, nut or nail. It was the perfect solution - visible, out of the way and accessible. Brilliant.

I'm sure Mrs. Draper was proud of how organized and efficient Mr. Draper was. But somehow I'm not sure he cared. It was a reflection of himself and a monument to a lifetime of collecting. Bravo, Mr. Draper.

If you'd like to purchase Where Men Hide check it out on Amazon.

I came across this opinion piece about the differences among the generations and about change in general. It got me thinking about the classic animosity Gen x-ers have towards us Boomers and how the same just isn't true about the Millennials starting to become adults and entering the workforce. The writer mentions talking to someone about a recent study:

The fellow said some experts predict there will be tension in the U.S. economy as the Boomers begin retiring in the tens and hundreds of thousands. Many of their jobs will be filled by Millennials. According to the study -- which like all massive studies only applies in general terms -- Millennials are more capable, brighter and more optimistic than either of the two generations that preceded them.

Well of course they're capable, bright, and optimistic--some of those front-end Millennials are our kids!

I was scanning a shoebox-size load of pictures from my father's vast collection and after scanning about 6, I decided there had to be a better way. I mean, 6 at a time on my little flatbed scanner, then into photoshop and finally burning them to DVD. Geeze.

Yes, Virginia, there is a better, nearly as fast (or faster depending on your scanner prowess) and worthwhile way to get all those photos scanned and safely on digital media.

So, at the risk of sounding like an infomercial, I found these guys who will scan, organize and burn all your photos to DVD (there's even a TV-DVD option) and believe me, it's WORTH every penny.

I was a little hesitant to send the whole shoebox, but they held my hand the whole way, even emailing me when the box had arrived. What I got back was a DVD full of memories - and another for my brother.

Now, the only thing we have to decide is what to do with the originals.

FotoBridge Scanning

There's something I often say to my kids when one or the other is whining about lost chances--"It's not too late until you're dead." Yet as I reach another birthday, I realize that I have mentally moved a great deal of life into the 'too late' category. It's not as if I consider an activity or an accomplishment and then reach the reasonable conclusion that I don't have the brains, strength, looks, appetite, (insert attribute here) for it. I just assume it's too late.

So, with the aforementioned birthday looming I decided to make a list of things it really is too late for me to do, assuming I even wanted to do them. I expected a really long list since I do sometimes walk around in a fog of wouldacouldashoulda.

Once I ruled out things I have absoultely no interest in pursuing, the list got really really short. Of course, I probably will not learn to be a jet pilot. But I don't want to be a jet pilot. I'm too old to be a major league baseball player--but I've always been the wrong gender for that.

I'm not too old to learn new things--maybe I'll learn slower, but since when was youth a prerequisite for learning a language, learning to bake puff pastry, playing boogie-woogie piano, or snowboarding? OK--the snowboarding thing may be a little out of reach. But it's not too late to live somewhere else, develop a taste for olives, dye my hair odd colors, or write a book.

In fact, with the exception of things is was too late to do from the moment I was born who I am, what is really out of reach? We may be limited by our interests or talents--I will probably not star in a Broadway musical--but that doesn't stop me from knowing all the songs and singing along.

When I was young and money was tight, I used to joke that I could always go to work as a stripper if worse came to worst (no--I couldn't really, honest). And you know what? That may be the single thing it's really too late for me to do. Oh yeah..and the baseball thing. And being president. That's about it. What's on your 'too late' list?

We're a little late with this story, but 'AARP the Magazine' (as it calls itself) came out with a study this year of 5 great cities for retirement and other cities to watch. I've often thought a city would make more sense than an isolated gated adult community where no one delivers Chinese food and your only transportation option is a twice-daily senior shuttle. It's an interesting list. Milwaukee??? Who'da thunk it?

We know how you love to argue about who's a boomer, who isn't a boomer, am I a boomer, I am not a boomer, yadda, yadda, yadda. This article should fuel some flames.

It's been too sad around here lately to update the site. Several weeks ago, a terrific golden boy--19 years old--was killed in a car crash in Yellowstone. He was my son's best friend, a musician, surfer, lover of mountains, funny, free-spirited, glass-half-full type--or more apt--glass all the way full and let's drink up. Truly the leader of the pack and one of those kids you're glad your kid hangs around with.

For most of the children (I know--they're almost adults) this is the first grievous loss in their young lives. It's the defining moment that separates thoughtless immortality from the inevitable mortality. For us parents, the feeling of loss is personal and aching along with grief for our kids. We all liked him so much, appreciated him, and looked forward to what he'd say and do next. I stop in mid-task and feel the loss as sharply as I did when I first heard the news.

But as parents, there's another component. Think of all the times, as your children leave to drive back to school or go skiing or the city, or the times you've hugged them goodbye at an airport, that you say 'call me when you get there.' We know, absolutely know, they'll be fine. We ask them to call, partly out of habit and partly out of an uneasiness we think might be a little neurotic. After all, If parents had to consciously live in a nameless state of dread, we'd all be in padded rooms by now.

And yet, and yet--they're not safe, they may just not be fine. And that that phone call could come for any of us. As this golden boy's mother said to me, "We don't sit around asking 'why us?' The question is really 'why not us?' "

Jeff--you're not really gone. You're our spirit in the sky.

I have become one of those mothers I used to laugh at. Remember the mothers who cried when they put their little ones on the school bus for the first day of kindergarten? The ones who slipped tear-stained middle-school graduation pictures into the ongoing and seemingly perpetual scrapbook? All I could see back then was the few hours of newly gained freedom I would enjoy each day--the loosening of the reins that ran between me and my child...the light relaxation of constant vigilance.

That's great--until you send the last one off to college...two thousand miles away. It feels like I just gave him the car keys and he's driven off with the car---which happens to be my life. I'm just about past the part where soppy country songs about mothers make me cry. I've pretty much mastered the self-pity part. Haven't yet managed to cook only enough for two.

The trick seems to be to look at it not just as a beginning for our kids, but as a beginning for us--to find who we are now. No matter how ill-fitting some of us may have found the maternal mantel, we wore it for a long time. And truth is, we won't stop being parents. We just stop being in situ and become eminus. Or as a New York Times columnist put it, we're downsized moms.

I was given a book as a gift meant to console, but that actually made me curl up in the fetal position. I highly recommend The Empty Nest, edited by Karen Stabiner, to any parent who is anticipating, dreading, living in, or finally over the cutely named 'empty nest syndrome.' Once you get past the essays that make you crawl into the closet weeping, there are great insights into the relationship of adult parents and adult children (or faux-adult children, depending on how grown-up your kid is).

Contributors include one of my favorites, Anna Quindlen; columnist Ellen Goodman; Harry Shearer; novelist Susan Shreve; another favorite--Letty Cotin Pogrebin--and many more.

Next time some Gen-Xer or your children roll their eyes at how out-of-date we old folks are, you might point them to this article on MSNBC.com. Yes kiddies--we did pretty much invent the technology that you claim so proudly as your own. And if the kids' multi-tasking, limited attention span kicks in and they can't bother to actually read the article, try this quote on them:

The boomers themselves can take credit for shaping the course of this technology if not the entire direction of the digital revolution. Gates is among a cadre of industry pioneers now in their 50s. But several decades ago they were tech-savvy kids who seized the moment when their elders had no clue...In the 1960s and early 1970s, many in the counterculture absolutely loathed computers and everything about them. They were seen as part of the Defense Department's War Machine, and also associated with depersonalization of a mass society.

But boomer math nerds, who figured out how to finagle computer time, didn't care...the idea arose that computers could empower people.

This comes up in our house now and then. To go gray or stay a youthful red? Even if the youthful red is being chemically enhanced. On the one hand, I think of my grandmother who was a vibrant blondish-gold well into her 90's. Did anyone really believe that was her natural color? On the other hand, do I want to look like my husband is dating his elderly great-aunt? Is it about vanity or marketability? And if it's marketability, are we all warily looking at the double standard? Gray-haired men are 'distinguished.' Gray-haired women are old. Follow the debate in this article on Time.com.

By Ron Enderland

Most everyone, Boomer or not, can recall the first time they fell in love. I certainly do.

I was five years old, and watching the Mickey Mouse Show when Annette (I didn't know her last name) appeared on our black-and-white television. What a beautiful young lady.

The Mickey Mouse Show is a strong memory in the minds of a wide range of Boomers. That's because it was rerun after its initial life, so youngsters like myself who missed its original 1955-59 run could enjoy it after school like their older brothers and sisters did.

Walt Disney, who had already scored big in movies and amusement parks (well, just one amusement park in those days), proved to be a television genius as well. His Sunday night show, whose name kept changing, was a strong, long-lived hit. His second shot at a series was this one. And its immortality is its legacy, even though the show itself ran a mere three years. A fourth season was produced by re-airing earlier episodes.

What the Baby Boomers Can Teach Paris Hilton.

Even if the article weren't interesting, how can I resist a headline that includes two great search terms--baby boomers and Paris Hilton? Not to mention, someone finally has something good to say about us:

The Baby Boomers or so called 'Me Generation,' on some level, weren't all that different. They were often seen as egocentric and self absorbed, as having a sense of entitlement. But, along the way, they developed the capacity for self reflection. Now, entering the retirement years, they are serving the greater good and are often referred to as the 'We Generation.' Paris Hilton can learn a lesson or two from the changes in their attitudes and behavior...

See how fabulous we Boomers really are.

By Alexa Pierce

"They say seventy is the new forty," a California health plan's radio commercial begins its pitch. Naturally, this got me thinking ... then sixty must be the new thirty.

I'm a sixty-something -- 62-1/2 precisely -- navigating a brand-new path. And thinking about it, What To Expect When You're Expecting and What to Expect in the First Year are best sellers. So couldn't we have someone please write What to Expect in the Sixtieth Year and Beyond. H e l l o! Of course, I know with some certainty that some Boomer will get the best-selling word out...somehow. It's early yet. It was only last week when it hit me that I'm a sexagenarian, a person between the ages of 60 and 70. The term made me laugh. I wonder: what do they call people in their fifties? I'll tell you when I find out.

Under the premise that sixty is the new thirty, I reflected on life in my thirties. I was a married, working mother of two. I hardly remember anything except self-doubt, fatigue, confusion about women's lib issues; never having enough time for anything. OK! I remember my children's births of course and some other personal events. And I vaguely remember the odd/even gas lines, The Hite Report, leisure suits, Jimmy Carter and pet rocks, and not necessarily in that order. Oh, and I believe bread cost 24 cents a loaf.

It was only a matter of time before we'd try to replicate a sacred teenage ritual--going to the drive-in. Of course in my day it meant one or two or three couples in a car---either planning to drink ourselves sick (if we were a crowd) or well..you know...in the back seat. Hell--even in the front seat since so few cars had bucket seats back then. I even remember being taken to the drive in as a kid--my parents in the front watching the movie and me in the back in pajamas and all the popcorn I could eat.

Apparently the drive-in theatre is enjoying a resurgence, albeit a G-rated one. According to an article on nbc4.com, 20 new drive-ins have opened across the country in the last year. Maybe whole new generations can enjoy that odd feeling of being part of a crowd except not really; watching a movie...kinda; understanding every third word through the speakers; and finding new and interesting ways to get a knee over the stick shift without maiming oneself.

Find a drive in movie near you and relive the magic.

We have not hit the in-law milestone yet but there must be rafts of Boomer mothers-in-law out there. Contact writer Apryl Chapman Thomas if you have something to say about that most interesting of relationships.

I am a freelance writer who is currently working on an article about Evil Daughter in Laws. I am looking for sources, who might could speak anonymously if they like, on the subject for my article. I am particularly interested in speaking with mother in laws who feel like their relationship is strained or not the way the would like for it to be. I have a few questions that can be taken care of through email. I can be contacted at apryl@aprylchapmanthomas.com

By Glen Gardner

I'm sitting in the hill country of Wisconsin this afternoon waiting with baited breath for spring to arrive. Looking out the window I'm watching it snow sideways in the middle of April. It must be that global warming I'm hearing so much about, which brings me to the topic at hand. This is usually the time of year I break my old cars out of storage and start burning more fossil fuel in these carbureted, no-pollution control cars. It may melt the polar ice cap, but I can't let go of those cars that we grew up with.

Many of us boomers grew up in the age of gas shortages, alternate day gas purchase plans, red and green gas station flags and the introduction of smaller, fuel efficient cars. The cars that I have decided to collect aren't the ones that you will see on the Speed Channel at that fancy auction down in Arizona. My garage is filled with cars that would bring a smile to many a boomer face.

Recently my college-bound son invited me to be his friend on Facebook. Whether this was a temporary lapse into cuteness, sentimentality, or mischief, even he isn't sure. But, like the intrepid internet pioneer I am, I said "golly, sure thing" and registered. Originally intended as the private domain of college kids with .edu addresses, Facebook now allows pretty much anyone to register.

Little did I know what I would face as the Oldest Living Human on Facebook. But first the good stuff. A parent with less-than-pure intentions could, for example, post embarrassing comments on a child's 'wall.' While their friends are posting quick comments in kid-code, you could, maybe, write "hugs and kisses from mommy." Not that you would, but you could. Then you could upload that cute picture of little Bobby buck-naked in the wading pool when he was 2. Not that you would.

By Anja Merret

Well they are not silver coloured alians who balance on surfboards off the coast of California or Australia. A company called AXA has produced findings in a survey that states that OAPs (What an expression - it stands for Old Age Pensioners) are now more likely to surf the internet than do a spot of gardening. Considering that the Old Age Pensioners are possibly not living in properties with gardens anymore, that is probably not such an outrageous statistic. What is it with the younger people that they can reduce a huge segment of the population to an acronym? I suppose one never realises, when that age, that one will be there oneself in a few years. And boy, do those years fly quickly. It will be in the blink of an eye. So you would have gathered that a Silver Surfer is an ancient dude who likes the internet. For ancient read somebody over 50.

A boomerang is an item I became familiar with during a trip I took to Australia a few years ago. If you know how to toss it just right, it will slice through the air and return to you in a near perfect arc. That reminds me a lot of the way our generation has aged. The older this baby boomer gets, the more I seem to be reverting to my younger self. The boomerang that has been my life really does seem to have gone full circle. The same seems to be true of a lot of my contemporaries. Keep reading "Boomerang" >>

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With the release of "We Are Marshall" I'm not the only moviegoer who will be remembering that cold November night when the entire Marshall football team, coaches and supporters perished in a plane crash. I'll be remembering my town, my team and my school.

I remember the serious tone of Boz Johnson, the local TV news anchor, as the first pictures started coming in from the Tri-State Airport crash site. For me, it was like seeing JFK being shot in Dallas, or watching Bobby Kennedy bleed out on the floor of a restaurant kitchen - grainy, unreal, devastating. But this was close. These were people we knew - my father's boss, both parents of the three kids across the street- these were people we knew in the football program or on the radio play-by-play. Local heros, all gone in an instant.

That single moment defined a college and a college town. Time was measured in "since the crash." The longest losing streak in college football always seemed to put anoher yearly exclamation point on that sudden loss. And a succession of coaches seemed to illustrate that there is no magic to the 20 year process of rebuilding a football program and more importantly, its very soul.

Sitting in the stands at the 1992 National Championship, I knew Marshall football and Huntington, WV had once again found its soul. As the seconds ticked off, I peeked over my left shoulder to the cemetery visible in the hilly distance. I wanted to share the last few seconds of this historic moment with the young men who had framed it.

The official movie website: We Are Marshall

Documentary: Ashes to Glory 

I stumbled upon a terrific blog yesterday,  Don to Earth, written by Donald Crowdis, who according to his Wikipedia entry,  was the first host of Candian Broadcasting's The Nature of Things television program and curator of the Novia Scotia Museum.  For sheer erudition and provocative articles, it's a joy to read. Did I mention that Mr. Crowdis is 92?  While we boomers push and whine to remind the world that we're not too old for technology, that we were the pioneers of it, for God's sake, and that we're not behind the curve, a nonagenarian seems as comfortable with the technology as any Gen Y-er I know. Beautiful images, too.

We have been busy, we have been remiss. Frontline recently aired an important program, "Living Old," which explores the "uncharted territory of Americans living longer than ever -- and what it means for them, their loved ones and our society." Here's a statistic from the program I wish I never read: only those with
three or more daughters or daughters-in-law have a better than 50%
chance of not ending their life in a nursing home or institution. I'm going off right now to interview suitable daughter-in-law candidates since I have only sons.

The show is thought-provoking and the web site is extremely readable and informative. You can watch a video of the entire program, too on the Frontline site.

OK folks, here's a chance to put your money with your mouth is. If you're in the Portland, OR area, this may be for you:

Peace Corps Hosting Info Session on Sept. 12 for Baby Boomers

The Peace Corps is looking for a few good baby boomers. The Peace Corps believes that no single group has more to offer in terms of experience, maturity, and demonstrated ability. Because there's no upper age limit to serve, it's never too late. In fact, Volunteers who are well into their 80's have served and continue to serve. The Peace Corps is inviting Portland area residents to a free evening info session about Peace Corps service for the plus-50 Volunteer. A panel of returned Peace Corps Volunteers who served over the age of 50 will speak and answer audience queries.

When: Tuesday, Sept. 12 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Where: Portland Central Library (US Bank Meeting Room) 801 SW 10th Avenue

For more information, please contact Maria Lee at mlee@peacecorps.gov

Newsweek recently issued Boomer Files, Part 2. Very nice stuff for a trip into the past. But Alan Ehrenhalt's essay,The Faustian Generation, comparing the Boomer experience to Faust's deal with the Devil, is a bit of a stretch.

Does anyone but me think it's a bit creepy that Chrysler is using Dr. Z (complete with heavy German accent) to pitch Jeeps? My father, God rest his soul, would be throwing shoes at the TV if he could see this.

Dad traipsed all over Europe in the back of the venerable Jeep. Now, as if we Boomers don't remember WWII, we're asked to believe that because Mercedes owns Jeep, we should be comforted by the fact that it now has all this great German Engineering.

Ptoowie!

This has nothing to do with being a boomer--I just stumbled on a site about the World Championships of Sand Sculpture in Harrison Hot Springs, British Columbia. The sculpture is absolutely amazing and most are much more elaborate than the example here. This one just appealed to my politics.

Here's another opportunity for Boomers to contribute. Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is looking for boomers interested in mentoring kids in a one-on-one setting. Our own kids may think we're idiots, but maybe we can make a difference in caring friendships with other people's children. According to BBBSA Boomers account for only 16% of mentors around the country. It's a great way to make use of all these decades of life experience and stay connected too.

This from the AP---Goodbye, Clarabell

NEW YORK (AP) Lew Anderson, who captivated young baby boomers as the Howdy Doody Show's final Clarabell the Clown, has died. He was 84.

Though his fame as Clarabell followed him throughout his life, Anderson was also a success as a musician and bandleader. In recent years, his All-American Big Band appeared on Friday nights at New York's Birdland jazz club.

What was hilarious in the druggie humor of Cheech and Chong is apparently not so funny in 60-something substance abusers. The number of substance abusers over 50-- of both prescription and illegal drugs-- will reach 5 million by 2020. Perhaps it has something to do with our casual and experimental drug use in the 60's and 70's. I suspect it's also tied to a culture that touts a feel-good philosophy where all signs of aging or discomfort can be banished through good living and pharmaceuticals. Whatever the causes, expect more and more of us to be zoned out on pain meds, anti-depressants, and alcohol as we age. A grey-haired doper falling face-first into his bowl of farina is not a pretty picture.

The line was about a half hour long but the incentive was a free laptop every hour. No, we didn't win, but we had a great conversation with fellow boomers about waiting in line for Stones tickets. Somehow the two queues, separated by 35 years, seemed strangely familiar in their cult-like appeal.

The picture to the left is proof we got in - looking up through the glass cube from the sales floor. (See the related article on how this photo got here from my wireless phone)

We received this from a member of a new cohousing community in Massachusetts.

"Cohousing is a concept that may be very appealing to the aging hipster. Cohousing is a intergenerational pedestrian friendly neighborhood geared toward a balance of private and community space" Take a look at Mosaic Commons.

Hmmm...old age home with jello for lunch and a nice game of bingo after dinner or a community in some beautiful part of the country with real neighborhood, several generations, and independence. Tough choice.

Cohousing is a burgeoning movement, with communities all over the country. It's an interesting option for those who want to get back to their hippie roots, redefine community, or just start planning for their second acts. The Cohousing Association of the United States is a good starting point.

Our local weekly newspaper--you know the kind with livestock prices and dates for the next Tricky Tray--has a curmudgeonly Boomer columnist, George L. Stafford, who came out with this article just last week. Never heard it said better.

Pardon me, if I don't keel over just yet

It has recently come to my attention that anyone over forty is considered to be over the hill, literally. Those over forty-five are obsolete. Those above fifty fall into the category of endangered species. Anyone fifty-five and older is dead but has simply refused to fall down.

Hmmm...and here we thought we were doing everything right. Gen-Y (that would be OUR kids) spoke up in an AP article by Martha Irvine, about how the Boomer lifestyle and parenting style has affected them.

Found this little quiz originally published by the Associated Press. Since so many in our forums are obsessed with generational definitions, this should be fodder for some nostalgia discussions. We invite you to add your own differentiators.

Are you a baby boomer? A Gen Xer? A slacker? Part of the entitlement generation? Some clues to figuring out where you fit in.

I used to believe that if reindeer are good, reindarlings must be even better. For a glimpse back to the wondrous world of childhood beliefs and (mis)conceptions check out I Used to Believe .

OK--here's one I really did believe: I was always covered in freckles as a kid. When I was about 4, a bigger kid told me that when I grew up, all my freckles would melt together and I would be Black. I believed her completely, in spite of the fact that I knew perfectly well there were kids my own age who were Black already. I guess I just thought their freckles melted together earlier than mine.

A Pew Research poll recently found that a goodly percent of Boomers are bearing financial responsibility for both their children and their parents. From the survey:

Sixty-eight percent of baby boomers with adult children help those children financially.
Twenty-nine percent of baby boomers whose parents are still alive provide them with some financial assistance.
Thirteen percent of baby boomers provide financial support to both parents and children.
Two-thirds of baby boomers say parents have a responsibility to pay for their children's college education, an opinion that varies little with income.
One-third of boomers say parents have a responsibility to provide housing for adult children.
Fifty-six percent of boomers say adult children have a responsibility to provide housing for elderly parents.

But in past generations, didn't the family always take care of its own? Farmers typically broke off acreage for a house for their children and often had their parents living with them as well. There was something to be said for the extended family close at hand. The elders could help care for the youngers and help children with the benefit of their experience. Even in the suburb where I grew up, it wasn't uncommon for a grandma or grandpa to be living with my friends' families. Now we all hope we can scrape together the money to ship old Mom off to a half-decent nursing home if, God forbid, she can't live off her investments.

There do seem to be more post-college kids coming home again. Just when you think it's safe to turn the kid's room into a home gym, here they are again---fancy college degree and not a job prospect in sight. I admit to going home for three months after college, but I couldn't get out of there fast enough. Even if it meant waiting tables and living in a dump. Does this reverse exodus mean we haven't done a good enough job of teaching independence or do they just like their parents a lot? I've read some marketing literature that claims Gen Y-ers actually do admire and like their parents--that would be us--more than say Boomers did.

Now allegedly, we Boomers have more money than any other generation, but does that account for those who have been downsized and/or lost their pensions in the last several years? So for those of us not enjoying the deserved riches of approaching old age, how exactly do we support both the young 'uns and the old 'uns? And still have something left for our own decrepitude?

The Smothers Brothers (you remember them, right?) used to do a bit about the best rescue strategy if you ever found yourself drowning in a vat of chocolate. Their conclusion was yell "FIRE" 'cuz no one will ever come running if you yell "CHOCOLATE!"

I think I was recently pushed into a vat of chocolate.

You see, the other day, my significant other (riding in the passenger seat) yelled "TEENAGER!" I could hear the urgency in her voice, but she was yelling "CHOCOLATE!" Just then, a late 80's model white Corolla with a backwards-hat-wearing boy cut the corner, nearly removing my left front fender.

It wasn't the near accident that pissed me off, it was the perturbed look on his face. Perhaps he cuts that corner every day and there had never been anyone there before!

By the way, that significant other I mentioned also yells "DARLING" when there's a deer about to bolt out in front of the car - she doesn't want me confusing "DEER!" with "DEAR!" So now I know that "TEENAGER!" is code for "brace yourself, old man, you're about to become a statistic."

P.S. Thanks to a reader for pointing out it was the Smothers Brothers, not Bill Cosby who did the Vat of Chocolate Routine.

A recent article by Lisa Belkin in the New York Times Magazine offered a retirement solution I hadn't thought of--I can go back to live at college! In efforts to stop mass boomer migration and to provide us with something more than pottery classes in the nursing home, communities are being developed on or near college campuses for 'life-long learners.' Some require a link to the school, most do not.

A model development, is the University Commons near the University of Michigan, where residents can select townhouses, villas, or condominiums.They have the benefit of the educational and cultural resources of a univerity setting and the development even offers high-speedinternet access, a university email address, a recital hall, and dinners prepared by students in a local culinary program.

One company, Campus Continuum is developing a nation-wide "network of university-branded residential communities."

What an appealing idea! All of the advantages of college life and none of the downside -- no term papers, no frat houses, no cafeteria food. And it sure beats exiling oneself to the homogenous world of typical retirement communities where the only people under 55 are the golf pro and the nurse who takes your blood pressure.

Those Ivies that rejected you 40 years ago are welcoming you now. Princeton, here I come!

They go too far. Just when I got used to hearing our music used as pseudo-symbolic themes, marketing everything from cars to box stores, along comes Fidelity Funds--who are shameless enough to use In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, for Christ's sake, to convince us to hand over our money. At least the other brazen carpetbaggers pretend to try to tie the song into the product. The only thing the Iron Butterfly 'classic'evokes in me is an unpleasant acid flashback and an urge to wipe the drool from the corner of my mouth. Investments...stupid stoner song...what the hell dots are they trying to connect here? Unless it's those between companies who'll do anything to make a buck from Boomers and the advertising firms who'd sell their mothers to get the account. Oh wait..they sort of are selling their mothers.

We weren't the only ones shaking our collective Boomer heads - Karen Heller at Philly.com was wondering the same thing... "Utilizing "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" to sell retirement services is absurd, ironic and self-referential, which makes sense because these are the hallmarks of the group Fidelity is trying to land as clients." Read Keller's entire article here >

And for those of you wondering what ever happened to Philip Kramer, the one-time bassist for Iron Butterfly... no he didn't discover faster-than-light space travel, his minivan was found at the bottom of a 200 foot ravine in 1999. Get the facts here >

I of course never color and am completely totally absolutely utterly still the same redhead I was when I was six. But some of the most beautiful Boomers I know have magnificent heads of glorious white hair. If you've braved the going-gray issue and come out on the side of letting nature run its course, this Boomer writer would like to hear from you.

Calling all women with gray hair! If you are between the ages of 45 and 65 and have made the transition from coloring your hair to wearing it naturally gray, I'd love to hear from you!

If you would be willing to share your experience of this transition for the book and/or its corresponding website, as well as supply some before-and-after pictures of yourself, Please contact maggie@goinggraygracefully.com for the submission information.

It's not so much second childhoods many of us are after, it's more second hippie-hoods. Not that it's necessarily time to re-learn macrame, but maybe it's never too late to be a rock star. A friend sent us an article from the New York Times that's probably hitting a chord with aging hipsters and their loving groupies everywhere.

By the way, check out this ultimate Boomer band with a monomaniacal (albeit justified) attachment to Steely Dan.

You can read the article here

We received a release about Newsweek's Boomer Files Style edition, on news stands today. That was a great thing about hippiedom: you could identify members of the pack by what they wore and what their houses looked like. If I saw bellbottoms, granny glasses, Batik, earth shoes, bead curtains, peace signs, or a tastefully placed bong on premises, I knew this person was 'one of us.' Not sure I would've ever called it 'design' or even 'style'-- I thought it more a matter of budget and altered states of consciousness than any kind of style statement. Our visual sense has been legitimized over the decades--witness the interest in 60's poster art and the kind of retro styles you see in teen catalogs like Urban Outfitters these days.

You can see the whole package at Newsweek or zero in on design, fashion, or graphic design.

Here's what the release has to say:

We're happy, we're high on life, we're generous, responsible, and basically fabulous. According to an article in the Washington Times , Pew Research conducted a broad survey of boomers, released in December 2005, that shows boomers are optimistic, pretty mature, and satisfied (obviously they didn't ask any questions about politics). The survey is loaded with boomer statistics--pretty interesting reading and probably great fodder for all those college kids writing term papers.

Over 50? Yearning for the open road? Here's your chance to change your 10-20, and find a new career - be a truck driver.

Facing a critical driver shortage, the trucking industry is actively recruiting us Boomers. We're safe, reliable and experienced. And here I thought an 80-year-old in a Lincoln Town Car was dangerous!

Read the whole story here.

Sometimes the news of the day and one more photo op of George W & Co. dismantling democracy is more than I can take. It drains the energy from my brain and makes me want to crawl under the covers until he's out of office. But we found someone who's as pissed off as we are and has the energy to write about it. Check out BooManTribune for your daily dose of articulate outrage. Not to mention, he's sponsored us for BlogAds, which means we may be able to pay for printer ink someday, or at least those love beads we found on E-bay.

Other blogs we like these days:
IsThatLegal
TheMahaBlog
DiscardedLies
MediaGirl

Blah, blah, blah..the first Boomers are turning sixty this year. What'd they think? We'd all die at 59? I defy you to find a news outlet that hasn't done a story on our pending senescence. But I did come across a list of the greats and near-greats who hit 60 this year, so any of you potentials codgers out there are in good company.

I'm not surprised that Dolly Parton is turning 60, but Patti Smith? How could the punk darling be sixty? On the other hand, there are some who seem to have been sixty years ago--like George W, who I have never wanted to claim as one of us anyway. And how about Pat Sajak and Donald Trump? "Youthful" isn't the first word that leaps to mind.

On the other hand, if some of these women are about to be sixty, then sixty must be the new 40---to paraphrase Gloria Steinem. Candice Bergen, Diane Keaton, Susan Sarandon, and Linda Rondstadt for starters. Is it really all in the bone structure? Or perhaps beauty is as beauty does. Some of our cohort look like they've been rode hard and put away wet. The years have been downright cruel to Liza Minelli for instance, and Darryl Hall (reinforcing my theory that pretty boys just don't hold up to time).

I don't care how old Jimmy Buffett or Cheech Marin are--I'd smoke a joint with them any day. And speaking of joint, our very first Boomer president, Bill Clinton, will celebrate 60 this year.

There was an interesting article by Mary Tannen in the NY Times Magazine a few weeks ago about how the fashion and cosmetics industries are starting to put their marketing where the money is: women over 40. M.A.C. Cosmetics, Dior, Miu Miu among others, are now using fantabulous women of a certain age to sell products to the women who actually use them. Look for Kim Bassinger, Sharon Stone, and Catherine Deneuve in new ad campaigns this year--as if I could have looked like them even in my 20's...right.

Since we are not a culture that reveres, exalts, or even tolerates the signs of aging, I suppose we'll continue to throw a portion of our 1 trillion dollars of spending money (that is not an exaggeration, by the way) at anything to keep us looking as young as we feel. While I'm slathering on the anti-aging cream and hydrating serum, I'll be listening to my current anthem by Dar Williams and wishing I could allow myself to simply age well.

This columnist in the Toronto Star has it in for us baby boomers. Would we kindly get out of the way, stop having good jobs, stop wanting to stay vital, healthy, and sexy, and...what the hell..can't we just melt into the pavement, like the Wicked Witch?

I suspect she'll be singing a different, and perhaps less whiny, tune when she's about to hit 60.

I was wondering the other day what would happen if our generation started to view retirement differently... as if it was a chance to resume where we left off before the mortgage and 2.5 kids.

Wouldn't it be grand if we could sit on the steps of the administration building just one more time and chant "hell no, we won't go"? Perhaps this tme with all the power and insight of age. Perhaps we'd see the fire of youth continue to burn, as we once again feel the exhileration of a cause.

Wouldn't you know it, there's already a group putting Boomer Power to work.

Civic Ventures states:

"The first of 77 million baby boomers turn 60 in 2006. They are on the front edge of the largest, healthiest, best educated population of Americans ever to move through and beyond their fifties.

They are pioneers in a new stage spanning the decades between middle and late life. Neither young nor old, they represent an extraordinary pool of social and human capital. And, in large numbers, they want to do work that serves a greater good.

Millions are determined to apply their experience to make a difference for others. Some are able to do so as unpaid volunteers. Many are looking to combine aspects of work-income and health benefits-with elements of service through second careers tailored to their interests and circumstances.

But too often, their individual enthusiasm is stymied by perceptions, policies, and practices that discourage the sharing of experience. As a result, this growing number of Americans represents a largely untapped resource in a nation with many unmet needs.

Imagine unleashing their potential."

As far as I'm concerned AARP can go away - suddenly - if this sort of thing gets legs. I'm hoping for positive results on both counts.

We received this inquiry from Fuji TV Network News. Interested Boomers, g'head and make contact. You could be a star on Japanese TV:

Fuji TV News is looking to produce a segment for its prime-time news show about aging baby boomers in the US. FYI, Fuji TV is the ABC-affiliate, and highest-rated network, in Japan.

As you may know, Japan has its own baby boomer generation (known as the "dankai" generation), although it is mostly considered to be people born from 1947~49. "Dankai" means "the massive group." Given Japan's aging society, this is a hot-topic in the news right now, and so naturally, they are looking to the US to see how our boomers are handling their impending retirement age.

We are looking for a Miami, FL-based baby boomer to profile (male or female) for this segment, and would like to do a 'day-in-the-life-of' type story about them. We are most interested in former hippie types (Woodstock attendees a plus!) who are now avid hobbyists of health (sports, excercising, etc.) or technology (keeping up with the latest computers, etc.).

Our deadline for this story is Feb 7, so we are hoping to conduct a half-day shoot on a date most convenient between Jan 30 and Feb 7. This segment will air only in Japan.

If interested, please contact me immediately (the lucky boomer will be selected on a first come first served basis).

Thanks!

Ken Silverman
Fuji TV Network News
P: 212-702-0412
C: 646-942-2991
E: ken@fci-ny.com

From the LA Times, January 22, 2006

Mike Males is talking about his generation. They think they're going to live forever, he's complaining. They're in unbelievable denial about their vulnerability. Look at the numbers: dying of drug overdoses in this state at more than twice the rate documented in 1990. Fastest-growing age group for felony and violent felony arrests in California. Biggest demographic for HIV and AIDS cases. One in three not just overweight but obese.

He sets aside the pile of papers he is grading in his apartment near UC Santa Cruz, where he teaches. The street below bustles with young people, but they're not the issue - teenagers' markers of trouble have been declining for decades.

"No one wants to hear it," says Males, a gray-bearded sociologist whose latest project is a book tentatively titled "Boomergeddon," "but we're having a lot of problems with the middle-aged."

Read the eniire article here.

Yikes, I've done it again. Perfectly nice journalists call us and ask perfectly reasonable questions and I manage to sound like a jerk. Maybe we're not 'better' than old fogies, but we Boomers sure perceive ourselves to be a different group of um...elders?....old farts?....aging hipsters?

Anyway, Rebcca Nappi, in the Spokesman-Review , asks a good question--what will we want to be called as we approach senior citizenship?

Woo-hoo, ABC is doing a story on Baby Boomers turning 60. In typical television fashion it was 30 seconds of stuff we already knew. Titled "boomer Breakthroughs," the story tonight dealt with Baby Boomers challenging the accepted notion of retirement.

Just so we don't feel scooped by the big boys, here's a rundown of what we already knew (and wrote about here):

Retirement
Aging
Boomer Health

Baby Boomers who are still working have apparently weathered the last of the corporate downsizings. But as a group, Boomers are still under attack from corporations downsizing or eliminating pension plans - that's a different topic.

The real winners here are the generations directly behind us - Gen X and Y. While Gen-X was whining about their own career stalemate and retirement liquidity (which they've blamed on us) what they didn't realize is that over the next few years, all those plum jobs we Boomers are leaving behind will need to be filled.

Corporations will use this "natural" downsizing to eliminate many jobs, but some of the best are there for the taking. But there's a problem.

As Virginia Galt points out in her recent article for the Globe & Mail: "perhaps because they thought incumbents in the top jobs would never leave, many Gen Xers and younger Gen Ys have not given much thought to advancement, and are ill-prepared for leadership roles..."

According to Robert McGovern, a former executive with Hewlett-Packard Co. and the founder of the on-line job site CareerBuilder.com, "a lot of the Gen Xers and Gen Ys are living their careers . . .experience to experience. They do something as long as they enjoy it, and then go looking for the next thing,"

"But that's really a way of ending up in a dead end. You have to think a couple of steps ahead about where you want to go," warned McGovern, the author of Bring Your "A" Game: The 10 Career Secrets of the High Achiever.

My criticism of Gen-X isn't really a secret here on this blog. But once again Gen-X, quit whining and get in the game. It's your's for the taking.

The Mature Market had a release awhile ago about something which is making me gag, and no, it's not eating brussel sprouts. Apparently, someone named Neil Doherty is putting on an expo of some sort--what he calls a Baby Boomer show--in New York this coming Spring.

According to the release:
"...The theme of the show will be to focus on those products and services that are now important to members of this great generation of people. And, to allow the attendees to obtain answers and information for many of the questions that they may have to allow them to continue living full and productive lives."

Continue living full lives?? Is this man mad or merely hyper-entreprenuerial? It's as if to say we're so far out of the mainstream that we need special products and services that don't apply to normal people. What? ergonomically correct hash pipes? Or does he perceive us as so doddering that we need custom wheel chairs and organic prune juice? Apparently, based on the exhibitors list, we need help managing our finances, booking a vacation, doing arts & crafts projects (what--macrame Depends?), and basically getting out of bed in the morning.

Usually I find the rush to market to boomers amusing. But, if I weren't so old and incompetent and such a 'special interest group,' I'd grab my walker and picket the damn thing.

Lately I've had boomer-esque dreams of a Dharma Bums/On the Road retirement, including parking an Airstream trailer on the cliffs overlooking California somewhere, traveling the country making impulsive stops, and generally reverting to the hippie ideal. Well, I just read a Sports illustrated column about a guy who's taking retirement road trips to a new extreme.

In a column by the always entertaining Rick Reilly, he describes the retirement of one Dave Moffitt, who basically lives in his car going from one sporting event to another...and another...and another. And has been doing so for over six years. Notice a stranger at your kid's high school football game? That might be Mr. Moffitt. He's hit just about every pro sports stadium and many college and high school ones as well...for almost any sport you can think of---although he may have missed a water polo match or two. So, as you dream of your perfect retirement, think of Dave Moffitt, who, sans house, sans wife, sans much of anything, is living his retirement dream.

For those of you don't get the hard copy of the magazine, the column is available by subscription.

We received this request from a doctoral student at University of Maryland, Baltimore Campus. Let's make sure we're not deprived of technology when we're doddering around an old folks' home and, not incidentally, show the young 'uns we're major participators/early adopters/daringly ahead of the curve when it comes to technology.

Greetings!

I am a graduate student in the Information Systems department of the
University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). I am conducting a study on
determining the near future technology needs of the baby boomer generation
and the practical implications of a change in technology understanding in
the next generation of senior citizens.

As part of this study, I am eliciting participation in a university approved
online survey. I would very much appreciate if you could help by taking the
study yourself or forwarding this message to any others you think would be
interested.

The first population I am targeting is baby boomers age 41-59, but all users
are invited to participate as I have some flexibility on age and other
demographic issues.

The survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete and is
available here

My elder son turns 21 tomorrow. That's a big birthday. And as all old geezerettes say, "I remember 21 like it was yesterday." Yup---my parents were old farts and I knew everything. I was an adult, by gum. Now it's his turn. I'm an old fart and he knows everything. He's an adult. Adult?? That little toddler who watched Raffi videos and napped in the hammock? Who dressed in costumes and pedaled his first car around the yard? Maybe things aren't so different after all. On his last break from college, he watched the Simpsons and napped on the sofa. He dressed in his Che Guevara tee-shirt and drove his car over the curb.

Of course, now he lives with roommates instead of parents and writes papers on Descartes instead of drawing pictures of Spiderman. I am as proud of him as when he took his first step, said his first word, got his first A. I worry about him as much as when he first went to sleep-away camp, first started high school, got his driving permit. Pride and worry---I suppose parents own these emotions all our parental lives. Oh yeah, and love.

Happy birthday, Will.

A long time ago we got email from a bone fide aging hipster. He has a great blog about "living on the flagship commune of the Seventies with its own cowboy guru, four-marriages, massive home birthings, organic sacrament-inspired agreements, and a completely home-built village in the midst of the evangelical Christian south."
Read it and reminisce (or pretend to reminisce since you probably weren't anywhere like that).

He's got some pretty good internet credentials too as former manger of THE WELL, an early online community.

One of us just turned fifty and, of course, needed a landmark occasion to celebrate a landmark event. Or should I say 'landmine' event? Did he want a red Ferrari or a trophy bimbo? No. Did he dye his hair or take up step aerobics? No. Being a World War ll buff and someone who'd look damn good in a uniform, he wanted a different type of experience---the man wanted to drive a tank.

Because we love a challenge almost as much as we love him, a tank ride he got. So, imagine 2 fifty-something men in flame-retardent jumpsuits manning a Russian T34 tank in the wilds of Minnesota--killing the hell out of a mini-van and dodging fire from a propane cannon. Not to mention shooting off a few hundred rounds with a German WWll-vintage machine gun and probably killing a cattle pond dead.

He did and and we have proof. Stay tuned for his retelling of the saga.

See more pictures--

This article in the recent issue of American Heritage looks at everything from our bad attitudes to the the toys we played with. Actually, it's a vastly comprehensive look at this cohort--origins, history, and impact. Recommended reading for all you college kids out there doing research on Baby Boomers and those of us who like to read about ourselves.

According to this article from the Arizona Republic, we're responsible for the breakdown of everything from the economy to public education. Truth? Paranoia? A Gen-Xer masquerading as 'one of us?' A typical case of blaming the grownups. Oh wait...are we the grownups?

Because we love this stuff, we're offering another Boomer promo.
You can win your own copy of Television's Greatest Hits by
emailing us and telling us what your favorite theme song is. We'll aribitrarily pick five responses and send the lucky winners the double-CD set. And while you're in the TV mood, check out this trivia game in celebration of the CD release.

For some tips on dealing with aging parents, take a look at SeniorJournal.com. The site itself is a bit of a mess, but the information may be relevant for some of us as we (and our parents) age.

The president of Passion Parties, those Tupperware parties for sex accessories, has contributed to a new book for boomer women re-entering the world of dating. According to the press release, Pat Davis "gives advice to help women navigate the difficult process of re-exploring desire and building intimacy with a new lover."

"I am a Baby Boomer," said the 63 year-old Davis. "I know it can be hard for a mature woman to express her romantic needs to her partner, especially if the relationship is new. Passion Parties helps women create a fun dialogue about sensuality with their lovers."

Hmmm---I'm all for passion toys, but do Boomer women need more help than other age groups in expressing sexuality? It's hard whether at twenty or sixty to establish the trust beach head, but is our age an additional impediment? Asking one Passion Parties consultant about the age thing, she said that age was not the determinant in successful parties. At least in her neck of the woods (which happens to be the most un-woods-like NYC), socio-economics and race play a greater role, with upper class white women being the least receptive--regardless of age.

We Boomer women came of age in pretty enlightened times (at least on the younger end of the boomer cohort); Women's Lib, 'drugs, sex, and rock and roll,' 'make love not war.' Chances are we took some of that freedom into our later intimate relationships. Isn't it possible that most of us have a pretty good idea who we are by now and won't necessarily be shy about asking for what we want?

Passion Parties sound like a lot of fun---another chance to hang out with friends and maybe buy one of those 'edibles, sensual touch, lingerie, and passion toys.' But I'd prefer not to be singled out as needing extra help in the sex classroom because I'm old.