http://www.mpwicks.com/boomers_companion/ en mpwicks@shaw.ca Copyright 2010 2010-10-30T00:28:23+00:00 http://www.mpwicks.com/index.php/boomers_companion/changes_to_this_blog/ http://www.mpwicks.com/index.php/boomers_companion/changes_to_this_blog/#When:18:48:47Z If you were visiting looking for more information about baby Boomers and the issues they face, you'll see that this blog has changed a little. Read on and find out what I have planned for this new version of my blog. To answer some of the questions I am asked; yes I am still writing The Uber Boomer: How to Beat the Crap Out of Aging. I have 39 chapters researched and outlined and several are complete. My agent is busy putting the book proposal in front of as many publishers as possible; so, I am in a little bit of a hiatus while we hear what they have to say. Early indications are that acquiring editors like the concept and the writing, but the publishing industry is tough right now, so I don't expect to have a major publisher offering me a deal immediately. In the meantime, I am writing several magazines articles and columns and about to start on two ghostwritten books - may be three if I hear back positively from a prospective client in the States. This blog will change from being Boomer-centric to a miscellany of information, rants, raves and interesting information. Also, it will be updated on a much more regular basis than in the past. Please feel free to contribute, comment and generally become involved. 2010-07-15T18:48:47+00:00 http://www.mpwicks.com/index.php/boomers_companion/its_a_brave_new_world/ http://www.mpwicks.com/index.php/boomers_companion/its_a_brave_new_world/#When:00:28:23Z I came across the novel Brave New World the other day. There it was sitting on my bookshelf untouched for more than a quarter of a century. I’m sure I read it back in the day, when I was in my late teens and full of that angst we all seemed to have about the state the world was in, but for the life of me I couldn’t remember what it was about. It’s typical of today’s world that instead of getting up and walking the ten feet to my book shelf and thumbing through it, I looked it up on Wikipedia. I discovered that Aldous Huxley wrote it in 1931 as an anti-utopian parody challenging the belief that progress is always good.   I came across the novel Brave New World the other day. There it was sitting on my bookshelf untouched for more than a quarter of a century. I’m sure I read it back in the day, when I was in my late teens and full of that angst we all seemed to have about the state the world was in, but for the life of me I couldn’t remember what it was about. It’s typical of today’s world that instead of getting up and walking the ten feet to my book shelf and thumbing through it, I looked it up on Wikipedia. I discovered that Aldous Huxley wrote it in 1931 as an anti-utopian parody challenging the belief that progress is always good. Huxley got me thinking about the life we lead today and how very different it is from that of our parents and grandparents. Progress is constantly changing our lives, but is it always for the better? Let's take a look at aging; after all it’s something we all have to deal with, some of us gracefully and some of us fighting tooth and nail. I personally dislike the whole aging thing intensely. I know people who say life gets better as you age, but come on, all that sagging and expanding, the aches and pains, the pathetic hope that the girl driving the golf refreshment cart really does find you attractive, and isn’t just taking pity on an old fart with a wicked slice.   Curious about the whole aging thing I referred to that guardian of social commentary, YouTube, and came across a video of tall, skinny, longhaired, bearded, English genius of biogerontology, Dr. Aubrey de Grey giving a lecture. At first I thought it was a Monty Python skit, it could have been Michael Palin or John Cleese marching up and down on stage telling the audience that when we age we break down just like anything else, and therefore aging is an engineering problem and can be fixed. Even while I was trying to figure out if the Rip van Winkle beard was real, or if the presenter was about to launch into a silly walk, the phrase “aging can be fixed” caught my attention. The eccentric doctor went on to explain that aging happens at the cellular level; our cells start to get clogged up with a bunch of debris that inhibits their ability to function. Basically they get sticky; then our DNA gets mutated, we lose stem cells and our body doesn’t work as effectively, or heal itself as well as it once did. I have to say, by now I was missing the silly walk, but then Dr. de Grey, backed by his less eccentric science-guy colleagues, predicted that we are just a few decades away from having anti-aging drugs on the market that will repair our bodies at the cellular level. He went on to predict that living to 150 years of age, and being healthy, is a distinct scientific possibility. Well, that beats a silly walk any day.   The social problems of course are mind-boggling, imagine people collecting their pensions for 85-years or more! The really wild thing is that apparently once we have people living well into their second century, the basic science will be in place to keep us alive for a thousand years, it’s just a matter of fine-tuning. Try telling that to our healthcare planners!   Personally, given my predilection for good food, excellent wine and only moderate exercise, I don’t think I’ll reach 150, even with the help of Dr. de Grey and his band of not so funny science geeks. Besides living that long would ruin my plan to start smoking Cuban cigars once I reach 85 based on the logic that with so few years left what harm could it do? 2010-10-30T00:28:23+00:00 http://www.mpwicks.com/index.php/boomers_companion/great_resource_for_writers/ http://www.mpwicks.com/index.php/boomers_companion/great_resource_for_writers/#When:19:44:53Z Being a writer can be lonely sometimes and after a few rejections, or worse a dozen or so ignored queries, you can start to become paranoid. Imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon a site that offered me a cross between an online business club and family gathering? I've just subscribed to www.freelancesuccess.com which promotes itself as the ultimate resource for established, professional non-fiction writers. I've avoided these sites in the past as they never live up to expectations, however Freelance Success really is an excellent resource. The newsletter and the forums make the membership fee worth every penny. In my first few days I came across a ghostwriting opportunity that was perfect for me; answers to some questions I had regarding pitching Reader's Digest and a whole lot more. I also made friends with several writers who work out of their homes and face the same issues as I do everyday. If you're a writer, or if you're looking for one, then take a look.   2010-07-15T19:44:53+00:00 http://www.mpwicks.com/index.php/boomers_companion/echo_boomers_a_drain_on_boomers/ http://www.mpwicks.com/index.php/boomers_companion/echo_boomers_a_drain_on_boomers/#When:02:20:16Z The Echo generation (born 1979-90) seem to be the bane of Boomer's lives; rather than being called Echo's they should be called Boomerangs, but I suppose both keep coming back so either moniker works well. Investors Group just released the details of a survey that found that 60% of Boomers are financially supporting their adult children to the tune of $3,675 a year. Not surprisingly we are said to be unhappy that our children are not financially self-sufficient. My comment below (an extract from the book I am writing called The Über Boomer: How to Beat the Crap Out of Aging).   We all thought that by now our kids would be all grown up, be finished with college, done their experimenting with weed, or whatever they call it these days (think Woodstock without the sense of purpose), perhaps be married to some really nice person - hopefully of the same gender, and more importantly left the family home in a flurry of tears (emotional from mom, joy from dad) - for good. Well fat chance! That was our generation, we Boomers seem to have bred a generation that is economically and work challenged, and more to the point they know a good thing when they see it - living at home costs little to nothing depending on how well they play the heartstrings.  People call them Generation Y, Millenials, Echo Boomers, Generation Next or even the Net Generation, but really they’re the Boomerang generation. They just keeping coming back; even if you move and don’t give them a forwarding address, they somehow find you - it’s uncanny. There are television commercials that put it all down to serving them cheese or butter. If only it were that simple.  The Über Boomer book I am writing will be the savior of Boomers dealing with these directionally challenged children. It will provide guidance on how to gently wean these ‘should-be’ adults off the gravy train so that they leave, and leave soon, while everyone remains on good terms. Failing that, it will help you turf them out and not feel guilty about it! Our Children 2010-01-07T02:20:16+00:00 http://www.mpwicks.com/index.php/boomers_companion/christmas_2009_young_and_old/ http://www.mpwicks.com/index.php/boomers_companion/christmas_2009_young_and_old/#When:18:02:27Z Perceived age as clinically useful biomarker of ageing: cohort study. Abstract of full article published by the British Medical Journal. For full article follow this link http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/339/dec11_2/b5262   Kaare Christensen, professor1, Mikael Thinggaard, mathematician1, Matt McGue, professor1,2, Helle Rexbye, research fellow1, Jacob v B Hjelmborg, associate professor1, Abraham Aviv, professor3, David Gunn, postdoctoral scientist4, Frans van der Ouderaa, vice president corporate research , director of business development4,6, James W Vaupel, professor5 1 Danish Twin Registry and Danish Aging Research Center, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5000 Odense C, Denmark, 2 Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA, 3 Center of Human Development and Aging, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA, 4 Unilever Discover, Colworth House, Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire, 5 Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, 6 Netherlands Consortium for Healthy Ageing, Leiden University Medical Centre Leiden, LUMC, 2300RC Leiden, Netherlands Correspondence to: K Christensen kchristensen@health.sdu.dk Objective To determine whether perceived age correlates with survival and important age related phenotypes. Design Follow-up study, with survival of twins determined up to January 2008, by which time 675 (37%) had died. Setting Population based twin cohort in Denmark. Participants 20 nurses, 10 young men, and 11 older women (assessors); 1826 twins aged 70. Main outcome measures Assessors: perceived age of twins from photographs. Twins: physical and cognitive tests and molecular biomarker of ageing (leucocyte telomere length). Results For all three groups of assessors, perceived age was significantly associated with survival, even after adjustment for chronological age, sex, and rearing environment. Perceived age was still significantly associated with survival after further adjustment for physical and cognitive functioning. The likelihood that the older looking twin of the pair died first increased with increasing discordance in perceived age within the twin pair—that is, the bigger the difference in perceived age within the pair, the more likely that the older looking twin died first. Twin analyses suggested that common genetic factors influence both perceived age and survival. Perceived age, controlled for chronological age and sex, also correlated significantly with physical and cognitive functioning as well as with leucocyte telomere length. Conclusion Perceived age—which is widely used by clinicians as a general indication of a patient’s health—is a robust biomarker of ageing that predicts survival among those aged 70 and correlates with important functional and molecular ageing phenotypes. © Christensen et al 2009 Published 13 December 2009, doi:10.1136/bmj.b5262 Source: BMJ 2009;339:b5262 2009-12-14T18:02:27+00:00 http://www.mpwicks.com/index.php/boomers_companion/is_fifty_the_new_forty/ http://www.mpwicks.com/index.php/boomers_companion/is_fifty_the_new_forty/#When:18:01:25Z I looked in the mirror the other day and saw a late forties guy in a mid fifties body looking back at me. Mentally, we Boomers have just not accepted that we are getting older: as Walker Smith and Ann Clurman say in their book Generation Ageless “Boomers don’t intend to age; they want to be ageless”. What does this mean?   I looked in the mirror the other day and saw a late forties guy in a mid fifties body looking back at me. Mentally, we Boomers have just not accepted that we are getting older: as Walker Smith and Ann Clurman say in their book Generation Ageless “Boomers don’t intend to age; they want to be ageless”. What does this mean? I’ve only just started reading the book but from my perspective, and the view of many of the Boomers I have talked to recently, it indicates that although our bodies are starting to age, our approach to life isn’t. In their mid-fifties our parents were looking ahead to retirement as a time of well-earned rest; of slippers and fireside armchairs. Today we are embracing technology, looking for new challenges and starting new adventures. Rather than slowing down we are speeding up. We expect another 30 good years ahead of us, as long as we can afford the procedures and pharmaceuticals, and if not we’ll just get someone to push us around! Back to my mirror and that youthful face staring back at me; I really don’t think I look anywhere near my age; I still have all my hair (well almost, don’t look too closely on top)and it’s mostly still brown not grey. I’m not fat by any means, in spite of being vertically challenged, which means I can’t hide surplus weight the way my giraffe-like friends can, and the few lines I have can definitely be put down to laughter not aging. So, all in all not a bad report and it bodes well for the future if a team of researchers, led by Professor Kaare Christensen from the University of Southern Denmark, are to be believed. They report that people with youthful faces are likely to live longer than those that look older than their years. I am adding an excellent report by the British Medical Journal as a separate pots for anyone wanting to know more. The point of all this is that as I look around at those of my friends and acquaintances that classify as Boomers, most of them look younger than their age and many are still struggling to reach maturity if their behavior is anything to go by. So, perhaps 50 really is the new 40, and 60 is the new 48!  2009-12-14T18:01:25+00:00 http://www.mpwicks.com/index.php/boomers_companion/baby_boomers_by_the_numbers/ http://www.mpwicks.com/index.php/boomers_companion/baby_boomers_by_the_numbers/#When:07:10:09Z So, why am I so fascinated with the baby boom generation? The main thing that turns my crank is the sheer power and influence this demographic has on the world. It is those of us born between 1946 and 1964 that have shaped the world we know today, and whether we have done a good job or a terrible one is very much up for debate; but one thing is for certain; while there are still so many of us we can’t be ignored! So, why am I so fascinated with the baby boom generation? The main thing that turns my crank is the sheer power and influence this demographic has on the world. It is those of us born between 1946 and 1964 that have shaped the world we know today, and whether we have done a good job or a terrible one is very much up for debate; but one thing is for certain; while there are still so many of us we can’t be ignored!   In past generations, as the older demographic heads toward retirement it becomes less significant in the bigger scheme of things. If we think of the generation that preceded the boomers it is less in touch with the generation it beget; far fewer people 66 and over are Internet savvy, and they have less in common with their children when it comes to the way they live their lives. Now think of Boomers, who are going on sixty but acting like forty. They are connected to the worldwide web, where they email, book travel and are one of the fastest growing demographics on sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn. Far from fading into gray, this generation has a higher profile than either generation x or y!   So, how big is this demographic? If you are considering marketing a product, or service, to Boomers, or want to judge for yourself the influence they have, it’s important to know how many people we are talking about. Here are a few facts and figures to get you thinking and to prepare you for future discussions about all aspects of Boomer life. Worldwide there are estimated to be 450 million baby boomers. Their estimated spending power is over $2 trillion USD. There are around 80 million boomers in the US. 5 million turn sixty years of age every year: 416,666 per month 96,153 per week 13,698 per day 9.5 per minute a boomer turns sixty every 6.3 seconds and every 7 seconds a boomer turns 50. People 50 and over are the fastest growing demographic worldwide. In Canada there are approximately 11 million boomers (one-third of the population). In the United Kingdom there are 20 million people over 50 years of age. Australia has 5 million Boomers, New Zealand around 1 million. So how important is this population bulge – are these numbers really so startling?   US census figures show that in 1950 there were just 12.2 million people over the age of 65. Just 60 years later (2010) there are 40.2 million, and by 2020 there will be a staggering 54.8 million senior citizens in the U.S. If we project a little further, the US Census Bureau predicts there will be approximately 72 million people 65+ by 2030 more than double the number at the turn of the century (in 2000: there were just 34,991,753 sixty-five and over).   In the U.S., when we consider almost any aspect of life, whether it's the stock market, the economy, healthcare, travel, retail, employment, availability of skilled workforce – just about anything in fact, we have to take into consideration the 26% of the population that are classified as baby boomers. The Über Boomer 2009-11-26T07:10:09+00:00 http://www.mpwicks.com/index.php/boomers_companion/what_is_a_baby_boomer_and_why_are_they_different/ http://www.mpwicks.com/index.php/boomers_companion/what_is_a_baby_boomer_and_why_are_they_different/#When:07:00:57Z What makes Baby Boomers a fascinating and unique group is the sheer size of their numbers, and their shared life experiences and knowledge; but what makes them really tick is their individuality and diversity of interests. Baby boomers have arrived at a time in their lives when they are being hit by the perfect storm. Stress and depression is rife among the Boomer generations who face a multitude of challenges as they confront what is likely to be a long, and relatively healthy, later life. What makes Baby Boomers a fascinating and unique group is the sheer size of their numbers, and their shared life experiences and knowledge; but what makes them really tick is their individuality and diversity of interests.   Baby boomers have arrived at a time in their lives when they are being hit by the perfect storm. Stress and depression is rife among the Boomer generations who face a multitude of challenges as they confront what is likely to be a long, and relatively healthy, later life. The Perfect Storm For the first time in history Boomers’ children are likely to end up being less affluent than their parents; they are more likely to live at home longer than previous generations, or return after going to college broke and in debt. Boomer children are failing to reach the economic benchmarks that their parents achieved at their age; this is causing great stress among Boomers who don’t understand why their children are still dependent into their mid-twenties and beyond. Baby Boomer parents are living longer, assisted by major advances in medical care. In Canada 69% of boomers have at least one parent or parent-in-law alive. The financial burden of this equates to around $6,000 annually; but a bigger stressor is the average 42 hours a month Boomers spend in support (i.e. healthcare, companionship, transportation, home maintenance, house cleaning, and assistance with financial decision-making). Financially, Boomers have been hit by the economic meltdown of fall 2008 and are no longer confident in their long-term retirement plans. After spending a career building material wealth (i.e. large homes, cars, multiple vacations) many Boomers are faced with downsizing just as they are starting to enjoy the fruits of their labor. At work, Boomers who may have considered taking early retirement are having to work longer; those that either have to work, or want to work, often find their jobs becoming more stressful as they become the holders of corporate knowledge, history, experience and specialist skills. Health issues start cropping up such as menopause, chronic fatigue, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, stress, depression, prostate health, transient ischemic attacks - the list goes on. Many Boomers feel like ticking time bombs. Inactive for years in sedentary occupations, many Boomers are extremely unfit; the realization that they need to increase their fitness levels often adds to the stress they feel. Many Boomers start to wonder what’s next? A mid-life crisis can mean anything from new relationships, the purchase of a sports car, seeking a new religious experience, or escaping to foreign climes; none of which are without risk.   The Boomer's Companion blog will explore all these issues and much more. Please feel free to comment on any of the posts and share your experiences with my readers. The Über Boomer 2009-10-01T07:00:57+00:00