tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-124165742024-03-14T03:31:01.607-07:00Gen Plus -- Reinventing 50 PlusIt's a backstage pass to info on jobs, love and life at 50+. Gen Plus (www.genplususa.com) is dedicated to bringing meaning, respect and resources to you, the plus generation of age 50 and older, in the USA and Canada. Get a birds'-eye blog view of the issues affecting your future: jobs, income, love and respect.Janet Spiegelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961557186626609411noreply@blogger.comBlogger506125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12416574.post-2140101983384489222011-07-15T09:09:00.000-07:002011-07-15T02:55:28.950-07:00Hello GenGen hello are you doing good? I am inviting you to join me in this , I have came ahead quite a bit since I started a week ago! Just have a read <a href="http://bit.ly/oa852s">http://bit.ly/oa852s</a><p><br>Style that shows is only decorating, not style. -- Sidney Lument<div class="blogger-post-footer">Are you 50+? Know someone 50+? Don't miss out - Gen Plus is reinventing 50 Plus.</div>Janet Spiegelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961557186626609411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12416574.post-57875694226830469622009-04-23T07:10:00.001-07:002009-04-23T07:10:03.112-07:00Sending a post via text message from my mobile. Microblogging on the go!<div class="blogger-post-footer">Are you 50+? Know someone 50+? Don't miss out - Gen Plus is reinventing 50 Plus.</div>Janet Spiegelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961557186626609411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12416574.post-2277505549517632872008-12-15T14:05:00.000-08:002008-12-15T14:08:31.659-08:00Migration complete!Hello all. This blog has been moved over to the WordPress platform. All posts from this location are now available at <a href="http://www.genplususa.com/">www.GenPlusUSA.com</a>. If you are a subscriber, there should be no interruption in your delivery, however, if you haven't been getting your daily dose of Gen Plus, just head on over to the new and improved site (<a href="http://www.genplususa.com/">www.GenPlusUSA.com</a>) and sign up again. There is a subscription field on the upper right of the webpage. See you there!!<div class="blogger-post-footer">Are you 50+? Know someone 50+? Don't miss out - Gen Plus is reinventing 50 Plus.</div>Janet Spiegelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961557186626609411noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12416574.post-31053744729923704682008-12-11T16:58:00.000-08:002008-12-11T17:05:50.484-08:00Transparency<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Listening to Barack Obama talk about transparency in this mornings news conference rang true with my own personal efforts at reinventing the Gen Plus website. Over the past few years I received so many questions about setting up a blog or a website and so I'm doing something a bit bizarre. I'm going to be transparent about how I build my new site. Rather than unveil the "finished" product with a grand launch, I'll invite you to watch the evolution of the site!</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Although I blog on Blogger, I'll be setting up the website using WordPress and if you head over to </span><a href="http://www.genplususa.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">www.genplususa.com</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, in fact, you'll see a blank WordPress template replacing the old site. Over the next few weeks and months, you'll hopefully learn as I build it. When I first started with my first website, the process was painful! There were no pre-built databases or shopping carts and my programmer, designer and I spent months on refining and building every aspect of the site. Now, of course, you can find most anything, so the learning curve is a lot less. If you have questions along the way, I'll answer them. If you want to try to build your own site, go for it!</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">But as a self-taught Boomer Blogger, if I can help you learn a thing or two along the way...why not? So, here is to transparency -- even if you don't understand what I'm doing right at this point.</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Are you 50+? Know someone 50+? Don't miss out - Gen Plus is reinventing 50 Plus.</div>Janet Spiegelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961557186626609411noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12416574.post-91613930050250985532008-12-09T19:55:00.000-08:002008-12-09T19:57:03.121-08:00BBC 96This week's BBC is up and running at <a href="http://coachingtip.blogs.com/so_baby_boomer/2008/12/blogging-boomer-carnival-96.html">So Baby Boomer</a>, hosted by the always wonderful, John Agno. Enjoy.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Are you 50+? Know someone 50+? Don't miss out - Gen Plus is reinventing 50 Plus.</div>Janet Spiegelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961557186626609411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12416574.post-48794581123194169232008-12-09T09:57:00.000-08:002008-12-09T10:14:11.080-08:00Reinvention is....what?What a week. Unemployment numbers are up...way up (6.7%) some predictions see us heading up to as much as 8% unemployment. I'm sure the actual numbers are worse. There are so many 50 plus jobseekers who won't even show up on the actuarial studies -- people who have tried for so long to find work and may have even given up. Because I've been a steadfast advocate for the 50 plus jobseeker for almost 5 years now, I truly and honestly try to look at the trends and the news AND the forecasts to see how a Boomer or 50 plusser can try to get a leg up in the world of job search. And it is mighty hard. <br /><br />Back in 2004 I decided to build a job board specifically for the 50 plus market (Gen Plus), which I did, and subsequently had thousands of 50 plus jobseekers searching my sight for 50 plus-friendly employers. I had several hundred (if not thousands) of jobs posted, mostly with national companies who had openings across the country. This was in the market of the past few years, where recruiting was becoming difficult as many of the Boomers started leaving the work force and a bit of a panic ensued, looking for qualified workers with some level of business or management skill. So, my job site catered to employers specifically looking for a Boomer/50 Plus jobseeker because of a need for those skills. <br /><br />Fast forward to today. High unemployment, globally, companies are laying off thousands of workers, and those companies looking to staff up having the pick of the crop of unemployed talent. Which means that a job board search will give you very slim chances (in this climate) of getting a call to come in for an interview. On top of that, as an "expert" blogger (on AllExperts.com and at Eons.com), the through themes of unemployment challenges have become very specific -- i.e. finding a job is going to require going back to the basics of networking 101. <br /><br />Because of that major shift (and one that I suspect will last for many years), I've decided to temporarily retire the Gen Plus job board and reinvent my site to reflect the current needs of jobseekers. <br /><br />(That is NOT the same as this blog. THIS mouthpiece will continue to speak as long as you are interested in what I have to say!)<br /><br />If you head over to www.genplususa.com as of next week, you'll see a placeholder while I get the new site up and running. I decided early on that if a plan was not going to benefit the Boomer/50 plus jobseeker, then I would not continue on that path. So, bear with me as I redirect my knowledge to be more helpful to the jobseeker. I'll let you know as soon as the new site is up and running.<br /><br />If the climate changes again and there is a need to ressurrect the job bank, then I will, and gladly. To the thousands of jobseekers who have trusted their career search to me, thank you.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Are you 50+? Know someone 50+? Don't miss out - Gen Plus is reinventing 50 Plus.</div>Janet Spiegelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961557186626609411noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12416574.post-52422033828294215822008-12-04T01:43:00.001-08:002008-12-04T01:46:11.558-08:00Gen Plus Nominated for Award<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">It's always fun (and rewarding) to get a nomination in blogworld! So I'm very pleased to discover that my blog has been nominated on Divine Caroline! (See my new badge, visit Divine Caroline, and please vote for me! I'm very competitive and I appreciate the support.)</span><br /><script src="http://www.divinecaroline.com/awards/badge/1501.js" type="text/javascript"></script><div class="blogger-post-footer">Are you 50+? Know someone 50+? Don't miss out - Gen Plus is reinventing 50 Plus.</div>Janet Spiegelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961557186626609411noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12416574.post-72608478183588348242008-12-02T05:23:00.000-08:002008-12-02T05:57:53.186-08:00What the Stock Market and my Menopause may have in Common!<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">If you are a male reader, don't be squeamish. Read on. For my female readers, especially those of you enduring never-ending hot flashes, you'll totally get it.<br /><br />For some strange reason, I haven't found the stock market crash or the ensuing ups and downs of the exchanges, or even the imploding world economy, all that hard to relate to. None of it came as a surprise. Oddly, I have found that I relate to the volatile ups and downs that each new day brings. And last night (or through the night, shall we say), I finally figured out why.<br /><br />Bear with me for another minute as I explain the menopausal process in MY skin. There are two major factors at play. One: my hormones are trying, with increasing fury, to force me to drop an egg in a last gasp at fertility. My hormones don't seem to realize that I've already had the child I'm going to have and have no plans on another. However, in this valiant attempt, every month, whether the menses arrives or not, my body puts me through torture as it tries to convince my tubes to produce and drop another egg. This creates hormonal surges which in turn reek havoc on my temperature regulators...meaning...hot flashes.<br /><br />Two: Hand in hand with the hormonal fluctuations are mood swings, the likes of which I've never experienced in the past, and are absolutely, passionately horrific and have brought the worst out in me...actually worse than I could have thought possible. My general demeanor is calm, patient, infinitely kind and incredibly loving. This monster that strikes out from within is cranky, crabby, mean-spirited, angry and...yes...nasty. Just as the hot flashes surge, this nastiness, the other side of Janet, surfaces in full glory as my body tries to ovulate and then, crescendoes in a PMS (Pre-Menstrual Syndrome)worthy of Hollywood.<br /><br />The minute I get my period, my hormones immediately (as in within minutes) go back to normal and my true nature (or let's just say the one I'm more used to) comes back for another couple of weeks until the entire vicious cycle starts again. And may I add that you don't just hot flash for a day...no...it goes on for one or two weeks at a time...from when you "should" have ovulated, all the way through to when you "should" have had a period.<br /><br />What no one tells you is that regardless of whether or not you have your period, your hormones will still cause the uproar...and riot and storm...until you no longer have eggs to potentially drop.<br /><br />Which brings me to last night. For the last couple of weeks, the flashes have flashed again. Just last week, sitting at a friend's home, in the space of 30 minutes I put on and took off my sweater at least 4 or 5 times, wiped sweat off my brow and kept asking, "Is it hot in here???" Worst of all, is that when your internal temperature regulator is shot, you can get alternately very cold and very hot within minutes of each other...for hours, days, weeks at a time. (Aha...are you starting to see where I'm going with this?)<br /><br />Last night was a killer night. It was about 65 in my house and when I went to sleep I was freezing. I put on a sweatshirt and socks over my summer PJs (shorts and T) and cuddled up under my covers. That was at 10 pm. 11 pm threw my covers off. 11:15 was freezing again and grabbed as much of the comforter as I could to warm up. Midnight? Boiling. Threw left leg out of the covers and arms up over my head. 1:30 am: FREEZING. Covered up again. 2:30 am: Sweat dripping down my forehead, ripped off the covers, the sweatshirt, but kept socks on. 4:00 am. Freezing once again. Put sweatshirt around me and covered up. 4:22 am: BOILING. Threw everything off except the shorts and T. Decided to call it an early day and grabbed my computer.<br /><br />Covered up again and as the heat of the laptop caused, yet again, another flash, I realized that my volatility was strangely similar to the ups and downs of the STOCK MARKET. "Our economy is in the throes of MENOPAUSE!" was the big thought at 4:22 am. Of course. All the useless credit just like the eggs no longer worth anything. The readjustment of the economy to no more credit eggs is like a broken temperature regulator and the market is suffering hot flashes and cold sweats until it will rebalance at the other end. Unable to produce more offspring, but at least to make use of lessons learned...maybe?<br /><br />It's 5:52, I'm suddenly cold and quite tired -- this surge is done for now. I'd say I'll be 3% up at day's end.</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Are you 50+? Know someone 50+? Don't miss out - Gen Plus is reinventing 50 Plus.</div>Janet Spiegelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961557186626609411noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12416574.post-53868899974890227192008-11-30T13:12:00.001-08:002008-11-30T13:39:27.447-08:00I'm an American-Canadian<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">It was an honor and a privilege to become an American citizen at the age of 45, in Los Angeles. I lived my first 36 Canadian years, in Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa. In my duality, I cherish the inherent sense of social responsibility that forms a fundamental part of the core of any Canadian, and do my best to spread that moral responsibility to others. My sister, a Canadian now living in Vancouver, British Columbia, sent this to me, today. A bit late, but </span><a href="http://tinyurl.com/627hro"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">an MSNBC report I hadn't seen on Canadian solidarity that was aired on Veteran's Day.</span></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The people gathering on the bridges are not saluting their country in exactly the same way Americans do...they are saluting the individual soldiers, one by one, who lost their lives in Afghanistan and supporting, through their numbers, the remaining mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and children.</span><br /><br /><iframe height="339" width="425" src="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/27651384#27651384" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe><div class="blogger-post-footer">Are you 50+? Know someone 50+? Don't miss out - Gen Plus is reinventing 50 Plus.</div>Janet Spiegelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961557186626609411noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12416574.post-66354294942812874702008-11-24T10:26:00.000-08:002008-11-24T11:09:19.002-08:00BBC 95 is here!<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I am the proud host of the Blogging Boomers Carnival this week. We are only 5 weeks away from our 100th posting of the weekly carnival and I'm wondering if that means we'll be going into syndication?? Hmmmm....</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Without further ado (or posturing...hehe) here is this week's lineup:</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">From Wes, at </span><a href="http://lifetwo.com/production/node/20081118-divorce-math-answer-always-equals-one"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Life Two</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, it’s Divorce Math, where no matter what the story problem, the answer always come out to one. That said, here’s a </span><a href="http://lifetwo.com/production/node/20081118-divorce-math-answer-always-equals-one"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">list of some of the ways to make sure one is not the loneliest number</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">.</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Ron at </span><a href="http://www.irememberjfk.com/mt/2008/11/orson_bean_on_the_carson_show.php"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I Remember JFK</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> reflects on Orson Bean: "Orson Bean was born Dallas Frederick Burrows on July 22, 1928 in Burlington, Vermont. He had a cousin you may have heard of, Calvin Coolidge. But speaking from my own perspective, he is renowned for his quick comedic style and demonstrated on various episodes of the Johnny Carson Show which I viewed as a child."</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Rhea asks: "I like newspapers. Does that make me old?" Read more at </span><a href="http://www.thegeminiweb.com/babyboomer/?p=2160"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The Boomer Chronicles</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">.</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">From Laura Lee, Queen of </span><a href="http://midlifecrisisqueen.com/2008/11/13/bring-me-a-higher-love/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The Midlife Crisis Queen</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">: How do you keep hope alive that the partner of your dreams might be just around the corner? Music is a great solution! "Without music, life would be a mistake!" -Nietzsche</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Cindy at </span><a href="http://dontgelyet.typepad.com/dontgeltoosoon/2008/11/i-dont-know-abo.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Don't Gel Too Soon </span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> tells us that scary economic times can really - uh - scare a person.</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Staying with the theme of economics, Andrea at The Baby Boomer Entrepreneur notes that Baby Boomers are closer to retirement than younger entrepreneurs. As a result, we should be planning our business exit strategy now. Here's what you need to consider in your succession plan in this two-part post </span><a title="blocked::http://thebabyboomerentrepreneur.com/276/succession-planning-do-you-have-an-exit-strategy-for-your-business/ Permanent Link to Succession Planning: Do You Have An Exit Strategy For Your Business?" href="http://thebabyboomerentrepreneur.com/276/succession-planning-do-you-have-an-exit-strategy-for-your-business/" rel="bookmark"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Succession Planning: Do You Have An Exit Strategy For Your Business?</span></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">But what if you still need to find a job? With the U.S. jobless rate hitting 6.5% in October, and many economists thinking it could reach 8% by late 2009, many boomers are or will be looking for a mid-life career change. That is why John at SoBabyBoomer.com is offering a number of </span><a title="blocked::http://coachingtip.blogs.com/so_baby_boomer/2008/11/online-resource.html" href="http://coachingtip.blogs.com/so_baby_boomer/2008/11/online-resource.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">online career transition resources</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> for the involuntary retired.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">But if you are able to ignore economic woes, you might be looking for a way out of the winter weather. Heading south and wondering what to pack? Check out </span><a href="http://www.fabulousafter40.com/fashion/what-to-pack-when-you-travel-south/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Fabulous after 40</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> for some up to date travel wardrobe tips to make you look Boomer Beautiful!</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Here's one to get you thinking! Ann asks: "What do snowflakes, the lemon wedges you get in bar-bought drinks and flight attendants have in common?" Head over to </span><a href="http://contemporaryretirement.typepad.com/contemporary_retirement/2008/11/where-.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Contemporary Retirement </span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">to find out.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">As for me, I'd like to wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving celebration if you are a US reader. And to those of you in other countries, I'll be making a virtual place for you at my table! </span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Are you 50+? Know someone 50+? Don't miss out - Gen Plus is reinventing 50 Plus.</div>Janet Spiegelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961557186626609411noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12416574.post-20623797301638681572008-11-22T15:31:00.000-08:002008-11-22T15:42:37.117-08:00What a Turkey!<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Just when I breathed a sigh of relief that Sarah Palin had temporarily fallen off the media radar, I have been able to lose my appetite, once again, with her Turkey pardon interview. Good gosh. Sarah. Stop giving interviews. If you haven't seen it or heard about it yet, Palin pardons a turkey while a turkey slaughterer stands in the background grinning at the cameras while doing his job...slaughtering turkeys. Crikeys. Don't know how I'm going to eat my Thanksgiving dinner this year. Well, at least I can give thanks she didn't get into office.</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">It's disturbing to watch any animal get slaughtered, so if you have a weak stomach, don't watch the video (and DEFINITELY not for kids younger than about 17 or 18), but if you can handle it, the woman is more than just gaffe-prone...she's utterly clueless.</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-kjM1asH-8"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-kjM1asH-8</span></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Are you 50+? Know someone 50+? Don't miss out - Gen Plus is reinventing 50 Plus.</div>Janet Spiegelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961557186626609411noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12416574.post-72109292271574561332008-11-19T22:24:00.000-08:002008-11-19T22:26:17.173-08:00Blogging Boomers Carnival #94It's that time...the Blogging Boomers Carnival is hosted this week at the "home" of one of our BBC founders...Wes Hein at <a href="http://lifetwo.com/production/node/20081112-bloggingboomers-94-here-lifetwo">Life Two</a>! Head on over and see what Boomer bloggers have to say.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Are you 50+? Know someone 50+? Don't miss out - Gen Plus is reinventing 50 Plus.</div>Janet Spiegelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961557186626609411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12416574.post-19284268635427741752008-11-15T13:20:00.000-08:002008-11-15T13:32:05.785-08:00Soft music of the 50's, and 60's LIVE Stream at BroadwayandVocals.com<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Ken Noble, of Baton Rouge, LA sent a message the other day regarding their newly formed online radio broadcast. I checked it out and even though it isn't the music of MY generation, I found it wonderfully soothing in the midst of the wildfire destruction in Los Angeles. Hope it lifts your spirits.<br /><br /><em>"Soft music of the 50's, and 60's LIVE Stream at BroadwayandVocals.com </em></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em></em></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>The popular standards format that ran for seven months on KDDK-FM in Baton Rouge, Louisiana was recently replaced with youth oriented programming. However, a live stream of that standards show can now be heard at www.BroadwayandVocals.com . </em></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em></em></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>In addition to our core artists like Frank Sinatra, Johnny Mathis, Patsy Cline, Tony Bennett, Glen Campbell, Vikki Carr, Nat King Cole, Julie Andrews, Bobby Darin, Everly Brothers, and Elvis Presley, many of the significant instrumentals of the last 50 years are included in our playlist of 2,106 recordings by 660 different artists.</em></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em></em></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>Fifty-one (51) Frank Sinatra recordings are in our playlist. During the first seven days of November we have had listeners from U.S.A., Great Britain, Canada, Philippines, Australia, Mexico, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, Venezuela, Malaysia, Ireland, Croatia, Japan, Denmark, Belgium, Argentina, and Sweden. When you go to </em></span><a href="http://www.broadwayandvocals.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>www.BroadwayandVocals.com</em></span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em> , the music stream should start immediately."</em></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Are you 50+? Know someone 50+? Don't miss out - Gen Plus is reinventing 50 Plus.</div>Janet Spiegelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961557186626609411noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12416574.post-64235356714267760072008-11-15T13:13:00.000-08:002008-11-15T13:17:02.721-08:00Fires in Los Angeles<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">What a disaster in LA. Less than 10 miles from my home a huge part of the San Fernando Valley is experiencing an inferno. The sky is filled with ash, friends of mine are being forced to evacuate and hundreds of families are being displaced as their homes burn. My thoughts and prayers are with all of them.</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Are you 50+? Know someone 50+? Don't miss out - Gen Plus is reinventing 50 Plus.</div>Janet Spiegelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961557186626609411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12416574.post-31084048777914949682008-11-11T07:45:00.000-08:002008-11-11T07:55:13.874-08:00BBC 93<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Geez -- the Blogging Boomers Carnival is almost at 100 weekly posts! Amazing that this group would not only stick together, but find it interesting, exciting AND that we'd continue to attract new talent to our group (with a wait list!)</span><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="http://dontgelyet.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341f053253ef00e55237720b8834-150wi"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 168px" alt="" src="http://dontgelyet.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341f053253ef00e55237720b8834-150wi" border="0" /></a>This week's host is a woman who is a changer in her own right. Cindy Samuels has refined the art of e-news conferences and e-media roundtables like no one else I've met in the industry. Just to give you an idea of what this unusual and creative venue is, image a press conference...but via an internet roundtable. Cindy typically invites bloggers only, as she is very attuned to the types of questions we're bound to ask, the honesty we expect from the interviewee, and the immediacy of the response to our blog posts on the interviews. It is a very powerful press conference, but relies heavily on the moderator (in this case Cindy) to keep tight virtual control while ensuring the best of the interviewee is highlighted. I've been invited to a few of her e-conferences that are Boomer related and they are always uniquely interesting.</span><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">So, head on over to </span><a href="http://dontgelyet.typepad.com/dontgeltoosoon/2008/11/blogging-boomer.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Don't Gel Too Soon </span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">for this week's BBC roundtable! And take a few minutes to read some of Cindy's past blogs if you never have before. Very insightful and heartfelt. </span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Are you 50+? Know someone 50+? Don't miss out - Gen Plus is reinventing 50 Plus.</div>Janet Spiegelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961557186626609411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12416574.post-19248328753839921532008-11-11T07:28:00.000-08:002008-11-11T07:44:44.575-08:00Butter. Real Butter.<a href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1179/1184928571_05dfa460b7.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 195px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 285px" alt="" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1179/1184928571_05dfa460b7.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">As the economic disaster continue to unfold, I find myself turning to comfort foods. I had always loved a good baked potato with sour cream, but in my late 20's I became allergic to white potato starch and also VERY lactose intolerant.</span><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">As the years have progressed, my lactose intolerance has become less severe, so I can handle yogurt, butter and harder cheeses in reasonable quantities (and even a bit of ice cream), but not milk. But I never quite found a way to really substitute the glorious satisfaction of a bite of baked potato with sour cream...until now.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">But first, I have to take you with me to last summer. When I was still a corporate exec, my company flew me to London, England to train the English (and some of the European) education team. While there I had the privilege of staying in a beautiful apartment in a small countryside town, just minutes walk from the local village shops. Fresh and Easy is a new concept of grocery store in the US, but it is the Trader Joe's of England. There I was able to pick up outstanding frozen Indian dinners, real farm fresh eggs and best of all... Irish butter. I thought I was just buying butter, as I'd gotten used to it in the US. But with my first piece of toast, with just a bit of butter, I was TRANSPORTED back to the breakfasts of my youth. It was the butter I remembered. Of course, everything I could get butter on after that was literally slathered. And so went my butter experience in England.</span><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Last week, in the doldrums over the economy, but feeling a heck of a lot more optimistic over the outcome of the election, I decided to treat myself when I saw IRISH butter in the dairy section at Trader Joe's. Twice the price of US butter, but I thought...what the heck. I had the $3.69 in cash, so I went for it.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">And when I got home, I baked up a sweet potato (not allergic to those) and slathered on the Irish butter and ladled on some 2% Greek style yogurt (ALMOST as good as sour cream) and found myself in a little bit of heaven. After a 20 year absence, I was able to capture, if not exactly, then almost, the glory of a baked potato with real butter and sour cream. Ah...blessed comfort!</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Are you 50+? Know someone 50+? Don't miss out - Gen Plus is reinventing 50 Plus.</div>Janet Spiegelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961557186626609411noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12416574.post-76119471306925590002008-11-05T06:43:00.000-08:002008-11-05T06:48:24.781-08:00That one is The One.<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">America has spoken. Barack Obama, President -elect has broken racial barriers, voter turnout records, and shown the world that he, and his spectacular team, is capable of re-energerizing the nation. Tears in my eyes, my mother's eyes, and my daughter's eyes, as along with millions of Americans and countless viewers around the world, we witnessed history being made. </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Congratulations Barack Obama. Looking forward to getting to know you.</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Are you 50+? Know someone 50+? Don't miss out - Gen Plus is reinventing 50 Plus.</div>Janet Spiegelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961557186626609411noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12416574.post-91671772193656743852008-11-04T05:49:00.000-08:002008-11-04T05:51:55.692-08:00And if you need a break after voting...BBC 92!<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">This week's Blogging Boomers Carnival is hosted by the Glam Girls at the always fabulous </span><a href="http://www.fabulousafter40.com/blogging-boomers-carnival/blogging-boomer-carnival-92/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Fabulous After 40. </span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Check it out when you need to take a break from election coverage! </span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Are you 50+? Know someone 50+? Don't miss out - Gen Plus is reinventing 50 Plus.</div>Janet Spiegelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961557186626609411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12416574.post-70066301413447900882008-11-04T05:30:00.000-08:002008-11-04T05:44:30.881-08:00Today is the Election. Go Vote.I spent a few hours yesterday at the Obama/Biden campaign offices for the San Fernando Valley, volunteering my time and my cell phone minutes to join hundreds of other people in calling eligible voters to remind them to get out and vote. Never thought I'd take part in a political campaign in any way, and yet, there I was, going through training and making calls with other interested valley dwellers! Surprisingly, it was a lot of fun and whether those I reached were voting for McCain or Obama, they were mostly planning on exercising their right and getting out to vote.<br /><br />So...forget the polls. Forget the pundits. Forget the past two years (if you can). Today is the day that counts. Exercise your right to vote and do so today. Will there be long lines? Possibly. Might you have to wait a bit? Possibly. I don't know about you, but I've waited in line for a popular movie, to get into an exclusive club, and to buy concert tickets. Today is a bit more important.<br /><br />Projected numbers don't mean anything. What matters today is that your vote, the vote that belongs to you, gets cast and is counted. So, go on. Get out and vote.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Are you 50+? Know someone 50+? Don't miss out - Gen Plus is reinventing 50 Plus.</div>Janet Spiegelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961557186626609411noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12416574.post-87997686546941475242008-11-02T07:30:00.000-08:002008-11-02T07:36:15.999-08:00BBC 91<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">My apologies to the wonderful Ann Harrison at Contemporary Retirement, this week's host of our Blogging Boomers Carnival. In my malaise, this week, I also forgot to post her Carnival blog! </span><a href="http://contemporaryretirement.typepad.com/contemporary_retirement/2008/10/blogging-boomers-carnival-91.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Please head on over and enjoy this past week's Boomer Blogger views of the world!</span></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Are you 50+? Know someone 50+? Don't miss out - Gen Plus is reinventing 50 Plus.</div>Janet Spiegelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961557186626609411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12416574.post-91697241181214807552008-11-02T06:48:00.000-08:002008-11-02T14:33:27.123-08:00Which is scarier? Halloween or Nov. 4th?<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">What an odd Halloween this year. I've been planning on posting several times this week, but my heart was just not into blogging and I couldn't really figure out why. Well, now that Halloween has come and gone, I think I've got it. I'm a bit depressed. Just like the rest of you. No matter the outcome of the election on Tuesday (and I'm very pro-Barack, if you didn't know), we are in a mess in this country. All talk is swinging to the fears that college grads won't find work and my heart is, as always, all consumed with all the Boomers and 50 Plussers who, with the greatest of spirit and skills, will not be able to get a foot in any employers door.</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">This year, Halloween was odd. Very quiet on the streets, very subdued decorations. Pumpkins went moldy at the sellers because people didn't have the spirit to carve this year. Very few kids on the streets and lots of homes very dark. On the bright side, it seemed that many people pulled others into their homes with parties. (A psychological circling of the wagons?)</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">And parents meeting other parents on the street talked politics, the insanely high electric and water bill we all got in our 'hood, and the slowing of business all over. Not really about our kids, or holiday plans, or our own plans for the future. </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">On to Nov. 4th. A pivotal election. Obama is not the seasoned politician that McCain is, but Obama stirs hope AND can surround himself with an incredible pool of talent. After all I've seen, I'm convinced that he'll make solid decisions. I'm not worried about his support of Israel for one major reason. He is going to go full steam ahead on alternative energy sources. And who is the leading country able to turn desert into arable land? Who harvests water from the saltiest of seas? Who has had to rely on invention and the use of alternative energy sources and leads the exploration in that area? Israel. Nuff said there. </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I have great respect for McCain, but I think he is better as a contrarian than the leader of the country. I could never trust his "on-the-fly" decision-making in light of his selection of Sarah Palin (and I was on the fence for awhile about McCain vs. Obama having been a true Hillary supporter). But our country needs his 'tude and I hope that if Obama wins he'll hold a pivotal role in that administration.</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">But the other thing that really got me this week, and that I've not quite been able to put into words, was my daughter's reaction to Obama's politi-mercial earlier this week. My 8-year old has been very interested in this election because my mother and I are tireless in our channel flipping between CNN, MSNBC and FOX to see as many perspectives as possible. And my child has been subjected to this for a very long time. She watched the CNN interview with John McCain with us and then the Obama infomercial.</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">She didn't understand all of the words, but she had a strong visceral reaction to both. The Obama infomercial was very well done. Slick, manipulative (ummm...not quite the right word...more like orchestrated and on point), and a very strong musical soundtrack. The music combined with Obama's review of his mom's situation struggling with cancer is what got to my child. She was sitting on the sofa, with our dog, Daisy, and started to cry. She asked me if I thought Daisy missed her mother. So the infomercial worked on an 8 year old. </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">After the two candidates were done, I asked her what she thought about each candidate. Her answer to me was based on two simple things -- the warmth of their eyes and their perceived caring for people. Of McCain she thought his eyes looked angry (he's a fighter, so that would be accurate) and that made her think he might not care as much for the people. Of Obama, she thought his eyes were warm and based on the infomercial, that he really cared for people and loved his mother.</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">So the polarization between the two camps isn't lost, even on an 8-year old. McCain is a fighter. And his style is to push past our borders and keep the strength of the US boldly fighting abroad. Obama is looking at the internal hurt in our country and believes we need to fix some problems at home, fast and furious, before we compromise our position as world leaders. </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I take counsel from my child. I'm not against McCain. I'm just for Obama. </span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Are you 50+? Know someone 50+? Don't miss out - Gen Plus is reinventing 50 Plus.</div>Janet Spiegelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961557186626609411noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12416574.post-68641070407264412882008-10-25T10:50:00.000-07:002008-10-25T11:05:28.491-07:003 discoveries on a Saturday morning.<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Ronni Bennett, over at </span><a href="http://www.timegoesby.net/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Time Goes By</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, one of the best elder blogs on the net (cutting commentary, says what others don't want to say, fantastic finds, elder gems), found this </span><a href="http://www.google.com/hauntedhouse08/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">wonderful Google offering </span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">and shares it. A great way to figure out ways to save money and lessen your carbon footprint at the same time! </span><a href="http://www.google.com/hauntedhouse08/tips.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Plus additional tips for the energy conscious</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">.</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">In the theme of less is more, Rhea Becker, at </span><a href="http://www.thegeminiweb.com/babyboomer/?p=2094"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The Boomer Chronicles</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, discovers the joys of barter. Back in the 1980's and 90's, there were barter clubs. My mother, who was talented and a bit on cash-strapped side, took part in barter clubs with great success. As well, one summer we traded houses with a Parisian family and enjoyed their beautiful home and car for 3 weeks while they explored Canada and the US with our home as their base and our station wagon! It was a great adventure, a smashing success and no money changed hands.</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">And my last discovery of the morning is that my very unscientific voting poll on my blog (with only 9 days left til the election) is giving Barack Obama 69% of the vote with 28% going to John McCain. Just a few days ago the numbers were MUCH closer together and now the spread is growing. Is it possible that many of my readers lean Democrat? Yup. Is it possible that many of you don't want to make your vote known? Yup. But I find it very interesting that the spread is increasingly so significantly the closer we get to the election. </span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Are you 50+? Know someone 50+? Don't miss out - Gen Plus is reinventing 50 Plus.</div>Janet Spiegelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961557186626609411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12416574.post-73413128333670756802008-10-21T18:36:00.000-07:002008-10-21T20:15:44.296-07:00A World of Opportunity to Reinvent Oneself<p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">In July 2006, I wrote an </span><a href="http://genplus.blogspot.com/2006/07/starting-new-careerat-50-plus.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">article on what it was like to start a new career at 50 plus</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. Today, I got a comment in the form of a request from a reader at that particular blog post. The request is compelling, so it becomes the subject for today's post.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">From JC:</span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>I need help figuring out what I am going to do with my life. My wife has taken a job in a different state. I am selling my business and going to join her. I am so excited about starting something new or doing something different. My problem is figuring out what to do. I have a very diverse background. I think I might like to start an internet business but I am not sure what to do. I have been the President of a High Tech electronics company. The business I am selling is a Screenprinting and Embroidery business. I have worked for Japanese and German owned businesses as well. I have traveled internationally for both companies. </em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>I tell you this because I want to explain that even though I have a diverse background I would be willing to do anything. I have even considered lawn care or pressure washing decks and I have always considered opening a pub or restaurant. So please guide me, is there an aptitude test for not so new folks like me? </em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>All of us out here know who George Plimpton is or was. If not he's the guy who tried many many pro sports. I kind of feel like the George Plimpton of the real world. Seriously though I am looking for guidance .</em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>Thank you,</em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>JC</em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Dear JC,</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">I'm so impressed with the way you describe your dilemma. One thing that I love about what you are going through is that you have an opportunity to reinvent yourself. The experience you have sitting in your arsenal, will support the new direction...often in ways you can't imagine right now. You say you aren't sure about the direction you want to move into and that is fine. Sometimes you need quiet time for there to be space for an opportunity to present itself.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">The important part of change is to allow the change to evolve. So as you move to your new home in your new state, unless you are really cash-strapped, then take the time to open your eyes and mind to your new situation. You indicate a desire to use your hands or to open a restaurant. What that means is that you want a real change from the situation you are now in and to move into something completely different. Since you aren't sure what you want to do, then you have an even bigger world of opportunity. Plan on taking one to two months to figure out a direction. There are a few steps that might be helpful.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">1) You will find the direction by opening your mind to ALL opportunities. That means talking to people, everywhere, and being sincerely interested in what they are doing. It can be the person who owns the lunch truck, the handyman who comes to fix your sink, the manager at your local new favorite restaurant, the dry cleaner on the corner. After speaking with many, many people, something will hit a note with you. That is what you will explore next.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">2) OK. For example, you find a spark in talking to someone like your gardener. You see that he loves managing a small team and building reliable relationships in the area. Find out more. What works for him. What doesn't. What is his business model (if he has one.)</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">3) Interview small business owners looking to sell their businesses and find out as much detail as you can about their business models. Eventually one will strike a chord with you. The best model is one that can be duplicated so that you increase your revenue potential by expanding your model. So, for example, a restaurant requires a lot of capital to get through the first two years. How much capital do you want to invest in a new venture? How will you live while you do that? Will your wife's income sustain the two of you? If not, you might prefer to look at options with very low capital investment.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">4) Try it out. Maybe you've decided that since you are handy you are going to start a handyman service. You now need to get your first client. You'll get that client by marketing (using all the skills you used to build your other businesses, but at a very grass roots, field level). You'll get your first client, your second and your third. And you'll know very quickly if this is what you want. If not, you'll move to something else.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">You don't need an aptitude test. All it will tell you is what you already know about yourself. But what you do need is to look at all opportunity and test it on yourself to see if you find a fit. All work is noble. Whether you are the president of a high tech company, or a small pub owner, or a lawn care specialist, if the fit is right, you'll know. </span></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Are you 50+? Know someone 50+? Don't miss out - Gen Plus is reinventing 50 Plus.</div>Janet Spiegelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961557186626609411noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12416574.post-58100713385677669922008-10-21T10:03:00.000-07:002008-10-21T10:31:57.159-07:00On-Star is Literally on the Money<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">OK. Here's a bit of good news for our pocketbooks. How many of you drive less than 15,000 miles a year? Well, if you do, here is a great perk from OnStar, the comprehensive in-vehicle security, communications, and diagnostics system that I have personally fallen in love with. (Just to give a bit of background, my new car last year, a Buick Terraza, came with a free one-year subscription to OnStar. I thought I'd never renew, but I'm now a huge fan and can't imagine not having the service.) And, no, this is not an ad for OnStar, I'm not getting paid by them to write this and I'm not receiving any type of perk. This just happens to be a really good program linked to a very good vehicle concierge service.</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The full kit and kaboodle program at OnStar is about $300/year and because I am constantly in need of directions, really have gotten fond of the turn-by-turn directions. With real people answering the phones ("Thank you for calling OnStar. How can we assist you today, Ms. Spiegel?"...gotta love it) this is one concierge service that is very handy for me. Can't find a restaurant? I can call up and they'll do a search for me. Forgot to bring the phone number of the business I'm heading to? Call up and they'll access it for me. Every month I get an email diagnostic of my car's maintenance needs. Plus, plus, plus. It isn't for everyone, but for me, it is a win-win.</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Now, OnStar has added in a Low Mileage Program that is sure to make a lot of 50 plussers pretty happy. If you drive less than 15,000 miles a year, GMAC car insurance will discount your insurance rate. Other insurance companies are apparently coming on board soon, and not all states currently offer the GMAC plan (like MY state of California...) but if I had OnStar and lived in a state that did offer the discount, I'd definitely look into it. </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="http://www.onstar.com/us_english/jsp/low_mileage_discount.jsp">Here is a link to the OnStar discount program</a>. I'm just waiting for it to come to California and I'm planning on offsetting my cost of OnStar with lower insurance. Win-win!</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Are you 50+? Know someone 50+? Don't miss out - Gen Plus is reinventing 50 Plus.</div>Janet Spiegelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961557186626609411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12416574.post-42662081549995205642008-10-19T19:36:00.000-07:002008-10-19T21:05:50.993-07:00BBC 90<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">An excellent post this week from our Carnival host, </span><a href="http://thebabyboomerentrepreneur.com/259/blogging-boomers-carnival-90/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The Baby Boomer Entrepreneur</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> for Blogging Boomers Carnival #90. Blogger Andrea Stenberg gives a wonderful interpretation of what the blogosphere community is all about. </span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Are you 50+? Know someone 50+? Don't miss out - Gen Plus is reinventing 50 Plus.</div>Janet Spiegelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09961557186626609411noreply@blogger.com0