Natalie Cole...Definitely Still Unforgettable.

What could be better on a Friday night than slipping off my shoes, sipping a glass of rich red wine, munching on bits of cheese and chocolate and...listening to the newly released "Still Unforgettable", a just lovely album by Natalie Cole. The eight-time Grammy winner, who has recently revealed her battles with Hepatitis C, has come up with a wonderful showcase album for her timeless voice and incredible phrasing. This exploration of American Pop Standards includes a heartwarming interpretation of "Walking My Baby Back Home", once again, in a duet with her late father, Nat King Cole.

And to get your next few Fridays off to a great start, Rhino Records has sent me a give-away copy that I'm going to randomly select a winner from my subscriber list. If you want to be in the draw and you are not yet a subscriber, just add your email to the subscribe me box. If you don't want to subscribe to the email feed, then just shoot me an email and I'll add your name into the mix, too! I'll draw names and announce the winner next Friday for inclusion in the following week's Blogging Boomers Carnival.

For a preview, click on any of the Listening Party Links:

Quick Time
Windows Media Audio
Real Player

You can also purchase I-Tunes.


Official Site http://www.nataliecole.com/
Official MySpace – www.myspace.com/nataliecole

Touched by the Stork -- a review of Cryo Kid

Just released Cryo Kid: Drawing a New Map is already picking up some attention. Over at Touched by the Stork, blogger Kathryn gives a revealing write-up of the book:

It's hard not to be touched by the story of a grandmother who has watched her daughter struggle with infertility and who finally sees a granddaughter born through the use of cryogenics. It's particularly hard not to be touched when you know that the story is true and that it's told straight from the heart.

Corinne Heather Copnick has published just this book called Cryo Kid: Drawing a New Map. And there is more to it than meets the eye.

Although the book is written from the perspective of the grandmother, it also adds in the voice of the granddaughter (the girl who was born through cryogenics.) And surprisingly, it adds in the voice of the sperm donor who made her birth possible, touching on the fact that this girl has siblings out there in the world. More importantly, it takes a very real and human perspective at looking at the issue of infertility and the technological treatment options that are available today.

Anyone who has gone through the struggle of dealing with infertility will benefit from reading this book.

Late to the gate on the Kindle?

What is this thing? Reading my daily subscription from The Boomer Chronicles, I discovered something that I had not yet seen. The Kindle! An electronic reader that approximates the experience of reading a book - -but digitally. Kind of the iPod for the literati. So I headed over to read about Kindle and there are already almost 1000 reader reviews of the item...some great, some not so great...but wow. A great concept. Right now, they are running at $400 a pop...which means that like the Shuffle, the Mini, etc., within a couple of years we'll be seeing the Mini versions going for $50 - $99.

But if I had $400 to spend right now? I'd head right over. Step aside i-Phone. Reading is back in vogue.

Bye-bye Thanksgiving, Hello Chanukah and Christmas!

In order that my holiday shopping remains fun and festive, I search relentlessy for the new, the interesting, and the downright inventive every year. From atomic clocks to keychain tools to dancing dreidels, I search for them all -- and particularly if they are made by a 50 plusser.


The first item worth mentioning this year is the inventive AND preventive MenorahMate, an ingenious addition to the Chanukah celebration. For any of you who celebrate Chanukah, or who have been to celebrations at the homes of Jewish friends, you'll remember seeing the beautiful menorahs...with streams of hot wax...dripping down on the table...or as in many homes, on a sheet of aluminum foil!


Hello MenorahMate:


“We knew that there simply had to be a better way of protecting the table. And even more importantly, we wanted to create a renewed connection to the three traditional blessings, to encourage everyone at the table to participate,” comments the product’s creator Debra Wurzel (a Gen Plusser, of course) of Los Angeles.

What is MenorahMate? A smart concept -- a protective, décor-enhancing mat with a soft, non-skid backing, designed for use under the menorah combined with the Chanukah blesssing imprinted right on the surface in Hebrew, English, and transliteration.


In addition to protecting the tabletop, “This product is unique because it places the blessings right in the center of the holiday, where they belong,” says Wurzel.


I find it a great product and in addition to the contemporary design, I particularly like the fact that the wax just pops off the mat after a bit of time in the freezer.


Launched just in time for Chanukah 2007, MenorahMate already has generated excitement within the Jewish community and has popped up in stores across the US. Best of all, this product is manufactured in the US... in Los Angeles, California. For more information, a list of retailers or to order MenorahMate, visit www.menorahmate.com.


Lots of fun, not too expensive, great for a family or friend gift and also wonderful for office acquaintances and friends. I'll let you know about any other great finds as I continue on my merry shopping jaunts.

Strategic Planning with a 50-Plus Edge

I can't believe it. Summer is almost over. Every year, come September, I get into "school" mode. That means I get an urge to learn something new. Something about the pencils and notebooks on sale in the "Back-to-School" marketing season just makes me long for white eraser, a few retractable pencils and a new 3 subject notebook!

If you aren't sure what to focus on, here is a look at our workbook, "Keep Dreaming: Creating a Strategic Plan for the Rest of Your Life". This thought-provoking (and hopefully not too scary) e-workbook will do just what it says...give you insight into what type of strategy you need to focus on in order to move in the right direction for the next stage of your life.

The course (put together by yours truly) brings together the concepts behind strategic business planning to your life plan! Using proven business and marketing strategies in this electronic workbook, you will be able to develop as comprehensive a strategic plan as you need for moving into the next phase of your life.

I've taken the best of what I've learned in my over 15 years as a corporate executive, managing hundreds of people, creating mult-million dollar budgets, creating and executing strategic and marketing plans for significant operations in both the US and Canada, and re-shaped it, in a very user-friendly way, to help you achieve your personal strategies, targets and goals.

The program incorporates easy-to-understand worksheets and forms, that will help you identify objectives, hit your goals and measure results. And you'll end up with a written plan and a developed approach to achieving success for your future.

No computer skills are necessary - other than you being able to click through to order the e-workbook, and then to download and print out the 50 plus pages. I've kept the price very reasonable at $14.99. Why? Because I really want you to take control of your destiny and the only way to do that is to create it. It doesn't matter what type of person you are, what resources you have, or where you live. All that matters is that you have a dream and you just aren't sure how to get there. Do you remember the movie "Field of Dreams"? "Build it and they will come." That was the promise. Let me help you build it.

Road Warrior's Lament, ET, iPhone and the Summer of Love

You can't surf more than a couple of minutes without finding some chatter about the iPhone. I have to admit, that I'm one of those people who is drooling to have one. I'm a Boomer obsessed with technology that I don't understand. Even though I have a crackberry (blackberry) and am reasonably addicted, I want more. I want that touchscreen and to be able to follow any whim, any desire and have the information right at my fingertips.

As a road warrior (perhaps not as many as most, but I spend about 25% of my time on the road), you'd think I'd have travel down to an art. Well...I kinda, sorta do. But I have NO sense of direction. HATE renting a car in any city, even when it makes better economic sense. I'll confess. I get lost. I don't know where to go to eat. I can never find my destination. I can NEVER find my way back to the hotel. (I can't even find my way back to the parking lot to find my rental car from whatever the best mall might be in that particular city.)


I'm navigationally challenged -- I travel with a compass, pre-printed driving routes, have google mobile programmed into my blackberry, and keep a list of local people that I can call up any time of day or night to direct me to my destination.


There was one commercial for the iPhone that sold me on the spot. I don't remember the exact sequence, but it was something like this: X gets a phone call and decides to go out for dinner. The iPhoner then researches sushi (or Greek?), calls for a reservation from the webpage, gets driving directions and then (I think?) starts to play some music or watch a video clip as they head out.

Whatever it was, it filled me with an unstoppable desire to get one! While there is no way I'll be standing in long lines, or shelling out the big bucks to get one right now, nonetheless, a funny thing did happen.

I was reading an article about the iPhone on a relatively new blog, Over 50 Now . And I had a reaction. It wasn't quite drooling. It was...yes...it was an ET moment. Do you remember ET intoning, "ET...Go Home. ET...Go Home." Well, my head started repeating, "Wendy...iPhone. Wendy...iPhone." I couldn't shake it. And I realized something. I had romanticized a summer of love, starting off with thinking about fireworks on the 4th of July.

But that is NOT what my summer of love is really going to be about for me. It is going to be about my unrequited desire for an iPhone. "Wendy...iPhone."

Really. I have got to get a grip!

Strategic Planning with a 50-Plus Edge

I'm very pleased to announce the release of the first Gen Plus e-workbook, "Keep Dreaming: Creating a Strategic Plan for the Rest of Your Life". Over a year in the making and with thanks to some terrific beta testers, this introductory edition is now available through the Gen Plus shop.

What is "Keep Dreaming..."? This e-workbook is a course that brings together the concepts behind strategic business planning to your life plan! Using proven business and marketing strategies in this electronic workbook, you will be able to develop a Strategic Plan for moving into the next phase of your life.

I've always believed that one can manifest one's own destiny. Every time I have set my sights on a goal and created a strong vision and a plan to get there...guess what? I've been able to do just that. So I'm urging you to leave your fear behind you! I've taken the best of what I've learned in my over 15 years as a corporate executive, managing hundreds of people, creating mult-million dollar budgets, creating and executing strategic and marketing plans for significant operations in both the US and Canada, and re-shaped it, in a very user-friendly way, to help you achieve your personal strategies, targets and goals.

The course incorporates easy-to-understand worksheets and forms, that will help you identify objectives, hit your goals and measure results. At the end of this course, you will have a written plan and a developed approach to achieving success for your future.

And because of the many, many questions I've gotten from my readers over the years about using computer skills, I've created this course so that no computer skills are necessary - other than you being able to click through to order the e-workbook, and then to download and print out the 50 plus pages. I am dedicated to your success, and I am offering this limited introductory edition for $14.95 (retail price is $29.99). Why? Because I really want you to take control of your destiny and the only way to do that is to create it. It doesn't matter what type of person you are, what resources you have, or where you live. All that matters is that you have a dream and you just aren't sure how to get there. Do you remember the movie "Field of Dreams"? "Build it and they will come." That was the promise. Let me help you build it.

The book is not yet available in print, however, if you would like to be on a wait list for the printed publication (it will retail at around $99.95) rather than the e-workbook, please email me at wspiegel@genplususa.com and I'll make sure to let you know when it is available.

When in Rome...Getting ahead on summer travel plans

A bit of a departure today. I was thinking back to this time last year as I was planning a trip to Italy...

A lot of 50 plussers take the time to get up and go when they have the time and financial resources to do so. In May of last year I took a trip to Italy, joined by my mother (a savvy senior!) and my other boomer sister. We are very arts-driven, so wanted to ensure that any tours we took would appeal to our needs. Fortunately, we discovered a small group, Context Travel, that specializes in small walking tours with exceptional docents. What I particularly liked was that in addition to their broad range of walking tours in Florence, Rome, Naples and Paris and you can also book museum tour tickets online, in advance, through their site (which saved us, literally, hours upon hours of waiting in lines.)

If you are planning your summer and want to get the most out of your travel, check into walking tours and services you can access ahead of your trip and you'll get to enjoy a side of the city that you might otherwise have missed.

A New Resource Targeted to Boomers...Just in Time, Too.

Ayayay. What to do? What to do? From shortbread cookies to latkes, cakes and chocolates, wine, champagne, egg nog... Oh I can go on and on and on. So much food, so little time to exercise it off! Well, aside from getting up and moving around to burn the calories, what other nifty resources are out there? General Mills has come up with a wonderful site with particular appeal to Boomers. EatBetterAmerica.com is a really easy-to-navigate site focused on fitness and nutrition. According to their publicist: "Eat Better America suggests diet and exercise tips for individuals concerned with heart health, diabetes, weight management and vitality. A recent addition to the site, “Healthify My Recipe,” allows registered users to submit their calorie-laden, diet-detrimental recipes for recipe makeover.”

I haven't tried the "Healthify My Recipe" for my Grandma's famous chocolate chip cookies yet, but that is next on my list. Oops. Gotta run. My mom just took out a batch of her heavenly sugar cookies out of the oven. I'll have to check out that recipe too.

Let me know what you think. General Mills is interested in your opinion on the site.

Happy Holidays!

So much to do and so little time!

What are your resolutions for 2007 and beyond? If you don't know what they are yet, don't you want to figure them out? And if you do know what they are, what plan do you have in place to achieve them?

Due to requests from many different cities and countries, I'm reworking my live course: "Keep Dreaming: Creating a Strategic Plan for the Rest of Your Life" for online use which will make it much more accessible for those of you outside of the major city centers. Release is set for the New Year or sooner.

The class consists of a small amount of strategic planning theory (enough to understand the task at hand!), followed by workbook exercises designed to help you focus and shape your plan, regardless of your objective.

Send me an email at wspiegel@genplususa.com if you'd like to beta test the new program at no charge. I've only got 3 slots left for beta-testers. The rest of you will be added to the wait list and an announcement and press release will be going out as soon as the program is available for purchase.

If you want to be added to the wait list for the live class, I'm currently scheduling classes in LA, NY/Boston and Chicago for late winter/early spring. The workshop will run as a full day program (10 am - 4 pm with a 1 hour lunch break) in each of these cities. Space is limited due to the highly interactive nature of the program, so make sure to indicate which city you are interested in.

Seratonins, Endorphins and Oxygen...Oh My!

It's all about the Oxygen. Ever wonder why the less active you become the more weight you gain even though you haven't changed your eating habits? It's because the less you move, the less oxygen you intake. The less oxygen circulating in your system, the less fuel increase your blood flow. That blood flow is what moves (gets rid of!) excess weight and fat. The reason yoga is so effective is that a primary focus of the discipline is on breathing. Big breaths...in and out, maximizing lung capacity. And when you increase physical activity, the activity that bulks up your muscles, the cardiovascular activity that forces you to take bigger breaths...well, that is increasing your oxygen intake.

Adding to this equation is that exercise (like sex!) increases your seratonin (neurotransmitter) and endorphin production. These are the chemicals in your makeup that make you feel good. Higher levels of seratonins and endorphins ALSO positively impact your ability to lose weight. Wow. So if you breathe more and feel great, you'll be more primed to lose weight.

So the next time you DON'T want to bend and stretch, or go for a walk, or decide whether or not to buy our new workout DVD just for 50 plus "Getting Started" (I know...a shameless plug, but it is a really good workout and a great holiday gift), just remember that it's all about increasing your oxygen intake. At the very least take a deep breath in for one, two, three, four, five....and out for one, two, three, four, five, six....

Forget your Aches and Pains -- Workout for 50 Plus Hits the Market!

So you see Thanksgiving around the corner and holiday parties are just waiting around the corner and you are sitting there thinking..."Oh my. How am I EVER going to handle ANOTHER five pounds this year?"

Well, you are not going to. Because this year, you are going to do something for your mind AND for you body, and get in shape. To help you, I'm very pleased to point you in the direction of our brand new 50 plus workout DVD, "Getting Started".

Trainer Laura Spiegel has designed a full body workout for all you couch potatoes and next-yearers! No floor work. The routine is low impact and all exercises are done standing up. (Your knees will thank you, and yes, you WILL sweat.) Exercise modifications are shown so you can up the aerobic activity as you need. Laura's team are REAL people...not aerobic junkies. And if they can get through this workout, so can you!

At only $14.95 including shipping, how can you deny yourself? Click on the link (or the sidebar) and Get YOURSELF Started.

I promise...there ARE muscles under the fat! And a little bit of an endorphin surge will do wonders for your self-esteem. If you are looking for that unusual holiday gift for a Boomer or someone over 50, keep us in mind. They'll thank you!

BBC Brings Language to the Web. Hello. Bonjour. Hola. Hallo. Ciao. 你好 こんにちは

In the ultimately coolest move that the internet has to offer the traveller, the BBC brings Language Learning to a whole new level. For all you 50 plussers who are chomping at the bit to explore more of the world, check out their site: http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/ and test your skills in Spanish, French, Italian, Chinese and Portuguese...just to start.

Thinking of travelling to foreign climes...Spain, perhaps? Take the Fast Track route, where you take on a secret agent character, Jamie Blond, and practice your Spanish along the way to picking up clues.

Move over Italian for Dummies. I'm heading over to the centro storico in Verona, to meet up with my online friend Marta.

A lot of fun and it'll take some of the language fear out of your travel plans! Let me know what you think! (In any language.)

Gen Plus Shop welcomes new Pet Product!

Who needs cute little doggie bones? I'm proud to announce our latest addition to the Gen Plus Shop...Ugly Biscuits! And are they ugly? Well...in fact...yes, indeed, they are. Ugly, bumpy, lumpy...and so natural and doggie delicious that your pets will be begging you for more. In fact...you may find yourself tempted to try them out for a late night snack!

Very reasonably priced and 20% of the proceeds go to support charitable causes. Buy some and try some. Your animal will thank you!

Independence

To all our American friends, visitors and members, Happy July 4th! To our Canadian visitors, a belated Happy Canada Day!

And to all of you who visit regularly from around the world, from the UK, Australia, South Africa, Italy, France, India, Uruguay, Korea, China, Japan, the Netherlands (I'll stop now...), what a wonderful time of the year for some restful reflection on how you will set up your future come the rush of fall.

What I love about the concept of Independence Day is the celebration of freedom and choice of direction and destiny. One of the reasons that the United States is an exciting country to grow in is because there is a true belief that each person can manifest, if not master, their direction in life. And what rings so true for 50 plussers, is that we all are embarking on an uncharted path -- there have never been so many people entering this age group en masse ever before in history. And as Boomers reinvented their 20's, 30's and 40's, so too will we redefine and reinvent our 50's, 60's, 70's and beyond.

But how does that help you now? If you are in a financial slump due to job loss, and having trouble finding work in the summer slowdown, one great strategy is to register with all temp agencies. Many companies need temps to help cover summer vacations and maternity leaves. Often these positions will lead to a permanent (regular) hire. So if the job boards are leaving you feeling a bit discouraged right now, pluck up your spirits, get into the independent swing of things and temp your way to your next iteration.

And what is coming up over the summer for Gen Plus? Watch for the release of our fitness DVD, designed just for the 50 plus demographic (head over to our shop page if you wish to pre-order) and keep an eye out for our (top secret!) first e-book -- just the remedy for getting on track with your strategy for your 50's and 60's!

Happy BBQ'ing.

Calling all Inventors, Designers, Creators!

Do you have a product relevant to a 50 plusser? If so, we want to know about it. Our shop section focuses on getting the word out about products that you have invented, produce or represent, and want distributed. So, if you dabble in jewelry, sew, knit, fiddle, create, innovate, produce, represent, we want to know about it.

If you have products related to travel, aging (gracefully, of course), fashion, business, cooking, home products, grandchildren, pets or cars...we may have a spot for you by our campfire! And if you have a product that can open the tops of glass jars with ease, then we know a few people who want to know about it pronto!

Send a description of your product, why you think a 50-plusser would want to buy it, and a digital pic to shop@genplususa.com and we'll get back to you in a flash.

50 plus creators, Baby Boomer inventors!

Who let 50 plussers out? Who...who...who...

I spend so much energy focused on employment issues that I forget to bring up the Shop section of Gen Plus. There is an incredible pool of talent in the 50 plus world that tends to be overlooked. There are 50 plus writers, Boomer inventors, senior producers, who have created product and are left with no means for distribution. So at Gen Plus, we added a Shop section, dedicated to products invented or created by 50 plussers or products specifically relevant to the 50 plus/Boomer market.

So if you have a minute, meander over to Gen Plus Shop and see what your fellow 50 plussers are up to. Some great books, including:

• First Edition printing of Cass Brown's Blog-moir, "Cancergiggles" (his book has been taken over by a larger publisher, but the first edition is always the keeper!)
• the unusual and creative An Ethical Will filled with parables for living written by a grandfather.
• cool items include a Ziploc bag rack that is a must-have item for anyone with motor mobility challenges...invented by a 50 plus engineer!
  
  Valentine's day is coming up. So buy a gift and support a 50 plusser, OR if you have something you'd like us to market, just get in touch!

Book release

Some great news for Cass Brown, author the Cancergiggles blog and the book by the same name. Tomorrow is the official publication and release date of his replublished book, Cancergiggles, in paperback.

A warm congratulations to Cass. He's a great writer, a great guy, and has a killer sense of humor.

Hey 20-something. Hello 30-something.

Xmas is coming. Chanukah is coming. Kwanza is coming. The holidays are upon us and you are wondering if Dad can bear to get one more tie this year, right? Can Mom handle one more pair of fuzzy slippers, right?

Well, at Gen Plus, we'd like you to do something just a bit different this year.

Find that 50-plus someone in your life, who has:

• written a book and never seen it properly distributed;
• created a kitchen doo-hickey, manufactured 2ooo of them and has 1954 left in stock;
• developed a line of clothing and has limited distribution;
• makes handmade jewellery;
• paints inspiring watercolors and would love to sell some of them;
• has 35 solar-powered whatchamacallits sitting in the garage;
• knits a mean fluffy scarf

And then point them to us. We are promoting, fostering, pushing, product created and invented by 50-plussers. We'd be proud to support their efforts. So get in touch. We're happy to talk about how to get their products featured on our site.

Cool present, don't you think?

Happy Holidays.

Gen Plus Product Search -- Wanted: 50 Plus Creativity!

The Gen Plus Product Search is on in force for our Shop feature. We are searching for products (books, jewellery, solar-powered cars, ceiling fans, reading glasses, art, dvds...you get the idea) that are produced by 50 plussers so that we can give them some power through e-commerce.

We've been picked up by Voodoo, in the UK. Voodoo is an e-commerce development company and have highlighted Gen Plus in their "e-business articles" section.

Pay it forward. Let the 50 plussers you know in on this distribution program dedicated to turning 50 plus consumers into producers!