I have been posting for a while now and thought it prudent to remind us all of who we are …….. So What’s a Boomer …………….I think bbhq.com puts it so well I am just going to copy there definition. Having said that I am am a now a self proclaimed ‘Cusper.’
Glad you asked. Stated very simply, the demographers, sociologists and the media define baby boomers as those born between (and including) 1946 and 1964. (There is no law or constitutional amendment so stating; and other boundaries have been suggested. But this is the time frame most commonly used.) In 2009, that would make us between 45 and 63 years old. There are about 75 million boomers in the U.S.; we currently represent about 29% of the U.S. population. (In Canada, we are sometimes known as “Boomies”; there are 6 million of us there. In Britain, our generation is known as “the bulge.”)
The term is used (nobody knows who coined the phrase) to define the “boom” in births after WWII. Our Boomer Stats page identifies the number of U.S. births during the 40s, 50s and 60s.
The 1960s is the decade that defined the boomers. The music, events, and the social changes made a permanent impression on us. Those of us born during the “peak” boomer years, ‘52-’57, were in our formative years during the sixties. There were so many changes in the sixties that how old you were during the decade greatly affected how you turned out. 1961 was a whole lot different from 1969!
Those born at the early end of the spectrum were in our early 20s by 1970. The deaths of President Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy, and Dr. Martin Luther King; the Vietnam war and related protests; and the Watergate scandal… all made deep impressions on us.
At the other end, those born after 1959 have no direct recollection of the assassination of President Kennedy; most were not yet listening to rock music by the time the Beatles broke up. Buddy Holly, the Shirelles, Peter & Gordon, Leslie Gore, Dion, Nat Cole, Herman’s Hermits, the Mamas & Papas, Frankie Avalon, the Platters, the Drifters, the Everly Brothers, the Four Tops, and other great music artists of the 50s and 60s are not part of the foundation of their music tastes. They were more likely to use illegal drugs…. often to a great and disturbing excess. And they were never subjected to the military draft. So any attempt to lump us all together probably won’t work. We can tell, by the e-mail we receive here at BBHQ, that there is much that ties us together, but also much that separates us.
Our e-mail indicates that many of us are committed to marriage and are still happily married to our high school sweethearts. And many of us have been married and divorced… more than once. We are the generation that pushed the divorce rate up to 50%… and made it seem “normal” and thus acceptable.
Many of us went to work for a company, worked our way up the ladder, and are now enjoying the fruits of our labors. We will retire in a few years, and live a life of leisure, or embark on a second career. But many of us are entrepreneurs, and have never worked for a big company. Many of us plan never to retire.
For more - including a picture of the first recognised baby Boomer please visit bbhq.com
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Although a few months old I find that this article has hit the nail on the head when it comes to re-defining the popular generational names. I was born in 1960 and although fitting into the ‘Baby Boomer’ generation can’t really say I feel like those boomers who are already retired or about to do so. Even my twitter name … Ima60sBoomer represents this! I am so glad someone has articulated this ‘feeling’.
Marian Salzman who has been credited with coining the term “metrosexuality,” has now invented a new sub-generation: “Cuspers” — basically people too young to be baby-boomers, and too old to be gen-Xers. The Boomers are no longer in charge…………the mantle has now passed to the so-called ‘cuspers’ with the US President Obama represents them, leading the way ahead.
The Baby Boomers are being blamed for the woes in the world at the moment. The selfish generation, the generation that pursued pleasure, proclaimed “I can have it all” and refused to grow old — “50 is the new 30,” etc.
And from under that mantle the ‘cuspers’ now have even more reasons to stake out their own separate identity and values.
Its a great read ….. for the whole article click here.
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Having just posted about Baby Boomers retirement threats, I saw this the next day at Marketwatch. With a headline of;
Housing crash hits baby boomers
Home-price declines will eat into boomer retirement nest eggs
CHICAGO (MarketWatch) — The collapse of the housing bubble will likely have drastic implications on the wealth and retirement of certain baby boomers, according to a report Tuesday by the Center for Economic and Policy Research.
The median household headed by those between 45 and 54 in 2009 will have about 25% less wealth than the median household of that age in 2004, according to the report. That household’s wealth will decline to $113,268 in 2009, from $150,113 in 2004.
This is a reality guys ……………. to read the whole report click here.
This is not only a USA event. The Baby Boomer generations are as dominant in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa. Internal geo-political situations differ between all these countries, but the size, weight and influence of the Boomer generation is dominant.
So sell the house, downsize and rent a smaller-cheaper place and invest in India and the emerging markets. Does that shake a few paradigms????????
Later,
Ima Boomer
Filed under Lifestyle by admin
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I know that one of the biggest causes of concern to all of us when surfing online is our privacy. How secure are we when we go online? Surfing the Web will expose all your data to the rest of the community, if you do not take active steps to prevent this from happening. It does not necessarily require malware or virus to exist in order for this to happen. Computers that allow programs such as indents and fingers to run will let them access your data and reveal your name and other data that can put you at risk.
Does it seem strange how they actually mange to these information from you?
It is easy; every time you visit a website, some data will be collected and stored and every visit to a website actually reveals some form of data about you.
How do you stop this?
You can breathe in relief to know that you can surf the internet anonymously. These are protection that you can use to prevent people from getting access to data you want to keep private. You can benefit from anonymous proxy servers A proxy server replaces your IP. The result is your address is being covered by the new mask.
How do I get an anonymous proxy server?
There are many vendors who sell anonymous proxy servers. You can also use free proxy services available. ShadowSurf and Guardster may be the tool you are looking for; Guardster can be used free, but if you want more options, go for the premium services. ShadowSurf is a free service you can use. Go to the site and enter a URL to stay anonymous. Those are good tools to assist you remain anonymous.
There is an interesting development pertaining to news about Google filtering its contents for the Chinese government. What is interesting, this organization actually claims that they are currently developing a new application hat will let all Citizens of China to surf the Internet censor free.
Does an anonymous proxy server make you 100% safe?
No it is a wiser choice than surfing without one. Are there other effective steps to take to ensure better safety of my private information? Three other items come to mind when trying to keep your information private. The first thing is to use an encrypted data to hide your important data. The scope is beyond the scope to this article but you can always surf the internet to find out more on this aspect. Delete all cookies after each session. JavaScript, Java, and active content can be removed to decrease risk. This will severely limit your surfing enjoyment, so be sure to choose carefully.
Filed under internet, technology by admin
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Image via WikipediaIts something most of us don’t want to acknowledge, but we Boomers are getting older and so to plan for any unforseen incidents disability insurance is a must have.
Having a disability insurance policy could be a lifesaver if you cannot work for a period, especially with a family; a scenario where a person, who brings money into the home, cannot work is one that is played out by thousands every day. For many people, protection against disability can be a lifesaver if you can’t get to work and earn an income. In fact there is a higher probability of a person requiring some form of protection against disability before they retire than the likelihood of dying.
The problem is that life insurance is the number one consideration for most people, especially when they have dependants, without even looking into the benefits of covering themselves against disability. If you are aged 40 for example, there is a higher chance that you will be disabled, and thus unable to work for a period of 90 days or more, than of you dying before the age of 65. The problem is disability insurance costs more than basic life cover as it is costlier to provide.
Unlike life cover, disability rates are based on the potential income lost as well as, age, occupation and general health. One method of lowering the policy premium is arranging for the plan to ‘kick in’ only after the incapacity has lasted for a set period of time. so effectively reducing the possibility of claiming on the policy. The other is opting for a shorter period of cover; although you need to bear in mind that once your period of benefit ceases you would have to support yourself.
Insurance company policies will differ but the majority will only pay a percentage of your lost income so it is a good idea to choose the best one for you and in this instance, the cheapest may not necessarily be the best. There are two policy options available; the first is short term disability insurance which only covers the claimant for a few months of incapacity. If someone wants to claim total disability and be completely covered financially, they will have to prove that they are unable to perform the majority of the tasks they could previously.
Irrespective of the type of policy you have, payments for disability are made regularly, every week or month until the end of the incapacitation or the policy, whichever come first. Other key points to consider when looking into health policies are if there are restrictions on:
- Attitude towards pre-existing conditions
- Is the benefit taxable?
- When do the payments stop?
- Are you employed in a high risk occupation?
The level of cover provided for your original salary will differ with each insurer’s disability insurance policy. With some providers giving 70 percent of the original salary, you will have to watch out for those who will only provide you with a very low 40 percent which could cause financial hardship. This needs to be checked thoroughly especially if you have a family with large financial commitments each month.
