Sign O’ The Times
April 2nd, 2012I’m sharing the breakfast table with a 23 y/o. I’m reading hard copies of L.A Times and the local paper, and she’s reading the same news on her ipad.
Retirement?
March 30th, 2012This is from a radio trade: Paul Duckworth un-retires, moves to Seattle to program news/talk KOMO radio.Duckworth tells Radio-Info.com that “Some people are cut out for retirement, and then there’s me.” He’s departing Florida after a year of re-charging his batteries to return to Seattle, where he once programmed both KOMO and KVI for Fisher.
Tony & Gaga
October 28th, 2011
Tony Bennett on MTV with Lady Gaga!
I can’t believe it!
I saw Tony Bennett’s supper show 35 year ago—at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. I knew at the time it was a once in lifetime, iconic opportunity mainly because Tony Bennett was 50 years old 35 years ago, and could, in fact, probably would, die, at any moment of… a heart attack or something, because he’d already been around forever, and was, like, really old.
Haha!
I’m older now than Tony Bennett was then and I’m nowhere near dying, and apparently, neither is he!
It’s different when you get there.
Reality Check!
March 30th, 2011
Arlo Guthrie performs in L.A. next week—there’s a picture of him in the ad—OMG he looks as old as Santa Claus!
Show on TV tonight: “Over 90 and Loving It.” Really? I’ll have to check that out.
The Donald Sez He’ll Never Retire
March 4th, 2011
Donald Trump turns 65 in June, traditional “retirement” age. When Piers Morgan asked the question, Trump said he’ll “never retire.” He loves his work and if he stopped, he’d probably be bored in a week.
Boredom is unhealthy.
Retiring at 64? No way!
February 16th, 2011
Jane Harman is resigning from the U.S. House of Representatives to become President and CEO of The Woodrow Wilson Center. Jane was my rep. when I lived in that part of L.A. I knew her to be competent, corporate, and removed from the hoi polloi because her husband is super rich.
That aside, it’s so cool that she’s leveraging her political experience, and furthering her career as 64, an age when some people think of retiring. She doesn’t need the money, so she must be working for love. Maybe, for her, and for many of us, work is a good thing. It keeps us engaged, structures the day, is a place to be creative and get recognition, to eat at good restaurants and not have to pay for it, get to be in the suites at Staples… if you’ve got all that, plus you get paid, why would you want to stop just because you turn 65?
Let’s be clear(er) about retirement
February 15th, 2011
Michael Kinsley, writing today’s Op-Ed piece in the L. A. Times. His topic: housing prices. His point: younger people, just starting out, and middle agers wanting to upgrade to bigger and/or better want housing prices to go down so they can buy one, but if you are older, you have equity, and want prices to go up, so you can cash out.
Making his case, he sez, “empty nesters, who are approaching or already enjoying retirement..”
Excuse me, but is it a given that retirement is “enjoyable?” What about someone 58 or 62 who was forced to take “early retirement?” What about people who are financially strapped or lonely, or bored?
Retirement is not universally enjoyable. That is sloppy journalism. The Media Watchdog is gritting her teeth.
Wanda Jackson: You Go Girl!
January 28th, 2011
Everyone’s talking about Wanda Jackson.
Her concerts are getting raves in NY and LA. She’s on NPR.
She had her first hit in 1960. Audiences love her. I love her. God loves her.
She’s 73, and we Boomers hope we have her moxie when we’re 73.
Cathie Black, My Kind Of Boomer
November 30th, 2010
She’s 66, chair of Hearst Magazines, former President and Publisher of USA Today etc. and she’s just been tapped by NYC Mayor Bloomberg to head the City’s public schools as Chancellor.
Does she have any education experience? No.
Has she proven herself as a successful manger of complex organizations? Yes.
Can she play with the big boys? Yes.
She’s entering a new field, at an age when we are supposed to retire.
Now, that’s a role model!
Subtle Ageism in the L.A. Times
November 29th, 2010
Making reference to Jane Fonda’s new exercise video the Saturday story starts: “Jane Fonda in a leotard? At 72?”
That’s newsworthy? Don’t people who are 72 wear leotards when they work out?
Same thing in the LEAD story in Sunday’s Arts & Books section, about 71 year old Joyce Farmer, who was half of the radical feminist comic books “Tits & Clits” in the 70s, and has reemerged with a new graphic novel titled “Special Exits,” about her elderly parents demise.
It’s the article’s tone, a subtle wonderment that someone could DO what they’ve DONE, in their seventies.
The implication is that making an exercise video at 72, or writing a book at 71, is out of the ordinary, when in fact, people of all ages are doing and creating interesting things all the time.
With out without wearing a leotard.
