The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

A Veterans Day 2009 look at what veterans need

America has 23.2 million veterans. About 9.5 million of them are baby boomers.

On this day that we stop to remember the contributions of our service men and women, what’s being said about veterans and their needs on Veterans Day?

President Barack Obama said that there have been times in the past when America didn’t stand by its veterans. Obama pledged that this wouldn’t happen again:

That is my message to all veterans today. That is my message to all who serve in harm's way. To the husbands and wives back home doing the parenting of two. To the parents who watch their sons and daughters go off to war, and the children who wonder when mom and dad is coming home. To all our wounded warriors, and to the families who laid a loved one to rest. America will not let you down. We will take care of our own.

And to those who are serving in far-flung places today, when your tour ends, when you see our flag, when you touch our soil, you will be home in an America that is forever here for you just as you've been there for us. That is my promise – our nation's promise – to you.

Veterans for Common Sense, a veterans’ advocacy organization, said that today’s observance offers the opportunity to raise awareness about the mental health needs of service members, veterans, and families:

Of the two million U.S. service members deployed to the two war zones since 2001, researchers at Stanford University estimated 500,000 or more Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans are likely to return home with mental health conditions such as post traumatic stress disorder…

As more and more service members deploy to war and redeploy home, the scope of the health care crisis among our veterans continues to worsen…

Our list of concerns included the need for more military mental health care providers, the need for universal, mandatory medical exams before and after going to war, and the need for a stronger anti-stigma message to encourage our soldiers and veterans to seek care.

An article in the Christian Science Monitor, “Veterans Day Highlights New Efforts to Help Homeless Vets,” said veterans have a high rate of homelessness:

An estimated 131,000 former members of the armed services are homeless – with vets twice as likely as non-vets to be out on the streets. With high unemployment a nationwide problem, vets face higher-than-average jobless rates as well.

New initiatives by President Obama, by Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki and by members of Congress focus on improving living standards for veterans.

On Veterans Day and throughout the year, we need to think through and take action on ways the federal government, local and state governments, veterans groups, community groups, foundations, religious organizations, educational institutions, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and Americans citizens can improve the lives veterans who have served their country.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist 

Getting joy: Photos from Olympia Harbor Days

I got lucky today. Between heavy rains, I dashed out to Olympia Harbor Days to take photos. Although I missed the tug boat races, I was able to get some great photos.

I hope you enjoy looking at the photos as much as I enjoyed taking the them.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

What impact did the first moonwalk have on your life?

The 1969 walk on the moon by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin is one of the defining experiences of the Baby Boomer Nation.

How did it affect you? Were you inspired? Did you want to be an astronaut? Did the moonwalk make you more interested in science?

To me, the first moonwalk was an event of great excitement. I remember watching it on our black-and-white television set. It was amazing that we could see and hear the astronauts. The technology we saw was so new and unlike anything we’d seen before. I felt so proud.

When Sputnik, the world's first artificial satellite about the size of a beach ball, was launched on Oct. 4, 1957, by the Soviet Union, it was frightening. We were told the Soviets could now spy on us and would have military advantages with the satellite.

Newscasters and government officials decried how the Soviets had jumped ahead in the race for space. Americans were told they needed to change. For students, it meant more of an emphasis on math and science in school.

The U.S.-U.S.S.R space race was on.

On April 12, 1961, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin become the first human to fly in space, when he made one orbit of the earth.

About a month later, President John F. Kennedy set the goal for Americans to be bold and send a man to the moon before the end of the decade. President Kennedy said in a May 25 speech:

I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important for the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish.

The Kennedy administration wanted the world to see the U.S. as the world leader, to draw people to the U.S. and away from communist influence.

Like many people I was shocked that such a feat with so many unknowns was being talked about in such a short time frame.

When the U.S. landed men on the moon, we felt like a great nation again. It was a positive experience in the midst of the Cold War and following the assignations of President Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr.

Landing men on the moon was an inspiration to baby boomers. It helped to fostered their goal-oriented, can-do spirit.

It also opened a new era of technology, which boomers embraced and continued to support as the Computer Age began and evolved.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Best wishes on the Fourth of July

What’s happening on July Fourth in your community?

I hope you and your loved ones are having a great time celebrating the birth of our nation.

I went out today in the Olympia, Wash., area and took these photos. It was fun. I’ll try fireworks photos this evening.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Top 10 Fourth of July celebrations

After enjoying a barbecue with family and friends, a picnic in the park, boating, or hiking, it’s fun to watch a spectacular fireworks display.

What are the best July Fourth celebrations in the United States?

I reviewed several dozen lists of top Fourth of July events. Here are the cities that came up most often as the best in the country:

1. Washington, D.C.
2. Boston
3. New York City
4. New Orleans
5. Chicago, San Diego, Philadelphia
6. Mount Rushmore
7. Philadelphia
8. Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Martha's Vineyard
9. San Juan Islands, St. Louis, Mo., Lake Tahoe, Houston, Los Angeles, Orlando
10. Queen Mary 2, U.S. Virgin Islands, Seattle, Williamsburg, Miami, Austin

See these Web sites for descriptions of the Independence Day celebrations in various cities:

“Top Places to Celebrate July Fourth” – Yahoo! News

“Top 10 Places to Celebrate July 4” – msnbc

“Top 10 Places to Celebrate July 4th” – toptenz

“Fourth of July Travel: Best Places to See Fireworks” – Cheapflights.com

“Top 10 Places to Celebrate Independence Day 4th of July” – Ezine Articles

“Best Places to Watch July 4th Fireworks” – LowFares.com

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Who are our nation’s dads? Facts and figures on dads on Father’s Day

Sonora Dodd of Spokane, Wash., conceived the idea of Father’s Day while she listened to a Mother’s Day sermon in 1909.

Dodd wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart, a widowed Civil War veteran who was left to raise his six children by himself on a rural farm.

June was chosen for the first Father’s Day celebration – proclaimed for June 19, 1910, by Spokane’s mayor – because it was the month of William Smart’s birth.

The first presidential proclamation honoring fathers was issued in 1966 when President Lyndon Johnson designated the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day.

Father’s Day has been celebrated annually since 1972 when President Richard Nixon signed the public law that made it permanent.

On Sunday, millions of families will be gathering on Father's Day to recognize their dads and the contributions they are making and have made.

Who are these dads, how many children do they have, and how many are single dads?

Here are facts and figures about fathers and Father’s Day from the U.S. Census Bureau:

How many fathers

66.3 million
Estimated number of fathers across the nation today.

26.5 million
Number of fathers who are part of married-couple families with their own children under the age of 18.

Among these –

• 21 percent are raising three or more of their own children under 18 years old.

• 11 percent are under 30.

• 5 percent are 55 and older.

• 2 percent live in the home of a relative or a nonrelative.

• 65 percent have an annual family income of $50,000 or more.

2.3 million
Number of single fathers, up from 393,000 in 1970. Currently, among single parents living with their children, 18 percent are men.

Among these fathers –

• 10 percent are raising three or more of their own children under 18 years old.

• 42 percent are divorced; 38 percent have never married; 15 percent are separated; and 5 percent are widowed.

• 15 percent live in the home of a relative or a nonrelative.

• 21 percent have an annual family income of $50,000 or more.

Stay-at-home dads

98,000
Estimated number of “stay-at-home” dads. These are married fathers with children under 15 years old who have remained out of the labor force for more than one year primarily so they can care for the family while their wives work outside the home.

Among these stay-at-home dads –

• 29 percent had their own children under 3 years old living with them.

• 63 percent had two or more children.

• 40 percent had an annual family income of $50,000 or more

Child-Support

4.6 million
Number of fathers who provide child support. All in all, 84 percent of child-support providers are men, who provide median payments of $3,600 annually.

Remembering all dads

Neckties lead the list of Father’s Day gifts. Number of men’s clothing stores: 10,416.

Other items high on the list of Father’s Day gifts include tools such as hammers, wrenches, and screwdrivers. Number of hardware stores in the nation: 14,755. Number of home centers: 5,280.

Dads also often like items such as fishing rods and golf clubs. Number of sporting goods stores: 23,018.

Nearly 69 million Americans participated in a barbecue in the last year. Many of these may have taken place on Father’s Day.

Nearly 95 million
Number of Father’s Day cards expected to be given this year in the United States, making Father’s Day the fourth-largest card-sending occasion.

Fifty percent of all Father’s Day cards are purchased for dads. Nearly 20 percent are purchased for husbands, with the remaining bought for grandfathers, sons, brothers, uncles, and “someone special,” among other categories.

So happy Father’s Day to you fantastic 66.3 million dads in America. I hope your day is great and that you’re able to have a wonderful celebration.

My next post will be on “What to Buy a Baby Boomer Dad for Father’s Day.”

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Take action for peace on Memorial Day

I believe one of the most important actions citizens of the United States can take on Memorial Day is to promote peace in the world.

How can you work for peace today?

Veterans For Peace is offering peace activities in 18 cities including Boston, New York, Miami, Chicago, Minneapolis, and Portland, Ore.

The Boston event, also sponsored by Iraq Veterans Against the War, Gold Star Families for Peace, and Military Families Speak Out, begins at noon EST. It’s a ceremony for peace on Memorial Day to remember and mourn those who died, but to also call for the end to wars.

In Portland, Veterans For Peace Chapter 72’s annual event "From War to Peace" begins at noon with a short ceremony at the Memorial Coliseum in the Courtyard of the Korean War memorial. The group will then march to the Peace Memorial Park where Benji Lewis, a two-tour Marine veteran/war resister, and Cindy Sheehan, peace mom, will speak.

Other communities where Veterans For Peace are offering rallies include Pueblo, Colo., Gainesville, Fla., North Texas, Manchester, N.H., San Francisco, Bethlehem, Pa., Traverse City, Minn., St. Louis, Mo., Binghamton, N.Y., Albany, N.Y., and Houston.

Check your local newspaper and the Internet for information on peace rallies in your community.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Presidential Proclamation for Peace, Memorial Day 2009

It’s good that in addition to recognizing the contributions of service men and women on Memorial Day, President Obama and Congress also are calling on the people of the United States to observe Memorial Day as a day of prayer for permanent peace.

Here’s what President Obama had to say in his Proclamation for Peace:

For over two centuries, Americans have defended our nation’s security and protected our founding principles of democracy and equal justice under law. On Memorial Day, we honor those who have paid the ultimate price in defense of these freedoms.

Members of the United States Armed Forces have placed our nation’s safety before their own for generations. From the first shots fired at Lexington and Concord to the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, these brave patriots have taken on great risks to keep us safe, and they have served with honor and distinction. All Americans who have enjoyed the blessings of peace and liberty remain in their debt.

As we remember the selfless service of our fallen heroes, we pray for God’s grace upon them. We also pray for all of our military personnel and veterans, their families, and all those who have lost loved ones in the defense of our freedom and safety.

Today, as we commend their deeds, we also bear a heavy burden of responsibility to ensure that their sacrifices will not have been in vain. This means that, as we uphold the ideals for which many have given their last full measure of devotion, the United States must never waver in its determination to defend itself, to be faithful in protecting liberty at home and abroad, and to pursue peace in the world.

In respect for their dedication and service to America, the Congress, by a joint resolution approved on May 11, 1950, as amended (36 U.S.C. 116), has requested the president to issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe each Memorial Day as a day of prayer for permanent peace and designating a period on that day when the people of the United States might unite in prayer. The Congress, by Public Law 106-579, has also designated 3:00 p.m. local time on that day as a time for all Americans to observe, in their own way, the National Moment of Remembrance.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim Memorial Day, May 25, 2009, as a day of prayer for permanent peace, and I designate the hour beginning in each locality at 11 a.m. of that day as a time to unite in prayer. I also ask all Americans to observe the National Moment of Remembrance beginning at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day. I urge the press, radio, television, websites, and all other media to participate in these observances.

I also request the governors of the United States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the appropriate officials of all units of government, to direct that the flag be flown at half-staff until noon on this Memorial Day on all buildings, grounds, and naval vessels throughout the United States, and in all areas under its jurisdiction and control. I also request the people of the United States to display the flag at half-staff from their homes for the customary forenoon period.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-second day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

BARACK OBAMA

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Remembering my Uncle Frank on Memorial Day

My Aunt Irene, one of my mom’s younger sisters, was one of my favorite aunts.

She wore makeup and stylish clothes, and knew how to create the latest hairdos.

When I was 12, she’d tell me it was time to improve my fashion look.

When my Aunt Irene was young, she married Frank Gilliam.

I never met him, but I remember him from family photos.

My Aunt Irene loved Frank very much.

He left her to fight in World War II. He never returned. He died in the Battle of the Bulge in 1945 along with 81,000 other American soldiers.

Aunt Irene’s life was difficult after that.

She remarried, choosing an older man. He divorced her many years later when her widow’s pension expired.

Aunt Irene had a nervous breakdown after the divorce. When she recovered, she worked at the Goodwill in Spokane, Wash., pricing items.

In her later years, she suffered from dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.

Frank was the love of Irene’s life. I think her life would have been much different if he had come home from the war to make a life with her.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Are baby boomers changing their instant gratification habits?

Recently, when I took a trip to the mall while I was on vacation in Miami, I surprised to see the mall culture alive and well.

People thronged about two hundred stores offering every kind of goodie imaginable. I didn’t see a single boarded up business.

I wondered whether nothing has changed in these difficult economic times. Whether consumers, especially baby boomers famous for their conspicuous consumption, are continuing the shopping life style.

Later I heard a program from National Public Radio’s WBUR on “Our Delayed Gratification Era.”

On Point host Tom Ashbrook interviewed John Lehrer, science writer and contributing editor at Wired, who recently wrote an article for the New Yorker called “Don’t! The Secret of Self Control.”

Leher, author of “How We Decide,” described a 1968 study in which 4 year olds were given one marshmallow or an Oreo cookie and told if they could wait, they’d get a second one. The children rang a bell when they were ready to eat the marshmallow or cookie.

“Every kid decides to wait,” Leher said on the program. Some ring the bell right away, some in 2 minutes, and others in 2.5 minutes. Some wait 15 minutes.

High delayers are better at distracting themselves. They turn their backs on the treat or sing songs from Sesame Street.

During their senior year, the high delayers were studied again. It was found that they got along better with friends, were less likely to do drugs, achieved higher SAT scores, and were more even tempered.

“It’s a dramatic difference,” Leher said. “At the age of 4, will power is more of a predictor of success than IQ.”

Ashbrook wanted to know if low delayers could be taught cognitive strategies to build self control. “It could have big consequences nationwide.”

Walter Mischel, who conducted the tests and is now a professor at Columbia University, is doing research now to see if kids between 4 and 8 can be taught delayed gratification. Low delayers have lost skills to delay gratification and need interventions to get the skills back, he said on the program.

Mischel and his colleagues are hoping to identify the particular brain regions that allow some people to delay gratification and control their temper, reports the New Yorker article. They’re also conducting a variety of genetic tests, as they look for the hereditary characteristics that influence the ability to wait for a second marshmallow.

In American culture, people are used to buying on credit so they can enjoy things immediately. This behavior is sustained by how the brain works, Mischel said. It’s called temporal discounting. People focus on instant gratification not what will happen years from now.

It’s encouraging to think if we could teach a child to delay gratification, it could make a difference in spending patterns as adults, he said. However, at the moment, how teachable this is isn’t known.

Another guest on the program, economic historian Richard Sylla, professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business, said people aren’t currently “snagging” the stuff they normally would. They’re staying out of stores.

Americans were used to rising standard of living until 1990, and generally had been prosperous, said Sylla. In 1990, workers in India, China, and other countries all over the world began competing with U.S. workers.
 
When workers here saw their standard of living was stagnate, they kept their spending up by using home equity loans and credit cards and investing in the stock market and 401Ks. They thought they didn’t need to save.

People with nothing to do would go to store and buy something interesting to distract themselves.

Sylla said he thinks Americans can change. In 1980, President Carter urged Americans to tear up their credit cards during an inflationary period. During the Great Depression, President Roosevelt reassured Americans the banks were safe for deposits, and they began putting their money in banks again.

Mischel also believes people can change their spending habits. His research on psychology and the human mind shows people have plasticity and can change economic and social behavior. People are creatures of evolution and can and do change, he said.

It’s probably time for Americans to cut back, Sylla said. If they save, they’ll learn to get two marshmallows down the road. “A lot of security comes from savings.”

“The word is out,” he said. “People will benefit by saving more.” For example, if they lose their jobs, they’ll need savings for living expenses.

Americans will return to the way they’ve lived through history, Sylla said. The high consumptive lifestyle of recent decades will be abandoned. “I suspect we’ll go back to more delayed gratification."

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist