Friday, April 30, 2010

WineontheKeyboard

WineontheKeyboard


Pansies

Posted: 30 Apr 2010 04:01 AM PDT

Thanks for the hugs and cheering up yesterday. I’m pretty much over my funk. I think…

I decided that taking photos of flowers would cheer me right up!

pretty-pansies

It did!

Now on to the important discussion! Why in the world do you think that the word pansy became something bad to call a person? Why is being a pansy considered being wimpy or gay? I’d think being a pansy should mean being bright, cheerful, perky! Ah, well, I’ll never fully understand the English language. Do you have other words that you can’t figure out how they became twisted to their slang meaning?

Similar Posts:

The Boomer Blog

The Boomer Blog


FH Boom Daily Digest – April 29, 2010

Posted: 29 Apr 2010 05:33 AM PDT

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

How the sandwich generation can ease the money squeeze
Robert Powell
MarketWatch
April 29, 2010

Overview: "I spend my nights worrying about my nearly 80-year-old father and stepmother. My wife and I spend our days worrying about funding college bills for four children (expected cost $1 million at Harvard with no scholarships, loans, grants and the like). And in between those worries, I think about saving $3 million (give or take a million) for retirement."
http://tinyurl.com/2fboxnl

Baby Boomers May Work Longer to Retire, Harris Says: Tom Keene
Mary Childs and Tom Keene
Bloomberg
April 28, 2010

Overview: "Baby boomers may work longer than they expected after personal wealth was decimated during the financial crisis, according to Ethan Harris, a Bank of America Corp. economist."
http://tinyurl.com/22rpkos

Adapt or die, Microsoft warns business
Brian Groom
Financial Times
April 29, 2010

Overview: "Businesses must make radical changes to their structure and operations in response to social change or lose out to more nimble competitors in the coming decades, a report by Microsoft warned on Thursday."
http://tinyurl.com/2395vmo

Death and taxes, with interest
Lisa Kocian
Boston Globe
April 29, 2010

Overview: "A little-known program helps seniors stay in their homes, but the final cost can vary widely."
http://tinyurl.com/287oueb

Going Like Sixty

Going Like Sixty


Testy Censors Take a Field Trip

Posted: 29 Apr 2010 02:55 PM PDT

Today was #2 or 3 (I forget which) of my training to be an official U.S. gummit census taker – censor – or census enumerator to use the official term.

I’m not sure how some of my fellow censors made it out of bed and all the way to Trainyville, Kentucky.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention: even though everybody is from Smallburg, Kentucky, we all are getting paid fifty cents a mile to drive to Trainyville, Kentucky. Fifty-two miles round trip. I think that’s about $26 every day times 16 of us is somewhere north of $400 a day. (I are a sworn official of the gummit so don’t question it because I know where you live.)

Almost all of the other censors are very, very, very concerned with “what if…”

  • somebody comes to the door with a shotgun?
  • has a meth lab?
  • has a mean dog on the loose?
  • is beating their boy/girl/husband/wife/dog/?
  • won’t answer the door?
  • refuses to answer my questions?

I am NOT making this up. These are the kind of “what if…” scenarios tossed about ALL damn morning. Do these people roll out of bed looking for trouble normally? If so, why would you apply for a job where the primary requisite is “knocking on strangers doors and asking personal questions.”

Finally, the farmer/head-censor trainer assuaged the fears of the group and sent us into the field for some REAL censor work.

I was with a group of four guys – all of us geezers. The first stop the group decided to make was Split Tree Barbecue for lunch. (I being a shadow of my former self- and only five measly pounds away from my weight-loss goal, waited in the car.)

One of the geezers was an assistant crew-leader and needed to rate each of us. This was our first real life test of what we learned. I volunteered to go first because then I could go home!

The first NRFU address was two trailers that shared a curving gravel driveway. Oh hell, imagine rural Kentucky stereotypical redneck trailers and you know exactly what the scene was.

Now imagine a typical redneck female walking toward one trailer, while three redneck men gathered at the tail end of a pickup. Stereotypes still apply.

The NRFU address was the trailer where the guys and the pickup were – naturally!

Now, suspend all stereotypes.

The woman was very friendly, greeted us warmly, explained that  she just arrive two weeks ago – from SAN DIEGO! She confirmed the NRFU address we needed was the other trailer where the guys were, but she also explained “none of them live there, the woman who lives there is gone.”

The guys standing at the back of the truck couldn’t have been nicer, or more accommodating. They knew the owner of the trailer, where she worked, what kind of truck she drove and about when she would be home. A censor would have to return a later day.

We bid them farewell and adieu, except it sounded more like: “Y’ll bin rail kahnned, ‘n’ you take care now.”

The Boomer Chronicles

The Boomer Chronicles


Dan the Early Retired Man: No More Winters

Posted: 29 Apr 2010 05:52 AM PDT

My cousin Dan, who retired early from the U.S. Postal Service last year at age 53, decides to ditch the bitter North for warmer climes:

Like many "boomers" we have been empty nesters for some time. With the exception of Thanksgiving, when all of the family returns home, four of our five bedrooms are empty. We should have sold the house five years ago when our youngest went off to college and the housing market was white hot.

Five years ago I was planning to retire at 55. My commute to work was less that 3 miles round trip and my wife's work was also short, about 4 miles. We liked the city, and our neighbors, so it didn't make any sense to move to a smaller place with a longer commute. So I continued to cut the grass, something I have been doing since I was 10, and shoveling the snow, something I absolutely hate, especially when it's 10 below. Then an offer of an early retirement and the long Minnesota winter convinced me that it was time.

When we left New Jersey for Minnesota 16 years ago, selling the house was easy. I had to report to my new job in Minnesota months before the house would sell, leaving the task of selling the house to my wife. We also had a company-paid relocation firm that would buy the house if we didn't sell it, relieving all of the selling anxiety. The relocation firm would also hire the movers, pack up the house and pay the closing costs. Now 16 years later, it would all be up to us (well, it would mostly fall to my wife again).

Secretly, I wanted to sell the house right after I retired, but my daughter's wedding needed to take priority. With the wedding behind us and a trip to Hawaii to recover, we took a weekend away in Arizona. A previous trip to the Grand Canyon state convinced me it was the place to live, but would my wife like it?

While walking around one of the many retirement communities west of Phoenix, we met a man from Minnesota. He was 70 but looked like he was in his 50s. He had been in Arizona for 10 years and told us he would never go back. He drove his golf cart to the community's "fishin’ hole" a few times a week to get his fishing fix. Nothing more needed to be said. My wife was in.

Now we just have to sell the house.

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Consumer Boomer

Consumer Boomer


eHealthInsurance Review: Health Insurance for the Self-Employed

Posted: 29 Apr 2010 05:25 AM PDT

When it comes to planning for retirement, the one thing that can wipe you out in a hurry is the rising cost of health insurance.   Although, many feel that the new Obamacare program will save all (it does help with low income families), the reality is that having to pay for health insurance will always be a constant.  So how do you really save on your health insurance premiums?  One solution is the online health insurance provider eHealthInsurance.com.


Instant Health Insurance Quotes

You can think of eHealthInsurance is as a hub for all the major players when it comes to health insurance.  The company was founded in 1997, and currently offers one of the best sites for side by side  comparisons between health care providers as well as the ability to get health insurance quotes.

Ready to get a quote for health insurance? Click here to begin the quick and easy process.

Primarily, they help with with individuals and families, but they also cater to small business owners.  Having such a strong tie with the self-employed, they have been able to partner with 180 health insurance companies.  To the consumer, that just means more competitive rates.   eHealthInsurance offers a wide selection of almost 5000 health insurance plans like, student health insurance, dental health insurance, etc.  They have the ability to offer health insurance to all 50 states and have partnered with all the majors players considering: Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Aetna, AARP, Humana, Coventry Health,  and Kaiser Permanente.

How to Get Quotes Online With eHealthInsurance


Quote Compare Apply

Shopping for golf clubs can be fun, but shopping for health insurance is a chore at best.  Luckily, eHealthInsurance makes it easy for consumers to find an affordable health care option for them and their family.  And the best part is that you are not obligated to buy anything.  How easy is it?  The site boasts that you’ll have you’ll have health insurance in 11 minutes! All you have to do is go to the home page and type in your zip code.  Once you type your zip code, you’ll be taken to this page:

eHealthInsurance Required Info

eHealthInsurance Required Info

As you can see, you’re just required to enter some basic information for yourself and your family.  After you select your county and date that you wish to begin health insurance coverage, the information you’ll need is their  gender, date of birth, whether you or family members are tobacco users in the past 12 months, and if anyone is a full-time college student.

After you enter that data, you’re instantly taken to the screen that shows you how many different providers there are in your area. Doing a quick search revealed 130 plans starting off as low as $53.38 per month.  That took all of 3 minutes to get.

What If You don’t Know What Type of Insurance You Need?

Type of health insurance you need

24/7 Customer Support

Choosing the right type of health insurance can be a tall order for anyone.  For some people (including myself) trying to understand the ins and outs of health insurance is trying to learn advanced French.  Tha’ts one more reason that sets eHealthInsurance apart from the competition.  They have a customer service rep on hand to answer your health insurance questions 24/7.   At the top right of their web page, you can click on the “24/7 Live Expert Advice” tab and you’ll see three ways you can contact them.  You can call them direct, “click to talk” where you enter your phone number and they’ll return your call immediately, or you can click to chat.

eHealthInsurance Affordable for Small Business Owners

health insurance for the self employed

Health Insurance for the Self Employed

As mentioned in the beginning, eHealthInsurance also caters to small business owners by offering group health insurance packages.  If your a small business owner that is shopping rates, it doesn’t hurt to give them a try.  In addition to health insurance, they also offer group dental and vision.

Does it Cost Anything to use eHealthInsurance?

All the services offered by eHealthInsurance are provided at no extra cost to you, the consumer. If you buy a health insurance plan through eHealthInsurance, you’ll pay the regular monthly premium to the health insurance company you chose, but you’ll pay nothing to additional to them. Their fees are paid by the insurance companies in the form of commissions, which are built into the premium amount.

What if You Already Have a Doctor You Like?

This was a big issue for us.  Our pediatrician is also our family doctor, so it was important for us to be able to use the same doctor.  Thankfully, eHealthInsurance allows you to do a search based on what carriers are in your doctor’s network.  Doing a quick search and we found over 25 insurance providers that we can use.   It’s nice to have choices and that’s exactly what we had with eHealthInsurance.

Is eHealthInsurance Right For You?

If you’re in the market for health insurance, it’s hard to deny all the benefits that eHealthInsurance provides.  They have many different choices and it literally takes minutes to get a quote (I’d almost wager it would take less than the 11 minutes they tout).

Ready to get a quote for health insurance? Click here to begin the quick and easy process.

WineontheKeyboard

WineontheKeyboard


Sometimes

Posted: 29 Apr 2010 03:08 AM PDT

hyacith-6599Sometimes when I’m all alone in the house…and there are no cell phones dinging with text messages. No video games raging in the background. No slamming front door. No clambering up and down the stairs. No boy noise at all…

It is all just so still and quiet.

Sometimes I miss it so deeply that it takes my breath away. I’m just sayin’.

Can I get a hug? Do any of you feel the same way sometimes?

Similar Posts:

The Boomer Blog

The Boomer Blog


FH Boom Daily Digest – April 28, 2010

Posted: 28 Apr 2010 05:09 AM PDT

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Senior Care a Major Economic Player
Paul Hogan
Atlanta-Journal Constitution
April 28, 2010

Overview: "The effort to rein in galloping health care costs — which no less a figure than Warren Buffett has described as "a tapeworm eating at our economic body" — is rarely mentioned in the same sentence with job creation. In fact, most policymakers probably assume the two goals are on a collision course."
http://tinyurl.com/27nrpvd

How to age-proof your career
Dan Kadlec
Money Magazine
April 28, 2010

Overview: "At a company golf outing a few years ago, Michael Levine tried to rattle his 24-year-old colleague as he was about to putt by stealing a line from the 1980 movie "Caddyshack:" "Noonan!" he yelled, just as the caddies in the film did to disrupt a character on the green. The joke fell flat -- painfully flat. The young man had never seen the movie; heck, he'd barely heard of it."
http://tinyurl.com/27mvk2c

Creating homes that accommodate everybody is a growing trend
Merlisa Corbett
Washington Examiner
April 28, 2010

Overview: "During the process of remodeling his home to accommodate his son's needs, Walther became engrossed in universal design, the concept of creating products, buildings and environments that meet the needs of everyone, not just the disabled or elderly."
http://tinyurl.com/247fy4v

Now may be time to consider active adult communities
Deborah R. Huso
Washington Examiner
April 28, 2010

Overview: "Seniors are living longer and healthier lives, and that is changing the face of retirement housing. Many baby boomers seeking to relocate for the sake of lower-maintenance living are not necessarily planning to downsize or decrease activity levels. For them, active adult communities, also known as age-restricted communities, often are the answer for a more carefree lifestyle without sacrificing living space."
http://tinyurl.com/2bchkyy

Going Like Sixty

Going Like Sixty


Let Me Tell You About My Wife’s Filing

Posted: 28 Apr 2010 05:31 PM PDT

Nancy does a lot of things great.
Nancy does a lot of great things.

Filing isn’t one of them.

She is the only person I know who had to take “Filing” as a college course.
And she got a D.

Here’s a screenshot of our desktop. (click image to enlarge.)

She still hasn’t grasped the idea of filing.
I’ve given up.