Monthly Archives: May 2013
East Canyon Yellow Balsomroot Sunset…
How did the Pop-Stars Celebrate their Gold Anniversary?
May 19, 2013 was an important milestone for the old couple. It was their 50th wedding anniversary; a day they thought would never come. As the years passed they increasingly wondered whether they would live long enough to reach a half century together, twice as long married as they had been single.
As May approached Pop-Star proudly told others of the approaching event, thinking it was a remarkable achievement; but his pride was dented when a 92-year-old croquet playing friend responded to his boast, saying that he and his wife were about to celebrate their 70th anniversary. Remarkable!
Friends invariably wanted to know how they were going to celebrate the occasion! Pop-Star wasn’t sure. At first he had imagined a grand “do”, with lots of well-wishing family and friends listening to him intently, as he made a grand speech with the best of his funny stories. But he quickly discarded this idea. He didn’t really enjoy the spotlight.
His other dilemma was the choice of a suitable gift for MPS. Some say for those who are over seventy,” if they can’t eat it, wear it, or read it, don’t give it”. An obvious choice would be a gold ring perhaps, but her engagement and wedding rings were gold. What would be the point of another? Perhaps it would be better to give her cash?
He needed guidance, and on their own one evening he asked her. How about a gold hand-shake for the gold anniversary? MPS was not amused. She didn’t at all like the phraseology. He had to resort to a little fast-talking to explain that it wasn’t a severance package he was offering. More like compensation for spending her best years in hard labour for her admittedly grateful husband.
As usual, she was not particularly helpful with suggestions. “Really I don’t need anything”. ” Just a nice cuddle will do”! Pop-Star kind of liked the idea, and ended the discussion on that note of intimacy. He well knew he would rather not have to wait for the “big day” to avail himself of that invitation.
How did the day turn out? Pop-Star will tell more of the story next time round.
Work After Work?
An article from the International Longevity Centre (UK)
http://www.ilcuk.org.uk/index.php/publications/publication_details/extending_working_lives_a_provocation
Extending working lives: a provocation
15 May 2013
Despite nearly a million people aged 65+ now in employment, the gap between effective retirement age and state pension age remains a drag on the UK economy, which will be exacerbated further by population ageing.
In a new Provocation, made possible through support from NESTA (www.nesta.org.uk), ILC-UK argue that despite some “green shoots”, Government and companies need to facilitate greater innovation to support the needs of older workers.
NIESR has estimated that an increase in the UK’s effective retirement age of one year would benefit the public finances by around £13 billion (or 1 per cent of GDP).
Research by PwC estimated that raising state pension age to 70 rather than 68 by 2046 would have a net fiscal benefit of around 0.6 per cent of GDP.The Provocation argues that raising the State Pension Age will only minimise the economic impacts of ageing if it is accompanied by a lengthening of working lives. ILC-UK point out that for this to occur we need to create labour market conditions that allow an older workforce to emerge – and thrive.
The Provocation highlights a number of case studies of “green shoots of innovation” in the area of working longer, with some employers taking proactive steps, with their employees, to respond to our ageing society. But ILC-UK argue that further employer and user-led innovations are needed to support extended working lives.
With an ageing society we will have more older people relative to younger. If we are to realise the economic benefit of more older workers, employers, employees and government must work together to build and test new models of working for older people.
ILC-UK argue that:
• We must all act to change our attitudes to retirement and working longer
• Employers must take the initiative in leading innovation
• Older workers’ attitudes and aspirations must shape the agenda
• There is a need for a strategic approach, with integration of policy to support older workers with other areas, such as health, pensions and educationThe Provocation highlights a number of case studies of innovation from the UK and around the world, including:
• BMW reorganised a production line to reflect needs of older workers- and increased productivity by 7% in a year.
• Ernst and Young maintain alumni networks as a recruitment source for older workers – 1 in 4 of their older recruits comes from this network.
• Dutch company Achmea Holdings offers a number of benefits, including a health promotion programme which has significantly reduced instances of ill-health.
• J Sainsbury has pioneered a flexible retirement scheme allowing employees to reduce their working hours, claim part of their pension while continuing to accrue further pension entitlements for when they fully retire.Efforts of employers “must be supported by a long term national strategy which creates a sustainable framework for interventions”.
Tailor-made employment for retirees may become a necessity in the years to come as the cost of providing aged pensions increases.
This could be a Win – Win – Win situation for retirees, industry, and government, if opportunities are created with care and compassion.
What do you think?
Related articles
- Retiring is bad for your health (express.co.uk)
- Being out of work harms your health â even if it’s because you’ve retired (newstatesman.com)
- Meeting the challenges of an ageing population (ageukblog.org.uk)
The amazing skills of human physique.
This video clip from my Google web-site caught my attention.
It is incredible the feats that can be accomplished with apparent ease; but not recommended for the elderly I think.
Too busy to live!
No excuse when you stop working!
Aren’t you people excited when someone is asking you “hey, how have you been?”
Isn’t that the time to show the world how important, how significant, how productive you are, isn’t that the magical moment that gives meaning to your whole life, isn’t that the moment to make sure that there is no hint of doubt left in the poor smack’s head of HOW the world would cease to exist if you wouldn’t be around, of how irreplaceable you are!
Only wimps would answer that question with “Fine, thank you”, noooooo, no, no, wrong!!!!! A real important person would never do that; a real important person would rather have all their body hair removed by a Neanderthalian beast armed with hot wax and sambuca than to say that!!!
No, the real significant person would jump at the opportunity, as fast as Oscar Pistorius at the gun, (I mean the starting…
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A Very Special Wedding
An intensely interesting post
March 23rd 2013 was a special day.
It was special in Britain because the weather did something rather odd – it went back in time.
More accurately, the weather seemed to give up being Spring and decided that Winter was a much better idea.
Coincidentally, that happened to make the wedding of two of our friends rather special as it was also the day of their wedding and the world became as white as the Bride’s dress. The snow lay thick enough in Oxford, UK to cover everything in a thick, beautiful blanket but not so bad that guests and the wedding couple themselves couldn’t make it to the church.
For Thing I and I, it was a very special privilege even if we were feeling the cold rather a lot. We’d only been back in the country for a handful of days just as Bangladesh began its hot season…
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Boston Marathon Bombing Reveals the Best in People and a Dark Side to Twitter
Yesterday our nation reeled from a senseless attack on innocent people. I know here at home, we were desperately reaching out for answers. My husband had family in Boston and I had friends who were participating in the race. We were scrambling to make sure our loved ones were okay (all is fine, btw). We mourn as a nation, as humans. We are grateful for the brave people who ran toward danger to render aid to the suffering.
There were nurses, doctors and other medical professionals participating in the marathon. Despite the fact they were at the end of running over twenty-six miles, they still dove in to assist those injured in spite of their own exhaustion and pain. Carlos Arredondo, who lost his son in Iraq, bravely jumped a security fence into a pile of fallen bodies and immediately rendered aid.
I am awed, humbled and amazed…
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Breathing for good health and weight loss
Breathing is something most of us take it for granted and it is one of the most important life sustaining energy sources. We can survive without food for few days, but can’t survive without breathing even few minutes. It is the very first act we do on coming to this world is to breathe air in to the lungs and also the last act on death is to release last breath.
Another point to note is that improper breathing practices might be contributing to several poor physical and mental health issues many people face. Our health & wellbeing to large extend depends on the quality of our breathing.
We can control breathing through conscious act and practice. Slow down your breathing and feel immediate improvement in mental calmness, clarity of thoughts and happiness. Take deep breath and feel improved energy levels.
Good breathing habits strengthen immune system, improve mental concentration…
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Life after work 