Positive, Productive, Profitable Retirement News

I'm one lucky guy in many ways - one of them being - I have great grandkids.

Even so, the other day I found myself playing that age-old, seniors's game of criticizing the "younger generation" of being too self centered - of being a group of brash. name brand buyers who couldn't care less about the future - just the now - typical know-it-all old geezer spouting off because he thinks his age makes him wise.

Again, I was sounding like my father - I remember well the lectures that always began with - "When I was a boy I had to............"
What set me off was the retelling of an incident at the a local movie theatre to a gathering of retired buddies meeting at Tim's for a coffee and a Boston Cream doughnut.
A group of teen's continued laughing and gossiping when the movie started and ignored repeated pleas to-shut-the-hell-up - that last request making a difference as it came from a guy who appeared to be taking up four seats.

So there I was, painting an entire generation with the same wide brush - a very bad habit regardless of one's age.

They have labeled these kids the Echo Boomer generation - born between 1982 and 1993. Then there's Generation "Y" - 1970s-1990s - Internet generation - 1994 - 2001 - and on it goes - they labeled my generation as - The Greatest Generation although I was too young to join those who made it great - to learn more about generation labeling - this is the Wikipedia page - opens new window.

But getting back to the Echo group - if my grandkids are any indication, the majority are smart as a whip and generous to a fault and stats prove it.

Visa - who else - conducted a study of Echo's and Boomers - those of us in the greatest generation are not surveyed anymore - could be there's not enough of us left to compile a mathematically correct survey.

Anyway, it seems that the Echo's are indeed misunderstood by we seniors - Take a look at the results - interesting stuff:

• Whereas Echo Boomers have mostly positive views of their older counterparts, Baby Boomers have largely negative views of Echo Boomers and tend to misunderstand this generation.
• Only 25% of Baby Boomers describe the Echo Boomers as an admirable generation compared to 68% of Echo Boomers who admire Baby Boomers.
• Approximately 68% of Baby Boomers believe Echo Boomers are too self-centered and focused upon themselves.
• While Baby Boomers have a desire for youth, only 7% would prefer to be a member of the Echo Boomer generation.

And the kids are not money-spending fanatics:

• Nearly half of Echo Boomers (48%) describe themselves as savers.
• When it comes to shopping, Echo Boomers are focused on getting more value for their money: 69% consider themselves wait-and-see shoppers, and 83% say they are bargain shoppers.
• 80% of Echo Boomers stick to a strict budget when making purchases, and 81% describe themselves as trying to cut back on what they spend.
• Even at their young age, more than 70% of Echo Boomers are concerned about having enough money for retirement, a degree of concern similar to the about-to-retire Baby Boomers (78%).

One other interesting category - my older grandkids fit here:

• Being seen as "financially successful" is important to 49% of Echo Boomers, a 13% increase since 2002.
• Echo Boomers (77%) more often feel the need to manage their spending better than Baby Boomers (66%).
• Echo Boomers believe they have more stress and anxieties compared to other generations (71%).
• Nearly half of Echo Boomers (49%) think that they do not have a better life compared to other generations.

How do your grandkids fit this profile? It seems that contrary to what we old timers may assume - the Echo generation are doing just fine, and remember - Echo Boomers are the first generation to claim the computer as a birthright - thank God for that - when we old timers run into computer trouble, and for me that's about twice a week, grandkids are just a phone call away - and their cheap.

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Retirement News email - My thanks to retired buddy Bernice Dini for the following:

After 21 years of marriage, my wife wanted me to take another woman out to dinner and a movie. She said, "I love you, but I know this other woman loves you and would love to spend some time with you."

The other woman that my wife wanted me to visit was my mother, who had been a widow for 19 years, but the demands of my work and my 3 children had made it possible to visit her only occasionally.

That night I called to invite her to go out for dinner and a movie. "What's wrong, are you well?" She asked.

My mother is the type of woman who suspects that a late night call or surprise invitation is a sign of bad news.

"I thought that it would be pleasant to spend some time with you," I responded. Just the two of us."
She thought about it for a moment, and then said, "I would like that very much."

That Friday after work, as I drove over to pick her up I was a bit nervous. When I arrived at her house, I noticed that she, too, seemed to be nervous about our date. She waited in the door with her coat on. She had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary.

She smiled from a face that was as radiant as an Angel's! "I told my friends that I was going to go out with my son, and they were impressed," she said, as she got into the car. "They can't wait to hear about our meeting."

We went to a restaurant that, although not elegant, was very nice and cozy. My mother took my arm as if she were the First Lady. After we sat down, I had to read the menu. Her eyes could only read large print.

Halfway through the entrees, I lifted my eyes and saw Mom sitting there staring at me.

A nostalgic smile was on her lips. "It was I who used to have to read the menu when you we re small," she said.

"Then it's time that you relax and let me return the favor," I responded.

During the dinner, we had an agreeable conversation-- nothing extraordinary but catching up on recent events of each other's life. We talked so much that we missed the movie. As we arrived at her house later, she said, "I'll go out with you again, but only if you let me invite you."

I agreed.

"How was your dinner date?" Asked my wife when I got home. "Very nice. Much more so than I could have imagined," I answered.

A few days later, my mother died of a massive heart attack. It happened so suddenly that I didn't have a chance to do anything for her. Some time later, I received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant receipt from the same place where mother and I had dined.

An attached note said: "I paid this bill in advance. I wasn't sure that I could be there; but nevertheless I paid for two plates-- one for you and the other for your wife. You will never know what that night meant for me. I love you, son."

At that moment, I understood the importance of saying in time: "I love you," and to give our loved ones the time that they deserve.

Nothing in life is more important than your family - give them the time they deserve, because these things cannot be put off 'til "some other time."

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Now let's grab a coffee - sit back and watch a couple of interesting slide shows - the first, thanks to retired buddy Dan Dombroski - tells the story of The Mysterious Staircase.

And retired buddy Jim Hill forwarded this PowerPoint slide show that has an important message to all of us, regardless of age - We have two choices.

Both of these slide shows are PowerPoint Presentations - if you do not have a PP viewer for your computer - you can download a FREE copy here - opens new window.

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Again this week, I've had to change the "war on terror" honour roll numbers on the Connect2Canada page of the home website.

A Canadian soldier was killed along with five Americans and a Briton when the CH-47 Chinook they were flying in was shot down west of Kandahar..

Killed: Master Cpl. Darrell Jason Priede, a 30-year-old combat photographer.

His death brings to 56 the number of Canadian troops killed at the hands of the enemy or in accidents in Afghanistan since 2002.

They are dead; but they live in each Patriot's breast,
And their names are engraven on honor's bright crest.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Roxanne Priede, in an interview from her home in Grand Forks, B.C., said her son was eager to capture images of Canada's mission in Afghanistan.

"He really wanted to do something that would show more of what the military stood for," Ms. Priede said - "When he called us and told us he had actually applied to go over to Afghanistan, he said he wanted to bring home the news of good stuff that was going on over there - the good things Canadians were doing over there."

More than 18,500 troops make up ISAF, with contributions from 36 nations.

To learn more about the NATO force and mission - click here for their official web site.

Honor to the soldier, and Sailor everywhere , who bravely bears his country's cause,
Honor also to the citizen who cares for his brother in the field, and serves, as he best can, the same cause.
(Abraham Lincoln)

To learn more about this attack plus additional special reports, visit my old network - CTV News - Assignment Afghanistan.

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Now let's work on our creative retirement job - (Go to URL)

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June 4, 2007 - Get Uploaded - Flower Language - Gas Bust - We Men Never Learn

Some one once said - "Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day - teach a person to use the Internet and they won't bother you for weeks."

So true - at least in my case - I find the internet fascinating - a world populated by the brilliant, ordinary and weird, all offering up an uncensored source of news, images, opinions and - information - some of it trivial - some humorous - but most of it essential to our needs.

How many times have you heard this line - "So, I Googled and found out that June is National Headache Awareness Week and also International Accordion Awareness month."

OK, so you may not have heard that line, but the point is that if you had Googled, as I did - "NPR" you would have heard two guys who, for some reason, love the accordion and who blame the Beatles for devaluing the squeezebox by making the guitar supreme.

If you don't believe me - and/or if you really give a damn - you can hear for yourself - opens new window.

My point here is that the internet offers a bonus laden opportunity for retirees to offer up their expertise to others - around the world - by developing an information website.

This idea is also a creative way to make the transition from your working years to your retirement years.

You have worked for so many years and built up the kind of knowledge which only experience can give - now offer it to others.

Years teach us more than books. - Berthold Auerbach

Many in this demographic are, as I was a couple of years ago, are scared off the idea of Ecommerce because they believe that to build a successful online business, from scratch, requires tech knowledge and expertise that's beyond them.
Who wants to spend weeks and months learning HTML, javascript, Search Engine mastery, etc.? And then spend literally hundreds and hundreds of hours simply "keeping up" with the ever-changing Net?

Not I, that's for darn sure - I was clueless about all that techie stuff so I let others take care of it and keep me up to date.

And, I soon realized that a creative retirement job via the internet offered bonuses - work with what you know and love - work it when you want to - even if you're financially secure, the extra revenue is a gauge of your success - gives you a creative challenge that keeps you mentally active.

I urge retirees and those soon-to-be retired to at least check out the easy, building block method that took me by the hand.

---------------------------------------- While researching for the home web site's Retirement Garden chapter, I came across an interesting piece dealing with - The language of Flowers - something, I admit, I wasn't aware of.

Apparently back in Queen Victoria's day - those who participated in a bit of hanky-panky would send messages via flowers.

I also came across a piece from - Collier's Cyclopedia of Commercial and Social Information and Treasury of Useful and Entertaining Knowledge, compiled by Nugent Robinson. P.F. Collier, 1882 about this flower language - you can check it out on the Types of Flowers page.

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Retirement News Update:As for that gas boycott email I mentioned a couple of entries back - it was, from what I could find out, a total bust - no media coverage of any mass demonstrations at the Petro Canada stations last Friday, at least in my town.

I drove by a PC station and it appeared it was business as usual - at a 1.11 a litre - great idea but without media support it's tough to hit the majority.

My thanks to retired buddy Jim Hill for the following kicker:

A man was sitting on the edge of the bed, observing his wife turning back and forth, looking at herself in the mirror.
Since her birthday was not far off, he asked what she'd like to have for her Birthday.

I'd like to be six again, she replied, still looking in the mirror.

On the morning of her Birthday, he arose early, made her a nice big bowl of Lucky Charms, and then took her to Six Flags theme park.

What a day ! He put her on every ride in the park; the Death Slide, the Wall of Fear, the Screaming Monster Roller Coaster... everything there was.
Five hours Later they staggered out of the theme park. Her head was reeling and her stomach felt upside down.

He then took her to a McDonald's where he ordered her a Happy Meal with extra fries and a chocolate shake.
Then it was off to a movie, popcorn, a soda pop, and her favorite candy, M&M's.

What a fabulous adventure !

Finally she wobbled home with her husband and collapsed into bed exhausted.

He leaned over his wife with a big smile and lovingly asked, Well Dear, what was it like being six again ??

Her eyes slowly opened and her __expression suddenly changed - I meant my Dress Size, you dumbass!!

The moral of the story: Even when a man is listening, he's still going to get it wrong.

As a wife once said - "A husband is someone who, after taking the trash out, gives the impression that he just cleaned the whole house."

Now let's start researching our creative retirement job - (Go to URL)

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June 6, 2007 - Seniors and Casinos - Amazing Female Golfer - Wonderful Job Opportunity

So, there we were, standing in line for our freebee buffet dinner at the local casino when I had the strange feeling I had been morphed to a retirement community dining hall - there wasn't a person under the age of 60 in the lineup.

In fact, as I mentioned in an earlier entry - seniors rule the daytime casino hours - hundreds of grey haired retirees, apparently bussed in from every senior residence and community center within a two hundred mile radius, fill the area dominated by the thousand plus slot machines - few hit the tables.

I don't like slot machines - bad odds - it's just a case of being at the right machine at the right time - nothing more nothing less. However, for the majority of seniors, the slots are their game and good luck to them.

Standing in line in front of us was a five foot nothing grandmother with a smile as big as the purse she had slung over her shoulder - actually, it appeared to me to be more of an overnight bag, but to the ladies it was a purse - and she was telling her friends how she had hit the bonus round on the Frog Princess slot and she was up fifteen bucks.

Further eavesdropping revealed her name was Sadie and she was a regular on the casino tour. We also learned that Sadie had to cancel last weeks bus trip because she had lost on the previous visit and she had to wait until the government eagle dropped it's monthly cheque.

Why do seniors like to gamble? According to the experts there are several reasons but the main one is - Excitement - being part of the casino action and atmosphere - it's fun.

It's an escape from all the all of life's problems - many experience a mood altering euphoria while at a machine.
Another biggie, and as I watched Sadie and her buddies, I would assume this fits - social interaction - the casino initially fills the void for many who suffer from loneliness - everyone from the bus driver to the guard at the casino door to the beautiful lady who offers free drinks are friendly.

But there's also a senior's curse - the odd time they win - many senior gamblers may see gambling as a way to solve financial difficulties.

The fact is that many have an unrealistic understanding of the rules of probability and their chances to win at "luck" games - and that is exactly what the slots provide - a "luck" game - nothing more - nothing less.

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And speaking of odds - did you hear about that gal in California who has hit eleven holes-in-one this year - eleven - the chances of getting even one are about 1 in every 5,000 rounds of golf.

Jacqueline Gagne has beaten odds estimated at quadrillions to 1 - and just to show she's not fooling around - she dings one while they were shooting a video of her story.

You can check out this report on ABC news - click on 11 holes-in-one-video.

And while we're on the golf course - you may have heard how the pros visualize shots - everyone from Ben Hogan to Jack Nicklaus say to visualize the golf shot you are about to hit until the time it lands and then make it happen.

But there's a new DVD out - Par and Beyond Secrets to Better Golf, Dr. Jerry Teplitz that totally reverses golf shot visualization.

His theory is that the golfer should visualize the shot beginning with the target spot and landing back at the original lie.

Teplitz explains - "You set the point where you want to be and then track back to where you are. Along the way, you see what steps you have to take to get there. It eliminates the variables along the way. It's a totally positive visualization because you've already attained the goal."

Great stuff - I'm into visualization big time - but I found that you have to hit the ball first before visualization is effective.

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Thanks to retired buddy Jim Hill for the following :

POSITION :
Mom, Mommy, Mama, Ma Dad, Daddy, Dada, Pa, Pop

JOB DESCRIPTION :
Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in an, often chaotic environment.
Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call.

Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities!
Travel expenses not reimbursed - extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES :

The rest of your life.

Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5.
Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly.

Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf.

Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers.
Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects.
Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks.

Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next.
Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices.

Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst.
Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product.
Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION :

None.

Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you.

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE :

None required unfortunately, on-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION :

Get this! You pay them! Offering frequent raises and bonuses.

A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent.

When you die, you give them whatever is left.

The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS :

While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered.

This job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth and free hugs and kisses for life if you play your cards right.

Now let's get working on our creative retirement job - (Go to URL)

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June 8, 2007 - If You Have the Juice - You're Golden and Other Stuff

I realize that the following has diddly to do with retirement - but hey - I'm old - age wise - and I'm expected I wander off course once and while.

But doesn't it twist your tights about the two tier justice system in our courts?

Recently in Canada, two white teens from wealthy and influential families raced their luxury cars down a Toronto street and slammed into a Taxi killing the driver - no jail time - community service.

The Toronto Star, in an editorial, urged the provincial justice minister to repeal the verdict - so far - nada.

Would two African-Canadian teens from the rough and tumble, fight-for-your-life neighbours of TO receive the same sentence? I think not.

Then in the States, party pop-up and porn princess Paris Hilton - of the hotel Hiltons, was sent to the slammer for a 23-day sentence, reduced from 45 days, for driving with a suspended license rap - repeat offence. However, she was released in three because she was crying all night and couldn't sleep and didn't like the food and the Sheriff was concerned about her mental health - house arrest in her mansion.

Would a young Latino woman from the rough and tumble, fight-for-your-life neighbours of LA receive the same sentence? I think not.

This kind of celebrity justice is horse poop and only sends the message - if you have the juice - you're golden.

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And while on the subject of young people not thinking it through - take a look at this video - opens new window.

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Received a reminder from the Canadian Embassy in Washington reminding Canadians and Americans they can continue to cross the Canada-U.S. border by land and sea without a passport for the remainder of 2007.

The U.S. announced that, as of January 23, 2007, all travellers entering, transiting or exiting the United States by air require a valid passport or Nexus card, which can be used at a NEXUS kiosk at designated airports.

However, the U.S. has not yet identified when it will implement its Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, under which only certain documents will be deemed acceptable for entry to the U.S. through land and sea border points.

Canadians will be required to obtain a passport, or other identified document, for travel to the U.S. as of the implementation date, once it has been announced.

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For pet lovers - and we are legion - I just posted a fun pet piece on the home site's pet news page - opens new window. Scroll down to pet news humor.

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Fun video thanks to retired buddy Jim Hill - even a church can be the site for fun stuff - opens new window

New technology is providing us with - some amazing new gadgets - opens new window.

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We have the weekend coming up and then - Monday - for many people that means a serious bout of the Monday Blahs.

A suggestion - while cruising the net the other day, I visited a page on the Mayo Clinic website - I'll send you to that page in a minute.

But their researchers are proving that you can live longer and happier through positive thinking - positive thinking and optimism may provide:

• Decreased negative stress
• Greater resistance to catching the common cold
• A sense of well-being and improved health
• Reduced risk of coronary artery disease
• Easier breathing if you have certain lung diseases, such as emphysema
• Improved coping ability for women with high-risk pregnancies
• Better coping skills during hardships

It's unclear why people who engage in positive thinking experience these health benefits. But one theory is that having a positive outlook enables you to cope better with stressful situations, which reduces the harmful health effects of stress on your body.

Grab a coffee and study this page - opens a new window - it's the - "Is the glass half full or half empty" type of thinking.

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My thanks to retired buddy Tom Adams for todays kicker -

A retired Scotsman phones a dentist to enquire about the cost for a tooth extraction.

"85 dollars for an extraction, Sir," the dentist replied.
"85! Huv ye no' got anythin' cheaper?"
"That's the normal charge," said the dentist.

"Whit aboot if ye did nae use any anesthetic?"
"That's unusual, sir, but I could do it and knock $5 off.

"Whit aboot if ye used one of your dentist trainees and still without an anesthetic?"
"I can't guarantee their professionalism, and it'll be painful - but the price could drop to 40 dollars."

How aboot if ye make it a trainin' session, 'ave yer student do the extraction, with the other students watchin' and learnin'?"
It'll be good for the students," mulled the dentist, "and it's going to be very traumatic - but I'll charge you 5 dollars."

"Och, now yer talkin', Laddie! It's a deal," said the Scotsman.

"Then can ye confirm an appointment next Tuesday for me wife?"

Have a great weekend - now let's get researching you creative retirement job - (Go to URL)

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June 11, 2007 - Retirement News research finds tree-huggers have a sense of humor

Eco Humor - "My husband has been producing copious amounts of 'greenhouse gases' for years, but the temperature in the house has not changed."

I mentioned in the May 18th Blog entry, that I'm trying to change my environmental ways one small step at a time.

First step - purchasing those nifty reusable grocery bags - and yes, I upgraded to the top-of-the-line models - reinforced handle - two side pockets -two-tone green - 1.99 a pop.

Yesterday while on grocery duty, I was truly surprised at how many others have jumped on the environmental bandwagon to say nay to plastic - but the fun part is in the parking lot.

With their shopping carts loaded with these reusable bags and casting holier-than-thou glances at the plastic bag people - they loaded their green bags into gas guzzling SUV's - and one, so help me - loaded their green bags into a Hummer - "Gee, I'm helping to save the plant - look at my reusable shopping bags." - followed by - "get out of my way you hybrid scum"

However, I'm certainly not in any position to point a finger at others - when you compute my environmental lifestyle in an eco-calculator, such as the one you can check at ecofoot.org, - I wouldn't be allowed through the door at any tree-hugger gathering - according to this eco-calculator - "IF EVERYONE LIVED LIKE ME, WE WOULD NEED 3.6 PLANETS."

What to do? I'm too old to grab a lift in Al Gore's private jet - I still like to drive - no way I'm going vegetarian - at least not all the way - maybe I'll try to fit in the one day a week they ask for.
I don't know if this helps or not - but we turn off the light bulbs at night while watching television and use candles - I find it relaxing - the wife thinks it's romantic - a win-win.

The wife also asked me to put up a clothes line in the backyard - I told her I can't -there's a city law against clothes lines - I think.

So, I'll move ahead with my shopping bags and continue to participate in our city' garbage, paper and can recycling programme and maybe - just maybe - I can bring my eco footprint down to two and half planets before I become part of the environment.

Here's another thing I found out about tree-huggers - they have a funny side.

George Meyer - a writer for the Simpsons and an environmentalist - wrote an essay - Welcoming Homer the Tree-hugger - "If you are not currently choking a panda, welcome aboard!"

Meyer, who is promoting the green movement, opens with the confession - "Are you a hypocrite? Because I certainly am.

I'm an animal lover who wears leather shoes; a vegetarian who can't resist smoked salmon. I badger my friends to see the Al Gore movie, but I also fly on fuel-gulping jets. Great clouds of hypocrisy swirl around me."

If you want to read the rest of the essay - click here - opens a new window.

More green fun stuff - check out these videos - Blue Man Group - Can you hear? Loud and clear!- opens new window.

From the Jimmy Kimmel TV show - Al Gore Blames Children for Global Warming - opens new window.

"I was watching that movie Mad Max, you know that movie where gas is so precious that people are killing each other for a few gallons. It was set in the future -- I believe it was August." --Jay Leno

In a recent newspaper article, Ryan Kennedy, a PhD student in environmental health at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, says the key to eco-jokes is to "focus on the ridiculousness." - example - "Hugging a tree to celebrate Earth Day wasn't enough: I say we all start kissing trees. I mean, full-on kisses. Long, slow, deep, soft, wet kisses that last for days, or at least until you get a splinter."

And finally - The Ten Best Things about Global Warming:

10. Why pay for tattoos when melanoma's free?
9. No more pesky weeds. In fact, no more pesky plants.
8. Nile Encephalitis: not just for Egyptians anymore.
7. Furnaces convert easily into tornado shelters.
6. Helsinki: the new Riviera.
5. Middle East oil producers feel right at home- everywhere.
4. Golfers only need a putter and a sand wedge.
3. For those who can't get enough of global warming - one word - Venus.
2. Steaks, medium rare, on the hoof.
1. Three thongs and you're dressed!

That's it for today - Hey! Maybe the environment is an issue for a creative retirement job for you - check out the possibilities - (Go to URL)

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June 13, 2007 - Golf Weight Loss, Fact or Fiction - I'm Not Old, I'm Mature

According to these guys, the way I play, I should have lost about 21 pounds during the past two months - I haven't - actually I've gained a pound and a half - so I assume their research is flawed.

In case you missed it -Dr. Jay Smith, a sports medicine doctor at the Mayo Clinic and other researchers studied golfers who walked 18 holes an found participants walked more than seven kilometres (4.34 miles) and accumulated nearly 12,000 steps, bettering the recommended 10,000 steps daily.

Dr. Smith declares - "This is the first investigation to determine the physical activity of golf in the context of steps taken during an 18-hole round.
Despite previous research that has questioned the intensity of golf in the context of physical exercise, our data clearly indicate that golf participation can contribute considerably to an overall daily physical activity plan,"

So far so good - but here's the rub - at least for me - Brian Butters, executive director of the Professional Golfers' Association of British Columbia points out - "I've heard some people say golf is not really a legitimate form of exercise, but I absolutely disagree with that, especially for people who walk the course and carry their clubs.

But I would think the less developed your skill, the more exercise you'll get, since hitting balls wildly off the target will require more walking to find your ball.

And then of course there is the extra expenditure of energy (calories) when you whack your club in frustration against a tree, not that I am recommending that."

Mike Longridge, another golf pro agreed with Butters - that golfers such as himself, with a zero handicap, might get less exercise because of their shot accuracy, while golfers who slice and hook might take more steps.

"Hitting balls wildly off the target" - he's seen me play.

So, one would think that hackers like myself, who cover more of the golf course than the groundskeeper, would be shedding pounds after every round - not so - at least not in my case - but, on the hand my son Gord - a scratch golfer - hasn't lost any weight either

Anyway, the message here is for all of us to get our butts off the lazy-boy and move it - and contrary to popular thinking - golf is a wonderful form of exercise - if you walk instead of cart.

Researchers at Queen Margaret University College in Edinburgh, Scotland, had students walking a treadmill at various speeds and their steps were counted and the results showed:

• At low speed (3.2 km/h - 1.99 mph) individuals would expend 240 calories if they walked a total of 10,000 steps a day.
• At a moderate or brisk walking speed of (6.4 km/h - 3.98 mph), they would expend 410 calories if they walked a total of 10,000 steps a day.

Other research as shown that adults who take at least 9,000 steps a day are more likely to be classed as normal weight while those who take fewer than 5,000 steps are day are more likely to be obese. Health benefits (less body fat and lower blood pressure) accrue in individuals who take 10,000 or more steps a day.

So, tell the wife and or husband, your golf games with the boys and or girls is for health reasons only - that you plan to walk 18 holes and cover more than seven kilometres and accumulate nearly 12,000 steps. - she and or he should be very impressed with your dedication to good health.

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My thanks to retired buddy Carole Clooney for the following:

Today at the drugstore, the clerk was a gent.
From my purchase this chap took off ten percent.
I asked for the cause of a lesser amount; And he answered,
Because of the Seniors Discount.

I went to McDonald's for a burger and fries;
And there, once again, got quite a surprise. The clerk poured some coffee which he handed to me.
He said, For you, Seniors, the coffee is free.

Understand---I'm not old---I'm merely mature;
But some things are changing, temporarily, I'm sure. The newspaper print gets smaller each day,
And people speak softer---can't hear what they say.

My teeth are my own (I have the receipt.), and my glasses identify people I meet.
Oh, I've slowed down a bit...not a lot, I am sure.
You see, I'm not old...I'm only mature.

The gold in my hair has been bleached by the sun.
You should see all the damage that chlorine has done. Washing my hair has turned it all white,
But don't call it gray...saying blond is just right.

My car is all paid for...not a nickel is owed.
Yet a kid yells, Old duffer...get off of the road! My car has no scratches...not even a dent.
Still I get all that guff from a punk who's Hell bent.

My friends all get older...much faster than me.
They seem much more wrinkled, from what I can see. I've got character lines, not wrinkles...for sure,
But don't call me old...just call me mature.

The steps in the houses they're building today
Are so high that they take...your breath all away; And the streets are much steeper than ten years ago.
That should explain why my walking is slow

But I'm keeping up on what's hip and what's new,
And I think I can still dance a mean boogaloo.
I'm still in the running...in this I'm secure,
I'm not really old...I'm only mature.

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Sadly, once again, I've had to change the "war on terror" honour roll numbers on the Connect2Canada page of the home website.

A Canadian soldier in Afghanistan was killed and two others wounded Monday, in a roadside bombing attack about 40 kilometres north of Kandahar.

Trooper Darryl Caswell, 25, of Bowmanville, Ontario who served with the Royal Canadian Dragoons based at Petawawa, Ont., died when the bomb went off near the vehicle in which he was travelling.

His death brings to 57 the number of Canadian troops killed at the hands of the enemy or in accidents in Afghanistan since 2002.

They are dead; but they live in each Patriot's breast,
And their names are engraven on honor's bright crest.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Trooper Caswell's mother and stepmother said their son died doing what he believed in.

The motto of the Dragoons is "Bold and Swift," and his regimental buddies said Caswell was known for his love of speed in the driver's seat of his Coyote.
They nicknamed him "Ricky Bobby" after a Will Ferrell character of a race car driver obsessed with going fast - but mostly, they just called him 'Cas.

More than 18,500 troops make up ISAF, with contributions from 36 nations.

To learn more about the NATO force and mission - click here for their official web site.

Honor to the soldier, and Sailor everywhere , who bravely bears his country's cause,
Honor also to the citizen who cares for his brother in the field, and serves, as he best can, the same cause.
(Abraham Lincoln)

To learn more about this attack plus additional special reports, visit my old network - CTV News - Assignment Afghanistan.

Now let's work on our creative retirement job - (Go to URL)

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June 15, 2007 - Retirement News Grab Bag - Videos and Other Stuff

My email in-box is overflowing - which is a good thing, because most of it is "A" material forwarded by retired buddies and readers of this tri weekly ramble - so get yourself a coffee or beer or a glass of wine - sit back and enjoy.

First, a video salute to Marie Rudisill, who passed away last November at the age of 95.
The name may not ring a bell, but Marie was the delightful, feisty old broad that appeared occasionally on Jay Leno's Tonight Show in the "Ask the Fruitcake Lady" segments.

Marie was a hoot as she ad libbed her responses to questions from viewers. It often occurred to me as I watched her that Marie was the kind of gal you would want to hear from at your retirement community members meeting - just to shake folks up a bit. .

What few people knew about Marie was she was an aunt to novelist Truman Capote (his mother, Lillie Mae Faulk, was her elder sister) and she helped to raise Capote, who lived with her at times during his childhood, both in Alabama and New York City.

Anyway, heaven has to be a lot livelier now that Marie has joined the group - here's a clip of Marie in action on the Tonight Show - opens new window

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This next one was originally sent in by retired buddy Bill Ozard out there in oil rich Alberta - however, the audio portion was missing - it featured a type of music I favour - plus I wanted to add the cut to my music library, so I asked Bill if he could find the original.
He backtracked and Astrid Doidge - who went to a great deal of trouble for me - found the missing email.

The piano player is Clarence Pine Top Smith - and this is one of the first recorded versions of "Boogie Woogie" - dates back to the year of my birth, 1928 - the accompanying script is a bonus - opens new window.

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A few entries back I was praising the work of Canadian standup comedian, Ron James - now here's another Canadian comedy talent that has become a family favourite - Russell Peters - matter of fact my wife, when playing around with the grandkids often uses one of Peter's main laugh lines - "Somebody gonna get a hurt real bad." - that's what his East Indian father used to say to Peters when he was growing up.

But now I find that we're not the only ones who have latched on to Peters - he just finished two sold out performances at the George Washington University Auditorium and when it was announced he was planning across Canada summer tour, all his major city arena shows sold out in just hours.

Advance warning - some profanity - Here's a sample of Russell Peters - and here's another - cutting tension with the Indian accent.

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Thanks to retired buddy Jim Hill for the following update - yes, I did receive that email about reversing your ATM pin to call police- turns out - not true - Jim directs us to Snope.com for the full story.

Thanks to retired buddy Tom Adams for the follow "New Words" to update our dictionaries:

1. BLAMESTORMING: Sitting around in a group, discussing why a deadline was missed or a project failed, and who was responsible.
2. SEAGULL MANAGER:A manager who flies in, makes a lot of noise, craps on everything, and then leaves.
3. ASSMOSIS:The process by which some people seem to absorb success and advancement by kissing up to the boss rather than working hard.
4. SALMON DAY: The experience of spending an entire day swimming upstream; only to get screwed and die in the end.
5. MOUSE POTATO:The on-line, wired generation's answer to the couch potato.
6. STRESS PUPPY: A person who seems to thrive on being stressed out and whiny.
7. SWIPEOUT:An ATM or credit card that has been rendered useless because magnetic strip is worn away from extensive use.
8. IRRITAINMENT: Entertainment and media spectacles that are annoying but you find yourself unable to stop watching them.
9. PERCUSSIVE MAINTENANCE: The fine art of whacking the crap out of an electronic device to get it to work again.
10. ADMINISPHERE:The rarefied organizational layers beginning just above the rank and file. Decisions that fall from the adminisphere are often profoundly inappropriate or irrelevant to the problems they were designed to solve.
11. 404: Someone who's clueless. From the World Wide Web Error Message: "404 Not Found," meaning that the requested site could not be located
12. GENERICA: Features of the American landscape that are exactly the same no matter where one is, such as fast food joints, strip malls, and subdivisions.

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And thanks to retired buddy Bernice Dini for today's kicker -

Grandma and her birth control!

After working most of her life Grandma finally retired.
At her next checkup, the new doctor told her to bring a list of all the medicines that had been prescribed for her.
As the young doctor was looking through these, his eyes grew wide as he realized she had a prescription for birth control pills.

"Mrs. Smith, do you realize these are BIRTH CONTROL pills?

"Yes, they help me sleep at night."

"Mrs. Smith, I assure you there is absolutely NOTHING in these that could possibly help you sleep!"

She reached out and patted the young Doctor's knee.
"Yes, dear, I know that. But every morning, I grind one up and mix it in the glass of orange juice that my 16 year old granddaughter drinks....and believe me - it helps me sleep at night."

You gotta love Grandmas!

Now let's start researching our creative retirement job - (Go to URL)

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June 18, 2007 - Time to Take Action - Home Remedies for Retired People - web wanderings