November 10, 2008 - Extra Retirement Income - Lest We Forget - Fun Videos - This thing Called Happiness
There were six of them - the youngest was 67 years old - the oldest, 79 - they had just finished a morning on the shuffleboard court, now they were lounging in deck chairs on the patio that separates the rec hall from the pool and the topic of conversation was the economy.
Several admitted to taking a heavy kick in the portfolio - all agreed they would have to tighten their retirement budgets - no one mentioned the need to find a job - if so, they‘re the lucky ones.
The Associated Press reported last week - "Working in retirement is fast becoming the norm for many older Americans -- forced by dwindling financial resources and a recessionary economy to stay in or return to the job market."
As promoted by the host site, seniors, or anyone else for that matter, who are looking for supplementary income should look to the internet - there’s all kinds of possibilities to make a buck - granted, I’m not talking about big, luxury-living bucks, but rather the possibility of making enough to cover some of your retirement expenses.
There’s another major benefit - the whole routine of researching and learning Ecommerce will keep you busy and mentally active - it’s vital to overcome the feeling that everything is out of control - stay positive and positive things will happen - it ain’t easy - but you must train to become a mental athlete to stay positive and win the game.
I’m going to post a couple of links here for those of you who have never given a thought to making money on the internet and to those, who, like myself while in my mid 70’s, don’t know diddly about computers and the internet - this is free stuff - all it will cost you is time and maybe - just maybe - it will start you off in another money earning direction.
Attention Canadian readers - one of my favourite comedians is starting his next Canadian tour next week - opening date out west - his Ontario in January - you can get all the dates at his website I just sent an email to my family and relatives to book their tickets early - for those who haven’t a clue who I’m talking about - his a Ron James Clip.
While talking about things Canadian - many of us are Tim addicts - for all I know it could very well be the majority of us who can’t start the day without a coffee hit from our neighbourhood Tim Horton’s.
But be of good cheer you Tim Bits - your morning cup of Joe could actually be helping you live longer. According to recent studies it’s probably the antioxidant-rich beans that is helping coffee drinkers experience a decrease in all-cause mortality, including heart disease.
Of course if your sensitive to caffeine all bets are off and unfiltered java can raise blood fat - so like everything else in life - everything in moderation - for me, I brought a supply of Tim-in-a-tin south with me - for medicinal purposes.
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One more Canadian item and my thanks for retired buddy Linda Ardoino for sending this in:
THE VETERAN ON OUR TEN DOLLAR BILL
If you look at the back right-hand side of a Canadian $10 bill, you will see an old veteran standing at attention near the Ottawa war memorial. His name is Robert Metcalfe and he died last month at the age of 90.
That he managed to live to that age is rather remarkable, given what happened in the Second World War. Born in England , he was one of the 400,000 members of the British Expeditionary Force sent to the mainland where they found themselves facing the new German warfare technique - the Blitzkrieg.
He was treating a wounded comrade when he was hit in the legs by shrapnel. En route to hospital, his ambulance came under fire from a German tank, which then miraculously ceased fire. Evacuated from Dunkirk on HMS Grenade, two of the sister ships with them were sunk.
Recovered, he was sent to allied campaigns in North Africa and Italy . En route his ship was chased by the German battleship Bismarck .
In North Africa he served under General Montgomery against the Desert Fox, Rommel. Sent into the Italian campaign, he met his future wife, a lieutenant and physiotherapist in a Canadian hospital. They were married in the morning by the mayor of the Italian town, and again in the afternoon by a British padre.
After the war they settled in Chatham where he went into politics and became the warden (chairman) of the county and on his retirement he and his wife moved to Ottawa . At the age of 80 he wrote a book about his experiences.
One day out of the blue he received a call from a government official asking him to go downtown for a photo op. He wasn't told what the photo was for or why they chose him. 'He had no idea he would be on the bill,' his daughter said.
And now you know the story of the old veteran on the $10 bill.
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My thanks to retired buddy Norma Lamphier for sending me the following.
WHO KNEW THIS???
I have been driving for nearly 60 years... I would think I should have noticed the little secret on my dashboard that was staring me in the face the whole time...I didn't...and I bet you didn't either…
Have you ever rented or borrowed a car and when arriving at the gas station wondered...mmm, which side is the gas filler cap? My normal solution was to stick my head out the window, strain my neck and look, try to see in the side mirrors or even get out of the car!
Well ladies and gentlemen, I'm going to share with you my little secret so you will no longer look like Ace Ventura on your way to the gas station or put your neck at risk of discomfort or injury.
If you look at your gas gauge, you will see a small icon of a gas pump.
The handle of the gas pump will extend out on either the left or right side of the gas pump. - if your tank is on the left, the handle will be on the left? If your tank is on the right, the handle will be on the right (see photo). It is that simple!
Remember the Drew Carey show - Whose line is it anyway? - came across this video -
Greatest Hits Songs of Retirement
I came across an interesting article published on the web by Newhouse News Service dealing with "happiness" - a tough thing to find in these uncertain times - however:
"In the past few years, however, cognitive neuroscientists have made considerable advances in unraveling the enigma of human happiness. One of their basic findings is that more than 60 percent of a person's propensity for positive emotion is due to nature - genetic makeup - but the rest is all nurture, meaning the brain's happiness is highly dependent on an individual's experiences, emotions and thought, and thus capable of being "learned."
In other words, just looking for the bright side, it seems, can stimulate the brain and reset its circuitry to more easily find those silver linings - our thoughts have real, powerful effects on us.
But, again, it"s not easy to travel this "happy Road" - as noted above, you must work at it - work at being a mental athlete.
"Happiness researchers have learned a great deal about how people can become happier and stay happier," said Sonja Lyubomirsky, who teaches psychology at the University of California-Riverside. "Of course, I wouldn't call it "training our brains,' but training ourselves - that is, learning to practice certain ways of thinking and behaving, like expressing gratitude, following intrinsic life goals, practicing optimism, investing in relationships - all of which, we now have scientific evidence for, increase our happiness."
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My thanks to retired buddy Bernice Dini for sending in today’s kicker.
The minister
decided to do something a little different one Sunday morning.
He said "Today, in church, I am going to say a single word and you are going to help me preach.
Whatever single word I say, I want you to sing whatever hymn that comes to your
mind"
The Pastor shouted out - Cross
Immediately the congregation started singing in unison, 'THE OLD RUGGED CROSS.'
The pastor hollered out 'GRACE.' The congregation began to sing 'AMAZING GRACE, how sweet the sound.'
The pastor said 'POWER.'The congregation sang 'THERE’S POWER IN THE BLOOD.'
The Pastor said 'SEX' The congregation fell into total silence.
Everyone was in shock. They all nervously began to look around at each other afraid to say anything.
Then all of a sudden, from way in the back of the church - a little old 87 year old grandmother stood up and began to sing 'PRECIOUS MEMORIES.'
Now let’s get to work on earning a some extra income via the internet - start your research here (Go to URL)
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November 28, 2008 - 3-D and Great Food - Fuzzy Math - 1908 - Another Retirement Job Idea -
A bundle of entries back, I confessed to being a flick fan - movie addict actually - started back in the early fourties with the Saturday matinees - been hooked every since - but this week, as the New York Times noted in a recent review - "I have seen the future of cinema and it is called Bolt, the New Disney cartoon in 3-D."
Forget about the 3D attempts in the past - this is a new digital ball game and according to the Times - " As many as a dozen 3-D films are scheduled for release next year, with, by one count, another 30 or so in various stages of gestation. The belief among those pushing 3-D — a group that includes Jeffery Katzenburg, Steven Spielberg, James Cameron and a host of others - is that the process will be a game-changer for Hollywood, a 21st-century version of the talkies."
Trouble is there are few screens with the new digital projectors - but we have one here in our snowbird Florida neighbourhood and all I can say is - "wow" and Bolt in 3-D is awesome fun no matter what your age.
By the way, those awkward cardboard 3-D glasses are no more - the new ones are like sunglasses - comfortable plastic frames and big enough to fit over regular glasses if necessary.
One more 3-D note - the NFL is screening the December 4th game between the San Diego Chargers and the Oakland Raiders in 3-D in selected theatres in Los Angeles, New York and Boston - invitation only - if it works, the plan is to screen more games in theatres across the country - and if that is successful it would then be plausible to being 3-D games into the home.
Getting back to our new neighbourhood movie theatre, I enjoyed another new flick moment in their - Cinema Bistro - reserved our seats online - when we arrived we were directed to an elevator that took us to a reception area filled with large, comfortable, leather sofas and chairs plus a well stocked bar - the hostess welcomed us and asked if we wanted drinks while we waited for show time.
Just as we were getting comfortable, we were escorted to our theatre seats - huge lean-back leather chairs with a TV-like table that could be pushed to the front or side.
Soon a waitress arrived to give us our wine and cocktail list and lunch menu - what to have - start maybe with Shrimp D’Jonghe followed by perhaps Angel hair Sicifiano or local pan seared red snapper or smothered cornflake crusted pork chops - with vanilla bean panna cotta for desert - and why not a bottle of Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay -
Maybe but nay.
Me - I settled for angus sliders - three mini 100% angus burgers with dill pickle, double mustard aioli, Monterey Jack cheese, with a side of cold slaw and seasoned fries - the wife went for the chicken n’ biscuits - oh ya - a bottle of coke - then, just as I devoured my first burger - James Bond started kicking the crap out of an evil doer - now this is the way to watch a movie - this may be old hat to you folks in the big cities - but I was an eat and drink movie virgin until last week but now my movie addiction has taken on a new urgency - 3-D and food at the same time - I’m truly hooked.
And, getting back to James Bond, my thanks to not-yet-ready-to-retire buddy Bill Mckay for sending in this Visa commercial video featuring Pierce Brosnan - the third best Bond in my humble opinion.
Have another Retirement Job idea - a tad costly to start up but has great profit potential, if you research your local market for the status of any competition.
Everyone is concerned about the rising cost of heating - especially those in the winter regions -so what if you, equipped with the right equipment (more on that in a moment) came to their homes - offices - schools, whatever, to shoot a video that would show them where cold air was leaking into their homes - an assignment that could earn you 200 to 300 dollars a pop.
It’s called an thermal energy audit video - shot by an forward looking Infra Red camera - or FLIR. These units can cost up to ten thousand bucks - but I;’ve seen good quality FLIR cameras on eBay for around 6 thou and if you live in the US you can even rent a FLIR for around 100 dollars a month - I don’t know about rentals in Canada and elsewhere - pricey start-up for not too many folks are into this right now but it sure has retirement job potential.
Here’s a video that explains how it works.
Retired buddy Linda Ardoino send in this fact sheet - this should boggle your mind.
THE YEAR 1908 - just One hundred years ago - What a difference a century makes!
Here are some statistics for the Year 1908 :
The average life expectancy was 47 years.
Only 14 percent of the homes had a bathtub.
Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.
There were only 8,000 cars and only 144 miles of paved roads.
The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.
The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower
The average wage in 1908 was 22 cents per hour.
The average worker made between $200 and $400 per year.
A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year,
A dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.
More than 95 percent of all births took place at HOME
Ninety percent of all doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION!
Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which Were condemned in the press AND the government as 'substandard.
Sugar cost four cents a pound -
Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen - Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.
Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used Borax or egg yolks for shampoo.
Two out of every 10 adults couldn't read or write - Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.
Eighteen percent of households had at least one full-time servant or domestic help.
There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE ! U.S.A. !
Try to imagine what it may be like in another 100 years.
