How to Be Cooler Than Shizzit

Hey, Demi Moore's a Boomer and she looks pretty good.  Of course, she has an army of surgeons, stylists, and everyday handlers who will tell her when she has lipstick on her teeth.  For the rest of us, there's hats and accessories.  I like to call my way of dressing, "Smoke and Mirrors".  You can use my methods to cover/camouflage your "bad parts" and shift people's attention to your "good parts". 

Well, I've found a video that I love and I will watch it every day.  Of course, it's easier to be a bit zany in NYC or SF, but all of us can gain a bit of courage from watching this video:

The Countess of Glamour

Notice the hats, glasses, and accessories on the old birds in the video.  Both hats and glasses can be used to great effect and help deflect people's eyes away from your wrinkles.

Peace on Earth - One Friend at a Time

I love this video.  You will too.

Click Here: Watch This.  You Will Definitely Share This

Baby Boomers ARE NOT Dead Yet, Baby!

The Face of Middle Age - Wikimedia Commons

Here's a post from my writer pal, Brenda. She gives some examples of the ways marketers and politicians misread (or ignore) the Baby Boomer cohort. And, far from being dead, Boomers are alive and ready to kick booty...while taking no prisoners.

Ignore the affluent (in aggregate) Boomer market at your own peril, GenX. We are used to having advertisers pander to us and we don't like being called Seniors or being called old.

The blog post: Baby Boomers Are Not Dead Yet

By the way, not all Boomers look like the photo above. Demi Moore is a Late Boomer.

A Baby Boomer's Life in Fashion and Music

Some of my fondest Boomer memories include fabulous 60s hats with boho outfits. But, I also remember the Mod 60s. And, I actually loved the 70s and disco...but the freaking 80s with those big shoulders still give me nightmares. So, take a walk on the wild side, my fine young friends.

I have to redo a lot of articles and a lot of memories, but here are some of the articles I've found on my site... lots of articles were lost, so it might take a while to redo some of this.

1960s Fashion and Music:

 
60's Fashion Style: 1964 Mod Dresses, Go Go Boots, Quant, Beatles


Mellow Songs from the 60's


This is my friend's article: My Daddy Didn't Take the T-Bird Away

Best Top Hippie Albums of the 60's

 

Hippie Clothes: How Did Hippie Fashion Start?

 

1970s in Fashion and Music:

70's Fashion Trend for Women: Flared Legs, Disco and Platforms

Retro Dance Party Songs from the 70's
 

1980s in Music and a Tiny Bit of Fashion:

 

Christmas Presents for Baby Boomers

Here are some ideas for presents for your favorite Baby Boomers.  One is pure nostalgia. Another is a book that will help when planning future cruises.  And, I’m getting so old, I can’t remember the others. 

So, read about them here:  Christmas Gifts for Baby Boomers.  Actually, all I want for Christmas...or Hanukkah...is a condo in Hawaii and world peace.  (Just thought I'd make it simple.)

The Cold Song

It was just way too cold at the dog park today.  Sure, the sun was out.  Sure, I was dressed all wrong.  No, there wasn’t any snow.  But, even the dogs looked cold, and they were wearing their fur coats!

I should have worn my snow jacket.

Fortunately, I have found a song that will help convey how it felt at Marymoor Park today.  (Yeah, I know this song is more about death than about cold…but I feel frozen like Klaus.)

Song of the Day: The Cold Song.

Baby Boomer News

This Boomer has evil, glinty eyes

Every now and then, I like to search online for “Baby Boomers” in Google News or Bing News, and I just found something interesting.  As usual, Baby Boomers with evil, "greedy, glinty eyes", are responsible for someone’s unhappiness…in Auckland.  And, Auckland is one of my favorite cities in the world.  Kiwis are the nicest, friendliest people in the entire world.  (Well, I haven’t seen all of the world, but I’ve seen a lot of it.)

So, here’s the article Baby Boomers, a Plague on All Your Houses...along with a suggestion for the author: Why don't you just blame your mom and dad like a normal person. 

Catherine, my first house was $179,000 in 1982 dollars (US) and we really couldn't afford it, but we didn't want to raise our future children in an LA barrio at a time when drive-bys were rampant.  I was in my thirties, and our house was a dung-hole in Huntington Beach...nowhere near the beach.  So, Catherine, I feel your pain, but suck it up like the rest of us. 

No one "owes" you a freaking house. 

Song of the Day: Your Song.  Catherine, I did not know one person (when this song came out) who could afford a house, and if you will kindly listen to the lyrics, you might understand that most Boomers could only dream of having a place with a little yard where they could grow their own organic veggies.  That one line about the house was what made this song popular.

You Gotta Give Love to Get Love - Using Links

If you are a writer, here is a pathway to the most intelligent, cogent article about search engines and links that I've ever read...and I've read a lot of them.  Yes, the article I want you to study (and think about) explains basic, online marketing principles to artists; however, anyone fumbling about for their own 15 minutes (or 4 minutes) of fame can use these same fundamentals…yadda, yadda, yadda. 

Sure, you’ve heard this all before.  But, the difference is that this writer doesn’t hide behind SEO jargon.  This writer uses creative visualization to make his point.

Here’s the down and dirty: The article “Link and You Shall be Linked” says that you need to give love in the form of outbound links in order to get love in the form of inbound links.  And, inbound links are the hard currency of the internet.  Well, it just so happens that I’ve discovered the same thing (this week) as I’ve been learning to work Twitter.  (I must be the100th monkey.)

So, if you’re serious about your writing, read about how you can get more traffic to your website.   I know you’ve read a boatload of boring articles about keywords and SEO, but this one is worth your time.  And, of course, I must confess that I found the article “Link and You Shall be Linked” through a link.

Song of the day: Love the One You’re With

If I keep getting older, I'm going to have to kill myself.

I finally tweeted something that made someone laugh.

Song of the Day: My Generation

Eileen William's Fab Info for Job-Seekers Over 50

I've always wondered how to handle my college info and graduation dates when filling out job applications. (I went to school in the 70s.) Sure, I believe in honesty...so I don't want to hide my age, but I don't want to sound like I'm absolutely ancient, either.

God knows I'm no expert on finding employment in a tough job market....I've gotten most of my jobs by knowing the CEO or owner of some company. However, I do know good info when I read it / see it / hear it, and I like what Mary Eileen Williams says about resumes and interviews in this Youtube video. So, click here to watch Critical Tips for Finding Work After 50 from a fellow Boomer babe. 

Here's the Song of the Day:  People Song.

Why Are There So Many Baby Boomers?

Once upon a time, a bunch of horny sailors came back from the war. They had unprotected sex with nice girls who weren’t Nazis in the backseats of cars while listening to Fats Domino.

Then, all those horny sailors married those girls and had sex in the backseats of cars for eighteen more years.

READ articles about Baby Boomer Women at  Boomerinas.com

What Is Baby Boomers?

What is Baby Boomers? This phrase is so funny that someone on another Baby Boomer website stole my line. You see, I'm a Topic Editor and writer at Suite101.com and other sites. One day I received a comment asking, "What is Baby Boomers?"

I wanted to say that "it" was a new type of diaper, a play on the phrase Baby Bloomers, but instead I wrote a quick article explaining what Baby Boomers is: What is Baby Boomers? What are Baby Boomer's Characteristics 

Song of the Day: Be My Baby

Yay, Now I Have More Followers

I now have more followers.  For a while, I only had one.  However, I've finally found the part of the dashboard that allows me to alter my layout, so it's a moot point.  Thank G-d!

Follow me on my new website: Boomerinas.com

Will Your Stocks Make a Comeback?

It's difficult to know what will happen while Helicopter Ben is keeping the floor under the market but you can find one long-term prediction by clicking on the video below.

I am in the midst of reading the book, Aftershock, and it is not clear whether or not all of it is correct. I believe almost everything I have read from the book, because I look at things from a Macro perspective. My husband, who I must admit, has been dead right about our personal finances for as long as I've known him, does not believe in buying gold, selling our house (because it's a cheap place for us to live), or bailing out of dollar-denominated assets. So, as you can imagine, our discussions can occasionally become quite heated.

So, I'm not going to say that everything in Aftershock will come to pass, and I will say that Baby Boomers are in a different situation than many other folks. If you own your home outright or your mortgage payments are low, you might want to hang onto your home. The problem with selling to recoup any gains is: Where the hell do you put your profits? And, here's the dilemma:

CDs are around 1% or less. You don't want to go long on Treasuries because you know there WILL be inflation. (That has already happened with QE 1 & 2. You just haven't seen it yet.) If you were to buy gold, where would you put it? And, how would you transport it if you moved? (Don't ask me, I don't have any.) Is it safe to invest in one of those places where the corporation has physical possession of your gold, and will that company be around when The Sh*t Hits The Fan (TSHTF)?

Anyway, I haven't had a chance to see this whole video because it can't be paused, but I will see it soon. So, take what they say with a grain of salt because no one can predict the future. And, hang on to your ass because, whatever the future holds, you are probably going to need a level head.

See video discussion of the book, Aftershock here: Aftershock Video Discussion. 

Song of the Day: I'd Love to Change the World.

Zombies vs Babies

Similarities between zombies and babies:

*Sparse, messy head of hair
*Incomplete set of teeth
*Constant oral excretions
*Speaks in moans/screams
*Sharp, dirt-caked nails
*"Funk of 40,000 years" aroma
*Insatiable, aggressive appetite
*Worn, ill-fitting clothes
*Clumsy, random motor skills
*Unstable, lurching walk
*General Attributes - Messy eater, no sense of right or wrong, Bent on destruction, keeps you awake at night in fear, can turn others into a zombie

(I ripped this from the internet. If you created this, let me know so I can give you credit. Normally, I don't pilfer, but this was soooooo good.)

Song of the Day: The Monster Mash

One of the Coolest Documentaries of All Time

The Nature of Existence

The Nature of Existence:

If you're like me and you like documentaries, you'll like this movie.  It's on Netflix Instant.

This guy who made the flick goes around the world and asks all kinds of interesting people (scientists, clergy, kids, waitresses, Satanists, New Agers, soapbox preachers...) questions like, "What is the meaning of life?" All I can say is: The answer is probably G.

A. What Christians believe.

B. What Buddhists believe.

C. What Jews believe.

D. What Muslims believe.

E. What Aetheists believe.

F. What Jet Gypsy believes.

G. All of the above.

Song of the Day: Faith (Accoustic Style)

Can You Read This?

If you're an artist, you probably can read this.

Well, the first time I saw this "text", I had no problem reading the first line. The last line took a few seconds. So, I'm wondering if artists see the world in a different way than normal people do. This writing looks fairly normal to me.

*If you squint or stand back, the text is easier for normal people (non-artists) to read.

The Song of the Day: Vincent (Starry, Starry Night)

Italian Gothic Tour - NYT Article is Spooky-Cool

After reading a NYT's article about Gothic Italian sites, I've figured out my next trip to Italy. Well...I haven't explained these plans to my husband yet, because he just wants to see tourist sites and then check them off his list:

• Eiffel Tower - Check
• Leaning Tower - Check
• Tower of London - Check.
• Okay, we're ready to tackle Asia.....

I, on the other hand, look for more intensive travels. No, I probably won't be able to get my travel partner to go to all of the spooky Goth sites on this NYT's list, but I will add one or two if possible. The travel article also has some excellent ideas for novels...Gothic writings...that I've never heard of. It's just so nice to know that there are other people who travel more for the experience than for the Facebook photos. 

The link for the article is further down, but here are some pictorial highlights that I've put together from the NYTs article:

Need to read - I'm not a Goth so this looks like fun.

Mosaic in spooky Cathedral of Otranto, a city that celebrates some seriously scary stuff.

Padua - Wow, this looks beautiful. I've only been to Rome, Venice, Florence, and a few Italian cruise ports.

I think I'll be just about ready for Italy next October.

Here's the link for the NYT's travel article and some ghoulish photos of The Santa Maria delle Anime del Purgatorio ad Arco Church in Naples and the Capuchin Crypt in Rome.

Song of the Day: Don't Fear the Reaper (Eeeeeek!)

Music Helps Alzheimers and Mild Cognitive Impairment

"The Institute for Music and Neurologic Function reports that early research on the therapeutic effects of music indicates that it may help improve scores on cognitive function tests. It is also widely believed that music improves the mood, alertness and quality of life ... (of peeps w/ Alzheimers or Mild Cognitive Impairment blah blah)"

Let's try it with some Jimi Hendrix.

The article continues:

"The sessions that (some guy) held with the residents were amazing. As the group of individuals around the table focused and articulated past memories, as well as the tunes that go with them, clear recollections poured out about first dances.......choirs and love songs. Observing the group and listening to their memories, you would not believe that they are living with Alzheimer’s disease."

OMG. They're right! I feel much more lucid now. Gimme that Mensa Test.

Wow...I was about ready to go to Lourdes.  (Hope this post gave you a laugh...or a groan.)

Read the rest at Music Has Theraputic Effects Bla Bla Bla

My 10 Favorite Ports of Call - Cruising Tina's Way

I'm in need of a vacay, so I thought I'd tell you my favorite cruise ports just for the fun of it.  (Thinking about vacations is almost as much fun as going on them.)
 
First of all, I want to mention that my fave cruise line is Oceania. My second fave is Princess or any ship where we have a group of friends....on any line...in any sea.  And, I get mildly seasick even in small swells, so the ports have to be good.
 

1. Best Port of Call - Venice: Sure, there shouldn't be cruise ships to pollute that lovely, ethereal land, but ships go to Venice and Venice rocks. The only bad thing is embarkation. I was in Venice for a few days and then I had to leave. Bummer.

2. Corsica: I don't know why I love Corsica so much more than other spots in the Med, but I do. I like the stone steps between the old stone buildings and the way it all feels so ancient. Hey, I'm from the West Coast. We think the Space Needle is old.

3. Capri: Well, you don't really stop in Capri; you stop in Naples and take a boat over. It looks like the kind of place where you will see Sophia Lauren sitting at a nearby table. Well, you might see a wannabe.

4. Auckland NZ: You will never meet so many nice, friendly people as you will in NZ. I also, liked all of the other ports, especially Tauranga and (forgot the name) the port in the south with the big uni.

5. Sydney: There is nothing about Sydney that's not to like. Just leave your husband at home, because the men are gorgeous.

6. The port in Turkey (Kushdaasi or Kusadasi?) where you go to Ephesus. If you want old ruins, forget Pompeii and go to Ephesus. Those are the best ruins I've ever seen. I did not want to leave...and they're still digging.  It may be better every time you go back.

7. Talinn Estonia: The surprise port was Talinn. Who knew? It has a fairytale castle. Just ignore the Russian era buildings and factories. I would have stayed for days. Very artsy in feel.

8. Hong Kong: I didn't cruise there but it's a fabulous city. I'm sure you can find a ship to take you there.

9. Quebec City: It's a bit of old France in the middle of nowhere.

10. Honolulu: I've lived on Oahu twice so it was nice to get off in a city I knew. The place is so crowded now, but it's still a great beach. And, no sharks. Where should I go next?  Should I cruise?  Should I try my first European river cruise? (yes!)  Should I go to Eastern Europe and hope I can read the signs? 

Here are some articles about cruise wear.  I didn't realize I was such an expert on the subject until women recognized me on my last cruise.  It was very cool.  And, I hope my advice helps you pack the right stuff:

Sexy Plus Size Cruise Wear: Cocktail and Formal Dresses  

Daytime Cruise Wear for Women With Style 

Women's Travel Cruise Wear Online: Chicks Over 40 or 50  

Does Your Grandchild Want Tech Toys?

Here are the top 4 tech toys (computer games) for iPad and iPod. If you follow the links at the bottom of the suite101 page, you will find lots of non-tech toys.  It's time to get serious about Christmas / Hanukkah:

Click for article -> Toys R Us Top 4 Kids Game Apps for Christmas 2011 and I'll be adding more about kids' toys in the next few days. It takes me longer than most to write about products because, rather than regurgitating other people's ideas, I do research.

Song of the Day: Gary Numan's Cars

Seattle Summer Is Here

It's finally summer in Seattle.  Sure, it rained yesterday, but the mosquitos were biting me at Marymoor dog park.  That can only mean one thing...SUMMER.

And, so much is going on.  My daughter is graduating.  A bunch of people are coming into town for that.  Woo hoo.  Big time excitement.  Then, later in the month we go to Paris.  I feel that it's child abuse to not take one's child to atleast one major European city.  How will a child understand America if he or she has never seen "the old country?"  I can only afford a few days in a 2-star hotel.  And, I may not be able to keep up with my kids...but, it's worth a try.  I'm not getting any younger.

And, we're praying for good test scores for my graduating girl.  She wants to go to grad school and the field is competitive.  If you're bored, pray for Alex (girl) to study hard for the exam.  (PS If this is your flickr.com photo, please contact me so I can give you credit.  I lost the think.  Gorgeous photo.)

Cruise Clothing Articles for Baby Boomer Chicks

Yeow. I was locked out of this blog for a while. I don't think it was anything that I did, but now I'm back on. So, I'm happy.  Here are some groovy articles about clothing for Boomers.

Plus Size Long Dress at Simply Be

Thank God, the people who buy for online stores are starting to give us decent plus size clothes. And, here are some great options for those of us who like to cruise. Read more at Plus Size Cruise Wear to Make You Feel Beautiful

Luna Luz Tie Dress from Hello Boutique

I have a Luna Luz dress coming in the mail and I can't wait to get it. Luna Luz is one of my new go-to brands for cute travel wear. The clothes are made out of great fabric.  Read more at Sexy Luna Luz Dresses Fit Like a Dream: Great for Travel Wear

Sheer Cardigan from Long Tall Sally

One of your basic travel pieces should be a sheer or lace cardigan or shrug. These babies weigh about as much as a scarf, but you can't live without one of these once you get hooked. Featherweight cardigans cover a multitude of sins.  Read more at Sheer or Lace Cardigans for Hip Women Over 40 or 50

And, here are more articles for your reading pleasure:

Sexy Plus Size Cruise Wear: Cocktail and Formal Dresses 

Daytime Cruise Wear for Women With Style 

Women's Travel Cruise Wear Online: Over 40 or 50