Boomer Congress seeks to limit consumer web access

"The telecoms are frustrated that commercial Web sites reap unlimited profits while those providing entry to your home for these companies are prevented from fully cashing in. If the new telecom regulations pass without safeguarding net neutrality, the big telecom companies will be able to prioritize the Web for you. They will be free to decide which Web sites get to your computer faster and which ones may take longer - or may not even show up at all." "Proposed rule changes would tangle the web" Baltimore Sun via Truthout

Harris Poll: public support for boomer-dominated Congress reaches new low

"...No matter how the question was asked, less than one-quarter of U.S. adults rate congressional job performance as positive. The overall congressional job approval is 18 percent positive and 80 percent negative...The job handling ratings are even bleaker when examined by political ideology; at least two-thirds of conservatives, moderates, and liberals rate the job handling of Republicans, Democrats, and the entire Congress as negative." PRNewswire

The last hypocrisy: boomers now worry about "ageism"

"And as they grow older, the boomers will have the numerical, cultural, political and financial power to challenge the prevalence of age discrimination in America that the older generation has been unable to shake. Even now, in an example of mindless ageism, television networks and magazines are searching for 'stories about exemplary baby boomers' who belie the stereotypes of aging. As if one needs to be exemplary to escape the stereotypes." "Boomer tide could sweep ageism away" Newsday

In Sweden: boomer academics cling to power

"All us young 'uns can hope for now is for the Boomers to retire, for their jobs to be taken by people born in the 50s, for their jobs to be taken by people born in the 60s, and then, just possibly, might we get a salary and a desk. Unless we reach retirement age first." Salto Sobrius

Rising boomer divorce rate spawns HIV explosion

"There is a 60 percent divorce rate, and many of those people have been married for a long time. Now they're single without skills to negotiate things like safe sex. The older age group has one of the fastest growing rates of HIV. You never assume someone in this age group would be HIV positive." The Mature Market

Boomer buying spree hitting obstacles in Mexico

"Flush with equity from the steep run-up in U.S. real estate prices, American boomers are snapping up properties in Mexico, helped by a change in rules that has made it easier to purchase in coastal zones that were once off limits to foreigners...But some buyers are finding out the hard way that consumer protection hasn't kept pace with soaring demand." Los Angeles Times

The boomer president: Bush approval rating at new low

"Bush's fall is being fueled by erosion among support from conservatives and Republicans. In the poll, 52% of conservatives and 68% of Republicans approved of the job he is doing. Both are record lows among those groups." USA Today

Crime Rate expected to rise in Japan as Boomers retire

"Experts are of the opinion that as the number of retired people rises in Japan so will geriatric crime. According to Takeshi Kitashiba, a former psychologist with the Metropolitan Police Department in Tokyo, "2006 is the first year of the Neo-Geriatric", as many baby boomers retire this year. Talking to the Japanese weekly Shukan Gendai, he commented that "Neo-Geriatrics are those over 65 who are still fit, healthy and want to get more out of their lives. Without work, they'll be filled with anxiety and there's a likelihood they may turn to crime. Make no mistake, there will be a significant rise in crimes committed by Neo-Geriatrics."' Radio Singapore International

As Boomers retire, Japan braces for divorce epidemic

"Everyone, it seems, except their wives, many of whom are dreading the prospect of living in close quarters with virtual strangers. "I wanted him to keep working but I've accepted now he's going to come home," says Hatae Ishizaki, whose 59-year-old architect husband is due to punch his last card in April next year. "I'm just going to spend more time out of the house. I'd divorce him, but it's too much trouble at my age."' The Independent

Second homes for boomers, where did their retirement go?

"Cordillera second-home owner Mike Hecomovich admitted that baby boomers — his generation — are famous for self-indulgence. And many will be indulging themselves here in the Vail Valley, he said. That translates to more people buying second homes in the High Country over the next 20 years, experts say. And more could be living here full-time — and pushing demand for services such as water, police and ambulances — as they reach retirement." Vail Daily News Vail Daily

Boomer town, San Diego...

"In 2030, the age structure of our population will look a lot like the age structure of Florida today," said Ed Schafer, the association's senior demographer. But unlike in Florida, San Diego County's graying will have little to do with retirees fleeing cold-weather climes to frolic in the warm sun at area beaches, said John Weeks, geography professor and director of the International Population Center at San Diego State University." North County Times NCTimes.com

Boomers to invade Colorado

"Many baby boomers moved to Colorado in the 1970s, when they were in their early 20s, said Elizabeth Garner, the state demographer. Colorado has never had a large number of older people in the state, but that should change. “More and more people in that older age group are staying,” Garner said." Vail, Colorado Vail Daily

Gen Y in new position of power in Australia

"Baby boomer bosses who fail to properly manage their generation Y staff risk them "job-hopping" to other companies, according to a new survey. "Y Generation are more confident in the main in that they can job-hop and are less likely to take office politics, bullshit and bad management," Mr Banks said." Sydney, Australia The Sydney Morning Herald

Let's start a war!

"Before us representatives of the smaller age-cohorts start an all-out war of aggression against the massed ranks of the big generation, it might be worth properly weighing up the achievements of the baby-boomer contingent. It would be overly simplistic to condemn this group for being greedy: for paying their own parents a meagre pension and making sure that their children pay them a hefty one. One has to consider the big picture." International Edition - Column, Finland Helsingin Sanomat

Bias lawsuits "backfire" on aging boomers

"Morale has plunged for veteran workers, who feel less welcome. For example, firms have quietly but steadily done away with the awards and ceremonies by which they used to honor milestones such as 20 or 25 years of service." Overlawyered.com

Say it ain't so... another Boomer pedophile!

"Jeffs leads an estimated 10,000 church members who broke off from mainstream Mormons decades ago, calling themselves the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. They practice polygamy with girls as young as age 12, authorities say." ABC News

Iraq: a boomer war?

"Now they tell us the war was about democracy in Iraq and the Middle East – i.e., a nobler cause than any such mundane concerns as American national security. This is baby boomers working up noble-sounding excuses and preparing high-minded defenses in the event they wind up as failures." AntiWar.com

America's worst generation

"The elite Baby Boomers turned the United States from the most prosperous countries on the planet to a country heading toward bankruptcy. It acquired a massive foreign trade deficit that will take generations to pay off. It deconstructed U.S. industries and the invited the invasion of millions of illegal aliens." Magic City News

Baby Boomers or bums?

'"We are a fascinating generation," she says, admitting that she's a boomer herself. "We're really independent and free-thinking," but from a financial perspective, "we did not save money, and we loved to spend money. Many of (the boomers) were saved by the real estate markets, and their wealth was created for them; they did not create it themselves."' CNN.com

The end of idealism: boomer politicos destroy parties from within

"[I]f you’re a Republican, your representatives have increased federal spending by an amazing 45 percent in the past five years--something you might support for its Keynesian stimulus, or just tacitly accept--while enacting the largest increase to an entitlement program in almost four decades. ...Of course, if you’re a Democrat, your faithful voted for a war resolution against a country that didn’t attack America--something you were for at the time, but, like most of your elected officials, now fervently avow you were duped!--while voting against enacting one of the largest increases to an entitlement program in almost four decades." "Party Abominations: Who Are You?" Chronwatch

Marketers cater to the over indulgence and guilt of Boomers

'"This was a generation raised on indulgence," says Steven Berglas, a clinical psychologist and executive coach in Los Angeles. "Boomers won't even hear of being deprived until after they've overindulged." Then, they want it. Even need it. "We're not a society that drives down the middle of the road," says Denny Marie Post, chief concept officer at Burger King. "We swerve between the two extremes."' USAToday.com

He who fights the dragon: boomer-cons embrace victim politics

"It's a case of a conservative campaign that actively helped those original structures grow, even landing a professional diversity hustler a job. Left and right were already co-dependent; now they're in a full-fledged clinch. I wonder how they'll feel in the morning?" Reason

Pampered Ohio boomers to get their own hospital

"A Cleveland hospital system is announcing plans to build a medical complex that will cater to the baby boomers in the city's eastern suburbs. University Hospitals Health System plans to complete a 200-bed hospital that will cost about $235 million by 2010. The complex will include outpatient surgery and doctors' offices." Associated Press Cleveland, Ohio NewsNet5

Boomer poll shows high Alzheimer's fear

"A new survey of baby boomers shows anxiety over the specter of Alzheimer's and frustration over slow cures. In releasing the data, patient advocacy group Alliance for Aging Research called for recognition of the brain disease as an urgent national health crisis and urged stepped-up timelines for new therapies." Third Age

New workforce wont sell their souls for career?

"Corporate America is about to receive a brutal lesson in supply and demand. As 77 million baby boomers retire over the next decade, the U.S. work force will not produce enough qualified workers to replace all of them. The boomer retirement trend will force businesses to rethink and adapt from their traditional work forces, which are likely comprised primarily of full-time employees from executive leadership all the way down to line-level workers. Therefore, American companies will need to restructure their staffing models and learn to attract younger workers that have much different priorities than the boomers. Unlike their baby boomer parents, Generation X and Y workers aren't necessarily interested in 9-to-5 jobs. A national study of employment trends among this age group published by the American Business Collaboration proves that younger employees embrace non-traditional employment opportunities. Because they place a higher premium on the work-life balance than did previous generations, they appreciate the flexibility offered by part-time, job sharing, outsourcing and contracting opportunities." Indianapolis Star IndyStar.com

The other greatest generation?

"With all due respect to Tom Brokaw, there is no single greatest generation in our nation’s history. Many contributed to America, some protecting us in times of war and others advancing the ideals that make us uniquely American. But today we seem to praise only the warriors and ignore the contributions others have made. Case in point is the contrasting perception of Brokaw’s World War II generation, what he called “the Greatest Generation,” and their offspring, the baby boomers." Kansas City Star

Is Your City Safe? Boomer network on the march

"Your city may be sold. The Boomers and Seniors World Network is expanding to better serve the Baby Boomers and Seniors in local markets. Our goal is to have a Boomers and Seniors City Site in every city in America." The Mature Market

Middle-aged meth heads on the rise

"At 55, with rotten teeth, frayed nerves and high blood pressure — all brought on by meth — Walls has become part of a growing number of baby boomers struggling with addiction to the stimulant and seeking help after living with it through middle age." "Baby boomers --- meth's unexplained addicts" Associated Press

Not so soon: economic pressures threaten boomer retirement

“It won’t only be a case of people wanting to work past the retirement age, it will be people needing to work, too,” said David Brightbill, executive director of Washington-Morgan Community Action. “They’re working past the age they thought they would retire, whether that’s 62 or 65.”' MarietaTimes.com

Our favorite generation is turning 60

"America's idealists define their generation in myriad ways. For Greg Brune it was taking shrapnel in the back along a muddy river near Saigon. For Becky Mocherman it was about the changing role of women and watching Neil Armstrong take a stroll on the moon. And for Cecil B. Thomas Jr. -- who grew up in the deep south in a family of black sharecroppers -- it was walking up to a Dairy Queen in Paragould, Ark., to be met by a sign that said "no n--- allowed." These are the faces and experiences of the baby boomer generation. The faces of Vietnam. The faces of civil rights. And the faces of outspoken idealism. These are also faces that are growing older." Southeast Missourian SEMissoourian.com

Brain training for tired minds

"Video game makers usually find themselves marketing to a young audience when they launch a product. But with new video games that aim to help baby boomers with their aging brains, the marketing game plan may be changing. Consider "Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day" ($20, all ages), released last month for use with the hand-held Nintendo DS device." Indianapolis Star IndyStar.com

As greedy boomers age, financial scams expected to rise

"As baby boomers swell the retiree population, regulators worry not just about estate-planning seminars for seniors but also about sales of promissory notes, unregistered securities and lottery scams." USA Today

Beware! Boomer elite coming to your town

"John VanderWal is hauling in pizza, a neighbor cranks up the karaoke, cocktails are flowing and custom golf carts, done up to look like anything from a California roadster to a Mustang convertible, make their way down Southern Breeze Drive to the outdoor party. Welcome to life in the slow lane - a community designed for the luxury motor coach set that travels the country in million-dollar mobile mansions with interiors as elegant as a presidential suite at the Ritz-Carlton." Chicago Tribune

Retirement crisis threatens federal solvency

"Listen. There's a sound off in the not-too-distant future. It's muffled now, but it's there, like the faint rumble of a thunderstorm in the next county. It's the sound of 78 million baby boomers marching toward retirement...But the real noise will begin when they realize that the Social Security and Medicare programs for which they've so long paid and on which they've so long expected to depend won't have enough money." Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Boomer invasion takes toll on working stiffs

"The rich have collectively inflated real estate to prices that are far beyond the means of those who serve them supper, take their blood pressure or police their gated subdivisions. The service workers — professionals and blue-collar alike — tend to live in adjacent valleys and commute." Washington Post via chron.com