Tag Archives: Boomers

Boomers: 70-Year Scottish Man Rows Solo 3,000 Miles Across Atlantic (Video)

Frank Rothwell, 70, from Oldham, Scotland set off from Canary Island La Gomera on December 12 and crossed the finish line in Antigua in the Caribbean on Saturday – reuniting with Judith, his wife of 50 years, with time to spare until Valentine’s Day.

He said crossing the finish line was a “completely euphoric moment” as he fundraised more than £648,000 for Alzheimer’s Research UK in tribute to his brother-in-law Roger, who died with Alzheimer’s aged 62 during his row.

Boomers & Technology: “2020 Tech And The 50+ Survey” (AARP – Dec 2019)

Tech ownership among older adults is growing with no signs of slowing down.

2020 Tech and The 50+ Survey AARP Wearable• For many devices, adoption among adults ages 50 and older is comparable to younger generations. Adults ages 50
and older are adopting smartphones, wearables, home assistants/smart speakers, and smart home technology at
nearly the same rate as adults ages 18–49.
• Younger adults have abandoned tablets, but older adults are adopting tablets at an increasing rate: More than half
(52%) of adults ages 50 and older own a tablet.
• Once adopted, usage of smartphones, wearables, tablets, home assistants/smart speakers, and smart home
technology is high with most owners using their technology daily.
While older adults are highly engaged with their devices, many are not using the technology to its full potential.
• Adults ages 50 and older are using smartphones and tablets to maintain social connections, find information, and for
entertainment, but only a few are using their device to automate their home or conduct transactions.
• Engaging in social media is one of the most common uses of a tech device (e.g., computer, tablet, or smartphone).
• Though 49% claim to own a smart TV, only 42% are using streaming or online options to watch shows.
• Nearly half (46%) of all smart home assistant/smart speaker owners do not use their device daily.

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Baby Boomer Economics: “Have Boomers Pinched Their Children’s Futures?”

The post-war baby boom of 1945-65 produced the biggest and richest generation in British history. David Willetts discusses how these boomers have attained this position at the expense of younger generations.

Have The Boomers Pinched Their Children's Futures Lord David Willetts The Royal Institution Video January 23 2020

Lord Willett’s book “The Pinch – How the Baby Boomers Took Their Children’s Future – And Why They Should Give it Back” is available now – https://geni.us/B0Gvq

Watch the Q&A: https://youtu.be/_qEjTXrQ7vs

Lord Willetts is a visiting Professor at King’s College London, Governor of the Ditchley Foundation, Chair of the British Science Association and a member of the Council of the Institute for Fiscal Studies. He is also an Honorary Fellow of Nuffield College, Oxford. Lord Willetts has written widely on economic and social policy.

His book ‘The Pinch’, which focused on intergenerational equity, was published in 2010, and he recently published ‘A University Education’. Lord Willetts served as the Member of Parliament for Havant, as Minister for Universities and Science and previously worked at HM Treasury and the No. 10 Policy Unit.

This talk was filmed in the Ri on 28 November 2019.

Retirement: Colleges Cater To Baby Boomers By Building On-Campus Living Facilities (WSJ)

From a Wall Street Journal online article:

Mirabella Senior Living at Arizona State UniversityMirabella Senior Living at Arizona State UniversityMore schools are building or planning senior-living facilities on or near campus to cater to baby boomers who view college as a stimulating alternative to bingo at an archetypal retirement home. Some savor the pursuit of academic and cultural interests. Others are lured by the promise of interaction with younger students, for whom many hope to act as mentors.

It is the latest way for universities to profit from one of their greatest assets, land. Colleges have already taken advantage of this privilege by developing hotels and high-end student housing. Now, some see sales of upscale senior housing as the next step.

Lasell University, just west of Boston, built one of the first on-campus senior communities two decades ago. It requires members to take 450 hours of coursework or activities each year. Other programs have since sprouted up in places like the University of Michigan and Oberlin College in Ohio. Some communities are on campus; others are situated nearby and may have only a loose affiliation with the school. Many offer assisted living and nursing options.

To read more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/seniors-want-to-go-back-to-class-universities-want-to-sell-them-real-estate-11576751403

Film Actor Profiles: “An Essay On (64-Year Old) Willem Dafoe’s Face…” (Gentleman’s Journal)

From a Gentleman’s Journal online article:

Willem Dafoe Gentleman's Journal photo Dec 2019Thankfully, Willem Dafoe and Willem Dafoe’s face have used this innate recognisability to their joint advantage. To date, the actor has appeared in well over 100 films, and his prolific career can be charted through the cracks and comments — some nice, some not so nice — that those in the industry have made about his looks.

In fact, in the intervening decades, Hollywood has called many, many times — as have independent filmmakers, foreign studios, animation houses, video game developers and scores of theatres. On the big screen, Dafoe has taken roles in PlatoonMississippi BurningBorn on the Fourth of JulyThe English PatientAmerican Psycho and Shadow of the Vampire. He flew into The Aviator for a cameo, swung into the Spider-Man trilogy as the villainous Green Goblin and dipped his toe in voiceover work with Finding Nemo. He’s taken on John CarterJohn Wick and narrated films from Vox Lux to The Great Wall. He’s been Oscar-nominated several times, for playing characters as wild and disparate as hammy vampires, Floridian motel managers and Vincent van Gogh. The man is a chameleon — and has managed to become one despite having Willem Dafoe’s face.

To read entire article: https://www.thegentlemansjournal.com/article/willem-dafoe-interview-face-hollywood-cover/

Entertainment: 72-Year Old Larry David Returns For 10th Season In “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (Trailer)

HBOLarry David stars as… Larry David, living the good life out in Los Angeles and stumbling through one faux-pas after another. Curb Your Enthusiasm returns for its tenth season Sunday, January 19 at 10:30PM.

Harvard’s “Housing America’s Older Adults 2019” Study Highlights Increasing Housing Cost Burdens For The 65+

From a Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies report:

As both the number and share of older households in the United States increase to unprecedented levels, inequalities are becoming more evident. Within the 65-and-over age group, most recent income gains have gone to the highest earners, and the number of households with housing cost burdens has reached an all-time high. Ensuring that middle- and lower-income households in this age range have the means to live affordably and safely in their current homes or move to other suitable housing will be a growing challenge.

Over the Next 20 Years, Households in Their 80s Will Be the Fastest-Growing Age Group Harvard

Meanwhile, many households in the 50–64 year-old age group have not recovered from the Great Recession, leaving them with lower incomes and homeownership rates than their predecessors at similar ages. For the nearly 10 million households in this age group that are cost burdened, ensuring financial and housing security in retirement will be a struggle.

 

https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/Harvard_JCHS_Housing_Americas_Older_Adults_2019.pdf