In spite of all the "chatter", no one is prepared....

Everyday you read and hear about "Baby boomer news"--a reminder that 77 million individuals, a large percentage of the world's population is aging. I, personally, don't see much change or preparation for this SURGE of aging people and the challenges they will bring to U.S. health care, buying habits, lack of retirement funds, housing, employment, prescriptions, aids to compensate for less mobility, hearing, and vision.....

We read or hear all of this, but I don't think it has "sunk in" yet (pardon the West Texas colloquialism) I think it will affect us more than anyone realizes.

Career-wise--the U.S. will need more skilled and knowledgable workers because the numbers needed are just NOT THERE with Generation X. Another problem is the "brain drain" in several industry sectors--education, government, and business created by BB's retirement. The workers who have "been there" know why "fences" were built, policies were created--and why they should or should not be changed--something that the next generation doesn't realize.

I saw this in public education the last five years I was there. Supervisors and managers said "let's do this..." and it couldn't be done because it was against education laws and codes. Dangerous...when the knowledge base for the industry is missing....

Perhaps as we get closer to the real "wave", we will panic. In 2031, the ratio of non-workers to workers will be 2:1--that will mean more people are not working than working--not due to unemployment but because of retirement or disability....what will we do about this? Will it mean that industry will offer enticing $$ offers to lure BB's out of retirement to "fix"things? or will it mean we could see a complete crash in career sectors?

I am not looking forward to it.....

Careers and Career Areas Change Quickly

There are many, many, many careers that are so-called "hot" careers that didn't exist even 5 or 10 years ago. Now we have an entire industry sector that didn't exist until a few months ago. It is called "service science", according to the Service Research and Innovation Initiative. The career area is a combination of computer, management, and social science. The aim of having this as a regular unit of career training is to improve the productivity of serving people. According to Steve Lohr of the NYT, these jobs account for 80% of the economy.
When I look at the components in this career area--it looks rather disharmonious---social science study is usually pursued by those who have a social component to their personality--that sounds good so far--because if you are a customer service rep then you have to be a social animal.....but when I examine the other components--computers--more Realistic/Investigative, management--more Enterprising--it doesn't seem to "compute"--haha, sorry for the pun....
But then again, nothing to seems to "compute" in the career market today--who would have thought 20 years ago that the manufacturing sector in the American economy would be TOTALLY gone! who would have thought that the traditional banking jobs would be kaput!!!
We have a lesson to learn from all of this--anything is possible if it involves Technology

Shock Value

Everyone wants attention. I repeat everyone wants attention. Kids in school --bad attention is better than no attention at all. No one wants to be anonymous.
Just as in the TV show, "where everybody knows your name" Blogs, YouTube and now the in San Francisco.

India, Science & Math, and Higher Ed

Anyone that follows the day-to-day news knows that this is "the year" for India and China. The colleges and universities of the USA know it also and are going to use this for their gain--nothing wrong with that.....
Over the past week, there have been numerous stories about US higher education institutions, attempting to expand their reach into India. A study of demographics shows that 40% of India's population is under 18 and they know that their path to continued economic growth lies in more education. This appetite for higher education means that US institutions can enter into educational partnerships with India--which translates into more students and more tuition money for America's higher ed.
This partnership is a dual relationship: America needs more Science and Math majors--we aren't getting them from the US--there is a lot of emphasis on Science and Math in India's schools--therefore this move to tap into India's education market serves a dual purpose--more money, more Science and Math graduates who can be recruited by American companies to fill positions that cannot be filled by American S&M grads.
Why is it that American students are shunning Math and Science? One reason may be according to a survey done by eschools.com is that education is failing to make the connection between the teaching of technical education and the real world. This goes back to the philosophy that we need to integrate academics with APPLICATION of the subject to "real world" use. Think about your own school days--when did your real learning begin? It began when you had to USE the information that you learned in school.
For years, the attitude by academia has been that applied learning is "dumbed down" curricula. Now, that attitude is going through a transformation.
I have been arguing this point for years and was considered an academic heretic for doing so.
If we just wait....the pendulum swings the other way--that's a scientific law, isn't it????

Why Teenagers Shouldn't Rent a House in a Single Family Neighborhood

This is the wonderfully aesthetic view from my house on Saturday, March 24--teenage boys on the roof drinking beer, throwing rocks, shaking the vent pipes--and the cars...all the way down the block. I have been subjected to "the party that never ends" for the last few months. My other neighbors (which weren't much better at neighborhood decorum) at least didn't park themselves on the roof....Now, there are at least three or four students that are renting this lovely old mid-century house. I have contacted codes enforcement, the police department and all of the right "channels" to get some sort of relief from the constant barrage of cars and "party people". hmm...one problem....nothing is changing...now I have to be honest and say that every person I have talked to is very, very, very nice....but the process is very slow.....

The problem is not having more than two "unrelateds" living in the house--it is the twenty friends apiece that visit each of the unrelateds that is the problem. I feel as if the house is the "Starbuck's" of the neighborhood--or maybe the "flophouse" for TTU. Today, they have parked on the roof and the dead remains of last night's fun ( all their beer and drink trash) remain on the roof for everyone to see. I can only wonder what the house will resemble in the middle of July--will I be treated to sunbathing on the roof amidst the unmowed yard? I pay approximately $3500 per year to the Lubbock County Appraisal District to live in this neighborhood. Gee, it seems a small price to pay for so much entertainment across the street.

This is where we all want to be....

This is the place we all want to be.....although I could add to the word "anyone"....the following words:

1. any thing
2. any food
3. any drink
4. any person
5. any money
6. any job
7. any drug

Let's face it...all of us are just a collective group of "black-holes" of needs....

Sometimes when one gets off alone in solitude it makes it easier for one to see the effects that these "any's" are having on us.

A classic example of our need to escape is Thoreau---although the woods to which we can retreat is fast disappearing....not only are the remote retreats disappearing but, we are totally and inescapably connected because of technology.

Is it even possible to be able to happily live "in the moment"?

The Fearful Side of Being a Baby Boomer

Read this article if you are 40 or over and be afraid, be very, very afraid....
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/26/business/26care.html?hp
are you thinking of buying a long-term care policy to help you live in assisted living later on when you can't take care of yourself???
well think again!! just because you have a policy doesn't mean it will pay!
Beware....you can live too long....
this is another excuse to "gather ye rosebuds while ye may" and not worry about how long you live but the amount of life in your years!!!

Taking Green to a New Extreme

Everyone needs to get an RSS feed to get the NYT headlines. Today, there was a very intriguing article called A Year Without Toilet Paper. It was about a young couple who are both writers who are trying an experiment of making no impact on the environment. They use no electricity--basically and they have a very strict regimen about the food they consume. You have to read it...I am all for being environmentally sensitive--but I think it would be miserable to live the no impact lifestyle.
There are things that we all can do to help lower our effect on the world's environment, but this is pretty extreme!
When I think of living extreme, I think of the old movie from the late 60's called Soylent Green. It had Charleton Heston, it was set in the future, too many people, shortages of food, etc everywhere...a kind of Orwellian government started exterminating people when they could no longer serve their specific purpose and they made the remains into food--kind of a scary movie if you think about it!!!
It all comes down to finding a balance in what you consider to be "quality of life".......

No day as beautiful as today

There is really no comparable time to Spring!
Bradford pears are blooming so prolifically that as they shed their blossoms, it looks as if we have been blessed with a warm weather snow shower.
The crabapple trees in my yards are a beautiful pale pink and the redbuds are a fury of fuschia.
After a stormy West Texas evening last night, all was washed clean and a background of green. The temperature has been perfect today with just enough breeze to be comfortable.
These are the days that give us hope when we are confined to our homes during the horrible dreary cold days of winter.
Thank you, thank you God for today's beauty.

Sparkle Daily......

As we "rack up" the days in our life, we shouldn't go around with our heads down. One misses things that way!! Every single event that happens to us daily is something that educates us, inspires us, or sets our personal compass for the next action. If we get stuck in traffic, we might consider that it is for our ultimate good. Remember the man on 9-11 who stopped to get bandaids to put on his blisters and ultimately missed being in the World Trade Center collapse? What we think is an inconvenience may be our saving grace.

The old 70's adage: "Today is the first day of the rest of your life."? Yep, it really is true! Each day is a new day, tune your radar into God's Universal Spirit--your own personal GPS, and sparkle, really put your best foot forward because every new experience, every new person that you meet, every place you go may be the next great adventure in your life. Live in the moment and sparkle!!

Bad "stuff" gone good

We need bad stuff to happen to us....

maybe I should re-phrase that and say "challenging stuff".

I am a comfort junkie. I like to be comfortable, no stress, no hassle, no drama, no castastrophes....but sometimes we all need a "swift kick" in the backside to make us do something other than be in our little comfort zone.

Be thankful for your troubles--you could have someone else's troubles, at least you know how to deal with your own troubles...or at least you are used to them.

Be thankful for them because sometimes, instead of being the worst thing that could happen, they are the best thing, or perhaps even your salvation!! Remember that in the middle of difficulty lies opportunity or that God gives problems wrapped up as a gift....