Old, Old News

Comment down below, after these oldies:

Newburyport Current — A funny-serious rant about old attitudes about old people.

Forbes.com — A good piece on the issue of when to take over elder parents' financial affairs. Reality bites. My emotions are mixed, but we have to look this one in the eye.

Slate.com — Media watchdog Jack Shafer castigates NBC's Today for tabloid-izing kid drug-use stats. I've been feeling increasingly itchy about Today's tabloidy content. Jack's right; this show segment is overblown and even inaccurate. I'm featuring this item because we all worry about our grandchildren. We need to see how we're being fear-hyped. DN

Chicago Now — Columnist Wendell O'Neal says, "I don't see any fat old people."

Kaiser Health News — A solid summary of how Congress is addressing the nasty problem of elder abuse.

Boston Globe — A letter to this newspaper from a person of age, speaking up for staying home.

Times of India — A disturbing study of attitudes about men, happiness, age, and binge drinking.

Columbus Dispatch — Pill colors may confuse old people. Why do I give this story a Pie-In-Face? Because I'm tired of seeing only stuff like this about us in the media. It's information we need, but it's another rock on a depressing pile.

Telegraph UK — Those damn scientists say they've found a longevity gene.

U.S. News and World Report — Face it, our aging population raises legal issues we haven't been willing to debate. We can't avoid them forever. I'm uncomfortable with the nastiness of our public arguments, but we gotta get over it.

Wall Street Journal — And here's another essay celebrating old stories. As you might guess, there are more boomer writers than any other kind, too.

Albert Lea Tribune — A columnist writes, "go ahead, call me old." We need to encourage this kind of thing.

WTVY.com — It's another look-what-the-geezers-are-up-to-now story. Seems we're invading Internet social media sites. Imagine. We're not supposed to know what a mouse is, except when we're setting traps. Oh yeah?

Washington (DC) CityPaper — Old people are "sexting" now. Are you upset that kids aren't the only ones sending phone pictures of their body parts to their friends? Check out the link above, or the AARP's article, on which it's based.

24 HOURS (Canada) — How gently, how tenderly, do the journalists write about people of age; how circumspectly they broach the subject to those who are aging, which is everybody. This oh-so-careful piece is about having a job. If you can figure out the headline, let me know. DN

Egypt Today — In 2050 one fifth of Egypt's population will be over 60. That's 24 million. It's happening everywhere. An Egyptian magazine speaks out about it.

Joong Ang Daily — An economic report from Korea (south, of course). One paragraph in the middle of this story — "millions will have to work longer...[keeping] millions of old people in the workforce longer."

NYTimes.com — From "Idea of the Day": an MIT prof asks in his blog if technology devalues old people. You might want to join this discussion. I did.

Newsday — The news item that asks the question, "Are carmakers doing enough to meet older drivers' needs?" More from the noble movement to provide all us victims of Age with a prosthetic world. Worth a pie, don't you think?

Yahoo Finance — This is one of those press releases for Wall Street, about a pharmaceutical company joining an Alzheimer's prevention study. I'm putting it here for your enlightenment. Something's being done, and somebody thinks somebody might want to invest in it. The jist of the study is, to see if omega 3s in the diet and exercise can head off "cognitive decline" in old people. Ya think? Can't we just go ahead and test this for ourselves? Do we have time for a scientific study?
DN 11/3/09

NBCWashington — Washington DC and environs is now between 20% and 45% inhabited by singles, living alone. And they're not 20-somethings. ( US Census)

Denver WestWord — Something for Sunday afternoosn nostalgiacs. A Q&A with Roger Daltrey, 65.

MedicalNewsToday — Lawmakers are struggling with how age should affect insurance premiums.

Voice of Vietnam News — Everything's just dandy for old people in Vietnam. Yessiree.

New York Times — The latest computer tools to get old people into the online life. Face it. It isn't easy.

Wall Street Journal — Jack Welch, 73, esteemed former leader of GE, and certifiable old guy, is starting his own MBA program, on the Web. What's your latest 3rdAct project?

Bakersfield Californian — "Young people shouldn't have to support elders."

Reuters — Talk about a large aging population, China's the champ. Here's news about how nearly half of China's 140 million 60-plusers are out exercising every day. After what I saw on my October cruise (see the blog), I say this is more than a hint for Americans. Didn't see any fat Chinese, even on this affluent person's cruise ship.

CNN — Another of those intriguing reports about high-tech aids to longevity. Fifty years of life after 50?

The Register— FSU researchers say Web engineers need to pay more attention to making Web tech easier for 65-plus people. (Ed. note: The Register is a snotty techie news site. You've been warned.)

Times of India — They marched, the other day, in a busy Indian city called Patna, a group of old people, age 65 to 80, hand in hand with 100 schoolchildren, to demonstrate our interdependence.

NYTimes.com — A print debate on age discrimination, prompted by proposed legislation that would reverse a recent Supreme Court decision that made it harder to win discrimination suits.

NPR — The Nobel prize for Physiology and Medicine goes to three Americans for studies of aging -- at the cellular level, but hey, we'll take what we can get.

AP via Google — The older you get, the more your health insurance costs. This is fair?

TimesOnline.com (London) — This just in: the tango has been shown to revive flagging relationships. Rises in testosterone have been measured. May I have this dance?

9/27 – Guardian — Sixty actually is the new forty in Britain, says a new UK study. But things are better in the US. Time to change minds about old age.

The New Old Age — About NORCs; naturally occurring retirement communities. Natural idea.

TheInfrastructuralist — a piece about "Retrofitting the Suburbs." Chewing gum for the brain. 9/24

NYTimes.com — Eat less salt and lower your blood pressure, and save $18B in direct health care costs. Health is money. 9/22

NRToday.com — from Roseburg, Oregon, a guest writer lands a solid punch on the jaw of euphemism. 9/21

The Onion -- How to Stay Goth After 50. (Thanks, @tribeofnoise, via Twitter). 9/21/09

9/9/09 Senior Journal — I wouldn't want to stop anybody who needs to from losing weight, but you ought to look into the warnings about the drugs Alli and Xenical. This report is drawn from Consumer Reports data.

True/Slant — Interesting post on a brain study of people with set ideologies. Not encouraging. But read the comments.

AP via Google — A short feature on Kathy Greenlee, assistant HHS secretary for aging. Yes, she's working our future care. O.K., I guess.

Variety — Oh goody, you get to read Variety today! The median age of all three major TV networks' audiences is now over 50, and Fox isn't far behind.

Chico State University "Orion" — A student writer says "Old People Make Us Look Bad" by accomplishing things kids can't do. This is news?

HuffingtonPost.com — If you're an old actor, should you stay in Hollywood and get pastured, or go to New York and win Tonys?

Chicago Sun-Times neighborhood news — A nurse writes about when elder "care" is a choice and when it's a "necessity."

Aberdeen Press & Journal — That's Aberdeen, Scotland. Here's a Scots broth of protest about the way things are toward people of age.

NY Times — They're testing drugs that may slow aging. Read all about it, even if it's too late for you.

Ft. Worth Star-Telegram — Click on down to Texas for this AP story about how young farmer wannabes are getting matched up with aging farmers, in a romantic movement to save American family agriculture.

Wall Street Journal — The Brits are upset because American healthcare reform opponents have been slandering their National Health Service.

L.A. Times — (book plug, but that's OK) Our best-kept secret exposed: old people are happier than young people. It's probably hormonal, but that's OK, too.

OBIT -- Budd Schulberg, writer, at 95. Reported by NYTimes.com.

Cleveland Plain Dealer -- Just for the heck of it, if you're still wondering whether the healthcare reform bill wants to counsel you to die sooner, just read this.

New York Times -- a new study: getting tested for an Alzheimer's gene doesn't depress people, even if they're positive.

BBC -- A renowned British orchestra conductor, 85, and his wife, 74, ended their lives in a Swiss assisted suicide clinic. The wife was terminally ill, the husband was not.

Yuma Sun -- A desert editor looks at the new Pew study (see below) and sees a new generation gap opening.

Wichita Business Journal -- The truth about entrepreneurs -- they're mostly over 50.

Pew Research Center -- A new study from this leading non-profit social dipstick says the older you get, the older you think "old" is.

New York Times -- The French are thinking of raising retirement age. From 60.

Peninsula Daily News -- That's the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state. This hometown newspaper covers a conference on creative aging. We'll follow up on this, too.

Miami Herald -- Will it shock you to know that people over 45 are getting facelifts to help them get a job?

SFGate -- Help is on the way, they say -- here's a contest for startup businesses designed to help aging Baby Boomers.

USA Today -- Another newspaper takes another swing at reporting what's happening with Baby Boomers and retirement. Not a pretty sight.

AP via GoogleNews -- The AMA digs in its heels against anti-aging hormones.

EndocrineToday -- Here's one of those incomprehensible scientific studies we're not supposed to see. Read it if you're a doctor or play one on TV. The bottom line -- interesting news, but don't stop taking your thyroid pills.

FoxNews -- a cancer drug that youngs you up. Another tiny study that some hungry researcher sent out a press release on. Fun to read, but don't hold your breath.

NEWSWEEK -- "Old, Armed, and Dangerous?" Here's a splash of cold water for you. If we're going to insist on our right to be whole persons in our old age, we have to allow for the dark side of human nature, too.

StayingVertical.com -- We have no "aging genes." Author Ashton Applewhite reports on the International Longevity Center's Age Boom Academy.

CALGARY HERALD -- Robert Butler, one of the godfathers of aging social science, says Baby Boomers are "drifting" into old age with unhealthy eating, little exercise and decimated savings. Wake-up call.

CANADA.COM -- Step outside the country and hear how the Canadians report on this scientist's estimate, that we're closer than ever to anti-aging medicine.

NY TIMES -- A well-meaning, if a bit one-dimensional, article about how lonely seniors connecting on Facebook and other social Websites.

HOUMATODAY -- From a Louisiana hometown paper, a smart piece of "news" for old people. If climbing stairs is getting hard for you, climb more stairs.

New York Times -- Mikhail Baryshnikov at 61 -- adult dancing.

Pew Research Center -- The recession isn't hitting the oldest of us that hard.

Baltimore Sun -- Five aging myths exploded.

New York Times -- Research: if you exercise, don't take these vitamins.

Planet Money -- Even more research: Carry large bills and you'll spend less.

Science Daily -- Yet more science: Old people need more sunshine. Go for a walk.

New York Times -- Research Beat: Sleep deprivation hits the young harder than us. Yawn.

Marketwatch -- More 55-plus people are moving into age-based communities. What do you think?

INC Magazine -- AARP will offer 50-plus entrepreneurs employee benefits plans.

Time.com -- Half of those who've bought Amazon's Kindle digital book reader are over 50. 25% are over 60. Surprised?

HuffingtonPost.com -- Book review: When You Lie About Your Age, the Terrorists Win.

Forbes -- How Old is Too Old to Work? Note to myself: blog about this.

AP -- reviews a new Broadway play about the "indignities of aging."

Newsday -- Muscle loss is normal as you age...but exercise helps. I repeat, aging is normal. Get used to it.

Boston Globe -- MIT AgeLab, where they help create products old people can actually use.

UK's Channel 4 - World News Blog -- Get another point of view on what's happening. Journalism is happening elsewhere.

AP via Baltimore Sun -- Cuba raises retirement age.

NYTimes.com -- The Newspaper of Record has discovered that doctors are opting out of Medicare. Yawn.

PressThink -- Rosen's Flying Seminar in the Future of News -- NYU Journalism prof Jay Rosen collected 12 links to what he calls "deep think" on the newspaper crisis. Read up.

Kansas City Star - Want a solid job? Caring for old people is a wide-open field. So they say. What about keeping old people in shape so we don't need taking care of?

Forbes.com - Can anti-aging science solve the Social Security crisis? Maybe, but will it be ready in time for me?

Lonokenews.net - Fogies on Facebook

CBSNews.com - Alcohol hits old people harder than the young? What a useful study. Not.

Amazing what a well-written headline will accomplish. This story is headlined, "Kill Old People Cheap Act." It's Nashville Scene's story about proposed Tennessee legislation to limit money damages in nursing home abuse cases. Read about it. Do something about it.

Paul Harvey dies at 90 - Chicago Sun-Times

Profiles: Phoebe Snow and Tom Selleck - CBS Sunday Morning

Warren Buffett uses "shambles" in a sentence about the economy - Bloomberg