Boomer's Bridge

Almost forgot to mention, during my self-imposed exile from writing, I wasn’t just sitting around enjoying the holidays. I have now officially completed two of the four Microsoft Office certifications I’m attempting, courtesy of the state of Michigan’s “No Worker Left Behind” program. I am now known as a “Microsoft Certified Application Specialist”, certified in both MS Word and MS Excel 2007. PowerPoint is next up, which I began studying for just yesterday. I suspect this one will be much easier and faster than Excel, which was a monster. Also continuing work toward A+ and Network+ certifications. Whether any of this will help my unemployment situation is up for debate. Are certifications minus real-world experience really worth anything in today’s hyper-competitive job market? I say it’s doubtful. But what do you think? Leave me a comment! At any rate, it’s something I’ve wanted to accomplish for quite awhile so I am getting a sense of satisfaction from having achieved these certifications. And the oh-so-pretty certificates from Microsoft – signed by none other than Bill Gates, himself – look so nice on my office wall.

Returning from a very extended holiday writing break. Ok, ok, I know. The holidays have been over for awhile. But if the number of people STILL inexplicably turning on their Christmas lights at the end of January are any indication, the holidays aren’t truly over until February. This is one of my pet peeves. Yes, the Christmas lights all over your house are very pretty. Yes, they were a lot of work to put up, I realize. It might be tempting to burn them just a bit past the holidays, to make the work seem more worthwhile. But, come on, people, the Christmas season ends on New Year’s Day. That’s it. It’s over. You might not want to take them down, since the weather is less than ideal. But, for God’s sake, don’t turn them on, please? But I digress.

At any rate, it’s very hard to “restart” after a self-imposed vacation. Especially when the boss is, well, ME. I can extend my vacation as long as I please without worrying whether I have the vacation time to use. Not a good habit though, I realize, and one I’ll definitely not be repeating. Anyway, as previously stated, it is February. The groundhog apparently saw his shadow this morning so, if you go in for that sort of thing, we can expect six more weeks of winter. Sounds about right, especially in Michigan.

Speaking of the land of unemployment, I just read this morning that the “jobs bill” President Obama called for in his State of the Union address includes yet another unemployment extension. There are some republican rumblings about this “jobs bill” being code for another “stimulus” package. They just don’t want to call it that. Stay tuned.

Reporting on my research into work at home jobs from awhile back: West@Home does, indeed, appear to be a legitimate outfit, albeit a low paying one. They do have work available, especially now with Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day right around the corner. You’ll do phone work, some sales and some customer service, such as the current ProFlowers project, taking orders for the aforementioned holidays. As I said, the pay is low – $7.00-$9.00 per hour and you’ll need to have an actual landline (not DSL/Vonage) in your home and you’ll need to purchase a noise-cancelling headset for your phone. Your computer must meet certain requirements, also and they will run a background check, in addition to a phone interview. If all this sounds good to you, then by all means check them out. http://www.westathome.com Haven’t received anything from the other companies to which I applied.

On writing for Demand Studios/Examiner.com: Took a break from these, also, but am getting back into the swing of things. Demand is a really interesting organization to be a part of and their forums and Facebook page are very lively, so I am enjoying that part of it. I also think they are poised for bigger and better things in the near future so I think it’s a good place to be right now, in terms of my fledgling writing career. That being said, the topics you’ll write about at Demand are less than exciting. “How to Seat a Floor Drain Flange” doesn’t exactly get my creative juices flowing but it pays $15 bucks per article, which can add up pretty quickly, I’ve found. Examiner.com is proving to be a little less satifsying for me, only because there is a complete lack of editorial control and some of the writers aren’t the best at grammar and sentence structure. The exposure provided by the articles I’m writing may be all but overshadowed by the bad reputation I’m gaining by association. They do, however, have a new feature which pushes my articles to Google News if they’re on topic for a particular news story, which could increase the exposure value. Jury’s still out on this one and we’ll see what happens.

Veteran’s Day is behind us. I noticed many people, online and off, pausing to thank the brave men and women who served our country and protected the freedoms we hold so dear. My husband too, himself a 22 year veteran who served in Desert Storm, noticed increased well wishes from those people he encountered during his workday. I, for one, am glad to see this spirit of support for current and former military personnel returning. It’s been absent from our country far too long. The attitude toward military personnel changed drastically during the Viet Nam war, from an air of respect to one of disdain, from those who were vehemently opposed to the war. But memories fade and, with the events of 9/11, Americans are beginning, once again, to feel the threat of terrorism on American soil and are finding a new appreciation for those who “keep the wolf from our door”, so to speak.

Unfortunately, one special group of veterans, those who chose to make the military their careers and have spent the better part of their lives serving their country, are being disrespected in a very different way and it’s happening right here in our own State of Michigan. A little known Federal law, 10 U.S.C. Section 1408, is robbing some veterans of the retainer pay (commonly and erroneously called a “pension”, more about that, later.) which was promised to them by the military, in exchange for 20 or more years of service. This law, called the “Uniformed Services Former Spouse Protection Act”, or USFSPA, allows states to divide military retainer pay between spouses, as property, in a divorce.

To receive retainer pay, an Army veteran must serve for a minimum of 20 years, while some branches of the military require even longer service to qualify for retainer pay. In exchange for this lifetime retainer pay, a retired vet must still be held accountable to the military for his/her actions under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, or UCMJ. In addition, unlike a “pensioner”, the retired veteran, receiving retainer pay, is also subject to recall, at any time, to active duty by the military. There have been cases where even very old vets were recalled to active duty, if their specialties were especially needed, such as retired military doctors, for example.

According to Military.com:

“In an event where Congress declares a state of war or national emergency, the Secretary of Defense can authorize the Secretaries of the Army, Navy, and Air Force to recall retired military personnel. Retirees may be recalled up to age 64 for general officers, age 62 for Warrant Officers, and age 60 for all others. Retirees are placed into one of three categories for recall purposes.

Category I (usually called first) includes retired servicemembers who meet the age and grade criteria, were not retired for permanent disability, have a US address, and have been retired fewer than five years.

Category II (usually called after Category I) includes servicemembers with the same qualifications as the first category, but retired for more than five years.

Category III includes all other retired servicemembers, including permanently disqualified disability retired servicemembers.”

Hence the name, “retainer pay”, rather than “pension”.

Under the Uniformed Services Former Spouse Protection Act, or USFSPA, while state courts have the option to divide this military retainer pay and to award a portion of it, or in some cases all of it, to the veteran’s spouse, the spouse receiving this military pay is under none of the constraints mentioned above, while the veteran remains subject to all of them. In addition, it does not matter whether or not the spouse committed abuse toward the military member, adultery or desertion, nor whether the spouse remarries or how much income he or she makes. He or she is still eligible to receive a portion of the veteran’s military retainer pay for life. This is separate from – and in addition to – any spousal or child support awarded, since the military member’s retainer pay is divided as “property” in the divorce, rather than support.

There have been cases where 100% of the veteran’s retainer pay was awarded to the spouse in a Michigan divorce court. Consequently, these vets are receiving nothing for their years of service and sacrifice. If you really want to honor those who’ve served in the military, especially those who’ve done so for most of their lives, I urge you to find out more about this law and to write your Congressional Representative requesting a complete overhaul or repeal. Our veterans deserve better.

To find your Congressional District, Senators and Representatives, govtrack.us offers an excellent tool, available at this link, which will allow you to find and zoom in on your district and will automatically show you, in the sidebar, who your senators and representatives are. Their contact information can be found on their individual websites, which are linked from their names. For more information, please visit ULSG.org.

It has recently come to my attention that we, baby boomers, are being blamed for the entire recession. Many Generation X and Y bloggers, out there, are placing the blame for the current economic plight squarely on our shoulders. You know what? I think they are correct.

It is being said that “our” mismanagement of the economy as a whole, our overspending, over indulgence and our general selfishness is what caused the mess in which we currently find ourselves, economically. Well, I believe they have the right idea, but for the wrong reasons. I don’t blame them for thinking the way they do, given the way they were raised.

Baby boomers, as a generation, were the first to treat our children with “respect”. We never yelled or – God Forbid! – spanked our children for doing wrong, lest we risk upsetting their “delicate emotional development” and their self-esteem. We made sure (or tried very hard) to make sure they had whatever they desired, so that they would not feel deprived, as we did. Our mantra was always, “give my children what I never had’, at all costs and even if it was to our detriment or that of our own futures. Our fondest desire was to raise children who valued themselves and could look at themselves in the mirror and like what they saw. Well, fellow baby boomers, I’m happy to report that we’ve succeeded!

• Remember that big, gas-guzzling SUV you bought so that you could cart your kids and ALL their friends to basketball games, roller skating parties and countless piano lessons? Yes, the current gas crisis in the middle east is your fault.

• Remember when you borrowed from your 401K so that Janey could have braces, so as not to make her feel “different” or self-concious and further risk lowering her precious self-esteem? Yes, it’s your fault you now cannot afford to retire.
• Remember when you made the decision not to have too many children, so as not to further divide the attention and monetary output being lavished on your current children? Yes, the social security crisis is your fault.

So you see, fellow baby boomers, they are correct. We, as a generation, produced the most self-absorbed generation in history. They are now blaming US for the recession. They now believe we should just retire (or, some say, die!) and “get out of their way” so that they can have the jobs we so desperately cling to. They claim they could fix this mess “we’ve” created if we would just allow them the opportunity to use the high-priced educations we, ourselves, sacrificed vacations, new furniture or bigger homes, for. They claim they would marry, buy homes and have children if we would just sit down and STFU. Isn’t it comforting to know that we can now look forward to having our children looking out for us in our old age?

Ready for some halloween fun? Now through November 5th, only, you can search some of Ancestry.com’s creepiest collections for free.

Probably one of the most interesting collections is the Salem Witches Collection. This collection includes records of those who were formally accused and charged with witchcraft in New England from 1647-1697 and actually went to trial in a town court proceeding. The available records show the year the accused stood trial, a first and last name, the town or village where the trial took place and the outcome of the trial (confession, acquittal, execution, escape, etc.) Perhaps one or more of your distant ancestors was accused of being a witch! Wouldn’t it be fun to find out?

The offer also includes free access to the cemetery and gravestone collections and a collection of 74,000 headstone photos, some with multiple names, of people who died from the early 19th century through the present.

The collections can be found at Ancestry.com’s Halloween offer page.

Happy Hunting!

This Halloween marks the 83rd anniversary of the death of master illusionist and escape artist Harry Houdini. On Sunday October 31st, 1926, Houdini died of peritonitis resulting from a ruptured appendix, in room 401, Corridor D, in the old John R. Wing of Grace Hospital in Detroit. He was just 52 years old.

Born Erik Weisz in Budapest, Hungary, on March 24, 1874, Harry’s family moved to Appleton, Wisconsin when he was 4 years old. Throughout his life, Houdini would claim Appleton as his birthplace so that he would be more readily accepted as an American. He ran away from home at the age of twelve, performing magic as “Eric the Great” with circuses and side shows.He then rejoined his family in New York at age 13. Later, after reading a biography of French illusionist, Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin, Harry changed his last name, adding an “i” to the name of his idol and became one of the most famous performers in American history.

In addition to his well publicized career as a magician and escape artist, Houdini was also a well known crusader against fake mediums. He had developed an intense interest in the spirit world following the death of his beloved mother and tried several times to contact her in the great beyond. Having been bilked, himself, Houdini would frequently attend seances in disguise just to expose the charlatans and prevent them from taking the money of grieving survivors.

Several days before his death, in Montreal, Houdini had been struck repeatedly in the abdomen by a student, challenging Harry’s claims that he could withstand any blow to the abdomen. The punches were unexpected and caught Harry off guard. In pain, Harry gamely made the long train ride to Detroit, calling for a doctor, upon his arrival. He was taken to Grace Hospital where he was found to have a ruptured appendix. There is much speculation about whether the blows to the abdomen may have caused Houdini’s appendix to rupture, thereby, causing his death, but medical wisdom belies this claim. In any event, the student was never investigated and, reportedly, disappeared into obscurity shortly after the incident.

Seances are held each year on Halloween and have been held each year, since his death in 1926, in an attempt to contact Houdini. He had always vowed that, if there were any way possible, he would return to his wife Bess and had set up a code with her so that she would recognize his spirit when it materialized. Bess attended these seances faithfully for 10 years following the magician’s death, then she gave up.  To this day, though, the faithful still gather in a location which had a significant connection to Houdini’s life, in an attempt to raise his spirit. The seance was once held at the site of the magician’s death: room 401, Corridor D, Grace Hospital, Detroit.

Troy, Michigan based Kelly Services, Inc. today released the results of their survey, The Kelly Global Workforce Index, which surveyed about 100,000 people in 34 countries throughout North America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific, regarding their views on social responsibility as an incentive to accept employment and tracks differences between respondents, depending on their generation.

The survey showed that, while employees across all age generations and regions tend to prefer companies with well developed social, ethical and environmental policies, baby boomers seem especially likely to be concerned with a company’s social responsibility factor, as a gauge of suitability for employment.

Here are key findings of the survey, from KellyServices.com:

• Almost 90 percent of respondents say they are more likely to work for an organization that is considered ethically and socially responsible, something that is consistent across all age generations.
• 80 percent are more likely to work for an organization that is considered environmentally responsible, a figure that is considerably higher among older age groups.
• In deciding where to work, an organization’s reputation for ethical conduct is considered ‘very important’ by 65 percent of Gen Y, 72 percent of Gen X, and 77 percent of baby boomers.
• 46 percent of Gen Y would be prepared to forego pay or promotion to work for an organization with a good reputation, rising to 48 percent for Gen X and 53 percent for baby boomers.
• In deciding where to work, policies to address global warming are considered ‘very important’ by 31 percent of Gen Y, rising to 35 percent among Gen X and 36 percent for baby boomers.

North America
• 90 percent say they are more likely to want to work for an organization that is considered ethically and socially responsible, the highest of any region of the globe.
• 83 percent say they are more likely to want to work for an organization that is considered environmentally responsible, again the highest of any region.
• In deciding where to work, 35 percent say that policies to address global warming are ‘very important’ and 53 percent say they are ‘somewhat important.’
• In deciding where to work, 82 percent say an employer’s reputation for ethical conduct is ‘very important’ and 17 percent say it is ‘somewhat important.’
• Almost half (49 percent) would be prepared to accept a lower salary or a lesser role to work for a firm with a positive approach to the environment, employees and the community.

Europe
• 86 percent say they are more likely to want to work for an organization that is considered ethically and socially responsible.
• 79 percent say they are more likely to want to work for an organization that is considered environmentally responsible.
• In deciding where to work, 29 percent say that policies to address global warming are ‘very important’, and 57 percent say they are ‘somewhat important.’
• In deciding where to work, 62 percent say an employer’s reputation for ethical conduct is ‘very important’ and 34 percent say it is ‘somewhat important.’
• More than a third (42 percent) would be prepared to accept a lower salary or a lesser role to work for a firm with a positive approach to the environment, employees and the community.

Asia Pacific
• 87 percent say they are more likely to want to work for an organization that is considered ethically and socially responsible.
• 81 percent say they are more likely to want to work for an organization that is considered environmentally responsible.
• In deciding where to work, 39 percent say that policies to address global warming are ‘very important’, a level higher than in either North America or Europe.
• In deciding where to work, 71 percent say an employer’s reputation for ethical conduct is ‘very important’ and 27 percent say it is ‘somewhat important.’

• More than half (56 percent) would be prepared to accept a lower salary or a lesser role to work for a firm with a positive approach to the environment, employees and the community, higher than in both North America and Europe.

This would appear to show that companies will need to be aware of their social footprint in order to attract and retain high quality employees, of any generation, but that baby boomers, in particular, are most concerned with the social responsibility of potential employers.

You might remember my post from back in March about writing online for various websites. I have since applied to a few and I am happy to report I’ve been accepted to write for three of them: Demand Studios, Examiner.com and Suite101.com and can now tell you a little more about them. Of the three, Demand Studios seems to be the most selective, both in terms of your initial application and the writing you will eventually do for them. They do, however, provide you with extensive writer’s resources and editorial guidelines to follow. The writing, itself, is mostly research based articles and “how-to’s” and most pay a flat fee ($7.50 – $15.00 per article) and some assignments offer revenue share. The content created for Demand Studios will end up on any of a number of Demand Media owned sites, including eHow.com, Livestrong.com, AnswerBag.com and others. If your writing isn’t quite up to snuff, though, I wouldn’t start out at Demand, due to their more stringent editorial policies. Suite 101 is unique among these types of sites in that they don’t hold you to one particular category. You do pick categories or interests in your initial application, but they don’t hold you to it. You can submit articles on any of their topics and share in the revenue the articles bring in. Examiner.com is probably the best for sheer exposure and they have a big push on for writers right now. This might be the best place to begin for those who want to break into the online writing field. You will apply for a particular topic and you are imited to writing on that topic, only. The good news is there are hundreds of topics, some very narrow niches, so you’re sure to find something that interests you. Click here to apply – and please let them know I referred you.  I’ll keep you posted over the next few months on how these three writing endeavors are going for me.

Many baby boomers find it difficult, if not impossible to find employment in today’s tough job market. One of the reasons for this is that many employers believe mature applicants don’t have any computer skills or are not willing or able to learn new applications. Certifying your skills and furthering your education can be the most rewarding and effective way of combating this stereotype and improving your chances of being hired by an employer.

I, myself, have recently begun to do just that, thanks to Michigan’s “No Worker Left Behind” program. It’s a great program for those who are unemployed or simply making less than $40,000 per year. Under the program, you can receive up to $10,000 for two years to further your education. There are a few stipulations, however. The degree or certificate you’re earning must prepare you for a job in an “emerging industry” or “high growth occupation”. They have a list of such occupations on the NWLB website at http://www.michigan.gov/nwlb

I have been pursuing IT certifications in various computer applications and have recently completed the Microsoft Certified Application Specialist exam in Microsoft Word. I now hold MCAS certification in that application. These certifications will help to certify my skills, so that employers will know exactly how proficient I am. I will be continuing on through the Microsoft Office suite of programs (Excel is next), eventually leading to certification as an all-around MS Office “expert”.

With all the hype about we boomers being “the” fastest growing group of consumers, many sites have sprung up targeting our demographic. Here’s how it works: you put up a site, you get lots of traffic, advertisers take notice and buy space on your site. However, some site publishers have been a bit too hasty in their quest for our dollars and have created sites that do not even come close to speaking to who we are or how we look at life. My first encounter with one of these sites was with Eons. Eons is billed as a site for boomers but, back when I first signed on, they had lots of references to death, illness and advanced funeral planning! It was certainly depressing. They may have changed their focus by now but I have not been back, showing the importance of first impressions. However, from the moment I first signed on to Vibrant Nation, a community site for women 50+, I felt as if they were speaking to me and to who I really am. Here, I can talk about anything, from writing my first novel, to hang gliding, to cupcakes, to sex. This is a place that seems, quite obviously, to have been written by boomer women, rather than by some marketing guru who thinks he has found the pot of boomer gold. However, you will be surprised to learn that the site was actually founded by a 45 year old man! Nonetheless, Vibrant Nation makes me feel as if I belong there and that is what I was looking for all along. I encourage you to check it out and sign up. You’ll be so glad you did.