Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Aged to perfection; Sensuous sleepwear is more than a luxury for the boomer woman who brings energy to all aspects of her life, including the bedroom, writes Judy Gerstel
Judy Gerstel
Toronto Star
February 1, 2007

Overview: Gerstel writes, “The baby boomer woman is nobody's baby now. She's all grown-up, no longer young but not yet (and maybe never, in her view) old. She's melting away decades with the same energy, grace and determination she brings to her work, her family, her yoga and exercise classes, and to everything important in her life – including, it must be said, to bed.” Additionally, she references BOOM: Marketing to the Ultimate Power Consumer-The Baby Boomer Woman, by Mary Brown and Carol Orsborn, Ph.D., and shares “…because women in their late 40s to 60s are the greatest marketing opportunity today, they're gaining respect and attention from more and more designers and manufacturers of intimate apparel.”

http://www.thestar.com/columnists/article/176854

Markets Focus: Boomer Women; Marketing to the maturing woman's heart, mind, and spirit
Susan Kuchinskas
OMMA Magazine via Publications.mediapost.com
January 2007 Issue

Overview: This article focuses on the importance of marketing to women, particularly online marketing, and discusses both older and younger boomers. Kuchinskas suggests, “While older boomers were extremely indulgent, their younger cohorts want the good life, but they need to be convinced of the value of what they buy.”

http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.showArticleHomePage&art_aid=53188

Divorce Effecting Baby Boomers Into Retirement
Sally Grover
All Headline News
January 31, 2007

Overview: Grover reports, “A new study has shown that baby boomers who stay married are financially better off in their later years. Moreover, “Research by the Australian Institute of Family Studies has revealed that people who divorced after 1975 have a harder time owning their own home by retirement, if they never married again.”

http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7006319847

In yesterday’s blog, we addressed that fact that Gen X and Y marketers have noticed something new for western society. Their elders have begun hitting 60—and unlike generations past—are refusing to fade away.

For boomers and generations to come, the implications are enormous, as we all adjust to this new reality. It’s easy to bash boomers as suffering from a character flaw that drives them away from more age-appropriate roles. The truth is much more complex—so here’s part two of my rebuttal...

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Drugstore chains closing in on aging baby boomers; increased prescription sales contribute to building boom among national chains
Michelle Kearns
Buffalo News
February 5, 2007

Overview: Due to the increase in prescription drugs, baby boomers are contributing to the growth of drug store chains across the country.

http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20070205/1054393.asp

Built to suit boomer living; Communities geared to adults get a makeover
Jim Wasserman
The Sacramento Bee
February 4, 2007

Overview: Wasserman’s article focuses on boomers and retirement communities. He writes, “Boomers want more than trails, outdoor life and trips to wine country. They also want their adult communities to offer college classes, learning experiences and chances for civic engagement in the larger communities beyond their neighborhood.”

http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/118318.html

Could the Market Fall Down and Go Boom?
Martha M. Hamilton
The Washington Post
February 4, 2007

Overview: Hamilton reports on the future of the market as boomers begin to retire. Specifically she writes, “The GAO also notes that the boomers will retire, not all at once, but over a 19-year span, which could soften the impact of any selling they might do and that many may work well beyond the traditional retirement age, continuing to accumulate assets. The GAO also suggests that many affluent boomers will want to leave something to little Madison or Jacob, so they won't be selling. Or they may want to hang on to stocks as a hedge against inflation. Of course, a falling market might undermine both of those motives.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/03/AR2007020300120.html

Vanity Fair magazine’s slick February 2007 cover features actress Demi Moore sprawled out in a fluffy, white bathrobe, sporting gold slippers and holding a hat reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn. The headline? “Demi Moore—Her Husband, Her Body and Why She Never Ages.”…Never ages?

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Billboards and baby boomers
Ronny Linder-Ganz
Ha'aretz
February 2, 2007

Overview: While marketers and advertisers around the world, especially in the U.S., are targeting the 50+ market, Israeli marketers and advertisers have yet to catch on. Linder-Ganz writes, “Even though the world still belongs to the young in Israel, there are some harbingers of change - companies that are beginning to understand the business potential inherent in this generation.” This article also shares what is important to the boomer generation as a whole including health, fitness and appearance.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/821057.html

'Don't Retire: Rewire!"
Gloria Hayes Kremer
Princeton Packet
February 2, 2007

Overview: Kremer writes about successful boomers that will soon retire and the opportunities to have a satisfying retirement. She shares ideas from the book “Don't Retire, Rewire! Five Steps to Fulfilling Work That Fuels Your Passion, Suits Your Personality or Fills Your Pocket" (Alpha Books) written by Jeri Sedlar and Rick Miners and discusses the T.V. lecture-and-discussion series, “Boomervision!” which includes a panel discussion of high-profile boomers who are in the process of planning their retirement. Additionally, Kremer reports, “Studies show that boomers tend to be more optimistic and ambitious and thoughtful about the future than the older generation. They are more racially and ethnically diverse than older generations.”

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17798158&BRD=1091&PAG=461&dept_id=425695&rfi=6

Boomers and Seniors Connect with Technology
Daisy Whitney
KVOA News
February 2, 2007

Overview: Whitney reports, “Recent studies by the Pew Internet and American Life Project show that Americans age 65 and older are one of the fastest growing demographic groups using the Internet. That growth comes in part from how well the Internet allows boomers and seniors to follow their interests and improve the quality of their lives.” Moreover, the article concludes, “Despite the growth in senior-centric sites, boomers aren't glomming onto the newest wave of phones, PDAs and mp3 players like younger generations.”

http://kvoa.com/Global/story.asp?s=6023868

People spending it all, and then some; Savings rate lowest since Depression
Associated Press via Chicago Tribune
February 2, 2007

Overview: This article focuses on consumer spending and reasons why the savings rate for 2006 was negative 1 percent. Associated Press reports, “Whatever the reason for the low savings, economists warn that the phenomenon exists at a particularly bad time, with 78 million Baby Boomers approaching retirement age. Instead of building up savings to use during retirement, Baby Boomers are continuing to spend all their earnings.”

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-0702020110feb02,0,5707064.story?coll=chi-business-hed

This is the season for bridal magazines. At last count, rushing to the biggest magazine stand at the airport to make my much-anticipated purchase, there were five or six top choose from. Big, glossy, glamorous, eye-catching—and missing out on a huge market of potential purchasers.

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Hefty cost no object for good night's sleep: Aching baby boomers pay thousands for top-quality coil or foam mattresses
Allison Connolly
Baltimore Sun
February 6, 2007

Overview: Connolly discusses how much consumers are spending on high-end bedding and writes, “David Perry, executive editor and mattress writer for the Greensboro, N.C.-based trade magazine Furniture Today, said the category is the fastest-growing in the industry, mostly because baby boomers are looking for a panacea for their growing aches and pains, and they have disposable income to spend. Retailers like Dormia are happy to oblige, he said.”

http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bal-bz.dormia06feb06,0,4073552.story?coll=bal-business-headlines

United Kingdom; Global Warming: baby boomers blamed
Seniorscopie.com
February 2, 2007

Overview: “The Baby Boomer generation is being blamed for increasing climate change as the advent of middle age provides more disposable income to pursue a jet-set lifestyle. The over-50s have been identified as one of the worst age groups for contributing to carbon emissions‚ many showing a worrying lack of understanding over the critical state of the global environment.”

http://www.seniorscopie.com/actu/article.asp?id=070206232353&rub=swi

*Worth Noting

Too young to retire...but (apparently) too old to be hired. Older workers who have been forced to take buyouts are facing difficulty finding new full-time jobs, creating a marginalized underclass of citizens.
Sheryl McCarthy
USAToday.com
January 31, 2007

Overview: This article focuses on older workers and the job force. Specifically, McCarthy reports, “Though the news is full of stories about baby boomers who reject the notion of total retirement and who in their 50s and later are pursuing second and third careers, the reality is that being 50 or older and looking for work is tough.”

http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2007/01/too_young_to_re.html

Here’s how the boomer woman’s birthdays tend to go, ages 42-61…

42
43
44
In my early forties
In my early forties
In my forties
In my forties
Still in my forties
50 is the new 40
50
50
Early 50’s
Early 50’s
Early 50’s
Early 50’s
Early 50’s
Still in my 50’s
Not yet 60
The Big 6-0
Can you believe I’m 60?

Carol Orsborn

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

*Worth Noting

Senior Netizens
Daniel Kadlec
Time
February 2, 2007

Overview: Kadlec reports, “Folks in or near retirement are getting wired as never before--and not just to e-mail the grandkids and view photos of their far-flung family members. They're going online to bank, invest, search for alternative medicines, find volunteer opportunities, network with interest groups, blog, become politically active and, like Hazel Poole, start up something new--for fun or profit.” Moreover, “The oldest baby boomers, now turning 61 and just a year from being eligible for early Social Security benefits, want to stay active and engaged in something meaningful until late in life, surveys have shown. That often means some kind of job or volunteer work. Being comfortable with the Internet is practically a prerequisite.”

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1584802,00.html

The Medspa Movement is Making Headway, Solana Medspas CEO Delivers State of the Industry Report
PR Web
February 7, 2007

Overview: Press release announcing, “According to the International Medical Spa Association (IMSA), the Medspa movement has been closely linked to the growing baby boomer generation in the United States.” Additionally, “The technology and delivery mechanisms of the medspa as retail medicine are still years ahead of the baby boomer boom, which will be an expanding market over the next 20 years.”

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/2/prweb502720.htm

Business: Don't toss out our boomers without picking their brains
Becky Bosshart
Nevada Appeal
February 7, 2007

Overview: This piece gives advice to employers who will need to fill job slots once boomers begin to retire and shares that “Baby boomer employees are a gold mine. Don't let them walk out without picking their brains.” She also points out that many boomers plan to continue working. “They have the energy to work eight to 10 years past the typical retirement age.”

http://www.nevadaappeal.com/article/20070207/NEWS/102070089

I challenge Gene Weingarten of The Washington Post Magazine to meet me at the top of the fast-moving escalator of his choice to see who—at our respective ages—can negotiate the journey to the bottom culminating with the most graceful landing.

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Boomer Market Leaders Gathering in Chicago
PR Web
February 8, 2007

Overview: Press release announcing the “What’s Next Boomer Business Summit” that will take place on March 5-6 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. FH Boom co-chair, Carol Orsborn Ph.D., will be speaking as part of the “Boomer Lifestyles” panel.

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/2/prweb503299.htm

Does beauty have an age limit?
Today Show
February 8, 2007

Overview: This segment focuses on Dove’s beauty and aging campaign that targets baby boomer women.

http://video.msn.com/v/us/msnbc.htm?g=5ad241cc-c961-40bb-8b5a-85e795cb30fe&f=05&fg=copy

Boomers value luxuries in post-retirement plans
Gary Dymski
Newsday
February 8, 2007

Overview: This article focuses on the housing trends boomers are looking for in their retirement years. Specifically, “baby boomers are looking for new digs, and they have distinctive tastes, like formal dining rooms, large garages and space for entertaining.” Moreover, “The idea of scaling down, finding a place with smaller maintenance demands and taking life a little slower initially appeals to boomer buyers, said Karen, owner of Symphony Development Group in Owings Mills, Md. But when they actually start looking, they remain fixed on the space and features they've always seemed to enjoy.”

http://www.newsday.com/business/ny-bzhome085084730feb08,0,2191265.column

Publishing experiencing a boom about boomers
Carol Memmott
USA Today
February 7, 2007

Overview: Memmott reports on the latest books focused on boomers. She writes, “Baby boomers are the first to admit they have been obsessed with themselves at every stage of their lives. Which may be why publishers increasingly are dropping the "B" word into book titles.”

http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2007-02-07-baby-boomer-books_x.htm

Baby boomers set to fuel outbound tourism in Japan
Satish Gupta
Travelvideo.tv
February 7, 2007

Overview: Japanese baby boomers will have a great impact on outbound tourism. Gupta reports, “When it comes to baby-boomers, the demand is expected for journeys to express gratitude for a lifetime’s work or to mark retirement. While baby boom retirees will not all start traveling in 2007, it is expected to mark a watershed in what will become a major future trend.”

http://travelvideo.tv/news/more.php?id=10693_0_1_0_M

Back to the nest; The trend of kids moving back in with their parents is bad for America and will damage the family unit, right? Not quite.
Sharon Graham Niederhaus and John L. Graham
Blogs.USAToday.com
February 6, 2007

Overview: Niderhaus and Graham discuss multigenerational living and that more adults between the ages of 20 and 34 are moving back in with their parents. They report that “many psychologists have noted that baby-boomer parents enjoy closer relationships with their fewer children that allow extended cohabitation. A recent survey conducted for Del Webb (a division of Pulte Homes Inc.) reports that only about one-quarter of baby boomers are happier once the kids move out.

http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2007/02/post_13.html

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Most older women really look, um, older
Joseyli Vogels and Li Robbins
Toronto Star
February 9, 2007

Overview: Vogels and Robbins reflect on aging women. “But why the obsession with us old dames? There's the obvious: approximately half of aging boomers are women. And the equally obvious: women shop more. And we're not just talking groceries. Seems some of us think we really need that $300 jar of scientific breakthrough age-defying goop that promises to soften our deepening brow crease as we puzzle over Christie Brinkley saying, I don't want to be younger. I just want to look it. Moreover, “We've got nothing against feeling good while slowly sagging, but enough with the pressure already. Been there, resented that.”

http://www.thestar.com/Health/article/179748

Boomers: The road ahead; Answers to eight questions facing an entire generation of near-retirees
Pat Regnier
CNNMoney.com
February 8, 2007

Overview: Regnier gives answers to eight questions boomers want to know as they head towards retirement. Topics include commodities, stocks, social security, working longer and more.

http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/moneymag/0702/gallery.whats_next/

Baby boomer voodoo
William F. Hague
Marco Island Sun Times via Zwire.com
February 8, 2007

Overview: Hague offers insight on a popular adage that baby boomers will always save money and support a struggling, poor economy, which is not always the case. Investors in the real estate and stock markets should not solely rely on boomer money, but make educated decisions based on market trends.

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17825383&BRD=2256&PAG=461&dept_id=455823&rfi=6

Generation Gap: Age Issues Are Often More About a Power Struggle
Mya Frazier
AdAge.com
February 06, 2007

Overview: Frazier explains how generations tend to collide more frequently in the workplace. She reports, “There's the very serious and often confusing problem for agency managers facing the dilemma of whether to keep the experienced 55-year-old on the longtime drug account or to hand over a hard-won new technology account to the new hotshot creative with almost no experience.”

http://adage.com/article?article_id=114751

In 1966, Time Magazine collectively coined the Baby Boom generation “Man of the Year”. This generation lived up to Time’s momentous designation, fearlessly going on to lead a number of revolutionary movements, among them, fittingly, the women’s movement. (Note that Time now pays tribute to “Person” of the Year).

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Managing Across the Generation Gap; Future entrepreneurs are more likely to work with people of all ages. An author on this topic discusses how they can do so successfully
Karen E. Klein
BusinessWeek.com
February 12, 2006

Overview: This piece features a Q&A with Bridging the Generation Gap authors Robin Throckmorton, owner of Strategic Human Resources and Linda Gravett, a national speaker and human resources consultant. Throckmorton and Gravett give advice on how the different generations can work together successfully. Moreover, they share that boomers “want respect for their experience and expertise, and even if some no longer want career advancement, they want challenging assignments, lateral moves, and respect for the dues they have paid. They tend to understand technology and use it comfortably.”

http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/feb2007/sb20070212_399060.htm

The spoils of love; at the American Baby Faire in Fort Lauderdale, Grandparents Will Get Special Treatment
Monica Hatcher
Miami Herald
February 10, 2007

Overview: Hatcher reports on grand boomers and writes, “Healthier, wealthier and spending more money on teddy bears and teething rings than any generation before, baby boomers are going gaga for their grandkids -- to the tune of an estimated $50 billion a year.” Furthermore, “retailers are fast discovering that nothing tugs at boomer heart -- and purse -- strings like the toothless smile of a grandbaby. Let the drooling begin.”

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/business/16667228.htm

More boomers up for adventure vacations
Lisa Kadane
Vancouver Sun
February 10, 2007

Overview: Kadane’s article focuses on the latest traveling trends among baby boomers. Specifically, “a recent Leger Marketing online survey found 77 percent of Canadian baby boomers say they're more adventurous in their travel choices than their parents were. Almost half (44 percent) say they're traveling to more exotic destinations than they were a decade ago. And when they arrive, 52 percent say they're more likely to engage in activities from scuba diving to zip-lining, instead of just lying on a beach.”

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/travel/story.html?id=5a8dd21f-8655-4252-bfa3-04b981ca706e&p=1

I don't feel as old as I am.
I don't know what I really look like.
I don't get me most of the time.
At sixty, I still laugh at all the crude, crazy things my kids do.
My eyes look out of a body I don't recognize.
And while I don't wear faddish clothes, I like to glam it up.
But most troubling of all, my head is in a transition I don't get yet.
No longer anyone's child since my mother died this past August, I have strangely become the matriarch of my family.
Kids, family, pals and pets are drawn like little magnets to my sphere.
Friends and colleagues seek my counsel.
Yet, I am not ready to accept it all because when I do, I will really need to accept the fact that I'm getting old.
And, while I am thrilled to be the center of this wheel of fortunate outcomes, the role is still new to me.
These expectations, responsibilities are new to me.
I have no mother/father role models as my parents were lost souls having survived the Holocaust...
And with their emotions locked away forever.
Looking at it another way, maybe its good news:
I'm still learning to be me.

Eileen Marcus

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Boomer bulge brings rich but untilled field
Gregg Kilday
Reuters via Washingtonpost.com
February 13, 2007

Overview: Kilday writes about boomer representation in Hollywood films. He writes, “For as the boomers' numbers grow as a percentage of the overall population, their share of the market should be growing as well -- if only Hollywood weren't spending most of its time chasing after teens.” Moreover, “With their child-rearing years behind them, the boomers now have the time and, in many cases, the disposable income to return to the multiplex.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/13/AR2007021300123.html

Work/Home Balance? It's Called Life; As we struggle to achieve parity between the job and personal time, we must understand that there are no cookie-cutter solutions
Kurt Ronn
BusinessWeek.com
February 13, 2007

Overview: This piece focuses on the struggle to balance work and life. Specifically, Ronn discusses the different views on work/life balance between the different generations. “The mature worker (age 55-plus) wants to continue to contribute; this group often possesses the most knowledge about the organization and has the greatest amount of experience. At this point, they are most likely either career-focused and working on projects, or enjoying their ability to give back to the community during brief sabbaticals from the workplace. Complete retirement, as their parents might have considered, is usually not an option, because longer life spans are leading to second and even third careers with the aim of finding new challenges and maintaining a certain standard of living.”

http://www.businessweek.com/careers/content/feb2007/ca20070213_538439.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index

Aging population reshapes housing market; Retired baby boomers will spur demand for smaller residences
Ko Kyoung-tae
The Korea Herald
February 13, 2007

Overview: Kyoun-tae reports that “in recent years, baby boomers have led the shift in Korea's housing market as they favor large houses.” Analysts, however, predict that “the fast-ageing population may reverse the direction of the property market in the coming years.”

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2007/02/13/200702130025.asp

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Spend; Crash Course Boomers+Tech; Time for an Upgrade, Dad
Rothman, Wilson
Money
March 1, 2007

Overview: Wilson writes, “Alas, even for a generation that fomented cultural revolution, keeping up with the latest gadgetry (and the Jones Juniors) can be a little overwhelming. Some 40% of baby boomers think of themselves as "tech shy," according to a recent study by Experian Simmons market research. Maybe you're one of them, or maybe you're eager for new gear but are just looking for the right advice or opportunity to buy in.” Wilson also shares the latest technology trends and offers a “cool-boomer solution” to each trend.

Please note: This article has not yet been posted on CNN.com. Will include the link as soon as it becomes available.

The Boomer Files: The Way We Laughed; The generation that grew up with Mad magazine and the Vietnam War created its own brand of irreverent comedy.
David Noonan
Newsweek
February19, 2007

Overview: Noonan reflects on how boomer humor has evolved and cites many examples to support his ideas. More specifically, Noonan writes, “boomer humor may owe its greatest debt to Mad magazine.”

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17083395/site/newsweek/?from=rss

The 'generation gap'? It's today's workplace
Jim Lindgren
Indianapolis Star
February 14, 2007

Overview: This piece focuses on the generational gap in the workplace. Lindgren reports, “Gen Xers and Gen Yers often think boomers and radio babies are too old to learn anything new, can't handle technology and are stuck in their ways. The older generations think Xers and Yers have no work ethic, are crybabies, want immediate gratification and don't want to work hard.”

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070214/BUSINESS/702140403/1003

Here’s an untold sports story from Super Bowl Sunday that has nothing to do with football, but rather, is derived from the world of the martial arts.

An 80-year-old woman was relaxing in her home alone during the game when an intruder broke in and threatened to rob her. Thinking quickly, the woman pretended to have a major heart attack, so rattling the burglar that he not only fled the scene empty-handed, but helped her get her hands on medicine she said she kept in the garage first.

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Dove relieves some angst over aging
Marney Rich Keenan
The Detroit News
February 15, 2007

Overview: Keenan shares her thoughts on beauty and aging and reflects on the new Dove campaign targeting baby boomer women. “I'm drawn to the ads. I study them, checking off mutual flaws and similar downright problem areas. They make me feel like I'm not so bad after all,” Keenan shares. “I'd much rather be judged among my peers, rather than the photo-shopped digital transformation that we've become so accustomed to seeing in ads.”

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070215/OPINION03/702150407/1042/LIFESTYLE05

Baby Boomers Struggle To Care For Parents, Kids
WISC-TV
February 15, 2007

Overview: This segment focuses on boomers and caregiving. Specifically, it discusses the many boomers that are caring for both their aging parents and their children. “The stress and emotions of having so much responsibility can be overwhelming, and many Baby Boomers said they feel like there is not enough of them to go around.”

http://www.channel3000.com/news/11017225/detail.html

Breadwinning, her way; Wives bring home more of the bacon
Molly Selvin
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette
February 14, 2007

Overview: Selvin reports that an increasing number of women are becoming breadwinners including the baby boomer woman. Selvin writes, “many baby boomer women have outearned their husbands for years, the result of early professional choices and ambition. Others revved up stalled careers in their 40s and 50s when their children left home or as their husbands began to downshift professionally or were laid off or retired.”

http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journalgazette/business/16695013.htm

On Sundays my mother doesn’t always go to church, and she doesn’t whip up hearty breakfasts for my father. This day is reserved for someone else. On Sundays, she smiles, puts on her lipstick, and glides dutifully into the assisted living home nearby. As she enters, the older adults in the living room slowly look up. Something new is breaking up the quiet of their day. A door has opened, someone has entered and sunlight has filled the room. Mom spots her 87-year old mother, who sits silently dazing ahead, failing to recognize her daughter. And then what my mother has known for so long hits her all over again: she is now the caregiver, my grandmother the child.

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

You're Older? So Sell Your Wisdom; Ageism is real, but you can beat it by emphasizing your skills and building relationships
BusinessWeek
February 16, 2007

Overview: The article explains that although age discrimination is against the law, boomers with high qualifications are frequently passed over for jobs they might have landed easily if they were 20 years younger. Jeanette Woodward, author of Finding A Job After 50, provides several strategies to get interviewers to look past one’s age and understand that the maturity and experience of boomers make them the perfect candidate for hire.

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_08/b4022096.htm

Baby Boomer Woman Overcome Barriers
WISC-TV
February 16, 2007

Overview: This segment focuses on baby boomer women and the many barriers they have had to overcome. Additionally, the segment introduces Donna Sollenberger, who began her career as a grocery store clerk, but is now president and CEO of University of Wisconsin-Madison Hospitals and Clinics. Sollenberger addresses the ongoing struggle of women in the corporate world. "A lot of women my age, we're paving a way, striking a work/life balance, trying to figure out how to make it all work." The segment concludes with the recognition of famous boomer women including Hillary Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, Condoleezza Rice and Katie Couric.

http://www.channel3000.com/news/11028046/detail.html

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Old? Sez you: Baby boomers refuse to go away quietly
Lauren Beckham Falcone
Boston Herald
February 19, 2007

Overview: Falcone reports, “baby boomers - the generation that helped create youth culture 50 years ago - aren’t ready to give up the stage.” She also gives several examples of popular culture icons and the latest TV shows to support her argument.

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/lifeNews/view.bg?articleid=183680&format=&page=2

MTV to Boomers: Bye for Now!
Marianne Paskowski
TVweek.com
February 19, 2007

Overview: Paskowski writes about the MTV Network executives that were recently fired but will more than likely come back as independent contractors, a growing trend among corporations. She reports, “It's about the bulk of the population, the baby boomers who fill high-ticket jobs. It's hard to find people to fill Internet positions. The younger people have 20 percent of the skill set of the boomers, but the boomers are being ushered to the door, or leaping for it, she said. And no surprise here, some of them get fired only to get rehired as independent contractors to do a specific project, minus the health benefits, which are a huge cost to corporations.”

http://www.tvweek.com/article.cms?articleId=31539

Driving dreams; as baby boomer men pursue classic cars of their youth, automakers are redesigning vehicles with 60-year-olds in mind
Linell Smith
Baltimore Sun
February 18, 2007

Overview: Smith reports on how automakers are targeting the baby boomer man. He reports, “Nissan hopes to attract that latter market with the Bevel. One of the first cars openly targeting the Baby Boomer male, it's a futuristic-looking vehicle, created for the 45- to 60-year-old handyman/hobbyist and his dog.”

http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/custom/modernlife/bal-ml.boomer18feb18,0,6207871.story?page=1&track=mostemailedlink&coll=bal-business-storyutil

Boomer Music Had Big Impact on American Culture
WISC-TV
February 17, 2007

Overview: This segment focuses on the influence of baby boomer music. “You can't scan through the radio dial without hearing the music of a generation. Thirty years after the songs hit the airwaves, baby boomer music is still as popular as ever. Boomers continue to dominate popular culture, movies and television, and to a lesser extent, pop music. And as long as that's the case, the music will live on.”

http://www.channel3000.com/news/11043547/detail.html

Boomers will soon see benefits of immigrants
Daniel Weintraub
Sacramento Bee
February 18, 2007

Overview: Weintraub reports, “As baby boomers age and become more dependent on government to tend to their needs, economic growth to preserve their investments and buyers to snap up their suburban empty nests, they are likely to turn to a source few are contemplating today: immigrants.” Moreover, “those same immigrants, who are now struggling to learn English, go to college and find employment, need an assist from some people who have the means to give it: boomers.”

http://www.sacbee.com/110/story/124859.html

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Different styles, same job
Annette Clifford
The Daily Press
February 20, 2007

Overview: Clifford shares her view on parenting and the baby boomer demographic. Specifically she writes, “Is it a turf war over parenting chops? In this corner, you've got the baby boomers - that big, fat post-World War II lump of a generation working itself through the python's neck of American demographics. Too slowly working its way through for those in the other corner - the Gen X, Y and Z kids born after 1966 who are sick and tired of hearing about boomers and their enormous impact on everything.”

http://www.dailypress.com/features/family/dp-58449sy0feb20,1,7464177.story?coll=dp-features-familylife&ctrack=1&cset=true

Baby Boomers Create Age Discrimination Challenges for Employers
PR Newswire
February 20, 2007

Overview: Press release announcing, “While the Age Discrimination in Employment Act protects workers aged 40 and over from being discriminated against on the basis of age, "subtle" age discrimination is becoming a problem for employers according to two noted employment lawyers at Epstein Becker Green Wickliff & Hall, P.C.” Moreover, age may be considered a real bias. “A younger worker is over forty percent more likely to be called for an interview than a worker 50 or older, according to a 2005 study conducted by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, which sent out about 4,000 resumes to firms in Boston and St. Petersburg, Fla. and evaluated response rates from employers.”

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/02-20-2007/0004530376&EDATE=

More families building, adapting in-law suites
Nzong Xiong
Belleville News Democrat
February 20, 2007

Overview: Xiong reports on the in-law suite trend and writes, “As more early baby boomers begin to reach retirement age, many of their adult children are searching for ways to help them maintain their independence but also keep them close by. Late baby boomers also are looking for options for their parents. Some have turned to in-law suites, either adding them onto existing homes or building them detached from the main houses, and making these secondary dwellings popular again.”

http://www.belleville.com/mld/belleville/living/16739509.htm

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Understanding Female Boomers Drive Sales
Leslie Hart
Kitchen and Bath Design News
February 21, 2007

Overview: Hart addresses the importance of marketing to the most dominant consumer - the baby boomer woman - while focusing on the kitchen and bath industry. Additionally, Hart features a number of quotes from BOOM: Marketing to the Ultimate Power Consumer—the Baby-Boomer Woman, by Mary Brown and Carol Orsborn, Ph.D. She writes, “Overall, Brown and Orsborn emphasize that when communicating to Boomer women, …marketing and creative directors need to be well versed in the art and science of interpreting, translating and delivering information.”

http://www.kitchenbathdesign.com/publication/article.jsp?pubId=2&id=3588

Kitchen Probes Wide Range of “Boomer” Housing
Kitchen and Bath Design News
February 21, 2007

Overview: This piece concentrates on the housing market and ways in which the boomer generation will impact the industry. The article shares, “Baby Boomers will exhibit a diverse range of housing needs in the future, depending on their retirement time lines, and their preferences are certain to result in far different housing requirements and significant shifts from living patterns established by earlier generations.” The article also provides home improvement statistics and trends for people ages 50 or older, taken from a study conducted by Home Depot.

http://www.kitchenbathdesign.com/publication/article.jsp?pubId=2&id=3616

Baby boomers will change attitudes about aging…
Maturemarket.com
February 21, 2007

Overview: “With the first of the baby boomers turning 61, attitudes about aging are likely to change, said Deb Sellers, Kansas State University Research and Extension specialist on adult development and aging.” Moreover, “such a large group will have the power to set new standards - or expectations - for aging, and drive the development of new products and services for their age group.”

http://www.thematuremarket.com/SeniorStrategic/baby-boomers-attitudes-about-aging-8360-5.html

Baby boomers provide care for aging parents in record numbers
Maturemarket.com
February 21, 2007

Overview: This article discusses study results from ElderCarelink concerning boomers caring for their aging parents and shares, “Baby boomers provide care for aging parents in record numbers, and many are overwhelmed by the physical and emotional demands.”

http://www.thematuremarket.com/SeniorStrategic/baby-boomers-aging-parents-8361-5.html

Astro Pants. Space age technology has created a breakthrough for the men and women of the boomer generation who don’t want their increasing need to make pit stops in the course of their busy lives to slow them down. Made of highly-absorbent disposable material, Astro-pants have been proven to work not only in space but in long-distance travel. Now you can hike, sit through long movies and even take the window seat on your next flight. Astro Pants.

For rest of today's blog, continue at The Boomer Blog

"Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Chicago Conference Highlights Boomer Business Opportunities
PR Web
February 22, 2007

Overview: Press release announcing “the What's Next Boomer Business Summit is coming to Chicago in two weeks. The annual conference brings together blue-chip speakers, sponsors and business leaders from around the country who are interested in the next moves baby boomers will make in their careers and personal lives.” The release also highlights activities from this year’s summit. FH Boom co-chair, Carol Orsborn Ph.D., will be speaking as part of the “Boomer Lifestyles” panel.

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/2/prweb506493.htm

National Association of Baby Boomer Women Reveals Top Ten List
PR.com
February 22, 2007

Overview: The National Association of Baby Boomer Women releases the Top Ten Things Boomer Women Want in 2007 contest results and reveals the “high priority issues concerning 38 million of the healthiest, wealthiest, and best educated generation of women to hit midlife.”

http://www.pr.com/press-release/30716

Japan Baby Boomers Aid Leisure Stocks, Merrill Says
Patrick Rial
Bloomberg.com
February 22, 2007

Overview: Rial’s article focuses on Japanese baby boomers and areas that will be affected by their retirement and spending, including the stock market, golf, travel and gardening industries.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601101&sid=auyJeeFOODQ0&refer=japan

Boomers feel lure of leisure
Jonathan Chevreau
Financial Post via Canada.com
February 22, 2007

Overview: Chevreau reports that Canadian baby boomers may not continue in the workforce after all. He writes, “a report released yesterday by Statistics Canada seems to suggest that once Boomers get a taste of fulltime leisure they may not be so keen to return to the corporate grind.”

http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/columnists/story.html?id=4f06b3da-8852-40a7-af65-bf7f581f60b9&p=1

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Today's baby boomers want lock and leave
Deborah Moore
Albany Times Union via Wilmingtonstar.com
February 23, 2007

Overview: This piece concentrates on housing trends and the notion that boomers want to “lock and leave,” wanting less responsibility for taking care of their house. “Boomers want to spend time in leisure activities, volunteering, socializing or even taking on second careers - just not worrying about the house.”

http://www.wilmingtonstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070223/NEWS/702230378/1051

Mama bird's getting ready to downsize
Marcianne Waters
The Philadelphia Daily News
February 23, 2007

Overview: Waters shares her thoughts about downsizing her lifestyle once her children leave the nest. “The times they are a-changin'. Time to move, time to grow, time to find a new identity. I'd love to say that I'm taking up skydiving or writing a novel with my new-found freedom, just like all those baby boomers in the ads I'm bombarded with. I'd love to say that I feel a great sense of exhilaration as I shed a skin. I'd love to say there's a happy ending. But there's not. There's just muddling through. For now.”

http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/news/opinion/16764631.htm

Getting late for boomers
Cathy Myers
Times Daily
February 22, 2007

Overview: Myers reflects on being referred to as a “late boomer.” She writes, “Those of us born in 1957 are a generation in search of a name. And, although we are aging at what seems to be a rapid pace, we can't pin down exactly how old we are, either.” Moreover, “But some people divide those 76 million Boomers into subgroups, which means that we 1957ers are part of the Late Boomers. Other generations get cool names like Gen X and Gen Y and even The Greatest Generation. We get Late Boomers. What kind of a name is that? We should all get together -- in someplace warm and tropical, for instance -- and vote on a new one.”

http://www.timesdaily.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070223/NEWS/702230304/-1/COMMUNITIES03

Women, Retailers and Fashion: Yes, Size Does Matter
Sarah Mahoney
Mediapost.com
February 23, 2007
Overview: Mahoney reports that women in general, feel discouraged when shopping for clothes that flatter them. "Perceptions of positive changes in fit, as well as style, quality and value, are lower today than in prior years, says Kelly Tackett, a senior consultant with Retail Forward. The change is most pronounced among women 35-plus. Boomer women are just not getting their needs met at retail, she says. Retailers just need to listen to women."

http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?
fuseaction=Articles.showArticleHomePage&art_aid=55985

Retiring boomers putting pressure on tight labour market: report
Eric Beauchesne
Canada.com
February 22, 2007

Overview: This article focuses on how Canadian boomers will impact the labor market. Specifically, “The looming retirement of boomers, the oldest of whom turned 60 last year, has been a focus of concern for years, with warnings of labour shortages, especially skilled labour.”

http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/financialpost/story.html?id=b5df62a9-c2b0-4879-bc8f-81a5d19505b5&k=84005