Just Over 50 and Not Dead Yet

Can Boomers or Slackers Save Pop Music? asks Soundcheck (WNYC)

On the May 6th show, Soundcheck asks Can Boomers or Slackers Save Pop Music? a loaded question that might lack nuance as Jimi Hendrix is offered as the Boomers poster child and Kurt Cobain for Slackers (aka Gen X).
There might be a rainbow rather than shades of Grey in between.
Say The Cure, New Order, The Saints (if you like bands from down under), back to the Mancunian scene New Order and Joy Division (who got the benefit of both drama and documentary).
You could even add to the mix King Sunny Ade, Cibelle, King Crimson, The Clash and Taking Heads, The Church and Go Betweens and what about REM and U2...
Feel free to add to the list...

In a learning state of mind? A myriad of options online

In Adult workers have a lot to learn online (FT, April 22), Michael Schrage (MIT's Sloan School) makes the case that 'mature' workers have a lot to gain from using the myriad options available online, many of them free.

The brain is a muscle, in order to work it needs to be flexed.

In 'The Age of Entitlement', Boomers through the lenses of 3 US Centric Books

This week-end in The Age of Entitlement, Michael Skapinker (FT) takes a look at 3 Boomer focused books whose main drawback he thinks is their US centric view.
They are Boom! Voices of the Sixties by Tom Brokaw, second is Generation Ageless: How Baby Boomers Are Changing the Way We Live Today…And They’re Just Getting Started by J. Walker Smith, Ann S. Clurman and last  Boom: Marketing to the Ultimate Power Consumer-the Baby Boomer Woman  by  Mary Brown - Carol Orsborn.

Maybe there is too much of an accent on the material side but I guess this is where the sense of entitlement can be most noticed.

What happened to the idealism though?

'10 Best Boomer Sites' according to PC Magazine

Any best of is only a snapshot in time really.

Amongst those included in PC Magazine Top 10 Boomer sites is TBD whose co-founder, David Markus
was kind enough to take part in our Just Over 50 panel at South by Southwest Interactive.

David's business better half, Robin Wolaner will speak at BlogHer Business Conference in New York (April 3 and 4).

Feel free to share your own favorite Booming Destinations.

The Cure own Robert Smith is 48...London Concert Review

The Cure own Robert Smith is closing on 50 (48 to be exact) and still putting on a good show if you like his blend of gloom and pop tunes.
In a review of  their recent Wembley Arena (London) Show, Ludovic Hunter-Tilney (FT) gives them credit while describing Robert's hair as 'trademark Edward Scissorhands tangle'.
Hard to believe but as Ludovic reminds us The Cure first single 'Killing an Arab' (inspired by L'etranger by Albert Camus) came out some 30 years ago.

There were concerns on the song being mistaken as racist as Rock Group Accedes to Arab Protest by Jon Pareles (NY Times, January 2007) showed.

Related: Rebel Rebel, Sounds Just Over 50...Never Mind the Sex Pistols

Are companies behind 'Varicose Veins' treatments a good investment?

I am not giving any investment advice here.
I was just interested by the point raised by James Altucher in Cash in on people's need to look good (FT) that amongst the a number of women in the 45-55 range (and some men I am sure) get treatment for varicose veins.
He mentions companies that benefit from this need.
I would add to his take that these bad veins are painful besides being a not so pretty sight.
My mother had surgery to deal with it so I know firsthand.

'Public Display of Fitness' at 50 by Steve Crooks

More often than not we celebrate our birthdays with a little too much drinking and eating.
Mary Anne Christiano writes in my local weekly The Montclair Times of a Fit and Nifty at 50 resident, Steve Crooks, and his 'public display of fitness' on March 9.
A different way to celebrate.

Related: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on Care & Maintenance of the Over 50 Athlete

Rebel Rebel, Sounds Just Over 50...Never Mind the Sex Pistols

While walking around the Trade Show floor, I suddenly stopped when I caught sight of the Union Jack and a crew wearing the famous/infamous 'God Save The Queen' T-Shirt restamped with a ' God Save the Screen / Rebel Rebel' punk flavored logo.

It was smack right raising the point I am making with Just Over 50.

If you were a Pistols, Clash, Ramones or in a more artsy than gutsy way Talking Heads or Television in 77 or 78 you are now clocking in as a 45 to 55 year gal or guy.

Not that I will use Rebel Rebel anytime soon since they produce videos and short films which is out of my realm.

Good branding though.

Just Shy of 18 Hours before 'Just Over 50 and Not Dead Yet' the Panel

You spend months toying with an idea, putting it up for vote and after a long process have a chance to turn it into reality.
In my case, even though I had hosted a number of speakers and discussions in my few years at the helm of the Northern New Jersey group of Company of Friends (Fast Company's readers network), I did not realized fully what I set myself up for when I committed to offer this topic for South by Southwest Interactive.
I don't think it would have gone so far if it had been all inspiration and no perspiration.
For those of you who cannot attend, you are welcome to ask questions Online.
I plan on continuing the voyage after the 1 hour session.
After all it would be silly to address online participation (of early boomers in our case) and let the conversation die after a one hour live session.
I am grateful to Janet, David, Rhea and Ted for agreeing to get aboard this ship.
We will make it worth your time for those of you who join us. The Just Over 50 and Not dead Yet takes off at 11:30 am and lands at 12:30 pm, Saturday, March 8.

'Rattled' at 50, On March 4, Debra Galant gives birth to 'Fear and Yoga in New Jersey'

If there is someone who can prove that the online world is not populated only by 20 somethings, the forever young Debra Galant proves that it is never too late to do anything you wanna do.

She founded Baristanet a few years back but her proudest achievement might be the publication of her first novel Rattled after a number of literary therapy sessions.
In one of these chance encounters, I met her on the New York bound train on my way to the Gambero Rosso tasting.
She was going to meet her publisher for a brainstorming session the day before the release, March 4, of her second opus titled Fear and Yoga in New Jersey. Will Johnny Depp be in the film adaptation?
To get back to our conversation, I found out for the first time that her first book was published just as she turned 50.

You can read Fear and Yoga in New Jersey First Chapter for Free before heading to the bookstore or your favorite online book source.

Merde! as they say in France.