This is even better than the Zoomers…enjoy!
Monthly Archives: January 2009
Africa
By Jim Selman | Bio
I am getting ready to fulfill one of my dreams. I have always wanted to go to Africa, but for one reason or another it was always too expensive, too far away or the opportunity just didn’t click at the right time. In March, I will be going and I am both excited and a little anxious since I am not quite sure what to expect. As I watch myself preparing, I realize that the best part of getting ready is that I don’t know what to expect—and that is the good news.
Healthy Habits
A study published in the October 2007 Journal of Gerontology revealed that people aged 65 to 85 with exceptional health shared these traits:
- They’re married and have at least a high school edcation
- They’re physically active and have a positive outlook
- They’ve never smoked and they drink moderately
Canadian and U.S. researchers followed a randomly selected group of 2,400 Canadians for 10 years to discover clues as to what makes older people thrive. The study’s author, Mark S. Kaplan, professor of community health at Portland State University, stated that even though it’s best to start good habits early, there’s significant evidence
Compassion for the Leader
By Jim Selman | Bio
It is interesting reading the Buenos Aires Herald this week. It is a 130-year-old newspaper written in English filled with Argentinian issues and perspectives on topics often having to do with what’s going on in the USA. There have been two or three articles a day about the new Administration.
One thing that seems to be showing up (and that I suspect is true in the North American press as well) is that the pundits are now falling into the ‘spectator mode’ and starting
Work at Home Scams
For those who are recently laid off or retired, working at home might seem like the answer to your financial problems. However, the Federal Trade Commission reported in 2007 that about 2.5 million Americans fall for work-at-home scams every year. Here are some of the most common types of scams:
=&0=& – You’re offered the chance to purchase a=&1=&Vanishing Pensions
By Jim Selman | Bio
I have had several conversations with friends in Buenos Aires about how people deal with their financial security in their older years. To my surprise, the uniform answer is that they mostly don’t. Then I hear a story which, by my naïve North American standards is shocking, but whhich reveals something important for all of us as we contemplate our own future and worry about the uncertainties in the financial markets.
The story goes like this. Prior to 1994, all pensions in
Choosing Partners
By Shae Hadden | Bio
Despite my intentions to stay focused on launching new materials into the world, the last couple of weeks have seen a flurry of activity around forming partnerships. When I look at the very real challenges we are facing today and the urgency with which they need to be addressed, establishing relationships might seem like the last thing we should spend time doing. However, I’m reminded of something Jim Selman often says: “Relationships are the foundation of success.”
Grateful Celebration
By Shae Hadden | Bio
In 2008, the theme of the World Health Day was on protecting health from the adverse affects of climate change. For me, the year was about protecting my health from the adverse affects of stress, chronic illness and my workaholic tendencies. Being ill has been the most complete learning experience I could have asked for—a life-changing blessing in disguise. Not only have I discovered (and removed) the source of a chronic infection, but I have also created my relationship
Obama’s Big Day
By Jim Selman | Bio
It’s been a long 8 years and now we begin again, but with a lot more on our plate. The list of challenges grows daily, the costs keep rising, the numbers of jobless and homeless Americans and others throughout the world are growing. And yet, the mood today is very festive and enthusiastic. I am in Buenos Aires and, judging by the mood in most of the coffee shops, you’d think that Barack was their new president. I cannot remember an inauguration with so much pageantry and expectation. The planners have outdone themselves to create a sense of inclusiveness, even at the risk of pissing off some of the hardcore ideologues that are still more committed to being ‘right’ than to having a united America that might just pull together enough to dig ourselves out of the current hole we are in.I remember marching in January 1961 as a young cadet in JFK’s inauguration. It was the coldest winter in memory. Between the ice and the blowing snow, I didn’t get to see much except the back of the guy in front of me. Even so, I can still remember the sense of pride and patriotism I felt being a part of what was to become a time of renewed hope and inspiration. Those were the times when the ‘best and the brightest’ sought public service. JFK’s challenge to “Ask
Believing What We Read
By Jim Selman | Bio
Here is what I was reading in the Buenos Aires Herald this morning (paraphrased)—“Some folks like what Obama’s doing, other folks aren’t so happy”. Here’s another—“Lots of middle class people believe there is a financial crisis and others don’t seem to have been affected at all”. This is then followed by a restatement of the news for the last few months with a dash of history added in, such as comparisons between BHO and JFK or FDR. Blah, blah, blah…
I think