Fighting "Ageism"
A Chat With Age Activist
Barbara Rose Brooker, 84
The founder of AgeMarch and a long-time activist for age equality, Barbara Rose Brooker has been on The Today Show, The Talk, Inside Edition, Extra, Andy Cohen, ABC, CBS, KRON TV. She speaks regularly at the San
Francisco Commonwealth Club and at other venues. Her podcast, The Rant,
is gaining popularity and her Virtual Age March produced March 2021 is going viral on YouTube and around the world.
Q: What is ageism?
Ageism is age racism. Ageism defines and segregates people by numbers.
Age is not a one size fits all. Everyone at every age is age magnificent!
Q: How to combat ageism?
STAND UP for yourself and for others of all ages. Refuse to be age shamed, age segregated, discriminated, labeled and stereotyped. Stop ageism when you see and hear it and legislate. Fight for age justice and equality! People
are living longer.
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Q: Tell me about AgeMarch and your message for the AgeMarch movement?
I founded AgeMarch.Org in 2009. It is the first age movement in history to celebrate age pride for ALL ages, race, gender, sexual orientations. Everyone at every age is age magnificent! Age March advocates to end our anti-age culture and to promote a pro-age culture. To end systemic ageism! To INTEGRATE with ALL ages. To age together! OWN our age. EMPOWER
our age.
Q: Is age a gift? Or just a number?
Age is the gift of life. Age has NOTHING to do with a number. It is how we celebrate ourselves and others at every age. A 20 year old can have a fuller, wiser life than a 90 year old. Age is not a one size fits all.
Q: Why is ageism so prevalent in our society?
We live in an anti-age culture based on appearance and youth, rather than intellect, self acceptance and inner life. Age is the new designer drug. Twenty-four hours a day slick pretty women sell silky serums and promise to erase
CLICK HERE to read more about ageism and how to fight it.
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Who’s At Risk for High Blood Pressure? |
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High blood pressure can be caused by a combination of factors; some of them you can control, and some of them you cannot control.
Let’s start with factors related to who you are (you can’t control these):
Family history
If your parents or other close family members have had high blood pressure, the chances are higher that you will have to deal with it also.
Age and gender
Men are more likely to have hypertension up until age 64; after age 65,
women become more likely to suffer from the condition.
Race
High blood pressure tends to develop in African-Americans more than in
any other race.
Now let’s move to factors you can control:
Obesity
The more weight you carry on your body, the more blood and nutrients your body needs. The more blood that flows through your veins and arteries, the more pressure there is on those blood vessel walls. The weight also puts more strain on your heart.
Lack of physical activity
People who don’t move as much generally have higher heart rates. The higher your heart rate, the harder your heart has to work, which exerts more pressure on your blood vessel walls. Staying physically active helps mitigate this problem and helps you lose weight.
Unhealthy diet
If you have too much salt (sodium) in your diet, your body will retain water, which makes your blood pressure increase. To stay healthy, eat a balanced diet with the proper levels of all nutrients, including sodium.
Too much drinking
Drinking too much alcohol can lead to many health problems, including an increase in blood pressure.
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ASK LARRY
--Larry Hayes, A050 CEO/Publisher
"I Can't Find a Job. Is It Because of My Age? I Turned 60."
Q: I've been out of work now for over 14 months and can't find
a job in marketing. Could it be because of my age? I'm just 60 and have over 25 years of experience in senior marketing positions for high tech companies.--A.B, San Francisco
"Ageism" is real and rampant in all professions. Especially true in the marketing and advertising departments of many high tech companies
who prefer youth over experience.
I was a victim myself many times when I ran my own marketing and
advertising agency. We lost one account because the client felt that our creative director was "too old" to have any fresh ideas. He was only 53 at
the time. Times haven't changed much since then. Marketing and advertising are still a "young person's game."
My best advice is to consider switching to a field that isn't so youth oriented
like healthcare. Or start your own business. I know from my own experience that launching a business of any kind is daunting. But this may be your best option. Ageism is not going away anytime soon.
Q: My grandparents lived to be in their 90s. Does this mean
that I will also live to an old age?"--GF, San Jose, CA
Not necessarily. Having good genes helps but accounts for only 20% toward longevity. More importantly for a long life is a healthy lifestyle, positive attitude and daily exercise. What you eat or don't eat affects your lifespan as well.
Why do some people with unhealthy lifestyles live longer than those who live healthy lifestyles? My doc explains: "you also need a little luck."
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The creative genius behind Under Cardiac Arrest comics is John Donaghue, a talented art director from San Francisco. He has created dozens of comics depicting the frolics and life of older adults. For more laughs, go to: UnderCardiacArrest
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Save Like Crazy!
By Evelyn (Evie) Preston, The Money Lady
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I keep telling myself that the American Dream of rewards for hard work, retirement savings and homeownership won’t be punished by new Draconian tax/estate laws.
Until we know more, I do prescribe keeping up on developments, contacting Congress and crossing fingers. Seniors need to track tax proposals and changes for our ongoing financial health.
For now, save like crazy. We don’t always realize how small sums are siphoned off or carelessly slip away. Now’s the time to sweat the small
(money) stuff.
Q: I get these legal notices about class action lawsuits for something
I’ve bought or used and, if won, I could be owed money. How can I
lose by signing on?
You’ve already lost—the time to read most of that legal boilerplate. And if you read far enough, the possible return is usually no more than a few dollars. Even from AT&T or GM. While legitimate lawsuits exist, notification would be more likely through a broker or investors group.
Some law firms troll companies for real or imagined errors and omissions;
suits can last for years, demand on-going funding and usually reap major awards for the attorneys rather than hundreds of small-fry litigants.
Q: I know seniors are trusting—and easily targeted. Please repeat
cost-saving caveats.
It’s big news—"Billions Lost to Scams. NEVER click on a computer link even from well-known and trusted businesses. Hackers use sophisticated methods to duplicate sites, logos and language. Computer companies don’t call to fix
a problem.
Take the time to check! Call or initiate the site from your end. The IRS and other Government agencies don’t use email or phone. Lotteries are foolish; Publisher’s Clearing House equals magazine sales.
Even legitimate charities and subscriptions endlessly run with “due now” bills. Whether Smithsonian or Time, the magazine is totally separate from the
billing company. A friend of mine was prepaid for several periodicals through 2028!
Keep payment records. Use the library. Cancel/stop paying “stuff” that piles
up. Stop shopping—especially online. Stick to lists. Check what you’ve got.
I’ll guess there’s not much more you really need.
Q: Seniors worry and like to be prepared. What areas aren’t really
worth paying for?
I continually suggest carefully weighing risk/reward and cost- benefit of
policies and programs, eg: long-term care, prepaid dental/vision, warranties.
For intermittent costs, I save ahead and request a discount for an immediate cash payment—I just got 15% off my dental bill. Assess insurance needs—health, home, car and short term trips, a good idea. Most seniors have little need for life insurance and may receive funds on dropping the policy. With health and finances, second, even third opinions can be valuable for your life and bank account!
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Evelyn (Evie) Preston is a financial columnist for The Scoop and has worked as a financial advisor for over 25 years. She can be reached at 650.494.7443. Her book: Memoirs of The Money Lady is available at eviepreston.com.
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Ageism Sucks!
Bad For People.
Bad For Business
--Ken Dychtwald, CEO Age Wave
Due to America’s obsession with youth – ironically formulated and solidified when Boomers were young – most product and service developers and marketers direct most of their attention to Millennials and Gen Zers. But those cohorts are predominantly broke, time-constrained, and only marginally loyal to products and services.
Focusing on the historically “sought-after youth market” is a costly mistake when today’s older men and women now have considerable wealth, time and interests to satisfy.
Ageism runs deep
It’s in the design of products that require young, facile fingers and sharp eyesight, the length of time it takes traffic lights to change, and the auditory range on our cell phones. It’s in the management systems and cultures of organizations and job markets that assume youth outperforms age (based on no evidence) and the fact that geriatrics remains the least popular specialty in medicine.
Most ageism is more the product of ignorance and inexperience than bias and prejudice. In much of modern marketing, far too often, older people are conspicuous in their absence from ads and marketing campaigns. It’s ageism by omission. While people over 50 represent 70% of consumer spending, why are they only 20% of the people depicted in media and commercials? And they don’t like that at all, because the message is clear: “This brand doesn’t really value me.”
However, since today’s cohorts of older men and women are psychologically, culturally and financially different from previous older generations, they have new and far more diverse aspirations and dreams for their retirement lifestyles. As a result, there’s a far bigger upside to aging – and one that is largely untapped. The opportunity is hiding in plain sight.
Ken Dychtwald, Ph.D., is CEO of Age Wave and the author of two new books: What Retirees Want: A Holistic View of Life’s Third Age and Radical Curiosity: One Man’s Search for Cosmic Magic and a Purposeful Life.
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A beloved rivalry is re-ignited when Jerry moves into New York's finest hotel on the eve of “the wedding of the century,” forcing the event’s planner to hire Tom to get rid of him.
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