Posts Tagged With ‘ Tom Lashnits ’

     We’ve all read about the last words of some famous people. For example, drummer Buddy Rich died after surgery in 1987.  As he was being prepped for the operation a nurse asked him, “Is there anything you can’t take?” And he responded, “Yeah, country music.”      Or the composer Gustav Mahler who died in bed. He reportedly was conducting an imaginary orchestra. His last word was: “Mozart!”      Basketball great “Pistol” Pete Maravich collapsed during a pickup basketball game. His last words were: “I feel fine.”  ... Continue Reading

     They say that we older people need to keep our minds active, keep learning things. We’re supposed to learn a foreign language, or do crossword puzzles, or practice the piano.      I’ve always resisted learning things just because I’m “supposed” to; hence, my less-than-stellar career in algebra and my brief fling with calculus. (I learned enough to pass the final; then immediately forgot it all.)      Something has to interest me. Otherwise I lose motivation, and my attention drifts off. I admit, this happened to me with photography. I got a camera, purchased... Continue Reading

      There’s the James Beard Award for chefs. Celebrity chefs like Rachel Ray and Guy Fieri show off their talents on TV. Famous cooking competitions are refereed by Gordon Ramsey and other culinary stars. But as far as I know, there are no celebrity dishwashers, no dishwashing TV shows, no dishwashing competitions that bring fame and fortune to the winners.      But there should be. There should be an award.      Cooking is considered a highly skilled occupation, a calling, an art. But dishwashers are taken for granted, if they’re lucky, otherwise they’re abused and... Continue Reading

      Research has shown that subjective age — how old we feel — and not our actual age is a better predictor of our overall health, memory, physical strength and longevity. So instead of asking someone how old they are, you should ask: How old do you feel?      Cues about age can influence how old we feel. So one way to feel younger is to socialize with people who are younger. An older person married to a younger person may have a younger subjective age — they feel younger, act younger. Spouses who are significantly younger actually tend to live shorter lives, older spouses... Continue Reading

     I recently read a couple of articles about the best places to retire. For example, U. S. News rates the best cities for retirement. (Hint: most of the top ones are in Florida or, believe it or not, Pennsylvania). Wallethub focuses on the best states for retirement. (Virginia is Number 1, Florida 2, Pennsylvania 14.)      These lists are typically based on statistics about climate, income, life expectancy, access to health care. But all these are theoreticals. I wonder what people really care about when they decide where they’re going to live after they retire.      We had... Continue Reading

      Possibly you’ve seen reports about a Wall Street Journal/University of Chicago poll that recently took the pulse of American sentiment.      To me the amusing — and somehow sad — thing about it is that the conservative press (like the New York Post) screeches that the poll is proof Americans have fallen for the “woke” agenda. They have become soft and spoiled, interested only in money and pursuing their own pleasures. They are not as patriotic, not as religious, and not as family oriented as they used to be. Young people aren’t even interested in... Continue Reading

     It seems that most of the retirement advice we get these days is either about money — when to start taking Social Security, how to invest your 401K — or else about how to find meaning in life — you have to volunteer somewhere or maybe find a job.      Well, that might be true in the early days of retirement, especially if you retire young, in your 50s or early 60s. But the older we get, the more it seems like the simple pleasures become more important.      Here are a few of my simple pleasures. Maybe you have some others you can suggest.      Dinner.  I really... Continue Reading

     Remember that old line from President Ford? Actually, I think it was subject to a lot of ridicule, because it seemed so ineffective at the time. And of course it is ineffective as a national policy. But there are some practical ideas — as well as a particular frame of mind — that can help us save some money and deal with inflation that’s currently running at about 6 percent or so.      For example, Billionaire Warren Buffett knows a thing or two about saving (as well as earning) money. He famously lives in the house he bought for $31,500 in 1958, now worth about $700,000.... Continue Reading

     The Academy Awards are bring held on Sunday night, a time when we find out the best actress, best actor and best picture of 2022. I know you’re supposed to be breathlessly amazed at how wonderful these movies are. But, at least for the moment, I take a more jaundiced view.      I read an article the other day reporting that the “Oscar Bump” has not been as big this year as in years past. The Oscar Bump refers to a sudden increase in ticket sales for the nominated movies, since the nominations pique people’s interest.      The article blamed Netflix for the... Continue Reading

      We just got home from our Snowbird trip to Florida and South Carolina. Our last weekend in Charleston — or at the beach outside of Charleston — the town held its annual Sand and Sea Festival, which includes a street fair, live music, a sidewalk sale, lots of eating and drinking . . . and among the younger set, more drinking.      The highlight of the weekend is the sand castle building contest, which started on Sunday surprisingly early in the morning. We sauntered out to the beach a little before noon, thinking we had plenty of time to watch the festivities, only to find... Continue Reading