Gen Plus

“Mom, what do you want for Mother’s Day?”

Janet Wendy Spiegel — Wed, 09 May 2012 16:47:00 +0000

Every year a week or so before Mother’s Day my daughter asks me what I’d like for my special day. Usually I tell her that every day is Mother’s Day. That I’d like a beautiful card & maybe breakfast in bed.

This year my kidlet headed me off at the pass. “Mom, don’t tell me that my love for you its good enough. I want to buy you a GIFT!”

So, now just days before Mother’s Day, I have to think of what my daughter can get me that won’t break her little bank. I’ve received tons of press releases with suggestions/promos but none personally float my boat (I’ll post them later).

I’m taking her to La Boheme the following week, so I thought about suggesting she treat for our lunch. Or perhaps a joint mani-pedi, but I think I may want to go back to our earlier years & ask her to make me a coffee mug. The one she made me 4 years ago is a bit cracked & definitely worse for the wear, but I’ve enjoyed every sip of coffee I’ve ever taken from that mug.

Super Moon

Janet Wendy Spiegel — Sun, 06 May 2012 06:39:08 +0000

Did you see the moon tonight? If you didn’t realize that the moon was brighter than normal, perhaps you heard more dogs barking or howling well into the night. Impossible to capture the magic on a smartphone camera, but it took my breath away on this crystal clear night.
We owe it to ourselves to marvel at the beauty of our little part of the universe from time to time…no?

…and I’m ready for my close-up!

Janet Wendy Spiegel — Wed, 02 May 2012 19:30:35 +0000

Only in LA…just found my own personalized parking spot!

Janet Wendy Spiegel — Wed, 02 May 2012 19:29:27 +0000

Life & Opinion

Janet Wendy Spiegel — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 22:21:59 +0000

For those of you who are dedicated bloggers, you know what it is like when an issue gets under your skin. It’s almost like you can’t write enough. In order to keep the reader’s interest, you write succinctly, get to your talking points quickly, add in your backup material & try to do it in under 750 words. 250 words & likely your FB readers will read the full post.

It always feels like you need to write more, say more, spout out more. So some days you’ll post twice, 3 times & more.

But blog world is not real life world & when something happens in your life that knocks you for a loop, all of a sudden, sharing your opinion with the rest of the world becomes kind of unimportant, and sharing details about your life is just uncomfortable & too intimate at a time when you seek distance. When you find yourself heading underground, the last thing you want to do is share yourself with your readers.

Facebook is easy…just a few interesting observations, a quick post & you are done. Blogging requires more thoughtful consideration.

In my world, reality trumped blog for a few months. I’m finally surfacing for air, so I’m hoping that you, faithful readers will have stuck around, or are interested in coming back again. And I’m hoping to find my that my voice is still interested in talking about the world and that you are still interested on hearing my opinions on life, politics, and the rest of it.

The changing world of blog

Janet Wendy Spiegel — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:15:13 +0000

It’s been an interesting year in electronic evolution. Blogging to micro-blogging. Google+ vs. Facebook. Twitter vs. the world. PC to iPad to PDA and iPhone4S…

All in all, the world of communication continues to change and amaze. I’ve been blogging since 2004, when who even knew about blogs? I certainly didn’t have a clue. Started on Blogger, evolved to WordPress, then WP pro with customizability that allowed me, who knew nothing about coding, to be able to function in the world of website creators. Now, 8 years later, with literally millions of bloggers, the amount of work to stay ahead of the competition is daunting. Whereas I used to be just one of a few writers who opined on careers for the 50 plussers and the white elephant in the room…yup…ageism, I am now one of many who talk, blog, lecture and critique any and all things that affect us (those with grey roots showing or even fully white-haired!…not forgetting my balding male readers either.)

It’s been wonderful building up an audience of readers. About 10,000 of you have access to what I write on what used to be a daily post, and now less frequent, basis. For a few months I’ve been asking myself why I blog less now than I did a year ago? There are a few big reasons. None of them have to do with readership…because, you, my readers, who email rather than comment, who Facebook message me rather than post on the wall, are who keep me motivated to talk about whatever hits me on any given day. Here are the big reasons I’ve posted less in the past year than in any other year:

My business is very busy (in addition to social media, I run a successful pet services business in the central San Fernando Valley, call Pooch Buddies!). Yes, it’s a really rough economy and to stay ahead and afloat, I really do work 365/24/7. Not only do I, a single woman, support a family of 3 (plus dog), but I’m responsible for livelihoods of 4-6 staff at any given time of the year, and the comfort of hundreds of people’s loved pets…a responsibility I don’t take lightly. If I can’t keep a full schedule for some of the best people who have ever worked for me, then I fail them. They are willing and eager to take as much work as they can get and I do my darnedest to keep their days full so they can keep their apartments, cars and fill their bellies.
I lecture on online networking for career challenged 50 plussers, and so I do my part to stay abreast of changes to how the economic outlook affects career networking and how to overcome the significant challenges of finding work when you may have been unemployed now anywhere from 2 – 5 years. That takes up a bit of my time.
I moved in September. The home I bought was not supposed to be a fixer…but yes, it has needed a lot of work, and I’m really tight with my money, so taking on the challenges of being my own contractor has been overwhelming (but I’ve saved a ton of money that I didn’t have to spend in the first place!)
My DroidX. I have a smartphone. When I bought my DroidX, I was torn between the ubercool iPhone and the new Google-based android technology. I bought my DroidX because of the screen size (honking big) and because I use Google platforms for every aspect of my business (yes…the BEST there is and all for free…for ANY small business owner, Google is the way to go.) I can do almost anything that I can do on my PC on my smartphone, out in the field. Transfer money? In a snap. Send out PayPal invoices? Less than a minute. Keep track of all my staff, field schedules and be reachable in a millisecond? Yup. Internet, apps, you name it, I can do it. The ONLY thing I hate doing on my smartphone is trying to type a blog post. I can easily write a Facebook or Twitter microblog, but writing a lengthy post is not fun. I’m a fast thinker and a fast typist and I can type as fast as I think…on a PC. So trying to write a post on my droid is torture, even with the fab WordPress app. Even worse, is that I catch all the breaking news as I want it on my phone and get a million ideas for posts every day, but by the time I’m sitting at my desk at 8 or 9 or 10 or 11 pm, I’m just too darn tired to muster the energy to write about what (only 5 hours later) is now OLD news.

So, once again, I’m looking at ways to get out my thoughts, quickly, timely to the breaking news and moments of introspection that you like to read…but I’m not certain that blogging will continue to be it. Blogging is now considered almost mainstream media. I get scores of press releases every day on who wants to plug what for what occasion..but I’m not that kind of blogger. Every now and then you’ve seen me review or mention something cool on the Gen Plus list (like Sony music releases…which are generally fantastic and relevant to our age demographic and deserve any and all attention), but I’d rather review movies and the theater and music and the arts, than the latest invention to help someone who’s fallen down get up off the floor, or plug a pharmaceutical. We are not a geriatric demographic and I’m not the source you are going to for help with your aging parent or siblings when you do start looking for those resources. I adore my advertisers and welcome them, but a plugging blogger I am not.

I believe I’ll be heading a bit more toward the micro-blogging arena (I think…not sure…still ootzing over what and how). I haven’t worked it out yet, and I’ll continue to blog as I figure it out, but in the meantime, make sure to go to my Facebook link on the Gen Plus website and hit LIKE to become a fan (that’s how you’ll get my posts) or follow me on Twitter (www.twitter.com/genplus).

I’m not a political pundit or an economic analyst…there are tons of those…

I’m still exceedingly frustrated and heartbroken over the millions of 50plussers (and a lot of late 40-somethings) who literally can’t get a door to open to them.

I’d like to find the right way to help extend network, so I’m thinking it might a combo of Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, but the wheels are still turning looking for the next best thing.

If you have thoughts, opinions, feel free to share. If you prefer to read blog posts rather than micro-posts, feel free to let me know. If you’ve come up with the next best thing, I want to know about that, too.

Gotta run. Gotta check out what my staff are up to via my very, very smartphone. Love you all.

New Year’s Resolutions….there’s an app for that.

Janet Wendy Spiegel — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 05:40:44 +0000

It’s not even halfway through Janury yet and almost everyone I know has already started losing their steam on their resolutions. So, here is some cool stuff to get you all remotivated and tickled pink about getting to your goals. Yup…there’s an APP for that!

Top resolutions? (Totally unscientific…just looking at all the ones that I’ve tried and lost my will on over the years. )

Lose weight. Check.

Exercise more. (OK…did that one.)

Make more money. Check.

Spend less. Check.

Save more money. Check.

Quit smoking. (Did that one.)

Etc, etc.

There is a company, Tecca , which is a gadget site for women (love that!) and they’ve actually come up with a selection of their favorite resolution apps. Here you go:

1. Save time and your waist-line by eating at home- Answer: Ziplist (free for iPhone and Android)

Make meal planning and shopping a breeze by saving your favorite recipes from the web or even TV to your iPhone or Android. The best part is that with a click, the ingredients to any recipes can be added to your mobile shopping list, guaranteeing you never forget your list when you hit your grocer. Shoppers save time by not having to back-track through the store, or forget those little impactful ingredients like a pinch of parsley. And by eating at home, you are more likely to save money and eat healthier because you know all the ingredients.

2. Succeed at Weight Loss- Answer: MyFitnessPal

Lose weight with MyFitnessPal, the fastest and easiest to use calorie counter for Android. With the largest food database of any Android calorie counter (over 1,100,000 foods), and amazingly fast food and exercise entry, we’ll help you take those extra pounds off!

3. Keep Track of Personal Finance and Budget- Answer: Mint [Note: I use Mint and I love it. A great service although they try to solicit upgrades. JS]
This personal finance app puts all your bank, credit card, investment and loan accounts in one place, making it easy to stay on top of your budgets and spending. You can add cash transactions – a handy on-the-go feature that will help you track where your money goes at all times.

4. Quit Bad Habits- Answer: MyQuit Coach
MyQuit Coach application allows you to design a personalized plan to help you quit smoking. Through this intuitive iPhone app, you’ll evaluate your current status, set attainable goals and adjust preferences according to your needs. You’ll have the option to choose to quit smoking right away or gradually decrease your daily nicotine intake. Personalized inspirational photos, motivational tips and progress charts will keep you on track while achievement badges will reward you for progress. And you’re not alone with a
built in social support circle and the ability to update your Facebook and Twitter as friends cheer you on. [Note: I think this one is a good idea now that it looks like Nicotine gum and patches aren't doing the trick. JS]

5. Get Organized and Improve Time Management- Answer: Action Complete
Action Complete app is a task manager allowing you to create Projects, which are the larger goals comprised of individual Actions, Waits and Pending items that may come with completing a project. Every task and project can be tagged and associated with specific people and places, and the app offers several sorting options to sort by tag, people, places, urgency, or project. [Note: I'm a big fan of Google applications -- and I use Google Tasks relentlessly. Takes time to transition to a paperless to-do list, but it really works well. JS]

Let me know how you are doing on your resolutions and if any apps you have found are doing the trick for you!

Goat Rodeo Sessions …live

Janet Wendy Spiegel — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 20:25:56 +0000

January 31st is my daughter’s birthday and I always seek something special on that day. And I think I’ve just found it. Due to the technology that allows it, on Tuesday, January 31st, my daughter and I will attend a virtual concert of The Goat Rodeo Sessions LIVE featuring Yo-Yo Ma, Chris Thile, Edgar Meyer, Stuart Duncan and guest vocalist Aoife O’Donovan.

NCM Fathom and Sony Masterworks have brought the four string virtuosos together to perform songs off their collaborative album, The Goat Rodeo Sessions, at the House of Blues® in Boston, which will be broadcast live to theaters nationwide.

Tickets for The Goat Rodeo Sessions LIVE are available at participating theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com. For a complete list of theater locations and prices, visit the NCM Fathom website (theaters and participants are subject to change). The event will be broadcast to more than 430 select movie theaters across the country, which I think is extremely cool on many levels. It is rare for most people to afford to go to a live concert with artists of this calibre. It is even rarer for mainstream population to have access to these artists unless they are in a city where a tour is taking place. This brings the power of live to 430 different venues across the US and the chance to see such talent in this type of collaborative effort is stunning. The music is not for everyone’s tastes. The combination is like a blue-grass, jazz, structured jam session. It is exciting music, with unexpected and intense twists, jumps, and turns. From Sony:

While each artist is a prominent figure in his own music sphere, the group came together as a unified ensemble on a most remarkable and organic cross-genre project. The Goat Rodeo Sessions is an 11-song recording of original compositions that has been dubbed “genre proof” by the group. The music feels both new and familiar – it’s composed and improvised, uptown and down home, funky and pastoral, and above all, uniquely American.

I agree. For a partial sound sample of the released album, here you go. “Attaboy” will have your heart racing, your feet tapping and your head bobbing in about 5 seconds. And “No One But You” will have just have your heart. Great talent and great music. LIVE. Enjoy. At $15/ticket, I know my daughter and I will!

Guest post from About Plastic Surgery

Janet Wendy Spiegel — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:27:15 +0000

There is a new search site/community board focused on plastic surgery (breast). At About Plastic Surgery, you’ll find FAQs on topics from breast augmentation to breast reduction. There is a national surgeon locator and other good information on the topic. The following advertorial, from the staff at ABS, previews some of the info you’ll find there.

Many people do not understand exactly what the process of a plastic surgery procedure entails. Generally, we have been socialized to think that plastic surgery options are sought as artificial enhancement to retain their youth. And, while this view is not entirely false in all cases, it is important to know, if you are curious about the subject of plastic surgery, that there is often more to
it than this. While plastic surgery does indeed involve artificial changes in appearance, we all know of the broad scope of applications — from breast enhancment, to recontruction and reduction.

A good procedure to use as an example in exploring this assertion is breast-centered plastic surgery, often referred to simply as breast augmentation.

Breast augmentation tends to be an easy surgery to point to for people who are cautious regarding plastic surgery. Regardless of the reason (cosmetic or surgical necessity), breast surgeries address all sorts of different issues that people may have with their bodies. Many women with naturally large breasts explore plastic surgery as a means of breast reduction, due to soreness or discomfort resulting from heavier breasts. Additionally, many women who have battled cancer and had to have part or all of their breasts amputated, turn to plastic surgery for reconstructive purposes. Our site, About Plastic Surgery, offers specific and focused information on this topic, explaining different types of breast surgeries, and the specific medical procedures involved in them.

While breast augmentation is often used as a procedure for enlargement, researching some of its other uses can help you to understand the general scope of plastic surgery, and its implications. Understanding the full scope of the concept and range of procedures may help you to determine your own feelings on the subject. Some people turn to breast augmentation, liposuction, rhinoplasty, etc. out of a desire for more youthful and attractive appearances. Others seek to address natural imperfections, or areas affected by sickness or injury. Whatever the case, and whatever your feelings on it, the capability of plastic surgery reaches beyond what you might expect.

Gifts with a purpose

Janet Wendy Spiegel — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 20:11:23 +0000

A couple more gift ideas. This small gift-selection focuses on low price options, given the state of the economy and our pocketbooks. I particularly like when companies offer more than a token donation to a charity.

Help others

Here are two that I like:

The American Heart Association is already taking donations toward their Go Red for Women February fundraising campaign. Here are a couple of companies supporting the cause with donations.

IsabelleGraceJewelry.com is donating 20% of proceeds from their fill in names of necklaces to the American Heart Association.

The Ruby Squared Necklace ($85) is a funky little piece — an outline square accented with a ruby in the corner, and is available in either Sterling Silver or Vermeil. The Ruby Heart Necklace ($42) has a tiny heart center and ruby stone accents. Also available in Sterling Silver or Vermeil. The Puffy Gold Heart w/ Ruby ($80) is completely handmade out of .999 fine silver and 22kt gold. It is finished with a hammered effect and topped with a ruby stone — all great ways to Go Red!

Edible Gifts Plus has pledged to donate 15% of proceeds from their Go Red Collection to the American Heart Association. I love these.

The Gourmet Getaway Tote ($19.99) comes in Cranberry Red and is made out of neoprene with a sturdy zip closure to keep food hot or cold for up to four hours. Check out the adorable Big Hug Mug ($14.95)! The mug sports a huge heart; a great way to show you support the American Heart Association.

You can also donate directly to the American Heart Association’s Go Red campaign.

Help your wallet

Here are a few great coupon deals from CouponSherpa.com. The following list details just a few of the top coupons for December. I’d not heard of this online coupon site before.

1. Macy’s
Receive free shipping plus 20% off on orders of $99 or more with coupon code PERFECT.

2. Coldwater Creek
Use Coldwater Creek coupon code AFLC439 to save $25 and receive free shipping on orders over $100.

3. Gamestop
$15 off in-stock orders of $100 or more using coupon code MERRY.

4. Footlocker
Use the Footlocker promo code LKS1VR37 to receive free shipping on orders over $75.

5. eBags
Free shipping plus a 20% discount using the coupon code LINKSPEC20.

6. Vans
Get free shipping on any order by using coupon code OKBYME.

7. Neiman Marcus
Use code DECFS to receive free shipping on orders of any amount.

8. Finish Line
Save $20 on an order of $100 or more using the Finish Line coupon code BFCM.

9. Bath & Body Works
Spend $50 or more and receive free shipping with the promo code FREEGIFT50.

10. Crocs
Save $15 on your order of $75 or more with promo code HOLIDAY15.

Help yourself

AND if you want to give yourself a real gift under $20, go see Hugo and definitely in 3D. This brilliant film by the more human than human Martin Scorcese, takes us into the world of Hugo, an orphaned boy living in a Paris train station in the 1930′s. The book “The Invention of Hugo Cabret” by Brian Selznick, is magic and is created almost in storyboard form. A vist to the website, an absolute must. There are a million plot summaries out there, so I won’t do the reveal, but I will tell you why this is a must-see movie. This is a movie in the old school style of character discovery combined with the sheer magic of superlative direction, camerawork and 3D technology. The reason the 3-D effects are so wonderful is because the set staging is so deeply layered. From looking through layers and layers of clock gears, to staircases that seem to descend to the bowels of the earth and up to the heavens, smoke, steam, and all the “Dickens”-ian texture that an imagination can evoke, makes the 2-D version rich. The 3-D takes you right into this 1930′s world.

Scorsese brings us into the intimate world of Hugo (Asa Butterfield), along with the sub-plots of all the rich characters that spend their lives in and around the train station — all stuck in time. Through Hugo’s clock-eyes, they gradually all move from their stiff time-bound existences into lives that can be lived. There is magic within magic as, again, through Hugo, we meet George Melies, (sigh…the great Ben Kingsley) – historically considered one of the great filmmakers from the 1890′s to the 1920′s, particularly regarding his amazing use of film and special effects, and experience Scorsese’s craftmanship as he brilliantly recreates Melies film life from Hugo’s still innocent, yet street-hardened eyes.

The movie runs long, but you need that time to absorb the incredible detail, the unweaving of the plot by a top-tier cast and when the movie ends, you don’t want to leave the party.