It's Not Surprising that Millennials Don't Trust Hillary Clinton

Recently, I've been reading quite a few articles about the impact Millennials could have on the upcoming Presidential election.  One would think the choice between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump would be a no-brainer but that's not necessarily the case.  

Mrs. Clinton made history when she became the first female presidential nominee of a major political party. While I did not personally vote for her in the primary, I was happy to see her win the nomination as a major accomplishment for women everywhere. 

I am a Baby Boomer just like the Democratic candidate but I am siding with Millennials when it comes to what I think about her. An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released earlier this year indicated that 53 percent of all voters rated her poorly when it comes to her honesty and being straightforward.

Iowa native and former Bernie Sanders supporter Taylor Gipple actually confronted Mrs. Clinton while she was on the campaign trail and said, "I've heard from quite a few people my age that think you're dishonest..." 

As an African-American baby boomer, I have yet to hear her address issues I am most concerned about. It's like she's straddling the fence.  I get the impression that she is taking the black vote for granted because many of us feel a vote for Trump sets the clock back 75 years.  Mrs. Clinton wants and NEEDS our votes but she also doesn't want to alienate her white middle-of-the-road constituents by saying anything that would sound appeasing to us.  I still haven't forgotten how she courted white blue collars in South Carolina while seeming to alienate US.

And let's go back to her campaign against President Obama in 2008:  (courtesy of the Huffington Post) 

By May, after most observers had already concluded that Barack Obama had clinched the Democratic nomination, Hillary Clinton was still trying to undermine his candidacy by arguing that he wasn’t getting enough support from white voters. She put that argument in the most explicit terms yet: “There was just an AP article posted that found how Senator Obama’s support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans is weakening again, and how the, you know, whites in both states who had not completed college were supporting me … I have a much broader base to build a winning coalition on.” Clinton’s comments not only made the case that a Black candidate could not appeal to white voters; they also played on nasty stereotypes about Black people and other people of color by equating “white Americans” with “hard-working Americans.”

Perhaps she needs to take a chapter out of President Obama's book for winning elections and realize you can draw more flies with honey than with BULL--.  Transparency is important.  Inclusiveness is critical to America's continued greatness as a nation.

Bernie could still be a write-in.

A Year in the Life of Me

May 29, 2015 was the last time I made an entry into this blog before I posted one yesterday.  A whole year has gone by.  A lot has happened in that time frame.  I became a year older and found myself lamenting over the would've, should've, could've of my life.  Mind you, I've accomplished many wonderful achievements but in my mind, I COULD'VE always done more and I WOULD'VE if I had more operating capital and I SHOULD'VE had more hustle, more drive, more of what it takes to get to the Oprah level.  (Perhaps I am the only one who has felt like this).

During the past year I gave up my quest to become an entrepreneur---or a boomerpreneur as I affectionately "coined" it.  That led me to start looking for work again which I found, lost and found it again.  I will say this, once you've worked for yourself it's hard to go back and work for someone else---especially in an environment where you are just one of the faceless at the bottom of the totem pole.  The last time I felt that low was in my very first job nearly 40 years ago.  I am still learning to swallow my pride and say "Yes, suh" and "Naw suh" to the man. And it is appalling to see how corporate greed is out of control with little or no respect for their employees or consumers. (That's another blog post for another day).

My mortality has all of a sudden gotten really real.  Around Thanksgiving of last year, I became ill.  I thought it was a flu virus but I wasn't getting any better.  It zapped my energy and distanced me from the world.  On many occasions, I felt like I was near death.  And then a good friend of mine passed away.  I stopped writing publicly.  I stopped making the daily social media rounds.  I became a recluse and, ironically, after a few months, I discovered I could live without social media.

So why am I sharing this?  Because I know someone is going through something similar---if not more complicated than me.  I have learned a lot about me over the past year and, believe me, not all of it has been good.

Here are my takeaways:

1)  Stop fighting with the noise inside your head:  The negative thoughts will keep you from moving forward.  Life itself is full of ups and downs.  You only make matters worst when  you keep harping on your "woe is me mentality."

2)  Learn to manage stress:  When I find myself slipping into a mental place I don't want to go to, I pray, read my bible or play some old-school, upbeat music.  It changes the channel of my mind and takes me to a happy place where I can rejuvenate and renew my spirit.

3)  Be around people and things that inspire you:  When I disconnected from social media (especially Facebook) I cut out more than 80 percent of the noise that was affecting my world.  I became overwhelmed with the "perceived" success of my friends.  When I stopped connecting online,  I found other things to inspire me like taking walks at Umstead Park and going to the gym more often.   I also decided (with my husband) to change churches and I have actually found inspiration in many of my millennial co-workers. They keep me laughing and appreciate my wisdom.

4)  I am still resilient:  In my nearly 60 years on this earth I have learned that I can bounce back after bad things happen and I am still employable.

When a baby is learning to walk, they will fall many times before they finally gain the confidence to stand and walk on their own.  We all fail from time to time but it doesn't mean we are a total failure in life.  Failures are a part of life.  If you don't fail, you don't learn and if you don't learn you will never change.

Summer Driving May Be Hazardous to your Wallet

With our 10 year wedding anniversary coming up, Nate and I decided we wanted to take another trip to the North Carolina mountains.  It's one of those long drives I don't mind taking because you get to explore the natural beauty of the State.

What I do mind, however, is the state's mandated gasoline excise tax which ranks in the top 10 of the highest in the country.  Perhaps gas prices wouldn't be as high if it weren't for the excise tax, which combines both state and federal.

Here is a list of the top 10 states with the highest federal and state gasoline excise taxes:

1)  Pennsylvania at 68.7/gal
2)  Washington at 62.9/gal
3)  NY at 60.72/gal
4)  Hawaii at 60.39/gal
5)  California at 58.83/gal
6)  Connecticut at 56.26/gal
7)  Florida at 54.98
8)  North Carolina at 53.65/gal
9)  Rhode Island at 52.40
10  Nevada at 52.25

I have a couple of tips for saving on gas:

1)  If you're traveling long distances, use cruise control so you're not always having to accelerate on the gas pedal.
2)  Use your overdrive.  It allows you to operate at fewer RPM's.  If it does less work, you'll use less gas. (Hubby taught me that one).

Popular Mechanics offers 6 Driving Tactics to help you save gas and money during your summer travels:  Summer Driving Saving Tips

Some Grandparents Need to get a Grip

Absolutely ridiculous!  That's how I describe a recent article I read about some grandparents wanting to pay cash money for the naming rights to their grandchildren. 

Last week, the New York Times reported about a new trend of grandparents offering cash and other incentives in exchange for naming their children's new babies, including one grandparent-to-be offering $10,000 for the naming rights to their grandson. This wasn't an isolated incident, with others offering things like a stake in a family business.

I thought the idea was so absurd but maybe I was in the "minority" as I often tend to be.  I decided to pose the question to my Facebook followers to gauge their radar on the subject and, lo and behold, we were all on one accord!

The best comments came from fellow grandparents like Auerlia who said, "That's just craziness if you ask me. I have 4 grands and never would never do such a thing even if I had all the money in the world. Grandparents obviously had their turn naming their own children...let the children have the same honor. #foolishnessI 

From another friend, Heidi, who said, "No, No, No to cash or other rewards for naming a grandchild or anyone else's child. Only parents to name their child. Now it is ok to give ideas, share stories behind names if asked by the parents."

Another comment from Jessica, meanwhile,  indicates she did suggest a name, "When my daughter was pregnant, I suggested the name Carter, just because I really liked the sound of it. After months of tossing names around in her head, my daughter did choose Carter.   I didn't force it on her. She just ended up really liking my suggestion. It was kind of cool that she picked my favorite, I won't lie.

On the flip side of this you have young mothers who choose create their own names they think are unique and cute not realizing the child has to live with that name for the rest of their lives. And pity on them if they can't even spell it  The sad thing in these cases is the fact that most of these mothers are "young" (and poor) and haven't taken time to consider the long term effects of their child's name.  (Probably because their name is jacked up too!)  Furthermore,  the grandparents of these grandchildren probably can't even afford to offer any money for naming rights.  Poor and Green don't mix well in our society.

So for those well-to-do-grandparents  who believe money can buy anything, including naming rights to their grandchildren, GET A GRIP, try developing a REAL conscience and put your money to some quality use.

It is, however, okay for you to want to help your struggling children-------but NOT with strings attached.

The Deadly Threat of Alzheimer's for Baby Boomers

A new report out last week says 1 in 3 baby boomers will develop Alzheimer's between now and mid-century and the cost to Medicare will skyrocket.

According to research presented at the July 2014 International Alzheimer's Association International Conference, there will be a shift toward more severe forms of the disease, leading to greater Medicare costs. In 2020, the projected Medicare costs of caring for baby boomers with Alzheimer's in the community will amount to $11.86 billion, in 2014 dollars, which is the equivalent of 2.1% of total Medicare spending. By 2040, when the baby boom generation is aged 76-94, the projected Medicare costs will jump to $328.15 billion, in 2014 dollars and represent an increase to 24.2% of total Medicare spending.  

Key findings include:

• The prevalence of Alzheimer's among American baby boomers will rise from 1.2% in 2020, when most boomers will be in their 60s and early 70s, to an astonishing 50.1% in 2050, when all the boomers will be age 85+. This means that by 2040, more than twice as many baby boomers will have Alzheimer's disease (10.3 million) compared with the equivalent age group in 2015 (4.7 million).
• When the first baby boomers turn 70 in 2016, Alzheimer's prevalence in their age group will jump from less than 1% among individuals ages 65-69 to nearly 2.5% among individuals ages 70-74. At the same time, the number of Americans needing Alzheimer's care and support will increase dramatically, with huge cost implications for decades to come.

Dr. Keith Fargo of the Alzheimer's Association Director of Scientific Programs & Outreach says, "The risk of Alzheimer's increases with age, and as baby boomers get older, the number of people developing the disease will rise to levels far beyond anything we've ever seen before."

SCARY THOUGHT.

What may be even scarier for some of you is how your own children and grandchildren may respond to your need for medical care. 

About AAIC

The Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) is the largest gathering of leading researchers from around the world focused on Alzheimer's and other dementias. As a part of the Alzheimer's Association's research program, AAIC serves as a catalyst for generating new knowledge about dementia and fostering a vital, collegial research community.

AAIC 2015 home page: www.alz.org/aaic/ 
AAIC 2015 newsroom: www.alz.org/aaic/press.asp

About the Alzheimer's Association®

The Alzheimer's Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer's care, support and research. Our mission is to eliminate Alzheimer's disease through the advancement of research, to provide and enhance care and support for all affected, and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer's. Visit alz.org or call 800.272.3900.

Baby Boomers and Millennials and Diversity

I guess it's time for older white Americans to start panicking.  The latest numbers are out and it shows that the Millennials are now the most DIVERSE generation in America.  We all heard there was going to be a changing of the guard but we didn't expect it until somewhere around 2050 (as reported in an article by CNN).

Well, the U.S. Census Bureau now CONFIRMS it.  Millennials are now the majority in population and diversity.  Now that's a two for one.  The generation born between 1982 and 2000 now number 83.1 million, compared to 75.4 million baby boomers (and remember we're dying off daily).

So here's how it breaks down:

• All race and ethnic groups except single-race, non-Hispanic whites had more births than deaths between 2013 and 2014.

• Five states or equivalents are now considered majority-minority: Hawaii (77.0 percent), the District of Columbia (64.2 percent), California (61.5 percent), New Mexico (61.1 percent) and Texas (56.5 percent).

• Florida had the highest percentage of its population age 65 and older among states in 2014 (19.1 percent), followed by Maine (18.3 percent). Alaska had the lowest percentage (9.4 percent), followed by Utah (10.0 percent).

• California had the largest non-Hispanic white alone population of any state in 2014 (14.9 million).  California also had the largest Hispanic population of any state in 2014 (15.0 million).

• New York had the largest black population of any state or equivalent in 2014 (3.8 million); The District of Columbia has the highest percentage of blacks (50.6 percent), followed by Mississippi (38.2 percent).

• The District of Columbia has the highest percentage of females of any state or equivalent (52.6 percent), followed by Delaware (51.6 percent).

• Alaska has the highest male percentage (52.6 percent), followed by North Dakota (51.3 percent).

The Money Behind the Marriage

My husband and I were married on June 3, 2006. I chose that particular month because it was the same month my parents got married (1952)and it's also my birthday month.

Did you know June is the most popular month for weddings---followed by August, May and September?

Upon doing some research to see how expensive weddings have become, I discovered the following facts:

* The average wedding costs more than $28,200.

* The reception accounts for 43 percent of wedding costs, with an average price tag of $12,343.

* Outside of the reception, the largest chunks of money are going to engagement rings ($5,000), photography and video ($3,378), music ($1,297), and wedding rings ($1,727).

* The average wedding cake costs $461.

* The current average cost of an engagement ring is $5,002, down $229 from 2012's average cost of $5,229.

* The average wedding dress costs $1,380, up $25 from 2012's average cost of $1,355.

* The average bridesmaids' dress costs $134, consistent with the cost in 2012.

*$72 billion per year is spent on weddings

*$8 billion per year is spent on honeymoons

*The average honeymoon budget is $3,657

Our honeymoon ended up being the most expensive cost for us when we traveled to St. Lucia. How expensive was YOUR wedding?

To read more go here: Wedding costs