Syl's Bucketlist: news

Showing posts with label news. Show all posts

By keeping the oldies at work, we're creating a lost generation.

The UK state pension age increase to 68 will be brought forward to 2037.

Of course a lot of reasons are presented.
People live longer, not enough young people to earn it, etc etc.

Let's look at one of the two main reasons: people live longer.

This statistical statement is true, I assume.
People live longer. So they will need a pension longer. Pure logic.
Independent of health or quality of life, the pension is needed.

But does that also lead to the pseudo-logic conclusion that people can work longer?

In a way people tend to assume that living longer means living healthier.
We're told in many advertisements that old people walk faster, walk happier, and walk more supple than the generations before us.
So we think that health extends further in old age.
Can we draw the conclusion that in the near future a 68 year old person can be compared to a 57 one of the last generation before us?

Not often do I hear discussions, let alone research outcomes, link for instance dementia with the higher death age. More people get dementia... we know that. And people with dementia can get a lot older, we know that too.
So the increase of life expectancy is caused by stretching life. And that doesn't mean we add more years with better quality of life.

What needs to be asked is if the onset of age related problems also undergoes a shift.
Because only that would be a good reason to move the pension age forward.
In other words: are the people who stop at 68 under the new law as healthy and unhealthy as those who stopped at 57 in the last generation before us?

I haven't seen this question asked, and I certainly haven't seen it answered.

All I can do is look around me and see what's going on with people my age.
We still have to work 6 years (when we have a job).
Compared to when my father was moving towards retirement my 'group' is not as healthy as they were. Yes, we move more, and smoke less. but there are more people suffering from diabetes, heart problems, kidney problems and depression. The amount of people who can hardly cope with daily requirements is growing.

Less health leads to a lower production and lesser quality of production, so the costs of the products rise.
Less health also leads to more investments.
So making people work longer costs more.

In the eighties of last centurie people were aware of that, and the thought was that it was wise for older people to quit working early, so young people could have jobs, and start a proper career.
I'm in favor of that thought.

Now many young people are without a job. Their education is often outdated when they finally can get work, so they won't get the job after all. Add to this the lack of life-long jobs with the same firm, and lots of job changes, even within a year, and it might be clear that young people will be struggling their whole life to earn a proper living, with the consequence that building a good career is out of the question and caring for a family too.

By keeping the oldies at work, we're creating a lost generation.

Today it was announced that Dolf Toussaint has died last Tuesday at the age of 92.

Dolf was wellknown photographer who was valued and admired for the way he was able to tell his story not with words, but with photographs.
He taught me that photographs should speak for themselves and one should depict people in such a way that no extra information is needed.
So one should not only focus to get a sharp image of a person, the environment is just as important, and needs a true representation which is at the same time artistic.
Dolf was the first to make photodocumentairies. He portrayed one of the most well known neighbourhoods of Amsterdam, the Jordaan, during one of the most outspoken changes.
He loved Amsterdam and thanks to him we can see how during the sixties, seventies, eighties and nineties not only the housing changed and the overall look of the neighbourhoods, but also how the people changed.
He was also closely connected to politics. Had friends in the government, which enabled him to portray political leaders in spontaneous ways.

He stood up for better working circumstances for photographers and more opportunities.

Present photography is an expression of his influence to make people the center of the story of their environment.

Thank you Dolf for taking the time to explain things to me when I was training as a photographer and journalist. OK, you sold a photo to the magazine I worked for and you got a cuppa, but you enjoyed explaining to me that the attitude of a photographer doesn't give a visible expression on the photo, but that it makes the photo and is as much part of the process as pushing a button.

My respect will be forever with you.

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Yesterday is in the past.
Today is a new day, with lots of wind, the much needed rain, and more wind.

It's like the garden grows a few cm each 10 minutes when I look outside. I love this weather, and I long to go to the beach. That's one of the reasons why I want to live near the beach. To struggle against wind and sand, and be caught in the sounds.

Here I feel confined to my home, and I experience a bit of fear that the large tree in the garden might drop on the gardens of others.

The magazine of the Heart-organisation is ready.
A bit hesitant I asked if this group of people always deal the same way with all the work. Just one elderly lady struggling with her eyesight doing everything, and the others having their name on the list and accepting compliments during the regional meeting.
The answer is 'yes'.
My decision is on impulse, but I stand behind it for a full 200%. If she wants someone to cooperate with, I'm the one.

It was the first time I worked with her, a few weeks ago. It was a surprise to discover she's lived near my gram. We were able to chit chat about all sorts of things, and a moment later to discuss the editing of the magazine. I liked her dog, and felt perfectly at ease.
So volunteering to work with her is only costing time, and it's something to look forward to.

It's the way I like to lead my life: go with the flow and help out where ever I can.

Ofcourse I need money to live my bucketlist, but a job and helping her out doesn't exclude each other.
If a job would come as easy as that......

Screened quite some jobsites, found nothing.

Then heard that Sandra Reemer has died from breastcancer.
I feel sad for her family and friends. she was such a lovely lady, such a good singer and she always gave me the feeling I was watching and listening to someone special. She always gave me a good feeling, a lot of inspiration.
It was special to drive under a moonlit sky (we had to bring some stuff to someone) and after that sit down to watch a program about her.
Another one of the great gone.

I know almost no women who have survived breast cancer. They all have died, including one of my best friends.

Again I wonder why I survived that night when my heart was expected to give up....

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Again London has suffered terrorist attacks on innocent people.
I feel so sorry for all those people who just wanted to have a nice evening in town, and ended up in terror.
At least seven persons died, 48 are injured. Three hospitals are on lock down.

I saw a photo of a police woman. Her fear was flooding her eyes. To think that colleagues of Richard are caught in the middle of events, makes me freeze. It also makes me grateful Richard is safe with his family.

The past years I've been thinking a lot about having children in this time.

When I got my children the world was in a kind of hopeful era. We were just creeping out of a financial crisis. We were full of hope for the future, thinking the youth had all opportunities they needed and wanted, and we trusted each other. I even posted my bicycle against shopwindows or streetlights without a lock on it, and I didn't even think it could be stolen.
People accepted their differences, swallowed their criticism, and didn't speak out just to hurt each other.

Now the time of promises is over.
Young people are not longer the hope and future of the country, but are subject of deep criticism, object of loans for education and housing, are aware they can't even earn what they need to live in this society and are susceptible for psychological and even psychiatric influences.
I think that people are just as easily manipulated as in the thirties, and maybe the young adults even more.

Groups that pretend to bring the message of a god, bring terror and fear, they kill and create life-lasting injuries.
A few weeks ago I entered a train, and just before the doors closed two heavily armed policemen jumped in, locating with their eyes other policemen without uniform. They were supposed to be there for our safety, but I was very aware my head was in front of their guns if something might happen.

Is this the world I would start a family in?

No.

This world seems to be a bad movie, without a hero.

I don't want to start a family in a world where they have to look around to see if someone behaves in a way that a terrorist attack might happen, a world in which their friends might be killed.

Some of my kids love to travel or need to travel for their studies or jobs. Another one works at a public place. And another is a crisis journalist, well known for his fast presence at incidents.
I know children can die before their parents die.
Two of my babies died, so I know the grief.

But to imagine they die because of some nutcases who are not able to think logically and rationally, who think there is a god who gives them presents in an afterlife where they at least have no body and no personal identity.....
(None of them answered what they will do with those virgins they expect, as they don't even have eyes to see them, let alone the rest of the body to...)

I feel sorry for my children and other young people to live in this time.
They've inherited a world their parents are not responsible for. We're victims, just as much.

This world seems to be a bad movie, without a hero.

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Not often I visit the national online newsagency.
But today I had a strange feeling to do so and got a real shock.

A dangerous prisoner has escaped from a prison at the other side of the border, in Germany.
We're living not too far from the border, so I couldn't dismiss it as 'nothing to do with us.'

The article mentioned a second prisoner who tried to escape but he was caught in the act.

The prison was one with a clinic for people with mental disorders.
Both prisoners attacked, yesterday evening, 2 members of the medical personnel. One was seriously injured.
The prisoners managed to get outside and reach the high wall with barbed wire. One prisoner escaped, the other couldn't get over the wall.
A helicopter search didn't have the desired result.

A warning was issued for our side of the border too.

This afternoon the German police gave the information that they didn't expect the guy to be on our side of the border. They thought he's gone to Bonn, where he came from and where he knows people.
It's assumed he carries a self-made weapon, and people are warned not to talk to him, but call the police, as he's dangerous.
People are asked to be alert

Well, after reading the first article I warned some of my kids, those who are in town.
I thought it to be important they are informed, because one of our acquaintances looks like the guy.
You'll never know they see him walking and approach him full of enthusiasm, bringing themselves in real danger.

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