Random Play by Graham Reid

76 is the new 56.

This is ridiculous.

Although I see an opportunity.

As a barely thirty something supporter of horizontal physical therapy of now "the elderly", can I get a government grant?

So do you old guys get, like a pension or something at your age?

I hope so, it would be great to retire in 11 years time, and not the 20 I'd been expecting........

i think the '[56 is] elderly' gaff is just a perfectly clear illustration of what happens when you have a news policy that only wants to pay new graduate salaries and avoid all the 'unnecessary' costs associated with 'ancient' 50+ers who might, not only have a corporate memory and understand the target audience, but who might also have the annoying capacity to talk back to management and argue a bad call.

i think the appropriate old folks' phrase to describe this strategy is penny-wise, pound-foolish*.

*for you youngin's out there, pennies and pounds were things we used to use to pay for goods and services before EFTPOS.

So do you old guys get, like a pension or something at your age?

I hope so, it would be great to retire in 11 years time, and not the 20 I'd been expecting........

Well, here in Indonesia the grand old age of 55 is the official retirement age. There is no pension of course and nobody actually retires...apart from those hardworking souls who've made a small (unofficial) fortune working for various arms of the government, or anyone loosely related to Suharto...but you can get a retirement visa to live here at that age.

So, in five years....

start crocheting that rug Simon

I found this on the net (so it must be true):

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Middle-aged /Mid"dle-aged`/, a.
Being about the middle of the ordinary age of man; between 30
and 50 years old.

Other, presumably newer, online dictionaries say "between 40 and 60" or "roughly between 45 and 65 years old". The shift over time makes sense, and so does retirement at 55 in countries like Indonesia.

Ok, better stop there. Damn this irksome RSI.

I think that explains why I'm getting to be a grumpy old bugger who always complains about the numerous spelling mistakes on the NZ Herald site and BBC World.

My father is still working at 82.
Whats his occupation?
Bricklayer.
I doubt if some now in their 20's will be able to lift a pen at 82.
Or whatever they will use to write with in 60 yrs. Perhaps spoken word recognition software will be all they will know.
Ah its so much easier to move the lower jawbone, brain engaged
OR NOT...