• Pregnant women,
• People who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age,
• Healthcare and emergency medical services personnel,
• Persons between the ages of 6 months and 24 years old.

BOOMER ANGST
By Paul Briand
 

Like most Americans I don't live by my plastic credit card anymore. I do leave home without it.

From Examiner.com, by Paul Briand
 

The graying of the American workforce as Baby Boomers age has corporations across America worrying about the brain drain when these experienced workers retire.

The trend holds no greater example these days than Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger III, who skillfully glided a crippled aircraft into the Hudson River on Thursday afternoon when he couldn't make a nearby airport, saving the lives of all 155 people on board.

Sullenberger is 57 years old, born in the heart of the Baby Boomer generation.

A lot of things went right that morning, but Sullenberger's experience and composure are being hailed as primary reasons why he was able to handle the emergency of landing his US Airways jetliner after its twin engines were crippled by bird strikes shortly after lifting off from New York's LaGuardia Airport.

Under the old rules governing airline pilots, Sullenberger would have had to retire in three years, like it or not, ready to retire or not. But, after battling the mandatory retirement since the 1950s, the pilots' association won federal approval in late 2007 to increase the mandatory retirement age to 65.

One thing the pilots have always said: Don't take their experience out of the cockpit.

Described as a "pilot's pilot" by his wife, Sullenberger's experience includes graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy, the top aviator of his graduating class of 1973. He flew F-4 Phantom jet fighters during his tour with the Air Force, and he became a commercial pilot for US Airways in 1980.

A psychology major at the academy it's interesting to note that he combined his passion for flying and interest in psychology to run a safety-consulting firm in addition to flying commercial aircraft. He had been studying the psychology of keeping airline crews functioning even in the face of crisis.

In December in Examiner.com I examined the leadership vacuum of retiring Baby Boomers.

It's noteworthy to recall statistics from an "emotional intelligence" survey by TalentSmart of Baby Boomer workers vs. Millennials and Generation Xers.

"When we looked at each of the four core EQ skills separately a huge gap emerged between Boomers and Millennials in self-management. When it comes to managing their emotions, Baby Boomers reign supreme," said the study.

"Essentially, they are much less prone to fly off the handle when things don’t go their way than are the younger generations."

There is a sense by some that Boomers need to get out of the way to create opportunity for younger workers. People like Sullenberger can help Boomers reply, "Not so fast."

After he emerges from seclusion after talking with with crash investigators, don't be surprised to see Sullenberger emerge as part of Barack Obama's inauguration celebrations or as part of his State of the Union speech, likely in early February.

He'll definitely get more than his 15 minutes of fame.

BOOMER ANGST
By Paul Briand

I shouldn't complain. I have health care. And I realize I'm fortunate and I'm grateful.

According to the National Coalition on Health Care statistics:

-- Nearly 46 million Americans, or 18 percent of the population under the age of 65, were without health insurance in 2007, the latest government data available;
-- The number of uninsured rose 2.2 million between 2005 and 2006 and has increased by almost 8 million people since 2000.

But my issue is that my health care stinks.

I went from a pretty good plan when I was working to a pretty crummy plan through my wife when I retired. And going from a good plan to a crummy plan has been a blow to my wallet and, perhaps long term, a blow to my health as I begin to make decisions where cost of treatment trumps need for treatment.

For those fortunate enough to have had health insurance over the years, we've seen its character change, and not for the better.

First with HMOs then PPOs, the alphabet soup of health care for those fortunate enough to have health care has not changed for the better. If you never see a doctor, it's not such a big deal, but if you have some recurring health issues, which I did in 2008, it hits you wear it hurts ... in the wallet.

Co-pays of $5 to see the doctor became $10, then $20, now $40. Insurance companies are devising ways for the insured to spend more out of pocket for their care. Besides the higher co-pays, there are deductibles you have to pay: $500 a year or more. And there is co-insurance. For certain medical treatment you have to pay 20 percent co-insurance of up to $3,000 per year.

For example, if you have a lab procedure that costs $1,978 your out of pocket expense will be $565.19 -- $111.99 toward your $500 a year deductible and $453.20 toward your 20 percent co-insurance. It's like paying for insurance that I'm already paying for. If you maximize the deductible and co-insurance it can amount to $3,500 a year out of pocket.

As a result of all of this, I am much more challenging to my doctor and his recommendations for certain tests or care. That's a good thing, to be more proactive about one's health care. But not at the expense of your health.

Then there's the whole issue of prescription medication. The co-pays there have jumped too.

You have to give an outfit like Wal-Mart props for stepping up, seeking to help curb the growing cost of prescription medicine by offering a slew of generics for a very affordable price. I switched from a name brand cholesterol medication to a generic at Wal-Mart because the price difference was remarkable.

It just seems odd to me that a retail concern is more out front on this issue than our government.

There's a lot on the plate of incoming president Barak Obama, and health care is a priority. I hope he makes it a priority priority.

BOOMER ANGST
By Paul Briand

The winter solstice can be seen as either a glass that's half empty or a glass that's half full.

The solstice on Dec. 21 marked the change from fall to winter. Here in northern New England it was quite a change with a severe ice storm, and a snow storm, then another snow storm following each other in quick succession over the course of 10 days.

This official start to winter tends to give some folks a dim view of what seems like a long winter slog toward spring. They don't like the cold, snow and ice. And the fact that we lost daylight saving time means most people are commuting home from work in the dark. Even the term "fall back" gives the impression that we've retreated, that the future is a glass half empty.

But here's the reason I come down on the side of half full. The days are getting longer.

I think most people lose sight of that piece of good news because that ever-so-gradual improvement gets lost in the more overwhelming consequences of winter. And this winter can give the impression of being especially dark -- the economy sucks, the job market sucks, the weather can be brutal on the psyche.

Here are a few bright spots that I'll keep in mind as we add more sunlight, about a minute a day from Dec. 21, when the sun set at 4:12 p.m.:

Inauguration Day
On Jan. 20, the sun will set at 4:41 p.m. and Barack Obama will have been sworn in as the 44th president. It is a bright spot of politics after eight years of darkness. I take the half-full view that Obama's promise of change and hope won't be lost in the history of political rhetoric.

Baseball's spring training
Red Sox pitchers and catchers report for spring training in Ft. Myers, Fla., on Feb. 16. The sun will set that day at 5:16 p.m.

Daylight Savings
We'll "spring forward" -- now doesn't that sound more optimistic? -- on Sunday, March 8. The sun sets at 6:42 p.m. that day.

May graduation
My son graduates from Boston College on Monday, May 18.The sun sets at 8:04 p.m.

Each of those events -- and certainly more along the way -- will help keep my glass half full as I make my way through the long winter months. In order to winter well around here you need a correctly filled glass.

BOOMER ANGST
By Paul Briand

I am on my annual Scavenger Hunt, and it has one item on the list -- the Christmas Spirit.

Every year I am in search, actively and passively, of The Moment that I feel the spirit of the holiday. Perhaps I'm wrong to go looking for it, or even expect that it will come to me. But I do.

Often, when The Moment arrives it involves music.

Several years ago, it was during mass on Christmas Eve, while one of the carols was being sung. The woman behind me sang in beautiful harmony to the choir members on the risers at the front of the church. Last year it again involved hearing a rehearsal of Handel's "Messiah," but with my son in a church in London where he spent a semester.

I think of the spirit of Christmas and I think of the expectation and excitement of small children.

These days, however, the spiritual, magical part of Christmas is easily pushed aside by the commerce, chaos part of Christmas. The seasonal drumbeat of advertising and marketing seems to start earlier and earlier. The worse the country's economy, the earlier the drumbeat starts ... before Halloween this year. It's become like the presidential campaign: it starts too early, it lasts too long, it focuses too heavily on all the wrong things.

I made my obligatory trip to the mall, thinking I'd get in during the work week when no one else would be there. Silly me ... the place was packed with kids and parents trying to escape their homes that had no power or heat because of the severe ice storm that hit the area last week. I thought my head was going to explode. That certainly wasn't The Moment. It was more like The Wrong Moment.

I'm still on the hunt.

Have you had a Moment yet? Do you expect one, need one? Let me know by replying in the comments.