The authors used data on 426 older mothers’ relationships with their 1,823 adult children to explore the relationship between birth order and parental favoritism. The findings demonstrate that birth order continues to play an important role in explaining favoritism when families enter later stages of the life course. Last-born adult children were most likely to be named as those to whom their mothers were most emotionally close; firstborn children were most likely to be chosen as those to whom mothers would turn when facing personal problems or crises. Further analyses revealed that these patterns remained largely unaffected by family size, race, and child spacing. Middleborn children were substantially underrepresented in mothers’ choices; such a pattern is particularly striking considering that the number of middle-born children far exceeded that of firstborn and last-born children in the sample.

Original post by Suitor, J. J., Pillemer, K.

Converting vacant, historic buildings in to affordable housing means tenants can benefit from two federal tax-credit programs—one that encourages developers to build affordable housing and another that encourages them to preserve historic buildings.

Original post by Sudha, S., Mutran, E. J., Williams, I. C., Suchindran, C.

While I’m working in Mexico, my wife Diane spends much of each day in an immersion Spanish class. She began by taking Spanish classes over a period of about a year at a local community center. Now that she has the basics, an immersion class in which you have to operate in the second language is pretty effective. After two weeks of classes, the difference is striking; she now has the confidence for operating in simple, everyday conversations in social child-talk Spanish. She is determine to grow an oak tree from this acorn!
There are few things that you can do that are better for an older brain than taking on a complex new challenge like this one. Learning a second language requires careful listening, and a heavy dose of new learning on all levels of perception, memory, cognition, and motor control. This is rich food for an older brain! And beyond the benefits to Diane, your blogger reaps the benefits of having a competent translator as a boon companion! And she’s cute, too! (Source: On the Brain by Dr. Michael Merzenich, Ph.D.)

Original post by On the Brain by Dr. Michael Merzenich, Ph.D.

I have been thinking about aging recently. I am not getting any younger, my loved ones are not young either; for heaven’s sake–my little kids are in their forties (well, very very early forties). So where do you turn for sage advice? my favorites are the ten commandments. No, not THE Ten Commandments. I am talking about George Carlin’s infinite empathy and wisdom-cum- smile. So here they are:HOW TO STAY YOUNGby George Carlin1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctor worry about them. That is why you pay him/her.2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. ” An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.” And the devil’s name is Alzheimer’s.4. Enjoy the simple things.5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it’s family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge. 8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.9. Don’t take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, to the next county, to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is.10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.Woopdeedo, who cares ..nobody couldn’t have said it better.Thanks, George; I already feel younger. Dov Michaeli (Source: The Doctor Weighs In)

Original post by The Doctor Weighs In

Patience, not panic
Minneapolis Star Tribune, MN - 1 hour ago
… such as an asset-allocation fund or lifestyle fund. These funds pick your mix of investments based on risk tolerance or your planned retirement year. …

Original post by Reuters

Locals battle nerves, seek help with stress, financial strategies
Myrtle Beach Sun News, SC - 1 hour ago
Experts caution that it's not a good idea to make lifestyle changes or investment decisions out of panic or fear. "People are nervous," said financial …

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In a Home Like Many Others, Uncertainty in Every Check of the Market
New York Times, United States - 35 minutes ago
… the Great Depression — the couple realized they were not saving nearly enough money at this point to support the retirement lifestyle they desired. …

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Sixties Generation Is Heading For Conventional Old Age
Science Daily (press release) - 2 minutes ago
… a significant part of boomer lifestyles. So does increasing the value of homes, especially in terms of using housing to fund life during retirement. …

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A Better Way to Retire Happy
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Even though the financial markets have been in a downward spiral for the last year, we continue to press ahead with our globe-trotting lifestyle. …

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Baby Boomer Retirement Game: Hilarious Board Game about Retirement …
Publishers Newswire, CA - 1 hour ago
… the game revolves around three key lifestyle areas: Life Experiences, Health and Assets. The first to complete their retirement portfolio and then reach …

Original post by Reuters