Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2015 i Zoomer Magazine

THE EMAILS AND LETTERS flooded in from readers responding to our April issue – the one with We’re Still Having Sex emblazoned on its cover. Many of you enjoyed it and wrote to say how happy you were we’d captured your generation’s shenanigans. Others, not so much. I, for one, was delighted by the differences of opinion. What’s the point of growing up and being of a certain age if you don’t know who you are and what you believe in? Boomers have a point of view, and they can agree to disagree. Few people summarize disparities of opinion better than Madonna. She has been a polarizing force of nature ever since bursting into the public consciousness in the early 1980s. From her near excommunication from the Catholic Church for…

IF YOU FLIP THIS issue of Zoomer magazine to the “Prophet of Zoom” cartoon on the last page, you’ll see that this time the Prophet delivers his monthly observation – about Zoomers, Technology and Long Life – from Space. The inspiration for this comes from a scifistory I once read about a group of aging trillionaires who, in response to a scientific discovery that living in low gravity increases longevity1, underwrite the building of a kind of floating Las Vegas space station, which they have launched into a low-gravity orbit around the Earth with themselves and their helpers as its exclusive passengers. They have everything they need with them: food, flora, fauna, the world’s libraries and cultural treasures, and pleasure facilities and companions as well. The catch is they can…

SUMMER IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER, and June is the perfect time to stock up on some great beach reads. Reclusive scribe Milan Kundera, 86, who penned the classic The Unbearable Lightness of Being, returns with his first novel in more than a decade, The Festival of Insignificance, examining issues both personal and political through his trademark existential lens. Kevin Kwan follows up his smash 2013 debut Crazy Rich Asians with its sequel, China Rich Girlfriend, delving into more absurdly opulent lifestyles. And a trio of thrillers will keep you on the edge of your deck chair: Finders Keepers, the second instalment of Stephen King’s detective trilogy following last year’s Mr. Mercedes, centres on a novelist’s murder with echoes of King’s classic Misery; riches, scandal, mystery and the man behind…

VISUALIZE A THROBBING HEART. No – make that a handful of them. As I write these words, there are five especially remarkable human aortas sprinkled around the world, all pumping away like gristly Timex watches. These hearts are beating in the chests of five people – three Americans, one Japanese, one Italian. The organs have been doggedly doing what they were designed to do – pumping blood into veins and arteries – for more than three consecutive centuries. The five hosts (all women) were born in the late 1890s. They are each more than 115 years old. And counting. An impressive display of human longevity, but not that big a deal as other biological old-timers go. Bowhead whales can live for 200 years, as can the Galapagos land tortoise. A…

WHAT DO SENIORS WANT?” Politicians often ask this – sometimes between gritted teeth – but rarely listen to the reply. Then they ask again, hoping for a different answer – the classic definition of insanity. So, things that should have changed long ago are still gasping for air. The challenges of the boomer bulge were identified long ago, pretty much in the ’50s. All those post-war babies would eventually grow up, need schooling, jobs and now health care. But this seems to come as a big surprise to our political leaders who have taken to referring darkly to the “grey tsunami” or some other witticism to avoid accountability – like it was an unforeseen natural disaster. This year’s federal election will be an opportunity for candidates to ask “what do…

Finance FINALLY! It’s been a long time since retirement issues have played a key role in an election campaign, but this could be the year. It’s a debate that is long overdue. The trigger is a promise made several years ago by the Conservative party to double the annual contribution limit – from $5,000 to $10,000 – on Tax-Free Savings Accounts (TFSAs) once the budget was balanced. (Because of indexing, the new limit of $5,500 would be doubled to $11,000). We’re getting close to that point now, which has brought the TFSA issue to the forefront, along with it a whole host of retirement-related concerns. TFSAs have become immensely popular since they were introduced the 2008 budget. There are now an estimated 13 million TFSA accounts, and we’re putting more…

YEARS AGO, AS MY 40S loomed, I thought I should dress more like an adult. Out went the jeans, boots, love-worn biker jacket of my 20s. I began trawling the Eileen Fisher racks for suitably respectable clothing. It was a sad, dark time. But when I hit 50, the opposite happened. Perhaps I’d had my fill of trying to look age-appropriate but now I dug in my heels. And rather than cut my hair to a sensible bob or crop, I grew it longer. And, apparently, I’m not the only one. Crack open a magazine, and you’ll see Jacky O’Shaughnessy, 63, posing in lace underwear for American Apparel while staring directly into the camera, all red lips, impossibly long legs and chest-length silver hair. Model Cindy Joseph, 64, has a…

“Meditation teaches you how to dance with the energy of life,” Jain Wells, 48, says. She developed a personal awareness program in Canada after transformative work on her own issues led to a PhD in transpersonal psychology and a counselling practice. Early in the process she discovered the sense of inner calm that meditation created. “Meditation training starts to permeate your life. You become less reactive and more observant in daily life,” she says. The more you are in the moment, she observes, the better choices you make. Wells, now based in London, England, offers meditation seminars but has also developed a career as a pop singer-songwriter. She’s combined the two worlds in Luminosity One, a two-CD package for meditation. The music, composed and produced by Kipper, a Grammy- and…

IT’S A FALL MORNING and the leaves crunch under my feet as I approach Toronto’s central YMCA. Meeting a new workout partner is always a tad intimidating. I have a quick flashback of the time I got competitive with my mom in a morning cardio aerobics class (sans breakfast) and started seeing double. I make sure to have a balanced meal this time and keep an open mind for my time with Elizabeth Quan. She’s 93 years old. I approach as she’s finishing off her last set on the leg press machine. Halloween weekend has just passed, so when I ask how she spent her time Saturday, I anticipate the common post-Halloween answer: handing out candy or sneaking a few pieces. Instead, Quan tells me she collected ginkgo leaves on…

OKAY, PEOPLE. Grandma is going to rant. My topic today is “The Big Machine called Popular Culture and How It’s in Control of Your Attitudes.” Ha, ha, you say. I’m smarter than that. I am not being controlled. Well, I say, you definitely are. And I’ll concede that it’s hard not to be. On a daily basis, we are all bombarded by media messages. And the sources of those messages generally come from a handful of big guys at the top of the communication chain who are deciding for you what you should be thinking and buying. I know you’re listening. Why else would those horrible Spanx that suck the life out of you be such a hit? Why else do you have at least three mascaras in your cosmetic…

ENTERTAINING THERE ARE MANY reasons to love aïoli. From the way it rolls off your tongue – EYE–yo-lee! – to the way it slips down your throat. From the accessibility of its ingredients – garlic, oil, eggs – to its stunning versatility. When aïoli first showed up on the blackboards of bistros in Canada about a decade ago, it was served as an accompaniment to steamed vegetables, meat and fish. Today, we use it as a spread to jazz up our sandwiches, a dressing to turn potato salad into gourmet fare and a dip to make sinful treats such as French fries worth the calories. Flavour-wise, variations abound. Google aïoli, and you’ll get a million recipes ranging from citrus, herbal and nut-based to chipotle, truffle and wasabi. Walk into a…

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS TO PREPARE FOR THIS YEAR’S federal election, CARP has added its name to SeniorsVote, a collaboration of 50 nationwide seniors and retirees groups (See Susan Eng’s column on page 30). Initiated after a series of meetings with a broad base of likeminded groups in March this year, SeniorsVote aims to push key issues for the 2015 budget and federal election, including pension and health-care reform, pharmacare and a national housing strategy. Joining CARP at the table include the National Pensioners Federation, Réseau FADOQ, Congress of Union Retirees of Canada, International Federation on Ageing, College of Family Physicians of Canada, retired teachers, university and college professors, public servants, police and healthcare workers.…

AJAX-PICKERING, ONT. (CH 20) Randy Filinski, 905-509-1708, ajaxpickeringcarp@live.ca AVALON, N.L. (CH 1) Edgar Williams, 709-753-1187, carpavalon@gmail.com BARRIE, ONT. (CH 36) Gwen Kavanagh, 705-252-4756, barriecarp@gmail.com BRAMPTON, ONT. (CH 52) Peter Howarth, 647-918-4802, bramptoncarp52@gmail.com BRANTFORD, ONT. (CH 17) David Simmons, 1-888-363-2279 x264, carpbrantford@gmail.com BROCKVILLE-1000 ISLANDS, ONT. (CH 40) Dawn Edgley, 613-802-0424, edgley.carp@gmail.com CALGARY, ALTA. (CH 10) Susan Costello, 403-256-1181, carpcalgary@gmail.com CARP PRIDE (CH 33) Elise Kayfetz, 1-888-363-2279 x258, e.kayfetz@carp.ca CHATHAM-KENT, ONT. (CH 49) Sharon A. Jubenville, 519-682-1796, carpchathamkent@gmail.com EDMONTON, ALTA. (CH 13) Bernice Rempel, 780-450-4802, carp.edmonton@gmail.com FORT MCMURRAY, ALTA. (CH 46) Felix Berube, 587-645-5999, fortmcmurraycarp@gmail.com FREDERICTON, N.B. (CH 27) Suzanne Maltais, 506-455-2620, carp.fredericton@gmail.com GEORGIAN BAY, ONT. (CH 14) Linda Flemington, 705-888-9204, carpgeorgianbay14@gmail.com GREATER BAY OF QUINTE AREA, ONT. (CH 39) Mary Robertson, 613-967-9479, carpbbq@gmail.com GUELPH, ONT. (CH 50) Katherine McLeod, 1-888-363-2279 x276,…

Food ROB GENTILE is a chef whose star is rising steadily. And deservedly so. An inveterate inquisitor, he’s always on the lookout for ingredients that are new to him. He then devotes considerable effort to finding inventive ways to weave them into his contemporary Italian dishes. Clearly, he’s a chef who’s happy when he’s at the edge of his comfort zone – a condition he’d like to see embraced by more chefs, pro and amateur. Since 2009, Gentile has made his name as the face of Buca restaurants, now counting three acclaimed locations in downtown Toronto, each with a unique style and focus. His is a modern approach to Italian cuisine that puts seasonal Canadian ingredients on a pedestal. He’s an expert with meat, a butcher in his own right,…

Home iN EDWARD ALBEE’S absurdist play The Sandbox, Grandma appreciates how Mommy and Daddy took her in and “fixed a nice place for me under the stove.” Nowadays, she rates a granny suite in the basement, but her real estate is getting crowded. Jobless kids graduating from university are squeezing in. Even separated husbands, kicked out of their homes and financially strapped as case conferences wind through the divorce courts, try to crash at their parents’ house. And what about telecommuters, those corporate-land refugees told to work at home except for weekly or monthly face time at HQ? Where else can they carve out space for a home office? Reclaim existing space “With fixer-uppers going for a million dollars or more, spending $100,000 to $150,000 to reclaim your existing space…

“BOXING IS ADDICTIVE,” says Wayne Bourque. “It gets those endorphins flying.” For Bourque, 56, boxing has practically been a lifelong passion. Born to Métis parents in Fort McMurray, Alta., he learned to box at age 13. Success at various national championships would have led him to the 1984 Olympics if it wasn’t for a skiing accident a few months before the trials that put an end to dreams of winning a medal for his country. Today, Bourque operates Centre Ring, a popular boxercise gym in Toronto that not only attracts elite hockey players looking to add some edge to their fitness routines but also regular citizens. There are 14-year-olds looking to gain some confidence right up to 72-year-olds strength training. Boxing as a fitness activity can help hone your hand-to-eye…

■ Favourite brand of sneakers? I have three: Nike, Under Armour and Asics. ■ Your favourite guilty snack? Vanilla ice cream. ■ Best way to motivate yourself? I use other people to motivate me in the gym and in the business. I also use my father and my family as I always want to do well for them. ■ Favourite place to exercise outdoors? My gym! I just open the garage door, and we run the stairs. ■ Best piece of advice you were ever given regarding fitness? Repetition and focus are key. ■ Favourite resource for nutritional tips? My wife, Carol, is one. [She works in health and wellness.] I take in information from a wide variety of sources. Everyone has a different body type and blood type. ■…

Photographer Tony Duran‘s work has appeared in Harpers Bazaar, Vogue and Rolling Stone. For his first Zoomer assignment, Duran worked with Jane Fonda for “Lady Jane” (pg. 56), describing her as “an utter icon” with “great respect for collaboration and creativity.” Journalist, author, musician and filmmaker Brian D. Johnson’s favourite interviews include Leonard Cohen, Michael J. Fox – and Jane Fonda, profiled in “Lady Jane” (pg. 56). His latest project is producing and directing the documentary feature “Al Purdy Was Here.” Barbara Olson is a crossword puzzle constructor based in Nelson, B.C. Along with puzzles in the New York Times, she co-authored three books in the O Canada Crosswords series (Harbour.) Her puzzles are available weekly by subscribing to ClassiCanadian Crosswords.…

Septuagenarian disco and dance music innovator Giorgio Moroder (right) releases new album called74 Is the New 24 Which, if his math is correct, means he’s just about young enough to qualify for an onstage smooch from Madonna. Golf legend Jack Nicklaus, 75, scores a hole-in-one during play at Augusta National Of course, if you consider his age using Giorgio Moroder’s math, it’s not really that impressive. This gives new meaning to the term “brain exercises” U.S. researcher finds that working out could increase hormones that ward off Alzheimer’s. Then again, what does science know? European study shows the obese may have a significantly lower chance of developing dementia. I guess an early-bird dinner and a cupcake with a candle just doesn’t cut it anymore South African woman celebrates her 100th…

Photo fans, get ready to set your focus on the Scotiabank Contact Photography Festival, kicking off in Toronto in May with photographers from around the world on display throughout multiple venues across the city. Contact exhibits explore everything from early Canadian composite photography to studies of individuals, communities, architecture, landscapes and film. This year’s festival also includes an exhibit by Mark Ruwedel, 60, whose haunting images of some of North America’s most desolate terrain won him last year’s Scotiabank Photography Award. The Scotiabank Contact Photography Festival runs May 1 to 31. scotia bankcontactphoto.com Meanwhile, some of England’s oldest national treasures tour Canada this year and, no, we’re not talking about the Rolling Stones. The Magna Carta – signed into law on June 15, 1215, by King John – eventually provided…

CHARLOTTE’S WEB In fashion circles, the Londonbased makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury, 40, has been at the top of her game for more than 20 years, working with top models, photographers, celebrities, designers and fashionistas. An eponymous makeup and skin-care line was inevitable, launching in the U.K. in 2013 to much acclaim. This month, Canadian women can see what the fuss is about now that Charlotte Tilbury is here, sold exclusively at Holt Renfrew. Her Magic Cream - an “age-defying” moisturizer that stimulates collagen and fights free radicals and contains vital ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, rose hip oil and other floral extracts for plumped, dewy skin - has become a signature item. Her collection of 10 colour-coded looks such as The Ingenue and The Vintage Vamp, which includes blushes, lipsticks,…

THE ACTRESS CANDICE BERGEN is a surprisingly good writer. And while I loved the dish about her fearless embrace of carbs in her new memoir A Fine Romance, what really imprinted on me was her love story with her first husband, French film director Louis Malle. They married at age 34 and 47, respectively. They sustained their love affair, separated by film sets and continents, with fervid epistolary exchanges. Here is Malle: “Let’s get together, my love, not for three days or a weekend, between planes but for time, experience quiet, isolation, silence together. And talk, about things, about the future. And let’s love each other, let me enjoy what I miss so much when I am away from you.” In this letter, Malle, who died with Bergen by his…

I SOMETIMES WONDER if or rather when I would regret not having children. It hasn’t happened yet – aside from the occasional rueful musing about the road not taken. It’s on my mind now because being childless, or child-free as some advocates call it, is having a moment in popular culture. You know a trend has reached a critical mass when it makes the front page of the New York Times’ Style Section. It appeared just after the publication of the ironically titled anthology Selfish, Shallow and Self-Absorbed: Sixteen Writers on the Decision Not To Have Kids, edited by Meghan Daum. I was reading this while enjoying a family holiday with our niece and nephew, Chaya, 18, and Leith, 21. They are the only members of the next generation in…

FIRST, THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET was hailed as the healthier way; now, it’s the whole lifestyle. Authors (and couple) Alex Pattakos and Elaine Dundon purport the Greek way of life in particular as the way to wellbeing. In The OPA! Way: Finding Joy & Meaning in Everyday Life & Work, they outlay a road map to appreciating life’s simple pleasures, developing a better sense of community and finding meaningful purpose in one’s life – all things the authors noted that Greeks excel at, even in these harried modern times and the spectre of another financial meltdown. The bottom line: don’t worry, be happy, be helpful and, as it turns out, you’ll be healthy. The ancient philosophers couldn’t have said it better. For his New York Times bestseller The Blue Zones, explorer…

Skip the suds Unless you play elite level soccer, you probably don’t need to scrub your scalp and hair every day. Wash hair when it needs it, avoiding shampoos with harsh surfactants that can strip natural oils. Sulfate-free shampoos have gotten a bad rap for their often desultorily heavy and low-foaming formulas, but Aveeno Pure Renewal Shampoo, $8, lathers and rinses like regular shampoo. Or try “co-washing,” the term for skipping shampoo and rinsing hair with specially formulated conditioner. Try: WEN Cleansing Conditioner, $30. Healthy hair from the inside “Stress and a poor diet can weaken hair,” says Toronto dermatologist Dr. Charles Lynde. Ensure your diet is high enough in protein, while “biotin and elemental zinc supplements are the most beneficial,” adds Lynde. Viviscal Maximum Strength, $60, an oral supplement…

Sleep Aid Arbonne’s Essentials Sleep Well Spray is stocked with melatonin, chamomile and valerian and may help abate the jet lag that comes with crossing two time zones or more by helping you get to sleep more quickly once you’ve reached your destination. www.arbonne.ca Leg Up We’ve all heard what long flights can do to your circulation. Here’s a solution: RejuvaHealth’s compression technology, in socks for men, and socks, tights or leggings for women. Controlled pressure also relieves swelling and fatigue – you may even arrive feeling more energized. After a long haul to New Zealand, we certainly did. www.shoprejuva.com; 877-773-5882 Multi-Tasker The Genius Pack wheeled carry-on suitcase has labelled compartments for your socks, undergarments, even your devices’ chargers, plus a garment bag, exterior pockets for an umbrella and water…

WHEN CELESTE-TINA HERNANDEZ, 50, was diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkins lymphoma 10 years ago, things looked dire. Hernandez had large tumours in her neck and breast, and her gut was riddled with tiny cancerous growths. So, for Hernandez to be alive today and entirely cancer-free is something to celebrate. But Hernandez, who lives in Abbotsford, B.C., has permanent nerve damage and daily pain from chemotherapy, surgery and scar tissue. She experiences fatigue from her medication. Her treatment forced her into early menopause. “There are all of those challenges,” she reflects. “But I’m happy to be alive. These effects are uncomfortable, and they’re not nice – but it sure beats the alternative.” Although more Canadians than ever are developing cancer, they’re also living longer after their diagnosis. Today, 40 per cent…

“LOOK AT THIS,” Peter C. Newman entreats, pulling out something from his wallet. The professional court jester – a man once described as both Canada’s “chronicler and conscience” – smiles the smile of a baby having a dream, unfolds something and hands a postcard-sized image across our table at Soho House in Toronto. Flummoxed and yet charmed by the blast-from the-past stage craft, I take a moment to register the magical paper – people, these days, usually just pull up pics on their phones – and then zero in on a glossy of a comely vessel. Newman’s latest sailboat, with quite majestic masts, is just the latest of his babies. A life-long seafarer – with the ever-present hat to match – his love is palpable, but it’s also bittersweet. He…

A HOME RUN I just finished your latest issue [May] and I must say that you hit it out of the park for me! I was so impressed with everything, especially “Freedom Fighter,” the Agatha Christie article and Moses’ take on the right to die. The issue has been forwarded to friends and will continue to travel. Thanks again for such an engaging issue. —Rae Yates, via email SEX SELLS ... I picked up my first copy of Zoomer magazine two days after my 60th birthday. Yes, sex sells. I found the articles on sex and senior intimacy to be open-minded and wellwritten. It was gratifying to note that your website boasts several articles on the subject. Glad this issue was not a one night stand (pun intended). The benefits…

YOU MIGHT CALL it a cultural border crossing – four leading American contemporary artists and their work visit Ottawa for an exchange of ideas with their northern neighbours. “Art – and particularly contemporary art – examines important issues that transcend borders. Identity, race, immigration, history, loss,” Vicki Heyman, wife of American ambassador to Canada Bruce Heyman, observes when discussing the art initiative the couple designed. Dubbed Contemporary Conversations and hosted in partnership with the National Gallery of Canada, the ongoing series is linked to the Art in Embassies program, which places American artwork in U.S. embassies around the world. The artwork in this instance is displayed in the Heymans’ Ottawa residence. In February, visual artist Marie Watt gave a lecture and led a sewing circle, among other events, which, Heyman…

BETWEEN falling into a vat of acid and his countless battles with a man dressed as a bat, it’s amazing that the Joker survived to see his 75th birthday. He looks great for his age – surprisingly few laugh lines – as evidenced by DC Comics’ series of June commemorative covers. Not bad for a character originally slated to be killed off after his first appearance in 1940. Instead the Clown Prince of Crime evolved into a villainous cultural pioneer. Walking a line between mystery and madness as fine as that sinister grin, he paved the way for the Hannibal Lecters and Scarfaces of the world by proving that villains can be just as cool, captivating and lucrative as their heroic counterparts. At the same time, the character cultivated a…

WHEN Kurt Vonnegut’s degenerate sci-fi writer Kilgore Trout comes face to face with the Creator of the Universe, the coarse old man weeps. “Make me young,” he says. Again and again. He might have asked to be a dragon, a sign marked a wide array of individuals noted for both their longevity and beauty. Consider the ageless Frank Sinatra, photographed to the very end of his wondrous life in bespoke suitedsplendour, a smoke and a glass of Chivas in hand – his Palm Springs tombstone reads, naturally, “The Best Is Yet to Come.” There is, too, the agelessly, oddly handsome Salvador Dali and Mae West, whose milky skin, fall of white hair and hourglass body persisted well into her late 80s. The Dragon is thought to be tempestuous, ardent, unusual…

“IFE IS GRAY AND DULL,” declares Iris Apfel. “You might as well have a little fun when you dress and amuse people.” And what fun the 93-yearold New Yorker seems to be having. A bona fide fashion icon known for her wildly colourful style of bold prints, stacks of bracelets and ropes of necklaces – always punctuated with her Mr. Magoo-round eyewear – she has been the subject of an exhibition at the MET, the inspiration for the windows at Bergdorf Goodman, starred in a M.A.C makeup campaign and, most recently, as the face of Kate Spade. Now comes Iris, a documentary released in theatres in May, directed by the late Albert Maysles, which chronicles the doyenne’s life. Apfel’s magpie eye for details and sense of colour and style was…

BACK IN APRIL 2000, when the then 24-year-old Tiger Woods had captured the US Open, crushing the field by a ridiculous margin of 15 strokes, a reporter asked him to describe the highs and lows of the tournament. Tiger paused for a moment, before responding, ‘’I never really had a low point.” It was all blue skies and birdies for Tiger back then. Precociously talented, ruthlessly efficient and fiercely competitive, he won more tournaments than anyone (including 14 Majors) on his way to becoming one of the richest and best-known athletes in the world. Yet sports fans are a fickle lot. Spectacular as Tiger was to watch in his prime, it became almost too much of a good thing. So far ahead of everyone else, he sucked the drama from…

THE RESURGENCE OF measles and other vaccine-preventable infectious diseases has people talking about immunization. But the best person to discuss this with is your doctor. Boomers should be aware that the immune system does become less effective with age and that immunity may wane faster. This is the reason there are specific vaccine recommendations for older people: an annual influenza vaccine, the shingles vaccine (one dose for adults 60 years or older), the pneumococcal (pneumonia) vaccine (one dose at age 65 or older), and the meningococcal (meningitis) vaccine (one dose as an adult). Adults who never received the vaccines for measles, mumps, rubella, polio, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), chickenpox, and hepatitis A and B should speak to their doctor about getting them. Many vaccines provide immunity for life. The tetanus…

aS A HEART SURGEON, it’s my job to keep my patients’ hearts beating strong for many years. But my efforts aren’t limited to the operating room – I’ve also made it my lifelong goal to spread health knowledge in the hopes that everyone will take prevention into their own hands so they can live well, longer. With that in mind, I’m thrilled to join Zoomer magazine, which shares my values of celebrating health and vitality. I believe that our older years are the happiest of our lives and that they should be the healthiest, too. This column will be dedicated to what I believe is one of the biggest challenges to our vitality: excess weight. It’s what’s landed countless patients on my operating table and it’s clear that the obesity…

MAGGIE SMITH, 80 Her steely quips might often steal the show, but it’s her eyes – those dragged-down pools of meaning – that remain her secret weapon. Having won favour of late for the five seasons she’s ruled as the Dowager Countess on Downton Abbey, she’s simply doing what she’s done ever since she nabbed an Academy Award, back in 1969, for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie: being a boss. JOAN DIDION, 80 Brains met beauty when the beloved memorist pushed aside both movie stars and supermodels, late last year, as the latest ad face of haute brand, Céline. Meanwhile, she continues to write prose that dances. YOKO ONO, 82 Both eternal hipster and apostle of peace, she has (at last count) 4.74 million Twitter followers.…

TRAVEL STANDING in the shadow of the ancient Library of Celsus at Ephesus, I was struck by the sheer staying power of this ode to the written word built in AD 117. Scribes and their scriptures, journalists and their journals, diarists and their daily observations once filled these now hollow halls. It’s cited in the Book of Revelation and it’s said that the Gospel of John may have also been penned here. In contrast, Turkey, where Ephesus stands, is somewhat of a youngster, its creation as a republic just nearing its 100-year mark. But it was not without hardship. Many Orthodox Greeks lived in what would become the Turkish republic, as did Muslims in northern Greece. A “swap” was orchestrated, a war turned military botch-up that left many on both…

“There is no evidence to prove senior drivers are any worse drivers than any other group.” Bruce Bird, chair of CARP’s North Fraser Chapter, arguing that B.C. should scrap its regulation that requires all drivers over 80 must complete a DriveABLE medical test. Vancouver Province, March 29, 2015 “We’re having a lot of impact on the community and we seem to be filling a void out there for a lot of older people” CARP’s Richmond chair Dr. Victor Pauls, commenting on the surge in growth in the local chapter. Richmond News, April 9…

JUNE 3 Calgary, AB The CARP Calgary Chapter is hosting a Get Ready for Retirement Fair at the West Hillhurst Community Association from 3pm-8pm. Not your typical retirement event! Music, food and fun. This event is free for all CARP members and $2 at the door for others. 4 Halifax, NS The CARP Nova Scotia Chapter AGM, 7pm. Guest speaker, Silver Donald Cameron on Seniors and the Environment. Parkland at the Gardens, 5732 College Street. 16 Georgian Bay, ON 2nd Annual Health & Wellbeing Symposium presented by CARP Georgian Bay Chapter, 10am-3pm at the Royal Canadian Legion in Collingwood. Free Admission. 17 White Rock, BC The CARP White Rock-Surrey Chapter presents Dying to Have a Conversation a symposium on end-of-life issues. White Rock Community Centre, 7-9pm. $10 admission for CARP…

“A good heavy book holds you down. It’s an anchor that keeps you from getting up and having another gin and tonic” —Roy Blount, Jr. GIN AND TONIC, a drink with longevity, is on the rise again. Soldiers of the British East India Company first mixed gin with tonic water (containing the antimalarial quinine from bark of the cinchona tree) in the early 19th century, primarily to fend off malaria. In 1870, the Schweppes Company, the same manufacturer producing tonic today, brought its Indian Quinine Tonic to market. One could also point to the longevity of the G&T drinker. The Queen Mother who died in 2002 at the age of 101 has been reported to be an enthusiastic consumer of them. In Backstairs Billy: The Life of William Tallon, the…