Happy Old Republican Men: Also Fish and Evolution

"Happiness Is ... Being Old, Male and Republican"
LiveScience.com (May 15, 2009)

"Americans grow happier as they age, surveys find. And a new Pew Research Center survey shows the tendency is holding up as the economy tanks.

"Happiness is a complex thing. Past studies have found that happiness is partly inherited, that Republicans are happier than Democrats, and that old men tend to be happier than old women.

"And even before the economy got nasty, seniors were found to be generally happier than Baby Boomers. Some of that owes to the American Dream being lived by past generations, while Boomers work two jobs and watch the dream wither...."

All in all, an interesting article. I'm 57, so I'm in the group "... age 50-64 who've 'seen their nest eggs shrink the most and their anxieties about retirement swell the most,'...."

I'm a trend-setter of sorts: I got laid off in the spring of 2006. Then, I was in and out of a hospital four times to get hips replaced and hands fixed. Aside from that, though, things have been pretty good.

LiveScience.com has a related article, "Key to Happiness: Location, Location, Location" (May 17, 2009), that takes a look at seaside property, happiness, fish, and evolution.