Born on this day!! Blues singer Clarence Carter is 86. Singer Jack Jones is 84. Actor Faye Dunaway is 81. Actor Holland Taylor (“Two and a Half Men,” ″The Practice”) is 79. Singer-producer T-Bone Burnett is 74. Actor Carl Weathers is 74. Singer Geoff Tate (Queensryche) is 63. Director Steven Soderbergh (“Erin Brockovich,” “Ocean’s Eleven”) is 59. TV anchor Shepard Smith is 58. Actor-producer Dan Schneider (“Head of the Class”) is 58. Rapper Slick Rick is 57. Actor Emily Watson (“Breaking the Waves”) is 55. Actor-comedian Tom Rhodes (“Mr. Rhodes”) is 55. Guitarist Zakk Wylde (Ozzy Osbourne, Black Label Society) is 55. Rapper-actor LL Cool J is 54. Actor Jason Bateman is 53. Musician Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters and of Nirvana is 53. Actor Kevin Durand (“Lost,” ″Fruitvale Station”) is 48. Actor Jordan Ladd (“Death Proof”) is 47. Actor Emayatzy Corinealdi (“Middle of Nowhere”) is 42. Singer-guitarist Caleb Followill of Kings of Leon is 40. Actor Zach Gilford (“The Family,” ″Friday Night Lights”) is 40. Guitarist Joe Guese of The Click Five is 40. Actor Jake Choi (“Single Parents”) is 37. Singer-actor Grant Gustin (“The Flash”) is 32. Bluegrass musician Molly Tuttle is 29.
THIS DAY IN GENIUS HISTORY
1639 – The first constitution of Connecticut, Fundamental Orders, was adopted.
1784 – The United States ratified treaty with England ending the Revolutionary War.
1943 – President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill meet at the Casablanca Conference.
1953 – Tito formally became the first president of the Republic of Yugoslavia.
1954 – Marilyn Monroe married baseball legend Joe DiMaggio.
1963 – George Wallace sworn in as Alabama’s governor, promising “segregation forever.”
1973 – The Miami Dolphins became the first NFL team to go undefeated and have a perfect season by beating the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII.
1990 – The Simpsons premiered on television.
2008 – Bobby Jindal takes office as governor of Louisiana as the first elected Indian-American governor of the U.S.
Today Is: Bean Day, Caesarean Section Day, International Kite Day, Organize Your Home Day, Ratification Day, World Logic Day
TODAY ON TV!
Primetime TV (All Times Eastern)
CBS – 8:00 – Undercover Boss / 9:00 – Magnum PI / 10:00 – Blue Bloods
NBC – 8:00 – That’s My Jam / 10:00 – Dateline NBC
ABC – 8:00 – Shark Tank / 9:00 – 2020
FOX – 8:00 – Friday Night Smackdown
CW – 8:00 – Penn and Teller / 9:00 – Nancy Drew
TV Talk Shows
James Corden: Kristin Davis, Chloë Grace Moretz, BTS (R 12/16/21)
The Talk: Isla Fisher
Live with Kelly and Ryan: Ming-Na Wen
Ellen DeGeneres: Adam Devine, Julie Bowen, Anders Holm
The Real: Drea De Matteo
Kelly Clarkson: Kristin Davis, Mason Gooding
Drew Barrymore: Ava DuVernay, Kaci Walfall
WHAT ARE YOU TALKIN’ ABOUT? Here are today’s PPM-Friendly Topics!
QUESTION: Does Aquaman think there are “plenty of fish in the sea???” JASON MOMOA and LISA BONET are “freeing each other” from marriage!!
QUESTION: How do you let a man know you’re IN DEMAND on a first date?? This Tik Tok’er sends herself drinks from “an admirer!!!” Cool? Or lame?
QUESTION: Thinking of buying an ELECTRIC CAR?? Read this before you do? His warning light came on because rodents were eating his wires!!
QUESTION: Is this the real “don’t look up??” Asteroid 7482 (1994 PC1) will make a FLY-BY of earth on Tuesday! (only 1.2 million miles away!!!)
QUESTION: Do YOU know your final resting place? Ed Sheeran does!! He’s building a CRYPT under a boat-shaped church on his property!!!!!!!!!!
Baby Shark Passes 10 Billion Views
The Pinkfong Company’s “Baby Shark Dance” on YouTube has reached 10 billion views, making it the most viewed video in the website’s history. The video was first uploaded in June 2016 and surpassed previous YouTube leader “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee in November 2020. “Baby Shark Dance” has continued to reign as the most-viewed video on YouTube for 15 consecutive months. “Despacito” now sits in second place with 7.7 billion views. “We are delighted that our beloved Baby Shark has recorded another remarkable milestone. It has been a truly meaningful journey to witness how Baby Shark has connected people around the world and we can’t wait to introduce Baby Shark’s further adventures that will bring unparalleled experiences to even more fans everywhere,” Min-seok Kim, CEO of the Pinkfong Company said in a statement. Add to the views HERE.
*******First we have reports of a record number of COVID cases, and now THIS?? Make it stop!!!
*******It’s been used as an instrument of torture by the CIA! That counts for a billion of those views!!
Godfather Heading Back To The Big Screen
The Godfather will return to select movie theaters in honor of its 50th anniversary. Paramount Pictures said in a press release Thursday that the 1972 film will have a limited theatrical release at AMC Theatres in the United States. The Godfather will screen in Dolby Vision and Dolby Cinema beginning Feb. 22. In addition, The Godfather trilogy — The Godfather (1972), The Godfather Part II (1974) and The Godfather Part III (1990) — has been restored and will be available in 4K Ultra HD for the first time beginning March 22. The films are based on Mario Puzo’s novel The Godfather. “I am very proud of The Godfather, which certainly defined the first third of my creative life,” director Francis Ford Coppola said in a statement. “With this 50th anniversary tribute, I’m especially proud Mario Puzo’s The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone is included, as it captures Mario and my original vision in definitively concluding our epic trilogy.” It stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Richard Castellano, Robert Duvall and Diane Keaton. Pacino and Keaton went on to star in The Godfather Part II and The Godfather Part III, both also directed by Coppola.
********SPOILER ALERT!! Sonny gets gunned down at the toll booth!!
*********Other movies from 1972 that should come back to theaters: “Ben,” “Superfly” and “Deliverance!!!”
********We’re gonna “go to the mattresses” and watch it at home!!!
Rust Armorer Files Lawsuit
“Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed has sued Seth Kenney, the man who provided the prop ammunition used by the production team of the Alec Baldwin movie, which was halted following a fatal shooting in October. Gutierrez-Reed filed the lawsuit Wednesday in New Mexico, citing the state’s unfair-trade-practices law. She also sued Kenney for breach of contract, creation of a dangerous condition and deceptive product labels, among other things, according to the court filing obtained by Fox News Digital. Gutierrez-Reed requested a six-person jury and is seeking compensatory damages, punitive damages, attorney’s fees and more. The lawsuit detailed her version of the events that unfolded on and before Oct. 21, the day Baldwin was holding a firearm that discharged, fatally hitting cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Her lawsuit accuses Kenney’s prop company, PDQ Arm & Prop, of providing a mix of dummy and live rounds to the set, creating a “dangerous condition.” “Defendants distributed boxes of ammunition purporting to contain dummy rounds, but which contained a mix of dummy and live ammunition to the Rust production,” the lawsuit states. “Hannah and the entire Rust movie crew relied on the Defendants’ misrepresentation that they provided only dummy ammunition. In so doing, Defendants created a dangerous condition on the movie set, unbeknownst to Hannah Gutierrez Reed, which caused a foreseeable risk of injury to numerous people.” Kenney told authorities that he had received “reloaded ammunition” that had a logo matching dummy and blank ammunition he provides to films, but later denied that the live round on the set of “Rust” could have come from his prop company. “It’s not a possibility that they came from PDQ or from myself personally,” Kenney previously told ABC News.
*****The best defense is good offense, right??
*******Her reputation is shot… and so is the cinematographer!!!
*****Baldwin says the gun shot itself. So maybe she should sue the gun!!!
Saget’s Friends Pick Up His Car From LAX
Bob Saget’s friends comedian Jeff Ross and musician John Mayer livestreamed their emotional journey bringing the late comedian’s car back home from the airport. They were good friends with Saget and were among the first to speak out about his death. As a result, they volunteered to retrieve his car after he drove it to LAX to catch a flight to Florida where he performed in a comedy show the night he died unexpectedly in his hotel room. While making the trip back to Saget’s home on the 405 Freeway, Ross took to Instagram from Mayer’s account and worked the camera while the singer drove. The conversation got emotional at times as they both reflected on their friend, with Ross quickly cracking a joke every time it seemed like Mayer was about to cry behind the wheel. The singer opened by stating how difficult it is to talk about what Saget meant to him given the knowledge that he was beloved by and made an impact on so many others. “Everyone is so aware how universal Bob’s love for people was that nobody wants to step on anyone else’s toes,” he explained. “And the fear for me is that everyone, out of respect, demurs and defers and that’s just because people understand how important their personal relationship with Bob was. The biggest fear would be talking about the love of Bob in a way that would supersede someone else’s love of Bob.” Ross added: “He really was love. He represented that. He has a beautiful wife, three daughters and then made his fake family from TV and it was a real family!”
*****We never thought about this, but when you die, somebody’s gotta go back and get your car, right??
Kanye West Under Investigation For Fight
Kanye West is under investigation for alleged criminal battery in Los Angeles, a spokeswoman for the LAPD confirmed. He allegedly got into an argument that turned physical around 3 a.m. local time Thursday when a fan asked West for his autograph while he was sitting in his SUV outside of the private club Soho Warehouse. West allegedly punched the fan, who fell to the ground, and the case is being investigated as misdemeanor battery, which carries a maximum jail sentence of six months. TMZ obtained a video of an apparent irate West, who could be heard yelling, “Did y’all say that or not? Did y’all say that or not? “‘Cause that’s what happened right f–king now.”
**********We’d like to run into Kanye’s fist!! That sounds like good money!!
The Queen Strips Prince Andrew Of Titles
Prince Andrew was stripped of his military and royal titles Thursday — a day after a Manhattan judge allowed the sexual-assault lawsuit against the disgraced royal to move forward. “With The Queen’s approval and agreement, The Duke of York’s military affiliations and Royal patronages have been returned to The Queen,” Buckingham Palace said. A royal source confirmed that Andrew would no longer use the title “His Royal Highness” in any official capacity and his other roles would be distributed among other members of the royal family. “The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen,” the palace said. The Queen had already barred her middle son from performing royal duties amid the severe backlash sparked by his disastrous 2019 BBC interview justifying his friendship with pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and now-convicted madam Ghislaine Maxwell. The latest move came after Andrew lost his bid to dismiss a lawsuit by sex accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre — and amid growing calls for him to finally be stripped of the military titles. This week, more than 150 veterans signed an open letter calling for the move, saying he had brought the armed services he represented into disrepute. “We are particularly upset and angry that Prince Andrew remains a member of the armed forces and continues to hold military titles, positions and ranks, including that of Vice Admiral of the Royal Navy,” the letter said. “We are therefore asking that you take immediate steps to strip Prince Andrew of all his military ranks and titles and, if necessary, that he be dishonorably discharged.”
*******She also reached under his kilt and removed the “Royal Jewels!!”
*******He’s no longer allowed to eat at the palace! She gave him a list of fast-food restaurants nearby!!!
********Andy requested that he be reassigned to a Girl Scout troop! But that’s not happening!!
*****Charles said, “Turns out I’m NOT the worst one in the family!!”
MEANWHILE, his accuser’s attorneys say they will be asking Randy Andy about his PRIVATE PARTS when he testifies!! GET THE STORY HERE!!
Ripping The Tabloids (Throughout the week, we’ll give you the stories from that weeks tabs!)
**Please Credit Publication!
New Flash!-(National Enquirer)
“Deadpool” star Ryan Reynolds, 45, has a mistaken-identity problem-he said people often think he’s Ben Affleck! “I’ve never corrected them,” he said. “They just think I’m Ben Affleck and they’ll ask how J.Lo is and I’m like, ‘great, good!’”
Broadway Ghost Gets a Netflix Curtain Call-(Globe)
Lin Manuel Miranda’s Netflix flick “Tick, Tick…..Boom!” is about famed composer Jonathan Larson, who died of an exploding aortic aneurysm at 35-the very day of his hit musical “Rent’s” off-Broadway debut. But the late mastermind’s ghost seems to have returned to oversee shooting, swear cast members. “If anything, it felt like a séance,” reveals Robin De Jesus, who plays bestie to the rock opera composer, portrayed by Andrew Garfield.
Olivia Wilde & Harry Styles: Don’t Mind the Gap-(Star)
They have a 10 year gap! Harry’s got a type! Ten years after dating the late Caroline Flack (she was 15 years his senior!)-and then Taylor Swift, 32, the following year-the singer, 27, fell for yet another older woman. “They had chemistry almost instantaneously,” a source says of Harry and Olivia, 37, who met on the set of the upcoming flick Don’t Worry Darling. “It was only a matter of time before they got together.”
Candle In the Wind-(Life & Style)
Dec. 24
She really can do everything! Kate Middleton showed off her musical skills [on the grand piano] for the first time in public, accompanying Scottish singer Tom Walker on his song For Those Who Can’t Be Here on ITV’s Royal Carols: Together at Christmas. “She absolutely nailed it,” he raves. Move over, Elton!
One Last Thing: Lupita Nyong’o-(People)
The Oscar winner, 38, stars in the new thriller The 355.
Last class I took-
I took a speed-reading class. I’m frustrated with how slowly I read. Reading in general is such a chore for me. I helped when I was taking the class, but I reverted back to my old self, I’m afraid.
Last time I saw a rainbow-
On-set of Black Panther 2. It was one of those freak rainy days in summer, and I remember just looking up, and there was a rainbow on the horizon. It was very beautiful.
Last time I felt empowered-
I cooked Thanksgiving dinner for the very first time! I made everything down to the sauces. It felt pretty darn powerful watching everyone eat-like Mother Nature herself. And I’m never doing it again0.; I don’t need that kind of power!
Bad Decision of the Week-(In Touch)
Amy Schmer
“Turns out I was already full.”
-on getting her facial fillers removed.
STUPID NEWS
Lasers To Be Used On Birds!
A California city in which thousands of crows have become a public nuisance is turning to a potential high-tech solution: lasers. Residents of Sunnyvale said the crows frequently are seen flocking over the downtown area, covering sidewalks and outdoor seating areas with their droppings. Locals also complained that the crows create a large amount of noise at night with their calls. “We have Caltrain right there, and it actually competes with Caltrain in terms of noise pollution in the downtown area,” Vice Mayor Alysa Cisneros told KNTV. Mayor Larry Klein said the city has tried numerous methods of driving the birds away, but none showed any long-term success. “We’ve tried multiple things. In the past, we’ve had falcons, we’ve put reflectors in our trees, and nothing seems to help,” Klein told KGO-TV. The city is preparing to start a pilot program to test green lasers to drive the crows away. “It’s far better than spending hundreds of dollars to spray wash the sidewalks every few weeks or spray wash Murphy Avenue because of that health risk,” Klein said. See the video HERE.
********Can we turn the lasers up to “kill??”
*******Is it just us, or are birds becoming more aggressive?? Maybe Hitchcock was right!!
TOPIC: Which bird is the biggest pest, crows or starlings??
Electric Porsche Breaks Record
An all-electric Porsche took an unusual route that started in a mine and ended on a mountain to break the Guinness World Record for the greatest altitude change ever achieved by an electric car. The German automaker said the Taycan Cross Turismo started its journey at a depth of 1,774 feet below sea level at Eagle Mine in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and used a ramp designed for mining equipment to return to the surface before crossing six states to the summit of Colorado’s Pikes Peak, at an altitude of 14,115 feet. The 33-hour, 48-minute journey broke a Guinness World Record by gaining an altitude of 15,889 feet — just over 3 miles. “It started as a ‘what if?’ — a passion project, mixing our love for cars and travel and taking it to extremes,” creative producer J.F. Musial, who led the record attempt, said in a statement. “We wanted to drive from the lowest point in America to one of the highest, Pikes Peak — where we’ve spent countless hours filming the famous hill climb. The project relied on a lot of goodwill, and a car that’s pretty much unique in its mix of abilities.”
*********The last thing that gained that much altitude in such a short period of time was Hillary’s attitude the day Trump lost the 2020 election!!!
*******How many times did they stop to recharge??
Moose Rescued From Basement
Wildlife officials in Colorado came to the rescue of a moose that fell into a home’s window well and ended up trapped in the house’s basement. Colorado Parks and Wildlife said officers received a call about 3:30 p.m. Monday reporting a moose stuck in the basement of a Breckenridge home. CPW said officers arrived to find the moose had fallen through a snow-covered window well while grazing and ended up getting inside the house. “Responding officers opened doors to create exits for the moose, but could not get the moose to leave because it required going up a basement staircase to reach the exits,” CPW said in a news release. Officers ended up tranquilizing the moose and cutting off its antlers so it could fit up the staircase without further damaging the home. The agency said moose antlers typically fall off this time of year and would regrow in the spring. The moose was carried outside and released back into the wild.
********The “antler trim” is the same as a human haircut!!!
********An exterminator showed up!! “I thought you had a MOUSE in the basement!!!
Cops Busted For Playing Pokemon Go
Two officers with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) were fired for ignoring a robbery in progress to play Pokemon Go, according to recently released court documents. The men, Louis Lozano and Eric Mitchell, lost their appeal against “multiple counts of misconduct” which had in part been based on a recording of them in the car. The digital in-car video system recording “captured [them] wilfully abdicating their duty to assist a commanding officer’s response to a robbery in progress and playing a Pokemon mobile phone game while on duty”. According to the court documents published on Friday, the incident occurred on a “busy” Saturday in April 2017 when a call came in about a robbery with multiple suspects in progress at a Macy’s department store. Instead of responding to the call Lozano and Mitchell – who a commanding officer spotted in a police car “tucked back in an alley just feet away” from the Macy’s – started “to back up down the alley” away from the robbery. In an initial investigation the officers claimed they could not hear the radio, but the commanding officer then reviewed the DICVS to “find out what they do on their average day”. In reviewing the recording it was discovered that they had heard the radio call and agreed to ignore the officer responding to it rather than assist them.
*******These guys are like a cop sitcom!!!
*****We don’t have to defund the cops!! They defund themselves!!
*****In their defense, we’re not sure that armed robbery is even a CRIME in L.A. right now!!!
STUFF THAT’S COOL AND VIRAL
VIDEO: BUS FLOODS IN NORWAY!
A LIST FOR FRIDAY
18 Great Part-Time Jobs for Retirees Who Aren’t Ready to Call It Quits
Huffington Post
- Substitute Teaching
Substitute teachers have never been more valuable than today. Covid has increased the chances that a teacher might be out of the classroom either awaiting test results or recuperating. When that happens, their students need someone to teach — and that could be you.
Most school districts have lenient requirements for substitute teachers, often requiring just a bachelor’s degree with no teaching experience.
To be successful, you need to be ready to deal with a room full of 20 or so children of varying ages. But it could pay off. School districts in Chicago, for example, pay as much as $200 a day for a full day of work.
If you have an advance degree, you may also qualify to be an adjunct instructor at a community college or four-year university.
- School Support
Most schools are always looking for crossing guards, recess supervisors and other positions. A call to your local elementary, middle or high school could lead you to a good retirement job that would fit your schedule. Even better is searching online for jobs at your school district. This will give you a range of what’s out there.
This is a classic retirement job that gets you out of the house, allows you to have contact with neighbors, and lets you provide security and safety with another set of adult eyes on the children.
- Tutoring
There are hundreds of tutoring companies in the U.S. who work with kids of all ages to enhance their school education or prepare for college entrance exams. If you sign up with one, they’ll match you with work and you won’t need to market yourself as a tutor.
The hourly pay for these companies ranges from about $13 to $25. Requirements often are limited to a bachelor’s degree, although exam-prep work might require a recent ACT or SAT test score, or might require you to retake the exam for verbal or math instruction.
If you are interested in online tutoring, there are many good paying gigs out there. Match your skills to the openings.
- School Bus Driver
School bus drivers can earn up to $20 per hour. They have regular hours with the opportunity to earn extra for field trips or outings. Some states require a specific license (a Commercial Drivers License, or CDL, for example) or require you to pass a test to qualify.
Recent news reports indicate there are many job openings for school bus drivers.
The job is likely to include more than just driving, however. You may be asked to supervise students on the bus, and you may be called upon to discipline rowdy students or those who are making the trip unsafe. A tolerance for children of all ages is probably an important requirement.
- Shuttle Bus Driver
There are dozens of different types of shuttle bus driver jobs. Most hotels have shuttles to and from airports. Senior citizen homes, churches and community centers often offer shuttles to shopping areas or grocery stores. Hourly pay for shuttle bus drivers can average above $13 per hour, and that’s not including tips from satisfied riders. Like school bus drivers, shuttle bus drivers have regular hours.
Depending on the particulars of the job, a commercial driver’s license might be required. Different states have different laws regarding licensing for shuttle bus drivers. A different license might be required if the bus holds a certain number of people or is a particular weight. Your state motor vehicle website will tell you what’s required in your state, and any potential employer will know, too.
- Conducting Tours
Tour guide is one of those jobs that, when you see someone doing it, you think, “Well, I could do that too!”
Businesses, organizations and sites that host tours come in many shapes and sizes, from historical sites to museums, from outdoor walking tours to behind-the-scene workplace tours. They can be an everyday part of a business or scheduled by appointment. What they all have in common? A tour leader.
These jobs require knowledge about the subject and the ability to tell a good story — often while walking backwards.
Tour guides make an average base salary of $20 per hour. Plus, they are often offered tips by tour participants.
This could be a dream job for someone who knows the topic well and likes to retell stories about history, natural science or architecture (among many other possibilities).
If this appeals to you, don’t overlook a special area of knowledge you’ve developed during all those years in the workplace. Know a lot about the manufacturing industry? Maybe you’re just the person to lead tours at a cheese factory.
- Patient Advocate
The job of a patient advocate is to assist someone who is struggling to cope with the healthcare system. A patient advocate deals with paperwork and appointments, and communicates with healthcare providers to get information on diagnosis, treatment and followup procedures.
Advocates might also be asked to work with insurance companies to understand coverage and costs. Many are asked to help a client obtain assistance with financial or legal issues. The range of duties can be as varied as the patient’s needs.
Being a patient advocate does not require any particular educational degree, but it is possible to become certified in this role.
These positions can be part- or full-time, and they pay well. So if you plan to collect Social Security benefits, make sure to check how your wage impacts your benefits.
- Child Care Provider
Child care might be a bit of a political football these days, but rarely has it been more necessary. Single parents or two-parent families that require or want two incomes are likely to need child care, and that could take the form of a nanny or frequent babysitter.
A babysitter sits in a home with a child or children. A nanny is responsible for getting children to day care or other activities; they are a substitute parent in many cases.
Craigslist or neighborhood job sites are great ways to search for these positions, but your best bet is to work with your personal network. Let people know that you would be willing to work as a nanny or frequent babysitter, and, with the proper recommendation, you could have a very gratifying retirement job.
There are no actual nanny or babysitter licenses or certifications in the United States, but many families require that nannies be bonded, which is a guarantee of service. It is a protection against someone failing to show up for work; one such failure forfeits the bond and that area of work is no longer available to that nanny.
Taking classes in CPR or other emergency response techniques, which offer certifications upon completion, can improve your chances of being hired.
Nannies are likely to make $15 an hour on average. Babysitter earnings vary widely by affluence of the neighborhood. Check out The Penny Hoarder’s tips on how to get paid up to $21 an hour babysitting.
- Virtual Assistant
Virtual assistants are independent contractors who offer business services virtually. Those services can include website management, website design, marketing assistance, social media postings, blog writing, email correspondence or any number of clerical duties that can be carried out with a computer and phone. This kind of work is often well-suited to flexible hours.
As of this writing, Ziprecruiter showed more than 34,000 virtual assistant jobs, suggesting that a virtual assistant could make up to $76,000 a year, depending on the work required.
You are more likely to work on an hourly wage determined by your experience and amount of work you are required to perform. There are also job firms that provide virtual assistants; you can sign on with them and accept work as it is offered to you.
Any task that can be done virtually via computer is likely to be requested by a virtual assistant. Firms would rather pay a freelancer than an employee to do the work.
- Bookkeeper
You have a good head for numbers. You are in charge of your own finances, and you perhaps worked in an accounting role at a previous job.
Many small or civic organizations cannot afford, nor do they truly need, a full-time bookkeeper or accounting service. They are not in it for the money. Often, they are charitable or non-profit organizations. But they need occasional bookkeeping, often with an eye towards tax advantages.
A part-time bookkeeper job often requires simple financial recordkeeping or upkeep of other financial records. Part-time bookkeepers are usually former accountants or have experience as a bookkeeper. They may be asked to track invoices, but most companies use financial services for paychecks.
The average salary for a part-time bookkeeper is around $20 per hour.
- Umpire and Referee
This is a perfect retirement job if you have a sports background and the ability to withstand criticism.
Competitive sports programs need officials for their games. Baseball, basketball, soccer and football all have leagues at various ages that need officiating. Depending on where you live, the work can be constant. If you get certified for multiple sports, you can work all weekend long and often during the week.
While high-level programs require officials to get licensed or certified, lower-level and youth group programs require just a basic knowledge of the rules. Look around your community for sports leagues in need of umpires or referees.
Pay is often dependent on the age of the players and the competitive level of the organization, but officials are likely to make at least $25 per game. At higher levels where certification is required, you can earn $100 per game.
- Pet Sitter and Dog Walker
For between $10 and $15 an hour, you can earn money pet-sitting in a home or, if the pet happens to be a dog, you can walk the animal. Pet-sitting is a good job for retirees who want to work outdoors without a lot of physical requirements other than being able to walk while pulling or being pulled.
Pet sitter/walker is also a good line of work to get into because one job can lead to another. Pet owners tend to concentrate around each other, and they will give recommendations to other pet owners about a reliable person who can watch Fido or Fluffy while they are on vacation.
If you are going to house-sit the animal, you will likely get paid more for also keeping an eye on the property while the owner is away.
Another idea for animal lovers is pet transporting. If you’ve got a reliable set of wheels and like to drive, getting pets from here to there from owners, maybe be the side gig for you.
- Freelance Writer
Although freelance writers no longer provide articles — it’s called content now — freelance writing is a gig that can offer the freedom to accept the assignments you want. There are firms that will connect freelance writers to people or companies in need of blogs, resumes, cover letters, marketing content and more.
According to Indeed, the average hourly pay for a freelance writer is a bit over $20, but you are often paid by assignment or by word, so the pay varies. If you have knowledge in certain topics like science and medicine, the pay can be higher.
Writing skills rarely diminish, but the requirements for writing change over time. A knowledge of search engine optimization (SEO) is going to open more doors. Many jobs that use job search websites like Indeed ask for candidates to take a writing test, but many of those are simple grammar or proofreading tests.
While there are occasional situations where someone needs a one-off writing assignment, freelance writer jobs often offer consistent, if sporadic, work. A retiree who can write could have a client for years. Check out this Penny Hoarder article on 18 places hiring freelance writers.
- Call Center Worker
Just to be clear, we are talking about taking calls from customers, not making calls. A call center representative answers incoming calls from customers or potential customers and either answers questions or sends the caller to someone else who can answer.
As much as this is a remote job, it is definitely a people-person retirement job. You are likely to be talking to someone who is upset or unhappy, and you are the first line of communication for the company you are representing. You need to be capable of being friendly and helpful in the face of unpleasant conversation.
As such, typical hourly pay is $15 as a call center representative.
- Freelance Bartender
Freelance bartending doesn’t require bartending school and can earn you good money working at large events or small, private parties. Hourly pay for freelance bartenders can be anywhere from $20 to $50 even before tips.
If you can memorize lots of cocktail recipes, if you have an outgoing personality and a steady hand, and if you’re willing to cut people off if needed, this could be a fit for you. Your best bet might be starting out tending bar for people you know and then building a network of referrals.
Plan on some up-front costs, such as a portable bar (if the host doesn’t have one) and basic bar tools. The host is expected to supply the alcohol and mixers. And to protect against possible liability you might want to consider an annual liability policy.
- Personal Shopper
Is it the shopping or the buying that you enjoy? If it’s the shopping, then you might consider becoming someone’s personal shopper.
The job title describes the job. You are given a shopping list and the means to make the purchase, and you chase after the items.
Certainly, many people already have personal shoppers and don’t know it. When they contact a grocery store and provide an itemized list of goods they want, someone does the “shopping,” and the items are then delivered.
But true personal shoppers are more likely to purchase clothing and accessories than groceries. A personal shopper often finds items and then sends photos and descriptions to the person who hired them to get approval.
Some high-end clothing stores offer personal shopper services as well. These positions might be a little less “personal,” as they might be a one-day relationship. But the concept is the same.
To be a personal grocery shopper, you probably need only have been in a grocery store from time to time. To be a high-end personal shopper, a knowledge of the fashion industry and current fashions is going to get you better clients.
Personal shoppers who go after groceries or staples are likely to make typical hourly pay of $14 to $20. Those who work for a service are likely on a wage or salary determined by the service rather than by the client.
- Security Guard
A security guard who does not carry a weapon serves as a presence to discourage inappropriate behavior. While many large businesses like Target or Wal-Mart hire security personnel from a service, small employers such as charitable or service organizations are likely to hire someone who is reliable and gives the appearance of authority.
The responsibilities of a security guard depend on the needs of the company being guarded. There may be requirements that go beyond just being a presence, but the differences depend on the needs of the company.
Hourly pay for security guards without weapons training is likely to be between $10 and $17. Night-time security guards are likely to make more than daytime ones.
This is a good job for retirees who do not mind a bit of boredom.
Security guards who carry weapons require special training and weapons licensing, and is an entirely different job pursuit, perhaps not as well-suited to a retirement job.
- Seasonal Worker
Remember when you had a summer job as a teenager or a part-time job during your winter break from college? The same logic can work when you’re thinking about some extra retirement income.
Many seasonal jobs are defined by the weather, which is defined by the time of year and the climate where you live. Seasonal jobs are popular, never go out of style (except when the season changes), and can actually be a fun job to look forward to.
Ski resorts in the winter and water parks in the summer are two great examples of places that require seasonal employees. It is not necessary to be a ski instructor or a lifeguard, either. These places require assistance in areas outside of their main purpose: security, transportation, customer service. Even the National Park Service hires seasonal temps.
Also included in seasonal work are holiday positions during the months of October-December. On-site customer service, truck unloading, shelving of new goods, and custodial services are among the positions for which big box stores are likely to need employees. For example in 2021, we tallied more than 1 million seasonal jobs at national retailers and delivery services.
Some stores hold hiring events in October to fill these positions, but they often continue searching for employees throughout the final three months of the year.
The preceding material was compiled and edited by Brandon Castillo. The Editor-In-Chief is Gary Bryan. The Radio Genius Show Prep Service is licensed for use on-air only by subscribing radio stations. Other means of redistribution is forbidden.
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