Amy Lindgren

Second Sunday Series — This is the first of 12 columns on career planning post-60, which will appear the second Sunday of each month from September through August.

I’m excited to introduce my Second Sunday topic for the coming year, which is career planning for your 60s and beyond.

Nope, not kidding. It’s an issue I’ve been deeply passionate about since writing my first guide for “older workers” more than 30 years ago. Why? It’s all about demographics. Having been born on the tail end of the baby boom, I’ve been part of a crowd ever since I toddled into my kindergarten class jammed with 30 other kids.

The pile-up continued throughout my growing up years, which helped me develop a keen instinct for finding opportunities — a lucky skill to have when graduating with a horde into the terrible recession of the early 1980s.

Of course our group has been aging out, retiring or dying as any group does. But when you start with so many, there are an awful lot left. Advances in health care and personal wellness have played their part, meaning we’re more vital than previous generations were at our age.

Which brings us back to this Second Series topic. The key factoid: Although 11,000 people a day turn 65 in the United States, not everyone plans to retire. Whether it’s finances or temperament or something else propelling them, a significant number express the desire to work into their 70s, 80s and even beyond.

The conundrum? If you’re one of these senior workers, or expect to be, you’ll need a career path that accommodates who you are now — physically, mentally, emotionally and financially — and who you might be in five, 10 or 15 years as those factors shift.

The challenge is intensified by a rapidly shifting economy. For the first time in generations, the stability of Social Security is uncertain. Because this comes at a time when few workers have access to pensions (and may have tapped their 401ks), career planning for the post-60 crowd takes on a certain urgency.

Market disrupters such as artificial intelligence, tariff policies and immigration uncertainties also play a role (although those might be navigated more easily by some according to their work).

These are daunting points but they needn’t become actual barriers. The real barrier is one of attitude, for both workers and potential employers. If either side believes that advanced age creates automatic deficits in capability, it’s hard to imagine an employment match.

The idea that one can’t work, or can’t find work, at this stage may have some historical truth but it was never entirely true. We all know older individuals employed in their 70s, 80s or beyond. These stories still get reported as “Holy cow!” features in the media, but they’re far from rare.

I mean that as an observation, not as a way to pooh-pooh the issue of age discrimination. Of course age bias is real — but perhaps cogent observations can dispel the idea that it’s all-pervasive. If some senior workers can find positions, others can too. It’s the question of “how” that we need to strategize.

Here too, demographics, policy and market forces may play a role, this time to seniors’ advantage. As the demographics reverse, smaller labor pools are available and more creativity is needed by employers to build a team.

Among the policy gains, baby boomers are reaping benefits from the Americans with Disabilities Act and the hard work of disability advocates in terms of workplaces that are less physically demanding. With better accommodations overall, seniors have better options for staying on the job longer.

Accounting for these and other factors tells me this could be the best time ever for a robust senior workforce in America.

But it’s not a “gimme” — these opportunities won’t just tumble into our laps. As ever, career planning is the responsibility of the worker, even when it’s happening in somewhat uncharted territory.

And, while I do worry about threats to Medicare and Social Security, eligibility for these supports still gives seniors a significant boost in career planning. Taken together, the two programs free older workers for the flexible opportunities often available with smaller companies or nonprofits with traditionally lower pay. Self-employment also takes on new potential when health care and a base income are available.

Have I got your attention? Join me on this year of discovery. Whether you’re a senior now or just looking out for the future, I think you’ll enjoy seeing what could be possible.

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Amy Lindgren owns a career consulting firm in St. Paul. She can be reached at alindgren@prototypecareerservice.com.

Gophers tailback Darius Taylor is considered “doubtful” to play against California on Saturday night, according to ESPN.

The junior from Detroit appeared to injury his right hamstring early in the 66-0 win over Northwestern State last weekend and didn’t return to the nonconference blowout at Huntington Bank Stadium.

The official injury report will come out two hours before the 9:30 p.m. CDT kickoff at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, Calif.

With Taylor unexpected to play, Minnesota will use a group of running backs against the Golden Bears, according to reporter Pete Thamel.

Touches are expected to be shared between Marshall transfer A.J Turner, Washington transfer Cam Davis and redshirt freshman Fame Ijeboi. Through two games, Turner has rushed 12 times for 49 yards and one touchdown, Ijeboi has seven for 51 and Davis has six for 25 and one score.

Minnesota has been a 2.5-point favorite over Cal since betting lines opened Sunday.

The Gophers are off next weekend, which might give Taylor an added week to recover before the Big Ten opener against Rutgers on Sept. 27.

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By JESSICA DAMIANO

If the wait for bulbs to bloom in spring seems excruciatingly long, you can pot some up now and enjoy a floriferous winter indoors.

Gardeners are constantly gaming the system, using fertilizers to force plants to direct energy toward more blooms, more fruit or faster growth; starting seeds indoors to ensure earlier tomatoes; and using row covers or cold frames to extend the season. So why not bend nature’s schedule to gift ourselves some joy during the bleakness of January?

That is, after all, what professional growers do to fill all those pastel-foil-wrapped pots of tulips and daffodils sold as Easter plants.

All you need are clay pots, potting mix, ordinary spring bulbs and some patience.

How to do it

Fill pots with the mix, then set grape or standard hyacinth, tulip, daffodil or crocus bulbs — or a combination — just beneath the surface. (Tulip bulbs should be angled with their flat sides facing outward so that their eventual leaves unfurl over the container’s edge.)

Store the pots at about 55 degrees Fahrenheit for four to six weeks to ensure good root establishment, and water regularly to keep the soil slightly moist. An unheated basement or attached garage could serve well, depending on your location.

Then prepare for the deception.

For the bulbs to bloom, you’ll have to convince them that they’ve lived through winter. You can achieve this by placing the pots in the refrigerator (away from fruit, which releases ethylene gas that inhibits sprouting) for 12 weeks.

If you find yourself growing impatient, you can remove them from the fridge after six weeks, but they will take longer to bloom.

And if you’re feeling creative, take one pot out at the six-week mark, then remove another every couple of weeks. You’ll be rewarded with a succession of blooms that will last through winter.

This March 17, 2024, image provided by Jessica Damiano shows forced spring bulbs for sale in Long Island, N.Y. (Jessica Damiano via AP)

After the chilling period, move the pots into the warmth and light of your living space, where they’ll grow and bloom in as little as two weeks. If you live in a frost-free region, you can even plant the chilled bulbs outdoors.

Aside from water, the plants won’t require anything from you, as bulbs contain all the stored energy and nutrients they need to survive and thrive.

When the danger of frost has passed, you can move your plants into the garden. Tulips may not reappear next year — that’s a gamble with nothing to lose — but you can expect daffodils, crocus and hyacinths to bloom again alongside their bedmates.

Jessica Damiano writes weekly gardening columns for the AP and publishes the award-winning Weekly Dirt Newsletter. You can sign up here for weekly gardening tips and advice.

For more AP gardening stories, go to https://apnews.com/hub/gardening.

Just after Labor Day, movie studios become more serious-minded about the films they are releasing — with the upcoming awards season in mind.

That means titles, directors and actors will start showing up on theater marquees that studios hope will be repeated on Oscar night.

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Not that the popcorn season has popped its last kernel. Plenty of potential blockbusters will be hitting theaters this season along with expected “prestige” films.

This fall season is no exception, with awards contenders getting carted out amongst the crowd-pleasers.

And, of course, plenty of sequels, reboots and remakes will be in the picture. This fall, for example, brings the hard-luck rockers from “Spinal Tap” back to the big screen in a much-anticipated sequel. “Downton Abbey” gets a “Grand Finale.” Bill Condon offers a new take on “Kiss of the Spider Woman.” And Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi star in Guillermo del Toro’s new adaption of Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein.”

In short, film fans can look forward to a rich assortment of new and time-honored cinematic stories this fall.

We took a look at a few (44!) of the most promising titles hitting theaters from Sept. 5 to Nov. 14. Note: Release dates are subject to change.

September

“Twinless”: A single-for-a-reason guy (director/screenwriter James Sweeney) enters a support group and gets cozy with a straight twin (Dylan O’Brien, in a dual role). Confused? Not to worry; this hot, cringey jaw-dropper makes sense out of an increasingly outlandish situation. (In theaters Sept. 5.)

“The Conjuring: Last Rites”: The Smurl brood from Pennsylvania hire paranormal-busters Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) to remove a most unwelcome demonic houseguest. Billed as the final in the franchise. (In theaters Sept. 5.)

“Spinal Tap II: The End Continues”: Hollywood’s insatiable appetite for late-blooming nostalgic sequels (“Beetlejuice,” “Happy Gilmore”) continues with director/co-screenwriter Rob Reiner’s ADU to his 1984 mockumentary classic.  It takes place 41 years after with those estranged metalheads and documentarian Marty Di Bergi (Reiner) prepping for one last boisterous concert. Paul McCartney and Elton John crash the party. (In theaters Sept. 12.)

“Paper Bag Plan”: Oakland native Anthony Lucero’s big-hearted follow to his Oakland-set “East Side Sushi” follows a terminally ill father (Lance Kinsey) as he shows disabled son (Cole Massie) the ropes on bagging groceries so he’ll thrive independently. Both performances are phenomenal. (Opens Sept. 12 at the Grand Lake Theater, Oakland; Sept. 19 at Cinelux Almaden Cafe & Lounge, San Jose.)

“The Long Walk”: Some Stephen King diehards consider his 1979 dystopian psychological thriller, written as Richard Bachman, to be his bleakest. That’s saying somethin’. This one is about teen boys in an authoritarian America participating in a brutal and lethal walking contest. (In theaters Sept. 12.)

“Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale”: The 1930s prove a topsy-turvy time for the Crawleys as they weather scandal and money woes, all of which disrupt the lives of the people who work for them. (In theaters Sept. 12.)

“Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba — The Movie: Infinity Castle”: Anime fans are already queuing up for the latest outing that’s based on the insanely popular fantasy manga and series. (In theaters Sept. 12.)

“HIM”: Executive producer Jordan Peele hands the big-league ball over to talented El Cerrito-born filmmaker Justin Tipping (“Kicks”), who directs/co-writes a sports horror story about a gifted young athlete (Tyriq Withers) training at a freaky football camp overseen by a sunsetting game veteran (Marlon Wayans). (In theaters Sept. 19.)

“A Big Bold Beautiful Journey”: Two of today’s most beloved actors — Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell — unite for a romantic fantasy wherein strangers get a chance to revisit their pasts. Kogonada (he of the the criminally underrated “After Yang”) directs. (In theaters Sept. 19.)

“The Lost Bus”: Matthew McConaughey is a school bus driver and America Ferrera is a teacher who team to save schoolchildren during the horrific 2018 Camp Fire in Butte County. Director Paul Greengrass co-wrote the screenplay. (In select theaters Sept. 19; streaming on Apple TV+ Oct. 3.)

“One Battle After Another”: Paul Thomas Anderson attempts the near-impossible again, adapting another wily Thomas Pynchon tome. (He had limited success with “Inherent Vice.”) Leonardo Di Caprio, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, and Sean Penn hop aboard for this wild ride wherein a pack of quirky ex-revolutionaries queue up to save one of their daughters. (In theaters Sept. 26.)

“Eleanor the Great”: In Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut, June Squibb portrays a longing-for-connection 94-year-old who sparks the attention of a journalism student after she shares a story that’s not her own. (In theaters Sept. 26.)

October

“The Smashing Machine”: Will Hayward native Dwayne Johnson score an acting nom for his portrayal of real-life MMA fighter Mark Kerr? With Benny Safdie helming this bio-pic, it wouldn’t surprise us. (In theaters Oct. 3.)

“Anemone”: One of our acting greats — Daniel Day-Lewis — comes out of retirement for a drama he co-wrote with son, Ronan — who directs. The Oscar winner plays a hermit who reconnects with his brother decades after a traumatic incident. (In limited release Oct. 3; expands Oct. 10.)

“Shelby Oaks”: A horrifying videotape propels a woman on a hellish odyssey to pinpoint her long-missing sister. It’s YouTube sensation Chris Stuckmann’s horror debut. (In theaters Oct. 3.)

“Good Boy”: Some might well shout out “nepo puppy!” upon hearing that the doggie hero in this horror film is played by director Ben Leonberg’s retriever Indy. Don’t. Word is this effective horror ditty set in a haunted country home features star turns from its director, canine star and others in the cast. (In theaters Oct. 3.)

“Bone Lake”: Wicked and kinky games between two couples turn bloody in a cabin in the woods. This erotic horror film has been shocking early audiences. (In theaters Oct. 3.)

“Tron: Ares”:  After the meh “Tron: Legacy” (2010), Disney hopes to rev up the engines of this franchise. Jared Leto is in the driver’s seat in an AI-themed actionfest set in the real world. Original star Jeff Bridges gives it gravitas. (In theaters Oct. 10.)

“Roofman”: In this film based on a true story, a robber (Channing Tatum) camps out for six months in a Toys “R” Us store but finds that double-life challenged when he meets a customer (Kirsten Dunst). Derek Cianfrance

(“Blue Valentine”) directed and co-wrote this comedy-drama. (In theaters Oct. 10.)

“Kiss of the Spider Woman”: Both the Tony-winning musical adaptation and the 1976 novel it was based on, which also begat an award-winning 1985 feature, serve as the inspiration for Bill Condon’s music-infused version with Diego Luna, Tonatiuh and Jennifer Lopez. It’s centered on a relationship between two people in prison. (In theaters Oct. 10.)

“If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”: Rose Byrne’s gaining buzz for her committed performance as a stressed-to-the-breaking-point mom who leaps from one crisis to another. Conan O’Brien plays her not-so-helpful therapist. (In select theaters Oct. 10.)

“After the Hunt”: The past of college professor Alma Olsson (Julia Roberts) and academic egos collide when a brilliant student (Ayo Edebiri) lobs a sexual abuse accusation the way of Alma’s colleague (Andrew Garfield). Luca Guadagnino (“Call Me By Your Name,” “Challengers”) directs this conversation-starter, which sparked a vigorous post-screening convo after its Venice Film Fest screening last weekend. (Opens Oct. 10 in Los Angeles and New York; Oct. 17 elsewhere.)

“It Was Just an Accident”: Acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi’s intense drama continues to gobble up awards on the festival circuit, including the coveted Palme d’Or at Cannes. The premise is a grabber: A mechanic believes he’s run into the cruel jailhouse captor from his past and takes matters into his own hands. (In select theaters Oct. 15.)

“Ballad of a Small Player”: “Conclave” director Edward Berger jumps from bishops to gamblers for this adaptation of Lawrence Osborne’s much-praised novel set in Macau. Colin Farrell rolls the dice in the lead. (In select theaters Oct. 15; available on Netflix Oct. 29.)

“Good Fortune”: The trailer alone promises huge laughs, as a bungling angel (Keanu Reeves) becomes too involved in the lives of a down-on-his-luck gig worker (Aziz Ansari, who also directs and stars) and an obscenely rich venture capitalist (Seth Rogen). (In theaters Oct. 17.)

“Frankenstein”: Mary Shelley’s Gothic classic comes to life again, this time with Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein, Jacob Elordi as The Creature and Mia Goth as Elizabeth and Guillermo del Toro directing. (In select theaters Oct. 17; on Netflix Nov. 7.)

“Black Phone 2”: Villains never stay dead and buried, at least in the horror film world. Case in point: The Grabber (Ethan Hawke) who haunts the living daylights once again out of a now-17-year-old Finn (Mason Thames) and his sister at a snowed-in winter resort. Scott Derrickson returns to direct.

“Hedda”: Nia DaCosta (“Candyman”) gives Ibsen’s classic story and iconic character a modern revival with Tessa Thompson portraying Hedda, who’s confronting harsh societal expectations and demands. (In select theaters Oct. 22; available on Amazon Prime Oct. 29.)

“Regretting You”: Colleen Hoover’s tearjerker of a best seller about a mom (Allison Williams) and daughter (Mckenna Grace) and the fraught relationship between the two that settles in after a tragic accident stars Palo Alto native Dave Franco and Monterey native Scott Eastwood, as well Mason Thames. (In theaters Oct. 24.)

“Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere”: Director/screenwriter Scott Cooper hones in on a pivotal period in the career of The Boss (Jeremy Allen White): the making of his brilliant 1982 acoustic album “Nebraska.” Will the smoldering star of “The Bear” land an Oscar nod like Timothée Chalamet did for playing Dylan? Looks hopeful. (In theaters Oct. 24.)

“Bugonia”: In yet another bizarre head trip from filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos, two “worker bees”(Jesse Plemons and Aidan Delbis) become convinced a CEO (Emma Stone) is intent on obliterating our world. So they kidnap her. Will Tracy’s screenplay uses the 2003 Korean comedy “Save the Green Planet!” as its jumping off point. (In New York and Los Angeles Oct. 24; opens wide Oct. 31.)

“Blue Moon”: The often-inebriated lyricist Lorenz Hart (Ethan Hawke) hangs out at a New York bar on the eve of the premiere of his collaboration with Richard Rodgers (Andrew Scott), the musical “Oklahoma!,” and becomes smitten with an enchanting woman (Margaret Qualley). Richard Linklater directs. (In theaters Oct. 24.)

“Nouvelle Vague”: What transpired during the making of Jean Luc-Godard’s French New Wave classic “Breathless”?  Richard Linklater’s black-and-white film imagines it. (In select theaters Oct. 31; on Netflix Nov. 14.)

“A House of Dynamite”: Director Kathryn Bigelow’s thriller with Idris Elba and Rebecca Ferguson focuses on a missile getting aimed at the U.S. and the countdown over what to do next. (Available on Netflix Oct. 24.)

November

“Train Dreams”: The Sundance crowd embraced Clint Bentley’s adaptation of Denis Johnson’s novella about an early 20th century logger and railroad worker portrayed by Joel Edgerton. (In select theatres Nov. 7; on Netflix Nov. 21.)

“Predator: Badlands”: Dan Trachtenberg revitalized the “Predator” franchise in 2022 with the Indigenous-themed “Prey” and he looks to be carrying on that tradition with a futuristic rejiggering in which a Predator that’s been rejected from his clan teams with a female robot (Elle Fanning) and takes on a new nemesis. (In theaters Nov. 7.)

“Sentimental Value”: The Cannes crowd gushed over Joachim Trier’s latest drama, which reteams the director with the iridescent Renate Reinsve (“The Worst Person in the World”). She plays one of two daughters sucked into her father’s filmmaking world. (In theaters Nov. 7.)

“Nuremberg”: Pressure reaches the boiling point for a psychiatrist (Rami Malek) determining whether infamous Nazi leader Hermann Göring (Russell Crowe) is mentally sound to stand trial. Director James Vanderbilt adapts author Jack El-Hai’s “The Nazi and the Psychiatrist.” (In theaters Nov. 7.)

“I Wish You All the Best”: When their parents kick them out for revealing they’re nonbinary, Ben (Corey Fogelmanis) moves in with their estranged sister and finds connection and friendship at a new school. Tommy Dorfman steps into the director’s and producer’s chair and adapts author Mason Deaver’s heralded YA novel. (In theaters Nov. 7.)

“The Running Man”: Edgar Wright put his electrifying directorial skills to work with his take on a 1982 Richard Bachman (aka Stephen King) novel that was turned into a 1987 movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Glenn Powell enters the danger zone as a contestant participating in a deadly game. Colman Domingo looks to be a scene stealer as the host of “The Running Man” show. (In theaters Nov. 14.)

“Keeper”: Prolific Osgood Perkins (“Longlegs,” “The Monkey”) gives us another multi-layered horror story, this time penned by “Dangerous Animals” screenwriter Nick Lepard. It’s set in a cabin in the woods where a couple (Tatiana Maslany and Rossif Sutherland) gets sucked into a vortex of terror. (In theaters Nov. 14.)

“Now You See Me, Now You Don’t”: A diamond heist brings veteran and newbie illusionists together in the latest installment of a franchise that again boasts a killer cast (Jessie Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Rosamund Pike, Morgan Freeman and more. (In theaters Nov. 14.)

“Jay Kelly”: With his longtime manager (Adam Sandler) by his side, an introspective 60-year-old actor (George Clooney) considers his place in the world while attending an Italian film festival honoring him. Noah Baumbach’s dramedy costars Billy Crudup, Laura Dern and Greta Gerwig. (In theaters Nov. 14.)

“Sirat”: The search for a young woman brings a father and son to a rave in Morocco in this twist-filled, genre-defiant feature from Oliver Laxe.

Contact Randy Myers at soitsrandy@gmail.com.