shAARP Talk: Observations from AARP

Cookie Monster attended the Obama rally in Des Moines on Halloween and donned a Divided We Fail gear! He handed out Champ stickers (not cookies) to the delight of many in attendance. He also talked to hundreds of people at the rally about Divided We Fail. He explained how a blue donkey + a red elephant = a purple "Champ" and how it is important to work together to break the gridlock on health care and financial security issues.

Jay Hardenbrook, Program Coordinator in the AARP Missouri office sent me this note just moments ago:

"Lines for on-site absentee voting in Kansas City, MO are causing voters to wait between two and a half and four hours to vote absentee."

It's tough out there folks...bring a blanket, some water and a snack..whatever you have to do to get out there and vote!

It's the latest rage in entertaining guests and also a great way to make some cash. I'm talking, of course, about gold parties. Generally speaking, a gold dealer will coordinate with a homeowner to invite a bunch of guests over who then trade their unwanted gold jewelry in for cold hard cash. Gold parties can be a good method of fattening your wallet in tough economic times, but be careful before signing up. There are lots of opportunities for scams here. Be sure to know the purity of the gold you are dealing with (how many karats). Also, use due diligence in ensuring that you are working with a real gold broker and that there isn't any funny business in how they weigh and price the gold. You can certainly make a pile of cash at a gold party, just keep in mind that everyone is looking to make a profit here and not all people go about that honestly.

Election Day is fast approaching. Here on ShAARP Session our goal is to keep you informed to you can make the best decision on November 4. We've already distilled for you the candidate's positions on the economy and health care. Today, we bring you candidates' dueling proposals on Social Security and Retirement. These points are drawn from AARP's Candidate Matchups.< We hope this is helpful!

McCain's Proposals

• Letting a commission take the lead in developing options, then negotiating a long-term solution that preserves the Social Security obligation to retirees while restoring the program's solvency. He promises not to cut benefits or raise taxes.

• Supplementing Social Security with personal savings accounts that can be invested in "safe and reliable index funds."

Obama's Proposals

• Protecting Social Security benefits from cuts.

• Imposing a Social Security payroll tax on salaries above $250,000.

• Maintaining the current retirement age for benefit eligibility.

• Stopping any attempts to create private Social Security investment accounts.

• Eliminating income taxes for some 7 million seniors making less than $50,000.

• Creating automatic enrollment in company 401(k)s and in IRAs for employees without company 401(k)s.

There are five days left until Election Day, and we here at ShAARP Session thought it appropriate to conduct a little countdown while we're impatiently awaiting for the big day to arrive.

Each day, we'll give you a different issue and where the candidates stand. And what better than to start today with what seems to be the most important issue of late that's plaguing all of our minds? That's right folks - the economy.

McCain says:

• The economic rescue plan should entail lowering the tax rate on people who tap their 401(k)s and IRAs after reaching age 59½, increasing allowable tax deduction from $3,000 to $15,000 for selling stocks at a loss, and cutting capital gains taxes from 15 percent to 7.5 percent for two years.
• He aims to balance the federal budget by 2013, which will be done by freezing nondefense, nonveterans discretionary spending for a year; cutting or vetoing all earmarks spending for one year; hence, providing more resources for coordinated job-training programs.
• Lastly, he's for promoting more free trade with better enforcement to ensure that the U.S. gets a fair shake.

And here's Obama:

• The economic crisis plan should include creating a foreclosure prevention fund to help secure the housing market, allow penalty-free withdrawals of up to $10,000 from IRAs and 401(k)s in tax years 2008 and 2009, and give a $3,000 business tax credit for each new job creating in the U.S. in 2009-2010.
• He plans to increase the minimum wage and strengthen the right to union organizing.
• He wants to expand career retraining and financial assistance features of trade-adjustment assistance to service industries and offer assistance to workers in economic sectors vulnerable to dislocation.
• He wants to create a National Infrastructure Reinvestment Bank which would invest $60 billion over the next 10 years to rebuild roads, bridges and sewer and water systems, and in effect, create new jobs.

Both candidates have been adamant in saying there are serious differences in their plans on the domestic and global economy, which you can obviously see here. And when the winner is announced on Tuesday, it'll be our job to hold them to their promise to begin lifting our economy out of its hole.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's countdown issue!

In just the latest chapter in the story of our troubled economy, the Federal Reserve agreed to provide loans to America's ailing auto industry yesterday. At this point we're all sick of hearing about another industry that needs us to bail it out of trouble, but let's take a look at what is really happening here.

The first thing to keep in mind is that American auto-makers were in a bad way long before the economy went down the tubes. We had yet to see the worst of this economic downturn when it was already becoming clear that G.M. was going to lose its claim to the title of the world's largest auto-maker to Toyota.

The frozen credit market and nose-diving stock market took a bad situation and made it that much worse. The Big Three (Chrysler, General Motors, and Ford) were largely barred from access to credit meaning they couldn't provide car loans to potential buyers. Between pre-existing problems and the new realities of the economy, even some serious penny-pinching couldn't bring profits back to Detroit.

Now thanks to this perfect storm of financial ruin, the American automotive industry has seen its life flashing before its eyes. They've gotten approval for new loans and G.M. and Chrysler are in talks of a merger. If you're wondering why you should care, here are a few stats courtesy of CNN/Money's Chris Isidore:

- 10 jobs are dependant on every 1 assembly line job;
- In all, the U.S. auto industry provides 2 million jobs;
- $25 billion in loans may be costly, but the collapse of the Big Three could cost the economy $100 billion or more.

What a mess.

Not the movie...the book! By Truman Capote...prolific, controversial...however you think of him, the man inspired one of the greatest movies of all time!

USA Today wrote about the anniversary and see below for a snippet of the movie!

It's less than one week until election day, and when we will find out who the next President of the United States is going to be. It's been a long and tough road for all of us.

While you wait impatiently for the number of days to count down and then the number of votes come in, don't forget to check out AARP's Decision 2008, where you can find AARP exclusive interviews with John McCain and Barack Obama, a guide to both candidates on the issues, the latest campaign news and even contrasting views from AARP members on the election. We've got it all!

And if you haven't already seen it already, you must check out our AARP Vote 2008 video we made especially for you; it's not to be missed!

So I've already told y'all about AARP's latest effort to get out the vote. However, we're far from the only people trying to spread the message on how important it is to participate in the upcoming election. Groups like America Votes and Rock the Vote have been working on improving voter turnout. The message here is that voting is a crucial part of what makes America great and it's your biggest and best chance to make your voice heard. I could go on and on about this, but I think these kids from Atlanta's Ron Clark academy said it best:

So make sure to show up at the polls on Election Day and "you can vote however you like."

In a recent article from the Associated Press, Howard Gruenspecht, the acting chief of the Energy Information Administration, warned of the increase in cost to heat American homes this winter as compared to only a year ago. Depending on location and fuel type, some families can expect to pay more than a 20 percent increase over last winter. And, although oil prices are dropping, we won't really feel those effects until early 2009. Because you can't wait until February to purchase your oil, there are other energy saving tactics that can help you save money all year long.

It's getting cold outside, so here are some ways you can save a few bucks and become more energy efficient:

Install a programmable thermostat. You can save up to $180 a year by installing a programmable thermostat that controls the temperature of your home while you're at work or asleep.

Choose ENERGY STAR appliances. Save money and the environment by replacing standard model appliances with ones that are ENERGY STAR-qualified. ENERGY STAR-qualified appliances use 10-50 percent less energy and water than standard models.

Update your windows. ENERGY STAR-qualified windows can reduce your energy costs by $126-$465 per year when replacing single-pane windows or $27-$111 a year when replacing double-pane, clear glass windows.

Install dimmer switches and motion detectors. Dim the lights by 25 percent and save an average of 15 percent a year on energy costs, and extend the bulb life by four times.

Install a ceiling fan - and learn to correctly rotate it. Ceiling fans aren't just for when it's hot outside.

Install insulation. According to the Department of Energy, the leading cause of energy waste in the home is inadequate insulation and air leakage.

You can check your local home improvement store like Home Depot for more tips and products and also look to the Department of Energy for more information about how you can become more energy efficient.

While at Divided We Fail we relish in seeing the number of Americans who have signed our pledge grow more and more each day, the reason that number is already up to 811,994 is because there are real-life, personal human stories to back up the magnitude of health care and financial security issues in our country right now. Take Kathy, from New York, for example, who tells DWF:

"Last year at the age of 42 I was diagnosed with brain cancer. I have a six year old and a one year old. For obvious reasons, I can no longer work and my husband, who works full-time, and I are having a difficult time taking care of our family. My health insurance only covers about two-thirds of my costs (which is not terrible) but now I am trying to figure out how to pay for a live in nanny so she can help me take care of the kids, cook, clean and drive me to doctor appointments. One of us has to keep working so my husband is doing all that he can do. We were doing fine before the cancer hit but now we are floundering."

It's harrowing stories like Kathy's that wake us up as to how far-reaching these issues really go. You can hear more touching tales from your fellow Americans in our new Average American ads on YouTube.

Divided We Fail wants to hear your stories, as well! Tell us why you're making health care and financial security your top priorities for Election 2008 at http://www.capitolconnect.com/dividedwefail/reg_share.aspx. If not a story, then at the very least sign the Divided We Fail pledge at http://www.aarp.org/issues/dividedwefail.

TAGS: Divided We Fail, health care, financial security, pledge, Average American, YouTube, DWF, AARP, ShAARP Session

Divided We Fail recently teamed up with the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television to create the Stolen Dreams short film competition. Films were made by nine students covering the topics of health care and financial security and a panel of judges selected a winner. The winning film, "The Cure" was written by UCLA grad student Anthony Onah who received $7,500 along with his first prize recognition. The video can be seen here and the finalists can all be viewed here. Make sure to check them all out. These short films are all well done and have important messages about the troubling state of health care and financial security in this country.

To listen to the full interview, click play below then tell us what you think!

For more on this and other Prime Time Radio interviews click here and check out the accompanying BulletinToday news story.

This isn't good. According to a new study in North Carolina, only about half of older Medicaid recipients are receiving screening tests for colorectal, breast and cervical cancer. Being the largest provider of health insurance for minority populations, all older recipients should be getting the recommended screenings for folks their age.

C. Annette DuBard, M.D., M.P.H., of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Raleigh, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, led the study. Because Medicaid recipients are covered for cancer screenings under Medicaid, she found that this is the primary reason why the screenings weren't actually happening:

"Lack of a screening recommendation by the physician, rather than patient refusal of recommended tests, accounted for most instances of screening delinquency . . . Efforts to increase cancer screening rates among Medicaid recipients must address patient, physician and organizational barriers to the routine identification and delivery of preventive services."

While this research was only done in North Carolina, can we predict that the same is happening for the rest of the Medicaid recipients in the country?

Crowding in hospitals is reaching record levels. With more and more people using the Emergency Room for primary care, a greater number of patients are forced to deal with diminishing resources. One tactic hospitals are taking is to house some patients in their hallways to reduce overcrowding. It is troubling to think that people with serious health conditions are being forced to stay in hallways with only a privacy screen separating them from the commotion of a busy hospital. However, studies are showing that this strategy may not have any serious medical consequences and could actually be an improvement over simply packing patients into the E.R.

Back by popular demand is the AARP Pet Pals Howl-O-Ween Costume Contest! If your feline's looking fancy or your pooch has panache this coming Halloween, snap a picture and heading over to our website to enter the contest.

A video from Johnson and Johnson Health Channel on YouTube explaining why proper nutrition and diet matters more as we age.

One of the many reactions people tend to have in tough times is resorting to cash instead of credit. This is particularly the case when dealing with a credit crisis and a lack of liquidity in the market place. Case in point, a new survey shows that 39% of people have reduced their credit card usage. You may be wondering what the big deal is. Well for just one example, think about the damage this does to online retailers who can't take cash. Have you hid your credit cards away in favor of good old-fashioned greenbacks? Next thing you know, we might be saving our money here:

You've heard it time and time again: there's a lot on the line in this year's election. With the economy in trouble, questions regarding the future of Social Security and Medicare, and a broken health care system, the next President will have a major impact on Americans for years to come. With that in mind, AARP has rolled out AARP Vote 2008 to encourage people to vote in this year's election. As part of AARP Vote 2008 there is a great video showing people who AARP thinks can make the biggest impact in the '08 race. Check it out below and don't forget to vote!

AARP 08 Video

Enter your name to see who can bring real change to Washington. First Name: Last Name:

The economy continues to head in the wrong direction. In a logical response, millions of Americans are cutting back and tightening their belts to save where possible. It is certainly responsible and necessary to budget properly in difficult times. However, there are some places, health care comes to mind, where people shouldn't have to sacrifice. Recent surveys show that over a third of Americans may be postponing health care for monetary reasons. This is not only dangerous, but likely more expensive in the long-run. Putting off doctor's visits and not taking medication can aggravate medical conditions and turn a minor problem into a serious situation. Have you had to put off medical care to save money? Tell us about it and comment below.

I found this really interesting. A recent piece by the Atlanta-Journal Constitution talks about how 60 is the new 40; in other words, a cultural shift has occurred in the way society views older Americans. The stereotypical image of grandmas in wheelchairs and with canes is being replaced with active and healthy older adults. In other words, people are living longer, and living healthier lives.

I particularly found the thoughts of Pat McVicar, assistant director with the local Area Agency on Aging in California, interesting. She said that the term "elderly" should be thrown out altogether - the preferred terminology is "seniors" or "older adults." Even many active older Americans don't consider themselves "seniors" at all.

This makes total sense considering the stigmas attached to the word "elderly"; folks don't want to be associated with negative stereotypes. But is this rejecting the fact that aging is a reality and not necessarily a bad thing? What are you thoughts? Do you think "elderly" is politically incorrect?

The Washington Post has a piece on how new research is showing that not only can aerobics can slow mental decline in older adults, but can actually reverse it:

Prof. Art Kramer, of the Beckman Institute at the University of Illinois, says there's substantial evidence showing the benefits of aerobic exercise and physical activity on such executive-control brain functions as task coordination, planning, goal maintenance, working memory and the ability to switch tasks.

As people age, a deterioration of white and gray matter in certain areas of the brain can cause cognitive decline, Kramer explained. He reviewed published research and found that several studies showed that regular moderate exercise that makes a person breathless increases the speed and sharpness of thought, the actual volume of brain tissue, and the way in which the brain functions.

A new study shows that reading ShAARP Session is good for your health. From the UCLA Newsroom.

UCLA scientists have found that for computer-savvy middle-aged and older adults, searching the Internet triggers key centers in the brain that control decision-making and complex reasoning. The findings demonstrate that Web search activity may help stimulate and possibly improve brain function.

The study, the first of its kind to assess the impact of Internet searching on brain performance, is currently in press at the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and will appear in an upcoming issue.

"The study results are encouraging, that emerging computerized technologies may have physiological effects and potential benefits for middle-aged and older adults," said principal investigator Dr. Gary Small, a professor at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA who holds UCLA's Parlow-Solomon Chair on Aging. "Internet searching engages complicated brain activity, which may help exercise and improve brain function."

So, here is your task: find the contact information for both campaigns and tell the candidates what you would like to see addressed at tonight's debate. Remember, it's good for your health.

As you've probably heard by now, Senator McCain found himself in some hot water after desserting David Letterman to head back to Washington to work on the bailout deal. If not, you can see Letterman's reaction below:

Letterman was pretty upset and continued to harp on the issue for several shows. Thankfully, it looks like the two have finally managed to patch things up. McCain appeared on Letterman's show just last night, and after a pretty good tongue lashing by the late night host, the two were able to smooth things over and Letterman forgave McCain. See for yourself!

Well the saying holds that money can't buy you happiness. The Beatles said money can't buy me love. That may be true, but I'll tell you what money can buy you: life. A new study released by the World Health Organization shows that there is an enormous disparity in the life spans of the world's richest 10% and the poorest 10%. A 35 year disparity to be exact. The richest 10% of people can expect to live to age 81, while the poorest 10% live to an average age of 46. So I guess we had better hope this economy turns around soon.

What did you get out of the debate? Well if you're like me, you probably remember the candidates talking more about some plumber named Joe, than they were about many of the issues. Did you know they mentioned this guy more than 20 times? That's more references than they gave to just about every major issue facing the country! You'd think that in the days of this and this, the candidates would be a little more willing to stick to the matter at hand and not get caught up in some silly and shallow conversation on one man's personal situation. What did you think of last night's debate?

All the analysts are abuzz about who won this debate since it's being hailed as the best one of all. So tell us...who won?

Finally a question about negative campaigning! Negative information and mud slinging gets us nowhere - and it certainly doesn't help us become more educated voters.

Here's hoping they actually address the issues on the minds of American voters and not play to political pundits who are desperate to keep confrontation alive. We need leaders who can rise above, not candidates who do their best to be less-worse than the other guy.

Thoughts?

Senators Obama and McCain are getting right to the down and dirty - talking about their economic proposals. Everything from taxes, jobs, home ownership is on the table - who's plan do you think provides the most relief for you?

For those of you tuning in tonight...use our debate score card to keep track of how well the candidates answer the questions!

The sickness that has spread through the economy with the speed of a pandemic has spread to the health care industry. Tightening credit markets are leaving hospitals strapped for cash. What does this mean for us? Hospitals will be delaying improvements such as new emergency rooms and updating high tech equipment such as MRI machines. Worse still, with the economy not showing any signs of turning around any time soon, hospitals will likely fall further into debt as they have an increasingly hard time collecting bills from patients.

While we're thrilled for your feedback and welcome your thoughts about the election, we ask that all please be respectful and refrain from offensive or abusive language.

We're inside the 1-month countdown for the 2008 Presidential Election and that means it's time to voice your opinion! In less than 30 days there will be a new president-elect, and whether he's from the left or the right, blue or red, Americans demand that health care and financial security be addressed, and quickly.
30 Day Push for Action

At Divided We Fail, we're all about bipartisan efforts among our leaders in Washington to provide affordable health care and long-term financial security to every American. In order to make sure that our message gets through loud and clear, we're working on gathering hundreds of thousands of signed pledges to the DWF mission.

I call upon you in the next 30 days to spread the word and make sure that we, as a nation, are unified in a voice that calls for action. Tell your friends to sign the pledge at Dividedwefail.org and tell us what you think about the issues. How do you feel about the current state of health care and financial security and what's the best solution moving forward?

TAGS: Divided We Fail, DWF, AARP, dividedwefail.org, pledge, 2008, Presidential Election, health care, financial security

A childhood favorite turns 50 this year...Paddington bear!

Many news outlets, including New York Daily News report:

In honor of his birthday, Google put Paddington on its homepage logo. Fully dressed in his signature coat and hat, the picture shows Paddington making his way from his native Peru to his new home in London.

More than 30 million Paddington Bear books have been sold in the last half-century, in 30 different languages. With all his timeless charm, Paddington has come alive in his own BBC television series and has comforted many a child as a furry stuffed animal.

We all knew things were bad, but this bad? Really? As personal debts mount people across the country are being forced to make some tough choices. Some folks are so desperate that they're committing insurance fraud to try and dump some debt and collect a check. One example: the number of cars suspected of being burned by their owners has nearly doubled in the last year. Just a little taste of the desperation some people are feeling as they watch their savings go down the drain.

One small bright spot coming out of the doom and gloom of economic news this week: gas prices are way down. Despite this good news, demand is still remaining uncharacteristically low here. Why? Well for starters with the national average still above $3.40 a gallon, gas isn't exactly cheap. Americans seems to be sticking with their newly learned frugal habits and the lack of demand will likely drive prices even lower. This is a good thing, especially considering how the cost of everything else seems to have gone up even as we have less money to spend. If you're looking for ways to save on gas, try these tips, or if you're really feeling desperate to save on your commute, there's always this:

I've been sick the last few days (forgive me for the lack of posting) so when I saw our recent article on Flu shots in Bulletin Today, of course it struck a chord with me.

Who should get a flu shot? While I think anyone working in an office of more than two people should get one, technically, this is the flu shot profile:

• People age 50 and older
• Nursing home residents
• Health care workers
• People with chronic diseases that weaken their immune systems
• People who are in contact with those at high risk for flu
• Children and teens, from six months to 18 years old
• Pregnant women

If you're like me, you don't have time for a doctor's appointment so you can check out senior centers, pharmacies and public clinics in your community for free or low-cost shots.

Happy vaccinating!

More than 700 people turned out for a diverse, intergenerational Debate Watch Party at Nashville's Centennial Park on Tuesday night. The crowds turned out despite a rainstorm that force planners to move the event from outdoors to an enclosed pavilion at the park. Photos of the party are posted on the AARP Tennessee website. Here are some highlights.

Debate Watch Team in Nashville with Champ

Mayor Karl Dean Signs DWF Pledge

Debate Watch BBQ

NewsHound and Champ at Nashville Debate Watch Party

Technological advances seem to have no limit these days and this particular device is all about removing limitation. A Japanese company has created a robotic suit with the potential to give the ability to walk and carry things to those who currently can't. The suit reads impulses sent from the brain to operate its mechanical limbs. This machine holds the promise for increased mobility and strength for a host of people from those who have suffered injury to older people who have lost dexterity and strength. The suits are ready to be mass produced in Japan and will be available for monthly rental in Japan and elsewhere. The company has yet to decide on plans to sell the suit in America, but if they do, you can have your very own robotic exoskeleton for the low, low price of just under $60,000.

Have a look:

Pretty impressive, but call me when it can do this:

Tell us who won and why!

Don't forget that tonight Senators Obama and McCain will face-off in a townhall-style debate tonight! You can check your local listings for times and stations that will be carrying the event.

Just like last week's VP debate, we'll be hosting another poll where you cast your vote for you think came out on top! Visit us immediately after the debate and tell us what you thought.

Even though voting on the VP poll continues, here are the results as of today, at 3:41 p.m. ET. Interesting stuff indeed!

So the stock market has hit its lowest levels in four years, credit is tight and home values are down. We are all starting to get accustomed to these facts, but the real-world implications for the economic slow down are just starting to reveal themselves. One of the big losers in the current economic climate is retirement savings. Even before the markets really tanked, an