The top 20 finalists for AARP's Win Mick Jones' Guitar Competition have been chosen! Now, it's up to YOU to vote for the best one. These air guitarists range from age 20 to age 79, each one rocking harder than the next. Included in the mix are a 37 year-old California native (nicknamed "Moony") who wants to open a rock-themed restaurant, and a pair of 42-year old twins (known as "Good Twins")
To view and vote for these excited Foreigner fans, go to http://www.winmickjonesguitar.com and check out the videos. Once you've selected your favorite, give it your vote. And remember - you can only vote once, so make sure you make it count! The air guitarist with the most votes wins a trip to see Foreigner play live in Hawaii on New Years Eve and a Gibson Les Paul guitar autographed by Mick Jones of Foreigner.
Medicare Part D enrollment starts in just a few days (November 15), so this is the perfect time for AARP to answer your questions.
For those who don't know, Medicare Part D gives you insurance that assists you in paying for prescription drugs. And AARP.org has a special guide to help you choose a plan that's right for you. There is even a glossary of terms. As an intro, here are six important facts you should know about Medicare Part D program:
Anyone on Medicare can get drug coverage regardless of income or health.
You are not obliged to sign up (but there may be financial consequences if you don't enroll when you're first eligible to do so).
To get Medicare drug coverage, you must select one approved private drug plan among many offering different choices. There is no single government plan.
Is your income limited? If you qualify for a part of the program known as Extra Help, you'll pay very little for your medications.
Are your drug costs very high? You'll pay no more than 5 percent of the cost of each prescription after you've spent a certain amount out of pocket in any one year.
Do you have better drug coverage already? You probably won't need Medicare's Part D coverage. But it's wise to check.
A new study has shown promising results from a Florida law requiring older drivers to take a vision test before renewing their licenses. The study says that death rates from car crashes have dropped 17% amongst drivers over 80 since the implementation of the law. However, researchers are quick to point out that they haven't pinned down what exactly about the law has reduced the death rates. Still, I think we can all agree this is very good news.
Kara Wooten has been to Iraq three times and been through six IED explosions, suffering brain trauma and eye damage. Finally home for good, it's up to mom Julia Spalding to take care of Kara and Kara's daughter.
I was poking around the New York Times' work blog, Shifting Careers, and came across an interesting post about consulting.
Times are tough and people are losing their jobs. My father has thought a time or two that consulting might be a way to keep your foot in the door and the notion of being your own boss, well, it's always appealed to him.
Consulting is tough going though. You're always looking for your next client and sometimes people want you to work for nearly free or for free period. This is where this post comes in. Freelancer, Michelle Goodman, offers a few times when you might actually want to work for free. This includes: working for your "dream" client or if you have no portfolio or no base clientele to speak of.
Interesting notions...do any readers do consulting work? How's it worked out for you?
Earlier this year, we featured an article in our magazine on the challenges of parents now caring for their sons and daughters wounded in the Iraq War.
Maryland Public Television recently aired our half-hour special featuring interviews with parents who have put their lives on hold. Throughout the day we'll be posting short excerpts of interviews with parents who are now taking care of their kids, wounded veterans.
For more on this topic, and other interviews and information on caregiving visit our website.
On Monday a San Francisco court ordered the NFL Players association to pay out $28.1 million in damages to the NFL's 2,056 retired players. The damages were awarded to compensate the players for poor representation by the NFLPA which failed to act in their interest in securing endorsements for the retirees. The court found that the NFLPA worked to ensure maximum benefits for the active players at the expense of the retirees. Way to go NFL legends! You made the league what it is and you shouldn't let it take one penny from you.
With all the talk of younger voters changing the face of this election, it is easy to lose sight of the bottom line in this year's Presidential Election. Despite the emphasis placed on the youth vote coming out to support Obama, statistics show that it was the 50+ crowd that actually delivered President-Elect Obama the win. While it is true that the youngest voting demographic did grow slightly in this election, 50+ voters made up over 40% of all voters. In fact, this age group delivered was largely responsible for Obama's wins in battleground states such as Colorado, Pennsylvania and Florida amongst others. I am certainly glad people are paying attention to the youngest voters as they are the future of our democracy; they just need to remember who really brings home the bacon.
