ShAARP Session: Observations from AARP

The legendary 1950's "pin-up" model Bettie Page died yesterday at the age of 85. As the New York Times obituary explains, Page defied the typical expectations of women in her day--and ended even up in the cross hairs of a United States senate investigation on "pornography." After dropping out of the public imagination for close to three decades, there has been in recent years something of a Betty Page revival, including the 2005 film "The Notorious Betty Page." At the time, Salon offered a smart take on the significance of Page to her era.

Bettie Page's spirit transcends traditional feminist ideology, cutting straight past perceived ideas of how women should or shouldn't pander to men's sexual appetites. Her pictures are so elemental, so lacking in guile, that they often seem to be less "about" sex than about a pure state of being -- maybe even a state of grace. No wonder Page, even long after she left modeling and became deeply religious, never denounced her past. [Actress Gretchen] Mol's Bettie explains, "I'm not ashamed. Adam and Eve were naked in the Garden of Eden. When they sinned, they put on clothes."

RIP, Bettie Page.

Not incredibly new news, but great to see this 73 year old mix it up on the court with kids in their teens and twenties.

Influenza infection rates usually peak around February in the United States, so now is an important time to look at some facts about the disease. Influenza, commonly known as "the flu," is a serious and highly contagious virus that kills more Americans every year than all other vaccine-preventable diseases combined. And while the very young and very old are at the highest risk of serious influenza illness, all of us in the 50+ category should be concerned about this dangerous disease.

The best way to keep ourselves healthy and to protect those around us is to get vaccinated against the flu every year. However, as a physician, I often hear concerns from patients that lead them to avoid vaccination. Let me discuss some of them here.

• Vaccines do not cause the flu. The injected vaccine is made from dead virus and cannot cause influenza. Some people feel aches and even a little fever in the first day or two after vaccination, but the symptoms aren't from the flu-they represent your immune response to the vaccination.

• Influenza vaccines are effective. In younger, healthy adults, the vaccine is 70 to 90 percent effective in preventing influenza. In older or sicker people, the vaccine is less effective, but can make the disease, if you get it, less severe.

• You can take the flu vaccine any time during the influenza season. Flu viruses circulate until early spring and in fact, cases usually peak in this country around February. It takes about two weeks to be protected after getting vaccinated, so now is a great time to go get a vaccine.

The bottom line? Speak with your doctor today about getting the flu vaccine and speak with your friends and family to make sure they've received the vaccine, too. Vaccinating in December, January and beyond will protect you and your families throughout flu season.

For more information on influenza and prevention, visit www.nfid.org or www.cdc.gov/flu/.

Please share your experiences with influenza and vaccination.

Susan J. Rehm, MD; Medical Director, National Foundation for Infectious Diseases; Vice Chair, Department of Infectious Disease, Cleveland Clinic

Amid all the talk about the economic crisis during the holidays this year, we can't forget about the other problem that's brooding in the back of our mind during the holiday season: how we're going to survive planning the family party madness.

We have a funny but also really useful article on holiday get-togethers with our loved ones, how they can often be super stressful, and what to do about it. And I gotta say, the author - senior VP of outreach for Grandparents.com Amy Goyer - came up with some amazing advice on how to plan effectively. She even suggests using flip-charts! Here are some of her tips:

• Hold a family conference
• Plan ahead
• Lighten up and be open to changes
• Share responsibilities
• Communicate clearly and often
• Honor family traditions

Check out the details in the full article. It actually makes planning for the holidays sound, well, fun!

I can see why the government wants to help out people who are falling behind on their mortgages. In fact, I think it's good to pay some attention to the general public after all the assistance that has been given to Wall Street, banks, and now the auto-industry. However, there is a possible downside to helping out homeowners who are falling behind on their mortgages. It is possible that people are intentionally neglecting their mortgage payments in order to qualify for government aid. There aren't any statistics on this, but economists say there is definitely the potential for abuse in this system. A warning for anyone thinking of beating the system: Experts say the damage that delinquent mortgage payments do to your credit rating can far outweigh any benefits, and that's if you don't get caught!

Our favorite Nanny, Fran Drescher, has been busy lately - she just got back from visiting Europe as the United States' envoy for women's health issues.

Via New York Magazine, we hear she's also interested in that Senate seat Hillary Clinton is leaving open.

Here is a clip from our interview with Fran in our studios awhile back.

You can see more clips and hear the whole interview here.

When it comes to marketing, retailers will always find new ways of getting their message to customers. In today's tough times, companies are getting increasingly creative. With a cell phone in the majority of American households, more and more retailers are using text messages to reach their consumers. In addition, some stores are even creating web sites made specifically for access by mobile devices. Blogs and emails are also being used as stores are desperately seeking revenue in these tough times. So watch out the next time you feel that cell phone buzzing.

Wish there was a place where you could go to and forget all about the problems we are all facing? Well if you want to move to a place with surpluses, increasing home values, few foreclosures and little unemployment you can. All you need to do is find a way to get yourself to North Dakota, a place that where people seem to be living in a bubble.

But why is North Dakota thriving when everyone else is struggling to keep their heads above water? North Dakota has seen windfalls from increased oil production for starters. Also, as a mainly agricultural state, North Dakota benefited from a great year for its crops. Maybe most importantly of all, North Dakotans have a no frills approach that never gets too high or too low. This state wasn't saddling with the bad loans that plague much of the rest of the country. So if you need a break from all those economic storm clouds hovering over your head it keep in mind the forecast for North Dakota looks sunny.