ShAARP Session: Observations from AARP

If you're like me then you are probably pretty excited about the Superbowl this Sunday. Who cares if you don't root for either team? This isn't about the football people, it's about the chance to go to a big gathering with a big TV. It's about all the great commercials. Most importantly, the Superbowl is about consuming mass quantities of delicious and completely unhealthy food without feeling any guilt. So the burning question for this weekend is: what will you be eating during the Superbowl? This humble blogger would like to offer up a couple of truly artery-clogging dishes that offer up culinary Superbowl bliss no matter what you think of the Cardinals or Steelers.

1. The Bacon Explosion aka the Meat Missile. If you like bacon and you like sausage, then you'll love this sausage wrapped in bacon and barbeque seasoning. See below:

2. The Snack Food Stadium. If watching real football players and real fans in a real stadium isn't stimulating enough for you, then you might enjoy a stadium which, along with its players and fans, is made entirely out of snack foods. Total nutritional value:
TOTAL CALORIES: 24,375
TOTAL GRAMS OF FAT: 1,285
Just look at it:

Now that's something I think everyone can cheer for!

Not rain, nor sleet nor driving snow, not even snake bites can halt it, but budget shortfalls may ultimately prove to be the only force capable of stopping the mail from being delivered. A combination of the increased use of email and the struggling economy have drastically reduced the amount of mail been sent through the postal system. Despite recent increases in the cost of postage, the postal service is facing major shortfalls. The postmaster general recently told Congress that the USPS could face cuts including possibly cutting delivery down to five days per week. While this is just one possible measure being considered it is a stark example of how rough things are really getting out there. However, despite major financial losses, it seems like the postal service may have larger concerns at the moment.

This can't be good. The New York Times reports that new research at John Hopkins University shows that women are less likely to receive kidney transplants than men. This effects older women primarily, even though they recuperate just as well or better than older men after the surgery.

This was no small study; they took data from a list of 563,197 patients who developed end-stage kidney disease from 2000 to 2005, calculating the likelihood they'd get on the transplant list. And while younger women were just as likely to be on a list, they started dropping off the older they got:

They found that women 45 and younger were as likely as men to be placed on a transplant waiting list. But as women aged, their chances of getting on the list dropped, getting worse with each decade, said the lead author, Dr. Dorry Segev, a transplant surgeon at Johns Hopkins.

By the time women were 46 to 55, they were 3 percent less likely to be put on the transplant list. They were 15 percent less likely to be placed on the list at ages 56 to 65; 29 percent less likely at 66 to 75; and 59 percent less likely to be listed by the time they were 75 or older, Dr. Segev said.

The researcher's suggestion behind this is that caregivers, family members and even the patients themselves presume women are weaker than they actually are. I think doctors have to be accountable as well; after all, they're the experts. Either way, to think a stereotype could have this significant of an impact is pretty upsetting. Let's hope this article sheds some light to others and helps change this disturbing trend.

If the measure passes the House, the long-awaited digital transition could be pushed back from February 17, to June 12. The move is a reaction to the shortage of discounted digital converter boxes offered to people with analog televisions. It is hoped that this delay will enable the government to address the backlog of people requesting converter boxes, allowing for a smoother transition. Keep an eye on the date and make sure you're ready for the switch.

New research shows two beverages which could be linked to improving long-term health. Coffee consumption, which is often tied to negative health consequences, has been linked to reduced occurrences of dementia in people who drink three or more cups per day.

In contrast, red wine has long been thought to provide health benefits to those who drink it. New studies show that drinking red wine could be even healthier than previously thought. Among the additional benefits red wine can provide: reduced likelihood of developing a physical disability, lower chances of developing Alzheimer's, increased levels of Omega 3's, and lower odds of getting lung cancer. Not a bad list is it? 60 minutes also had a discussion on the health benefits to be found in red wine, check it out: