ShAARP Session: Observations from AARP

AARP The Magazine won a prestigious National Magazine Award for the Interactive Feature Category for the feature "1968: The Year that Rocked Our World." The folks over the magazine deserve a big huzzah for this accomplishment. The awards are a very big deal in the industry--sort of like the Oscars for the glossy-page set. Great work, guys!

Camilla Saulsbury shows us how to make a healthy, vegetarian alternative to cow burgers. You can find the recipe on her blog, Enlightened Cooking.

em>SPECIAL GUEST BLOG FROM MIMI CASTALDI, AARP
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita had a devastating impact on St. Barnard Parish, LA. All 27,000 homes were uninhabitable after the storm. More than three years later, only one-third of the residents have returned home.

One of my friends suggested we get a group together to help and the next thing you know, seven of us from DC are down in Louisiana this week helping rebuild houses with the St. Bernard's Project. You can sign up right on the web and choose your dates. When we got here they had an orientation and we met volunteers from around the country. There was even another AARP member from Philadelphia who was on her FIFTH trip!

It has been an amazing experience. We heard the story of one of the residents who was stranded on a roof top for six days waiting for help. We saw house after house that still had the markers from when crews in after the storm.

Our group spent the day in a house that is midway through reconstruction. The owner currently lives about 35 minutes away, but he's eager to return to his home, his neighborhood and his family. Crews of volunteers before us stripped the house down to the studs, treated it to get rid of mold, and installed drywall. It was our job to tape and spackle (or mud) the drywall to create a smooth surface. None of us had much experience, but we had a leader from AmeriCorps who patiently showed us what to do, and monitored it to make sure we got it right. By days end I had the hang of it, and felt like I was making a difference.

As a special treat, we were lucky enough to be able to visit a family who had just returned to their home. The family was so happy they cooked us jambalaya for dinner. I told them that somehow that didn't seem fair since they've been living in this harsh reality for years, and we just arrived. She said, just tell your friends what you're doing and that we need their help too.

To get started, visit St. Bernard's Project today.

Yesterday the President completed his 100th day in office. He held a press conference and a town hall meeting yesterday to discuss his progress so far and where he would like to head over the rest of his term. President Obama noted: "I'm pleased with the progress we've made, but I'm not satisfied," Obama told the cheering crowd at Fox Senior High School. "I'm confident in the future, but I'm not content with the present."

So there is work still to be done for sure, but with all of the issues that have already cropped up in the first hundred days, it can be useful to look back on what the Obama administration has done so far. How do you think the President has done in his first hundred days in office?

Bob Dylan's newest album, Together Through Life, hit music stores yesterday. Edna Gundersen in USA Today offers a typically glowing review.

"He's got grit, for sure. His gloriously wicked, wheezy croon suits these biting, sentimental tales of love in hard times. Dylan may be tangled up in blues, but when he punctuates My Wife's Home Town with a mischievous chuckle, it's clear he has never felt so unfettered."

And in a nod to the younger generation, Dylan has announced a tour of minor league ball parks across the United States (along with Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp) in which children 14 years and younger get in for free. Oh, and he's got a twitter page! too. The times they are a-changing!

No one wants to experience a major life crisis such as job loss, divorce, death of a spouse or serious illness or disability, but the reality is that most of us will. According to a recent survey by AARP Financial, nearly 60% of Americans age 40 to 79 already have-- and in vast majority of cases, the event had a significant impact on their finances.

And no wonder. Life crises stir up emotions and can leave many of us feeling vulnerable, distracted and confused. Financial decisions are tough enough. Add a whirlwind of emotions and additional caretaking responsibilities and it's potentially overwhelming.

What if you suddenly had a life crisis? Would you survive financially? Would you know what to do? For tips on where to turn for financial guidance during a life crisis, visit this article from AARP The Magazine.

Bea Arthur, the hilarious actress and icon for older women everywhere, passed away this past Saturday at the age of 86.

You may have known her as Maude or as our witty and candid friend Dorothy on The Golden Girls - either way, she was no lady to mess with, and will be missed deeply by her fans worldwide. She defied the stereotype of what an older woman is supposed to be, particularly on The Golden Girls. She once told reporter Hal Boedeker about why the show was so successful:

"It's refreshing to see older women who look great, who dress great, who are kind of ballsy ladies," she said. "When I was given the script originally, it never dawned on me that these were older women. I just thought, 'What a funny, funny show.' "

And boy, did she epitomize that. So here's to Bea - she shall never be forgotten!

If you've recently lost your job, you're not alone. However, a growing number of people are trying to take advantage of the high unemployment rate. Considering all the folks who have been laid-off, it's not surprising that some of them have found creative ways to profit from their situations. Some are making websites and selling merchandise including customizable T-shirts you can put your cover letter on, and all sorts of apparel announcing that you need a job. A little inventiveness can go a long way when you've lost your job, but if you're not the type to think outside the box, it can't hurt to let people know you're looking for work.

So assuming you've watched or read the news in the past few days, you've probably heard about the swine flu fears that have been spreading. What's the real deal here? While it's true that countries around the world are taking precautions and heightening their readiness levels, it is important to note that the American government has not felt the need to take some of the more extreme actions it could in a severe emergency. That being said, the administration has said that swine flu does represent a public health threat.

Despite the lack of an HHS Secretary, President Obama's administration was quick to let everyone know that this issue is under control. Almost all cases in the U.S. have had only mild results, and both the administration and experts advise people not to over react. In preparation, pharmacies are stocking up on sanitary supplies such as masks as well as flu vaccines.

There are some basic facts to know here, but the message seems to be that while this is concerning, there's nothing to panic over.