ShAARP Session: Observations from AARP

If only I were sitting in a rocking chair on my porch right now!

It shouldn't come as breaking news to anyone at this point, but on the off chance you hadn't heard, Michael Jackson died yesterday. For those of you who have followed the blog for a while, you may remember that I posted not too long ago on MJ turning 50 and lauded his continued vitality. Woops, might have spoken a bit too soon on that one. I can't help but wonder if my little post may have made some small contribution to the King of Pop's demise.

The 'gloved one' was without question one of the greatest entertainers of all time. Just take a look at his legacy. He broke records in album sales, and became one of the first artists to own his own and others' works. He was one of the first celebrities to go commercial with his famed advertising deal with Pepsi.

All in all Michael Jackson was one of the best out there (creepy years aside) and he will be missed by millions of fans. Also, I promise to never again give celebs the kiss of death with a post congratulating them on aging well. At least Barbie should be safe!

Goodbye Michael Jackson.

The folks at AARP TV posted some original footage of the Stonewall riots and new interviews with gay and lesbian leaders. Powerful stuff to watch on this day.

Sunday will mark the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall demonstrations. The protests, which started in New York City, were among the first and most powerful of the gay-rights movement. Prior to Stonewall, members of the GLBT community were the subjects of open, government sanctioned persecution. Stonewall marked the beginning of the gay-rights movement and this country, along with the world, hasn't looked back since. Check out our page commemorating this historic event and the legacy it has left behind.

Earlier this week, efforts to ramp up volunteerism and service in this country received a big boost. First Lady Michelle Obama spoke at the National Conference on Service and Volunteering in San Francisco putting these issues in the spotlight. The First Lady discussed to major service initiatives which will be taking place in the near future. On the week of October 19th, several major television networks will be incorporating the theme of service into their shows. In addition, Obama talked about the United We Serve initiative which began on Tuesday and will run until September 11th when it will end with a national day of service. These two events are just some examples of the nationwide effort to increase volunteerism and service through the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act. Have you been getting involved in any service recently?

Another way you can get involved in your community is through AARP's very own Create the Good which can help connect you with causes you care about in your own neighborhood.

USA Today had an article recently on a new study showing that 80% of couples disagree on retirement, such as what age to retire, whether they'll work in retirement or where they'll move to retire.

While the economic recession surely can't help, experts advise to be open and communicative about retirement plans, which is hard when often one partner is responsible for the finances of the household. The other thing to do is make sure both people are aware and knowledgeable of their expenses and investments. After all, only 15% of people said they were confident one partner could handle family finances if the other died.

The piece also gives some basic steps you can take when beginning to talk about retirement with your honey. Check it out.

Via Wallet Pop.

How about that. The Associated Press covers the release of new census information showing that by 2050, 1 in 6 people will be older adults:

"The world's population has been graying for many years due to declining births and medical advances that have extended life spans. As the fastest-growing age group, seniors now comprise just under 8 percent of the world's 6.8 billion people. But demographers warn the biggest shift is yet to come. They cite a coming wave of retirements from baby boomers and China's Red Guard generation that will shrink pensions and add to rising health care costs.

Germany, Italy, Japan and Monaco have the most senior citizens, with 20 percent or more of their people 65 and older."

The piece also talks about the health care crisis and how these estimates should be a factor when dealing with health care reform. Check it out.

If you need to lose weight and aren't opposed to getting your 15 minutes of fame, you might have what it takes to make it on NBC's "The Biggest Loser." The good news is that the show will be holding an open casting call in Chicago this Saturday, June 27th for its upcoming season. I've seen this show and it really is amazing to see the transformations that people go through. This is a great way to make a life-altering change in your life. If you're interested, the casting call is at Chicago's NBC Tower from 10 A.M. to 6 P.M.

After losing out in the national spelling bee at age 13, 64-year-old Virginia resident Michael Petrina Jr. has finally won a nation-wide spelling competition. Petrina won AARP's national spelling bee for entrants aged 50+ on Saturday with the word "woad." After 51 years, Petrina can now claim the title national spelling champion. This is a great lesson on taking on your goals and not giving up. Take a listen to his interview with NPR here.