shAARP Talk: Observations from AARP

You. Three close friends. The concert of your dreams. It's all possible, thanks to Divided We Fail's new social network competition!

Put those hours you might spend browsing social networks to good use. Recruit the most people to the Divided We Fail groups on MySpace and Facebook, and you will win 4 tickets to the concert of your choice!

It's simple and easy! Once you're a Divided We Fail friend or fan on MySpace or Facebook, just get your friends to join the group and have them post a simple message:

"[insert your name] wants Champ Concert Tickets."

The person who recruits the most friends for Divided We Fail wins!

Start inviting your friends now!

Get stared now by joining our MySpace group or become a fan of the Divided We Fail page on Facebook.

Now, invite all your friends! Not on Facebook or MySpace? Don't let others miss this great opportunity. Forward this message to your friends and family!

Each grand prize is worth up to $1,000.00 in concert tickets for each winner! Get started now and Start friending!!

TAGS: Divided We Fail, Champ, Concert Tickets, Contest, MySpace, Facebook, music, DWF, Social Network Competition

We talked to Martina while she was here at AARP promoting the latest findings from a Red Hat Society/AARP survey. See what she had to say about working out, staying fit and her best work out buddy!

What surprised you the most from the Red Hat Society study?
Nothing really surprised me about it. It is what I experienced throughout my tennis career. We all do better when we have support and friendship. On the tennis tour, most of the women have always been supportive of each other, and we needed that. Everybody does. Chris Evert and others have consoled me after a loss, and I'd console them after a bad day too. We women were always good at getting along. We spent a lot of time with each other, and I guess that's part of it, but we also seem to have an instinct for nurturing within us.

How important do you believe the social aspect of group exercise is for women?
Group exercise is in many ways like a team sport. I always loved playing on a team because your teammates always try to find ways to make each other better. You bring the best out in each other. You build friendships too. As the old saying goes, there is no "I" in "team." Like a team, classes provide camaraderie and support. A lot of people don't stick with exercise because they never get into a group. They hop on a treadmill and get bored in a week or two. Nobody talks to them, and they don't know how to work the any of the equipment. But a class offers opportunities to create new friendships, cheer each other on, and get fit in the process.

Who's your best workout buddy?
Anyone with a positive attitude who will have a positive influence on me. How do you find that kind of person? You can tell a lot about people by the way they act and interact - how they carry themselves, how they're dressed, or whether they look you in the eye during conversations. How they do they treat servers in restaurants? Do they deal with them like human beings or treat them as someone who is subservient to them? Are they compassionate? Are they respectful of other people? Can they admit their mistakes? Positive people are dependable, they make fitness fun, and, they are committed to good health as you are. They bring upbeat, inspiring energy to your efforts. And they make the best workout buddies.

What do you recommend folks do to keep up their work out routine?
To improve your health habits and get in better shape, physically and mentally, get support from friends, family, and others. Having a support system increases your motivation so that you try harder, and even get in shape faster. No matter what your fitness level or goals, support can take you to the next level. It's the extra boost that can keep you going when you feel like giving up. It can restore your flow when you're at a low ebb. And it can make the difference between success and failure. I guess the best thing about a support system is that you always have people on your side.

Get someone from your support team to be your workout partner. You will probably walk more briskly and farther when you walk with a friend than if you walk alone, and you will most likely have more fun. You are less likely to cop out and not do it. You have a scheduled commitment with someone. You do not want to let them down. You want to help them get better. There is a synergy that helps both of you strive for your best.

What motivates you to stay fit?
Performance. Not just on the tennis court or in the gym, but to enjoy life. I need to move, I need to think, I need to be on my toes. I also like to push the limits of my body while it is still capable of pushing the limits. All of this is what motivates me. I know that I can only do as well as what I put into my body. You cannot ask your body to perform and then not put good things into it. So it is what you eat, what you drink, as well as how you work out and how much rest you get. I do not want anything to hold me back from doing what I want to do.

AARP members love to walk to stay fit, are there any tips you have for our walkers out there?
Of course, walking is the best all-round exercise. The body is designed to walk. I love to walk on the beach for exercise. I encourage walkers to "break your own records." For example, challenge yourself to walk farther each week, or outdo the distance you walk on the treadmill. To get camaraderie of group exercise, participate in a walking club, or start one in your neighborhood or at work. This gives you a great built-in support system to keep you going.

In the wake of a recent on-court brawl, the WNBA's Detroit Shock were short on players and in a serious bind. Coming to the rescue, former silver-medalist and current WNBA broadcaster Nancy Lieberman was signed to a 7-day contract. At 50 years old, Lieberman will break her own record for oldest WNBA player. While the Shock's coach admits he doesn't know how Lieberman will perform, he says Lieberman is in great shape and is giving her a shot. As for Lieberman, she's just happy to get a chance to play the sport she loves.

AARP The Magazine has published a list of America's ten healthiest cities to live and retire in. Topping the list? Ann Arbor Michigan. While many people tend to think of warm locales as the best places to retire in, cooler cities did very well on the list. Why? It's not all about the weather. Cities like Ann Arbor have a great health care infrastructure, many parks, year long activities, and clean air and water. The whole list is below:

1. Ann Arbor, Mich.

2. Honolulu

3. Madison, Wisc.

4. Santa Fe, N.M.

5. Fargo, N.D.

6. Boulder, Colo.

7. Charlottesville, Va.

8. Minneapolis-St. Paul

9. San Francisco Bay area

10. Naples-Marco Island, Fla.

But hearing about Senator McCain's age is getting old (pardon the pun). And here we are - another day, another article. So he's a septuagenarian. And?? That's not news, and Mr. Kurtz's perspective in "Is McCain's Age Showing? Tongues Wag Over Flubs" is anything but fresh. Several potential reasons are given in the story for McCain's recent foreign policy gaffes, and yet the one the media gives credence to is his age. If Senator Obama makes a similar mistake - and we all make mistakes - should we say that it's because he's not old enough to know better?

The latest edition of the Batman franchise, "The Dark Knight" has broken box office records for both opening night, and opening weekend ticket sales. It may not be friendly for kids, but this is a great flick, more serious and darker than previous efforts, and I'd recommend it. Not sold? Check out the trailer.

AARP is excited to announce that we are getting involved in a new project called ServiceNation... and in a big way! Our head honcho, Bill Novelli, will be joining the likes of Caroline Kennedy and Alma Powell with the goal of getting more folks involved in giving back to their community.

American presidents have a history of taking this issue seriously. George W. Bush brought us Points of Light and Bill Clinton's baby was AmeriCorps. (Both of which are still going strong and part of the ServiceNation team!) On September 11 in NY, we've invited John McCain and Barack Obama to tell us what they would do. You can suggest questions you'd like the moderator to ask them here.

The next day, we'll be part of ServiceNation Summit, where hundreds of organizers will be coming together to learn new strategies and hear from our nations leaders. We'll be blogging live from the scene, bringing you interviews with big wigs like Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger as well as the average Joe and Jane's out there making a difference each day.

Read an excerpt from this week's TIME for more details. And, stay tuned to Shaarp Session for more!

Ellen Hollander, AARP's People Strategy Officer, was on CNBC's The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch yesterday. She offered some tips about how to be a better boss...and haven't we all had a bad boss a time or two?

Her tips can be found on Donny's blog, but here's a preview:

LEARN - Yes, you can learn how to be a great boss!

BUILD TRUST - Be authentic....and whatever you do, practice what you preach.

BE ACCESSIBLE - Have an open door policy.

COMMUNICATE - Share information, especially in a timely manner.

EMPOWER - Make sure your staff is clear about your goals and help them get there.

DELEGATE - Push decision-making to the lowest possible level and don't second-guess.

REMOVE OBSTICLES - Eliminate internal barriers.

COACH - Be vested in their success by providing ongoing feedback.

HELP - Provide a safety net for failures/set backs and turn them into learning opportunities.

RECOGNIZE - Show appreciation often...in small and in big ways.

ENERGIZE - Get people excited about the vision and how their work is invaluable to achieving it.

Do you know the signs of a heart attack? Most people don't, even those with a history of heart disease according to a new article on AARP Bulletin Today. But being able to recognize these signs can lead to prompt treatment and increase the chances of survival. "Obviously, cardiac patients should know how to save their own lives by learning the symptoms and getting rapid treatment," says Robert A. Phillips, M.D., cardiologist and director of the Heart and Vascular Center of Excellence at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. "They should also know that cardiac rehabilitation after an attack is as effective on reducing mortality as any surgery or medicine we can offer them. So my advice is, talk to your doctor and demand it."

So what should you look out for? Signs of cardiac trouble can include:

· nausea

· brief loss of consciousness

· pain in the jaw, chest or left arm

· shortness of brief

Like the good doctor said, talk to your physician! Talk to your friends, talk to your partner, talk to your neighbor and make sure they know the signs too. You've got the heart smarts, so share 'em!

More and more older Americans are saying that given their choice, they'd rather continue to live in their homes rather than move. Unfortunately, many homes aren't designed to accommodate the changing capabilities and needs of their tenants. Universal design homes can do this by incorporating design features such as no step entries and wider doorways to allow easy access and promote safe and healthy living. Check out this home design which won AARP's Ethel Percy Andrus House of Freedom Award that recognized the design for highlighting "aging in place with dignity; universal design; and accommodating the needs of a family regardless of age and ability."

Home design is the first step in enabling people to age safely and vibrantly in place. The next important move is to ensure that your home is in a community that is designed to promote independence and easy access for all. If a community combines ease of mobility with abundant access to services, residents can thrive regardless of their age.

Now there's another reason besides your hearing to turn down the music. According to a new study by French researchers, loud music is linked with drinking faster. They found that the time taken to drink a beer while listening to loud music fell to an average 11.45 minutes from 14.51 minutes. (Both are pretty fast, if you ask me). A possible reason for the speedier drinking is that loud music can make conversation more difficult, causing people to drink more and talk less. Makes sense. So what should you do? Turn down the music, talk more, drink less, and be safe!

I definitely have movies and Hollywood on the brain (saw Batman this weekend!!). I was perusing our website today and found this great article:

Former Philadelphia cop Patricia Getty is making the most of her retirement years. After more than a quarter of a century on the force, Getty began a second life as an actor. Recently she appeared as Margaret Tutweiler, the director of communications for the George Bush 2000 election team, in the hit HBO film Recount. You can read more about Getty in the AARP Bulletin.

How about you - do you have a dream role you want to pursue in your golden years, or have you already?

I won't lie that I'm thrilled Mamma Mia! has gone Hollywood. While some classic theater hits gone to the silver screen may not have worked, I predict that this will be a great film, and I'll tell you why - the cast. Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth? Buy me a ticket.

The best thing about this story is that the majority of main characters are 50+ and in the midst of the drama and heartache. It seems most movies with older main characters these days (which are few and far between) are ones like The Bucket List or Away from Her, which aren't the lightest of movies.

This is not to take away from the power and depth of movies about getting older, but it'll be refreshing to see a movie with older characters finding love again and partying their butts off in the Greek islands - what can get better than that? Check out the trailer below.

Falls are a serious concern for older Americans. Not only do they pose a risk to many older people who live alone and don't have easy access to assistance, but they also lead to many life threatening injuries. However, a new development in shoe technology, the iShoe, could literally help to keep you on your feet. Sensors in the shoe can actually evaluate how the wearer's weight is distributed and alert the user about imbalances. In the future, the shoe may even be able to automatically compensate for imbalances.

Technology that can help prevent falls is clearly a step in the right direction (no pun intended), but gizmos to keep drivers on the road and help them recognize obstacles in the street would be a welcome advance as well. General Motors is working on just that sort of technology with a smart windshield that can identify the borders of a road in poor visibility and even point out objects in the road. Nice to see GM showing some drive to improve car safety (OK that time the pun was intended).

Have you heard about the new $40 million campaign in Washington, Health Care for America Now, that's pushing for health care reform and universal insurance coverage for the upcoming presidential election? On the AARP Bulletin, you can see the article, "Coalition pushes for health care reform", where it explains:

"Health Care for America Now's stated goal is 'quality, affordable health care for every American.' The coalition has set out to ensure that health care reform remains a top priority in the presidential and Congressional elections."

Sounds oddly familiar, huh? The Associated Press published an article comparing Divided We Fail and HCAN. Read the article, "Money, ads give health care top political billing," and let us know what you think.

TAGS: Health Care for America Now, Divided We Fail, AARP, health care reform, Associated Press, DWF, affordable health care, health care

The New York Times has a new blog, "The New Old Age: Caring and Coping" penned by the great Jane Gross. Here's the description:

Thanks to the marvels of medical science, our parents are living longer than ever before. Adults over age 80 are the fastest growing segment of the population, and most will spend years dependent on others for the most basic needs. That burden falls to their baby boomer children, 77 million strong, who are flummoxed by the technicalities of eldercare, turned upside down by the changed architecture of their families, struggling to balance work and caregiving, and depleting their own retirement savings in the process.

Between Gross' insight and the Times' readership, I don't doubt The New Old Age will foster some great discussion on this intergenerational struggle; make sure to check it out.

I saw this story today about a "modern day Bonnie and Clyde" who have stolen the identities of friends and neighbors in the Philadelphia area.

In a recent statement to the public, Steve Ely, Equifax's President of Personal Information Solutions (Equifax is one of the three major credit bureaus) said:

"Consumers should not wait until they have become a victim to take steps to protect themselves. A proactive approach is the best way for consumers to protect themselves and minimize damage to their credit and financial health."

He's right! and we all know how id theft seems to be running rampant - and these unscrupulous thieves are targeting...of course...the most vulnerable members of our communities. So, in the spirit of covering our bums, here are some resources and advice for protecting your nest eggs, identities and saving your good credit!

Some advice for limiting the risk of identity theft from Equifax, AARP and other credit savvy minds includes:

• Limit the number of credit cards you carry - better yet, carry only what you need in your wallet or purse.
• Protect your social security number like it's baby! Don't give it to strangers, don't give it out on the phone unless you know who you're talking to, and certainly don't carry your card with you unless it's absolutely necessary.
• When in doubt - shred it! Your local AARP office might hold shredding parties where you can bring all of your sensitive documents for safe disposal. Visit www.aarp.org. for more information.

Depending on your personal needs, you may want to consider freezing your credit report with the three major credit agencies (Equifax, TransUnion and Experion). If that sounds a bit extreme - or maybe you're house hunting or car shopping and you need regular access to your credit report - consider a credit monitoring services.

Equifax has a nifty identity theft protection product, Equifax ID Patrol. ID Patrol lets you: lock/ unlock your Equifax credit file, receive alerts if your Social Security/ credit card numbers are found on Internet trading sites, access a trained ID Theft Resolution Specialist 24/7, and receive credit monitoring and alerts within 24 hours to key changes in credit files. Learn more at www.equifax.com/idpatrol and get other great tips for protecting your identity here.

With the endless speeches, exhaustive punditry and partisan cat fights, it's easy to lose focus on what the candidates are saying about financial security and health care reform. Here's a brief snippet of some comments recently made by Senators McCain and Obama on two subjects near and dear to our hearts at Shaarpsession...

McCain: "We want a system of health care in which everyone can afford and acquire."

Obama: "I've put forward a series of proposals that will foster economic growth."

McCain: ...To keep families in their homes and businesses growing...

Obama: We can't wait to fix our health care system

McCain: We will replace...

Obama: We are going to invest...

McCain: We are approaching...

Obama: We have the chance to solve problems that we've been talking about year, after year, after year, after year...

The real question we have here at Shaarpsession is this: Is all this going to turn out to be same old empty campaign rhetoric, or do we finally have two candidates who will work to enact real change?

Call, write, email, text, tap into your latest Jedi mind tricks, but most of all, GET INVOLVED and let these folks know that the time for talk is over. What we need is action.

As someone who has to wake up at 5 AM for work, I understand good sleep is hard to come by. We are all guilty of postponing or missing sleep for various reasons, but the more research that comes out, the worse we find it is for the body to miss out on sleep. Well in an interesting twist, it may be dangerous to get too much sleep as well. Some studies seem to indicate that the risk for stroke in older women who get over 9 hours of sleep increases. These women had an even larger risk than those who caught less than 6 hours.

Via Brandweek, a new study (commissioned by TV Land) Generation Buy: A Close Look at the Boomer Consumer shows that boomers are outspending other generational cohorts by a wide, wide margin.

The study found that consumers between ages 40 and 59 spend more on themselves each month than millennials and Gen Xers. But the buck hardly stops there: Gen Buy thrives on multigenerational purchases, and spends more than twice as much as younger consumers on others. The study, fielded by OTX, included a sample of 4,000 adults ages 18-65 nationwide.

For instance, Gen Buy spent more than three times the amount of money per month on spouses ($514) than adults under 40 ($169), nearly twice as much on kids ($295 vs. $158) and three times as much on teen children ($494 vs. $136).

As we all struggle to deal with an economy that's trying to keep its head above water, another piece of bad news has come down the pipeline. Inflation has reached its highest rate in 17 years according to the Department of Labor. What that means for all of us is spending more on the common household items we use every day. That's another big hit on wallets that are already having to deal with job loss and a weak stock market. Some experts think that part of the problem is the media's portrayal of our economic woes. What do you think?

I can't tell you how thankful I am that so many are helping us demand affordable health care from political leaders. It means so much to see all of the encouragement in your posts, comments, and new friendships on the DWF community pages.

Your stories, feedback and commitment really keep us going which is why it is so exciting to celebrate a monumental achievement of reaching 650,000 signed pledges for Divided We Fail.

A number of politicians have supported the DWF initiative, but it is the commitment and support that comes from our friends on social networks that are putting the initiative into overdrive so that we reach our goal of 1,000,000 signed pledges.

So, once again, I'd just like to extend a huge THANK YOU to everyone who's participated in the campaign!

If you haven't had an opportunity to make your voice heard, I hope you take action now by signing the Divided We Fail pledge.

If you're looking for new ideas on how to get involved you may want to consider working with one of our state offices, joining us on Facebook or MySpace, posting a banner on your blog or site, commenting on any blog that is talking about health care and financial security, or simply starting conversations in your community about these important topics.

Keep up the great work and together, we can end partisan gridlock and realize real change.

TAGS: Divided We Fail, DWF, Facebook, MySpace, Divided We Fail pledge, blog, health care, financial security

So, we're still fired up about this idea of "de-aging" your resume.

Bulletin Today (the online version of AARP's The Bulletin) has a great article about job hunting strategies for the web. Advice ranges from the basic: don't pay for services when there are plenty of free sites out there that'll more than do the job for you. To the advanced: hunt for industry, age and location-specific sites that suits your needs.

Check it out and polish up that resume!

From the camera phone of one of our volunteers...the rally to override the President's veto is just beginning!

That's right folks, President Bush has vetoed the bipartisan Medicare bill that we've all been watching and working (and commenting on) so intently. Congress worked together to put together a bill that improved low-income, mental health and preventative health programs for people like you...your family...and your friends. The bill would help maintain the access of people in Medicare to their doctors - something every American should have!

With the state of health care already in abysmal condition and millions of Americans lacking health care - it's more important than ever that Congress overrides the presidents veto today. AARP volunteers, members and staff are up on Capitol Hill talking to our elected officials to make sure they do this. It's time for the 355 members of the House and the 69 members of the Senate to stand by their choices and finish this.

Sound off here - or give your elected official a call 1-800-795-5336.