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About.com is a favorite resource that will help you understand many things. In addition to its pertinent daily article, its Senior Living archive covers topics such as money, retirement, health, and housing – even dating, sex and romance. There are also numerous forums on these and other topics. You need to click on Forums then look for the link as a Guest, or sign up if you want to contribute. (David Henry.) There’s a great source of info on many topics of interest to seniors at MetLife’s Life Advice pages. Whether it’s about planning your estate, doing your taxes, filing for a divorce, buying a car or a boat, caring for an aging loved one, even selling a home—you’ll find lots of sound advice here. It’s a good place to start on these and many other topics. (David Henry) Sooner or later, you’ll start thinking about your own funeral arrangements. Now there’s some fun help in setting things up at MyWonderfulLife— incidentally this site is not promoted by the funeral industry. You can get neat ideas from others, including music to be played, photos to display, what clothes to be buried in – or cremated in, and so on. Essentially you create a virtual book containing your wishes, and the site periodically notifies the (human) Angels you’ve designated to carry them out. (AARP Bulletin) Here’s another website worthy of your attention, it may be just what you’ve been looking for. It’s livelier and prettier than David’s Links. “Let Life In is an attitude and a philosophy about being 50+. Yes, we believe that there is a lot more to life and we encourage you to be open to it. But it’s also about experiencing the full spectrum of life – the concerns and controversies - not just the good stuff.” (David Henry) “This site - Quantcast-ranked in top 1/4 of 1 percent - now has over 4,450 pages of humor, nostalgia, senior advocacy and useful information for seniors 50+. Suddenly Senior is a place for everyone who’s become senior before their time and includes areas such as Senior Issues, Under the Knife, Only in Florida, Senior Sex, Senior Nostalgia, Senior Trivia, Senior Travel, and Medicare.” (Dee Mattia) Seniors who have survived so many decades may be reluctant to embrace new technologies. If you’re like most that prefer to live out their later years at home, AARP points out there are some relatively simple gadgets that can add to your peace of mind. The Tech Savvy article Staying Connected to Those Who Care discusses three neat technologies: SOS Buttons, Medication Reminders and Monitors & Video Visits. (AARP The Magazine) You are getting on in years and are suddenly faced with a large financial obligation, but you don’t have that kind of cash. Perhaps a major one-time or ongoing medical expense is looming up, and your credit cards can’t stand the strain? If you own or nearly own your own home, you could do worse than take a look at what you can do to extract cash from the equity in it. Before talking to a professional about this, better take a look at AARP’s easy-to-follow reverse mortgage option explanations. (David Henry) Many seniors contemplate the notion of downsizing--not just getting rid of all the accumulated clutter but also living in a smaller place altogether. The Small House Society is “a cooperatively managed organization dedicated to the promotion of smaller housing alternatives which can be more affordable and ecological.” Here you can find many resources, including Little Green Buildings made of Structural Insulated Panels that you can erect yourself, of four hundred square feet or less. Sounds charming. (AARP) Maybe you’ve always assumed Medicaid is only for poor people. Not so fast. You may find yourself in a “poor” situation as a result of a major medical or other expense, and so Medicaid may be there to help. It’s prudent to be aware of just how this program works, and a good place to start is AARP’s Medicaid: The Basics page; it’s easy to read and has links to various follow-up resources. (AARP) AARP’s new music video ‘In America’ tells the story of a family facing financial ruin because of their child’s medical crisis. How can we allow 47 million of our citizens to be without health insurance? Enter ‘In America’ in the search box at the AARP channel on YouTube at www.youtube.com/user/AARPMedia There are several other AARP videos, too. (AARP) A reader of Bob Rankin’s computer tech support website writes that he teaches “senior citizens in a community based free computer lab. They often ask what to look for when buying a computer, what software they need for email, basic Internet usage, word processing, etc. Many are on a limited budget. What would you suggest they need as a minimum?” Find out guru Bob Rankin’s recommendations on his How to Buy a Computer page. (David Henry) I had quite an unpleasant surprise when reading AARP’s Guide to Long Term Care, mainly because I have just put off thinking about it. The site covers a wealth of information from Thinking Ahead, to Staying in Your Home, to Choosing Where To Live, and most shocking, How Much Will It Cost? Think the government will pay? Think again, buddy. If this is something you haven’t paid much attention to, I urge you to do so. (AARP) Are you dining out a lot lately? If yes, it might be useful to take a look at Restaurant.com. Search for participating locations near your Zip code and you’ll find restaurants that offer $25 Discount Certificates for $10, $10 Certificates for $3 and the like. Watch the fine print, then if satisfied pay for and print your certificate—that’s it. (AARP) Divorce & Separation? Marriage & Living Together? Adoption? To get an initial briefing on these or any other aspect of Family Law, take a look at the Family Law Center at Find Law. The site also has tabs for several other law categories: Accidents & Injuries, Bankruptcy & Debt, Criminal Law, DUI & DWI, and Real Estate. (Kim Komando) For those of us seniors who are a bit, shall we say, intimidated by the computer, there’s the inspiring story of Olive, who, at the age of 107 is writing a regular illustrated blog which she calls The Life Of Riley. Actually Olive relates her stories of life on the station (”farmstead”) down under in Queensland, Australia in the early years of the last century while her daughter-in-law Katya does the recording and transcribing. What a spunky lady! (Kim Komando) There must be some seniors out there who are widowed, divorced or otherwise single, and who may be looking for a mate. Maybe you’re not the bar-hopping type and would prefer something more private. Why not inspect what is on offer at the free site Match.com in the privacy of your home. According to the source, this is not one of those racy dating sites, but is properly discreet. It is now focusing mainly on the senior set. (St Petersburg Times) The Stars and Stripes has been one of America’s great newspapers for over fifty years, while its predecessors go back to the Civil War. There’s a great review article at The Digital Journalist, featuring stories on several of their fine photographers including some of their unforgettable – and sometimes graphic – shots. It’s recommended for anyone involved in or simply interested in America’s wars mainly from 1942 onwards. (John Hallgren) The news that GM has been overtaken by Toyota as the USA’s biggest automaker sent me back on a wonderful nostalgia trip to Classic Cars. Backed by a thumping boogie-woogie sound track, this site is a slide show that lets you drool over some of the great Detroit barges from the thirties to the fifties. You’re sure to find something here that you owned, or envied, what with the whitewalls, fins and all that chrome. (Bill Doyle) “Some believe the 1960s were the beginning of the end of the Innocent Generation.” That’s according to Back To The Sixties, a nostalgic collection of words, images and tunes that evoke a simpler time before the term Politically Correct had been invented. Not that I’m saying the term Politically Correct is not Politically Correct, you understand, but…. (Gary Stanley) Readers of David’s Links are well aware that “there are lots of great web sites for seniors who want to network with other seniors, learn more about computers and the Internet.” At Bob Rankin’s Senior Citizens Online they can also “access information … such as Consumer Protection tips, Volunteerism for Seniors, Adult Education, Estate Planning advice, Federal and State Agencies for Seniors, and links to government sites such as the . . . Social Security Administration, and Veterans' Health Administration.” (Tourbus) Why not retire three centuries from now? Find the answer to this attention grabber at Let Life In, “. . . an online magazine . . . for those 50+ who still want to explore what is out there, express how they feel and in the process, enrich their lives.” You can enjoy Others’ [Your] Stories, Love and Relationships, Health and Wellbeing, Retirement and Giving Back, Travel and Leisure, etc. (David Henry) The Florida Department of Financial Services has an informative website for Florida seniors at Senior Resource Center. This covers the following broad areas: Health & Automobile Insurance, Hurricane advice, Scams, and End-of-life arrangements. The law is here for those who need it, but the financial advice and many helpful tips will probably be the most useful. (St. Petersburg Times) Entertainment plus nostalgia is a powerful combination, and there is plenty of both at When Life Was In Black and White--TV, that is. There you can wallow in stills from the likes of Gunsmoke, Lassie, Superman, The Jack Paar Show and the Twilight Zone accompanied by theme music from a variety of shows, mostly from the ‘50s, “When right was right and wrong was wrong—they’d never make the networks now.” (Bob Capellini) Videos are becoming more common on the Web, and you can sometimes find good production values, too. For example, take a look at Show Time, where you can watch about twenty examples that integrate sound, moving action and presentation text in a compelling way. Most of these are of a patriotic nature, but some are strictly nostalgic; for example I feel sure you will enjoy Take me Back to the 50’s (George Lott) Back in the forties and fifties, before the interstate highway system, you would drive along a highway and see a one-line ad on the side of the road. A few moments later you would see a second one-liner, then a third and a fourth. Your attention had been grabbed by a Burma Shave commercial, and you generally drove on in a good frame of mind because you had completed this neat quatrain. You can relive some of those experiences at Remembering the Good Old Days. (Dick Sipe) There are numerous golden opportunities for seniors to put some spare time to good use at Volunteer Match, a referral site. If you are seeking something locally, enter your Zip code, distance radius, and field of interest and it will pop up some listings. If you’d prefer to work at home, simply enter “virtual” in the distance box; you will find numerous opportunities to volunteer some time at your PC—the range of needs, skill levels, organizations and time commitment required is quite remarkable. (SeniorNet Newsline) "For senior boomers, this quiz might show whether the ’60s really did damage your long-term memory. Junior boomers, on the other hand, may have to tap into the collective memory to answer some of this stuff. Brigitte who?" These are not trivial questions, but you should do well if you kept up with pop culture and politics in the ‘60's. (Newsweek) If you're headed toward the big eight-O, you were just a kid during the 1930s, but anyone interested in that decade will enjoy exploring the America in the 1930s site ("World's Highest Standard of Living"!), especially the timeline (1939: Roosevelt recommends a 2 year defense budget of $535 million.) Listen to scratchy episodes of the Dick Tracy, Superman and Buck Rogers shows ("Get Popsicles, Fudgesicles and Creamsicles. . .they're good for you, and only five cents!"). The In Print section is well worth browsing (Advertising, comics, magazines...), but I found the On Film area to be wordy with no film clips. (Netsurfer Digest) Ulithi. This was a name I’d never heard of until a sailor mentioned it in a WW2 memoir written for the local paper. This Pacific atoll was swiftly converted within a month by Seabees into a massive US naval base supporting the Pacific campaign late in the war, and at peak there were over 600 ships in the lagoon. There’s a nice description of its role and wartime photos at Ulithi; the wonderfully named islets are Falalop, Yasor, Sorlen and Malmog. (Tampa Tribune) The Schiavo case reminded us all to make sure we have made suitable arrangements for our latter days in this life. In addition to a regular will, there are terms being batted around like Living Will, Durable Power of Attorney, and Advanced Care Directive. Years ago I paid an attorney to draw up such papers for me but afterwards concluded I would be better off with a Five Wishes document--it is much easier to understand. Besides it was free. (Now it will set you back $5.) You can order them from Aging With Dignity. When it is filled out, give a copy to your physician and nearest relative and keep the included card in your wallet or purse; it directs caregivers to where the full copies are kept. Recommended. The AARP website is also a good source of helpful information. (David Henry) Do you have a Living Will? What is an Advanced Directive? a Durable Power of Attorney? Organ Donor information? Even if you have already made some of these arrangements, it could be worth your while to refresh your memory and perhaps take one more step, by consulting the U.S. Living Will Registry. Not only does it explain the various options, it also gives you the opportunity to have your documents securely kept online in a national database that, with your permission, can be accessed in time of need by family members, health care providers, and attorneys. The site also lets you download the authorized forms for each of the States. Take a look at the FAQ section to understand the process and the benefits of this free service. (Yahoo!) Anyone who served in Vietnam and despairs of explaining to people what it was really like could do no better than visit Sgt Ray Smith's site; he was a tanker in the 1st Battalion, 69th Armor. He writes with a strong sense of immediacy -- this is the way it was. There is a great archive of action photos and many images of topographic maps used by our men; they are marked up so you can see and read what action took place at specific points. Standing Orders and other military instructions are recorded here such as how to deal with mines and booby traps. Under The Enemy In your Hands: "As a member of the U.S. Military Forces, you will comply with the Geneva Prisoner of War Conventions of 1949 to which your country adheres." (Netsurfer Digest) It's a commercial site, but it's useful for seniors, as it offers a wide range of household products especially designed for those people with disabilities. Dynamic Living offers easy Internet shopping for devices that can simplify daily life for those with limited vision, or with only one effective hand, or for those who are hard-of-hearing, or with failing memory, or with arthritis. The FAQ page gives helpful hints in all the product categories. (Shirley Miller) I expect most seniors can recall the post-WW2 housing boom, but it is still instructive to be reminded of the pioneering development at Levittown, Pa.--"building the suburban dream." During the fifties, more than 17,300 houses were built there in five years, making mass housing available at an affordable cost; the basic Cape Cod could be purchased for $10,990, or $67 a month. You can see the modern kitchens equipped with gleaming appliances, "so that the housewife would have hours to spare in the afternoon," according to the marketing blurbs. This is a fascinating fiftieth anniversary exhibit assembled by the State Museum of Pennsylvania. (Netsurfer Digest) Aviation buffs, in particular pilots and other aircrew who flew combat aircraft in WW2, will be pleased to visit the virtual Flying Heritage Collection. The actual collection is near Seattle and is funded by Paul Allen, a Microsoft billionaire. The focus is not merely on static restoration but on flying the aircraft that have been lovingly restored down to the finest authentic detail. See videos of veterans reunited with their actual P-52 and watching a high-speed low-level pass of "their" personal plane. The flying collection includes a Spitfire, Jenny, Tomahawk, Storch, Mustang and two Polikarpovs, with many others currently under restoration. (Netsurfer Digest) Many of us now realize that the information we were fed about the war in Iraq was filtered or censored and that the "embedded" correspondents have now mostly returned home. Some Army people have therefore established Operation Truth, "a non-profit, non-partisan organization that seeks to educate the American public about the truth of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan from the perspective of the soldiers who have experienced them first hand". Descriptions and photos of real life incidents, letters home to loved ones, and the boredom, fear, and discomfort come through loud and clear as well as items about VA hospitals, the draft, and other issues concerning our troops. (St. Petersburg Times) "You'd like to stretch this day out forever. Not a cloud in the sky. No one ahead of you. Nobody pressing you... Light up a Lucky - it's light-up time." Or, how about "Everywhere you go... it's have a Chesterfield. They Satisfy!" My, my, how cigarette advertising has changed since we were inhaling the weed back in the 1940's -- and 1950's. You can check out some of the original ads at Chickenhead. While there, click the Home button on the left for some up-to-date satire; then click on Peruse the Chickenhead Archive at the bottom of the home page for some merciless pieces on Oprah, Julio, Suzanne, Andy, Mike Tyson, and Ken Starr. (Netsurfer Digest)
Mylastemail.com is a unique online service, which allows you to leave messages for those you care about – to be emailed after your death. It may sound a bit morbid, but think about it: it would be more immediate than a will, and not couched in dry legalese either. And of course it can be sent out to lots of people, customized as you wish. Question: Is life on the other side free of spam? (St Petersburg Times) Cowboy Pal is the website home for the Silver Screen cowboys of the 30's, 40's, and 50's. You'll find comic covers, old time radio broadcasts, and videos of the likes of Gene Autry, Roy and Dale Rogers, Annie Oakley and of course you can buy VHS tapes and DVDs of your favorites, too. Go on, it'll take you back to a simpler era. (Parade) Service veterans die at the rate of some 2000 per day; that's what motivated the Stories of Service project. Those involved, in cooperation with the VA, train students and older volunteers to work with local veterans, using computers to produce short multimedia movies about the veteran's wartime experiences. The site displays several samples of the results, all of which are to be preserved at the Library of Congress. Learn how to volunteer; time is limited. (Netsurfer Digest) How old is an old dog? According to the Senior Dogs Project, you calculate its age in human years and it's a Senior if it's more than 40-ish and less than 70-ish, depending on its weight; older than that and it's geriatric. The site is mainly devoted to adoptions, with plenty of urgent photographic examples. There's plenty of advice on caring for an older dog, plus over 30 articles on Conditions and Diseases. (Netsurfer Digest) Anyone involved in the Normandy invasion on D-Day needs to read the shocking story written in 1960 by S. L. A. Marshall, from his field historian notes taken at the time and reprinted in a recent Atlantic Monthly. The official, sanitized description of the Omaha beach landings is nothing like this and "the ordeal these men went through makes the beach scenes of 'Saving Private Ryan' look like a stroll in the park". (Netsurfer Digest) The World War II Memorial is finally being built in Washington D.C. and will be dedicated in May, 2004. Any U.S. citizen who helped win the war, whether a veteran or someone on the home front, is eligible for the Registry of Remembrances, an individual listing of Americans who contributed to the war effort. You can check names of friends or relatives or add your own. View some high resolution images of the Monument or buy the inevitable baseball caps, coffee mugs etc. (St Petersburg Times) "Roadside Peek will take you on a roadside journey in time. As you travel, visit old motels, bowling alleys, drive-in theatres, neon signs, petrol pumps, googie sites, tiki villages, and much more." I looked up googie on Google and found out it wasn't a misprint, but a term used to describe a kind of garish, tacky architecture known as Exaggerated Modern, of the fifties and sixties era. (Leon Izmirlian) If you are wondering how to cope with this, that or the other situation with a grandchild, look no further than the appropriate AARP site. It's all here, whether it's fun with them, gifts for them, their health, caring for your grandchildren, long distance grandparents or grandparents raising grandchildren - even grandkids and computers.. It's hard to imagine a situation not covered in these dozens of helpful articles. (AARP Bulletin) If you worked in an office as a young man or woman, before the computer age, you may well recognize some of the office equipment and machines that you toiled at by visiting the Early Office Museum. It appears to be a virtual museum, although it does offer various machines for sale from the 1800's through about 1950. For example, for the tycoon who has everything, treat him to a massive 1886 Gould & Cook Gem pencil sharpener for a cool $995. (Netsurfer Digest) The vast majority of Americans are in favor of organ donation. More than half say they have signed a donor card or indicated their wish to donate on their driver's license. Both these are legal documents, but nothing is done without consulting the family. You can find out the facts and get a donor card at Share Your Life. And if you want to go further and donate your whole body, all you have to do is call the University of Florida at 352-392-3588, or visit Living Bank. (St Petersburg Times) Do you know an American serviceman or woman stationed overseas, far from these shores? It can be a pretty lonely experience, but one you can do your bit to relieve by sending a message through Operation Dear Abby. You select a branch of the services and, if you like, your own state before reading others' messages or writing one of your own. It's quite moving to see the patriotic spirit displayed in these messages. (AARP) I have taught senior citizens about computers for many years and knew our SeniorNet program had a website, but I rarely visited it. Now I've taken a closer look at the SeniorNet site, and am mightily impressed with this wonderful resource. Click on Courses and on Learning Centers to find out about classes you may take in one of the 200 or more local centers around the country. But wait! There's much more. The Enrichment Centers button leads to many stimulating activities and interests you can take part in by using your PC without leaving home. There are also hundreds of Discussion Groups and Chat Rooms, even Galleries that display seniors' traditional or computer generated Arts and Crafts. Great stuff. (SeniorNet) If
you're entertaining or visiting with the grandkids over the holidays,
you might be scratching your head over suitable gifts for the little "All Japanese officers, when killed in battle, were automatically promoted to the next higher rank" Lesser Known Facts of WWII is a remarkable collection of fascinating stories, focusing mainly on the European conflict (but there is also much to be found on the Pacific theater). The author is pretty even handed, and records Allied and Axis blunders equally. Full of hard facts and statistics, it also gives brief stories of well known military personnel and how they died. Other sections are Maritime Disasters of WWII, Massacres of WWII and Women of the Third Reich. (Netsurfer Digest) Remember Gomer Pyle selling Corn Flakes, Carol Channing pushing Dream Whip and Andy Griffith selling Sanka Coffee? You can find and enjoy video clips from their shows at Video Vault's When Stars Did the Commercials in the fifties and sixties. As a memory challenge, who were the pitchmen for M&Ms, Ovaltine, Tootsie Rolls and Simonize? (Netsurfer Digest). The parent TV Party site has entertaining gossip about the TV stars and shows of the period. (Tourbus) Those who flew in military aircraft, especially in combat, will enjoy visiting Riveting Images, where many aviation artists offer their visions of the aircraft they loved. The original lithographs or prints offered here range from WWI to jet fighters, accompanied by background and stories of the incidents portrayed. You can search the catalog by artist or by aircraft type. (Netsurfer Digest) There's a team of European and American veterans that organizes tours of WWII European battlefields and cold war sites for the military, their relatives and friends. At Liberty Road, tours are often customized for veterans of a specific US army division or air force unit, or they follow a particular campaign. Looks like a class operation. (Union Jack) Remember
The Twilight Zone, Father Knows Best and The Hitchcock Hour, plus all
the other TV shows we watched in the 50's and 60's? If memory is a
bit hazy, visit Baby Boomers
HQ for photos, cast lists, a brief description and - in many cases -
a sound clip of the theme tune. There is an archive of boomer
music, a boomer fashion segment and essays on what
it means to be a boomer. There's even a chance to vote for your favorite
boomer tunes. (Netsurfer Digest) If
you have a legal question
looming up, you might be worried about costs,
or be concerned about getting signed up with the wrong attorney. Now there
is an e-mail based initial legal advice service sponsored by the St.
Petersburg Bar Association called Ask-A-Lawyer.
An enquirer is referred to an attorney
specialized in the appropriate legal area, and the initial consultation is
free (St. Petersburg Times)
A visit to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington is a most moving
experience. The Virtual
Wall is a searchable online repository of thousands of tributes and
photos added to the site by relatives and friends of the men and women
who gave their lives in the Vietnam War. You can view and search
the actual panels and add your own written or photographic
remembrance. (Parade)
The 50-plus Circle of Friends is an extensive list of websites created by seniors for seniors, each introduced by a sentence or two. These are not "professional" sites but nevertheless some are quite sophisticated. Although some are simple "personal" pages, others cover a huge and eclectic range of interests, such as weaving, western swing, canoe art, US veterans, theatre pipe organs, a Nova Scotia garden, motorcycling in Arizona - and that's just from A and B in the index. Even more riches are in store at the parent 50-plus Friends site, a collaborative effort of thirty-odd volunteers scattered across the country who edit what looks like a Seniors' Internet all by itself. For example, you can find here a Bulletin Board, a Chat Room, a Message Board, Friends Cookbook, Glory Days, It's Your Health, Pastor's Page, Paws and Claws as well as the above Circle of Friends. (Neat Net Tricks) Japanese mistreatment of Allied POWs during WWII is documented in detail at Fukuoka POW Camp #1. Original documents are recorded here, including contemporary sketches and photos, affidavits and transcripts of interviews with officers and men taken after the liberation. Material covers a variety of POW camps and transport ships and in some instances is quite horrific. (Netsurfer Digest) Perhaps you remember classmates.com where you can locate old friends in high school or college. Unfortunately, you had to cough up $25 for the privilege. Now there is a competitor at Alumni.net that claims to have 1.5 million entries - and is free (so far). The coverage is worldwide and is not confined to schools, but includes other organizations, so be prepared to find the entries spread rather thinly at present (2/01) (Netsurfer Digest) This American WWII Veteran site "is not only enlivened by people who fought or who supported the troops, it embraces successive generations. Visitors try to pinpoint where relatives fell. Historians appeal for stories of combat. Dealers trade memorabilia. The bookstore, happily, offers vet discounts up to 30%." (Netsurfer Digest There are real possibilities here to re-connect with your high school Classmates which has over one million people registered from 30,000 high schools across the country. Don't forget to register yourself! Have you recently toyed with the idea of selling your home or buying a new one? Go to Domania, enter the street name and zip code and find out what neighboring homes have sold for in recent years. Then, sign up with Domania and use Value Check to estimate the value of the home, determine its equity, and project its future value. The Ad Access Project presents images and text for over 7000 ads from newspapers and magazines between 1911 and 1955. Lots of nostalgia here; subject areas include Radio, TV, Transportation, Beauty and Hygiene and World War II. To find out about Florida's adult living facilities, rentals, communities, medical and other information, visit the Senior Provider online directory of senior services, facilities and resources. If you served in the Armed Forces, you might want to see how they now operate in cyberspace. Check out the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine sites and I think you'll be pretty impressed. If you don't have a good law book at home, you can find law for the layman at Free Advice. Having just set up a family trust, I found the website's explanations and advice on this tricky topic to be helpful, apparently comprehensive and written in plain English. MyFamily.com is a service dedicated to connecting and strengthening families. In just 3 minutes you can start sharing family news, photos, calendar events, a chat room and more, in your own private, password-protected family Web site. You can also build (or upload) your own family tree, online, and it's all absolutely FREE! If you or yours have kids or young teens using the Internet, and you are concerned about what they may be up to, you probably can't do better than to visit Get Net Wise, recommended by Bob Rankin at Tourbus.com If you were involved in WWII, particularly in Europe and especially with D-Day, you may have visited the D-Day Memorial and Cemetery near the landing beaches in France. Alternatively you can visit the American Battle Monuments Commission website, where you can see photos of all the cemeteries and monuments of both World Wars. A congenial place to visit is Jim Kirk-White's that is chock-full of mature humor, music and just fun things plus links chosen for the 50+ Friends Club. Now supposing you were curious about Chat on the 'Net but haven't tried it yet. You can get a helpful introduction to it at Silver Threads, plus a number of other interesting articles for newbies. As you might expect, the AARP sponsors one of the most comprehensive senior sites you can find but do you also know about their 55Alive! program? That's where you attend a refresher driving course - and you may as a result qualify for a discount on your car insurance premium. While on the subject of education, whether or not you belong to Elderhostel, you can search online through their massive catalog of trips for seniors throughout the world. More convenient than plowing through the paper version. The national SeniorNet site offers much information about our own organization at its HQ location in San Francisco plus its activities in support of the individual learning centers and members nationwide. You can link to many SeniorNet Learning Center websites such as those for San Jose, CA, and our own Tampa center. More specialized interests are catered to at Senior Law which offers information on Elder Law, Medicare, Medicaid, Estate Planning, Trusts and the rights of the elderly and disabled. Slightly more relaxed is NoloPress that also offers legal advice including will and trust software, social security and retirement, legal encyclopedia and legal jokes. (Chuck Runkle) |
