Automobiles and us

Let me ask you a question. Do you get frustrated, angry or otherwise bent out of shape when you car is not working well?

Mine was in for "major surgery" which took a lot longer than anyone thought - due to all the underneath corrosion from years of being in New England.....[amazing what that salt, sand and who-know-what does to your car. ]

Got my car back but the gas tank is needing to be re-replaced as the new [used] one has a problem...
It's drivable but I still got antsy - why?

A friend said she feels the same way and it's about independence...even if we do not drive our cars - we like to know they are around and ready to go - just in case. And if you know there is a problem with the car - it takes away that little bit of independence? Sounds right to me...

The question then is obvious...What on earth will we do when we can no longer drive safely? Giving up a license has got to be worse than not having a car in "great" shape....I've taken the "older" driver classes and learned some things - and we always talk about when do you give up that license... as it is a sure loss of a large degree of independence....as I see it now...but there is a part of me that is and has been tired of driving for a while now.....so I will ponder this questions myself...as I get ready to drive somewhere : -)

Skin Care - Week 1

OK - the 1st week - the top photo was taken before I started with the products last Monday evening and I took the recent photo after this morning's skin care "session."

One thing I am learning - it's hard to take photos of yourself if you hold the camera in you hand : -) but the point is not a "great" picture but a look at me series....







It may not be all that visible to you but I see the dark circles under my eyes as fading - especially under the right eye. The one under my left - and weaker eye- has always been darker.

I tend to see my mouth wrinkles as smoothing out too - and that's nice....

Week 2 next week! The research on these products indicates a major change after 8 weeks - so we'll keep looking and posting. And by next time I will have gotten the much needed hair cut : - )

Women and pay

There is a new study out that tells us one year out of college - women earn 80 cents for every dollar men earn...

Ok - so people see that and go - well 20 cents isn't that bad

What the headlines do not say is that 10 years out - the 80 cents becomes 69 cents!

So women in the work force - if you have been working 10 years or more - you make 31 cents an hour less than your male counterpart - for equivalent jobs and responsibilities!

These figures have been pretty bad as far back as I can remember. And as one who was denied jobs solely because I was a female - I decided that I would work for me - and have done so with a few scattered attempts at working for others....

Water based skin care

I received my full supply of the preservative-free water-based skin care products the other day and decided to document my skin changes while using the products -

Each week I will post a photo of me pre-products and then one for each week of use...let's see how long it takes for noticeable changes to occur.

I was hoping for overnight immediate return of a youthful 30 year old look - but alas - that did not happen :- )

Another Take on the "died without an heir" scam

This writer at least knows that this is not legal....and a clue is that there are
significant errors -  "in testate" [for example.]...

If you ever get emails like this - and there is no end to the variation -
delete them or post them for all to read..

These are SCAMS.....no legitimate bank, lawyer or private investigator would
need to send emails to unknown persons...I get these scams at email addresses
to which no real name is attached...and they call me friend - dear one - etc.
So how can they tell me my name is the same as the deceased?

I also put the name Paul Lockett in google and found some sites that played games
back with these scammers - the emails are hilarious - as the photos one guy
got them to send him

Good day,

My name is Mr. Paul Lockett, I am a senior partner in the firm of
Infinity Consultants "Private Investigators and Security Consultants".
We are conducting a standard process investigation on behalf
of "HSBC", the International Banking conglomerate.

This investigation involves a client who shares the same surname with
you and also the circumstances surrounding investments made by this
client at "HSBC", the Private Banking arm of HSBC. The HSBC Private
Banking client died in testate and nominated no successor in title
over the investments made with the bank. I would respectfully request
that you keep the contents of this mail private and respect the
integrity of the information you come by as a result of this mail.

I contact you independently of our investigation and no one is
informed of this communication. I would like to intimate you with
certain facts that I believe would be of interest to you.

You share similar details to the late fellow; I am prepared to place
you in a position to instruct the firm to release the deposit to you
as the closest surviving relation. Upon receipt of the deposit, I am
prepared to share the money with you, that is, I will simply nominate
you as the next of kin and have them release the deposit to you. We
share the proceeds 50/50. I would have gone ahead to ask the funds be
released to me, but that would have drawn a straight line to me and my
involvement in claiming the deposit. But on the other hand, you with
the same very name as the depositor's would easily pass as the
beneficiary with right to claim. I assure you that I could have the
deposit released to you within few days.

I am aware of the consequences of this proposal. I ask that if you
find no interest in this project that you should discard this mail. I
ask that you do not be vindictive and destructive. If my offer is of
no appeal to you, delete this message and forget I ever contacted you.
Do not destroy my career because you do not approve of my proposal.
You may not know this but people like myself who have made tidy sums
out of comparable situations run the whole private banking sector. I
am not a criminal and what I do, I do not find against good
conscience, this may be hard for you to understand, but the dynamics
of my industry dictates that I make this move. Such opportunities only
come ones in a lifetime. I cannot let this chance pass me by, for
once, I have found myself in total control of my destiny. These
chances won't pass me by. I ask that you do not destroy my chance, if
you will not work with me let me know and let me move on with my life
but do not destroy me. I am a family man and this is an opportunity to
provide them with new opportunities.

There is a reward for this project and it is a task well worth
undertaking. I have evaluated the risks and the only risk I have here
is from you refusing to work with me. I am the only one who knows of
this situation, good fortune has blessed you with a name that has
planted you into the center of relevance in my life. Lets share the
blessing. If you find yourself able to work with me, contact me
through my email account below. If you give me positive signals, I
will initiate this process towards a conclusion.

I send you this mail not without a measure of fear as to what the
consequences, but I know within me that nothing ventured is nothing
gained and that success and riches never come easy or on a platter of
gold. This is the one truth I have learned from my private banking
clients. Do not betray my confidence. If we can be of one accord, we
should plan a meeting, soon.

Kind regards,

Mr. Paul Lockett.
paullocket1@myway.com

Unhealthy boomers?

Interesting article in the Washington Post

As the first wave of baby boomers edges toward retirement, a growing body of evidence suggests that they may be the first generation to enter their golden years in worse health than their parents. While not definitive, the data sketch a startlingly different picture than the popular image of health-obsessed workout fanatics who know their antioxidants from their trans fats and look 10 years younger than their age.

Full article: click HERE

Wow - for years it was thought that the exercise conscious generation, who are organic food eaters and who tend to not smoke - were healthier than past generations. But no...

Much of the data is self reflection - but if you think you are not healthy - maybe you are not?

The boomers are more stressed - by jobs - by commutes to work - by modern life?

This is a far different version of where we are going as a culture then we previously thought. Will we, the older-than-boomers stay healthy enough to help take care of the generation after us? Will their kids also be unhealthy? I have noted that our obesity levels indicate that today's children will not live as long as did their parents - we are in fact shortening their lifespans.

Where does this all lead in terms of aging? policy? Hmmm - I don't know - but it shows we all need to keep as healthy as we can....

Medicare part D[umb] and the R's

At last we have a Congress willing to look at the give aways to the big pharmas in the Medicare part D legislation - but the Republicans think it's just working fine...

WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans appear determined to block legislation letting the government negotiate directly with drug companies for lower drug prices under Medicare, the latest obstacle for a proposal Democrats once trumpeted as a surefire money-saver.

Sen. Mitch McConnell, the GOP leader, said Monday that many members of his rank and file believe the new Medicare prescription drug program is "working beautifully, with remarkable coverage," and doesn't need fixing

I don't know about you - but drug prices are so high that most I know on Medicare hit the donut hole and had to pay full price for a while - and at the same time they had to continue paying for the privilege on paying... and the R's - who get great coverage in their plans - think this is working well. Sometimes I do wish that everyone in congress had to live on minimum wage and go without health insurance so they could see what it is like. They complain about the high cost of living in D.C. and surrounds. Well - 500,000 people live there and quite a few do not make the same salary as Congresspeople.

Wow - ain't it great getting older in the good old USA?????

Today's news:

Poor older Americans are missing out on government

WASHINGTON - Medicare's low-cost prescription drug coverage for needy senior citizens has been universally hailed as a model of compassionate public policy.

But volunteers and counselors who help people apply for the special coverage are having a tough time locating the remaining eligible people.

Of the estimated 4.4 million Medicare beneficiaries that lack prescription drug coverage, nearly 75 percent, roughly 3.3 million people, are believed to be eligible for Medicare's low-income prescription drug subsidy, according to federal data.

It's the latest episode of a recurring problem that has frustrated government officials, researchers and advocates for the poofodecades.Fullll

ll article HERE

and in a side article:

U.S. economy leaving record numbers in severe poverty

WASHINGTON - The percentage of poor Americans who are living in severe poverty has reached a 32-year high, millions of working Americans are falling closer to the poverty line and the gulf between the nation's "haves" and "have-nots" continues to widen.

The McClatchy analysis found that the number of severely poor Americans grew by 26 percent from 2000 to 2005. That's 56 percent faster than the overall poverty population grew in the same period McClatchy's's review also found statistically significant increases in the percentage of the population in severe poverty in 65 of 215 large U.S. counties, and similar increases in 28 states. The review also suggested that the rise in severely poor residents isn't confined to large urban counties but extends to suburban and rural areas.

Full article HERE

What has happened since 2000 that has caused so many to drop to poverty levels? My guess is that it's the republican version of how to ruin a good country... Republicans do not like government and especially do not like any programs that are from the Roosevelt days...but they love their corporate cronies whose salaries and bonuses have risen in this same time frame....

On top of that we have a costly invasion and occupation of Iraq and war profiteering...So US citizens are getting poorer, not even getting the help they need and the rich-connected are getting richer - at the expense of most of us...

Dieting - not good for you

For years I have said that dieiting is not good for you. Part of my rationale was that most "diets" are based on "we work for everyone" and I know that nothing is for everyone.

Then several years ago I was introduced to the concept of eating for your own genetic type...know what? I changed my eating pattern and oops - the weight went away...then I made another change to low glycemic foods - and oops - I am leaner...lost 5 hip inches....and some waist inches too...

So was not surprised to read an article saying just what many of us thought - you may lose weight on a diet but most put it back on and ADD more!

From the article:

UCLA associate professor of psychology and lead author of the study, Traci Mann said:

"You can initially lose 5 to 10 percent of your weight on any number of diets, but then the weight comes back."

"We found that the majority of people regained all the weight, plus more," she added.

The researchers found a very small minority of study participants managed to sustain weight loss, while the majority put all the weight back on, and more in the longer term.

"Diets do not lead to sustained weight loss or health benefits for the majority of people," said Dr Mann.

You can read the article HERE

And if you would like more information about the genetic types and eating - ask me.....