Sorted by date Results 918 - 942 of 1132
Staff from Alaska’s Social Security office will be available for questions via videoconferencing at the following locations and times: Kodiak Job Center, on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month (Nov. 10 and 24), 9 a.m. to noon. Kenai Senior Center, on the first and third Wednesday of each month (Nov. 4 and 18), 9 a.m. to noon. Ketchikan Job Center, every Thursday (Nov. 5, 12, 19 and 26), noon to 3 p.m. Social Security provides toll-free telephone service to all of Alaska. Residents in Alaska’s southeast communities can call the Jun...
Dear Jonathan: My husband and I have been married for 10 years and it is a second marriage for both of us. We both have adult children from our first marriages. We have recently been talking about putting together an estate plan, but we are having difficulty deciding how to provide for each of our respective children at either of our deaths. We each want to provide our own children with a certain portion of our assets when we die, but are not quite sure how to accomplish that. Do we just leave it to the other spouse and trust that he or she...
Q. Is there any way I can reduce the size of a photo that was given to me in .JPG format? A. There sure is: Irfanview is a free graphics viewer/editor. Once installed, click "File", then "Open" to display your photo. With the picture displayed, click "Image," then "Resize/Resample". You will be able to choose from several options in the next window, including setting a new size by typing in the pixel dimensions, making the new picture a percentage of the original, or selecting from several standard sizes. If you click the Half button, you can...
Earlier this year, I wrote a blog on lottery scams and the vulnerability of seniors to this type of scheme – whether by phone, mail, or email. Since then, I have received more reports from victims. Community partners throughout the state have all mentioned an uptick in cases of lottery scams. Just last month, I spoke with the daughter of a 91-year old woman who contacted Better Business Bureau with her mom’s story. It’s a heartbreaking story. She told me that her mom has sent a total of $20,000 to scammers. It all began with the scam artis...
I was pretty hard on the well intending elected officials who are trying to expand Medicaid to the uninsured in the in my article last month. My objections were based on my concern for the cost to the state in a time when future revenues are going to be limited and uncertain. Having been taken to the woodshed more than once in my life, this time I have finally have seen the light. I am not sure if it was a blinding light or a burning bush, but my religious epiphany occurred just the same. I had...
One of the last ships scheduled to leave Southeast Alaska in the fall of 1918 met with disaster only a few days into her voyage. On October 23, Canadian Pacific Railway steamship Princess Sophia pulled out of the port at Skagway around 10 p.m. and headed into the Lynn Canal bound for Vancouver. The 245-foot Scottish-built ship was filled with 350 Klondikers, families and others heading south for the winter. The steamship company, in an effort to hold more passengers for the voyage, had...
From "I Love Lucy" and "All in the Family" to "Married with Children" and "Seinfeld," structuring a sitcom around four lead characters often proved a successful formula. "It was the perfect format for 'The Honeymooners,'" said Joyce Randolph, who starred as Trixie in the popular 1950s series based on two tenement-dwelling couples – the Kramdens and the Nortons. As the sole surviving member of the original series cast – which included Jackie Gleason, Art Carney and Audrey Meadows – Rando...
Dear Jonathan: My husband and I recently completed our estate planning. We were able to save a lot of money by downloading forms off the Internet. The forms were pretty straightforward and after doing our own research we feel very comfortable with what we did. One thing we chose not to do, however, was to prepare wills which we didn’t feel were necessary because we created a trust. It is our understanding that if we have a trust, our assets are protected from probate and a will isn’t necessary. Are we on the right track? Jonathan Says: Fir...
Q. How do I capture or save what appears on screen? A. Depending on the version of Windows being used, press the Windows Logo Key and the Print Screen key, which is sometimes displayed as the PrntScrn or PrtSc key. Pressing the Print Screen key copies what appears on screen to the Windows Clipboard. You can then paste it into another document or email message. If you want to capture only the active window – the window in which you are currently working – and not any other window that might be lurking in the background, hold down the ALT key...
They’re not real ghosts, but sadly it’s true that thieves are able to steal the credit of people who are gone. They open accounts, run up bills, and get away with it for a while. That’s called ghosting. According to security firm ID Analytics, 2.5 million people every year are running up charges after they are deceased. While Aunt Sally may have passed on, as far as creditors know she’s out shopping for designer boots or high-rolling in a Las Vegas casino. And you may not find out about it `til collectors come looking for payment from Aunt Sall...
Much has been written about the governor’s attempt to expand Medicaid in Alaska and the debate has yet to be settled. While I am sure some of the stakeholders like the working poor, social service non-profits, medical providers, and small businesses are in support of the expansion, seniors and veterans are the big losers. I have been admonished that it is selfish of me to deny coverage to someone who cannot afford health insurance when I have coverage. This line of justification does not wash w...
Everyone keeps a little cash for emergencies, right? We do our best to hide it, but the trouble is, most of us hide it in places that burglars can easily find. Chris McGoey, a Los Angeles based security expert lists a couple of the worst places to hide cash. In your bedroom. This is where most of us hide cash, jewelry and easily-grabbed valuables. McGoey says this is the first place crooks look. Forget the dresser, the night stand, under the mattress, in the closet. “Burglars will flip the bed over almost every time,” he says. McGoey also say...
Many of those who came to Alaska during World War II liked what they saw and decided to set down roots in the Last Frontier. Among them was a true visionary who created one of Anchorage's premier recreational facilities, organized the Alaska Territorial Guard and built the first subdivision in the town once known as "Ship Creek." Born in Tyler, Washington, in 1890, Marvin "Muktuk" Marston found himself mining copper and gold from the bush country of Northern Ontario and Quebec in the late...
Laughter is often cited as a key ingredient for a successful marriage. Shirley Jones and Marty Ingels would agree. In 1974, Shirley was leaving an art exhibit at Michael Landon's home when Marty bumped into her. Literally. "I was getting into my car and as Marty was arriving, he knocked me over onto a chaise lounge," laughed Jones from the couple's home in Encino, Calif. "That's how we met." Marty, however, didn't hit and run. The two actors became friends and were married 3 years later. "That...
Dear Jonathan: My wife and I know the importance of each of us having a durable power of attorney for health care, so each of us has one. However, we own all of our assets jointly, so we know we don’t have a probate problem and we really don’t see the need to have a will, a trust, or even a durable power of attorney for financial matters. Do you agree? Jonathan Says: No. Let’s take a look at why a will and trust are important. First of all, you are partially correct when you say that you don’t have a “probate problem” because you and your wife...
Q. I use Facebook in a browser on my Android phone. I don’t understand why, if I can easily use it in a browser, do I need to install the Facebook app? A. Excellent question! You certainly can continue to use Facebook as you are doing and it will continue to work pretty much as it normally does. But some things won’t work. Anything that requires Flash, for example, is not supported in an Android browser. If it requires Flash to run, most developers have created an app to make it work. So do you have to use the Facebook app? No, but keep in min...
Editor’s note: This press release was received July 14. On the 50th Anniversary of the Older Americans Act (OAA), The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) — the nation’s largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to the field of aging — is calling on Congress to reauthorize this vital legislation, which supports programs and services for approximately 11 million individuals and their families. Through a national network of aging services and funding, the OAA offers a wide range of supports, including home-delivered and congregate meals,...
We had been having a wonderful summer and I always expect a colorful autumn here in Anchorage. That is, the summer started out well, but I had an unexpected problem. I wasn’t feeling well and when a friend stopped in to see me, I must have looked very bad because he immediately called 911. The EMTs thought I needed to go to the hospital and that is where I ended up. I was standing next to a nurse, who for some reason was holding on to me. She let go and the next thing I knew, I was on the floor,...
Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson Alaska announced it would be losing the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) of the 25th Infantry Division due to an Army wide 40,000 troop reduction. The loss of 2,600 troops and the accompanying civilian positions will be a blow to the local economy and the U.S. Arctic Defense Force. The Alaskan Congressional delegation promised to fight the move in the face of the growing threat from the People’s Republic of China, Russia and North Korea. “Alaska based ass...
Prospectors searching for gold in the Wrangell Mountains during the early 1900s found a mountain of copper instead. Others had discovered coal and oil in the Prince William Sound and Bering River regions. Only transportation – a railroad – was needed to bring copper, coal and oil together to unlock the riches of Midas. Five separate railroads were started from three different points on the coast. Then the fight was on – gun battles, political battles, court battles, fantastic right...
Generally regarded as one of the classic beauties to grace the big screen throughout the '40s and '50s, Arlene Dahl's career extended beyond the reach of the camera. "I've had many different careers," said Ms. Dahl, who turns 87 in August, from her home in New York. "I was a writer for twenty years with a beauty column in the Chicago Tribune, which was syndicated in 180 newspapers around the world." As an author, Dahl has penned 14 books and is currently working on more, including an...
Dear Jonathan: My wife and I prepared wills several years ago. We thought by doing so that we were avoiding probate which was the main purpose why we prepared wills. However, a close friend of ours recently died and her estate is now being probated even though she prepared a will. This came as quite a shock to us as we thought we had everything covered. Could you please shed some light on this? Jonathan says: Yes. Unfortunately, many people share the same misconception that by preparing a last will and testament probate can be avoided. Whether...
Q. It seems like lots of “experts” have varying opinions about Net Neutrality. Can you explain it in layman’s terms? I am against the government sticking its nose into my business, but I don’t understand the issue. A. Net Neutrality 101. It’s a complex subject about which volumes have been written, but in its simplest form, Net Neutrality is a principle that states that all information flowing across the Internet should be treated equally. With more people streaming data-rich video, Skype (Internet telephone), playing online games, watching...
Under the guise of compassion a Physician Assisted Suicide Bill (HB99) has been offered by certain members of the legislature. The so called “Right to Die” bill is nothing less than “State Sponsored Homicide”. In 1959 Alaska instituted the state constitution. Section 7 provides that no person will be deprived of life without Due Process of Law, and Section 22 protects a person’s Right to Privacy. The Supreme Court in Sampson vs. Alaska held that physician assisted suicide is illegal. Notwithstanding, authors of HB99 state that the bill is a...
Unless you have been living in a cave in the Tri-border area of Pakistan, you realize the State of Alaska is facing a serious budget crisis. The Governor chaired a fiscal sustainability conference in Fairbanks earlier this year to address the state’s finanace and cost saving options. One of the many suggestions was to have the Department of Health and Social Services contract for a feasibility study to determine if out-sourcing or privatizing the management of the Pioneer Homes system was cost effective. DHSS is considering issuing a c...
