Sorted by date Results 576 - 600 of 601
Best known for her role as Sally Rogers in the 60’s CBS sitcom “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” Rose Marie turns 90 in August. “I don’t feel it,” she admitted when I spoke with her recently. “I feel 60, and still keep busy.” In the past year, that included voiceover work for “The Garfield Show” on the Cartoon Network. “I love it,” she said. “You don’t have to dress up or put on makeup. All you have to do is show up! Although I can do many different voices, the producer wanted my voice so people w...
Dear Jonathan: My uncle recently died and I was named as the executor of his estate. His will states that all of the proceeds of his life insurance policies are to be divided equally among his nieces and nephews – my cousins. However, all of his life insurance policies name me as the sole beneficiary. What does this mean? Does the will override the beneficiary designation? If not, am I morally obligated to share these proceeds? Jonathan says: When there is a conflict between what a will states and who is named as the beneficiary on a life insur...
Poor posture, inadequate lighting and other ergonomic and environmental issues can be particularly troublesome for older computer users – my aging self included. If you are a card-carrying baby-boomer or senior, here are a few tips you can use to make yourself comfortable and keep your computing productive and injury free. Correct keyboard position. Position your keyboard so that you can type while keeping your hands in a neutral, flat posture. To do this, place your keyboard on a height-adjustable, negative slope (a fancy-shmancy way of s...
I would like to reiterate, for all the Affordable Care (ACA) skeptics, the many benefits of ACA: 1. Health care plans now must allow parents to keep their children who are under the age of 26 on their family health coverage. (The exception in Alaska is because our governor has decided that the Alaska Care Retiree Health plan is not subject to that provision.) 2. The new 80/20 law means that insurance companies cannot spend more than 20 percent on administrative costs and must spend at least 80 p...
The current wisdom is that 70 percent of us will need long term care at some point. Alaska’s long term care is the most expensive in the nation. So long term care financing is on a lot of people’s minds, with good reason. However, if you are thinking about purchasing long term care insurance, it really pays to do the research so you understand the product. I highly recommend the consumer guides which the state Division of Insurance has on its website at http://commerce.alaska...
One of Alaska’s trailblazers made history 100 years ago this month. Robert E. “Bobby” Sheldon made the first automobile trip over the wagon trail from Fairbanks to Valdez in July 1913. Sheldon had another first before that feat. He built the first automobile in Alaska. Sheldon and his father arrived in Skagway from Snohomish, Wash., in 1883, on their way to the Klondike gold fields. However, Sheldon’s father died and left him to fend for himself at the age of 14. The boy survived by selling...
Now, in the heart of summertime, is time to think about spending some fun time with family and friends. So it is fitting that July is both National Vacation Month and National Park and Recreation Month. Going on vacation – whether to visit some of the nation’s great national and state parks or traveling to other fun destinations – doesn’t mean you need to disconnect completely. In fact, our new mobile website makes it easy for you to get the Social Security information you need when you’re...
Long-time Turner Classic Movies host Robert Osborne has interviewed just about every Hollywood star imaginable over the past 60 years – a dream job that any classic movie fan would envy. Although he dabbled briefly in acting, including the 1962 pilot episode of “The Beverly Hillbillies,” he became a journalist for the Hollywood Reporter. After accepting an offer as temporary host for an entertainment segment on CBS in New York, he fell in love with the city and television, and remained in both...
Q. I am concerned about the permission requests I get when I install apps on my Android phone. Some of them make me wonder if the apps are safe. Should I be concerned? A. Your concern is justified. Most Android app installations require some special-access permissions, so you have to decide whether a given app is worth allowing them. Many are necessary, while the need for others is questionable. For example, there are some wallpaper apps that require access to your Contacts. Before granting permission, stop and ask yourself, “Why would a w...
Congratulations to Rita Hatch, who was announced in May as the winner of this year’s Ron Hammett Award for outstanding service to seniors in the Anchorage community. Rita was presented the award at the Older Americans Month kick-off event May 2 at the Anchorage Senior Activity Center. Ron Hammett was a well-known advocate in Anchorage, having served on the Senior Citizens Advisory Commission, was board chair for the Anchorage Senior Center, and volunteered for AARP. It is fitting Rita be honored...
The Medicaid Expansion bill, which our Governor is opposing, would be a great benefit to the state for one simple reason. The Affordable Care Act is now a fact of life. It is not going away and not participating in it means that indigent patients enter the health care system through emergency rooms, which is far more expensive, and not through doctor’s offices. If these people were allowed to be on Medicaid, they could see a doctor and have access to preventive care and not become a high cost p...
When I lived in Bush Alaska, I used to love seeing the Native elders at the potlucks. They came from up and down the Yukon in all kinds of weather to sit together and share food and stories. As the moose nose soup bubbled and acres of salmon were placed before everyone, the feeling of community was so powerful and affirming, it simply felt wonderful to be there. It doesn’t feel wonderful to see Alaska Native elders in Anchorage long term care facilities. There are an estimated 250 Alaska N...
An unofficial head count taken at Sitka by the U.S. Army in 1869 revealed 391 civilians made up the town’s population, which included 10 saloonkeepers and 29 prostitutes. It was hoped that the 1880 Census would elevate Alaska’s image. Chosen to take the important tally was one of the most controversial figures in Alaska history, Ivan Petroff. Years later, historians would say Petroff was everything from a “Prevaricator Par Excellence” and able historian, to a three-time Army deserter, falsifier of documents and “teller of tall tales.” P...
If you’re a fan of old movies, you’ll recognize what the classics “Gilda,” “Blackboard Jungle,” “Courtship of Eddie’s Father,” and “Fastest Gun Alive” all have in common: Glenn Ford. Oddly enough, though he appeared in around 100 feature films, the first biography on Ford was only published in 2011. Ford’s son, Peter, authored “Glenn Ford: A Life,” and talked about his dad and the book, which is an insightful Hollywood bio filled with stories of one of film’s most underappreciated actors. In a...
The world is an economic mess. People with means are doing fine but they are a small portion of the population. We here in Alaska have not been hit as hard as parts of Europe but some of our older residents have changed their expectations. The March copy of the state Dept. of Labor Economic Trends show that Alaskans in the 55 to 65-plus age bracket are increasingly participating in the overall labor force. The percentage of increased participation is up about 6 percent for 2011 compared to previous years. It is more likely than not that the inc...
Just as many retiring baby boomers are seeking to buy long-term care insurance, the companies that provide it are making it more difficult to purchase by raising premiums, weakening coverage and charging women higher rates than men. According to data from the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance, premiums have risen dramatically in just the last year, by an average of 10 percent for couples and 20 percent for singles. Alternatively, more companies are giving customers the option to...
For older Alaskans living on a fixed income, senior housing can be a great option. Sometimes, though, our office receives complaints about senior housing property managers who abuse their power, repeatedly entering tenants’ units without permission or threatening eviction if seniors complain about poor service. Thankfully, this does not happen often. It is very important for seniors to know their rights as tenants in order to avoid being intimidated. I’d like to recommend an easy-to-read boo...
The Alaska Brain Injury Network and Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) present “Artistic Journey for Brain Injury Awareness,” May 11 in Anchorage, featuring folk music, art and educational presentations to highlight brain injuries and their impact on individuals and families. Informational booths will be on site, along with door prizes, raffles, and desserts provided by Sugar Spoon. The event takes place 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the ANTHC building, 4000 Ambassador Drive. Call 274-2824 or visit www.alaskabraininjury.net for more informa...
What do David Filby, Wilbur Post and Scrooge McDuck have in common? They were all characters (“The Time Machine,” “Mister Ed,” and “DuckTales,” respectively) played by actor Alan Young. A resident of Studio City, Calif., for over 50 years, Angus, as he was once known, was born in Northern England. His Scottish father soon moved the family to Edinburgh, then later to Canada when he was six. He suffered from prolonged bouts of asthma as a child and was bedridden for months at a time. During those depressing weeks, his spirits would be lifted b...
How long will your tax-deferred retirement savings last as you use them to supplement your Social Security checks? Obviously the answer is affected by how much you saved and the unknown factor of how many years you will live in retirement. But it also depends to a large extent on how much Uncle Sam leaves you after he takes what he calls his fair share. This is when the juggling act begins, figuring out ways to live comfortably and still make your retirement income stretch. Here are some ideas to help you save money by reducing how much Uncle...
From the stables to the tracks, people across the United States are already talking about this year’s Triple Crown. The three biggest thoroughbred horse races in the nation — the Kentucky Derby in Louisville, Kentucky; the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore, Maryland; and the Belmont Stakes in Elmont, New York — take place in the coming weeks. It has been 34 years since a horse has won all three and taken the U.S. Triple Crown. Social Security has a horse in the race, so to speak. We offer our own “Triple Crown” of social media at www.socia...
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 (May 14 and 28), 9 a.m. to noon. Kenai Senior Center, on the first and third Wednesday of each month (May 1 and 15), 9 a.m. to noon. Ketchikan Job Center, every Thursday (May 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30), 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...
Q. Sometimes when I drag a file from one location with the intention of placing it in another location, I fumble with the mouse and it winds up in the wrong spot. When that happens, is there some way I can cancel what I just did so I can start over? A. Windows does provide a second chance of sorts in the form of an Undo keystroke command for this type of oopsie. (It’s a technical term.) The universal Undo command is CTRL + Z, which works just about everywhere within Windows. You can use it copying or moving objects, pasting and even when e...
Dear Jonathan: I am a single man. My net worth is between $9 million and $10 million. I understand that under the current law the federal exclusion from federal estate taxes is $5 million, which means that if I die this year, my estate will incur a federal estate tax. My financial advisor is encouraging me to purchase a life insurance policy with a death benefit sufficient enough to offset any federal estate tax liability that will be imposed against my estate. Do you think this is a good idea? Jonathan says: The exclusion from federal estate...
