I don’t know why others watch American Idol. I watch to cheer talented people, often very young though I note their average age is rising. It’s always nice to see that unknown average person, hard working, struggling, trying to pursue a dream, get unbelievable exposure and achieve their dreams. To me, its symbolic for our times now, the struggle, the hope, and the final results of success for someone with whom we can relate. I think Idol is ageless and for those of us old enough to have heard music for decades, interesting to see those who are fearless in changing up the older music. Just because we get older doesn’t mean we stop living. And the distraction and discussion it generates help us all to focus on positive things to stimulate the joy juices in our brains.

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The loss of a child, or any family member, is a tragedy to the involved family. In 1996, the Federal Government passed a law, HIPAA, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 to protect the privacy of health information and keep it from being disseminated publicly. It was designed to protect your civil rights as it relates to your personal health. Yet, the death of Jett Travolta has evoked media coverage that belies this privacy right of Jett and his family.

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From my friend Shirley. This should put the economy and bailout in perspective: Too  true to be funny.

The  next time you hear a politician use the word  ’billion’ in a casual manner, think about  whether  you want the ‘politicians’ spending YOUR tax  money. A  billion is a difficult number to comprehend,

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I don’t pretend to be a political activist or more knowledgeable then those that are. I am a mere mortal who happens to be a woman (so don’t accuse me of gender bias when discussing Palin), a Hillary fan (and Palin is not Hillary!), a former nurse, a marketer for health services within the leading group of senior housing and health, a mother, a grandmother, a daughter. And not since Al Gore lost his winning presidential election have I been so interested in the presidential campaign and election. I look to experts to provide me facts and figures and report them and refer to them in this blog.

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I’ve just returned from the kick-off for this year’s AARP convention, and since I’m not yet old enough to have my own membership card, its made me truly anticipate the day that I do.

There are people here from all walks of life, all ethnicities… people from all 50 states and over 13 countries. Some are dressed in Sunday best, others in comfortable, casual clothing and ready for a long day of learning, walking, and exploring both the convention and the nation’s capital.

There is excitement and anticipation in the air, not to mention a sense of purpose–the people attending seem to be creating an energy all their own.  With 40 million members, it’s no surprise that even a fraction of those members attending can cause an electric force all their own.

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