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Summer begins the moving season, here's what to know
For countless Americans, summer signifies a major transition in their lives. Whether it’s graduating from high school or college, starting a new job, or receiving that highly anticipated acceptance letter, summer is the busiest time of year for...
How I met my life (while writing it down)
Q: When I was younger, my uncle gave me a copy of his manuscript detailing his life. Now in my advanced years, I am thinking about writing my own life summary. Where do I start? A: Chronicling your...
Medicare coverage for mental health
Mental health care can diagnose and treat mental illnesses or mental health conditions. A mental illness or mental health condition may affect your thinking, feeling or mood. Examples of mental health conditions include depression, anxiety and schizo...
Risk of malnutrition increases as you age
The term "malnutrition" is used when a person has an inadequate diet. This diet does not allow them to obtain the necessary nutrients for their body and organs to function properly. In older...
Father's Day: A meaningful, historic tradition
How did Father’s Day begin? According to Wikipedia, there has been a customary day to celebrate fatherhood since at least 1508 in Europe. The national day honoring dads in the United States is recognized as being started by Sonora Smart Dodd, who w...
Safety in and on the water for older Alaskans
Water safety is essential for all ages but particularly important for seniors. As people age, they often experience changes in their physical abilities and health that can make them more vulnerable...
Living with antiques
"Dad, we would like to replace your stove. Is that okay with you?" I asked back in the spring of 2004. He said he supposed so. I was planning a two-month visit with him in Homer and the thought of...
Surprising history of once-booming Alaska town
Thousands of gold seekers flooded into the North country during the late 1800s and settled around new towns such as Nome, Juneau and Dawson. Several also streamed into Cook Inlet. They hacked out...
Calling all Knuckleheads: Touring with the Three Stooges
Despite extensive on-screen credits throughout their long careers, the Three Stooges comedy team only spent about a month or two a year in front of the cameras, rarely producing more than 10 of their...
Can I collect Social Security from my ex-spouse?
Dear Savvy Senior: Is it possible to collect Social Security benefits from my ex-spouse? We were married for 12 years but have been divorced for almost 20 years now. - Never Remarried Dear Never...
Something big is coming, and soon
I really dislike all of the sensationalism out there. Everywhere you look, it’s teaser, click-bait, outrage-inducing headlines and hotlinks, exaggerating or even outright lying to get you to look....
Event photo sharing, internet plumbing, USB cables
Q. We are hosting a family picnic this summer and wish everyone could share their photos with everyone else. Any ideas? A. Dropevent lets you set up an invitation-only online photo gallery. The gallery allows everyone at the party to submit photos,...
Online shopping poses biggest risks to consumers
Online shopping has certainly made it easier to purchase products and services. But for many, that convenience has come with consequences. The most recent BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report revealed that, for a third consecutive year, online purchases...
AARP focuses on legislative priorities
On behalf of our more than 75,000 members, AARP Alaska is working to pass legislation in the current state legislative session that empowers all Alaskans to choose how they live as they age, and the vast majority of us want to age at home in our...
12 caregiver rights everyone should know
A caregiver is a person in charge of providing specific and often specialized care to older adults and people with chronic diseases. In other words, they are committed to accompanying and improving the quality of life of the person they care for....
Medicare and making the most of your doctor visits
Obtaining the best health care involves good communication between you and your doctor. Today I will help explain how you can build an effective relationship with your doctor and make the most of your visits. Communicate well with your health care...
Treat Mom to something special for Mother's Day
Wikipedia reveals that the modern Mother’s Day holiday was first celebrated in 1907. Anna Jarvis campaigned to make Mother’s Day a recognized holiday beginning in 1905, when her mother Ann Reeves Jarvis passed. Anna’s mother had been a peace...
Grandparents raising their grandchildren
Q: My daughter has recently gotten divorced and previous occasional visits with grandchildren has now turned into full-time care, due to an absent father and a daughter who cannot afford to care for...
Joining or starting a pickleball club
There's something to be said for strength in numbers. Joining a club where you live, or where you go to vacation, even on short visits, gives you that advantage of numbers: New people to play with,...
Remembering the 'Nurse from New York'
"Here is something you might like to take a look at," Dad commented back in spring 2005 as he brought me a worn manila colored bundle tied with string. Dad had been puttering around looking for...
WWII Japanese ousted from Aleutians, May 1943
This coming Memorial Day, it seems fitting to honor the sacrifice that America's brave military made in the Aleutians 80 years ago this month. Under the mistaken belief the Doolittle Raiders had...
Fans are still dreaming of Jeannie
No doubt many a teenage lad, and even a few adults, developed a major crush on Barbara Eden during her five-season run in the 1960s sitcom "I Dream of Jeannie." Now 91, fans are delighted to see the...
Family members who kill, in Hollywood and real life
One of my guilty pleasures is watching the latest celebrity “trial of the month” on Court TV, and I definitely tracked the recent Alex Murdaugh murder trial. If you haven’t been following it, Al...
Artificial intelligence and ChatGPT, in its own words
This month’s Tech Talk is a little different. Nearly all of it was written by a computer. This technology has been under development for decades. It has been a staple of science fiction movies since I was a kid. Recently, one of the most advanced...
Artificial Intelligence: Bright side and dark side
I periodically listen to a New York Times podcast called "The Daily." A recent show was entitled, "The Online Search Wars Got Scary. Fast." Of course, I had to listen to that one. In this episode the...
