The Kennedy Impact Was Far Reaching

It's one thing to talk the talk--but how many people actually walk the walk of their talk? We all know Senator Ted Kennedy did a lot of talking during his 40 plus years in politics. We also know he followed up that talk with action.

During his years in the United States Senate, Kennedy fought many battles for the rights of others.

In 1964, for example, he gave the first speech to the Senate urging passage of the Civil Rights Act and outlawing segregation in public accommodations. He also supported the Economic Opportunity Act, which established programs like Head Start and the Job Corps.

Ten years later, Kennedy introduced comprehensive legislation for national health insurance. Then in 1975, he sponsored the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, which later became the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, requiring a free and appropriate public education for children with disabilities in every state.

In 1979, as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, he encouraged selection of women and minorities in judicial nominations.

Nearly 20 years later, his home state of Massachusetts, appointed it's first African-American to the State Supreme Court. Judge Roderick Ireland became the first African-American to sit on this bench in its over three hundred year history. That's one appointment I am personally giving Senator Kennedy credit for.

Judge Ireland also happens to be my daughter's godfather.

TV 101 - MORE Magazine

TV 101 - MORE Magazine

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Baby Boomers Need to Beware of Spam

Just like me, I'm sure you get your share of unwanted or unwelcome emails. It's called SPAM. Spam is flooding the Internet with many copies of the same message, in an attempt to force the message on people who would not otherwise choose to receive it.

Did you get the email about winning the Euro Sweepstakes for millions of dollars---only to discover you had to send a couple thousand dollars of your hard earned money to get NOTHING in return?

Or what about the fake check sent--with instructions to go to the bank and cash it and then send the a portion of the proceeds back to a fictitious address? I can't believe the number of people who fell for that one.

But the email I received today caught my attention because I recognized the name of the sender. It came from a fellow baby boomer who lives in my area. We're not good friends but I know her and would try to help her if she needed it. The email read:

This had to come in haste, and it left me in a catastrophic state. I am in a terrible situation and I'm really in need of your help urgently. Yesterday, suddenly, I went to Africa for a program ...

That was my first red flag. The fact that she went to Africa SUDDENLY. Who takes a trip half-way around the world on a moment's notice?

Then the email went on to say:

Just wanted to seek your help on something very important, you are the only person I could reach at this point and I hope you come to my aid. Because something terrible is happening to me now, I need a favor from you. Right now,I am stranded in Nigeria because I forgot my little bag in a taxi where my money and passports were kept on my way to the Hotel were i stay, I have no money with me. I lost almost everything I have with me (which included my cash, diaries and credit cards). I am now owning a hotel bill of $550 and they wanted me to pay the bills soon else they will have to seize my bag and hand me over to the Hotel Management,I do not want to make a scene of this which is why I did not call the office or my house, this is embarrassing enough.please I need some help from you urgently to help me back home,and I need you to help me with the hotel bill and i will also need $950 to feed and help myself back home so please can you help me with a sum of $1500 to sort out this problems here. I need this help so much and on time because i am in a terrible and tight situation here,please understand how urgent i need your help.

At the end of the email, she promised to pay me back upon her return home.

In addition to the poor spelling and grammatical errors, I also noticed a few very important things. The email was not personally addressed to me and it wasn't signed by her. The closing said:

Thanks and get back to me soon.

Regards.

Don't allow yourself to get bamboozled and hoodwinked by a scam like this.

Baby Boomers Gettin' High on More than Life

When the Beatles sang "Gonna get high with a little help from my friends..." back in 1967, who knew that song would have significant meaning more than 40 years later?

It seems that the percentage of American baby boomers age 50-59 who reported use of illicit drugs within a year nearly doubled between 2002 and 2007, from 5.1 percent to 9.4 percent, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported Wednesday.

The agency said that percentage rose because baby boomers — born between 1946 and 1964 — continued to use drugs as they got older.

The rates of people aged 50 to 59 who admit to using illicit drugs in the past year nearly doubled while rates among all other age groups are the same or decreasing.

So whatever happened to getting high on life?

To refresh your memory, here's that Beatles tune from the 60s.

When All Else Fails-be Positive - MORE Magazine

When All Else Fails-be Positive - MORE Magazine

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How to Keep Your Job in Corporate America

Earlier this year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported nearly 1.85 million people age 55 and older were out of work, and the jobless rate for that group rose to 6.4 percent.

Why? Because Employers would rather pay less to younger workers eager to get a foot in the door than to pay top dollar for experience.

If you're a baby boomer still employed in Corporate America, here are some simple Employer guidelines to follow to keep your job:

1. Never say you can't do a job because they'll make you do it anyway and add more to it to force you out.

2. Never say it's easy because they'll just make it harder and force you out.

3. Never complain because they never listen (but they will take good notes about the complaints you made and bring it back in your face at review time).

4. Never look like you enjoy it because they'll put a stop to it an create a more challenging task to force you out.

5. Never say "take this job and shove it" because they will!

What Goes on in South Carolina Should STAY There

What is it about South Carolina and its people? Although I've never lived in the Palmetto State, I've been there several times and nothing about it really impresses me.

If you read my last blog post, you read about the 50-year-old S.C. man who got caught having sex with a horse---yes, a horse---not once, but twice!

The Governor of S.C. got caught too--not for having sex with a horse---but he was having an affair with a woman in Argentina. You may recall Mark Sanford disappeared for nearly a week in late June to see his Argentine lover, Maria Belen Chapur, leaving his staff, his wife and the rest of the state in the dark about his whereabouts. Initially, his office told reporters that Mr. Sanford was hiking on the Appalachian Trail.

Once he got busted, he decided to confess because according to him, God will forgive him of his sin if he confesses. But will his wife forgive?

Well, as of Friday the First Lady of S.C., Jenny Sanford, decided to move out of the Governor's mansion. What does this mean? It means she refuses to allow herself to be caught up in a messy scandal created by her husband who just won't stop talking about trying to repair his marriage even though the other woman is his "soul mate."

You can't have your cake and eat it too, Governor Sanford, and maybe it would be a good idea to stop talking and just lay low. You give all decent baby boomer men a bad name.

Baby Boomer Caught in Unusual Sex Act

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