Personal Perspective
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A field guide to us old folks
I suspect that one single category isn’t enough to portray the “certain age” that qualifies as no-longer-young. As any number of bumper stickers tell us, there are all kinds of old people out there and there are lots of ways to be elderly without being old. One can be a proud family matriarch or a still-skydiving-at-age-80 kind of guy.
Safety
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Wear Designer Masks, Watch for Viral Fraud
That said, we need to remember that there are those who are using the pandemic for personal and illegal gain, so let’s not let our guard down. According to a USA Today article, the FTC reported that so far in 2020, COVID-19-related fraud has reached the $13 million mark.
Technology, Technology and Science
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The $400 mobile phone
Are you considering a new mobile phone but don’t want to pay $600 to $1200? This may be a golden age for your golden years – at least as far as phones are concerned. While seniors usually don’t live on their phones like their children or grandchildren, we’re starting to find more uses for our phones. But we don’t want to break the bank or feel like we’re forced to pay more than we want for a new one.
Latest Senior Life Extra Podcast
Stay Safe with Steve Rose
Food
Recent stories
Surviving quarantine with new four-legged friends
The community answered LifeLine’s SOS call — big-time. In the first week after the shelter’s plea for help, more than 750 animals were adopted or fostered.
So many cages were emptied that LifeLine was able to rescue animals from about six rural shelters that were closing, saving about 100 animals that were going to be euthanized, Hirsch said.
“We’ve been thrilled beyond expectation with how the Atlanta community has come forward and helped,” she said.
Museums and attractions create virtual exhibitions, activities during coronavirus closures
Metro Atlanta museums and attractions have closed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, but that doesn’t mean you can’t visit and explore what some of them have to offer. Many local and intown attractions have set up online experiences, including webcams, exhibitions, activities and more.
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Williams built his broadcasting career on outdoor sports
What Williams does take seriously is his media mini-empire of popular outdoor shows on WSB radio, Fox TV, cable networks and YouTube, along with a podcast, a newsletter, a presence on social media and a book- with a second on the way.
There’s good reason to take his accomplishments seriously: they have been enshrined in The Georgia Hunting and Fishing Hall of Fame, The Legends of the Outdoors National Hall of Fame, The Georgia Radio Hall of Fame and other lists of luminaries.
Ask Rusty: When Should I Claim Social Security?
Your wife cannot collect a spousal benefit until you start collecting your Social Security, so if she claims benefits before you claim, she will initially get only what she is entitled to on her own work record. Then when you claim, the “spousal boost” will be added to her benefit.
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Ask Rusty: Retiring from Work, When Should I Claim Social Security?
When you claim, your Social Security benefit amount will depend upon two things – your “primary insurance amount” (or “PIA”) which is determined from your highest earning 35 years (adjusted for inflation) over your lifetime, and the age at which you claim your SS benefit.
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Ask Rusty: How do I apply with Social Security offices closed?
All Social Security offices are currently closed to public visits, but they are still providing telephone services (although telephone wait times are usually longer these days). You can apply over the phone if you wish.
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Scenic Drives: Take a mountain daytrip
f you’re hankering to get out of town, but also mindful of the COVID-19 outbreak, these scenic drives through North Georgia, Pine Mountain and North Carolina make for the perfect social distancing daytrip.
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Having big fun with little trains
To hear model railroaders talk, theirs is a hobby centered on old men. Many members of the Piedmont Division are aged 60 or older, Liles said, and Sally Bando joked that she’s one of perhaps three women in the club. Different collectors build different types and sizes of model railroads. Some layouts present historically accurate images of specific trains or times while others mix a grab-bag of styles. And modelers are dedicated to their trains. Many spend several hours every day or week tending their layouts and some admit they spend thousands or tens of thousands of dollars on the hobby.
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We’ll get through, but watch for cheats
Still, in a time where it seems all focus is on the virus and the problem it brings, a product of COVID-19 is the attempt to get rich by way of the criminal act of depriving people of their money by way of fraudulent solicitation based on fear mongering.
Recently, I took a look at some of the fraudulent activity surfacing directly related to the virus.
Environmental journalist Charles Seabrook tracks Georgia’s wild places
As a youngster, Charles Seabrook wore out some serious shoe leather roaming among the salt marshes and stately live oaks of his native Johns Island, South Carolina. Those explorations set a pattern for later life — and occasionally got him into trouble.
The metro Atlanta naturalist is still ambling decades later as he pens the long-running “Wild Georgia” column for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
His love of the written word, natural curiosity and a keen eye for his surroundings have made him a fixture in environmental and nature journalism in Georgia. The 75-year-old has written books, won awards for his work, gives talks to civic groups and posts nature photos on Facebook.
Elder Fraud Sweep & Fraud Hotline
This year, prosecutors charged more than 400 defendants, far surpassing the 260 defendants charged in cases as part of last year’s sweep. In each case, offenders allegedly engaged in financial schemes that targeted or largely affected seniors. In total, the charged elder fraud schemes caused alleged losses of over a billion dollars.
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These Days: Stories from the Courts
The courts provided a newspaperman’s fantasy come true. What stories! True crime tales. Good guys and bad guys. Good cops and bad cops. Celebrities caught driving drunk. Heroes, villains, big verdicts, just plain weird stuff. Lots of action and emotion. Sometimes, it felt a curtain rose on a drama in every corner of the courthouse.
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