SRA E-MAIL NEWSLETTER*
Issue # 38
January 2006
Ron Violette, Editor
I was all prepared with a nice lead-in to this issue about how great it was to be able to witness history with the Trojans winning a third national college football championship in a row. Well, I guess I will save that for the editor of the January, 2009 issue. I am however confident that the Trojans are still the best college football team in the country. Just a few more inches on the last “fourth and one” and I could have used my lead-in.
They will be in the thick of it again next year, never fear. In any case I hope you all had a Happy Holiday over the Christmas Season, and have a GREAT 2006.
UPCOMING SRA EVENTS
January 19 - The USC Retirement Community (USCRC) presents: Earthquake Preparedness: Focus on Seniors Please join the
Emeriti Center for this special presentation by our own SRA expert: Harriett Porch (editorial comment: ISSM retiree)
Thursday, January 19th, 10:30 a.m. to Noon, Gerontology Auditorium Please park in Structure A, adjacent to building.
February 4 - a tour of KUSC Studios is planned. Details will follow.
April 23 - By arrangement with the L.A. Philharmonic Association, a docent guided tour of the Walt Disney Concert Hall is planned. The tour will be followed by a no-host lunch and then a 2:00 p.m. concert. A flyer will be out on this. Additional information can be obtained from Dick Martin at (323) 343-1146 or <dickmar@msm.com>.
HOPEFULLY HELPFUL TIPS
A few suggestions for the first days of the New Year:
* For those of you who put the wrong year on your checks for the first month or so of the New Year, run home right now and
write 2006 on about 10 or 20 of the next checks in your checkbook.
* If you have planned on getting your personal bookkeeping in order at some point, do it in the next week or it will be too
easy to put it off until another year passes. There are several good, easy and fun computer programs available to help you
with this. Here is a personal expense form you can download to enter your expenses.
<http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/loveandmoney040104.html>.
This page will provide some information, then click on “spending-plan worksheet” at the bottom of the page.
* If you haven’t inventoried your household possessions but know you should, do it. If nothing else, borrow a video
camera and film the inside of your home, put the film cassette in a safe place and sleep a little easier. Or ask one of
your kids who own a video camera to do it for you and who knows, maybe they will get the idea for themselves. Also, you can
create an inventory and keep the information up to date using free software available at
<http://www.knowyourstuff.org>. The software includes lists of items in
typical rooms to guide you through the process. (Kiplinger’s Retirement Report, December 2005, page 9)
INFORMATION ON OSTEOPOROSIS - Information is available on the web site run by the Administration on Aging, <http://www.aoa.gov/naic>. Then type in Osteoporosis in the box.
CALCULATORS FOR ABOUT EVERYTHING - Go to <http://www.money.com/tools>. You will find a calculator for about everything you ever wanted to know. For instance, what would tuition cost at a particular four year college or university? Let’s take USC as an example. After you are at the site, under Calculators More go down to “College Cost Finder,” type in the name of the school “University of Southern California“ and you get the scary answer.
LOOKING FOR OUT-OF-PRINT BOOKS? - Try <http://www.abebooks.com>.
This site can seek out over 70,000,000 out-of-print books and other print material.
Happy reading.
ASSISTED LIVING COSTS - Costs at assisted-living facilities are expected to increase 15 percent this year. The current average costs are $35,000 a year. At <http://www.maturemarketinstitute.com>, go to General News: 2006 & 2005 Press Releases. There you’ll find a complete list of costs by city.
LOOKING FOR PART-TIME WORK? - Here is your chance to get the U.S. Postal Service straightened out. They are actively seeking retirees for part-time work as substitute rural mail carriers and postmasters. You can inquire about vacancies at your local post office and apply for carrier associate exam online at <http://www.usps.com/employment> (Kiplinger's Retirement Report, December 2005, page 9). You can also check out <http://www.seniorjobbank.org>. This site is dedicated to job seekers over 50 and offers a guide to private and government agencies dealing with aging issues. (As above, page 19)
POSSIBLE HUMOR -
As the test pilot climbs out of the experimental aircraft, having torn off the wings and tail in the crash landing,
the crash truck arrives, the rescuer sees a bloodied pilot and asks “What happened?”
The pilot’s reply: “I don't know, I just got here myself!”
Teach a child to be polite and courteous in the home and, when he grows up, he’ll never be able to merge his
car onto a freeway.
Is it just my imagination, or do buffalo wings taste like chicken? When I asked my friend the above question, he
told me I was gullible and I believed him.
Does anyone know if Karl Marx’s tomb is a communist plot?
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*The content of this Email Newsletter is for the information of the members of the USC SRA. It is not a University of Southern California official publication. There is no intent to promote any particular product or point of view. Personal decisions regarding health, finance, exercise, or other matters should be made after consulting with the reader’s own professional advisors.