PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Happy New Year!!!  I wish for all of us a wonderful, healthy and productive year.

On New Year's Day, our Trojans were brilliant for the first half of the Rose Bowl and held off a last quarter effort by Penn State to win the game, 38-24, and set a record three in a row Rose Bowl victories.  Marc Sanchez was named offensive player of the game and Kaluka Maiava defensive player of the game.  Congratulations to our Trojans!!!!!

USC BASKETBALL

We have reserved 50 tickets for a USC Basketball Game.  Seating will be predicated on the order in which we receive checks.  Here are the details:

DATE:   THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2009
GAME:   USC vs. Washington State
TIME:   7:30 p.m.
PRICE:  $20 per ticket

Send checks payable to USC-RFA to:

    c/o USC Emeriti Center
    3715 McClintock Avenue
    Los Angeles, CA  90089-0191

We plan to offer an optional pre-game dinner.  Details will come later.

TILLMAN HALL AWARD

The first annual Tillman Hall Award for staff service will be presented at the March 19 Staff Recognition Luncheon.  The award is given to recognize service by retired staff to USC.  The service can include volunteer work at the Emeriti Center, for Staff Retirement Association, any USC unit (academic or not); service can be for student, faculty, staff, alumni or other members of the Trojan Family.  Details and nomination forms are available on the Emeriti Center Web page under "Awards."  Deadline is February 16.

SAVE THE DATE:  MARCH 19, 2009 — STAFF RECOGNITION LUNCHEON

Carole Gustin, SRA President
<cgustin@usc.edu>


FROM RON:

Along with Carole, I would also like to wish you all a HAPPY, HEALTHY, and GREAT 2009.  I will start with my normal suggestion for the New Year.

If you are one of the many who tend to put last year's number on your first few checks, right now, run to your check book and put 2009 on your first 8 or 10 checks.

For those of you who make New Year resolutions and then feel bad because you were only able to keep them for a few hours or days, go to <www.punoftheday.com>.  This should perk you up.  If it doesn't, I can't provide you any further help, check with your doctor.


ADDITIONAL HOPEFULLY HELPFUL TIPS

FINDING LOW COST MEDICAL PROGRAMS  Some of you may have seen this in the December 2008 AARP Bulletin.  To find some low cost programs, go to <www.needymeds.org> for contact information on drug assistance programs and free or low cost health clinics.  There is also a site where you, or someone you are helping, can see if you/they qualify for federal, state, or local benefits that help lower living expenses.  <www.benefitscheckup.org>.

NEED TO RENEW YOUR CA DRIVERS LICENSE SOON?  We all need to do this every 5 years at least.  When your turn comes up, go to <www.dmv.ca.gov>.  Go to the Drivers License Tab at the top.  There you will find all you need to know about the process, including a section for Senior Drivers, and even several practice tests.

ACTIVITY CALCULATOR  AARP has a handy activity calculator that gives the calorie burn for a number of everyday tasks.  As examples, it will give you the number for raking or digging.  You can check it out at <www.aarpfitness.com>.  Go down to activity calculator down the right side of the page that comes up.  (I tried to find out how many calories you burn when napping, but I couldn't find it.)

ELDER LAW INFORMATION  There is a site that provides legal and financial information relating to aging.  The site was recently updated and features a weekly podcast, discussion forums, and an advice blog.  A mapping tool can locate elder-law lawyers in your community.  <www.elderlawanswers.com>  (Kiplinger's Retirement Report, December 2008, page 12)

INVESTMENT FRAUD  We have had fraud alerts in here before but there are always new types of fraud.  The Securities and Exchange Commission has a comprehensive, consumer-friendly guide, "Seniors: Protect Yourself Against Investment Fraud."  It contains useful information for investors of all ages.  It is available online at: <www.sec.gov/investor/seniors/seniorsguide.pdf>.  This guide has about 100 pages; so if you plan on downloading it, it will require more than 5MB of space.  It has a good index so you can likely pick out the area that interests you and you won't need to download it.  (You can likely get a hard copy of it.)

EARNING LIMITS FOR SOCIAL SECURITY PURPOSES  People who turn 66 in 2009 can earn $37,680 or less before reaching that age without losing any Social Security benefits.  For people between ages 62 and 66 by the end of '09 can make up to $14,160.  After you turn 66, there is no cap.

RETIREMENT INCOME TOOL  T. Rowe Price has a calculator available to you that will help you determine whether your retirement­income needs will be met based on the factors you provide.  (An item of real interest these days.)  You can check it out at <www.troweprice.com/ric>.

FOR CAREGIVERS OF MEDICARE RECIPIENTS  The Centers for Medicare and Medicade Services has a new site called "Ask Medicare."  Caregivers can find information on care options, what Medicare covers, and locate local support at <www.Medicare.gov/caregivers>.


NOT HELPFUL PART:

A new teacher was trying to make use of her college psychology courses.  She started her class by saying, "Everyone who thinks they're stupid, stand up!"  After a few seconds, Little Johnny stood up.  The teacher said, "Do you think you're stupid, Johnny?"  "No, ma'am, but I hate to see you standing there all by yourself!"

As some of you know, I grew up in Wisconsin, and Bonnie and I spend four months every year in Minnesota.  I am sure you can guess what four months these are.  However, I do often think of the good times I had as a kid in the winter.  I fondly remember the changing seasons, the winter sports, and all that.  My dad used to pull me through the snow a lot, and I thought that was fun.  I enjoyed it less, however, when I found out that other dads used sleds.  I asked my dad one day if I could go ice skating on the town lake.  He said, "Wait until it warms up."

A lady went to the Post Office to buy stamps.  "What denomination?" asked the clerk. "Oh!  Good Heavens!  Have we come to this?" said the lady.  "Well, give me 50 Methodist and 50 Lutheran ones, please."

GO TROJANS!!!!!!


C L A S S I F I E D  A D S
(Listed in order of receipt)

None this month.

[To have your free ad appear (for things to give away, to sell, to buy, etc.) in the next issue, please send to <len@winesland.net> before the first of the month.]


_______________________________________

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*The content of this E-mail 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.