The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

UDSA needs to do more to protect the public from Salmonella contamination in meat and poultry, consumer group says

The U.S. Department of Agriculture needs to exercise its authority under the law to set and enforce more rigorous standards to protect consumers from Salmonella contamination in meat and poultry, a report by the Consumer Federation of America recommends.

Illnesses from Salmonella in the United States have remained about the same during the past decade. However, in the European Union they’ve declined dramatically during the same period, to less than half what they once were, due to a farm-to-fork Salmonella control initiative launched in 2003.

In the last few months, a rash of Salmonella outbreaks linked to meat and poultry has caused hundreds of illnesses.

It’s the 100th Anniversary of World War I

On the 100^th Anniversary of World War I, a ceremonial ringing of bells will be occurring in communities across the country and the world as 11 a.m. crosses their time zones. 

Veterans Day, which became a national holiday in 1938, is a day to recognize the contributions of the nation’s veterans.

It was formerly called Armistice Day. The Armistice of 1918, ending World War I, was signed on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.

In 1954, Armistice Day was changed to Veterans Day.

Copyright 2018, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Top-mount refrigerators recalled by Haier America due to fire hazard

Haier is recalling about 137,000 top-mount refrigerators.

An electrical component in the refrigerator can short circuit, posing a fire hazard.

Haier America has received three reports of smoke, fire, and property damage. No injuries have been reported. 

This recall involves the Haier models HA10TG31 with 10.1 cubic foot capacity. They measure about five feet high and two feet wide. The Haier logo is located on the refrigerator door. Only the following models and serial numbers are included in this recall. Model and serial numbers can be found on the rating plate on the back of the refrigerator’s rear panel.

Heavy metals found in packaged baby, toddler foods, Consumer Reports says

Nine out of 10 parents with kids under the age of three feed their children packaged food at least occasionally, according to a Consumer Reports survey. So Consumer Reports’ analyzed 50 packaged foods from nine brands, including baby cereals, packaged fruits and vegetables, entrées, and snacks, such as cookies, crackers, and puffs.

The testing focused on arsenic, cadmium, and lead, which can be harmful to the health and development of young children.

Sixty-eight percent of the tested products had “worrisome” levels of at least one heavy metal, and organic foods that Consumer Reports tested were just as likely to contain heavy metals as non-organic.

Other findings include:

Watch out for online nanny and caregiving job scams

Finding a new job can be a challenge. Websites can help you find work, but scammers also use these sites to find people to rip off.

Do you look for work on caregiver/nanny job sites? Sometimes scammers will offer a job but say you need to buy supplies or other equipment, said Carol Kando-Pineda, attorney for the Federal Trade Commission’s Division of Consumer and Business Education. They pressure you to act quickly, before you have time to think. They send you a check and tell you to deposit it and transfer money to their vendor to buy the supplies.

Don’t do it — scammers post fake job listings for nannies and caregivers, then make up elaborate stories to get your money, Kando-Pineda said. The positions seem real, but they’re not — it’s a scam. The check will bounce. So, the money you sent is actually your own — and it’s gone.

Boomer Bloggers enjoy the Fourth and offer new reflections

This Fourth of July, I was really lucky. My daughter and my two grandchildren came to visit from Spain. We enjoyed the community parade in the morning of the Fourth, then planned to have dinner at the festival before the fireworks. However, my granddaughter wasn’t feeling well so we had dinner at home. A lucky thing happened though – we could see the fireworks well from my backyard.

Another boomer blogger, Meryl Baer of Six Decades and Counting attended a concert celebrating the Fourth of July, followed by ice cream at the best scoop place in town. Her local symphony orchestra performed a variety of popular, familiar tunes. Curious about the writers and composers of the music, Baer investigated and discovered several were immigrants or first-generation Americans. Read about her findings in “Celebrating Our Diversity.”

Two years ago, Rebecca Olkowski with BabyBoomster.com went to a Fourth of July party in Hollywood. She sat down next to actor Norman Lloyd, who was 101 at the time. He regaled the table with tales of what it was like to work with Charlie Chaplin, Orson Welles, and Alfred Hitchcock to name a few. This year, Rebecca went to the same party and Norman was there again at 103, still telling stories, eating chicken, corn on the cob, and enjoying his Sangria

Other boomer bloggers are reflecting on life:

No matter what our age, we all set goals and make plans, Jennifer Koshak of Unfold and Begin says. We've got things that we want to accomplish and midyear is a great time to check in on your goals to see how you're doing and if you need to make any adjustments. Find out more by taking a look at Koshak’s article on how to do a midyear check-in of your goals.

Do you take time to reflect on your life? asks Sue Loncaric from Sizzling Towards Sixty. Do you indulge yourself in memories or feel trapped by them? Are you ready for new beginnings? Loncaric guest, in the Over 50 and Thriving Guest Series, this week poses these questions to us as she reflects on her own Life Over 50. Read her article “Reflecting on My Life Over 50 – Old Memories and New Beginnings.”

Laura Lee Carter of the Adventures of the New Old Farts is reflecting on the fact that after a week of evacuation, nasty smoke, and a gigantic sense of foreboding, she and her husband's new solar home didn't burn up in the third largest wildfire in Colorado history. Read all about it in "Hallelujah! Our Home Is Saved." 

Tom Sightings from Sightings Over Sixty this week offers a reflection on how “Time Goes By...” Here's how his post begins: "The other day I was in the kitchen and my wife B was doing something in the living room. I heard her whistling, although I wasn't paying attention to what it was. Suddenly I heard her screech: . . . "

This is the Best of Boomer Blogs #554. Click on the links above to read the articles. And, be sure and join in the conversations. Boomer bloggers love to hear from readers.

Copyright 2018, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

 

Facts and figures for Father’s Day 2018

What are your plans for Father's Day this year? Will you be taking your dad out to dinner or buying him a tie? Or, will you be taking a walk or a hike with your dad?

Spending

This year, 77 percent of Americans will celebrate Father’s Day and spend an average of $133 per person, treating dad to special outings, clothing, gift cards, electronics, and more, according to a survey prepared for the National Retail Federation.

The expected spending is second only to last year’s $15.5 billion, the highest in the 15-year history of the survey at an average $135 per person. Consumers between 25 and 34 years old will be the biggest spenders this year at an average $188 per person.

Dads

Here are facts on fathers from the U.S. Census Bureau:

Why does TV continue to be such a wasteland?

For several stretches in my life, I’ve gone without television. Then, after I returned to the Lower 48 from Alaska in the late 1980s, I decided to get TV after a year or two. I took a class at the local-access station, and I wanted to see the program I produced.

Now, I listen to public radio during the day and watch some cable TV in the evening. The offerings aren’t that great.

Like movies, TV is violence, violence, and more violence.

To write this article, I started watching a new show “Blindspot.” The ads for the show were so phony looking; a Jane Doe with no memory and tattoos all over her body sexily slithering out of a duffle bag in Times Square, one leg first then another. The tattoos are clues to crimes. The show goes on and on, violent episode after violent episode. I’ll be glad when it ends.

Easter offers the opportunity to remember church and Easter experiences with family

Last Sunday on Palm Sunday, my sister and I went to a Methodist church near her house in the Seattle area. We grew up Methodist, and I’ve wanted for several years to go to church there and remember the old days.

It was interesting. The church didn’t have a choir, it had a band. The Catholic church where my grandchildren attend in Madrid has guitar music. I guess updating the music is one way churches are trying to appeal to younger generations.

At the Methodist church we attend Sunday, we didn’t know any of the hymns. Instead of a hymnal, the words to the songs were shown on a large screen at the front of the church. It was hard to follow along and sing because there weren’t any music notes to follow, just words.

Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service

The Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday Monday offers an opportunity for Americans to honor Dr. King’s legacy through service.

In 1983, a federal holiday marking the birthday of King was created. In 1994, Congress designated the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Holiday as a national day of service.

On the third Monday in January, Americans can work together on community projects. The MLK Day of Service is "day on, not a day off."