Senior Spirit Online

There are lots of ridiculous rumors swirling about these days.  Get the facts today - http://hubpages.com/hub/politicalfacts

We are inundated with information — from Congress, the White House, special interest groups, etc.  How can one separate the facts from fiction? PolitiFact tries to do just that.

PolitiFact, which won the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting for its coverage of the 2008 election, is a project of the St. Petersburg Times to help find the truth in politics.

Reporters and researchers from the Times examine statements by members of Congress, President Obama, cabinet secretaries, lobbyists, people who testify before Congress, and anyone else who speaks up in Washington.  They research these statements and then rate the accuracy of the statements on the Truth-O-Meter – True, Mostly True, Half True, Barely True and False. The most ridiculous falsehoods get their lowest rating – Pants on Fire.

They also rate the consistency of public officials on our Flip-O-Meter using three ratings: No Flip, Half Flip, and Full Flop.

Additionally, they have created the Obameter to help the reader assess the Obama presidency. Reporters have compiled a database of more than 500 individual promises that President Obama made during the presidential campaign. They research and rate the promise status as No Action, Stalled, or In the Works and then ultimately determine whether it earns a Promise Kept, Compromise or Promise Broken.

If you want the facts, Politifact.com is the place to go.

The state of the U.S. economy has caused a large number of older workers to delay retirement.   This delay has created some benefits, as well as raised concerns.  The Wall Street Journal reports that in a recent survey of more than 2,200 U.S. workers, 44% of respondents age 50 or older said they plan to postpone retirement.  Half of those say they plan to work at least three years longer than previously expected.

Delayed retirement is reportedly good news for employers who are unprepared for mass retirements among baby boomers.  However, delayed retirement is causing concerns for other companies that may need to shed employees to remain profitable.

The White House has unveiled a plan that would give the executive branch more power over Medicare reimbursement rates.  Under the proposed plan, Congress would largely cede its power to decide payment issues.  The plan would form an independent Medicare Advisory Council that would draw up payment policy recommendations, subject to approval by the president.  Congress would then have the opportunity to disapprove the recommendations. However, if it did not, the recommendations would go into effect.

The Social Security Administration is reporting a surge in early retirement claims this year.  Applications are up 25 percent so far this year compared to fiscal year 2008.

Vice President Joe Biden announced this week that approximatley $100 million will be handed out by the Department of Health and Human Services to provide meals to thousands of low-income senior citizens.  The funding is expected to provide nearly 14 million meals nationwide. 

The federal stimulus program provides $65 million for nutrition services provided at senior centers and other community sites, $32 million for nutrition services delivered to seniors at home, and $3 million for Native American nutrition programs.

Recent reports indicate that claims that Acai berry products help with weight loss, strengthen your heart, slow aging, and aid in colon cleansing, as well as enhance sexual desire, are not backed by science.  Additionally,  thousands of consumers are now complaining that the “free trial” offers for these products are anything but free.  For example, consumers are told that a trial offer is free and that they will be charged $5.00 for shipping.  Instead they find that they have been charged significantly more - one consumer complained that he never received a free bottle.  Instead, his bank account was hit for four bottles of the Acai berry product, at $69.95 per bottle.  

It is important to exercise extreme caution when one is tempted to give out debit card, credit card, or bank account information for any reason, including televsion and internet offers.

The largest generational segment tracked by Forrester Research Inc., the 100 million-strong Baby Boomer group, is more inclined to consume than create online social content, according to InternetRetailer.com.  Reportedly, Baby Boomers are more likely to read blogs, listen to podcasts, watch user-generated video, or read online forums and customer ratings, according to the report, “How to reach Baby Boomers with social technologies,” by Forrester analyst Jeremiah Owyang.  Only 24% of Boomers aged 43 - 52 and 14% of Boomers aged 53 - 63 are active in online social communities targeting their interests.

To reach Baby Boomers, this suggests that one start with sponsoring or creating social content since they’re not as willing to create blogs, videos, or audio, and also suggests allowing Boomers to share their opinions with others by enabling comments, ratings, and rankings on web sites.

The website, PolitiFact.com, publishes the presidential candidates’ claims and separates the facts from fiction.  You’ll enjoy this site.  It has a Truth-o-Meter, and rates the presidential statements as True, Mostly True, Half True, Barely True, False, or my personal favorite, ”Pants on Fire.”  PolitiFact.com includes an “Attack File,” which fact-checks the attacks candidates make against each other.  There is also the Flip-o-Meter, which tells you who flipped on an issue and who didn’t.