Releases from January 2011

 

Book Review: The Rational Optimist: How Prosperity Evolves, by Matt Ridley. Harper Collins, N.Y.; 438 pp.; 2010; $26.99.

By Dave Brown
Kansas Senior Press Service

Back in the 1970s, we heard that the population explosion was unstoppable, famine was inevitable, cancer from nuclear waste and chemicals would be epidemic, acid rain was killing the forests, and fossil fuel resources (oil, gas, and coal) were diminishing at an alarming rate.

Matt Ridley makes a case that none of this occurred. In his new book, The Rational Optimist, Ridley presents compelling evidence that things have been improving — for a couple of hundred years.

Ridley received a doctorate in zoology from Oxford University before pursuing a career in journalism. He has been the science editor for The Economist. He has written books on popular science that have sold more than 800,000 copies and been translated into 27 languages.

He takes on each doom-and-gloom scenario and shows what has actually been occurring and why. The main reason for improvement, he believes, has to do with trade, exchange, and specialization. In a simple example, he points to a stone-age hand ax, laboriously chiseled by early humans for almost a million years. He compares that with a computer mouse, almost the exact same size, which goes obsolete in about five years.

Any stone-age human had access to the knowledge needed to make a hand ax. But the knowledge to build a mouse rests not in one person but in thousands, perhaps millions, of people who make its parts. The plastic, rubber, silicon wafer chip, and metal come from many trades. So the making of the mouse is a product of what Ridley calls the “collective brain.”

And this is humankind’s signature accomplishment, he argues. Personal IQ doesn’t amount to much. Rather, it is the accumulated knowledge of the culture that counts. That is because specialists get really expert at making one thing and then trade it for other things they need. Trade, Ridley tells us, is far, far older than farming.

Moreover, the “doom merchants” have consistently overlooked one important thing that the exchange of trade and ideas brings about: ingenuity and problem solving.

Famine. Population pressure and limited agricultural productivity suggested that by the early 1960s, India would face famine. But thanks to a new seed stock, the yield of India’s wheat exploded. The 1968 crop was so large that there was no place to put it, so it was stored in schools. India is now an exporter of wheat and rice.
Since 1900, the population of the world has grown by 400 percent, cropland area has increased by 30 percent, average yields have gone up 400 percent and crop harvests by 600 percent, and per-capita food production is up by 50 percent. Why? New varieties, new uses of fertilizer, and better management of water resources such as drip irrigation.

Population. The population of the planet is growing, but at a decreasing rate. We are seeing a worldwide decline in the birth rate. Now nearly half the world has a birth rate that is lower than the replacement rate of 2.1 children per couple. It is now estimated that world population will peak at somewhat over 9 billion people in about 2050 and then start to decline.

Why? It seems that when infant mortality goes down, women tend to have fewer children. Urbanization means that a large family isn’t needed to work the farm. Women’s independence and education mean that family life improves.

Fuel. Coal made the industrial revolution possible. It came along just as England was running out of trees. Today, England is more forested than it was in 1700, when charcoal was needed to make iron and steel.

We will continue to need coal, especially for underdeveloped countries, but its use will decline. We will rely more on natural gas. The recent invention of a way to pull natural gas out of shale coal has resulted in an estimate that natural gas reserves in the United States will last 400 years. New nuclear power technology in the form of small pebble-bed thorium reactors is in development. This new type of reactor can be used in small cities, and its waste has a half-life of about 100 years (and is safe in just 50 years), instead of 50,000 years for uranium. The residue can’t be made into bombs. And thorium is more plentiful and cheaper than uranium.

Climate change. Ridley offers evidence that extreme climate outcomes are unlikely. Part of this is undoubtedly due to the expected decline in coal as a primary source of electricity, and new technology for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Conclusion. Yes, many people are still deeply mired in poverty and disease, there is cause for despair in parts of the world, and we will have additional natural disasters. But we now have an understanding of what it will take to bring about change for the better. And if you study Ridley’s explanation of the nature of the “collective brain,” you will be convinced that he is on to something important. Ridley suggests that an ongoing effort to maximize trade and the ever-increasing expansion of the collective brain will more than offset the challenges we must face. That is a reason for rejoicing.

This book dares us to be optimists, to consciously seek solutions to our problems and engage in worthwhile ventures. It’s very readable, convincing, and refreshing.

Dave Brown is CEO of Database Associates in Lenexa. He also convenes the Apple Mac Section of SenCom, the Senior Computer Users of Greater Kansas City. davebrown@everestkc.net.

Grandparents, grandkids, and education

By Robert R. Neuman
Kansas Senior Press Service

Grandparents and grandkids can have a very special relationship. Free of the daily entanglements that parents face, grandparents can have grandchild conversations that are different. Grandkids often are more willing to believe and accept what grandparents say, making these conversations more effective. So, when a grandparent echoes a parental message, the words can add weight.

Most parents appreciate the support grandparents can offer, especially in talking about education. Because kids have a thousand things going on every day to distract them from school matters, they need to be reminded often about the importance of education in their lives. Grandparents can help.

I know how influential grandparents can be, having witnessed these relationships first-hand in my family. In my professional life as an academic dean, I acted as an authoritative “uncle” with thousands of college students, who often were experiencing academic predicaments. But my words were reaching those students late in their educational lives. I came to appreciate the role that grandparents can play in their grandkids’ lives when they start early to discuss topics like hard work, achievement, study time, college, and life goals.

Here are some tips to help you, as a grandparent, deliver this important message:
 

1. Frequently ask your grandchildren how they are doing in school. Let them know that while friends, sports, and entertainment are fun, school should be of primary importance in their lives.
2. Take an interest in their education and encourage them to achieve. Whenever possible, attend their school events.
3. Talk about your own education, profession, and accomplishments. Explain how your education has affected your life in terms of employment, personal growth, and financial planning and security.
4. Emphasize that education can determine success in many areas of life, so kids should take it seriously. Getting organized, developing good work habits, and scheduling regular times to study in middle school and high school will lead to success in college, where the pace is faster and the classes require more independent work.
5. When possible, reward your grandkids — not just for good grades, but for their academic efforts, especially for improvement in courses they find difficult.

The need for a broad education
As children grow, grandparents should build on the message that education is especially important in the “information age.” Many jobs that our grandkids will hold do not exist yet. What does that mean? Kids must become flexible learners who can adapt. They must have broad educations to prepare them for tomorrow’s workplace.

Grandparents are positioned to cheer kids on to work hard in all their subjects, even those they find difficult or don’t like. That’s important because it can prevent kids from narrowing their educations. For example, students who decide they’re not good at math take the minimum number of math courses in high school and just scrape by. However, because young students don’t know what the future holds, they must be good at everything so they are well-rounded enough to qualify for many jobs and careers. When they close the door on an academic area like math, science, or reading, they close the door on an area of opportunity.

Furthermore, because young students are not forward-looking, they don’t understand that when they avoid certain types of high school courses they will lack the prerequisites to take college courses in that academic area. Even at the age of 15 or 16, students can begin to narrow their prospects.

Learning about occupations
When kids get to middle school, grandparents should talk often about their own career or profession. They should also encourage grandkids to talk to uncles, aunts, cousins, and grandparents’ friends about the skills needed to do their jobs. It’s a way to help young people learn about occupations and career areas they might want to explore.

As kids get older, they may be drawn to a certain career. At that point, the real question becomes not What do you want to be? but How are you going to do that? Grandparents can encourage teens to find out more. Teens interested in being a veterinarian need to start thinking about what’s really entailed in the occupation. It’s not just helping animals. It’s biochemistry, too, and kids must take courses that will further their goals. Grandparents can help kids see that when they set life goals for themselves, their studies become more important.

Grandparents can be a crucial influence in readying students to be lifelong learners — which is what their lives will be about.

Robert R. Neuman, PhD, is author of Are You Really Ready for College? A College Dean’s 12 Secrets for Success. His book is available at www.areyoureallyreadyforcollege.com or online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other online booksellers. Written especially for teens, the book includes questionnaires, student stories, checklists, quick tips, and tactics.

Kitchen-table money talk: Arm yourself against investment scams

By Gene Meyer
Kansas Senior Press Service

Investment scam operators love older investors, says former Kansas Securities Commissioner Marc Wilson. The reasons are many, including:

We have money, a life-savings worth, even if it might not be as much as we hoped. We’re polite, which means we may be more reluctant to hang up on a telephone sales pitch or to ask questions about details we don’t understand. We may be more nervous about finances, especially if we’re worrying (which can cloud our judgment) about recovering from a recession or future hospital or nursing home costs. We’re embarrassed if we get conned, and therefore are reluctant to tell anyone.

All these factors and more are true of younger investors, too. But experience shows they can be bigger issues for those of us in our 60s, 70s, or older who are exploring the financial frontier of life after our final paychecks. Plus, no one is bullet-proof. Bernie Madoff ripped off a lot of sophisticated seniors along with other victims before that Ponzi scheme crashed.

Kansas, which a century ago became the first state in the union to pass laws regulating the sale of investments, is taking on bigger scam-fighting chores following passage in Washington of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, said Wilson.

The commission’s nine-member enforcement staff previously kept a regulatory eye on about 122 investment advisory firms in the state, and the new legislation adds about 40 firms to its purview. The new ones are so-called midsize firms that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission theoretically watched — but in reality didn’t — because watching Wall Street consumed too many resources. So now, Kansas’ nine securities cops are guarding $2.3 billion of our investments instead of $866 million before.

One thing hasn’t changed, however, Wilson said: Good offense is still the best defense against investment scams. Also, asking the right questions may help you make better investment decisions in addition to avoiding rip-offs. That’s a big plus, because securities regulators can’t do anything about the poor choices we make. They can act when someone breaks laws to cause us to make poor choices. You don’t need an Ivy League MBA to protect yourself:

Be firm. It’s OK to say no to someone who is trying to sell you something you aren’t sure of.

Be skeptical. Check out references and credentials, get details in writing about how things are supposed to work, and beware of anything that promises really big returns for very little risk.

Be in charge. Know how to get out of an investment if you want to, and what that will cost. Keep close track of what’s being done with your money, and ask tough questions.

Some of the tough questions are basic:

Is the offer registered with federal or state securities commissioners? In Kansas, you can call the state securities commission at 800-232-9580 to find out.

Why is this investment suitable for me? Whoever is offering the deal should be able to tell you clearly how it will help increase or preserve your wealth to meet your needs.

How does it work? You need to know whether it requires dividends, interest, or an increase in value to make money for you, and what must occur in the market for that to happen.

What does it cost? You need to know what additional fees and costs will occur, in addition to your initial investment, both to get into the deal and to get out again.

How much money could I lose? There are two issues to explore here. One is liquidity, which is how quickly and at what cost you can pull out of the investment. The other is knowing how much in total you risk losing if the investment fails completely, and what circumstances would make that happen.

Securities regulators have treasure troves of free material to help you sort out broad questions such as these, as well as specific questions that are likely to come up, such as how to check out a broker, sales representative, or investment firm. Some of the most useful resources:

Senior Investor Resource Center
www.nasaa.org/investor_education/senior_investor_resource_center/440.cfm

Investor education packet
www.ksc.ks.gov/packet.html

Top investor traps
www.ksc.ks.gov/TopInvestorTraps2010.html

How older citizens can avoid investment fraud and abuse
www.ksc.ks.gov/edu/older.pdf

Questions you should ask before you invest
www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/askquestions.htm

Advice for investors
www.ksc.ks.gov/edu/advice.html

Gene Meyer, a Fairway resident and former staff reporter at The Wall Street Journal and The Kansas City Star, reports and writes about financial topics at www.kitchentablenomics.com.

Looking back and inward at mid-life:
A journey of hope and fear

By Therese Swartz Iverson
Kansas Senior Press Association

Have you ever thought about the choices you’ve made in your life: Why you went to a certain school, why you married a particular person, how your life would be different if you hadn’t put job before family or enjoyment before responsibility? Well, I did recently.

One of the first things I did in response to these questions was get together with friends who felt the same way — a group of women searching for themselves. Some are closer friends than others, but we all understand that whatever is said within the group stays within the group. So here I sit, looking for answers, and only time will tell whether my decision to start down this path was foolish or courageous.

I chose friends because I found very few counseling options for mid-life crisis, self-examination, or similar counseling, by whatever name you call it. Individual counseling is of course available, as is a Web site, www.midwestanxiety.com. But for the most part, group counseling focuses on such issues as divorce, depression, and sexual assault.

One would think that at this point in our lives, women would be content spending time with our grandchildren, relaxing in retirement, or even experiencing new adventures abroad. But instead — or maybe in addition — some of us are searching for something that seems just beyond our grasp. And I wonder why some of us, as we reach 40, 50, or even 60, go through this confusion, this wanting to make sense of it all. Isn’t age supposed to bring wisdom?

Don’t get me wrong; I want to be here, though at times it is very hard to be honest and detailed in front of friends. It’s just that when I was younger, I never expected that someday I would question who I was, or even why I was. Then, suddenly, I am older and questioning everything.
♦
As I sit quietly, glancing at the faces that have now become more familiar, I see that they, too, are filled with nervous energy and profound doubt. I don’t know about the others, but I wonder what good it does to divulge inner thoughts that have been hidden for so long. And because we are friends, we spend time each meeting trying to explain our actions and defend our choices. No one wants to look bad or stupid in front of others, especially friends.

Slowly, in my quest to find this healthier and more contented life, I have begun to understand why it is important to return each week. But I have also come to understand why I fight the intrusion. I accept that learning from my past and trying to find answers will not be easy, but I also accept the need to try. It’s like a tug-of-war that never ends — keep up the illusion and save face, or hang the laundry out to dry and see where the wind blows.

I recently read something I’m trying to incorporate into my life daily: We should release our regrets and accept our choices, and we must give up the need to know why things happen. This makes perfect sense, but how many of us can actually do it? How many of us can sincerely forget our mistakes, concede our choices, and quit our worrying?

No matter how many times I think I have things settled in my mind, questions loop through my head: Why is it so easy for me to think the worst? Why do I blame myself for other people’s reactions? Why is it so hard to stand up for myself? Why should one small moment in time make any difference in my life?

But then, in the very next breath, I ask myself whether I’m ready to confront my mistakes, my fears, and my bad choices, whether I’m willing to see myself for who I really am, underneath this shell that has taken years to build.

There is no clear path, no right or wrong.
♦
For tonight’s topic we are discussing our childhoods, looking at hidden resentments or feelings about events that cannot be changed but may be forgiven. And despite my conviction to heal, something holds me back — some hesitation to take that next vocal step. It’s as safe an environment as we can make it, but is it safe enough?

I listen and observe what others are saying and how they are acting. Are they being rejected or taken seriously; are they being dismissed or given strength? And I’m still struggling with the desire to get better versus the panic of opening up. It’s almost overwhelming. But embarrassment is not an option, and fear is not a choice.

I tell myself again that I’m here to find relief and purpose — not just to take up space, but to be acknowledged, not just to be a next-door neighbor, friend, or co-worker, but someone with value.

So, with a reluctant but open mind, I begin to look back and see myself as a child. I examine my innermost childhood recollections for any lingering feelings that may still be influencing, controlling, or manipulating me. I try to recall traumas or incidents that affected me negatively or positively, incidents that may have taken root and never let go.

Some childhood images remain foggy; others are clear and precise, like the cool summer breeze that blew across my crib most mornings as I listened to the musical sounds of birds singing from a nearby tree; the crisp, white snow that fell on cold winter days as we attempted to maneuver a steep hill on our sleds; or the wait each school-day morning for the bus, no matter the weather. These and many more happy memories come flooding back with beautiful images and heartwarming sounds.

But then other memories, long buried and forgotten, begin to surface. There are scenes of yelling and hitting and fear, images of confusion and envy. I remember the jealousy of wanting to be like other kids — kids who laughed with no hesitation, moved without keeping watch, and played as though they had no worries. I remember hiding, but not in games. I remember tears, but not in happiness. And I remember silence, but not in church.

I start to feel the ache in my stomach and my heart begins to pound as I absorb those feelings of anguish and dread. I mentally shake myself aware, because I am remembering too much, too soon.
♦
As the evening draws to an end, I again look at the emotions displayed on my friends’ faces and see so much of myself reflected back. We have shared much, yet we know that if we choose to continue “looking inside” with each other, we also choose to continue putting our trust in each other (at least for a little while longer). And although we have all come to understand the key words — dysfunction, abuse, domestic violence, mid-life crisis — what we may not understand is whether we fit the definition, and that is the bottom line.

I believe we can be proud of all we have accomplished so far, the baby steps as we dig deeper and analyze more thoroughly, the courage to keep coming back, the belief that we have the right to learn and to grow as individuals. (I’m sure that this is more than some of us ever thought possible.)

As we say our goodbyes, with a lighter step and more confident smile, we know (without acknowledging) that some will not return. For some, this self-induced journey will wait for another time. Others will return to continue the fight. My only question is, which will I choose?

Therese Swartz Iverson is a published author, cancer survivor, and recently retired Johnson County employee. She is available at Ivysan13@aol.com.

Medicare publication outlines drug discounts

 

By Kansas Senior Press Service

The Affordable Care Act includes benefits to make your Medicare prescription drug coverage (Part D) more affordable. As of Jan. 1, if you reach the coverage gap (also known as the “doughnut hole”) in your Medicare drug coverage, you will receive the following:

• A 50 percent discount on covered brand-name drugs when you buy them at a pharmacy or order them through the mail.
• Some coverage for generic drugs. You can expect additional savings on your brand-name and generic drugs during the coverage gap over the next 10 years, until the gap is closed in 2020.

Fact sheet available. Medicare has an informative fact sheet online. “Closing the Coverage Gap: More Prescription Drugs Are Becoming Affordable” fully explains the discount of brand-name drugs and coverage for generic drugs and how these benefits will increase over time. The publication is only available online, at www.medicare.gov. On the Web site, enter publication number 11493 in the “Search” area near the upper-right corner of the page.

What is the coverage gap and how will I know if I have reached it? Some Medicare drug plans have a coverage gap. This means that after you and your drug plan have spent a certain amount of money for covered drugs, you must pay the full cost of your prescription drugs, to a limit of $4,550 in out-of-pocket costs in 2011.
Every month in which you fill a prescription, your drug plans mail you an explanation-of-benefits notice, which tells you how much you have spent on covered drugs and whether you reached the coverage gap.

Who can get the new savings while in the coverage gap? As of Jan. 1, you can get the new savings if all of the following are true:

• You’re currently enrolled in a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (including employer group health and waiver plans) or a Medicare Advantage Plan that includes prescription drug coverage.
• You don’t get Extra Help (a Medicare program to help people with limited income and resources pay for Medicare prescription drug costs).
• You have reached the coverage gap.

How does the 50 percent coverage gap discount work for brand-name drugs? Companies that make brand-name prescription drugs must sign agreements with Medicare to participate in the Medicare Coverage Gap Discount Program. This program requires the companies to offer discounts of brand-name drugs to people who have reached the coverage gap.

Starting in 2011, once you’ve reached the coverage gap you will automatically get a 50 percent discount on your brand-name prescription drugs when you buy them. The discount applies if you buy your prescriptions at a pharmacy or order them through the mail. The discount will come off of the price that your plan has set with the pharmacy for that specific drug. The entire price, including the 50 percent discount the drug company pays, will count toward the amount you need to qualify for catastrophic coverage. Once you reach the catastrophic coverage, you only pay a small co-insurance or co-payment for the rest of the year.

You will still need to pay any dispensing fees (the cost to fill a prescription).

How is coverage for generic drugs changing in the coverage gap? In 2011, Medicare will begin paying 7 percent of the price for generic drugs during the coverage gap. You will pay the remaining 93 percent of that price. What you pay for generic drugs during the coverage gap will decrease each year, until it reaches 25 percent in 2020. For generic drugs, only the amount you pay will count toward getting you out of the coverage gap. The dispensing fee is included as part of the cost of the drug.

What if I have other insurance? You can only get the discount if Medicare Part D is the primary payer (pays first) for your prescription drugs. If your other insurance coverage pays second, it will pay after the discount has been provided.

Get your questions answered.

• For more information about the closing of the coverage gap, call 800-633-4227 or visit www.medicare.gov. You may also contact your plan.
• For general information about Medicare prescription drug coverage, visit http://go.usa.gov/3GG to view the publication titled “Your Guide to Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage.”
• For information on how to lower your prescription drug costs, visit http://go.usa.gov/loF to view the publication titled “Bridging the Coverage Gap.”
• If you have limited income and resources, you may qualify for Medicare Extra Help on your prescription drug costs. Visit www.socialsecurity.gov or call 800-772-1213 to apply. TTY users should call 800-325-0778.
• Medicare beneficiaries in Johnson County may also receive information assistance through Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansas (SHICK) by calling 913-715-8856.

Book Review: The Birds of Heaven: Travels with Cranes, by Peter Matthiessen

 

By Barbara Watkins
Kansas Senior Press Service

If you have an invitation to fly with cranes on their annual spring migration, by all means take them up on it! If not, I highly recommend reading The Birds of Heaven: Travels with Cranes (North Point Press, 2001), by Peter Matthiessen. This book is one of my all-time favorites.


Matthiessen, now 83 years old, is a naturalist, environmental activist, and wilderness traveler, and a prolific writer of fiction and nonfiction. He has won the National Book Award twice. Robert Bateman’s beautiful paintings and drawings of cranes guide the reader through the book.


Cranes are the largest flying birds on earth and are considered sacred in many cultures. They migrate long distances, sometimes at great heights.


“That cranes may journey at such altitudes, disappearing from the sight of earthbound mortals, may account for their near-sacred place in the earliest legends of the world as messengers and harbingers of highest heaven,” Matthiessen writes.


Since ancient times, cranes have symbolized longevity, good fortune, harmony, and fidelity. Preserving their  ecosystems has become an international challenge:
 
 The crane family (Gruidae) occurs on every continent except South America, but the genus Grus (to which taxonomists presently assign all but five of the 15 extant species) attained its greatest expansion in eastern Asia. Of those 15, 11 are threatened or endangered by Homo sapiens, either directly through hunting, poisoning, or trapping, or indirectly through despoliation of the earth’s resources, most dangerously its dwindling fount of good freshwater.

In researching The Birds of Heaven, Matthiessen made many journeys in search of cranes — from their breeding grounds in Siberia and Mongolia to India, Bhutan, China, Japan, and Korea; on to Australia, Africa, and Great Britain; then to Wisconsin, Nebraska, and the Gulf Coast and Florida. He often traveled with other “craniacs,” including George Archibald and James Harris, officers of the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, Wis., who wrote the foreword to this book. Although nationalities, politics, and economics create tensions among crane researchers, helping ensure the survival of these beautiful birds and their endangered habitats brings the scientists together in a unified cause.


In a fascinating but ironic part of The Birds of Heaven, Matthiessen describes his trip to a strange “bird sanctuary” in Korea. The armistice that ended the Korean War in 1953 established the demilitarized zone, or DMZ. This stretch of peninsula between North and South Korea, which has been aggressively patrolled by soldiers from both nations and where Homo sapiens is excluded, has been hospitable to other species. This no-man’s-land several miles across and 149 miles long has been “the most fiercely protected wildlife sanctuary anywhere on earth, and an accidental paradise for the great cranes.”


One of my treasured bird-watching memories is a trip I took in 2001 with my favorite editor and another dear friend to the Lillian Rowe Sanctuary on the Platte River in Nebraska, which is administered by the National Audubon Society, to watch the spring migration of sandhill cranes. This species, which has been estimated at 650,000 birds (more than three times as many as the Eurasian crane and almost as many as all of the other 14 species together) is also the oldest bird species on earth. Matthiessen describes this migration:

In late winter and early spring, all over the Gulf Coast, the Southwest, and northern Mexico, the sandhill cranes grow restless. Calling and circling, they gather up their flocks until at last the cycle of the turning earth propels them on their annual migration. … [T]he skeins of birds funnel like sand grains into the narrow waist of the great hourglass of the continent’s central flyway and descend to the great staging area along the Platte River ...

Because farming requires massive irrigation, this crane habitat has shrunk from 200 miles of river to a 60-mile stretch, where crane flocks crowd dangerously together. This loss is a consistent theme throughout The Birds of Heaven:

One way to grasp the main perspectives of environment and biodiversity is to understand the origins and precious nature of a single living form ... [I]f one has truly understood a crane — or a leaf or cloud or a frog — one has understood everything. In the growing scarcity of good water and the impending competition for this resource — which may well become the greatest crisis for all life on earth in the new millennium—the plight of Homo may not differ much from that of Grus.

If we want to preserve the last wild creatures and their habitat, we need to find the will and the means to undo the damage we have created.

Related readings and resources

• Peter Matthiessen, The Snow Leopard (Viking Press, 1978). This National Book Award winner is an account of Matthiessen’s two-month journey, after his wife’s death from cancer, with naturalist George Schaller in 1973 to Crystal Mountain, in the Dolpo region of the Himalayas, to observe the rare and beautiful snow leopard.
• Paul A. Johnsgaard, Crane Music: A Natural History of American Cranes (Lincoln, Neb. University of Nebraska Press, 1998.) Crane Music describes in detail the two North American crane species, the sandhill and the whooping crane, struggling back from near extinction.
• The International Crane Foundation, www.savingcranes.org. This foundation works worldwide to preserve cranes and their wetland habitats. It maintains a population of all 15 species for breeding and reintroduction to the wild.

Barbara Watkins is an avid and accomplished gardener, birder, and director of outdoor excursions with friends. She lives in Lawrence, Kan.

A photo opp: How to organize those old pictures

By Joyce A. Brown
Kansas Senior Press Service

One of my priorities in retirement was to organize all the photos that filled a big antique pie safe in my house.


For three years I opened the doors of that cabinet every once in awhile, added new envelopes of photos, thought briefly that I should begin the project, realized that I had no idea how, closed the doors, and baked muffins instead.


Meanwhile, I reflected on the mishmash of my parents’ photos in cardboard boxes crammed into a storage closet at my mother’s retirement apartment, and I conversed with fellow retirees about the need to organize our old photos.


My friends all had different ideas about what they would do. One said her plan was to use albums. Another would divide her pictures, giving some to each of her children. Most said they would arrange the pictures sequentially. A friend had cut out photos of family members and pasted them onto background shots so he could display his family and the scenery together.


No one I talked to had tackled a whole cabinet like mine, full of photos stuffed into shoeboxes, envelopes, and plastic bags.


I was a librarian! I know how to organize! I have free time, and maybe I can figure this out and give some pointers to others!


Those were my thoughts as I typed a query into an Internet search: “How do I organize old photos?”


I received 987,000 results. Although many were advertisements, some gave me pointers to ponder.


The most prevalent instruction, besides using acid-free archival materials, was to find a large table to lay out all the photos, either chronologically or in categories.


“You don’t understand!” I shouted at the computer. “I would need five conference room tables to lay out all my pictures!” (My husband, sitting nearby, raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment; he understands yelling at inert media.)


One site, www.home-organizing-ideas.com, advised me to label each picture with names, dates, location, and event. This time I only muttered to myself, “If I remembered all that information, the job would be easy.”


Finally, the consensus of the multitudes provided the tip that got me started. On www.wikihow.com/Organize-Your-Photos, I read, “Don’t feel guilty about having unsorted photos. Lots of people do. Do get going and sort them.”


I cleared a daybed and the floor of our guest room, closed the door, turned on some music, and started through the first box of pictures. Immediately, categories made more sense to me than chronological order.

There were pictures of the kids from babyhood, pictures of them now with their families, photos of friends, vacations, my husband’s side of the family, my side. It was fun. Time flew as I threw out blurry pictures, remembered people and events, and categorized each photo. The stacks grew.


That is not to say that the job was finished quickly. Oh, no. I spent an hour here and an hour there over several weeks. The picture room became stuffy because I had to keep the door shut so my cats wouldn’t destroy the fragile structure of my tilting stacks. If I’d had overnight guests during those weeks, I would have put each stack into a bag and returned them to the pie safe. They would still be there today.


Fortune and focus paid off. One day, after my stacks were complete, I went to a craft store and purchased the same number of acid-free boxes as I had categories. I bought one larger box for the 5-by-7 and 8-by-10 photos in the collection.


At that point I again hesitated. The trick was to organize the photos within the categories. I had decided to arrange them chronologically. My reluctance to get started arose every time I pondered the fact that so few of the old pictures would be labeled with names and dates.


Gradually, however, each of my eight boxes took shape. I had dated many more photos than I remembered. Others fell into sequence from the apparent ages of the kids, locations, or even hairstyles. Photos from ancient torn albums were easy to disassemble, stack, and label with box dividers.


Finally I stacked the eight boxes onto the cleared shelves and stood back to admire them. Now I’m looking forward to taking photo trips down memory lane with my husband, children, and grandchildren.


Here are my main tips for organizing your photos:

It cannot be done in one sitting. Find a place where you can leave stacks and work on them a little at a time.
Have on hand a pen, scissors, a waste basket, and some tissues for when the nostalgia hits.
Most important, just begin!

Now, there are those digital photos stored on my computer — and all the recipes I’ve been meaning to organize…

Joyce Brown lives in Leawood.

Poem: Cooking weather

By Patricia M. Houghton
Kansas Senior Press Service

I’m soaking the beans.
Sleet beats against the screens,
the horses stand
with their rumps to the storm
on the downwind side of the barn.
I brought in the wood,
it’s dry in the bin.
Birds are thick at the feeder:
juncos, cardinals, chickadees.
Ice on the trees
turns them silver.
I can tell by the smell
that hot loaves are ready to
come out of the oven.
The cats have been fed,
the soup’s almost done;
time to get out the butter
and try that bread.
Hot cider would be good,
with cinnamon sticks.
I’m staying inside forever.
I’ll never go out, no never go out
in this weather.

Patricia Houghton lives in Spring Hill.

Property tax refunds

Kansas Senior Press Service

QUESTION: I live on a very limited income. I own my home, but it has become difficult for me to pay my property taxes. A friend told me about a property tax refund program for seniors administered by the Kansas Department of Revenue.

ANSWER: The program is commonly called Safe Senior; its formal name is Kansas Property Tax Relief for Low-Income Seniors. Safe Senior is a property tax refund program administered under the Kansas Homestead Act.


Who qualifies? You can qualify for the refund if you were a Kansas resident all of 2010, owned a home in Kansas during 2010, were 65 or older for all of 2010 (born before Jan. 1, 1945), and had a household income of $17,500 or less in 2010.


How much is the refund? The refund is 45 percent of the 2010 general property tax as shown on the 2010 real estate tax statement for the residence in which you lived in 2010. The 2010 property tax consists of the first half, which was due Dec. 20, 2010, and the second half, which is due May 10. The 2010 property tax is the total of both halves.


The first half of the property taxes must be “timely and actually paid” for you to receive a K-40PT (Safe Senior) refund, but the K-40H (Homestead) refund permits you to be delinquent in payment of your taxes. The Homestead refund claim form allows you to check a box that permits the Kansas Department of Revenue to send the refund check directly to the County Treasurer.  This option is not available on the Safe Senior refund claim.


While there is no limit to the amount of a Safe Senior refund, the appraised value of your residence cannot exceed $350,000. Safe Senior claimants with a 2010 general property tax of $1,560 or more will receive a Safe Senior refund greater than $700, the current refund capped under the Homestead refund. For example, $1,560 x .45 = $702.


“Household income” for Safe Senior purposes is generally all income, taxable and nontaxable, received by all household members during 2010. This includes 100 percent of Social Security benefits received. Household income does not include Social Security Disability payments, SSI Disability payments, Railroad Disability payments, or Veterans Disability payments.


May I receive both a Homestead refund and a Safe Senior refund? No. It is suggested that if you qualify for a Safe Senior refund, you also complete a Homestead refund form to determine which claim will provide the largest refund. File a claim only for the fund that will provide the largest refund.


Complete information about filing a Safe Senior or Homestead refund claim is at www.ksrevenue.org.


If you cannot obtain forms locally, call the forms hotline, 785-296-4937, and ask to have the forms mailed to you. Allow 10 days for delivery.


Electronic filing options. The Safe Senior claim and the Homestead claim may be filed with the Kansas Department of Revenue any time by April 15. For a faster refund, file your claim electronically at www.webtax.org. This filing method is safe and secure, and you can receive your refund even faster if you use the direct-deposit option.

Understanding prostate cancer

 

By Kansas Senior Press Service

Editor’s note: Because prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in men, more and more men and their loved ones are taking steps to understand it, prevent it, and make wise and informed decisions if a prostate cancer diagnosis is made. The Mayo Clinic, one of the most trusted sources of health information, has a well-written, sympathetic explanation of prostate cancer on its Web site, www.mayoclinic.org. This is the second part of a two-installment article.

 

Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy uses high-powered energy to kill cancer cells. Prostate cancer radiation therapy can be delivered in two ways:

• Radiation that comes from outside your body (external beam radiation). You lie on a table while a machine moves around your body, directing high-powered energy beams, such as X-rays, to your prostate cancer. You typically undergo external beam radiation treatments five days a week for several weeks.
• Radiation placed inside your body (brachytherapy). Many rice-sized radioactive seeds are placed in your prostate tissue. The radioactive seeds deliver a low dose of radiation over a long period of time. Your doctor implants the radioactive seeds in your prostate using a needle guided by ultrasound images. The implanted seeds eventually stop giving off radiation and don’t need to be removed.

 

Side effects of radiation therapy can include painful urination, frequent urination, and urgent urination, as well as rectal symptoms such as loose stools or pain when passing stools. Erectile dysfunction can also occur.

Hormone therapy
Hormone therapy is treatment to stop your body from producing the male hormone testosterone. Prostate cancer cells rely on testosterone to help them grow. Cutting off the supply of hormones may cause cancer cells to die or to grow more slowly. Hormone therapy options include:

• Medications that stop your body from producing testosterone. Medications known as luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) agonists prevent the testicles from receiving messages to make testosterone.
• Medications that block testosterone from reaching cancer cells. Medications known as anti-androgens prevent testosterone from reaching your cancer cells. These drugs typically are given along with an LH-RH agonist or given before taking an LH-RH agonist.
• Surgery to remove the testicles (orchiectomy). Removing your testicles reduces testosterone levels in your body. The effectiveness of orchiectomy in lowering testosterone levels is similar to that of hormone therapy medications, but orchiectomy may lower testosterone levels more quickly.

 

Hormone therapy is used in men with advanced prostate cancer to shrink the cancer and slow the growth of tumors. In men with early-stage prostate cancer, hormone therapy may be used to shrink tumors before radiation therapy. This can make it more likely that radiation therapy will be successful. Hormone therapy is sometimes used after surgery or radiation therapy to slow the growth of any cancer cells left behind.
Side effects of hormone therapy may include erectile dysfunction, hot flashes, loss of muscle and bone mass, reduced sex drive, and weight gain. Hormone therapy also increases the risk of heart disease and heart attack. Doctors believe long-term use of hormone therapy and the low hormone levels that result may lead to cardiovascular problems.

Surgery to remove the prostate
Surgery for prostate cancer involves removing the prostate gland (radical prostatectomy), some surrounding tissue, and a few lymph nodes. Ways the radical prostatectomy procedure can be performed include:

• Making an incision in your abdomen. During retropubic surgery, the prostate gland is taken out through an incision in your lower abdomen. Compared with other types of prostate surgery, retropubic prostate surgery may carry a lower risk of nerve damage.
• Making an incision between your anus and scrotum. Perineal surgery involves making an incision between your anus and scrotum to access your prostate. The perineal approach may allow for quicker recovery times, but this technique makes removing the nearby lymph nodes and avoiding nerve damage more difficult.
• Laparoscopic prostatectomy. Several small incisions are made in the abdomen. The doctor inserts special surgical tools through the incisions, including a long, slender tube with a small camera on the end (laparoscope). The laparoscope sends images to a monitor in the operating room. The surgeon watches the monitor as he or she guides the instruments. Laparoscopic surgery may offer a shorter hospital stay and quicker recovery than traditional surgery.
• Using a robot to assist with surgery. During robotic laparoscopic surgery, the instruments are attached to a mechanical device (robot). The surgeon sits at a console and uses hand controls to guide the robot to move the instruments. Using a robot during laparoscopic surgery may allow the surgeon to make more precise movements with surgical tools than is possible with traditional laparoscopic surgery. Discuss with your doctor which type of surgery is best for you.

Radical prostatectomy carries a risk of urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction. Ask your doctor to explain the risks you may face based on your situation, the type of procedure you select, your age, your body type, and your overall health.

Freezing prostate tissue
Cryosurgery, or cryoablation, involves freezing tissue to kill cancer cells. During cryosurgery for prostate cancer, small needles are inserted in the prostate using ultrasound images for guidance. A very cold gas is placed in the needles, which causes the surrounding tissue to freeze. A second gas is then placed in the needles to reheat the tissue. The cycles of freezing and thawing kill the cancer cells and some surrounding healthy tissue. Original attempts to use cryosurgery for prostate cancer resulted in unacceptable side effects. Doctors hope newer technologies will make cryosurgery safer.

Heating prostate tissue using ultrasound
High-intensity focused ultrasound treatment uses powerful sound waves to heat prostate tissue, causing cancer cells to die. The procedure is done by inserting a small probe in your rectum. The probe focuses ultrasound energy at precise points in your prostate. High-intensity focused ultrasound treatments are being studied in clinical trials. More study is needed to understand the benefits and risks of this treatment.

Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill rapidly growing cells, including cancer cells. Chemotherapy can be administered through a vein in your arm, in pill form, or both. Chemotherapy may be a treatment option for men with prostate cancer that has spread to distant areas of their bodies. Chemotherapy may also be an option for cancers that don’t respond to hormone therapy. Doctors are studying whether chemotherapy is helpful when combined with radiation therapy or surgery.

Alternative treatments
No complementary or alternative treatments will cure prostate cancer. However, complementary and alternative prostate cancer treatments may help men cope with the side effects of cancer and its treatment.


Alternative prostate cancer treatments that may help you cope with the stress and anxiety you may experience after your diagnosis include art therapy, dance or movement therapy, exercise, meditation, music therapy, relaxation techniques such as guided imagery or muscle relaxation, and expressions of spirituality. Ask your doctor to refer you to a professional who can help you do these activities. Some require instruction, while others can be done on your own.


When you receive a diagnosis of prostate cancer, you may experience a range of feelings — disbelief, fear, anger, anxiety, depression. With time, each man finds his own way of coping with a prostate cancer diagnosis. Until you find what works for you, try to:

• Learn enough about prostate cancer to feel comfortable making treatment decisions. Learn as much as you can about your cancer and its treatment. Having a better idea of what to expect from treatment and life after treatment can make you feel more in control of your cancer. Ask your doctor, nurse, or other health care professional to recommend reliable sources of information to get you started.
• Keep your friends and family close. Your friends and family can provide support during and after your treatment. Friends and family can help with the small tasks you won’t have energy for. And having a close friend or family member to talk to can be helpful when you’re stressed or overwhelmed.
• Connect with other cancer survivors. Because friends and family can’t always understand what it’s like to face cancer, other cancer survivors provide a unique network of support. Ask your doctor or other member of your health care team about support groups or organizations in your community that can connect you with other cancer survivors. Organizations such as the American Cancer Society offer online chat rooms and discussion boards. www.cancer.org.
• Take care of yourself. Take care of yourself during cancer treatment by eating a diet full of fruits and vegetables. Try to exercise most days of the week. Get enough sleep each night so you wake feeling rested.
• Continue sexual expression. If you experience erectile dysfunction, your natural reaction may be to avoid all sexual contact. But consider touching, holding, hugging, and caressing as ways to continue sharing sexuality with your partner.

Prevention
You can reduce your risk of prostate cancer if you:

• Choose a diet full of fruits and vegetables. Avoid high-fat foods and focus on choosing a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Fruits and vegetables contain many vitamins and nutrients that can contribute to your health. One nutrient that is consistently linked to prostate cancer prevention is lycopene, which can be found in raw or cooked tomatoes. Whether you can prevent prostate cancer through diet has yet to be conclusively proven. But eating a healthy diet with a variety of fruits and vegetables can improve your overall health.
• Choose healthful foods over supplements. No studies have shown that supplements play a role in reducing your risk of prostate cancer. While there has been some interest in vitamin C, vitamin E, and selenium to lower prostate cancer risk, studies haven’t found a benefit to taking supplements to create high levels of these nutrients in your body. Instead, choose foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals so you can maintain effective levels of vitamins in your body.
• Exercise most days of the week. Exercise improves your overall health, helps you maintain your weight, and improves your mood. There is some evidence that the men who get the most exercise have a lower incidence of prostate cancer than men who get little or no exercise. Try to exercise most days of the week. If you’re new to exercise, start slowly and work your way up to more exercise time each day.
• Maintain a healthful weight. If your current weight is healthful, maintain it by exercising most days of the week. If you need to lose weight, add more exercise and reduce the number of calories you eat each day. Ask your doctor for help in creating a plan for weight loss.
• Talk to your doctor if you think you have an increased risk of prostate cancer. Men with a high risk of prostate cancer may consider medications or other treatments to reduce their risk.

Book Review: Sex for Grownups: Dr. Dorree Reveals the Truths, Lies, and Must-Tries for Great Sex After 50, by Doree Lynn, PhD, with Cindy Spitzer (Health Communications, 2010)


By Maril Crabtree
Kansas Senior Press Service

It’s February, the month of nasty weather and surly temperaments from struggling through ice, snow, cold, and gray.


Wait! There’s a warm glow coming from one date in February: Valentine’s Day, a day of hearts and flowers, love and romance.


Why not give your Valentine a special gift this year? Sex for Grownups could be just the thing to renew your love life or make you feel just a bit sexier, with or without a partner. If your first reaction is “Bah, humbug” or “Ugh. Those days are long behind me,” this book may change your attitude.


“The brain remains the sexiest part of the body,” the author states.


Your sex life — even if it’s nonexistent at this point — may benefit from a change of attitude, starting with whether you believe sex can be a positive factor in a person’s later years.


Research has proven once and for all that an active sex life for people over 50 can promote health, happiness, and even longevity. But Lynn is no Pollyanna.


“The truth is, we do age,” she writes. Therein lies the challenge: to find “ways to navigate the many physical and emotional changes of aging so that we can continue (or begin!) to enjoy sex and sensuality to the fullest.”


With a frank and engaging advice-column style, Lynn devotes the major part of her 294-page book to discussing (and tastefully displaying) the wide range of ways to enhance and enliven our sex lives. It starts with leaving behind comparisons (and accompanying expectations) of what sex was like at 20, 30, or 40. But she’s clear that “the myth that only young is sexy is a lie. Sex and sensuality last a lifetime and at 52, 62, or even 92, you’re still hot!”


The book also deals with age-ridden conditions such as chronic illness or “natural” factors such as response times slowing down. She discusses “What to Do If You’re No Longer an Acrobat” and returns often to this bottom line:


“Sex is a gift of life that we can enjoy for all of our years. ... Sex is our deepest selves remembering the primal force of life itself. Don’t let declining hormones, relationship troubles, social expectations, or physical challenges permanently block you from that joy. Sex is your birthright, and as long as you are still here, it belongs to you.”


Happy Valentine’s Day!

Author’s note: Visit www.fiftyandfurthermore.com for ongoing tips on health, sexuality, intimacy, and reflections on positive aging. You may also submit questions (anonymously, if you like) and sign up for Lynn’s newsletter.

Maril Crabtree is a freelance writer and editor living in Mission. She teaches writing classes for seniors (no experience required). Call 913-484-1733 for information or visit www.marilcrabtree.com.

Your healthy future begins with a physical exam

By Kansas Senior Press Service

If you’re new to Medicare, take charge of your health and wellness with a thorough physical exam. A comprehensive physical is a smart and easy way for you and your doctor to set a starting point for your personalized health care. It’s your road map for effective, efficient, timely health care, and it will help lower the health care system’s per-person costs.


Medicare covers two types of physical exams: one when you’re new to Medicare and one each year after that.

The “Welcome to Medicare” physical exam. Medicare covers a one-time physical exam if you have it within the first 12 months in which you are enrolled in Part B. Beginning in 2011, you can get this exam for free if your doctor accepts assignment (agrees to be paid directly by Medicare and accepts the amount Medicare approves for the service). This physical includes:

• A review of your medical and social history, including risk factors you can change.
• A physical exam that includes measuring your height, weight, blood pressure, visual acuity, and body mass index.
• Education, counseling, and referrals based on the results of your physical exam.
• A brief written plan, such as a checklist, for getting appropriate screenings or other Medicare Part B preventive services.
• A review of your risk for depression.
• End-of-life planning.

The yearly wellness exam. Medicare also covers a  yearly wellness exam once you’ve had Part B for longer than 12 months, and if it has been at least 12 months since your Welcome to Medicare physical. This yearly exam will help you develop or update a prevention plan. You’ll pay nothing for the exam if your doctor accepts assignment.

Schedule your physical exam today.

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Page Last Updated: April 27, 2011