Increasing numbers of older Americans are creating their own blogs on the Internet these days. A blog is an online journal. You can write your thoughts, your feelings, your opinions on politics - really, anything you choose. One Internet-trend observer notes that out of 54 million bloggers, at least 160,000 are older people, and more sign on each year. OK, so blogging has not quite become the mania of the Social Security set - nearly 60 percent of ... [full story]

FYI TRAVEL          An annual summer adventure for 14 years, Hungary's Sziget Festival is a temporarily constructed city in Budapest, a place to spend a week of self-abandon where the national language is decadent revelry and the party runs 24 hours a day. With more than 1,000 different programs of entertainment spread across more than 60 venues ranging from circus entertainment to classical music, this festival is guaranteed to satisfy even the most eclectic of tastes. ... [full story]

When Boston visitors book the Onyx Hotel's Go Fish Package, they get the opportunity to visit the New England Aquarium, one of Boston's main attractions and home to a vast array of marine life.   MYRTLE THE TURTLE - The New England Aquarium is home to Myrtle the turtle who has been a popular attraction for more than 35 years. CNS Photo courtesy of New England Aquarium. Be sure to watch the sharks at feeding time inside the ... [full story]

You couldn’t wait to retire. Now you’ve done it, and your life feels unhinged. Your calendar and email in-box are empty. Your spouse wants you to do anything that involves leaving the house. And you feel guilty for not being productive. Welcome to retirement. Even those who work part-time after leaving a primary career, as most people now do, face major logistical and psychological challenges. Retirees who don’t anticipate these landmines may learn about them ... [full story]

The day I flew into Miami, Fidel Castro had ceded power to his brother and all of Little Havana was dancing in the streets, celebrating news they had waited to hear for 47 years. Since Castro took control in 1959, nearly a million Cubans have left their native land, most settling in Miami, where they wait for the Old Country to welcome them home. But the younger generations raised in Florida have no memory of ... [full story]

Some people look at a parking lot merely as a designated place to leave your car while fetching groceries or running some other mundane errand. Then there are those who look beyond the asphalt and painted lines and see a breeding ground for an awesome tailgating party. "Tailgating is a popular party event for our customers during football season," says Peter Redmond, vice president for Wal-Mart Stores deli division. "We understand that the right food can ... [full story]

A power of attorney lapses upon incapacitation.  A “durable” power of attorney survives incapacitation.  Both terminate upon the death of its maker. I so advised a USD Senior Legal Helpline caller concerned about the inappropriate exercise of authority being exercised by her younger brother over the estate of their recently-deceased mother. “He had mother’s power of attorney and will not provide me or any of our family with a copy of her will,” she said.  ... [full story]

At what moment is a divorce final?  When the judge signs the order of dissolution?  When notice of the order is served upon one of the parties?  When notice of the order is served upon both parties? The answer to that question will determine the disposition of assets owned by a man who died six days after the court entered a decree of divorce and two days after his wife received notice of the order, ... [full story]

Sure, there's something to be said for touring Independence Hall, viewing the Liberty Bell, gorging at the open-air Italian Market, the last of its kind in the country, and taking in other historical attractions during a trip to Philadelphia. But the real finds are the many lesser-known museums that not only interest and educate but often amuse visitors to the City of Brotherly Love.   MUTTER MUSEUM - The vast medical exhibit at Mutter Museum’s College of ... [full story]

Gay and bi­sex­u­al men may be un­u­su­al­ly prone to com­pul­sive gam­bling, a small study has found, adding to grow­ing ev­i­dence link­ing ho­mo­sex­u­al­ity to var­i­ous ad­dic­t­ions and men­tal ill­nesses. The results re­quire con­fir­ma­tion by fu­ture stud­ies, re­search­ers say, but un­der­score con­cerns that gays and les­bi­ans might re­quire spe­cial at­ten­tion and care for a range of men­tal dis­or­ders. The find­ings could al­so fu­el a charged de­bate over whe­th­er these con­di­tions stem from ho­mo­sex­u­al­ity it­self, or rath­er from the ... [full story]

Tyler Florence is a far more complex young man than you see on his Food Network shows like "Food 911" and "Tyler's Ultimate." The 34-year-old, baby-face hunk is adored by a vast audience of female foodies, and is a popular pitchman for pots and pans and Applebee's restaurants. Florence speaks his mind in interviews with both praise and scorn for certain chefs, but mostly to tout the virtues of healthy, home-cooked food.   TYLER FLORENCE - ... [full story]

THE AUTHOR Do you break out in a cold sweat when trying to decipher the menu in Vietnamese restaurants? Are you afraid that what you order could turn out to be too "adventurous?" "It's a language thing," food writer and newly published cookbook writer Andrea Nguyen says with a laugh.   ANDREA NGUYEN - Like most chefs and food writers, Andrea Nguyen’s love of food came from a family tradition. When her family fled Vietnam, Nguyen's ... [full story]

Q: Several months ago, we purchased a pregnant quarter horse for our daughter. Our mare is due to foal in the first of January. We are becoming nervous about what will happen and whether or not we will be adequately prepared for this huge event in our daughter's life. Do we need to be present for the birth? If so, what should we be prepared to do? Do we need to have a veterinarian on ... [full story]