ElderWeb

Fibber McGee and Molly, Jack Benny, Burns and Allen, Bob Hope ... all of these old radio shows and more are newly available on MSN. You can listen to samples online, then download to hear them without being connected to the Internet. Most downloads are about 30 minutes long and cost only $.99 to $1.69. A press release says they are also going to Webcast a different RadioClassics show free each day beginning the week of March 7

What a great activity idea for anyone reminiscing about the old days!

The shows are available at http://music.msn.com/radioclassics.

Governor George Pataki has announced the New York State Oral History Program. This program involves professional military historians using the latest digital technology to preserve the story of New York's Veterans - in their own words - now and for all generations to come. Initially, the program will be concentrating almost exclusively on the state's sizable World War II Veteran community. Later the program will be expanded to telling the stories of later veterans of all periods and services.

All audio tapes will be converted to a digital format for storage. The use of digital formats ensures that the veteran's recollections and experiences will be preserved for generations to come. All video and audio media (regardless of method of collection) will be catalogued, summarized, transcribed whenever feasible, and placed into protective storage. Catalogue information will be made as widely available as possible, and the interviews made available to the general and academic community, subject to any limitations placed on their use by the individual veteran. When specifically authorized by each veteran, copies or portions of the interviews may be shared with other research institutions or school and university programs.

HR 5212, The Veterans'Oral History Project Act, has been signed into law by President Clinton. 4,700,000 Americans served in World War I, 16,500,000 Americans served in World War II, 6,800,000 Americans served in the Korean Conflict, 9,200,000 Americans served in the Vietnam Conflict, 3,800,000 Americans served in the Persian Gulf War, and countless other Americans served in military engagements overseas throughout the 20th century. The Department of Veterans Affairs reports that there are almost 19,000,000 war veterans living in this Nation today. There are only approximately 3,400 living veterans of World War I, and of the some 6,000,000 veterans of World War II alive today, almost 1,500 die each day.

Oral histories are of immeasurable value to historians, researchers, authors, journalists, film makers, scholars, students, and others. The Act notes that it is in the Nation's best interest to collect and catalog oral histories of American war veterans so that future generations will have original sources of information regarding the lives and times of those who served in war and the conditions under which they endured, so that Americans will always remember those who served in war and may learn first-hand of the heroics, tediousness, horrors, and triumphs of war.

Those who drafted the law noted that the Library of Congress, as the Nation's oldest Federal cultural institution and largest and most inclusive library in human history is an appropriate repository to collect, preserve, and make available to the public an archive of these oral histories. Therefore, the Act will create a new federally sponsored, authorized, and funded program that will coordinate at a national level the collection of video and audio recordings of personal histories and testimonials of American war veterans, and to assist and encourage local efforts to preserve the memories of this Nation's war veterans so that Americans of all current and future generations may hear directly from veterans and better appreciate the realities of war and the sacrifices made by those who served in uniform during wartime.

The SeniorNet World War II Living Memorial is an initiative of SeniorNet and Ameritech to provide individuals who lived through the World War II era with an opportunity to share a legacy with younger generations by posting their memories online. About 1,000 WWII veterans pass away every day, so efforts like the Living Memorial provide students and others with a resource to learn first-hand details about the War and its effects on individuals.

SeniorNet invites everyone who lived through the World War II era to share their memories and reflections with their peers and with younger generations in the online World War II Living Memorial. Participants can post messages in the discussions of dozens of topics related to the War, from "The Home Front" and "Women in the War" to the "Holocaust" and various "Theaters of War." There are also online discussions about Tom Brokaw's "The Greatest Generation," a book which profiles older Americans who lived through the war years. Everyone is welcome to participate in this important tribute to a people and an era.

To retire (as defined by Webster?s Dictionary):

To withdraw, as for rest or seclusion.

To retire (as defined by past Kentucky Fried Chicken's Colonel's Way Award recipients):

To run, kayak, hike, scuba dive and skydive. (Howard Burling, age 66)
To sign with a major record label for the first time and tour the country performing for elementary schools. (Bob Dorough, age 76)
To complete the Boston and New York marathons, carry the Olympic torch and chair a chapter of the American Cancer Society, creating the "24 Hour Relay for Life", which raises more than $45,000 for cancer patients each year. (Stuart Jardine, age 83)

Kentucky Fried Chicken is looking for people who are changing the definition of retirement. KFC founder Colonel Harland Sanders was a firm believer in not letting retirement slow you down, and he started his chicken empire at the ripe "young" age of 62 with just a $105 Social Security check. In the spirit of Colonel Sanders, KFC is searching the country for extraordinary seniors who put the "gold" in their golden years, during the fifth annual Colonel?s Way? Award contest.

Nominees must be age 62 or older. One Grand-Prize winner will be chosen, who will be awarded $10,000 in cash and prizes, and a local winner will be selected from every state and the District of Columbia. The 51 local winners will receive a $50 KFC Gift Certificate, $100 cash and a Colonel?s Way Award certificate. Nominations are due by August 20.

The grandchildren and great grandchildren of Sir Henry Thornhill have posted an amazing collection of letters and photographs from his correspondence with his children and grandchildren in the early 1900s. This collection of over 1,000 illustrated letters and cards may be the largest known collection in the world. Since Sir Henry was born in 1854, his family believes he qualifies as "the oldest grandparent on the Internet."

George Bush has proposed increasing funding for the Senior Corps to $250 million to increase the number of volunteers by 50%. He also has proposed establishing a "Silver Scholarship" program to allow seniors to work in after-school programs in exchange for educational scholarships. Under this proposal, Senior Corps volunteers who spend at least 500 hours a year tutoring and mentoring students in after-school or in-school programs will be eligible to earn a $1,000 scholarship that can be deposited in an education savings account for use by their children, grandchildren, or another child in need. He also proposes an additional $50 million over five years for the Senior Demonstration Program, to enable senior volunteers to provide scholarships to 50,000 children.

A Lifelong Learning initiative in the UK is supported by the Individual Learning Division of the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE). They have launched a Learning in Later Life competition to find the country's oldest learner and the "most inspiring" older learner. Entrants don't have to be engaged in a structured degree program. If they are over the age of 85 by 7 April 2000 and are deliberately learning a new skill or subject, brushing up an old skill or developing their abilities, they are eligible for the competition. Learning may cover a wide range of activities including, arts, crafts, creative writing, IT, languages, genealogy, cookery, dancing etc. The two national winners and 18 regional winners will receive a crystal trophy commemorating their achievement. The oldest applicant to date is Fred Moore, 107, who has been attending weekly art classes ever since he was 82, a period of 25 years!

Prime Minister Tony Blair wants to mobilize Britain's senior citizens into a "Grey Army." The government has been talking to the several organizations - Age Concern , Reach the Retired, Senior Volunteers Programme, Community Service Volunteers , and the National Centre for Volunteering. The government will launch an "Experience Corps" nationwide that will support and mobilize opportunities for people over-50 to get involved.