One of the hottest phone scams right now is callers pretending to be from some agency of the federal government. The object is to scare you or charm you out of some cash.

Maybe you’ve already had one of these calls – someone claiming they’re from the IRS, Social Security or even the FBI. They may even claim to be representing some federal agency that has a grant for you. Stop and think. Grants always require you to actually apply for them – and the application process is usually pretty long and detailed. It’s like those “sweepstakes” scams (how could you win a sweepstakes you never entered?).

And if the IRS or FBI really wanted you, they wouldn’t be notifying you by phone – giving you a chance to take it on the lam. They’d be knocking at your front door with handcuffs at the ready.

Here are some things to keep in mind to make sure you don’t fall for these “federal” fraudsters:

1.) The federal government will never call you and ask for personal information. Never. (Believe us, between your tax returns and social security information, they already know quite a bit about you.)

2.) Any important communication between you and the government, especially if it’s of a legal nature, will be handled through the U.S. Postal System.

3.) The government will not suspend Social Security or Medicare benefits because someone else misused or appropriated your identity.

4.) Federal agencies will never accept payments via gift cards, bank transfer of crypto currency.

As we get older, most of us experience a rise in blood pressure. That problem can worsen depending on medication you may be taking for other medical concerns – and that medication doesn’t have to be by prescription!

Ibuprofen and naproxen, two widely-taken over-the-counter drugs as anti0inflammatories, can actually raise blood pressure, increasing the risk of heart attack or stroke. The list of non-prescription medications that may increase your risk of heart disease also includes products for coughs, cold and flu.

If you’re taking 5 or more prescription medications, there also an increased risk that various drug interactions could be harmful to the health of your heart.

As always, consult with your doctor and/or pharmacist as they should have the latest information and can advise you regarding your own particular situation.

In case you're new here, a litle something to help you get around...

1964: A concert that would have a tremendous impact on British rock takes place at Fairfield Hall in Croydon, England. The American Negro Blues Festival features Howlin’ Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson, Lightning Hopkins, Willie Dixon, and many more. In attendance are many young Brits who will eventually become rock legends getting their first taste of live American blues.

We lost one of our childhood friends last week when Tommy Kirk passed away, just 3 months shy of his 80^th birthday.

Kirk was one of handful of child actors (others included Annette Funicello, Tim Considine, Hayley Mills and Kevin “Moochie” Corcoran) that Disney built their live action films around in the late 50’s and early 60’s.

He got his start working in the early days of TV dramas before being cast to play the younger of the two Hardy Boys on The Mickey Mouse Club. That serial clicked and Disney signed him to a long-term contract. While he never appeared as a Mousketeer, Disney kept him busy with a full slate of feature films. He’s best remembered by Boomers as the human alter ego of The Shaggy Dog, the boy who owned Old Yeller and as wacky kid inventor Merlin Jones.

Disney declined to renew his contract when the fact that he was gay became an open secret around the lot. Kirk then migrated to American International Pictures where he starred opposed his old Disney buddy Annette in Pajama Party, playing a hard-partying Martian (no kidding).

A bust for marijuana possession derailed his career at AIP, although Kirk did appear, again as a Martian (typecasting?), in the deathless 1968 opus, Mars Needs Women, but acting roles dried up after that.

Kirk kicked around in various odd jobs including working as a chauffeur until he founded a carpet-cleaning business that he ran for 26 years and afforded him a comfortable retirement.

In his later years, Kirk enjoyed going to nostalgia conventions and taking an occasional acting gig.

Tommy Kirk was inducted as a Disney Legend on October 9, 2006, alongside his former co-stars Tim Considine and Kevin Corcoran. 

A Whopper? A Big Mac? How about that hairdo?

Watch out Marvel Cinematic Universe. There are some new heroes in town!

As we age, many us complain that we don’t sleep as well or as soundly as we did when we were younger. Here are some of things that may be keeping us up at night:

1. Too much TV or computer time before bed - Most of the screens on our electronic devices emit what is known as “blue light.” The type of light suppresses the body’s production of melatonin, a hormone that induces sleep. So, turn off the tablet, smartphone or TV an hour or two before bedtime

2. Too much caffeine – Okay, so you know enough not to drink coffee before bedtime. But you may not be aware of the presence of caffeine in some many other substances, such as chocolate, tea or soft drinks. Check the ingredients of anything you eating or drinking after dinner.

3. Lack of schedule – When many of us have retired or geared down to an irregular work schedule, we may let our daily schedule go by the wayside. Your body is most definitely a creature of habit. Going to bed at different times may mean confusing it, resulting in difficulty falling asleep.

4. Taking too many activities to bed – Do you like to read or watch Tv while you’re under the covers? Not good for your sleep habits. Do those activities from an easy chair in the living room or den and leave the bed for sleep.

We’ll have more tips in the near future. In the meantime, sleep tight!

In what may be the longest gap between albums, Swedish pop superstars, ABBA have announced the release of their first new studio album in 40 years. Voyage will be released the first week of November. Next spring, ABBA will begin a series of virtual concerts with “ABBA”-tars of the group playing alongside a live band in a specially constructed venue in London, appropriately dubbed ABBA Arena.

The ABBA-tars were created by having the group dress in motion capture outfits. They will appear in the concert looking much younger than their current age – as the band thinks fans would rather see them looking like they did at the height of their fame.

Has the band’s popularity waned any since their glory days? Apparently, not much, Universal Music, which is releasing the album, reported that pre-orders have already broken an all-time record. The concerts – which will encompass nearly 100 performances over 5 months (with tickets prices ranging from $73 to $450 each) are almost sold out as of the time of this writing (September 11) and they’ve only been on sale for a week!

Can anyone doubt there will be a world-wide tour of this show when the London engagement wraps up?