Gay couple featured in article in AARP magazine

[serious crayons]

One time a guy I know was trashing the AARP for what he claimed was their opposition to health-care reform. He said that because the organization provides health insurance, it opposed Obama's plan and reform in general.

Not so. AARP magazine and that other thing, the more newspapery-like AARP publication that members also receive, carried editorials strongly supporting health-care reform and Obama's plan, and ran articles explaining how it would work.

Jeff, does AARP no longer go by the words in the acronym? Maybe it's trying to increase its appeal to the pre-retirement 50+ market and, like KFC and ARC, wants to downplay something in its original name.

Also, I once read that there are several different versions of AARP magazine; which one you get depends on your age.

 

[Penthesilea]

In any case I am impressed by the casual matter-of-factness of including this couple in this article.

That *IS* awesome.  Matter-of-fact is the best.

Yes and yes.

Times are changing. Yesterday, during the soccer match of the German team, they showed the German coach and co-coach. My daughter casually stated "Those two would make a cute couple." and then went on about the the looks of the next man they showed. I registered because those were my thoughts exactly. I have no idea about their sexual orientation, but there's something about them which really makes them seem to be a good fit.
Anyway, it reminded me of this thread.

[Jeff Wrangler]

Jeff, does AARP no longer go by the words in the acronym? Maybe it's trying to increase its appeal to the pre-retirement 50+ market and, like KFC and ARC, wants to downplay something in its original name.

Also, I once read that there are several different versions of AARP magazine; which one you get depends on your age.

Well, according to the Wikipedia article I found, the organization has officially changed it's name to just AARP. I don't really know anything about age-related differences in the publications. The Wikipedia article says that AARP the Magazine used to be known as Modern Maturity, and I also receive the Bulletin, which reminds me of a Sunday-newspaper supplement (like Parade).

Here's the link again:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AARP

I found the section on the history of the organization interesting. I was going to skip renewing my membership, but then I actually got an AARP discount on a hotel in Denver in April, and I'm also getting an AARP discount on my new cell service. Consumer Cellular is sort of the "official" cell provider for AARP. I guess it's a little like getting the Royal License in England. 

I've always wondered why KFC wasn't Kentucky Fried Chicken anymore. 

[serious crayons]

I don't really know anything about age-related differences in the publications.

That's something I read on a site for magazine writers.

I also receive the Bulletin, which reminds me of a Sunday-newspaper supplement (like Parade).

Yeah, that's the one I was referring to earlier. What do you call that kind of thing? It's not really a magazine or a newspaper or a newsletter. And it is like Parade, but it's not a supplement if it's not supplemental to anything, right? 

I actually got an AARP discount on a hotel in Denver in April, and I'm also getting an AARP discount on my new cell service.

I got 30 percent off my new glasses!

As for hotels, I used to use AAA, which is about the same as the AARP discount. Now I use neither because I book through priceline.com or hotwire.com and get amazing deals.

I've always wondered why KFC wasn't Kentucky Fried Chicken anymore. 

They want to downplay the "fried."

[Jeff Wrangler]

Yeah, that's the one I was referring to earlier. What do you call that kind of thing? It's not really a magazine or a newspaper or a newsletter. And it is like Parade, but it's not a supplement if it's not supplemental to anything, right? 

Beats me! 

I got 30 percent off my new glasses!

 

As for hotels, I used to use AAA, which is about the same as the AARP discount. Now I use neither because I book through priceline.com or hotwire.com and get amazing deals.

Is priceline the one you "bid" on? I should check those out. I need a hotel in San Francisco in August, and in Denver then again, too.

They want to downplay the "fried."

Makes sense, I guess. 

[louisev]

I got an excellent priceline deal when I needed a motel room for a friend in Alexandria - $40 on a $100 room. I just kept bidding $40 on every toom in town till one said "accepted"!  It was great.

That being said, since I am getting spammed 6 times a day by AARP I have a constitutional aversion to signing on with them.  I have had AAA for many a long year, and I got $1000 from them in travel emergency reimbursement when I was hit in Minneapolis, and then I signed up for their "preferred traveler" accident policy which covers additional out of pocket expenses if I end up in an emergency room.  Because it's happened to me, and I sure don't want it happening again!

[serious crayons]

Is priceline the one you "bid" on? I should check those out. I need a hotel in San Francisco in August, and in Denver then again, too.

I have stayed in some unbelievably nice rooms for around $50, thanks to Priceline and Hotwire. Priceline lets you choose the level of luxury (1 to 4 or 5 stars) and what part of a city you want to stay in, then name your price. My advice: pick the highest number of stars and bid low, like maybe $50. If your bid isn't accepted the first time, you have to alter your request somewhat, so then you can go down a star if you want or broaden your geographic location and maybe raise your bid by $5. Hotwire has a slightly different setup -- I think it tells you what level of hotel and a price, but you don't know which exact hotel it is. Check them both out to see which you like better.

Before discovering Priceline, I had just been training myself to haggle with hotel managers for a better room. That sometimes works, too; once in Nebraska, for example, I managed to get a suite, priced at $130, for $75, the price of a regular room. But you can do even better with Priceline, etc., so now I don't bother with ordinary haggling.

[Marge_Innavera]

I've always wondered why KFC wasn't Kentucky Fried Chicken anymore. 

I keep wondering how the authors of these changes to acronyms want people to pronounce their names.  Maybe:


AARP:   "Arp."

KFC:  "Kefuck"

BP:  "burp."

[Jeff Wrangler]

I have stayed in some unbelievably nice rooms for around $50, thanks to Priceline and Hotwire. Priceline lets you choose the level of luxury (1 to 4 or 5 stars) and what part of a city you want to stay in, then name your price. My advice: pick the highest number of stars and bid low, like maybe $50. If your bid isn't accepted the first time, you have to alter your request somewhat, so then you can go down a star if you want or broaden your geographic location and maybe raise your bid by $5. Hotwire has a slightly different setup -- I think it tells you what level of hotel and a price, but you don't know which exact hotel it is. Check them both out to see which you like better.

Before discovering Priceline, I had just been training myself to haggle with hotel managers for a better room. That sometimes works, too; once in Nebraska, for example, I managed to get a suite, priced at $130, for $75, the price of a regular room. But you can do even better with Priceline, etc., so now I don't bother with ordinary haggling.

"Just for fun" this morning, I "played around" a bit on both priceline and hotwire. I had never used either site before. Priceline I had heard of, thanks to the William Shatner commercials  , but hotwire was totally new to me; oddly enough, now that I've heard of it through Katherine's post, I've also seen a TV commercial for it.

Anyway, I'm not so sure I like either of them. In both cases it seemed sort of like "buying a pig in a poke"; they will book your room and then you find out what the hotel is and where exactly it's located. With hotwire I wasn't aiming too low because I realized I was looking for a "nice" place in the heart of San Francisco; actually, I am aiming to stay close to the Ferry Building/Embarcadero because that's where the Amtrak "station" is that I will be using. I put in three stars and $100 a night (the site said the median for that area of the city is $169). Still, I don't know how I feel about "buying" a hotel room without first knowing what I'm getting.

Maybe I should start a thread on another area asking for opinions and experiences with these services?    I used hotels.com to find places for my Rail Odyssey last year--and found a really great (though not cheap) hotel in Seattle--but I found the site a bit cumbersome to use.

[brianr]

I have the same worries about those sites, especially being a foreigner, travelling by train and carting quite a large bag. I want to know the location of the hotel. I have found hotel.com very good. The only problem is they often take the money straight away from my account. The computer recognises I am in NZ and charges me in NZ dollars but my credit card is at an Aussie bank where most of my money is. I find it is best to research those sites and find prices then go to the hotels own site and book directly. It is often the same price and sometimes better. Yesterday I was booking a hotle in New Haven and put in senior. The price came up and then I found I had to have a US senior card (eg AARP) so I went back and put in adult and the price was the same 

Does Amtrak have a station in SF itself now?  When I travelled to SF by train back in 97 and 99 I had to board in Emeryville.
I am coming home through San Fran in October but flying in from Toronto and out to Auckland. Being the last 2 nights of a 3 months trip I have splurged a bit there and am staying at White Swan Hotel Au$206 per night, booked and already paid through Hotel.com