Santa Monica Observer - Community, Diversity, Sustainability and other Overused Words

I'm Amber. I'm the prisoner. You're the Crowd. I need you! I need you to make room in your heart and your budget for me. I'm talking to those who do HAVE it to give!! Yes, you. No, you don't owe me....

Ask Rusty – Will My Widow's Benefit Replace My Own SS? Dear Rusty: My husband is 76, retired for 4 years, and receiving Social Security. I am only 59 and still working. We are both in good health...

Since the broadcast of the Oprah interview with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, speculations have abounded as to the identity of the senior royal family member who allegedly had expressed concerns abo...

As the world slowly starts to open and we all look at ways to stretch our legs, see friends or family we haven't seen in a year how will we travel different?  The reality of travel and the ability t...

Cats have shared campfires with humans for the last 10,000 years. At one time it was thought that ancient Egyptian priests domesticated the house cat from African wildcats. But when archaeologists...

Like most females in Los Angeles - I had forgotten how to put makeup on and was feeling rather pleased that my weekly laundry was now monthly, and consisted of dark colored sweat pants! So when fellow...

I'm sitting in my cell, in a black chair. Curtains closed, fan on low, no lights. It's a hot day. Other than the fan, no noises. We're on 'quarantine'. Which means just another lockdown! We're on day...

I wanted to update you on my work. We were approached by the owner of American Credit Repair at 12237 Wilshire Blvd while i was working on a Covid-19 mural featured in the Observer. Mr. White told me...

WASHINGTON, DC, Apr 2 -- Today's seniors are stronger than ever. That's not wishful thinking, it's a fact with substantial proof. For one thing, the senior citizen segment of the U.S. workforce has...

"My parents were told to go on with their lives, without me." So begins Cody LaScala's story on the Napa, Intensive Therapy, website. On his first birthday, he was found lifeless at the bottom of a...

Yes, I do not remember the free world anymore! After nearly 17 years with a couple more to go, I can say, as a straight women, my sexual appetite is healthy and ready to go. I do not remember much of...

Ask Rusty – Will Inheritance Money Affect My Social Security? Dear Rusty: I will turn 66 this year and am considering claiming my Social Security. I have already applied for Medicare. My parents...

Dear Rusty: One of the big pieces of the Social Security puzzle that everyone seems to miss is the protection of other retirement funds. If I did not take SS, I would have to dip into my retirement...

Ask Rusty – Does Paying FICA Tax Now Increase My Benefit? Dear Rusty: If a person retires at age sixty-six and continues to work full time, Social Security taxes are still taken out of his weekly...

Some people find locked down LA oppressive. If you need an escape from Gov. Newsom's latest edicts, Las Vegas is a quick 4 or 5 hour drive up the 15 freeway. But what is LV like during the lockdowns?...

Dear Rusty: I will be 65 in August of this year. If I start drawing Social Security on my 65th birthday, how will my Social Security check be affected if I continue working at my full-time job, and...

Passover 2021 will begin in the evening of Saturday, March 27. This year, Easter Sunday falls on the last day of Passover; Sunday April 4, 2021. That is, for most Christians; Eastern Orthodox rites...

Our correspondent currently serving a 25-year-to-life sentence at the California Institution for Women asks readers to send her their questions about anything having to do with prison. You can reach...

Known as the "Dolphin & Whale Watching Capital of the World®," and recently recognized as the first Whale Heritage Site in North America by the World Cetacean Alliance (WCA), Dana Point...

Rachele Sweetser- known for her custom cookies at Celebrity events and Hollywood parties, found herself with a handful of lemons when Covid hit. As gatherings and parties came to a halt, Mrs....

WAShINGTON, DC, Feb 26 – Online shopping has been a big winner as a result of the COVID crisis, spiking by triple digit percentages on a year-to-year basis, says the Association of Mature American C...

Ask Rusty – Should I Claim Social Security Now or Wait Until I'm 70? Dear Rusty: I'm currently 67 years old and still working full time. I took a big financial hit in 2008, which is why I'm still...

A recent Gallup poll showed that 58 percent of America's workers are now doing so remotely. Lockdowns from the pandemic caused much of this migration from the office to the home, but in California,...

02/17/2021- West Hollywood-Touted as one of the first post-Lockdown Hollywood launch, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Sutton Stracke hosted an in-person, and virtual, Pre-Valentine's Day Event...

"We're not giving up on our efforts to eliminate the unfair income tax on Social Security benefits. The Senior Citizens Tax Elimination Act is being reintroduced and the Association of Mature...