Elderly Amish Man Caught on Film With Prostitute, Blackmailed
When a 75-year-old Amish widower slept with a prostitute, he -- we feel certain -- felt pretty bad about it the next morning. As if that guilt weren't enough for the old man, the prostitute and her boyfriend demanded $67,000 from him, claiming that they had filmed the scene with wall-mounted cameras and would upload the recording to the Internet. The pair was later arrested and, we can only imagine, the Amish man abhorred technology more than ever.
Bank Robber Gets Away With the Help of Craiglist
In October, a bank robber -- wearing a safety vest, blue shirt, face mask and goggles -- eluded police with the help of Craiglist. Just outside the bank, while the robbery was in progress, stood a group of men who were responding to a Craiglist day labor opportunity. As the advertisement required, they were all wearing safety vests, blue shirts, face masks and goggles.
Nude New Zealander Arrested After Responding to Fake Sexy Text Message
Late in 2007, a Wellington, New Zealand man received a racy text message from two anonymous "ladies," giving him only an address and a request that he show up naked. Well, he indeed showed up naked... at the home of one appalled, unsuspecting New Zealander. Both the nude Romeo and the sadistic texter were arrested, though neither were prosecuted.
Fake Craiglist Ad Costs Man Most of What He Owns
Last Spring, a post appeared on an Oregon Craigslist board stating that the owner of a specific house was leaving all of his worldly possessions (still in said house) to whoever wanted them. When homeowner Robert Salisbury rushed home -- on a tip from a woman suspicious about the offer of a free horse -- he found his house being ransacked by 30 strangers. We suggest he take that horse and collect some vengeance Clint Eastwood-style.
17-Year-Old Jailed for Stealing Virtual 'Furniture'
When a 17-year-old Dutch boy hacked into several accounts on the Second Life-style site 'Habbo' in 2007, the the law got involved. The boy was discovered to have stolen $5,800 worth of virtual furniture and knick-knacks. Apparently, crime -- whether actual or virtual -- does not pay.
Phishers Going After Your Phones in New 'Vishing' Trend
Over the past year, sneaky spammers have begun to forsake the worn-out territory of e-mail in favor of cell phones' fertile frontier. The result? "Vishing." Get it? Voice mail phishing. It might be more ominous if it didn't sound like a James Bond villain saying, "Wishing."
Burglars Break Into Restaurant, Steal HDTV, Leave Money / Food Behind
Around Halloween of last year, a truckload of thieves drove into -- that's right, into -- a Pennsylvania Mexican restaurant, where they -- apparently uninterested in the cash register -- stole a mid-grade 47-inch HDTV and fled the scene. We've all heard about how this generation is lacking in ambition, but this generation's thieves, too?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Becky said 11:33PM on 11-02-2007
I'm 57, a school psychologist with graduate degrees. I haven't played a video game since "Pong". While simplistic, I did not find the video patronizing due to my total lack of experience with video games. I know that one of AARP's goals is to help the generation that didn't grow up with such technology become more familiar and comfortable with it. This video would serve such a purpose.
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Ed F said 5:05AM on 11-03-2007
I, too, am 57 with 2 graduate degrees including one in spychology, but I thought the video clip silly if not degrading. I've been playing games since Tetris and now on to Wii and thought the clip useless, even insulting. Plus, since when do we hook up CD players to our TV? Did she mean DVD players? That instilled a lot of confidence in the quality of the presentation. Like the author of the article, there could have been so much more even in that short time frame. But, wait, that might have involved more buttons.
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Jennifer said 8:00PM on 11-03-2007
There are a lot of people under 50 who don't know how to play video games either. Sometimes, all it takes is few minutes to get the hang of a
game - I tried some FREE GAMES online and had a lot of fun. http://thedisneychannels.blogspot.com/
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Cecelia Antoinette said 2:29AM on 11-04-2007
I want the video! I want the games! I am an AARP member, how do I get them? How do I get on the survey team? xox C.
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sandy said 2:20PM on 11-05-2007
I don't know how to play video games. I don't
have an interest in playing video games. Even
tho I'm 61, i don't consider myself elderly. I
use all the new tech stuff. AARP gets on my
nerves sometimes and that's why i don't belong
to this group. Who do they consider elderly?
Does "elderly" equate w/"stupid"? I don't think
so. Quit patronizing elder adults AARP
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Bonnie said 2:32PM on 11-05-2007
I'm 54 and I've been playing video games since the very first "ping-pong" game came out for the Nintendo. I now take on my grown kids in RPG games and routinely beat the socks off them. They come to ME for advice. My eight-three year old aunt plays Sponge-Bob with her great-grandchildren--and plays Civilization on her computer in the evenings. Yeah, I think the AARP video was simplistic at the very least.
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Elizabeth Wolf said 2:36PM on 11-05-2007
I am 63 years old, a Registered Nurse working in a trauma center's emergency department, with a BS in Nursing. Not only is this video insulting (I can't believe the younger of the women actually thinks sponge bob is a fun game), but makes seniors look stupid when the older woman talks about hooking up a "CD Player" to the TV. Presumably she means DVD... don't they proof these things?
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billiek156 said 2:47PM on 11-05-2007
I'm a month short of being 65.
I've been playing video games since the Nintendo 8-bit system.
I know several other senior gamers, and NONE of us are stupid!
"The box" indeed! WHICH box, Wii, PS2, PS3, XBox360, some older system, or what?
And how about showing how to connect it to the TV and put in and remove game disks?
Jeeze, AARP, get a clue...
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Dee Lightner said 2:47PM on 11-05-2007
This is a great idea. I think it would be even better if AARP could link up with some middle-elementary schools and find kids who are willing to make some money teaching older citizens how to use their computers!Aout two weeks ago I ran into an older guy at STAPLES, who had bought a computer. Then he bought a tutorial to help him run the computer, but it did not really help much. I advised him to call his grandchildren, or hook up with some neighbor kid. The elementary/middle school kids are missing a great source of income by not forming a tutorial corps to teach older citizens, and older citizens are wasting their time and money on videos and tutorials! NOTHING can help you like some little kid who will teach you, hands on!
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Curt said 2:51PM on 11-05-2007
I am 17 years old, and as you might imagine I find this all pretty interesting. "Most games only use one or two buttons". That one was just hilarious. There is a generation gap, but there's no shame in showing interest in sometime like video games. I don't know of anyone elderly who would show such an interest. In fact, my own grandmother does not know how to use her VCR. But that isn't to say anyone doesn't have the right to learn. I'm waiting for the day that they have senior discounts on Halo.
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a1848 said 2:53PM on 11-05-2007
I think it all depends on where you sit. My father is 74 with early onset dementia and he would have a hard time following this video. So quit being defensive and critical and understand that there are others out there who aren't as fortunate as you to have the wherewithall to master something that may be insurmountable for some.
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SW said 2:58PM on 11-05-2007
The video could be improved vastly. I've been playing video games since I was old enough tho know what I was attempting, but the video confused me. If my grandmother were to watch the video, she would be more confused, and less likely to want to play any games.
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Lori said 2:59PM on 11-05-2007
Check out a new online shopping mall, where you MAKE MONEY while shopping! No fees, no catches!!
Check it out now!
http://www.mypowermall.net/cgi-bin/pd/pd.cgi?showmpmcard=11942878260.632781982421875.card
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Barb said 3:00PM on 11-05-2007
Im 72 and play on the computer all the time, I do have the old super Nintendo and love it even though you cant get games for it any longer I do find some in Pawn Shops. Most of the time I play on POGO on the computer. For any of you that are interested it is www.pogo.com and they have everything from the new games to Chess, Checkers, Harts and anything else you want t play including all kinds of Solitaire. You can play many games for free or if you want to become a member it's $5.99 a month and well worth it. Look into it, I think you will enjoy it.
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LEE BRIGHT said 3:14PM on 11-05-2007
AARP's primary goal is to make tons of money -- helping seniors is the smokescreen it puts up to lure the aging into dumping funds into its programs. Anything to dupe seniors out of their dollars, frequently earned "way back when" a dollar was a dollar. Video games may appeal to some, but to others an hour listening to Beethoven or Tchaikovsky is better spent.
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Bob said 3:17PM on 11-05-2007
While I'm not familiar with the video, but I'd like to comment that it's AARP, itself, that became insulting to senior citizens by evolving into an endorser of commercial products. Furthermore, having put its heavyweight support behind Medicare Part D, AARP did a greater disservice to the elderly than arthritis, itself! I relinquished my membership for that reason.
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Earl said 3:17PM on 11-05-2007
AARP is a joke, its just a business , not a big help to anyone. its there to make money not help older people.
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Earl said 3:21PM on 11-05-2007
free games at Pogo.com or become a member for 39.95 per year. and they help you to learn to play the dif games,as well as chat and make friends . forget the AARP scams to get your money
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Emmett said 3:23PM on 11-05-2007
DO NOT PLAY VIDEO GAMES AND DO INTEND TO DO SO!!
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Sammi said 3:27PM on 11-05-2007
I belong to both AARP and EONS. I've found that EONS has a much better handle on what the typical "senior" is like today. This video isn't just silly, it's not believable. It'd be difficult for me to evision either of these speakers actually enjoying a video game. AARP seems to know it's starting to lose the level of interest it held in a prior generation, and is trying to reach out. They're still missing the mark, however. In recent years, AARP has become more of a lobbying group than a support group for seniors, and far less useful to me.
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