The demise of the plastic pink flamingo is upon us. Conceived in 1957 by designer Don Featherstone for the Leominster, MA company, Union Products, the pink flamingo became a lawn ornament icon of the sixties and a symbol of the baby boomer generation.

Dotting the lawns of suburbanites everywhere, the flamingo became part of pop culture. Over the years its status fell and it began to represent the ultimate in tackiness. Recently it has experienced an upsurge in popularity, purchased as a prank to mark milestone birthdays. Many an unsuspecting 50-year-old has found a flock of 50 plastic flamingos inhabiting their front lawns.

The plastic pink flamingo will turn 50 next June but the company that makes the original pink flamingo will close its doors on November 1.

Fidel Castro has appeared on Cuban television, proclaiming that rumors of his death have been greatly exaggerated.

Interesting to note that the film of Castro was sent to the television broadcasters, it was not filmed by them. Castro appears alive and well, but how can we really tell? He holds up a newspaper with the date on it but he wears a shirt with his name on it- as though he might wander away and thus can be returned if found.

But Castro, despite his assertions that he is taking part in government decisions and working, will one day die. He is 80 years old, underwent surgery in July and is rumored to have ill-health.

Change is not coming to Cuba today, but it is coming. Even if power falls to his brother Raul, who is 75 years old, eventually the Castro reign will come to an end.

The question is: Where will Cuba go from here?

The question isn’t a new one, it’s been debated for several years as Castro has aged and exiles in the US have found their hearts beating a little faster with any news of injury or ill-health. I found several articles on the net relating to plans and the possible future of a post-Castro Cuba. Here’s a sampling:

Hoover Digest – After Fidel

Pondering Post-Castro Cuba

CNN – Get Ready for Post-Castro Cuba

If you can’t face the world without your morning cup of coffee and even find yourself going back for seconds, you may be doing more than nudging your brain awake. You may be protecting yourself against the development of type 2 diabetes. And the more you drink, the lower your risk of developing the disease.

Those are the findings of a study published in the November issue of the journal, Diabetes Care. The research shows that drinking coffee reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes by up to 60%. The study was unique in that it involved participants who were already at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes due to impaired glucose tolerance, meaning their blood sugar levels were already higher than normal.

The research also indicates that even those who used to drink coffee but gave it up retain the diabetes protection.

So the next time you lay down some cash at Starbucks, you can consider it part of your medical expense budget.

Coffee May Protect Against Diabetes

Now that summer is over, we tend to get less careful about sun exposure and think less about the dangers of skin cancer. Regardless of the season, women over 50 should be aware of the signs of skin cancer, how to spot it and when to seek a doctor’s care and advice.

Performing a self-exam is as easy as knowing your ABC’s or more specifically, the ABCD’s of skin cancer:

* A: Asymmetry — one half is unlike the other half.

* B: Border irregular — scalloped or poorly circumscribed border.

* C: Color varies from one area to another; shades of tan and brown; black; sometimes white, red or blue.

* D: Diameter larger than the diameter of a pencil eraser.

For illustrated examples of the ABCD’s of skin cancer, visit this site