Power of Words

The past 9 months or so of the Republican presidential race have been like a James Bond or John Wayne feature film. Donald Trump emerged as the protagonist. He came on the scene in order to make America great, because of its economic and trade shortcomings; immigration threats; and all the bad guy terrorists. However, don’t forget Hillary Clinton and the Democrats as they are antagonists too. The Donald has said many things while most are contradictory. His contradictions don’t in any way affect his popularity with his supporters. This does not mean that words don’t matter. He talked about building a wall and having” them” pay for it. This appeals to his power or control, as well as prejudice of keeping undesirables away from us and in their own place. He talked about unfair trade deals and creating more jobs. This appeals to his power and smartness, as well as to economic insecurity, job loss, etc. He talked about building the best military possible and defeating Isis. This appeals to his power, control, ability, individual insignificance, fear and powerlessness. Trump’s words over and over again convey that he’s strong, smart, economically successful, and he can do things that others can’t like a James Bond or John Wayne. However, in his film, Trump provides us with many contradictions. The “experts”, those giving another opinion about his “polices” are discounted. It might be a New York Times article regarding his treatment of women. In that example, it’s the media that was unfair and has it all wrong. If it’s Republican Party, it’s the rigged and unfair system. Trump doesn’t take any responsibility, and simply blames the opposition or the enemy. Since he is a protagonist and the others are antagonists in the eyes of his supporters- he wins. Trump when confronted with his previous statements called them false and untrue. Someone is lying and his followers, pick out the words or statements that they want thus discounting truth or reality. They make his lies true. Because of the power of the media-TV, twitter, etc. falsehoods become true in the minds of followers. Trump can do nothing wrong as the end justify the means, just like in a James Bond or John Wayne movie. In November, we will know if there’s going to be a sequel.

What Does Aging Have To Do with It? Part 2

On NPR, the oldest woman in the United States was interviewed. She lived in New York and a few years ago, said that she ate” bacon every morning for breakfast.” However, bacon was not eaten for breakfast every day of her life. Nor do we know how much bacon she consumed every morning. She did say that family was her secret. That idea fits with Howard’s findings: “stay socially connected.” I would conclude that if anyone is asked about their secret regarding anything, their answer is just subjective or their opinion. In the May 8th edition of The New York Times, the writer wrote about learning something new and getting better at something .That’s his secret. This man in his 50s, took up tennis and improved his life [tennis also].He is now in his 60s. In my book “It Has Nothing to Do with Age,” I identified seven male and female individuals [some were friends] that were at least 65 years of age and still competed in extraordinary sports. I told their personal story and the internal dynamics behind their success. Unfortunately, two of the men passed away at age 85-Dr. Jim Steere, and Jack Sholl. My book does not guarantee how much length, you can add to your life, but it does give suggestions as to how to have a healthy lifespan. Even though I eat” healthy”, run and walk about 50 trail miles per week, run competitive 50 K’s, this does not guarantee immortality. However, my health span is excellent and I expect to run with my Border collie while Linda rides her equine as well as run with my friend Tony and his Border collie, until I can’t. There are no secrets to aging as plenty of information is available nor is there a Fountain of Youth. Make your decisions and rationalize your behavior if you must. Remember, there are no do overs. You will eventually have to deal with the consequences of your decisions. PS Yesterday, Tony and I competed in a 10 mile trail run competition for juvenile diabetes research. When I crossed the finish line, the announcer introduced me as a legend and I was presented my first-place finish in my age group. Just a fact.Ed Budde, a friend, played in the NFL for 14 years, told me” Keep moving.”

What Does Aging Have To Do with It?

There are many ideas regarding successful aging. One researcher hypothesized that aging is related to having a unique gene configuration. According to him, certain people who have this configuration live longer than others who do not. Perhaps, the question as to why there is significant gene and age variability within a family has been addressed. Is it simply that one sibling has been blessed while another not? Other ideas have been proposed by Drs. Robert Goldman and Ronald Klatz. They build on the idea that exercise is good and have studies associating the benefits of exercise and health. One can look to other studies and follow their recommendations. One study suggested that walking was superior to extreme exercise. Of course, all variables have not been accounted for in any study regarding exercise since the word has different interpretations. And of course were using statistical computations to prove a point. However, these statistics do not measure cause-and-effect. Goldman and Klatz also identified various supplements [vitamins and minerals] that are associated with health even though there’s no government regulation regarding this industry. There have been lawsuits that have determined that what supplements that are in the bottle are not the same as the ingredients posted on the bottle . Goldman and Klatz addressed the benefits of certain foods. Once again, we know that all foods are not the same statistically regarding our health. Organic-based foods are popular, even though these foods are treated with government approved chemicals. Even though one reads the label on our food, unless you are a chemist, you might not be perfectly sure what you’re putting in your mouth. These authors also evaluated various hormones [DHEA, hGH etc.] and their relationship to disease. It’s not uncommon for certain men to take additional testosterone supplements as they age. They want more muscle and endurance. Dr. Michael Howard studied the lifestyle characteristics of the “oldest” people in the world. A few of the 16 healthy lifestyle habits that he uncovered included: low blood sugar, low blood pressure, low weight, eating the vegetarian Mediterranean diet, vitamins, exercising regularly, challenge your mind, etc. To Be Continued