Comments on: In what country do people live longest?

By: Ymarsakar

Ymarsakar — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 06:15:11 +0000

Most Taiji Chuan and chi gong users look 20 years younger. Their age is 50-60 actual, but some look in their 40s or even late 30s. And the ones that are in their 40s, look like they are in their late 20s. No joke.

By: Ymarsakar

Ymarsakar — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 06:14:09 +0000

Why Japan isn’t about walking for health. Almost every junior and high school student goes to school either on a bike or by walking. The Japanese handle transportation via cities by train, which is a linear circuit going all the way from the south west of Japan to the North East in a diagonal, almost. For those with the money to afford it, vehicles are used. But high schoolers and college students usually don’t have the money for such things. And the ones that do, are usually rich kids that are the heirs of Zaibatsu, or large corporations: their version of an aristocracy complete with feudal retainers.

Chi gong practitioners and martial artists routinely increase the average life span, because they’re just too healthy for their age. They don’t even look their age. Japan and China and Taiwan and Singapore and Hong Kong are, or were, all meccas of martial arts.

By: Gary Rosen

Gary Rosen — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 04:14:49 +0000

“Confucianism looks like a very important factor here. ”

Or genetics. Or diet. Or something.

By: stan

stan — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 14:23:20 +0000

The ranking I find most interesting — once a person turns 65, in what country is he most likely to live the longest?

Of course, since that is actually the ranking that matters when we talk about quality of health care and the US ranking is so stellar, it’s the one we never hear mentioned.

By: neo-neocon

neo-neocon — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 18:23:58 +0000

Don Carlos: my point is that there is no nothing new or special about Obama’s role in this, and making a big deal out of it as though it’s some special and unprecedented power grab on his part (which is the way it’s been framed) is just plain wrong. It’s not as though we lack for examples of other exercises of expansion of power on his part; this is not such an expansion by him.

By: Sergey

Sergey — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 17:30:31 +0000

There is a strange omission in this stat: Okinawa island has much more very old (older than 100 years) people than the rest of Japan. And if you look for explanation, it worth to contemplate why 4 of these champions are Chinese or Japonese. (5, if Okinawa islanders are counted separately). Confucianism looks like a very important factor here. And remember, that neither China nor Japan have nursery homes, and could not have. It would be a complete lost of face for a Confucian moral canon for children not to care their elderly parents themselves. So these people live in multi-generational families, with total respect for elders from younger family members. Patriarchy is good for your longevity! And racial and cultural homogenity, too.

By: Don Carlos

Don Carlos — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 15:56:49 +0000

Beverly and Neo:

From Doug Mataconis, via the HotAir link:

“The fact that the President of the United States is still exercising authority granted during the Korean War and the height of the Cold War is yet another reflection of how power, once assumed by the Imperial Presidency, is never surrendered. The fact that an Executive Order like this was released on a Friday afternoon and has been largely ignored by the traditional media is an indication of just how easy it is for politicians to manipulate the news cycle. And the idea that the government has authority like that described in this document, even only in theory, and that most Americans aren’t even aware of it, is a reflection of just how little we know about the things that are done in our name. Those are all legitimate issues, but they go far deeper than this one relatively innocuous Executive Order.”

That folks like Beverly are making the rest of us readers aware of it is valued. One snuffs the canaries in the mines at one’s own risk. The links Neo provided do not quote the entire EO language, thus I am still uncertain to what full scope of uses the EO can be put by BHO or any other malign American emperor, “even only in theory”.

I shall try to find time to read the whole EO.

Thanks, Beverly.

By: Jeremy Jones

Jeremy Jones — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 10:36:00 +0000

re: Andorra

You would be amazed at the number of people that smoke here. Restaurants don’t even have a non-smoking section.

re: universal health care

Why isn’t Canada in this list if universal health care is the reason Australia is in the top 10? Canada has the same vast natural frontiers as some of the other countries in the list.

By: neo-neocon

neo-neocon — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 09:15:12 +0000

Beverly: nope, it's not what you think it is. See this and also this.

By: Beverly

Beverly — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 06:03:28 +0000

THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE HAS STRUCK.