Study Confirms Good Shape Decreases Risk of Death
January 23, 2008
(Long Island, N.Y.) A new research study conducted on mostly Senior Citizens with both African American and White populace further concludes what is generally a known advantage with exercising and being fit; that people in great physical shape live longer than those who are not.
Over 15,660 elderly people participated nationwide which was said to be the biggest research study to find definite facts that would link fitness to mortality and the habits to stave off death. The sub-study for the research was to determine the effects of exercise especially for black people since their death rate is much higher than that of Whites. 43 Percent of participants in the study represented the African American community.
“A little bit of exercise goes a long way,” said Peter Kokkinos, lead author of the study. “Thirty minutes a day, five days a week of brisk walking is likely to reduce the risk of mortality by 50 percent if not more.”
The study was a particularly complicated one. Veterans with an average age of 60 where invited to the study eight years ago for a treadmill test in facilities nationwide. The results where categorized into four groupings starting with “low Fit” and the fittest where billed as “very highly fit”. On a follow up study after eight years, researchers determined the number of people in each category which are still alive and the number of dead. The results are as follows:
- Least fit Group: 44% of that group has already died.
- Moderately fit: 30% fatality
- Highly Fit: 15% deaths
- Very Highly Fit: 8% deaths in eight years.
Researchers released the conclusive results Tuesday in the American Heart Association journal Circulation. “Exercise is just as beneficial to African-Americans, in fact in some cases it might be more,” said Kokkinos, director of Exercise Testing and Research Lab in the cardiology department at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Washington. Dr. Randal Thomas who is the director of the Cardiovascular Health Clinic at the Mayo Clinic concluded the study by saying “This is more evidence that exercise is one of the best medicines that we have”
Oscar Nominee Heath Ledger Dead at 28
January 23, 2008
(Long Island, N.Y.) Oscar Nominee Heath Ledger from Perth Australia was found by his housekeeper dead in his room on Tuesday in his upscale Manhattan apartment when she was about to inform him that his massage therapist had arrived for a 3.30 PM appointment. It was not clear if he had committed suicide or if there was some type of foul play involved, although reports indicate pills were found beside his naked body in bed. Police said they are in the process of questioning a number of people that may have an influence in the scene. They will release a statement once some clear facts come to light.
Heath Ledger saw growing popularity which began in 2001 by his starring role in the movie ‘A Knights Tale’ opposite Shannyn Sossamon and was nominated for an Oscar for Best Performance by an actor in a leading role for his part in the movie Brokeback Mountain where he starred with Anne Hathaway, Michelle Williams and his partner in a controversial homosexual love scene with Jake Gyllenhaal. In the set of the movie he met Williams and the two of them started dating eventually leading to them living together until their split in 2006. They had a daughter together named Matilda.
Over the years, Ledger has gained a respectable reputation in the movie industry and starred in many box-office hits. He played the suicidal son of Billy Bob Thornton in the movie Monster’s Ball. His debut in Hollywood was in a romantic teen movie with Julia Stiles in “10 Things I hate about you”. He also just finished filming a project reprising a role as the Joker in a Batman Sequel “The Dark Knight”. “It was a very great challenge for Heath,” Director Christopher Nolan said of Heath’s playing the role of the joker. “He’s extremely original, extremely frightening, tremendously edgy. A very young character, a very anarchic presence that taps into a lot of our basic fears and panic.”
Heath Ledger was born in Perth, Western Australia, Australia on April 4, 1979 and was a son of a teacher and a mining engineer. He started acting at the age of 10 when he played Peter Pan in a local theatre company in Australia. He first came to the attention of the public in 1999. He will be remembered as a genuinely uplifting person greatly cared for by the people who knew him.
Patriots Tom Brady Spotted Wearing Cast on Right Foot
January 23, 2008
(Long Island, N.Y.) Super Bowl, the biggest sporting event in America each year has a cast of two gigantic teams facing each other in their quest to hoist that trophy for Super Bowl XLII to be played on February 3rd. The New York Giants will try to destroy a perfect season by the New England Patriots as they square off in a highly anticipated match-up of two teams that characterized the NFL, toughness and smarts.
If the Patriots find a way to win on February 3rd then it will be the second time that a team ended the season with a perfect 19-0 record. They have already secured the perfect 16-0 elimination round record and are in quest to go all the way, although a hurdle has surfaced for the Patriots. Tom Brady who was named the NFL MVP for this season and their unchallenged leader and heart and soul of a perfect team suffered a mild twist in his ankle in their encounter with the San Diego Chargers that resulted in him having to wear a protective boot for three days for precautionary purposes.
Should Brady make it all the way back to good health in time for the game early next month, then Patriots fans could heave a sigh of relief. “Ah, you know, there are always bumps and bruises. I’ll be ready for the Super Bowl,” Brady said. “I’m not worried about that. I’m not missing this one. I’d have to be on a stretcher to miss this one. There will be treatment this week. In games like this, you get a little nicked up. It’s nothing serious.”
He was spotted in New York visiting his girlfriend Supermodel and actress Gisele Bundchen with flowers in hand and a cast on his right foot. Team sources confirmed his injury against the Chargers but dismissed the notion that it might be serious enough for Brady not to play in the Super Bowl. “Anybody that thinks a little tweak is going to stop him is just wasting ink.” Says Brady Sr.
Brady broke the all-time record for most completed passes in a single season on the last game of the regular season against the Giants when he completed a spectacular long pass to teammate Randy Moss for his 50th of the year breaking the previous high of 49 set by Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning.
Ms. Barbara Brown of North Babylon High School Named Dowling College/News 12 Educator of the Month
January 22, 2008
(Oakdale, N.Y.) - Ms. Barbara Brown, Dean of Students and Physical Education Teacher in North Babylon High School, has been named a 2007-2008 Dowling College/News 12 Long Island Educator of the Month. Nominations were accepted from schools throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties, and a committee of distinguished educators selected the winners.
Ms. Brown has helped raise significant amounts of monies for numerous foundations including the Muscular Dystrophy Association, A. L. S., American Heart Association and Breast Cancer. She places the welfare of others as her first consideration and was honored by the New York State United Teachers Association by naming her to NYSUT’s Life Line Honor Role, which is designed to recognize members whose quick thinking assisted in saving the life of another; a ninth grade student who was unconscious and unresponsive and received mouth-to-mouth resuscitation from Ms.
Brown.
Ms. Brown is exceptionally effective due to her dedication to education and the community at large and is described as a quintessential role model for her students and colleagues. She has been a winning girl’s volleyball coach where she emphasized sportsmanship and character building and is currently the advisor of the Girl’s Leaders’ Club. As Dean of Students, she has built a reputation as fair and patient but strong and firm and is respected and liked by parents, teachers and students alike.
Dr. Clyde Payne, Dean of Dowling’s School of Education says, “Since Long Island is known for having the best teachers in the nation, and we received so many nominations from across Nassau and Suffolk, Barbara Brown is truly a remarkable educator.” A special feature announcing Ms. Brown’s award will air soon on News 12. In June the award winners and their guests will be honored at a special dinner.
About Dowling College
Dowling College is an independent, coeducational college that serves more than 6,500 students at its historic Rudolph Campus on the banks of the Connetquot River in Oakdale, NY, and the 105-acre Brookhaven Campus in eastern Long Island and a business center located near the Nassau-Suffolk border in Melville. Dowling offers Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral degrees in several disciplines through its four schools: Arts and Sciences, Aviation, Business, and Education. http://www.dowling.edu
Ron Paul Gains Endorsement By Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson
January 22, 2008
(Long Island, N.Y.) Yesterday, Gary Earl Johnson, the Republican two-term governor of the state of New Mexico from 1995 to 2003 formally endorsed Ron Paul for President.
To announce his endorsement, Governor Johnson issued the following statement:
“I am endorsing Ron Paul for the Republican nomination for President because of his commitment to less government, greater liberty, and lasting prosperity for America. We are at a point in this country where we need to reduce our dependency on government and regain control of our future. To this end, Ron Paul will bring back troops, end the War in Iraq, and will strengthen the U.S. dollar and the economy. For these reasons and more, Ron Paul has my support, respect, and vote.”
Gary Johnson was governor of New Mexico from 1995 to 2003 when he left office as required by the Constitution of the State of New Mexico which states that a governor may not serve more than two consecutive terms. As governor, he was a forceful advocate for limited government, gaining the nickname “Veto Johnson” for his record of vetoing hundreds of bills. Johnson currently serves on the board of directors of Students for Sensible Drug Policy, a youth-oriented nonprofit organization that seeks to end the war on drugs.
Paul finished second behind Mitt Romney in the Nevada Caucus on January 19th where he beat out John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Fred Thompson, and Rudy Giuliani. According to the Ron Paul website ronpaul2008.com, the Ron Paul 2008 Presidential Campaign has raised 3.2 million dollars in the last 22 days.
Cloverfield Sets Box Office Record for January
January 22, 2008
(Long Island, N.Y.) “Cloverfield” released by Paramount pictures broke records with a $41 million opening week which is the biggest in the history for movies released in the month of January comfortably topping previous highs with the movie “Star Wars special edition” which was released in the year 1997 and netted $35.9 million in its opening week.
The movie revolves around the plot of New York City being attacked by a gigantic monster and a group of youngsters which initially set the night for a going away party for a friend, videotaping the whole attack as they attempt to survive the most gruesome carnage they have ever seen in their lives as the monster destroys New York City. “Cloverfield” cast is a collection of unheralded actors that might make it big in the movie industry due to the success of the movie.
Movie industry experts bestowed the success to a smartly played advertisement campaign which collected movie goers across the nation to go on a scavenger hunt about the films plot. “As we started it, we asked, how do we draw people in and have them say, ‘Hey, I want to know more about that. That looked cool, that looked intriguing,” said Rob Moore, Paramount vice chairman. “Then fortunately, they delivered a movie that was as unique and engaging as people had hoped from the marketing campaign.”
Coming in second is a Katherine Heigle starred film in “27 dresses” which netted $22.4 million. It is a story of a woman who has always been a bridesmaid, 27 times actually, and her struggles as she tries to stave off her sister marrying the man she’s secretly in love with. “27 dresses” is a sparkling contrast to “Cloverfield” which targeted the young male audience while “27 dresses” were primarily for the women audience. “This is almost like a summer weekend,” said 20th Century Fox distribution executive Chris Aronson. “It’s almost a counter-programming move where you have two pictures aimed squarely, at least initially, at different audiences, and they both succeeded.”
The two movies give a surprising lift for Hollywood since January is relatively known as a “sleepy” time for new releases and in the process helping it recover from lackluster performance in the box office during the holiday season.
Video Game Industry on the Rise
January 22, 2008
(Long Island, N.Y.) Amidst the economic crisis that the U.S. had last year and the early parts of this year, the video gaming industry saw its profit soar by over 43% earning $17.94 Billion in sales in the year 2007 according to research.
The success of video games last year was attributed to several factors such as the evolution of gaming consoles which incorporates more technological advancement and functionality rather than stand alone consoles, introduction of Blu-Ray DVD format for the Sony PS3 console, better advertising, other peripheral hardware incorporated to make the experience more realistic and the release of highly anticipated sequel video games.
Leading the sales for video games consoles sold last year was Nintendo which held the number one and two spot with their Nintendo DS portable system selling over 8.5 million units followed by Nintendo Wii which sold over 6.29 million consoles. Microsoft X-box 360 came in third with 4.62 million sold while Sony sold more PS2’s than the newer PS3 console with 3.97 million Playstation 2 units sold against PS3’s 2.56 million. Meanwhile, the Sony PSP or the portable gaming system came in just below the PS2 with over 3.82 million PSP’s sold.
NPD Group, Inc., a leading global market research company headquarted in Port Washington, Long Island, handled the survey and stated that “Given the breadth of available content and the price point of the PS2, it’s a mass market friendly choice and will continue to be an important part of the games ecosystem for several years”
For the games itself, Halo 3 of Microsoft Xbox 360 was the best selling video game of the year with 4.92 million sold nationwide. Anita Frazier of NPD group said “This performance certainly puts it among the elite in gaming history with performance similar to that of ‘Grand Theft Auto: Vice City’ in 2002, and ‘GTA: San Andreas,’ and ‘Halo 2′ in 2004″.
Rounding down the top five sellers are Nintendo’s Wii play collection, second with 4.12 million. Call of duty: Modern Warfare for X-box 360 was third with 3.04 million wile “Guitar Hero II: Legends of Rock” for the PS2 was fourth with 2.72 million units sold and “Super Mario Galaxy” for the Wii followed with 2.52 million units.
According to a previous report from NPD, 63 percent of the U.S. population plays video games.
Wall Street Expects More Downturn, Bond Companies in Danger
January 22, 2008
(Long Island, N.Y.) The unstableness of the stock market and the trend of economic decline have Wall Street and its experts bracing for more downturn in the economy as the week progresses.
It’s been a hideous 2-week stretch that has showed the Stock Market plummeting heavily due to filed quarterly reports with horrendous numbers for so many major companies across the country. Financial experts are at a search for answers as to how the government could help alleviate the economy from its current slumber, which many say closely resembles the position the economy was in just after the September 11th attacks. “We’ve baked in a lot of bad news. But we don’t know the magnitude of the bad news yet. We don’t know if we’ve overdone it,” said Arthur Hogan, chief market analyst at Jefferies & Co. “I don’t think there’s any combination of things next week that will necessarily turn things around.”
In one of the most devastating weeks in stock market trading, the Dow Jones Industrial was down by 4.02 percent last week. Nasdaq composite index dropped 4.10 percent while Standard and Poor 500 fell 5.41 percent. “There is an earnings recession,” said Hugh Johnson, chief investment officer of Johnson Illington Advisors, noting that S&P 500 operating earnings growth was lower in the third quarter of 2007 than in second quarter, and is sure to be lower in the fourth quarter of 2007 than in the third. “The real key question is not whether there’s going to be an economic recession. It’s not when the economic recession is going to end,” Johnson said. “It’s when is the earnings recession going to end?”
Major Companies like Meryll Lynch, JP Morgan Chase and Co., Sears Co. and Wells Fargo has reiterated their concern of recession and has stated that the cutting of jobs, decreasing interest rates and closing down of some outlets might be called upon to help ease the company from their current struggles. This move will cause further damage to the dwindling employment rate of the country which is already at its lowest in years.
According to a Bloomberg report, MBIA Inc. and Ambac Financial Group Inc., the two biggest bond insurers, have a more than 70 percent chance of going bankrupt. This is a major failure that will have a financially catastrophic ripple effect across the entire economy. Bond insurers are the hull of the banking system. They are the ones who are supposed to protect the banking system from failure and they are now failing, themselves. The problems we face now are getting even more serious.
A Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
January 21, 2008
(Long Island, N.Y.) As business as usual takes a break for the day, Long Island remembers Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr., born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia, was one of the main leaders of the American civil rights movement. King was the son of a Reverend and became a Baptist minister, one of the few leadership roles available to black men at the time. He became a civil rights activist early in his career. He led the Montgomery Bus Boycott between 1955 and 1956 and helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957, serving as its first president.
His efforts also led to the 1963 March on Washington, where King delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Here he raised public consciousness of the civil rights movement and established himself as one of the greatest speakers in U.S. history. More than a quarter million people of diverse ethnicities attended the event, sprawling from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial onto the National Mall and around the reflecting pool. At the time, it was the largest gathering of protesters in Washington’s history. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech electrified the crowd. It is regarded, along with Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, as one of the finest speeches in the history of America.
Throughout his career of service, King wrote and spoke frequently, drawing on his experience as a preacher. On October 14, 1964, King became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, which was awarded to him for leading non-violent resistance to end racial prejudice in the United States.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. Some have speculated that James Earl Ray, the man convicted of Martin Luther King’s death, had been used as a patsy similar to the way that alleged John F. Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald was supposed to have been. Some of the claims used to support this assertion are that Ray’s confession was given under pressure, and he had been threatened with the death penalty and/or that Ray was a thief and a burglar but he had no record of committing violent crimes.
In 2004, Jesse Jackson, who was with King at the time of his death, stated: “The fact is there were saboteurs to disrupt the march. [And] within our own organization, we found a very key person who was on the government payroll. So infiltration within, saboteurs from without and the press attacks. …I will never believe that James Earl Ray had the motive, the money and the mobility to have done it himself. Our government was very involved in setting the stage for and I think the escape route for James Earl Ray.” Martin Luther King’s son Dexter King has met with Ray, and publicly supported Ray’s efforts to obtain a retrial.
Martin Luther King, Jr., was awarded both the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal giving him both the two highest civilian awards in the United States. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was established as a national holiday in the United States in 1986.
Acoustic Long Island Winter Concert to Benefit Long Island Cares
January 21, 2008
(Long Island, N.Y.) Acoustic Long Island, the #1 acoustic podcast on iTunes, has partnered with the Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts and Long Island Cares to present the concert event of the season, with the music of nationally-touring singer/songwriters Jen Chapin, Chris Ayer, and Madi Diaz. But this concert’s not just about enjoying great music – it’s about relieving the very real problem of hunger in our own back yards, with a portion of the proceeds going directly to Long Island Cares. Host Dave Dircks will kick off the evening with a Songwriter’s Showcase of seven of the top local singer/songwriters on Long Island, including himself, John Flor, Rorie Kelly, Miles to Dayton, Bess Rogers, Jean-Paul Vest, and Martha Trachtenberg & Tom Griffith. The Showcase will be followed by our three featured performers – for three full hours of acoustic heaven!
Acoustic Long Island is a weekly concert series produced by brothers Dave and Rob Dircks that features up-and-coming musical artists at historic Deepwells Mansion in Saint James. These live performances are recorded and shared with a larger online community in the form of a podcast— allowing thousands of listeners from around the globe to download the music, subscribe and listen each week. It has been the #1 acoustic podcast on iTunes for two years, with listeners as far as Australia and Thailand.
Long Island Cares was founded in 1980 by the late singer/activist Harry Chapin in response to the immediate needs of hungry Long Islanders. It is continued today by his wife Sandy Chapin. In the years since Harry left us, Long Island Cares has become an organized force of caring, dedicated people who are making a difference in the fight against hunger on Long Island.
The Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts (PTPA) originally opened in 1923 and is the largest indoor performing arts center in Suffolk County. PTPA operates as a not for profit organization under the leadership of a volunteer board of directors and a small paid staff, plus a large and enthusiastic group of volunteers. The combination of magnificent building and generous volunteers has made the theatre a place with amazing energy.
For more information visit: www.PatchogueTheatre.com
