#but since then it's been like 50-65 and the change is just worrisome

[barkingangelbaby]

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[chaoshaven]

Chaotic Card 29- Barath Beyond

Art By: Kazutoko Matsumoto

Barath is a very interesting creature, more machine than animal. He is an ethereal warrior, ethereal being a tag that only exists on Underworld creatures. It is said he is a personified spirit of warfare, and...oh wait, sounds familiar, doesn't it? In Chaotic NoN, Tangath Toborn was summoned by Vidav and is from the Spiritlands of war, being a spirit of just warfare. Barath Beyond was summoned by Daxdax and is the spirit of unjust warfare.

Since then, he's been a bit watered down, and obviously, with the reset and move from Europe to International, some lore will change. But keep an eye out because there's just an oddity about this guy that I think will come back later. Tangath kept his importance, so why not Bararh?

Stat Spread

Courage: 30-50

Power:75-95

Wisdom: 5-25

Speed: 55-75

Energy: 55-65

Mugic Counter: 1

Elements

Fire

Air

Earth

Water

Ability and Playstyle

Fire 5, another elemental damage buff, and with his high Power, he is naturally built for a FirePower build, or just an Underworld burn deck. Named such, as just about every Underworld location, creature ability, and mugic would be centered around dealing damage, it's just a matter of what to use when.

Next up, a fully new ability!! Intimidate is meant to be the opposite of the Overworld support ability, but think about this; Support only is in affect if other allies are near the engaged creature. Intimidate isn't limited like that, and makes Underworlders much better attackers. With Barath's high Power, the Intimidate will lower his opponents power, meaning it is easier for this creature to deal more damage with Power Challenge cards.

Recklessness...is the big drawback. You wanna make sure Barath Beyond deals powerful hits cause he takes damage when he attacks. Mugic is fine, Battlegear no sweat, but him using an attack card deals damage to himself. This ability is how they make Underworlders not be overpowered but even with them, in DoP they were still the best tribe when it came to competitions and tournaments.

Barath has terrible Wisdom. But, if given a Battlegear to fix it...his health is still worrisome. Damage from his enemy and himself, getting an energy buff on him or a Fire 5 Battlegear will be so much better. Get the enemy down fast, so Barath lives to see another day. Or even a Battlegear that lowers his enemy's Energy, or gives him more intimidate power.

Biography

...

Nothing, in current Chaotic lore he's just a creature that exists. Loves to fight. Some say he's made of discarded Battlegear. His origin is specifically blank, and pointed out to be a mystery. So I again think there's more to him than face value.

So I'll use this to explain another person: Klaybourne, aka Klayotic from the tv show.

He's the human antagonist for the Tom in the tv show. He's nice to new players who show potential to be great, and then sends them off to Perim to fend for themselves.

Humans can go to Perim, but have no ability like creatures so. And they can be injured by the creatures as well. So it's implied that Klayborn strands or kills off the competition.

Aside from that, he will do shady deals. For this example, he will upsell Bararh Beyond as a very good warrior, say that 5 damage isn't much, and you can take it. He will give you his copy of the card for keeps if he gets something worthwhile. He will do this to new players he didn't send to Perim and take their high value cards to either use for himself or, as I believe, sell off for profit. He seems like thay kind of person. You love to hate him. He has no redeeming qualities, and honestly? I love it. You even see him and his friend Kyrsyella route for the M'arrillians when they invade.

[your-dietician]

It’s the party’s business, too

New Post has been published on https://tattlepress.com/business/its-the-partys-business-too/

It’s the party’s business, too

Jun 26th 2021

IF IT EVER was Shanghai’s tallest building, the 40-metre-high headquarters of the North China Daily News did not remain so for long. Skyscrapers became fashionable before the Communists took over in 1949 and turned China into a world leader for them. In 2015 the tallest building in China (and second-highest in the world) opened in Lujiazui, Shanghai’s Wall Street, on the far side of the Huangpu river. Chinese officials call the 632-metre edifice Shanghai Tower, a symbol of the financial capital’s might.

The sinuous, 128-storey structure, designed by an American firm, purports to evoke a dragon’s twisting form. It is home to Chinese and foreign financial firms betting on China’s rise. JPMorgan, an American bank, occupies four floors. But the Communist Party is there as well. It has taken a large, airy space high up to run a political operation about which it is open and proud. Its focus is on companies in Shanghai Tower and other skyscrapers. For private firms in China, there is an echo of 1921, when industrialists wondered what the Bolsheviks were up to. Once again, Communists are eager to establish themselves in the workplace. There are worrisome implications.

Before his inspection of the big brain in 2018, Xi Jinping visited Shanghai Tower. On his way up in the world’s fastest lift to its observation deck, he stopped at the party-building service centre on the 22nd floor (a separate lift goes directly to it). One room displayed his slogan calling on party members to cleave to the ideals that inspired activists a century ago: “Don’t forget the original intent, keep the mission firmly in mind, struggle forever.”

Those words appear on billboards across China. The “original intent” phrase is from a Tang-dynasty poem. Mr Xi says it means working for people’s well-being and China’s rejuvenation. The aim is not to whip up a Maoist frenzy or encourage workers to rise up. The strike-fomenting Bolshevik menace which worried industrialists in Shanghai in the 1920s is of no concern now, since the party abhors labour unrest. “Stability is paramount” is its mantra. Today the worry is different: that a more assertive party will muscle into boardrooms and keep them on a tighter leash.

It has always been the case that, in a workplace with three or more party members, they should, with approval from a higher level, form a branch or, with 100 or more members, a committee. But some businesses were cool to the idea and the party did not always insist on it. Mr Xi wants complete coverage, with no excuses for non-compliance. “Party organisations must extend wherever party members work and live,” he said on the 22nd floor. They should be “strongholds for combat”. There are now 40 party-building centres covering the 280-plus towers in the financial district. Work began last year to set up yet another layer of control, with a party-led building-affairs committee in each multi-occupant commercial property. These committees include party chiefs of tenant firms, as well as police. State media call this injecting a “red gene” into property management.

Within private firms, efforts to install a party presence have been ramped up. Since Mr Xi took over, the proportion that have embedded party organisations has risen from just over 50% to more than 70%. As an academic at the Central Party School, Cai Xia conducted research into party-building efforts in private firms. In those pre-Xi days, she says, the aim was mainly to give scattered party members a greater sense of belonging and encourage them to be model workers. Now, says Ms Cai (who has lived in America since 2019), the purpose is to help the party maintain social stability and “supervise and control” their firms.

Some foreign firms are anxious. Those operating in sectors that China considers vital to its economy, including financial services, must often form joint ventures with state-owned companies. In 2017 party bosses in some state enterprises began pressing their foreign partners to agree to wording in the charters of their businesses that guaranteed a management role for the party. Companies are required to have officially approved charters. Failure to abide by them could be deemed a crime.

A rare retreat

Remarkably, amid an outcry from foreign investors, party officials backed down. No longer are they arm-twisting foreign firms to specify a role for the party in the running of joint ventures, says Joerg Wuttke, president of the European Chamber of Commerce in China. As for wholly foreign-owned businesses, the chamber says it has not heard of the party having a business-management function in any of them. Indeed, among nearly 585 European firms it recently polled, nearly 65% said they were unaware of any party presence in their firms. Of those with branches, only just over 1% said the party could veto business plans.

Foreign companies have always had to be mindful of the party’s wishes. But it may be that the party does not see strengthening its presence in foreign firms as a political priority. Mr Wuttke says that in foreign businesses party branches often operate “like Rotary Clubs”. But even if most of them keep out of business decision-making, there may be an anaconda effect among staff. Chinese often say they like to work in foreign firms because of their freer atmosphere. Lester Ross, the Beijing representative of WilmerHale, an international law firm, says expatriate bosses, who seldom have a strong command of Chinese, may not easily spot changes in the mood of local employees.

It is a different story with private Chinese businesses, which provide 80% of urban jobs. They are the titans of online and high-tech industries. To ensure control over Chinese society, the party wants to boost its influence among such firms both at board level and among ordinary employees. It wants to ensure that China’s influential tycoons, and their staff, toe the party line. A directive in 2017 called for measures to “strengthen the sense of loyalty” among entrepreneurs and party leadership over them.

A widely touted model is Hodo Group, a family-run manufacturer of garments and textiles with 30,000 employees in Jiangsu province. Mr Xi has praised its party-building efforts. Zhou Haijiang, the chief executive, is also the party secretary. Other senior managers hold corresponding roles within the group’s party committee (which oversees Hodo’s more than 100 party branches and their membership of around 1,000). The head of the human-resources department is in charge of the party’s organisational affairs, the person responsible for brand development is the party’s propaganda chief, and the chairman of the firm’s board of supervisors is the party’s head of discipline.

In 2018 foreign business grandees attending the China Development Forum, an annual get-together with Chinese counterparts and government leaders, were surprised by their hosts’ decision to flaunt the party’s role in economic matters. Hodo’s Mr Zhou was among those wheeled out to make the point. He regaled the audience with his party-building exploits and sang the praises of what officials now call a “modern enterprise system with Chinese characteristics”—meaning one with the party very much involved.

It is easy to see why the party likes the Hodo model. In about 50% of private firms with party branches, the boss is already a party member. For such a person, taking on the additional role of party secretary is not difficult. The bosses may even accept the idea as the least bad option: better to manage the company’s party affairs oneself than allow someone else to take the job. And there may be benefits. Being a party secretary can open doors with officialdom. Businessmen prize such access. Privately, some Chinese entrepreneurs describe their party-building efforts as a box-ticking exercise. Party members in their companies know to whom they must be loyal in order to keep their jobs: the firm.

In the Shanghai Tower, state media say Mr Xi’s visit has been a boon (as has support from the state-owned company that owns the building). Every month, on average, one company pays a visit to ask for help setting up a branch. It has also boosted demand for party membership. The service centre offers enticements: a place to relax and enjoy the view. There is a gym on the same floor.

But party-building in Lujiazui is also about controlling members. The 22nd floor is pioneering a new way of making them stay on their toes. It involves an app that shows members how many points they have scored for volunteer work, for taking part in political study sessions or for submitting “thought reports” (a device much-loved by the party for ensuring discipline, as it forces members to expose their own weaknesses). Score less than 60 points in a year and you could be summoned for a chat with a party official, or sent for retraining at a party school.

That may sound scary, but well-educated Chinese still flock to join the party. Even on campuses, where curbs on free speech have become tighter under Mr Xi than at any time since Tiananmen, many students are keen to sign up. That is because membership can confer lifelong benefits.■

Full contents of this special report China’s Communist Party’s 100th birthday: The Chinese Communist Party is 100 years old on July 1st The party’s internal rifts: Trying to heal the wounds China’s methods of surveillance: They’re always looking at you China’s corporate sector: It’s the party’s business, too* How to join the party: Getting into the vanguard of the Chinese elite The Communist Party abroad: Flying the Chinese flag The party’s next century?: A future, but with Chinese characteristics

This article appeared in the Special report section of the print edition under the headline “It’s our business, too”

Source link

[sinrau]

People in their 20s, 30s and 40s account for a growing proportion of the cases in many places, raising fears that asymptomatic young people are helping to fuel the virus’s spread.

Swimmers at the beach on Thursday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The median age of Floridians testing positive for the coronavirus has dropped from 65 in March to 35 now, officials said. Credit…Saul Martinez for The New York Times

By Julie Bosman and Sarah Mervosh

Published June 25, 2020Updated June 27, 2020

CHICAGO — Younger people are making up a growing percentage of new coronavirus cases in cities and states where the virus is now surging, a trend that has alarmed public health officials and prompted renewed pleas for masks and social distancing.

In Arizona, where drive-up sites are overwhelmed by people seeking coronavirus tests, people ages 20 to 44 account for nearly half of all cases. In Florida, which breaks records for new cases nearly every day, the median age of residents testing positive for the virus has dropped to 35, down from 65 in March.

And in Texas, where the governor paused the reopening process on Thursday as hospitals grow increasingly crowded, young people now account for the majority of new cases in several urban centers. In Cameron County, which includes Brownsville and the tourist town of South Padre Island, people under 40 make up more than half of newly reported cases.

“What is clear is that the proportion of people who are younger appears to have dramatically changed,” said Joseph McCormick, a professor of epidemiology at UTHealth School of Public Health in Brownsville. “It’s really quite disturbing.”

The pattern is drawing notice from mayors, governors and public health officials, and comes as a worrisome sign for cities and institutions as they look to the fall. The rise in cases among younger people could complicate the plans of leaders who are eager to open schools and universities, resume athletic events and return to normal life and a fully functioning economy.

The increases could reflect a simple reality: Since many states have reopened bars, restaurants and offices, the coronavirus has been allowed to spread more widely across communities, including to more young people. But people in their 20s and 30s are also more likely to go out socializing, experts say, raising concerns that asymptomatic young people are helping to spread the virus to more vulnerable Americans at a time when cases are surging dangerously in the South and the West.

Dr. Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said on Thursday that younger people have helped fuel the increase in known coronavirus infections — and that in the past, many of those infections went undiagnosed.

“Our best estimate right now is that for every case that was reported, there actually were 10 other infections,” he said.

No single answer fully accounts for the surge of cases among young people, who are less likely to be hospitalized or die from the coronavirus than older people.

“Is it the governor’s reopening? Is it Memorial Day? Is it the George Floyd demonstrations? Is it going to the beach?” said Eric Boerwinkle, dean of the UTHealth School of Public Health in Houston. “We don’t really know, but it is probably all of those things that are contributing.”

The United States recorded 36,975 new cases on Wednesday, a new high point in daily cases as the country confronted a new stage of the crisis two months after the previous high in late April. The resurgence is most immediately threatening states that reopened relatively early in the South and the West. Alabama, Florida, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas all reported their highest single-day totals this week, as did Montana and Utah, and cases were rising in 29 states on Thursday.

Adriana Carter, 21, is among the newly infected.

For many weeks this spring, she said, she took steps to limit her exposure, eating many of her meals at her apartment in San Marcos, Texas, and wearing a mask when going in and out of stores. At the one Black Lives Matter protest she attended, most people were in masks.

But after a particularly long week of juggling online summer classes and her job at an eye clinic, Ms. Carter took a risk one Saturday night in early June and met a friend at the Square, a popular bar district downtown. Though they were careful to avoid the most crowded spots, they chose not to wear masks as they sipped drinks inside and endured the hot Texas weather.

Days later, her friend woke up feeling ill. Both tested positive for the virus.

“We were told we could go out to bars,” she said, adding that she had been careful to quarantine since she learned that she had been exposed. “It’s very unusual for anyone in their 20s to stay at home all the time — not giving any excuses or anything, but I just think we are all just trying to do the best we can.”

The new cases among young people may appear to be a departure from the early days of the pandemic when infections in nursing homes were spiraling out of control, and the virus appeared at higher rates among older people in New York City.

Experts cautioned that the seemingly new prevalence among young people may be, in part, a reflection of more widely available testing. But the growing numbers of people hospitalized in states like North Carolina and Texas also suggest increased transmission of the virus.

Even now, people younger than 50 are being hospitalized at a far lower rate than people older than that, according to C.D.C. data.

While the effect of the coronavirus on younger people “may not be highly associated with hospitalization and death,” Dr. Redfield said, “they do act as a transmission connector for individuals that could in fact be at a higher risk.”

In Florida, which has emerged as a particularly concerning hot spot, reopened bars have been a source of contagion among young people. The state shut down the Knight’s Pub, a popular bar near the University of Central Florida in Orlando, after 28 patrons and 13 employees were infected.

In Miami-Dade County, the number of known coronavirus cases among 18- to 34-year-olds increased fivefold in a month, to more than 1,000, Mayor Carlos Gimenez said this week.

“They’re thinking they’re invincible,” he said, adding that many of the infected have no symptoms.

They are at higher risk, though, if they are overweight or have diabetes or other medical conditions, he said. About a third of the coronavirus patients at the public Jackson Health System were from that age group, and about half had a high body mass index, Mr. Gimenez said.

Gov. Ron DeSantis described “a real explosion in new cases” among younger people. “Part of that is just natural,” he said. “You kind of go and you want to be doing things. You want to be out and about. The folks who are older and would be more vulnerable are being a bit more careful.”

In fact, some experts believe that a decision by older people to stay home and exercise caution to avoid the virus may, in part, help explain why young people appear to be an increasing portion of new cases.

People waited in their cars at a drive-through coronavirus testing site at United Memorial Medical Center in Houston on Thursday.Credit…Callaghan O’Hare for The New York Times

In Dallas County, people between the ages of 18 and 40 have made up 52 percent of newly reported cases since the beginning of June, a jump from the 38 percent that young people represented in March, according to county data.

At the same time, older people have begun to represent a smaller portion of the total number of people who test positive for the virus. In June, people over 65 have made up 8 percent of new confirmed cases in Dallas County, down from 16 percent in March.

The situation is particularly unsettling in Hays County, home to Texas State University in San Marcos. Coronavirus cases have surged since the beginning of June, to 2,100 this week, from 371 at the start of the month. People in their 20s now make up more than half of all known cases, officials said.

In Arizona, rising infections have set many people on edge, including some residents in their 20s and 30s.

In the Arcadia neighborhood of Phoenix, Ian Bartczak, who is 31, said he did not feel comfortable dining out at restaurants and was dismayed to see crowds of young people squeezing onto patios and bars on a commercial strip near his home.

“It goes back to, what is a want and what is a need?” said Mr. Bartczak, who works for an education technology company. “Did you have to go to a big swimming party or El Hefe nightclub with your friends?”

His point of view has created awkwardness with some friends, he said. He has turned down invitations to go out for sushi, and been puzzled by friends who chose to visit casinos.

“It’s affected some of my relationships because I won’t see them or get kind of angry,” he said. “How are you not willing to help the old lady behind you who could have a poor immune system? Or help lower our cases so we can increase our economy?”

In Phoenix, Michael Donoghue, an investment analyst who is 33, said he felt comfortable going out — carefully — since he is single and healthy, lives alone and takes care to avoid close contact with people who might be at risk, like his 91-year-old grandmother.

Only once since restrictions were lifted in that state has he felt uncomfortable while out, he said. A bar he visited with friends in Scottsdale was crowded.

“It just felt like, should we be doing this right now?” he said.

The resurgence of the virus has echoes of its earliest days in the United States, as places like California and Washington State, which saw some of the country’s first outbreaks, were seeing new upticks.

In King County, Wash., which includes Seattle, people in their 20s and 30s make up about 45 percent of new coronavirus cases — a number that was 25 percent in March, according to Dr. Judith A. Malmgren, an epidemiologist in Seattle.

She believes the real percentage is even larger than what is being measured because younger people are less likely to be symptomatic. That said, she warned that the risk of infecting other people was serious.

“Just because you’re in an age group that is less likely to die from coronavirus,” she said, “does not mean that you live alone.”

Julie Bosman reported from Chicago, and Sarah Mervosh from Pittsburgh. Patricia Mazzei contributed reporting from Miami, and Mitch Smith from Chicago.

[a-wandering-fool]

From the article:

==================

Why New Blood Pressure Guidelines Could Lead to Harm

The first received standard care, which involved trying to keep systolic blood pressure (the higher of the two blood pressure measures) under 140. The second group got more intensive care, which meant trying to keep systolic blood pressure below 120. Achieving the latter, of course, required more therapy, mostly pharmacologic in nature.

The results were significant, with fewer patients in the intensive therapy group having an acute cardiovascular event or death. The evidence was so compelling that the trial was stopped early, so the results could be announced sooner rather than later. This decision itself brought a fair amount of media attention to its findings. The fact that those in the intensive therapy group also had more adverse events, like hypotension, syncope and acute kidney injury, got less attention.

But wait, this gets worse:

Regardless, this is a significant trial, and we should treat it seriously. To generalize its results, however, we have to pay attention to the details of its methods. To be eligible for this study, in addition to having a systolic blood pressure from 130 to 180, patients had to be at particularly high risk of disease. They had to be at least 50 years old. They had to have one of the following health problems: another subclinical cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease or a Framingham 10-year risk of cardiovascular disease of 15 percent or more. Or they had to be 75 years or older.

They also had to have their blood pressure confirmed in three separate readings in which patients were left alone in a room for five minutes. This is important, because patients often have elevated blood pressure just from being nervous when it’s being measured in the office. There’s even a name for it: white coat hypertension.

So we get a study which suggests that under carefully controlled measurement circumstances, individuals with a history of heart disease who are over 50, or individuals who are 75 or older, benefit by trying to bring their systolic blood pressure down to 120.

The bolded part is very important here.

Because unless you are not (for example) a 65 year old man who has a diagnosed subclinical cardiovascular disease (such as diagnosed poor circulation triggered by arterial hardening, stenosis or thickening of the artery wall or from other causes), you are not part of the target study group.

And here’s the stupid part. The study is sold as a revolutionary insight into hypertension–but it has been well known for decades that people who have had a previous cardiac event benefit from lower blood pressure. So this study shows… what? That people who have a subclinical cardiac issue may also benefit from lower blood pressure?

That people who have a diagnosed subclinical cardiac or kidney function disease may benefit from managing the disease?

I mean, this is fucking news?

And here’s the kicker. The part that makes me angry:

Because of white coat hypertension, guidelines for checking blood pressure in both children and adults recommend that after multiple readings in the office, worrisome findings should be confirmed by 24-hour measurement outside the office. This happens far too rarely. Instead, people get their blood pressure measured quickly in the office, are labeled hypertensive, and are then put on treatment pathways.

“Treatment pathways,” which most often do not translate into “relaxing more, taking a regular yoga class, putting in some aromatherapy candles around your bath, and taking a regular afternoon walk”–but into drugs, drugs, drugs.

And these drugs don’t come for free. I don’t mean the monetary component, but the side effects.

Worse, the first drug of choice–for good or for ill–by most doctors to help reduce blood pressure? Well, they’ll check your cholesterol–and if it is even a fraction above, or even if it’s not, they’ll put you on statins.

Because “as we all know”, statins are completely risk free, have no side effects, and can change your life. (The previous sentence is sarcasm, ‘natch; just click on the links.)

Seriously, it’s so bad that my wife and I can generally spot people on them: pasty gray skin, and for longer-term users, the “statin shuffle.” And when people suggest that perhaps you should take another drug to overcome the side effect of the first drug–well, you’re well on the way to death, since all these attempts to balance the chemistry you’re taking isn’t exactly doing yourself good.

It’s not to suggest you should live a drug free life. There are individuals who need their medication in order to balance a whole host of issues, from supplementary thyroid hormones to insulin. And it’s not to suggest those with real, diagnosed problems such as subclinical heart or kidney disease, should avoid taking drugs in order to manage the problem.

But by applying the results of a very narrow research study that studied a very specific population with diagnosed health problems to the general population, you increase problems. You don’t decrease them.

Of course, the supposed goal of publicly sharing this study is to increases awareness:

So why alter the guideline at all? The conclusion of an accompanying article argues that the guideline “has the potential to increase hypertension awareness, encourage lifestyle modification and focus antihypertensive medication initiation and intensification on U.S. adults with high” cardiovascular disease risk. In other words, much of the goal is to make news and potentially scare people into changing their behavior.

Unfortunately, this is a tactic that has not been shown to work, at least not for all diseases. A 2015 meta-analysis in the journal Psychological Bulletin looked at all the research on fear messaging. The authors found that fear appeals could change attitudes, intentions and behaviors, but mostly on issues with a high susceptibility and severity. With respect to hypertension, it’s hard to believe we’re not already oversaturated with worry.

So while the goal may be fear mongering–do you really need to be fear-mongered at if you’re a healthy older adult who exercises regularly, monitors your diet, but otherwise has a 20 point swing in blood pressure thanks to “White Coat Hypertension?”

Because the net effect–even in the most ideal case–is to make you afraid of the doctor.

Assuming, of course, they don’t give away statins like fucking candy…

=========================

[gordonwilliamsweb]

Stalked by The Fear That Dementia Is Stalking You

Navigating Aging

Navigating Aging focuses on medical issues and advice associated with aging and end-of-life care, helping America’s 45 million seniors and their families navigate the health care system.

To contact Judith Graham with a question or comment, click here.

Join the Navigating Aging Facebook Group.

See All Columns

Do I know I’m at risk for developing dementia? You bet.

My father died of Alzheimer’s disease at age 72; my sister was felled by frontotemporal dementia at 58.

And that’s not all: Two maternal uncles had Alzheimer’s, and my maternal grandfather may have had vascular dementia. (In his generation, it was called senility.)

So what happens when I misplace a pair of eyeglasses or can’t remember the name of a movie I saw a week ago? “Now comes my turn with dementia,” I think.

Then I talk myself down from that emotional cliff.

Am I alone in this? Hardly. Many people, like me, who’ve watched this cruel illness destroy a family member, dread the prospect that they, too, might become demented.

Judith Graham (left) with her sister, Deborah.(Courtesy of Judith Graham)

The lack of a cure or effective treatments only adds to the anxiety. Just this week, news emerged that another study trying to stop Alzheimer’s in people at extremely high genetic risk had failed.

How do we cope as we face our fears and peer into our future?

Andrea Kline, whose mother, as well as her mother’s sister and uncle, had Alzheimer’s disease, just turned 71 and lives in Boynton Beach, Florida. She’s a retired registered nurse who teaches yoga to seniors at community centers and assisted-living facilities.

“I worry about dementia incessantly. Every little thing that goes wrong, I’m convinced it’s the beginning,” she told me.

Because Kline has had multiple family members with Alzheimer’s, she’s more likely to have a genetic vulnerability than someone with a single occurrence in their family. But that doesn’t mean this condition lies in her future. A risk is just that: It’s not a guarantee.

The age of onset is also important. People with close relatives struck by dementia early — before age 65 — are more likely to be susceptible genetically.

Kline was the primary caregiver for her mother, Charlotte Kline, who received an Alzheimer’s diagnosis in 1999 and passed away in 2007 at age 80. “I try to eat very healthy. I exercise. I have an advance directive, and I’ve discussed what I want [in the way of care] with my son,” she said.

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“Lately, I’ve been thinking I should probably get a test for APOE4 [a gene variant that can raise the risk of developing Alzheimer’s], although I’m not really sure if it would help,” Kline added. “Maybe it would add some intensity to my planning for the future.”

I spoke to half a dozen experts for this column. None was in favor of genetic testing, except in unusual circumstances.

“Having the APOE4 allele [gene variant] does not mean you’ll get Alzheimer’s disease. Plenty of people with Alzheimer’s don’t have the allele,” said Mark Mapstone, a professor of neurology at the University of California-Irvine. “And conversely, plenty of people with the allele never develop Alzheimer’s.”

Tamar Gefen, an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, strongly suggests having an in-depth discussion with a genetic counselor if you’re considering a test.

“Before you say ‘I have to know,’ really understand what you’re dealing with, how your life might be affected, and what these tests can and cannot tell you,” she advised.

Karen Larsen, 55, is a social worker in the Boston area. Her father, George Larsen, was diagnosed with vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s at age 84 and died within a year in 2014.

Larsen is firm: She doesn’t want to investigate her risk of having memory or thinking problems.

“I’ve already planned for the future. I have a health care proxy and a living will and long-term care insurance. I’ve assigned powers of attorney, and I’ve saved my money,” she said. “Eating a healthy diet, getting exercise, remaining socially engaged — I already do all that, and I plan to as long as I can.”

“What would I do if I learned some negative from a test — sit around and worry?” Larsen said.

Currently, the gold standard in cognitive testing consists of a comprehensive neuropsychological exam. Among the domains examined over three to four hours: memory, attention, language, intellectual functioning, problem-solving, visual-spatial orientation, perception and more.

Brain scans are another diagnostic tool. CT and MRI scans can show whether parts of the brain have structural abnormalities or aren’t functioning optimally. PET scans (not covered by Medicare) can demonstrate the buildup of amyloid proteins — a marker of Alzheimer’s. Also, spinal taps can show whether amyloid and tau proteins are present in cerebrospinal fluid.

A note of caution: While amyloid and tau proteins in the brain are a signature characteristic of Alzheimer’s, not all people with these proteins develop cognitive impairment.

Several experts recommend that people concerned about their Alzheimer’s risk get a baseline set of neuropsychological tests, followed by repeat tests if and when they start experiencing worrisome symptoms.

“When it comes to thinking and memory, everyone is different,” said Frederick Schmitt, a neurology professor at the University of Kentucky. Having baseline results is “very helpful” and “allows us to more carefully measure whether, in fact, significant changes have occurred” over time, he said.

Nora Super holds nieces Kylie and Lian Ascher on the couch beside Nora’s father, Bill Super, and her aunt Trudy Super.(Courtesy of Nora Super)

Nora Super, senior director of the Milken Institute Center for the Future of Aging, watched her father, Bill Super, and all three of his siblings succumb to Alzheimer’s disease over the course of several years — falling, she said, “like a row of dominoes.”

One of her sisters was tested for the APOE4 genetic variant; results were negative. This is no guarantee of a dementia-free future, however, since hundreds of genes are implicated in Alzheimer’s, Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal dementia and vascular dementia.

Rather than get genetic or neuropsychological tests, Super has focused on learning as much as she can about how to protect her brain. At the top of the list: managing her depression as well as stress. Both have been linked to dementia.

Also, Super exercises routinely and eats a MIND-style diet, rich in vegetables, berries, whole grains, nuts, fish and beans. She is learning French (a form of cognitive stimulation), meditates regularly and is socially and intellectually active.

According to a growing body of research, physical inactivity, hearing loss, depression, obesity, hypertension, smoking, social isolation, diabetes and low education levels raise the risk of dementia. All of these factors are modifiable.

What if Super started having memory problems? “I fear I would get really depressed,” she admitted. “Alzheimer’s is such a horrible disease: To see what people you love go through, especially in the early stages, when they’re aware of what’s happening but can’t do anything about it, is excruciating. I’m not sure I want to go through that.”

Gefen of Northwestern said she tells patients that “if [cognitive testing] is something that’s going to stress you out, then don’t do it.”

Nancy Smith celebrates her 81st birthday with sons Nigel (right) and Tim Smith.(Courtesy of Nigel Smith)

Nigel Smith, 49, had a change of heart after caring for his mother, Nancy Smith, 81, who’s in hospice care in the Boston area with Alzheimer’s. When he brought his mother in for a neuropsychological exam in early 2017 and she received a diagnosis of moderate Alzheimer’s, she was furious. At that point, Nancy was still living in the family’s large home in Brookline, Massachusetts, which she refused to leave.

Eventually, after his mother ended up in the hospital, Smith was given legal authority over her affairs and he moved her to a memory care unit.

“Now, she’s deteriorated to the point where she has about 5% of her previous verbal skills,” Nigel said. “She smiles but she doesn’t recognize me.”

Does he want to know if something like this might lie in his future?

A couple of years ago, Smith said he was too afraid of Alzheimer’s to contemplate this question. Now he’s determined to know as much as possible, “not so much because I’m curious but so I can help prepare myself and my family. I see the burden of what I’m doing for my mother, and I want to do everything I can to ease that burden for them.”

Kim Hall, 54, of Plymouth, Minnesota, feels a similar need for a plan. Her mother, Kathleen Peterson, 89, a registered nurse for over 50 years, was diagnosed with vascular dementia five years ago. Today, she resides in assisted living and doesn’t recognize most of her large family, including dozens of nieces and nephews who grew up with Hall.

Hall knows her mother had medical issues that may have harmed her brain: a traumatic brain injury as a young adult, uncontrolled high blood pressure for many years, several operations with general anesthesia and an addiction to prescription painkillers. “I don’t share these, and that may work in my favor,” she said.

Still, Hall is concerned. “I guess I want to know if I’m at risk for dementia and if there is anything I can do to slow it down,” she said. “I don’t want what happened to my mother to happen to me.” Probably, Hall speculated, she’ll arrange to take a neuropsychological exam at some point.

Several years ago, when I was grieving my sister’s death from frontotemporal dementia, my doctor suggested that a baseline exam of this sort might be a good idea.

I knew then I wouldn’t take him up on the offer. If and when my time with dementia comes, I’ll have to deal with it. Until then, I’d rather not know.

Stalked by The Fear That Dementia Is Stalking You published first on https://nootropicspowdersupplier.tumblr.com/

[stephenmccull]

Stalked by The Fear That Dementia Is Stalking You

Navigating Aging

Navigating Aging focuses on medical issues and advice associated with aging and end-of-life care, helping America’s 45 million seniors and their families navigate the health care system.

To contact Judith Graham with a question or comment, click here.

Join the Navigating Aging Facebook Group.

See All Columns

Do I know I’m at risk for developing dementia? You bet.

My father died of Alzheimer’s disease at age 72; my sister was felled by frontotemporal dementia at 58.

And that’s not all: Two maternal uncles had Alzheimer’s, and my maternal grandfather may have had vascular dementia. (In his generation, it was called senility.)

So what happens when I misplace a pair of eyeglasses or can’t remember the name of a movie I saw a week ago? “Now comes my turn with dementia,” I think.

Then I talk myself down from that emotional cliff.

Am I alone in this? Hardly. Many people, like me, who’ve watched this cruel illness destroy a family member, dread the prospect that they, too, might become demented.

Judith Graham (left) with her sister, Deborah.(Courtesy of Judith Graham)

The lack of a cure or effective treatments only adds to the anxiety. Just this week, news emerged that another study trying to stop Alzheimer’s in people at extremely high genetic risk had failed.

How do we cope as we face our fears and peer into our future?

Andrea Kline, whose mother, as well as her mother’s sister and uncle, had Alzheimer’s disease, just turned 71 and lives in Boynton Beach, Florida. She’s a retired registered nurse who teaches yoga to seniors at community centers and assisted-living facilities.

“I worry about dementia incessantly. Every little thing that goes wrong, I’m convinced it’s the beginning,” she told me.

Because Kline has had multiple family members with Alzheimer’s, she’s more likely to have a genetic vulnerability than someone with a single occurrence in their family. But that doesn’t mean this condition lies in her future. A risk is just that: It’s not a guarantee.

The age of onset is also important. People with close relatives struck by dementia early — before age 65 — are more likely to be susceptible genetically.

Kline was the primary caregiver for her mother, Charlotte Kline, who received an Alzheimer’s diagnosis in 1999 and passed away in 2007 at age 80. “I try to eat very healthy. I exercise. I have an advance directive, and I’ve discussed what I want [in the way of care] with my son,” she said.

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Subscribe to KHN’s free Morning Briefing.

Sign Up

Please confirm your email address below:

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“Lately, I’ve been thinking I should probably get a test for APOE4 [a gene variant that can raise the risk of developing Alzheimer’s], although I’m not really sure if it would help,” Kline added. “Maybe it would add some intensity to my planning for the future.”

I spoke to half a dozen experts for this column. None was in favor of genetic testing, except in unusual circumstances.

“Having the APOE4 allele [gene variant] does not mean you’ll get Alzheimer’s disease. Plenty of people with Alzheimer’s don’t have the allele,” said Mark Mapstone, a professor of neurology at the University of California-Irvine. “And conversely, plenty of people with the allele never develop Alzheimer’s.”

Tamar Gefen, an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, strongly suggests having an in-depth discussion with a genetic counselor if you’re considering a test.

“Before you say ‘I have to know,’ really understand what you’re dealing with, how your life might be affected, and what these tests can and cannot tell you,” she advised.

Karen Larsen, 55, is a social worker in the Boston area. Her father, George Larsen, was diagnosed with vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s at age 84 and died within a year in 2014.

Larsen is firm: She doesn’t want to investigate her risk of having memory or thinking problems.

“I’ve already planned for the future. I have a health care proxy and a living will and long-term care insurance. I’ve assigned powers of attorney, and I’ve saved my money,” she said. “Eating a healthy diet, getting exercise, remaining socially engaged — I already do all that, and I plan to as long as I can.”

“What would I do if I learned some negative from a test — sit around and worry?” Larsen said.

Currently, the gold standard in cognitive testing consists of a comprehensive neuropsychological exam. Among the domains examined over three to four hours: memory, attention, language, intellectual functioning, problem-solving, visual-spatial orientation, perception and more.

Brain scans are another diagnostic tool. CT and MRI scans can show whether parts of the brain have structural abnormalities or aren’t functioning optimally. PET scans (not covered by Medicare) can demonstrate the buildup of amyloid proteins — a marker of Alzheimer’s. Also, spinal taps can show whether amyloid and tau proteins are present in cerebrospinal fluid.

A note of caution: While amyloid and tau proteins in the brain are a signature characteristic of Alzheimer’s, not all people with these proteins develop cognitive impairment.

Several experts recommend that people concerned about their Alzheimer’s risk get a baseline set of neuropsychological tests, followed by repeat tests if and when they start experiencing worrisome symptoms.

“When it comes to thinking and memory, everyone is different,” said Frederick Schmitt, a neurology professor at the University of Kentucky. Having baseline results is “very helpful” and “allows us to more carefully measure whether, in fact, significant changes have occurred” over time, he said.

Nora Super holds nieces Kylie and Lian Ascher on the couch beside Nora’s father, Bill Super, and her aunt Trudy Super.(Courtesy of Nora Super)

Nora Super, senior director of the Milken Institute Center for the Future of Aging, watched her father, Bill Super, and all three of his siblings succumb to Alzheimer’s disease over the course of several years — falling, she said, “like a row of dominoes.”

One of her sisters was tested for the APOE4 genetic variant; results were negative. This is no guarantee of a dementia-free future, however, since hundreds of genes are implicated in Alzheimer’s, Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal dementia and vascular dementia.

Rather than get genetic or neuropsychological tests, Super has focused on learning as much as she can about how to protect her brain. At the top of the list: managing her depression as well as stress. Both have been linked to dementia.

Also, Super exercises routinely and eats a MIND-style diet, rich in vegetables, berries, whole grains, nuts, fish and beans. She is learning French (a form of cognitive stimulation), meditates regularly and is socially and intellectually active.

According to a growing body of research, physical inactivity, hearing loss, depression, obesity, hypertension, smoking, social isolation, diabetes and low education levels raise the risk of dementia. All of these factors are modifiable.

What if Super started having memory problems? “I fear I would get really depressed,” she admitted. “Alzheimer’s is such a horrible disease: To see what people you love go through, especially in the early stages, when they’re aware of what’s happening but can’t do anything about it, is excruciating. I’m not sure I want to go through that.”

Gefen of Northwestern said she tells patients that “if [cognitive testing] is something that’s going to stress you out, then don’t do it.”

Nancy Smith celebrates her 81st birthday with sons Nigel (right) and Tim Smith.(Courtesy of Nigel Smith)

Nigel Smith, 49, had a change of heart after caring for his mother, Nancy Smith, 81, who’s in hospice care in the Boston area with Alzheimer’s. When he brought his mother in for a neuropsychological exam in early 2017 and she received a diagnosis of moderate Alzheimer’s, she was furious. At that point, Nancy was still living in the family’s large home in Brookline, Massachusetts, which she refused to leave.

Eventually, after his mother ended up in the hospital, Smith was given legal authority over her affairs and he moved her to a memory care unit.

“Now, she’s deteriorated to the point where she has about 5% of her previous verbal skills,” Nigel said. “She smiles but she doesn’t recognize me.”

Does he want to know if something like this might lie in his future?

A couple of years ago, Smith said he was too afraid of Alzheimer’s to contemplate this question. Now he’s determined to know as much as possible, “not so much because I’m curious but so I can help prepare myself and my family. I see the burden of what I’m doing for my mother, and I want to do everything I can to ease that burden for them.”

Kim Hall, 54, of Plymouth, Minnesota, feels a similar need for a plan. Her mother, Kathleen Peterson, 89, a registered nurse for over 50 years, was diagnosed with vascular dementia five years ago. Today, she resides in assisted living and doesn’t recognize most of her large family, including dozens of nieces and nephews who grew up with Hall.

Hall knows her mother had medical issues that may have harmed her brain: a traumatic brain injury as a young adult, uncontrolled high blood pressure for many years, several operations with general anesthesia and an addiction to prescription painkillers. “I don’t share these, and that may work in my favor,” she said.

Still, Hall is concerned. “I guess I want to know if I’m at risk for dementia and if there is anything I can do to slow it down,” she said. “I don’t want what happened to my mother to happen to me.” Probably, Hall speculated, she’ll arrange to take a neuropsychological exam at some point.

Several years ago, when I was grieving my sister’s death from frontotemporal dementia, my doctor suggested that a baseline exam of this sort might be a good idea.

I knew then I wouldn’t take him up on the offer. If and when my time with dementia comes, I’ll have to deal with it. Until then, I’d rather not know.

Stalked by The Fear That Dementia Is Stalking You published first on https://smartdrinkingweb.weebly.com/

[dinafbrownil]

Stalked by The Fear That Dementia Is Stalking You

Navigating Aging

Navigating Aging focuses on medical issues and advice associated with aging and end-of-life care, helping America’s 45 million seniors and their families navigate the health care system.

To contact Judith Graham with a question or comment, click here.

Join the Navigating Aging Facebook Group.

See All Columns

Do I know I’m at risk for developing dementia? You bet.

My father died of Alzheimer’s disease at age 72; my sister was felled by frontotemporal dementia at 58.

And that’s not all: Two maternal uncles had Alzheimer’s, and my maternal grandfather may have had vascular dementia. (In his generation, it was called senility.)

So what happens when I misplace a pair of eyeglasses or can’t remember the name of a movie I saw a week ago? “Now comes my turn with dementia,” I think.

Then I talk myself down from that emotional cliff.

Am I alone in this? Hardly. Many people, like me, who’ve watched this cruel illness destroy a family member, dread the prospect that they, too, might become demented.

Judith Graham (left) with her sister, Deborah.(Courtesy of Judith Graham)

The lack of a cure or effective treatments only adds to the anxiety. Just this week, news emerged that another study trying to stop Alzheimer’s in people at extremely high genetic risk had failed.

How do we cope as we face our fears and peer into our future?

Andrea Kline, whose mother, as well as her mother’s sister and uncle, had Alzheimer’s disease, just turned 71 and lives in Boynton Beach, Florida. She’s a retired registered nurse who teaches yoga to seniors at community centers and assisted-living facilities.

“I worry about dementia incessantly. Every little thing that goes wrong, I’m convinced it’s the beginning,” she told me.

Because Kline has had multiple family members with Alzheimer’s, she’s more likely to have a genetic vulnerability than someone with a single occurrence in their family. But that doesn’t mean this condition lies in her future. A risk is just that: It’s not a guarantee.

The age of onset is also important. People with close relatives struck by dementia early — before age 65 — are more likely to be susceptible genetically.

Kline was the primary caregiver for her mother, Charlotte Kline, who received an Alzheimer’s diagnosis in 1999 and passed away in 2007 at age 80. “I try to eat very healthy. I exercise. I have an advance directive, and I’ve discussed what I want [in the way of care] with my son,” she said.

Email Sign-Up

Subscribe to KHN’s free Morning Briefing.

Sign Up

Please confirm your email address below:

Sign Up

“Lately, I’ve been thinking I should probably get a test for APOE4 [a gene variant that can raise the risk of developing Alzheimer’s], although I’m not really sure if it would help,” Kline added. “Maybe it would add some intensity to my planning for the future.”

I spoke to half a dozen experts for this column. None was in favor of genetic testing, except in unusual circumstances.

“Having the APOE4 allele [gene variant] does not mean you’ll get Alzheimer’s disease. Plenty of people with Alzheimer’s don’t have the allele,” said Mark Mapstone, a professor of neurology at the University of California-Irvine. “And conversely, plenty of people with the allele never develop Alzheimer’s.”

Tamar Gefen, an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, strongly suggests having an in-depth discussion with a genetic counselor if you’re considering a test.

“Before you say ‘I have to know,’ really understand what you’re dealing with, how your life might be affected, and what these tests can and cannot tell you,” she advised.

Karen Larsen, 55, is a social worker in the Boston area. Her father, George Larsen, was diagnosed with vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s at age 84 and died within a year in 2014.

Larsen is firm: She doesn’t want to investigate her risk of having memory or thinking problems.

“I’ve already planned for the future. I have a health care proxy and a living will and long-term care insurance. I’ve assigned powers of attorney, and I’ve saved my money,” she said. “Eating a healthy diet, getting exercise, remaining socially engaged — I already do all that, and I plan to as long as I can.”

“What would I do if I learned some negative from a test — sit around and worry?” Larsen said.

Currently, the gold standard in cognitive testing consists of a comprehensive neuropsychological exam. Among the domains examined over three to four hours: memory, attention, language, intellectual functioning, problem-solving, visual-spatial orientation, perception and more.

Brain scans are another diagnostic tool. CT and MRI scans can show whether parts of the brain have structural abnormalities or aren’t functioning optimally. PET scans (not covered by Medicare) can demonstrate the buildup of amyloid proteins — a marker of Alzheimer’s. Also, spinal taps can show whether amyloid and tau proteins are present in cerebrospinal fluid.

A note of caution: While amyloid and tau proteins in the brain are a signature characteristic of Alzheimer’s, not all people with these proteins develop cognitive impairment.

Several experts recommend that people concerned about their Alzheimer’s risk get a baseline set of neuropsychological tests, followed by repeat tests if and when they start experiencing worrisome symptoms.

“When it comes to thinking and memory, everyone is different,” said Frederick Schmitt, a neurology professor at the University of Kentucky. Having baseline results is “very helpful” and “allows us to more carefully measure whether, in fact, significant changes have occurred” over time, he said.

Nora Super holds nieces Kylie and Lian Ascher on the couch beside Nora’s father, Bill Super, and her aunt Trudy Super.(Courtesy of Nora Super)

Nora Super, senior director of the Milken Institute Center for the Future of Aging, watched her father, Bill Super, and all three of his siblings succumb to Alzheimer’s disease over the course of several years — falling, she said, “like a row of dominoes.”

One of her sisters was tested for the APOE4 genetic variant; results were negative. This is no guarantee of a dementia-free future, however, since hundreds of genes are implicated in Alzheimer’s, Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal dementia and vascular dementia.

Rather than get genetic or neuropsychological tests, Super has focused on learning as much as she can about how to protect her brain. At the top of the list: managing her depression as well as stress. Both have been linked to dementia.

Also, Super exercises routinely and eats a MIND-style diet, rich in vegetables, berries, whole grains, nuts, fish and beans. She is learning French (a form of cognitive stimulation), meditates regularly and is socially and intellectually active.

According to a growing body of research, physical inactivity, hearing loss, depression, obesity, hypertension, smoking, social isolation, diabetes and low education levels raise the risk of dementia. All of these factors are modifiable.

What if Super started having memory problems? “I fear I would get really depressed,” she admitted. “Alzheimer’s is such a horrible disease: To see what people you love go through, especially in the early stages, when they’re aware of what’s happening but can’t do anything about it, is excruciating. I’m not sure I want to go through that.”

Gefen of Northwestern said she tells patients that “if [cognitive testing] is something that’s going to stress you out, then don’t do it.”

Nancy Smith celebrates her 81st birthday with sons Nigel (right) and Tim Smith.(Courtesy of Nigel Smith)

Nigel Smith, 49, had a change of heart after caring for his mother, Nancy Smith, 81, who’s in hospice care in the Boston area with Alzheimer’s. When he brought his mother in for a neuropsychological exam in early 2017 and she received a diagnosis of moderate Alzheimer’s, she was furious. At that point, Nancy was still living in the family’s large home in Brookline, Massachusetts, which she refused to leave.

Eventually, after his mother ended up in the hospital, Smith was given legal authority over her affairs and he moved her to a memory care unit.

“Now, she’s deteriorated to the point where she has about 5% of her previous verbal skills,” Nigel said. “She smiles but she doesn’t recognize me.”

Does he want to know if something like this might lie in his future?

A couple of years ago, Smith said he was too afraid of Alzheimer’s to contemplate this question. Now he’s determined to know as much as possible, “not so much because I’m curious but so I can help prepare myself and my family. I see the burden of what I’m doing for my mother, and I want to do everything I can to ease that burden for them.”

Kim Hall, 54, of Plymouth, Minnesota, feels a similar need for a plan. Her mother, Kathleen Peterson, 89, a registered nurse for over 50 years, was diagnosed with vascular dementia five years ago. Today, she resides in assisted living and doesn’t recognize most of her large family, including dozens of nieces and nephews who grew up with Hall.

Hall knows her mother had medical issues that may have harmed her brain: a traumatic brain injury as a young adult, uncontrolled high blood pressure for many years, several operations with general anesthesia and an addiction to prescription painkillers. “I don’t share these, and that may work in my favor,” she said.

Still, Hall is concerned. “I guess I want to know if I’m at risk for dementia and if there is anything I can do to slow it down,” she said. “I don’t want what happened to my mother to happen to me.” Probably, Hall speculated, she’ll arrange to take a neuropsychological exam at some point.

Several years ago, when I was grieving my sister’s death from frontotemporal dementia, my doctor suggested that a baseline exam of this sort might be a good idea.

I knew then I wouldn’t take him up on the offer. If and when my time with dementia comes, I’ll have to deal with it. Until then, I’d rather not know.

from Updates By Dina https://khn.org/news/stalked-by-the-fear-that-dementia-is-stalking-you/

[baekhoneyed]

tagged by @kokokysoo for one of those “get to know me” memes! (under the cut cuz its so long)

RULES: you must answer these 92 statements and tag 20 people (idk how many people ill end up tagging and dont feel obligated!!)

THE LAST:

1. Drink: water but like i think my flatmates put vodka in the ice cube trays so?? not sure exactly how much is accidentally Not Water

2. Phone Call: uhhhhh a study abroad program advisor

3. Text Message: my older brother tryna convince me that i’ll make friends eventually lmao

4. Song you listened to: i actually stopped writing this to grab a sweater but then TT came on and i instinctively dance to it now so that happened

5. Time you cried: almost last night but like... not enough feelings to actually cry yet just wait

6. Dated someone twice: never even dated someone once, bro...

7. Kissed someone and regretted it: i never regret giving my dog kisses but sometimes my cat swipes at me :/

8. Been cheated on: gotta have a boyfriend first to get cheated on

9. Lost someone special: yup

10. Been depressed: only since i was 12 years old  l m f a o

11. Gotten drunk and thrown up: i hate puking so i never go past being tipsy

LIST 3 FAVORITE COLORS:

12. red!

13. millennial pink fight me

14. rose gold fight me again

IN THE LAST YEAR HAVE YOU:

15. Made new friends: yyyes but i sure would like to make some more Here, at my Current University

16. Fallen out of love: mmm not Love but definitely Like? i stopped Liking someone who i had a crush on

17. Laughed until you cried: so frequently it’s worrisome

18. Found out someone was talking about you: um did u mean middle and high school? i was such a petty bitch tho i put em in their places after crying in my room alone lmfao

19. Met someone who changed you: yes yes yes! dallon is the first who comes to mind he’s... no words

20. Found out who your friends are: ummm i dont know?

21. Kissed someone on your facebook list: ...my mom??? lmao

GENERAL:

22. How many of your facebook friends do you know in real life: all of them except a few who ive just added bc we’re all transfer students to the same university this year and im Desperate

23. Do you have any pets: yes!! 2 cats, Harry and Kai (shut up ok i’ve always liked that syllable in chinese) and one dog, Lady my perfect cuddle angel baby

24. Do you want to change your name: honestly... sometimes yeah? but only because it’s so boring when it’s translated into chinese/korean so maybe i’d just change my names in those languages idk

25. What did you do for your last birthday: probably just went out to dinner w/ my family, but when i got back to my old college my friends and i went to a store in Queens it was such a good day...

26. What time did you wake up: like... noon probably lmao #depression

27. What were you doing at midnight last night: rewatching exo next door and gettin emotional over ksoo

28. Name something you can not wait for: THE POWER OF MUSIC BITCH LESS THAN 12 HOURS NOW

29. When was the last time you saw your mom: a couple weeks ago when she and my dad helped me move in to my apartment

30. What is one thing you wish you could change in your life: i wish i didnt have fucking depression! anxiety is easy to deal with for me but depression isnt

31. What are you listening to right now: walk on memories

32. Have you ever talked to a person named Tom: i have a 2nd cousin named Tom he’s like 50 years old

33. Something that is getting on your nerves: ......so much

34. Most visited website: netflix/facebook/tumblr

35. Mole/s: one on my back, one on my neck, one under my left boob... i think that’s it

36. Mark/s: mostly bruises on my shins bc im clumsy; also some shaving scars from like 3+ years ago (one of em bled for 4 days while i was in china!)

37. Childhood dream: typical american kid stuff like ballerina and movie star

38. Hair color: medium brown i guess? it used to be lighter but it’s been getting darker as i get older

39. Long or short hair: i just cut it short again so it’s just touching my shoulders when dry (it’s wavy-curly so it’s a bit longer than that in reality)

40. Do you have a crush on someone: yeah can i have uhhhhhhhh byun baekhyun? no one irl tho

41. What do you like about yourself: ive got a great complexion that has really calmed down in the past few years! and i love my eyes ive got gorgeous eyes and a nice smile and a cute body and ive been doin self-love the past year can u tell?

42. Piercings: just regular ear piercings that i only got... a year ago...

43. Blood type: i never remember but maybe O? whichever one is the most common i think idk tho

44. Nickname: lulu is a nickname, ummm ive had a few friends call me em or ems which is cute

45. Relationship status: chronically single and repulsive to the male population, perhaps?

46. Zodiac: sun in pisces/leo rising (fun fact when i was little a kid asked me my sign so i said pisces and he called me fish poop so i cried) (he was probably a gemini the fuckin asshole), year of the tiger

47. Pronouns: she/her

48. Favorite tv show: pushing daisies, 30 rock, scrubs, grey’s anatomy but only up til the 8th season then it’s bad

49. Tattoos: i actually almost got one a few weeks ago but then i lost my job :/ i wanted to get “je ne regrette rien” tattooed on my hip bone real small

50. Right or left handed: right - i used to be able to write pretty well with my left hand but alas...

51. Surgery: yyyup wisdom teeth removal, eyelid surgery to get rid of some bumpy things, broken arm when i was like 1.5 years old, and im getting lasik next summer probably

52. Piercing: ya already asked ya doofus

53. Sport: my dad made me play basketball in middle school i got 2 technical fouls bc i had anger issues so i stopped playing basketball. i got Decent at ballet tho!

54. Vacation: we havent really had the money lately

55. Pair of trainers: i just bought 2 new pairs bc i ruined my only pair in seoul and had to throw them out (they got soaked in the rain and then mildewed n all) (side note: they’re so expensive?? the adidas and nike were as expensive as the new balance which is Silly so i just bought adidas and nike)

MORE GENERAL:

56. Eating: nothing rn but i need to go get dinner...

57. Drinking: did we not already go over this

58. I’m about to go: either to the dining hall or to a nearby restaurant im honestly not sure 

59. Waiting for: exo to move in next door to me only to discover that one of them is my childhood best friend-slash-first love and another has fallen in love with me and my clumsy but lovable personality :)

60. Want: byun baekhyun (im kidding kind of, um i want to make friends here and be less anxious about my classes and life in general)

61. Get married: yeah one day but so far no one i’ve met is Vibing with that seeing as no one will even ask me out im not Super Hopeful :/

62. Career: chinese major/korean minor at a university um hopefully after i graduate someone will hire me and give me money to do something i dont completely hate but we’ll see

WHICH IS BETTER:

63. Hugs or kisses: i literally would not know so i will say Hugs because they’re the only things ive experienced! and i could use a really long hug rn

64. Lips or eyes: ...eyes... but lips r important too cuz i cant even look at a photo of amy schumer anymore w/out staring at her terrifying lips

65. Shorter or taller: taller but someone around my height would be ok too (.....im just sayin im like the same height as bbh...)

66. Older or younger: older bc im not about to go dating a freshman or a high schooler lmfao

67. Nice arms or nice stomach: arrrrrrrrms

68. Hookup or relationship: never had either but i think i’d prefer a stable relationship to some extent?? we just dont know

69. Troublemaker or hesitant: im a troublemaker when im comfortable w/ people/places but other than that hesitant

HAVE YOU EVER:

70. Kissed a stranger: no

71. Drank hard liquor: yeah it’s nasty :/ but it does the trick

72. Lost glasses/contact lenses: somehow no

73. Turned someone down: ya this one guy hit on me when i was walking thru myeongdong but he was a) a stranger b) 25 years old c) from egypt so like it was never gonna happen buddy

74: Sex on the first date: gonna need a first date before i can even answer (the answer would be no i am not down w/ that) 

75. Broken someone’s heart: probably not, ill dont think im capable of doing that plus im still so young that realistically it just hasnt been a possibility

76. Had your heart broken: not really, my silly crushes have all been resolved easily bc i never talk about them and then i notice things i dont like about the person and stop liking them like that

77. Been arrested: no but a friend of mine got arrested for trespassing on a roof in nyc last year lmao

78: Cried when someone died: yeah

79. Fallen for a friend: sort of? briefly? it never went anywhere it was silly

DO YOU BELIEVE IN:

80. Yourself: i try to most days but it’s rough

81: Miracles: i mean im not a non-believer but i also don’t actively wait for them to happen or really put much stock in them

82. Love at first sight: im not sure because bbh hasnt seen me yet so how would we know??

83. Santa Claus: not anymore i think when i was 8 i sorta stopped

84. Kiss on the first date: never even had a first date or a first kiss ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

85. Angels: um yeah actually! proof they exist - byun baekhyun do kyungsoo kim jongdae kim jongin the list goes on,,

OTHER:

90. Current best friends: dallon, lilli, ida, stephanie, aria!

91: Eye color: light green. i have Gorgeous eyes!!!

92: Favorite movie: a taiwanese movie called Secret, i rly liked ksoo’s movie Hyung, Chicago the Musical... there are more but im drawing a blank

i guess ill tag... no one but if ur reading this and u wanna do it feel free to say i tagged u! i love learning about u guys it makes me feel less alone

[asegbolu]

The Lekki-Ajah Corridor Hex - The Present and Future Floods

Copied and worrisome: The Lekki-Ajah Corridor Hex - The Present and Future Floods By Ogbo Awoke Ogbo ¶Actually, I lied in Church this morning - small "white lie." The preacher, a retired army general, referring to the Lekki and VI floods, mentioned a disturbing dream he had had a couple of years ago in which the entire VGC and Lekki areas were completely submerged.

At the time of his dream, I worked for Chevron in a role as Geographic Information Systems Team Lead between 2000 and 2006. The Company itself is situated in the heart of the Lekki Peninsula. I also lived around the Alpha Beach area at the time. The learned general approached me and narrated his concern. He asked what I knew about the geologies and situational geographics of the area. ••• Before his dream, my concern about a possible natural disaster in the area was already established. Before going to work, I had jogged every morning, often to the Alpha beach behind our residence. It amazed me, at the time, just by mere visual awareness, how each year, the Atlantic claimed a significant portion of the beach in a determined advance. No one measured! Again, every year, we experienced an ocean surge in the area. I noticed that each year, the surge advanced into the Igbo Efon area significantly further than the preceding year. No one measured. ••• Third, during the five years I appeared live on Silverbird TV, there were times, after an overnight rainfall, I literally swam with my SUV to the partially submerged TV station behind the Jakande Area. That is not even where I am going. While waiting for my slot on TV, I would go to the Beach behind STV to meditate. Friends, within a period of 5 years, I saw the ocean claim 5 or 6 rows of coconut palm trees lining the beach! That would have been about 30 meters in 5 years! No one was measuring! Why measure such things when "God is in control?"

Well, then, using the available historical sub-meter pixel satellite imagery of the area and a digital elevation model, I did a cursory study of the peninsula. What I saw startled me. (But I must state upfront that this was not a thorough scientific enquiry that is critical for understanding the gravity of a disaster lurking in the distance.) ••• Number One: Lekki is completely flat - there's very insignificant variation in altitude. Two: Lekki is somewhat below sea level. A combination of those two factors meant that a mere 50 cm rise in the Atlantic ocean level could rapidly build a handshake between the ocean and the Lagoon. I hate to imagine the implication to the VI-Lekki-Ajah corridor. But who cares? And who should care when "God is in control" as we say in Nigeria. No one will measure. ••• About the time I worked in Chevron, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) had estimated a very conservative forecast of rise in ocean levels of 65 cm by 2100. That has since been adjusted to over 100 cm. We may say, "Oh 2100 is a long way ahead!" And that is what kills the "Black Man!" (pardon the racial cliché). Lack of foresight! Poor planning. Thinking and living for the moment only. No one is measuring. Well, the bad news is that scientists are not sure how fast or how soon this 100 cm rise will happen and what other geological events other than polar ice melting could trigger the rise. ••• We saw a little rainfall a couple of days and panicked. Like the behind of a hen when the breeze blows, we were confronted by our nakedness and utter helplessness with just a little rain. How about if it rained 40 days and 40 nights? Here is the worst tragedy of all: We're not learning! Uka Igwe, my boyhood friend, posted what I thought was the most brilliant commentary on the Lekki-VI floods on his Facebook wall this morning, Said he: "We have recently been inundated with pictures of flooding all over Lekki in Lagos, there have also been stories of continuous rain for nearly a week. The pictures are distressing especially for the people who live in Lekki, Victoria Island, Aja etc. "However what has been missing seems to be any structured reports of the amount of rainfall that has caused this. How many millimeters of rainfall has caused this amount of havoc.

This kind of information is invaluable in proffering a solution to the problem. I hate to think that perhaps there is no such information available. Right there in Victoria Island is the National Institute of Oceanography and Marine Research. I shudder to think that even they don't have the data." That, my friends, is the tragedy of the Nigerian situation. Someone who works at the Agency that Uka referenced actually confirmed that the data doesn't exist! In his depressing words, the Federal Agency, like others, is there "just to receive allocation and salary!" ••• Listen, people, it is impossible to run a civilization on haunch and feelings! A poor country will remain a poor country UNTIL they begin to make RESEARCH and DATA-DRIVEN decisions! I'm terrified to imagine that no one is capturing data on these floods! I'm terrified that no agency is on TV showing us an impact map of the event! Because none exists. ••• Nature is so kind. The Vanguard Newspaper report of July 8 began with "As usual flood ravaged Lekki, Victoria Island … after many days of down pour…." Did you notice the "As usual?" Each year, the Lekki-VGC-VI corridor receives a yellow card. How many more yellow cards before the red, no one knows. I'm not a Murphy evangelist but from experience if a red might come, it will come. It's just a matter of when. About the lie. The preacher said, "I hope this is not the reason Ogbo moved out of the Lekki area." My lie: "Not really. Lekki and VGC are for the big boys! And I'm not a big boy yet." I actually ran away from the area but I didn't want to sound as if the people living there were not smart. We have the cream of Nigeria in that axis. For all I care, I might just have been a coward - what our people call fear-fear. •••Nevertheless, Lagos has zero natural disaster contingency plan as many families discovered over the weekend. No one came for you as you watched your beautiful sitting room turning into a fish pond. No one has even mentioned insurance in the narratives. Same thing in Port Harcourt. Aba Road is to Port Harcourt what testicles are to a man. Hold him 'there' and he throws up his hands in surrender. If a disaster sinks Aba Road 2 million residents will be trapped in a rabbit hole.

••• If the Lagos government would listen, there needs to be an urgent thorough interdisciplinary study of the State involving scientists, geologists, soil scientists, satellite remote sensing experts, GIS, oceanographers, marine biologists, anthropologists, computer scientists and so on. There are analytical and predictive tools to model the next 5, 10, 50, 100 year scenarios and plan intelligently. ••• At best, my people of Lekki, VGC, Ajah and VI, please stay as dry as you possibly can. That's what Facebook tells me whenever the rain is about to fall. May God bless and keep you safe!

via Blogger http://ift.tt/2v1zoT2

[ramialkarmi]

'This is death to the family': Japan's fertility crisis is creating economic and social woes never seen before

It's midnight in Tokyo and Takehiro Onuki has just left the office, 16 hours after his shift began.

Onuki, a 31-year-old salesman, is headed to the train station to catch the 12:24 a.m. train, the last one of the night, back to his home in Yokohama. The train will quickly fill up with other professional working men.

At about 1:30 a.m., after having made a pit stop at a convenience store to grab a sandwich, Onuki arrives home. When he opens the bedroom door, he accidentally wakes his wife, Yoshiko, who just recently fell asleep after working an 11-hour day. She chides him for making too much noise and he apologizes.

Then, with his food still digesting and his alarm set for 7 a.m., he creeps into bed, ready to do it all again tomorrow.

Over the past two decades, stories like the Onukis' have become commonplace in Japan. Young couples are fighting to make relationships work amid a traditional work culture that expects men to be breadwinners and women to be homemakers. It's a losing battle. Many newlyweds are forced to watch their free time disappear, surrendering everything from the occasional date night to starting a family.

The daily constraints have made for a worrisome trend. Japan has entered a vicious cycle of low fertility and low spending that has led to trillions in lost GDP and a population decline of 1 million people, all within just the past five years. If left unabated, experts forecast severe economic downturn and a breakdown in the fabric of social life.

Mary Brinton, a Harvard sociologist, tells Business Insider that the situation will get only worse until Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his cabinet get with the times. Of the ongoing crisis, she says, "This is death to the family."

The demographic time bomb in action

Economists have a name for countries that contract because of these swirling forces: "demographic time bombs." In these nations, falling spending shrinks the economy, which discourages families from having kids, which shrinks the economy further. Meanwhile, people are living longer than ever before.

"An aging population will mean higher costs for the government, a shortage of pension and social security-type funds, a shortage of people to care for the very aged, slow economic growth, and a shortage of young workers," Brinton says.

Demographic time bombs are hard to defuse because they form over years, sometimes decades. In Japan's case, the story begins in the immediate aftermath of World War II.

During the early 1950s, Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida made rebuilding Japan's economy his top priority. He enlisted major corporations to offer their employees lifelong job security, asking only that workers repay them with loyalty. The pact worked. Japan's economy is now the third largest in the world, and it's largely because of Yoshida's efforts 65 years ago.

But there was a clear downside to that economic growth. In the early 1950s, fertility rates hovered at a healthy 2.75 children per woman, UN data shows. By 1960, as businesses asked more and more of their employees, the fertility rate had fallen to 2.08. Japan had sunk to a critical threshold known as "replacement fertility," the bare minimum to avoid losing population.

"In those days, women's university enrollment rate exceeded 40%," Tokyo University economist Hiroshi Yoshida tells Business Insider. But as more women entered the workforce, fertility began to plummet. Today, more than 50 years later, Japan's fertility rate sits at 1.41, the population is falling, and brutally long work hours remain the norm.

The new world of work

In downtown Tokyo, 36-year-old Natsuko Fujimaki runs a daycare that teaches English to Japanese kids. As much as she adores the children, she says it's the people who pop in one or two Saturdays a month whom she really looks forward to seeing.

On these weekends, a group of about 15 working mothers convene in the colorful one-room building. Among construction-paper art and signs that say "READ!," they swap stories of their hurried schedules, sharing tips for navigating motherhood and careerism. Fujimaki has been hosting the seminars for the past year. She says it's the ultimate passion project.

Fujimaki, who happens to be Yoshiko Onuki's older sister and herself a mother of one, was raised by a working mom. Her father left when she was young. It's an experience that has stayed with Fujimaki all her life. Where plenty of other women were happy to become housewives, Fujimaki says her mother's balancing act convinced her never to compromise on her dreams.

She tries to instill a similar mindset in the women who attend her seminar. After a long day at work and evenings spent cooking dinner and doing laundry, many have little free time left. They become lonely. "Nobody helps these career-oriented working mothers," Fujimaki tells Business Insider. "I want to help them."

Fujimaki's business is just one of the consequences of Yoshida's early efforts to rebuild Japan's economy — which he did. But a major reason for that growth is that men and women bought into the idea that each sex had a specific role to play. The emerging labor force doesn't see it that way, says Frances Rosenbluth, a political scientist at Yale University.

Following feminism's slow build in Japan since the 1970s, today's workers strive for equality between the sexes, something Japan's pyramid-style corporate structure just isn't built for. That's because institutional knowledge is viewed as a big deal in Japan, Rosenbluth says. Veteran accountants can't expect to leave their current job and start a new one at the same pay grade, as managers are of the opinion that skills don't transfer. As a result, both male and female workers stick around, even if conditions are miserable.

On more than one occasion, Yoshiko has texted Natsuko complaining about how tired she is after spending 11 hours at her marketing job at Nissan.

"She's exhausted every day," Natsuko says. "She always texts me like, 'Oh so tired.'" Yoshiko admits the work is draining and hardly fulfilling. "I do not see any joy in my job right now," she tells Business Insider. Her husband echoes the sentiment, saying the routine of his job at a steel supply company has become "boring." They both say they want to look for new jobs, although neither could specify when that change might occur.

Yoshiko says she's considering a shake-up in a couple of years' time, when she's ready to have kids. But even here Rosenbluth says women often face a difficult dilemma. Exiting the labor force to raise kids can make it much harder to find work afterward. Social scientists call this the "mommy penalty."

"The mommy penalty is big in Japan," Rosenbluth tells Business Insider.

These opposing forces are something of a paradox, the unstoppable force of changing attitudes meeting the immovable object of traditional culture. "What do you do about the fact that firms' incentives don't align with the social desirability of changing this problem?" Rosenbluth says. "That's a hard one."

Japan first, the world second

The International Monetary Fund recently issued a warning to other Asian countries to be wary of Japan's trajectory of "getting old before becoming rich." And last year a UBS report showed changing attitudes toward work and gender roles could lead a number of industrialized nations, including the US, to face similar economic hardship.

But as Rosenbluth and Brinton agree, compared to other countries Japan's case is extreme, particularly as it pertains to aging. Adult diapers have outsold baby diapers in Japan for the last six years, and many jails are turning into de facto nursing homes, as Japanese elders account for 20% of all crime in the country. With no one else to care for them, many reoffend just to come back. Stealing a sandwich can mean two years of jail time, but it also means two years of free housing and meals.

Tokyo University's Yoshida says the most critical fact is death rates now fall well below birth rates. People just don't seem to be dying. The elderly now make up 27% of Japan's population. In the US, the rate is only 15%. Experts predict the ratio in Japan could rise to 40% by 2050. With that comes rising social-security costs, which the shrinking younger generations are expected to bear.

But as 42-year-old journalist Renge Jibu says, that means shifting priorities from the personal to the professional. And a lot of Japanese young people simply don't have an interest in committing even more of themselves to a job they hate.

"We need to think about what is happiness to us," says Jibu, a 2006 Fulbright scholar at the University of Michigan's Center for the Education of Women, "not think about happiness to company."

But Natsuko Fujimaki says the costs absorbed by younger people have led them to reassess their priorities between work, family, and social life anyway. She says the Japanese concept of "majime" helps explain why. People who are majime are a cross between perfectionists and goody two-shoes. They always play by the rules and try to do it as precisely as possible.

"Everyone is really majime to do their job," Fujimaki says. But after being so majime to buy food and pay their bills, many people feel they have time only for one other thing: climbing into bed at 2 a.m. with a bellyfull of hastily consumed food.

Small-scale solutions

Companies have taken a number of steps to make work-life balance less of a struggle.

Japanese ad agency Dentsu recently began forcing people to take at least five days off every six months. The policy followed a 24-year-old employee's suicide in 2015 and a string of work-related suicides in Japan. The phenomenon is known as "karoshi," or death by overwork. The company shuts the lights off every night at 10 as an incentive for people to head home.

At the Tokyo-based nursing-care business Saint-Works, employees wear purple capes that display the time they should leave the office. It's an effort to erase all doubt when the day is over. According to the South China Morning Post, people at Saint-Works are working half as many overtime hours since 2012, while profits continue to grow year over year.

But experts generally agree that equality must come from the government, not private industry. Fewer than 10% of managers in Japan are female, a disparity many say stems from a systemic bias against hiring women. Firms view female hires as bad investments, as pregnancy and maternity leave are viewed as a drain on company resources, Rosenbluth says. Neither she nor Brinton sees the government making strides in this area.

In the five years since his election, Prime Minister Abe has addressed Japan's fertility rate mainly as a matter of inconvenience, they say. His government has hosted speed-dating events to get people chitchatting and held fatherhood classes to help single guys seem themselves in a parenting role.

"It's great that [the government] is worried about it," Rosenbluth says. "But these things will not work."

Instead, she argues, the government has a responsibility to implement policies that favor women while also appealing to corporate interests. She imagines firms getting a tax break for hiring female managers over male candidates. But Brinton doesn't see that happening either.

"No matter what you say, what you hear out of Prime Minister Abe's mouth, it's not about gender equality," she says. "It's about productivity of the economy and addressing the fact that Japan is one of the most rapidly aging societies in the world and they're going to run out of labor unless women have more babies."

Humanoids instead of humans

To make up for an aging population and aversion toward immigrant work, Japan's tech sector has stepped up its efforts in robotics and artificial intelligence. In doing so, it has essentially turned a biological problem into an engineering one.

In 2014, Telecom giant SoftBank Robotics Corp. released the prototype for its Pepper robot, a friendly white humanoid with puppy-dog eyes and a chest-mounted tablet computer. The company envisioned Pepper welcoming guests at a dinner party, greeting business partners, or comforting hospital patients. Pepper comes equipped with emotion-recognition software that analyzes voice tones and facial expressions. It's all part of Japan's effort to replicate the things that humans can do, if only there were people to do them.

On a June weekend in 2015, SoftBank began selling 1,000 Pepper robots for consumer use, at a base price of $1,600 per robot. The supply sold out in one minute.

The solutions to a lack of human labor have been small scale too.

In 2015, Tokyo's Haneda Airport partnered with technology company Cyberdyne to outfit airport employees with sleek, waist-level devices that give elderly workers the strength of a strapping young person. The device picks up electrical impulses inside the body to help the muscles contract — say, to lift heavy bags or wrangle a rogue toddler. The exoskeletons can sync with floor robots capable of carting around up to 400 pounds of luggage, potentially eliminating the needs for humans.

All hope isn't lost

For all the statistical doom and gloom, many people are still optimistic that a happy, well-balanced life is possible.

A 2016 study conducted by a Japanese research firm found that even though nearly 70% of unmarried Japanese men and 60% of unmarried Japanese women weren't in relationships, most people still say they want to get married.

Renge Jibu, the journalist, said she was so inspired by American working moms when she studied at the University of Michigan that she felt confident enough to have two kids of her own. Fujimaki told a similar story of her own mother. And though Takehiro and Yoshiko Onuki don't yet have any kids, both agree they'll probably have at least one within the next five years. They hope their jobs will be more enjoyable and come with more flexible hours.

But in the meantime, they'll continue texting during the workday and catching up from Friday to Sunday.

"We have some distance on the weekdays," Yoshiko says. "But we can talk a lot on the weekends, so I think that's very good to keep us ... " She trailed off, searching for the word.

"Married?" her husband said.

"Yes!" she said, and both of them fell into laughter.

SEE ALSO: 10 countries that desperately want people to have more sex

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: This Japanese artist creates life-size animals from thin rolls of newspaper

[markettakers]

Market Outlook | March 5, 2016

“No man ever reached to excellence in any one art or profession without having passed through the slow and painful process of study and preparation.” (Horace 65 BC-8 BC)

Summary: Record high stock markets have exposed the weakness of Hedge Fund managers. Developments in China are as much of a concern as the Eurozone to global sentiment. Fragility in both markets is worth watching for as the trigger for the next panic. The art of speculation is losing its luster recently as the bull market gives the impression that buy and hold is “easy” and “fruitful”.  

Professional Mockery

Professional money managers appear confused, overly cautious and desperate to deal with the current financial climate. In a simplistic manner, low interest rates do drive up financial asset prices such as stocks, that’s quite evident. Yes, that’s clear from the Dow 20,000 chatter to the mainstream media buzzing about record highs. But this higher stock market move with low rates is hardly new. The sheer rally of key US indexes and massive underperformance by hedge funds has created a world that’s: a) Too skeptical about the value of professional money managers b) Finds it simple to just own stocks or a basket of stocks as a way to speculate.  These performance driven fundamental concerns are facing the money management industry more than Brexit, Trump and other macro events. Of course, the lack of volatility has made it even more difficult for short-term traders to generate appealing returns.

In the fall of last year, investors were doubting professionals’ ability to navigate this landscape: “Hedge funds have suffered their biggest withdrawals since the financial crisis, with investors pulling $23.3 billion in the first half of the 2016, according to data from Hedge Fund Research Inc” (Bloomberg, September 12, 2016).

The critical question remains, why did money managers fight the existing trend? Isn’t it simple (in hindsight of course) to own stocks as long as interest rates are low given stimulus efforts? Nothing is easy in the game of speculation. For some, the concept of taking directional risks appears like a losing effort, especially with lower volatility and increased machine trading.  For others, after 2008, the stock market wasn’t the novelty path towards wealth creation given the wealth destruction. Now, the hedge fund industry is under severe pressure to lower fees, and the value-add is being questioned because “professionals” have been stumped, badly. But like all things, cycles change and so do fortunes. Perhaps soon.

Through all this, the stock markets are roaring to record highs and the parabolic run is inviting many doubters as well as euphoric speculators. Unprecedented moves at times but a multi-year stock appreciation is looking dangerously invincible and long-time doubters look like overly cautious skeptics. The real economy and day-to-day lives of Americans are not too joyful nor thrilled with the status-quo. Yet, the stock market, with a narrative of its own, is so disconnected, it’s understandable that even the sharpest money managers are stunned by the current bull market.  Yet, investors relying on or outsourcing to hedge fund managers are losing faith given lackluster returns, so that’s also natural to expect.

Digesting Clues

Interestingly, on July 8 2016, Gold prices peaked at $1,366 and US 10-Year Yields bottomed at 1.31%.  A critical inverse relationship is taking hold. Last summer’s inflection points are vital now considering rate-hike chatter is accelerating and Gold prices are stalling. This Gold-Treasury yields relationship tells us that a rush to “safety” (driven by panic) leads to higher gold prices and lower yields. As Yellen & Co discuss interest rate hikes, the behavior of Gold and Treasury Yields will be telling and worth watching closely for new trends. Does the bond market really trust that the economy has improved? And are big picture global concerns going be expressed via buyers purchasing more Gold? Both serve as a metric to measure attitude and perception of risk. For now, the commodities and bond markets are not too optimistic or too anxious either – evenly keeled, both asset classes await the next catalyst.  

 Notable Catalyst

Now that China's banking system has overtaken the Eurozone, the investor community needs to beware of the leveraged Chinese economy.

“Chinese bank assets hit $33tn at the end of 2016, versus $31tn for the eurozone, $16tn for the US and $7tn for Japan.” (Financial Times, March 4, 2017)

What's stunning is the last panic that was felt in financial markets was in August 2015, sparked by worries of the Chinese market. That said, the Eurozone worries from Greece to Brexit have circulated day-to-day discussions. Yet, the overleveraged Chinese market is at the forefront of re-sparking turbulence. There has been much talk about slowing GDP growth projections and tensions brewing in the South China Sea.  Not to mention, the hostile Trump-China relationship regarding trade remains a wild card from political standpoint.

With China being a critical driver of global growth, if the sentiment towards China shifts, then a confidence scare can spark a worldwide market sell-off.  In the weeks and month ahead, financial absolvers will feel very compelled to follow and track details of Chinese market nuances.  If global growth slows down, while the China vs. US rift escalates, then sour sentiment towards globalization can spark all types of worries. Therefore, the health of China’s economy is a vital trigger point for non-financial events, as well.

 Article Quotes

Beyond trade and markets:

“China omitted a key defense spending figure from its budget for the first time in almost four decades -- before an official disclosed the number -- highlighting concerns about transparency in the world’s largest military. While authorities said defense expenditures would rise “about 7 percent” this year, the budget report published by the Ministry of Finance on Sunday omitted the figures. Later, a ministry information officer said China’s military budget would increase 7 percent this year to 1.044 trillion yuan ($151 billion). That’s the slowest pace since at least 1991…. The slowdown in Chinese spending growth comes as U.S. President Donald Trump vows to beef up U.S. defense spending by $84 billion over the next two years. That plan includes reductions in spending for the State Department and federal agencies that aren’t involved in security.” (Bloomberg March 5, 2017).

Eurozone Revival:

“Purchasing manager indices for the manufacturing sector in Central Europe recorded another strong result in February, according to data released on March 1. The data is just the latest set that suggests a strong start to the year for the Visegrad economies following a disappointing second half of 2016. The uplift in business conditions in the region shadows strong readings in confidence and activity in the Eurozone – and Germany in particular – which supplies the bulk of the Visegrad economies' export demand… The Eurozone saw a 0.2 point gain to 55.4 in February, the highest level of the index since April 2011. The German reading hit a 69-month peak at 56.8. Where German industry goes, Central Europe tends to follow. Industrial sectors in the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland are all led by their role in the supply chain of Europe’s largest economy and exporter.” (bne IntelliNews, March 1, 2017)

 Key Levels: (Prices as of Close: March 3, 2017)

S&P 500 Index [2,383.12] – Another record high. Since February 11, 2016 lows (1,810.10), the index is up 32.6%. A massive turnaround since last year’s worrisome period.

Crude (Spot) [$53.33] –   Sitting between $50-54, in a narrow trading range. While directionless for now, crude is seeking tangible guidance and catalysts.

Gold [$1,226.50] – Peaked recently at $1,257.20 following a mid-December recovery.

DXY – US Dollar Index [101.54] – For the last four months, the dollar index has stayed above 100, confirming the dollar strength theme. Interestingly, since the Trump victory, the index broke and stayed above 100. Now, whether or not this euphoric response has some legs will be tested.    

US 10 Year Treasury Yields [2.47%] –   Getting closer to 2.50%. An intriguing level, since in the past few years, 10-year yields failed to stay above 2.50%. In the last four years, surpassing 3% has been a severe challenge. The difference now seems to be as mysterious as the bond market remains skeptical.  

 Dear Readers:

The positions and strategies discussed on MarketTakers are offered for entertainment purposes only, and they are in no way intended to serve as personal investing advice. Readers should not make any investment decisions without first conducting their own, thorough due diligence. Readers should assume that the editor holds a position in any securities discussed, recommended or panned. While the information provided is obtained from sources believed to be reliable, its accuracy or completeness cannot be guaranteed, nor can this publication be, in any Publish Post, considered liable for the future investment performance of any securities or strategies discussed.

[sinrau]

People in their 20s, 30s and 40s account for a growing proportion of the cases in many places, raising fears that asymptomatic young people are helping to fuel the virus’s spread.

Swimmers at the beach on Thursday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The median age of Floridians testing positive for the coronavirus has dropped from 65 in March to 35 now, officials said. Credit…Saul Martinez for The New York Times

By Julie Bosman and Sarah Mervosh

Published June 25, 2020Updated June 27, 2020

CHICAGO — Younger people are making up a growing percentage of new coronavirus cases in cities and states where the virus is now surging, a trend that has alarmed public health officials and prompted renewed pleas for masks and social distancing.

In Arizona, where drive-up sites are overwhelmed by people seeking coronavirus tests, people ages 20 to 44 account for nearly half of all cases. In Florida, which breaks records for new cases nearly every day, the median age of residents testing positive for the virus has dropped to 35, down from 65 in March.

And in Texas, where the governor paused the reopening process on Thursday as hospitals grow increasingly crowded, young people now account for the majority of new cases in several urban centers. In Cameron County, which includes Brownsville and the tourist town of South Padre Island, people under 40 make up more than half of newly reported cases.

“What is clear is that the proportion of people who are younger appears to have dramatically changed,” said Joseph McCormick, a professor of epidemiology at UTHealth School of Public Health in Brownsville. “It’s really quite disturbing.”

The pattern is drawing notice from mayors, governors and public health officials, and comes as a worrisome sign for cities and institutions as they look to the fall. The rise in cases among younger people could complicate the plans of leaders who are eager to open schools and universities, resume athletic events and return to normal life and a fully functioning economy.

The increases could reflect a simple reality: Since many states have reopened bars, restaurants and offices, the coronavirus has been allowed to spread more widely across communities, including to more young people. But people in their 20s and 30s are also more likely to go out socializing, experts say, raising concerns that asymptomatic young people are helping to spread the virus to more vulnerable Americans at a time when cases are surging dangerously in the South and the West.

Dr. Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said on Thursday that younger people have helped fuel the increase in known coronavirus infections — and that in the past, many of those infections went undiagnosed.

“Our best estimate right now is that for every case that was reported, there actually were 10 other infections,” he said.

No single answer fully accounts for the surge of cases among young people, who are less likely to be hospitalized or die from the coronavirus than older people.

“Is it the governor’s reopening? Is it Memorial Day? Is it the George Floyd demonstrations? Is it going to the beach?” said Eric Boerwinkle, dean of the UTHealth School of Public Health in Houston. “We don’t really know, but it is probably all of those things that are contributing.”

The United States recorded 36,975 new cases on Wednesday, a new high point in daily cases as the country confronted a new stage of the crisis two months after the previous high in late April. The resurgence is most immediately threatening states that reopened relatively early in the South and the West. Alabama, Florida, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas all reported their highest single-day totals this week, as did Montana and Utah, and cases were rising in 29 states on Thursday.

Adriana Carter, 21, is among the newly infected.

For many weeks this spring, she said, she took steps to limit her exposure, eating many of her meals at her apartment in San Marcos, Texas, and wearing a mask when going in and out of stores. At the one Black Lives Matter protest she attended, most people were in masks.

But after a particularly long week of juggling online summer classes and her job at an eye clinic, Ms. Carter took a risk one Saturday night in early June and met a friend at the Square, a popular bar district downtown. Though they were careful to avoid the most crowded spots, they chose not to wear masks as they sipped drinks inside and endured the hot Texas weather.

Days later, her friend woke up feeling ill. Both tested positive for the virus.

“We were told we could go out to bars,” she said, adding that she had been careful to quarantine since she learned that she had been exposed. “It’s very unusual for anyone in their 20s to stay at home all the time — not giving any excuses or anything, but I just think we are all just trying to do the best we can.”

The new cases among young people may appear to be a departure from the early days of the pandemic when infections in nursing homes were spiraling out of control, and the virus appeared at higher rates among older people in New York City.

Experts cautioned that the seemingly new prevalence among young people may be, in part, a reflection of more widely available testing. But the growing numbers of people hospitalized in states like North Carolina and Texas also suggest increased transmission of the virus.

Even now, people younger than 50 are being hospitalized at a far lower rate than people older than that, according to C.D.C. data.

While the effect of the coronavirus on younger people “may not be highly associated with hospitalization and death,” Dr. Redfield said, “they do act as a transmission connector for individuals that could in fact be at a higher risk.”

In Florida, which has emerged as a particularly concerning hot spot, reopened bars have been a source of contagion among young people. The state shut down the Knight’s Pub, a popular bar near the University of Central Florida in Orlando, after 28 patrons and 13 employees were infected.

In Miami-Dade County, the number of known coronavirus cases among 18- to 34-year-olds increased fivefold in a month, to more than 1,000, Mayor Carlos Gimenez said this week.

“They’re thinking they’re invincible,” he said, adding that many of the infected have no symptoms.

They are at higher risk, though, if they are overweight or have diabetes or other medical conditions, he said. About a third of the coronavirus patients at the public Jackson Health System were from that age group, and about half had a high body mass index, Mr. Gimenez said.

Gov. Ron DeSantis described “a real explosion in new cases” among younger people. “Part of that is just natural,” he said. “You kind of go and you want to be doing things. You want to be out and about. The folks who are older and would be more vulnerable are being a bit more careful.”

In fact, some experts believe that a decision by older people to stay home and exercise caution to avoid the virus may, in part, help explain why young people appear to be an increasing portion of new cases.

People waited in their cars at a drive-through coronavirus testing site at United Memorial Medical Center in Houston on Thursday.Credit…Callaghan O’Hare for The New York Times

In Dallas County, people between the ages of 18 and 40 have made up 52 percent of newly reported cases since the beginning of June, a jump from the 38 percent that young people represented in March, according to county data.

At the same time, older people have begun to represent a smaller portion of the total number of people who test positive for the virus. In June, people over 65 have made up 8 percent of new confirmed cases in Dallas County, down from 16 percent in March.

The situation is particularly unsettling in Hays County, home to Texas State University in San Marcos. Coronavirus cases have surged since the beginning of June, to 2,100 this week, from 371 at the start of the month. People in their 20s now make up more than half of all known cases, officials said.

In Arizona, rising infections have set many people on edge, including some residents in their 20s and 30s.

In the Arcadia neighborhood of Phoenix, Ian Bartczak, who is 31, said he did not feel comfortable dining out at restaurants and was dismayed to see crowds of young people squeezing onto patios and bars on a commercial strip near his home.

“It goes back to, what is a want and what is a need?” said Mr. Bartczak, who works for an education technology company. “Did you have to go to a big swimming party or El Hefe nightclub with your friends?”

His point of view has created awkwardness with some friends, he said. He has turned down invitations to go out for sushi, and been puzzled by friends who chose to visit casinos.

“It’s affected some of my relationships because I won’t see them or get kind of angry,” he said. “How are you not willing to help the old lady behind you who could have a poor immune system? Or help lower our cases so we can increase our economy?”

In Phoenix, Michael Donoghue, an investment analyst who is 33, said he felt comfortable going out — carefully — since he is single and healthy, lives alone and takes care to avoid close contact with people who might be at risk, like his 91-year-old grandmother.

Only once since restrictions were lifted in that state has he felt uncomfortable while out, he said. A bar he visited with friends in Scottsdale was crowded.

“It just felt like, should we be doing this right now?” he said.

The resurgence of the virus has echoes of its earliest days in the United States, as places like California and Washington State, which saw some of the country’s first outbreaks, were seeing new upticks.

In King County, Wash., which includes Seattle, people in their 20s and 30s make up about 45 percent of new coronavirus cases — a number that was 25 percent in March, according to Dr. Judith A. Malmgren, an epidemiologist in Seattle.

She believes the real percentage is even larger than what is being measured because younger people are less likely to be symptomatic. That said, she warned that the risk of infecting other people was serious.

“Just because you’re in an age group that is less likely to die from coronavirus,” she said, “does not mean that you live alone.”

Julie Bosman reported from Chicago, and Sarah Mervosh from Pittsburgh. Patricia Mazzei contributed reporting from Miami, and Mitch Smith from Chicago.