Don't Put Off To Tomorrow.............

 The importance of living every day to the max is reinforced by the almost daily events that I see around me.  Many of us are procrastinators.  We think about an old friend and want to call her, but before you know it, you hear she has died and you never made the phone call.  You may talk about a special trip you have been wanting to take for years, and have put off for one reason or another.  Then something happens to you, and you never get to make the trip.

Two examples.  My friend was walking her dog recently right in front of her house.  She stopped to say hello to her neighbors, who were in their garage.  Here's what happened next.  The husband was closing up the garage, not realizing that the wife decided to run out of the garage to get something.  The garage landed on the woman, knocked her down.  Paramedics were called.  She was taken to the hospital with a broken hip and lascerations.  

Another example occurred in another seemingly harmless situation.  My friend was coming out of the hairdresser's after having her hair done, stepped off the curb, fell and broke her femur.  She has been in rehab for two weeks now, and may never be the same.  The trip she had planned for late summer will have to be cancelled.  

When you get to be a certain age (actually any age!), things can happen anywhere, anytime, that can change your life forever.  Do the nice things you have thought about doing NOW.  Don't wait.  Bring your neighbor dinner, just because, or call your daughter and tell her you love her, just because.  You'll feel good, they'll feel good, and let's face it, you may not get another opportunity.

That reminds me, I've been putting off making a phone call for over a month now.  I'm going to go make it right away!!

Has Your City Been Flocked?

 If you're interested in protecting your privacy and the privacy of others, this will be of interest to you.  It's called Flocking.  It refers to the Flock Safety Surveillance System that has been installed across the U.S.  Over 100,000 cameras have been installed.  These are not just the cameras that have been around forever that are basically license plate readers.  The original cameras were installed for traffic safety.  The Flock cameras do not have contracts with ICE but they can share information.  These cameras will be the next tool used in locating immigrants for deportation, in addition to invading all citizens privacy.

Many cities that have contracts with Flock have received such backlash that they are cancelling the contracts.  The information collected by Flock can be shared with police or ICE.  HOA groups can also partner with Flock.  We have cameras here in OHCC.  I wonder if they're just license plate readers or if our HOA has contract with Flock.  I hope it's the former.

This is a huge problem that most of us have just learned about, but cities and colleges in particular, are pushing back hard.  I checked, and San Diego and Oceanside do not have Flock contracts.  Let's keep it that way.

Regardless of where you live, it is likely you have been flocked.  The information gathered by the camera (license plate, stickers on your car from political and social, decals for entry to your community, etc) is interpreted by AI and they can find out everything about.  This can be shared with police, government and ICE.  I just wanted to make you aware that this is going on.

Update.  I just did a little more research and found out that the City of Oceanside Police Department does have a contract with Flock Safety and has expanded it's network of automated license plate reader cameras using federal grant funding approved in 2025.

Chronological Age Versus Biological Age

 There is so much new research on longevity and the speed of aging, so I thought it was important that you know some of what's being done in the field, and what still needs to be done.

Chronological age is the number of years you have been alive, whereas biological age measures how well your cells and tissues are functioning based on your lifestyle, genetics and environment.  Aging is inevitable, but your biological age can actively slow, stop or even be reversed.  Studies have shown that people born in the same year can have biological ages that differ by 15 or 20 years.  Scientists can measure chemical modifications on your DNA, use blood biomarker panels to test inflammation, blood sugar and cholesterol, and measure telomere length, which can indicate accelerated cellular aging.  Of course physical tests like grip and stress tests are also used to assess your well being.

Tests are now available to determine your rate of aging.  For example, TruAge reveals how old your body is at the cellular level, your speed of aging each year and the age of your 11 key organ systems.  Wouldn't this be good information to know?  For a price, you can get these tests.  From what I've read, tests to assess your biological age can cost from several hundred dollars to several thousand.  

Other tests in the field include Tru Diagnostic, Glycan Age, and Epi Age.  None of these are covered by Medicare at this time.

Scientists say that the earlier you discover your biological age and your rate of aging, the more that can be done to slow down the process.  Diet (an anti-inflammatory diet), exercise, sleep, stress (reducing stress) are as always, the most important factors.

Full MRI body scans are also now available.  They  may indicate more than you want to know, like hidden tumors or cancer yet undetected. 

We may think that it's too late to make changes.  What difference will it make?  Think again.  We know how much even small changes in lifestyle can make a difference.  One simple example:  if you're not exercising, just a 20 minute walk per day can improve blood pressure, circulation and mental well being.  As scientist discover more about this important issue, I will bring it to you, 

Supercentenarian Lela Babb Burden

 Lela Babb Burden was born in 1903, and died at age 112 in 2015.  She is a validated supercentenarian (someone who lives past 110), and there aren't many of them around.  She lived a rather unremarkable life, but the fact that she lived through so many historical eras is amazing.  From the influenza pandemic of 1918, which ended her schooling at age 15, to the high tech era of the 21st century, she experienced so much.

She was born in rural Virginia, and raised in Norfolk by relatives.  After the pandemic of 1918, she went to work rather than return to school.  She cleaned homes and restaurants to help support herself.  She married a railroad worker, had children, and stayed active and independent until well past 100.  In her 90's she traveled and enjoyed social activities.  It was a fall in her late 90's that put her in a care facility in Norfolk.  

Most professionals talk about social activity as being an important factor in longevity, but this was not Lela.  She was independent, reflective and content with her memories of life experiences.  She once said she didn't need company because she had "enough memories" to keep her occupied.  

Researchers who study supercentenarians have found genetics play a big role, they avoid or delay major diseases, live a simple, moderate lifestyle, have a low stress mindset, and social connections.

Lela followed many of these lifestyle behaviors, but not all.  A little luck also plays a role in longevity, and Lela certainly had that.