Proof of City’s Wholesomeness: New Yorkers Live Longer

New Yorkers continue to live longer than Americans as a whole by an increasingly wide margin, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said Tuesday.

A New Yorker’s life expectancy at birth in 2010 was 80.9 years, 2.2 years longer than the national life expectancy in 2010 of 78.7 years, according to new data released by Mr. Bloomberg and the city health department. That is up from a 2.0-year lead the year before.

And across the board, the city’s blacks, whites, Hispanics, men and women, young and old continue to see their life spans increase, the data show. A black New Yorker’s life expectancy at birth has increased by nearly four years since 2001.

While Mr. Bloomberg has been accused of enacting nanny-like public health measures, he trumpeted his antismoking policies for helping to widen the life expectancy gap between the city, which has annually had record life-expectancy highs, and the United States. He also credited the city’s aggressive H.I.V. prevention measures, drops in traffic fatalities and violent crime, and a decline in the infant mortality rate.

“All New Yorkers should feel that we’ve done something wonderful together,” Mr. Bloomberg said at a news conference at the health department’s headquarters in Queens. “I didn’t do this. Everybody did it. Some people complained. There’s always some people who don’t like things. But together, the city supported these initiatives.”

Mr. Bloomberg said he believed that people who complain don’t live as long anyway. He and Dr. Thomas A. Farley, the health commissioner, encouraged people to move to New York if they wanted to live longer.

Other notable findings in the report:

–New Yorkers’ life-expectancy lead over the nation as a whole grew from 1 year in 2001 (77.9 years vs. 76.9 years) to 2 years in 2009 (80.6 years vs. 78.6 years) to 2.2 years in 2010.

–Hispanics in New York continue to have higher life expectancies than non-Hispanic blacks and whites, but their lead is narrowing. In 2001, Hispanic life expectancy at birth was 79.7 years, vs. 78.5 years for whites and 73.4 years for blacks. In 2010, the figures were 81.9 years for Hispanics, 81.4 for whites and 77.2 for blacks.

–Female New Yorkers are expected to live 83.3 years, compared to 81 years for female Americans as a whole. For males, it’s 78.1 years in New York vs. 76.2 years nationally.

–New York City’s infant mortality rate has decreased 23 percent since 2001. The national rate dropped 12 percent in that time.

–At age 40, New Yorkers can expect to live 42.3 more years.

–At age 70, New Yorkers can expect to live 17 more years, compared to 15.5 years for the country as a whole.

–The city’s H.I.V. infection rate is down 11.3 percent from 2009, and the city’s death rate from heart disease has decreased 27.1 percent from 2001.

Life expectancy figures are calculated using formulas based on current mortality rates and death probability estimates.

Life Extension's Dr. Mike Smith appears on The SUZANNE Show this week on Lifetime Television

Dr. Mike Smith from Life Extension, a Fort Lauderdale, Fla-based organization dedicated to the extension of the healthy human lifespan, returns to The SUZANNE Show this week to discuss memory loss and aging.  His appearance, which is one in a series devoted to nutrition and longevity, airs Wednesday, December 12, at 7 a.m. (ET/PT) on Lifetime Television.

Memory loss occurs naturally as we age and can begin to take its toll on individuals as young as 30 years old.  Early symptoms like misplacing the keys or missing appointments can become much more serious as time goes by.  For some, what begins as general "forgetfulness" can eventually even lead to severe neurological disorders.

"Brain cells work by making connections with other nerve cells," say Dr. Smith.  "As we age these connections deteriorate and the cells can't communicate well anymore.  The mild result is my 'keys in the freezer' and the extreme result is dementia and Alzheimer's disease."

Thankfully, cell connections can be rejuvenated and new ones created.  This astonishing cerebral attribute is a phenomenon that scientists call "neuroplasticity" – the brain's ability to form new neural connections throughout life.  But just as physical exercise is needed to improve our muscular strength, intellectual stimulation is required to maximize brain function.

According to Dr. Smith, exercising the mind is as easy as playing a game of chess or completing a cross-word puzzle.  Nutritional supplements like vitamin B12, Omega-3 DHA, and the newest "brain food" magnesium threonate can also significantly improve brain function and memory. 

McAfee wants to return to US, 'normal life'

Software company founder John McAfee said Sunday he wants to return to the United States and "settle down to whatever normal life" he can.

In a live-stream Internet broadcast from the Guatemalan detention center where he is fighting a government order that he be returned to Belize, the 67-year-old said "I simply would like to live comfortably day by day, fish, swim, enjoy my declining years."

Police in neighboring Belize want to question McAfee in the fatal shooting of a U.S. expatriate who lived near his home on a Belizean island in November.

The creator of the McAfee antivirus program again denied involvement in the killing during the Sunday Internet video hook-up, during which he answered what he said were reporters' questions.

His comments were sometimes contradictory. McAfee is an acknowledged practical joker who has dabbled in yoga, ultra-light aircraft and the production of herbal medications.

The British-born McAfee first said that returning to the United States "is my only hope now." But he later added, "I would be happy to go to England, I have dual citizenship."

He was emphatic that "I cannot ever return to Belize .... there is no hope for my life if I am ever returned to Belize."

"If I am returned," he said, "bad things will clearly happen to me."

He descibed the health problems that had him briefly hospitalized earlier this week after Guatemalan authorities detained him for entering the country illegally. He apparently snuck in across a rural, unguarded spot along the border.

"I did not eat for two days, I drank very little liquids, and for the first time in many years I've been smoking almost non-stop," he said. "I stood up, passed out hit my head on the wall, came to," though he now said he was feeling better.

McAfee praised the role his 20-year-old Belizean girlfriend, Samantha Vanegas, played in his escape from Belize, where he claims he is being persecuted by corrupt politicians. Authorities in Belize deny that they are persecuting him and have questioned his mental state.

"Sam saved the day many times" during their escape, he said, and suggested he would take her with him to the United States if he is allowed to go there.

He confirmed that journalists from Vice magazine who accompanied him on his escape after weeks of hiding in Belize had unwittingly posted photos with embedded data that revealed his exact location.

"It was an error anyone could make," he said, noting they were under a lot of pressure at the time.
McAfee has led an eccentric life since he sold his stake in the anti-virus software company named after him in the early 1990s and moved to Belize about three years ago to lower his taxes.

He told The New York Times in 2009 that he had lost all but $4 million of his $100 million fortune in the U.S. financial crisis. However, a story on the Gizmodo website quoted him as describing that claim as "not very accurate at all."

McAfee's Guatemalan attorney, Telesforo Guerra, says that he has filed three separate legal appeals in the hope that his client can stay in Guatemala, where his political asylum request was rejected.

Guerra said he filed an appeal for a judge to make sure McAfee's physical integrity is protected, an appeal against the asylum denial and a petition with immigration officials to allow his client to stay in this Central American country indefinitely.

The appeals could take several days to resolve, Guerra said. He added that he could still use several other legal resources but wouldn't give any other details.

Fredy Viana, a spokesman for the Immigration Department, said that before the agency looks into the request to allow McAfee to stay in Guatemala, a judge must first deal with the appeal asking that authorities make sure McAfee's physical integrity is protected.

"We won't look into (allowing him to stay) until the other appeal is resolved," Viana said. "The law gives me 30 days to resolve the issue."

McAfee went on the run last month after Belizean officials tried to question him about the killing of Gregory Viant Faull, who was shot to death in early November.

McAfee acknowledges that his dogs were bothersome and that Faull had complained about them, but denies killing Faull. Faull's home was a couple of houses down from McAfee's compound in Ambergris Caye, off Belize's Caribbean coast.

Life Technologies Stays Neutral

We have reaffirmed our Neutral recommendation on Life Technologies (LIFE) with a target price of $52.00.

The company’s third quarter adjusted earnings of 92 cents per share surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 89 cents but missed the year-ago quarter’s 94 cents. Revenues increased 1.4% at CER to $911 million, ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $908 million.

We are encouraged by Life Technologies’ adoption of several initiatives to develop its diagnostics franchise. The company recently entered into a Master Development Agreement with Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY) for companion diagnostic projects, to work together in oncology and other therapeutic areas. The collaboration with Bristol-Myers is in line with the company’s strategy to build partnerships with pharmaceutical majors for companion diagnostic development including participation in early-phase clinical trials.

We are also impressed with the company entering into a license and supply agreement with Singapore based VelaDx in October 2012. The latter will develop next generation sequencing-based, in vitro diagnostic tests that will run on Life Technologies’ Ion Personal Genome Machine platform. Further, we are optimistic about the company’s companion diagnostic partnership with GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK) MAGE-A3 cancer immunotherapy. Life Technologies also strengthened its diagnostics franchise with three recent tuck-in acquisitions – Compendia Bioscience, Navigenics and Pinpoint Genomics.

Meanwhile, as a result of Life Technologies’ increasing focus on emerging markets, this region now accounts for approximately 10% of total sales. The company has been experiencing growth in its emerging markets as well as Asia-Pacific, where it is currently expanding its operations.

After recording a temporary slowdown in its Greater China business about a year ago, the company augmented its dealer model and supplemented it with its own sales force. These efforts have successfully restored operations in Greater China to normal levels with high-teens growth. During the reported quarter, Life Technologies completed the acquisition of Genewindows, a distributor covering the Invitrogen brand reagent portfolio in south and west China. Besides, Life Technologies expanded its footprint further with the completion of its facility in Beijing where it will manufacture advanced DNA testing solutions in a cost effective way.

Life Technologies’ Genetic Analysis segment sales received a strong boost from the Ion Torrent franchise. The company is satisfied with the progress Ion Torrent technologies has made so far and expects the growth momentum to continue. This growth has been supported further by the recent launch of Ion Proton system in September with the company continuing to take additional orders.

However, economic uncertainties which lowered discretionary spending and unfavorable currency were the major headwinds for Life Technologies during the reported quarter. The company tightened its 2012 earnings outlook and expects organic revenue growth at 2%.Our recommendation is backed by Zacks #2 Rank (Buy) in the short term.

How Life Coaches Become Very Wealthy (Part 3 of 3-part Series)

Part 3 of a 3-part Series on How to Create a Strategic Framework for a Multi-Million Dollar Practice…

Leveraging Your Practice to Become Extraordinarily Rich

Life coaches are in high demand. At the same time, the field is becoming increasingly competitive. In order to establish and grow a very profitable practice, you need to employ a number of strategies. We’ve already considered becoming a thought leader and building a high-end clientele. Capitalizing on these two strategies, you can expand your reach and generate additional revenues.

The vast majority of life coaching practices is based on the talents, training and skills of one or a handful of life coaches. While it’s very possible to generate significant revenues with this business model, it usually requires working with the very affluent and billing them well. Even in this situation it’s not easy to generate significant personal wealth.

There are a variety of non-exclusive ways to leverage a life coaching practice. Here we’ll briefly address three of them:

 Licensing your expertise. In one manner or another, you “license” your life coaching approach and/or content to other life coaches. You receive a per-set fee and/or a percentage of their revenues. This is, in effect, an override model. The more licensing agreements you have and the larger they are, the more you earn.

Extensive productization. Taking your life coaching expertise and transforming it into a broad array of products is a highly effective way to dramatically boost your income. Workshops and even larger events are often very powerful ways of generating income and garnering new clients. Webinars, podcasts, DVD sets and books all prove very useful in enhancing incomes while bringing in new life coaching clients.
Venture life coaching. In exchange for fees, you can take a piece of business ventures. By working with business owners, you receive equity in the business. The financial viability of the business and its prospects are major factors in your ability to monetize these equity positions.

Brand extensions. Having meaningfully established yourself, you’re able to branch off into other – usually related – business endeavors. The ability to move beyond your core capabilities is a function of the strength of your following and the ability to logically and emotionally connect the new ventures with your life coaching practice.

With all these approaches to leveraging a life coaching practice, thought leadership has a very potent if not critical role as seen in the table. Simply put, being a thought leader is instrumental and often essential to leveraging your practice, which is regularly the way you can become very wealthy.

For some life coaches, becoming very wealthy is indeed an objective. For others, it’s not. What we’ve discussed in these three columns can translate into significantly greater personal wealth, even a sizable personal fortune. However, as we previously noted, to most effectively create a life coaching practice that can produce such a financial payoff requires some variation or two or three of the three interconnected methods – becoming a thought leader, building a high-end clientele and leveraging your practice. But, that’s rarely enough.

A life coach who desires to accumulate serious personal wealth must also apply – to varying degrees – Millionaire Intelligence (the mindset and core behaviors of the self-made rich and self-made super-rich). Often, only by systematically and strategically adopting Millionaire Intelligence will your efforts translate into real wealth.

Life Wireless Issues PSAs to Educate Public on Lifeline Program

Life Wireless, a cellular provider offering free phone service to income-eligible customers through the federal Lifeline program, is running public service announcements starting Dec. 3 that provide an overview of the Lifeline program, including its rules and regulations.

The 30-second spots explain that:
Lifeline is a government benefit providing discounts on monthly telephone service for eligible low-income consumers.

Eligible customers may receive a discount on either a landline or a wireless service, but not both, with a limit of one benefit per household.

Consumers violating the one-per-household rule may be subject to criminal and/or civil penalties.
The PSAs will run for two months in 10 markets, including four new locations – Duluth, Minn., Charleston, W.V., Providence, R.I., and New Orleans. Life Wireless will continue to issue PSAs in Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Little Rock, Ark., Minneapolis and St. Louis. Life Wireless has aired more than 2,700 PSAs this year throughout its service area.

Individuals participating in the program use their Lifeline telephones to hunt for jobs, summon emergency services, access medical care and stay in touch with friends and family.

"Educating the public about Lifeline's rules and regulation helps preserve the integrity of the Lifeline program," said Jim Carpenter, a senior vice president at Life Wireless. "Life Wireless is committed to educating the public about the Lifeline program and helping those most in need receive access to telephone service and all the opportunities and security that it affords."

Youth Life Learning Centers guide, nurture at-risk students

Milton Reece was in the office at Carter-Lawrence Elementary eight years ago because his 5-year-old son’s behavior was becoming a problem.

There, Reece found out about the Youth Life Learning Centers, and out of desperation the working single father put his son in the after-school program.

Today, his son, Princeton Reece, is a model citizen and academically solid enough to attend Rose Park Middle Magnet School, which his dad credits to Youth Life Learning Centers.

“For those three hours I didn’t have to worry about him,’’ Milton Reece said. “They turned him around and his attitude changed. He could have easily swayed in the other direction without that guidance.’’

The Youth Life Foundation of Tennessee operates five Nashville learning centers strategically placed in low-income inner-city neighborhoods. The program helps about 250 at-risk youngsters in grades K-12. There also is a center in Memphis.

The vast majority of students who go to a Youth Life Learning Center are struggling academically.

“We provide a safe place, academic support and moral development,’’ said Yolanda Shields, Youth Life Learning Centers’ chief executive officer.

There are 12 paid teachers with college degrees at the Nashville Youth Life Learning Centers.

Two centers are in the Edgehill neighborhood, and the others are in the east, west and northeast parts of Nashville. All are designed to be in walking distance for students.

“They help with homework and take us on field trips,’’ said fourth-grader Kenyarra Craig, a student at the Hillside Center in Nashville’s Edgehill neighborhood.

A week ends with “Fun Fridays,’’ an incentive-based program in which students earn points by completing homework assignments, classroom tasks and journal writing and demonstrating good behavior.

Spiritual development is part of the curriculum and issues like anti-bullying and friendship are addressed to encourage the children to look out for each other, Shields said.

“It makes a difference, not only in academics, but in their behavior, and classroom teachers have told me that,’’ Hillside Center teacher Loretta Sartin said.

Youth Life Learning Centers also host workshops for parents, helping them with life skills like parenting and budgeting.

Enrollment is free, but parents are required to do 20 hours a year of approved volunteer work. Usually volunteer work is at their child’s center, but it can be done other ways such as at the child’s daytime school.

Parents get volunteer vouchers, which allow them to them to pick out donated gifts at the Youth Life Learning Centers’ Christmas Store, open Nov. 28-Dec. 15.

Donations can be given through the organization’s website. One-time donations are accepted, and Youth Life Learning Centers will launch a recurring gift initiative at $10 per month in the coming weeks.