Live Long And Prosper

Life expectancy in the United States lengthens to a new record:

White women continue to have the longest life expectancy, followed by African-American women, white men, and African-American men. Those patterns have held since 1976, though all groups have seen their life expectancy improve during that time.

Here are the 2006 life expectancy figures for each of those groups:

• White women: 81 years
• African-American women: 76.9 years
• White men: 76 years
• African-American men: 70 years

Here is the CDC press release and a link to the 52 page report.

In April we had linked to a study showing that women's life expectancy had declined in some US counties; that study had 1999 as an end-date, so one wonders how it would be updated.

Comments

[Danube of Thought]

Whatever happened to "women and minorities hit hardest?"

The damn distaff side is just hanging around waiting for us to keel over so they can spend our money. Don't deny it, girls, I can see right through you.

[GMax]

I wonder what the life expectancy is after you remove the stupid years ( up to about 21 or so ) from the equation. Driving a car or a motorcyle way too fast, jumping off a bank into unknown water etc etc etc.

I would guess its gets a lot better for men if you get beyond this time without offing yourself.

[Jane]

Johnson just stepped down

[Bill in AZ]

is he under the bus?

[Paul Zrimsek]

Is he still the Jim Johnson that Obama knew?

[Snoop-Diggity-DANG-Dawg]

Good thing America only has white and black people in it. More choices would be so confusing.

[PeterUK]

Barack Hussein Obama will end this inequality,everyone will die at the same age.

[Crunchy Frog]

GMax: as long as funding for breast cancer research continues to trump prostate cancer by at least an order of magnitude, I don't see the gap closing any time soon.

[GnuCarSmell]

If you remove black-on-black homicide from the equation, the life expectancy for African-American men jumps to 102 years, give or take.

[clarice]

DOT, I have a friends who's a shrink..she says she can't imagine herself divorced but there are many times in her marriage where when her husband was away on business she imagined how nice she'd look in black. Just saying...

[clarice]

**a friend***Oops//

[Patrick R. Sullivan]

Save the Males!

[JM Hanes]

DoT:

"The damn distaff side is just hanging around waiting for us to keel over so they can spend our money on a younger guy."

Fixed it for ya.

[Jane]

From the McCain camp:

“Jim Johnson’s resignation raises serious questions about Barack Obama’s judgment. Selecting the vice presidential nominee is the most important decision a presidential candidate can make and one even Barack Obama has said will ’signal how I want to operate my presidency.’ By entrusting this process to a man who has now been forced to step down because of questionable loans, the American people have reason to question the judgment of a candidate who has shown he will only make the right call when under pressure from the news media. America can’t afford a president who flip-flops on key questions in the course of 24 hours. That’s not change we can believe in.”

Via Hot Air -

It made me think of Tom Eagleton in '72.

[clarice]

McCain's hitting on this one and not the passel of things many of us think he should. Why? Because he's following the strategy I outlined yesterday--keep painting the Obamessiah as just another politician--albeit one with no real experience or ideas.

[Lesley]

DOT, speaking as a widow, I've had eleven+ years of living off my deceased husband's hard-earned capital. Given the choice, I'd much rather have him around, looking at the American Express Bill, grousing, "Why the hell did you spend $600 on a G*DDAMN HAT?" than not.

Ladies, widowhood ain't the fantasy its cracked up to be. You become a pariah in your old social group - you will be dropped like a hot potato, you live almost entirely in the company of other widows, your only option is to travel with other widows and, in this goofy day and age, everyone "assumes" you are a bunch of Lesbians, the dating world is pathetic (beyond your worst nightmares), you are now exposed to the dog-eat-dog world of other widows stampeding over one another to get the first casserole to the most recent widower in town (spoken merely as an observer of the phemomemon), you hunger for the conversation of men but married women look at you funny, assuming you are after their husbands, you get odder by the minute in your solitude. Above and beyond all this, now you are responsible for all the portfolio decisions (even with the help of lawyers and trust officers), the bills, and have no one you really trust to share in those decisions. Equally horrid, you are parenting alone, regardless of the age of your children.

Welcome to my world. And lest you think mine is an isolated experience, talk to your widow friends. They'll set you straight in a heartbeat.

Oh, and give that crabby old husband of yours and extra kiss tonight.

[michaelt]

Not only is he just another politician, he's just another Chicago politician.

[clarice]

I know you're right, Lesley and I'm sorry. I always make a special effort to include recently widowed/divorced women in our social events, but I know I'm not following the usual protocal and though ,like everyone else ,I sometimes feel I'm carrying the lion's share of the household operation burden, in my heart I know I am not.

[bad]

Lesley

Can I put you on the list of prospects for my husband to date when the time comes? He is an absolute sweetheart: funny, brilliant, sweet, great father, devoted family man.

[JM Hanes]

Jane:

I sure wish they'd managed to bang the hypocrisy drum as well hitting on the judgment call. Signing Johnson up after having excoriated Mark Penn for Countrywide connections isn't the kind of change we should believe in either:

The fact that [Obama's] staff made similar tactical attacks on Clinton, on very similar issues (actually, nobody on in Clinton's orbit was ever accused of getting a special deal from Countrywide) makes it harder for Obama to take cover on the high road here.

UPDATE: For instance, David Plouffe in March critized Clinton for taking contributions from Countrywide lobbyists.

'If we're really going to crack down on the practices that caused the credit and housing crises, we're going to need a leader who doesn't owe these industries any favors," he said.

Seen in the light cast by Obama's very own campaign, the fact that Johnson was working for free was also actually a bug not a feature. It doesn't get much clearer than that when it comes to who owes whom a favor.

It does seems like the MSM is beginning to take notice, though, if only because the pattern has just become to obvious to ignore. That may be the most important aspect of all these gaffes, really. The general public isn't going to be paying the slightest attention to anything other than an official debate between now and August/September. That's when the tone of the coverage will really make a critical difference, and I'm slightly more optimistic about the possibility that the MSM will have recovered from their collective vapors by then.

[kim]

Let's have another "I've already answered seven questions" moment.
=====================================

[bad]

Obama looks so Clinton in his star struck relationship with Scarlet J. More of the same change we can believe in.

[Lesley]

Sad/Bad.....I am weeping, simply weeping, oh dear Lord, what a comment, you beautiful woman.

[Bill in AZ]

Michelle Malkin's site has a picture of the Obamessiah's bus - looks like you could fit quite a few more folks under there...

[clarice]

Yes, she is , Lesley..but remember everyone here is praying for bad round the clock so it may be a hundred years until that comes to pass.

[Ann]

Well, I come to post good news about Hit getting kudos again at NRO and all the beautiful JOM ladies have me in tears, too. I can't bear the thought of not having my husband in my life.

Anyways, I believe we need to write and get Hit a free cruise with NRO because they keep using his great stuff: TheVIMH

[PeterUK]

"Why the hell did you spend $600 on a G*DDAMN HAT?"

Most of we men know the answer,you couldn't find a pair of shoes you liked.

[clarice]

Well, here's something he can do something with:Proof monkeys are smarter than Dems:
http://www.nature.com/news/2008/080611/full/news.2008.882.html

[Ayatollah Youso Bhutta Youno-lissen]

More of the same change we can believe in.

How about:

"Don't stop thinking about more of the same change we can believe in, depending on the definition of "in", and unless the press is forced to cover its unpopularity."

Or maybe, to borrow from one of our recent trolls, that could just be shortened to, "Same as it ever was. Same as it ever was."

[Soylent Red]

Dammit.

[Barney Frank]

Sad/Bad.....I am weeping, simply weeping, oh dear Lord, what a comment, you beautiful woman.

Bad is very, very good, and we all pray she'll get better.

[hit and run]

Hey! Thanks Ann for pointing that out.

But notice that as of this moment, that post h/t'ing my blog on the Corner is anonymous.

Smart career move by whoever ::cough I'm not telling cough:: it is that posted it.

[Soylent Red]

OT, but...

Someone ought to inform BHusseinO (a Muslim, I've heard) that this is how you negotiate face to face with Iran.

[clarice]

Hit, are you saying you're now writing for nro..? Remember who loved you when....

[clarice]

Soylent, I loke Iowahawk's idea, too. Invite mad as a hatter to the WH and then open the trap door to the piranha tank below his chair.

[MayBee]

Do you have something you want to tell us, hit?

[vnjagvet]

Two observations, one for the post, one for the comments.

For the post, I'm checking ancestry.com for traces of african american blood in the old family tree tonight. If I have any, I only have about 18 months left, and I will really have to get my stuff together.

For the comments, I think that there are some real opportunities in the bus designing business. Rick Ballard may have a big edge on the competition because he has been on the case for such a long time.

[MayBee]

oh and JMH, thanks for the earlier Soros/Johnson info.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

The damn distaff side is just hanging around waiting for us to keel over so they can spend our money.

Waiting?

[hit and run]

NO!!!! Oh gosh, sorry, that's not what I meant. I meant who ever made that post probably doesn't want to have his or her name associated to giving me a h/t.

The cough cough bit was pretending I knew who it was, which I do. I think. Or not. I don't know.

Either way, I'm not telling...

[PeterUK]

Clarice,What do you have against piranha?

[hit and run]

Charlie, hands down, the comment of the day.

Remember that whole stimulus bill check thing?

Yeah, neither do I.

[Crunchy Frog]

Dammit, where's my casserole?

[bad]

Dammit, where's my casserole?

Crunchy, when I deliver food to a man I usually go with steak and potatos but if you prefer casserole I'll adjust.

[Rick Ballard]

Vnjagvet,

I'm thinking this one for the Lightweight Vibrator's Copperhead Express. Drivers on all three axles - just in case Michelle gets tossed under. No more high center worries.

[Ralph L]

Oh, and give that crabby old husband of yours an extra kiss tonight.
Was that directed to Mrs. DoT?

[bad]

Rick

That is an awesome bus!! The lightweight vibrator is mounted in style.

[centralcal]

It's been a busy few days, so I drop in to quickly read this thread -- talk about your highs (so many funny posts) and lows (bad still in need of our continuing prayers).

That's what I love about this place! The humanity! The humor! Keeps me smiling and praying.

[bad]

According to Politico, Carville is pushing Gore for veep. Gag amongst yourselves...

[JM Hanes]

Rick:

"No more high center worries."

Oh No!

[Rick Ballard]

JMH,

The O1!1bama Cybernaut Route Planning Specialist strikes again. Sometimes Mapquest plans aren't as detailed as one might hope.

[clarice]

I think Rick was first on describing the high rise quality of the Obamabus..

[PeterUK]

Without wishing to brag,we can do it withdouble decker buses

[Moeley]

"...everyone "assumes" you are a bunch of Lesbians"

Well, have you ever thought about changing your name to something other than "Lesley"?

[PeterUK]

Moeley,Have you ever thought of adding Sh to the beginning of your name?

[Thomas Collins]

Life expectancy, casseroles, under and over US and UK buses, loan deals for the connected . . . let's not forget Kobe stepping it up against the Celtics yesterday (although, as a Boston fan, I hope I've seen the last of Kobe lighting it up in this series).

[Crunchy Frog]

Steak and potatoes will do fine, bad, as long they're not au gratin.

I don't do au gratin.

*grin*

[vnjagvet]

Rick, that design appears to have the same tires as Ms. Malkin's. Is that a coincidence?

[JM Hanes]

PeterUK:

Definitely top notch Peter! Ditto for "couldn't find a pair of shoes." LOL!

Clarice:

Rick is clearly drivin' this bus, but don't sell your very on UTB short. It has some real possibilities: we've got your UTB's and then your SoonTBUTB's.....and eventually, with luck, your FLUBS (Fat Lady Under Bus Singing).

[HoosierHoops]

Welcome to my world. And lest you think mine is an isolated experience, talk to your widow friends. They'll set you straight in a heartbeat.

Oh, and give that crabby old husband of yours and extra kiss tonight.

Posted by: Lesley
________________________________

You know i read alot of blogs..mostly sports blogs, a few politic, This is my fav.
Science blogs ( those guys will answer any thing about the universe.total geeks )stuff like that.
Rarely do i ever come across a post like above.
The tone and content touched my heart,
Leslie..best of luck and i'll say a prayer for you tonight..Kind regards,
_________________________
Hey Hit..i hit your blog today and submitted a comment.. Now i told ya bro that you need to write some stuff for jay leno.. I told you that like 18 months ago..
You don't listen do you? mrs hit & run must have a field day with you..
You're wit is razor-like.
___________________________
Jordan returns to Camp p sunday..the 30 day leave just rushed by...I can't thank enough of own fellow posters here that supported our family while he was in Iraq.
Thank you
___________________________
oh. patrick S. I read you're reply a couple postings back..whoops
Now i get it.. you were making a parody of the web site what white people like..
When i first read what you wrote my racegar went off.. I thought you were being a racist kindof.. I'm sorry patrick.. I'm catching up..It's really wierd how race has entered the political race.. ( I mean we have a person of color, a woman and an old guy..we got it all this year. ( gawd i know about the last remark..cut me some slack)
but are emotions rubbed raw or what?
I'm certainly on guard..
You know my mom graduated high school with ex-49er great gene washington. I never knew my dad but gene was my godfather and i grew up being mentored by a great man.. I have never thought about him as just like a black man..yes i knew he was black but he was my mom's best friend and someone i really looked up to.. Until my mom married and moved to indiana..gene was my dad.. and i love him..
( somebody is going to post some crap about how i can't be talking about the director of football operations of the NFL..THE Gene Washington.. yea i am)
he is a great man..
we sell ourselfs short when we bring race into the discussion... It is about us not the color of our skins.. Can I say this about Tom M. ?
I know that Tom went to Rudgers and when those spitful words about nappy headed ho's were spoken.. I really think people's feelings were really hurt.. Tom didn't say much but that was like someone insulting your sister.. it was fighting words and i know as mates in college you just don't do that..right tom?
( don't worry.. after posting here for 2 years tom has never replied to anything i've ever said..that's cool.. I'm still on the bench)
Well gotta go.. the mrs just came in and wondered why i'm watching st.louis beat cinncy 10-0 on the big screen.. I don't think there is an answer to that..gotta log off..I'm sure there is a chick flick movie in my future..bye all and regards...

[centralcal]

Damn, Hoosier -- that was a great post and just one more instance of why I love this site!

Do I dare ask, where is Jordan off to now that his R & R is over?

[sbw]

"we sell ourselfs short when we bring race into the discussion"

Racism is ignorant overgeneralization.

---

HH, I hope you read Michael Yon, Bill Roggio, and Belmont Club for Middle East background -- the views range from the unvarnished up close to the long range. Wishing Jordan safe travels.

[Moeley]

Petey, not ever Sh, but I might try Sch. And in the future, don't piss on my gay jokes with your rude retorts. What are you? The board heckler? Lighten up, Francis. And don't forget, two drink minimum.

[kim]

So Shmo's a variant.
Sensitive to rude retort.
Happy to dish it out.
Funny? Have a snort.
==============

[invernessie]

....."and another one down, and another one down, another one bites the dust" (and is under the bus...)

[Sue]

What are you? The board heckler?

Why yes. Yes he is. But only to seagulls.

[sbw]

QUOTE OF THE WEEK from the Adam Smith Blog, quoting Groucho Marx: Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedies.

[centralcal]

I have already forgotten what this post was originally about . . . (oh, yeah, life expectancy), but I wanna go off topic a moment --

Before a favorite blogger of mine, Dean Barnett, went over to Weekly Standard, I was also a fan of Michael Goldfarb. Now, you all know how I get major acid drip at the mention of John McCain, but I gotta tell you, he is doing great work blogging for Sen. McCain. Always interesting and entertaining.

Okay, sorry for the interruption . . . carry on, great ones.

[Soylent Red]

Echo what sbw said Hoosier. Roggio in particular gets his hands on better operational level intel than some of the pros back in CONUS. I read him regularly to make myself look smarter than I actually am.

BTW, it's probably cliche by now, but thank Jordan for what he is doing. I try to never let an opportunity go by to do that, and I don't think I have yet for your son.

As for you Moeley...

I'm hoping you haven't been attracted here as an Obamabot moby. But if you have...

Obama is gay and Michelle is a known thesbian.

[kim]

Politics is like throwing a stone down Broadway to kill a dog in the Bowery.

H/t A. Bierce.
==================

[clarice]

sbw, Groucho was a very bright man.

[kim]

My favorite 'You Bet Your Life' was when Edgar Bergman and his daughter, and Groucho and his daughter were the two competing couples, and his straight man asked the question. The daughters were about thirteen years old.
===========================

[Danube of Thought]

For the record, I love Mrs. Danube with all of my heart, and consider myself the luckiest man in the world that she consented to marry me, and that I have somehow tricked her into staying the course. Not one second goes by that I don't think of her with the most loving thoughts.

I was having a bit of a joke earlier, but jokes don't always come across very well in the cold print of the web.

And no, Charlie, she has not waited one moment to spend the money. But that's what the money is for, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

[clarice]

We knew you were kidding DOT--Also that you had a three martini lunch. Smooches and niters.

[JM Hanes]

bad:

"Obama looks so Clinton in his star struck relationship with Scarlet J. More of the same change we can believe in."

Had to laugh when I saw this headline on Johansson over at Politico: "Actress has a crush on Obama." Just in case they decide they need to go the nuts 'n sluts route down the road?

[JM Hanes]

After reading Gail Collins on the Johnson story, my optimism about the possibility of the MSM in recovery looks more than just premature:

Although McCain has, so far, not demonstrated that he can manage anything more challenging than a backyard barbecue, that still does not make the Johnson story look any better.

That doesn't stop Collins from trying though:

Rather than falling into complete depression at such an early point in the game, let’s work under the assumption that the people involved were so tired that they didn’t know what they were doing.

Then she quotes McGovern on the dangers of fatigue, and proceeds to suggest that all Obama really needs is a long nap -- seriously! I realize Collins is writing Op-eds these days, but jeez. Debate will resume when Obama wakes up, so let's all just put our heads down on our desks and be extra quiet while we wait.

[kim]

One ridiculous decision? A new theory; Obama is always exhausted and always makes poor decisions.
===================

[kim]

No wonder Obama never heard Wright; he was napping.
==================================

[BL]

Lesley at 5:05 pm. You touched my heart. Years ago when I was looking at joining a country club, I was told they wouldn't accept a woman alone. And all I wanted was some private, outdoor swimming exercise.

But I do believe that if you have loved well in your first marriage, the second one will be even better!

[BL]

Hi, Kim! I'd like to see your pearls... where?

[kim]

Hilzoy at Obsidian Wings posted about McCain's energy policy and I just gave them my canned speech about climate. They pretty successfully ignored me. It was much more engaging in the Stan Palmer thread at Pharyngula last fall and the AGU thread at DotEarth, started, I think, Jan. 26th of this year.

This climate business is going to produce a stunning paradigm shift which may make the Galileo thing pale in comparison. That was religious idealogues unable to conceive simple mechanics. This is Byzantine in comparison.
==============================

[kim]

Oops, forgot to Hat/tip Rick Moran for the napping Obama.
==============================

[kim]

Andy Revkin at the NYT's DotEarth site is actually running an honest debate. He's still a strong advocate for AGW, but is curious, honest, and is listening. He actually put one of my blog comments in the print edition a while ago that was questioning why Gore's ad campaign has 'anonymous' donors.
=========================

[BL]

Reading the Obsidian thread now :)

[kim]

Uh, Edgar Bergen.
============

[kim]

Anthony Watts's 'Watts Up With That' blog has a lot of general interest climate stuff. Steve McIntyre's 'climateaudit.org' is the gold standard but very tough technically. It's a good thing most of those scientists are literate, too. 'Icecap.us', run by Joe d'Aleo is a great aggregator of skeptical articles, and Pielke Pere's 'climatesci.org' is also cutting edge science. 'Realclimate.org' has some heavy hitters from the brain trust of AGW, but censors skeptics in a rhetorically revelatory fashion.

As they say, these are interesting times we live in. What the sun will do, no one knows.
============

[BL]

Candice's father?

Wow, you're so fresh at this hour! Did you just get up or been up all night like me?

I wish I could take you along to the DMV
when I ask for permanent smog check exemption.

[kim]

Theophylline Madness.
==============

[BL]

You're funnnnnnnyyyy!

Btw, I forget now... what is the motive behind the global warming farce?

[BL]

In the meantime, I'm doing my bit for global cooling, increasing my Camel smoking and taken to cigars.

[kim]

Watermelons, green on the outside and red on the inside, want to enrich themselves and enslave you.

I actually think James Henson started out honestly and has become corrupted, or mad, along the way. Sure, we have to keep the earth clean; you have to keep your room clean, too. But CO2 is not the culprit in climate change.

And Gore. He learned just enough in Divinity School to set himself up as a prophet. His venality betrays him. What a schmuck.
===============================

[kim]

Nicotine is a good drug, with caveats. We just shouldn't smoke it.
=================================

[kim]

Yep, Candice was around thirteen. Groucho and Edgar were sublime.
==========================

[BL]

Hmmmmmm, watermelon, hmmm....

Nicotinic acid runs out radiation. That's why so little cancer in Japan.
(I only smoke nonfilter, wish Shermans would come out with a Camel-size cigarette without the fast-burning chemicals.)

I'm thinking, who stood to gain the most from the global warming farce? The Japanese gained from producing fuel-efficient cars after the oil crisis in the US. The third world (China, etc.) sought to bring down the US economy with the Tokyo Accord. Could that be it?

[BL]

PS - did you learn Martial Arts when you were at ASJ? (Love your disemvowelling :)

[Jane]

Good Morning! Boy I hate it when I miss a night like last nite here. You guys simply rock!

Lesley, re: "...everyone "assumes" you are a bunch of Lesbians"

I've never married, so sometime around my mid thirties I could feel that rumor swirling around me. By my 40's, since all my straight friends were raising kids, I started socializing more with my gay friends because they were single, so that didn't help, but by then I'd stopped caring what people said. The biggest hurdle was when I moved to a new community, and Amy (the lesbian) worked for me. I think I referenced "my boyfriend" in every conversation, simply because I didn't want to be left out of the straight world. Now I just think it's good sport to confuse people. I mean really, who cares?

[sbw]

Sure that wasn't Edgar Bergman, the Swedish filmmaker whose work often dealt with themes of death, illness, and betrayal as portrayed by sassy puppets?

[sbw]

Reading this JOM thread, its life truths, trust, insight, camaraderie, humor, and continuity made me recall George Carlin poking fun at "my stories." Television soaps. "Oh, it's time to go watch my stories." Here I have become addicted to my stories. The difference being that here I occasionally contribute and regularly learn something.

[clarice]

Who cares, Jane? Well, when you reach a certain age it all seems preposterous, doesn't it?
I began following the rule of a smart man years ago ---I just assume everyone I see has a rich full sex life beyond my imaginings and leave it at that..utterly uncurious about whatever others do or don't do.

[BL]

I meant Kyoto Accord.