Category Archives: New York Times

June 9, 2019 · 12:02 am

Why you should check out Unmasked

Regular readers know that I am a retired journalist. I worked for Reuters in Chicago and London for 20 years, then left to teach journalism at Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

In the business of journalism, I remember how hard we worked to get our facts straight and present them clearly to increase the level of information to the public.

So, it is likely no surprise that the current state of what passes for journalism is disappointing to the point of heart-breaking for me. There seems to be not even a semblance of fair play or attempt to find out and put forward – the truth.

I would like to recommend that you check out Unmasked – Big media’s war against Trump pictured above. The authors give chapter and verse of the card stacking and outright lies put forth as journalism from no less than the Washington Post, New York Times, and all the major broadcast networks.

You already know that media doesn’t throw any cards off the top of the deck when it comes to the President, so why read an entire book about it? Here is a quote from the inside front cover, “In this fascinating examination of the media’s war on Donald Trump, Bozell and his co-author Tim Graham expose the weaponized and radicalized ‘news’ media as a direct threat to democracy and their unethical attempts to manipulate public opinion.”

Tony

Egg on the Gray Lady’s face

The New York Times is considered the Gray Lady of journalism – news. Lately, however, what passes for journalism there is turning the Gray Lady into a haggard old street walker.

The NYT published these photos of the New England Patriots and their visit to the White House and greeting by President Trump. As you can see from the 2015 photo, the above one, there appears to be a much bigger crowd for Obama than appeared in the 2017 photo for President Trump.

Here is what the New England Patriots tweeted afterward: twitter.com/NYTSports/status/854793140125020160 …

The fact is it wasn’t a smaller turnout at all. The difference is that in 2017, only the players were pictured up with the president. The rest of the staff were below. The numbers who turned out were very similar.

CNN also tried to pass this off as a smudge on President Trump.

I spent a good part of my life, including the last seven-plus years on this blog, as a journalist and have always been proud of that fact, but this kind of dishonest dealings turns my stomach. I hope something can revive the love of truth in the kids writing now.

Thank goodness for twitter and the integrity of the Patriots.

Tony

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Filed under mainstream media, New England Patriots, New York Times, Uncategorized

Tagged as gray lady, mainstream media, Patriots, President Trump, Super Bowl, White House visit

January 4, 2017 · 11:59 am

Seniors need to get out of that comfort zone – NYT

This piece from the New York Times is superb reporting. So, the grey lady lives on.

The article was How to become a Superager by Lisa Feldman Barrett. She is the author of the forthcoming “How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain.”

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She asks, “Why do some older people remain mentally nimble while others decline? “Superagers” (a term coined by the neurologist Marsel Mesulam) are those whose memory and attention isn’t merely above average for their age, but is actually on par with healthy, active 25-year-olds. ”

In providing the answer, she gets into some labyrinthine details on how the brain functions. If you want to go there just click on the link to the article and enjoy. Continue reading →

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Filed under aging, aging brain, brain exercise, Exercise, exercise and brain health, exercise benefits, New York Times

Tagged as aging, aging brain, aging myths, brain games, brain health, Exercise, Exercise Benefits, New York Times

November 14, 2016 · 12:05 am

New York Times ‘explains’ its Trump coverage

Two days after election day, I wrote a blog post about the shameful performance of CNBC Top Washington Correspondent, John Harwood, in reporting on Donald Trump in the election. You can see it here – For shame, John Harwood.

Now, it seems that the New York Times publisher has issued a kind of backward letter of apology to its readers for its coverage of the campaign. Publisher Sulzberger didn’t go so far as to say the Times slanted the news, he just said it ‘underestimated’ Trump’s support among American voters.

Actually, Michael Goodwin of the New York Post has written a nice column on it which you can read here – New York Times – We blew it on Trump.

Please read Mr. Goodwin’s entire column, but here is a nice excerpt:

“While insisting his staff had “reported on both candidates fairly,” he also vowed that the paper would “rededicate ourselves to the fundamental mission of Times journalism. That is to report America and the world honestly, without fear or favor.” Continue reading →

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Filed under New York Post, New York Times, Trump, Uncategorized

Tagged as CNBC, election, John Harwood, journalistic ethics, mainstream media, New York Post, New York Times

November 4, 2016 · 10:02 pm

How Cardiovascular Exercise Helps the Brain

In view of Thanksgiving being right around the corner and holiday parties soon after, I thought it propitious to show you this again.

Tony

80-year old reshaping views of aging in China

In this blog devoted to living a long healthy life with a fully functional brain at the end, I just had to share this news item on “China’s hottest grandpa.”

Here is a link to the article in today’s New York Times.

I never thought I would be offering you a video with Chinese as the spoken language, but there is a sub-titled translation below it and you will have a chance to meet the sparkling Mr. Deshun for yourself.

“Determined to avoid mental and physical stagnation, Mr. Wang has explored new skills and ideas while devoting ample time to daily exercise. Last year, he walked the runway for the first time, his physique causing a national sensation. He takes obvious joy in subverting China’s image of what it means to be old,” Didi Kirsten Tatlow wrote in the Times.

I was not aware that old age in China begins relatively early. “The legal retirement age for women is 50 for workers and 55 for civil servants, and 60 for most men.”

Besides his healthy mental outlook, he carries on his avid interest in swimming managing a half mile a day. (my emphasis)

He says that he is not picky about food. He eats whatever he wants. Clearly, he is making good choices to be in such wonderful condition.

Tony

3 Comments

Filed under aging, aging brain, China, New York Times, successful aging

Tagged as aging, aging brain, aging myths, China, Exercise, Exercise Benefits

July 16, 2015 · 9:25 am

How scientific is the scientific seven minute workout?

I think this is a really interesting read. Please feel free to comment on your thoughts.

My bottom line is that you should exercise at least 30 minutes a day every day that you can. Eat less; move more; live longer.

Tony

Is it healthful?

A couple of years ago the New York Times wrote about a game changing workout that would get you fit in only seven minutes. Yes, rather than endure 30-60 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity most if not all days of the week, seven minutes every now and then was suddenly enough to cure that heart disease of yours. The strange thing was that the New York Times, a relatively reliable source, had claimed that the workout was scientific.

This contradicted everything I learnt during my seven years at university. Therefore, today I ask in an outraged, yet concerned voice: is the scientific seven minute workout actually scientific?

Why it might be scientific:

Well the seven minute workout was first brought to the light in an article in a scientific, scholarly journal in 2013. For those of you who don’t know, this is basically a book full of studies and…

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Filed under 7 Minute Workout, New York Times

Tagged as 7 Minute Workout, Exercise, New York Times, workout

April 18, 2015 · 4:50 am

Exercise More and Live Longer – New York Times

Gretchen Reynolds, writing in the New York Times, had some great information on the value of exercise in terms of living longer. She said that one of the problems with exercise is that experts aren’t clear on how much is too little, too much or just the right amount to for us to be healthy and, more importantly, to improve our longevity.

In one broad large scale study, comparing 14 years of death records, “They found that, unsurprisingly, the people who did not exercise at all were at the highest risk of early death.

“But those who exercised a little, not meeting the recommendations but doing something, lowered their risk of premature death by 20 percent.”

“Those who met the guidelines precisely, completing 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise, enjoyed greater longevity benefits and 31 percent less risk of dying during the 14-year period compared with those who never exercised.”

As a senior citizen who works on endurance and worries about breaking and tearing body parts with strenuous exercise, I was gratified to learn the conclusion: “The sweet spot for exercise benefits, however, came among those who tripled the recommended level of exercise, working out moderately, mostly by walking, for 450 minutes per week, or a little more than an hour per day. Those people were 39 percent less likely to die prematurely than people who never exercised.”

I have said time and again in this blog that walking is the Cinderella of the exercise world – totally under-appreciated, but really royalty.

Eat less; move more has been the mantra of this blog almost from the beginning. I would like to amend that to: eat less; move more; live longer.

Here are some of the posts I have done concerning seniors and exercise:
Why Seniors Need to Exercise – NIH
Weight Training Techniques for Seniors
What About Seniors Doing Endurance Sports?
What are the Guidelines for Seniors Exercising?

Last, but not least, no one wants to live long without the benefit of a fully functioning brain: check out my Page – Important Facts About Your Brain (and Exercise). You can have it all.
Tony

5 Comments

Filed under Exercise, living longer, New York Times

Tagged as aging, brain, Exercise, longevity, New York Times, seniors, walking

November 8, 2012 · 2:02 pm

Can Exercise Protect the Brain From Fatty Food Damage?

It is turning out that the fast food high fat Standard American Diet (SAD) has, in fact, some pretty sad impacts on the brain besides the waistline.

The New York Times reported that the Society for Neuroscience met in New Orleans and University of Minnesota scientists demonstrated that a group of rats that consumed normal food for four months compared favorably with a group of rats that ate a diet with 40 percent fat in it. Both diets had the same amount of calories.

The scientists administered a memory test to the rats after four months. Those with the normal diet performed as they had previously while those on the high-fat diet yielded much poorer results.

The rats were then broken into two groups. One group had running wheels. The other didn’t. So, those on the high fat diet could or could not exercise.
Continue reading →