How long will I live?

For some reason, I have thought for some time that I would die at 83. Today I took a test designed at the University of Pennsylvania (click here if you want to try it) that predicted my life expectancy, based on health and behavioral questions, to be within a range of 79 to 93, with a likely age of 85.9 at time of death.

Predictors are based on large populations with common circumstances and do not indicate what will happen to any individual within that population. After all, I could be hit by a truck tomorrow or get poisoned by the pork soft tacos I am making for dinner tonight.

Still, it is interesting to see that my intuitive guess correlates somewhat with this test, at least.

Tom, on the other hand, pointed out that they do not ask at what age parents and/or siblings died. His outcome has him living a decade longer than most people in his family did. On the other hand, if it turns out to be true, we have a couple of decades left together. Which will make me happier.

Other comments on this test include:
"Shoot, I already lived longer than I am supposed to!"
"Yipes! I passed away last Tuesday!"
"If I cut out all the things I would have to in order to live longer, I wouldn't live -- just exist."

At any rate, don't base your retirement planning on anything like this.

Why reporters need to do a little research

NB: This is NOT a political comment OR a complaint.

President Obama was recently in Milwaukee to address workers at a manufacturing plant. (The details don't matter to this blog.) At least one reporter wrote that the setting showed that the President is clearly on the side of unions, being flanked by the American flag and a union banner for Wisconsin Local 1848.

The problem? That is not a labor union banner. That is the flag of the State of Wisconsin, which entered the union that we call the United States in 1848.

Sorry about that!

Report from the No Complaining Zone

As regular readers know (both of you), I am endeavoring to give up complaining for Lent. Tom has already pointed out that this has just about killed our dinner conversations.

I hate to admit it is true. To be honest, it has just about killed all my conversations. Part of trying not to complain is trying not to get drawn into negative and critical conversations with others who -- as some of them have reminded me -- have not made any such Lenten resolution.

It has made me realize how much of ordinary conversation is complaining. Or, if not complaining strictly define perhaps, still how much of it is critical, negative and so on.

Not that I'm complaining about that!

Six weeks to go ...