ThirstyFish

Although it's hard to tell from this photo, this Chinese lady had to be at least 70 years old. She carefully opened up bags and boxes, took the cans out, put them in her cart, and neatly closed what she had opened. After almost ten minutes of going through the recyclables, she lit up a well deserved cigarette.

For those who do not know, in New York City there is a 5 cent refund for each can returned. So 1,000 cans can make you $50. What is interesting is that almost all can collectors are of Chinese descent. I found an informative blog post that explains the Top 5 Reasons Chinese People Collect Cans. (In NYC, 1 single cigarette >= 50 cents >= 10 cans)

The longest confirmed human to have lived was a French women named Jeanne Calment. At the time of her death in 1997, she was 122 years and 164 days old. She smoked from the age of 21 until 117, and quit only five years before her death. (She smoked no more than two cigarettes per day).

A few years ago, a National Geographic article looked at The Secrets of Long Life, and had some interesting conclusions. It wasn't a specific diet, or some other secret, but moderation, active lifestyles, and social support that qualified the life of centenarians all over the world (No Flash link). More recently a BBC Radio Programme titled The First 1000 Days: A Legacy for Life summarized the research about the very high significance of the first 1000 days of our lives - from conception to our second birthday. Once thought to be very significant, research is now indicating that our genetic predispositions have less significance to longevity than how we live our lives and take care of one another, especially our young.

Song of the Day: Forever Young - Laura Branigan (1985)