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From the UK Telegraph:
The best anti-aging technique could be standing up, scientists believe, after discovering that spending more time on two feet protects DNA.
A study found that too much sitting down shortens telomeres, the protective caps which sit at the end of chromosomes.
Short telomeres have been linked to premature aging, disease and early death. So spending less time on the sofa could help people live longer by preventing their DNA from aging.
The research found that people who were frequently on their feet had longer telomeres, which were keeping the genetic code safe from wear and tear.
Intriguingly taking part in more exercise did not seem to have an impact on telomere length.
Telomeres stop chromosomes from fraying, clumping together and “scrambling” genetic code.
Scientists found that the less time a person spent sitting, the longer their telomeres, and the greater their chance of living longer.
Bad news for anyone who sits at a computer all day… and don’t share this story to any buddies who may live their days in a wheelchair.
You can imagine if Hollywood were to embrace this story: A movie about a 400-year-old man who has refused to sit his entire life! “Finkle’s Last Stand”.
Then, my buddy Daniel Woodrow joins the show to talk about a recent altercation he was involved in. He was jumped… by an old man (I’m talking Mr. Fredrickson from the movie Up old!). While at Tim Horton’s Donuts, an old man reached into a woman’s purse, grabbed a wad of cash and took off running. Ever the chivalrous gentleman, Daniel grabbed the culprit, took the money back and returned it to the woman. But, as his back was turned to the old man, the geezer jumped him from behind! Although, since he was so old and mushy, he basically just flopped on Daniel’s back like a loose fitting backpack. In pure reactionary mode, Daniel, flipped him around and cradled him like a baby, took him outside and placed him on the sidewalk.
The problem comes in the form of witnesses. Almost no one saw the entire event. Just about everyone only saw the second half of the incident. From their point of view, it looked like Daniel robbed an old man, split the take with the lady at the donut shop and then toss the “victim” to the curb.
So, now Daniel gets free donuts every time he goes in there because they’re all scared of him.
Finally, our featured comic, Ross Bennett, calls in to share about his experience performing on the Late Show with David Letterman. For Ross, it was truly an act of God. He had been turned down by Dave’s team for thirty years! He had been told repeatedly that his brand of comedy just wasn’t right for the show. But then, the guy who had been booking guests for Dave suddenly got fired and replaced by three new guys who had the idea of holding showcases to test out new talent for the Late Show. Ross almost turned down the invitation to the showcase, for fear that he’d be rejected yet again, but he decided to give it another try. All along, Ross was told that he was simply too old for the show. Now, the new bookers were even younger than the previous guy and Ross is older than ever – but they loved him!
Now, for some artists (comics, actors, singers, visual artists, trapeze artists, etc.), the constant rejection that is all part of the game could be either inspiring or devastating. For Ross, he says that it simply adds to his delusional thinking/mental illness. Because that means that for thirty years, he has been fostering the feeling that all of them are wrong and he is right.
It’s probably this same self-confidence that helps Ross stand firmly in his faith, even in the face of a world that would tell him that he’s wrong. Not to say that Ross hasn’t had his moments of spiritual doubt. He actually admits that his story is very similar to the parable of the Prodigal Son – a young man who was raised close to God, but then decided to walk away and party like a rock star, before getting beat up by life and humbling returning to God, wondering, “I don’t know what I was thinking, God! I’m so sorry!!” That’s when God said (like a loving dad), “It’s okay… Kill a calf! Let’s show my boy how to party right!” And He’s just happy that Ross is back home.