News Mix: Celebrities Turning 40; Michael Kinsley on Life and Longevity; Lifetime’s Own TV Makeover; On Birds and Caretakers; Pain as an Art Form; Women’s Health and Environmental Risks

Welcome to the Club!: Happy Birthday to Ashley Judd, who turned 40 April 19. In addition to having two films currently in production, Judd is the "face" of American Beauty, an Estee Lauder cosmetic brand, and a well-known activist on behalf of humanitarian and political issues.

Also turning 40 this year: Kristin Chenoweth, Patricia Arquette, Gillian Anderson, Margaret Cho, Rachel Griffiths, Jane Krakowski …

The Last Boomer Game: Writing in The New Yorker, Michael Kinsley reflects on life spans — from Robert McNamara’s 91 years so far (and all the young senseless deaths marked), to what it means for baby boomers to grow old and the grace by which they do it. Kinsley writes:

"He Who Dies Last" — he’s the one who wins. Boomers realize this, of course. Don’t forget: back in the Dark Ages, we invented jogging. (Our knees may now regret it.) Competitive consumerism wasn’t invented by boomers or yuppies. However, it is deeply rooted in yuppie culture. I win if my house is bigger than yours, or if my cell phone is smaller than yours. Or if my laptop computer is thinner or my hiking boots are thicker. And yet all this is meaningless, isn’t it? And I don’t mean that in a spiritual way. Be as greedy and self-centered as you want. The only competition that matters, in the end, is about life itself. And the standard is clear: "Mine is longer than yours."

The oldest boomers, born in the late nineteen-forties, are just turning sixty, and the last boomer game is about to start — the game of competitive longevity. So how are you doing? Let’s say you’re sixty. To begin with, you’re still alive, which gives you a leg up. …

Plus: Judith Timson of the Globe and Mail reflects on Michael Kinsley’s essay and the secrets of living to 100, as chronicled in Dan Buettner’s new book, "The Blue Zone."

Lifetime, in Search of a Makeover: The "earnest" network best known for "Golden Girls" reruns is changing its image with a new slate of programs, including shows like "Project Runway"  that it can yank from Bravo, reports The New York Observer.

"We’re working toward making the brand cool, one way or another," said Susanne Daniels, Lifetime president of entertainment.

We’re All Just Temporary Caretakers: Writing at the Boston Globe, columnist Elissa Ely describes the immediate sense of responsibility she felt when birds built a rickety nest on her porch. Then the eggs hatched …

Pain as an Art Form: Frida Kahlo painted self-portraits (some of which are now on
exhibit in Philadelphia) to describe her body’s physical pain. Now there’s a new online gallery called the Pain Exhibit that includes art by chronic pain patients from around the world.

Well’s Tara Parker-Pope writes:

Finding ways to communicate pain is essential to patients who are suffering, many of whom don’t receive adequate treatment from doctors. In January, Virtual Mentor, the American Medical Association Journal of Ethics, reported that certain groups are less likely to receive adequate pain care. Hispanics are half as likely as whites to receive pain medications in emergency rooms for the same injuries; older women of color have the highest likelihood of being undertreated for cancer pain; and being uneducated is a risk factor for poor pain care in AIDS patients, the journal reported.

The journal of the International Association for the Study of Pain features an image from the exhibit on the cover of its November issue — and all of the articles in this issue are about women and pain.

Environmental Health Risks Gain Research Ground: From Women’s eNews: Environmental threats to women’s health have long been overlooked, say activists. But this month California announced a major study of toxins and breast cancer and Wal-Mart backed off bisphenol A, a chemical that is prevalent in women’s bodies.

Molly M. Ginty gives an excellent overview of the issues and recent studies. Here’s one of many interesting facts:

Up to 70 percent of breast cancer cases may be attributed to environmental factors, according to a 1993 Department of Health and Human Services study. After making this finding 15 years ago, the federal government failed to earmark money to catalog the chemicals that can trigger breast cancer. Last year, the nonprofit Silent Spring Institute in Newton, Mass., took this initiative, scouring the research to compile a list of 216 compounds that cause breast tumors in lab animals.

"Only 11 of these chemicals are regulated by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health so workers exposed to them on a regular basis must be evaluated for health safety," says Julia Brody, Silent Spring’s executive director.

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