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User:Ryoung122

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Born May 2, 1974, I have already made a small impact on this world in many small ways. I am currently the Senior Gerontology Consultant for Guinness World Records (since 2005, and a junior consultant prior to 2005) and the senior claims investigator for the Gerontology Research Group (www.grg.org)(since 1999). I also run the web group "World's Oldest People" at Yahoo groups (founded 2002). I work part-time for several organizations, including the New England Centenarian Study, the Social Security Administration, the New England Centenarian Study at Boston University, and the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research. I am a founding member of the Supercentenarian Research Foundation, and I have been featured in hundreds of newspapers, including "The Wall Street Journal" and "The New York Times". I have worked on several books, the first of which, the "Wisdom of the World's Oldest People," was out in bookstores in Oct 2005. Two more books are soon to follow. I have been cited in scientific journals, including "The Gerontologist" and "Rejuvenation Research". I hold a certificate of gerontology from Georgia State University (2006) and am currently a Master of Gerontology student at Georgia State University.

I am also an editor at www.emporis.com, which is the #1 web resource for high-rise buildings. I have contributed to the Guinness Book of Records (including the 1987, 1997, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2007 editions). I also contributed to the "World Almanac 2004".

I am also an historian. I hold two degrees in history, an Associate of Arts in History (honors) from Georgia Perimeter College (2004) and an Bachelor of Arts in History (summa cum laude) from Georgia State University (2006). I believe that Misplaced Pages, while not the place for 'original' research, can move the 'chains of progress' forward (a reference to first downs in football). For some articles, such as William Potts and Myrtle McAteer, I have employed my genealogical skills to locate birthdates for long-forgotten persons who are suddenly notable again, as their once-unrecognized contributions have now come to light. Thus, I am melding gerontology, history, genealogy, and the frontier of Misplaced Pages to further the collective knowledge of humanity.

My ultimate goal is to further the education of the planet, through both small, incremental improvements as well as bold new ideas. Stay tuned for more!

Wikicontributions

Although I only adopted the current identity "Ryoung122" in Feb 2005, I have edited articles in Misplaced Pages for several years prior. I have contributed heavily to the supercentenarian and associated articles, and started several. While this remains my first area of focus, my interests are not limited to this, and I have on occasion contributed to a plethora of articles over a great many topics. My first goal is to further the "education" of the world, and correcting errors is something I do quite a bit.

Edit History:

  • 1,000th edit June 18 2006
  • 2,000th edit Nov 27 2006
  • 3,000th edit Mar 30 2007
  • 4,000th edit July 8 2007
  • 5,000th edit July 28 2007

Articles I've started (since Nov 20 2005):

References

http://www.grg.org/Adams/E.HTM

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Worlds_Oldest_People/

http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/ci/ed/?id=101302

http://www.newsobserver.com/105/story/368496.html

http://www.supercentenarian-research-foundation.org/organizers.htm

In search of the elders Man travels around the world looking for people 110 and older

Korky Vann, The Hartford Courant Call Jerry Friedman a "senior" sleuth. For the past five years, the Kent, Conn., resident has circled the globe in search of the world's oldest citizens, talking to individuals 110 and older. Traveling throughout Italy, Portugal, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Japan, Mongolia and Spain, as well as cities and towns across the United States, Friedman has met, interviewed and photographed 50 "extreme" elders, ranging from a former cotton-picker in rural Georgia to a Tibetan lama in Mongolia. The results of his unique journey are reported in Friedman's new book, "Earth's Elders: The Wisdom of the World's Oldest People." The book provides a window into the lives of "human time capsules," who have reached the outer edges of longevity. Their experiences -- the torching of the all-black town of Rosewood, Fla.; the atom-bomb attack on Hiroshima; the fall of the last Chinese Dynasty; the assassination of President McKinley and new inventions such as the washing machine or the automobile -- give new meaning to the term "living history."

Friedman, an award-winning television and advertising photographer, says his project was inspired by his mother, a 92-year-old nursing home resident.

"I went to my mother's long-term-care facility and 'embedded' myself for four days to see firsthand what my mother was experiencing," Friedman says. "It was like drawing back a curtain on a hidden society, and the reality was shocking. What I found was a group of well-cared-for people who were isolated in an elder ghetto. Here were people with extraordinary history and knowledge, but they didn't go out, and for the most part, the world didn't come in. I wanted to learn more about this invisible population."

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Enlarge Font Decrease Font More Lifestyles Market savvy, message saved A perfect 'Potter' for ESPN fans Gifts that say 'Please change' Live from the mall ... Love a parade? This is your season Phoenix, as Cash, walks a fine line

Spurred by curiosity, Friedman began to research supercentenarians, the oldest of the old, and discovered John McMorran, born in 1889, living in a nursing facility in Lakeland, Fla., and Ann Smith, born in 1891, living in a retirement home in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Mass. After interviewing the elders and their families, Friedman was hooked. He tapped his savings to finance his travels and set out to document the untold stories of individuals whose lives span more than a century. Friedman was assisted in his discoveries by gerontology expert Robert Young of the Gerontology Research Group, who verified the records of the people documented in the book. Young, who validates records for the Guinness Book of World Records, says his group recognizes 65 living individuals ages 110 and older, 58 women and seven men. Friedman thinks there are hundreds more and continues to seek them. So far, he's met and photographed 60 individuals.

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