Easytone shoe sole by Reebok.

A TV commercial running frequently of late shoes a curvy woman in athletic shoes and suggests the shoes are responsible for her nicely-shaped and toned backside. The Reebok shoe website continues the theme: “Get a better butt. Get better legs,” says the site, an advertisement for the company’s new “Easytone” shoes. But can a pair of shoes really make the difference? The New York Times looked at the company’s claims in an article titled “Firm body, no workout required?”

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Researchers say loneliness isn’t just a personal problem – mass loneliness is a threat to public health, the Los Angeles Times reports. Research published in the latest issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology asked these questions about loneliness: “Who feels it? And how are lonely people connected to the rest of us?” The authors found “like a virus, loneliness is contagious.” Read the article on LATimes.com.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: The following originally appeared in Brenda Barger’s Dec. 3, 2009, Around Davidson column.

Shelley Witkin earned a first place medal in weightlifting competition last month.

By BRENDA BARGER
DavidsonNews.net

Most of us can “pinch an inch” – especially after all the turkey feasting last week.  Not Shelley Witkin. No extra inches on this 61-year-old Davidson resident who traveled to York, Pa., last month to compete in the USA American Masters Weightlifting Competition.  For her age group (60-65) and weight class (53 kg), Shelley broke the record in the Clean and Jerk class and tied the record in the Snatch.  Returning home to the St. Alban’s neighborhood with her medal prompted a visit by DavidsonNews.net.

Read the full story

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An ongoing feud between a long-distance runner and officials in Portsmouth, N.H., has wound up in court, where a judge has ruled to ban him from the city. Runner Craig O’Brien, 48, said police harassed him for his daily exercise routine after he began running in downtown Portsmouth. Police say “he interrupts vehicular traffic” and they have the right to take “appropriate action.” Read the tale in a Boston Globe story posted on the Boston.com, “For jogger, no more crossing the line.”

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