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American Morning
Some Tips on How to Protect Your Knees; Trading Races
Aired March 09, 2006 - 08:33 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Ahead this morning, we're going to talk a little bit about what you can do to improve your health in your 30s, and your 40s and your 50s. This morning, we're talking about knee health, because of course we're doing this ongoing series with our correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen, and she's got some tips on how to protect your knees.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Al Posada has been into extreme sports ever since he was a kid. Years later, at age 51, he has to be a lot more careful. Last year, he injured his knee.
AL POSADA, BAREFOOT WATER SKIER: As a young kid, I never ever thought about getting hurt, and it's just kind of slowly grown on me with age.
COHEN: As we age, many of our body parts start to suffer with wear and tear, knees especially.
DR. ANDREW WEIL, UNIV. OF ARIZONA: Knees are vulnerable, and I think the majority of knee problems are the results of past trauma.
COHEN: The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons says past trauma can cause a wearing away of the knee cartilage problem, a painful condition called osteoarthritis. To avoid this, Dr. Andrew Weil suggest that in your 30s and 40s, modify physical activity.
WEIL: I can't tell you how many men I have seen who have refused to stop playing basketball in their 40s, and really end up paying a high price for that, or both men and women who run and ignore signals that they're getting from their knees that running is not what they should be doing anymore.
COHEN: He says be especially careful if you play team sports, tennis or run on the pay. Weil has a simple rule.
WEIL: Listen to your body and paying attention. And I think there's a common pattern as people get older not wanting to admit their bodies are changing.
COHEN: And stop if your knees hurt. If you're not careful, you could end up with knee-replacement surgery in your 40s, 50s or older. More than 300,000 operations like this are performed in the U.S. each year. Posada's injuries taught him to slow down in a smart way, to make sure to stretch before and after barefoot water skiing, and not to train when fatigued. POSADA: (INAUDIBLE) starts at 50, well, let's say, 51, because I'm starting to get it.
COHEN: Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
S. O'BRIEN: Miniscal pairs (ph) are among the most common of all knee injuries. You want to keep watching AMERICAN MORNING, because we're going to continue our series on health in your 30s, and your 40s and your 50s.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Or as I like to call it, 120, just put it all together.
S. O'BRIEN: You're getting old.
M. O'BRIEN: Sorry.
Onward we go. When Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast, it not only destroyed homes, it tore up thousands of beautiful trees. We're talking about those wonderful live oaks, those trees you never touch, you know, you wouldn't cut them down. But unlike all the other debris that needs to be trashed, those trees are getting a second chance. It's actually an opportunity for some.
Technology correspondent Daniel Sieberg is joining us now with more on this story.
How are the trees being saved, Daniel?
DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is a pretty big coordination effort, Miles. A lot of volunteers here, and these trees, in a sense, are being given a second life, if you will. It's history becoming part of history. These once-majestic trees have become part of a bond between the Gulf Coast and Mystic Seaport, a bond that's stronger than oak.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SIEBERG (voice-over): Another load of trees on the Mississippi coast, uprooted by Hurricane Katrina, ready to be hauled off.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How close do you think you can get too the root on this one?
SIEBERG: But this wood is not headed for a landfill.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's 16 and a hard center. We only need 10. So we're good. We'll probably get three good slabs out of that one.
SIEBERG: Instead, they'll be used to restore one of the last wooden sailing ships in the world, the Charles W. Morgan.
QUENTIN SNEDIKER, MYSTIC SEAPORT SHIPYARD DIR.: Live oak in the age of wooden ships was the best available ship timber. It's strong, dense, and the fact we're able to salvage the material from the storm brings a little bit of good in light of the terrible human tragedy.
SIEBERG: Residents who lost everything are thrilled to give something back.
PEGGY ROMAIN, LONG BEACH TREE DONOR: Because it was so big, it's worth the house, and unfortunately, it didn't make it but now it is a going up to Mystic, which we're really happy about.
JIM ROMAIN, LONG BEACH TREE DONOR: I was in tears. I just thrilled that such a beautiful living thing was going to have a second life.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is one thing our sawyers don't like, is finding iron in the tree.
SIEBERG: Nearly 1,500 miles away at Mystic Seaport Museum, Katrina trees will make up a big part of the 200 tons needed to restore the old whaling vessel.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Morgan built in 1841, 160-odd years old. Some of these trees are probably just about that age.
SNEDIKER: This would have the space stage in which the senior crew, the officers, would have dined.
SIEBERG (on camera): Part of what makes live oak so appealing to Quentin and his team is the natural curvature of the wood. That trait makes it useless for most home builders, but perfect for these vertical ribs in the ship.
SNEDIKER: The new frame will be installed exactly as the old frame came out. And that way, we will retain the structural design integrity of the authentic vessel.
SIEBERG (voice-over): Restoration begins in the fall of 2007.
SNEDIKER: Well, this is the first piece of live oak that we've actually milled that came from Hurricane Katrina. You know, and opening a tree like this is almost like opening a Christmas gift, because you never know exactly what you're going to find inside, and this one's opened up perfectly, and so an auspicious start to our process, being the first one.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SIEBERG: So there are a few stories of this type to come out of the Gulf Coast, essentially a good news story, Miles. And we do have something here in the studio to show people what this wood is like. This is part of that first piece that was milled out there.
M. O'BRIEN: All right, we've got to pick it up. Let's go...
SIEBERG: Yes, it looks good.
M. O'BRIEN: And of course, folks, you can't really fully appreciate this until you -- how much do you think this thing weighs.
SIEBERG: I would say it's a good...
M. O'BRIEN: Oh, man, that's dense.
SIEBERG: That's got to be at least 60 pounds, 50, 60 pounds, but extremely dense. In fact they used to use it to repel a cannonball, it was that strong.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes, well, years ago, I did a similar story, after Hurricane Hugo. In this case, it was the USS Constitution, the oldest U.S. Navy warship, still officially a Navy warship, Boston Harbor, called Old Ironsides. Why is it cold Old Ironsides? Because the oak used to repel cannon balls.
SIEBERG: Working with it, of course, is very tough. These guys hate to have to put it through a saw. It's not great for putting a nail through it, but this might make a nice surfboard.
M. O'BRIEN: You have to draw pilot holes for the nails and everything, and it's just amazing the workmanship. And what's interesting is, you have to look at the curvature of the tree and see if that matches the curvature of the hull and all that stuff.
SIEBERG: Right. And with these trees, that was all retained, because they were swept away in the storm surge. The trees are intact, but of course -- and the people part of this, too, these folks who donated these trees are really excited that it's going to be part of something this special.
M. O'BRIEN: Wow. It's good to have a silver-lining story out of Katrina. Thank you.
SIEBERG: Yes, absolutely.
M. O'BRIEN: All right, Daniel, thanks for dropping by. See you tomorrow, I hope.
SIEBERG: Yes.
M. O'BRIEN: Have some other things going on.
(WEATHER REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MARKET REPORT)
M. O'BRIEN: Anderson Cooper has a look at what's coming up on his program tonight -- Anderson.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Miles, so you check into a nice hotel and you expect a good night's sleep. You don't expect to become dinner for bedbugs. I'll introduce you to a woman tonight who is biting back, and show you what could be hiding in your bedroom. It ain't pretty. Tonight, 10 p.m. Eastern -- Miles. M. O'BRIEN: Yes, it ain't. All right, thank you very much, Anderson.
Sorry about that, folks. We try to steer clear of those stories on the morning program because we're afraid it might upset you.
S. O'BRIEN: That's become a big problem. They're hard to get rid of.
M. O'BRIEN: So I heard. All right, coming up on the program -- AMERICAN MORNING is our program here -- actress Christian Davis (ph). You know who she is right, she's Charlotte "Sex and the City." Well, she's gone Disney. We saw the movie the other day. It's shaggy dog. It's like the third remake of the shaggy dog. It's actually pretty funny. The kids loved it. I actually laughed quite hard. And then this coming up as well.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Would you want to be black for a day.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just for a day.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not even for a minute.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
M. O'BRIEN: Wow! Wow! That's a provocative. How do you really feel?
S. O'BRIEN: I can't decide if it's -- what do you think is going on in his head?
M. O'BRIEN: I don't know if I want to get to know him anymore. But anyway, we'll tell you about the reality show "Black, White." We told you about a little while ago, yesterday or the day before. And it really is interesting, caused a very interesting discussion in the O'Brien household about race issues. But Jeanne Moos takes an issue at the lighter side of things as always. She tackles this whole issue of whether people would like to switch races, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: "Black, White" is a TV reality series in which two families swap places and switch colors.
Well, CNN's Jeanne Moos takes to the streets and gauge reaction for this new show.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Color TV has gone black and white. In the new series "Black, White," two families trade places. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm getting spray painted.
MOOS: Yes, I do look like a white guy, totally.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sort of makes you wonder how you'd answer this.
(on camera): The question is, would you like to be black for a day?
Would you want to be white for a day.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
MOOS: Would you want to be black for a day?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
MOOS: Just for a day.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not even for a minute.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not for a minute, because I enjoy being who I am.
MOOS: I understand that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is too much fun as it is.
MOOS (voice-over): It's fun in the first episode, when each partner first sees the other in their new skin color.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why are you laughing at me? I should be laughing at you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my God, that is so strange.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're beautiful.
MOOS: Among folks we surveyed, women seemed more willing to swap race than men.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sure, why not.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would love to be black, maybe for one week.
MOOS (on camera): For a week.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For a week or two.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I'm fine like I am.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If there's money involved.
MOOS: If there's money involved. You'll change your race for money.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, yes.
MOOS (voice-over): These days, everyone changing place. There's the gay woman who lived like a man, going to strip clubs and joining an all-male bowling team. Then there was supermodel Tyra Banks, donning a fat suit to become a 350 pound woman.
TYRA BANKS: As soon as I stepped off the bus, I saw three people turn and laugh right in my phrase.
MOOS: Compare that to the black guy transformed into a white guy going golfing at a white club. Ryan Sparks seemed most amazed at when he went shoe shopping in the pro shop.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The guy actually took my foot and put it in the shoe.
MOOS: The white guy practiced a new walk.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just a little bit roll.
MOOS: The white daughter danced and managed to get through a black poetry slam.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The taste of sex, the body flush with hot and sticky fantastic.
MOOS: Though mom occasionally slipped up in black company.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They said something about 50 cent, and I said, how much.
MOOS: Mistaking the rap performer for quarters.
(on camera): I'm trying to imagine you black.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: With my white hair.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have enough trouble being myself.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'd like to be you for a day.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If I was a white boy, what would I do? Be with a white woman.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I probably will always remain white to the day I die.
MOOS (voice-over): Not necessarily. Ask this guy.
Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
M. O'BRIEN: Provocative in every way you might say this series is.
S. O'BRIEN: An interesting series.
M. O'BRIEN: yes.
S. O'BRIEN: Got a break coming up, top stories coming up as well. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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