Brain Aerobics

Just a Bite 6/22/10

2010-06-24T08:52:00.000-07:00

Quote to ponder under the apple tree

There are two ways of spreading light:
To be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.
~ Edith Wharton

Resources to bite into

1. Reflected light

The current issue of Brain Aerobics Weekly focuses on light in its many incarnations, but the above quote is especially appropriate related to the story told by Robert Fulghum in his 1988 book It Was on Fire When I Lay Down on It, about Alexander Papaderos, founder of an institute for peace on the isle of Crete. When Mr. Papaderos was a child during the Nazi occupation, he found a fragment of a broken mirror from a German motorcycle. He scratched it on stone until he eventually had a circular mirror about the size of a quarter, and then he began to experiment with it. He said that he “became fascinated by the fact that I could reflect light into dark places where the sun would never shine – in deep holes and dark closets.” As he grew up, he saw the mirror as a metaphor for his purpose in life. “I am not the light or the source of light. But light – truth, understanding, knowledge – is there, and it will only shine in many dark places if I reflect it.” He said that he was “a fragment of a mirror whose whole design and shape I do not know.” He could not change the world, but he “could change some things in some people,” by reflecting light into the dark places of this world and “into the black places in the hearts of men.”

What dark corners and hearts can you bring light to?

To order, It Was on Fire When I Lay Down on It by Robert Fulghum, click here.

2. Light through a parasol

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly also highlights the paintings of American artist Frederick Carl Frieseke, who was one of the leaders of the Giverny Luminists. In the early 1900s, he and his wife lived for 14 years on property adjoining Claude Monet’s in the French village of Giverny. Pictured here is a detail from one of several paintings of women with parasols he made with the sun dappling through.

3. Dogs in the spotlight

Every June, as noted in the current Brain Aerobics Weekly, the World’s Ugliest Dog Contest is held in Petaluma, California, as part of the Sonoma-Marin Fair, a tradition that is now more than 20 years old and trademarked. One breed that has won in the past is a Chinese Crested dog, which is a largely hairless animal with spotted skin and odd tufts of hair around its head and ankles. It is interesting to note that the winner is not judged purely on ugliness – which would require only photos – but on which dog has a winning personality that makes its ugliness irrelevant. Is there a lesson here?

Tips/ideas/insights to savor

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly also features a word game using words that have to do with light – from starlight to taking a second job and moonlighting. The original exercise asks readers to fill in the blanks and gives clues within each sentence about the missing word. Here is a more difficult variation:

There are at least 10 kinds of electrical lights beyond the common light bulb. They are found on our streets, cars, homes, and theatres (and probably other places). How many can you name?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

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Answers: cars: headlights, brake lights, taillights cities: street lights, neon lights, traffic lights, search lights homes: porch lights, night lights, flash lights, flood lights
theatres: footlights, spotlights
Can you think of more?

Just a Bite 6/15/10

2010-06-19T09:04:00.000-07:00

Quote to ponder under the apple tree

A kiss that speaks volumes is seldom a first edition.
~Clare Whiting

Resources to bite into

1. Kissing is good for your health

In honor of the month that was long been the most popular for weddings, the current issue of Brain Aerobics Weekly features a discussion of kissing based on an old New York Times article by Joshua Foer (Feb. 14, 2006, http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/14/opinion/14foer.html) and the website http://people.howstuffworks.com/kissing2.htm. When you are kissed by someone you care about, the following hormones and neurotransmitters rush through your body:
• Oxytocin, which helps people develop feelings of attachment, devotion and affection for one another
• Dopamine, which plays a role in the brain's processing of pleasure and pain
• Serotonin, which affects a person's mood and feelings
• Adrenaline, which increases heart rate and dilates your blood vessels to provide your body with more oxygen

Plus, according to Mr. Foer, “A study conducted during the 1980's found that men who kiss their wives before leaving for work live longer, get into fewer car accidents, and have a higher income than married men who don't.” We assume the same is true for anyone who kisses anyone with affection, so get out there and pucker up!

2. Kissing quotes

Here are a few kissing quotes. Which do you agree with?

Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves. ~Albert Einstein

Kissing is a means of getting two people so close together that they can't see anything wrong with each other. ~Rene Yasenek

In trying to get our own way, we should remember that kisses are sweeter than whine. ~Author Unknown

People who throw kisses are mighty hopelessly lazy. ~Bob Hope

3. Wedding trivia

The trivia quiz in the current Brain Aerobics Weekly highlights the origins of marriage traditions. Here are two you may not have known:
• “Wedding toast” got its name from the custom of placing a square of bread in the bottom of two drinking glasses for the newlyweds. The bride and groom drank as fast as they could, and whoever was first to get to the toast would rule the household.
• Until about 1500 years ago, the ring finger was the index finger. Later the third finger became associated with “vein of love that led directly to the heart.” (Check out the lines on your own palm!)

Tips/ideas/insights to savor

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly also features an exercise in writing your own goodwill. June probably first became a popular month to marry because it was associated with the Roman goddess Juno, who was seen as the protector of married life. May, on the other hand was associated with bad luck: “Marry in May, and you’ll rue the day.” Such rhymes and aphorisms are all well and good when they favor your choice, but why put a silly curse on life events? Here’s a challenge:

Take the beginning of each line below and finish it with a fortunate ending:

Marry when the year is new . . .
When February birds do mate . . .
If you wed when March winds blow . . .
Marry in April when you can . . .
Marry in the month of May . . .
Marry when June roses grow . . .
Those who in July do wed . . .
Whoever wed in August be . . .
Marry in September's shine . . .
If in October you do marry . . .
If you wed in bleak November . . .
When December snows fall fast . . .

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Each week brings amazing and amusing mind stimulation!

Let us become the apple of your eye.

Just a Bite 6-1-10

2010-06-02T06:48:00.000-07:00

Quote to ponder under the apple tree

The Earth laughs in flowers.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Resources to bite into

1. Celebrate Perennial Garden Month

I am a great garden appreciator, but a pathetic gardener, so Perennial Garden Month – which means you don’t have to till the soil and plant the seeds each year – holds high appeal for me. What I hadn’t thought about, but which is highlighted in the current UBrain Aerobics WeeklyU, is the fact that almost all our fruits and nuts and many of our herbs and spices are perennials. What a bounty we have in apple, plum, peach, and cherry trees for delicious fruits, and almond, pecan, and walnut trees to keep us all a little nutty. As for the vines, many thanks for the wine. And flowers? Their diversity is divine.

2. Get outside!

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly notes that June is Great Outdoors Month and that there is nothing as easy and effective for lifting moods and improving one’s sense of well being as a simple walk outdoors. It is good for our physical health:
• Brief sunlight contributes to calcium’s conversion into strong bones and the body’s use of vitamin D. It also boosts our immune system.
And it’s good for our mental health:
• It reduces depression and decreases stress.
And it’s good for communities, because people who enjoy the outdoors tend to better stewards of those spaces. Think about all the things you enjoy outdoors, all the places you enjoy doing them, and get yourself outside!

3. Odd solutions

Although I am writing this a week before you’ll see it, the BP oil leak is very much on my mind and it is likely to be an even bigger disaster as time goes on. The evening news noted that over 20,000 suggestions for what to do have been submitted from scientists, engineers and ordinary citizens. Surely among them are workable ideas. Human ingenuity is amazing. The current Brain Aerobics Weekly highlights other outside-the-box ideas that are having impact, such as rats trained to detect buried land mines where war has ended and peanut butter as an ideal food for malnourished African children.
Another idea – putting low methane microbes from kangaroo stomachs into high methane cow stomachs – provides amusement. In a time of crisis, keeping our sense of humor can be an essential weapon.

Tips/ideas/insights to savor

To keep us focused on oil, the current Brain Aerobics Weekly has a word quiz related to coming up with words that contain the letters O-I-L. One part has the letters out of order. Here’s a sampling:

1. Singers on this TV show compete to become the next American _______.

2. For the big dance at school, a group of us rented a __________ to take us there.

3. Could the lamb ever lie down with the __________ , and not get eaten?

4. He wanted a steak but couldn’t decide between __________ and __________.

5. To save money on paper, the newspaper went from standard size to __________ format.

6. Next to the barn were two huge __________ for storing the grain.

Here’s hoping “Oil won’t be seeing you in every lovely summer's day.”

Answers: 1. idol 2. limo 3. lion 4. sirloin and tenderloin 5. tabloid 6. silos

To receive the advantage of seeing more than 4 times as many ideas and exercises each week, subscribe to Brain Aerobics Weekly today.

Each week brings amazing and amusing mind stimulation!

2010-05-06T04:25:00.000-07:00

Quote to ponder under the apple tree
More grows in the garden than the gardener sows.
~ Old Spanish Proverb

Resources to bite into
1. It’s Wildflower Week
The current Brain Aerobics Weekly celebrates wild growing things,

noting that 80 percent of all medicinal drugs originate from wild plants.

Most, however, remain unstudied. Consider the pink Madagascar
periwinkle, (shown here) from which vincristine is derived.
Vincristine has increased the survival rate of children with leukemia
from 20 percent to 80 percent. What else remains to be
discovered? The beauty of flowers is more than skin deep. (Learn more at
http://www.nps.gov/plants/cw/variety.htm.)

2. Today is International Respect for Chickens Day
The slogan is "Give a Cluck! Stick Up For Chickens!" May 4th is
International Respect for Chickens Day in a month of activities
sponsored by United Poultry Concerns (UPC). The organization
promotes a vegan diet and compassionate treatment of chickens.
I am unlikely to become a vegan soon, but I certainly support the
humane treatment of poultry and all things edible. And I like their
sense of humor. They have put 100 king-size posters on
Washington, D.C. Metro buses with their slogan. Learn more at http://www.thepoultrysite.com/poultrynews/20064/campaigners-to-honourrespect- for-chickens-day

3. Celebrate gnomes, too
The current Brain Aerobics Weekly also celebrates garden gnomes which are, sad to say, not fully appreciated by all, but dearly loved by many. Here is a sample paragraph from the discussion page:
The small town of Strasburg in southern Illinois, adopted garden gnomes as its mascot two years ago, and since then they have been arriving in increasing numbers. They even have their own newspaper with the motto, “Gnome News is Good News.” As this is a census year in the U.S., the town council did not want the gnomes to feel neglected and conducted a gnome census, with volunteers going door to door among the town’s 600
residents to ask for the number of bearded figures per household, plus their sex, age and place of origin. Source: http://www.sott.net/articles/show/207003-Gnome-Census-Illinoistown- plans-first-garden-gnome-count

Tips/ideas/insights to savor
A few people have been known to have the same phobia toward gnomes that some people have toward clowns, but the current Brain Aerobics Weekly features a trivia quiz on movie monsters
that are more universally feared. Here is a sampling:
1. Attack of the Killer Tomatoes ___
2. The Blob ___
3. The Mummy ___
4. The Fly ___
5. Wolfman ___
a. The 1941 version of this classic starred Lon Chaney Jr. in the tragic tale of an ordinary man who unwillingly turns into a feared animal when the moon is full.
b. An eccentric scientist experimenting with teleportation accidentally turns
himself into an oversized insect in a love story gone horribly wrong.
c. In the original 1932 version, Boris Karloff starred as an Egyptian creature returning to
life to stalk the reincarnation of his lost love.
d. This spoof of monster movies featured vegetables that revolted against humanity.
e. A meteorite crashes to earth, leaving a crater in the ground and a gelatinous substance. An
old farmer picks it up with a stick to get a closer look and is eaten; with each victim devoured the substance grows larger. . .

Answers: 1. d 2. e 3. c 4. b 5. a

To receive the advantage of seeing more than 4 times as many ideas and exercises each week, subscribe to Brain Aerobics Weekly today.

Each week brings amazing and amusing mind stimulation!

Let us become the apple of your eye.

Just a Bite 4/20/10

2010-04-20T12:36:00.000-07:00

Quote to ponder under the apple tree

There are no passengers on Spaceship Earth. We are all crew.
~ Marshall McLuhan

Resources to bite into

1. Earth Day turns 40 and the Earth still turns

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly opens with a “Talking Trash” trivia quiz because, unfortunately, 40 years after U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson proposed the first Earth Day, environmental issues are still with us.

One easy thing you can do: use canvas bags for shopping. Canvas is slowly catching on, but here are two big reasons to switch – or at the very least recycle your plastic bags, because about 97% are not:
• An estimated million sea creatures are killed each year when they ingest plastic bags – sometimes whole, because turtles, for example, mistake them for jelly fish.
• As plastic bags decompose, tiny toxic bits seep into soils, lakes, rivers, and the oceans and the plastic debris itself acts like a sponge for toxic chemicals. They are therefore deadly in small bits, too.
Learn more at http://www.recycling-revolution.com/recycling-facts.html

2. Rhyming with Earth

What word that rhymes with earth:

1. is an Australian city?
2. means a beginning?
3. has to do with value?
4. means a lack of?
5. is related to joy and laughter?
6. is a measurement?

Bonus: How many letters of the alphabet rhyme with tree? Answers on next page.

3. Life is improving

Although we have much left to do to honor our planet, the current Brain Aerobics Weekly takes note of one way life has improved. Shakespeare’s birth is also celebrated this week (April 23, 1564) and according to Bill Bryson in his book, Shakespeare, The World as Stage, we are lucky that he even survived to write his plays. In 1564, two-thirds of infants died of the plague or other causes. The populace also faced constant danger from tuberculosis, measles, rickets, scurvy, smallpox and dozens of other diseases and fevers. Thank goodness for his good health!

Answers to rhyming with earth:
1. mirth; 2. Perth; 3. worth; 4. dearth; 5. birth; 6. girth

Bonus: 9 (b c d e g p t v z)

Tips/ideas/insights to savor

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly features a word quiz taken from Shakespeare’s plays. As you may know, he was the inventor of more than a thousand new words and phrases. In the sampling of groups of four below, can you pick out the modern expression from among the others which are his creation?

1. a. ___Heavens to Betsy b. ___For goodness’ sake
c. ___ It was Greek to me d. ___ What the dickens

2. a. ___ In a pickle b. ___ Milk of human kindness
c. ___ Dangle a carrot d. ___ Salad days

3. a. ___ A dish fit for the gods b. ___ The world’s my oyster
c. ___ Eaten me out of house and home d. ___ Easy as pie

4. a. ___ Bleeding heart b. ___ Heart of gold
c. ___ In my heart of hearts d. ___ Sick at heart

Answers: 1. a; 2. c; 3. d; 4. a

To receive the advantage of seeing more than 4 times as many ideas and exercises each week, subscribe to Brain Aerobics Weekly today.

Each week brings amazing and amusing mind stimulation!

Let us become the apple of your eye.

Just a Bite 4/13/10

2010-04-13T20:19:00.000-07:00

Quote to ponder under the apple tree

I merely took the energy it takes to pout and wrote some blues.
~ Duke Ellington (born April 29, 1899)

Resources to bite into

1. It’s Jazz Appreciation Month

As noted in the current Brain Aerobics Weekly, five of the most famous jazz and blues performers of all time have April birthdays. Besides Duke Ellington, the others are:
• Billie Holiday, April 7, 1915
• Bessie Smith, April 15, 1894
• Lionel Hampton, April 20, 1908
• Ella Fitzgerald, April 25, 1917
Each had amazing talent, and you can hear samples of their performances by going to http://www.rhapsody.com and typing in their names. Here’s another of my favorite quotes from Ella Fitzgerald: “I stole everything I ever heard, but mostly I stole from the horns.”

2. The Earth is always moving

This week marks the anniversary of the April 18, 1906 San Francisco earthquake, which left about 75% of the city’s population (over 250,000 people) homeless. In a year that has already seen numerous devastating earthquakes, it’s interesting to note that the year 1906 was also fraught with them. In addition to the 7.8 magnitude San Francisco one were these:
• Ecuador/Colombia at 8.8 magnitude, January 31
• Taiwan at 7.1 magnitude, March 16
• Chile at 8.2 magnitude, August 16
• Aleutian Islands and the West Pacific at 8.2 magnitude, August 17
According to a recent article in the New York Times by Roger Musson, that’s not really so unusual: “On average, we record an earthquake with a magnitude over 6 every three days or so, and over 7 at least once a month.” Does that surprise you? It does me!
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/11/opinion/11musson.html?th&emc=th

3. April showers and creating bigger raindrops

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly notes advice from award-winning speaker Darren LaCroix. He wrote recently of taking a backstage movie studio tour and learning that when it rains in Hollywood movies, filmmakers actually make raindrops four times bigger. If they didn’t, we wouldn’t be able to see them, and why the actors were getting wet would make less sense. Mr. LaCroix uses that technique to exaggerate the stories in his speeches so they are more likely to make people laugh, and suggests we look for ways to enhance the raindrops in other aspects of our lives. April 16th is Stress Awareness Day and April 14th is Moment of Laughter Day. Why not decrease your vision of the stress raindrops in your life and increase the size of your guffaws this week?

Tips/ideas/insights to savor

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly also takes note of the publication of Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring in 1962. Ms. Carson was a well-known natural history writer at the time, and when her book documented the detrimental effects of pesticides on the environment, particularly on birds, she was taken seriously. (“Silent spring” refers to the disappearance of birdsongs.) The book is credited with launching the environmental movement and the banning of DDT. As we approach Earth Day, it’s a good book to check out. (To order, click here.)

On the other hand, silence can be a good and too rare commodity in our lives. Think about the people you are with and/or the places you go to enjoy silence.

• What silences soothe you?
• With whom can you sit in companionable silence?
• How do you use silence – pauses – to enhance music, poetry or the telling of jokes?
• Who or what have you commemorated with “a moment of silence”?

To receive the advantage of seeing more than 4 times as many ideas and exercises each week, subscribe to Brain Aerobics Weekly today.

Each week brings amazing and amusing mind stimulation!

Let us become the apple of your eye.

Just a Bite March 30th, 2010

2010-03-30T08:43:00.000-07:00

Quote to ponder under the apple tree

Don’t let a man put anything over on you except an umbrella.
~ Mae West

Resources to bite into

1. Umbrella Month is ending; April showers are beginning!

As noted in the current Brain Aerobics Weekly, the Latin root for umbrella is “umbra” which means shade or shadow. Umbrellas have been fashionable for at least 4000 years, but they were originally intended only as protection from the sun in hot Mediterranean countries. The Chinese were the first to put a waterproof coating on them for rain protection, but that use didn’t catch on for another millennium or two in the western world.

2. It’s Cherry Blossom Festival time

If you are lucky enough to live in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Vancouver, Tokyo, or anywhere else where cherry blossoms bloom, you are entering one of the most beautiful times of the year. Washington, D.C.’s Cherry Blossom Festival began on March 27 and will run through April 11. In Japan, where the blossoming of the sakura trees is as much a part of the daily news as fall color reports are in New England, some cities have already passed their prime viewing, which happened a little early this year.

But its transience is exactly what makes the cherry blossom season worth treasuring. Gathering under the blossoms, a practice called hanami, is the reason for picnics, parties and visits to temples and shrines. Cherry blossoms are both a sign of the hope of spring – for good fortune and love – and a sign of mortality, because their loveliness is short lived. The Japanese phrase for this is mono no aware (each vowel is pronounced) which is sometimes translated as “the ahhh-ness of things.” For a moment, we are deeply aware of great beauty, and feel a bittersweet sadness that it will not last. Treasure the ahhh-ness in your life!

3. An artist who immortalized the moments
The current Brain Aerobics Weekly features a painting by Vincent Van Gogh who was born on this date in 1853. Like many artists in his time period, he was deeply influenced by Japanese art. The painting pictured below, called “Almond Blossom,” was created in celebration of the birth of his nephew and namesake, born on January 31, 1890.

One would think he had been to a cherry blossom festival!

Tips/ideas/insights to savor

Moving ahead to April and Physical Wellness Month, the current Brain Aerobics Weekly features a body part quiz inspired by Paul Dickson’s book, A Connoisseur’s Collection of Old and New, Weird and Wonderful, Useful and Outlandish Words. (To order, click here.) I would suspect you didn’t even know these body parts existed. Here’s a sampling:

1. Olecranon ___
2. Opisthenar ___
3. Oscitancy ___
4. Sciapodous ___
5. Tragus ___

a. the act of yawning
b. the back of your hand
c. the fleshy bump on your ear between the face and the ear cavity
d. the ‘funny” bone – the projecting bone of the elbow
e. having very large feet

For extra credit, try naming 10 common body parts with only three letters.

Answers to this quiz: 1. d; 2. b; 3.a; 4. e; 5. c

As for the extra credit, you’ll need to think harder or subscribe to Brain Aerobics Weekly!

To receive the advantage of seeing more than 4 times as many ideas and exercises each week, subscribe to Brain Aerobics Weekly today.

Order Brain Aerobics Weekly at
http://www.wisernow.com/.
Each week brings amazing and amusing mind stimulation!

Let us become the apple of your eye.

Just a Bite 3-16-10

2010-03-16T17:31:00.000-07:00

Quote to ponder under the apple tree

Hope is a very unruly emotion.
~ Gloria Steinem (born March 25, 1935)

Resources to bite into

1. C’mon get happy; it’s spring!

As noted in the current Brain Aerobics Weekly, this is Spring Fever Week (fittingly the week spring begins) and Act Happy Week. Many of us have no problem acting happy when spring begins; some of us get downright goofy. But when one more snowstorm or bout of cold weather arrives, our hopes are thrown for a loop. Dale Anderson, M.D., says that we can become happy by acting happy. Just as smiling when you’re feeling low can lift your mood, acting as if you’re happy when you’re not can bring your body around to feeling happier. Dr. Anderson notes on his website (http://www.acthappy.com) that “Happiness is an infectious state that can have a beneficial impact on health,” making it an idea worth “germ”-inating. There’s never been a better time to exercise your funny bone than now. There never is.

2. Overcoming awkward moments

March 16th is Awkward Moments Day, a reminder to make light of your faux pas. After lunching at New York City’s Algonquin Hotel one day in the 1920s, the American humorist Robert Benchley and his companions walked through the lobby and out the front door. Still engaged in conversation with his friends, Mr. Benchley offhandedly said to the uniformed man standing by the front door, "My good man, would you please get me a taxi?" The man immediately took offense and replied indignantly, "I'm not a doorman. I happen to be a rear admiral in the United States Navy." Benchley instantly quipped: "All right then, get me a battleship." Have you ever had a clever comeback line to cover up an awkward moment? Share your story.

3. Imagining your loved ones as food

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly has an imaginative exercise based on a quote found in author Mardy Grothe’s book I Never Metaphor I Didn’t Like. (To order, click here. His website, http://www.drmardy.com/, is also the source of the Robert Benchley story above.) The quote that inspired the exercise was Katherine Hepburn comparing herself with Spencer Tracy:
He was a baked potato – solid . . .
I was a fancy dessert – mocha chip ice cream.

Imagine yourself – and your family, friends and other celebrities as food. What kind would they be?

Tips/ideas/insights to savor

We couldn’t let the week go by without noting St. Patrick’s Day. The current Brain Aerobics Weekly celebrates with a word game inspired by the song from “Finian’s Rainbow” called “Something Sort of Grandish.” The lyrics by E.Y. Harburg include real and made up words ending in “ish”. For example:

My heart feels so sugar candish . . .
Why should I vanquish,
Relinquish, resish,
When I simply relish this swellish condish?

There are, in fact, hundreds of real words that end in “ish.” How many can you think of in the following categories? (Sample answers are given below)
• People of particular nationalities, such as Irish
• Colors, such as greenish
• Ages, such as thirtyish
• Human sizes and shapes, such as smallish and tallish
• Human character, such as impish
• Humans’ animalistic tendencies, such as coltish

A few answers:
• Nationalities: British, Danish, Moorish, Polish . . .
• Colors: blackish, bluish, grayish, purplish, reddish . . .
• Ages: oldish, youngish, fortyish, fiftyish . . .
• Human sizes/shapes: biggish, blimpish, frumpish, lumpish, plumpish, thinnish . . .
• Human character: babyish, boyish, brutish, childish, clownish, coquettish, devilish, girlish, knavish, nerdish, pixyish, scampish, tomboyish, vixenish, wimpish . . .
• Humans’ animalistic tendencies: mulish, hawkish, dovish, kittenish, piggish, sheepish, shrewish, sluggish, toadyish . . .

To receive the advantage of seeing all these ideas in an expanded version, subscribe to Brain Aerobics Weekly today.

Order Brain Aerobics Weekly at
www.wisernow.com.
Each week brings amazing and amusing mind stimulation!

Let us become the apple of your eye.

2010-03-10T13:44:00.000-08:00

Quote to ponder under the apple tree

The important thing is not to stop questioning. . .
Never lose a holy curiosity.
~ Albert Einstein (born March 14, 1879)

Resources to bite into

1. Celebrating Einstein

Albert Einstein’s birthday is Sunday, and as noted in the current Brain Aerobics Weekly, his is one of my favorite birthdays to celebrate, first, because while he was an undisputed genius, he was also endearingly absent-minded. He was notoriously forgetful, and incapable it seems of remembering birthdays and phone numbers, including his own (which he explained away, because he had no reason to call himself). He was a terrible speller, and although he loved playing the violin, he didn’t play it well. When he found that his big toe invariably made a hole in his socks, he stopped wearing socks, and he generally preferred the rumpled look, as the pictures of his wild white hair attest. The second reason Albert Einstein has long intrigued me is that he was wonderfully quotable and thought provoking. Here is an example: We should take care not to make the intellect our god; it has, of course, powerful muscles, but no personality.

2. Celebrating Pi Day

It is an odd quirk of fate that mathematical genius Albert Einstein was born on March 14th also written as 3.14, or the first three numbers of pi, which stands for the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. While Pi Day may not be your favorite holiday, it has been honored since 1988 by people who care about numbers or pie – pizza pie or the fruit variety. You can also celebrate with pineapple and pine nuts and drink pina coladas.

3. Your “second brain”

The discussion topic of the current Brain Aerobics Weekly, was inspired by an article in Scientific American that gives new meaning to “I knew it in my gut.” The article by Adam Hadhazy is titled “Think Twice: How the Gut's ‘Second Brain’ Influences Mood and Well-Being.” It highlights recent research that suggests the mass of neural tissue known as our “enteric nervous system,” (informally “our gut”) functions in many ways as a “second brain.” Scientists are discovering new ways the millions of neurons and neurotransmitters communicate with the brain in our head, affect our immune system, our sense of well-being and contribute to or prevent diseases. Learn more by subscribing to the 10 pages of fascinating food for your brain that could be arriving weekly in your email box as Brain Aerobics Weekly, or, in this particular case, by going to http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=gut-second-brain.

Tips/ideas/insights to savor

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly also highlights Celebrate Your Name Week in multiple ways. One is a word quiz which illustrates the funny results that could come from marriages between people dead or alive, real or fictional, male or female, if spouses took their mates’ names. For example:
If Lola Falana married Birch Bayh, Paul Anka and Ted Knight successively, her name would be Lola Bayh Anka Knight. Cute, no?

What would be the result if these people wed? (Besides disaster)

1. If Dolly Parton married Salvador Dali, she'd be _____________

2. If Julia Roberts had left Lyle Lovett for Bobby Orr and then married Mike Leavitt, she’d be ____________

3. If Sondra Locke married Elliott Ness, then divorced him to marry Herman Munster, she'd become ____________

4. If Bea Arthur married Sting, she'd be ___________

Find more in the book What’s in a Name? Reflections of an Irrepressible Name Collector by Paul Dickson (To order, click here) and at http://www.funny.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/Funny.woa/wa/funny?fn=C540M&Funny_Jokes=Celebrity_Name_Teases

1. Dolly Dali, 2. Julia Lovett Orr Leavitt, 3. Sondra Locke Ness Munster and 4. Bea Sting

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2010-02-23T16:57:00.000-08:00

Quote to ponder under the apple tree

. . .There's not a hell of a lot I can do about being short.
You just gotta run with it.
~ Michael J. Fox

Resources to bite into

1. Celebrating all things short

In honor of the end of the shortest month of the year, the current Brain Aerobics Weekly focuses on all things short. Thomas T. Samaras and his colleagues at Reventropy Associates (See http://www.shortsupport.org/Research/samaras.html) have spent 30 years finding advantages in short people, including faster reaction times, greater ability to accelerate body movements, stronger muscles in proportion to body weight, greater endurance and the ability to rotate the body faster. They are also less likely to break bones in falling. You may have noticed that in both summer and winter Olympics, short gymnasts, divers, skiers, figure skaters, soccer players, and long distance runners, often have the tallest spot on the podium. (Pictured: snowboarder Shaun White, a relatively tall 5’8”)

2. Short naps

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly also notes these benefits from taking short naps (excerpted from http://ririanproject.com/2007/09/05/10-benefits-of-power-napping-and-how-to -do-it/):
1. Lower stress levels
2. Increased alertness, productivity and creativity
3. Improved memory, learning and cognitive functioning
4. Good for the heart, hormonal maintenance and cell repair
5. Get motivated to exercise
6. Protect yourself from sleepiness (especially if you must be up late at night)
Dr. Sara Mednick wrote Take a Nap! Change Your Life. (To order, click here.)

3. A short thought: Open that bottle

The last Saturday in February (This year the 27th) is always “Open That Bottle Night,” a time to stop postponing indulgence. Non-drinkers can make it a “Have that Hot Fudge Sundae Night” or whatever other extravagance they choose. We save too much for non-existent special occasions instead of making special occasions out of ordinary events. My mother tried to teach me this wisdom, which is my advice to you: Don’t postpone joy.

Tips/ideas/insights to savor

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly also highlights the recommendations of celebrities from the regular Time Magazine feature “Short Lists.” Remember the game in which you were asked if you could take just one book to a deserted island, what would it be? (Smart alecks always answered, The Art of Shipbuilding.) The Time feature asks people to name a broader list of favorites: Not only books, but movies, artists, musicians, websites, and a few celebrities include pastimes (Jerry Seinfeld: walks through Central Park) and foods (Nora Ephron: frozen custard at the Shake Shack). Here are a few samples:
• Book: Julia Louis-Dreyfus: Confessions of a Map Dealer by Paul Micou, plus his seven other books are “eight of the funniest novels I’ve ever read” she says.
• Musicians: Randy Jackson: “Here are two artists you need to be aware of: The Rev. Smokie Norful, a brilliantly talented gospel artist and the Paper Tongues, a terrific new rock band.”
• Movie: Marcia Gay Harden: “Frozen River – . . .fell in love with the beyond-powerful performances . . .”
• Artist: Jennifer Beals: “I swooned in the presence of Alexandra Hedison’s photographs of landscapes and trees in the Pacific Northwest.”
• Website: Lily Tomlin: “Check out the Allee Willis Museum of Kitsch at http://www.awmok.com/, and don’t miss the Kitsch o’ the Day.”

If you’re unfamiliar with any of their choices, expand your mind by looking them up. Then make your own list:

If you were stuck somewhere with limited entertainment, which single thing in each of those categories would bring you laughs, comfort, intellectual stimulation and/or serenity? Share your list with others!

*****************************************************************************************************
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Just a Bite 2/9/10

2010-02-09T06:52:00.000-08:00

Quote to ponder under the apple tree

Seven days without chocolate makes one weak.
~ Author unknown (but wise)

Resources to bite into

1. Celebrating Chocolate

In honor of the week before Valentine’s Day, the current Brain Aerobics Weekly features loads of trivia on my favorite part of the holiday: chocolate! Did you know, for example, that dark chocolate (containing at least 30, but preferably 70% or more cocoa) is considered good for your health (in moderation) because:
• It’s rich in anti-oxidants and flavanoids that are good for your heart.
• Its fat content is stearic acid, which doesn’t affect cholesterol.
• It contains phenyl ethylamine (PEA), a substance that is reputed to stimulate the same pleasant reaction in the body as falling in love.

2. Unusual Chocolate Gifts

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly also notes that nearly anything these days can be purchased in chocolate. Among the foods you probably don’t want to try are chocolate onions, sushi, squid and beef jerky, but perhaps you are open to chocolate beer, wine and pasta? You can also get chocolate bandages – boxed and shaped like the real thing. They won’t help the scrape, but they might heal hurt feelings. If that’s not enough, check out chocolate dresses (yes, they are made of real chocolate), wigs, and bath products. Pictured: Visitors at a local spa enjoy a chocolate bath on Feb. 14, 2008 in Hakone, Kanagawa, Japan.

3. Chocolate Museums

York Daily News listed its view of the Top 10 Chocolate Museums last October.
(http://www.nydailynews.com/real_estate/2009/10/16/2009-10-16_mmmm__top_10_chocolate_museums.html) Each offers special delights. At the Cologne (Germany) museum, also known as the Imhoff-Stollwerck Museum, for example, is a chocolate fountain where museum staff dip waffles into the hot liquid for salivating guests. The Pannys museum in Canada has a chocolate rendition of Michelangelo’s statue of David and an entire chocolate town. Barcelona’s Museu de la Xocolata is also famous for its wide-ranging chocolate sculptures from cartoon characters to religious figures. Especially appropriate at this time of year, Canada’s chocolate museum in the town of St. Stephen, New Brunswick pays tribute to the Ganong Brothers, candy makers who introduced the world to the heart-shaped chocolate box.

Tips/ideas/insights to savor

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly also highlights the books of Larry Smith and Rachel Fershleiser:
• Not Quite What I Was Planning, Revised and Expanded Deluxe Edition: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure. To order, click here.
• It All Changed in an Instant. To order, click here.
Both feature the six-word “novels” of famous and obscure contributors. AARP liked the idea so much that Larry Smith now edits a regular column for their magazine. He provides a topic and asks readers to submit entries. The authors of the entries chosen for publication receive a free T-shirt with their “novel” printed on it. To enter, go to: www.aarpmagazine.org/6wordmemoirs.

The September/October 2009 issue topic was “Less is L’Amour,” which is perfect for this Valentine’s issue. Following are some samples:

• Secret to life: marry an Italian. (Nora Ephron)

• Romance blossomed then. Love blooms now. (Alana Owen, Haslet, TX)

• He loved, lied, and was left. (Mark Moroney, Lake Highland Girls Classic League, Dallas, Texas. Mark wants us to know that this was "not based on personal experience!")

• Good housekeeper. I got the house. (Nancy McPeak, 64, Xenia, Ohio)

Now write yours!
*****************************************************************************************************
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2010-02-02T13:56:00.000-08:00

Quote to ponder under the apple tree

Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires,
and a touch that never hurts.
~ Charles Dickens (born February 7, 1812)

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Resources to bite into

1. Groundhog Day in Puxsutawney Is Today!

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly features an acknowledgement of Groundhog Day in Puxsutawney, Pennsylvania, which has been celebrated there since the late 1880s. However, the tradition of using an animal to predict the coming of spring goes back at least to the ancient Romans who used a hedgehog. Pennsylvanians, lacking that cuddly creature among its native fauna, have substituted a larger rodent. The idea is that if the groundhog named Pete or Phil (whichever is alive in any given year) sees his shadow, he will go back in his burrow, and we will have another six weeks of winter. Therefore, those longing for spring should always hope for an overcast February 2nd. Puxsutawney, for those who are interested, derives its name from a Delaware Indian word for “sand flies.” There’s a punch line there somewhere.

2. Winter Olympics

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly also anticipates the upcoming Winter Olympics in Vancouver February 12 – 28. One event that I didn’t realize had Olympic status is called “skeleton,” and is essentially old-fashioned sledding – lying on your stomach and flying head first down the hill. Named for the sled, not for the sledders, it has been in and out of favor over the years, but is currently in. Other events such as figure skating, speed skating, ski jumping, and ice hockey have been popular since the first winter games in 1924. You can learn more at http://www.vancouver2010.com/.

3. Remembering David Letterman’s Top Ten Lists

In all the recent late night TV programming controversies, it’s nice to remember that David Letterman remains his unique self. “Late Night with David Letterman” – the first version of his show – premiered February 1, 1982. It was more than another three years before he aired his first Top Ten List, which was apparently written in retaliation for the People Magazine top ten lists that Mr. Letterman found stupid and annoying, but his own lists eventually became a regular feature of his show. The first list was titled “The Top Ten Things That Almost Rhyme with Peas.” Here are the 10 items:

10) Heats
9) Rice
8) Moss
7) Ties
6) Needs
5) Lens
4) Ice
3) Nurse
2) Leaks
1) Meats

Source: http://thelongestlistofthelongeststuffatthelongestdomainnameatlonglast.com/first.html

Tips/ideas/insights to savor

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly also features a trivia quiz on “Which came first?” Because it’s winter and for those of you living in colder climes, you may be growing weary of drab days, we focused on recreational amenities. Here are a few samples:

1. The first a) ___ Monopoly game or b) ___ the first Slinky?

2. The first a) ___crossword puzzle or b) ___ the first jigsaw puzzle?

3. The first a) ___hamburger served or b) ___the first pizzeria?

4. The first a) ___ drive-in movie theatre or b) ___the first in-flight movie?

5. The first a) ___miniature golf course or b) ___the first roller rink?

To make up your own lists, check out the website listed above.

Answers: 1. a; 2. b; 3. b; 4. b; 5. They opened about the same time.

*****************************************************************************************************
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Let the ever-ripening Wiser Now website
become the apple of your eye.

Just a Bite 1-26-10

2010-01-27T02:55:00.000-08:00

Quote to ponder under the apple tree

. . . in spite of everything, I still believe
that people are really good at heart.”
~ Anne Frank (from her diary)

Resources to bite into

1.The Example of Miep

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly features a tribute to Miep Gies who died earlier this month at the age of 100. She was one of six people who helped the Frank family and several other Jews hide in a warehouse annex for two years during World War II, and she was the specific person who saved Anne Frank’s diary and returned it to her father, Otto Frank. He was the only member of his family to survive the concentration camps after their hiding place was discovered. Because of Miep, millions of people have read Anne’s story and learned of the bravery shown by those who helped her. Miep always resisted the title of hero, because she was afraid it would keep people from offering help to those in need. She was just a housewife and a secretary, she said, not someone who was super human. It’s a wise message, but she was my hero, nonetheless.

2. India is 60
Today is the 60th anniversary of India Republic Day, marking the adoption of the Constitution of India and its official transition of India from a British Dominion to the Republic of India. The current Brain Aerobics Weekly uses the occasion for a trivia quiz on the vast and beautiful country. Here’s just a brief tidbit on why most of us associate it with fabulous hues: The national fruit of India is the colorful mango, and the national bird is the peacock. Marigold flowers, symbolizing good fortune and happiness, are used as decoration for Hindu marriages. Red is the traditional color for brides and is often combined with yellow for rebirth.

3. January 29 Is Freethinker’s Day: Let Your Imagination Wander

• Where do forest rangers go to get away from it all?
• Would a fly without wings be called a walk?
• If a turtle doesn’t have a shell, is he homeless or naked?
• What was the best thing before sliced bread?

Tips/ideas/insights to savor

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly features a word quiz on cooking metaphors. Most of us use metaphors – comparing one thing to another that on the surface seems unrelated – virtually without thinking. Here’s a variation of the BAW quiz.

Can you use all of the following words in sentences?

Can you cook up a story that uses each phrase as an ingredient?

Appetite
Back burner
Bad taste
Boil
Burned
Dish
Digest
Food for thought
Half-baked ideas
Hungry for
Meaty
Pickle
Raw
Recipe
Roast
Serve
Simmer
Sink your teeth into
Smells fishy
Stew
Stir the pot
Swallow
Warmed-over

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly used at least 10 more. Can you think of others?

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Just a Bite 1-19-10

2010-01-20T11:12:00.000-08:00

Quote to ponder under the apple tree

Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.
~ Benjamin Franklin (born January 17, 1706)

Resources to bite into

1. Beer Facts

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly features a trivia quiz on beer in honor of the 75th anniversary (January 24, 1935) of the first canned beer. There are an amazing number of websites devoted to “beer trivia.” Did you know, for example, that the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock because of a beer shortage? They had planned to sail further south to a warm climate, but according to the Mayflower log, ". . . we could not now take time for further search (to land our ship), our victuals being much spent, especially our beer."

2. Cooking with Five Tastes and Textures

January is Creativity Month and one creative art is cooking. Therefore, I was intrigued by Roger Cohen’s recent editorial in the New York Times (Jan. 5, 2010, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/05/opinion/05iht-edcohen.html?th&emc=th ytimes.com/2010/01/05/opinion/05iht-edcohen.html?th&emc=th) called “Pancakes, Prosperity, Peace” on the restaurant cooking done by Trinh Diem Vy, in Hoi An, Vietnam. Ms. Vy’s family pancake is “a savory rice-flour creation turned a warm yellow by turmeric and stuffed with shrimp, pork, bean sprouts, star fruit, mixed herbs, [and] green banana.” As Mr. Cohen wrote: “For Ms. Vy, there are five essential elements of taste — sweet, sour, hot, bitter and salty. But they demand the five elements of texture: crispy, crunchy, chewy, soft and silky.

Do you know any dishes that combine these 10 elements? Do you agree with her philosophy that food is a great way to bring people together?

3. A 2010 Blessing

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly also notes this (condensed) universal blessing sent by Deb Hart (www.debrajoyhart.com and debrajoyhart@gmail.com): May your day begin with an "ah" to remind you of your first breath, your last breath and every laugh in

between. . . May your afternoons be blessed with “ee” sounds: Glee, Whee, See & Be. . . In your meditations and contemplations may you discover the "aha" moments in your
"haha" moments. . . And when you lay your head down at night, may you go to sleep with grace and gratitude.

Tips/ideas/insights to savor

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly features a word quiz which asks readers to identify the definitions of slang from the 1950s and 60s. Here’s an example of words that express emotions:

Can you match the word to its definition?

1. Bugged ___
2. Bummed ___
3. Copacetic ___
4. Dig ___
5. Fracture ___
6. Frosted or hacked ___
7. Hanging loose ___
8. In fat city ___
9. Real gone or stoked ___
10. Wiped out ___
a. amuse
b. angry, ticked off
c. bothered, irritated
d. depressed, disappointed
e. everything’s all right
f. happy
g. in love
h. relaxed
i. understand
j. very tired

Answers:
1. c; 2. d; 3. e; 4. i; 5. a; 6. b; 7. h; 8. f; 9. g; 10. j

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Let the ever-ripening Wiser Now website
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Just a Bite 1-12-10

2010-01-13T05:04:00.000-08:00

Quote to ponder under the apple tree

A house is not a home unless it contains food and fire
for the mind as well as the body.
~ Benjamin Franklin (born January 17, 1706)

Resources to bite into

1. Celebrating New Heights

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly takes note of last week’s opening of Burj Dubai, the new tallest building in the world, by focusing on the range of tall buildings throughout human history beginning with the pyramids and moving on to the cathedrals of Europe. Those early edifices maxed out at about 500 feet and it wasn’t until several millennia later – in 1889, with the completion of the Eiffel Tower at almost 1000 feet (300m) – that humans mastered the technology to reach ever higher. For the next 120 years, the title of tallest building changed hands many times, but it seems likely that the 2717 foot (828 m) Burj is likely to hold the record for many years. – Interesting that the title has returned to a Middle Eastern desert.

2. Decorating with Art Deco

The coming weekend will bring a delightful Art Deco Festival to Miami, a city famous for its examples of the style, but many people may not realize that it gained its name and fame from the “Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes” held in Paris in 1925 and that it encompasses furnishings and many decorative arts, such as jewelry, as well as architecture.

3. The Egyptian Influence

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly also takes note of the fact that Paris has had a long love affair with things Egyptian as evidenced by the 75-foot obelisk transported from the Temple of Karnak in Luxor, Egypt to the Place de la Concorde in the 1830s and I.M Pei’s pyramid addition to the Louvre in the late 20th century. In 1922, the tomb of Tutankhamun was discovered by the archaeologist Howard Carter. It generated enormous excitement, and ancient Egyptian designs became a major influence on the Art Deco style. All art is connected!

Tips/ideas/insights to savor

Continuing the architectural theme, the current Brain Aerobics Weekly asks readers to think about a place they have lived that was most comforting both physically and emotionally and to describe what made it so. By itself, this can make for an interesting sharing exercise on how we have been shaped by our environment. For example:
• Does your most comfortable place reflect the values of your family or is your “style” entirely different?
• Is what is comfortable also stimulating to your senses and to your mind?

But a variation on this is to contemplate unusual homes in unusual places.
• If you could live anywhere for a year with work, money and family not being factors, where would you choose and why?
• If you had a chance to live for a time in an unusual house, would you take it? Why or why not?

To receive the advantage of seeing all these ideas in an expanded version, subscribe to Brain Aerobics Weekly today.

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Let the ever-ripening Wiser Now website
become the apple of your eye.

Just a Bite 12-29-09

2009-12-29T18:40:00.000-08:00

Quote to ponder under the apple tree

This coffee tastes like mud!
Well, it was ground this morning.
~ Unknown bad punster

Resources to bite into

1. Coffee and tea

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly focuses on coffee and tea trivia in honor of the soon to arrive Hot Tea and Gourmet Coffee month. We suspect there is much you don’t know about these beverages. For example, here’s a bit about tea:
• Did you know that loose tea leaves should never be stored in the refrigerator because they pick up food odors like baking soda does?

• Did you know that pouring tea over a lemon slice in the bottom of your cup will prevent scum forming on the top of the tea?

• Did you know that milk negates the impact of tea’s natural antioxidants? Try green tea, which has higher levels of antioxidants, and is more flavorful, thus less in need of milk for flavor.

2. Coffee trivia

People have been adding flavorings to coffee for a thousand years. Here are some local preferences:
• Italians drink their espresso with sugar
• Germans and Swiss with equal parts of hot chocolate
• Mexicans with cinnamon
• Moroccans drink their coffee with peppercorns
• Ethiopians with a pinch of salt
• Coffee drinkers in the Middle East usually add cardamom and spices
• Whipped cream is the favored by Austrians
• Egyptians like pure, strong coffee without extras. It tends to be sweetened only at weddings.
Others add spirits – whiskey or Kahlua, for example – especially to welcome a New Year!

3. End your year with charity

You have only a few more days to make charitable contributions that will count on this year’s income tax, but I hope you will keep charity in mind throughout the coming year as well. One of the journalists I admire for his dedication to making a difference is Nicholas Kristof, who devoted a recent New York Times column to listing some of the lesser known charities whose work he can vouch for. Check out the column at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/24/opinion/24kristof.html?_r=1&th&emc=th. Here are a few he listed:
• Acumen Fund, http://www.acumenfund.org/
• Afghan Institute of Learning, www.creatinghope.org
• BRAC, http://www.brac.net/, a Bangladeshi antipoverty organization
• Sustainable Health Ventures, http://www.sheinnovates.com/
• The Worldwide Fistula Fund, http://www.wfmic.org/ and the Fistula Foundation, http://www.fistulafoundation.org/fistulafoundation.org/

Tips/ideas/insights to savor

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly also suggests that as an alternative to making New Year’s resolutions, you consider single words you want to concentrate on for the year. You may choose one word or different words for various areas of your life, such as:
• A word for your relationships with family and friends
• Your volunteer or paid work
• What you hope to accomplish
• How you will care for yourself physically and/or mentally
Some words are always on the list – like love, compassion, laughter. But other words or phrases take on a particular meaning in certain years: balance, travel, focus, success, triumphing over adversity, for example.

What’s your word for 2010?

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Let the ever-ripening Wiser Now website
become the apple of your eye.

2009-12-23T05:31:00.000-08:00

Quote to ponder under the apple tree

Nothing is better than the unintended humor of reality.
~ Steve Allen (born December 26, 1921)

Resources to bite into

1. Creating intentional joy

As noted in the current Brain Aerobics Weekly, Jytte Lokvig, a fellow member of the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor (AATH), recently wrote a blog about her fondest Christmas. In her native Copenhagen, celebrations had been elaborate, but when she and her family first immigrated to the United States, they were very poor, and old customs were unaffordable. Determined to celebrate anyway, they wrapped each present in newspaper, trimmed with bows and fringes cut from old magazines, and when it was time to open them, they took turns and exclaimed with joy as the contents were revealed. What were these pleasurable gifts? Necessities opened with an attitude of gratitude: “With each reveal, we would thank each other profusely with appropriate comments like: ‘Oh, what I always wanted’ (toothpaste) – ‘How did you know?’ (deodorant) – ‘Perfect size!’ (toilet tissue) – ‘Love the color!’ (dishwashing liquid). Not only had we saved ourselves from a lot of the stress, but we had the best laughs in years.” Whatever gifts you receive this holiday, consider accepting them with the same bright spirit. (To sign up for Jytte’s blog, write to her at lokvig@yahoo.com.)

2. Making the mundane merry

While I’m mentioning ideas from fellow AATHers, here’s one from Leigh Anne Jasheway-Bryant, M.P.H., whose website (where you can also sign up for her blog) is www.accidentalcomic.com: “There is a company online that gives awards for making mundane things more fun. Their theory is that people are much more willing to do something that is good for them (like taking the stairs) if that thing is made enjoyable. Check out some of their giggle-inducing videos at: www.thefuntheory.com.”

3. Easily amused

Nearly out of space, so here’s one last quickie: You have a little time left to “Elf Yourself” http://www.elfyourself.com/. (Insert your own picture, and SHARE it!)

Tips/ideas/insights to savor

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly takes advantage of this week before Christmas to fit in one more holiday quiz – this one on matching punny punch lines with an often absurd question. For example:

1. What do snakes sing in December? ___
2. How do fish celebrate Christmas? ___
3. How do sheep in Mexico say Merry Christmas? ___
4. What do English sheep say to each other at Christmas? ___
5. How do cats greet each other at Christmas? ___

Can you match the answers?
a. Fleece Navidad!
b. Have a Furry Merry Christmas and a Happy Mew Year!
c. Season’s Bleatings! or Merry Christmas to Ewe!
d. Sssssss-ilver Bells
e. They hang reefs on the door

A variation on this theme would be to think of how other animals or characters might celebrate December holidays or greet one another. What ideas do you have for:

• Penguins
• Bears
• Chickens
• Dracula
• Mary Poppins
• Anyone else?

Idea inspired by the website http://www.brownielocks.com/ChristmasJokes.html
Answers are 1. d 2. e 3. a 4. c 5. b

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It’s a great holiday gift for anyone who needs a legal form of positive mind stimulation!

2009-12-15T05:14:00.000-08:00

Quote to ponder under the apple tree

Educate a boy and you educate an individual.
Educate a girl and you educate a community.
~ African saying

Resources to bite into

1. The amazing Greg Mortenson

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly celebrates the work of Nobel Peace Prize nominee Greg Mortenson who has long been building schools for girls and boys in the remotest areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan, where educating girls is still a radical idea. He wrote about these adventures in Three Cups of Tea several years ago, and the continuation of his story has just been published as Stones into Schools. He began the quest as a result of the kindness of the villagers of Korphe who nursed him back to health after a mountaineering accident following his attempt to climb K2, the world’s second highest mountain. Finding the children had no school and were hungry to learn, he promised to build them one, and one school just led to another. Here is holiday inspiration that will warm your heart. Read more at http://www.ikat.org/ or http://www.stonesintoschools.com/.
• To order Three Cups of Tea, click here.
• To order Three Cups of Tea (Young Reader’s edition), click here.
• To order Stones into Schools, click here.

2. Holiday Nuts

The current discussion pages of Brain Aerobics Weekly features a trivia quiz on nuts – the kind that come in a tin, not the kind that you may be related to and obligated to invite to a holiday dinner. It was inspired by an article in one of my favorite magazines, Mental_Floss, (November/December 2009 issue) but much of the information for the quiz came from “nutty facts” at www.fishernuts.com. For example, did you know that walnuts are the oldest known tree food eaten by man, originating in ancient Persia about 7000 B.C.? Or that Brazil nuts come in pods that can weigh up to 5 pounds and are found in trees that grow to 200 feet? (Look out below!)

3. December 15 is the 70th anniversary of the premiere of “Gone with the Wind”

You are undoubtedly familiar with the movie’s most famous line that begins, “Frankly, my dear . . .” but frankly, my dears, I prefer this line of Rhett Butler’s: “You should be kissed and often and by somebody who knows how.” Learn more at http://ngeorgia.com/ang/Atlanta_Premiere_of_Gone_With_The_Wind.

Tips/ideas/insights to savor

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly also uses the imagination section to suggest topics for holiday reminiscences. If you ask someone to describe the holiday generally, many of us will answer in generalities. Asking specific questions is more likely to result in memories that were long buried. For example, the trivia quiz on holiday nuts brought to mind both my grandmother’s filbert nuts – served only in December, and my beloved nutty Aunt Ruth. Here are examples of what you might ask about a Christmas tree:
• What was it made of? (If real, did you cut your own, or shop together for one? Who went along? Who had the final say?)
• Where was it placed?
• How was it decorated? Did you make some or all of your own decorations? (Children in elementary school frequently do, and some are saved for decades.)
• What kind of lights did it have? Who put the lights up? Was this a frustrating experience in your household?
• Did any ornaments have special significance?
• What went on the top of the tree?
• Was decorating done by parents as a surprise to children or done by the whole family?

To get the advantage of seeing all these ideas in an expanded version, subscribe to Brain Aerobics Weekly today.

To order Brain Aerobics Weekly,
go to http://www.wisernow.com/ now.
It’s a great holiday gift for anyone who needs a legal form of positive mind stimulation!

Let the ever-ripening Wiser Now website
become the apple of your eye.

Just a Bite 12-08-09

2009-12-08T06:37:00.000-08:00

Quote to ponder under the apple tree

There is a bit of insanity in dancing
that does everybody a great deal of good.
~ Edwin Denby

Resources to bite into

1. Is Dancing in our Genes?

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly, celebrates New Zealand and Maori culture on the excuse that December 13th marks the first sighting (in 1642) by Europeans of the beautiful islands. In recent years, the Maori dance of intimidation called the haka, which involves stomping, chanting, chest beating and sticking one’s tongue out, has been taken up by New Zealand’s national rugby team, the All Blacks, and a few American football teams. But the Maoris – like all cultures throughout history – have a variety of traditional dances, so scientists have begun to study whether dancing is in our genes. Read more at http://www.livescience.com/health/060310_born_dance.html and http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2006/02/22/1576009.htm).

2. Is Giving in our Genes?

The current discussion pages of Brain Aerobics Weekly also asks whether giving is in our genes, based on an article written by Nicholas Wade for The New York Times titled, “We May Be Born With an Urge to Help” (December 1, 2009, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/01/science/01human.html?_r=1&th&emc=th). However, the main focus of the BAW pages is a book by Cami Walker called 29 Gifts: How a Month of Giving Can Change Your Life. (To order, click here.) Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis three years ago in her early 30s, Ms. Walker at first railed against her fate until coming across a note she had made (and ignored) from a woman who provided her with periodic counsel. The note said to give something away for 29 days. When she began taking the advice – in small ways such as making a supportive call to another woman with MS, not in physical gifts – she found she began looking forward to each day, and both her attitude and her health improved. The idea is not new – when we focus on helping others instead of our own troubles, we almost always feel better – but the 29-day cycle and the conscious recording of what one has done, that is, basking in the good feelings generated by one’s good deed, offer a new twist.

3. December 12 Is Poinsettia Day

Poinsettias were called "Cuetlaxochitl” by the Aztecs, who used the “star flower” as a dye and the sap to reduce fevers. Mexicans celebrate the date in honor of the Virgin Mary and call it La Flor de la Nochebuena or Flower of the Holy Night. Americans chose the date because it was the day the man who gave the flower its current name Joel Roberts Poinsett, died. He was the first U.S. ambassador to Mexico in the 1820s. But the day is meant to honor Paul Ecke Jr., who is considered the father of the poinsettia industry. Poinsettias are now the best selling potted plants in the U.S. and Canada.

Tips/ideas/insights to savor

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly also features a matching quiz of holiday quotations that provides an interesting pastime or a way to choose partners in a group. Give all participants half a quotation and see if they can find their other half. Here are some of the samples we used:
• Nothing's as mean as giving a little child . . . something useful for Christmas. ~ Kim Hubbard
• A holiday shopper’s complaint is . . . one of long-standing. ~ Anon
• Santa is very jolly because . . . he knows where all the bad girls live. ~ Dennis Miller
• Christmas is a time when everybody wants his past forgotten and . . . his present remembered." ~ Phyllis Diller
• Santa Claus has the right idea. . . . Visit people once a year. ~ Victor Borge
• The best Yuletide decoration is . . . being wreathed in smiles. ~ Anon
• A goose never . . . voted for an early Christmas. ~ Irish Saying

To get the advantage of seeing all these ideas in an expanded version, subscribe to Brain Aerobics Weekly today.

To order Brain Aerobics Weekly,
go to www.wisernow.com now.
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Let the ever-ripening Wiser Now website
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Just a Bite 12-01-09

2009-12-01T05:12:00.000-08:00

Quote to ponder under the apple tree

Happy are the painters, for they shall not be lonely. Light and colour, peace and hope, will keep them company to the end.
~ Winston Churchill (born November 30, 1874)

Resources to bite into

1. Sir Winston Churchill – Politician and Painter

Most people know Sir Winston Churchill as a consummate politician who was especially effective as Prime Minister of Great Britain through the dark days of World War II. But he had many ups and downs during his long political career, and at one of his early low points in 1915, he took up painting at the urging of his sister-in-law. It became his chief passion after politics and family and the perfect form of escape from his cares. As noted in the current Brain Aerobics Weekly, at left is one of my personal favorites, the only painting he made of his wife, Clementine. To order Sir Winston Churchill: His Life and His Paintings by David Coombs, click here.

2. Gordon Parks, Renaissance Man

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly features four other people who happen to have been born on November 30. Gordon Parks, born in 1912, was an artist with a camera. He chose this medium because he discovered as a young man that “the camera could be a weapon against poverty, against racism, against all sorts of social wrongs.” He was a groundbreaking black man who balanced diverse worlds throughout his life. He worked for many years as a photographer for Vogue, Glamour and Life magazine. But he was as likely to photograph slums as celebrities and won awards for his depiction of both. He was also a writer, poet, film director, screenwriter, musician and composer who garnered respect as all of those. Learn more about the artist and the man through his work. Here is a sampling:
• To order The Learning Tree by Gordon Parks, click here.
• To order A Hungry Heart: A Memoir, click here.
• To order Bare Witness: Photographs by Gordon Parks, click here.

3. Worth Quoting
One reason to choose the five people featured in the current Brain Aerobics Weekly is that among them they have produced hundreds of quotable lines, both amusing and profound. Here are just a few favorites on the profound side:
• Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured. ~ Mark Twain
• Poor nations are hungry and rich nations are proud; and pride and hunger will ever be at variance. ~ Jonathan Swift
• All the great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope. ~ Winston Churchill

Talk about these: Do you agree? Who needs to hear these messages?

Tips/ideas/insights to savor

Two of the people featured in the current Brain Aerobics Weekly are famous for their travelogues: Jonathan Swift (born Nov. 30, 1667) for Gulliver’s Travels, and Mark Twain (born Nov. 30, 1835) for Innocents Abroad (and others). They inspired a creative thinking page on lessons learned from travel.

Think about what travel has taught you about the following ideas that could also be applied to life, and give examples from your own travels:
• Always be open to new experiences.
• Keep your sense of humor.
• Keep things simple and avoid unnecessary complexity.
• Set your goals/destination, but adapt and change as needed.
• Sometimes leaping into an experience beats hesitation.
• Choose a good guide.
• Never forget the pleasures of home.

To get the advantage of seeing all these ideas in an expanded version, subscribe to Brain Aerobics Weekly today.

To order Brain Aerobics Weekly,
go to http://www.wisernow.com/ now.
It’s a great holiday gift for anyone who needs a legal form of positive mind stimulation!

Let the ever-ripening Wiser Now website
become the apple of your eye.

Just a Bite 11-24-09

2009-11-24T09:58:00.000-08:00

Quote to ponder under the apple tree

I'll never have enough time to paint all the pictures I'd like to.
~ Norman Rockwell

Resources to bite into

1. Grateful for Norman Rockwell

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly features Norman Rockwell for three reasons.
1) Because of two of his iconic paintings, he is closely associated with Thanksgiving.
2) In honor of the 40th anniversary of the opening of the Norman Rockwell Museum, there may be a traveling exhibition of his work near you. (You can check at http://www.nrm.org/.)
3) A new book by Ron Schick called Norman Rockwell: Behind the Camera has just been published. (To order, click here.)
The book is especially fascinating to me because it shows the meticulousness with which Mr. Rockwell tackled each painting. From the 1930s on, he frequently took many pictures of props and people in costumes before putting brush to canvas, specifically choosing ordinary folks as models – his neighbors and family among them. The comparisons between photos and paintings are remarkable.

Norman Rockwell is also a role model for aging well. He never stopped being excited about his work, and he attributed that to his longevity.

2. A word game for Thanksgiving

How many words can you make from “Thanksgiving”? For a word with only the vowels “a” and “i” the possibilities are surprising. In the current Brain Aerobics Weekly, we have provided more than 100 answers. One way to help yourself see more possibilities is to put the word in a circle with one of each of the 12 letters substituting for a number on a clock face. The circle helps you to pull out combinations that aren’t as obvious when the letters are in a row. The technique is also evident in “The Clock Game” based on the same principle available from the National Council on Aging under “Publications.”
(https://www.ncoa.org/content.cfm?sectionID=30#l2).

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3. Keep your sense of humor through the holidays

One idea I will talk more about during December is the importance of keeping your sense of humor through the holidays. The current Brain Aerobics Weekly points out the importance of a “cosmic perspective sense of humor.” (We know the world is crazy, but we love living on the planet anyway.) It also suggests a few ways to keep smiling by doing something silly – or imagining yourself doing it, which provides the same lift to your spirits without the accompanying embarrassment. For example:
• Skip everywhere you go.
• When your money comes out of the ATM slot, shout, “I won! I won!”
• Every time someone asks you to do something, say, “Would you like fries with that?”

Tips/ideas/insights to savor

My inspiration for the Norman Rockwell focus this week came from the November issue of Vanity Fair magazine, which also featured Martha Stewart as the respondent to its monthly Proust Questionnaire. Excerpts from it are also part of the current Brain Aerobics Weekly. According to the magazine, the Proust Questionnaire originated as a parlor game popularized (but not devised) by French author Marcel Proust more than a century ago. He believed that the 35 questions revealed an individual’s true nature. Since 2005, Vanity Fair has been putting these questions to a variety of well-known people and publishing excerpts in the monthly magazine. Here are five of the questions. How would you answer?
• What is your idea of perfect happiness?
• Which talent would you most like to have?
• What is your favorite occupation?
• What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
• What is your motto?

To learn more, check out http://www.vanityfair.com/archives/features/proust or to get the advantage of summarized information, subscribe to Brain Aerobics Weekly today.

To order Brain Aerobics Weekly,
go to http://www.wisernow.com/ now!
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Let the ever-ripening Wiser Now website
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Just a Bite 10-17-09

2009-11-18T05:14:00.000-08:00

Quote to ponder under the apple tree

True terror is to wake up one morning and discover that your high school class is running the country.
~ Kurt Vonnegut (born Nov. 11, 1922)

Resources to bite into

1.Maintain Your Sense of Wonder

The upcoming holidays means it’s time to check on your attitude. Some people view this season with anxiety and others with distaste for its commercialization. Some of us want to be sensitive to friends of multiple faiths. For all these reasons, I especially like the following quote by the late author Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. whose birthday was last week:

I don’t know about you, but I practice a disorganized religion.
I belong to an unholy disorder.
We call ourselves “Our Lady of Perpetual Astonishment.”

Mr. Vonnegut also said he wanted his epitaph to be, “The only proof he needed for the existence of God was music.” To order A Man without a Country, from which these quotes are taken, click here.

2. Game for the Holidays

Next week is Fun with Games Week. Here’s one worth considering: Dizios, from MindWare. As you can see from the illustration, this is a game of visual delight. It’s a variation of dominoes in which the object is to match the colors on your tile to the tile (or preferably tiles) next to it. There is strategy involved for those who play to win, but I especially like that because it involves no letters or numbers, virtually anyone of any age or ability can play. It’s great for all those multi-generational holiday gatherings, and it can also be played like Solitaire where one person makes his own designs.

Order Dizios from Amazon by clicking here. Order a MindWare catalog at http://www.mindwareonline.com/ or call 800-999-0398.

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3. Sniglets
Also featured in the current Brain Aerobics Weekly is a singlet matching quiz. Sniglets are words that don’t exist, but should. For example, “exaspirin” is any bottle of pain reliever with an impossible-to-remove foil top or cotton wad. An alternative is to come up with your own names for words that don’t exist. What would you call:
• The light switch with no discernible purpose that seems to exist in every house?
• The maze that bank customers and airline passengers must walk through while waiting in line?
• The leftover liquid in the bottom of spray bottles where the tube doesn’t reach?

Tips/ideas/insights to savor

Have you heard of the icebreaker Human Bingo where everyone fills in their bingo card by having people initial the square that describes them (Can touch their toes, was born in New Jersey, is one of 5 children, etc.)? The current Brain Aerobics Weekly has an exercise that’s adaptable to Human Trivial Pursuit. Gather up a list of inventions and events from various decades and give one item to each participant. See if the participants can arrange themselves into the appropriate decade. For example, does the person with an “Astroturf” sign fit the 1960s, 70s or 80s? Here are a few suggestions:

• 1960s – Astronauts land on the moon, Valium and permanent press fabrics were invented, “Bewitched,” “Beverly Hillbillies,” and “Andy Griffith” were among the most popular TV shows, and the Beatles rose to fame
• 1970s – Brought us post-it notes, snowboards and the first Walkman, “The Brady Bunch,” “Bob Newhart,” and “Charlie’s Angels,” and the end of the Vietnam war
• 1980s – Gave us “Oprah,” “The Cosby Show,” and “The Golden Girls,” the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court (Sandra Day O’Conner), Doppler radar and Prozac
• 1990s – Brought “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” “Friends,” and “Seinfeld,” Nelson Mandela as President of South Africa, Beanie Babies, Tickle Me Elmo, and the World Wide Web

You can find many more ideas by looking up “timelines” followed by a subject (inventions, history, popular TV, etc.)

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go to http://www.wisernow.com/ now!
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Let the ever-ripening Wiser Now website
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Just a Bite 11-10-09

2009-11-11T05:18:00.000-08:00

Quote to ponder under the apple tree

If I'd had it my way, I'd have been a professional athlete, a sailor, a beachcomber, or some other form of hobo, a painter, a gardener, a novelist, a banjo-player, a traveler, anything but a rich man.”
~ William Steig (born Nov. 14, 1907)

Resources to bite into

1. The Enigmatic William Steig

Isn’t that a strange quote coming from a man who went to work as a cartoonist for the New Yorker when his parents lost everything in the Great Depression? Furthermore, William Steig would seem to have had an enjoyable 70-year career (He lived to be 95) as the creator of over 1600 cartoons and some of the most beloved children’s books, including the Disney blockbuster “Shrek” (although, admittedly, his Shrek was far darker.) The current UBrain Aerobics WeeklyU focuses on his lighter side, specifically the books, CDB and CDC which require readers to decipher sentences like these: “I 1-R F U K-R 2 F T.” Of course, in his book they are helped along by cheerful drawings, like the one in this case that shows a woman with a pot and cups presenting herself to her seated guest. To order William Steig’s CDC, click here. To order his CDB, click here. And how would you define “a hobo career”?

2. November Is Pomegranate Month

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly also has a brief quiz on pomegranates, that unusual, healthy, hard-to-eat fruit that throughout history has been revered as a symbol of fertility, rebirth, unity, everlasting life and righteousness. What do YOU know about pomegranates? Are these questions true or false?
1. The pomegranate's name comes from the Latin 'pomum granatus,' which means “tart fruit.” True ____ False ____
2. Because of the similarity in appearance, the hand grenade owes its name to the pomegranate. True ____ False ____

(Answers: “I wonder if you care for tea.” False; it means “seeded apple,” and true. On the next page, “Raven.”)

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3. Friday the 13th – Good or Bad?

Do you realize that any month beginning on a Sunday will have a Friday the 13th? November is the third month this year to have one (February and March did, too.) Among various people, Fridays have been associated with bad luck since time began. According to one source I read, “It is traditionally believed that Eve tempted Adam with the apple on a Friday.” Who was keeping track then?!? Add the 13th to Friday and you can dig up loads of gruesome reasons to spend the day safely under the covers, but the optimist in me thinks it’s time someone started tracking all the good things that have happened on those dates. To begin with, it’s the start of the weekend! The current Brain Aerobics Weekly challenges readers to pick out good luck signs in its trivia quiz. For example:

1. Only one of the following is not a sign of good luck. Which is it?

a. A cricket or frog in the house___
b. A raven on a fencepost ___
c. Dolphins around a ship ___
d. A ladybug landing on you ___
e. Meeting 3 sheep ___
f. A black cat walking toward you ___
g. A horseshoe in the house ___

Tips/ideas/insights to savor

While we’re focusing on optimism and good luck, here’s another challenge from the current Brain Aerobics Weekly: We’ve all heard the negative version: “You know it’s going to be a bad day when the ‘60 Minutes’ crew shows up on your doorstep.” But what are the signs for you that it’s going to be a good day? Many people have a particular object that they believe brings them good luck, such as a favorite baseball cap. In my case, when I see a turtle sunning or swimming in one of the ponds near my home, I consider it a sign that my mother (who loved turtles) is wishing me well. When I looked up this topic on the web, I was surprised to see people appreciating small things – good service at a local store, getting to sleep in a little longer, being served real maple syrup on one’s pancakes at no extra charge. Looking for the good each morning can help your day go better, so think about it. What are 10 things that follow the line for you?

You know it’s going to be a good day when . . .

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Just a Bite 11-02-09

2009-11-03T04:58:00.000-08:00

Quote to ponder under the apple tree

Good judgment comes from experience,
and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.
~ Will Rogers (born Nov. 4, 1879)

Resources to bite into

1. The Uncommon Sense of Will Rogers

Will Rogers was known for pointing out that “Common sense ain’t all that common,” so his November 4th birthday is celebrated as Common Sense Day to honor a man who embodied it. Few people are as quotable as the affable cowboy who said, “I never met a man I didn’t like.” Will Rogers gained his fame by his amazing adeptness with a lariat, including the ability to throw three lassos at once: One rope caught the running horse's neck, the other would loop around the rider, and the third swooped up under the horse to loop all four legs. But he retained his fame by being a man of gentle good humor, who truly did live his life as he advised, "so that you wouldn't be afraid to sell the family parrot to the town gossip."

2. Celebrate Family Stories Month

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly features a reminiscence exercise that celebrates Family Stories Month. Its inspiration is the book, Reader’s Digest Life in These United States, which is a compilation of stories from the magazine’s column of the same name. (To order, click here.) Here is a quick condensed example:

While remodeling my cousin Audrey’s bathroom, the contractor asked her where on the wall to position the hand-held shower attachment. Unsure, Audrey stepped into the tub. At that moment the phone rang. Audrey dashed to the phone, and said, “Can I call you back? I’m in the shower with the contractor!”

Now tell your own story about a family member who misspoke and has not yet lived it down.

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3. Twisting your tongue concentrates the brain

As noted in the current Brain Aerobics Weekly November 7th is the date of the International Tongue-Twister Contest in Burlington, Wisconsin. All contestants will get a gift for giving it a go, and prizes include a portion of a peck of pickled peppers. If you can’t make it, you can still focus your brain by practicing saying these deceptively simple phrases three times in rapid succession:
• Six sick hicks nick six slick bricks with picks and sticks
• Tie twine to three tree twigs
• Green glass globes glow greenly
• Supposed to be pistachio

Tips/ideas/insights to savor

Another challenge in the current Brain Aerobics Weekly celebrates Cliché Day (November 3rd) and asks readers to think of more creative endings than what you would automatically use to fill in the blanks below. Give it a try!

1. As clear as _______________________

2. As cold as ________________________

3. As common as _____________________

4. As fresh as ________________________

5. As pure as _________________________

6. As slow as __________________________

7. As welcome as _______________________

8. As white as ___________________________

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go to http://www.wisernow.com/ now!
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Let the ever-ripening Wiser Now website become the apple of your eye.

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Just a Bite 10-27-09

2009-10-27T05:59:00.000-07:00

Quote to ponder under the apple tree

The Web as I envisaged it, we have not seen it yet.
The future is still so much bigger than the past.
~ Tim Berners-Lee

Resources to bite into

1. Free Flowing Information

Most people seem to mark the beginning of the Internet as 40 years ago this fall, with the exact date depending on the various players involved. Dr. Len Kleinrock, a UCLA professor since 1963, was one of those players, all of whom were aiming to create a free exchange of information. “Allow that open access, and a thousand flowers bloom,” he said. http://www.buffalonews.com/145/story/780084.html#

This year is also the 20th anniversary of the birth of the World Wide Web. (To keep the two terms straight, think of the Internet as Europe and the Web as France.) British physicist Sir Tim Berners-Lee is widely credited with inventing the World Wide Web. He has been a lifelong crusader for keeping the Web free to all, and purposely chose not to financially benefit from the invention. (Imagine that, Google.) He sees the Web as a means of communication, of helping human beings to connect and understand one another better. Pretty refreshing. You can learn much more about his work at http://www.w3.org/People/Berners-Lee/.

2. Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly also celebrates this unusual group – talent combined with a delightful sense of humor. You can see for yourself by checking out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3gp7B8WC4Q (and be patient – They really start playing about 90 seconds in.) Also check out their website at www.ukuleleorchestra.com and listen to more clips at http://www.ukuleleorchestra.com/main/ListClips.aspx?SessionKey.

3. Which Is? Quiz for Witches and Other Goblins This Week

The trivia quiz in the current Brain Aerobics Weekly features excerpts from three of my favorite resources:
• Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader Puzzle Book #2. To order, click here.
• Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader Puzzle Book #3. To order, click here.
• Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader Puzzle Book #4. To order, click here.
For example, do you know which is faster, the average sneeze or the average cough?
How about which pets watch more TV, cats or dogs? (Answers below)

Tips/ideas/insights to savor

This week Brain Aerobics Weekly uses its creative thinking pages to have readers choose among opposing proverbs, and evaluate why they prefer one over the other – and in what circumstances the opposite might be true!

Here are a few examples:
1. ___ Look before you leap.
___ He who hesitates is lost.

2. ___ If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.
___ Once bitten, twice shy.

3. ___ You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
___ It’s never too late to learn.

4. ___ Where there’s a will there’s a way.
___ Time and tide wait for no man.

5. ___ Out of sight, out of mind.
___ Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Answers to Which is quiz samples: cough and cats.

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Using these resources effectively:

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Just a Bite 10-20-09

2009-10-20T08:31:00.000-07:00

Quote to ponder under the apple tree

Every thought is a seed. If you plant crab apples,
don't count on harvesting Golden Delicious.
~Bill Meyer

Resources to bite into

1. Positive Attitude Month

As you well know, a positive attitude is good for body and soul; you can find a lot of inspiration at http://www.quotegarden.com/attitude.html. The current issue of Brain Aerobics Weekly asks readers to come up with their own metaphors for the idea. Bill Meyer combined crab apples with Golden Delicious in his. Albert Camus compared winter with summer, and Voltaire wrote: “Life is a shipwreck, but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats.” What’s your metaphor for the importance of a positive attitude?

2. Popcorn Poppin’ Month

It’s also a month to celebrate popcorn, and Brain Aerobics Weekly features a trivia quiz on the topic along with a mouthwatering list of unusual popcorn flavors found at http://www.popcornuniverse.com/popcornonline.htm.

In doing research for the week, I had thought of showing popcorn popping when four cell phones were placed together (YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgjx4JROjR4) but thought better of promoting the hoax (explained at http://urbanlegends.about.com/b/2008/06/10/cell-phone-popcorn.htm) because most of us are worried enough about what cell phones may be doing to our brains over the long term. And popcorn should be simply enjoyed!

3. Cake Wrecks

An article in the New York Times inspired me to celebrate Bake and Decorate Month in the current Brain Aerobics Weekly by highlighting the website/blog and new book by Jen Yates called Cake Wrecks. To order the book, click here. To explore her funny sense of humor go to http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/. And to see an example of a website that makes her laugh, go to http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/.

Tips/ideas/insights to savor

This week Brain Aerobics Weekly uses its imagination pages to talk about Photographer Appreciation Month by asking you to tap into your photographic memory and imagine your life summarized in just 15 – 25 pictures.

Here are five categories to think about:
• Family and friends
• Career, hobbies and special interests
• The political and social history you have lived through
• The places you have loved living or visiting
• Whatever else is missing: What else would you want people to know about yourself?

1) What are the 3 – 5 pictures in each that might sum up your life in each?
2) Why did you choose these particular ones?
3) In what categories do you need more than 5 pictures?

To order Brain Aerobics Weekly, go to http://www.wisernow.com/ now!

Using these resources effectively:

We suggest you create a file on your computer for Just a Bite where you save each week’s digest so that you can access these websites any time.

Let the ever-ripening Wiser Now website become the apple of your eye.

Just A Bite 10-13-09

2009-10-14T07:42:00.000-07:00

Quote to ponder under the apple tree

In all matters of opinion, our adversaries are insane.
~ Oscar Wilde (born October 16, 1854)

Resources to bite into

1. Character Counts Week, October 18 - 24

This special week starts before our next issue, so consider now how you might celebrate. In spite of the temptation we all have to discount those who disagree with us (as Oscar Wilde noted above), one mark of good character is the willingness to listen to others. Advice columnist Dear Abby (Abigail Van Buren) said:
The best index to a person's character is
(a) how he treats people who can't do him any good, and
(b) how he treats people who can't fight back.

2. Hollywood Squares

The current issue of Brain Aerobics Weekly features numerous examples of banter between Peter Marshall, the host for 15 years of “Hollywood Squares” (which premiered on October 17, 1966) and the celebrity panelists. The most outrageous of them was Paul Lynde who twice won a daytime Emmy for his quick retorts. Many of them are too risqué for this family-friendly blog, but here are two:

Peter Marshall: If you were pregnant for two years, what would you give birth to?
Paul Lynde: Whatever it is, it would never be afraid of the dark.

Peter Marshall: Paul, according to the classic movie “Frankenstein,” Dr. Frankenstein was supposed to do something important the day the monster killed him. What?
Paul Lynde: I think a tonsillectomy.

Check out many more at http://www.classicsquares.com/.

3. Gobblet

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly also highlights the games Gobblet and Gobblet Junior which are more complex versions of Tic-Tac-Toe (the game on which “Hollywood Squares” was based). While easy to learn and adaptable to various ages and abilities, they also require strategic thinking. The original Gobblet is attractive enough for a coffee table display, and that gives it the added advantage of instant, spontaneous intellectual stimulation. To order Gobblet, click here. To order Gobblet Junior, click here.

Tips/ideas/insights to savor

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly uses its imagination pages to talk about “do-overs.”
October 17 is Mulligan Day. In sports, a mulligan happens when a player gets a second chance to perform a certain move or action. It seems to be particularly common in golf, when it is not unusual to allow a mulligan on the first shot by a player on the first tee. Obviously, the mulligan is meant to replace a bad first shot with a better one, but when the second shot is worse than the first, it’s called a “Finnegan.” I’m not sure why the Mulligans and Finnegans of the world have lent their names to the practice – origin stories are many and varied – but I’ve always thought do-overs were a good idea.

One of the happiest discoveries aging has brought me is that do-overs – that is, changing my mind and starting again with another choice – are possible throughout life. Careers, life partners, where to live, talents to nurture, how much to exercise, what movie to see and what route to take home are just a few examples of mulligans I have taken.

One way to help group members get to know each other and also, we hope, do some positive self reflection, is to think about all the ways you have done course corrections. Ask participants to discuss these questions:

• What are the most dramatic mulligans you have taken in life?

• What small, seemingly insignificant mulligans have you taken that have made your life easier?
(For example, the alternative to “If a thing is worth doing, it’s worth doing well,” is “If a thing is just barely worth doing, then just barely do it.” Not everything requires full devotion. What things do you pay less attention to than you once did?)

• What mulligans do you still need/want to take?

• Finally, to whom do you need to give a mulligan and why?

Using these resources effectively:

We suggest you create a file on your computer for Just a Bite where you save each week’s digest so that you can access these websites any time.

Let the ever-ripening Wiser Now website become the apple of your eye.

Just A Bite 10-9-09

2009-10-07T16:43:00.000-07:00

Quote to ponder under the apple tree

Orange is the happiest color.
~ Frank Sinatra

Resources to bite into

1. Fall colors

The current issue of Brain Aerobics Weekly is devoted to colors. The trivia quiz focuses on the fall colors of yellow, orange, red and brown. We have a tendency to think the whole world thinks like us, but even English-speaking people aren’t in agreement. Orange is the most controversial of colors, and many people would not agree with Frank Sinatra’s view of orange, although in China and Japan it is associated with happiness and love. Others see yellow as the most cheerful color, but in Egypt it is the color of mourning. In the U.S. yellow is also associated with cowardliness, but in Japan, it is symbolic of courage. No wonder cross-cultural communication can be confusing! Learn more at http://www.squidoo.com/colorexpert.

2. Car colors and personalities

The current issue of Brain Aerobics Weekly also features an explanation of what your car says about your personality. Created by Leatrice Eiseman, who is the founder and director of the Eiseman Center for Color Information and Training, and executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, it suggests that if you drive a vibrant red car, you are sexy, high-energy, dynamic and like speed. A burgundy-colored car gives the same message, just toned down a notch. She says that owners of gray/silver cars are elegant, cool and love futuristic looks. It’s a nice message for the gazillion of us who own them, but the more likely thing it suggests is that we were willing to settle for the most abundant color on the lot! The fact that it hides the spills and crumbs of grandchildren also helps.

3. A colorful painter

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly also highlights the work of Pierre Bonnard, who was born October 3, 1867 and widely known for his rich palette of colors. Here, for example, is a corner of a still-life of spring flowers that might pass for an aerial view of a wooded hillside in fall.

Tips/ideas/insights to savor

When looking for ways to divide people into groups, start with something they have in common. If you don’t know the participants, you can make up something: Find someone who is wearing the same colored shoes or has the same number of rings or likes Chunky Monkey ice cream. However, when you are trying to create even-numbered groups, it sometimes takes manipulation.

Here’s a “colorful” idea for dividing people randomly into four groups of four. Let each person draw a piece of paper from an envelope. On each piece of paper, write a sentence with one word blank that must be filled in with a color. (See sample below.) Each person must then find all the other people with sentences in which the same color fits. You can immediately stimulate conversation by asking, “What was your sentence?”

Here are some examples taken from a word quiz in the current Brain Aerobics Weekly.

Set 1:
• Something unexpected comes from out of the __________
• Someone who is particularly loyal is true _______
• An inexpensively priced restaurant meal is called a ________ plate special
• If you are sad, you are said to be ________

Set 2:
• If you are a talented gardener, you are said to have a _______ thumb
• The place where performers relax before going on stage is called the _______ room
• When we gain approval, we are said to get the _________ light
• If you are feeling sick, you are said to be __________ around the gills

Set 3
• A _______ tie event is a classy, formal party that requires a tuxedo
• A disreputable character in a family may be called a _________ sheep
• Coffee without milk is called ______
• The highest level of achievement in martial arts is called a ________ belt

Set 4
• If you are caught _______ -handed, you are clearly guilty
• A warning of danger is a _____ flag
• Something that has no value isn’t worth a _______ cent
• Getting privileged treatment is associated with a _______ carpet

Answers: 1st set: blue; 2nd set: green; 3rd set: black; 4th set: red

Using these resources effectively:

We suggest you create a file on your computer for Just a Bite where you save each week’s digest so that you can access these websites any time.

Let the ever-ripening Wiser Now website become the apple of your eye.

Just a Bite 9-1-09

2009-09-02T12:42:00.000-07:00

Quote to ponder under the apple tree

I like a teacher who gives you something to
take home to think about besides homework.
~ Lily Tomlin (born September 1, 1939)

Resources to bite into

1. Laughin’ with Lily

It’s hard to believe that Lily Tomlin turns 70 today. Many of us were first introduced to her on the TV series “Laugh-in,” where she appeared as Ernestine the telephone operator, (“One ringy-dingy, two ringy-dingies”) Edith Ann, the bratty 5-year old child in an oversize rocker, and other characters. Her career encompasses movies, television and the one-woman, multi-character Broadway show, The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe, for which she won a Tony Award. You can find much more of her wit and wisdom at http://www.brainyquote.com/.

2. School Daze

School has already begun for most children in the U.S. so it seemed appropriate to feature some of their bloopers – reasons to keep them in school a bit longer – in the current Brain Aerobics Weekly. These come from Richard Lederer’s The Bride of Anguished English:
• Sir Francis Drake circumcised the world with a 100-foor clipper.
• In Venice the people travel around the canals on gorgonzolas.
• Cleopatra died when an ass bit her.
• One of the wives of Henry VIII was named Ann of Cleavage.
To order The Bride of Anguished English, click here.

3. Exercising the Whole Brain

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly also features a word quiz partially inspired by Marge Engelman’s Whole Brain Workouts. For example, name the common ending to the following words:
1. sav gar voy man 2. sen deb rot pir
Marge has long been a friend, and I have long been a fan of her work, which features a broad range of exercises. To order Whole Brain Workouts, call the Attainment Company at 800-327-4269 or go to www.attainmentcompany.com. (Answers: age and ate)

Tips/ideas/insights to savor

We seem to have lost the ability for reasonable discourse in this country. I am not ready to take on the volatile subject of U.S. healthcare policies, but I think it is time to practice respectful analysis of issues, so the topic I’ve chosen as children return to school is “How much freedom do children need?” Find a few people and start a discussion.

If you are more than 30 years old, chances are you were exposed to what would now be considered enormous dangers in your childhood. As noted in a recent widely disseminated email:
• We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, locks on doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we wore no helmets.
• As infants and children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, no booster seats, no seat belts and no air bags. Riding in the back of a pick-up truck on a warm day was a special treat.
• We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle. We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and no one died.
• We played outside all day all summer and after school all year, unreachable by cell phones and we were mostly fine. Occasionally we fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.

Lenore Skenazy found herself at the center of a media storm a year ago when she allowed her well-briefed, well-supplied 9-year old son to ride a subway home alone. As a result, she wrote a book: Free-Range Kids: Giving Our Kids the Freedom We Enjoyed without Going Nuts with Worry, and created both a website and a blog (http://freerangekids.wordpress.com/). So what do you think?
• How much freedom and independence did you have?
• Why are children today given less?
• What’s the right balance between safety and confidence-building experience?

Let the ever-ripening Wiser Now website become the apple of your eye.
-- Host a workshop, purchase materials or click on the blue print to sign up for Brain Aerobics Weekly. and Wiser Now Alzheimer’s Disease Caregiver Tips.

Just a Bite 8-18-2009

2009-08-18T05:42:00.000-07:00

Quote to ponder under the apple tree

The score never interested me, only the game.
~ Mae West (born August 17, 1893)

Resources to bite into

1.An early liberated woman

Mae West was considered outrageous for her independence, outspokenness, and frank sensuality for most of her 87 years. She was also a well-loved comedian, playwright and actress so famous for her double entendres that she once said she could order a cup of coffee and people would look for a hidden meaning. On the other hand, she gave her fans plenty of reason to expect her dialogue to be risqué. Consider these quotes:
•To err is human, but it feels divine.
•I used to be Snow White, but I drifted.
•When women go wrong, men go right after them.
•I've been in more laps than a napkin.
You can find many more quotes at http://www.brainyquote.com/

2. Defining pairs

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly features a word quiz adapted from Schott’s Original Miscellany. Do you know the meaning of common phases like a) kith and kin, b) dregs and dross, and c) jetsam and flotsam? (Answers: a) friends and family, b) solid particles at the bottom of some liquids and refuse, and c) items thrown off ships and floating wreckage.) Learn much, much more by ordering Ben Schott’s book. Just click here.

3. The Elegance of the Hedgehog

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly also features a quote from my newly favorite novel, The Elegance of a Hedgehog, by Muriel Barbery. In poetic language, she describes the beauty of the ancient Asian tea ceremony and compares it to the still lovely current ritual of pausing in one’s day for the jewel-like moment of sipping and pondering. She writes, “With each swallow, time is sublimed.” How is time sublimed for you? To order this “thought-full” book, click here.

Tips/ideas/insights to savor

Another highly quotable celebrity is Ogden Nash, born August 21, 1902 and famous throughout the 20th century for his light and often pithy verses. (e.g., “Parsley is gharsley,” and “If called by a panther, don’t anther.”)

Since August 21 is Poet’s Day, this week is an ideal time to try matching his wit. Mr. Nash said that he thought in rhyme from the age of six, but he was never hampered by the fact that words were spelled differently or that they didn’t exist at all. (Shakespeare made up hundreds of words; what’s stopping the rest of us?) Here are three words which Ogden Nash found ways to rhyme. What can YOU do with them?

Jellyfish

Caribou

Galoshes

Ogden Nash’s rhymes:
•You can have my jellyfish/ I’m not sellyfish.
•I will tame me a caribou/ And bedeck it in marabou.
•Yes, today I may even go forth without my galoshes/ Today I am a swashbuckler; would anybody like me to buckle any swashes?

To order The Best of Ogden Nash, click here.

Let the ever-ripening Wiser Now website become the apple of your eye.
-- Host a workshop, purchase materials or click on the blue print to sign up for Brain Aerobics Weekly. and Wiser Now Alzheimer’s Disease Caregiver Tips.

Just a Bite 8-11-09

2009-08-11T05:25:00.000-07:00

Quote to ponder under the apple tree

Life itself is the proper binge.
~ Julia Child (born August 15, 1912)

Resources to bite into

1. Julia’s Joy

Julia Child was born 97 years ago this week. Just released is a new movie based on her life, as described in her memoir, My Life in France, and on the experiences of Julie Powell who wrote a blog and then a book about preparing all 524 recipes in Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking in a year.

At a time when Americans are eating more and cooking less, and when Time Magazine has just published an article noting losing/maintaining weight has more to do with what you eat than how much you exercise (http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1914857,00.html?xid=newsletter-daily), why not order the book and start having fun with Julia?
• To order Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking, click here.
• To order her memoir, My Life in France, click here.

2. Create en plein air

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly celebrates a Date to Create (any date will do) by encouraging people to get outdoors and truly notice their surroundings. Take a sketch book and without judging yourself, draw what catches your eye – a tree, a lawn chair, a sleeping cat, anything. Then pretend you are Claude Monet and return a few hours later to see if your object has changed with the light.

3. Do you speak English or American?

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly also features a quiz comparing American and British words for various items. For example, British pants are American underwear (men) and American pants are trousers to the British. An American vest is a waistcoat to Britons and a British vest is an American undershirt. An American boob tube is television; the British version is a tank top. Confused yet?

Tips/ideas/insights to savor

The television premiere of “Candid Camera” was August 10, 1948, so this is a good week to think up candid camera stunts as a group exercise. According to creator Allen Funt’s son Peter, who took over the show after his father’s death in 1999, his father taught him three primary responsibilities:
• Don’t make others look bad. If you wouldn’t want to be caught in a situation depicted, chances are others would be humiliated, too.
• Don’t abuse authority. In power mismatch situations (teacher/student or boss/ employee, for example), people will do almost anything, but it’s a cheap trick to put them in that position.
• Care about people. Be interested in what makes humans tick, in what makes us smile.

Keeping those principles in mind, divide into teams of about four people each and try to come up with two or three candid camera stunts that would be fun to pull off. Some may actually be possible. Others might require a big budget and elaborate props but can still be fun to imagine. (You can also do this as an individual exercise, but two or more heads are likely to come up with more ideas as you play off each other’s thoughts.) Here are some samples of old ideas to start your creative juices flowing:
• A talking mailbox
• A car which split in two as it passed a traffic policeman
• Speed bumps in a super market aisle
• Couples “getting married” by vending machine in Las Vegas
• A waitress tasting customers’ food
• A saleswoman visiting the homes of people on the “Do not call” list

Let the ever-ripening Wiser Now website become the apple of your eye.
-- Host a workshop, purchase materials or click on the blue print to sign up for Brain Aerobics Weekly. and Wiser Now Alzheimer’s Disease Caregiver Tips.

Just a Bite July 28th, 2009

2009-07-28T05:25:00.000-07:00

Quote to ponder under the apple tree

Cherish all your happy moments: they make a fine cushion for old age. ~ Booth Tarkington (born July 29, 1869)

Resources to bite into

1. Midwestern values *

Newton Booth Tarkington was an American novelist best known for his two Pulitzer Prize-winning novels, The Magnificent Ambersons (1918) and Alice Adams (1922). He isn’t read much anymore, so it seems worth highlighting his still valid goal. Although born in Indiana, he lived for many years in the east where people tended to think themselves superior to people living elsewhere. “ . . . I tried to make my novel answer all this nonsense. A thing the novel tried to say was that in the matter of human character, the people of such an out-of-the-way midland village were as estimable as any others anywhere. . . . [That] was my emotional tribute to the land of my birth.” Now we think more globally, but don’t we still need to fight the tendency to doubt the character of those who aren’t quite like us?

2. Confusing English *

The word quiz in the current Brain Aerobics Weekly features heteronyms, words that are spelled identically but have different meanings when pronounced differently, such as “wound” (meaning injury) and “wound” (meaning what you did to start the clock). Although you might think these are fairly rare, in reality they are hundreds of common English words with alternate pronunciations, and “alternate” is one of them. It’s part of what makes English confusing for non-native speakers – and, of course, the British, Australians and other English-speaking countries have their own pronunciations. The quiz mentioned above uses only words beginning with “C”. Try putting the following words in sentences using their differing pronunciations and meanings:
buffet dove excuse incense moderate object perfect rebel
For more ideas, go to: http://jonv.flystrip.com/heteronym/heteronym.htm

3. A thought provoking question from If . . . (Questions for the Game of Life) *

If you could dine alone with anyone from any person in history, who would you choose and why? To order If . . . by Evelyn McFarlane and James Saywell, HUclick hereUH.

* These items are easily adapted when working with people with Alzheimer’s disease.

Tips/ideas/insights to savor *

The trivia quiz in the current UBrain Aerobics WeeklyU asks you to determine which of three prices was what an item cost in 1950. This variation on The Price Is Right can make a good party game, contest or team-building exercise. You can also vary it by:
• changing the decade (1940s, 1970s, etc.),
• looking up the cost of just a few different items in different decades or
• turning it into a reminiscence exercise by perusing a book like Everyday Fashions of the Fifties as Pictured in Sears Catalogs (To order, click here.) A variation of this book is also available for most of the decades of the 1900s.
Here are a few prices that didn’t make it into this week’s Brain Aerobics Weekly quiz:

1. A child’s 8-piece Roy Rogers cowboy outfit (complete with toy gun and lariat) a. $4.88___ b. $6.49 ___ c. $7.88 ___

2. A gallon of exterior house paint
a. $1.29 ___ b. 2.29 ___ c. $3.29 ___

3. A pound of lamb chops
a. 35 cents ___ b. 49 cents ___ c. 65 cents ___

4. A pound of sliced bacon
a. 35 cents ___ b. 49 cents ___ c. 65 cents ___

5. 5 pounds of onions
a. 15 cents ___ b. 25 cents ___ c. 39 cents ____

Source: http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/1950s.html
Answers: 1. a; 2. c; 3. b; 4. a; 5. a

Let the ever-ripening Wiser Now website become the apple of your eye.
-- Host a workshop, purchase materials or click on the blue print to sign up for Brain Aerobics Weekly and Wiser Now Alzheimer’s Disease Caregiver Tips.

Just a Bite July 21st, 2009

2009-07-21T04:57:00.000-07:00

Quote to ponder under the apple tree

Shoot for the moon and if you miss you will still be among the stars.
~ Les Brown (motivational speaker)

Resources to bite into

1. Moonstruck *

This week is the 40th anniversary of man’s first landing on the moon (July 20, 1969) so the current Brain Aerobics Weekly features a trivia quiz about moon facts and flights to the moon. Here are two more tidbits:
• Flying once around the moon is the equivalent of a round trip from New York to London. (Earth is about four times the size of the moon.)
• When walking on the moon, astronaut Alan Sheppard hit a golf ball that went 2,400 feet, nearly one-half a mile – definitely a record Tiger Woods is not likely to beat working within Earth’s gravity.

2. Swimming, swimming, when days are hot, when days are cold . . .*

Under the theme of swimming, the current Brain Aerobics Weekly links several events. This week marks the opening of the first U.S. public swimming school in Boston. Two weeks ago was Nude Recreation Week, and while we suspect few of our readers celebrated it in a public fashion, one early adopter was the sixth U.S. President, John Quincy Adams (who was born July 11, 1767). He reportedly arose before dawn each morning – 4:15 a.m. in the summer – for a nude swim in the Potomac, including during the years of his presidency, when the river was a relatively short walk from the White House. Once a tramp stole his clothes (left on the river bank) and once a female reporter supposedly sat on them so that he couldn’t leave the river until he granted her an interview. How’s that for using your noggin’?
(Source: http://www.harvardsquarelibrary.org/poets/adams_jquincy.php)

3. Today is Toss Away the “Could Haves” and “Should Haves” Day *

Put your regrets in the trash – where they belong. Then make a list of your strengths and best qualities and pat yourself on the back.

* These items are easily adapted when working with people with Alzheimer’s disease.

Tips/ideas/insights to savor *

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly features a quiz in honor of Tell an Old Joke Day (July 24) in which you are asked to match punch lines to bar joke set-ups (some of the oldest jokes around). This is also a great party game, ice-breaker and way to choose new partners in a training activity. Here are some samples from this week’s quiz:

Walking into the bar – Match the right punch line

a. "A beer please, and one for the road."
b. Next thing you know, the sheriff arrives and arrests him for rustling.
c. “Sorry, we don't serve food in here."
d. "Well, it was my first day with my hook."
e. "You can come in here, but you better not start anything!"
f. "You'll be driving later."

1. A cheeseburger walks into a bar, and the bartender says: ___

2. A pair of battery jumper cables walk into a bar. The bartender says: ___

3. A golf club walks into a bar and asks the barman for a pint of beer. The barman refuses to serve him. "Why not?" asks the golf club. The bartender says: ___

4. A guy walks into a bar with a slab of asphalt under his arm and says: ___

5. A pirate with a wooden leg, a hook and an eye patch enters a bar. In conversation, the bartender soon learns the man lost his leg to a shark and his hand in a sword fight. He asks about his eye patch and the pirate says, "A seagull dropping fell into my eye." The bartender is incredulous: “You lost your eye to a seagull dropping?" The pirate says: ___

6. A cowboy walks into a bar for a drink. His hat is made of brown wrapping paper. And so are his shirt, vest, chaps, pants, boots and spurs. ___

Let the ever-ripening Wiser Now website become the apple of your eye.
-- Host a workshop, purchase materials or click on the blue print to sign up for Brain Aerobics Weekly. and Wiser Now Alzheimer’s Disease Caregiver Tips.

Just a Bite 7-14-09

2009-07-14T05:26:00.000-07:00

Quote to ponder under the apple tree

Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.
~ Edgar Degas (born July 19, 1834)

Resources to bite into

1. Looking at life from other angles *

This week we celebrate the 175th anniversary of the birth of Edgar Degas. He was a contentious fellow who didn’t like being associated with Impressionism (a term he despised) and indeed was different from them because his fellow artists were interested in the effects of natural outdoor light, while Degas seemed most interested in the artificial light in theatres and opera houses – and the contrast between lightness and darkness. He also took great advantage of the unusual angles from which he could view the stage – the wings, balconies, orchestra pit – whereas his contemporaries tended to view life straight on. Think about the opening quote. Does it apply to all art mediums? From what angle do you view life?

2. Eponyms *

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly has a word quiz about eponyms – common words that derive from people’s names. Some are obvious, such as when we call a very bright kid an Einstein after the genius Albert Einstein. In other cases, the originator has been long forgotten. For example, according to Lyle Larson, Etienne de Silhouette served as finance minister under Louis XIV. During only four months in office he levied such heavy marriage, income, and sales taxes that people had to get by with the barest essentials--hence the silhouette, a portrait reduced to its barest essentials. You can find many more examples at http://homepage.smc.edu/larsen_lyle/eponyms.htm.

3. A reason to celebrate Christmas in July *

Tomorrow would be the 230th birthday of Clement Moore, (born July 15, 1779) the author of “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” commonly known as “’Twas the Night before Christmas.”

* These items are easily adapted when working with people with Alzheimer’s disease.

Tips/ideas/insights to savor *

The current UBrain Aerobics WeeklyU features an article on learning how to be a ventriloquist, inspired by the Vent Haven Ventriloquist Convention in Fort Mitchell, KY, this week (July 15 – 18). While great ventriloquists spend years perfecting their skills and coming up with unique voices for their puppets or dummies, learning the basics is a terrific exercise for your brain, so try it:

The goal is to speak without putting your lips together, and the trick is to substitute other letters for these six:
B F M P V W

Here are the basic sounds to substitute:
• For B use the letter D. (Say “doy” instead of “boy.”)
• For F use TH. (Instead of saying “That's fun to do,” say “That's THun to do.”)
• For M use N. (Instead of saying “My dog is black,” say “Ny dog is dlack.”)
• For P use T. (Instead of “Will you play with me?” say “Will you Tlay with Ne?”)
• For V again use TH. (Instead of “Victory is mine," say “Thictory is Nine.”)
• W is only a problem when actually pronouncing the letter (double U). Again substitute the letter D. In other words, if you are talking about former President Bush, you would say, “George DudleYou Dush.”

It may seem bizarre to say “doy” for “boy,” but the audience automatically substitutes the right word, because a) we’re staring at a dummy putting its lips together, clearly making a “b” sound and b) the human brain ignores what doesn’t make sense and substitutes what does. Ventriloquists also often distract us with humor.

Have a conversation with a friend while you both try talking without moving your lips using the substitutions above. Brains thrive on new skills!

Source: http://www.backstagepassparties.com/burghers/ventriloquist_tips.html

Let the ever-ripening Wiser Now website become the apple of your eye.
-- Host a workshop, purchase materials or click on the blue print to sign up for Brain Aerobics Weekly. and Wiser Now Alzheimer’s Disease Caregiver Tips.

Just a Bite July 7th, 2009

2009-07-07T06:37:00.000-07:00

Quote to ponder under the apple tree

I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.
~ E. B. White (born July 11, 1899)

Resources to bite into

1. Finding the balance between saving and savoring *

E. B. White, who would have been 110 this week, is one of my favorite writers, not least because I share his tension over the difficulty of being good (responsible) while also appreciating earth’s goodness (relaxing and enjoying). He wrote wonderful children’s books (Charlotte’s Web, Stuart Little and Trumpet of the Swan), one basic writer’s guide (Elements of Style with William Strunk) and hundreds of essays for the New Yorker magazine with good humor, grace, and uncommon insight into our daily lives. I encourage you to look up his writings in such books as:
• Writings from the New Yorker 1927- 1976. (To order, click here.)
• Essays of E.B. White. (To order, click here.)

2. Odd jobs *

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly has a quiz in which we ask if you can identify the early jobs of people who are now rich and famous. In some cases, they were obviously ill-suited for their early work. Here are some facts that didn’t make it into the quiz:
• Howie Mandel was fired from his job as an amusement park ride operator in Toronto for making jokes to riders about the ride's safety.
• Barry Manilow was fired from a job at a brewery, when he reportedly left the truck door open and spilled the beer all over the road.
• Sidney Poitier was reportedly fired from his job parking cars because of his poor driving skills.
Source: http://www.hardlyfamous.com/stars/.

3. Today is the beginning of Japan’s Star Festival *

Although it is celebrated in August and later in some places, Tanabata begins today in at least some places. Among other traditions, it is a day to make a wish expressing your

hopes and dreams for your future, the future of your family and friends, and the future of the world. Write those wishes on a strip of paper (decorated or not) and hang it on a tree – or freshly cut bamboo, if it’s available. Then go out and star gaze – It’s good for the savoring part of your life.

* These items are easily adapted when working with people with Alzheimer’s disease.

Tips/ideas/insights to savor *

The word quiz in the current Brain Aerobics Weekly was inspired by the book Word Fugitives by Barbara Wallraff, which describes words that don’t exist in the English language but should. For example, have you ever gone through your dirty clothes hamper to find something clean enough to wear? Shouldn’t there be a word for that? Made-up words are called neologisms and Ms. Wallraff’s book describes others’ efforts to come up with them. Among the choices for dirty hamper searching were: skivvy-dipping, snifting and dry gleaning, all of which amuse me – clever and accurate!

That creative thinking process is a good way to get groups working together and coming up with out-of-the-box suggestions. Here are a few words people suggested were needed that Ms. Wallraff did not have neologisms for. Can you come up with your own, either on your own or within a group?
• What would you call what a dog does as it turns round and round before lying down?
• What’s the male parallel to women’s gossiping when they endlessly debate the merits of different cameras, televisions or barbecue grills?
• What’s a word for hoping to get someone’s voice mail but reaching the real person instead?
• What do you call a catchy melody (like “It’s a Small World After All”) that keeps replaying in your head against your will?

What else do you need a word for?

To order Word Fugitives, click here.

Let the ever-ripening Wiser Now website become the apple of your eye.
-- Host a workshop, purchase materials or click on the blue print to sign up for Brain Aerobics Weekly. and Wiser Now Alzheimer’s Disease Caregiver Tips.

June 30, 2009 – Volume 2, Issue #26

2009-06-30T05:17:00.000-07:00

Quote to ponder under the apple tree

I love living. I have some problems with my life, but living is the best thing they've come up with so far.
~ Neil Simon (born July 4, 1927)

Resources to bite into

1. Born on the 4th of July *

Playwright Neil Simon has written hundreds of quotable lines, but today I particularly want to pass on his encouragement to believe in yourself and follow your bliss:
Don't listen to those who say, you’re taking too big a chance. Michelangelo would have painted the Sistine floor, and it would surely be rubbed out by today. Most important, don't listen when the little voice of fear inside you rears its ugly head and says, “They’re all smarter than you out there. They're more talented, they're taller, blonder, prettier, luckier, and they have connections.” I firmly believe that if you follow a path that interests you, not to the exclusion of love, sensitivity, and cooperation with others, but with the strength of conviction that you can move others by your own efforts . . . chances are you'll be a person worthy of your own respect.”

2. Celebrating Independence *

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly has an exercise in comparing statistics between Canada and the U.S. because far too many Americans are appallingly ignorant of our northern neighbor, and because Canada Day is July 1st and American Independence Day is July 4th. Moreover, all of the following countries also celebrate their independence in July: Algeria, Argentina, Belarus, Burundi, Ghana, Kiribati, Malawi, Peru, Rwanda and Venezuela.

3. Today is the 150th anniversary of Charles Blondin’s claim to fame *

Frenchman Jean-Francois Gravelet who went by the stage name Charles Blondin, first walked a tightrope across Niagara Falls on June 30, 1859 – 150 years ago – at the age of 35. It was a feat that he would repeat an incredible 17 times, with each crossing more daring than the previous one: Once he crossed the falls while blindfolded, once on stilts. Another time he carried his manager, Harry Colcord, on his back. Once he carried a small stove on his back, stopped at the middle of the rope and prepared himself an omelet, which he then ate as his amazed audience watched. He performed these risky feats until he was 74, then died peacefully in his sleep at 75.

* These items are easily adapted when working with people with Alzheimer’s disease.

Tips/ideas/insights to savor *

In my book, Getting to Know the Life Stories of Older Adults: Activities for Building Relationships, and in my workshops, one of my favorite exercises is “Make a Choice” in which I ask people to define themselves as one of two things. For example, “Are you more of an early bird or a night owl?” One of the most telling questions is “Are you more like a rose or a daisy?” because in their answers people usually describe characteristics they like about themselves, such as being cheerful and sunny for daisies and a more complex mixture of beauty and thorns for roses. It’s a great way to get to know people’s personal values. I adapted this activity in the current Brain Aerobics Weekly as an imaginative exercise that provides the opportunity to define yourself as a variety of flora from fruits, nuts, vegetables and flowers to the following two examples:

Describe yourself as a garden. What are its predominant features? Are you:
weedy or well-manicured?
full of blooming flowers and ripe vegetables or paved over?
adorned with whimsical gnomes or a labyrinth for serious meditation?
Or? ? ? and always say why

Describe yourself as a tree.
Are you evergreen or deciduous?
In what climate do you grow best?
Do you bear fruit or nuts? What kind?
Do you serve another purpose? What is it?
What are the characteristics of this tree that you share?

To order my book Getting to Know the Life Stories of Older Adults: Activities for Building Relationships, click here.
The first example above is adapted from the game Imaginiff. To order, click here.

Let the ever-ripening Wiser Now website become the apple of your eye.
-- Host a workshop, purchase materials or click on the blue print to sign up for Brain Aerobics Weekly and Wiser Now Alzheimer’s Disease Caregiver Tips.

Just a Bite June 22nd 2009

2009-06-23T05:44:00.000-07:00

Quote to ponder under the apple tree

Growth itself contains the germ of happiness.
~ Pearl S. Buck (born June 26, 1892)

Resources to bite into

1. Murphy’s Law has many variations *

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly has an exercise in matching variations on Murphy’s Law (“If anything can go wrong, it will” – and some would add, “At the most inopportune time and it will be all your fault and everyone will know it.”) Personally, I take comfort in the idea that the universe is full of absurd maxims that can’t be reasonably fought. You have probably noticed many of them yourself, such as
The other line always moves faster – and if you switch lines, the one you were in will move faster.
If you put two pairs of socks in the dryer, when the load is finished one from each pair will be missing.
The Law of Window Polishing: It’s always on the other side.
What other ones can you add?

2. Columnist’s Day is June 23 *

Today is the perfect time to write an advice column or an editorial. What topic do you feel passionate about? Write out your thoughts and see if you can get them published in your local paper’s guest editorial column. Alternatively, think about the advice you might give to others – about dating, manners, fishing, bridge, home improvement or living well. Share it with your family or peers. If you have a lot to say, write a column weekly!

3. Happy Birthday Song is 150 years old this week! *

The melody for the song that would become “Happy Birthday” was composed on June 27, 1859 by Mildred J. Hill, according the Chase Calendar of Events. The “Happy Birthday” lyrics were added decades later by her younger sister, Patty Smith Hill. However, the words and music were eventually taken over by others and it wasn’t until long after the sisters’ deaths that their heirs won a lawsuit for copyright infringement on what is believed to be the most popular song EVER. Think of the millions of people who sing it every day! Who will you sing it for next?

* These items are easily adapted when working with people with Alzheimer’s disease.

Tips/ideas/insights to savor *

Also in the current Brain Aerobics Weekly is a discussion of an article that became a book by Amy Sutherland called What Shamu Taught Me About Life, Love and Marriage, (The original article for the New York Times can be found at http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/25/fashion/25love.html) While researching another book about how animal trainers teach dolphins to flip and elephants to paint, she realized that many of the techniques would work on her husband. We, in turn, realize they provide good advice to almost anyone. Consider these ideas:

Approximations means rewarding the small steps toward learning a new behavior and ignoring behavior that doesn’t meet one’s standards. If you are trying to teach a baboon to do a flip, you first reward his hop, then his bigger hop and so on. In Ms. Sutherland’s case, she overcame her husband’s habit of leaving his dirty clothes on the bedroom floor by ignoring the piles and thanking him for each shirt placed in the hamper.

Incompatible behavior is based on the idea that one can’t do two things at once. Birds can only land in one place at a time, so a professional trainer who did not want African crested cranes to land on his head and shoulders taught them to land on mats on the ground instead. Rather than focusing on stopping a behavior, he taught them a new one. Ms. Sutherland taught her husband to stop crowding her while she was cooking by giving him parsley to chop or cheese to grate at the other end of the kitchen.

Least reinforcing syndrome or LRS is best explained by a dolphin trainer: “When a dolphin does something wrong,” Ms. Sutherland wrote, “the trainer doesn't respond in any way. He stands still for a few beats, careful not to look at the dolphin, and then returns to work. The idea is that any response, positive or negative, fuels a behavior. If a behavior provokes no response, it typically dies away.” This is how she now deals with her husband when he huffs and puffs about the house looking for lost keys. Eventually he finds them on his own, and she just says, "Great, see you later."

Think about these ideas and how they might work with your children, grandchildren, coworkers, and others.

To order What Shamu Taught Me About Life, Love and Marriage, click here.

Let the ever-ripening Wiser Now website become the apple of your eye.
-- Host a workshop, purchase materials or click on the blue print to sign up for Brain Aerobics Weekly. and Wiser Now Alzheimer’s Disease Caregiver Tips.

Just a Bite 6-16-09

2009-06-16T05:40:00.000-07:00

Quote to ponder under the apple tree

Democracy is finding proximate solutions to insoluble problems.
~ Reinhold Niebuhr (born June 21, 1892)

Resources to bite into

1. In honor of Father’s Day, quotable fathers *

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly includes an exercise in sharing what we have learned from our fathers (or another strong parental figure). As father figures go, few match Reinhold Niebuhr’s challenge to us to be better than we are. He is widely credited as the author of the Serenity Prayer, that is, the original version which asks for “the courage to change what I should.” As adapted by Alcoholics Anonymous and others, it reads “the courage to change what I can.” The Rev. Niebuhr believed in holding us morally accountable. It’s easy to say we can’t change something, but he said that didn’t mean it shouldn’t be changed and that we weren’t still liable for working to make it happen. Both John McCain and Barack Obama cited this philosopher’s influence on them in the last presidential election. Read up on him!

2. Overcoming stereotype threat *

The current issue of Brain Aerobics Weekly contains excerpts from an article by John Cloud in Time Magazine, “How Stereotypes Defeat the Stereotyped” (May, 09, 2009, http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1897009,00.html?xid=newsletter-daily). Most of us know that when little is expected of us, the prophecy is often self-fulfilling, but the article noted that the opposite was also true. Whatever your age, you are likely to perform better if you are reminded of you strengths. Therefore, Mr. Cloud suggests, telling your grandmother when you talk to her “that she's always the one who remembers the grandkids' birthdays or who recalls all the measurements in the family biscuit recipe (or, if you're from New England, the family martini recipe),” just might make it a bit easier for her to find her car keys the next time she has misplaced them.

3. Summer arrives officially on June 21 *

Summer is coming, summer is coming.
I know it, I know it, I know it.
Light again, leaf again, life again, love again,
Yes, my wild little Poet.
~ Alfred Lord Tennyson

* These items are easily adapted when working with people with Alzheimer’s disease.

Tips/ideas/insights to savor *

As noted above, stereotype threat can be overcome by voicing encouragement and high expectations that a person will succeed. However, it helps immeasurably to know what a person considers his or her strengths or what words or actions are that person’s best confidence boosters. For example, if I take pride in being a well-organized person, I would be pleased when someone recognizes me for using that strength to help an event run smoothly. Most of us are not used to bragging about ourselves, and yet self-confidence – which tends to induce confidence of others in our abilities – is a key factor in success. So give it a try. On your own or as a group exercise, fill in the blanks and share your answers:
One school subject that was always easy for me (and that I still enjoy) was _________________
One way in which I am creative is (for example, singing, dancing, playing an instrument, writing poetry, artistic) _______________________
One thing I am good at and proud of is ______________________
The thing I like best about my personality is my ____________________
I am most friendly towards others when ________________
I tend to be most confident about my appearance when I am wearing _______________________
Add whatever other questions tickle your fancy.

In addition to wanting to be known for what we are already confident of (secretly or not), it’s also nice to be praised unexpectedly:
“Wow, you handled that disgruntled customer wonderfully! I’m impressed.”
“I didn’t know you were such a good dancer.”
“Thanks for speaking up for ______; that took courage.”

Try it, and your days will be far more satisfying for yourself and others.

Just a Bite June 9th, 2009

2009-06-09T05:01:00.000-07:00

Quote to ponder under the apple tree

A doctor can bury his mistakes,
but an architect can only advise his clients to plant vines.
~ Frank Lloyd Wright (born June 8, 1867)

Resources to bite into

1. A month to celebrate architecture *

The current Brain Aerobics Weekly features a trivia quiz about famous architects. People have been building amazing structures at least since the days of Imhotep, who is recognized as the architect of Egypt's first pyramid (for King Djoser, who reigned 2630–2611 BCE). The millennia since then have brought us soaring cathedrals, ornate palaces (from Versailles to China’s Forbidden City) as well as fascinating enigmas like Easter Island heads. In the last 100 years, Frank Lloyd Wright was probably the most familiar architect, (Shown here is his Falling Water house), but the world’s tallest building in Dubai and the Bird’s Nest stadium created for last summer’s Beijing Olympics, are just two indications that we have entered an exciting new global architectural age.

2. Sweets for all *

June is Candy Month, a time for sweet thoughts. Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader Puzzle Book #2 edited by Stephanie Spadaccini has a quiz about unsuccessful candy bar efforts including:
A vegetable sandwich bar
A chicken dinner bar
A Zep bar – named after the Zeppelin dirigible that was taken off the market when the Hindenburg crashed
A Sal-Le-Dande Bar named after the fan dancer Sally Rand
The current issue of Brain Aerobics Weekly asks you to design your own candy bar, healthy or decadent. What ingredients would you choose?

3. Donald Duck turns 75 *

Donald Duck, one of the most popular of the Disney cartoon characters, made his debut in the Silly Symphony cartoon "The Wise Little Hen" on June 9, 1934, so he officially

turns 75 this week. According to Leonard Maltin in his introduction to The Chronological Donald - Volume 1, Donald was created by Walt Disney when he heard Clarence Nash doing his "duck" voice while reciting "Mary had a little lamb." “Ducky” Nash became Donald’s hilarious and much imitated voice for the next 50 years.

Do you know anyone who can imitate Donald Duck? Can you? Does his voice make you laugh? (It always does me!)

* These items are easily adapted when working with people with Alzheimer’s disease.

Tips/ideas/insights to savor

I am the frequent recipient of unsolicited emails from friends intending to brighten my day, and am always (hint, hint to all of you) happy to receive ideas for clean humor that I might use in future issues of my publications. I am also usually an easy mark for funny animal pictures, silly videos, and interesting websites, but I am wary of the syrupy life advice that comes complete with music and slides, even when the advice is good. However, this week, I was taken by a phrase in one of those syrupy offerings: energy vampires.

We all define them personally – What saps my energy probably isn’t what saps yours, although we all can likely name people, events, activities and duties that are blood suckers. I have been emotionally exhausted today by a problem that cannot be quickly resolved. I had been looking forward to a meeting at which I hoped we would be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and the tunnel just ended up getting longer. The result was emotional fatigue, impatience, clumsiness, and careless mistakes.

There are two steps to overcoming energy vampires. The first is simply to acknowledge them. Shining daylight on them makes them cower, and making a list of them can often help us avoid them all together.

The second step is to make a list of what lights your fire and scares the vampires away. In my case it is friends, tasty food and lots of laughter. I am off to a dinner now at a new Indian restaurant with two people who value me. I expect to smile a lot.

Just a Bite June 2nd, 2009

2009-06-02T04:06:00.000-07:00

Quote to ponder under the apple tree

I know but one freedom, and that is the freedom of the mind.
~ Antoine de Saint Exupery (born June 29, 1900)

Resources to bite into

1. Reintroduce yourself to children’s literature *
The current issue of Brain Aerobics Weekly provides brief bios of four famous children’s authors with June birthdays, and encourages adults to reread for themselves as well as for their children or grandchildren what once inspired them. Antoine de Saint Exupery’s most famous work, The Little Prince, which has been described as “a children’s fable for adults” is especially appropriate. One of the most popular books of all time since its 1943 publication, the author did not know its success. A lifelong pilot, he died while flying over the Mediter-ranean on a World War II mission for the French military. Look him up and read more!

2. Mondegreens

As also noted in the current issue of Brain Aerobics Weekly, mondegreens are (often comically) misunderstood lines of poetry and song. For example:
· “Jose, can you see?” is “O, Say can you see?” in “The Star Spangled Banner”
· “The ants are my friends, they're blowing in the wind” is “The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind” by Bob Dylan
· “Got a lot of lucky peanuts” is “Got a lot of love between us” by Frankie Vallee and the Four Seasons
Find more at http://www.corsinet.com/braincandy/wrlyric.html

3. Six word novels and autobiographies *

Another feature in the current issue of Brain Aerobics Weekly is the book Not Quite What I Was Planning, Revised and Expanded Deluxe Edition: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure by Larry Smith and Rachel Fershleiser. Could you sum up your life in six words? Here are samples:
70 years, few tears, hairy ears.
Lost five pounds: the wrong five.
Outcast. Picked last. Surprised them all.
To order the book, click here.

* These items are easily adapted when working with people with Alzheimer’s disease.

Tips/ideas/insights to savor

I have frequently used the word puzzle at left which translates as “Do not underestimate me,” as a reminder to elder care staff to recognize that although the people they care for may have dementia or physical frailties, what remains is still substantial and needs to be honored. It is a message that bears periodic repeating. However, last week I had an experience that gives the graphic new meaning.

In the months ahead, I may have an opportunity to create an online learning program for the Green House Project, one amazing element in Bill Thomas’s vision for transforming nursing home care. As a precursor, I spent last week observing staff training for a nursing home in rural Arkansas that is moving from a highly traditional model to the Green House Model, which will be a series of five lovely group homes of 12 residents each. The training was capably led by two longtime friends and colleagues of mine, Bill Keane and Anna Ortigara, and my new CNA friend/inspiration Emma Williams. Their passion, enthusiasm and joy was wonderful to watch, but even more thrilling was the staff transformation they engendered, particularly in the CNAs.

CNAs are seldom accorded the respect they deserve, but this group was especially easy to discount. They were not well educated, and they had a narrow world view – most of them had little experience beyond the small rural Arkansas towns they had grown up in. Add to that the fact that many of us on the east and west coasts of the U.S. could easily be convinced they were rubes and country bumpkins of limited potential. Indeed, throughout their lives little has been expected of them.

Then along came a businessman who thought local elders deserved better care and that the nursing home’s current employees could meet that challenge. Bill and Anna arrived for the first six days of training to introduce the coming changes. Suddenly, CNAs who had never even attended a care planning meeting for a resident proved they could lead the meeting. A little light began to shine in the first few days, but by the sixth day they were on fire with the possibilities within themselves. I have long known not to underestimate elders, but now I will also never again underestimate what ANY well-trained, empowered and motivated staff can achieve.

Just a Bite May 26th, 2009

2009-05-26T04:49:00.000-07:00

Quote to ponder under the apple tree

A horse is dangerous on both ends and
uncomfortable in the middle.
~Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (born May 22, 1859 - 150 last week!)

Resources to bite into

1. Do we all have blind spots? *

As the current issue of Brain Aerobics Weekly notes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was a complex human being who created in the character of Sherlock Holmes a man noted for his intellectual prowess and uncommon powers of observation and deductive reasoning. He scolded his sidekick Dr. Watson, “You see, but you do not observe.” Yet the author also believed in fairies and was famously taken in by a photographic hoax. He had a falling out with his friend Harry Houdini because he refused to believe him when Houdini insisted he did not have supernatural powers and was merely a magician. Perhaps we all believe what we want to believe in some circumstances.

2. Riddles *

Three famous mystery writers have their birthdays near the end of May – the others are Dashiell Hammett, May 27, 1894, and Ian Fleming, May 28, 1908. You may like reading their full-length mystery books or you may prefer solving 30-second mysteries, which are often found in the guise of riddles. For example, what:
· Is pronounced as one letter; written with three, including one letter the same at both ends, i.e., a simple palindrome
· And comes in many colors but is most common in two?
(Answer on next page)

3. Backyard games *

Physical Fitness and Sports Month is coming to an end and last week was Backyard Games Week, so the reminiscence portion of the current issue of Brain Aerobics Weekly focuses on the delights of jacks, marbles, jump rope, Red Rover, Captain May I? and more, but the reality is that backyard games – precisely because they imply getting outdoors – are great anytime. If you’re no longer a candidate for vigorous tag, you may still be able to play croquet, badminton and lawn bowling, for example. Keeping score is optional, but keeping moving daily is good for body and brain.

* These items are easily adapted when working with people with Alzheimer’s disease.

Answer to riddle: eye

Tips/ideas/insights to savor

An article by Benedict Carey called “At the Bridge Table, Clues to a Lucid Old Age” appeared in the New York Times May 22 (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/22/health/research/22brain.html?ref=health). There is no room to quote it at length here, but one particular point is worth making, because it seems to affirm the results of an increasing number of studies – which, thankfully, are beginning to look at successful aging instead of its opposite. Here are excerpts:

The project, begun by University of Southern California researchers in 1981 and called the 90+ Study, has included more than 14,000 people aged 65 and older, and more than 1,000 aged 90 or older. “These are the most successful agers on earth, and they’re only just beginning to teach us what’s important, in their genes, in their routines, in their lives,” said Dr. Claudia Kawas, a neurologist at the University of California, Irvine. “We think, for example, that it’s very important to use your brain, to keep challenging your mind, but all mental activities may not be equal. We’re seeing some evidence that a social component may be crucial.”

. . . So far, scientists here have found little evidence that diet or exercise affects the risk of dementia in people over 90. But some researchers argue that mental engagement — doing crossword puzzles, reading books — may delay the arrival of symptoms. And social connections, including interaction with friends, may be very important, some suspect. In isolation, a healthy human mind can go blank and quickly become disoriented, psychologists have found.

“There is quite a bit of evidence now suggesting that the more people you have contact with, in your own home or outside, the better you do” mentally and physically, Dr. Kawas said. “Interacting with people regularly, even strangers, uses easily as much brain power as doing puzzles, and it wouldn’t surprise me if this is what it’s all about.”

Bottom line: Keep on making new friends.

Just a Bite May19th, 2009

2009-05-19T04:23:00.000-07:00

Quote to ponder under the apple tree

Travelers never think that they are the foreigners.
~Mason Cooley

Resources to bite into

1. Study a map

The current issue of Brain Aerobics Weekly focuses on geography in honor of the National Geographic Bee that takes place this week for thousands of students in grades 4 – 8. Here are some sample questions for you:
Mont Blanc is the highest point in Western Europe. What two countries is it between?
What country is Mount Kilimanjaro in?
Mount Erebus is a volcano on which continent?
The last was the winning question in 1990 and was answered by sixth grader Susannah Batko-Yovino, the first female to win the competition. (Answers below)
2. Still being punny *

Because I love puns, the word game in the current issue of Brain Aerobics Weekly uses geographic puns. For example:
What country is the best place to find men’s neckwear?
Jan would like a _______ sugar for her coffee, please.
I don’t know how to _______ piano. He needs a professional.
The complete quiz can be found at http://www.punpunpun.com/7794.html.
3. Celebrating turtles *

May 23rd is World Turtle Day an event begun by the American Tortoise Rescue organization in Malibu, California to both celebrate turtles and tortoises and work toward their conservation because many are endangered. My mother was particularly fond of turtles. In various cultures they symbolize inner reflection, peace, patience, wisdom, being well-grounded, longevity, and heaven protecting earth, so they seem an especially appropriate symbol for her. Learn more at http://www.hsus.org/wildlife/a_closer_look_at_wildlife/turtles_and_tortoises/celebrate_world_turtle_day.html.

* These items are easily adapted when working with people with Alzheimer’s disease.

Quiz answers: 1) France and Italy; 2) Tanzania; 3) Antarctica
Puns: Thailand, of course; Cuba and Tunis

Tips/ideas/insights to savor

My daughter Lisa recently sent me a card showing a woman in white shoes – faced with no visible alternative – about to plunge across a muddy street. The caption said, “Ever notice that ‘What the hell’ is always the right decision?” (Borealis Press) The reality is that each day we are likely faced with challenges we had neither planned on nor wished for, and usually plunging in and dealing with them IS the right decision.

On the other hand, last week in another moment of mother-daughter bonding, I attended a motivational seminar with my daughter Kristi that was (ironically) not particularly motivating, although we each took away something of value from it. In my case it was a reminder that different strokes work for different folks. So here’s an exercise to do with people you work with or are serving on a committee with that may help you maximize everyone’s potential:
Rank the following 10 items according to what matters most to you with #1 being most important and #10 being least important:
___ Monetary compensation or bonus (like extra vacation time)
___ Power and influence over others for doing what you do
___ Private verbal recognition for work well done
___ Public recognition for work well done (ceremony, award, plaque)
___ Autonomy to get a job done in the way that suits you best
___ A sense of accomplishment from doing a job well
___ A sense that you have contributed to a greater cause or helped others
___ Gaining new skills or learning something new (personal development)
___ Being part of a team that performs well together (building relationships)
___ Having fun, enjoying your work and the people you work with

Then discuss your rankings as a group and leave your list with the project chair so that he or she can have a better chance of leading you to success.

Let the ever-ripening Wiser Now website become the apple of your eye.
-- Host a workshop, purchase materials or click on the blue print to sign up for Brain Aerobics Weekly. and Wiser Now Alzheimer’s Disease Caregiver Tips.

Just a Bite May 12th, 2009

2009-05-19T04:14:00.000-07:00

Quote to ponder under the apple tree

A hunch is creativity trying to tell you something.
~ Frank Capra (born May 18, 1897)

Resources to bite into
1. Begin anytime *

The current issue of Brain Aerobics Weekly celebrates Creative Beginnings Month with a quiz on the famous opening lines of well-known movies, and celebrates movie directors with a brief bio of Orson Welles. Like fellow director Frank Capra quoted above, Mr. Welles (born May 6, 1915) reached the pinnacle of his career relatively early in life, but if you know only that he directed the movie “Citizen Kane” (which premiered May 1, 1941) you miss out on most of the richness of who he was as a human being – painter, prodigy, magician, raconteur. (As a magician he appeared on “I Love Lucy.” See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUNc3ASCoeM.) Pinnacles of fame and fortune by definition are one time events, but creative beginnings can happen daily.

2. Very punny *

May 16 is the O. Henry World Championship Pun-off at the O. Henry Museum in Austin, Texas, where William Sidney Porter, the man who wrote most of his short stories under the pen-name O. Henry, lived from 1893 to 1895. O. Henry was not famous for incorporating puns in his writing, but he was famous for his surprise endings, which is the essence of puns. Here is a pun by Kirk Miller featured in the current issue of Brain Aerobics Weekly that combines a pun and a limerick (Limerick Day is May 12):
The ant basketball team made a vow
To get better, but didn't know how
No, it just wasn't right
To be lacking in height
What they needed were tolerance, now

3. Let time melt *

Another quirky personality featured in the current issue of Brain Aerobics Weekly is Salvador Dali, who would have turned 105 this week (born May 11, 1904). While Orson

Welles tried his hand in radio, theatre, movies and television, Salvador Dali’s lifelong passion was painting. Whether you have one interest or many, put your heart into it/them and let the days flow; let time melt away.

* These items are easily adapted when working with people with Alzheimer’s disease.

Tips/ideas/insights to savor

Salvador Dali never confined himself to painting things as they were, but allowed his imagination to float wherever it might take him. One of the lamentations I have been hearing often lately is how little time we have to daydream, to mull over challenges without the incessant noise of constant activity. Yet, if we give our minds free rein, who knows what problems they might solve?

I recently had the pleasure of hearing the researcher Jeffrey N. Keller, Ph.D., at an Alzheimer’s conference where we were both presenters. A woman whose husband was a participant in a drug trial that proved highly effective for him expressed her frustration that the trial was stopped when relatively few participants were helped by the drug, thus denying him further access to it. Dr. Keller’s response was that the present system of drug trials is not set up in a way that enables us to pre-select who might benefit most from a drug. He suspects that Alzheimer’s disease has multiple variations, and that in the case of the drug her husband benefited from, it was 100% effective on the people who had his variation, but because it wasn’t effective on the people who had, let us say, variations B – F, the trial was stopped. Eventually, he hoped, we will be able to better isolate variations in multiple chronic diseases so that we know which drugs are likely to be of greatest benefit to which patients, but without continuing trials on those isolated populations who find a particular drug beneficial – and so far, such smaller-focused trials are not financially viable for drug companies – progress isn’t easy. Someone needs to have time for daydreaming and mulling to solve conundrums like this.

Just a Bite 4-28-09

2009-05-18T15:53:00.000-07:00

Quote to ponder under the apple tree

Dance is the hidden language of the soul.
~Martha Graham (born May 11, 1894)

Resources to bite into

1. Dance the night away *

The current issue of Brain Aerobics Weekly uses a quiz on famous dancers born in May to combine the celebration of International Dance Week April 24 through May 3 with Tap Dancing Day on May 25. The latter is a day which particularly celebrates the life of Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, whose birthday (as nearly as can be determined) was that date in 1878. Mr. Robinson did not gain the attention of white audiences until he was paired with Shirley Temple in a series of 1930s films, but in his lifetime of dancing he influenced thousands of performers and forged surprising alliances – his funeral in 1949 was arranged by Ed Sullivan and attended by 32,000 people. Few people can match his talent, but we can all dance to our own music. (The dance illustrated in this photo can be found on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjCFYpWDmfM.)

2. Thinking about your demise *

The current issue of Brain Aerobics Weekly also combines the end of Humor Month with the beginning of the Merry Month of May and the celebration of Cartoonist Day (May 5) by featuring the delightful book Last Laughs, Cartoons about Aging, Retirement . . . and the Great Beyond, edited by cartoonist Mort Gerberg. Contemplating aging and our own funerals has never been so funny. I was especially intrigued by the answers the cartoonists gave to the seven questions Mort Gerberg posed to each of them. For example, when he asked, “How would you prefer to arrive at The End?” several cartoonists answered, “Late,” “Unexpectedly,” and “Out of breath.” To order Last Laughs, click here.

3. May 1 is Lei Day *

Hawaiians celebrate their special symbol of hospitality every May 1 with a wide variety of events, only a few of which center on lei-making. If you can’t make it to Hawaii this Friday, consider bestowing hospitality of your own by giving someone an unexpected bouquet or a pineapple or a party!

* These items are easily adapted when working with people with Alzheimer’s disease.

Tips/ideas/insights to savor

The current issue of Brain Aerobics Weekly has a discussion page which uses unusual questions asked of Marilyn Vos Savant who writes a weekly “Ask Marilyn” column in Parade magazine. It also uses book titles from David Feldman and unusual questions found on websites like http://www.hintsandthings.com/games/imponderable.htm. The point of the discussion page is simply to amuse (or perhaps to start a conversation about something other than the weather):
Why is it that my lipstick doesn’t last on my lips for more than 10 minutes, but remains on my glass even after it has been through the dishwasher?
We sometimes say, “That’s Greek to me” when we don’t know an answer. What do the Greeks say?

However, another way to use the questions is as a matching game in which partners are found by giving each person a sign with half a question written in 4-inch letters and asking them to find their other half:
When a bank is sold . . . who gets all the money?
Where does weight go . . . when people lose it?
Do bees . . . get wax in their ears?
How does the man who drives the snow plough . . . get to work?
How does an aspirin . . . find a headache?
Why do clocks . . . run clockwise?
Why do irons . . . have a permanent press setting?
If you choke a Smurf . . . what color does it turn?
When partners are found, line everyone up for amusing reading.

Still another way to use this idea is ask your group to brainstorm unusual questions of their own.

Just a Bite May 12th, 2009

2009-05-12T05:18:00.000-07:00

For those who want to cut to the chase, click here to access a pdf file of the current Just a Bite.

This week’s issue celebrates Creative Beginnings Month, creative people and puns and limericks.

We have just redesigned our two main websites. The Wiser Now website (http://www.wisernow.com/) now has been simplified and is easier to navigate, especially if you wish to order Brain Aerobics Weekly. The Wiser Now Alzheimer’s website (www.wisernowalz.com) is also easier to navigate for ordering our books on Alzheimer’s disease and the monthly, downloadable Wiser Now Alzheimer’s Disease Caregiver Tips – a great training tool for families and professionals. The websites www.brainaerobicsweekly.com and www.wisernow.com are now the same.

For the purpose of clarity and efficiency, we will also soon be putting the content of Just a Bite on my blog (which is why Just a Bite is no longer featured on the websites.) We will keep you posted on all these changes which will soon allow us to add some features that we’ve had too little time for.
Celebrate your creativity and the chance for new beginnings that May offers.

Just a Bite

2009-05-01T11:52:00.000-07:00

If you think we might be the apple of your eye, check back each week for Wiser Now’s free weekly digest, "Just a Bite." Each Tuesday I'll post the current issue that includes brief timely tips, insights, resources and encouragement on all the issues Wiser Now covers. Click here for this weeks copy. Enjoy!

Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci

2009-04-23T05:39:00.000-07:00

I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.
-- Michelangelo, born March 6, 1475

A recent issue of Brain Aerobics Weekly celebrates the rebirth that comes with spring by honoring two icons of the Italian Renaissance (rebirth), Michelangelo Buonarroti and Leonardo da Vinci. As noted above, Michelangelo famously spoke of releasing the carvings that already existed in a block of marble. The unfinished slave statue at left gives an inkling of that practice. Both men learned human anatomy from corpses, and both were multi-talented artists, architects and engineers, but Michelangelo was also an accomplished poet and Leonardo an accomplished scientist and inventor. Sign up for Brain Aerobics Weekly to learn more or check out their biographies online.

Claude Monet and criticism

2009-04-13T09:53:00.001-07:00

I frequently like to include artists – both well-known and lesser known – in the Potpourri section of Brain Aerobics Weekly . . I especially like to include information many people may not know, such as how Claude Monet’s palette changed before and after his cataract surgery. And because one point of brain aerobics is help others tap into their creativity, I often find that anecdotes about artists provide some life lessons. Here’s one told by Monet himself: Manet wanted one day to paint my wife and children. Renoir was there. He took a canvas and began painting them too. After a while, Manet took me aside and whispered, "You're on very good terms with Renoir and take an interest in his future - do advise him to give up painting! You can see for yourself that it's not his metier at all."

Which just goes to show you shouldn’t let the naysayers darken your dreams.

Math and logic puzzles

2009-04-07T05:42:00.000-07:00

My publications tend to include few math and logic puzzles, in part because I have little patience for them, and in part because I often can’t properly illustrate them when they involve pennies or matchsticks, for example. However, here’s one that is easy to show:

5 + 5 + 5 = 550

Can you add one straight line to make the equation accurate? (Putting a line through the = sign is clever, but not what we’re looking for.) Think about it a bit before looking up the answer, which is simply this: Draw a diagonal line on one of the plus signs to make it a 4. Logical thinkers may figure out the answer quickly, but if others are frustrated by it, use it as a chance to show how we each bring unique skills to any group.

Here’s another one to solve that actually depends on words: Look at the following sequence and note that all the numbers from 1 to 15 are shown except 4 and 9. Where do they belong in the sequence and why?

8, 11, 15, 5, 14, 1, 7, 6, 10, 13, 3,12, 2

Like the previous exercise, this one is good for filling in time while people are regrouping; offer a small prize to anyone who comes up with the solution. The answer lies not in the numbers but in their spelling: They are in alphabetical order.
(Adapted from 101 More Games for Trainers by Bob Pike)

Visual puns

2009-03-30T05:01:00.000-07:00

“Visual puns” are readily available on a wide range of websites, and are a great way to get a group’s (or your own) creative juices flowing. As a group exercise, you might download a bunch of samples and either print them out or put them on a screen as part of a Power Point presentation. See if the whole group or partner pairs within the group can guess what they represent, and perhaps give a small prize to those who guess the most correctly – or come up with the most creative interpretations.

A variation on this theme is to show a few examples and then design your own visual illustrations of the phrase with simple drawings or Photoshop manipulations. This can be stimulating as both an individual or group exercise. It can also be stimulating to compare your thinking to others’ ideas. For example, shown here are two versions of a visual pun for “Ipod.”

Think about other words or phrases that might be interpreted in multiple ways: watch dog, quarter horse, eye ball . . .

Here are a few visual pun websites to get you started:
http://www.dvsd.org/dvworld/computergraphics/visual%20puns.html,
http://www.worth1000.com/contest.asp?contest_id=7550 and http://www.visualpuns.net/

The good of complaining

2009-03-24T05:16:00.000-07:00

One creative idea that appeals to my perverse side is to write a Complaint Song and/or form a Complaint Choir. While I am generally an advocate for looking on the bright side, the husband of the husband/wife team credited with founding the Complaint Choir movement says singing out your pet peeves and sense of injustice is cathartic, and helps you to bond with others who share your frustration. No reports have come in on whether Complaint Choirs have resolved any of the issues they have addressed (ranging from the high price of beer to global warming) but they have exercised creative juices, had a few laughs and made some beautiful music, all of which are worthy outcomes. (For more info go to http://www.complaintschoir.org/.)

Wuzzles = word puzzles

2009-03-21T20:28:00.000-07:00

Brain Aerobics Weekly periodically features wuzzles (also known as Plexers, Word Winks and Frame Games) that are easy to create with simple paper and pencil. For example, what is “acriml”? It’s “criminal” (“crim” in between “a” and “l”). Got the idea? Then what’s “a chance n” or “welieight”? (See below.) If you enjoy these puzzles, you can order The Pocket Book of Frame Games by clicking here or Plexers by clicking here.
Answers: “An outside chance” and “lie in weight.”

Lateral thinking

2009-03-18T05:10:00.000-07:00

Lateral thinking is a term coined by writer/psychologist Edward de Bono, who first used it in his 1967 book, The Use of Lateral Thinking, to describe creative and perceptual thinking – the kind computers can’t do. For example:

Some are groaners: How can you drop a raw egg onto a concrete floor without cracking it? Easily. Concrete floors are really hard to crack.

Others require us to imagine possibilities. A group of early explorers came to a wide, deep river. There was no bridge, and they did not have boats or material for making boats. Nor could any of them swim. How did they get across? We are often given problems like this in which we fail to ask all the questions that might give us pertinent information. They walked across because the river was frozen.

You can order the book these examples are from, Paul Sloane’s Improve Your Lateral Thinking, Puzzles to Challenge Your Mind, by clicking here.

The amazing Scott Kim
Brain Aerobics Weekly has also featured the amazing work of creative thinker Scott Kim whose website is http://www.scottkim.com/ and who first wrote Inversions – a book of names (like “dance” above) that read the same right side up, in the mirror and upside down – more than a dozen years ago. To order, Inversions, click here. His most recent project is Brainteasers, Mind Benders, Puzzlers, Mazes & More Page-A-Day Calendar 2009. To order, click here.

Doublets

2009-03-15T05:57:00.000-07:00

Lewis Carroll, the Englishman best known as the author of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and other children’s stories, was born Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, January 27, 1832. He was also a prolific puzzle creator, most of them based on math and logic. One exception was his doublets – the process of changing one word into another by changing one letter at a time to form a new word until the transformation is complete. For example, to turn “less” into “more,” you would write “less, loss, lose, lore, more.” Brain Aerobics Weekly features doublets periodically, and you can find more online by doing a web search of doublets, word ladders, stepwords, and word chains.

Alternatively, you can make up your own doublets by starting with a simple word like “fish,” “hand” or “head,” and seeing how many new words you can make by changing one letter at a time. It’s fairly easy to turn them into “carp,” “foot” and “tail,” but try to keep the chain going as long as you can.

Make new friends

2009-03-11T04:57:00.000-07:00

A 2007 University of Michigan national study led by Oscar Ybarra, a psychologist at the U-M Institute for Social Research (ISR), found that 10 minutes of conversation can improve your memory as much as brain exercises.

"In our study, socializing was just as effective as more traditional kinds of mental exercise in boosting memory and intellectual performance," said Oscar Ybarra, a psychologist at the U-M Institute for Social Research (ISR) and a lead author of the study.

According to Dr. Ybarra, the findings suggest that visiting with a friend or neighbor may be just as helpful in staying sharp as doing a daily crossword puzzle. The study also calls attention to the negative effects of social isolation. At Wiser Now, we have long been preaching the importance of social interaction as a means toward cultivating a cheerful attitude, which contributes to healthy aging, so get out there and make new friends or visit with the old (One is silver and the other gold).

Source: http://www.seniorjournal.com/NEWS/Alzheimers/2007/7-10-29-TenMinutes.htm)

Choose to have fun.
Fun creates enjoyment.
Enjoyment invites participation.
Participation focuses attention.
Attention expands awareness.
Awareness promotes insight.
Insight generates knowledge.
Knowledge facilitates action.
Action yields results.
-Oswald B. Shallow

Foreign Phrases

2009-03-02T05:07:00.001-08:00

Most of us have been embarrassed at one time or another to find that we were completely baffled by the definition or pronunciation of a word or phrase “we ought to know.” (In my case it was hyperbole, which I pronounced like “hyper-bowl.”) How to Sound Smart, A Quick and Witty Guide, by Norah Vincent and Chad Conway, provides a palatable path through this sticky realm along with interesting anecdotes or examples, even to the words we may know. For example, the full phrase for adlib is “ad libitum” (add-li-bee-tum) which means “to desire,” or in English, “as you wish.” When an actor forgets his lines, he fills in with what he wishes to say instead, sometimes with amusing results.

Even more than the easy-to-understand, albeit slightly imperfect, pronunciation guides (in parentheses following most words), I especially like the book’s usually succinct and pithy definitions, with now and then an amusing anecdote thrown in.
The French phrase “Chacun à son goût” means “each to his own taste,” but is sometimes sarcastic: The always outrageous Tallulah Bankhead, upon seeing the Catholic bishop of New York in full regalia, traversing the aisle of St. Patrick’s Cathedral and swinging his censer, reputedly said, “Honey, I love your dress, but your purse is on fire.”

To order How to Sound Smart, click here.

Teaching with children’s literature

2009-02-24T05:00:00.000-08:00

The current issue of another of my publications, Wiser Now Alzheimer’s Disease Caregiver Tips, recommends a variety of books about older adults that are fun for people of all ages and abilities to read. That brings to mind the delightful books by Fred Gwynne, including A Chocolate Moose for Dinner, one of several he wrote and illustrated on how children misunderstand what adults say. (As an aside, I urge you to read up a bit on Fred Gwynne. Though best remembered as TV’s Herman Munster, he was a man of wide-ranging talents. Check out http://www.biography.com/search/article.do?id=9542215.)

I have long felt that children’s books, in addition to being a delightful way to connect with children, provide a great way to connect with adults. First, when adults share children’s books, many of which are written with humor, they are often sharing laughs. If an excuse is needed, it can be to:

learn what today’s children are reading

choose a book or two for a grandchild’s birthday

pick out books to donate to the local library or children’s daycare

Second, children’s books are often a light-hearted way to provide life lessons. (Indeed, that’s frequently their purpose for children, too.) In the case of Chocolate Moose, the lesson is how even when we think we are making ourselves clear, we need to check that people heard what we thought we said. The little girl in Fred Gwynne’s story imagines “a toast to Daddy” puts him in a toaster, lions “praying” on animals has them on their knees with paws together on zebras’ backs, and car pools are swimming pools for cars.

To order A Chocolate Moose for Dinner, click here.

What’s My Line?

2009-02-17T05:12:00.000-08:00

February 2, 1950 marked the premier of the long-running and popular TV show “What’s My Line?” which charged a panel of celebrities with the task of guessing the occupation of contestants by asking only questions that could be answered “yes” or “no.” Contestants won a whopping $50 if the panel failed to guess correctly. The sophisticated panelists, dressed in tuxedos and evening gowns, were all known for their wit as they tried to identify the jobs of people who were, for example, pool table repairers, pretzel benders, tea tasters, chicken pluckers, wig fitters, and a flea raiser (for the Agricultural Department).

Each week also featured a celebrity guest which included literally hundreds of Hollywood, Broadway and TV stars, sports figures and at least three U.S. Presidents (although none while they were serving in that role).

Curious? You can learn more at: http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/ and http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042168/

Just a bite Weekly Digest

2009-02-11T08:34:00.000-08:00

Quote to ponder under the apple tree

A man is incomplete until he is married. After that he is finished.

-- Zsa Zsa Gabor

Resources to bite into
Valentines, Flirting, and Famous Couples *
Much of the current issue of HUBrain Aerobics WeeklyU focuses on topics related to love – both the cynic’s view (as evidenced by the Zsa Zsa Gabor quote above and the romantic side as in our famous couples quiz. If you look up “famous couples” on the Internet, you will find many obviously imperfect alliances, but among those that survived, I am always delighted to see a sense of humor. Here is Lyndon Johnson on life with Ladybird: Only two things are necessary to keep one's wife happy. One is to let her think she is having her own way, the other, to let her have it.

Speaking of humor *
I have resisted the urge for several months now in UBrain Aerobics WeeklyU to create a punny word quiz, but this week gave into temptation. This is, after all, the week when we celebrate “Love may make the world go round, but laughter keeps us from getting dizzy.” Here are a few puns that didn’t make it into the quiz:•It was an emotional wedding. Even the cake was in tiers. •An invisible man marries an invisible woman. The kids were nothing to look at either. •She was the apple of his eye and he liked to sit down be cider. (Let my websites become the apple of YOUR eye.)

Heart Month *
On a more serious side, it is also Heart Month, with a special emphasis on women’s health because many more women than men die each year from heart ailments. Our hearts are perhaps the hardest working organ in our bodies. Did you know?•Our bodies have about 5.6 liters (6 quarts) of blood, which circulates through the body three times every minute. In one day, the blood travels a total of 19,000 km (12,000 miles)—that's four times the distance across the US from coast to coast.Find out more from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/eheart/facts.html.

If you would like to begin receiving a complimentary copy of your own, Just a Bite Weekly Digest please click here. And do share it!

Just a Bite

2009-01-13T05:05:00.000-08:00

Quote to ponder under the apple tree

Happiness is nothing more than good health and a bad memory.
-- Albert Schweitzer, born January 14, 1875

Resources to bite into

1. Hunt for Happiness Week *

Actually, much as I admire Albert Schweitzer, he was wrong: Good health is not a prerequisite for happiness, although perhaps forgetting who “done you wrong” is. Next week is Hunt for Happiness Week promoted by the Secret Society of Happy People (SOHP, http://www.sohp.com/) so happiness is a focus of the current Brain Aerobics Weekly which features a quiz on who’s happy, synonyms for happiness and a little bit about the work of Martin Seligman, PhD, the psychologist who wrote Authentic Happiness, among other titles. (To learn more about the book or order it, click here.)

According to Dr. Seligman, there are three components to happiness: pleasure, flow (being completely engaged in what you are doing) and meaning (feeling what you are doing is worthwhile). What’s more, you can be trained to be happier. Good news!

2. Celebrating Pooh *

January 18 is “Pooh Day” in honor of A.A. Milne, author of the Winnie the Pooh books, who was born on that date in 1882. His son, Christopher Robin, was a bit of an Eeyore about having such a recognizable name, but in later life made an uneasy peace with it, charging customers in his bookstore to sign one of his father’s books. (He donated the money to charity.) For most of us, however, Winnie-the-Pooh is associated with stuffed animals, innocent, “hummy” days, and happy words like “smackeral.” If you have fond memories of a childhood blankie, teddy bear or other “lovey,” you might want to check out the book Dirty Wow Wow by Cheryl and Jeffrey Katz. (To learn more about the book or order it, click here.)

3. Improv Wisdom *

The current Wiser Now Alzheimer’s Disease Caregiver Tips focuses on the wonderfully insightful book Improv Wisdom by Patricia Ryan Madson. The first maxim – wise advice for life as well as caregiving – is, “Say ‘Yes, and . . .’” It means to say yes to what life hands you and then enhance it. You can learn more about the book or order it by clicking here. To learn about applying the wisdom to caregiving, order the newsletter!

* These items are likely to provide interesting discussions for the JAB subscribers working with people with Alzheimer’s disease.

Tips/ideas/insights to savor

The word game in the current issue of Brain Aerobics Weekly is one that works well played in pairs or teams, because it involves coming up with words that are not quite synonyms, but have similar initial sounds, an exercise for which multiple brains helps. Asking people to make rhymes is usually easy, but asking them to think of words with the same initial sound is harder. (This usually does not work well with people who have dementia.) For example, can you name (Answers below):
1. At least 12 words that have to do with wetness, beginning with the letters “sp,” such as “spill.”
2. At least 15 words about motion that begin with the letters “fl,” such as “flight.”

Did you know?
January 18 is also the birthday (in 1779) of Peter Mark Roget, the creator of what is now known as Roget’s Thesaurus. English is virtually the only language that has – or needs – a thesaurus, because most other languages do not have so many words of similar meanings. (Some would argue that we don’t need all that we have.)

Possible answers:
spa, spatter, spew, spigot, spill, spit, splash, splatter, splutter, spray, spring, sprinkle, spritz, spurt and possibly sponge
flail, flap, flare, flee, flick or flicker, flight, flinch, flip, flop, flounce, flow, fluff, flurry, flush, flutter, fly

If you would like this Just a Bite delivered to your email box every Tuesday in a richer and saveable .pdf format, just subscribe to our free newsletter.

Holiday Gift Ideas

2008-11-24T11:01:00.000-08:00

My products

Here are four wooden items that I had personally designed in Thailand as intergenerational games.

Stir-it-up Marimba and Slapping Slats
These rhythm instruments are based on American models. The Stir-it-up Marimba is a cylindrical drum that is held in the palm of one hand and stirred with the other hand using the drumstick, as if one were stirring a cake mix in a bowl. Obviously each slat on the cylinder can be individually struck to make its own note, but when stirred, produces a sound something like an old-fashioned coffee pot percolating. It is made of monkey wood, chosen for its resonating properties, and all of the edges have been rounded so that it is comforting to hold.

The slapping slats are much simpler: one end is held in each hand and the rhythmic sound is created by rocking your hands up and down.

Cube puzzle and square puzzle
Both of these are common toys in Thailand, but I had them specially adapted because I knew that wood is intrinsically pleasant to hold and manipulate, as long as there are no sharp edges. Therefore, all the pieces have rounded edges so that they fit comfortably in the hands. Both puzzles also come with instructions for solving, and as real puzzles, are a challenge for any age. However, my goal was to provide both a challenge for the person who wants a real brain exercise and to provide pleasing wooden pieces to hold or re-arrange into patterns or sculptures for children or adults who might be frustrated in trying to master the solution.

The cube puzzle is about 4 inches on each side with a base and a top that fits neatly over the puzzle when it is put together correctly.

The square puzzle has its own wooden case, and on the inside bottom of the case one solution to the puzzle is painted so that if one is in a hurry to solve it or clean-up, it’s easy to do so. However, we provide a simple sheet of white paper to place over the painted solution so that it becomes a real challenge again, and so that the individual pieces can be more easily seen in the dark box.

Supplies are limited. Prices do not include shipping.

Stir-it-up Marimba, $20
Slapping slats, $10
Cube puzzle, $12
Square puzzle, $28.

To order any of these items, click here.

Positive Mind Stimulation

2008-09-25T04:46:00.000-07:00

Continuing with my favorite books related to positive mind stimulation:

Anyone who has attended one of my seminars knows that I put a heavy emphasis on building self-esteem through brain aerobics, rather than tearing it down. Too many of us grew up thinking we were terrible at _______ (math, English, science – fill in the subject of your choice) and as a consequence, doubted our intelligence forever after. Howard Gardner is an educator who long ago wrote that standardized tests missed many of our individualized strengths. He came up with a theory of multiple intelligences, suggesting that we ought to recognize that people who can’t diagram a sentence may be outstanding in other areas, such as music, language, interpersonal skills, or communing with nature. Here are two of Howard Gardner’s books that will help you to recognize other strengths in yourself and your fellow human beings:

Multiple Intelligences: New Horizons, © 2006 (This is an update of his original 1993 book on his theory of multiple intelligences.) To order, click here.

One of the authors who was an early inspiration to me is Marge Engelman, who was herself inspired by older women who had thought they were less able to learn than their younger counterparts. After working with older women for many years – when she herself could be considered to be getting on in years herself – she wrote Aerobics of the Mind, which is a delightful book of brain exercises gleaned from many resources. There are word games, optical illusions and games for sharpening the senses, to name just a few. Later, she condensed the exercises to 100 4X6” laminated cards – draw a card and try the exercise. Then in 2006, she produced WholeBrain Workouts – even more brain exercises. There is something here for everyone.

Aerobics of the Mind – To order click here.
Aerobics of the Mind Cards: 100 Exercises for a Healthy Brain – To order click here.
WholeBrain Workouts – To order click here.

Brain Humor

2008-09-23T17:13:00.000-07:00

So far, much of this blog consists of resources for people who are interested in keeping their minds active, and I suspect that’s going to continue for awhile because the resources are vast. Here are some separated by topic that I think you might enjoy:

Humor and your brain
Humor is a great way to keep your mind strong.

Laughter brings oxygen to your brain to freshen your thinking.
It lowers your cortisol levels, thus lowering your stress levels, and relaxed learners learn more.
It unleashes creativity, because finding the funny side of anything requires a new way of seeing the situation.
It builds rapport, and our social ties broaden our horizons and lift our spirits.

Anyone who tickles your funny bone is good to hang around, whether through a live performance, a book, TV program or video. Seek out what makes you laugh.

Here are a few book recommendations that are just for fun:

Everything I Need to Know I Learned From My Cat, by Suzy Becker (A funnily illustrated spoof on Roger Fulgham’s famous book) – To order, click here.
Life Laughs Last – To order, click here.
Life Smiles Back (These two books are compilations of the amusing final photos in old Life magazines) – To order, click here.
The Official Rules and Explanations, The Original Guide to Surviving the Electronic Age with Wit, Wisdom, and Laughter, by Paul Dickson (The rules of our perverse universe that take readers far beyond Murphy’s Law) – To order, click here.
Reader’s Digest’s Life in These United States (Excerpted stories from many years of this popular magazine column) – To order, click here.
What’s in a Name? Reflections of an Irrepressible Name Collector, also by Paul Dickson – To order, click here.

And here are books for having fun with the English language

These are both prolific authors with a great sense of humor; almost anything you pick up of theirs is likely to be fun.

Crazy English, by Richard Lederer – To order, click here.
Fractured English, also by Richard Lederer – To order, click here.
Made In America, An Informal History of the English Language in the United States, by Bill Bryson – To order, click here.
The Mother Tongue, English and How It Got That Way, also by Bill Bryson – To order, click here.

Resources

2008-09-23T14:27:00.000-07:00

More Resources

One of the hallmarks of my writing has always been to provide practical advice for caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in an upbeat manner. When I first started writing about AD, there was essentially only one book that was widely available, and I found it too depressing to be borne. It is still widely distributed, but you won’t find it here, because its ability to instill depression hasn’t changed. But here are four books on Alzheimer’s disease and several related to caregivers’ journeys that are much more helpful:

If you’re looking for basic caregiving books on Alzheimer’s disease, of course I recommend my own. Alzheimer’s Basic Caregiving – an ABC Guide covers:

the essential background on the disease
the braided elements of AD, depression and pain
the basic patterns of progression
the logic behind behaviors
the real messages behind attempts to communicate

Activities of Daily Living – an ADL Guide for Alzheimer’s Care covers:

bathing
dressing
grooming
continence care
nutrition and hydration

And how to do it all with relative ease.

These books are available by clicking here. Call 800-999-0795 or write to Kathy@wisernow.com if you are interested in quantity discounts or imprinting your own company information.

But the next question is, who has informed my thinking? The June 12, 2008 blog entry lists some of the books and people whom I most admire in this field and whose books I highly recommend. Here are some more:

People with Alzheimer’s disease speaking their own minds

Over the years there have been dozens of books written (with assistance) by people with Alzheimer’s disease. I highly recommend talking directly to people with AD to get a sense of what that person is experiencing and how he or she wants to be treated, and a number of these are highly informative. It’s always important to keep in mind, “When you’ve met one person with Alzheimer’s disease, you’ve met one person with Alzheimer’s disease.” In other words, each person’s life and experiences are unique. Nevertheless, two of the books which I think provide the best insights are the oldest.

Robert Davis wrote My Journey into Alzheimer’s Disease, almost 20 years ago (© 1989) but the 20 pages of chapter 7, “The Abnormal Changes So Far” are still among the most enlightening I have ever read. Robert Davis was a Presbyterian minister and the rest of the book is heavily weighted with his religious views, which may not be appealing to people whose faith is less intense, but chapter 7 is worth the price of the book. An excerpt:

I have lost my ability to fit patterns and pictures together. . . A jigsaw
puzzle is impossible for me. . . I cannot pack a car trunk. I can’t figure out
how to screw a nut onto a bolt . . . This ability to see spatial relationships
is gone. I sometimes find the same difficulty relating verbal things as well.

Cary Smith Henderson tape recorded his thoughts for Partial View, an Alzheimer’s Journal that was published in 1998. His wonderful insights are interspersed with photographs taken of him by Nancy Andrews, which not only help to break up the dialog, but enrich our vision of the author. An excerpt:

When someone wants me to hurry up, I can’t hurry up – there’s no way to hurry
up. The hurrier I get, the behinder I go, and I think that’s pretty much for
anybody with Alzheimer’s. We can’t be rushed because we get so doggone confused
we don’t know what we’re rushing about.

To order My Journey into Alzheimer’s Disease, click here.
To order Partial View, click here.

Finding humor in sorrow

The idea that humor is healing has been around for at least a few thousand years, but the father of the modern movement was Norman Cousins who published Anatomy of an Illness in 1979 about his experiences with using humor to help cure his serious condition. A tidal wave of books and conferences followed.

More than 20 years ago, I attended a conference in Saratoga Springs, NY put on by The Humor Project (http://www.humorproject.com/) which provided many new ideas for getting through tough times with a sense of humor. In recent years I have become active in AATH – The Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor (http://www.aath.org/) which has enabled me to actually be mentored by some of my heroes in this field. Two of those – whose work I use consistently in my seminars – are Allen Klein and Patty Wooten.

Patty Wooten is a successful nurse, wonderful, worldwide speaker and an actress who becomes funnily immersed in her roles as Nancy Nurse and Nurse Kindheart. Check her out at http://www.jesthealth.com/. She gained notoriety as a serious author on healthy humor by writing Compassionate Laughter in 1996, but I most often quote the book she edited in 1994, Heart Humor and Healing. The latter is a collection of short quotes, such as Helen Lerner’s advice to “Give yourself permission to take an intermission,” and one-page stories that alternate between the heartwarmingly poignant and hilarious. I highly recommend it.

Allen Klein has also written a number of books which are collections of uplifting quotes, as well as serious books on humor’s healing effects. He is most famous for his 1989 book, the Healing Power of Humor, but I most often quote and recommend his 1998 book, The Courage to Laugh, which talks about the use of humor in the face of the most serious illnesses. Here, for example, is a quote by Peter Weingold, M.D. from Allen’s book:

Finding humor in a tragic situation is an extremely healthy step. It is a way of
looking toward the future and of saying that this suffering can be put behind us
. . . Humor is something to strive for and embrace. It is a way of saying
“The tragedy has happened to us, but it does not define us. . . We are still
here. We are still laughing. And therefore we have life and hope.”

To order Anatomy of an Illness, , click here.
To order Heart Humor and Healing, click here.
To order The Courage to Laugh, click here.
To order The Healing Power of Humor, click here.

Olympics

2008-08-05T06:03:00.000-07:00

Unusual Athletes

In last Sunday’s Parade magazine, Mitch Albom wrote an article about some of the amazing Olympic athletes who do not make it to the winners’ circle, but whose stories can be every bit as inspiring as those who do. I couldn’t agree more. The current issue of Brain Aerobics Weekly is an all Olympics issue and here is one of the stories featured on the discussion page about an athlete Mr. Albom didn’t mention:
Countries which fail to produce athletes able to meet performance requirements to compete – often because they are too poor to provide trainers and facilities – are granted "wild cards", which enable them to send competitors to the Games even if those competitors' abilities are well below Olympic standards. One of these wild cards at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney was Eric Moussam-bani, a swimmer from Equatorial Guinea. He swam alone in his heat when two other wild cards were disqualified after false starts.

Before coming to the Olympics, Mr. Moussambani had never seen a 50 meter pool. He had taken up swimming only 8 months before the Olympics, swimming in a hotel pool in his homeland. His race time was more than twice the winner’s time, but he set a new personal best and a national record for Equatorial Guinea. Moreover, he won the hearts of the crowd watching, who gave him a standing ovation. Sadly, Mr. Moussambani was denied entry into the 2004 Olympic Games due to a visa bungle, despite the vast improvement in his swimming over the previous four years. You can see his inspiring performance with the enthusiastic play-by-play rendered by the Australian announcers at http://youtube.com/watch?v=3zjCc_VyxM4.

This week’s BAW also features a word quiz, trivia quiz, design-your-own Olympic mascot imagination exercise and more. Share a subscription with friends and sign up today!

Brain Aerobics Weekly

2008-07-13T07:02:00.000-07:00

In every issue of my free weekly Just a Bite digest (click here to sign up) I share samplings of what is being offered in the current issue of Brain Aerobics Weekly, and other articles I’ve written as well as websites and other resources I think readers might find interesting. Here is a sampling of recent exercises in BAW:

• In his short and delightful Book of Sense and Nonsense Puzzles, editor Ronnie Shushan, suggests an exercise that involves matching the names of real companies to what their names sound like they should offer. For example, choosing by sound, Swingline’s logical product would be jump ropes, not staplers. BAW provides 20 matching samples, but this is a game for which it’s easy to invent your own examples. For instance, what would companies like Dollar Tree, Carnival, Blackstone and Starbucks sell if their names reflected their products? Here is an instant, no-prep parlor game. (To order the Book of Sense and Nonsense Puzzles, click here.)

• Another exercise found in Shushan’s book is called “So I says.” I actually first encountered this game in Mind Games, the Aging Brain and How to Keep it Healthy by Kathryn Wetzel, PhD and Kathleen Harmeyer, MS, a book I highly recommend. (To order, click here.) The idea of this exercise is to fill in the blank with a male or female name that fits the descriptive passage before it. For example, “So I says to the girl blessing the food, I says, GRACE . . .” Like the previous game, you will find 15 blanks to fill in followed by encouragement to think up your own. Any name that is also a verb or noun will do: Daisy, Olive, Pat . . .

• Each issue of Brain Aerobics Weekly, includes 1) a trivia/logic quiz, 2) a word game, 3) an exercise that involves using your imagination or creativity, 4) a brief article followed by discussion questions, plus 5) a section called Potpourri, which includes additional resources or other quizzes and discussion topics I think readers might find interesting. For example, one week we talked about the origins of hot dogs and baked beans because those are both foods that are celebrated in July. But July is also both Blueberry and Peach Month, foods that are high in anti-oxidants (brain food) and that you can feel good about eating, so I also wrote about those in Potpourri. Here’s a bit of BAW trivia for you. Did you know that the names of the two main types of peaches – Cling and Freestone – refer to how easily the fruit is separated from its stones? Did you know that blueberry tea was used by early American Indians to ease women’s labor pains?

• Potpourri often contains other people’s ideas I find creative, like the guerilla knitters who knit decorations for lamp and sign posts, trees and other entities they believe are in need of a bit of brightening. I love the whimsy of their anarchy. You can learn more and see examples at http://www.flickr.com/groups/guerilla-knitting/pool/.

• Potpourri is also where I originally talked about Art in the Park in a previous blog entry and where I wrote about some of the more unusual games of summer noting that for some people, games like croquet are always fun, but others need outdoor games adapted for their frailties or simply to make them interesting again. One person who has done that is Bob Alman, who promotes two versions of a super-size form of croquet. Toequet is played with colored soccer balls that are kicked instead of hit and jumbo-sized wickets. Malletball uses the soccer balls and the new wickets along with heavy (2-1/2 pound) croquet mallets. These versions can be played on the beach, on hilly terrain, in open fields, in orchards and even in snow. The wickets can be placed in a traditional pattern, in an oval or a snaking course. You can learn more at these websites: http://www.croquetworld.com/Game/toequet.asp and http://www.malletball.com/.
• In Brain Aerobics Weekly, I also share quirky information that can be fun to think about. For example, Did you know that women laugh more than men, but men are considered funnier than women? In personal ads women say they are looking for someone with a good sense of humor much more often than they advertise their own sense of humor, whereas men advertise their own sense of humor much more often than they say they are looking for a woman with a good sense of humor. But some same that women are just being kind in laughing at men’s not-always-funny jokes. What do you think?

A Beautiful Way to Challenge Your Brain

2008-06-19T07:22:00.000-07:00

Scramble Squares® is a mind-stimulating product I have enthusiastically promoted for more than 10 years. The concept is simple: Take nine 4 X 4-inch squares and form one large square in which the pictures match up on all sides. In other words, if I have a square which has half a yellow tulip on one side, half an orange tulip on a second side, half a red tulip on a third side and half a lavender-striped tulip on the fourth side, I have to be sure that all the pieces it touches in my large square have the appropriate other half.

Simple concepts, however, do not necessarily lead to simple solutions. There are more than 100 variations of these Scramble Squares® puzzles which come from the company b. dazzle (www.b-dazzle.com), and while some are simpler than others to solve, all are challenging. Players often find they can match all but one or two pieces and then have to rethink their strategy from the beginning. Bottom line: Played as intended, this is a challenging brain exercise for anyone of any age.

What I like about Scramble Squares®:
• There are more than 100 variations of flowers, birds, animals, fish and other sea creatures, food and beverages, culture, occupations, cityscapes, cars, sports and other puzzle categories, which means that virtually everyone can find a set of squares to enjoy working on.
• Most of the puzzles feature strong colors so that they are visually appealing and easy for people with less than perfect vision to see clearly.
• Because the puzzle pieces are large (4 x 4 inches), they are easier for arthritic hands to handle, and because they have smooth bottoms, they can be slid around a tabletop without ever having to be picked up.

Variations:• Scramble Squares® can be played as a team as well as by an individual. Teams with either the same or different puzzles can compete against one another.
• Scramble Squares® can be played with fewer pieces. Is a 9-piece square too difficult? Try making a square with 4 pieces or a rectangle with 6.
• Scramble Squares® can be played by simply lining up all the pieces in one long row. Then no single piece needs to match more than 2 sides.
• Scramble Squares® can be played like dominoes. Can’t fit the pieces in a square? Then simply place each piece wherever it does match one side.

Adaptations for people with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia:
• All of the above variations are simplifications that can help people with dementia feel successful with Scramble Squares®. Go with what works.
• When we talk about matching half a tulip, we are talking about a tulip that has a top half of a blossom and a bottom half that is attached to a stem. Solving the puzzle as it was meant to be solved means that putting two top halves or two bottom halves of a tulip together is “wrong.” When working with people with dementia (or people with vision impairments, or even perhaps young children) it is usually better to go with the flow and view slight mismatches as an acceptable variation rather than pointing out the “mistake.”
• Because most of the puzzles feature strong colors, particularly as background, even when they are put together “wrong” they are visually pleasing so that a person with dementia can still feel accomplished for having created an interesting picture. On the other hand, a few puzzles, such as the one of manatees, have highly blended colors so that “mistakes” are less obvious, and again the overall effect of beauty is enhanced, no matter how the puzzle is put together.
• Because the puzzles come in so many variations, it is easy to use their themes as the basis for reminiscence discussions: Do you like fishing? Did you ever have a rose garden? Are you comfortable around farm animals?

Below are a few of my favorite versions of Scramble Squares®, which you can order by simply clicking where indicated. You can view the complete range of puzzles by going to the b-dazzle website (www.b-dazzle.com) and viewing the alphabetical list.

Let the fun begin!

To order American Native Flowers, click here

To order Australian wildlife, click here

To order Farm Animals, click here

To order Freshwater Fish, click here

To order Hot air balloons, click here

To order Hot tamale, click here

To order North American Birds, click here

To order Pansies, click here

To order Quilts, click here

To order Retro- Rods (cars), click here

To order Roses, click here

To order Sea shells, click here

To order Teapots, click here

To order Tropical Fish, click here

To order Tulips, click here

To order Turtles, click here

To order Wine, click here

To intrigue you...

2008-06-16T12:39:00.000-07:00

Here are a few examples of ideas that have appeared in my recent Just a Bite Weekly Digests and/or in Brain Aerobics Weekly. I hope they intrigue you and that you will consider signing up!

June is Learn French Month

In the June 9th Brain Aerobics Weekly, I devised a quiz on French words common to English speech. One place you can learn more is http://french.about.com/library/bl-frenchinenglish-list.htm. We’ve corrupted a lot of meanings along the way. For example, “a la mode” means “in style” in French, not “with ice cream” as children might think, and “hors d'oeuvre” means “outside of work,” but in this case, even the French understand it to mean outside of the main course of food.

Discover art in your parks

June 19 is World Sauntering Day (a time to walk happily and aimlessly) so I also suggested in last week’s Brain Aerobics Weekly that you check out the art in your parks. Outdoor art is a great way to stimulate both mind and body as you enjoy being outdoors while analyzing the art. My inspiration was an article about British artist Anish Kapoor, which reminded me of his delightful “Cloud Gate” (more popularly known as “the Bean,”) in Chicago’s Millennium Park. What art can you admire in parks near you? And don’t forget nature’s art in the form of trees, flowers and wildlife.

Being creatively green

If you don’t have even a park near you, much less art, consider signing on to the “Park(ing) project, which creates mini-parks in parking spaces. I also wrote about this movement in a June Brain Aerobics Weekly. It was started by the folks at
REBAR, a San Francisco collective of artists, designers and activists, (See http://www.rebargroup.org/). Beginning in 2005 they decided to address the issue of a lack of downtown green space by creating these mini-parks in standard parking spaces. They feed the meter for two hours, lay down sod and add a potted tree and a park bench, thereby providing a calm oasis among the congestion and chaos. People enjoyed their creation, kept feeding the meter so others could enjoy the mini-park, too, and started spreading the word so that now urban PARK(ing) has been popping up all over the world — Santa Monica, Glasgow, Sicily . Could you try this in your community?

I learned about REBAR by perusing the website http://www.stickandmove.com/brainpickings/ which is loads of fun in a hundred ways, and highly recommended by me.

Humor happenings

I am an enthusiastic member of AATH – the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor (www.AATH.org) and two of my colleagues monthly musings that I recommend subscribing to are Leigh-Anne Jashaway-Bryant’s “Don’t Get Mad, Get Funny”* (Sign up at http://www.accidentalcomic.com/) and Allen Klein’s brief “Mid-Month Mirth Memo” (Scroll down and sign up at http://www.allenklein.com/). A “rival” organization, The Humor Project, is about to put on a fabulous conference June 20 -22 in upstate New York (http://www.humorproject.com/). Check them out!

Quiz mania

Every issue of Brain Aerobics Weekly includes at least one quiz, and while I often make them up myself or glean bits of ideas from multiple sites, as I noted in another issue of my Just a Bite Digest, one of my favorite resources is http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/quiz/Default.aspx which provides about 75 ready-made quizzes in one place, along with interesting tidbits supplementing the answers. There are bound to be topics that intrigue virtually everyone.

Brain aerobics resources I recommend

2008-06-14T06:55:00.000-07:00

As I have noted in Brain Aerobics Weekly, these resources can be enjoyable ways of stretching your brain, but I suggest two cautions:
1) When playing with older adults, and particularly those with memory loss, throw out the buzzers and timers and play for the simple enjoyment of challenging your mind. How quickly you react really doesn’t matter.
2) Remember that learning new information – that is, looking up the answers – is just as good for your brain as reinforcing existing pathways to what you already know.

Game - Finish Lines To order click here.
Finish the famous quotations from life, literature, TV, music and more

Game- Paired Up To order click here.
The Lone Ranger and.... Corned beef and.... Dungeons and.... Paired Up challenges your knowledge of pairs – words that just seem to go together – whether they're people, places, or just parts of an expression.

Game - Stare (2nd edition) To order click here.
Stare at the image on the card, then answer a series of questions about what you saw – or think you saw. (Wild guesses count). Hundreds of cards to keep your brain challenged.

Game - Visual Brainstorms To order click here.
100 visual puzzles that include logical and abstract thinking, deductive reasoning, twisted mazes, coded messages, 3D befuddlers, and word games

Game - Who Am I? To order click here.
Based on A&E's long-running Biography series, this trivia-style, card-and-board game challenges your knowledge of the famous and the infamous.

Game - Apples to Apples To order click here.
This is a card game of hilarious comparisons. Select the card from your hand that you think is best described by a card played by the judge. If the judge picks your card, you win that round. And everyone gets a chance to be the judge.

Game - Imaginiff To order click here.
Pick on of hundreds of cards that poses a question with six possible answers. ("Imaginiff _____ were an entree. Which would he/she be?"). Fill in the blank with the name of one of the other players, a mutual friend or a famous person in history. In this case, the choices are Big Mac, Duck a l’orange, spaghetti and meatballs, stuffed turkey, canned ham or buffalo wings. Topics are highly imaginative and range from the ridiculous to the provocative.

Game - Judge for Yourself To order click here.
A game of 500 real world court cases for which you get to guess the verdict.

Game - Fact or Crap To order click here.
How much do you know about the world we live in? Using statements from the day to day, to the truly bizarre, what is and isn’t true?

Game - Quiddler To order click here.
118 cards with letters on them. Can you arrange your entire hand into words? Play as a group or as solitaire.

Game - UpWords To order click here.
Here’s an alternative to Scrabble where words can be created vertically and horizontally on the board, or upwards with letters stacked on top of one another.

Game - Batik To order click here.
The Batik board is a vertical, transparent picture frame-like slot, into which opponents take turns dropping either light or dark-colored wooden triangles, rectangles and other polygons. The object is to force your opponent to drop a piece that sticks out above the top of the board. Strategy counts.

Game - Mad Gab To order click here.
Teams or individuals work to decipher groups of unrelated words into real phrases. Example: “Dew Wino Hue?” is “Do I know you?” Includes 1200 phrases for hours of fun.

It’s Photo Month. Are you a visual thinker?

2008-06-04T12:14:00.000-07:00

In a recent issue of Brain Aerobics Weekly, I provided a link to the website, http://www.guessthespot.com/ which offers a fun multiple choice quiz that provides aerial views to identify. The first view is at left. Is it : A) Disneyland’s Tom Sawyer’s island, B) Alcatraz, C) Bermuda or D) the Mediterranean Island of Cypress? Learn the answer and stretch your visual thinking skills by accessing the whole quiz at the above link.