tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13718701447848970272023-11-16T07:51:36.794-08:00Brain AerobicsPrintable brain teasers and games <br>
for brain fitness!Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460790093770101115noreply@blogger.comBlogger70125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1371870144784897027.post-1102992738172722432010-06-24T08:52:00.000-07:002010-06-24T08:59:34.366-07:00Just a Bite 6/22/10<span style="color:#cc0000;"><strong>Quote to ponder under the apple tree<br /></strong></span><br />There are two ways of spreading light:<br />To be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.<br />~ Edith Wharton<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#cc0000;">Resources to bite into</span></strong><br /><br />1. Reflected light<br /><br />The current issue of <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly </a>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.”<br /><br />What dark corners and hearts can you bring light to?<br /><br />To order, It Was on Fire When I Lay Down on It by Robert Fulghum, click here.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizM0VFpIN5yXCYaxlKE6pSxcShgb1avZdVYKxo9OxbQbf9iQHaJ4qRoEgoIXBAtVtnrAroGcd_TNQPnRMTwToDisRX9d6Hh_bvPUh0Hl8WLffV_31m8ncZp_YvcCo49ja20zzrA4VqMyM/s1600/622a.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 159px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 147px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486369498280434530" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizM0VFpIN5yXCYaxlKE6pSxcShgb1avZdVYKxo9OxbQbf9iQHaJ4qRoEgoIXBAtVtnrAroGcd_TNQPnRMTwToDisRX9d6Hh_bvPUh0Hl8WLffV_31m8ncZp_YvcCo49ja20zzrA4VqMyM/s200/622a.jpg" /></a><br />2. Light through a parasol<br /><br />The current <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly </a>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.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi93gBu6t00iRepvROISfH3AbXayAILpL4ohRL_f8Wq4eL-37q1mBIVtxfF8XZiOKLXWme95dLIj7H3hiKbY-wOyBgjIjOdeezdWcLGjw0fdrrCrVBKnLOMkBqRJZ5bFdZzzsqhAIMRYls/s1600/622b.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 195px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486369665707851426" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi93gBu6t00iRepvROISfH3AbXayAILpL4ohRL_f8Wq4eL-37q1mBIVtxfF8XZiOKLXWme95dLIj7H3hiKbY-wOyBgjIjOdeezdWcLGjw0fdrrCrVBKnLOMkBqRJZ5bFdZzzsqhAIMRYls/s200/622b.jpg" /></a>3. Dogs in the spotlight<br /><br />Every June, as noted in the current <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a>, 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?<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#cc0000;">Tips/ideas/insights to savor<br /></span></strong><br />The current <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a> 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:<br /><br />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?<br />1.<br />2.<br />3.<br />4.<br />5.<br />6.<br />7.<br />8.<br />9.<br />10.<br /><br />To receive the advantage of seeing more than 4 times as many ideas and exercises each week, subscribe to <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a> today.<br /><br />Each week brings amazing and amusing mind stimulation!<br /><br />Let us become the apple of your eye.<br /><br /><br />Answers: cars: headlights, brake lights, taillights cities: street lights, neon lights, traffic lights, search lights homes: porch lights, night lights, flash lights, flood lights<br />theatres: footlights, spotlights<br />Can you think of more?Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460790093770101115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1371870144784897027.post-19780280233276335772010-06-19T09:04:00.000-07:002010-06-19T09:10:45.090-07:00Just a Bite 6/15/10<div><div><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 159px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 134px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484517232789231330" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwylfL9zVwA1jNr1gc-ARG52UQL-xqJhSi9v4envQAql-x8sLrGElsdI2PYg6Y3tOC7M15Tjf8eOtZaS2BJKOj94maKo7VI8zkspP7c4mYn21ZTXJziNCituDawi2MqCXxgD_nGGcau6c/s200/tree.jpg" /><strong><span style="color:#cc0000;">Quote to ponder under the apple tree<br /></span></strong><br />A kiss that speaks volumes is seldom a first edition.<br />~Clare Whiting<br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#cc0000;">Resources to bite into<br /></span></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtfnlbCzjgqmszB5t486im3jLCPdTpcuWOOOqbU4pjNl2IhSB4tGnAhD8iucUUjwYQtweEopFe4bI2rTOhqITiQCLxbDI0aOWsBjUnkq_o9ltQXdLpkSof_C3_LGqMTiEjoqtYwy9teDs/s1600/615.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 181px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484517357469865506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtfnlbCzjgqmszB5t486im3jLCPdTpcuWOOOqbU4pjNl2IhSB4tGnAhD8iucUUjwYQtweEopFe4bI2rTOhqITiQCLxbDI0aOWsBjUnkq_o9ltQXdLpkSof_C3_LGqMTiEjoqtYwy9teDs/s200/615.jpg" /></a><br />1. Kissing is good for your health<br /><br />In honor of the month that was long been the most popular for weddings, the current issue of <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a> features a discussion of kissing based on an old New York Times article by Joshua Foer (Feb. 14, 2006, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/14/opinion/14foer.html">http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/14/opinion/14foer.html</a>) and the website <a href="http://people.howstuffworks.com/kissing2.htm">http://people.howstuffworks.com/kissing2.htm</a>. When you are kissed by someone you care about, the following hormones and neurotransmitters rush through your body:<br />• Oxytocin, which helps people develop feelings of attachment, devotion and affection for one another<br />• Dopamine, which plays a role in the brain's processing of pleasure and pain<br />• Serotonin, which affects a person's mood and feelings<br />• Adrenaline, which increases heart rate and dilates your blood vessels to provide your body with more oxygen<br /><br />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!<br /><br />2. Kissing quotes<br /><br /><br />Here are a few kissing quotes. Which do you agree with?<br /><br />Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves. ~Albert Einstein<br /><br />Kissing is a means of getting two people so close together that they can't see anything wrong with each other. ~Rene Yasenek<br /><br />In trying to get our own way, we should remember that kisses are sweeter than whine. ~Author Unknown<br /><br />People who throw kisses are mighty hopelessly lazy. ~Bob Hope<br /><br /><br />3. Wedding trivia<br /><br />The trivia quiz in the current <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a> highlights the origins of marriage traditions. Here are two you may not have known:<br />• “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.<br />• 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!)<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#cc0000;">Tips/ideas/insights to savor</span></strong><br /><br />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:<br /><br />Take the beginning of each line below and finish it with a fortunate ending: <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibkaHgjDKKwb2qzMZZF6gLtwLAtjfp6MqbF8Wd7cP3ZX3zGxYlA3D7c3gpcgin0FoqLdVr-8qxkAgvLiwlCks_M_kGTIjwzS_uNgco5oXS6SfOIdarlM89PimKWSWCznX2aRNKqxeDxi0/s1600/615b.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 152px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484517551584986386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibkaHgjDKKwb2qzMZZF6gLtwLAtjfp6MqbF8Wd7cP3ZX3zGxYlA3D7c3gpcgin0FoqLdVr-8qxkAgvLiwlCks_M_kGTIjwzS_uNgco5oXS6SfOIdarlM89PimKWSWCznX2aRNKqxeDxi0/s200/615b.jpg" /></a><br /><br />Marry when the year is new . . .<br />When February birds do mate . . .<br />If you wed when March winds blow . . .<br />Marry in April when you can . . .<br />Marry in the month of May . . .<br />Marry when June roses grow . . .<br />Those who in July do wed . . .<br />Whoever wed in August be . . .<br />Marry in September's shine . . .<br />If in October you do marry . . .<br />If you wed in bleak November . . .<br />When December snows fall fast . . .<br /><br /><strong>To receive the advantage of seeing more than 4 times as many ideas and exercises each week, subscribe to <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a> today.<br /></strong><br />Each week brings amazing and amusing mind stimulation!<br /><br />Let us become the apple of your eye. </div></div>Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460790093770101115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1371870144784897027.post-6132045150739336122010-06-02T06:48:00.000-07:002010-06-02T06:53:47.557-07:00Just a Bite 6-1-10<strong><span style="color:#990000;">Quote to ponder under the apple tree</span></strong><br /><br />The Earth laughs in flowers.<br />~ Ralph Waldo Emerson<br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#990000;">Resources to bite into</span></strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlDIZYufjkne2-3X17dlTXJoLL4tuQg9qHO-VNM62x4KRfNd8_q_w9BZ04upfvETz5itkqFIxs7_estRwDwaksyaOiv-NVCza2oNFxUSadxolI_Mieuyp4Mf6khXYRt8QTkTqY74Sk9k0/s1600/61a.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 98px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478173405454508850" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlDIZYufjkne2-3X17dlTXJoLL4tuQg9qHO-VNM62x4KRfNd8_q_w9BZ04upfvETz5itkqFIxs7_estRwDwaksyaOiv-NVCza2oNFxUSadxolI_Mieuyp4Mf6khXYRt8QTkTqY74Sk9k0/s200/61a.jpg" /></a>1. Celebrate Perennial Garden Month<br /><br />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.<br /><br />2. Get outside! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilKk0o0enYSegU9tOeHBc8yxUNfW5qjEJxiFQ4hnJymM2gCv1B8g7DZdda9cYmudf73BmYmrlVXiNjpZb9rYW3R5QDzmMQlLBepKXuyctnibVjGQWz0ip16_c3UNGxy6WvsQfzhBUD0dY/s1600/61b.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 128px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478173539120929842" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilKk0o0enYSegU9tOeHBc8yxUNfW5qjEJxiFQ4hnJymM2gCv1B8g7DZdda9cYmudf73BmYmrlVXiNjpZb9rYW3R5QDzmMQlLBepKXuyctnibVjGQWz0ip16_c3UNGxy6WvsQfzhBUD0dY/s200/61b.jpg" /></a><br /><br />The current <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a> 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:<br />• Brief sunlight contributes to calcium’s conversion into strong bones and the body’s use of vitamin D. It also boosts our immune system.<br />And it’s good for our mental health:<br />• It reduces depression and decreases stress.<br />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!<br /><br />3. Odd solutions<br /><br />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.<br />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 e<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht3NpcDnlGn1TOcDdayVyqoCxffXDTonTUup4hOcJrYOxZeP7uvDzyAEDtUIoXX_PnH2yHh2-PN4fW59FOQ2R9EsOVs-Z684IlW2cf72gTHwW2JkHJDgzqBJswQHRX0riZ9omTWCyfWtI/s1600/61c.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 102px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478173661106430194" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht3NpcDnlGn1TOcDdayVyqoCxffXDTonTUup4hOcJrYOxZeP7uvDzyAEDtUIoXX_PnH2yHh2-PN4fW59FOQ2R9EsOVs-Z684IlW2cf72gTHwW2JkHJDgzqBJswQHRX0riZ9omTWCyfWtI/s200/61c.jpg" /></a>ssential weapon.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#990000;">Tips/ideas/insights to savor<br /></span></strong><br />To keep us focused on oil, the current <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a> 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:<br /><br />1. Singers on this TV show compete to become the next American _______.<br /><br />2. For the big dance at school, a group of us rented a __________ to take us there.<br /><br />3. Could the lamb ever lie down with the __________ , and not get eaten?<br /><br />4. He wanted a steak but couldn’t decide between __________ and __________.<br /><br />5. To save money on paper, the newspaper went from standard size to __________ format.<br /><br />6. Next to the barn were two huge __________ for storing the grain.<br /><br />Here’s hoping “Oil won’t be seeing you in every lovely summer's day.”<br /><br />Answers: 1. idol 2. limo 3. lion 4. sirloin and tenderloin 5. tabloid 6. silos<br /><br />To receive the advantage of seeing more than 4 times as many ideas and exercises each week, subscribe to <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a> today.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#990000;"><em>Each week brings amazing and amusing mind stimulation!</em></span></strong>Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460790093770101115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1371870144784897027.post-37164474222075471572010-05-06T04:25:00.000-07:002010-05-06T04:43:26.588-07:00<strong><span style="color:#6600cc;">Quote to ponder under the apple tree<br /></span></strong>More grows in the garden than the gardener sows.<br />~ Old Spanish Proverb<br /><br /><span style="color:#6600cc;"><strong>Resources to bite into<br /></strong></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj1W0EWtsKOeCxgatcFC9nYqGB9w23vzMmRQRyS0r_RleQAHn6gL0zEuymz3koGlFWrHiG37hx74S_aqQqDulg9ia_5NBOIGSvnrhpm8sXVBl6JMuw6ZU7M0K_U_Qn3PQfqrGnL684Jwg/s1600/55a.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 113px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 140px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468119066259849058" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj1W0EWtsKOeCxgatcFC9nYqGB9w23vzMmRQRyS0r_RleQAHn6gL0zEuymz3koGlFWrHiG37hx74S_aqQqDulg9ia_5NBOIGSvnrhpm8sXVBl6JMuw6ZU7M0K_U_Qn3PQfqrGnL684Jwg/s200/55a.jpg" /></a>1. <strong>It’s Wildflower Week<br /></strong>The current <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly </a>celebrates wild growing things, <div><div><div><div>noting that 80 percent of all medicinal drugs originate from wild plants. </div><div>Most, however, remain unstudied. Consider the pink Madagascar<br />periwinkle, (shown here) from which vincristine is derived.<br />Vincristine has increased the survival rate of children with leukemia<br />from 20 percent to 80 percent. What else remains to be<br />discovered? The beauty of flowers is more than skin deep. (Learn more at<br /><a href="http://www.nps.gov/plants/cw/variety.htm">http://www.nps.gov/plants/cw/variety.htm</a>.)<br /><br />2. <strong>Today is International Respect for Chickens Day</strong> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-52D597VMiV0g1kCbs_ZWN4DZKAnMeWGmp_bu_zl56B0QDMjZTDLify7zPU1Rs9KRS3UMBbdgR-L815h2WM6zKeHgQhOrqFTVwrcYr_YqcSZBHki0uHGqrynLdajmNdNweNffoE7WPRY/s1600/55d.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 165px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 145px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468119159789791682" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-52D597VMiV0g1kCbs_ZWN4DZKAnMeWGmp_bu_zl56B0QDMjZTDLify7zPU1Rs9KRS3UMBbdgR-L815h2WM6zKeHgQhOrqFTVwrcYr_YqcSZBHki0uHGqrynLdajmNdNweNffoE7WPRY/s200/55d.jpg" /></a><br />The slogan is "Give a Cluck! Stick Up For Chickens!" May 4th is<br />International Respect for Chickens Day in a month of activities<br />sponsored by United Poultry Concerns (UPC). The organization<br />promotes a vegan diet and compassionate treatment of chickens.<br />I am unlikely to become a vegan soon, but I certainly support the<br />humane treatment of poultry and all things edible. And I like their<br />sense of humor. They have put 100 king-size posters on<br />Washington, D.C. Metro buses with their slogan. Learn more at <a href="http://www.thepoultrysite.com/poultrynews/20064/campaigners-to-honourrespect">http://www.thepoultrysite.com/poultrynews/20064/campaigners-to-honourrespect</a>- for-chickens-day<br /><br />3. <strong>Celebrate gnomes, too<br /></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg83-AXpp3UtPDdoA-dhXiDqvyaJRiRCKDHhx0vdZYT1UJlwtd9hzNOk16IReSWV3XQt2irNdxR3sh3KdJDobwPluZkPSsDcvgaJLnuuNw38DygtY74N7WP0fALbw_JIPOUIrUwMtTwW7M/s1600/55b.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 100px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 188px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468119308655329762" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg83-AXpp3UtPDdoA-dhXiDqvyaJRiRCKDHhx0vdZYT1UJlwtd9hzNOk16IReSWV3XQt2irNdxR3sh3KdJDobwPluZkPSsDcvgaJLnuuNw38DygtY74N7WP0fALbw_JIPOUIrUwMtTwW7M/s200/55b.jpg" /></a>The current <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a> 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:<br />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<br />residents to ask for the number of bearded figures per household, plus their sex, age and place of origin. Source: <a href="http://www.sott.net/articles/show/207003-Gnome-Census-Illinoistown">http://www.sott.net/articles/show/207003-Gnome-Census-Illinoistown</a>- plans-first-garden-gnome-count<br /><br /><span style="color:#6600cc;"><strong>Tips/ideas/insights to savor<br /></strong></span>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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSYNyaVG8RawBETo__mDeQPrLXSVjP9NYG4SvSx_PpE4nYnyovUVBfpsWmCzH3amA-FyDc68Lp6EKpIPxXaceXTrI-rAVY9PVpt84t9_HFfvrb5umI8Yaoi1tMV_KN7i-bK9TrQVpOETI/s1600/55c.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 160px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 122px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468120122829954210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSYNyaVG8RawBETo__mDeQPrLXSVjP9NYG4SvSx_PpE4nYnyovUVBfpsWmCzH3amA-FyDc68Lp6EKpIPxXaceXTrI-rAVY9PVpt84t9_HFfvrb5umI8Yaoi1tMV_KN7i-bK9TrQVpOETI/s200/55c.jpg" /></a> movie monsters<br />that are more universally feared. Here is a sampling:<br />1. Attack of the Killer Tomatoes ___<br />2. The Blob ___<br />3. The Mummy ___<br />4. The Fly ___<br />5. Wolfman ___<br />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.<br />b. An eccentric scientist experimenting with teleportation accidentally turns<br />himself into an oversized insect in a love story gone horribly wrong.<br />c. In the original 1932 version, Boris Karloff starred as an Egyptian creature returning to<br />life to stalk the reincarnation of his lost love.<br />d. This spoof of monster movies featured vegetables that revolted against humanity.<br />e. A meteorite crashes to earth, leaving a crater in the ground and a gelatinous substance. An<br />old farmer picks it up with a stick to get a closer look and is eaten; with each victim devoured the substance grows larger. . . </div><div><br />Answers: 1. d 2. e 3. c 4. b 5. a<br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong><span style="color:#6600cc;">To receive the advantage of seeing more than 4 times as many ideas and exercises each week, subscribe to </span><a href="http://www.wisernow.com/"><span style="color:#009900;">Brain Aerobics Weekly</span></a><span style="color:#6600cc;"><span style="color:#009900;"> </span>today. </span></strong></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong><span style="color:#6600cc;">Each week brings amazing and amusing mind stimulation!</span> </strong></span></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:georgia;"></div><div></span>Let us become the apple of your eye. </div></div></div></div>Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460790093770101115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1371870144784897027.post-65760184425163121972010-04-20T12:36:00.000-07:002010-04-20T12:52:50.666-07:00Just a Bite 4/20/10<strong><span style="color:#cc0000;">Quote to ponder under the apple tree<br /></span></strong><br />There are no passengers on Spaceship Earth. We are all crew.<br />~ Marshall McLuhan<br /><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;"><strong>Resources to bite into</strong><br /></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYDtZnSrQTkXpvjEqSOodVK9gvL9bx5mOh3UuMiv0jmcDeWAOWH-ZNlXsGbW8Ix-O6cZZurAktjqib0doMt0gPYYPWnpefluFURb2P7R3vs3KhZasCXim4hZdZta-2R4TCEaLFM6Q8czU/s1600/420.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 149px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462308510770579970" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYDtZnSrQTkXpvjEqSOodVK9gvL9bx5mOh3UuMiv0jmcDeWAOWH-ZNlXsGbW8Ix-O6cZZurAktjqib0doMt0gPYYPWnpefluFURb2P7R3vs3KhZasCXim4hZdZta-2R4TCEaLFM6Q8czU/s200/420.jpg" /></a>1. Earth Day turns 40 and the Earth still turns<br /><br />The current <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly </a>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.<br /><br />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:<br />• 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.<br />• 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.<br />Learn more at <a href="http://www.recycling-revolution.com/recycling-facts.html">http://www.recycling-revolution.com/recycling-facts.html</a><br /><br />2. Rhyming with Earth<br /><br />What word that rhymes with earth:<br /><br />1. is an Australian city?<br />2. means a beginning?<br />3. has to do with value?<br />4. means a lack of?<br />5. is related to joy and laughter?<br />6. is a measurement?<br /><br /><br />Bonus: How many letters of the alphabet rhyme with tree? Answers on next page.<br /><br />3. Life is improving <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr4iBncMTBUMdwWL_Q7eLsq8vXvzH8ua_SNKbECOsno4yKoZWZhb4J2oyvck2BlusDrTzvFpDMhFfUq1zfmZA5bgNFEOq2fAKXgk3gldZSd9hvLNGDX4Q44HdQI-D4SrKt9s4wXww_roM/s1600/420b.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 161px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462308588288889794" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr4iBncMTBUMdwWL_Q7eLsq8vXvzH8ua_SNKbECOsno4yKoZWZhb4J2oyvck2BlusDrTzvFpDMhFfUq1zfmZA5bgNFEOq2fAKXgk3gldZSd9hvLNGDX4Q44HdQI-D4SrKt9s4wXww_roM/s200/420b.jpg" /></a><br /><br />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!<br /><br />Answers to rhyming with earth:<br />1. mirth; 2. Perth; 3. worth; 4. dearth; 5. birth; 6. girth<br /><br />Bonus: 9 (b c d e g p t v z)<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#cc0000;">Tips/ideas/insights to savor<br /></span></strong><br />The current <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a> 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?<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaPJtd-N-lAaz7JeTWMtpwV8KBFyV6AkQd_jYoIWwHdWSzZyBMhMWF-ONIBXzgcEk6f_m7QmCajwt2kYQQawmtE4gqMU-VEEjEAEmzCVW5wrZpPqKf1Vh6sptgcYnG0Wmdo9DdhupbJ9M/s1600/420c.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 157px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462308675744414978" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaPJtd-N-lAaz7JeTWMtpwV8KBFyV6AkQd_jYoIWwHdWSzZyBMhMWF-ONIBXzgcEk6f_m7QmCajwt2kYQQawmtE4gqMU-VEEjEAEmzCVW5wrZpPqKf1Vh6sptgcYnG0Wmdo9DdhupbJ9M/s200/420c.jpg" /></a><br />1. a. ___Heavens to Betsy b. ___For goodness’ sake<br />c. ___ It was Greek to me d. ___ What the dickens<br /><br />2. a. ___ In a pickle b. ___ Milk of human kindness<br />c. ___ Dangle a carrot d. ___ Salad days<br /><br />3. a. ___ A dish fit for the gods b. ___ The world’s my oyster<br />c. ___ Eaten me out of house and home d. ___ Easy as pie<br /><br />4. a. ___ Bleeding heart b. ___ Heart of gold<br />c. ___ In my heart of hearts d. ___ Sick at heart<br /><br /><br />Answers: 1. a; 2. c; 3. d; 4. a<br /><br /><span style="color:#009900;">To receive the advantage of seeing more than 4 times as many ideas and exercises each week, subscribe to</span> <strong><a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a></strong> <span style="color:#33cc00;"><span style="color:#009900;">today.</span><br /></span><br />Each week brings amazing and amusing mind stimulation!<br /><br />Let us become the apple of your eye.Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460790093770101115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1371870144784897027.post-91212499486736999622010-04-13T20:19:00.000-07:002010-04-13T20:31:19.541-07:00Just a Bite 4/13/10<strong><span style="color:#990000;">Quote to ponder under the apple tree</span></strong><br /><br />I merely took the energy it takes to pout and wrote some blues.<br />~ Duke Ellington (born April 29, 1899)<br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#990000;">R<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmkZdf6VviQhwzbErB1KjPN_hi1jzJ0yFof-PoMQDweDhTFuwiFgTJeIAUfjZTc-NkfbYRPjSxuwlRX4PYcb92L1gC-5X011GOkOEw-cXPp-VRsF2GzlwVM-Xj6FBFH-ZyLfiqZJU6hmU/s1600/418.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 161px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459829383146599810" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmkZdf6VviQhwzbErB1KjPN_hi1jzJ0yFof-PoMQDweDhTFuwiFgTJeIAUfjZTc-NkfbYRPjSxuwlRX4PYcb92L1gC-5X011GOkOEw-cXPp-VRsF2GzlwVM-Xj6FBFH-ZyLfiqZJU6hmU/s200/418.jpg" /></a>esources to bite into </span></strong><br /><br />1. It’s Jazz Appreciation Month<br /><br />As noted in the current <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a>, five of the most famous jazz and blues performers of all time have April birthdays. Besides Duke Ellington, the others are:<br />• Billie Holiday, April 7, 1915<br />• Bessie Smith, April 15, 1894<br />• Lionel Hampton, April 20, 1908<br />• Ella Fitzgerald, April 25, 1917<br />Each had amazing talent, and you can hear samples of their performances by going to <a href="http://www.rhapsody.com/">http://www.rhapsody.com</a> 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.”<br /><br />2. The Earth is always moving<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAkj5GCFgxxySCzA_r4Cy5A8FKor2WUI_Dke1mZZnt2jI4lEqPF_PE7Ds74PV2sjPbAslNF7KQlZoeRkIjoWTrocqFYOGw6rZ0kUDwbJq_VUU8crUZSDV_zFigzUTABxzGqlCCqyXLAO0/s1600/418b.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 113px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459829470962028946" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAkj5GCFgxxySCzA_r4Cy5A8FKor2WUI_Dke1mZZnt2jI4lEqPF_PE7Ds74PV2sjPbAslNF7KQlZoeRkIjoWTrocqFYOGw6rZ0kUDwbJq_VUU8crUZSDV_zFigzUTABxzGqlCCqyXLAO0/s200/418b.jpg" /></a><br /><br />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:<br />• Ecuador/Colombia at 8.8 magnitude, January 31<br />• Taiwan at 7.1 magnitude, March 16<br />• Chile at 8.2 magnitude, August 16<br />• Aleutian Islands and the West Pacific at 8.2 magnitude, August 17<br />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!<br />Source: <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/11/opinion/11musson.html?th&emc=th">http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/11/opinion/11musson.html?th&emc=th</a><br /><br />3. April showers and creating bigger raindrops<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPJ-M-ui1HgruEItPHbNaCyNO3IhIs_QE7FGVEvbiDPa9VRD-xc9h4rSbcGyCukhosWOzpy1y-aJPv8VsL4skWF84VazVKjanpXBTFXMFOCebnUx7SOt5vou8La0U6bA1HCwpz2iAGAWk/s1600/418c.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 137px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459829582437076386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPJ-M-ui1HgruEItPHbNaCyNO3IhIs_QE7FGVEvbiDPa9VRD-xc9h4rSbcGyCukhosWOzpy1y-aJPv8VsL4skWF84VazVKjanpXBTFXMFOCebnUx7SOt5vou8La0U6bA1HCwpz2iAGAWk/s200/418c.jpg" /></a>The current <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a> 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?<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#990000;">Tips/ideas/insights to savor<br /></span></strong><br />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, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0618249060?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwwisernowco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=06182">click here</a>.)<br /><br />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.<br /><br />• What silences soothe you?<br />• With whom can you sit in companionable silence?<br />• How do you use silence – pauses – to enhance music, poetry or the telling of jokes?<br />• Who or what have you commemorated with “a moment of silence”?<br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;"><em>To receive the advantage of seeing more than 4 times as many ideas and exercises each week, subscribe to <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/"><strong>Brain Aerobics Weekly</strong> </a> today.<br /></em></span><br />Each week brings amazing and amusing mind stimulation!<br /><br />Let us become the apple of your eye.Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460790093770101115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1371870144784897027.post-2478899664022955122010-03-30T08:43:00.000-07:002010-03-30T08:59:26.196-07:00Just a Bite March 30th, 2010<strong><span style="color:#990000;">Quote to ponder under the apple tree</span></strong><br /><br />Don’t let a man put anything over on you except an umbrella.<br />~ Mae West<br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;"><strong>Resources to bite into<br /></strong></span><br />1. Umbrella Month is ending; April showers are beginning!<br /><br />As noted in the current <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a>, 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.<br /><br />2. It’s Cherry Blossom Festival time<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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!<br /><br />3. An artist who immortalized the moments<br />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.<br /><br />One would think he had been to a cherry blossom festival!<br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;"><strong>Tips/ideas/insights to savor<br /></strong></span><br />Moving ahead to April and Physical Wellness Month, the current <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a> 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:<br /><br />1. Olecranon ___<br />2. Opisthenar ___<br />3. Oscitancy ___<br />4. Sciapodous ___<br />5. Tragus ___<br /><br />a. the act of yawning<br />b. the back of your hand<br />c. the fleshy bump on your ear between the face and the ear cavity<br />d. the ‘funny” bone – the projecting bone of the elbow<br />e. having very large feet<br /><br />For extra credit, try naming 10 common body parts with only three letters.<br /><br />Answers to this quiz: 1. d; 2. b; 3.a; 4. e; 5. c<br /><br />As for the extra credit, you’ll need to think harder or subscribe to Brain Aerobics Weekly!<br /><br />To receive the advantage of seeing more than 4 times as many ideas and exercises each week, subscribe to Brain Aerobics Weekly today.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#33cc00;">Order Brain Aerobics Weekly at<br /><a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">http://www.wisernow.com/</a>.<br />Each week brings amazing and amusing mind stimulation!</span></strong><br /><br />Let us become the apple of your eye.Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460790093770101115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1371870144784897027.post-15994447336585944252010-03-16T17:31:00.000-07:002010-03-16T17:41:28.876-07:00Just a Bite 3-16-10<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaeFMAWwA0bfQE854v6qL_TgNgKrTBl_p9KCDOYzBG_PSF-JoxnFDSleSkGJ1o9PvV3T1l3aIB2HagxzmAeoueXCWgyuMo4srNAzYoYKZ1NoGsAe1VT9zGdzpNf4b4xwIPRYC8Kx0E9bA/s1600-h/tree.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 152px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 130px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449396157389301506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaeFMAWwA0bfQE854v6qL_TgNgKrTBl_p9KCDOYzBG_PSF-JoxnFDSleSkGJ1o9PvV3T1l3aIB2HagxzmAeoueXCWgyuMo4srNAzYoYKZ1NoGsAe1VT9zGdzpNf4b4xwIPRYC8Kx0E9bA/s200/tree.jpg" /></a><br /><div><span style="color:#990000;"><strong>Quote to ponder under the apple tree<br /></strong></span><br />Hope is a very unruly emotion.<br />~ Gloria Steinem (born March 25, 1935)<br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#990000;">Resources to bite into</span></strong><br /><br />1. C’mon get happy; it’s spring!<br /><br />As noted in the current <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a>, 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.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKmlVesm6RKs3v861poT6Qa6uREAkuWq1SMQBy9-9K9TGn_pFxpZG79WZ6kIpZY5lygjyHNA_jw_nDsgrwD8rtIwfdxRcYyeGxQCw4zjWEkOkC4ugWzOGUUNH3BQdRXQhzYUBHHJMzpqA/s1600-h/316b.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 84px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 186px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449395561949547042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKmlVesm6RKs3v861poT6Qa6uREAkuWq1SMQBy9-9K9TGn_pFxpZG79WZ6kIpZY5lygjyHNA_jw_nDsgrwD8rtIwfdxRcYyeGxQCw4zjWEkOkC4ugWzOGUUNH3BQdRXQhzYUBHHJMzpqA/s200/316b.jpg" /></a>2. Overcoming awkward moments<br /><br /><br />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.<br /><br />3. Imagining your loved ones as food<br /><br />The current <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a> has an imaginative exercise based on a quote found in author Mardy Grothe’s book I Never Metaphor I Didn’t Like. (To order, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061358134?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwwisernowco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0061358134">click here</a>. His website, <a href="http://www.drmardy.com/">http://www.drmardy.com/</a>, is also the source of the Robert Benchley story above.) The quote that inspired the exercise was Katherine Hepburn comparing herself with Spencer Tracy:<br />He was a baked potato – solid . . .<br />I was a fancy dessert – mocha chip ice cream.<br /><br />Imagine yourself – and your family, friends and other celebrities as food. What kind would they be?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqsnVCJyqyO6w3D6yTTe8rqOjAE1nxX-_9N3XYK51eSg3jSgN1_Nwg2FC2PaAqxm64d5f_Qgwjvlflwp9gWefv-ZrQKve0NJ120Ys5zpd-XAUVjJCyX3jeiySL0HiJdjs9jxYv91RwCtc/s1600-h/316.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 181px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 126px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449395154837781362" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqsnVCJyqyO6w3D6yTTe8rqOjAE1nxX-_9N3XYK51eSg3jSgN1_Nwg2FC2PaAqxm64d5f_Qgwjvlflwp9gWefv-ZrQKve0NJ120Ys5zpd-XAUVjJCyX3jeiySL0HiJdjs9jxYv91RwCtc/s200/316.jpg" /></a><br /><strong><span style="color:#990000;">Tips/ideas/insights to savor</span></strong><br /><br />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:<br /><br />My heart feels so sugar candish . . .<br />Why should I vanquish,<br />Relinquish, resish,<br />When I simply relish this swellish condish?<br /><br />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)<br />• People of particular nationalities, such as Irish<br />• Colors, such as greenish<br />• Ages, such as thirtyish<br />• Human sizes and shapes, such as smallish and tallish<br />• Human character, such as impish<br />• Humans’ animalistic tendencies, such as coltish <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXzP3H5KX0sbo1j5TVUPYdIl5-cJ5lo8DWIN6ZZlB_tQ0jam-CTs1_VuMqz0mGRhLkIx2MS_kzQ5Z_T-6uJUY2WdBHsvK6GwZpB7irQeAUZJPw7-CswdOsjfVzxYrWF2UE7SpYkVtdMgE/s1600-h/316c.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 94px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 161px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449395427809911058" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXzP3H5KX0sbo1j5TVUPYdIl5-cJ5lo8DWIN6ZZlB_tQ0jam-CTs1_VuMqz0mGRhLkIx2MS_kzQ5Z_T-6uJUY2WdBHsvK6GwZpB7irQeAUZJPw7-CswdOsjfVzxYrWF2UE7SpYkVtdMgE/s200/316c.jpg" /></a><br /><br />A few answers:<br />• Nationalities: British, Danish, Moorish, Polish . . .<br />• Colors: blackish, bluish, grayish, purplish, reddish . . .<br />• Ages: oldish, youngish, fortyish, fiftyish . . .<br />• Human sizes/shapes: biggish, blimpish, frumpish, lumpish, plumpish, thinnish . . .<br />• Human character: babyish, boyish, brutish, childish, clownish, coquettish, devilish, girlish, knavish, nerdish, pixyish, scampish, tomboyish, vixenish, wimpish . . .<br />• Humans’ animalistic tendencies: mulish, hawkish, dovish, kittenish, piggish, sheepish, shrewish, sluggish, toadyish . . .<br /><br />To receive the advantage of seeing all these ideas in an expanded version, subscribe to Brain Aerobics Weekly today.<br /><br /><span style="color:#33cc00;">Order Brain Aerobics Weekly at<br /></span><a href="http://www.wisernow.com/"><span style="color:#33cc00;"><strong>www.wisernow.com</strong></span></a><span style="color:#33cc00;">.<br />Each week brings amazing and amusing mind stimulation!<br /></span><br /><em>Let us become the apple of your eye.</em> </div>Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460790093770101115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1371870144784897027.post-6507775025140185012010-03-10T13:44:00.000-08:002010-03-10T13:51:44.801-08:00<span style="color:#990000;"><strong>Quote to ponder under the apple tree</strong></span><br /><br />The important thing is not to stop questioning. . .<br />Never lose a holy curiosity.<br />~ Albert Einstein (born March 14, 1879)<br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;"><strong>Resources to bite into<br /></strong></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3BbzB_ZXDmvvYglJpbAiAdMa9A5xPM6J-OBsIixqESULUIo7__h7xSrQTkpqkTe6zmf2Xx4lU2wjG44p3alGEvOyDRibAWfxZJX1vrix9Zr_I9yywJ0-efrdlhNloJ9s5pE5IIwudlyY/s1600-h/39a.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 164px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447125277141568130" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3BbzB_ZXDmvvYglJpbAiAdMa9A5xPM6J-OBsIixqESULUIo7__h7xSrQTkpqkTe6zmf2Xx4lU2wjG44p3alGEvOyDRibAWfxZJX1vrix9Zr_I9yywJ0-efrdlhNloJ9s5pE5IIwudlyY/s200/39a.jpg" /></a>1. Celebrating Einstein<br /><br />Albert Einstein’s birthday is Sunday, and as noted in the current <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a>, 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.<br /><br />2. Celebrating Pi Day<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4f4PANOBQRLnyaKYV2DTD3PGvBps_l13TtTFP-K4qAMZ3PCr3RJwXvAHZVO5c2oDBRQu7hBgaVWpPZ6j3bgm_5a6ATIaMHNTffHq6MHQUlRt7iNbE5n9xcJJBLRCcVnW4oY2errP1Ia8/s1600-h/39b.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 194px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 194px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447125415262903410" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4f4PANOBQRLnyaKYV2DTD3PGvBps_l13TtTFP-K4qAMZ3PCr3RJwXvAHZVO5c2oDBRQu7hBgaVWpPZ6j3bgm_5a6ATIaMHNTffHq6MHQUlRt7iNbE5n9xcJJBLRCcVnW4oY2errP1Ia8/s200/39b.jpg" /></a><br /><br />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.<br /><br />3. Your “second brain”<br /><br />The discussion topic of the current <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a>, 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 <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=gut-second-brain">http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=gut-second-brain</a>.<br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#990000;">Tips/ideas/insights to savor<br /></span></strong><br />The current <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a> 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: <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_m4ml_PJENDP2lv5DBJ78xwvtxUtWKa9TRoOa1XuK4PGt2fWUuKAba0bUj5wUAndan4xQ824bVLQj7HVKL1R5cwfLuPyURDlZvSCQIOsur2CktbzsySUMD6optdjtHLOuehSLHIWg94/s1600-h/39c.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 145px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 182px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447125496595618146" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_m4ml_PJENDP2lv5DBJ78xwvtxUtWKa9TRoOa1XuK4PGt2fWUuKAba0bUj5wUAndan4xQ824bVLQj7HVKL1R5cwfLuPyURDlZvSCQIOsur2CktbzsySUMD6optdjtHLOuehSLHIWg94/s200/39c.jpg" /></a><br />If Lola Falana married Birch Bayh, Paul Anka and Ted Knight successively, her name would be Lola Bayh Anka Knight. Cute, no?<br /><br />What would be the result if these people wed? (Besides disaster)<br /><br />1. If Dolly Parton married Salvador Dali, she'd be _____________<br /><br />2. If Julia Roberts had left Lyle Lovett for Bobby Orr and then married Mike Leavitt, she’d be ____________<br /><br />3. If Sondra Locke married Elliott Ness, then divorced him to marry Herman Munster, she'd become ____________<br /><br />4. If Bea Arthur married Sting, she'd be ___________<br /><br />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 <a href="http://www.funny.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/Funny.woa/wa/funny?fn=C540M&Funny_Jokes=Celebrity_Name_Teases">http://www.funny.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/Funny.woa/wa/funny?fn=C540M&Funny_Jokes=Celebrity_Name_Teases</a><br /><br />1. Dolly Dali, 2. Julia Lovett Orr Leavitt, 3. Sondra Locke Ness Munster and 4. Bea Sting<br /><br /><br />To receive the advantage of seeing all these ideas in an expanded version, subscribe to Brain Aerobics Weekly today.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#006600;">Order <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a> at<br />www.wisernow.com.<br />Each week brings amazing and amusing mind stimulation!</span></strong><br /><br />Let the ever-ripening Wiser Now website<br />become the apple of your eye.Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460790093770101115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1371870144784897027.post-90858534018183066742010-02-23T16:57:00.000-08:002010-02-23T17:07:33.025-08:00Quote to ponder under the apple tree<br /><br />. . .There's not a hell of a lot I can do about being short.<br />You just gotta run with it.<br />~ Michael J. Fox<br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;"><strong>Resources to bite into</strong><br /></span><br />1. Celebrating all things short<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheI6rdLEh-nk93Bl25ynrAM5i8aIlV9v5A22-OlgsivyDiKmNHILYQ-e8BR1xb8aJpqSen7c3V6zFl7vsFgzfRm7gLGfhd6y3T2yPjVJBzjk9XMeZPCCeWzy29ZGldxQRBs5nLn0q3riA/s1600-h/223.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 106px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441609744496398706" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheI6rdLEh-nk93Bl25ynrAM5i8aIlV9v5A22-OlgsivyDiKmNHILYQ-e8BR1xb8aJpqSen7c3V6zFl7vsFgzfRm7gLGfhd6y3T2yPjVJBzjk9XMeZPCCeWzy29ZGldxQRBs5nLn0q3riA/s200/223.jpg" /></a>In honor of the end of the shortest month of the year, the current <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly </a>focuses on all things short. Thomas T. Samaras and his colleagues at Reventropy Associates (See <a href="http://www.shortsupport.org/Research/samaras.html">http://www.shortsupport.org/Research/samaras.html</a>) 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”)<br /><br />2. Short naps<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzIwNEH-i4E8A_TGCDIBWnASn-dVjNMs9AY-4GnHWG1fn_9cB4GMGHDJQV6sj288bY9m7l5wTkQgLQXZM1Si5wol7LpspR4kjPkj2-MdI5LOrym5eErKQLtjPlbiguB0IkCzvODkaOJOo/s1600-h/223b.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 133px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441609866933144034" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzIwNEH-i4E8A_TGCDIBWnASn-dVjNMs9AY-4GnHWG1fn_9cB4GMGHDJQV6sj288bY9m7l5wTkQgLQXZM1Si5wol7LpspR4kjPkj2-MdI5LOrym5eErKQLtjPlbiguB0IkCzvODkaOJOo/s200/223b.jpg" /></a><br />The current Brain Aerobics Weekly also notes these benefits from taking short naps (excerpted from <a href="http://ririanproject.com/2007/09/05/10-benefits-of-power-napping-and-how-to-do-it/">http:</a><a href="http://ririanproject.com/2007/09/05/10-benefits-of-power-napping-and-how-to-do-it/">//ririanproject.com/2007/09/05/10-benefits-of-power-napping-and-how-to</a><a href="http://ririanproject.com/2007/09/05/10-benefits-of-power-napping-and-how-to-do-it/">-do-it/</a>):<br />1. Lower stress levels<br />2. Increased alertness, productivity and creativity<br />3. Improved memory, learning and cognitive functioning<br />4. Good for the heart, hormonal maintenance and cell repair<br />5. Get motivated to exercise<br />6. Protect yourself from sleepiness (especially if you must be up late at night)<br />Dr. Sara Mednick wrote Take a Nap! Change Your Life. (To order, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0761142908?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwwisernowco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0761142908">click here</a>.)<br /><br />3. A short thought: Open that bottle<br /><br />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.<br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;"><span style="color:#990000;">Tips/ideas/insights to savor</span><br /></span></strong><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwC8n2A6cZ4L_qjruwBimpvpRhJdXY8nDDVC3CgyGgDT9riK1_SyTqcuomoJLtjbCZ8brCI3qrXgG_gyhRuyRtUoolQVxDfdGkU8yHpiKvOnQeXUev9xb2Go7oljBZAjka5cHPw7L_8ks/s1600-h/223c.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 177px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 176px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441610006712737314" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwC8n2A6cZ4L_qjruwBimpvpRhJdXY8nDDVC3CgyGgDT9riK1_SyTqcuomoJLtjbCZ8brCI3qrXgG_gyhRuyRtUoolQVxDfdGkU8yHpiKvOnQeXUev9xb2Go7oljBZAjka5cHPw7L_8ks/s200/223c.jpg" /></a>The current <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a> 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:<br />• 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.<br />• 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.”<br />• Movie: Marcia Gay Harden: “Frozen River – . . .fell in love with the beyond-powerful performances . . .”<br />• Artist: Jennifer Beals: “I swooned in the presence of Alexandra Hedison’s photographs of landscapes and trees in the Pacific Northwest.”<br />• Website: Lily Tomlin: “Check out the Allee Willis Museum of Kitsch at <a href="http://www.awmok.com/">http://www.awmok.com/</a>, and don’t miss the Kitsch o’ the Day.”<br /><br />If you’re unfamiliar with any of their choices, expand your mind by looking them up. Then make your own list:<br /><br />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!<br /><br />*****************************************************************************************************<br />To receive the advantage of seeing all these ideas in an expanded version, subscribe to Brain Aerobics Weekly today.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#009900;">To order Brain Aerobics Weekly,<br />go to <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">http://www.wisernow.com/</a> now.<br />It’s a great anytime gift for everyone who needs a legal form of positive mind stimulation!</span></strong><br /><br />Let the ever-ripening Wiser Now website<br />become the apple of your eye.Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460790093770101115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1371870144784897027.post-69643805869857604512010-02-09T06:52:00.000-08:002010-02-09T10:40:07.592-08:00Just a Bite 2/9/10<div align="left"><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Quote to ponder under the apple tree</span></strong><br /><br />Seven days without chocolate makes one weak.<br />~ Author unknown (but wise)<br /><br /><span style="color:#660000;"><strong>Resources to bite into<br /></strong></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvNAeA5F_9uSgAN2ZRcKSi11anWAWxc4ZAJtx9qwB36_LnQ8I6-c0Tj9G_NHQAigcmqHZsqEOVtzynCZbUZ011hd0BXuQv7adEjTmZZRRbqK4ZyOyk7dAfin3ZWKKrUh6ghnQyXjsLhyQ/s1600-h/29.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 161px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436314952194195250" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvNAeA5F_9uSgAN2ZRcKSi11anWAWxc4ZAJtx9qwB36_LnQ8I6-c0Tj9G_NHQAigcmqHZsqEOVtzynCZbUZ011hd0BXuQv7adEjTmZZRRbqK4ZyOyk7dAfin3ZWKKrUh6ghnQyXjsLhyQ/s200/29.jpg" /></a>1. Celebrating Chocolate<br /><br />In honor of the week before Valentine’s Day, the current <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a> 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:<br />• It’s rich in anti-oxidants and flavanoids that are good for your heart.<br />• Its fat content is stearic acid, which doesn’t affect cholesterol.<br />• It contains phenyl ethylamine (PEA), a substance that is reputed to stimulate the same pleasant reaction in the body as falling in love.<br /><br />2. Unusual Chocolate Gifts<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik7M4hrDOBm4_riIdr91m5YUHif1f8t7VrDFc3TyEqr_vRPGxFjy9nyKuhgY_X8x5pLyi83PbQHllUV5CdvUYfed1CPinVPBMCQE8iMY3Yp5OFxnRP_SaBfRex7MWFYug9qUVi-VJJpyA/s1600-h/29a.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 129px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436315155383454626" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik7M4hrDOBm4_riIdr91m5YUHif1f8t7VrDFc3TyEqr_vRPGxFjy9nyKuhgY_X8x5pLyi83PbQHllUV5CdvUYfed1CPinVPBMCQE8iMY3Yp5OFxnRP_SaBfRex7MWFYug9qUVi-VJJpyA/s200/29a.jpg" /></a><br />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.<br /><br />3. Chocolate Museums<br /><br />York Daily News listed its view of the Top 10 Chocolate Museums last October.<br />(<a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/real_estate/2009/10/16/2009-10-16_mmmm__top_10_chocolate_museums.html">http://www.nydailynews.com/real_estate/2009/10/16/2009-10-16_mmmm__top_10_chocolate_museums.html</a>) 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.<br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Tips/ideas/insights to savor</span></strong><br /><br />The current <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a> also highlights the books of Larry Smith and Rachel Fershleiser:<br />• Not Quite What I Was Planning, Revised and Expanded Deluxe Edition: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure. To order, click here.<br />• It All Changed in an Instant. To order, click here.<br />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: <a href="http://www.aarpmagazine.org/6wordmemoirs">www.aarpmagazine.org/6wordmemoirs</a>.<br /><br />The September/October 2009 issue topic was “Less is L’Amour,” which is perfect for this Valentine’s issue. Following are some samples:<br /><br />• Secret to life: marry an Italian. (Nora Ephron)<br /><br />• Romance blossomed then. Love blooms now. (Alana Owen, Haslet, TX)<br /><br />• 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!")<br /><br />• Good housekeeper. I got the house. (Nancy McPeak, 64, Xenia, Ohio)<br /><br />Now write yours!<br />*****************************************************************************************************<br /><span style="color:#990000;"><strong>To receive the advantage of seeing all these ideas in an expanded version, subscribe to <em>Brain Aerobics Weekly</em> today.<br /></strong></span><br />To order Brain Aerobics Weekly,<br />go to <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">http://www.wisernow.com/</a> now.<br />It’s a great anytime gift for everyone who needs a legal form of positive mind stimulation!<br /><br />Let the ever-ripening Wiser Now website<br />become the apple of your eye. </div>Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460790093770101115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1371870144784897027.post-35739302828341443832010-02-02T13:56:00.000-08:002010-02-02T14:03:04.279-08:00<span style="color:#660000;"><strong>Quote to ponder under the apple tree<br /></strong></span><br />Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires,<br />and a touch that never hurts.<br />~ Charles Dickens (born February 7, 1812)<br /><br />To order Brain Aerobics Weekly,<br />go to <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">http://www.wisernow.com/</a> now.<br />It’s a great anytime gift for everyone who needs a legal form of positive mind stimulation!<br /><br /><span style="color:#660000;"><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHl4okCo5FrZXri-UwoR4sRgRVDIVBixKvMZwYEcpvb7tpcTWAtWPVm6dn2ndIMZii9_8V4cEfe4DeEyEa61mcwY_QWx8qF-exNWMaawlmK4GSQEQM3PRF_TW_aUSf3jZ6qiOE99iclic/s1600-h/12b.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 141px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433769579289590802" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHl4okCo5FrZXri-UwoR4sRgRVDIVBixKvMZwYEcpvb7tpcTWAtWPVm6dn2ndIMZii9_8V4cEfe4DeEyEa61mcwY_QWx8qF-exNWMaawlmK4GSQEQM3PRF_TW_aUSf3jZ6qiOE99iclic/s200/12b.jpg" /></a>Resources to bite into</strong></span><br /><br />1. Groundhog Day in Puxsutawney Is Today!<br /><br />The current <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/"><strong>Brain Aerobics Weekly</strong></a> 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.<br /><br />2. Winter Olympics<br /><br />The current <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a> 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 <a href="http://www.vancouver2010.com/">http://www.vancouver2010.com/</a>.<br /><br />3. Remembering David Letterman’s Top Ten Lists<br /><br />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:<br /><br /><br />10) Heats<br />9) Rice<br />8) Moss<br />7) Ties<br />6) Needs<br />5) Lens<br />4) Ice<br />3) Nurse<br />2) Leaks<br />1) Meats<br /><br /><br />Source: <a href="http://thelongestlistofthelongeststuffatthelongestdomainnameatlonglast.com/first.html">http://thelongestlistofthelongeststuffatthelongestdomainnameatlonglast.com/first.html</a><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaJv0EW6kLkOIrydKP45Fn39jR2xKe1iakFFcmsYdS0_KYz7m0JRg1-BOcmHoMO38IYaJsvONwCyHe452JfoBhugpBHBtO7cTe-nEVz4niW40IWiYcp0DbTQ2GnAoaydxEwTebR8kDlNQ/s1600-h/12a.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 175px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433769740116790290" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaJv0EW6kLkOIrydKP45Fn39jR2xKe1iakFFcmsYdS0_KYz7m0JRg1-BOcmHoMO38IYaJsvONwCyHe452JfoBhugpBHBtO7cTe-nEVz4niW40IWiYcp0DbTQ2GnAoaydxEwTebR8kDlNQ/s200/12a.jpg" /></a>Tips/ideas/insights to savor<br /></span></strong><br />The current <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a> 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:<br /><br />1. The first a) ___ Monopoly game or b) ___ the first Slinky?<br /><br />2. The first a) ___crossword puzzle or b) ___ the first jigsaw puzzle?<br /><br />3. The first a) ___hamburger served or b) ___the first pizzeria?<br /><br />4. The first a) ___ drive-in movie theatre or b) ___the first in-flight movie?<br /><br />5. The first a) ___miniature golf course or b) ___the first roller rink?<br /><br />To make up your own lists, check out the website listed above.<br /><br />Answers: 1. a; 2. b; 3. b; 4. b; 5. They opened about the same time.<br /><br />*****************************************************************************************************<br />To receive the advantage of seeing all these ideas in an expanded version, subscribe to Brain Aerobics Weekly today.<br /><br />To order Brain Aerobics Weekly,<br />go to <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">http://www.wisernow.com/</a> now.<br />It’s a great anytime gift for everyone who needs a legal form of positive mind stimulation!<br /><br />Let the ever-ripening Wiser Now website<br />become the apple of your eye.Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460790093770101115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1371870144784897027.post-60253409683758695832010-01-27T02:55:00.000-08:002010-01-27T03:02:11.997-08:00Just a Bite 1-26-10<strong><span style="color:#660000;">Quote to ponder under the apple tree<br /></span></strong><br />. . . in spite of everything, I still believe<br />that people are really good at heart.”<br />~ Anne Frank (from her diary)<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Resources to bite into</span></strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh26qcoUrdw4rt6-diWttfPTywBasaqrf5_vk4ouPktL9BMgLOcdGRlSilqTihOiTaXADeuU0Dp6t-WYaiUFGxqJ6xRc0TAjqRP8NLhTcY7pXoiDvzJz0aJwflQDX_YV5qlUcrFD2sA5mQ/s1600-h/126.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 172px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431372603046124098" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh26qcoUrdw4rt6-diWttfPTywBasaqrf5_vk4ouPktL9BMgLOcdGRlSilqTihOiTaXADeuU0Dp6t-WYaiUFGxqJ6xRc0TAjqRP8NLhTcY7pXoiDvzJz0aJwflQDX_YV5qlUcrFD2sA5mQ/s200/126.jpg" /></a>1.The Example of Miep<br /><br />The current <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/"><strong>Brain Aerobics Weekly</strong></a> 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.<br /><br />2. India is 60 <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijPihD7doXxwDMxveI8m_7TRh14tnRMl74TsjWIrQq2PyzXzW6DUdy3UR2tNevJ5e4LIVLdJHHNk5zVJq1PR6_xh9eeeKwBSA5-2gUb9kx7TxZmm6l5lCV-Pz1OmSXIkmHdiSfGgFAsbQ/s1600-h/126b.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 117px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 181px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431372758945931298" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijPihD7doXxwDMxveI8m_7TRh14tnRMl74TsjWIrQq2PyzXzW6DUdy3UR2tNevJ5e4LIVLdJHHNk5zVJq1PR6_xh9eeeKwBSA5-2gUb9kx7TxZmm6l5lCV-Pz1OmSXIkmHdiSfGgFAsbQ/s200/126b.jpg" /></a><br />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.<br /><br />3. January 29 Is Freethinker’s Day: Let Your Imagination Wander<br /><br />• Where do forest rangers go to get away from it all?<br />• Would a fly without wings be called a walk?<br />• If a turtle doesn’t have a shell, is he homeless or naked?<br />• What was the best thing before sliced bread?<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi73ifEj6wfOsP9v-rIRyqu__Z5S0VasuObVWUgWT3xZV3LvA2KUmW9lBzAe1jXfUaBs4cRQ7Uk2s9hi-VvkhyuczB9fYsZSgG2ngPgS93oqxUX3_op3cTZj3MxGisA56JCtwwe3NY1IIc/s1600-h/126c.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 145px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 156px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431372876691937410" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi73ifEj6wfOsP9v-rIRyqu__Z5S0VasuObVWUgWT3xZV3LvA2KUmW9lBzAe1jXfUaBs4cRQ7Uk2s9hi-VvkhyuczB9fYsZSgG2ngPgS93oqxUX3_op3cTZj3MxGisA56JCtwwe3NY1IIc/s200/126c.jpg" /></a>Tips/ideas/insights to savor<br /></span></strong><br />The current <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/"><strong>Brain Aerobics Weekly </strong></a>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.<br /><br />Can you use all of the following words in sentences?<br /><br />Can you cook up a story that uses each phrase as an ingredient?<br /><br />Appetite<br />Back burner<br />Bad taste<br />Boil<br />Burned<br />Dish<br />Digest<br />Food for thought<br />Half-baked ideas<br />Hungry for<br />Meaty<br />Pickle<br />Raw<br />Recipe<br />Roast<br />Serve<br />Simmer<br />Sink your teeth into<br />Smells fishy<br />Stew<br />Stir the pot<br />Swallow<br />Warmed-over<br /><br /><br />The current Brain Aerobics Weekly used at least 10 more. Can you think of others?<br /><br />To receive the advantage of seeing all these ideas in an expanded version, subscribe to Brain Aerobics Weekly today.<br /><br />To order Brain Aerobics Weekly,<br />go to <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/"><strong>www.wisernow.com</strong></a><strong> </strong>now.<br />It’s a great anytime gift for everyone who needs a legal form of positive mind stimulation!Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460790093770101115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1371870144784897027.post-70606691046405439362010-01-20T11:12:00.000-08:002010-01-20T11:22:21.979-08:00Just a Bite 1-19-10<strong><span style="color:#660000;">Quote to ponder under the apple tree</span></strong><br /><br />Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.<br />~ Benjamin Franklin (born January 17, 1706)<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Resources to bite into</span></strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9i-PhxfX20fLfgmuK3XXWoYhf-vwSRG4Bcj-nnCq8emesm-8ImXr_RySqvvNX-PmbEqIKWYKJmasAzAoQp9g9ctK8A8h95EYyG6M1I5CKjlZBNBgqn1d1Nta2M5_P3HQjHi7qKgra0X8/s1600-h/119.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 126px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428903517802107058" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9i-PhxfX20fLfgmuK3XXWoYhf-vwSRG4Bcj-nnCq8emesm-8ImXr_RySqvvNX-PmbEqIKWYKJmasAzAoQp9g9ctK8A8h95EYyG6M1I5CKjlZBNBgqn1d1Nta2M5_P3HQjHi7qKgra0X8/s200/119.jpg" /></a>1. Beer Facts<br /><br />The current <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a> 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."<br /><br /><br />2. Cooking with Five Tastes and Textures<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGoPtZWJHMTgPcdPmeJMvMvtlD2uyh4pV6On4IAF3NmcbHtQ8XH_Wp370fLtaHgTWYIGjDCRLfeS_s-RjG8ZK15szEcT3rn88knN0H5xh6i5HGfiHsZEWx0HZOCqDVfc6Wt5ZJojR7Y6Y/s1600-h/119b.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 194px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 128px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428903652716444386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGoPtZWJHMTgPcdPmeJMvMvtlD2uyh4pV6On4IAF3NmcbHtQ8XH_Wp370fLtaHgTWYIGjDCRLfeS_s-RjG8ZK15szEcT3rn88knN0H5xh6i5HGfiHsZEWx0HZOCqDVfc6Wt5ZJojR7Y6Y/s200/119b.jpg" /></a><br />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, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/05/opinion/05iht-edcohen.html?th&emc=th">http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/05/opinion/05iht-edcohen.html?th&emc=th</a><a href="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</a>) 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.<br /><br />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?<br /><br />3. A 2010 Blessing<br /><br />The current <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a> 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<br /><br /><br /><div>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<br />"haha" moments. . . And when you lay your head down at night, may you go to sleep with grace and gratitude.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Tips/ideas/insights to savor</span></strong> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_k-8cmSILJ6ePPrTUMciSrS4gEAKJiGxR6Rw26sERuZ6SjUkWNNvtAn5PROPWoozbZG2f9NQ3lwyWFskn3DQmfnkKaSrvPH2LklqH-2KJAI3GNPqTKPxHX36TfxpWmizVCSb790vGiCc/s1600-h/119c.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 118px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428903755825647666" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_k-8cmSILJ6ePPrTUMciSrS4gEAKJiGxR6Rw26sERuZ6SjUkWNNvtAn5PROPWoozbZG2f9NQ3lwyWFskn3DQmfnkKaSrvPH2LklqH-2KJAI3GNPqTKPxHX36TfxpWmizVCSb790vGiCc/s200/119c.jpg" /></a><br /><br />The current <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a> 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:<br /><br />Can you match the word to its definition?<br /><br /><br />1. Bugged ___<br />2. Bummed ___<br />3. Copacetic ___<br />4. Dig ___<br />5. Fracture ___<br />6. Frosted or hacked ___<br />7. Hanging loose ___<br />8. In fat city ___<br />9. Real gone or stoked ___<br />10. Wiped out ___<br />a. amuse<br />b. angry, ticked off<br />c. bothered, irritated<br />d. depressed, disappointed<br />e. everything’s all right<br />f. happy<br />g. in love<br />h. relaxed<br />i. understand<br />j. very tired<br /><br /><br />Answers:<br />1. c; 2. d; 3. e; 4. i; 5. a; 6. b; 7. h; 8. f; 9. g; 10. j<br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#660000;"><strong>To receive the advantage of seeing all these ideas in an expanded version, subscribe to Brain Aerobics Weekly today.</strong></span><br /><br />To order Brain Aerobics Weekly,<br />go to <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">http://www.wisernow.com/</a> now.<br />It’s a great anytime gift for everyone who needs a legal form of positive mind stimulation!<br /><br />Let the ever-ripening <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Wiser Now </a>website<br />become the apple of your eye. </div>Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460790093770101115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1371870144784897027.post-81313370901255356862010-01-13T05:04:00.000-08:002010-01-13T05:24:05.310-08:00Just a Bite 1-12-10<div><span style="color:#660000;"><strong>Quote to ponder under the apple tree</strong><br /></span><br />A house is not a home unless it contains food and fire<br />for the mind as well as the body.<br />~ Benjamin Franklin (born January 17, 1706)<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Resources to bite into</span></strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidIMZckt1jgoahmHABTPKNMRAT2kQMetM_YC9Id8jRmvHxpFdEos048rogE-nARgGpQwUaAWunHuQwN67wyEAgsobgYgj_HhzAn1kMxlvWCdf8tZrdS8hAn3OBqaRgi2ZA9mxVLqFFRbw/s1600-h/113.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 67px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426212031333730914" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidIMZckt1jgoahmHABTPKNMRAT2kQMetM_YC9Id8jRmvHxpFdEos048rogE-nARgGpQwUaAWunHuQwN67wyEAgsobgYgj_HhzAn1kMxlvWCdf8tZrdS8hAn3OBqaRgi2ZA9mxVLqFFRbw/s200/113.jpg" /></a>1. Celebrating New Heights<br /><br />The current <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly </a>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.<br /><br />2. Decorating with Art Deco<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5jHMYjk_4gmOHi4doSf0oiygx6CSJ_05tL98ev5nMv7ThcGy4yv5OM4guWyaTCJbr5c4M2kVsq07i2mHPwJtgEKneuwDNUXxAAoolKB2sFD8zCx4V7KjjBtfhMcAZKNJtZnGIn0bwKWQ/s1600-h/113a.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 169px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 121px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426212164097696722" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5jHMYjk_4gmOHi4doSf0oiygx6CSJ_05tL98ev5nMv7ThcGy4yv5OM4guWyaTCJbr5c4M2kVsq07i2mHPwJtgEKneuwDNUXxAAoolKB2sFD8zCx4V7KjjBtfhMcAZKNJtZnGIn0bwKWQ/s200/113a.jpg" /></a><br />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.<br /><br />3. The Egyptian Influence<br /><br />The current <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a> 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!<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Tips/ideas/insights to savor<br /></span></strong><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVA58ZqJ2HeHRnZON6kfotqVAoZKb83X-AphqsP00zXmx7cM7nWPaaBQEZAXmaLYNyNgHiwhqyzO0KIigxiNgoO44jLZmnxQ8XqcVvibXXasgrZNw2u5yBuG9aAE2E9BoUg-03SPMKgfs/s1600-h/113b.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 148px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426212332929852322" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVA58ZqJ2HeHRnZON6kfotqVAoZKb83X-AphqsP00zXmx7cM7nWPaaBQEZAXmaLYNyNgHiwhqyzO0KIigxiNgoO44jLZmnxQ8XqcVvibXXasgrZNw2u5yBuG9aAE2E9BoUg-03SPMKgfs/s200/113b.jpg" /></a>Continuing the architectural theme, the current <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a> 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:<br />• Does your most comfortable place reflect the values of your family or is your “style” entirely different?<br />• Is what is comfortable also stimulating to your senses and to your mind?<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPXWSie-g4oYgNyGuOtWobYlPgVb1CaEl5bMdIB79ZkxNGzxzRUHE2_SbHQPwv1RB4eFGzYW0LkcD9zuH9zsyQxYdzNLqF1uaZPYlSFDo4M-N7EhddPMJAZS6kQeOzk_2dqeH5xzakKTU/s1600-h/113c.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426212498405850882" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPXWSie-g4oYgNyGuOtWobYlPgVb1CaEl5bMdIB79ZkxNGzxzRUHE2_SbHQPwv1RB4eFGzYW0LkcD9zuH9zsyQxYdzNLqF1uaZPYlSFDo4M-N7EhddPMJAZS6kQeOzk_2dqeH5xzakKTU/s200/113c.jpg" /></a><br />But a variation on this is to contemplate unusual homes in unusual places.<br />• If you could live anywhere for a year with work, money and family not being factors, where would you choose and why?<br />• If you had a chance to live for a time in an unusual house, would you take it? Why or why not?<br /><br /><br /><br />To receive the advantage of seeing all these ideas in an expanded version, subscribe to Brain Aerobics Weekly today.<br /><br />To order Brain Aerobics Weekly,<br />go to <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">http://www.wisernow.com/</a> now.<br />It’s a great anytime gift for everyone who needs a legal form of positive mind stimulation!<br /><br />Let the ever-ripening <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Wiser Now website</a><br />become the apple of your eye. </div>Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460790093770101115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1371870144784897027.post-33123009046102536732009-12-29T18:40:00.000-08:002009-12-29T18:52:15.222-08:00Just a Bite 12-29-09<strong><span style="color:#660000;">Quote to ponder under the apple tree</span></strong><br /><br />This coffee tastes like mud!<br />Well, it was ground this morning.<br />~ Unknown bad punster<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Resources to bite into</span></strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVz9of7F-8T16fQBmkf2-3CmIizhE_bViTZmPepT7xhmdbsWQQbaDyYiT9a48yfvyEMo2p3eGlmYjZbXRI3Ttkf9GrZZYoea2O-fdk_q2tj7mw9H3rxXTPgXXGjWduTn4atVpllVSxbGg/s1600-h/1229b.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 5px 5px 5px 5px; WIDTH: 170px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 121px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420854865826035170" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVz9of7F-8T16fQBmkf2-3CmIizhE_bViTZmPepT7xhmdbsWQQbaDyYiT9a48yfvyEMo2p3eGlmYjZbXRI3Ttkf9GrZZYoea2O-fdk_q2tj7mw9H3rxXTPgXXGjWduTn4atVpllVSxbGg/s200/1229b.jpg" /></a>1. Coffee and tea<br /><br />The current <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a> 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:<br />• Did you know that loose tea leaves should never be stored in the refrigerator because they pick up food odors like baking soda does?<br /><br />• 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?<br /><br />• 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.<br /><br />2. Coffee trivia<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUb4cQlo0___N0hcSsJc7adbi4P-GHqMj-Nx9niqJoV0MK-UqHSbnC0ELVmD-w-aI1s4aR6uR92hrtEDomXDcZFTHDuQyRTRacamlSS-yjUdom1ItGqT3dir-i7eUSwLqGTxYNNoYkj2M/s1600-h/1229a.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 5px 5px 5px 5px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 134px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420855010803899810" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUb4cQlo0___N0hcSsJc7adbi4P-GHqMj-Nx9niqJoV0MK-UqHSbnC0ELVmD-w-aI1s4aR6uR92hrtEDomXDcZFTHDuQyRTRacamlSS-yjUdom1ItGqT3dir-i7eUSwLqGTxYNNoYkj2M/s200/1229a.jpg" /></a><br />People have been adding flavorings to coffee for a thousand years. Here are some local preferences:<br />• Italians drink their espresso with sugar<br />• Germans and Swiss with equal parts of hot chocolate<br />• Mexicans with cinnamon<br />• Moroccans drink their coffee with peppercorns<br />• Ethiopians with a pinch of salt<br />• Coffee drinkers in the Middle East usually add cardamom and spices<br />• Whipped cream is the favored by Austrians<br />• Egyptians like pure, strong coffee without extras. It tends to be sweetened only at weddings.<br />Others add spirits – whiskey or Kahlua, for example – especially to welcome a New Year!<br /><br />3. End your year with charity<br /><br />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 <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/24/opinion/24kristof.html?_r=1&th&emc=th">http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/24/opinion/24kristof.html?_r=1&th&emc=th</a>. Here are a few he listed:<br />• Acumen Fund, <a href="http://www.acumenfund.org/">http://www.acumenfund.org/</a><br />• Afghan Institute of Learning, www.creatinghope.org<br />• BRAC, <a href="http://www.brac.net/">http://www.brac.net/</a>, a Bangladeshi antipoverty organization<br />• Sustainable Health Ventures, <a href="http://www.sheinnovates.com/">http://www.sheinnovates.com/</a><br />• The Worldwide Fistula Fund, <a href="http://www.wfmic.org/">http://www.wfmic.org/</a> and the Fistula Foundation, <a href="http://www.fistulafoundation.org/">http://www.fistulafoundation.org/</a><a href="http://www.fistulafoundation.org/">fistulafoundation.org/</a><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Tips/ideas/insights to savor<br /></span></strong><br />The current <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a> 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:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLrzDKkS4_zzDLlJ4WZL4ezutrZRxRl9yt4SSLnCrZwLDSgxw2WfhVpRz4pB0y6xOolkA5biOw7oZg17XM80t00qu8kPhY0i_VCLuB5K1KnCiKLsSPOKR_MxxvucEPEC-P25x8SWFEK8w/s1600-h/1229.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 5px 5px 5px 5px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 174px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420855134054428002" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLrzDKkS4_zzDLlJ4WZL4ezutrZRxRl9yt4SSLnCrZwLDSgxw2WfhVpRz4pB0y6xOolkA5biOw7oZg17XM80t00qu8kPhY0i_VCLuB5K1KnCiKLsSPOKR_MxxvucEPEC-P25x8SWFEK8w/s200/1229.jpg" /></a>• A word for your relationships with family and friends<br />• Your volunteer or paid work<br />• What you hope to accomplish<br />• How you will care for yourself physically and/or mentally<br />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.<br /><br />What’s your word for 2010?<br /><br />To receive the advantage of seeing all these ideas in an expanded version, subscribe to Brain Aerobics Weekly today.<br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:130%;">To order Brain Aerobics Weekly,<br />go to </span></em><a href="http://www.wisernow.com/"><strong><em><span style="font-size:130%;">www.wisernow.com</span></em></strong></a><em><span style="font-size:130%;"> now.<br />It’s a great anytime gift for everyone who needs a legal form of positive mind stimulation!<br /></span></em><br />Let the ever-ripening <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Wiser Now</a> website<br />become the apple of your eye.Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460790093770101115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1371870144784897027.post-82981019490175372602009-12-23T05:31:00.000-08:002009-12-23T05:39:13.460-08:00<strong><span style="color:#660000;">Quote to ponder under the apple tree<br /></span></strong><br />Nothing is better than the unintended humor of reality.<br />~ Steve Allen (born December 26, 1921)<br /><br /><span style="color:#660000;"><strong>Resources to bite into<br /></strong></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjmqOs_43Bhg2gacATCls9f2bBczcjJc2_cXaPl8znR2ncWb03t9swyiFsBBkUtAGkmuH0VjSE8jwb2cP7CJnNI4abPPf9tpPhEql-j_sLTC6PXG4q-o0r8hAk29A61gECpzKfvYvHLsA/s1600-h/22b.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 147px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418424333184933234" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjmqOs_43Bhg2gacATCls9f2bBczcjJc2_cXaPl8znR2ncWb03t9swyiFsBBkUtAGkmuH0VjSE8jwb2cP7CJnNI4abPPf9tpPhEql-j_sLTC6PXG4q-o0r8hAk29A61gECpzKfvYvHLsA/s200/22b.jpg" /></a>1. Creating intentional joy<br /><br />As noted in the current <a href="http://www.brainaerobicsweekly.com/"><strong>Brain Aerobics Weekly</strong></a>, 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.)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRcNSD7_C87N70ZfGFsM1jdQ9u-St9HMO0aW40PLKdtw9VJII0kWtcatCCec4paiMGpp0PSs4YITt7MkErUvj3Sa5ijn9k_U7JO9HBscTuggqkoe0O3eMft6OHlExUNnGm0a0YuVv6tZ4/s1600-h/22a.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 129px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 159px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418424455951470978" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRcNSD7_C87N70ZfGFsM1jdQ9u-St9HMO0aW40PLKdtw9VJII0kWtcatCCec4paiMGpp0PSs4YITt7MkErUvj3Sa5ijn9k_U7JO9HBscTuggqkoe0O3eMft6OHlExUNnGm0a0YuVv6tZ4/s200/22a.jpg" /></a><br />2. Making the mundane merry<br /><br />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 <a href="http://www.accidentalcomic.com/">www.accidentalcomic.com</a>: “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: <a href="http://www.thefuntheory.com/">www.thefuntheory.com</a>.”<br /><br />3. Easily amused<br /><br />Nearly out of space, so here’s one last quickie: You have a little time left to “Elf Yourself” <a href="http://www.elfyourself.com/">http://www.elfyourself.com/</a>. (Insert your own picture, and SHARE it!)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoNZc2p0L8YunEAnPGb7qS755zH7Mm7uOqPNebTaLRlvLzAm4v2bIv9WWPjw9GMIE-RXO4QN_TAmB9iN8pl_Aql6rTO5_Slr7I_guAQICzk73UMFpqK4OpIFDS2LrLkpn2ixuf62tJKq0/s1600-h/22.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 161px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418424588500945122" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoNZc2p0L8YunEAnPGb7qS755zH7Mm7uOqPNebTaLRlvLzAm4v2bIv9WWPjw9GMIE-RXO4QN_TAmB9iN8pl_Aql6rTO5_Slr7I_guAQICzk73UMFpqK4OpIFDS2LrLkpn2ixuf62tJKq0/s200/22.jpg" /></a><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Tips/ideas/insights to savor</span></strong><br /><br />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:<br /><br />1. What do snakes sing in December? ___<br />2. How do fish celebrate Christmas? ___<br />3. How do sheep in Mexico say Merry Christmas? ___<br />4. What do English sheep say to each other at Christmas? ___<br />5. How do cats greet each other at Christmas? ___<br /><br />Can you match the answers?<br />a. Fleece Navidad!<br />b. Have a Furry Merry Christmas and a Happy Mew Year!<br />c. Season’s Bleatings! or Merry Christmas to Ewe!<br />d. Sssssss-ilver Bells<br />e. They hang reefs on the door<br /><br />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:<br /><br />• Penguins<br />• Bears<br />• Chickens<br />• Dracula<br />• Mary Poppins<br />• Anyone else?<br /><br />Idea inspired by the website <a href="http://www.brownielocks.com/ChristmasJokes.html">http://www.brownielocks.com/ChristmasJokes.html</a><br />Answers are 1. d 2. e 3. a 4. c 5. b<br /><br /><em><span style="color:#660000;">To get the advantage of seeing all these ideas in an expanded version, subscribe to Brain Aerobics Weekly today.<br /></span></em><br />To order Brain Aerobics Weekly,<br />go to <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/"><strong>www.wisernow.com</strong></a> now.<br />It’s a great holiday gift for anyone who needs a legal form of positive mind stimulation!Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460790093770101115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1371870144784897027.post-90902022625996190712009-12-15T05:14:00.000-08:002009-12-15T05:25:26.994-08:00<strong><span style="color:#660000;">Quote to ponder under the apple tree</span></strong><br /><br />Educate a boy and you educate an individual.<br />Educate a girl and you educate a community.<br />~ African saying<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Resources to bite into<br /></span></strong><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj3z8gs-Mxk8ThYA-_QiFnPooR-kaZgzpUdj0Fe0Gvd3k9n2xM69XdxZMAp3E_b5pjs_BEnwWabPhRCjqSzPekYRHpmidIHimzRrVQ14wJvreJ7lB6cUDVzz7CB9_sJMe_tw0yJGF0E0Q/s1600-h/dec15.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 104px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415452662522803346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj3z8gs-Mxk8ThYA-_QiFnPooR-kaZgzpUdj0Fe0Gvd3k9n2xM69XdxZMAp3E_b5pjs_BEnwWabPhRCjqSzPekYRHpmidIHimzRrVQ14wJvreJ7lB6cUDVzz7CB9_sJMe_tw0yJGF0E0Q/s200/dec15.jpg" /></a>1. The amazing Greg Mortenson<br /><br />The current <a href="http://www.brainaerobicsweekly.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a> 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 <a href="http://www.ikat.org/">http://www.ikat.org/</a> or <a href="http://www.stonesintoschools.com/">http://www.stonesintoschools.com/</a>.<br />• To order Three Cups of Tea, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0143038257?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwwisernowco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0143038257">click here.</a><br />• To order Three Cups of Tea (Young Reader’s edition), <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0142414123?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwwisernowco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0142414123">click here. </a><br />• To order Stones into Schools, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0670021156?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwwisernowco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0670021156">click here.<br /></a><br />2. Holiday Nuts<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJA4vcHxm3aD82fzd81pPtEoSot_A2Gy9Wvhzu7Uk7QeI_dysQUJz60ko1avCocHuwQ_XoyVdKGMRaNLZloyURBkldPzNhzWNa9JkzWT_J66b15m27bA-42DAFYjARwfp3Dr2jBQlkKbI/s1600-h/nut.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 167px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415452831873717682" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJA4vcHxm3aD82fzd81pPtEoSot_A2Gy9Wvhzu7Uk7QeI_dysQUJz60ko1avCocHuwQ_XoyVdKGMRaNLZloyURBkldPzNhzWNa9JkzWT_J66b15m27bA-42DAFYjARwfp3Dr2jBQlkKbI/s200/nut.jpg" /></a><br />The current discussion pages of <a href="http://www.brainaerobicsweekly.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a> 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!)<br /><br />3. December 15 is the 70th anniversary of the premiere of “Gone with the Wind”<br /><br />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 <a href="http://ngeorgia.com/ang/Atlanta_Premiere_of_Gone_With_The_Wind">http://ngeorgia.com/ang/Atlanta_Premiere_of_Gone_With_The_Wind</a>.<br /><br />Tips/ideas/insights to savor<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFj07y3qm0c6yzlIb38Clpr9-Ma8iE7GyHyNiHHyyN6WxsZaYDPEUq29aP-Vr9GPAPzlll6FQjLm4-MI_bvwoiJaBtuI8tCzVK1P5_vsZeffRwVP30tVXd9v6n9UrL234OHrE2Yl9QUqg/s1600-h/xtree.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 148px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415452975607654210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFj07y3qm0c6yzlIb38Clpr9-Ma8iE7GyHyNiHHyyN6WxsZaYDPEUq29aP-Vr9GPAPzlll6FQjLm4-MI_bvwoiJaBtuI8tCzVK1P5_vsZeffRwVP30tVXd9v6n9UrL234OHrE2Yl9QUqg/s200/xtree.jpg" /></a><br />The current <a href="http://www.brainaerobicsweekly.com/"><strong>Brain Aerobics Weekly</strong></a> 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:<br />• 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?)<br />• Where was it placed?<br />• 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.)<br />• What kind of lights did it have? Who put the lights up? Was this a frustrating experience in your household?<br />• Did any ornaments have special significance?<br />• What went on the top of the tree?<br />• Was decorating done by parents as a surprise to children or done by the whole family?<br /><br />To get the advantage of seeing all these ideas in an expanded version, subscribe to Brain Aerobics Weekly today.<br /><br /><br /><em><strong>To order Brain Aerobics Weekly,<br />go to </strong></em><a href="http://www.wisernow.com/"><em><strong>http://www.wisernow.com/</strong></em></a><em><strong> now.<br />It’s a great holiday gift for anyone who needs a legal form of positive mind stimulation!</strong></em><br /><br />Let the ever-ripening Wiser Now website<br />become the apple of your eye.Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460790093770101115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1371870144784897027.post-30254852864388988502009-12-08T06:37:00.000-08:002009-12-08T06:45:00.886-08:00Just a Bite 12-08-09<strong><span style="color:#660000;">Quote to ponder under the apple tree<br /></span></strong><br />There is a bit of insanity in dancing<br />that does everybody a great deal of good.<br />~ Edwin Denby<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Resources to bite into<br /></span></strong><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2NUPLCRkhIOC0uoFh3KbX5xjgBDY2GqIXIldhIRjdtDtIbvEjy5Ez76a9bYDxZvMfVQoK2v2VE8qYpXStAJrPu8dW45034Qfyyx9Ce0Aei-xoKmTppXwtfd2uIoDqnZ0FMPegBKofx9Y/s1600-h/tribe.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 160px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412876091232004002" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2NUPLCRkhIOC0uoFh3KbX5xjgBDY2GqIXIldhIRjdtDtIbvEjy5Ez76a9bYDxZvMfVQoK2v2VE8qYpXStAJrPu8dW45034Qfyyx9Ce0Aei-xoKmTppXwtfd2uIoDqnZ0FMPegBKofx9Y/s200/tribe.jpg" /></a>1. Is Dancing in our Genes?<br /><br />The current <a href="http://www.brainaerobicsweekly.com/"><strong>Brain Aerobics Weekly</strong></a>, 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 <a href="http://www.livescience.com/health/060310_born_dance.html">http://www.livescience.com/health/060310_born_dance.html</a> and <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2006/02/22/1576009.htm">http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2006/02/22/1576009.htm</a>).<br /><br />2. Is Giving in our Genes?<br /><br />The current discussion pages of <a href="http://www.brainaerobicsweekly.com/"><strong>Brain Aerobics Weekly</strong> </a>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, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/01/science/01human.html?_r=1&th&emc=th">http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/01/science/01human.html?_r=1&th&emc=th</a>). 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, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/073821356X?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwwisernowco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=073821356X">click here</a>.) 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.<br /><br /><br />3. December 12 Is Poinsettia Day<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxZbJeppJFLXGVNFXQFWZMw5BTCX4ipxLJfJ8c0HH2U3erKqi3eKKhgrrR7Oj0Fgwv-yEmlRO2SBvXD5n5WMULDrPOiAeEMyripe7J8hvrHovJInO-gd0bIZG9wnjBs_DcUQFfYJPGmcU/s1600-h/poin.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 134px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412876233346036114" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxZbJeppJFLXGVNFXQFWZMw5BTCX4ipxLJfJ8c0HH2U3erKqi3eKKhgrrR7Oj0Fgwv-yEmlRO2SBvXD5n5WMULDrPOiAeEMyripe7J8hvrHovJInO-gd0bIZG9wnjBs_DcUQFfYJPGmcU/s200/poin.jpg" /></a><br />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.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Tips/ideas/insights to savor</span></strong><br /><br />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:<br />• Nothing's as mean as giving a little child . . . something useful for Christmas. ~ Kim Hubbard<br />• A holiday shopper’s complaint is . . . one of long-standing. ~ Anon<br />• Santa is very jolly because . . . he knows where all the bad girls live. ~ Dennis Miller<br />• Christmas is a time when everybody wants his past forgotten and . . . his present remembered." ~ Phyllis Diller<br />• Santa Claus has the right idea. . . . Visit people once a year. ~ Victor Borge<br />• The best Yuletide decoration is . . . being wreathed in smiles. ~ Anon<br />• A goose never . . . voted for an early Christmas. ~ Irish Saying<br /><br />To get the advantage of seeing all these ideas in an expanded version, subscribe to <a href="http://www.brainaerobicsweekly.com/"><strong>Brain Aerobics Weekl</strong></a><strong>y</strong> today.<br /><br /><br />To order Brain Aerobics Weekly,<br />go to <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/"><strong>www.wisernow.com</strong></a> now.<br />It’s a great holiday gift for anyone who needs a legal form of positive mind stimulation!<br /><br />Let the ever-ripening <a href="http://www.brainaerobicsweekly.com/">Wiser Now website </a><br />become the apple of your eye.Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460790093770101115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1371870144784897027.post-57583672648694186782009-12-01T05:12:00.000-08:002009-12-01T05:21:00.388-08:00Just a Bite 12-01-09<div><br /><br /><div><div><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Quote to ponder under the apple tree<br /></span></strong><br />Happy are the painters, for they shall not be lonely. Light and colour, peace and hope, will keep them company to the end.<br />~ Winston Churchill (born November 30, 1874)<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Resources to bite into<br /></span></strong><br />1<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnaP_2H_qIGoYsYuPilBu-lt1CFQZaiTQ6tbK_CG0jxX5Czpbvtx4Kpc4pzxYk8PAT6-JZ9UYqbBMcktrGhgPSxSnDcrWwYmU7hrdL2zgwfH028tp8lbZojmSe0g1WBPbhl_6GAz7y-So/s1600/121.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 166px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410256387809095762" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnaP_2H_qIGoYsYuPilBu-lt1CFQZaiTQ6tbK_CG0jxX5Czpbvtx4Kpc4pzxYk8PAT6-JZ9UYqbBMcktrGhgPSxSnDcrWwYmU7hrdL2zgwfH028tp8lbZojmSe0g1WBPbhl_6GAz7y-So/s200/121.jpg" /></a>. Sir Winston Churchill – Politician and Painter<br /><br />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 <a href="http://www.brainaerobicsweekly.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a>, 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.<br /><br />2. Gordon Parks, Renaissance Man <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihQYL-Uqlu-ElVpOA3TiFlahdTup9Hq9qwXCkEwPdBM1ag7qXtt98qLhgS5NJuS_fN3FnPISnD30pEDNLwe-1BrMm_KOG7BUllV9UVnNjz0DI_iv7tNBUVhrOL0MpzU69hWJJkctnBSi8/s1600/122.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 136px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410256532085867330" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihQYL-Uqlu-ElVpOA3TiFlahdTup9Hq9qwXCkEwPdBM1ag7qXtt98qLhgS5NJuS_fN3FnPISnD30pEDNLwe-1BrMm_KOG7BUllV9UVnNjz0DI_iv7tNBUVhrOL0MpzU69hWJJkctnBSi8/s200/122.jpg" /></a><br /><br />The current <a href="http://www.brainaerobicsweekly.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly </a>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:<br />• To order The Learning Tree by Gordon Parks, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0449215040?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwwisernowco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0449215040">click here</a>.<br />• To order A Hungry Heart: A Memoir, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0743269039?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwwisernowco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0743269039">click here</a>.<br />• To order Bare Witness: Photographs by Gordon Parks, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/8876248021?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwwisernowco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=8876248021">click here</a>.<br /><br />3. Worth Quoting<br />One reason to choose the five people featured in the current <a href="http://www.brainaerobicsweekly.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly </a>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:<br />• 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<br />• Poor nations are hungry and rich nations are proud; and pride and hunger will ever be at variance. ~ Jonathan Swift<br />• All the great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope. ~ Winston Churchill<br /><br />Talk about these: Do you agree? Who needs to hear these messages?<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Tips/ideas/insights to savor</span></strong><br /><br />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.<br /><br />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:<br />• Always be open to new experiences.<br />• Keep your sense of humor.<br />• Keep things simple and avoid unnecessary complexity.<br />• Set your goals/destination, but adapt and change as needed.<br />• Sometimes leaping into an experience beats hesitation.<br />• Choose a good guide.<br />• Never forget the pleasures of home.<br /><br />To get the advantage of seeing all these ideas in an expanded version, subscribe to Brain Aerobics Weekly today.<br /><br />To order Brain Aerobics Weekly,<br />go to <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">http://www.wisernow.com/</a> now.<br />It’s a great holiday gift for anyone who needs a legal form of positive mind stimulation!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Ljj5Ct14ZhwGC6X9rK7Wkf6uPwYoJjW5tWeeiAqfc5xTrNaNocRY-Vh1wMKSFLqsBfNMCMGYTdqrcJJIbM7fqk_ntagAdZ5tmDcDOlxz0UpqJn1NcG6tmEho_5_Ypyem2QLrYvN6btM/s1600/blogeye.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 100px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 44px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410256821043306882" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Ljj5Ct14ZhwGC6X9rK7Wkf6uPwYoJjW5tWeeiAqfc5xTrNaNocRY-Vh1wMKSFLqsBfNMCMGYTdqrcJJIbM7fqk_ntagAdZ5tmDcDOlxz0UpqJn1NcG6tmEho_5_Ypyem2QLrYvN6btM/s200/blogeye.jpg" /></a><br />Let the ever-ripening Wiser Now website<br />become the apple of your eye. </div></div></div>Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460790093770101115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1371870144784897027.post-52451905403298982892009-11-24T09:58:00.000-08:002009-11-24T10:07:24.734-08:00Just a Bite 11-24-09<div align="left"><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Quote to ponder under the apple tree<br /></span></strong><br />I'll never have enough time to paint all the pictures I'd like to.<br />~ Norman Rockwell<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Resources to bite into<br /></span></strong><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEina2OciF6MH5AzIvW3HeZ99EtiJDbTPqS558t_HAVSOpmorewxYvdOGm7yDxk1vod-eZnTBEfHnzwkkE6le_A4xeMsbZ1JQaHcuEuRmryPkjaA5Mr5545NTkgP4d6_3FFOKyuKfhmR9WU/s1600/1124.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 155px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407732583388562482" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEina2OciF6MH5AzIvW3HeZ99EtiJDbTPqS558t_HAVSOpmorewxYvdOGm7yDxk1vod-eZnTBEfHnzwkkE6le_A4xeMsbZ1JQaHcuEuRmryPkjaA5Mr5545NTkgP4d6_3FFOKyuKfhmR9WU/s200/1124.jpg" /></a>1. Grateful for Norman Rockwell<br /><br />The current <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly </a>features Norman Rockwell for three reasons.<br />1) Because of two of his iconic paintings, he is closely associated with Thanksgiving.<br />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 <a href="http://www.nrm.org/">http://www.nrm.org/</a>.)<br />3) A new book by Ron Schick called Norman Rockwell: Behind the Camera has just been published. (To order, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316006939?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwwisernowco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0316006939">click here</a>.)<br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />2. A word game for Thanksgiving<br /><br />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 <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a>, 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.”<br />(<a href="https://www.ncoa.org/content.cfm?sectionID=30#l2">https://www.ncoa.org/content.cfm?sectionID=30#l2</a>).<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEild9BCdM28i-o54tmceGwNdyvYVKz53yPeg-ePwXwpmW46yI2h9K7A99reAmBifuyjPNRBav8X96kBhzzh7XqirLkePQUreiolUo0_Xke9-60pTUXkQmTW9uEhd9-uyEwzGWysKFGC3mw/s1600/check.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 75px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 76px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407732745039097442" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEild9BCdM28i-o54tmceGwNdyvYVKz53yPeg-ePwXwpmW46yI2h9K7A99reAmBifuyjPNRBav8X96kBhzzh7XqirLkePQUreiolUo0_Xke9-60pTUXkQmTW9uEhd9-uyEwzGWysKFGC3mw/s200/check.jpg" /></a><br /><strong><a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">We’ve revamped our website. Check it out!</a><br /></strong><br /><br /><br />3. Keep your sense of humor through the holidays<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0icUsq99ldikSImnje-erWRd2vOf-S-DgY6yaVq7cDtdCyzijfZBa3NlFZf7y5e3cayt66AeARtaAwPLzWvNqApFbWUwjZFlKM-MYStr2dt-8udigTwY4Qx56nyeGAzVS9DfRnvmRHHA/s1600/1124a.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 120px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407732911172496754" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0icUsq99ldikSImnje-erWRd2vOf-S-DgY6yaVq7cDtdCyzijfZBa3NlFZf7y5e3cayt66AeARtaAwPLzWvNqApFbWUwjZFlKM-MYStr2dt-8udigTwY4Qx56nyeGAzVS9DfRnvmRHHA/s200/1124a.jpg" /></a>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:<br />• Skip everywhere you go.<br />• When your money comes out of the ATM slot, shout, “I won! I won!”<br />• Every time someone asks you to do something, say, “Would you like fries with that?”<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Tips/ideas/insights to savor<br /></span></strong><br />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?<br />• What is your idea of perfect happiness?<br />• Which talent would you most like to have?<br />• What is your favorite occupation?<br />• What do you consider the most overrated virtue?<br />• What is your motto?<br /><br />To learn more, check out http://www.vanityfair.com/archives/features/proust or to get the advantage of summarized information, subscribe to <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a> today.<br /><br /><br />To order Brain Aerobics Weekly,<br />go to <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">http://www.wisernow.com/</a> now!<br />It’s a great “I am thankful for you” gift.<br /><br />Let the ever-ripening Wiser Now website<br />become the apple of your eye. </div>Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460790093770101115noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1371870144784897027.post-13065322822724580742009-11-18T05:14:00.000-08:002009-11-18T05:22:23.619-08:00Just a Bite 10-17-09<div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0a7ddyllJq6NG5P03LuKhJVh8yT9lP4A_1M3R8Jh5ls2cCaOaT-jjqErdZqPeTcvSkwkymlFFSUoF7AMz86UtA5oJ8R467_6JCk7IPmZeNnSrZn_ombbeloTf2We48LEOlBd7dYz2tv0/s1600/tree.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 158px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 138px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405432647463912658" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0a7ddyllJq6NG5P03LuKhJVh8yT9lP4A_1M3R8Jh5ls2cCaOaT-jjqErdZqPeTcvSkwkymlFFSUoF7AMz86UtA5oJ8R467_6JCk7IPmZeNnSrZn_ombbeloTf2We48LEOlBd7dYz2tv0/s200/tree.jpg" /></a><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Quote to ponder under the apple tree</span></strong><br /><br />True terror is to wake up one morning and discover that your high school class is running the country.<br />~ Kurt Vonnegut (born Nov. 11, 1922)<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Resources to bite into</span></strong><br /><br />1.Maintain Your Sense of Wonder<br /><br />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:<br /><br /><em><span style="color:#660000;">I don’t know about you, but I practice a disorganized religion.<br />I belong to an unholy disorder.<br />We call ourselves “Our Lady of Perpetual Astonishment.”</span></em><br /><br />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, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/081297736X?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwwisernowco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=081297736X">click here.<br /></a><br />2. Game for the Holidays<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMImfxcikzc1NwZx3oA-5cQAbtknmkUNLOwH497C9lg2eWVsDMzOttRgiELJu6DLDPrHrU_viSZ90R78KZp7DNUyAQZcObvHDKVeFRxVtj6z4befAPKGFQzIn1p6g1PNvOHmyZxk30b1k/s1600/diz.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 124px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 145px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405432850092144338" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMImfxcikzc1NwZx3oA-5cQAbtknmkUNLOwH497C9lg2eWVsDMzOttRgiELJu6DLDPrHrU_viSZ90R78KZp7DNUyAQZcObvHDKVeFRxVtj6z4befAPKGFQzIn1p6g1PNvOHmyZxk30b1k/s200/diz.jpg" /></a><br />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.<br /><br />Order Dizios from Amazon by <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002RTIOFA?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwwisernowco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B002RTIOFA">clicking here</a>. Order a MindWare catalog at <a href="http://www.mindwareonline.com/">http://www.mindwareonline.com/</a> or call 800-999-0398.<br /><br />We’ve just revamped our website. <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Check it out! </a><br /><br />3. Sniglets<br />Also featured in the current <a href="http://www.brainaerobicsweekly.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a> 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:<br />• The light switch with no discernible purpose that seems to exist in every house?<br />• The maze that bank customers and airline passengers must walk through while waiting in line?<br />• The leftover liquid in the bottom of spray bottles where the tube doesn’t reach?<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Tips/ideas/insights to savor<br /></span></strong><br />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:<br /><br />• 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<br />• 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<br />• 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<br />• 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<br /><br />You can find many more ideas by looking up “timelines” followed by a subject (inventions, history, popular TV, etc.)<br /><br />To order Brain Aerobics Weekly,<br />go to <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">http://www.wisernow.com/</a> now!<br />It’s a great “I am thankful for you” gift.<br /><br />Let the ever-ripening Wiser Now website<br />become the apple of your eye. </div>Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460790093770101115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1371870144784897027.post-14943782303780427702009-11-11T05:18:00.000-08:002009-11-11T07:06:25.308-08:00Just a Bite 11-10-09<div><br /><br /><div><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Quote to ponder under the apple tree</span></strong><br /><br />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.”<br />~ William Steig (born Nov. 14, 1907)<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Resources to bite into<br /></span></strong><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs1hyphenhyphenU_mIJF_21b96LKBHHL-R0bp-XRnPIIXH66bsbddQhkTY8N_M9CSTTk65pobCE-FPDeLnrQG3B8MY8emyaU_wAEZ3o7bvwMq-uDyWx0qlLz5tgK91MUiTuy2Iwfl1KIy_B-dEhi74/s1600-h/william.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 141px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402836096008929570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs1hyphenhyphenU_mIJF_21b96LKBHHL-R0bp-XRnPIIXH66bsbddQhkTY8N_M9CSTTk65pobCE-FPDeLnrQG3B8MY8emyaU_wAEZ3o7bvwMq-uDyWx0qlLz5tgK91MUiTuy2Iwfl1KIy_B-dEhi74/s200/william.jpg" /></a>1. The Enigmatic William Steig<br /><br />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, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0440849438?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwwisernowco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0440849438">click here.</a> To order his CDB, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0440849438?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwwisernowco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0440849438">click here</a>. And how would you define “a hobo career”?<br /><br />2. November Is Pomegranate Month<br /><br />The current <a href="http://www.brainaerobicsweekly.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a> also has a brief quiz on pomegranates, that un<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5WPMQ77mUaZNILeTmBiNj7fkdFQmenYQQ1ay7MaxG_XQk5uv1WsFJzDis4gKEXd0aCEi7RZJ_VAo0wmGqLt_O1vGKzhC6rEmSECw3RI8bFK13cV_5oBQxfGlRZyRKtjhKbhmxnALSbfs/s1600-h/pom.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 165px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402836342214834418" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5WPMQ77mUaZNILeTmBiNj7fkdFQmenYQQ1ay7MaxG_XQk5uv1WsFJzDis4gKEXd0aCEi7RZJ_VAo0wmGqLt_O1vGKzhC6rEmSECw3RI8bFK13cV_5oBQxfGlRZyRKtjhKbhmxnALSbfs/s200/pom.jpg" /></a>usual, 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?<br />1. The pomegranate's name comes from the Latin 'pomum granatus,' which means “tart fruit.” True ____ False ____<br />2. Because of the similarity in appearance, the hand grenade owes its name to the pomegranate. True ____ False ____<br /><br />(Answers: “I wonder if you care for tea.” False; it means “seeded apple,” and true. On the next page, “Raven.”)<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#660000;">We’ve just revamped our </span></strong><a href="http://www.wisernow.com/"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#660000;">website</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#660000;">. Check it out!</span></strong><br /><br />3. Friday the 13th – Good or Bad?<br /><br /><br />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 <a href="http://www.brainaerobicsweekly.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a> challenges readers to pick out good luck signs in its trivia quiz. For example:<br /><br />1. Only one of the following is not a sign of good luck. Which is it?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgETj397n8y2ZGTXq9mFHA8KPYI-lOQsJJfOJbyW_ciRV79u5_bSv7RnHPe9yrf0u4CBOHWcVjGpe-T27b6e3ZjMone_RghpZXNHVxiCJ66JT1K5X0kApywTPhHI3KYRHKBGauifzBwbNQ/s1600-h/frog.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 118px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 146px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402862151777430482" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgETj397n8y2ZGTXq9mFHA8KPYI-lOQsJJfOJbyW_ciRV79u5_bSv7RnHPe9yrf0u4CBOHWcVjGpe-T27b6e3ZjMone_RghpZXNHVxiCJ66JT1K5X0kApywTPhHI3KYRHKBGauifzBwbNQ/s200/frog.jpg" /></a>a. A cricket or frog in the house___<br />b. A raven on a fencepost ___<br />c. Dolphins around a ship ___<br />d. A ladybug landing on you ___<br />e. Meeting 3 sheep ___<br />f. A black cat walking toward you ___<br />g. A horseshoe in the house ___<br /><br /></div><div><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Tips/ideas/insights to savor<br /></span></strong><br />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?<br /><br />You know it’s going to be a good day when . . .<br /><br />To order <a href="http://www.brainaerobicsweekly.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a>,<br />go to www.wisernow.com now!<br />It’s a great “I am thankful for you” gift.<br /><br />Let the ever-ripening <a href="http://www.brainaerobicsweekly.com/">Wiser Now website</a> become the apple of your eye. </div></div>Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460790093770101115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1371870144784897027.post-43511447185173551722009-11-03T04:58:00.000-08:002009-11-03T05:20:21.787-08:00Just a Bite 11-02-09<span style="color:#660000;"><strong>Quote to ponder under the apple tree<br /></strong></span><br />Good judgment comes from experience,<br />and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.<br />~ Will Rogers (born Nov. 4, 1879)<br /><br /><span style="color:#660000;"><strong>Resources to bite into</strong><br /></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLWry-zVrBj9coT1GpmSuXrSBAH4nMsa4lpJwBjNpE9lAmGw-dDTTRGd1hqvtoOVinoz9UFv5-K7SSzAdWDQUTt0YUAN-RTaQifUFk4a0AENAoVlqwl4ehkT3_vtTU9pabbLCKMzhaksg/s1600-h/rogers.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 140px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399864113223271362" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLWry-zVrBj9coT1GpmSuXrSBAH4nMsa4lpJwBjNpE9lAmGw-dDTTRGd1hqvtoOVinoz9UFv5-K7SSzAdWDQUTt0YUAN-RTaQifUFk4a0AENAoVlqwl4ehkT3_vtTU9pabbLCKMzhaksg/s200/rogers.jpg" /></a>1. The Uncommon Sense of Will Rogers<br /><br />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."<br /><br />2. Celebrate Family Stories Month<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJH54OLmxEGH1Bjyc_sUMmyLKGY8MjAbzDn-2YrtZDNbu1EjHWvKl-G2izAORSEaic7ehquhht-w53eVul5KRLds2t-LUkSAjlhiO6KBSgLIAzjW0jmu5folXpuhPT3kUp4bNXsFspWaY/s1600-h/shower.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 90px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399864286553771314" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJH54OLmxEGH1Bjyc_sUMmyLKGY8MjAbzDn-2YrtZDNbu1EjHWvKl-G2izAORSEaic7ehquhht-w53eVul5KRLds2t-LUkSAjlhiO6KBSgLIAzjW0jmu5folXpuhPT3kUp4bNXsFspWaY/s200/shower.jpg" /></a><br />The current <a href="http://www.brainaerobicsweekly.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a> 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, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0895778556?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwwisernowco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0895">click here</a>.) Here is a quick condensed example:<br /><br />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!”<br /><br />Now tell your own story about a family member who misspoke and has not yet lived it down.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRiYdjmZRQbO84tTtCN60uofqcRGIRG477adglSz3Xa0g5xmPlxjqnnqGK1U9sBBNWTdTIhc05DzdqBIyC7wDO5K4EYjJKtKE4NCPJLVZVLjg9wQewBICPaq3AwlLNFbEUTlGnyPHQOng/s1600-h/check.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 45px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 47px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399864445196419170" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRiYdjmZRQbO84tTtCN60uofqcRGIRG477adglSz3Xa0g5xmPlxjqnnqGK1U9sBBNWTdTIhc05DzdqBIyC7wDO5K4EYjJKtKE4NCPJLVZVLjg9wQewBICPaq3AwlLNFbEUTlGnyPHQOng/s200/check.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="color:#6600cc;"><strong><em>We’ve just revamped our website. Check it out!</em></strong><br /></span><br /><br /><br />3. Twisting your tongue concentrates the brain<br /><br />As noted in the current <a href="http://www.brainaerobicsweekly.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a> 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:<br />• Six sick hicks nick six slick bricks with picks and sticks<br />• Tie twine to three tree twigs<br />• Green glass globes glow greenly<br />• Supposed to be pistachio<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Tips/ideas/insights to savor</span></strong><br /><br />Another challenge in the current <a href="http://www.brainaerobicsweekly.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a> 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!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ZbhcclqjkNrYN_TfAHBDWfaaE1S06LTgFaRa2FSK2agudvV6Cuj_elPEA0FKTAtMtM4-NEhWRAMOQ7SEq_tjjycHCvgkEXLmFC6skQ-o_j1R9mT85O7By16_GLkJn6dGK2qrFMuKDKA/s1600-h/flower.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 145px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 146px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399864627562645858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ZbhcclqjkNrYN_TfAHBDWfaaE1S06LTgFaRa2FSK2agudvV6Cuj_elPEA0FKTAtMtM4-NEhWRAMOQ7SEq_tjjycHCvgkEXLmFC6skQ-o_j1R9mT85O7By16_GLkJn6dGK2qrFMuKDKA/s200/flower.jpg" /></a>1. As clear as _______________________<br /><br />2. As cold as ________________________<br /><br />3. As common as _____________________<br /><br />4. As fresh as ________________________<br /><br />5. As pure as _________________________<br /><br />6. As slow as __________________________<br /><br />7. As welcome as _______________________<br /><br />8. As white as ___________________________<br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#6600cc;">To order Brain Aerobics Weekly,<br />go to </span></strong><a href="http://www.wisernow.com/"><strong><span style="color:#6600cc;">http://www.wisernow.com/</span></strong></a><strong><span style="color:#6600cc;"> now!<br />It’s a great “I am thankful for you” gift.</span></strong><br /><br />Let the ever-ripening Wiser Now website become the apple of your eye.<br /><br />We’ve just revamped the website. <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Check it out!</a>Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460790093770101115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1371870144784897027.post-51278652069800973272009-10-27T05:59:00.000-07:002009-10-27T06:11:53.314-07:00Just a Bite 10-27-09<strong><span style="color:#660000;">Quote to ponder under the apple tree<br /></span></strong><br />The Web as I envisaged it, we have not seen it yet.<br />The future is still so much bigger than the past.<br />~ Tim Berners-Lee<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Resources to bite into</span></strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX6AQHPbI-fSJ32ITDRaoEnJ6yDqDjNM1NwSIdRRhLICJ2kDqRBQRRmJu9HKKWtLRbYhddOXwGEclu5iLUL2osIySXBwp7RYWGXQ2aHI4rq0zXDxxW1qjaI2Bx7e5vUdPTMf2IBCTxSd4/s1600-h/guy.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 128px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 138px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397264763684372706" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX6AQHPbI-fSJ32ITDRaoEnJ6yDqDjNM1NwSIdRRhLICJ2kDqRBQRRmJu9HKKWtLRbYhddOXwGEclu5iLUL2osIySXBwp7RYWGXQ2aHI4rq0zXDxxW1qjaI2Bx7e5vUdPTMf2IBCTxSd4/s200/guy.jpg" /></a>1. Free Flowing Information<br /><br />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. <a href="http://www.buffalonews.com/145/story/780084.html">http://www.buffalonews.com/145/story/780084.html</a>#<br /><br />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 <a href="http://www.w3.org/People/Berners-Lee/">http://www.w3.org/People/Berners-Lee/</a>.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDNG5m124WAcbAoMvvRThnTbpr_14YF1AzJWsEcazHvvdjGK4rMp8iujufGl1CIlLvlG7DSbi-4hvyKAkqyQnFimrS7R81IEy2Zcx5qtnXZQV47NgF_ku0LEY_OWoGBx-lf0yH28iHS8A/s1600-h/people.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 109px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397264934622342178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDNG5m124WAcbAoMvvRThnTbpr_14YF1AzJWsEcazHvvdjGK4rMp8iujufGl1CIlLvlG7DSbi-4hvyKAkqyQnFimrS7R81IEy2Zcx5qtnXZQV47NgF_ku0LEY_OWoGBx-lf0yH28iHS8A/s200/people.jpg" /></a><br />2. Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain<br /><br />The current <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a> also celebrates this unusual group – talent combined with a delightful sense of humor. You can see for yourself by checking out <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3gp7B8WC4Q">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3gp7B8WC4Q</a> (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 <a href="http://www.ukuleleorchestra.com/main/ListClips.aspx?SessionKey">http://www.ukuleleorchestra.com/main/ListClips.aspx?SessionKey</a>.<br /><br />3. Which Is? Quiz for Witches and Other Goblins This Week<br /><br /><br />The trivia quiz in the current <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a> features excerpts from three of my favorite resources:<br />• Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader Puzzle Book #2. To order, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1592231578?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwwisernowco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1592231578">click here</a>.<br />• Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader Puzzle Book #3. To order, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1592233228?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwwisernowco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1592233228">click here</a>.<br />• Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader Puzzle Book #4. To order, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1592236804?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwwisernowco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=159223">click here</a>.<br />For example, do you know which is faster, the average sneeze or the average cough?<br />How about which pets watch more TV, cats or dogs? (Answers below)<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Tips/ideas/insights to savor<br /></span></strong><br />This week <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a> 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!<br /><br />Here are a few examples: <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD7bJCQ9XYHfluhgSRAVDFG6JWYbtOManzzEfGpLfnxyuSFzMaJd4_saTfIqPnZq-Hegip-go4p-NyjC1-aUwRFY9444h437GdBJN-AAi9xMlZ8rqQxYynbPtnq9WHH34_GKtVUikE-Bs/s1600-h/dog.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 87px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397265132795896450" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD7bJCQ9XYHfluhgSRAVDFG6JWYbtOManzzEfGpLfnxyuSFzMaJd4_saTfIqPnZq-Hegip-go4p-NyjC1-aUwRFY9444h437GdBJN-AAi9xMlZ8rqQxYynbPtnq9WHH34_GKtVUikE-Bs/s200/dog.jpg" /></a><br />1. ___ Look before you leap.<br />___ He who hesitates is lost.<br /><br />2. ___ If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.<br />___ Once bitten, twice shy.<br /><br />3. ___ You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.<br />___ It’s never too late to learn.<br /><br />4. ___ Where there’s a will there’s a way.<br />___ Time and tide wait for no man.<br /><br />5. ___ Out of sight, out of mind.<br />___ Absence makes the heart grow fonder.<br /><br /><br />Answers to Which is quiz samples: cough and cats.<br /><br /><br />To order <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Brain Aerobics Weekly</a>, go to www.wisernow.com now!<br />It’s a great “I am thankful for you” gift.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Using these resources effectively:</span></strong><br /><br />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.<br /><br />Let the ever-ripening <a href="http://www.wisernow.com/">Wiser Now website</a> become the apple of your eye.Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14460790093770101115noreply@blogger.com0