my health journey

12/11/24 - Voo to be happy

12/5/24 - Dark chocolate may be beneficial to your health

11/19/24 - 10 Natural Methods to Increase Serotonin Levels

11/5/24 - Two traits centenarians share

11/4/24 - Six tips to boost your mood

10/28/24 - Health(ier) junk food

9/30/24 - 15 daily habits of successful people

9/23/24 - 15 simple lifestyle changes

9/21/24 - what makes a good life?  Make friends, keep friends, treasure friends.

9/15/24 - Cardiologists avoid these foods: red meat, white bread, instant ramen, salt, processed meats, chips, energy drinks, diet soda, cereal

9/11/24 - The healthiest people in the world play this sport

9/1/24 - 1 simple thing could help you live longer

8/16/24 - 5 Foods to Eat to Help Manage Your Cholesterol: oats, fatty fish, nuts, legumes, avocados

7/22/24 - food and inflammation

7/20/24 - health benefits of grapes

7/15/24 - Is red wine good for you?  yes yes maybe yes and no maybe questionable no

7/14/24 - How to store apples

7/13/24 - worst foods for your brain

7/9/24 - 10,000 steps?

6/25/24 - Is fish oil beneficial?

6/25/24 - Foods for clean arteries

6/22/24 - Wisdom From People Who Lived to Be 100

6/22/24 - 12 New Habits to Reinvent Your Health: sleep, walk, read, meditate, nature, foods, water, alcohol, smoking, socialize, electronics, hobby

6/22/24 - Type 2 diabetes is closely linked to being overweight or obese.

Losing weight and adopting healthier eating habits can have a significant impact on the progression of the disease.

Some of the most effective dietary strategies for putting type 2 diabetes into remission include:

Low-carbohydrate diets: Reducing carbohydrate intake can help lower blood sugar levels and insulin demand. A low-carb diet minimizes the consumption of bread, pasta, rice, and sugary foods.

Calorie restriction: Consume fewer calories by cutting back on portion sizes and avoiding high-calorie, low-nutrient foods like processed snacks, fast food, and sugary drinks.

Intermittent fasting: This dietary approach involves controlled periods of fasting. There are many different methods, such as the 16/8 method (fasting for 16 hours and eating during an 8-hour window) or the 5:2 method (eating normally for five days a week and restricting calories to about 500-600 for two non-consecutive days).

Mediterranean diet: This diet is rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, healthy fats (such as olive oil), and low in processed foods and added sugars. A Mediterranean diet can help improve blood sugar control and reduce the risk of diabetes-related complications.

Plant-based diets: This dietary approach focuses on consuming whole, plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds, while minimizing or eliminating fatty animal products, such as red meat and processed meats.

6/12/24 - A far better idea is to store your apples in your refrigerator. But don’t just toss them on the shelf next to the milk and Tupperware leftovers; place your apples in the crisper bin, where they can last for — wait for it — up to 10 times as long as they would on your counter.

5/29/24 - There's no real scientific evidence to show that you need to bathe or shower after a certain period of time — it's mostly a matter of personal preference, Dr. Angela Lamb, director of the Westside Mount Sinai Dermatology Faculty Practice tells Shop TODAY.

5/27/24 - According to [Stephanie] Harrison, based on the available research, happiness actually impacts longevity a lot more than we might realize.

"Some of the most compelling research into happiness and longevity comes from the Harvard Grant study, one of the longest-term studies that followed a group of men for over eighty years," Harrison tells Parade. "Researchers discovered that good relationships are strongly correlated with physical health and well-being."

5/6/24 - NEW YORK, May 6 (UPI) -- Consuming olive oil could help reduce the risk of dying from dementia, regardless of overall diet quality, a new study of U.S. adults suggests.

"Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats and contains compounds with antioxidant activity that may play a protective role for the brain," the study's lead author, Anne-Julie Tessier, a registered dietitian and research associate at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, told UPI via email.

In a Mediterranean diet, olive oil "appears to have a beneficial effect against cognitive decline," said Tessier, who has a doctorate in human nutrition. "Higher olive oil intake was previously associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality, but its association with dementia mortality was unknown."

Researchers evaluated olive oil intake every four years with a food frequency questionnaire. They categorized consumption as never or less than once per month; greater than 0 to less than or equal to 4.5 grams per day; greater than 4.5 grams per day to less than or equal to 7 grams per day; and greater than 7 grams per day.

During a 28-year follow-up, 4,751 dementia-related deaths occurred. People who inherited from both parents the apolipoprotein ε4 (APOE ε4) allele -- a risk gene tied to late-onset Alzheimer's disease -- were five to nine times more likely to die from dementia, the study showed.

Meanwhile, adults who consumed at least 7 grams of olive oil per day, or half of one tablespoon, had a 28% lower risk of dementia-related death compared with those who never or rarely ingested olive oil. The results held steady after the researchers adjusted for APOE ε4.

3/6/24 - Eye exercises

3/5/24 - Brush teeth before breakfast

2/6/24 - whole wheat bread and diabetes: "Whole-wheat can have positive effect on blood parameters, such as blood sugar and fat profiles, in patients with diabetic."

11/14/23 - If you want to live a long, healthy life, there's good evidence that a healthy diet with enough fiber is key. 

Foods rich in fiber, including plenty of carbohydrates, are featured prominently in diets in the Blue Zones, areas of the world where people live the longest, healthiest lives.

10/19/23 - Pressed juice contains almost all the nutrients of full fruits and vegetables, minus one particularly good vitamin: fiber. When the fruits and vegetables are pressed, they lose the fiber that makes them crunchy or chewy.

10/9/23 - This article mentions that pistachios can help lower blood sugar.  These article from Healthline and this article from A1Cguide have more details.  I think I'll buy some pistachios from Costco as my net nut snack.  At first I was buying mixed nuts, then lately cashews.  This article mentions that cashews might be good for cholesterol while not raising glucose levels.  While this article says that cashews may be beneficial.

8/28/23 - Saw Barramundi (a type a fish) on sale at Costco, so I'm trying it out instead of my usual salmon.  Is it any good?  Here's what WebMD says, "Barramundi is a healthy type of fish to start including in your diet. It's nutritious sea bass with great texture, taste, and nutrition. 

Barramundi is low in fat and high in omega-3 fatty acids, making it a great source of essential nutrients. Some consider barramundi one of the healthiest seafoods. This fish is great for your cardiovascular system.

... Barramundi is sea bass with moist flesh and large flakes. It has a sweet taste that makes it easily adaptable for most recipes. Barramundi complements most flavors and recipes. You can cook it in most ways except for poaching. The barramundi is a versatile fish and is a good alternative to salmon due to its nutrition and sustainability."

8/8/23 - What about eggs?  This article from Cyrus Khambatta, PhD says "Eating eggs increases your risk for the development of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, diabetes complications, and all-cause mortality. To maintain a low risk for these conditions, limit your egg consumption as much as possible."

7/13/23 - Interested in knowing the differences between a DASH diet vs. a Mediterranean diet? Both can offer the same types of heart and cardiovascular health benefits. But they both have their own unique differentiations as well!

This article will discuss the differences between a DASH diet vs. Mediterranean diet, their benefits, and how to decide which would be better for you!

6/21/23 - Certain foods, like oatmeal, nuts, and fatty fish, help to keep your cholesterol levels in check. And not all high cholesterol foods are bad for you. For example, eggs are high in cholesterol, but they’re also packed with protein and other nutrients. It’s the foods that are high in saturated fat that you need to worry about, because they can raise your cholesterol levels AND make you gain weight.

What are the worst foods for high cholesterol? Red meat, fried foods, and baked goods are notorious for raising levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the sticky kind that builds up in artery walls.

6/20/23 - Unlike many other foods that are high in carbohydrates, black beans don’t cause a spike in blood sugar. Studies have actually found the opposite. When people eat black beans with rice, their blood sugar levels tend to be lower than if they only ate rice. For people with diabetes, adding beans to a healthy diet can improve blood sugar control while reducing heart disease risk.

6/19/23 -  Due to increasing research around celery and celery juice, many nutritional experts consider celery to be a superfood. Like many superfoods, celery packs a nutrient-dense punch and offers a long list of both short and long-term health benefits despite being a common, everyday food item.

Many of the specific nutrients looked for in superfoods include fiber, antioxidants, and fatty acids, which are all closely linked to good health and longevity. Other superfoods include avocados, leafy greens, berries, and cinnamon.

6/18/23 -  Omega-3 fatty acids are crucial for maintaining good heart health. They help lower triglycerides, reduce inflammation, and prevent the formation of blood clots, all of which can reduce the risk of heart disease. Omega-3s also help lower blood pressure, which is another significant risk factor for heart disease. Therefore, if you have a history of heart disease or are at risk for developing it, taking Omega-3 supplements every day could be beneficial.

R.I.P. 2024

12/10/24 - The Amazing Kreskin

12/10/24 - Michael Cole

11/26/24 - Jim Abrahams

11/25/24 - Hal Lindsey

11/3/24 - Quincy Jones

10/29/24 - Teri Garr

10/23/24 - Jack Jones

9/29/24 - Ron Ely

9/29/24 - Kris Kristofferson

9/29/24 - Josh Ashton

9/27/24 - Maggie Smith

9/18/24 - JD Souther

9/15/24 - Tito Jackson

9/9/24 - James Earl Jones

9/6/24 - Sergio Mendes

9/1/24 - Teresa Bright

8/21/24 - John Amos

8/19/24 - Phil Donahue

8/15/24 - Wally Amos

8/15/24 - Peter Marshall

8/14/24 - Gena Rowlands

7/18/24 - Lou Dobbs

7/18/24 - Bob Newhart

7/17/24 - Cheng Pei-pei

7/14/24 - James B. Sikking

7/14/24 - Shannon Doherty

7/13/24 - Richard Simmons

7/13/24 - Ruth Westheimer

6/28/24 - Martin Mull

6/26/24 - Bill Cobbs

6/21/24 - Taylor Wiley

6/20/24 - Donald Sutherland

5/24/24 - Morgan Spurlock

5/17/24 - Dabney Coleman

5/11/24 - Roger Corman

4/11/24 - OJ Simpson

3/29/24 - Louis Gossett Jr. 

3/27/24 - Joe Lieberman

3/7/24 - Steve Lawrence

2/28/24 - Richard Lewis

2/19/24 - Emme Tomimbang (obituary)

2/2/24 - Carl Weathers

1/23/24 - Charles Osgood

1/4/24 - Glynis Johns

Sammo Hung

A feature story on Sammo Hung from The Hollywood Reporter

Tokyo: Kung Fu Legend Sammo Hung on His Seven-Decade Career, Working With Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Donnie Yen

Hung popularized comedy-martial arts flicks, created the horror-kung fu genre and broke ground as an East Asian lead in the CBS series 'Martial Law.'

In a career that has spanned seven decades, Hong Kong action movie legend Sammo Hung has seen a lot, and moreover, his body has been through a lot. So it wasn’t a surprise to see the 72-year-old use a cane as he took the stage for a masterclass session at the Tokyo International Film Festival. But as he captivated an appreciative audience, the confidence and humor that have seen Hung through his illustrious career in martial arts movies shone bright.

Born into a showbiz family, Hung’s career began as a child actor while at the China Drama Academy, a Peking Opera school in Hong Kong. He made his film debut in the early 1960s, aged nine. A slightly grainy, black and white clip of the film showed a fresh-faced boy Hung, to coos from his assembled admirers. “Training at the school was very severe. We learned all the fundamental movements. By the time you’ve graduated, you can do nearly any move,” said Hung.

One of his big breaks came when he fought Bruce Lee in the opening scene of 1973’s seminal Enter the Dragon. Lee’s death that year left Game of Death unfinished, and in 1978, Hung was charged with the fight choreography for the reshoots.

“I didn’t really get to spend much time with Bruce Lee. But his artful cinematic work made a big impression on me,” recalled Hung. “I was heartbroken when he died so young. It shocked people not only in Hong Kong, but all around the world. His fans and those of us in the industry who respected him so much were devastated.”

In his 1977 directorial debut The Iron-Fisted Monk, in which he also starred, Hung incorporated more of the comedy touches he had noticed audiences reacting well to in previous films. It helped kick off a trend for comedy kung fu flicks, made famous by rival and collaborator Jackie Chan in classics such as Drunken Master.  “And Hong Kong films at that time were mostly in Mandarin, but we used Cantonese [for The Iron-Fisted Monk], and from then on decided to do all our films in Cantonese,” said Hung.

His 1978 Enter the Fat Dragon, which he again directed and starred in, was released in Japan as Moeyo Debu-gon. All of his subsequent films have included Debu-gon (fat man) in their Japanese title, explained film critic and producer Jun Edoki during his introductory remarks.

Hung was also instrumental in creating the jiangshi genre of horror kung fu in the 1980s, inspired by his childhood love of ghosts and monsters. “I was always thinking about new elements that I could add to my action movies,” he said. “I barely took any time off during that golden era of Hong Kong cinema. I was still young and could go at that pace. Making movies was preferable to resting.”

While the 1990s didn’t see Hung reach the heights of previous decades at home, he starred in two seasons of CBS’s Martial Law from 1998 to 2000, making him a rare East Asian lead on a U.S. broadcast network show. Co-starring with Arsenio Hall, the show was a surprise hit, despite Hung’s dialogue being limited by his English ability.

“The hardest part of it all was the language. When people asked me if there was anything I would like to change about America, I told them I wished everyone would learn Chinese to make it easier for me,” said Hung with a big laugh.

Next up was a clip of the iconic table-top fight scene between Hung and Donnie Yen in Ip Man 2 (2010). Hung was asked if it was difficult to shoot the combat sequence with the athletic Yen, known for his martial prowess and training across multiple disciplines.

“It wasn’t hard work with Donnie, he’s very skillful, and I’m also very skillful. We could do a lot of those in one take. Donnie is incredible, but I’m even more incredible,” smiled Hung, to laughter and applause from the audience.

quotes

7/13/24 - positive thinking

7/13/24 - Eastern proverbs

7/9/24 - advice from centenarians

7/9/24 - Einstein's rules of life

6/26/24 - forgiveness

the minimalists

Most of us can only handle stacking, storing and stepping over our stuff for so long before we start to feel claustrophobic. We go on a cleaning spree and give (or sell) it all away. But that's only a temporary fix. Living small requires a more permanent shift. You might find it hard to believe, but there is a growing demographic of people convinced that no person needs a house full of possessions to survive. These aren't tent-dwelling hippies, but successful, intelligent individuals and families who have rejected the stuff-cluttered life for something more meaningful. Here are some of our favorites.

Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus - The Minimalists

On the brink of turning 30, Millburn and Nicodemus (pictured above) discovered that working 70-80 hours a week for a corporation and buying more stuff didn’t fill the void. "In fact, it only brought us more debt and stress and anxiety and fear and loneliness and guilt and depression," writes the duo. So, they quit their jobs and took back control using the principles of minimalism to focus on what’s important in life. Since then, they've written hundreds of articles aimed at helping others embrace a life that's free from material and emotional cumbersomeness. Millburn claims to own around 288 things (even though he doesn't really count his stuff).

[via facebook]

***

6/15/24 - 14 quotes to inspire a minimalist lifestyle

6/22/24 - Ann Edgerton's minimalist home

6/25/24 - Becoming a minimalist was intoxicating

Blue Zones

[8/31/23] Dan Buettner, the man who popularized the idea that there are five Blue Zones around the world where people live some of the longest, healthiest, happiest lives, says people living in those zones all share five common traits.

"It is this interconnected web of characteristics that keep people doing the right things for long enough, and avoiding the wrong things," Buettner said.

Blue Zone residents, whether they're home in Loma Linda, California; Ikaria, Greece; Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; or Nicoya, Costa Rica, all eat very little meat. Instead, they subsist on a largely plant-based diet filled with beans, nuts, and cruciferous vegetables, which Buettner has written about in a new book, "The Blue Zones secrets for living longer."

Blue Zone diets, which bear many resemblances to the healthy Mediterranean diet, are only about 50% of the Blue Zones longevity equation,  Buettner estimates.

"It's the scaffolding, this collagen," Buettner previously told Insider. "That keeps people eating the right way for long enough."

Here are the other four core principles that sustain life in the Blue Zones.

Move regularly, about every 20 minutes

Going to the gym is not a Blue Zones tradition.

"They don't exercise," Buettner said. Instead, people in Blue Zones are "nudged" into movement in little bursts throughout the day, by force of habit and, also, necessity.

"They're walking, or they're in their garden, or they're doing things by hand," he said.

In Buettner's home state of Minnesota, he credits shoveling the walks in winter, digging, weeding, and watering a garden in the summer with keeping him spry.

"I don't have a garage-door opener — I open it by hand," he said. "To the extent that I can, I use hand-operated tools."

He turned the inside of his house into a little mini Blue Zone, where he's getting up and moving all year round.

"I put the TV room on the third floor," Buettner told me, "So every time if I want a snack, I'd go up and down stairs."

The technique is one he's honed by studying life in the Blue Zones.

"It's being mindful of how to engineer little bursts of physical activity," he said.

Research has shown that such little energetic busts throughout the day can do a lot for overall fitness. One study published in 2019 showed that even 20-second, vigorous stair-climbing exercise "snacks" spread out over the course of a day could improve fitness.

"It's a reminder to people that small bouts of activity can be effective," study author Martin Gibala told Insider when his team's research came out. "They add up over time."

Live with purpose

In Japan they call it "ikigai," and in Costa Rica it's a "plan de vida." The words literally translate to "reason to live," and "life plan," respectively, and both concepts help residents of the Blue Zones feel there's a reason to get up and do what needs to get done each morning.

Studies also suggest that a sense of purpose in life is associated with fewer strokes and less frequent heart attacks among people with heart disease, as well as more use of preventive care.

One 2017 investigation from researchers at Harvard concluded that a sense of purpose in life is associated with better "physical function among older adults," including better grip strength and faster walking.

Enlist help from your friends 

Good health and happiness can be contagious, and obesity can too.

In Japan's Blue Zone, people form social groups called "moai" to help them get through life.

"Parents cluster their children in groups of five, and send them through life together," as Buettner explained in a video. "They support each other, and share life's fortunes and woes."

The trend is not unique to the Japanese. In Loma Linda, California, Blue Zoners (many of whom are Seventh-day Adventists) are more likely to share home-cooked, vegetarian potluck meals than meet one another over a Chipotle burrito or McDonald's fries.

Make 'the healthy choice the easy choice'

Buettner has created 75 Blue Zones "Projects" across the US, where cities and towns enact policies that change the entire environment people live in.

"We're genetically hardwired to crave sugar, crave fat, crave salt, take rest whenever we can," Buettner said. "We've just engineered this environment where you don't have to move. You're constantly cooled down or heated up ... and you cannot escape chips and sodas and pizzas and burgers and fries."

In cities from Minnesota to Texas, he's helped create healthier communities where policies favor fruits and vegetables over junk food, people form walking groups to move around town and shed pounds together, and many quit smoking, too.

All of this, he said, adds up to troupes of "biologically younger" people, who not only weigh less but suffer fewer health issues as they age.

"At every decade, you have more energy," he said.

This story was originally published in 2019, when Buettner's Blue Zones Cookbook was released. It has been updated.

Read the original article on Insider

[9/1/23 - Now I see there's a series on Netflix called "Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones".]

***

[9/29/23] Here's another good article on the Blue Zones diet.  It's by Stephanie Thurrot writing for Today.

[8/30/23, posted 9/29/23] ABC News interview with Dan Buettner

[9/29/23] Here's Dan's original National Geographic article from November 2005, "Secrets of Long Life"

[2/25/24] Four Blue Zones

[6/22/24] People Who Live the Longest Swear by These 9 Rules

3 ways to tackle a clutter-filled space

Circular

Start from one side of the room and work your way around, organizing one space before moving on to the next.  Lorie and Linda took passes at her kitchen: first using labels to decide what would go where, then moving the contents cabinet by cabinet.

Outside-In

Step one: Clear up your surfaces (counters, tables, dresser tops) to get the most satisfaction for the least effort.  Next, tidy the floors (now you can move around!).  Finally, hit your "insides" (such as drawers) -- an easier chore if there's space to spread out.

Centralized

Best for collectors like Pam, this method has you take everything out of the storage spot (cupboards, closets) and get it into one place, like the middle of the floor, an adjacent room or the top of a bed, so you're forced to think hard about each item before it goes back in.

Women's Day, June 2013 [posted 5/21/22]

***

4/14/23 - Ten Genius Organizing Tips

2/12/24 - closet organizing tips (actually not just for closets)

4/3/24 - The Core 4 method

4/28/24 - Marie Kondo quotes

6/13/24 - Swedish Death Cleaning

Pat Sajak signs off

Pat Sajak hosted his final episode of Wheel of Fortune on Friday, and took time to thank the viewers of the enduringly popular game show he’s hosted for more than 40 years.

“The time has come to say goodbye,” Sajak said during the episode. “I have a few thanks and acknowledgments before I go, and I want to start with all of you watching out there. It’s been an incredible privilege to be invited into millions of homes night after night, year after year, decade after decade. I’ve always felt that the privilege came with a responsibility to keep this daily half hour a safe place for family fun — no social issues, no politics, nothing embarrassing, I hope. Just a game.”

Sajak, 77, announced a year ago that he would step down as host of Wheel of Fortune. Ryan Seacrest will take over as host of the syndicated game show starting with the 2024-25 season; he’ll be joined by Sajak’s long-time co-host, Vanna White, who will remain with the show for the time being.

Star Trek

[5/26/24]  This ia a two year old article that popped up on my phone titled "The beginner's guide to Star Trek: what to watch first".  The author ranks the TV series and it's pretty much the opposite of how I rank them.  [He ranks Picard worst and Deep Space Nine the best.]  Still the article was interesting.

learn anything faster

Science proves there are six ways you can learn and retain something faster.

1. TEACH SOMEONE ELSE (OR JUST PRETEND TO)

If you imagine that you’ll need to teach someone else the material or task you are trying to grasp, you can speed up your learning and remember more, according to a study done at Washington University in St. Louis. The expectation changes your mind-set so that you engage in more effective approaches to learning than those who simply learn to pass a test, according to John Nestojko, a postdoctoral researcher in psychology and coauthor of the study.

“When teachers prepare to teach, they tend to seek out key points and organize information into a coherent structure,” Nestojko writes. “Our results suggest that students also turn to these types of effective learning strategies when they expect to teach.”

2. LEARN IN SHORT BURSTS OF TIME

Experts at the Louisiana State University’s Center for Academic Success suggest dedicating 30-50 minutes to learning new material. “Anything less than 30 is just not enough, but anything more than 50 is too much information for your brain to take in at one time,” writes learning strategies graduate assistant Ellen Dunn. Once you’re done, take a five to 10 minute break before you start another session.

Brief, frequent learning sessions are much better than longer, infrequent ones, agrees Neil Starr, a course mentor at Western Governors University, an online nonprofit university where the average student earns a bachelor’s degree in two and a half years.

He recommends preparing for micro learning sessions. “Make note cards by hand for the more difficult concepts you are trying to master,” he says. “You never know when you’ll have some in-between time to take advantage of.”

3. TAKE NOTES BY HAND

While it’s faster to take notes on a laptop, using a pen and paper will help you learn and comprehend better. Researchers at Princeton University and UCLA found that when students took notes by hand, they listened more actively and were able to identify important concepts. Taking notes on a laptop, however, leads to mindless transcription, as well as an opportunity for distraction, such as email.

“In three studies, we found that students who took notes on laptops performed worse on conceptual questions than students who took notes longhand,” writes coauthor and Princeton University psychology professor Pam Mueller. “We show that whereas taking more notes can be beneficial, laptop note takers’ tendency to transcribe lectures verbatim rather than processing information and reframing it in their own words is detrimental to learning.”

4. USE THE POWER OF MENTAL SPACING

While it sounds counterintuitive, you can learn faster when you practice distributed learning, or “spacing.” In an interview with The New York Times, Benedict Carey, author of How We Learn: The Surprising Truth About When, Where, and Why It Happens, says learning is like watering a lawn. “You can water a lawn once a week for 90 minutes or three times a week for 30 minutes,” he said. “Spacing out the watering during the week will keep the lawn greener over time.”

To retain material, Carey said it’s best to review the information one to two days after first studying it. “One theory is that the brain actually pays less attention during short learning intervals,” he said in the interview. “So repeating the information over a longer interval–say a few days or a week later, rather than in rapid succession–sends a stronger signal to the brain that it needs to retain the information.”

5. TAKE A STUDY NAP

Downtime is important when it comes to retaining what you learn, and getting sleep in between study sessions can boost your recall up to six months later, according to new research published in Psychological Science.

In an experiment held in France, participants were taught the Swahili translation for 16 French words in two sessions. Participants in the “wake” group completed the first learning session in the morning and the second session in the evening of the same day, while participants in the “sleep” group completed the first session in the evening, slept, and then completed the second session the following morning. Participants who had slept between sessions recalled about 10 of the 16 words, on average, while those who hadn’t slept recalled only about 7.5 words.

“Our results suggest that interweaving sleep between practice sessions leads to a twofold advantage, reducing the time spent relearning and ensuring a much better long-term retention than practice alone,” writes psychological scientist Stephanie Mazza of the University of Lyon. “Previous research suggested that sleeping after learning is definitely a good strategy, but now we show that sleeping between two learning sessions greatly improves such a strategy.”

6. CHANGE IT UP

When learning a new motor skill, changing the way you practice it can help you master it faster, according to a new study at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. In an experiment, participants were asked to learn a computer-based task. Those who used a modified learning technique during their second session performed better than those who repeated the same method.

The findings suggest that reconsolidation–a process in which existing memories are recalled and modified with new knowledge–plays a key role in strengthening motor skills, writes Pablo A. Celnik, senior study author and professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation.

“What we found is if you practice a slightly modified version of a task you want to master,” he writes, “you actually learn more and faster than if you just keep practicing the exact same thing multiple times in a row.”

-- from the Feeding Curiosity newsletter, 5/19/24

Google Maps features

 Google Maps can remember where you parked

gift economy websites

We all love a deal and it doesn't get much better than free.  There's a growing number of neighborhood free exchange apps and websites out there, which are helpful whether you're looking for stuff or getting rid of it.

Buy Nothing: The best known of the free exchange sites started in 2013.  Buy Nothing primarily focuses on their new app, but also exists in location-based Facebook groups.

Freeya: This app shows listings based on geolocation and handles many logistical parts of coordinating pickups -- including contractin the next person if the first person doesn't show.

Freecycle: This site, founded in 2003, boasts nine million members in 5000 towns worldwide.  If your town doesn't already have a Freecycle group, you can even start one.

what's on (and off) streaming? (2)

1/11/24 - well my entry got unpublished again.  It must be due to a link I included.  But I don't know which one.   All the links look legitimate to me.  So I'll just include the latest entry this time with no links and see what happens.  I wish they would tell me specifically what's in violation.

1/5/24 - Noticed Xena and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys are now on Amazon Prime.  As well as the five Hercules movies (see separate post).

Xena and Hercules

[6/6/10 9:03 PM] Hercules and Xena were two of my favorite TV shows when they aired over a decade ago. I think I liked Hercules/Xena because it was like a comic book come to life (and I used to like to read comic books). Kind of a cross between a comic book and a kung fu movie.

Anyway, I notice Costco is carrying Hercules Season 1 and Xena Season 1 for $16.99. It's a new set put out by Universal released on April 20. The original sets were from Anchor Bay, no longer in production, but sold on ebay.

Apparently the video wasn't that good on some of the early episodes. And apparently it hasn't been improved on this set, but the major feature is that this Universal set contains subtitles, while the Anchor Bay version didn't.

The Xena set is a better deal than the Hercules set. Season 1 of Xena contains 24 episodes on 5 DVDs. Season 1 of Hercules contains only 13 episodes on 3 DVDs. The Anchor Bay version of Hercules also included the 5 movies which preceded the series. So that's a better deal too. Plus the Anchor Bay version contained commentary on certain episodes by Kevin Sorbo and Michael Hurst and others. The major drawback is that the Anchor Bay version doesn't include subtitles (or closed caption either on the first couple of seasons.)

No extras either on the Xena or Hercules, but the Anchor Bay Xena Season One was light on extras too (only on a separate CD-ROM).

Oddly Amazon is selling Hercules for $26.98 and Xena for $22.99. So Costco at $16.99 is clearly the better deal, even with the tax. But who knows how long Costco will be carrying them? (Hey, I saw they're selling the Three Stooges Collections again too! Sam Raimi and friends loved the Stooges.)

I couldn't resist the deal and picked up Xena today. Who knows how long it'll take me for me to finish watching? Still haven't finished Monk Season Two or Get Smart Season One, or Kung Fu Season One, or Bob Newhart Season Two (or did I even finish Season One yet)? I barely got started with V: The Complete Series (didn't even watch one complete episode yet). Evidently I'm more of a collector than a watcher!

... Well, I opened it up and started watching Cradle of Hope. I noticed the picture was pretty rough. But I guess still better than my VHS tapes off of Channel 2 or whatever channel it played on after that. I stopped that and went to episode 1, Sins of the Past, which looked pretty decent. Maybe it was because I was watching from farther away this time, but it seemed OK even when I got closer. I dunno. Maybe it's my eyes going bad.. Anyway, it looked OK on my standard 27" TV. But probably wouldn't look very good on a large screen (if you're sitting too close).

[6/9/10] Yep, it looks pretty blocky when looking at it closely on my 27" Panansonic. But passable on my Commodore 1702 monitor even up close. I think the video on V: The Complete Series is worse. But Kung Fu was pretty good IIRC.

Anyway, it was fun watching it again.

I think I might want to get Hercules LJ Season Two since I believe that played concurrenrly with Xena Season One. Let's see. The first episode of HLJ Season 2 was The King of Thieves (in which Bruce Campbell made his debut as Autolycus) and it aired 9/4/95 (that long ago?) The first episode of Xena (Sins of the Past) aired 9/4/95. Bingo.

Wow, talk about your Xena fanatics. Check out Whoosh! (from where the kung fu link above came from). Here's a few :) more links.


DVD Talk Reviews

Hercules, Season 1
Hercules, Season 2
Hercules, Season 3
Hercules, Season 4
Hercules, Season 5
Hercules, Season 6

Xena, Season 1 (wow, list price was 99.95 back then)
Xena, Season 2
Xena, Season 3
Xena, Season 4
Xena, Season 5
Xena, Season 6
Xena, Series Finale
Xena, 10th Anniversary Collection


Who sells the Anchor Bays new on eBay (do a search for Xena 10th Anniversary)? Let's see...

swashbuckle64 (generally sells them for 16.99 with free shipping)
featurepresentation2010
outthewazoo
Xenaversity2 (12/28/10)

[It looks like all of the above are now strangely inactive. The current seller is now legendaryheroes.]

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[10/24/11] Noticed that Xena is available on Hulu Plus. But strangely not Hercules. Young Hercules is though.

Ah, apparently it's because Hercules is available on NetFlix. And Xena too. What about Kung Fu? Just on DVD. Get Smart? Just on DVD too. Charmed is available streaming and DVD. Bob Newhart on DVD and on Hulu Plus. Dick Van Dyke: streaming and DVD and free on Hulu!. Mary Tyler Moore: DVD, but free on Hulu too!. Everybody Loves Raymond: DVD with a few episodes available at TV Land. King of Queens: DVD. Batman? apparently nowhere legal (except on HUB)

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[7/4/12] Apparently you can watch Xena and Hercules for free at Project - Free TV.  Quite possibly illegally though.

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[9/14/12] They've now started showing Hercules: the Legendary Journeys on HUB.  The high def feed zooms in and cuts off the top and bottom of the picture.  The resulting picture isn't very sharp.

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[9/23/13] Now that I have Netflix and access to all the episode of Hercules and Xena (well not the Hercules movies or the animated movie, but they do have Young Hercules too), I wonder if there is an order suggested to view them (mainly because the shows were on simultaneously for much their run).  Here are two suggestions (and another).

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[1/5/24] After not being available for a while, Hercules and Xena are now on Prime Video (well SyFy had been showing Xena off and on, but all the episodes have expired from my YouTube TV library, so it's been more than 9 months).  They're also have the five Hercules movies.