Category Archives: Cerebrations

Cerebrations

Death by Cadillac

4 Comments

Meridian, Idaho

I went for a bicycle ride to the store the other day.

Actually, it was a ‘Bikram’ bike ride–similar to Bikram yoga done in a room where the temperature is at least 95o…

bikram-yoga-safety
Remember me writing about how dogs behave differently towards people depending on the temperature?

I have decided that people are the same way…

hot

While I was bicycling the other day, nearly all the drivers passing me by were nasty. And the only difference between then and the last time I rode along the same route at the same time was the temperature. It was 95o compared to 80o.

I won’t be riding again if the temperature is over 90o.

One of the things I noticed yesterday was that people driving expensive cars are less likely to pull over and give me a bit a room than people driving regular cars.

cadillac

Those driving a Cadillac or Porche cut the drive-around space between their car and the bicycle in half of what those driving a clunker do.

I came too close to death by Cadillac than I wanted to. 🙂

Cerebrations

Change for the Better

4 Comments

Meridian, Idaho

Dear Gentle Blog Reader,

I wondered when I wrote yesterday’s post about the police and the new mental health coordinator why that was so important to me, and it finally dawned on me late yesterday.

ChangeAside from the obvious fact that there’s a lack of knowledge and understanding about mental illness and how it affects us, what struck me about the hiring of a mental health coordinator is that it represents a fundamental change in how we approach situations.

In the past, we relied on experts within specific fields to answer questions. Then for a period of between five and ten years, everyone was expected to be experts on nearly everything. Now, it appears that we are moving back to segmented experts.

Bear with me as I show an example of this…

I used to work as a liaison between computer users and computer programmers. Here’s how it worked:

  1. The users would describe a problem they were having with the information system.
  2. I would determine if there was a technical solution to their problem.
  3. If there was, I would submit the specifications to the programmers who would alter the system code to solve the problem.

While researching the problem, I would interview subject matter experts (SMEs)–a individual who an level of expertise in the area involved.

SME

This was extremely effective. Users who worked with the system daily, got input into making the system more effective and them more efficient in their jobs. The programmers who think differently than users didn’t have to decipher was the users wanted because I had done it.

But something started changed about five years ago in the business world which phased middle level positions including liaisons and SMEs.

I think the reasons included the following:

  1. The explosion of the Internet both in usage and content available,
  2. the exponential use of Google to find answers, and
  3. most importantly, the reduction of staffing to make organizations as lean as possible.

And, in my humble opinion, many organizations lost their efficiency and effectiveness.

eff

When the Boise Police Department hired the mental health coordinator, in essence a subject matter expert, they have increased both their efficiency and their effectiveness both for their police officers and for the mentally ill.

Efficiency because each police office doesn’t need to research solutions and resources for the unique situations they come across when helping the mentally ill.

Effectiveness because they will be better able to do their job knowing that they can easily get answers.

This is a change for the better…

Cerebrations

If We Treated Teachers Like Pro Athletes

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Meridian, Idaho

What if our society changed its ways and treated teachers like we treat pro athletes?

What if we deeply focused on teachers–how they teach, who they engage in their lessons, and recognized each and every little thing they do in and of a school day, let alone a school year?

Here’s a great parody found by my brother-in-law, Dan Cohen. Thanks, Dan!

Be sure to watch until the end to see the perfect BMW commercial with the teacher as the owner… 🙂

From Slate

By now, the lament about how our culture privileges athletics over education is an old one—but Key & Peele has breathed new life into it in their latest sketch, “TeachersCenter.” A spot-on parody of SportsCenter’s hyperbole-laden talking heads, busy CGI ticker screens, and obsessive play-by-plays, the clip cleverly reimagines athletes as the educators we entrust our children to every day.

Unsurprisingly, it’s a biting critique that says a lot about the economic and symbolic power we assign to an industry in which men are considered exceptional for throwing a ball. But the best part of “TeachersCenter” might just be the incredible ads dropped in throughout—being a teacher has never looked so sexy.

Cerebrations, People

Twinspiration

8 Comments

Meridian, Idaho

Carol has come up for a visit.

We’ve had a blast…

Today, I thought I’d write a bit about us as twins…

We have, obviously, been twins our entire lives. (Hee hee!)

Identical Mirror Twins

twins-2Carol and I are what’s known as mirror twins. We are identical twins, twins that form from a single fertilized egg, where the split occurs more than a week after conception. Had the split happened much later, we would have been conjoined twins.

Mirror twins often have physical characteristics that display on opposite sides as if they were looking in a mirror. For example, I have a mole on my left ear that matches one on Carol’s right ear.

Twin Telepathy

I love being a twin, and Carol does, too. We have a built in best friend for life. Carol and I have often experienced a twin telepathy although it doesn’t happen as often now as it did when we were teenagers.

When we double-dated, we’d often finish each other’s sentences, thoroughly annoying our dates who couldn’t keep up and didn’t understand why we were laughing uncontrollably.

Double Trouble

CandKatLVSG-web-300x300One of the strangest things about our childhood was that when one of us broke a bone, the other broke the same bone on the opposite side within two days.

When we were 10, I fell out of a tree and broke my right arm. Mom rushed me to the emergency room for a cast and sling. Two days later, Carol fell out of swing at school and Mom rushed her to the emergency room for a cast on her left arm.

This happened three times: twice for broken arms and once for broken fingers.

Who is that?

twins-3Carol and I have two other sisters.

Carol’s been scanning all the childhood photos of all four of us on to Flicker. I’ve been going through the photos, tagging and labeling with names and locations.

Even I have to admit that it’s weird because until Carol and I are about six, it’s virtually impossible to tell which twin is which.

Sometimes I’ll guess and put who I think is who. But usually I simply tag our combined photos with “The Twins” and photos with just one of us with “One of The Twins”.

While that might not sound that strange, imagine what it would be like if all of your childhood photos were simply labeled with Child #3 or Daughter #1.

Actually for Carol and I it’s not that weird. Even though we’re in our late 50′s, we’re still called The Twins by our family.

All that being said, I still like to guess who’s who in photos.

I’m pretty sure Carol’s the one on the left of this picture picking her nose. Hee hee…

Cerebrations, Food

National Junk Food Day

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Meridian, Idaho

cd9829a9988b3fa782ea50ec0ad2fe75.image.120x90Shoot, I didn’t know it was National Junk Food Day yesterday until after I went to bed.

If I had known, I could have eaten way more crap throughout the day and not felt guilty because I would have been celebrating an important day. 🙂

Anyway…  Here are parts of the  funny,  and yet informative, article by Amy Roberts and Julie In I read on CNN.com about new junk foods…

9 bizarre snacks to try for National Junk Food Day

At CNN, we love sampling new snacks. Chips, cookies, candy, pretzels … you name it, we’re not picky.

So when snack-food makers come out with bizarre new hybrids — toasted coconut & sea salt Triscuits, anyone? — we’re not afraid to try them.

When we learned that Tuesday is National Junk Food Day, we at the CNN Library jumped at the chance to put our taste buds on the line. In honor of the holiday, we librarians bravely conducted taste tests of some of the most bizarre flavor pairings to hit the snack market this year.

After all, librarians love gathering information. And this wasn’t just snacking, this was Research.

Here’s our personal take on nine new strange snacks. Maybe they can help you find a fun treat to mark this momentous occasion.

Heinz Sriracha Ketchup

hsk
Amy Roberts: Why would you want Sriracha-flavored ketchup when you most likely already have ketchup and Sriracha sauce at home and can mix them yourself? Because you are lazy. That’s OK. We are, too.

This ketchup blend has less Sriracha than you might think but just the right amount of kick. I wasn’t sure until I tried some on a breakfast sandwich from the CNN Center food court, and then I was hooked. I’m totally going to start buying this.

Julie In: Sriracha — good. Ketchup — good. Sriracha ketchup — undecided.

I like the kick of Sriracha at the end and the balancing sweetness of the ketchup, but the hint of garlic seems out of place. I like garlic on its own, but here, it seemed like a third wheel interfering in the marriage of Sriracha and ketchup. (Disclaimer: I did not try it on a breakfast sandwich.)

Amp Energy Zero Blueberry White Grape Drink

amp

Julie: My primary thought after one sip was: This is awesome! I love this feeling. I love the rush. I feel powerful. I can feel the alleged antioxidants from the blueberry and white grape flavoring coursing through my veins. I’ve tried a lot of energy drinks in my time, and this flavor combination is my favorite.

Amy: “It’s sugar-free!” was my primary thought as I felt my heart beating out of my chest after one sip. As a bonus, the blueberry and white grape combination was unexpectedly good. We also tried the original as a control, which tasted like “hot Mountain Dew,” aka my new band name.

General Mills ‘Star Wars’ Cereal

sw

Amy: As a fan of “Star Wars” and sugary cereals, I think this is the best thing to happen to me in my whole life. It’s like Froot Loops and Lucky Charms got married and had babies — fruity babies in the shape of spaceships and light sabers. If you share my passions, this is for you. Darth Vader and Yoda are on the limited-edition boxes now, and two more characters will appear on new box designs in October.

Julie: “Star Wars” and cereal seems like an unlikely pairing, but after the first spoonful, I made the connection. The fruity cereal and marshmallows transported me to “a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away” — before I discovered the dangers of high-fructose corn syrup and it was still acceptable to act out fight sequences from “Star Wars.” (I still act out the scenes, but it’s not as cute when you’re an adult.) The double dose of nostalgia was so delicious, I had to have seconds.

Trader Joe’s Baconesque Popcorn

bc

Amy: OK, this is the best thing that’s happened to me in my whole life. (This list was done in chronological order.) “Baconesque” refers to bacon flavor, not real bacon, which is good for vegetarians. (The package isn’t specifically marked as vegetarian, however, but it is kosher.)

The smoky flavoring combined with the white cheddar is enough to make me say, “Yes, I’m having this popcorn as my dinner. You got a problem with that?” There will not be enough to share.

Julie: I only got a small taste because Amy slapped my hand away when I went back for more. We both liked the white cheddar and the smokiness of the bacon. I’m a card-carrying carnivore and didn’t even miss the real bacon.

Read about all nine bizarre snacks…

Cerebrations, Memories

Way Too Long!

4 Comments

Meridian, Idaho

A few months before I turned 40, I went on a vacation.

CaptureBY MYSELF!

It was amazing! I spent four days and three nights on the California coast in Mendocino.

I came across the pictures I took recently and reminisced about the trip…

First stop was in Muir Woods for a short hike.

Mendo-2

Second stop was a view of the hills off of Highway 1.

Mendo-1

Third stop was my hotel with a (distant) view of the sea.

Mendo-6

My hotel room was ever so lovely…

Mendo-3 Mendo-4 Mendo-5Next stop was a hike along the coast. 
 Mendo-7

I spent the weekend hiking, reading, a browsing the quaint Mendocino shops.

Mendo-8Mendo-10The amazing thing to me is that when I took my first solo vacation, I swore that I wouldn’t wait another 40 years to take another one.

But here it is, 18 years later and I haven’t taken another.

I’ve thought about it, but I’ve never gotten around to it.

It’s time to do more than think about it. 🙂

I’m off to browse travel sites and start making plans to solo travel again.

Cerebrations

Backwards Brain Bicycle

6 Comments

Meridian, Idaho

A lot of you may have already seen this video, but I found it fascinating enough to watch a couple of times.

It’s about a bicycle that’s been adapted so that to turn the bicycle left, you have to turn the handlebars to the right.

Sounds easy, but it’s not.

I I especially like the punch line: Knowledge is not understanding.

This is so fascinating, that I’ve started looking at other videos that Smarter Every Day has.

Amazing and informative!

SED

PS Special thanks to Carol for posting this first on Facebook. 🙂

Cerebrations

Hocus Pocus

Meridian, Idaho

Years ago, Carol and I bought a series of CDs called the SMART Technique Automatic Fat Loss Program.

slThe CDs were supposed to help us lose weight simply by listening to them.

Alas, they didn’t help with fat control 🙂 , but they were amazingly effective at helping us take a nap each day while listening to one of them.

Each session on the CD lasts between 35 and 45 minutes–just the right amount of time for a quick afternoon nap. Between the warm up for the nap and the wake up from the nap, the actual nap is about 20 minutes. Perfect!

It’s hard to describe how listening to the CD induces naps with a combination of music, guided imagery, and silences using a type of self-hypnosis…

hypnosis

Melissa called them “Hocus Pocus” whenever we talked about them. Carol, her daughters, and I all giggled at the name and the name stuck.

I’ve been using Hocus Pocus for the last few weeks to help me both take a nap and to fall asleep at night because I went through a period of insomnia.

It’s rather weird because within each session the talker reminds me to wake up to the bell if I’m just napping or to sleep through the bell if it’s night time and I want to stay asleep.

z

Nine times out of then, that suggestion works.

If I’m really tired, my nap goes over the preferred 20 minute power nap time because I don’t hear the bell.

But a long nap isn’t necessarily a really bad thing. 🙂

Especially because I know I can Hocus Pocus later that night and fall right back asleep again. 🙂

Cerebrations, Laugh Out Loud

Diet Pepsi Dilemma

2 Comments

Meridian, Idaho

I’m a Diet Pepsi junkie.

If there were DP Anonymous meetings, I’d be tempted to go. But thankfully, as far as I know, there are no meetings.

I have been drinking Diet Pepsi for at least 40 years. Yep, that long…

I gave it up for Lent once–longest 40 days of my life!

94aaa5815ffc70bb1f6bf72ada5973fdLately, there’s been a change in the bottling methods of Diet Pepsi and it’s creating a dilemma for me.

They’ve changed the sizes of many of the bottles.

I used to buy it in two sizes: 24 ounce to drink as I was in the car and 2 Liter to drink at home in a glass over ice.

Both sizes were perfect!

Today’s post concerns the 24 ounce bottles.

The 24 ounce was enough for a long car ride, and I even had a bit left to share with Rich.

But as of this spring, there are no more 24 ounce sizes sold.

There’s a 16.9 ounce which is almost one-third less than the perfect 24 ounce size. Alas, I don’t have enough to share with Rich anymore when we go on drives. 🙂

 I thought I was the only one who missed the 24 ounce bottle, but then I found a support group on Facebook.

dp

I got the giggles when I read some of the posts on the Pepsi please bring back 6 pks. 24 oz bottles Facebook page.

Here’s my favorite from a fan who thinks there’s a connection between the size of toilet paper rolls and Pepsi bottles:

I was a faithful Pepsi fan for the last forty plus years. Ever since the 6-pack of 24oz bottles came out I have purchased about six a week as it was about the only thing I drink. It is the perfect size to take a couple to work. I hate cans and am not fond of the small bottles. I feel you are doing the same thing the toilet paper people did. Make it smaller, charge the same price and maybe they won’t notice. Well, I noticed and I will no longer buy any of it. I now only buy toilet paper from Costco and I no longer drink Pepsi. I have done what my kids have wanted me to do and am drinking ice tea and more water. Basically, lost me as a faithful customer by treating us like idiots.

Obviously, “Faithful Pepsi Fan” and I are not the only Pepsi fans who are upset with the change…

Please bring back the 24 ounce bottles. I can’t even find the 20 ounce bottle anymore. 16 ounce bottles fall over in the cup holder in the car they don’t fit in my cooler cups come on Pepsi please get real. 

Still giggling over that one. As I read through the posts on the Facebook page, I’m beginning to think that all of us who are addicted to Pepsi are just a tad crazy….

Capture

There are lots of smaller sizes of DP available, but for obvious reasons they won’t work for me.

When Rich saw the 8 ounce size at the store, he said, “There’s no way that would even be enough to get you out of the driveway.”

Ha ha ha… He’s right. 🙂

Cerebrations

Walking–Addicted to Love

6 Comments

Meridian, Idaho

After dinner last night, Sophie looked forlornly into my eyes…

Sophie

…indicating that she would love to go for a walk!

Apparently, going for a drive in the mountains, taking a nap together, and playing a rousing game of fetch weren’t quite enough for a day’s entertainment.

So off we went for a short walk around our subdivision.

Didn’t try this, but I might next time. 🙂

Anyway, I like to listen to music as we walk and last night I listened to Robert Palmer’s Riptide CD.

Most of the songs have the perfect beat for taking long strides while walking, especially Palmer’s signature song: Addicted to Love.

It’s a great song that is most famous for its video.

Many people probably thought of Addicted to Love subconsciously if they were watching a particular portion of the final awards ceremony of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Soccer gold medal match last week — young women carried the medals in wearing black dresses and high heels.

150706-world-cup-medals_c599e9d480310b82ecd939add1d72b79.nbcnews-ux-2880-1000

What an odd way to honor and celebrate a group of women’s athletic victory–with sexist stereotypes…

Take a look at Palmer’s quintessential Addicted to Love video to see what I’m talking about:

  1. How great the beat is to taking long strides while walking, and
  2. Why those of us watching the soccer awards ceremony thought of the video.