Though the current project started as a series of posts charting my grief journey after the death of my mother, I am no longer actively grieving. Now, the blog charts a conversation in living, mainly whatever I want it to be. This is an activity that goes well with the theme of this blog (updated 2018). The Sense of Doubt blog is dedicated to my motto: EMBRACE UNCERTAINTY. I promote questioning everything because just when I think I know something is concrete, I find out that it’s not.
Hey, Mom! The Explanation.
Here's the permanent dedicated link to my first Hey, Mom! post and the explanation of the feature it contains.
A Sense of Doubt blog post #4162 - SoD Reprint from 2023 - A Nature Hike That Nearly Killed Me
Another reprint.
I am yearning for time in nature.
LOW POWER MODE: I sometimes put the blog in what I call LOW POWER MODE. If you see this note, the blog is operating like a sleeping computer, maintaining static memory, but making no new computations. If I am in low power mode, it's because I do not have time to do much that's inventive, original, or even substantive on the blog. This means I am posting straight shares, limited content posts, reprints, often something qualifying for the THAT ONE THING category and other easy to make posts to keep me daily. That's the deal. Thanks for reading.
BLOG VACATION #1 - 2026 - Taking a blog vacation for a couple of weeks, until at least June 26th, 2026. But now that it's past June 26, I am not sure when I am resuming normal operations. Mostly reprints. A few simple shares (not that simple shares are out of the norm) and THAT ONE THING. Need time for other things.
A Sense of Doubt blog post #3060 - Last Week: A Road Trip and a Hike
Since I was on break, I took two days completely away from work because even during break, there is prep to do, and I do teach for another school.
Friday June 30th, I drove up the Washington Coast from Longview to Aberdeen and then over to Olympia for lunch with a friend and then home.
I did not take pictures.
I am considering setting a great deal of my current novel in Aberdeen, WA.
Then, on Saturday July 1st, with my friend Paul, we drove up past the Lewis River Falls (Lower, Middle, and Upper) to the Quartz Creek Trail for a hike.
The Quartz Creek Trail is an eight mile hike -- four miles out and four miles back -- but we did not know it would be up and up and up and UP!! The trail followed switch backs hundreds of feet above the creek. After about two miles, we were whipped and turned around.
- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 2307.05 - 10:10
- Days ago = 2924 days ago
- New note - On 1807.06, I ceased daily transmission of my Hey Mom feature after three years of daily conversations. I plan to continue Hey Mom posts at least twice per week but will continue to post the days since ("Days Ago") count on my blog each day. The blog entry numbering in the title has changed to reflect total Sense of Doubt posts since I began the blog on 0705.04, which include Hey Mom posts, Daily Bowie posts, and Sense of Doubt posts. Hey Mom posts will still be numbered sequentially. New Hey Mom posts will use the same format as all the other Hey Mom posts; all other posts will feature this format seen here.
- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 2607.10 - 10:10
- Days ago: MOM = 4026 days ago & DAD = 680 days ago
- New note - On 1807.06, I ceased daily transmission of my Hey Mom feature after three years of daily conversations. I post Hey Mom blog entries on special occasions. I post the days since ("Days Ago") count on my blog each day, and now I have a second count for Days since my Dad died on August 28, 2024. I am now in the same time zone as Google! So, when I post at 10:10 a.m. PDT to coincide with the time of Mom's death, I am now actually posting late, so it's really 1:10 p.m. EDT. But I will continue to use the time stamp of 10:10 a.m. to remember the time of her death and sometimes 13:40 EDT for the time of Dad's death. The blog entry numbering in the title has changed to reflect total Sense of Doubt posts since I began the blog on 0705.04, which include Hey Mom posts, Daily Bowie posts, and Sense of Doubt posts. Hey Mom posts will still be numbered sequentially. New Hey Mom posts will use the same format as all the other Hey Mom posts; all other posts will feature this format seen here.
A Sense of Doubt blog post #4036 - Use Skinner's Law to Overcome Feeling Unmotivated
Before I start, I should mention that today is day 3900 since Mom died. I mark these occasions with at least a short reflection, and just 100 days from day 4000, which seems more significant. If for no other reason, I keep this count just to see the number get bigger and marvel at its size. It just feels wrong.
I am really battling to start things, to be productive, especially with things that I am resisting for one reason or another.
This battle does not mean that I am not productive. I am not idle. I am meeting deadlines and working through the things I need to work through.
But the motivation is not always there. In fact, with the school assignment that was due back on Wednesday, I had a real mental block to it. I just didn't want to do it. PROFOUNDLY. Like existential crisis, deep-seated unwillingness to do it.
This article stood out to me given my recent struggles.
However, I am not fully in favor of it, even though I am sharing it.
I am all for rewards for getting things done. I do reward myself. I will put off a thing I want to do, eat, experience, and reward myself with it when I finish the thing that I am resisting finishing.
Punishment? I am less interested in punishing myself for not doing something, like in the example below wagering that someone can have your Playstation if you fail to lose weight. For one thing, I don't have a Playstation. For another, I would never make such a wager.
Missing deadlines often come with their own form of punishment. For instance, in my class, I would lose 10% for being one day late. That's a punishment. And I even considered not submitting the assignment on time and taking that grade hit just because of how very much I did not want to do it. After all, the assignment was worth only 10 points in a class of 300 points total with the A set at 89.5% and above. In other words, I need at least 255 of those 300 points to earn an A. Obviously, there's lots of points left to earn. Sure, 10% of 10 points is only a single point, so that would not have been a significant grade hit.
Still, I did the assignment and submitted on time. I often find the motivation as the deadline approaches. This is why I posted three blog entries yesterday: Tuesday 3/3 - Thursday 3/5. I had put off working on my blog while I suffered the angst of not wanting to do what was actually not a difficult assignment. I also did not write any fiction for two days. Then, once finished, I did both things yesterday, completing three blog posts and writing fiction on my novel project.
Today, I have other work that needs doing, though nothing due today. I am stalling but I do not feel as unmotivated as I did earlier in the week. Probably the sense of achievement in finishing the assignment that I REALLY DID NOT WANT TO DO has fueled my fires at least somewhat. I feel more motivated. Not REALLY motivated, but better. Not as bad.
I am working around to a point. I promise.
Here it is.
This Skinner's Law stuff may work for you, and it may not.
As I think about how I am going to practice in the mental health space, how I am going to listen and respond to clients, I am very hesitant to apply a "one tool fits all" approach.
My own case demonstrates that finding motivation and overcoming resistance is a very individual thing. What worked for me may not work for others. For me, there was no magic trick. The thing was due Wednesday, so I did nothing else Wednesday but sit down and hammer away at the thing with increasing frustration (as I shared in yesterday's blog).
For others, the threat of having to give up one's expensive video game machine may have been the thing to spark the motivation.
Reverse today as I will dive into the assignments due Sunday later on after blogging, emailing, and writing.
It's all about selfcare. Doing what's needed to protect your mental health while also doing what needs to be done in life.
I am now living by the line that ENO said in the ENO movie (Tuesday's post):
We all OVER ESTIMATE what we can do in a day and UNDER ESTIMATE what we can do in ten years.
I have lived my whole life battling the tendency to OVER ESTIMATE what I can do in a day.
These days, at the end of the day, I often review just what I did, especially when beating myself up over the six things I didn't get done.
Some days are more productive than others, and one must make peace with that.
But even days with lower productivity than others days had productivity, and often, one accomplished more things than one realized because of the pain of not doing a bunch of other things.
Review the day. Feel pride in what you got done. Give yourself grace to do better if you really needed to get some things done and didn't. What changes can you make to be more productive the next day?
That's why GETTING THINGS DONE (GTD) is a great model for being productive by sorting tasks into those that need to be done with others in short and long term goal lists.
And some things can be done right away of they will only take a minute or two. This is how task switching comes into play. For instance, I just took a few minutes to answer an email while writing this blog entry. And then I felt a sense of accomplishment.
In the 18th century, Jeremy Bentham built his philosophy on the idea that humans are motivated by pain and pleasure, and this idea is supported by many social sciences today.
A concept called “Skinner’s Law,” named after the American behaviorist B. F. Skinner, suggests that we can manipulate our motivation by making the pain of not doing a task greater than the pain of doing it — or making the pleasure of doing it greater than the pleasure of not doing it.
In the 18th century, Jeremy Bentham built his philosophy on the idea that humans are motivated by pain and pleasure, and this idea is supported by many social sciences today.
A concept called “Skinner’s Law,” named after the American behaviorist B. F. Skinner, suggests that we can manipulate our motivation by making the pain of not doing a task greater than the pain of doing it — or making the pleasure of doing it greater than the pleasure of not doing it.
“Commitment devices,” such as setting up rewards or punishments for completing or not completing a task, can help us self-motivate and increase our chances of success.
In 1780, hunched over a table at his home in London, Jeremy Bentham wrote the first lines of the first chapter of one of his most famous works. It read, “Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters: pain and pleasure. It is for them alone to point out what we ought to do, as well as to determine what we shall do.”
The British philosopher built an entire philosophy around this idea — that we are all motivated by pleasure and pain. Lucky for him, then, that almost all of the social sciences today agree with him. We are a hedonistic, happiness-seeking species who fear the pain-inflicting monsters of the world. Under all the pretense and bravado, we can be reduced to the simple push-and-pull mechanisms of the carrot and stick. After we get over the humbling and demoralizing simplicity of this, we can learn a few valuable lessons. We can game our own mechanisms and manipulate our Benthamite sovereigns. We can do anything. It’s all to do with something the writer George Mack called “Skinner’s Law.”
According to Mack, Skinner’s Law is that when you are procrastinating or finding a task hard to get on with, you have two choices: either “make the pain of not doing it greater than the pain of doing it” or “make the pleasure of doing it greater than the pleasure of not doing it.” Since we know that we are only motivated by two things, we can use our higher, rational faculties to work that fact to our advantage. Skinner’s Law is named after B. F. Skinner, the American behaviorist who developed the idea of operant conditioning with his experiments on rats and pigeons. Skinner’s main argument was that human beings can, just as rats can, be conditioned to behave a certain way when given the correct pain-pleasure incentives.
The trick, then, is to set yourself pleasure rewards or pain punishments for doing (or not doing) a certain task. Essentially, there are two ways to motivate yourself: intrinsically or extrinsically. Intrinsic motivation is when you want to do something out of some inherent drive or desire. You might just want to eat pizza. Extrinsic motivation, though, is when you do something for some further benefit or reward (or to avoid a punishment). So, I don’t eat my pizza because I want to be trim for my beach holiday. The genius behind Skinner’s Law is that it turns our most powerful intrinsic motivator (pleasure) into an extrinsic reward.
Milkman told Big Think that these kinds of techniques are called commitment devices in the behavioral psychology literature. “It’s a tool for a person to self-motivate,” Milkman said. “It’s something where you opt in to creating an extrinsic reward system.” She described a study involving smokers trying to quit. There are two groups, each given the same “standard smoking cessation products,” but one group is also told “they will lose the money if they fail a nicotine urine test in six months. What they found was that it increases quit rates by about 30%.”
The strongest master
We know, then, that if we want to succeed in any task, we need to set compelling commitment devices to keep us on track or to raise the stakes. The next question is: How can we make the best kind of commitment device? Is it better to promise yourself pleasure or to threaten yourself with pain?
It turns out that pain is by far the stronger motivator. As Milkman told Big Think, “So [Daniel] Kahneman won the 2002 Nobel Prize for a theory called ‘Prospect Theory’. He and Amos [Tversky] showed that we find pain more motivating than equivalent pleasure. For example, if you lose $20, you’re more upset, and then if you find $20, you are happy. The pain outweighs the pleasure.”
Using all of this and Milkman’s advice, here are three practical bits of advice:
Make a wager: Find a friend or a family member, and bet them some sum of money or some item you value that you will do a certain thing. “Okay, Dad,” you might say, “if I’m not 5 pounds lighter by my birthday, you can have my PlayStation 5.” Ideally, place the “wager” in some kind of intermediary location so you can’t back out of the deal if you lose. Commitment devices only work if you can’t slip out of them.
Social accountability: Tell everyone you’re trying to do something. Tell them your target and your deadline. Keep people updated about your progress. This serves two purposes: to present the carrot and the stick. The carrot is that you get praise, support, and advice from your closest relatives. The stick is that you might be embarrassed or ashamed if you fail.
Avoid boredom: It’s easy to assume that boredom is some middle, neutral state somewhere between pleasure and pain—it’s just absence. But not according to Milkman. As she put it, “There is research to show a fundamental dislike of boredom. It causes us pain to be bored. In 2016, one study showed that when presented with a long, monotonous, and tedious film fragment, people would rather shock themselves than be bored. So, as a general rule, try to keep yourself busy. The devil makes work for idle hands; bored people do silly things.
- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 2603.06 - 10:10
- Days ago: MOM = 3900 days ago & DAD = 554 days ago
- New note - On 1807.06, I ceased daily transmission of my Hey Mom feature after three years of daily conversations. I post Hey Mom blog entries on special occasions. I post the days since ("Days Ago") count on my blog each day, and now I have a second count for Days since my Dad died on August 28, 2024. I am now in the same time zone as Google! So, when I post at 10:10 a.m. PDT to coincide with the time of Mom's death, I am now actually posting late, so it's really 1:10 p.m. EDT. But I will continue to use the time stamp of 10:10 a.m. to remember the time of her death and sometimes 13:40 EDT for the time of Dad's death. The blog entry numbering in the title has changed to reflect total Sense of Doubt posts since I began the blog on 0705.04, which include Hey Mom posts, Daily Bowie posts, and Sense of Doubt posts. Hey Mom posts will still be numbered sequentially. New Hey Mom posts will use the same format as all the other Hey Mom posts; all other posts will feature this format seen here.
I did buy another showing and then I took notes (no recording).
The movie was different the second time. There was a DEVO segment and not a Roxy Music segment. Some of the clips appear to possibly be standard clips but they appeared in a different order.
Here's my notes, from memory from the first viewing:
"Art is the way we synchronize our feelings about things," Eno said.
What if art is just about feelings? Nothing more than that.
Isn't that enough?
Early in the version I watched, Eno posed the question - why do we like music?
He theorized that music came before language.
But why is one set of notes preferred to another, why one beat over another beat? Why do we like that? What is it about?
Concerts are about BELONGING. The sense of belonging is the strongest sense of all, Eno suggested. The desire to belong is stronger than the sexual impulse, the desire to get ahead and be on top of the heap. We all want to belong.
Concerts, BIG concerts, give us the experience of being part of something greater than ourselves, something bigger. We want that experience. We need it.
Eno spoke of his interest in evolutionary theory, of complexity arising from simplicity.
Eno often thinks of nature -- what would this thing be like in nature?
So many other things, but those are the big impressions I wanted to get down right now.
Also, Fela Kuti, which I featured in Music Monday.
Also, an oblique strategy that made me see something with my book:
Honor thy error as a hidden intention (see link and images below).
HERE'S my notes FROM THE SECOND VIEWING - TRANSCRIBED:
Viewed 2602.27
Eno recommended John Cage's book Silence as pivotal in his development as an artist,
Following on the earlier comment (above) on art as synchronizing feelings, Eno explained that art has often been considered a way to express our thinking, to express philosophy, but does it have to be that grandiose?
The first song that Eno remembers as an embodiment of a female, a woman:
It was also an introduction to black American music, which was not something happening in England at the time.
In discussing his early playing with androgyny, Eno said he didn't really feel like a man nor like a woman, and that he wore make up because he looked better with make up.
He added that he has always been interested in the space between things.
He told a story about the recording of his album Another Green World and specifically the song "Spirit Drifting."
He explained that he recorded "Spirit Drifting" with tears streaming down his face because he didn't feel like he knew what the fuck he was doing, but he had paid a lot of money for studio time, and he had to do something. He had to use the time and deliver an album.
The point of the story was that what may seem like shit in the creation of it will take on another life after it's done, and perception by others may not be that it's shit.
LEARN TO TRUST YOURSELF
He said, as the key lesson there.
In discussing music and why we love it, he also described concerts, large concerts of 10,000 - 20,000 people as an experience we need because we feel part of a BIGGER YOU. This is also where he discussed the drive to belong which I described in the first set of notes.
Eno claimed that SINGING IS THE KEY TO WORLD PEACE.
The more singing groups that exist, people would be happier.
In describing the OBLIQUE STRATEGIES, he said that the main impetus was to question one's habits as an artist. This questioning is necessary. Maybe the habits are good and valuable and maybe they are not. But the constant examination of these habits is part of the creation process.
There was a segment in the second viewing not in the first about his discovery of futurists like Stewart Brand, Peter Schwartz, and others.
"We depend on each other more and more these days and understand each other less and less."
Eno quotes:
"Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years."
This comes from an author he names and I didn't catch it. Internet says Bill Gates but that's not who Eno named.
The ambition of art is that we want to understand how the world of feelings works.
I could recall more (DEVO was difficult to work with, or he played with tape recorders and synth in Roxy Music), but that's most of the big stuff that struck me and I wanted to remember.
- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 2603.03 - 10:10
- Days ago: MOM = 3897 days ago & DAD = 551 days ago
- New note - On 1807.06, I ceased daily transmission of my Hey Mom feature after three years of daily conversations. I post Hey Mom blog entries on special occasions. I post the days since ("Days Ago") count on my blog each day, and now I have a second count for Days since my Dad died on August 28, 2024. I am now in the same time zone as Google! So, when I post at 10:10 a.m. PDT to coincide with the time of Mom's death, I am now actually posting late, so it's really 1:10 p.m. EDT. But I will continue to use the time stamp of 10:10 a.m. to remember the time of her death and sometimes 13:40 EDT for the time of Dad's death. The blog entry numbering in the title has changed to reflect total Sense of Doubt posts since I began the blog on 0705.04, which include Hey Mom posts, Daily Bowie posts, and Sense of Doubt posts. Hey Mom posts will still be numbered sequentially. New Hey Mom posts will use the same format as all the other Hey Mom posts; all other posts will feature this format seen here.
A Sense of Doubt blog post #3861 - Taking a Break - SoD Reprint of #2025 - Hey Mom #1211
Back in 2020, I made this post that I am reprinting here because as I explain below in the original post, I needed to take a break. The pandemic had been going for months, the George Floyd murder had also taken place months before, the election was ramping up and about two months away, and I needed a break. And so this post.
I need a break again, especially after the killing of Charlie Kirk that is casting fear for many of us for the consequences of free speech. As I wrote yesterday, I don't want to risk any repercussions for my speech, even though my blog is hardly well-trafficked.
So, a break.
Though this time it's not a full on break. I have new dedication to original posts on Wednesdays (about writing) and Thursdays (letter to Dad) along with Music Monday and Comic Book Sunday (these last two can be reprints), and so I am going into a kind of low-power mode for a couple of weeks with more reprints, simple shares, and simple posts, though the original posts I mentioned will continue on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
I need to catch my breath. So I have postponed longer posts, especially those with political content, and I am taking some time to think, reflect, and watch the government and what actions it takes against its citizens in retribution for rhetoric it perceives as counter to its ideological agenda.
And, so, this reprint.
Also, it's neat to just look at these older posts even if I do not reprint them. For instance, here I ordered the book An Unkindness of Magicians to read to feed my fantasy writing because the VE Schwab book I was going to listen to on audio is not yet available. I had forgotten all about An Unkindness of Magicians, so that alone makes reprinting this post worthwhile.
Also, notice the cosplay cool cat whose picture I took waiting in line for Rose City Comic con in 2018, two years before the pandemic, holding a mask to his face.
Prophetic?
Thanks for tuning in.
PHOTO CAPTION ERROR There was an error with the photo caption so that it read 1966 - 6.25 years old. In 1966, I was four years old. I was six in 1968. I think the year is supposed to read 1968 as another link below where the photo originally appeared indicates.
The background is definitely Traverse City, and we did move to Schoolcraft in 1968 but probably some time in the summer. If I am really 6.25 years old in the picture, that's April, and we had not moved yet.
Link to the original post that I am reprinting below:
Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #1211 (SoD #2025) - I Need to Take a Break
Hi Mom,
How are you?
You speak with heavenly beauty to me from the beyond. I hear you. Thank for staying by my side and yet not, and yet everywhere, and yet nowhere. It's as an aspect of Quantum Reality.
Was that too corny? Oh well. I don't care.
So, here's the thing.
I need to take a break.
I have been working a lot. I have been running hard. I have been making complicated and very time intensive posts with a lot of original writing, and I have been running this hard since the start of the pandemic quarantine.
And now it's time for a break, a little vacation.
I cannot really take a vacation during the pandemic. I can't really go anywhere safely, and even if I could, what about my dogs? I either take them with me, or I cannot go because I do not trust any place to properly and safely house them.
And doesn't Europe have a travel ban against people from the United States because our pandemic is so out of control?
I need some time off. I need to dial back the crazy train. I need a breather.
In my employment world, one of the two schools for which I work -- Lower Columbia College -- is on a break between quarters as we just finished summer quarter, and even though I had just one class, I put a lot of time into it. My other school is currently running, and I have two classes with it, so that's an issue. But my work load has dropped.
Further freeing occurred when the workshop I am taking ended Tuesday night, and we are about to start the Labor Day weekend, which prompted me to give all my current students extensions.
And so, I have more time free, and I would like to channel it elsewhere for a while.
Now what happens when a daily blogger takes a break?
After all, I could just stop posting for a while. No one is paying me, no one is holding a gun to my head, and unless you leave comments to disabuse me of this belief, I do not have that many avid and daily readers.
But, as I have always claimed, this blog is for me more than anything else. Sure, I think about audience a lot. I am often trying to reach my students. At other times, I have a broader view and hope by pushing the blog out there via social media with has tags that I will get more readers, at least for certain posts.
My numbers often support this "marketing."
A quick glance at my numbers shows that I reached a monthly high of 412 posts back on August 11th. I am not sure if this is related to the posts on or around that day because they do not have numbers of views that would total 412.
I tend to hover in the 40-50 page views a day on average with spikes of 126 (8/18) and 116 (8/31). My WEEKLY HODGE PODGE posts seem to be the most popular event of my week, always accumulating 30+ views with some topping out higher, such as #1978 currently at 110 views and #1963 at 83 (links below).
Therefore, it makes sense that even in my time off, taking a break, vacation, I should continue to produce the WEEKLY HODGE PODGE, which I had considered also taking a break from. But the HODGE PODGE does not cost me a ton of time as I read and accumulate material every morning. Plus this week's is dedicated to one of Obama's best speeches ever: A MORE PERFECT UNION.
So, to go back to the question of how a daily blogger takes a break?
EASY POSTS.
For instance, I have features called LOW POWER MODE, One Photo, and THAT ONE THING that allow me to keep my blog simple and easy to produce on a daily basis, which was the original concept for my T-shirts blog. I can even produce these easy posts in advance.
LOTS OF SHARING. I share anyway, but I can feature posts that just share other content with very little commentary from me; after all, I have 584 draft posts currently saved in my account, subtracting 95 for the weekly comic lists I accumulate and probably will never share, that leaves approximately 490-some posts that are half-finished, many of which already contain copies of material I want to share.
RESIST THE URGE OF COMPLICATIONS. I have tendency to overdo, over-commit, over-write. If I can KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID, then I can survive my time off, which I am thinking may need to last about two weeks with a return to the NEW NORMAL about September 17th.
ALSO, in the "time off," I will still be writing. I have longer blog posts that I want to devote time to finishing, and I am working on fiction in a much more dedicated way and other work stuff: two presentations to prep, classes to prep, job search, outdoor fun as summer wanes, new writer's groups.
So, that's that.
Thanks for reading.
Here we go into the sort of time off, sort of vacation, sort of low power mode.
DREAMS
ARG!!!!!!!! Trump was in my dream and so was Rebecca Watson.
Trump was my college professor. After he said something offensive in the class room when I had tuned him out and could not answer his question about house electrical amperage accurately. I said "fuck this" and prepared to leave the room and drop the class.
There was a break, and I encountered Trump in the hallway. I thought to myself that I should kiss his ass and curry his favor rather than dropping the class. I could probably get an A if I just stroked his ego constantly. I apologized for my out burst and begged his forgiveness. He appreciated my candor and HUGGED ME... yuk!
Later, I encountered Rebecca Watson (often blogged about, like HERE SoD#1880), and I was going to recommend a tacos place (in Portland?) and there was a lot of stress because I had to pick the place with the most amazing tacos AND a place where one could actually have the tacos in the pandemic (outdoor dining). Could I pick such a place?
Clearly, these dreams, especially TRUMP HUGGING ME (GAG) IS PROOF THAT I need a break.
rose city comic con 2018
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Reflect and connect. Have someone give you a kiss, and tell you that I love you, Mom. I miss you so very much, Mom. Talk to you soon, Mom.
- Days ago = 1889 days ago - Bloggery committed by chris tower - 2009.03 - 10:10 NEW (written 1708.27 and 1907.04) NOTE on time: I am now in the same time zone as Google! So, when I post at 10:10 a.m. PDT to coincide with the time of your death, Mom, I am now actually posting late, so it's really 1:10 p.m. EDT. But I will continue to use the time stamp of 10:10 a.m. to remember the time of your death, Mom. I know this only matters to me, and to you, Mom. Dropped "Talk to you tomorrow, Mom" in the sign off on 1907.04. Should have done it sooner as this feature is no longer daily. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 2509.13 - 10:19
- Days ago: MOM = 3726 days ago & DAD = 380 days ago
- New note - On 1807.06, I ceased daily transmission of my Hey Mom feature after three years of daily conversations. I post Hey Mom blog entries on special occasions. I post the days since ("Days Ago") count on my blog each day, and now I have a second count for Days since my Dad died on August 28, 2024. I am now in the same time zone as Google! So, when I post at 10:10 a.m. PDT to coincide with the time of Mom's death, I am now actually posting late, so it's really 1:10 p.m. EDT. But I will continue to use the time stamp of 10:10 a.m. to remember the time of her death and sometimes 13:40 EDT for the time of Dad's death. The blog entry numbering in the title has changed to reflect total Sense of Doubt posts since I began the blog on 0705.04, which include Hey Mom posts, Daily Bowie posts, and Sense of Doubt posts. Hey Mom posts will still be numbered sequentially. New Hey Mom posts will use the same format as all the other Hey Mom posts; all other posts will feature this format seen here.
I need a practice in my life that promotes and supports my health and calms anxieties.
I am hopeful that tai chi will be this thing.
Thanks for tuning in.
2012: Tai Chi linked to increased brain volume
A collaborative study from the University of South Florida and Shanghai's Fudan University presented evidence that regular practice of tai chi increases brain volume and provides various mental benefits in senior citizens compared to those who are sedentary. While previous studies had accorded these benefits to regular practitioners of anaerobic exercise, researchers were unclear whether the slower, more relaxed pastime of tai chi would follow suit. However, after an eight-month trial, the study revealed that tai chi indeed prevents brain shrinkage and boosted cognition.
Tao, J., Liu, J., Liu, W., Huang, J., Xue, X., Chen, X., Wu, J., Zheng, G., Chen, B., Li, M., Sun, S., Jorgenson, K., Lang, C., Hu, K., Chen, S., Chen, L., & Kong, J. (2017). Tai Chi Chuan and Baduanjin Increase Grey Matter Volume in Older Adults: A Brain Imaging Study. Journal of Alzheimer's disease: JAD, 60(2), 389–400. https://doi.org/10.3233/JAD-170477
The USF-led study suggests non-aerobic exercise and social interaction may reduce dementia risk
Tampa, FL (June 19, 2012) — Scientists from the University of South Florida and Fudan University in Shanghai found increases in brain volume and improvements on tests of memory and thinking in Chinese seniors who practiced Tai Chi three times a week, reports an article published today in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Findings were based on an 8-month randomized controlled trial comparing those who practiced Tai Chi to a group who received no intervention. The same trial showed increases in brain volume and more limited cognitive improvements in a group that participated in lively discussions three times per week over the same time period.
Previous trials have shown increases in brain volume in people who participated in aerobic exercise, and in one of these trials, an improvement in memory was seen. However, this was the first trial to show that a less aerobic form of exercise, Tai Chi, as well as stimulating discussion led to similar increases in brain volume and improvements on psychological tests of memory and thinking.
The group that did not participate in the interventions showed brain shrinkage over the same time period, consistent with what generally has been observed for persons in their 60s and 70s.
Numerous studies have shown that dementia and the syndrome of gradual cognitive deterioration that precedes it is associated with increasing shrinkage of the brain as nerve cells and their connections are gradually lost.
“The ability to reverse this trend with physical exercise and increased mental activity implies that it may be possible to delay the onset of dementia in older persons through interventions that have many physical and mental health benefits,” said lead author Dr. James Mortimer, professor of epidemiology at the University of South Florida College of Public Health.
Research suggests that aerobic exercise is associated with increased production of brain growth factors. It remains to be determined whether forms of exercise like Tai Chi that include an important mental exercise component could lead to similar changes in the production of these factors. “If this is shown, then it would provide strong support to the concept of “use it or lose it” and encourage seniors to stay actively involved both intellectually and physically,” Dr. Mortimer said.
One question raised by the research is whether sustained physical and mental exercise can contribute to the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease, the most common dementing illness.
“Epidemiologic studies have shown repeatedly that individuals who engage in more physical exercise or are more socially active have a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease,” Dr. Mortimer said. “The current findings suggest that this may be a result of growth and preservation of critical regions of the brain affected by this illness.”
Article citation: James A. Mortimer, Ding Ding, Amy R. Borenstein, Charles DeCarli, Qihao Guo, Yougui Wu, Qianhua Zhao, Shugang Chu. Changes in Brain Volume and Cognition in a Randomized Trial of Exercise and Social Interaction in a Community-Based Sample of Non-Demented Chinese Elders, Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease 2012; 30 (4).
-USF Health-
USF Health’s mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the College of Pharmacy, the School of Biomedical Sciences and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences; and the USF Physician’s Group. The University of South Florida is a global research university ranked 50thin the nation by the National Science Foundation for both federal and total research expenditures among all U.S. universities.
Media contact: James Mortimer, USF College of Public Health (813) 857-3163, or jmortime@health.usf.edu
When you consider your happiness and wellbeing, aside from all the reasons that have held back, and inside all that you have thought about what you want to accomplish, you can begin to realize, who are you, that is capable of more joy and more well-being?
And as you begin to feel more like your happiest and healthiest self, would you like that, for your life? Would it be worth 7 minutes of your day?
Because Tai Chi is completely transformative, and when you know the secret, totally easy. And what is the secret?
The secret is to let go. Let go of your thoughts about doing it right or wrong. Let go of being perfect, of being critical, of self doubting. Let go and that means you can just float. Like a leaf in the wind, like a boat in a gentle stream, like a being of your highest spirit, floating in a serene sea of blissful energy.
Peter Chen has been practising Tai Chi and Qi Gong for more than 30 years since 1986. Thousands of students have enjoyed his classes since he started teaching professionally in 1998. This video shows clear instructions of basic steps, breathing coordination and mind concentration for Tai Chi practice.
Tai Chi is an ancient practice that helps you live healthier and more mindfully. Master Pei guides you through a range of beginner tai chi chuan and qi gong lessons to increase strength and flexibility while reducing stress & anxiety. Join us for this wonderful and beautiful routine with expert instruction. The tai chi that Master Pei teaches in these lessons are from the Yang 24 tai chi chuan form and 8 pieces of brocade qi gong.
About Tai Chi for Beginners: Tai Chi for Beginners is a perfect Tai Chi way to explore and experience the numerous benefits of Tai Chi, no matter what shape you are in. World-renowned Tai Chi master Chris Pei leads you through this routine..
This ancient, physical & meditative practice of the Yang style 24 posture form tai chi video is designed to build strength, improve health & flexibility, reduce stress, increase energy flow, promote health & wellness and relax your mind. These easy-to-follow lessons teach the Tai Chi postures with clear, step-by-step instructions. The routines are low-impact with modifications taught for less-flexible people.
World-renowned Tai Chi master Chris Pei leads you through customized lessons ranging from 10 to 60 minutes.
- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 2507.15 - 10:10
- Days ago: MOM = 3666 days ago & DAD = 320 days ago
- New note - On 1807.06, I ceased daily transmission of my Hey Mom feature after three years of daily conversations. I post Hey Mom blog entries on special occasions. I post the days since ("Days Ago") count on my blog each day, and now I have a second count for Days since my Dad died on August 28, 2024. I am now in the same time zone as Google! So, when I post at 10:10 a.m. PDT to coincide with the time of Mom's death, I am now actually posting late, so it's really 1:10 p.m. EDT. But I will continue to use the time stamp of 10:10 a.m. to remember the time of her death and sometimes 13:40 EDT for the time of Dad's death. The blog entry numbering in the title has changed to reflect total Sense of Doubt posts since I began the blog on 0705.04, which include Hey Mom posts, Daily Bowie posts, and Sense of Doubt posts. Hey Mom posts will still be numbered sequentially. New Hey Mom posts will use the same format as all the other Hey Mom posts; all other posts will feature this format seen here.
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