Articles written by arden chaffee
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 397
Scams
Are you scam savvy: aware of the mental habits and shortcuts that make us easy to fool? It is human nature to be trustworthy and when a prize is dangled before us, the urge to comply is even greater....
DNA
The discovery of DNA, according to ChatGPT, “Was a watershed moment in the history of science.” Unraveling its double-helix structure began when Friedrich Miescher isolated a substance from the nuclei...
Mental peaks
Most Americans have concerns about our aging politicians, thinking that high-stress jobs require quick-thinking leadership. As a septuagenarian myself, I agree with their concerns. Experts say that...
Metacognition
Metacognition is described as “thinking about thinking.” Metacognition is the opposite of meditation, which is also a form of mindfulness. Meditation is an attempt to not focus on anything, sim...
Expiration dates
Food, humans and medicine all have expiration dates. Since 2017, the Food Industry Association has researched in vain to establish guidelines on shelf-life of edibles. In fact, with the exception of...
Residential solar panels
The airwaves are awash with offers for solar panel energy. Incentives are part of a $7 billion federal grant for which residential customers may apply. The issue of whether to take the plunge is...
Tinnitus
Kent Taylor, founder of Texas Roadhouse Restaurants, passed away in 2021 by suicide. The family said he was battling post-Covid symptoms, mainly severe tinnitus. According to an article in the AARP...
Barbecue now
The Smok-Shak in Ingersol is a local legend and, according to Amanda Foreman in The Wall Street Journal, there are 30,000 BBQ joints in the United States. It’s safe to say that the majority of A...
Ableism: Discrimination against people with disabilities
We take the gifts God has given us for granted. Often we are impatient or impolite to others that may have more challenges. We should avoid the stereotypical response that is ingrained in our society...
Books
“No more pencils, no more books, no more teacher’s dirty looks.” – Alice Cooper. According to an article by Amanda Foreman in the Wall Street Journal, a fragment of the world’s oldest book was recen...
Water crisis
“Water, water, everywhere and not a drop to drink” (Samuel Taylor Coleridge, 1798). Once a minor part of monthly bills, water costs are putting stress on households and a hold on economic growth. If...
Time rolls on
“Like sand through the hourglass, so go the days of our lives.” Life expectancy on the planet took a two-year hit because of Covid. The average man is expected to live to 76, women up to 5 years lon...
Are you SAD?
Seasonal Affective Disorder is associated with the cold, dark winter months that cause some people to experience sadness, hopelessness and lack of interest in activities they once enjoyed. I had...
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Sumathi Reddy in Wall Street Journal says, “Not everyone who feels distracted suffers from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder” (ADHD). It seems that as I have grown older, my ability to con...
Hot dogs
CBS News: “Joey Chestnut wolfed down 62 wieners and buns at this year’s Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest on July 4.” Not his best effort: He ate 76 in 2021’s contest. Still a lot of “dogs!” T...
Beautiful people
“You are so beautiful to me” – Joe Cocker, 1974. There are many phrases describing beauty, most referring to its benefits. In an article by Emily Bobrow in the Wall Street Journal, she says, “If peopl...
Holy health
I was drugged as a child. My folks drug me to church every Sunday and on Wednesday nights, too. Church attendance and religious tolerance are dwindling in this generation. Research is showing that...
Watch this
I am someone who enjoys wearing a watch. Rebecca Struthers describes the watch collection at the British Museum in her book “Hands of Time.” They have 4,500 watches, beginning with a model by Pet...
Why knee?
Bipedalism: The ability to move around on two legs. It is a human trait extoled by our ancestors and passed down to the current species. Walking on all fours gave way to the knuckle-dragging gait of...
Healthy people
I just finished a six-week Tai Chi exercise class. It is designed to increase concentration, mobility, balance and strength. It succeeded in each area, so I would recommend it. Like any healthy...
Memorial Day
My mom and dad always referred to Memorial Day as Decoration Day. What started as a tradition to decorate veteran’s graves has expanded to include all those who are immortalized in our memory. The pra...
A.I. pros and cons
Calculators have been around since 2000 BC, originating among the Sumerians and Egyptians. Called an abacus, it used beads on rods to add and subtract. The beads resembled beans, hence the label “bean...
Tobacco use
“Smoking leads to disease and disability and harms nearly every organ in the body” –Centers for Disease Control. Cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death and disability in th...
Grandma's house
In 1844 Lydia Maria Child wrote in her children’s book, “Over the river and through the woods, to Grandmother’s house we go.” It brings back good memories of years and grandmothers gone by. The gra...
The right words
“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” John F. Kennedy. Finding the right words for each situation is really a challenge. Research has shown that just one wo...