Working Out The Brain

According to a new study set to appear in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, surfing the Web could be beneficial for the brain. The study was made at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Volunteers carried out different tasks on the computer including Web searches and book-reading while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans. During the MRI, they were given search tasks such as finding out how to choose a car etc.
"The bottom line is, when older people read a simulated book page, we see areas of the brain activated that you'd expect, the visual cortex, and areas that control language and reading," Small said. "When they search on the Internet, they use the same areas, but there was much greater activation particularly in the front part, which controls decision-making and complex reasoning. But it was only for the people who had previous experience with the Internet."
Scientists and researchers now say "mental workouts" can improve concentration and help prevent dementia and memory loss.
As a child of an Alzheimer's victim, I'll be exercising my brain until I no longer can. I would suggest you encourage your parents or grandparents to exercise their brains as well. Puzzles, books, the Internet, etc. could be one way to staving off a horrible disease,

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Sex offenders in Maryland will not be giving candy to trick-or-treaters. They are receiving paper signs in the mail that read "No candy at this residence," which they are required to post on their front doors or possibly face a parole violation.
The signs began arriving last week and were accompanied by a letter explaining they must stay at home, turn off outside lights and not answer the door on Halloween.
"Halloween provides a rare opportunity for you to demonstrate to your neighbors that you are making a sincere effort to change the direction of your life," the letter to sex offenders reads.
Maryland is also distributing pamphlets statewide to warn families to stay away from 1,200 homes with the pumpkin signs.
Maryland began the program in 2005.

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If your wife is overweight, it could be your fault.
A study analyzing the female weight cycle found that happiness – or the lack thereof – greatly affects the woman’s waistline, London's Daily Mail reported this week.
The report found that females gained and lost weight in stages.
Stage one resulted in an average loss of five pounds when the relationship begins.
When the woman gets comfortable with their partner, they start to gain weight.
Wedding plans also send the scales down as women tend to lose weight before their big day.
The arrival of a baby then reverses the weight loss, followed by diet plans to lose weight gained when pregnant.
The study, done by the U.K. weight management form www.slendex.com, involved 3,000 women and found weight varied an average of 28 pounds during the mentioned stages.
So, who is to blame for my weight gain? Certainly not me. How about Little Debbie!

Copyright Christopher Blackburn 2008