Senior Health 1

Physical Health as Long as Possible

“So Curmudge, what will be the next big event in your life?”

“My memorial service, Julie.  I do hope you plan to attend.”

“I’ll be there with bells on.  I’ll even sing, ‘I’ll be glad when you’re dead, you rascal, you.’  So when will this shindig occur?   I want to put it on my calendar.”

“It could be next week or maybe not for several years.  Who knows?  In any case, it’s my next big thing.  That’s probably true for a lot of my senior citizen neighbors.  It’s been said that ‘there’s something wrong with each of us,’ but the lethality of our ailments varies widely.  Most of us have lost a spouse, and that emotional earthquake certainly shortens the survivor’s life.  In addition, most of us no longer have a job; we’ve written about the impact of that.”

“Golly, Curmudge, you have lost both.  You already have two strikes against you.”

“Right-o, Julie.  Nothing can demonstrate the intrinsic value of a job more clearly than the feeling one gets when he is fired from a job for which he is receiving no compensation.”

“The hoof beats you hear are not a zebra, Old Guy; they are the grim reaper (actually, one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse).  What’s your plan?”

“For me, I‘d prefer that life would end like a precipitous waterfall rather than a succession of painful grade IV rapids.  In fact, that’s the topic of today’s discussion: how a senior citizen might live life to the fullest while staying ahead of the grim reaper.”

“I presume that this problem needs to be attacked physically as well as mentally.  We’ve discussed most of this in past blog postings, so now we’ll pull the pieces together and focus on senior citizens.”

“That’s the idea, Julie.  We’ve observed that most seniors live life in the slow lane.  Everything I do takes longer.  My senses—sight, hearing, touch, balance—are going to pot.  I tie shoes and button buttons slowly, and I must wait two minutes with my eyes closed after putting in eye drops.  My senses of taste and smell are degrading, which might be a blessing considering my diet.”

“Speaking of diet, Curmudge, we realize that one should eat more fruits, vegetables, and fiber.  And I know that you are trying to improve.”

“Well, I‘ve put away the sugar bowl and the salt shaker, and my carbohydrates are whole grain with lots of oats and rye.  Whenever it’s convenient, I eat in the hospital cafeteria.  Because I am unwilling to spend time on food preparation, I’m testing two powders as my source of greens: ‘Advanced Greens Formula’ (1) and ‘Mega-8 Superfoods’ (2) suggested by Doc Mack.  But I might starve if my microwave goes kaput.”

“I hope you are not like some seniors who neglect—or forget—to take their prescription meds.”

“Not a problem, Julie.  I take only a few prescriptions and some supplements based on my studies of the pertinent literature.  I follow the advice we gave in our alternative medicine postings that started on September 27, 2013.”

“What about exercise, Old Guy?  It’s really important for seniors.  Many years ago you did stretches and weights at 6:30 a.m. and you jogged a mile or two at 10:00 p.m.”

“Regrettably, I now get up at 7:00 and go to bed around 10:00.  So the old schedule doesn’t work.  I now jog a bit in the basement of our apartment building and walk the steps in the building downtown where I used to volunteer.  It’s obvious that more exercise is needed to improve my posture.  At least I’m getting adequate rest, which is important for seniors.”

“Here’s our bottom line for today, at least as I see it, Curmudge.  As a role model for seniors, you are okay qualitatively and quite inadequate quantitatively.  You are doing a lot of the right things, but you need to do them better and with more regularity.  Overall you’re scrawny, which should help longevity, but inside you’re a Twinkie.”

“Merci, ma chère.  But that’s better than a bratwurst.  So much for the senior body.  In our next posting, let’s tackle brain health for seniors.”

Kaizen Curmudgeon

(1)  www.AdvancedBionutritionals.com

(2)  www.MegaNutritionOrganicSuperfood.com

Link to posting from blog archives: Hey patients, checklists are okay. 4/29/10

http://kaizencurmudgeon.blogspot.com/2010/04/hey-patients-checklists-are-okay.html

Your Plastic Brain 9—The Dark Side 4

Dictators, Despots, and Wannabes

“In our posting on March 19, 2014, Julie, we described the amazing finding by Daniel Reisel that MRI exams of the brains of psychopathic murderers showed deficiencies.  Too bad that the same exams can’t be performed on the brains of people liked Hitler and Stalin.  They might also reveal their lack of empathy and propensity for killing.”

“Just think of the capabilities of MRIs of the future, Curmudge.  They might be able to tell the difference between conservatives (classic liberals) and so-called progressives.”

“The future isn’t here yet, so we’ll just have to guess about the brains of modern-day despots and their disciples and hangers-on.  Presumably they will influence the collective brain of their populace by feeding them a steady stream of propaganda, and the people will swallow it, or try to oppose it, or give up in despair.”

“Shall we start with the dictators, Professor?  The mass-murderers were clearly deranged.  As Stalin said, ‘One death is a tragedy; a thousand deaths is a statistic.’  Most contemporary dictators are a bit more subtle.  People who oppose the regime are convicted of a made-up crime and sent to prison…or they just disappear.  It discourages dissent quite effectively.  Another tactic is to restrict the citizens’ access to information by controlling the press, turning off TV stations, or even killing journalists.  Groups that oppose the regime are harassed by regulatory agencies, and businesses owned by an organization’s supporters are subjected to boycotts.”

“You’re right, Julie, and some of these things occur pretty close to home.  The benefits to the despots and wannabes are pretty obvious—power, riches, and tenure in office.  It’s the riches that attract the supporting oligarchs into their symbiotic relationship with the wannabe.  Crony capitalism keeps the money flowing to the oligarchs, and their money keeps the ‘boss’ in power.”

“And how does the despot keep his legislators and ‘foot soldiers’ in line?”

“It would appear that many legislators share the wannabe’s philosophy.  Those of the so-called ‘political class’ feel that they are better able to make decisions for the people than the people can for themselves.  Of course, many bureaucrats enjoy the power that they would lose with regime change, so they parrot their leader’s bloviations.”   

“Now, Curmudge, let’s move down the scale to wannabes and to those despots who are relatively new to the game or at least recently identified.  What do they do to influence the minds of their citizens, and why do they do it?  And why do you call some of these guys ‘wannabes?’ “

“They want to be absolute rulers, Julie, and in their efforts to gain that power, they do all of the above, hopefully short of murder.  Perhaps their philosophy allows them to justify everything.  Several writers have characterized these blokes as postmodernists.”   

“Okay, Old Guy, I think I know who the modernists are.  They are us and most of the people in this country.  Although we are rugged individualists, we accept and live by the mores of society.  We don’t kill, lie, steal, cheat, or envy our neighbor’s success.  You and your colleagues ask yourselves, ‘Is it the truth?  Is it fair to all concerned?’  And you know what ‘truth’ is and what ‘fair’ means.  But what is this postmodernism stuff?”

“There are probably whole books on postmodernism, but here are a few characteristics: Morality is individualistic; every person’s morality belongs to them alone.  Facts and falsehoods are interchangeable.  One could envision a postmodernist feeling that something (anything) is what he says it is. Postmodernists may very well feel that the end justifies the means.”

“That’s pretty scary, especially when a postmodernist is in control of one’s country.  So, Curmudge, based on our study, what do you conclude about the role of government in influencing the collective brain of the people?”

“Sometimes I’m glad to be as old as I am.  When the government sees itself as ruler—rather than servant—of the people, when innovation and hard work are no longer valued, when crony capitalism is the only route to prosperity, when government actions are based solely on politics, when the Ten Commandments become optional, and when lying is an accepted form of communication, I’ll know it’s time for me to be on the other side of the grass.”

“But Curmudge, we’re almost there now.”

“Julie, some days I feel as if I‘m almost there too.”

Kaizen Curmudgeon

Link to posting from blog archives: A Culture of Elegance 3/25/10

http://kaizencurmudgeon.blogspot.com/2010/03/culture-of-elegance.html

Your Plastic Brain 8—The Dark Side 3

Brainwashing and Cults

“I believe, Curmudge, that we are subjected to a degree of brainwashing everywhere and all the time.  There was even an ad in the 3/03/14 Wall Street Journal for a workshop: ‘Learn How to Rewire People’s Purchase Behavior for Your Brand’s Advantage.’ “

“That’s subliminal marketing stuff, Julie.  We’re going to stick with serious attempts to impact people’s lives.  Here’s a useful definition: ‘Mind control (brainwashing) refers to a process in which a group or individual systematically uses unethically manipulative methods to persuade others to conform to the wishes of the manipulator(s), often to the detriment of the person being manipulated,’ I first heard the term ‘brainwashing’ at the time of the Korean War. It was used by the Chinese on American prisoners of war for interrogation and indoctrination.  Former POWs were studied by Lifton who identified these steps used in brainwashing: assault on identity, guilt, self-betrayal, breaking point, leniency, compulsion to confess, channeling of guilt, releasing of guilt, progress and harmony, final confession and rebirth.”

“Hey, Professor, I found another list.  This one is by Biderman, and it includes: isolation, monopolization of perception, induced debility & exhaustion, threats, occasional indulgences, demonstrating omnipotence, enforcing trivial demands, and degradation.  You would suggest that one read the literature to get the details, but it doesn’t take much imagination to figure them out.  They all sound pretty bad.  I understand that some U.S. servicemen receive training on resisting these techniques; I’ll bet that’s no picnic.”

“It seems to me that tactics used to recruit people to join a cult have some elements in common with the brainwashing of POWs.  These are six sociological characteristics of cults: (1) authoritarian leadership, (2) exclusivism, (3) isolationism, (4) opposition to independent thinking, (5) fear of being ‘disfellowshipped,’ (6) threats of satanic attack.  Another list of characteristics, including brainwashing of new inductees, provides more details.”

“I feel almost as bad for people who become entangled in a cult as I feel for a POW.  In both cases it’s difficult—if not impossible—to leave.”

“And in both cases, Julie, the end result might be death.  With cults, the most tragic examples were Jonestown in Guyana (1978) and the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas (1993).”

“Okay, Old Man, what’s next on our list of ways by which people‘s minds can be influenced?”

“It has been—and might still be—controversial, Julie.  It’s called repressed or recovered memory.  Here’s the problem: Some psychotherapists have felt that long-forgotten memories of long-ago events are recovered accurately.  A common example is a woman (usually) who ‘remembers,’ in the course of therapy, that she was abused as a child.  However, experimental neuroscientists have learned that these ‘recovered’ memories are not always true.  In fact, these memories can be constructions of expectations and suggestions in poorly managed therapy.  One can readily envision the consequences to a family when recovered memories lead to accusations and even legal action.”

“As you suggested, Old Guy, I have been reading the literature.   Elizabeth Loftus’s TED talk and a separate article describe how she has proven that people can experience false memories.  Books by Loftus (1) and Pendergrast (2) provide excellent discussions of the recovered memory debate.  Recent research with mice has shown that memories can be implanted and removed from mouse brains.”

“And all along, Julie, I thought that memory removal occurred automatically when one got old.”

“It’s my perception, Herr Lehrer, that you know a bit more about this topic than you have shared.  For example, I think I understand why you included false memory in this posting.  It’s because if a therapist’s patient panel consisted mostly of women who believe they have recovered memories, it might resemble a cult. If that were the case, what would you suggest if the therapist advised her patients to take legal action against their parents based solely on their so-called recovered memories?”

“The therapist would certainly risk a malpractice suit.  And as a penalty, I would propose loss of license, stoning, and putting her head in the stocks.”

“Sounds a bit draconian, Chief, but appropriate.”

Kaizen Curmudgeon

(1)  Loftus, Elizabeth and Ketcham, Katherine The Myth of Repressed Memory: False Memories and Allegations of Sexual Abuse (1996).  (Available from Amazon).

(2)  Pendergrast, Mark. Victims of Memory: Incest Accusations and Shattered Lives (Upper Access, 1995).  (Available from Amazon).

Link to posting from blog archives: Lean Lessons from Long Ago  2/25/10 http://kaizencurmudgeon.blogspot.com/2010/02/lean-lessons-from-long-ago.html

Your Plastic Brain 7—The Dark Side 2

The Collective Brain of a Society—Victimization and Envy

“It would appear, Old Guy, that we are going to continue our discussion of how the brains of individuals can be influenced and combined into the collective brain of a society.  This can lead to the society or nation doing things that turn out to be quite destructive.”

“You’ve got it, Julie, as usual.  One of the most powerful tools to influence the collective thinking of a society is to convince the people that they have become victims.   Victimization has been the basis for revolutions for millennia.  A new leader comes along, inspires the populace to arise, the revolution puts the new leader in power, and the people become victims of the new leader.  Existing examples are Cuba and Venezuela.”

“As suggested by one of our editors, a compelling example from the 20^th Century was the rise of Hitler.  We didn’t mention it in our previous posting, but the onerous stipulations in the Treaty of Versailles, ending World War I, primed the German people for the ascent of Adolf Hitler. Most Germans were humiliated and horrified by the treaty - disgusted at being made to take the blame for the entire war and having to pay reparations to Britain and France. ‘Hitler spoke in a charismatic style that impressed the German people. He blamed outsiders for causing problems in the nation. He argued that if pure Germans known as Aryans controlled the destiny of Germany, it would return to greatness. Hitler placed the blame for many of Germany’s problems on one group: the Jews.’ “

“As our history books tell us, Julie, Hitler and the Nazi party took over Germany in 1933; and World War II was the result.  Its horrors were the final product of victimization.  It is hard to believe that victimization and its cousin, envy, are still used as political tools in modern democratic nations.  Let’s consider an example.  Assume you are watching a presentation on TV.  You initially believe the presenter is being forthright, but you need to resolve an element of skepticism before accepting his message.  How might you proceed?”

“As you have taught me, Professor, I would try to evaluate both the presenter and his message.  First, the presenter, assuming it is a man:  If his nose is long and made of wood, I would conclude that the presenter is Pinocchio, and that he is a habitual liar.  If so, I would reach for the remote immediately.  Next, I would listen for a moment.  If he uses the word ‘folks,’ he thinks he is superior and is talking down to me.  On that basis, I would conclude that he is a demagogue, a political leader who gains power by arousing the emotions, passions, and prejudices of his listeners.  If the bloke passes my veracity and character tests, I next determine if what he is saying is reasonable.”

“Wow, Julie!  You’ve already exercised more judgment than most people—even a lot of Americans.  Let’s suppose that the speaker is talking about a seemingly benign current issue, ‘the one percent.’  How would you judge his message?”

“You know better than to call that issue benign, Old Guy.  Even without listening to the whole talk, I would extrapolate it to its ultimate end point, envy and class warfare.  And class warfare brings chaos, a destroyed economy, and a dictatorship with a new ‘one percent’—the dictator (or wannabe) and his supporting oligarchs.”

“So what would be your evaluation of the overall presentation?”

“The speaker is a demagogue who is trying to fill his listeners’ brains with propaganda.”

“Excellent, cher étudiante.  Your grade is ‘A.’  It would have been ‘A+’ if instead of propaganda you had said ‘b--- s---.’ “

Kaizen Curmudgeon

Link to posting from blog archives: Volunteering—the Seniors’ Raison D’être—1/07/10. http://kaizencurmudgeon.blogspot.com/2010/01/volunteering-seniors-raison-detre.html