BOOMER'S GUIDE
VOLUME 3 ISSUE 6
JUNE 2010
THE BOOMER'S GUIDE TO PLANET
RETIREMENT
DR. MARILYN BRUNO
WWW.GYNOSAPIENS.COM
VOLUME 3 ISSUE 6
JUNE 2010
IN THIS ISSUE: Page 1: Heart Healthy
Page 2: Keeping Organized: Emails and Calendars
Page 4: 3D effect on your brain
Page 5: Yoga!
Page 7: Save Water, Shower with a Friend!
Page 9: Saving Electricity
Page 9: Simple Tips for Remembering Names
QUOTE OF THE MONTH:
We did not inherit the Earth. We borrowed it from our children.
- Native American wisdom.
HEART HEALTHY
Thanks to all for the feedback on last month's article on heart health. Here is a rule of thumb to find out if your
heart is healthy and calculate your target heart rate:
-- Subtract your age from 220
-- Multiply the result by .70 (70%) - THIS IS YOUR TARGET RESTING HEART RATE
-- Feel your pulse for 6 seconds and count every beat.
-- Multiply by 10.
If your pulse does not match your resting heart rate take heed: start exercising and watching your diet until you
bring the number into synch with your target.
1
BOOMER'S GUIDE
VOLUME 3 ISSUE 6
JUNE 2010
Keeping Organized
And here are some tips on how to organize, stay organized, and have some back-up:
CALENDARS:
I thought I lost my agenda book and really freaked out. Yes, I admit that I am very "20th Century." I
don't keep an on-line calendar and am far from working in a paperless office, so losing my little
agenda book was a tragedy. Happily, I found the book, but not after several days of trying to
recreate my life: where I had been, who I spoke with, where I had to be. Yikes.
I also have prominently noted on the inside cover of my agenda book the words: REWARD
OFFERED FOR THIS BOOK! I can now sleep better.
But the fact is that the online calendars are ideal for keeping track of appointments, due dates, project
deadlines and meetings. They are fast, clear and easy as long as you use only one calendar. As
your needs change, the size and type of calendar should grow with you. Be cautious of overstuffing or
overburdening your calendar. When one aspect of your work becomes too complex, you may need to
reserve your calendar for tracking only major deadlines and organize and manage project details in a
different way.
Tips for Using Calendars

Use only one. Having two or three means you may forget to transfer information from one to
another.

Select a calendar whose size and style are adequate for your work and appointment load. If
you have outgrown your appointment book, even if it's the middle of the year, get a larger one
and transfer over. Don't wait until the beginning of the year to start a new calendar.

Be sure there is enough room to write in your calendar. It's easy to miss important dates if your
calendar is too small or too cluttered.

Consider a calendar that has sections for notes, telephone numbers and projects.

Consider portability. Can you easily carry it with you?

Review your activities in advance. Check it daily -- this prevents surprises.

Write down everything that is a firm commitment. Don't trust your memory. Writing it down also
enables you to see commitments in relation to one another.

If your schedule is in flux, use a pencil or have white out handy to keep things legible.
EMAILS:
2
BOOMER'S GUIDE
VOLUME 3 ISSUE 6
JUNE 2010
Be sure to mark as Junk any incoming email that you want your internet email system to filter out.
This helps to reduce the amount of emails that you receive. You can also reduce the amount of mail
solicitations that you receive. Sadly, our email addresses are being sold to vendors of credit cards,
magazines, catalogues, requests for donations, insurance, etc., etc. One way to block your
incoming emails is to go to the Direct Marketing Association website: www.dmachoice.org. DMA
members represent about 80% of the total marketing mail in the U.S. and offers an opt-out program.
Just go to the website and select what mail and email you wish to receive.
Another site is www.OptOutPrescreen.com, where you can remove your name for 5 years from
consumer credit reporting companies lists. You can also call 885-567-8688.
Once you have your in-box full of emails, here are some tips to organize them, courtesy of Parlay,
International:











Screen your incoming e-mail messages by using the subject line.
Create folders to organize messages by topics. This is easy to do. Then, just sort your mail
you want to save by moving it into the appropriate folder. Delete the rest.
Set specific times during the day to respond to e-mail messages.
To avoid distraction, turn off the audio alarms or visual signals that alert you when a new
message arrives.
Do not be seduced by the ease of e-mail. If you would not send it manually, it probably does
not need to be sent electronically. E-mail is not automatically more important than other forms
of communication.
Discover how the software can be customized for your use. Learn how to set up distribution
groupings, reply buttons and signature file. (A signature can be set up to appear
automatically at the end of your message and is useful for promotion or to provide full contact
information to the receiver.) You may be able to instruct to your system to routinely check for
mail at specific times.
If the subject of your reply has changed from the message originally sent to you, change the
subject line.
If you are answering a portion of the incoming message, copy that portion into your reply with
intent marks (>) or brackets to identify it. This precludes the sender receiving a message that
says only "yes, let’s do it" and not being sure what "it" refers to.
Keep your messages concise.
Get off routing lists for information that carries no interest by following Unsubscribe
instructions.
Always include your return address and phone number in a tag line or signature. This helps
those who travel and have e-mail forwarded. Forwarding can drop the name of the originator,
forcing the recipient to guess the author’s identity.
3D AND ITS EFFECT ON YOUR BRAIN
I suffer from distorted depth perception, due to three botched eye operations. When I went to see
the movie Avatar, which I thoroughly enjoyed, I went to the 2-D version precisely because I didn't
3
BOOMER'S GUIDE
VOLUME 3 ISSUE 6
JUNE 2010
want to further confuse my brain. I know from experience that distortion causes nausea and what
can only be described as brain confusion (not quite a headache, but something like a cerebral
electrical storm where computing reality is literally an effort). Then I came across the following
article. It is something to think about before you buy 3D video games for children:
http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/stories/s2813511.htm#
By Mark Pesce, Australian Broadcasting Corporation
A few days ago I found an odd package waiting in my mailbox. One of the commercial TV networks
got my postie to deliver a pair of 3D glasses - very old school, with separate red and blue lenses. I
spent a few moments assembling them, and presto! I looked like I'd just walked out of a showing of
1954's Creature From the Black Lagoon.
Now that James Cameron's Avatar has become the highest-grossing film in history, 3D is very hot.
The hottest new toys unveiled at this year's Consumer Electronics Show were 3D television sets, 3D
Blu-Ray players, and comfortable 3D glasses for the lounge room. At least three US-based cable
networks have promised 3D broadcasts will begin sometime this year - for the few people who have
3D television sets. Everyone in the consumer electronics industry sees this as the Next Big Thing:
now that everyone has purchased big, flat-screen TVs, 3D is the next logical step, the necessary
upgrade that keeps us all on the treadmill of progress. The movie studios have also gotten behind 3D
in a big way. Just last week Warner Brothers announced that the two final Harry Potter films will be
shot in 3D.
Is this the decade of 3D? It might look that way, but we'd all better hope it turns out quite
differently. You see, 3D is not good for you.
How can this be? Isn't the real world in 3D? Yes, the real world of objects is definitely threedimensional. But that's where the similarity ends. What you're shown on a movie screen - or soon, a
television - is not true 3D. That's the source of the problem.
Back in the 1990s I did a lot of development work in virtual reality - another technology destined to
be the Next Big Thing. I helped Sega develop a head-mounted display (fancy VR headgear) that
could be plugged into the Sega Genesis (known as the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Mega Drive in Australia). Everything was going
swimmingly, until we sent our prototype units out for testing.
Virtual reality headsets use the same technique for displaying 3D as we find in movies or 3D
television sets - parallax. They project a slightly different image to each one of your eyes, and from
that difference, your brain creates the illusion of depth. That sounds fine, until you realize just how
complicated human depth perception really is. The Wikipedia entry on depth perception (an excellent
read) lists ten different cues that your brain uses to figure out exactly how far away something is.
Parallax is just one of them. Since the various movie and television display technologies only offer
parallax-based depth cues, your brain basically has to ignore several other cues while you're
immersed in the world of Avatar. This is why the 3D of films doesn't feel quite right. Basically, you're
fighting with your own brain, which is getting a bit confused. It's got some cues to give it a sense of
4
BOOMER'S GUIDE
VOLUME 3 ISSUE 6
JUNE 2010
depth, but it's missing others. Eventually your brain just starts ignoring the other cues.
That's the problem. When the movie's over, and you take your glasses off, your brain is still ignoring
all those depth perception cues. It'll come back to normal, eventually. Some people will snap right
back. In others, it might take a few hours. This condition, known as 'binocular dysphoria', is the price
you pay for cheating your brain into believing the illusion of 3D. Until someone invents some other
form of 3D projection (many have tried, no one has really succeeded), binocular dysphoria will be
part of the experience.
This doesn't matter too much if you're going to see a movie in the theatre - though it could lead to a
few prangs in the parking lot afterward - but it does matter hugely if it's something you'll be exposed
to for hours a day, every day, via your television set. Your brain is likely to become so confused
about depth cues that you'll be suffering from a persistent form of binocular dysphoria. That's what
the testers told Sega, and that's why the Sega VR system - which had been announced with great
fanfare - never made it to market.
Video games are one of the great distractions of youth. Children can play them for hours every day,
and our testers realized that children - with their highly malleable nervous systems - could potentially
suffer permanent damage from regular and extensive exposure to a system which created binocular
dysphoria in its users. This is the heart of my concern, because 3D television is being pitched as an
educational medium - Discovery Channel has announced 3D broadcasts will begin mid-year - and that
medium could damage the growing minds it is intended to enlighten.
All of this is rolling forward without any thought to the potential health hazards of continuous, longterm exposure to 3D. None of the television manufacturers have done any health & safety testing
around this. They must believe that if it's safe enough for the cinema, it's fine for the living room. But
that's simply not the case. Getting a few hours every few weeks is nothing like getting a few hours,
every single day.
One of two things is about to happen: either 3D television will quickly and quietly disappear from the
market, from product announcements, and from broadcast plans, or we'll soon see the biggest classaction lawsuit in the planet's history, as millions of children around the world realize that their
televisions permanently ruined their depth perception. Let's hope 3D in the home dies a quiet death.
Yoga!
Considering that yoga is thousands of years old, it might seem silly to say that it has come a long
way in recent years. But as mind/body exercise continues to take hold of the fitness industry, the
practice of yoga has moved from the alternative to the mainstream. Here is a summary of the
benefits of yoga that I found in ACE FitnessMatters® Magazine, put out by the The American Council
on Exercise® of San Diego, California (ACE®):
5
BOOMER'S GUIDE
VOLUME 3 ISSUE 6
JUNE 2010
Today’s hectic lifestyle has left many people wondering how to manage the stress that comes along
with it. While regular aerobic exercise and strength training can help, they aren’t the complete
answer. Some experts and practitioners believe that yoga is the piece you need to complete the
puzzle of maintaining fitness in both the body and mind.
A trend worth following
Now, before you start conjuring up images of zoned-out new-agers in pretzel-like positions chanting
mantras, consider this: Yoga is an ancient practice that can help you improve breathing, posture, and
muscle tone, not to mention the mental disposition to cope with the stresses of modern life. And
more and more people, stressed out or not, are discovering the benefits of yoga.
In fact, it has been reported that more than 11 million Americans are now practicing some form of
yoga.
Yoga, which means to yoke or unite, is the practice of uniting all aspects of a person—body, mind
and spirit—through physical postures, breathing exercises and meditation. Flexibility, strength and
muscle tone improve quickly as the mind and body work together in harmony and unison.
Choose your yoga
There are several different branches of yoga, each with its own unique focus and temperature setting:
-- Hatha yoga, the most widely practiced form, emphasizes concentration and consists of gentle stretching and
strengthening exercises.
-- Because prana, or life force, is thought to originate in the breath, pranayama yoga uses breathing exercises
and breath control to enhance vitality and energy.
--Mantra yoga uses the concentrated repetition of a word or phrase to aid in the control of the mind.
-- For a more intense yoga workout, choose Ashtanga, or power yoga. This type involves a series of very
intense yoga postures done in succession. This class, which is a vigorous workout, can help develop strength
as well as flexibility.
A time to relax
For some, yoga is a primary means of relaxation, something that is often difficult to achieve in the high-stress,
high-speed modern world. Regardless of which type you choose, yoga is an excellent way to stretch and
strengthen the body, focus the mind and relax the spirit. In fact, most modern stress-reduction techniques are
based on the principles of yoga. Available research indicates that stress-related diseases respond favorably to
this type of approach. Hypertension, insulin resistance, pain, cardiovascular disease, anxiety and depression all
are beneficially affected by regular participation in mindful exercise such as yoga.
Easing into it
The best way to get started in yoga is to find a class that appeals to you. Find out where yoga classes are
being held in your area and stop by to see what you think. There are many different approaches to yoga—
some focus on breathing, others focus on holding specific postures—and it’s important to find the one that
appeals to you the most.
6
BOOMER'S GUIDE
VOLUME 3 ISSUE 6
JUNE 2010
Improve overall health and performance
Yoga is a great way not only to relax, but also to improve your performance in other activities. Once you have
learned a few yoga moves and breathing techniques, they can easily be integrated into your regular fitness
routine.
So don’t let any preconceived notions of yoga keep you from enjoying the benefits of this dynamic mind/body
exercise.
SAVE WATER, SHOWER WITH A FRIEND!
Am I the only one who remembers this slogan from the '60s? It was often repeated at the Earth Day
celebrations in the '70s. Nobody says it anymore, but saving water is a priority for all of us to
conserve this precious resource. Everyone should be mindful to turn off the faucet when they are
brushing their teeth, shaving, etc. Every drop counts!
I went to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website (www.epa.gov) to see what they
recommend for conserving water. Following are some tips that will not only lower your water bill
(which is certain to go up as water scarcity becomes more apparent), but will become easy habits to
get into so that we can all cooperate in this important effort.
Fixing leaks around the home
Being handy around the house doesn’t have to be difficult. Common types of leaks found in the home
are worn toilet flappers, dripping faucets and other leaking valves. These types of leaks are often
easily correctable, in many cases requiring only a few tools and hardware that can pay for themselves
in water savings.
Checking for leaks
To check for leaks in your home, first you need to determine whether you’re wasting water, then
identify the source of the leak.





Take a look at your water usage during a colder month, such as January or February. If a
family of four exceeds 12,000 gallons per month, there are serious leaks.
Check your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the
meter changes at all, you probably have a leak.
Identify toilet leaks by placing a drop of food coloring in the toilet tank. If any color shows up in
the bowl after 15 minutes, you have a leak. (Be sure to flush immediately after the experiment
to avoid staining the tank.)
Examine faucet gaskets and pipe fittings for any water on the outside of the pipe to check for
surface leaks.
The Regional Water Providers Consortium has a video on detecting household leaks that you
may find helpful.
7
BOOMER'S GUIDE
VOLUME 3 ISSUE 6
JUNE 2010
Fix a leak: toilets
A common reason why toilets will leak is an old or worn out toilet flapper (sometimes called a "valve
seal"). Flappers are inexpensive rubber parts that can build up minerals or decay over time.
Replacing them can be a quick and easy fix for your water woes. To fix this leak, consult your local
hardware store, home improvement retailer, or licensed plumber. Here are some online resources
from WaterSense partners:


Spartanburg Water has a useful video tutorial on detecting leaky toilets.
The Regional Water Providers Consortium has a step-by-step video on how to fix a leaky toilet.
Tip: Bring the old flapper to the hardware store for comparison to make sure you buy a new flapper
that fits your toilet model. You can also check the owner’s manual, if you have it, or the
manufacturer’s website for the appropriate replacement part number for the flapper.
Fix a leak: faucets
Old and worn faucet washers and gaskets frequently cause leaks in faucets. Many tutorials are
available online for how to fix a wide variety of faucets. Here are a couple of examples:


The Do-It-Yourself Network has a handy reference on faucet repairs.
YouTube has numerous video tutorials on how to fix a dripping faucet.
Tip: Don’t forget to turn off the water line before you start!
Fix a leak: showerheads
Some leaky showerheads can be fixed by making sure there is a tight connection between the
showerhead and the pipe stem and by using pipe tape to secure it. Pipe tape, also called Teflon tape,
is available at most hardware stores, is easy to apply, and can help tame unruly leaks. For more
complicated valve leaks in showers that drip when not in use, contact an experienced handyperson or
licensed plumber.
Tip: It’s also a good idea to check and, if needed, replace the washer or "o" ring inside the
showerhead while making this repair.
Fix a leak: outdoors
If you have an in-ground irrigation system, check it each spring before use to make sure it wasn’t
damaged by frost or freezing. Or hire a WaterSense irrigation partner to inspect it for you. These
professionals have passed a certification program focused on water efficiency. They will not only help
you detect and correct leaks in the system, but also maximize its efficiency.
Finally, check your garden hose for leaks at its connection to the spigot. If it leaks while you run your
hose, replace the nylon or rubber hose washer and ensure a tight connection to the spigot using pipe
tape and a wrench.

BobVila.com shows how to make additional repairs to an outdoor faucet.
Leaks still flowing overboard?
Have you done all that you can to try to eliminate leaks from your home but still can’t nip that drip in
the bud?
8
BOOMER'S GUIDE
VOLUME 3 ISSUE 6
JUNE 2010
If you’ve already determined you have leaks and you find these step-by-step solutions aren’t enough
to stop them, it might be time to replace your leaking fixtures. If you consult with a plumbing
professional, and look for the WaterSense label if you are considering a new toilet or faucet, you
could increase your home’s water efficiency.
SAVING ELECTRICITY
As long as we are on the subject of conservation, BE SURE TO SIGN UP FOR A FREE
BOOK ON THE STATE AND FEDERAL INCENTIVES FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY MEASURES:
www.greeniswealth.com.
Simple Tricks For Remembering Names
Most people have trouble remembering names -- especially when they associate a piece of clothing
with the name of the person. When Jack took off his yellow jacket, nobody remembered his name!
First of all, when you draw a blank, simply ask the person what his name is. There is nothing more
awkward than referring to your colleague or client as "Yes, Sir" or "Buddy."
A little research into how to remember names brought me to a Forbes article of April 20th by Helen
Coster. She made the point that we are all losing names and faces in the Web-based nickname era.
Being able to use someone's name (and pronounce it correctly) in a face-to-face situation is
becoming a lost art! So, here are some tips that are good for memorizing or remembering anything,
including names:
"Everyone struggles with remembering names," says Jill Spiegel, author of How to Talk to Anyone
About Anything. "When we first meet someone we're taking in so much visually and emotionally. They
say their name, but it's up there floating in our heads." Making matters worse are all the singlesyllable American male names, like Chris, Mike or Tom, that tend to blend together.
There are tricks to remembering names. Master even one or two and you'll be in good shape.
1. The ”FACE" method ("Focus, Ask, Comment and Employ") was invented by Benjamin Levy,
author of Remember Every Name Every Time, Focus: Lock in on the person's face. Ask: Inquire
which version he prefers ("Is it Ted or Theodore?"). Comment: Say something about the name and
cross-reference it in your head ("My college roommate's name was Ted.") Employ: Put the name to
use--"Nice seeing you, Ted"--to drive it home.
9
BOOMER'S GUIDE
VOLUME 3 ISSUE 6
JUNE 2010
2. Repeat, Repeat, Repeat. The most surefire strategy is to repeat the person's name--both in your
head, and out loud--as soon as possible after you've been introduced. Occasionally use the person's
name in conversation. "Pleasure to meet you, Bob," or "Bob, so good to see you." Don't overdo it, of
course, but don't worry that Bob will recoil, either. He'd rather you remember his name than not.
3. Find The Trigger. Try to associate names with things people tell you about themselves (careers,
hobbies) that will trigger the sound or association of the name in your mind. Fred likes to fish,
Margarita runs a bar ... "You have to search in the moment for something familiar," says Spiegel. "It's
a simple trick, but it just sticks."
4. Word Play. Let the words do the work for you. Mnemonic devices, like rhymes (Dale works in
sales), work nicely, as does alliteration (Joann from Jersey).
5. Speak Up. Embarrassing as it seems, don't be afraid to ask someone to repeat his or her name.
Start out with a compliment, such as "I've had so much fun talking with you, and I've completely
forgotten your name." If you realize you've blanked on a name a few seconds after introduction, just
say: "I'm sorry, I missed your name."
Once you've gotten over the hurdle of remembering someone's name, you might face the added
dilemma of not knowing whether to address the person by a first or last name. Spiegel recommends
starting with the person's last name followed by a flattering comment and a casual introduction, such
as "Mrs. Smith, I'm such an admirer of yours. My name is Susan." The person just might respond,
"Nice to meet you. I'm Mary."
Problem solved.
Please let me know how what topics you would like covered in our next
Newsletters! E-mail:DrBruno@gynosapiens.com.
All previous Newsletters are posted online on the homepage of
www.gynosapiens.com
10