Best advice I’ve heard from a PT is to practice getting up from the floor every day, without any support or assistance.
W
wtg
@wtg
Posts
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In praise of bike helmets -
In praise of bike helmetsWe stopped biking 10 years ago. Too many distracted drivers out there waiting to kill us. But we weren't serious cyclists, just went out a few times during nice weather.
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In praise of bike helmets@realplayer Glad to hear you weren't badly injured.
I read somewhere that as we age our brains shrink a bit and that there can be more movement inside the skull if the head moves or stops quickly. Good excuse to stay off of roller coasters!
Even when we're in fairly good physical shape as we get older our flexibility, strength, and reaction times all get a bit worse. I figured that out when I did a near-face plant on our front porch. Twice, about eight years apart. Just didn't quite pick my foot up enough when stepping onto the porch.
Besides doing some strength and flexibility exercises, I am much more mindful of how I move about. I try to be sure I'm aware of what might be on the floor so I don't trip over it, and I concentrate when going up/down stairs. Looking down through progressive lenses is a bit tricky when descending stairs; focus isn't ideal. And I always have one hand on a handrail if at all possible.
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PT recital, my latest recording -
Feeling old yet?@Piano-Dad Add me to the list.
And WWII was only 10 years in the rear view mirror.
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Rob Sand, running for governor of IAA Democrat in Name Only
Rob Sand isn’t progressive or moderate. What is he trying to be?
Gift link.
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Spread thinPresident Donald Trump’s war against Iran is stretching the limits of U.S. aircraft carriers and leaving the western Pacific without one of the key American warships as China shows more signs of aggression.
The USS George Washington is departing the Pacific and expected to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East amid growing concerns about mental health and supply issues aboard the long-deployed carrier. The Lincoln has had its time at sea extended from its original May return date to support operations against Iran.
The lack of a U.S. carrier in the Pacific may be short-lived if the Navy deploys another in the next couple of months. But it shows how the open-ended operations with Iran are running some American sailors ragged, analysts say, while the Trump administration further retreats from the Asia-Pacific region and focuses on the Western Hemisphere.
“The administration says that the Pacific is supposed to be the most important behind the Western Hemisphere,” said Greg Poling, director of the Southeast Asia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Instead, the U.S. is “doing the exact opposite” of its previously expressed goal of pulling out of the Middle East.
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For sourdough bakersHaven't made these breakfast pizzas but they look delish.
https://breadtopia.com/egg-and-herb-breakfast-pizzas/?utm_content
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The ‘Gary Bears’ has a nice ring to itBears announced a few days ago they're continuing their focus on Hammond. Fingers still crossed.
From a prof at Ball State University. Guess some Hoosiers don't want the Bears to move there any more than some of us Illinoisans want them to stay here.
https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2026/07/20/lets-hope-the-chicago-bears-stay-in-illinois/
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Mark Kelly speaks sooth - the 3 BsTrump orders Pentagon to redesign US aircraft carrier to use steam catapults to launch jets
President has suggested steam catapults every year since 2017, saying digital systems are too ‘complicated’
Senator Mark Kelly, an Arizona Democrat and a former astronaut, was more blunt in his reaction to the news.
“I’ve launched off the front of aircraft carriers hundreds of times, have a Master’s degree in aeronautical engineering, and am a test pilot and even I wouldn’t suggest to the Navy how to engineer specific systems on its ships,” Kelly wrote on social media. “Donald Trump should stick to what he knows best – ballrooms, bankruptcy, and bullshit.”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/13/trump-aircraft-carriers-steam-catapults
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Dick Cheney’s cardiogist has an op-ed in the NYTYou can only pick from the available candidates. The people who run are motiviated by how the current system works. Sadly it appears that many/most of them aren't serving their constituents but are rather serving themselves.
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The Color RecessionNo design advice here; I'm a total disaster at picking colors. But I do have a question..
Darker colors retain heat more, and lighter colors reflect. Might the choice of a particular color, light vs dark, affect the interior temperature of the house in a way that's undesirable? So many factors influence what feels comfortable in the house. If you have lots of deciduous trees that keep you cool in summer, then maybe a darker color to retain heat in the winter would be good. Or maybe you have not a lot of tree protection and need to keep things cool in the summer.
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Scratch the Baltics… now going to ParisChocolate. A friend travels to Paris every few years and brings me back the most fabulous chocolate. I don't have a specific recommendation for a shop but I know there are many!
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Dick Cheney’s cardiogist has an op-ed in the NYTI Was Dick Cheney’s Cardiologist. Trump Has Not Looked Well, and We Should Know Why..
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Barack's podcastThe books:
The podcast, A Great Book with Barack Obama, will see the former president sitting down with six “luminaries” to discuss the seminal novels. The book selections are: The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin, Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison, All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy, Gilead by Marilynne Robinson, All the King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré.
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Barack's podcastBarack Obama launches podcast about books that ‘shaped his worldview’
The former US president will host six episodes of A Great Book for Audible, discussing work from Toni Morrison and John le Carré to James Baldwin
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Avoiding dementiaHere’s an easy daily habit that may help to keep the brain sharp in old age: Listen to music. A new study found that older adults who consistently listened to music reduced their risk of developing dementia by nearly 40 percent.
The study, from researchers at Monash University in Australia, used data from more than 10,800 relatively healthy men and women aged 70 and older who were enrolled in a long-running study of aging and health. None had Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia at the start of the study period. Participants underwent annual medical exams and regular tests of thinking and memory skills. They were followed for about a decade.
The researchers found that study participants who said they listened to music on most days had a 39 percent lower risk of developing dementia than their peers who “never,” “rarely” or only “sometimes” listened to music. They also had a 17 percent lower incidence of general cognitive decline, as well as higher scores on tests of thinking and memory skills, including episodic memory, or the ability to recall everyday events.
Regularly playing a musical instrument, such as a piano or guitar, also appeared to have benefits for the brain. Those who played a musical instrument had a 33 percent reduced risk of dementia and a 22 percent reduced risk of cognitive impairment.
https://www.alzinfo.org/articles/research/listening-to-music-may-cut-dementia-risk/
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Avoiding dementiaTaxi drivers rarely die of Alzheimer’s – how complex mental maps and spatial reasoning protect your brain
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Happy birthday, Mik!Almost missed it. Kept thinking all day that 8/11 is a day with significance. And then it came to me!
Happy birthday to our resident Cincinnatian!
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House for sale@AndyD Nice! Reminded me of one of the projects that I saw on Grand Designs.
I also looked at this related listing:
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/91462938#/?channel=RES_BUY
Both this one and the one you listed seem to have graveyards associated with them. Not sure how I'd feel about that. Lots of deep emotional energy stored in cemetery space.