SWINE FLU OUTBREAK ALERT

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Dear Friends:

Please take every possible precaution against contracting or transmitting the deadly Swine Flu virus. Read about what you can do. Let others know -- by email, social media, a telephone call... in any way that you can. Following is an information link:

douglascastleSWINE FLU OUTBREAK ALERT - I just finished a post on http://lifelinksiep.blogspo... about measures we should take. Please forward to all!less than 5 seconds ago from web.

Stay healthy.

Faithfully,

Douglas Castle

BRAINTENANCE EXERCISES 4/23/09 - 4/28/09

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Dear Neighbors and kinfolk:

'Afore we git started on the next round 'a cypherin', I reckon we should commence to solvin' the old problems what's got our knickers in a twist and got us all cattywampussed up. What in tarnation am I a'sayin'?


1. How many ways can you arrange four blocks in a vertical column? 24 ways (4x3x2x1).


2. What portion of the human brain is thought to be the oldest (the most primitive)? The brain stem stem could be called the "primitive part of the brain" because it was the first brain structure to evolve, and is responsible for our basic vital functions like breathing and heartbeat. The "reptilian" brain, or the brain stem regions (the medulla & cerebellum) are the most primitive. They control things that are not really voluntary. This is why brain stem injuries can lead to such devastating physical handicaps while a the person is still able to think clearly.


3. How many letter "i" s are in the two-word expression, "eyes only"? None.


4. What is the literal translation of the word DINOSAUR? "Thunder Lizard," from the Latin.


5. How many different combinations of American coins can be added together which will equal thirty one cents? A whole bunch, considering that you can use any combination of quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies...for example, a quarter plus a nickel plus a penny = 31 cents...but so does two dimes plus two nickels plus a penny....or even thirty one pennies...TAKE SOME MORE TIME WITH THIS ONE. Perhaps there is a formula.


6. What is wrong with the expression, "You can't have your cake and eat it too." ? It is backwards. It should be, "You can't eat your cake and have it too." Why? Because you can still eat a cake that you have, but you cannot have (outside of your body) a cake that you have already consumed.


7. What is wrong with the expression, "He's adding insult to injury." ? Nothing, per se. The order of the words injury and insult in the statement work either way.


8. What is wrong with the expression, "Birds of a feather flock together." ? Nothing, except that my mother used to say it all of the time about the kids that I would choose to hang around with.


9. What is the official language of the United Nations?10. What is the English translation of the latin expression "NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM"? This expression is on every $1 bill. "New World Order," from the Latin.


11. What is the difference in meaning between the words SCRIPT and SCRIP? Script is either an informal form of writing, or b) the written lines to be recited by an actor when playing a role. Scrip is either a) a short form of the word "perscription," b) valueless ("fiat") currency, or c) coupons redeemable at a merchant's establishment.


12. What is the difference in meaning between the words ASSENT and ASCENT? Assent means an agreement or accord, while ascent means a "rising higher."


13. Assuming that nothing else is changed, if your arteries and veins were wider, would your blood pressure go up or down? Why. Your blood pressure would likely decrease as your heart would not have to work quite as heard to pump fluid through smaller (or more congested) tubes. This is why having clogged arteries can cause your blood pressure to rise and put a strain on your heart.

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And now, for some homework...



Here is some interesting reading and some listening, as well:



http://www.web-us.com/brain/aboutthebrain.htm



http://intelegen.com/nutrients/INDEX.HTM



http://www.leadershipnow.com/quotes.html

http://www.clairvision.org/ckb/ckbe/ckbc/fol_0000_0001/cat_0000_0090/index.html (click on any of the free music downloads -- some of them are very psychically, emotionally and psychologically stimulating).

Lastly: Please scroll up to the VIDEO PAVILLION, click on any meditation tape, and watch it. It is worth the investment of time.

Faithfully,

Douglas Castle

p.s. Everybody always expects something special at the p.s. section.

BRAINTENANCE QUIZ 4/16/09 - 4/22/09

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Arrgh, me Hearties! Afore we commence, let's solve the last bunch of puzzles from the previous post:



Here are those several fine mind-twisters that kept your brain throbbing...


1. Any number, when divided by zero, equals what? Infinity, unless the number is zero.


2. What is the sum of all numbers from 1 to 1,000? 500,500. The shortcut formula for the sum of an arithmetic series is just N x (N+1)/ 2, or, in this case, 1000 x 1001 /2. Doing the math, our answer will come to 500,500.


3. What is the sum of all of the even numbers from 1 to 1,000? This is a tricky one. You know that the total number of numbers (sounds silly, eh?) will be 500, because the total series is comprised of half even numbers, and half odd ones, e.g., 500 of each. Logically, if you look at the 500 even numbers, you'll note that they are each a doubling of an odd number. For example, 2 is 1x2, 4 is 2x2, 6 is 3x2, 8 is 4x2...what we have is a really a series of the numbers of 1 through 500 twice. Going further, the sum of a 500 number arithmetic series is 500x501/2, or 125,250. Doubling this number gives us 250,500. Hence (nowthen), the sum of all of the even numbers from 1 to 1000 is 250,500.


4. What is the sum of all of the odd numbers from 1 to 1,000? Boy, we're smart. All we have to do is take the sum of the entire series (even and odd numbers consecutively ordered), which is 500,500, and reduce it by the sum of all of the even numbers, which we found in the previous problem. So...500,500 - 250,500 = 250,000.

5. What number, when divided by itself, equals itself? Every number, when divided by itself, will equal 1.

6. What number, when multiplied by itself, equals 729? The square root of 729, is can be found by a mathematically complex formula which involves an iterative process -- or you can use your pocket calculator to get 27.

7. What three-digit number, whose digits are added together equals the same as the product when its digits are multiplied by eachother? The number 123. Or 231. Or 321. Or 312. Or 213. Or 132.

8. How many correct answers can there be to the previous question? Six.

9. Why does it seem that time passes more quickly as we grow older? Because as we get older, each additional year becomes a decreasing fraction of our entire life as lived so far. For example, a three-year-old's last year represents 33.33% of his entire lifetime, while a sixty-year-old's last (most recent) year represents a mere 1.67% of his entire lifetime.

10. How far can a dog run into the woods? Halfway, and then he is running out.

11. What are these two words: One is an amusing story, and the other is a cure for a poison. They are ANECDOTE and ANTIDOTE.

12. What do we run into after we've run out? You'll have to figure this one out for yourself. Drop me a line. Let me know what you think the answer is.

13. What is the term for those interesting shapes and patterns we see when we close our eyelids? Phosphenes.

14. How many moons are there during a period of three months? Actually, only one. The same one every night for three months. It may look different, but it is Earth's one and only known moon.

15. What question will never be answered? The one which is never asked.
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And now, for some new mind-wringers:

1. How many ways can you arrange four blocks in a vertical column?

2. What portion of the human brain is thought to be the oldest (the most primitive)?

3. How many letter "i" s are in the two-word expression, "eyes only"?

4. What is the literal translation of the word DINOSAUR?

5. How many different combinations of American coins can be added together which will equal thirty one cents?

6. What is wrong with the expression, "You can't have your cake and eat it too." ?

7. What is wrong with the expression, "He's adding insult to injury." ?

8. What is wrong with the expression, "Birds of a feather flock together." ?

9. What is the official language of the United Nations?

10. What is the English translation of the latin expression "NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM"? This expression is on every $1 bill.

11. What is the difference in meaning between the words SCRIPT and SCRIP?

12. What is the difference in meaning between the words ASSENT and ASCENT?

13. Assuming that nothing else is changed, if your arteries and veins were wider, would your blood pressure go up or down? Why.

Faithfully,

Douglas Castle

BRAINTENANCE QUIZ: 3/7/09 -3/10/09

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Dear Friends:

Here are the answers to the cryptograms from the last quiz. How many of these were you able to get right? A friend brought to my attention that he sometimes uses the "Jeopardy" approach to solving some of the cryptograms -- he figures out some of the letters, and then takes a guess at the old saying or statement that's been encrypted. If you can somehow guess the saying, it is an amazing timesaver...but be advised, it's not an easy way to start. The best way is still to determine what some of the smaller words are by using the frequency of occurence of the letters. But I digress...

Here we go:

1. Copy from one, it's plagiarism; copy from two, it's research.

2. A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of.

3. In this world, nothing is certain but death and taxes.

4. Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition.

5. What does not destroy me, makes me stronger.

6. Politics is the gentle art of getting votes from the poor and campaign funds from the rich by promising to protect each from the other.

7. Under capitalism, man exploits man. Under communism, it's just the opposite.

8. Praising what is lost makes the remembrance dear.

9. Obstacles are those things you see when you take your eyes off your goals.

10. The optimist thinks this is the best of all worlds. The pessimist fears this is true.

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Here are several fine mind-twisters to keep your brain throbbing...

1. Any number, when divided by zero, equals what?

2. What is the sum of all numbers from 1 to 1,000?

3. What is the sum of all of the even numbers from 1 to 1,000?

4. What is the sum of all of the odd numbers from 1 to 1,000?

5. What number, when divided by itself, equals itself?

6. What number, when multiplied by itself, equals 729?

7. What three-digit number, whose digits are added together equals the same as the product when its digits are multiplied by eachother?

8. How many correct answers can there be to the previous question?

9. Why does it seem that time passes more quickly as we grow older?

10. How far can a dog run into the woods?

11. What are these two words: One is an amusing story, and the other is a cure for a poison.

12. What do we run into after we've run out?

13. What is the term for those interesting shapes and patterns we see when we close our eyelids?

14. How many moons are there during a period of three months?

15. What question will never be answered?

Faithfully,

Douglas Castle