The Cheap Dude: Whiz-Dumb Cheap

The camping-thrashed and coffee-stained issue.

My head might not be right, I know, but what else can I think with?

Early in life I felt tuned to a different radio than everybody else. Years of introspection and study, grabbing help wherever I found it, and plenty of drugs, especially alcohol: was “civilization” insane, or I? (Answer: both.) “Sober” now, for the record. So what?

Lame as it may sound, in recent years Psychology Today magazine, more than anything, has taught me how my brain works. The Sept./Oct. 2012 issue was extra helpful. They’re not paying me, but I won’t argue if they want to. Condensed highlights:

p. 21, Everyday Fortune-Tellers by Colin Weatherby:

People are not good at predicting their own future, but they can get better at it. Ask an outside party--friend, family, expert--for input. Keep your imagination grounded in reality. And don’t be over-optimistic. Fortunately at 54 I can predict I’ll do what I’ve done for many years: work hard, love my family, and have as much fun as humanly possible. Good enough.


Tea's cheaper anyhow.

p.48, The Trouble With Fructose, by Hara Estroff Marano:

Bad news for cornaholics like myself. Fructose in the form of “corn syrup” sweetens most soda pop, and many processed foods. In small amounts, like in fruit, it’s OK. But fructose must be metabolized by the liver, not absorbed in the stomach like other sugars, and now scientists are linking it to dementia, depression, and stupidity (“reduced cognitive capacity”.) This explains why the whole country seems to get dumber every year.

p. 78, Stealth Attack, by Nikhil Swaminathan:

Turns out what is killing bees all over the world, especially the U.S., is the insecticide “imidacloprid”. (Germany, France, and Italy have already suspended its use.) It only takes tiny amounts. It’s the same chemical family as “nerve gas” and we don’t really know what it does to humans. Similar substances are known to be toxic. The U.S. uses 22 percent of the world’s pesticides to produce four percent of the world’s agricultural output. So in pursuit of profit, industrial farming uses whatever gives ‘em the best yield, the people and the planet be damned! I’d rather eat an occasional bug.

p. 56, Lessons for Living, by Elizabeth Svoboda:

Five simple rules for human relationships, modern version based on current research. Five pages crammed into five sentences:

1. Trying to “fix” someone else usually backfires, fix yourself instead.

2. It’s better to under-parent than over-parent, “...let kids live with disappointment and resolve their own problems....”

3. Opposites attract, but not for long.

4. Friends are as good for you as proper diet and exercise; lack of friends is as bad for you as smoking and obesity.

5. After the initial lust fades, long-lasting (“true") love comes when you realize how screwed-up your mate is and stay committed anyway. (Surprise!)

p. 44, The Perks of Feeling So-So, by Lauren F. Friedman:

I figured this out on my own, maybe I should be a “shrink": People are happier when they accept both the good and bad in life, instead of trying to put a smiley face on everything. “Joyful participation in a world of sorrow” as the Buddhists put it. A great motto for life.

There’s lots more, they do a good job each month. Brains are amazing, and science is constantly learning more about ‘em. Me, and you now, too! Wow!