The monthly, members-only, e-zine keeps AATH members updated on the latest developments in the world of applied and therapeutic humor. Each link will open a new window for anything outside the AATH website. All web links below have been carefully checked and worked at the time of publication. If the link does not take you to the listed article, please contact the owners of that website about finding that article. Disclaimer: Published by Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor. AATH accepts no responsibility for any claims, either expressed or implied, in this publication. The information and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of AATH, its officers, directors, staff, or members. |
August 2005
Humor Research: International Society for Humor Research
ISHS Historian Don Nilsen of Arizona State University compiles and provides bibliographies of humor research for the Society. The more popular bibliographies, divided by topic, are available below in Microsoft Word format.
(E-zine Ed.: arguably the best source for laughter and humor references available) www.hnu.edu
Jason Rutter - Humour Research
Jason Rutter's Humour Research. Online Database of Humour References ...
http://les1.man.ac.uk
Positive affect and health-related neuroendocrine, cardiovascular, and inflammatory processes.
Published online before print April 19, 2005, 10.1073/pnas.0409174102
PNAS | May 3, 2005 | vol. 102 | no. 18 | 6508-6512
Andrew Steptoe *, Jane Wardle and Michael Marmot
Here we show that positive affect in middle-aged men and women is associated with reduced neuroendocrine, inflammatory, and cardiovascular activity www.pnas.org
De-Stress Your Life and Save Your Heart
By Gailon Totheroh
CBN News Science and Medical Reporter
He has hints such as these for lowering stress: "Surround yourselves by people who laugh a lot and enjoy that. It's a free gift that God has given us, and you can see all across every nation in the world, people enjoy laughter and the gift of laughter. www.cbn.com
A Laugh a Day Keeps the Doctor Away
The Christian Post
Monday, Jul. 18, 2005
by Dr. Jean-Jacques Dugoua, N(sic)D
There are several ways to manage stress, but my favorite is laughter. www.christianpost.com
AATH in the News
Laughter: The best medicine
By Elizabeth A. Katz
Daily Tribune Staff Writer, July 10, 2005
Angela Mazur, a psychotherapist with the Center for Creative Living in Royal Oak, has recently earned certification as a "laughter leader." She holds a Laughter Club at the center to help teach people how to laugh at life. (Editor: this article does suggest endorphin release with laughter which is not scientifically proven) www.dailytribune.com
Thursday, July 14, 2005
Lillie Mae Tomlin, mother of Lily Tomlin, dies at 91
Associated Press www.courier-journal.com
The Arizona Republic -
On-line Edition
Mark Briggs just may be dogs' best friend ... Buddha book ... Not to mention
Jul. 26, 2005 12:00 AM
(AATH member) Fran London of Chandler, health education specialist at the Emily Center at Phoenix Children's Hospital, also is a prolific author. She has written three nursing books, and on Thursday her book about the laughing Buddha was published by Chronicle Books of San Francisco. www.azcentral.com
Comedy Club of a different shtick
Rutland Harold, Vermont
Physicians out to prove laughter clubs are just what the doctor ordered
July 27, 2005
Steve Wilson, a psychologist, was lecturing in Asia when he learned about laughter yoga. He adapted the model to Western culture by de-emphasizing the yoga and founded the World Laughter Tour in 1998. (e-zine ed.: article (not Steve Wilson) states children laugh 300-400 times per day, adults laugh 15 times per day; this claim has not been scientifically proven). www.rutlandherald.com
Helpguide
Humor and Laughter: Health Benefits and Online Sources
Gina Kemp, M.A., and Cara Rosellini contributed to this article.
When we consider the inestimable benefits of humor, we want to bring as much laughter into our lives as possible.
(E-zine ed: AATH is quoted in this article. There is so much great info here and so many good sources that perhaps we can forgive the unproven claim of children laughing 300 times per day, adults 17 times per day) www.helpguide.org
Humor Terapeutico
by Esther Quintero Cartagena
Esther is a member of AATH from Puerto Rico. She has written a doctoral dissertation (in spanish) www.humorterapeutico.com
HUMOR in the NEWS:
Laughter filled the room while clowns rehearsed skits
By JILL SHERMAN, DAILY SUN
Thursday, July 7, 2005
THE VILLAGES - Anyone who had an unpainted face and was not wearing a bright wig and crazy clothes had to stay seated. That was a rule.http://www.thevillagesdailysun.com
'In The Beginning'' Comic Strip Brings Laughs by Presenting the ''Lighter Side'' of Religion
Distribution Source : ArriveNet
Date : Monday, July 04, 2005
""One of the most important ways to receive healing is by laughter,"" says Sushynski. ""I started ''In the Beginning'' to get people to laugh. Laughter brings healing to any kind of situation."" http://press.arrivenet.com
How To Be A Comedian 101
By Steve Roye, Global Comedy Network
Posted Wednesday, July 6, 2005
The course is being held at the Funny Farm Comedy Club in Roswell on July 23. The cost of the course is $199. http://www.cumminghome2.com
Laughter, Still the Best Medicine
by Mike Bellah, January 2004
Best Years Sometimes Begins in the Middle
"It seems laughter is still the best medicine," say Nobel Prize nominees Drs. Gael and Patrick Flanagan. (E-zine Editor note: the claim in this article that laughter increases endorphins has not been proven. Also, the article states children laugh 400 times per day vs. adults only 15 times per day. This has not been scientifically studied) http://www.bestyears.com
Tears and laughter are good for you
Story by Lee Wells
Star-Gazette.com, July 12, 2005
A good laugh and a good cry are both outward expressions of internal emotional states. They are also both mechanisms for change. (E-zine Editor note: this article claims laughter increases endorphins; not scientifically proven.) http://www.stargazettenews.com
Addicted To Our Laughter
by SALLY JOHNSTON, EDMONTON SUN, July 8, 2005
Comedy Cares has been part of the festival since it started. It's a year-round program. Performers visit hospitals, care facilities, nursing homes. http://www.edmontonsun.com
LoLo Company and Laughter Heals Foundation Announces America's Funnest Kid 'Emily'
In Her Honor, LoLo Company Will Donate Funds to Aide Those Affected by Hurricane Emily
SAN DIEGO, July 20, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Bubbly nine year old Emily Zagorski has just been named "America's Funnest Kid of the Year" after an extensive nationwide search cosponsored by LoLo (toy) Company and the Laughter Heals Foundation. http://www.primezone.com
For Marines in Iraq, Humor Offers Escape
By ANTONIO CASTANEDA
Associated Press Writer
July 21, 2005, 3:58 AM EDT
As they have throughout their history, the Marines here often turn to jokes or pranks to relieve the tension of living in constant danger http://news.yahoo.com
With humor and faith, Stepans deal with ALS
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
by Carol Moorman carol@saukherald.com
Not a day goes by that Kenny Stepan doesn''t share his good natured humor with family and friends. It may be his version of ""double-dutching"" (jumping rope) or simply clowning around. Humor--and faith ... Without these, Kenny, his wife, Julie, and their two boys, Michael and Logan, don''t know how they would have gotten through the past year and a half. http://www.saukherald.com
Laughter is the best medicine
Bernadette Sedillos Self
El Paso Times
"Physically, when we laugh, there are some physiological changes in the body," the longtime counselor said. "The feel-good chemicals are released, and we feel better."
http://www.borderlandnews.com
Montgomeryadvertiser.com
Cracking up can solidify office morale, ease stress
By Dawn Sagario,
July 29, 2005
Laughter and humor have, in the past, been overlooked as tools to alleviate the extraordinary amount of stress that workers are experiencing today, Rutter said. In her new book, "Breakaway Laughter: How to Lighten Up Despite it All" (VanderWyk & Burnham, $12.95)(e-zine ed.: this article contains the as yet unproven claim that laughter releases endorphins).http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com
The World of HUMOR
HUMOR IN THE NEWS: RELATED ARTICLES
Money really can't buy happiness
by Tim Colebatch
The Age
Canberra, Australia, July 7, 2005
There was little difference between rich and poor Australians in their satisfaction with life overall - but the lower people's income, the more likely they were to be "totally satisfied". www.theage.com.au
Money and happiness: How tight the bond?
CNN International - USA
Much depends on your means, your attitude and who you're hanging with.
July 5, 2005: 1:51 PM EDT
By Jeanne Sahadi, CNN/Money senior writer http://money.cnn.com
The Happiness Scam
Books
BY NICK GILLESPIE
July 6, 2005
he indicts self-help gurus as responsible for everything from increased divorce rates to lowered educational standards....
www.nysun.com
The Cincinnati Post
Wednesday, July 6, 2005
Healthier, wealthier, but not happier
by Paul Campos
Our society is organized around the premise that ever-increasing levels of health, wealth, and liberty will produce ever-increasing levels of personal happiness and fulfillment. It's an eminently plausible theory, but it turns out to be wrong. http://news.cincypost.com
Who goes under the knife?
Tuesday, July 5, 2005
By SHARI ROAN
LOS ANGELES TIMES
"Today many more of us see (body image) as an important part of personal happiness." www.bergen.com
Happiness Is the Best Medicine
April 18, 2005
by Rowan Hooper
Wired News
it's hardly controversial to say that happy people are generally healthier than unhappy ones. That conclusion might be intuitively obvious, but just why are happy people healthier? (E-zine Ed: good summary of recent research on happiness, laughter, and religion/spirituality and health) http://wired.com
Knowledge@Wharton (subscription) - Philadelphia, PA,USA
The main idea in the paper is that "emotions which are irrelevant to the judgment task nevertheless influence trust judgments in predictable ways," (Maurice E.) Schweitzer says. http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/
Mind & Life Institute Conference With Dalai Lama On ""Science and Clinical Applications of Mediation"" Nov. 8-10 (2005) In Washington DC; Georgetown and Johns Hopkins Co-Sponsor
The Dalai Lama feels through a better understanding of meditation and scientific applications that people can be helped to find inner happiness www.emediawire.com
Enjoying the Moment
Unable to anticipate or recall pleasure, people with anhedonia can have fun only in the present tense.
By Kara Platoni
Wednesday, July 20, 2005 www.eastbayexpress.com
July 20 (Bloomberg) -- Push aside that laptop. Put down that spreadsheet. Start planning a longer summer vacation. All that extra money you try to earn won't bring happiness.
The trouble is, not much else will either.http://quote.bloomberg.com
MEETING NEWS
ISHS Newsletter (accompanies Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, Issue 2, Volume 18, 2005)
Lists and describes current and upcoming humor meetings, news, and abstracts of various humor scientific articles.
http://unix1.cc.ysu.edu/~sattardo/HUMOR
Bob Nozik, E-zine Editor ezine@aath.org
