January 2008
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. |
Dear AATH E-Zine Readers,
Please email me at ezine@aath.org if you have an article, quote, etc. for future issues.
Thanks!
Chip Lutz,
Ezine Editor
Humor Research How moods affect our health — Independent - London,England,UK — Scientists at the University of California have discovered that laughter relaxes tense muscles, reduces production of stress-causing hormones, lowers blood...
MEMBERS in the NEWS:
Lynn Shaw to Speak at Network of Women in Business Women's Forum — BusinessNews Indianapolis (press release) - Indianapolis,IN,USA— She is certified in holistic stress management, Gestalt therapy, and therapeutic laughter. She is the author of an e-course, Laughter for the Healing Heart...
Couple build Web site for fun and profit — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (subscription) - Milwaukee,WI,USA — a humor book that has sold more than 200000 copies. Despite their experience, couldn't anyone start a site just like theirs? Sure, they say...
Fun is a Powerful Alternative Medicine - Just Don’t Confuse it with Funny. — By Cliff Kuhn, M.D. You’re familiar with the phrase, “there’s the rub,” meaning “there lies the difficulty”? It’s usually used to describe a stumbling block in your path or the central dilemma.
The Business of Caring Newsloetter — Working Humor into
Management.
HUMOR in the NEWS:
Funny New Year Resolutions. always curious about other people's New Year's Resolutions. It's always interesting to know the way other minds work, and often enough it also endorses an old belief of mine - that the world is really a funnier place than we think.
Laugh Your Way to Pain Relief. The notion that laughter is good for the body has been around for thousands of years—certainly as far back as the Old Testament. Proverbs 17:22 says, "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."
Early-stage Alzheimer's disease patients and their caregivers get ... — Pioneer Press - St. Paul,MN,USA— She tells the group to use humor and think positive. "It's so easy to get up in the morning and think, 'Oh brother,' you know, 'How bad is it going to be...
Men funnier than women, says scientist / News English materials on ... — TeachersNews - Germany — He found that teenage boys were aggressive in their humor and this aggression changed with older men into a funnier form of joking. Earlier research...
Forget dour images; humor a vital part of religious landscape — Jackson Clarion Ledger - Jackson,MS,USA — ... religion and humor are often combined. After all, most religions are presented by their practitioners as a path to, or of, happiness, and what could be...
In frenetic season, a good laugh is a great balm — The Free Lance-Star - Fredericksburg,VA,USA —Research has shown it leads to an increase in the number of killer cells (protective immune cells) in the blood, and also leads to reduced inflammation...
Class trades tension for laughter — GoErie.com - Erie,PA,USA — "Think globally, laugh locally," read Boyer's T-shirt as she talked about research on the healing power of laughter. She became interested about two years...
Laughter Committee spreads cheer at HSU all year long — The Eureka Reporter - Eureka,CA,USA — Monthly meetings include jokes, sharing of ideas and goals and, of course, humor. + Sent special thank-you messages to HSU staff, “to be filled out whenever,,,
BizTips: Creating happier, more productive days — Nova Scotia Business Journal - Halifax,Nova Scotia,Canada —Laughter does the same thing. Notice that you can't laugh long without having to take a breath. Your brain gets fresh oxygen and you feel great
Ancient ways go around the world — Prescott Daily Courier - Prescott,AZ,USA — Laughter works with the Bob Stump VA Medical Center's mental health department, where he incorporates traditional American Indian ceremonies into the...
Laughter seen key to stopping abuse — The Daily Yomiuri - Osaka,Japan — ... Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry's Office for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect, the Aomori program is the first in the nation to use laughter...
Health Talk — Rutland Herald - Rutland,VT,USA — Humor can reduce stress and may even boost your immune system. A funny movie or sharing stories can lighten your mood and ease stress almost immediately...
Mental Help Net - Stress Reduction - Humor Is A Laughing Matter — Some studies show that laugher reduces high blood pressure, increases optimism and hope, and reduces stress. Humor can enhance marriages...
Why a good laugh inspires a better life — Standard - Nairobi,Kenya — In his published research, behavioural neurobiologist and pioneering laughter researcher, Robert Provine, suggests that humans have a "detector" that...
Building a laugh library — Chattanooganow (subscription) - Chattanooga,TN,USA — We know from subsequent research that laughter and optimism initiate chemical changes that bolster our immune systems and, thereby, our ability to fight...
HAHAs spread laughter to hospital patients — Stamford Advocate - Stamford,CT,USA — This was the third and final caroling session for the hospital's resident volunteer clowns, the Health and Humor Associates - or HAHA...
LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE — Sequim Gazette - Sequim,WA,USA — This is where Volkman's unflappable sense of humor becomes so important. It helps to move individuals through difficult stages and helps them focus on the...
Sharing a joke: empathy among apes — Guardian Unlimited - UK — Research showing that orang-utans find laughter contagious has shed light on the evolution of empathy and its importance for animals that live in groups.
Christmas-proof your body —Mirror.co.uk - London,UK — Laughter boosts immune systems by 40 per cent by releasing more antibodies in the nose and respiratory passages, says an Indiana State University study.
Laugh Your Way to Pain Relief — American Chronicle - Beverly Hills,CA,USA — Research on stress-related hormones and humor has shown that laughter reduces at least four of the hormones associated with the stress response...
Functional Anatomy of Humor: Positive Affect and Chronic Mental ...—Journal of Neuropsychiatry (subscription) - USA— The emotion of joy (or happiness), for example, is associated with imaginative play, which is characterized by "exploration, invention, and just plain
YUK IT UP: Comedy prompts healing, reduces stress — Quad City Times - Davenport,IA,USA — Robinson, in fact, cites laughter as the way to release pent-up fear and deal with stress, both prime health benefits related to oh-so-human feelings...
Stressed out During Finals? Play a Game. — Reuters - USA — The Stress Institute notes additional tips to help you de-stress and succeed during finals: -- Laugh and Play - Laughter has been scientifically proven to...
How to Boost Your Willpower — New York Times - United States — Laughter and conjuring up powerful memories may also help boost a person's self-control. And, some research suggests, we can improve self-control through...
Laughter -- Good Medicine? Author Agrees, Dispenses Wellness ... —Emediawire (press release) - Ferndale,WA,USA — He dispenses humor described as "... quirky ruminations from the deep recesses of the author's mind." He recently published a compilation of his cartoons in...
Hate the Holidays? Here's Help for the Weary — NewsReleaseWire.com (press re.se) - USA — Research shows that exercise releases the beta-endorphins that reduce stress. • Laugh. It relaxes you and exercises your internal muscles.
Financial Crunch, Bad Weather Lead To Seasonal Depression — MyFox Kansas City - Kansas City,MO,USA — "Don't stress about it, the kids aren't going to remember all that stuff, they're going to remember the emotions, the laughter and the love," Dr. Mandal.
The World of HUMOR
Funny clown faces meant to cheer young patients actually terrify them — Daily Mail – UK — "For everyone a little bit of life and laughter is always of therapeutic benefit. We live in a world where everything is banned and it has got rather silly.
Emotional Fitness: Some tools to help find the route to happiness — Ventura County Star - Camarillo,CA,USA — People who laugh and smile are happier and usually live longer than people who lack a sense of humor. 2. Don't dwell on the negative.
Stress and finals: a deadly combination — StateHornet.com - Sacramento,CA,USA — Speaking to some students, laughter seems to be a good remedy to relieve stress before big test. "The night before a big test or my finals, I watch Bad Boys..
Expressing Gratitude Improves Happiness — American Chronicle - Beverly Hills,CA,USA — Gratitude has been described as the "forgotten factor" in happiness research, according to Emmons, and learning how to express gratitude in your daily life...
The secrets to brainpower: Chocolate, sex and laughter —Daily Mail - UK — But the secret to a healthy mind appears to lie in what is eaten to fuel the body and lifestyle choices, reveals new research. Dark chocolate and plenty of...
Wellbeing: Positive thinking pays off — PersonnelToday.com - UK — ... BAE Systems and the Norwich Union insurance group, are investing in positive psychology to improve leadership development and help with recruitment...
10 Habits of Highly Effective Brains — Huffington Post - New York,NY,USA — Especially to cognitively complex humor, full of twists and surprises. Better, try to become the next Jon Stewart, and create your own unique humor...
A Sailor’s Delight – Jokes to Prime You For Our Cruise!
A musician who joined an orchestra on a cruise ship was having difficulty keeping time with the rest of the band. Finally, the captain said, "Either you learn to keep time or I'll throw you overboard. . . . It's up to you, sync or swim."
A panhandler was caught trying to sneak aboard a Princess liner about to embark on a three-day trip to the Bahamas. He was caught by the Purser who threw him off the ship telling him, ... Beggars can't be cruisers.
From a passenger cruise ship, everyone can see a bearded man on a small island who is shouting and desperately waving his hands. "Who is it?" a passenger asks the captain. The cruise ship captain replied, "I've no idea. Every year when we pass, he goes nuts."
A man and his wife were going on a cruise for their honeymoon. They packed their bags and got ready to go but forgot two things - Condoms and Dramamine - for the man had the terrible misfortune of getting motion sickness on ships. So the man and his wife stop at the store on the way to the cruise, and the man went in to get the necessary supplies. He walked up to the counter with a plenty-pack of condoms and asked for the largest bottle of Dramamine available The pharmacist looked at him for a second and then asked him, "If it makes you so sick, why do you do it?"
How much does it cost for a pirate to pierce his ears? A buck an ear!!! Aaaarrrgh!
Did you hear about that new pirate movie? .........it's rated arrrrrrrrr
So there's this Pirate with a parrot. And this parrot swears like a sailor, I mean he's a pistol. He can swear for five minutes straight without repeating himself. Trouble is, the pirate who owns him is a quiet, conservative type, and this bird's foul mouth is driving him crazy. One day, it gets to be too much, so the guy grabs the bird by the throat, shakes him really hard, and yells, "QUIT IT!" But this just makes the bird mad and he swears more than ever. Then he gets mad and says, "OK for you." and locks the bird in a cabinet. This really aggravates the bird and he claws and scratches, and when the guy finally lets him out, the bird cuts loose with a stream of invective that would make a veteran pirate blush. At that point, he is so mad that he throws the it into the freezer. For the first few seconds there is a terrible din. The bird kicks and claws and thrashes. Then it suddenly gets _very_ quiet. At first the guy just waits, but then he starts to think that the bird may be hurt. After a couple of minutes of silence, he's so worried that he opens up the freezer door. The bird calmly climbs onto the man's out-stretched arm and says, "Awfully sorry about the trouble I gave you. I'll do my best to improve my vocabulary from now on. By the way, what did the chicken do?"
