I PAY ATTENTION TO THIS WOMAN

Her name is ROBIN GIVHANS, She won a Pulitzer -- she's the first fashion writer to win it. The Pulitzer Committee noted her for her "Witty, closely observed essays that transform fashion criticism into cultural criticism."

I like what they said. I think it's true. I think it's important.

Givens has great credentials. She's 47, a Detroit, Michigan girl with degrees from Princeton and University of Michigan. She's worked for two newspapers, and Vogue Magazine in NYC, also, on and off, for the Washington Post, where she writes about fashion and currently covers First Lady Michelle Obama.

Before I knew who Robin Givhans was, I read a few of her articles in various publications, enjoying her down-to-earth writing style, liking the way she speaks her mind, amused that her bluntness creates uproars.

A few years ago, Givhans drew attention to an outfit worn by presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, declaring that Senator Clinton's V-shaped neckline was "unnerving" and "startling," especially for a woman "who has been so publicly ambivalent about style, image and the burdens of both." Givhans added, "It was more like catching a man with his fly unzipped. [You] just look away!"

Givehans has explained, "There are a lot of people who sort of say that something is good or important or progressive or edgy when in fact, it's just crappy. And no one will just say it's crappy, I also say when I think something is absolutely magnificent."

When Justice John Roberts was sworn into the Supreme Court, Robin said that his wife and kids resembled "A trio of Easter eggs, a handful of jelly bellies, three little Necco wafers."

Criticizing Michelle Obama for wearing shorts on a family vacation. Robin G. wrote, "Avoiding the appearance of queenly behavior is politically wise. But it does American culture no favors if a first lady tries so hard to be average that she winds up looking common."

Watching over our first Lady, Givhans says what she perceives and it's often what we are thinking -- "Eek, why did Michelle wear that -- my goodness -- does Barack like that outfit?"

Right now, Robin Givhans is trying to sell her Upper West Side one-bedroom pre-war co-op. She moving back to DC to be closer to the first Family,

I read this on robingivhans.com where she has a blog: "I would say that she (Michelle Obama] is extraordinary, but not exceptional, There’s still this perception that somehow she’s alone. That she doesn’t have a group of ten girlfriends who are just like her. I’d like to explore a lot of that and just put her into a broader context and try to get at some of the issues about race and class that she brings up."

Givhans goes on to say, "So I will discuss something far less stressful: The Golden Globes. I am most fascinated by the popularity of the mermaid silhouette. Perhaps it is just my own personal bug-a-boo, but I do not think that it is a flattering silhouette, pretty much on anyone. If you're too thin, it makes you look hungry. And if you're curvy, it makes you look like a sausage. And yet, it not only survives, it is embraced. To each starlet her own, I guess."

I say hurray for Robin G. I'm not a starlet. I'm not trying to be fashionable but golly, I'm very glad Robin Givhans is out there influencing many women who dress with the vogue.

(Video) WHAT IS "METHOD ACTING?"

John jokes about the fact that he is not a "method actor." When Em quizzes him about how he produces tears, or anger, he reveals some of his inside secrets, on what makes him do what he does as an actor.

John speaks about inner and outer feelings, and also talks about using "contraries" -- when a line is sad, it often works better if the actor laughs a little. If an actor weeps too much it stops an audience from weeping. Contraries also works with humor -- if you want an audience to laugh at your joke, DON'T laugh.

HEY GAMESTERS

Remember when you played card games, board games, guessing games?

Now, as you probably know, games are played on an Xbox, Nintendo, mobile phone, laptop, or on a PC.

The other day I read about a two-day event called Call of Duty XP, a get-together in Howard Hughes' old hanger where he kept the Spruce Goose. Six-thousand players attended -- guys who play one of the insanely popular "Call of Duty," Modern Warfare," "Battlefield" video-games that are gritty simulations of military combat. The event ended with a "Call of Duty" tournament -- 32 four-person teams competed for $1 million in prizes.

I'd never heard of "Call of Duty." I was amazed that so many people were hooked on it. But since I'm hooked on conquering and improving various computer processes that I use daily while maintaining my YouTube channels and blog, I certainly understand how seductively fascinating "playing" on a computer is.

Googling "Call of Duty," I studied pictures, videos, and Websites. I read about forums, discussions, blogs, clubs, and noted that there are 24/7 hot-lines where players can get support.

The creators of "Call of Duty" brag about its fidelity. Some of the gameplay could be mistaken for Youtube footage from Iraq or Afghanistan. They're touting the fact that veterans just back from these wars, and active military people, play it in their off hours.

Maybe you don't play games on any of your gizmos, but children do -- kids who are going to become our inventors, our advertising execs, copy writers, designers, architects, authors, rappers, singers, -- celebrity performers who will inspire the next generation.

Okay, we've got violence and perversion in blockbuster movies, but gizmo games are played for hours on end. You're not just watching. You're practicing violence.

What about Farmville, Mafia Wars, and other seductive games you can play on Facebook? I don't play video games, but I know when you're playing on a computer, you're deep into an imaginary world, avoiding little ideas, little pings of energy, that might get you active in the real world.

Why now, more than ever, are these games being played?

Maybe because right now there are no oases, no place where you can forget what's going on in your city, your state, your country, the rest of the fomenting, world.

I think these war games are encouraging and teaching players the thrill, the ecstasy of brutality, inflicting pain, using everything you know -- to kill better, faster, more thoroughly, gruesomely.

Okay -- killing games have been played throughout history. They're going to continue to be played in the same way that marijuana will be smoked, drugs will be taken, people will drink too much.

T.S. Eliot said, "This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang, with a whimper." I'm whimpering.

I'm quietly. writerishly shouting BEWARE OF GAMES. You can lose YOU in game playing.

Play the real game, the tricky one we all play 24/7-- the game of life -- live it, protect, nurture yourself and your loved ones -- keep alert, curious, involved with whatever concerns you.

If that takes you to a church, a school, a hospital, a dog pound or to a park to be a protester, or into politics locally, or nationally-- whatever... Wherever that game takes you, go and do something that needs to be done.

Here's a "Call of Duty" promotion video. The budget for making it was nine figures; Oscar winning screenwriter/director Paul Haggis ("Crash," "Million dollar Baby") worked on it.

If you're sort of intrigued, click. I'm hoping these HOW TO PLAY IT instructions will discourage you.


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BIGIFY YOUR BRAIN

Wouldn't it be great to be smarter? And make super wise decisions about work, finances, remember names, dates, and tech stuff -- all the routines that are involved in high-level functioning in today's world?

Can you increase your IQ? Yes! A recent Newsweek cover story and nine pages confirmed it, and gave us information on the research that proves that you can.

Remember when everyone was taking Ginko Bilova, and Ginseng? I tried it, but didn't feel any different. So of course, I read every word on the nine pages and learned about exercises for the brain, and "tricks" that help you learn faster.

I got information on neurobiology, plasticity, cognitive science, and the proof -- details on studies and tests that showed how "gray matter" (neurons) increase with use, and decrease when they're not used.

I learned about stimulants, pills, and "aerobic" exercise for the brain. Specific things you can do that will improve your short term and long term memory, enhance your ability to retain information, increase your attention span. The list also emphasized the importance of taking a rest.

I got sleepy reading the names of professors and doctors who did this test and that test and what the various tests maybe prove, but I kept reading. The piece de resistance of the article was 31 WAYS TO GET SMARTER IN 2012, an illustrated list with comments -- oddly facetious comments..

Bothered by them, I Googled and found page after page -- an explosion of Websites, bloggers and radio stations who were sharing the Newsweek article with their readers. Clicking NEXT, then next, and next till my thumb got tired, I saw 89 versions of the 31 WAYS that added their own sort of ha-ha comments.

I am not sure why people added their own remarks -- to make it sound easier? lighten the load? Is it the magazine's new concept? Ever since it became the NewsBeast, I'm finding more gossipy, weak news in Newsweek.

Anyhow, it's a hot topic, though it seemed to me that Newsweek, like a TV ad, was sell-telling us how important their list was for us poor, needy, average folks. It took quite a lot of brain aerobics to cull out the ha-ha cute stuff. Here's my expurgated copy of 31 WAYS:

1) Play Words with Friends
Research has shown that word puzzles help reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

2) Eat Turmeric
It's a common spice in Indian and Thai curries. The spice contains curcumin, which may reduce the risk of dementia. It's also used as a an orange-yellow dye.

3) Take Tae Kwon do
Or something physical -- tennis, dancing, games on the Nintendo Wii Fit or X-Box Kinect -- any activity that raises your heart rate and requires a lot of coordination.

4) Get News From Al Jazeera
A 2009 study found that viewers of Al Jazeera English were more open-minded than people who got their news from CNN International and BBC World.

5) Toss Your Smartphone
Constantly checking your phone disrupts focus and saps productivity. Go off line; install “Freedom” software that blocks access to the internet for a specific amount of time.

6) Sleep. A lot.
Take a nap, and go to bed early. Harvard research shows your brain is processing memories even when you’re asleep; you'll recall them better later.

7) Download The TED app
Some of the greatest minds around gather each year at the TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) conferences to explore new ideas -- see what they’re up to.

8) Go To A Literary Festival
Visit places with major annual book festivals and learn from their guest authors.

9) Build A ‘Memory Palace’
For quick recall, associate what you want to remember with a vivid image, techniques for this are outlined in Joshua Foer’s "Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything."

10) Learn A Language
Master a second language; it gives your brain a workout. “Rosetta Stone” language software makes it easier than ever.

11) Eat Dark Chocolate
It has memory-improving flavonoids. Red wine is also a flavonoid source.

12) Join A Knitting Circle
Knitting refines your motor ability which can bolster cognitive skills.

13) Wipe The Smile Off Your Face
Experiments have shown that the simple act of frowning makes you more skeptical and analytic in your thinking.

14) Play Violent Video Games
Various studies have find that video games quicken reactions, improve multitasking, and reduce hostile feelings after a stressful task.

15) Follow These People On Twitter
Economic genius Nouriel Roubini (@Nouriel), online show host Jad Abumrad (@JadAbumrad) and author Colson Whitehead (@colsonwhitehead). Reading their tweets teaches you about smart thinking.

16) Eat Yogurt
Probiotics are good for you; studies suggest they could be good for your brain too. Mice that eat them show increased activity in sections of the brain handling emotions and memory.

17) Install SuperMemo
Flashcard program called “SuperMemo” helps you catalog important new data and then reminds you to remember it before it slips away.

18) See A Shakespeare Play
Reading Shakespeare has been shown to engage the brain more actively than most contemporary texts.

19) Refine Your Thinking
Kahneman, author of "Thinking, Fast and Slow," says "fast and automatic" is OK but slower, more effortful is better.

20) Hydrate
Dehydration forces your brain to work harder and may dampen its planning ability.

21) Check Out iTunes
Apple offers over a half million free lectures, videos films and other resources from top-tier schools.

22) Visit Your Local Art Museum
Most metropolitan areas have major art museums. Viewing art has been shown to reduce stress.

23) Play A Musical Instrument
Learning an instrument boosts your IQ, increases activity in parts of the brain controlling memory and coordination.

24) Write By Hand
Bran scans show that handwriting engages more sections of the brain than typing.

25) The Pomodoro Technique
This time-management method aims to make you productive -- work in 25-minute blocks, taking a short break after each -- the frequent rest aids mental agility.

26) Zone Out
Studies suggest that “zoning out” allows the brain to work on more important “big picture” thinking.

27) Drink Coffee
Studies have shown that coffee enhances your short-term memory.

28) Delay Gratification
Studies show that children who resist eating a marshmallow placed in front of them, later in life have higher SAT scores than the students who ate it.

29) Become An Expert
Mastering a task or game (like chess) teaches your brain to recognize patterns and perform more efficiently.

30) Write Reviews Online
Writing out your opinion helps you better understand your own thinking.

31) Get Out Of Town
Life in a crowded city street impairs memory and self-control, as your brain processes all the stimuli. Get in touch with nature on a vacation gives your brain a chance to recover.

Hmm.

Six items make sense to me. The specifics on memory training, learning something new, playing games, reading, and yes, writing by hand might help you become a smarter YOU. But I think these 31 WAYS make this "hot" topic lukewarm.

In my opinion, it boils down to this -- DO things. If you want to be smarter and there's something, anything that you like to do, love to do, and aren't doing -- DO IT.

If you'd like to see exactly what Newsweek said, here's the link.