MORE WAYS TO STIMULATE THE BRAIN
Ways to keep your memory sharp, especially:

"Rest to remember: Sleep strengthens memory
Sleep is vital in consolidating memory. The effects of adequate sleep help us understand why studying and getting 8 hours rest, is always better than studying the day of an exam. Sleep specialists still do not know the overarching purpose of sleep however, but emerging research continues to support the idea that sleep is important to the brain. While everyone may agree that a good night’s sleep makes you feel better in the morning, the science behind sleep is also critically important to policy makers that construct work hour regulations for doctors, medical residents and pilots.

Mind boggling: Memory games
Although there is plenty of controversy surrounding the memory benefits of brain-teasers and puzzles, for many people they’re a great way to spend a Sunday morning. An added benefit of brain games is that they can often be shared with family and friends. Social interaction is a great way to get the neurons firing. Interacting with both pets and people has been shown to stave off depressive feelings and will make you feel youthful and vibrant for years to come."

ANOTHER MOEBIUS HERO
She's named Jeanne, and she's from Ohio:

Mike Jacobs, the sensei at Shinsuikan Dojo, is testing students for their yellow belts.
After some exercises and some sparring, the time has come to break a board. He tells them to kick through the board.  "Do you want to go first?" he asks Jeanne Dyer.


"Is there a choice?" the 12-year-old asks without a moment's hesitation, drawing laughs from the people assembled at the dojo.  Jeanne, whose feet are lined with scars from surgeries to correct club feet, never even tried to break a board before.
Of the first three years of her life, she spent two and a half wearing casts to make her bones grow properly. As a result, her lower leg muscles were underdeveloped. She's taking martial arts classes to develop coordination and leg strength.  Dyer ends up following two other students. She takes a deep breath, plants her foot, kicks -- and breaks the board on her first try.
Her parents, Shane and Elaine Dyer, beam.
But Jeanne doesn't smile. She can't.
Jeanne has a disorder called Moebius syndrome, which affects about 1,700 people worldwide, or about one out of every 4 million people. Her parents found a shortage of information about it initially. Even some doctors weren't familiar with it. But through the miracle of the Internet and making connections with others going through the same thing, they've been able to understand the disorder and help Jeanne live a life that really isn't that much different from that of a typical 12-year-old.
"She has succeeded beyond our wildest dreams," Elaine said."