1969 INTERNET PREDICTION
The video doesn't mention the word “internet” but that's what it is predicting.

Note how the wife's role is consigned to childcare and shopping still in 1969, and the assumption that the husband pays the bills. But aside from those cultural tropes of the era and the gigantic array of machines – you'd need a whole room – it is amazingly accurate.

LIFE OF PI DIGITAL ARTISTS
One of the films up for a bucket full of awards tomorrow night at the Oscars is Life of Pi. I haven't seen it but I sure did enjoy this video showing a little about how the special effects were done.

WHERE YOUR REPRESENTATIVES STAND ON GUN CONTROL

The Daily Beast has compiled a multimedia presentation of all 535 Congress members' positions on gun control. Click here, scroll down just a little and enter your street address. There will be results for all three of your representatives including their National Rifle Association grade.

Scroll down a little more for expanded information about each rep's stand.

SINGLE CATS ON VALENTINE'S DAY
Okay, maybe it's a little late, but I think you'll like this video about how some cats without a sweetheart spent Valentine's Day. (Hat tip to John Starbuck of For a Dancer)

ELIZABETH WARREN'S FIRST SENATE HEARING
By the grace of the gods, Elizabeth Warren, in her first term as U.S. Senator, was assigned to the Senate Banking Committee. In her first committee hearing, she questioned top bank regulators showing the rest of the Senate how it's supposed to be done.

DRONES FOR AMERICA
It's not as though American citizens are not already surveilled through a variety of means just about 24/7. Now there is talk of police departments using drones to fly around and watch us even more.

Seattle illustrator Drew Christie created this animated satire in which a former K.G.B. agent welcomes such a future.

EXERCISE REALLY DOES IMPROVE BRAIN FUNCTION
The other day, a friend of mine who began a 90-minute, three-day-a-week gym exercise routine several years ago when he was past age 70, said, “I don't believe there is anything regular exercise does not make better.

He's not an expert in this kind of science but such experts as University of Illinois psychology professor Art Kramer, a nationally recognized expert on the role of physical fitness on cognition, agree:

"Increased physical activity also has direct, and relatively rapid effects on cognition and brain health," he said. "Such results have now been reported, over the course of several decades, in animal studies of physical activity.

“Studies in humans, many conducted in Kramer's lab, also show that regular exercise, such as walking three times per week, also increases brain power.”

This is just a small report about a talk Kramer gave recently, but I thought I would use the opportunity to give you a reminder to get up and away from the computer now and then.

LOUIS CK ON GEORGE CARLIN
From past postings of George Carlin on this weekly compendium of stuff, I know many of us here are still big fans of comedian George Carlin. He died in 2008, but his routines feel as fresh as if he had written them yesterday.

Still, I often wish I could hear what he would be saying about Barack Obama's presidency, the deadlocked Congress, the tea party and a whole lot of other events. The closest anyone has come, in my mind, to replacing Carlin's particular kind of genius is comedian Louis CK and now I know why.

In 2010, a tribute for Carlin was held at the New York City Public Library. In this clip, Louis CK explains what he learned from Carlin and how it changed his life.

You can see the entire tribute here - an hour and 40 minutes of many other comedians speaking about Carlin hosted by Whoopi Goldberg.

HAPPIEST BABY ELEPHANT IN THE WORLD
Norma, the Assistant Musicologist who contributes to Peter Tibbles' Sunday Elder Music column here, sent this video. If you aren't smiling through the whole thing you need a heart tune-up.

Interesting Stuff is a weekly listing of short takes and links to web items that have caught my attention; some related to aging and some not, some useful and others just for fun.

You are all encouraged to submit items for inclusion. Just click “Contact” in the upper left corner of any Time Goes By page to send them. I'm sorry that I probably won't have time to acknowledge receipt and there is no guarantee of publication. But when I do include them, you will be credited and I will link to your blog if you have one.