There's no school like the old school-this week's edition of Tidbits is no exception. -BP

Oldest people are happiest and we like it! - the stereotype of the grumpy old man took a hit from a new study by the university of chicago. Interviews with 28,000 americans from 1972 to 2004 revealed that the oldest were the happiest. 33 percent of 88-year-olds described themselves as very happy, compared to only 24 percent of those aged 18 to 22. Overall, the odds of being happy rose 5 percent with every passing decade. It's partly because they've lowered their expectations and no longer worry that they'll never win a nobel prize or something. Also, their social lives are more active than young people's, due to church, volunteering and senior groups. One 81-year-old man said, "i'm very happy because i've made friends that are still living."* they have a lot of things to be depressed about, but they forgot them.

World's oldest person turns 115 . She watusied till dawn! - sunday in Shelbyville, Indiana, Edna Parker, the world's oldest known person, celebrated her 115th birthday. Doctors are studying her DNA, but her 59-year-old grandson said, "we don't know why she's lived so long. But she's never been a worrier, and she's always been a thin person, so maybe that has something to do with it."
* if it does, then bad news: the olson twins are going to live for 200 years.

Incontinence drugs harm memory I can't remember squat - the National Institute of Aging reports that some common urinary incontinence drugs may cause memory problems in some older people. A U.S. Navy neurologist advised seniors that "it may be better to use diapers and be able to think clearly than the other way around." * you might take the drug that cures your incontinence, then forget where the bathroom is and wet your pants anyway.