2006 AATH Conference Schedule

Thursday – February 16

6:00 – 9:00…. Howdy Y’all Welcome Call

Cowpokes and cowgirls one and all,

Please join us for this welcome call.

No bulls to ride or calves to rope,

No spurs to polish or saddles to soap.

Just a gathering of AATH members,

Meeting and laughing o’er the dying embers,

Of Austin’s brilliant winter sun,

Toasting the conference that’s just begun.

This party will be cream gravy fine,

Please say yes and don’t decline.

Put on your jeans and your “John B.”

Hoop hollerin’ fun we guarantee,

So, saddle up and grab your lariat,

We’ll see you Thursday at the Marriott.

Friday – February 17

7:15 – 8:00 …Registration

8:00  …Puttin’ Out the Welcome Mat

8:15 – 9:15…Extreme Humor Makeover
Christine Cashen, MAEd

Whether it’s Oprah, the Today Show or Ellen, television producers know that a “makeover” program will assure great ratings. It seems that everyone has something that they want to improve upon! We are in the midst of a makeover craze – but the best makeover is one that is initiated on the inside. A humor makeover doesn’t require medical insurance, it’s painless and the effects are beautiful. Christine opens our conference with practical and creative ideas as she gives us an EXTREME HUMOR MAKEOVER.

9:15 – 9:30…  Break

9:30 – 10:30…So That’s Why It Feels So Good To Laugh: New Findings Relating Humor to Pleasure and Emotional Resilience.
Paul McGhee, PhD

This session is guaranteed to get you laughing as it informs and educates you about how humor supports emotional resilience, coping mechanisms, and cardiac health. You’ll also learn why humor is so pleasurable! Paul will take you on a wild ride into the world of current humor findings.

10:45 – 11:45 …Teaching Culture Through Laughter
Tou Ger Xiong

This high-energy interactive presentation about diversity will electrify you. We promise you a culturally startling and enlightening experience. Get ready to listen, learn, and laugh along in a program that will not only teach us about the colorful world in which we live but a little more about ourselves as well.

12:00 – 1:00 Munch With The Masters

1:15 – 4:30 Field Trip - Be A Clown! Be A Clown! Be A Clown!
Kim Grice, Aurora Krause

Ever wished you had a clown character to utilize in your promotion of humor? In this three-hour workshop you will have a chance to learn the basics of developing a character and “Be A Clown!” Come try your hand at designing a face and finding your inner child.

1:15 – 2:15 THIS JUST IN: HUMOR CURES EVERYTHING!
Reading between the lines in news reports on humor research

Don Baird, PsyD, Paul McGhee, PhD, Bob Nozik, MD, Shirley Trout, PhD    

How can we share our enthusiasm for humor’s benefits without perpetuating claims unproven? As AATH members, we are responsible to “know what we know” about humor and laughter research. This panel will use lay terms to help us understand how!

Finding Fund$ In A Not-So-Funding World
Christine Rowe, Ed.D

Learn how the grant process works and how to find the right funding match. You will leave with powerful resources to get started on the road to grant funding success.

The Kids Are Laughing At Me. …And I Love It! -  Using Humor To Connect With Students
Renee Cohn Jones, PsyD

Learn the “how-to”s and benefits of using humor as a tool in a positive, non-disruptive manner. Renee goes the extra smile in creating learning environments that are filled with fun.

Encouraging The Encourager
Shary Raske

We spend so much time teaching, helping, and assisting others. How do we apply therapeutic humor concepts to ourselves? Learn simple yet effective techniques to stop, laugh, and proceed with “Gosh-In” – always remembering to place the oxygen mask on yourself before attempting to help others.

2:30 – 3:30 Reflections In A Bedpan: What Your Patients Won’t Tell You.
Roger and Kathy Cawthon

This entertaining and inspirational session will provide you with practical skills to help you and your patients find humor even in the face of serious illness. Join the Cawthon’s in their mission to “fight cancer with hope and humor.”

Funny Numbers: Formulas For Fun In The Learning Experience - Yes, Even Math/Stats Class
Larry Lesser, PhD    

Parodies/raps, jokes and games build community and lower anxiety – even in math/statistics classrooms. Larry will share the techniques that he’s used successfully for nearly 20 years of teaching secondary and post-secondary classes.

Humor And Hypnosis: Is It A Laughing Matter?
Phyllis Gildston, PhD

Humor can be serious business. It energizes both the myths and realities of hypnosis. Wildly curious? Want to giggle while learning about and experiencing a unique altered state? Come hither.

How To Be UGLY: Unique, Gifted, Lovable You
Sporty King

An inspirational, interactive and introspective offering – you’ll laugh, you’ll gasp, and you’ll be amazed as Sporty offers his methods for helping people feel good about themselves and shares his secret for getting more out of life personally and professionally.

3:30 – 4:00 Break

4:00 – 5:00

Adding Razzmatazz To Your Training
Dan Jordan           

Do you have to present reports, speak to groups at work, or provide training classes? If so this workshop is for you. Dan will demonstrate proven strategies and methods of integrating entertainment practices into the corporate classroom.

Using Humor In A Weight Management Program
Abby November, PhD, RD   

Laughter burns calories. Combined with behavioral lifestyle changes and minor nutritional adjustments, one can let go, laugh, and live leaner. Abby will provide tips for a fitter you.

Comfort Works: The Use Of Humor And Complimentary Techniques In Therapeutic Settings
Sandi Sunter, MS, Joye Swisher, CRTM  

ComfortWorks is a program being used successfully by The Hospice of the Florida Suncoast. This presentation will review all aspects of the program and the benefits to both patients and families. The components of therapeutic humor, music, aromatherapy, and energy work will be covered in detail.

The Power of Parody
Nick Alexander

Parody songs are hip, fun additions to any program. In this session Nick shares his personal method for writing and performing effective parodies He also addresses the pitfalls and legal considerations involved in this art form.

6:00……Food, Fun and Follies

Bring your taste buds and your funny bone and join us for an evening at not one but two Austin landmarks!

We’ll begin with down – home Barbeque at Stubbs – an Austin institution – known for finger lickin’ BBQ and foot stompin’ music. Then it’s on to Esther’s Follies a “side –splittingly funny theatrical phenomenon” that’s been entertaining local folks for more than 20 years.

Cost of the evening is $45.00. This amount is far below the “normal ticket price” for each venue, we thank them for their generosity.  Please see the general information section for more specifics. Space is limited – order your tickets now.

Saturday February 18

7:30 – 8:00 Registration

8:00 Raffle Drawings

8:15 – 9:15    The Social Contagion of Laughter
Carl Marci

This session will focus upon the psychobiology of laughter during social interaction with special emphasis on Dr. Marci’s research on the interpersonal role of laughter during psychotherapy. Physiologic evidence for the social contagion of laughter will also be presented.

9:15 – 9:45 Break

9:45 – 10:45 Too Many Hot Peppers? Use Humor To Cool The Fire And Improve Communication.
Roberta Gold, RTC

Anger is the most common emotion in our volatile society today. We have road rage, sports rage, airport rage and shouting matches in supermarkets. How do you talk to someone who won’t calm down enough to listen? This session will offer hands-on activities to help you improve communication with others – even in “hot” situations.

Humor in the Classroom
Steve Kissell

In this hands-on workshop you will learn how to integrate humor into the classroom setting to improve the learning climate, increase retention, and make the day less stressful and more fun for student and teacher alike. This program explores the development of laughter, group interaction and problem solving skills.

Oh My Gosh! Your Amygdala Is Showing
Grace Paey, RN and Ackerman

In this unique presentation that blends lecture and canine assisted demonstrations you will learn how Grace coped when she was traumatically injured and left naked with emotions and you’ll meet Ackerman a service dog who helped transform an empty life into one overflowing with love, joy and humor.

Choctaw Legends, Laughter and Lore
Tim Tingle

Tim will bring the lore of the Choctaw Nation to life in this lively historical, and personal presentation. A member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, he plays the Native American flute and often accompanies himself with an assortment of gourd rattles and drums, adding a haunting dimension to his sessions. He compliments his presentations with chants and hymns sung in the Choctaw language.

11:00 – 11:15 Raffle Drawings

11:15 – 12:15 Humor for the Heart
Heloise

Dubbed the "High Priestess of Household Hints" by the New York Daily News, Heloise will make you laugh as well as offer some useful hints to help you get through the ups and downs life.

12:30 – 1:30 AATH Round-Up

 Our Official Business Meeting   (All of the "horses" and no bull!)

Cookie has rustled up some grub, so kick the dirt off your boots, pull up a seat and learn all about what's going on in your association!

The business meeting will update you on the state of AATH, highlight many of our exciting new programs and projects, announce the winners of the Book Award and Student-Teacher Essay Contest, and recognize scholarship recipients and member anniversaries.  As is our tradition, we'll also honor the memory of humorists and AATH members taken from us in the past year.

And just by attending the meeting, you'll also be registered to win one year's free membership in AATH... but you must be present to win.  See you there, partner!

1:30- 2:30    Life Is What Happens To You While You’re Making Other Plans
Suzie Humphreys

Take a roller coaster ride at breakneck speed through Suzie's failures and discover at the end of the ride that those same failures turned out to be the "very best things that ever happened to her." Regardless of what the situation or the problem in the job or the relationship, it is NOT the “problem” that's the problem it is YOUR THINKING ABOUT THE PROBLEM. Suzie will share her insights on how life’s difficulties force us to grow.

2:45 – 4:00 Field Trip - Clown On Down, Texas! The Feel Good - Field Trip
Danny Donuts

Put on your clown nose or a silly hat or come decked out in full clown make-up as we take the love, laughter, energy and enthusiasm of the conference out to the public. We’ll discover the magic of touching the hearts of others and we’ll be sure to stay within the “Austin City Limits.”

2:45 – 3:45 More Flies With Honey: Using Humor To Highlight Health
Patricia Raymond, MD

 Dr. Raymond will review the anatomy of both successful and unsuccessful humorous health campaigns and discuss Seth Godin’s purple cow concept of ‘remarkability’ The attendees will then break into small groups to design a humorous ad campaign for their medical or non-medical cause.

I am Woman, I am Strong, I am Invincible, I am Pooped!
Linda Henley-Smith

Movement to music and hands-on activities will stir up the ashes of burnout and fan the flames of fun!  Gain tips on how to lighten up and thrive, put things into proper perspective, deal with challenging people and situations, utilize the Five Points of EnLIGHTenment, practice the fine art of creative silliness, find the elf in yoursELF, and laugh for the health of it!

Beating Out The DolDRUMS!
Stu Needel

Come and play - experience the joy of a drum circle. Just bring your good humor- no musical ability or special talent is required to learn the basic techniques and accentuate the natural abilities that we all have. Drumming builds community, teaches teamwork, improves physiology and it’s fun. You’ll leave well aware of the sense of rhythm that you may have thought you never had and we promise – you’ll be smiling.

Serving Up A Plate Of Fun
Violet Walker

Get plates spinning on sticks, learn a few magic tricks, toss those scarves up in the air and we’ll call it juggling – that sounds fair! Give it a try. Laugh and play while receiving hints on how to use these new skills to energize your own presentations.

4:00 – 5:00 Laughing with “U”: A University Based Humor Class
Kevin Smith, MSN, RN

Through lecture and a learning activity, you will gain knowledge of teaching strategies that did and did not work, and student evaluation and feedback information- the good, the bad, and the funny! You too can bring gales of laughter and enlightenment into the halls of any educational setting. Kevin will show you how.

Injections Of Joy: Self Medicate With Humor
Deb Hart, RN

Whether you have one more funeral to officiate, chart to complete, fractured funny bone to set or one more class clown to teach, you need a shot of joy to ease your stress. This presentation combines spiritual, humor and self care techniques for everyone whose job requires them to deal with the public.   

Creating Bankable Humor:  How to package your sense of humor for TV, Radio, Theater and Print
Pat Hazell

Tips on packaging your humorous ideas for the stage, screen, and airwaves from Pat Hazell, one of the original Seinfeld writers, a Tonight Show veteran, Playwright, Producer, Sitcom creator and NPR commentator. Pat's company, Sweetwood Productions creates custom corporate programs for Ford, Verizon, Anheuser-Busch, Buick, Qwest, Toshiba, Paramont Pictures, Service Master, Eli Lilly, and Bater Pharmaceutical. As host to hundreds of awards show and business meetings Pat has become the go-to guy for corporate America. In addition he produces and stars in the critically acclaimed theater shows "The Wonder Bread Years," "Bunk Bed Brothers," and "The Good Humor Men."

Pat shares information on creating a unique voice, developing a monologue, trusting organic humor, the difference between personalizing and customizing your material, defining the best place for your ideas to live, pitching ideas, taking ownership over your material and setting your sights on the big time.

Building Character
Vinny Verelli       

Funny characters are the shortest distance between you and your audience’s funny bone. Vinny will show you three simple steps toward creating memorable characters that will punch up your presentations.

The Hot Pepper Hoopla

Join us for an evening of good friends, good food and good humor. The dress for this party is western –put on your most comfortable jeans, pull on your boots and mosey on down to the Hoopla – it’ll be a hot time in this town tonight!

6:00 The Saloon Doors Open

7:00 Dinner

8:00 Damaged Care

8:45 Award Presentation

Sunday – February 19

8:00 – 8:15… Welcome and Raffle

8:15 – 9:15…What Would I Do Today If I Were Brave?
Jana Stanfield     

How do you move from the frustration of inertia to the joy of action? Through a combination of songs, stories and practical applications, you’ll learn proven ways to initiate and then celebrate your progress. In this Keynote Concert Jana combines music with a message that inspires, educates, entertains and encourages. Her mission is to give participants a “faith lift,” providing music, humor and a message that makes people feel better about who they are, what they do and why they’re doing what they do.

9:15 – 9:45… Break

9:45 – 10:45…  The Secrets Of Storytelling
Dave Lieber

Do you get frustrated when newspapers, TV, and radio ignore the good work you are doing? In this session Dave shares his proven techniques to get you on the front page of the paper or on the 6 o’clock news.

10:45 – 11:45…Laughter, My Drug Of Choice
Sally Baskey

Is your life out of control? Learn Sally’s methods for navigating through life’s challenges using humor as a pain relieving prescription for dealing with change by  “self- medicating.” Sally will close our conference with explosive enthusiasm and wit.

11:45 – 12:00 Closing Remarks and Evaluations