A musical cat

It is hard to have a piano lesson when the cat sits on your lap but Donna managed really well!

Piano Tuner

Donna's Burmese cat shows special interest in the piano's strings. Maybe interested in tuning pianos!

A Long Life? Get grip!

Having a firm handshake may do more than seal business deals, according to a study that shows people with greater grip strength live longer.
Grip strength, the speed at which we walk or rise from a chair and our ability to balance all may be indicators of how long we might live, according to a study by scientists at the Medical Research Council, a publicly funded organization dedicated to improving human health.
Scientists at the MRC unit for lifelong health and ageing analyzed findings from 33 studies worldwide, including more than 50,000 people  followed for up to 43 years. The results were published yesterday in the Medical Journal.
Volunteers with a firmer handgrip and better performance on other tests lived longer than weaker people, according to Rachel Cooper, who led the analysis.
Evaluating the strength of a handshake or a person's walking speed may aid health assessment and guide healthcare decisions, researchers said.
Dr Cooper said: "Simple non-invasive assessment measures like these, that are linked to current and future health, could help doctors identify those most vulnerable to poor health in later life and who may benefit from early intervention to keep them active for longer."
The link between handgrip strength and survival was visible in younger as well as in older adults.

Love is like Butterfly

I was told today that LOVE is like Butterfly.
You can chase a butterfly all over the field and never catch it.
But if you sit quietly in the grass it will come and sit on your shoulder. 

Author unknown

The Mozart Effect

A recent report now says that the Mozart effect is yet another charming urban legend. The bad news for hip urban professionals: playing Mozart for your designer baby will not improve his IQ or help him get into that exclusive pre-school. He will just have to get admitted to Harvard some other way. Of course, we're all better off listening to Mozart purely for the pleasure of it. However, one must wonder whether, if playing Mozart sonatas for little Tiffany or Jason really could boost his or her intelligence, what would happen if other composers were played during the kiddies' developmental time

LISZT EFFECT: Child speaks rapidly and extravagantly, but never really says anything important.

BRUCKNER EFFECT: Child speaks v-e-r-y slowly and repeats himself frequently and at length. Gains reputation for profundity.

WAGNER EFFECT: Child becomes an egocentric megalomaniac. May eventually marry his sister.

PUCCINI EFFECT: Child is prone to murderous fits of jealousy if another child plays with his/her toys. Child also suffers never-ending bout of croup and insists it's nothing.

VERDI EFFECT: Child marches around his room repeatedly, lines up all of his stuffed animals in a parade, pays particular homage to his stuffed elephants.

MAHLER EFFECT: Child continually screams (at great length and volume) that he's dying.

SCHOENBERG EFFECT: Child never repeats a word until he's used all the other words in his vocabulary. Sometimes talks backwards. Eventually, people stop listening to him. Child blames them for their inability to understand him.

IVES EFFECT: The child develops a remarkable ability to carry on several separate conversations at once, in various dialects.

GLASS EFFECT: The child tends to repeat himself over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again.

STRAVINSKY EFFECT: The child is prone to savage, guttural and profane outbursts that often lead to fighting and pandemonium in the preschool.

BRAHMS EFFECT: The child is able to speak beautifully as long as his sentences contain a multiple of three words (3, 6, 9, 12, etc). However, his sentences containing 4 or 8 words are strangely uninspired.

CAGE EFFECT: Child says nothing for 4 minutes, 33 seconds--exactly. A recent study has determined that this is preferred by 10 out of 10 classroom teachers.

(Submitted by Doctor Joan)

The Lost Art of Sleep

Don't sleep 'till you read  The Lost Art of Sleep by Michael McGirr. 
Published by Picador Australia, $32.99


A former priest, discovered the beauty of sleep with the arrival of his baby twins, when he and his wife seemed to experience little of it. Inspired by his sleeplessness, McGirr travelled through history, science and the mythical to discover the benefits and dangers of sleep. Expect to come across some of the most famous figures of history - such as Aristotle, Thomas Edison and Florence Nightingale - and discover their connection to the art of slumber. You will also find out the medical theories for sleeping and dreaming, and why we need it so dearly. A fantastic read. 


Find a copy on http://www.fishpond.com.au

How to get what you REALLY want?

What do you really want? Those who have purpose, who are clearly pursuing a goal, are much better off. Their energy flows better and they radiate intentionality. They don't need others to make them happy. They ARE happy. 

It is my belief the true self within each of us always knows what we want. The 'inner knower' knows what is our highest good and our true direction. The problem is that our surface personality can be out of touch with it. We can be easily influenced by others, and if they are getting something, we automatically want it. Our minds can latch on to superficial desires that really don't come from OUR essence. 
How can we know when we are out of touch with what our TRUE self wants? There is a foolproof litmus test. When our Ego self wants something that our TRUE self does not, it will make us feel terrible. We will feel stress, frustration and anxiety. These are signs we are not in touch with what we really want. We have to go deeper. 
Spiritually considered, an idea cannot be fully grasped unless you take it into your meditation. You need to go inside the idea and explore the feelings that it arouses, as well as the thoughts. 
So, our first task is to contemplate: "What do I really want?" Sit down, close your eyes, focus on an area of your life: career, relationship, body, health. Think about each area one by one and ask yourself, "what do I really want in...." Spend 5-7 minutes doing so, then go on with your normal meditation practice. Search for an answer that gives you an energized and harmonious feeling. 
I have mastered 'going deep' through music at an early stage. I can make hard decisions very quickly and without regret because I have developed an understanding of my body and feeling responses that are perfectly reliable in every situation. It becomes an instinct. 
Like in everything, practice makes the master. Start with simple things like: What should I have for dinner? Which street is there going to be a parking spot? Shall I get the red or green apples? How do I feel about this person? Listen to your body. Listen to it carefully because your body always has an answer  and you better start listening to it and follow what it says. It sounds silly but it gives us a chance to slowly allow our inner voice to come through. If you keep practicing soon your whole life will be guided by the most reliable and most positive forces of life, the Universe. Call it whatever you like! The consequence is that you will never make a wrong decision that would regret. It leads to a happier life. You will have the guidance of your TRUE  inner self that is connected to the Universe and to all Humanity. Remember, we are all connected. We are all ONE.