Internet Use and Brain Function

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A number of neurological studies on the brain have apparently shown that one hour per day on the Internet improves brain function. This is because the brain is far more adaptable than was previously believed, even in older people, and surfing the web allows us to learn how to sift through large amounts of information and make quick decisions, thereby improving brain function. The studies do suggest, however, that it is important to balance a large amount of Internet use and social media with more interpersonal interactions, in order to obtain the best results in both areas of experience.

Cheetahs

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I think cheetahs are such beautiful animals and well worth saving which is why I have bought a cheetah calendar from Cheetah Conservation as well as sending them a donation. This charity not only works to save endangered cheetahs in Africa but funds educational programmes about them. I feel that this is a very worthwhile charity and if you should be interested in supporting this work the site is http://www.cheetah.org/?nd=international

Singing Again

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For a while I have been unwell and not able to sing because of it. Yesterday evening I returned to one of the choirs I sang with. I didn't realise until I was participating how much I'd missed the singing, harmonies and members. It was good to be back.

Floods

Image by the_amanda via Flickr

In the UK there have been terrible floods, with loss of life especially in Cumbria. I think that it must be one of the most awful things to happen to have your house completely flooded and your possessions ruined, not to mention the shock and trauma of losing a family member in such a situation. My thoughts and deepest sympathies are with these people who have suffered so greatly through such dramatic weather.

Completion

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I am at a happy stage in my life when one project has been completed. Now I feel ready to move on to the next stage if only I knew what it was. Presumably, time will tell . . .

The Function of Dreams

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I have just read a new theory about the function of dreams in our life; that it is purely physiological and merely a preparation for our waking life. Personally, I feel that there is more to the phenomenon of dreaming than that, as I have experienced very useful insights from my dreams. Quite often they provide the prompting of when I should start something new or complete an existing project. This is not to say that this is true of every dream, but I often get repetitive dreams which can act as prompting for the next step in my life.

Autumn Sunshine

Image by SNappa2006 via Flickr

There is something wonderful about autumn (or winter) sunshine, especially after a period of grey clouds and heavy wind and rain. For the past couple of days, we've been blessed with some sunshine in the south west and it really makes everything that little bit more cheerful, especially in this period of shortening days. Long may it last!

Beavers

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I read in Positive News today that wild beavers have built a lodge in Scotland for the first time in 400 years. That is really something, isn't it?

A Good Night' Sleep

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I was reading an extract of a report that confirmed findings that it is important for us all to get a good nights sleep. Having recently experienced the cough from hell that has woken me up every night for at least the last week, there is nothing I would like more than a good nights sleep. Erratic sleep patterns can lead to intellectual, emotional and health issues. No wonder I've been so irritable recently!

Anxiety over CCTV Cameras

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Have just read a brief report about a study that was published in the BPS which indicates that people are generally as happy to walk past a skinhead as an ordinary business woman but when the situation also contains a CCTV camera, people become more anxious than when one is not present. It would appear, contrary to government justification, that CCTV cameras are not reassuring and are likely to cause anxiety to ordinary members of the public. Whether this is because they don't like the idea of being watched or whether the presence of the CCTV camera indicates that the area in question is a trouble-spot and therefore it is necessary to be on one's guard, I don't know, but it certainly makes you think

Paying online

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Have just had to pay for my tax disc and decided to do it online. The process was comprehensible, fairly simple and completed with a minimium amount of fuss. The beauty of doing it this way is that you don't have to find your insurance information and produce it in the manner that you need to if you pay at the Post Office. The program checks all of this out for you as you go along. As someone who is apt to get confused when paying for items online (which I don't do that often) this was a pleasant surprise.

Fireworks Night

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As everyone in the UK knows, November 5 is Fireworks Night. This celebrates the period in the early seventeenth century when Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the English parliament as part of a religious conspiracy. When I was a child Fireworks Night was very much a family affair and we used to have indoor fireworks. Now the move is much more to public displays which are much safer. Where we live we have a fireworks display across the road on the Saturday after 5 November, which, this year, is tonight. They are usually very good displays with wonderful fireworks and much better than any individual family could probably afford. I hope that the weather, which is blustery with occasional heavy rain, doesn't cause a postponement.

November Weather

Image by ~jjjohn~ via Flickr

Finally, after about 2 days of unrelenting winds snarling around the house, there is some respite. I would wake in the night and hear the wind howling and this made me want to hide even more snugly under my duvet to keep warm. There is something about a howling wind at this time of year which makes me very aware of the cold. So it was warm boots and a fleece for most of yesterday. At least we have some sunshine after the showers we've been having over the past few days.

Flying

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Have you ever had one of those dreams where you were flying? Wasn't it marvellous? Probably the closest experience in the waking state is something like hang-gliding where you can soar through the air without the sound of engines. One of my deepest wishes is to go hang-gliding although I imagine it must be quite scary when you take that initial jump off land into the wild blue yonder. You never know I might do it yet.

Hallow'een

Image by New York Public Library via Flickr

When I was a child, living in Devon in the UK, Hallow'een was a much more downbeat affair than it is now. Friends and I would go to parties where we'd play games, bob apples and generally enjoy ourselves. There was none of this 'trick or treating' then and we didn't dress up in costumes. When my son was young, it was all the rage and we spent many hours devising costumes for him to wear to go to parties. Then he and his friends would go door to door 'trick and treating'. Now, where we live it seems a bit quieter again.