The Lady of the Rivers

Jacquetta, daughter of the Count of Luxembourg and kinswoman to half the royalty of Europe, was married to the great Englishman John, Duke of Bedford, uncle to Henry VI. Widowed at the age of nineteen she took the extraordinary risk of marrying a gentleman of her house-hold for love, and then carved out a life for herself as Queen Margaret of Anjou's close friend and a Lancaster supporter - until the day that her daughter Elizabeth Woodville fell in love and married the rival king Edward IV. Of all the little-known but important women of the period, her dramatic story is the most neglected. With her links to Melusina, and to the founder of the house of Luxembourg, together with her reputation for making magic, she is the most haunting of heroines.

A wonderful book by Philippa Gregory.

Top 10 of Most Relaxing Musics

A British band and a group of scientists have made the most relaxing tunes in the history of man.

Scientists played them to 40 women and found it to be more effective at helping them relax than songs by Enya, Mozart and Coldplay.

Weightless works by using specific rhythms, tones, frequencies and intervals to relax the listener. A continuous rhythm of 60 BPM causes the brainwaves and heart rate to synchronise with the rhythm: a process known as ‘entrainment’. Low underlying bass tones relax the listener and a low whooshing sound with a trance-like quality takes the listener into an even deeper state of calm.

Dr David Lewis, one of the UK’s leading stress specialists said: “‘Weightless’ induced the greatest relaxation – higher than any of the other music tested. Brain imaging studies have shown that music works at a very deep level within the brain, stimulating not only those regions responsible for processing sound but also ones associated with emotions."

The study found the songs were even more relaxing than a massage, walk or cup of tea. So people are being advised against listening to them while driving.

The top 10 most relaxing tunes were:

1. Marconi Union - Weightless

2. Airstream - Electra

3. DJ Shah - Mellomaniac (Chill Out Mix)

4. Enya - Watermark

5. Coldplay - Strawberry Swing

6. Barcelona - Please Don't Go

7. All Saints - Pure Shores

8. Adele - Someone Like You

9. Mozart - Canzonetta Sull'aria

10. Cafe Del Mar - We Can Fly

Angry & Calm

If you watch the above images from your seat in front of the computer, Mr.Angry is on the left, and Mr.Calm is on the right. Get up from your seat, and move back about eight feet ! They switch places!

Seven Horses

Find the seven horses in the picture.

Painting is by Jim Warren



The Bathtub Test

During a visit to the mental asylum, a visitor asked the Director what the criterion was which defined whether or not a patient should be institutionalized.

"Well," said the Director, "we fill up a bathtub, then we offer a teaspoon, a teacup and a bucket to the patient and ask him or her to empty the bathtub."

"Oh, I understand," said the visitor. "A normal person would use the bucket because it's bigger than the spoon or the teacup."

"No." said the Director, "A normal person would pull the plug.

Do you want a bed near the window?"