The Alien Cat (aka Cornish Rex)

 

Nova - Cornish Rex Cat

 

 

We live with two feline aliens.

Actually they are called Cornish Rexes and they are a unique breed of cat.

 

My babies are Nova (male) and Nebula (female with impressive gray mustache).  They are cats that act like dogs in their love of affection and need for contact. 

 

I have wanted a Cornish Rex for a long time after seeing their unusual looks.  The more I studied them the more I fell in love with the breed.

 

Nova and Nebula



The most striking feature of the breed is their coat. It is very short, lies close to the body, and is incredibly soft to the touch, prompting comparisons to cut velvet, karakul lamb, rabbit fur, or silk. It is in a class of it's own and it is a pleasure to pet this breed--which is a win/win for cat and human.




Nebula - take a look at that mustache!

In addition to the coat, the Cornish Rex has a distinct egg-shaped head with high cheekbones, hollow cheeks, a strongly bridged Roman nose, and large ears set high on the head. The body "has been compared to that of a Whippet, with its arched back, barrel chest, small waist, and very fine, long legs. In spite of their dainty appearance, these small to medium sized cats are extremely hard-bodied and muscular, using their well developed hips and long legs for fast starts and stops, quick turns, and high jumps." Credit CFA
Because of their coat, some people mistakenly believe that they do not shed and are hypoallergenic. In fact, all cats shed but the Cornish Rex shedding is minimal and they tend to be more easily tolerated by people with cat allergies.







I have had cat allergies my entire life. I now share a bed with two soft kitties that like to sleep ON TOP of me. I still have to make certain I am careful not to touch my eyes after petting them but otherwise I am fine.




Even though my babies look like aliens they actually originated in Cornwall, England, where one first appeared in a litter of barn cats in 1950. A cream-colored male, named Kallibunker, was covered in tight rows of tiny curls, giving him the appearance of a miniature lamb. He had a slender, fine-boned body standing on long legs, a narrow head, enormous “bat ears,” and a long, whippy tail. Kallibunker was a genuine mutation and was bred back to his mother to produce curly kittens. The curly coated cats were "bred with Burmese, Siamese, and British domestic shorthair cats, resulting in a broad genetic base for the Cornish Rex breed and the knowledge that the gene was recessive." Credit CFA

Nebula: "Stop talking about my mustache!"



The Myth of Multitasking

MULTITASKING

"Human multitasking is the best performance by an individual of appearing to handle more than one task at the same time. The term is derived from computer multitasking. An example of multitasking is taking phone calls while typing an email." -Wikipedia

Does anyone else remember when multitasking was considered the holy grail of the business world? More recent studies, however, have shown that multitasking actually reduces productivity and can cause more errors in our work.



It is bad to make mistakes when working for a boss--when you work for yourself it can be fatal!

As we mentioned in our last post the key to productivity is not 'more time' but instead 'more space'. Multitasking may create the illusion of more time but it's eating up our psychic bandwidth and creating less mental 'space'.




Rapid Refocus

RAPID REFOCUS

How do we make more space in the mind and still do everything we need to make our business(es) successful?

Then trick is "rapid refocus". A martial artist can fight four opponents at one time by fighting one opponent at a time, one right after the other. He doesn’t let the last (or the next) fight interfere with the present one. By focusing on the moment, his concentration defeats all. (credit Zentivity)

In business we need to think like the martial artist and tackle each project with full concentrated focus in order to get the best, most positive results.

Guard your creativity and don't let the myth of multitasking drain your resources. Be the business Ninja focusing your energy on the problem or project at hand and then rapidly refocusing as the next issue arises.


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Crisis Evokes Serenity

Have you noticed that during the times of your life when you were facing a crisis or other incident that took 100% of your brain power your mind focuses to a pinpoint and you have sudden and amazing clarity in the situation?

Of course you probably didn't think about it at the time. You were probably nailing plywood to your windows or administering CPR or swerving to avoid an accident. It all went by so fast you didn't stop to pay attention to the way your brain handled the moment.

Most of our time is spent far away from crisis. We hit the snooze button a couple of times, shower, drink that first blessed cup of coffee, drive to work barely noticing the world around us. The rest of the day, week, month, year goes pretty much the same.



Highly Distracted

And while we do not want to live a life of constant crisis, we should always strive for a degree of that true clarity.





What is on your mind?

THE SECRET OF INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY

Who hasn't said "If I only had more time...?"

But the secret is simply this: it is not about time, it is about SPACE.

We only have a certain, finite amount of psychic bandwidth and if our creative energy is being used to fix every little problem that has popped into our head or is buzzing around us like bees we will have nothing but wasted energy.

Save your creativity. Get in your 'zone'. Be ready for change.




Zen Buddhists use the term "mind like water". Bruce Lee said, "Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water my friend."

Strive for flexibility, not perfection. Clear your mind and give yourself SPACE to think, to create, to grow.

(Credit: David Allen - CFA Leadercast...based on my own notes)

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Nicole Kann's Xpress Healthcare
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Ammo Against Health Care Reform?

I wanted to share an article from Life Health Pro which is an insurance industry publication.  My 'day job' is Benefits Consultant - a fancy term for insurance agent.  I spend most of my week selling health insurance, maintaining my client base, and explaining health care reform!  

As an insider in the insurance industry I believe that we are going to see an increased need for medical discount memberships like Xpress Healthcare.  

PPACA is going to require that all Americans purchase health insurance in 2014.  We may see an increase of premiums for individual coverage and even group coverage especially for people under 40!  

If a company must provide affordable health insurance to their employees, many people will see a reduction of ancillary benefits offered by employers.  These ancillary benefits include dental, vision, life and disability, critical illness, etc.  


The market for discount healthcare programs like Xpress Healthcare will likely be booming as 2014 looms.


I wanted to simply share this information with you and hope that you will share it with others.  
This is truly the time to join with a health care discount program such as Xpress Healthcare. 

The time to provide a necessary service and product is NOW! 

The time to offer a solution to the fear that Americans feel about reform is NOW!

The time to make money by helping others is NOW! 
 
Read the full article here:
Ammo Against PPACA? Medical Discount Cards