Dawn Meredith - Author

(c) Dawn Meredith 2012 Quite a lot of people suffer with anxiety. Its much more common than you think! And because the physical symptoms are so REAL, (such as sweating, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, chest pain) we feel like something is terribly wrong with our body. Stress, especially over a long period, (and I'm talking about real stress, not the dilemma of whether you should buy those red shoes/new computer game or not) depletes many helpful, feel-good chemicals in our brains and even slows conductivity between neurons in the brain, resulting in sluggishness, poor concentration, poor memory, depression and anxiety. Some people can also become hyper-active, fidgety and unsettled. I've been reading about IBMT, developed by a Chinese doctor and researcher, Dr Y.Y. Tang, who has scientifically proven through use of MRI and other methods that certain types of guided meditation can reverse the above symptoms. Yes, that's right, you can make them go away! IBM...

This little guy was a birthday present and I love him! He's made of wood and collapses to form a perfect cube.   think geek "Cubebot is a kumiki-style robot toy made from sustainably harvested cherry wood. A perfect 2.5" cube when at rest, Cubebot sits unassumingly on your desk. When it's time to play, simply unfold his hardwood frame, stretching his elastic muscles and move his limbs into place. He's 6.75" tall with an arm span of a whopping 9.25". Use him to crush your enemies and then fold him back into a cube when you're done. Product Specifications Wooden robot toy made from sustainably harvested cherry wood No batteries required for this bad boy! Inspired by Japanese Shinto Kumiki puzzles Made by designer David Weeks Hardwood frame and elastic band "muscles" - extremely durable Folds into a perfect 2.5" cube when at rest Dimensions when in robot form:  6.75" tall with a 9.25" arm span."  - w...

I came across a radio interview with Daniel Akst the other day which blew me away! This guy has created a bit of a storm with his views on modern life. I've mentioned him on my ADHD and Aspergers page Essentially, we live in an age of excess, which is making people incredibly unhappy and unhealthy. Our well-off lifestyle has created sick people. We don't formulate long term goals and work steadily towards them, enjoying that fabulous feeling of achievement when we reach it. No longer do we follow precepts such as restraint, self-denial, frugality, moderation. We obey, blindly, the advertiser's maxim - 'Don't wait, have it now!' There's a lot more to this topic. A powerful podcast interview is available here:  interview with Daniel Akst . If we understood how this modern way of thinking affects the lives of the next generation detrimentally we might change the way we behave and the values we espouse. In his book, ' We Have Met the Enemy - Self-Control i...

I was privileged to be aboard the tugboat 'Bronzewing' the other week, when the Chilean tall ship, The Esmeralda, left Sydney Harbour. In order for our own tall ship, "The James Craig' to maneuver, she needs a tug, so we went along for the ride on a rather historic day. The weather was perfect! Conditions, calm. And we were lucky to have a naval artist onboard, Jane Bennett, who worked tirelessly the whole cruise to capture moments of sky and sail so beautifully. more of Jane's paintings here How fantastic to be in the presence of two spectacular ships of yesteryear, powered (mostly) by sail. The James Craig is owned, maintained and operated for harbour tours and longer treks around the Australian coastline by The Sydney Heritage Fleet , a volunteer organisation run completely on donations. The Esmeralda is used by the Chilean Navy to train their recruits and has an active social life. Enjoy my pics!  cheers, Dawn Esmeralda (c) Dawn Meredith Esmeralda (...

I am such a fan of Gotye's artistry: the seemingly effortless melody, unusual rhythms and quirky animation of his songs. Love it! For once, a popular recording artist is popular for the right reasons! And these little stick figure robots are superb. Enjoy the video: heart's a mess cheers, Dawn

 As writers we are prone to follow behind the muse, lapping up every drop of inspiration she deigns to let fall from her slender fingers. And then she disappears. Argh! What to do? It appears she's led us up a very interesting path, full of twists and half-obscured objects we cannot resist, but where are we actually going? Thanks to writer Nicole Murphy , I have found Michael Hauge , script writer for Hollywood and awesome, awesome, awesome teacher! (that was a little pathetically worded, I know). There is so much fabulous free advice on his website. Check it out here: story questions for novels . or read below. Michael's website is packed with brilliant ideas, some of which are so simple and obvious, yet we need reminding sometimes and Michael has the experience and wisdom to put it onto digestible chunks. Who is the hero or protagonist? Why will we immediately empathize with the hero? In other words, why will we identify with her when she is introduced? Where is the he...