Life Death and All That oh and the answer is 42

So death has reared its finality in my life again, a manager that I have worked for off and on for a number of years who was about 5 years younger than me had a motorcycle accident due to a seizure and has passed away. I didn't really think that he was a very good manager for a number of reasons but not because I didn't like him, I and many others liked him allot. He was a very charming and nice guy. I am truly saddened by his passing. But I am not going to get all morose or go back to that place I was before, and part of what has inspired me today has been a lecture by a young professor at Carnegie Mellon who gave a series of what are called the "last lecture" and on you-tube is his actual last lecture of his life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo  This man has a number of interesting and useful points to make in his presentation and his personal balance in doing this is extremely inspiring and impressive. I would recommend it for watching by anyone who passes through this blog.

So while life and death hang in the balance throughout our lives and the universe so to speak, more mundane issues weigh heavy on my mind. Mostly it is the issues with a cat war zone that I currently have in my house. So now two of the cats the "girls" are getting a herbal kitty trank so they will not be so stressed. It has been hard and it looks like the end of the tunnel will be far down the road but I love all my cats so we persevere.

Oh and I am reading an interesting book on the neuropsychology of listening to music by a former rock musician turned scientist. I have always wondered how we perceive "beauty" and how does music reach us in such a primal way. As the author ponders, we use music to shape our perceptions in advertising, movies, and how we feel when shopping, ride elevators and pass through our lives. The question of music and art and our brains has always piqued my interest. What goes beyond the culturally shaped values and what is at bottom the firing of neurons.

ta ta for now