a fAt lad in a thin place

2011-06-09T16:50:00.001Z

Dear Friends...

2011-04-08T17:47:00.000Z

Twice in a week! Never on a Sunday :)

2 blogs from me and 2 songs that absolutely reached where I am at in the world.

First, earlier in the week, the divine Kate Bush came along with a re-working of her track "Deeper Understanding' from the upcoming new album 'Director's Cut'. Lyric and tune just perfection.
Then comes along into my worldly gaze this song by the awesome Guy Garvey and Elbow - 'Dear Friends' from their new sublime album 'Build A Rocket Boys'.

Someone once told me that they thought all the great songs had already been written.

Here is living proof they were wrong. One of THE great songs..

(I feel the need to post the lyrics and tune... 'You are Angels and drunks, you are Magi...')

"Dear Friends"
(words and music by Guy Garvey and Elbow)

Dear friends
You are angels and drunks
You are magi

Old friends
You stuck a pin in a map I was in
And this is a note for a road sign

Cuttin' the breeze in this tennesee sundown
Came the sounds of the voices I know
I've been pondering trees
On the steeliest come down
And now a moment I'm home

I've got bluster enough
For the sails of a clipper
And the truth never frays a good yarn
But it struck me to say while so far away
You are with me today
You are here are in my head, in my heart

Dear friends
You are angels and drunks
You are magi

Old friends
You stuck a pin in a map I was in
And you are the stars I navigate home by

Elbow - Dear Friends

Deeper Understanding

2011-04-06T11:24:00.000Z

Hello. I know that you've been feeling tired.
I bring you love. And deeper understanding.

Turn, Turn, Turn

2011-02-08T11:51:00.001Z

Yesterday saw me in church. Sadly it was for a funeral, for my Auntie Hilda, who passed away last week. I haven't seen her for many years, or indeed many of the family who attended the funeral. It was very moving, a beautiful eulogy was read out by her daugther-in-law Susan.
"She was a proper old fashioned mam" kind of summed up a beautiful, yet I guess at times often a hard life. I remember her laugh and the love she had for her family, even extended family like myself.
I remember playing there as a kid, and was amazed by how memory remains and returns of such long ago events. The wake afterward at the local Cricket club also stirred up memories,gazing out of the window into childhood misty territory.

It was there also I approached the Minister who conducted the service - Enid Gordon. I know her from her Palestine campaigning work, and we spent a good half hour discussing that situation, she has spent the last 40 years on that and other good works campaigning for justice, a true inspiration. She did a talk at Greenbelt 2 years ago which was very moving, she simply tells her story, and the stories of the people at the heart of injustice, and tries to move others into action and do something about it. Making it relevant to them is the toughest call. Getting over the 'what has it got to do with me' line...
We talked about last weeks Louis Theroux show on the BBC and shared the unbelievable outrage we both felt about how so called Christians can possibly be so misled and misguided into supporting so strongly the Zionist bullshit ideology in the ways that they do.

I also was touched by her reading at the service, which came from the Book of Ecclesiastes - when she started reading the words, I thought "I know that song!" Sure enough I did, albeit an updated reworking of the words by The Byrds. ' a time to keep silence, and a time to speak' especially rang true.

divestment

2011-02-03T05:49:00.000Z

wow. 3 months since last words here. Not felt the need. Apologies to you if you do read this blog, (I am pretty sure you are out there somewhere:), you are valued and I appreciate any comments or feedback to the waffle I create.
A number of personal changes here since last blog, though not able to write much, all in time...

I did begin writing a book recently, a kind of part memoir and part fiction story about my adventures within a certain little festival over 20 odd years (some very odd...) - 2 chapters done and goal is to finish in a fashion this year sometime. May publish some snippets here to get some feedback, let me know if you would like to read some of what I got so far.

Quite a few gigs with a new band in last couple of months, the old Bass guitar is getting a nice work out of late and I am really enjoying getting back into playing live, hopefully some more news on that front coming up, if and when I get go ahead to shout it out...

Decided to divest myself of the social networking thing for the time being, Facebook and Twitter dumped, found myself getting sucked in too much and decided time for a break on that front. They both have their value and can be great ways of communicating, and news-gathering but they can also be a right pain in the posterior. Sometimes its good to take some time out from certain areas of online life (and thus maybe get some real life time back in return?)...
Also hitting the old Fleabay in an attempt to keep the fatlad boat afloat financially, just trying out new iSale software for mac in past few days, and seems to be a good way of listing stuff relatively easily and smartly.
Speaking of which, the camera is charged and its time to get creative....

'we need a chat'

2010-10-15T08:04:00.000Z

so I turned off the sounds, and lay down in the dark, and said, "hey, we need to chat".
"ok" was the reply
I thought about what i wanted to say, and began, as I often do (but not nearly enough), by giving thanks for all things.
for family and children
for relatively good health
for opportunity
for talents gifted...
"so", I said "the rest is pretty much up to me then?'
"pretty much" was the reply from a place so close I spend most of the day and night overlooking.
right from the head-centre. or was it the heart? from soul-beyond - yet soul-within.
"ah" i said. "thanks. which way do I throw this heart then?"
"throw it right over here, and start running, lad." comes the reply.

arm engaged, ready to hurl.

"throw your heart out in front of you and run ahead to catch it"
(Arab proverb heard in the movie Cemetery Junction)

To You / Love Will Tear Us Apart

2010-09-27T13:39:00.000Z

To You Love Will Tear Us Apart by bjaudio

Inspired by the poem 'To You' by Walt Whitman (1819-1892), mixed with an acoustic guitar heavily effected and the tune of 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' by Joy Division as a response to the poem's verses and chorus thingy.

#gb10 - Why I Wasn't Excited...

2010-08-30T11:36:00.000Z

(or, why I wasn't as excited as I should have been, but still was a little bit excited really).

Well, I managed to keep me trap shut until Greenbelt Festival 2010 has come and gone (almost), out of respect for the fact it can be a very tense time in the run up and preparations, and genuinely did want to add any perceived negative vibe to something many folk hold so dear. Including myself.
But its time to get out in words how I feel about my current relationship with Greenbelt, without vitriol or malice, and hopefully with some honesty. Stuff I need to get off my chest. Because I do give a shit.

I have been following online the vibe, photos, videos and blogs this weekend, and much delight to see weather has been pretty darn good, and huge amount of positive stuff is emerging content-wise. For the festival punter it looks like a great success, which is fantastic, numbers look very good too which will please Business & Finance no end (wonderful humans :)

So why am I being old grumpy-drawers? Well I'm not really.... I can be. Huffy bastard if you really piss me off. Today I am not Mr Grumpy though.
I think I am learning through time that Greenbelt really is not just one entity. It is sooo much more...
Its more about relationships and collective mini groups of people, and individuals, coming together in a kind of modular way to create something incredibly special, Unique is a term over-used, but greenbelt is most certainly unique in its' make-up when it comes to any festival (or other organisation for that matter), I have ever come across.

With every organisation, for it to succeed, it has to have people who make decisions, otherwise things would never get done. Brilliant ideas would forever just whirl around like gas, and eventually disperse into what-could-have-been...

I think one of the reasons that Greenbelt has lasted so long, and made it through good times and bad is that it has always come through by appointing good decision-makers in key areas. What I suspect these folk have been able to do well over the years is to allow growth and encourage 'ownership' of the festival right down to its' grass roots level. The Punter, the Volunteer, the Worker, the Trustee - all have assumed ownership of parts of greenbelt and this is the heart of its existence. Every individual or small group naturally wants to pull the festival as a whole towards where they are coming from, but the trick is, or seems to have been, for the Decision Makers to assist the balance of the mix of every part and thus instead of pulling itself apart Greenbelt historically has been able to draw together the whole.
I am sure that over the years many wrong decisions have been made, but overall the fact it is still around, and flourishing, tells one that inherently, the mix has worked. Most of the time :)

So its the decision making process that makes or breaks. Note the word process.

Top Down or Bottom Up.
Both can work.
Top-down - corporate, business-like, professional, manager-led.
Bottom-up - community centered, emerging from, group-led.

It is my assumption that historically Greenbelt has been the latter, but it seems that this has changed in recent years moving away from that philosophy and crept up towards the more Top-down approach in its decision making process.
Has that been a Trustee-led (who are ultimately responsible for the overall direction and mission for GB) active decision to go that way? I am not sure. Knowing some of them as I do, I would think that would it be unlikely. But viewing things from my perspective primarily as a volunteer, this is certainly the direction that the decision making process is heading. Or even has already arrived at. Evolved into.

It is clear to me that now, all decisions on any ideas that come forth through the grass roots now have to go through the Top-down led channels before they can proceed. Trouble is with GB being what it is, this means a very small number of people have to deal with a very large number of ideas.

Log-Jam.
So what if you have little or no relationship directly with the Decision Makers, yet have the most brilliant idea ever, the skill to carry them through, and would like to offer these up to add to the melting pot. Well, get in the queue. You might get lucky and the idea may find its way through, but only if it falls into line with what the Decision Maker has already decided, and only if they have the time or inclination to actually address your fabulous scheme. Or you just happen to be very good mates with them... (this is not always a bad thing of course, we all need close friends who we can talk things through with and listen to, but one must always be consciously aware of perceived cronyism).

The danger with choosing (or evolving into) the Top-down led style of organisation is that now what has been traditionally a grass roots culture suddenly coming up against the bottleneck of backed-up, stuck ideas and beauty-filled-notions-awaiting-decisions. At best, this way of working with something like Greenbelt (is there anything like Greenbelt?) can only serve to slow down and stifle and at worst become an absolute killer for creativity, inclusiveness and participation.
Also, it puts a massive amount of pressure on those who find themselves in the Decision-Makers role. My feeling is what that could lead to (if it hasn't come into being already) is the creation of and 'Us and Them' setup, whereby Decision Makers withdraw into authoritarian behavior and self-preservation and those awaiting decisions, or those who have had decisions made that they do not like or agree with left feeling completely devalued. Not a recipe for healthy growth.

I do have some thoughts and ideas as to what an alternative infrastructure might look like, but still in formulation and may find their way on to these pages soon... or they may just fade away...

So this is my gaze over greenbelt currently,. Trying to make that gaze beautiful, but not willing do so through rose-tinted spectacles. I have never been afraid to tell it how I see it, so i ain't going to start now, and am aware that expressing these opinions may not go down too well with some. Tough titty.

This is not what I want Greenbelt to be. I want it back. If I have to steal it then call me Robin Hood. I don't wish to keep it, because I know that it does not belong to me exclusively. I belong to it.
Her. We are lovers and we have had a strop, and thus she is spending the weekend at her Mothers'. I did call around to check She was ok, and outwardly She is having a wail of a time on the Town.

I hope that deep inside though She hurts as much as I do, and secretly looking forward to the kissing and making up part as much as I am. This time though, I am going to wait a while to allow Her to make the first move.

Love you honey xxx

Some of My Favourite Things

2010-08-22T03:09:00.001Z

I am currently listening to last nights U2 360 show in Helsinki, courtesy of the avid and intrepid fans out there who record (with great quailty) each and every gig the band do - and - I am uplifted greatly, and reminded of a word that has been eluding me somewhat of late. Mission.
Space mission, vocational mission, spiritual mission, musical mission... its all out there awaiting discovery. One needs to just begin the journey, or re-begin it, by standing up and putting best foot forward.
I do like how the U2 musical quartet keep finding me with their music, lyrics and vibe.

Like just now out of the side door, weary a bit and unexpectedly. I found them again just when I wasn't looking. Or listening. Am now though :) Blooming marvelous.

I just joined a great North East England band myself in the past month or so, and that has lifted me up so much in many ways. Off me fat arse not being least of them...
We have been rehearsing here at fAtlad studios and making some wonderful noise ourselves. Whilst not running away with myself with over-expectations too early, its a great natural feel and sound and vibe playing and hanging out with these guys of late. My kids well love it too, definite family and community thing going on here I hope grows and flourishes. Plenty of hard work ahead in that department, but with that strong wind at our backs, and a rising road, you know, as they say God willing, Let it Be...

The band is called Opas and you can check out some rehearsal sounds, and earlier recordings (before I came aboard), over at our Facebook Page
Work has also begun our our own website, all very exciting stuff as we prepare for the upcoming live gigs in September. Watch this space...

Addendum

2010-08-05T15:49:00.000Z

Should have added in last blog post, biggest dickhead I know of course can be me. Should have made that clearer. Was not pointed at anyone in particular and apologies in order if that seemed the case.

Probably just shouting out at some inner demons and must be aware in future that can cause external whiplash to others beyond deserved proportion.

With Melancholy

2010-08-03T23:13:00.000Z

In melancholic mood right now. The aftermath of a right old shout-at-the-universe afternoon.A culmination of experiences of an alike-ilk can bring that on in even the most laid back and care-free soul.
I think we get most angry and pissed off at the things that we really care about the most - when they don't go to plan or let us down in some way.
It is a skill I am still learning how to master - these uber-feelings of intensity.

Things that hurt, things that re-cut the wound that has not healed properly in the soul.

Its good to have a good old curse and swear periodically (I find it better in a soundproofed room but hope that doesn't turn one day into a padded one...). One needs a place to vent. To let go.
Some of the greatest Art surely must have been born out of the creative channeling of such powerful emotives.

So when one cares deeply about something, or someone, I say I am quite happy within my own acceptance that some folk can be absolute dickheads, its just sad when they have too much control in some way over something one is involved with, and one is powerless to counter the dis-empowerment that creates for oneself.
I say the prayer: God grant me the power to accept the things I cannot change, Change the things I can, And the wisdom to know the difference'. That helps me. Try it, it may help you too.

So, I retreat from this battle even further and find myself stronger for that. But as melancholy as a blues song in my thoughts and reach for understanding. There will be a future time when today will ring out like a liberty bell - the tone and sweetness of which will ripple with perfect mathematical elegance through time and space. My soul has a tear, a rip. You cannot see it except through my eyes. They look upon you beyond what is visible. I feel it in my guts.

Short version: empower the disempowered. give back what is not yours to take, take what you are offered always with gratitude and never let it go to your head and thus impart sufferings however small on other good and kind souls.

Don't Let The Bastards Grind You Down.

The Gift of Helps

2010-06-30T05:45:00.006Z

OK, I like to listen to Tony Campolo's podcast 'Across the Pond', I think this man is very inspirational, and whilst I don't always agree with his stance on certain topics (or maybe i am not intelligent to understand his stance on them all), he does have a very deep understanding and wisdom of Scripture that reaches me.

As it was just now, when he was talking about when he was a young Preacher of 22/23 and working two parishes - he wanted to be (and became) totally in control of everything that went on in those Churches.

From running the Youth Groups to picking out the colour of the carpets. Everything.

What he realises now is that he was actually denying others within those Church communities any chance to grow and flourish by allowing them to take on some of the responsibilities and control of different things. And by doing that, albeit maybe not full-knowingly, he was actually oppressing and suppressing any chance of creativity to come through other peoples ideas and Helps.

He quotes loosely from Corinthians 12, "to some is given the gifts of preaching : to some is given the gifts of teaching : some the gifts of healing : and to some, the gift of Helps".

I have a feeling that, for a time those 2 churches he ran were pretty much well sorted. Clockwork. Everything done just so and he got a tremendous sense of working flat out for God and that was the right thing to do, took all the praise and wallowed in it. We all like to be praised when we think we are doing good work after all, no?

Enlightening though now, in his later years he regrets this top-down led approach and thinks of those who he could have allowed to bring forth their talents more, and wishes he had had the insight back then to offer up some of this control, share it out. Power. Control. Not things I crave at all. I hope. But sometimes these feckle things are thrust upon us - in our family lives, in our work, in our communities. The challenge then is how we use this control / power. or misuse or abuse it.

Share it. Give it up. Allow, not decide. I am sure this can be very tough for some to do - they may fear the consequences of letting someone else go and fuck up all the pretty neat arrangements that they have spent an age creating.

But I am a firm believer that sometimes you just got to chuck all the pieces as high as you can into the air and see how they fall.

Rebuilding and re-organising can be lots of fun :)

Solas Festival 2010 Review - Greenbelt In A Kilt - Part 1

2010-06-28T22:52:00.001Z

Location - Wiston, nr, Biggar, South Lanarkshire, Scotland.
Date: 25th - 27th June 2010...

...although the journey to Solas began for me personally early 2009, with an invitation from the Solas Board, and through Greenbelt Festival Table Group, to get involved in a voluntary capacity.

So I jumped in, and have been assisting the online presence the festival has, through delivering Newsletters to Solas subscribers, updating the main (basic) website with content, and having a great time making the Solas Blog try to reflect what has been going on in the build up to this years event...

First steps though were attending theProject event that happened in Edinburgh last Summer, and from then on to a big planning meet up at the Solas site back in December 2009.

At that meet up we all had a chance to walk around the Wiston location, and straight away got a sense that this could be a great place for a festival - but what about the weather? At the time the whole place was covered in a deep hard frost, very picturesque indeed - but a brand new outdoor event in its' infancy is almost wholly dependant on any measure of success on good weather.

Well, as it turned out the area got its best spell of fine, sunny and ideal weather since the early 70's which meant that could not be used as an excuse for any lack of success......

The Vibe

My trip up from County Durham is around 3 hours (gentle amble), and takes in the gorgeous countryside of the area - arriving on site just as dusk falls on the Friday evening I am welcomed with gracious Scottish hospitality, pick up my passes and have a wander around to get my bearings.

It looks fantastic. The location is more than stunning. It is breathtaking. Like an artists impression of what a festival could look like come to life. Beats and guitar jangles coming out of the marquee tents and a few people just hanging out - I took a few snapshots with the intention of getting a quick blog up to try and encourage the undecided to come along on the Saturday & Sunday.

Recording Talks
Another job I have done for Greenbelt Festival is to record the speakers' talks and seminars, so I offered to try and to do the same at Solas, as they had a very strong Speaker line-up for the weekend. It would have to be a bit of a hitty-missy affair as I was on my own with 3 MP3 recorders, and half a dozen venues to cover, but think I managed to grab some decent content, which should make an appearance on the Solas and Greenbelt websites soon (even though 1 of the machines decided to go wonky right from the outset....ah technology...)

The Folk
It was great to spend little frequent passing moments with the Folk who I have been in constant email correspondence with over the past few months - Frankie from the office, Dot, Steve, Doug, Ros, Scott, Graeme et al from the Solas Steering Group, and even managed to grab a coffee and good chat with Greenbelt Festival Chair of Trustees, Andy T, who was enjoying the weekend and vibe with his family. It was very encouraging to hear from him that Greenbelt was behind Solas 100 per cent, and we agreed that the link between the 2 needs to be really highlighted and that greenbelters should be made aware that they now have a baby sister in Scotland. She is a bonny wee lassie, named Solas, and whilst has her own definite Scottish identity and content and reflection of the culture where she was conceived, it must be also underlined that the two are indeed, family -- connected, and that sibling relationship hopefully will grow and help each other over the coming years to grow - evolve even.

Indeed the whole vibe and feel of the site reminded me of Greenbelt of years gone by - in some ways a return to Greenbelts' roots. New, yet mindful of roots. Messy, in a good way. Feelings of initially wondering what is this gonna pan out to be, are people just expecting it to be like greenbelt, and in that instead of getting on and making it something of its own value, just sit back and expect things just to be like they are at greenbelt? Well that feeling disappeared like the early mornig dew around the banks of the Clyde Valley as things started to kick in on the Saturday - events began, people studying the Daily Diary, little queues started to form around marquees and the dream that up until now has existed only in hearts and minds, and on paper and post-it notes suddenly became very real indeed.

Solas Festival was now on the map. Real. In existance. Breathing.

Part 2 of my review to follow - in the meantime check out the Solas Blog, for links to images and other reviews of the Solas weekend.

The Sweetest Part of the Beat Lies Just Behind the Expected.

2010-06-23T07:25:00.000Z

A day ahead full of expectation. Somewhere within that expectation of course, the truth will unravel itself, and if history is anything to go by, being able to find some comfort in whatever that yet hidden truth eventually is showed is the thing to be ever mindful of.

I am excited. I always get irrationally so when England play football in competitions. I think it has something to do with being born in 1965, and alive, in a pram, just over 1 year old when they won the World Cup back in '66.
My very being is filled with those unremembered memories of what must have been an amazing time. Noisy, joyful, silly jumping up and down victorious feelings that really, when probed are quite daft and fanciful. I should know that.
A childhood of kicking a ball around a street, and park field. The unparalleled emotion of scoring that winning goal that every football playing kid feels at least once when growing up.
I think that it is those innate deep feelings of some kind of achievement are what surface when these massive England days come around every 4 years or so.
Me is Gazza. Or Shearer. Or Shrek Rooney. When they do the business, it is me out there taking that glory. Those emotions from childhood are released, and perhaps for a moment, then all things are possible again. All things.

Then there is the inevitable disappointment to deal with. Hopefully it will be delayed to another day, but it will come that is for sure. Just not today eh?

Driving last night and looking across England, my part of it anyway - I found myself shouting out - Come on England. Come on England! Just win it. Do it for your country.
Unapologetic patriotism? No.

Just a little kid wanting to realise his lifelong. No shame in that.

So I will try to sit, just behind the beat of the day. In the sweetest part. A fraction between the doing and the observing. Waiting for that ball to bust that bastard net.

COME ON ENGLAND!!!! They think its all over...... its not yet.

A Peace Equation

2010-06-01T21:50:00.002Z

truth being the actual facts on the ground (not opinion or spin).
justice being the equal sharing out of all that is just.
faith being even the smallest bit of.
expression being the speaking of, either in words or in artistic form (painting, music, dance).
the power of 6 being the theory of 6 degrees of separation that defines the web of human-kind.

peace being the result (could also be interpreted as the answer).

Therefore, truth plus justice, divided by faith, multiplied by expression to the power of 6 (degrees of separation), equals peace.

I think that there is room for expansion on this theory, especially if love is added into to the equation.

love being unconditional and absolute.

'from the river
to the sea
palestine
will be free'

Dark Times

2010-05-08T21:44:00.002Z

Politics is not something that usually interests me, either big P Politics, or little p politics.

Of course it is something that affects everyone, so cannot always be ignored. Unfortunately.

Spent all night watching the UK election on Thursday / Friday, and since, with great interest trying to see through the dark mist of the power play that has resulted, like many I would guess.

My feeling is that all is not quite what it seems.

Clegg not wanting to be seen to not 'do the right thing' in the eyes of the Electorate had to go to Cameron first, that is clear. Worry is though that he gives in to empty promises and pressure from media to sign up with a party that clearly would dump him the first opportunity they get, perhaps a year or less down the line with a snap election. It is clear Tories would do or say anything to get the keys to Number 10 at the moment. They are desperate.
It may happen, and that would be the worst thing for most of us in the UK. Not for the rich or status quo power makers, who fear most of all any move towards a political system that actually meant never again they would be able to execute absolute control.

However, in this dark time of secret meetings and behind-closed-doors dealmaking, there is a chink of light, a glimpse that I am surprised is not yet being explored as a real possibilty.
Perhaps it will materialise within the next few days.

Interesting that Gordon B hs gone home back to Scotland for the weekend, to chill.

My hope is that before any deal is done that Cleggy gets a wee chance to do the same.

Watching and listening and waiting with (surprising) interest here.

Capturing Moments

2010-03-25T05:15:00.003Z

That (in linear time) tiny space between sleep and waking can be filled with such an expanse of compacted, seemingly un-connected and fast-forwarded, (or rewind even), moments, but - usually within a few seconds - being awake kicks in, and the conscious thought processes all too quickly override that 'thin' place between the sea of dreams and the shore of awake.
But there are times when one just manages to linger, to hold on for a few more nanoseconds in an attempt to explore that holy space.
I am not sure if those nano-moments are ever meant to be truly captured. Maybe they are always meant to remain unchained, like some wild and untame-able reflection of human soul and spirit, and a glimpse into that sacred space that John O'Donohue so wisely named as the place deep within us all that 'no other created thing can ever touch'
He did advocate that one should try to get what we can make of this precious time down onto paper as often as we can, as he believed that this inner-celestial 3D movie show was really a place to explore, and through our journey into it, we can try to reveal and maybe even begin to unravel some of our own mystery to ourselves.

Or maybe its just the brain rebooting itself into the day. Who knows. My own awaking brain often displays the typical behavior of a beat-up, heavily virus-ridden, short-on-memory clapped out old banger of a PC..... but sometimes, surprisingly to my own self, kicks in faster and more ergonomically delightful than anything Steve Jobs' team could ever design.
These occasions should be noted, its certainly a good habit to do that I am convinced. After the call of nature is answered and the kettle is clicked on first of course. (But even before then if possible).

So, that brings me to Capturing Moments, and that phrase seem to me is what we all are about really - its what we all do in this modern age, its our culture. We Facebook update it, camera click it, email it, glance-at-our-loved-ones-and-store-it, jot it down, Twitter it.
That capture of the moment, and expression of it, of the feeling / emotional state we are currently in is in itself a mysterious and wonderful event. My mate Pip is always banging on about expressing these feelings and emotions, and how important it is to not let them just swim around inside you, festering away and eating you from the inside. Until you actually reveal in some way to someone else, or to God if you are that way inclined, these feelings, then and only then do they become real. I love him for keeping banging on about it by the way, do read his blog and allow yourself to be gently baptised in the drip drip holy water of his kindness and wisdom - over here...

Some moments you don't want to capture though. Some you just want to completely block out and wish you never had lived. Some moments have the ability to become your enemy - you start to fear them and lock them away so deep you think they will never will be able to escape. You dismiss them at your peril, as these mental Polaroids usually have teeth sharp enough to cut through any internal steel prison bars you build to house them in.
The danger here also is that we do manage to express and 'let out', release, these enemy moments to other humans and our behavior at that time can be very destructive as we allow the monster to hurt others as much as they are hurting ourselves - sometimes with unforgivable results.
Perhaps that is the very essence of misunderstanding. Not being able to process these enemy moments properly is maybe what keeps us from progressing forward on our journey through life, without leaving a Tsunami trail of unhappiness and pain in our wake that others have to try and rebuild when we are long gone.

So, write 'em down. Record and edit them. The good and the bad. Sing about them. Talk about them. Twitter the tits out of them :-)

I am off to search for my Love filter first though. Where did I put it? I know its close by somewhere.......

banner daft :-)

2010-03-10T01:24:00.002Z

going mad with flash banners, neat little app from BannerZest Pro..

Getting it to work in your blogger template is made easier through google and this fine info...

imminent...

2010-02-04T14:49:00.001Z

New Festival for 2010

2010-01-29T03:53:00.004Z

Delighted to be involved with this new festival just announced for 2010 in Scotland

SOLAS Festival is the name, born out of thePROJECT and Greenbelt inspired, its happening in Wiston, Biggar on 25-27th June 2010

Get on yer wellies!

A song for Palestine

2010-01-26T09:12:00.006Z

Soooo.... me starts something (Adventures in Technology...) and it lasts a week or so, and I get bored with it... same old same old!

But instead I have been working with Logic Studio on me dear black macbook, with some result!

Very much a work in progress but here is a song called (Please) Cross The Line.... (Palestine)

Cross The Line (Palestine)

A culmination of memories feelings and hopes from my trip to Palestine with the greenbelt 21 a year gone October, and much more....

Here are the lyrics:

Hope
Is a place
Far away, far away

Fear is a place
Close to home
Closer to home

First, take a step
Cross the road
To the unknown

Fear won't fulfil you
What hurts you, just might kill you

You'll cross a line
Palestine

I got over myself
With a breath
And some help....

I walked to the wall
Prayed it would fall
Wrote your name on a picture
All could see

Galilee... down the road...

Temples and cathedrals everywhere
Set in stone
Stone
Living Stones
Skin and Bone

Holy Holy Holy
Bullets holy, holy

Fire, 'cross the line
Palestine

I, I know you were here
'Cos I was there
I stood in your garden

In the bulldozer tracks
The bulldozer tracks
In the bulldozer tracks...

Ancient Olive trees
Summoning me

Please, cross the line
Please, cross the line
Please cross the line
Israel Palestine
Please cross the line...

Palestine.
Palestine....

The Edge

2010-01-19T05:20:00.004Z

The Edge talking to Dave Fanning on Saturday about his new movie It Might Get Loud - (which is great btw!), and about the upcoming U2010 tour and the song the band just recorded for Haiti appeal

Adventures in Technology... Part 7

2010-01-16T12:14:00.003Z

How To Back Up Your Blog... Alternative Method

(or how to back up any website and view it offline)

Sitesucker

Free, download it, tweek it to grab the pages you want to copy to your hard drive, and off you go...

Saves the pages complete with images and links et al.

happy d/loading.....

Adventures in Technology... Part 6

2010-01-15T17:24:00.005Z

How to Back Up Your Blogger.com Blog

This is the easy method, a couple of clicks and you can back up your entire blog into a .xml file

It also backs up your template, so if the worst happens and you lose your blogger.com blog for some reason, then you can start a new one, and them import the saved .xml file back into there with a few clicks....

Log in to your blogger account and go to 'Settings', the 'Basic'

You will see the 3 choices appear : Import Blog / Export Blog / Delete Blog

Choose 'Export Blog'

Click the 'Download Blog' tab, and save to your desired location...

This is an xml file, I tried to find a simple xml viewer / editor for mac, but short answer is there isn't one..... unless you are aux fait with editing .xml files then no need to bother really, as should you ever need to restore all the files contained within the .xml file, you simply need to just create a new blogger.com page and follow this same process, and instead of "Export Blog', you choose 'Import Blog' tab, and upload the .xml file there.

You can also use this method to export your entire blog over to Wordpress, which I might have a look at myself......

Bon Appetite!

Adventures in Technology... Part 5

2010-01-15T00:36:00.004Z

How to embed an MP3 on your blog

2 steps:

First you need to have your mp3 hosted somewhere on the web (skip this step if the file is already hosted somewhere)

Go Here

Upload your mp3

Note / copy the web address of the newly hosted file

Step 2 :

copy this code :

You just have to replace [MP3 file address] with the actual address.

(replace the [MP3 file address] with the actual web address of where the mp3 is hosted - you must use the HOTLINK web address provided there...)

Step 3 :

Go to the 'edit html' part of your blog composition page, and simply paste the embed code above somewhere in there.

This is what you should end up with....

Bon Appetite!

Adventures in Technology... Part 4

2010-01-13T20:00:00.003Z

iPlayer Grabber

Staying with the theme of media, telly and radio in this case from the BBC....

the BBC iplayer is a great innovation, but has the downside of making your downloaded files vanish after a few days, and they are not downloaded in a very user friendly manner.

In an attempt to rectify this, some clever chap invented this very useful app for the Mac

iPlayer Grabber, the iPlayer downloader for Mac OS X

DOes what it says on the tin, allows you to grab BBC telly and radio shows in mp4 and mp3 versions that are DRM free.

Just how they should be.

All the instructions are there on the weblink, so no need for me to repeat, other than to say...

Happy downloading!

Adventures in Technology... Part 3

2010-01-12T16:02:00.005Z

Watching HD Content on yer Big Telly for Free

(or... A cost effective and capable way of getting your HD video, music and pictures to play on your big telly)

So, I succumbed....

After many years not really that fussed about having a big telly, something broke and I got one over Xmas.

A great deal, (of course!) ..... and one of the main reasons was to actually be able to watch some HD content (the main reason actually) - having recently being drawn in by the quality and colour on other folks big telly's.

Now, the expensive way to watch HD, currently, is to go the full overpriced Sky HD route. Not an option. Other way is to buy a blu-ray player and discs - also too overpriced.

Third way - cheapest AND bestest (IMHO) is to set up a link that will play streamed content from your computer / mac / t'internet connection. HD and non-HD alike.

So, after days of searching a cheap but reliable and do-able way of what is available on the market, this is what I came up with...

Its called the Hisense 1080P Media Player.

It took a day to arrive after searching out the best price (around £50 delivered - ask me :-)

Very easy to set up out of the box, here is what you need to get it all working....

Big Telly (preferably with HDMI input)
HDMI Cable
Ethernet cable
Hisense Media Player
Computer (preferable a Mac of course :-) - with internet connection
Router or Ethernet Crossover Cable

Set up is

Connect Hisense with big telly using HDMI cable
Connect Hisense to Router (or direct to Mac using Ethernet Crossover cable)
Connect Mac to Router and Internet

Bingo.

Digging into the Hisense on screen menu soon 'sees' the Mac.
This is where it took me a while to figure out how to set up the Mac to share folders or directories with the Hisense, much pulling out of hair, but was dead simple in the end

Its all down to enable the SMB sharing facilty in your Mac's system preferences, basicially, SMB needs to be turned ON, for each folder you want the Hisense to see, thats all

Once connected and files placed in the Mac sharing folder, the Hisense is able to stream them over to your big telly effortlessy - pics, music, and movies, no fuss (there is a setting on the Hisense that you need to set to turn any .png image files into .jpgs, as the unit doesnt play raw .png files...)

So, the HD content, where do we get that from?

Well, its all out there in abundance on t'internet, just do a search for HD TV and torrent - there are some great sites that offer things like all the BBC and Sky HD programmes (bear i mind that these are recorded and not live streams though).

The Hisense also has 2 USB sockets on the side, and offer the ability to plug in USB content loaded sticks, or a USB Hard Drive, from which you can play content from.

And a uPnP setting, which I managed to get some live internet radio and iTunes stuff playing through, I think in a short time someone will make a dedicated uPnP server bit of software that works properly with this unit, I tried a few with limited success...

I am chuffed that I got this setup working, all made worthwhile when I watched a movie called 'Home' by Yann Arthus-Bertrand in full HD glory. Jaw dropped. Normal telly has now officially lost its appeal.

Bon Appetite!

Adventures in Technology... Part 2

2010-01-11T15:49:00.020Z

Sending / Sharing Large or Multiple Files Using Mobile Me

There are various ways of sharing large files, movies, podcasts, large music files etc. over the internet, and Mac Mail allows around a 20 Mb file to be sent via email.

But if you need to send a larger file, or a bunch of files together in one go - here is the method I use to utilise my mobile me account...

You will need:

A Mobile Me account
A Mac

STEP 1

(You can skip this step if you are only sending a single file)

To send multiple files using this method, they need to be 'zipped' up into a single .zip file

Copy the file(s) you wish to send into a new folder on your desktop (lets call the folder ShareMe)

(To create a new folder on your desktop, click ctrl and click anywhere on your mac desktop...and choose 'New Folder' from the drop menu)

When all the file(s) are in that folder. then right click the folder (ctrl & click)

Choose "compress' from the drop down list

that will create a single zip file containing all the files, on your desktop

STEP 2

Now go into your idisk (in Finder, or double click the Hard Drive icon on your desktop)

Create a new folder in there (lets call that ShareMe)

now drag the 'ShareMe.zip' file into that folder on your idisk

(If you are only sending a single file, just drag that large file from wherever it is on your Mac, direct into the ShareMe Folder you just created on your iDisk)

This may take a while depending on your connection speed, and file size as it uploads it to your idisk cloud.

Sometimes this part sticks or fails, a glitch with mobile me and iDisk, if it does not complete, try uploading again

This is a good point to go off and make coffee I usually find....

When this part is complete, you now have the file you want to share ready to go to Step 3

STEP 3

For this step you will need to then log into mac / mobile me webmail, by going to www.me.com in your browser

After logging into your account you will see this layout in top left of browser...

Click on the Blue hard drive icon (the one after the flower)

You will then see a list of folders that live on your iDisk in the second column

Click on the folder named 'ShareME'

In the 3rd column you will now see the ShareMe.zip file we uploaded earlier, ready to share

Click that and you will be presented with this screen

STEP 4

We now have 2 methods to actually share the file with recipients

If it is going to a single recipient, then click on the 'Share File' tab and type in the recipients email (and an optional message) into the box that appears:

(If you are sending to 2 or more emails, you can enter each email in here, separated by a comma)

And thats it - done!

If you find now that you need to share the link to the file to someone else, you can go through step 4 again, OR, you can simply copy the host address that now appears whenever you click on the ShareMe.zip file as in Step 3

Its the 'shared URL' which will look a bit like this...

Simply copy that 'shared URL' address and email it to any new recipients

And this is the neat and tidy email that your recipients will receive with your shared file for them to download

Bon Appetite!

Adventures in technology... Part 1

2010-01-10T16:11:00.006Z

Live TV on your iPhone or iPod Touch.

Lets start with a simple one - a source to watch live freeview on your iPhone

You will need :

an iPhone or iPod Touch (any version)
a wireless connection
to create a free account at http://www.tvcatchup.com/

Load up safari on your iPhone
type in this address http://iphone.tvcatchup.com
log in with the account you created earlier

choose your channel and watch.

If you have difficulty signing up to tvcatchup, it may mean your ISP (Internet Service Provider) is blocking the service (as it was in my case with Tiscali), or you are outside the UK.

There is a way around this, just google 'UK Proxy' .... (maybe that will be Adventures in Technology Part 2... :-)

Bon Appetite!

Adventures in technology

2010-01-10T15:52:00.003Z

Inspired by the movie Julie & Julia, in which the Julie in the movie's title decides to do a daily blog for one year, the theme of which is to do all the recipes out of the Julia of the movie's title's world famous cookbook.

Julie did 524 recipes in a single year, and blogged about them over exactly 365 days.

Then went on to have a movie made about it all.

Now, if that happens with this I will of course be delighted, and of course promise not to change and always remember my humble roots and keep my feet on the ground, and..... yeah right....

I always think the best blogs are the ones that talk about real stuff, stuff that the blogger actually cares about, or knows a little about, or is interested in trying to discover something about.
I really like technology, am baffled by much of it, and forever trying to figure out, so what, what will that little bit of technology do for me???
Sometimes that will mean my going off on a tangent for days on end, trying to get something to do something it was probably never intended for in the first place... other times, coming across simple ways do do something I had previously spent an age trying to master... or at least have a basic understanding of.

So my 365 days of Adventures in Technology shall be filled with stuff that will be totally useless, frivolous, pointless... or may even make your life in some small teeny weeny way, just that ickle bit simpler. Or not. You may end up just wasting time trying some of the stuff out. Or not.

Here we go.....

2009-12-19T01:59:00.006Z

here is the thing... here is the thing

so

how do you, ( if you are interested in that kind of thing of course..._

how do you... we... grab the interest and intellect and heart and soul of someone who just doesn't really give a fuck.

tough job.

ok, let's aim lower....

How do you grab the interest, intellect, heart and soul, and re-position a soul who gives the impression that they don't really give a fuck... so Fuck off... fuck right off, you mutherfucking interfering fucking fuck. (and associated fuck off mentality)

but

they

DOOOO...

really.... (give a fuck that is...)

its just that they don't really know what they give a fuck about yet,
thats all.

they appear and insist that they do not give a fuck.

But there honesty gives them away.

They, perhaps, haven't had it explained or offered up to them yet, the fact that some soul, some sacred and human-sent soul gave up everything, His life, his purpose and His body, just perchance that someone, somewhere down the line would actually hear the Echo that forever resounds

Or they have not EXPERIENCED a massage from the Almighty in that direction,

I don;t know

Maybe overly trying to cleverly explain the meaning of existence here (another tough job...)

Back to the reason

That may lead one to actually give a fuck...

Offering up, if we look closely enough

A mirror

That suddenly, or sweetly

Or over time and circumstance and graceful entity

Reveals the purpose of existance and time.

Oh what a moment lies ahead for those who appear to not give a fuck, but secretly and unspokingly harbour the knowledge that,

well... yes

I really do give a fuck

I just don't know what I give a fuck about yet.

Thats all

That is the Christmas message

Wonder if I can get away with it on my cards I haven't sent out?

"Oh sweet, sweet FA
Do, oh DO Inhabit the emptiness of forlorn abandonment
And make me give a fuck.

Amen"

Things I have done (and dreamed).. since yesterday and further afield

2009-11-27T07:27:00.005Z

Cleaned, dead good.
Made a bed.... no, literally, made a bed out of memory foam and a kitchen knife.
Polished a window
Vividly dreamed of a wild Greenbelt beach party and celebration that made me so honoured (in many ways)..... There was lots of singing, dancing and dressing up. In it, I received a letter from 2 people and it basically said, fill in the volunteer form this year, big man.... we need each other (I am synopsising), out of that everyone starting singing 'we are human lovers' lahdi dah, and it echoed into fireworks. It was brilliant.
Earlier, Listened to a podcast from Rob Bell & Mars Hill Bible Church, and tried to remember the phrase one of the preachers (Don Davies) gave to Salt of the Earth and Light of the World - on which the podcast is based ...... (listens again ......
Ah here it is....

YOU can BRING the FLAVOUR and GET your GLEAM on RIGHT

wow.

spice and beam
taste and shine
enrich and sparkle
add and reflect
flavour and gleam

earlier still, wrote a song called I Crossed a Line (in Palestine). Here it is, very raw and unedited...

God is Also in The Big Things

2009-10-26T10:28:00.002Z

When something attracts many people, many many people, it is so often disaster or bad news on the menu...

Sometimes; sometimes though, it is great occasion and celebration that unites a mass of humans.

Last night was that. Very that. Epitome of celebration, joy, wonderment and pure magic.

God in the technology and massiveness streamed to our little electronic devices, PC's Macs and connected screens. In the Dublin Massive.

Capturing the spirit and relaying to the planet, to the universe the intimacy that comes wrapped up in the ginormity of a U2 show..... live..... was never going to be a walk in the park.

It actually became a walk in the clouds

A trip to the stars

A trip through your wires

over 1000-1500 hashtags every single MINUTE pertaining to the event on dear old Twitter tells its own story of new dimensions and people reached. Heights attained.

Knockers quietened. Dissers squished. Silenced. For a brief spectacular short time.

Hallelujah Hallelujah

No X Factor here. No pretend.

Joy Love Dancing Moving Grooving Singing Bringing Banging

And you can still watch it here.... again. enjoy :-)

http://www.youtube.com/u2

The Wisdom of Solomon

2009-10-23T02:26:00.003Z

Really? That long since last blog? My bad.

Today I decided to take a bus ride.... for no other reason to get out of the house, and get a bag of chips. I am sticking to that story.
I thought I would take something to occupy me on my short journey, so I had a quick look on the bookshelf (very lazy reader me), and picked out a little one that would fit into my pocket, and picked up 'The Wisdom of Solomon', introduced by Adrian Plass.
I have read through it before, and thought it fit the bill nicely, as wisdom is something one can never get enough of..... (bearing in mind also that "those who increase knowledge, also increase sorrow".... oh dear.

One of the snippets that really does excuse my poor blogging regularity :

Be not rash with your mouth
nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God
for God is in Heaven, and you upon Earth
therefore let your words be few

Basically, I think that means, 'if you got nowt to say, say nowt'. like it.

So, my journey is quite short to the chippy, on the bus and back, and it meant I had a bit of a wait (eating said chips), in the bus depot, to catch the return bus home.

Lots of teenage humans dotting around at this time of night (7PM), and they all seem to be 'on the prowl', wandering, hanging around...... just like I used to do when I was that age of course.

In the chippy, a bunch of young lads in the queue before me, surprisingly, were asking each other who is gonna be watching Question Time tonight..... "What's Question Time?" says the gawkiest, while the others look at each other and nod and snigger......

Now, if you live in the UK you could not help but know that tonight the Question Time being spoken about was the BBC panel show, with audience questions, that had, in its own 'wisdom' (or lack of it, depending on your own point of view), invited the leader of the BNP (right wing fascist UK political party), onto the show, because, they (the BBC), now said they had to, as the BNP was now considered, in their eyes, a legitimate political organisation, after winning 2 seats earlier in the year in the European Elections.

What was surprising about the discussion by the chippy lads was that they were at all interested in what is really a politics show, and it resonated a little oddly in this working class small ex pit town why they would be showing such an interest.

So I watched the show, and also the 2 BBC shows afterwards, This Week, and then a re-run of Panorama, 'Undercover - Hate on the Doorstep'

I would really recommend if you can watching that Panorama special, where 2 undercover British Asian reporters spent 8 weeks living on a housing estate in Britain (Bristol actually), with hidden cameras on their person, recording the abuse and hate that they suffered at the hands on mainly young (as young as 9 or 10 years old), and teenage racists. It is really disturbing, but really did serve as an antidote to much of the rubbish that came out of the Question Time show (mainly from the mouth of 1 man, no prizes in guessing who he is).

The very BBC can be so great at programming, and then, so absolutely shit at something else.

Remember them refusing to show the Gaza Appeal earlier in the year? The same bosses who defended that decision were at it again defending the decision to invite a racist political party almost an hour of free airtime (and goodness knows how much else publicity that went alongside this absurd decision).

There are those, many I am hearing, saying that in this country we have the right of free speech, and everyone has the right to air their views, but that is just so hypocritical and downright shameful for the BBC to come that line when they would deny a humanitarian appeal and defend a racist organisation, and allow them time to promote their vile propaganda, it really wants to make me spit.

In the show afterwards it was commented that the BNP leader had been shown up just for what he was, and what his party stood for, and in some ways this was true. He had no answer to many of the criticisms hurled at him, and I am sure plainly lied about some things. No doubt about that whatsoever.

So now the thin 'veneer' as it is being called, of acceptable fascism is being brought into the political mainstream. This is bullshit. This must not stand. It is the Emperors New Clothes.
Or wolf in sheeps clothing. There is no such thing as acceptable fascism, and the more this man and his party are taken seriously, the more they are exposed to people who may just hear what they want to hear, and actually think they have some valid points. And so they grow in number.
Just like a certain mustachioed Charlie Chaplin lookalike Austrian little git and his horde did back in Nazi Germany in the 30's.

It baffles me does politics. I have no faith in any of it, there are the good and the great politicians, but on the whole they just don't swing it for me. Where does it end?

I am reminded of wisdom and wise words, like these ones by The German anti-Nazi activist, Pastor Martin Niemöller

They Came

First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak out for me.

There was more, much more that I learned from the Wisdom of Solomon Book, but that will wait til tomorrow. That will be the bit that goes "A Time for Everything'.....

The Space Between Looking Outward and Looking Within (GB09 review)

2009-09-03T00:14:00.019Z

Long have I advocated a 'volunteer break' for people who give over their time and love over to Greenbelt Festival every August Bank Holiday, and beyond. This year, after 5 years volunteering, I practised what I preach, and (in the main), did just that.
We was punters @gb09. Me and Mrs J managed to also wangle leaving the kids in a caravan in Northumberland for the weekend (not on their own I hasten to add, but with grandparents), we missed them very so, but it did give us the chance to do the festival just like we used to do it, before we was married, before we knew another soul at the festival.
We did sign up for a few hours helping out at The Amos Trust stall in G-Source for a few hours on the Saturday which was great, and gave us the chance to chat with some beautiful Muslim ladies from an Amos colleague association who were loving being at the festival and really sad they had to leave later that day. We also got to have a chat with the true gent that is Garth Hewitt which is always a great honour and a pleasure. Thanks to Sarah D and George for making us welcome.

I also was asked to perform a small role as part of The Table greenbelt group which did give us some structure to work to as we planned our days there, which worked out well as it meant I got to see stuff I wouldn't have normally gone to see, whilst also having the opportunity to do just about anything we pleased over the weekend.

Things greenbelt 09 was wonderful at presenting that I loved:

Site vibing -
colourful, noticeable, especially like the Kitchen venue interior

Sunday Communion -
outstanding in its' decision re: theme, olive seeds, Palestinian voices, risky and raggle taggle music

Rob Bell interviewed by Martin Wroe -
Greenbelt at its very very best, the questions from the audience and Martin and Rob's replies were a joy

Nuts/Performance Cafe
Splendid food in a splendid venue, class

The way that GB has further embraced technology this year and being able to follow it via the GB app, twitter and flickr, and of course grab mp3's of the talks I missed so soon after they finish

Barbara Nice, Alex Horne, new Festival Bowl venue, YMCA cafe, a chat with Bishop Gene and his assistant (who both adored the Festival), meeting and spending all too brief moments with friends old and new.

The whole gb09 vibe

Being, in the main, a punter this year. No pressure, ability to wander and discover

Things I didn't love:

Over eager stewarding in the Big Top, hurrying people out of the venue through only 2 exits when there we at least 6 they could/should have used. Madness. And dangerous. And being told the venue wasn't being cleared after one performance only to find once inside they had changed their minds and having to leave that performance halfway through to queue for the next show.

Jesus Arms -
Soul-less, cold atmosphere, crap paper cups and so-so beer

Missing the Keep Monday Special day, having to leave very early Monday

And lastly, the home from home we have found in recent years, back in the hotel (yes I am afraid camping days are not on the agenda in recent years, that may return though...).
The very special greenbelt people, some of whom we only see once a year, and some we have the delight of knowing and meeting up with throughout the year.
Each and every one of you good folk who i get to share a beer or 2... or 3 with late into the night, where sleep cries out, but is put off for just that little bit longer because the crack is so good and we don't want to leave it.
I leave these thoughts with images of some of you (the non blurry pics), and think of you all, often. And know that surely in Heaven there is a bar somewhere with comfy seats, each one has your name on it, awaiting your arrival.

So, that space between looking inward and looking outward.
The Long Now.
I got it.
Stood in it.
Paused in it.
We must do it again soon. Soon.

Thoughts on the Gathering

2009-08-23T00:04:00.002Z

So, we enter the week that for many of us marks the end of another year, and the beginning of a new year.
We are about to make the journey to a special place.
A place that has to be believed to be seen.

Our community gathering. For some, our only church.

My thoughts extend to Greenbelts' past, and of the people I have met, the things I have heard, the discussions I have been part of, or just earwigged in on.

I think of all the workers, all the volunteers who have put so much in to the preparations and organisation.

I think of my own journey, between last Greenbelt and this coming one. Of the amazing things, of the desperately sad things, of the deep frustrating things, of the life changing things, that have happened through the looking at life through the Greenbelt Lens.

John O'Donohue said at his last ever festival, 'make your gaze beautiful' - so that is my prayer and hope and wish for each and every person who will be touched by the spirit of festival named Greenbelt in the coming weeks and months.

May it move you, imprint upon you the very essence of what it is to know that whatever you are, wherever you are at, whatever you want to be, or don't want to be, that you find your moment.
That moment may be a tiny glimpse into what is possible, or it may be something thats enters you so deep that your world will be rocked to its core foundations, and you will never be the same ever again.

This is my Greenbelt Prayer for 2009, Standing in the Long Now.

U2 360°, In 360°

2009-08-22T12:34:00.002Z

Click anywhere on the screen and move your mouse to view the 360 onstage view (requires Quicktime)

[download] [download]

Photographer Ralph Larmann has been documenting the U2 360 tour at several stops in Europe, getting some pretty amazing stuff along the way. One of the tools in his kit is a panoramic camera, and he used that to take the above panoramic shot behind theband during the show in Gelsenkirchen.

To zoom in on the shot, use the shift key; to zoom out, the control key. To rotate, click on the image and point it in the direction you want to move. Don’t forget to zoom up to look at the pylon and other components of the rig.

You can also see Ralph’s work on the cover of the August/September issue of Live Design, which will feature a photo gallery of shots from the tour.

Up The High Road

2009-08-19T22:30:00.002Z

Another great night, great spot and I thought the sound was on the whole damn good where I was (opposite Edge, 5 o'clock to his right leaning on the back rail of the pit)

Was with Mrs Jules (who absolutely loved the whole day), and a mate Twiggy
who brought along his 14 year old first time U2 show.....
it was brilliant being with them and seeing the joy and rapture of their faces throughout......

Enjoyed a stroll around the pitch while The Hours were playing (who I am really liking)

And also Glasvegas, who seemed much more at home (obviously!), in their home patch,
and the singer really started to get into it to the end of their set.....
they were still getting a hard time from one or 2 very vocal big gobs right next to us,
but all in all went down very well

The technology gremlins were in abundance, not just for the sound guys
(we were located close to a giant sub-bass bin that started to go into meltdown
during MLK, just before Walk On and the total collapse for a few minutes of the entire PA),
I had 2 phones also that were set up to broadcast some snippets and twitpics that also decided, nah, you just watch the show instead - same for my camera, almost every pic I took came out blurred..... did get a few gems though....

Highlights for me were Vertigo, ISHFWILF, Unknown Caller karaoke, UV and MOS.
Think we were rather lucky that the rain that the forecast predicted pretty much held off,
more of a fine Celtic mist hung around all day, which maybe seeped into the electronics
and was to blame for all the techie glitches.

As I left the stadium, my thoughts were already on tomorrow night in Sheffield, but I couldn't help stop and pause a moment, and again try to take in the enormity of the whole 360 concept.
This pretty much sums it up.... bewildering and magnificently ginourmous, splattered with moments of intense intimacy........ who else but U2?

They even punched keyholes in the sky.....

Wembley 2 - Up Close and Personal

2009-08-17T02:57:00.005Z

Well. possibly..... hmmmmm probably.... the BEST gig I have ever been at.
Closeness to the event (in time and in proximity), may be colouring my judgment, BUT.......

After being at Fridays show in the seats (a last minute unplanned offering from a friend - cheers Emmo!)), I was determined to try and get up the front tonight, and amazingly as it turned out, this was achieved. How it was achieved is a whole story in itself, but in short, involved a full guided tour of the inside of the stadium, and a chaperoned escort right up into the bowels of the pit.
None of this was pre-arranged or planned, it was pure fluke, or, I like to think, one of those divine little happenings that tend to occur when U2 are in town and I get my arse down to see them.
It may have had something to do with the angel of a lady who I was attending the show with, who knows, but here is where we stood....

As we were taking pics, a guy offered to take a couple of us if we returned the favour, with claw in background, souvenier-like. Ian from Toronto was there as a last minute decision on his trip to London for other reasons, and wot a geezer...... he had had a few already and offered to buy us a beer if he could stand with us and hang out as he was on his own.
By showtime he was coming back from the bar 4 beers at a time, there was no stopping him! What helped make the night was watching him become ever more awe-struck (and pissed, but in a non-threatening way), as the night went on. He had NO idea what to expect, not quite a U2 newbie, but was not familiar with any of the new stuff or the concept of the tour.
I literally saw his jaw drop on more than one occassion and he spent a lot of the time ringing his Mrs back in Canada shouting 'THIS IS AWESOME!!! and other expletives. When the screen started to descend and the bridges rotate I thought he was gonna pass out. He kept disappearing and re-appearing with water and doughnuts... and more beer...... This is he....looking a bit scary!

I thought The Hours were very good, and into what they were doing, they had a stage manager directing their foldback mixer guy throughout the set, very professional like. Crowd liked them, I think we will be hearing more about them in the future.

Glasvegas... well. I liked their album a lot, but I felt the singer just didn't connect with the audience at all. He didn't seem to handle the nerves or pressure of such a big event too well, which is a shame, but maybe understandable.

The wait for the main event seemed to go quickly, and pretty soon stage was cleared and Bowie came over the speakers and the smoke machines kicked into action. Here we go..... yes we were THIS close :-)

The sound was awesome compared to last night's echo madness, possibly due to being closer to the ground and absorbsion was much better down here - there are real inherent problems with sound at Wembley, I wouldn't say it is great for acoustics for bands - but when the crowd kicks in, like ISHFWILF, well, then you can imagine what it must be like for the footy fans, the atmosphere must be electric, as the sound has nowhere to go it bounces around forever, wonderful for crowd singing, awful for rock music (but I have heard tonights show was way better all round even for those up in the Gods, well done Joe for taming the echo demons at least as much is humanly possible).
Bono bigged up Joe O, and told the story of how he, Joe O, visited Wembley when the foundations for this new version of the stadium were being laid....and how he had discretely, dropped in a plectrum belonging to Edge right into the very foundations of this special U2 place (Live Aid et al.....)

The set tonight was just brilliant, many many highlights. My angel lady friend was praying for I Still Havent Found...and again they delivered, man that crowd singing ripped into the soul, and I bubbled again, a spiritual moment of great heights was attained.

They only went and done Bad again (only 3 times on this tour and I been at 2 of them!), well, it just does not get any better, I am sure they knew I was there, some kind of mind reading going on perhaps? If only! But thats one of the secrets of being a great great act, to engage with your audience and fans on a personal level, and invite you to think that they are singing certain songs JUST for you, and no one else. My lady angel friend thinks this, in Dublin she got Stuck In a Moment, just when she needed it, and tonight got her Still Havent Found.
I got... well I got up close and personal, you want proof? Well you look at this and tell me what you think.

Man playing bass looking down at U2 fan: "Hey, big guy, I was hoping you would make it up to the front tonight. Ah, I see you brought your angel friend. Nice. What do you think of this little riff....? Well, its been nice chatting, must get along this bridge now, I have other people to see, have a great night!'

See you in Glasgow. GET ON YER KILTS!!!!!!

The Painting of Walls.

2009-08-07T11:55:00.006Z

Something I used to do for a living, was the painting of walls.
And associated physical effort type behavior.
I got quite good at it, habit and practice tend to do this, although most jobs turned out well, there was always the odd failure of course.
In my case they tended to be quite spectacular or ridiculous.... or a combination of the 2.
I may journal some of these one day, though anonymity may have to be used to prevent embarrassment to certain parties (mainly myself).

When your on a painting job, the mind can wander, even up a ladder, as dipping the brush into the pot and applying it to the wall really only takes a tiny amount of brain power, but all that fresh air, and the pumping, circulating blood maybe account for the increased thought processing that can happen at the most unexpected of times.

I probably daydreamed great dreams and mighty plans during these days of labour. Most of which slipped away into the weariness of the day, as the Sciatic pains started to take over from the daydreaming, and down from the ladder, reality kicks in, tools are put away and, all too soon, another day has passed.

Nowadays I try to avoid picking up the brush with every excuse i can muster... but do get railroaded into compliance by the good Mrs every now and again (she is very clever).

This week it started with 'Can you just level out this front garden a bit, for the gravel that's coming"? (Huh! news to me)!!!
"Its just a bit too tough for me" she says "It won't take you long".

Hmmm....

So I find myself at the top of a ladder, paintbrush in hand, looking down upon said levelled front garden, 5 days later, wondering, and muttering..... 'Yes, she is very clever"....

But, the old pride in yer work thingy has kicked in, and the weather has been kind, and shush, but dont say a thing to her.... I think I am enjoying myself.

So, this is my philosophical moment captured for the day, thus:

Success, Failure and Truth.

Every thing attempted, ot created, made, built, touched by human hand - every scheme schemed, every plan laid, every order given, received, carried out, every job undertaken and begun, EVERY one of these things has a process, a way forward, a plan.
And in these processes, to get from one stage to the next, therein lies something we know as truth.
If you do A, by doing it via process B and C, then you end up with D.
Carried out correctly, therein lies an element of truth.

However, do not be fooled by thinking that because of the success of this formula that you have any more then a mere inkling of what truth is.
To know this, you must go to the second word..... failure.

For in failure, that is where truth really shows is self.
By failure I do not mean not trying, for that is not failure, that is just well.... not trying!.

Real failure, where you have given your heart and soul and reached so deep into yourself that it actually hurts, and you still come up short - this is where you are sure to encounter many many truths, about yourself, about other people, about the very nature of things in an imperfect and broken world.

This is where truth lives. In failure. Do not be afraid of it. It will teach you much. It will break you. It will make you, or continue the making of you, as this process never stops.

Go. Do. Involve. Evolve. Fail. Nothing to stop you from trying again, and what you learned in your failure will equip you for the next, greater challenge that lies ahead.

Be beautiful and also, careful on those ladders that you climb.......

You are a signpost

2009-07-09T09:55:00.002Z

You are a signpost
I am a signpost

Where do you point, is it to yourself
Me Me ME

Or is it to some other glory
Some other wonder that your eyes have feasted upon

The signpost that points to itself, says "I have arrived"

The one that says instead, look over in that direction,
That is where you may find what you seek
Is the signpost I want to be

Don't look at me for the truth,
Look where I am pointing
That may be the direction

Along that road, tired and hungry traveller
Where all things must pass

The Project 2 - In The Flesh, Part 2 and Beyond.

2009-07-04T08:22:00.004Z

Faith Arts Justice Technology Creation & Creativity Bootlegging Stealing Sharing

Things that tick my boxes.

The Project 2 - In The Flesh, Part 2 and Beyond.

So, the Project day was underway....

For me, first session I attended was Beki Bateson, GB Festival Director, though in true Greenbelt fashion, other talks, workshops and events were kicking off on other rooms and venues throughout the day.

There was also, maybe it was planned that way in choosing the location, an open air large balcony overlooking a nice green space, which throughout the day offered me and others a quiet space (the clement weather helped allow this to unfold!), and also somewhere where I could partake in a few drags of small cigar puffs and reflect...

Beki's session began with her offering the group an introduction to her thoughts and work in the Arts, Justice and Faith combined field, and used Banksy as an example to highlight how these 'movements;, for want of a better terminology, can come together and combine to create change. "Just space', is a phrase that really sticks in my mind that she used to explain how justice and faith can be exposed and shared through a piece of Art. She showed Banksy's images that are present on the Separation Wall in Palestine as striking examples of how Art can expose in a very real way, beautiful yet disturbing imagery that chews through the gaze and starts to work on your inner.
She talked of her work with Amos Trust and Greenbelt and Art she has seen in her travels by the people of place like Nicaragua, South Africa and Palestine, Art of the people of those places, and by people who have been affected by visiting those places and gone on to produce their own form of Art/ Justice / Faith kind of combination from the effects of their time in those places.

This stuff was resounding in me and making real connections, having been with Beki and a group of 20 other Greenbelter's on a weeks visit to Palestine last year and seeing this Wall Art, by Banksy and many other, unknown Wall Artists. Like the work of Garth Hewitt and his music and poetry that is accompanied by images by Wilf Witty that has come out of many many trips by them to these aforementioned places.

(So as I sit writing this second part self-review of the Project Day, 2 weeks since it happened, I keep interrupting myself with events that have gone on in the space between then and now, and feel the need to interject those thoughts also here....)

Faith, Art, Justice...... when combined they really do attract me, but for me there is something missing..... and this morning, awake ridiculously early for Saturday, I connect the missing piece of the jigsaw.

Where I fit in to all this....

The word is technology.

its been staring me in the face and only today I connect the jigsaw pieces.

Between today and 2 Saturdays ago since the Project, what have I done? What have I been a part of, and where it fits in?

Well, an ongoing thing I am involved in, as you may know if your read this blog or are involved with Greenbelt, is the podcast that is a monthly release available over there on the right of the screen if you click the virtual cassette tape you can hear....
I work on all the bits that the wonderful Paul Northup has assembled in terms of script, audio snippets and photographs, and knit them all together and create the finished article that your hear.
Latest episode was released end of June, and Greenbelt has a wonderful page up with more info on each of the people and things featured each month right over here....

Directly connected with that, I have re-mastered another 10 of the Greenbelt Recorded Talks, that currently are available over here in their original state, but soon will be available in their re-mastered (a fancy terminology for making them more ear- friendly!), through iTunes Audiobooks, and through Audible.com as part of an expansion and widening out of selected Recorded Talks from Greenbelts' past to the worldwide Online Community....

And also, since early this year I have been working (this is so exciting I can still hardly believe it), for this band, and things just got a whole lot more mental this past week as they kicked off their world tour.

Difficult to really go into detail here with what I do for various reasons, hence to say technology is a key thing with it all, and the way that this lot embrace and use technology, and combine it with Art, and Faith and Justice is absolutely second to none. The future is getting kissed. From all angles.

Now, before you get the idea that much of the time I actually know what I am doing re: Technology, then please, think again.
No, that would be far from the truth.
But one thing is, I am not scared of technology, for me its just another tool in the box.
I like to use whatever is at my fingertips to make purpose, using the tech toolbox.
Tech without a goal in mind, a vision, an aim, a project or a realisation at the end of it is just time-passing and very very boring.

So, this box of tech tools at my disposable is much like the rest of my life, very very messy. Same as my faith, Itty bitty, make-it-up-as-you-go-along,
But I do have a feel for it. Often I feel guided and driven along a path where the bits of tech laid out in front of me combine and help open up this 'just space' place that i learned its' name from from Beki B.

I space where visions and hopes turn into the created.

It can look or sound like magic, and brilliant, the final resulting piece that is born of the time and energy expelled in the making of the Art (whatever your own ideas of what Art actually is or encompasses is may be greatly different to my own, I know that). But its not magic, its actually the child of what it takes to be creative, inspiration mixed with plenty of graft........

So Part 2 of the Project blog has turned into something else, and there i need to leave it, to return to it in Part 3 very soon......

the virtual cassette tape over on the right ->

2009-06-26T13:03:00.000Z

greenbelt june podcast in the can and ready for your ears....

my video and audio snapshot of project 2: in the flesh

2009-06-23T03:16:00.002Z

Project 2: in the flesh - part 1

2009-06-23T02:51:00.006Z

So, says John O'Donohue, there is this place somewhere deep within us humans that 'no created thing' can ever reach. A place where nothing, no words, no actions, no sound - no feeling, can ever penetrate, can ever touch.
If I get him right, this place is essential for our very human-ness, yet, by its' very definition, the fact that we are created beings means that it is somewhere that as long as we remain created, even we can never arrive at.
Maybe he was talking of a place that some call the 'soul'?
Maybe this place is located very close, if not even within, the heart?
Maybe even an imaginary place that keeps moving on a never-ending journey around and through and in-between the billions of tiny explosions and electrical impulses that pass through the human brain each second, that we have deemed to simply define as 'thought'........

Well, if you can even begin yourself to imagine that space, or to give it a name or location, please hang on to it for a wee while and as you read this, head towards that place with me, as I try to align myself on my own journey, as I follow this elusive 'non-entity'..... and try to make sense if it.

This journey begins, yes it must have a beginning, but most certainly it is not linear, and that beginning is clearly, for me at least, not singular. It is a beginning that has many invocations, and usually they are born out of the most ordinary everyday things. Things that can suddenly, or over a time, DIVERT one from the everyday and ordinary, and in that everyday-ness and ordinary-ness, transform and enlighten the space that was thus called ordinary into soul-space, heart-space, thought-space.......JUST space.

Not spaced-out....
Not outer-space.

Here, right in the created, an unveiling of a layer that momentarily lifts the cataract of broken-ness from our human-ness, and in this, begins a process that may be defined as 'healing' whatever it is that broke you in the first place......

Something can set you towards that place - and space, and as the shroud falls away, opens you up to all kinds of possibilities and universal boundaries just become.... expanded. This something can be a piece of art, music, a conversation, an act of kindness or generosity. That something acts as a signpost, that suddenly illuminates, and is personalized, it lights up neon-fashion and reads clearly ' go this way now, go this way -> -> -> -> ->

(Ok, if you are still with me, thankyou! WTF is this ramble all about and leading to?You may well ask!).

My intention here is to try to write a review of a brilliant day I spent in the city of Edinburgh on Saturday, in the company of amazing and generous people at an event called 'the Project'.
Well, to give it its full title - The Project 2 - In the Flesh', which is part of (from the official spiel),
- ..an interim series of small, viral, organic events during 2009 & 2010, building to the possibility of a larger festival of arts, culture & faith in 2011, inspired by Greenbelt & others.
...for those interested in a deliberate exploration of the arts, culture and faith; a welcoming place of inspiration/ irreverence/ laughter/ tears/ questions/ arguement/ friendship/ thrills for insiders, outsiders and, maybe especially, those at the margins of the church...

What drew me to the event, (apart from the obvious invitation), was initially a delight and curiosity of something that was, (in some way at least), defined as Greenbelt-inspired, and as an advocate and supporter of anything that defines itself thus, I could not resist being drawn to attend. Also it helped that this was happening in the 'North' (just about anything north of me in the UK is otherwise known as Scotland of course...).
The event, (part of the aforementioned series of events), was well publicised via email, facebook and web-presence, and without being too pressurising for the subscriber to those emails and info links to get involved, kind of kept me informed and built the desire for me to want to be there....
The location was good for me (2 and a half hours drive not a big deal for me...though may be for some), but I think the intention was to initially cater for the 'need' for this kind of event for those good folk north of the border, who for whatever reason may never be able to make it to Greenbelt Festival, but would 'get' an event that was touched by the 'spirit of Greenbelt' itself......

And 'touched' by that very spirit it was indeed.....
The lineup reflected that, as does the organisational group that have put this thing called 'the Project' together.
On the bill was John Bell, Doug Gay, Beki Bateson and Iain Archer, amongst many fine others (full lineup here)..

So, my journey to Edinburgh is relatively quick (despite the evil eye A1 speed cameras), and my sat nav gets me quite close to where I need to be, almost in good time, though as per usual, 'quite close' means that it decided to give up trying to guide me as soon as I was near - (maybe it is trying to tell me something....)
I find myself trying to enter the gates of Edinburgh Castle....oops..... still driving... and park nearby (2 quid an hour!!!)
By chance I find I am parked not 30 metres from one of the venues (The Lot), and the main venue (St Coloumba by the Castle), is just at the top of steps (lots of!) and around the corner....

A huff and a puff (quick mini cigar) later, and I am descending into the bowels of St Columba and greeted with a smile and a wee peck on the cheek by Dot Reid (one of the organisers and GB trustee), and duly, hand over my 20 quid and receive my wristband for the day (and night event also) (add prices in here)

As I find a space the opening introductions are being done, beginning with singing.... don't get me wrong I like singing...... and as it turned out, this 'group singing wasn't as off-putting as it may have been (for the likes of me who is a very reluctant participator in anything group-related... at first...)
As it turns out, the singing was like a blessing I think, and thankfulness and invocation of that verbally with sound, for the fact that we were here, and ready to journey through the days' events and interactions.

I will pause here, and resume later in part 2, where it all gets rather good

Soooooooooo......

2009-06-18T03:42:00.002Z

Hey, I know...... so I got out of the habit of blogging...... it happens, no?

But there comes a time, with this oft maligned and criticised method of publication / communication / thinking-outloud-ness / spiel, called blogging, that allows one to pick it up again. Hence this.

It may be the time of day (4.45 AM) that instills some sense of space that allows blogging time, though to be completely honest, that should not really matter - as this, my usual 'workplace', come place I inhabit almost day and night round, has no windows, is almost completely soundproofed, and allows me (if I am not careful!), to be almost immune to the normal constraints and regularity of BST (British Summer Time)....

There are advantages to this way of living, and there are disadvantages.

The disadvantages are danger of feelings of complete isolation and living in my own wee world, only dipping in and out of the 'real' world place that is but a few interior door thresholds away....
Absolutely no sense of involvement or community or social inter-action. Well, physically that is.
I do retain some sense of the aforementioned through web-interactivity, social networky touches, and through email, and internet-based work interactions, and for those i am duly grateful.
But, to be honest, the danger is getting USED to this hermit style existance, and at the moment, I am very comfortable with it.... overly so I am realising.
No one to bother me, I can do what I want, when I want. Self indulgence is an easy trap to slip into and a sticky quagmire to haul oneself out of.

Maybe a list is needed - prioritise?
I do a good list, but am hopeless at working through it.
Like now, I can do a number of things, or go back to sleep.
Do them later.

(Sleep is a strange beast - I love to do it whenever I want to / need to, can go a full 24 hours without it, then spend days wanting to do little else.
I am an idle fool who is prone to utter laziness and the easy life. Nothing new there then...
But not averse to getting stuck in and making a success of a small project or job).

Things that are floating my boat right now.....

Doing the mixing and editing of the Greenbelt Podcasts
Working in a very small way for my alltime favourite rock band
Taking pics of gear to flog on Ebay with my new camera

Things I am really looking forward to.....

Seeing U2 in Dublin with great people
Visiting Edinburgh on Saturday to experience The Project
Seeing U2 in Glasgow with great people
Seeing U2 in Sheffield with great people
Attending Greenbelt Festival
A week in a caravan in Northumberland with my beloved's

Things that I need to do but am procrastinating over.....

Fixing up the front of the house
Making a real bigger effort on the ebay sales front (though making inroads...)
Do things as a family more / better

Things I need to do but have no real desire, therefore probably won't.....

Find a church
Belong to a local community
Be more of a people person

Things that are getting me down.....

The realisation that I have never had, and will probably never have a 'career'
The understanding of my limitations and lack of drive
The feeling that no one really gives a shit what I have to say
Being adrift on quite a luxurious boat, but without fellowship to make the cruise mean anything

There, we have it - a list........ now I choose sleep.

night night xxx

Art - Instrument of Truth

2009-04-30T13:35:00.001Z

would like to encourage everyone to subscribe to the Greenbelt Podcasts using this link (free and ad-free).
Latest episode is out now, entitled 'Art - Instrument of Truth'. By subscribing and downloading it really does help the podcasts climb up the iTunes charts and puts the festival right in the mix...literally. Now if you can also rate the podcast and leave a comment, that would be even better.... thanks!

Greenbelt Podcasts on iTunes

new greenbelt message boards

2009-04-24T16:10:00.002Z

new greenbelt message boards

Greenbelt Festival Community Message Board

2009-04-22T14:10:00.001Z

how did you cope with mothers' day?

2009-03-23T01:09:00.003Z

did you send flowers if you have one?
did you think of them if you no longer have one?

did you argue with yours?
did you give them a hug, or wish to God that you could give them a hug
But distance, whether it be physically or emotionally, meant you just could't reach Her?

Is she out of reach?

Were you at the bosom?
Were you part of the fold, or a wandering lamb?

Did she come to you?
Did you go to her?
Did you meet somewhere in no mans' land, on a ceasefire?

I realised in the middle of the night that Saturday totally passed me by
And it was too late for me to get a card or flowers for the mother in this house
I knew that was bad... real bad...
The mother in this house is othersise known as my missus, and the day, as you can imagine
Had to start with an apology
From me..... shit... i just forgot.. i am such a pre-occupied fool with other things
It went by me like a shooting star, but i was blind to it.

Luckily G & D had flowers and cards and hugs... special like

And thanks must go to Asda for being open on a Sunday
Albeit with no flowers left and cards a fiver a pop....

Leading me to instead to go for a bottle Of Bombay Sapphire Gin
2 bottles of Schweppes tonic
And a big bag of lemons.

That fixed it.

And a trip to the other mother (in law)
Who prepared the feast, and received the flowers
That the missus would not dare forget to get.....
And cooked the best yorkshire puddings eaten in a long time
With the mix the mother wife had prepared
Cooked in the yorkshire pudding tins that I rescued a few months ago

From the bin
That was at my own mothers house, that my sister had dumped
While clearing her now empty house and home

The yorkshire pudding tins that you cannot buy anymore
Deep and black from years of use
The ones that my lovely wife had told me to go and rescue that day we emptied the house

Not before I stopped in at the Crematorium
And walked around the place where she lies

Today, windblown and stormy, but clear
Walked and looked in the chapel of remembrance
That was closed, peeked in the windows
And looked beyond, into the blue and green distance

And said I miss you mam
Oh how you are missed
More than I thought I would
I hope you heard me
In my thanks for looking out for me from the other side

That today brushed my cheek
And blew my hair

Hope you catch the one I threw up there.

xxxxx Happy Mothers Day xxxxx

For A Mother

2009-03-22T14:13:00.002Z

Mother
Your voice learning to soothe
Your new child
Was the first home sound
We heard before we could see.

Your young eyes
Gazing on us
Was the first mirror
Where we glimpsed
What to be seen
Could mean.

Mother,
Your nearness filled the air,
An umbilical garden for all the seeds
Of longing that stirred in our infant hearts.

You nurtured and fostered this space
To root all our quietly gathering intensity
That could grow nowhere else.

Mother,
Formed from the depths beneath your heart,
You know us from the inside out
No deeds or seas or others
Could ever erase that

John O'Donohue, from Benedictus, A Book Of Blessings

Greenbelt Podcasts Numbers 1 in iTunes UK

2009-03-13T17:25:00.004Z

Sometimes you help sow the seeds, and sometimes, you are lucky enough to be around to reap the harvest....

Such is the case with Greenbelt Podcasts

As of around 3 A.M. Friday 13th March 2009, Greenbelt Podcasts were number 1 in the catagory of Religion & Spirituality in UK iTunes

Above Joyce Meyer, above Worship Central, above BBC Thought for the Day, Hillsong Church and above Oprah's Spirit Channel.

Sitting on the top of the pile is lil' ole Greenbelt

Pride may be a sin, gloating may be a worse sin, but in the words of a very lovely man who just released a very magnificent album with his lil' irish 4 piece combo.....

"Shout for joy, if you get the chance"

THIS IS ME SHOUTING WHOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

When I first started working as a volunteer at Greenbelt, about 5 years ago, my first role at the festival was to pack cassettes (yes) into cassette boxes.
It was a job that was needed to be done, and I enjoyed it.

I also at that time was on greenbelt management group, also a brand new role, so I felt very privileged at that time to be so involved in the festival-making, and at 2 very different levels, both, in their own ways as important as each other.
Being part of 2 different teams, each with their place in the melting pot that goes to make up one very special event.

You get to talk to people you are working with, and, being the creative person that I am :-0 -
offer up ideas and solutions to issues that come about....
Now this of course can get you into trouble....... nice trouble...... in that sometimes, you get overheard, and actually listened to...... (not always of course, but when you are the quiet soul like moi, you kind of get used to being ignored sometimes....)

Now, at that time, all the talks at the festival, by wonderful speakers from all over the world, would get recorded, copied to CD and cassette, and be put on sale within a few hours in the GB shop.
Issues arose, like over-production of amounts of cassettes and CD's, (too many unsold and therefore wasted resources), some talks getting missed off the list to be recorded (John O;Donohue whole talk forever lost to the ether...) and no mp3 versions....

I wanted to be able to go to the greenbelt website, and listen again to talks I had missed - I ddint want to wait weeks for a CD to be delivered - I wanted it when I wanted it.

So, that year, I persuaded the good folk who needed persuading, to allow a trial of mp3's to be created at the festival the following year - with a borrowed PC, and the goodwill of the CD duplication team and many frowns, hums and hahs and scepticism from other places, myself and another volunteer spent that weekend of the festival trying to make it work.
I also was in charge of the recorded talks team that weekend, and built a new CD/cassette delivery system for the Talks Shop (which I helped manage to get seperated from the main shop)

I was a new boy in charge, I didn't like it, and other people didn;t like it.
It was hard graft, long, long hours.

My missus and 1 year old saw little of me at that festival.
This is how it is for many other volunteers who choose to do what they do, because they believe in the festival, and without them, it would not be...... well, it just would not be.

So, we move on, and now all talks are available within hours of them ending right on the (newly revamped) Greenbelt Talks site - and soon, very soon, selected ones will be available to buy, remastered and edited, as audiobooks in the iTunes store (look out in the next few months for announcements).

And, this brings me to podcasts, and where we are at, top of the stinkin pops, on iTunes....

Thanks go out, major thanks to Gill Hewitt and Paul Northup, both people who allowed me to bother and hassle them and give support and grace to the vision. Paul also for writing the scripts for the podcasts, overall producing them with my assistance, and staying with the concept and helping bring it forth.

Also to others along the way who have encouraged and shouted up that this was a worthwhile project, to Pip Wilson, Martin Wroe, Andy Turner, the Thistle crowd, Ivor, June, The whole talks team, mp3 team, recording guys, Harvey, also to Phil and Nathan in the GB office and James and Drew on the techy side

I don't know what it feels like to win an Oscar, but this is my itunes oscar winning speech.....

oh, most of all thanks to my mam and dad, missus and kids, and everyone who knows me, and of course, God (nearly forgot !!!)

(raises pretendy Oscar and bows......)

Greenbelt Blog and Podcasts

2009-02-28T14:09:00.001Z

Just would like to point everyone to the new blog and podcasts that are available from the greenbelt website

http://www.greenbelt.org.uk/blog/

It would be great if we could get some feedback, and hopefully you will all sign up to the podcast through iTunes!

You can also listen to the podcast streams and download them from that link page.

If you are an iTunes user it would be great if you could also leave a comment in iTunes (with 5 stars and fantastic comment please!) - as this helps to push the podcast up the itunes charts and helps give it and Greenbelt wider exposure to the outside world.

You know they need us!

.....

2009-02-23T20:16:00.002Z

No Line On The Horizon

2009-02-20T10:30:00.003Z

IS STREAMING HERE RIGHT NOW!!!

FREE & LEGAL

If you are a U2 fan, but not a member of U2.com then do yourself a huge favour and sign yourself up.
Today :-)

Observing The Wanderers

2009-02-16T00:54:00.005Z

Not a one for reading the newspapers as a rule, but of late, we have been in dilemma here..... namely Mrs Jules decided back end of last year to 'take the Times' of a Saturday, (bit posh thought I, but it seemed to be meeting her needs - the only other newspaper that is to be found here at bjmansions is the local free ad-rag that drops through the letterbox of a thursday evening....).

So I dips in and out of the Times through the week, you know, see whats on telly and the like, then i start to read a few of the editorials, and...... well, soon realise why i don't read newspapers as a rule.
Shite upon more shite, and a lot of it editorially manifested, top of the pile shite at that.....

After some discussions I persuades the Mrs to cancel the Times, and instead seek out another newspaper to accompany her of a weekend....
She tries the Independant, the Guardian, no not doing it..... then today I suggests the Observer....
Bingo - we are in business.... well at least I likes it.

Not least because, they have like a 10 page spread in the Observer Music Monthly magazine section world exclusive U2 mega-piece on the soon to be released album and making of it.

This is a fan's dream, outstanding writing and pics, real in depth and 'taking you to the moments' style writing - brilliantly done by Sean O'Hagan
He tracked the band for the 18 months of No Line On The Horizon (click that link for something special) - and the article can be read in full here

Some quotes from Bono that resounded and re-sounded with the fAt lad in a thin place....

"Not without sounding pretentious," he says, laughing. "I mean, a lot of people have gone there, searching. There's a bit of the Mighty Boosh about it. Out in the desert, looking for the new sound. Have you seen that episode where they are out in the desert looking for the new sound? They find Chris De Burgh and he's been out looking for the new sound for 10 years [laughs]. It's probably no more profound than that."

and

SOH How much difference does your faith make in these situations - your Christian faith?

Bono "A big difference. I mean, I had been a serious scourge of the religious right, and particularly the evangelicals, for their inaction on Africa. And, to be fair to them, after taking a serious beating they did get up and do something, and that gave Bush cover on his right flank."

SOH Did you ever get into theological debate with Bush?

Bono "Oh yeah! I wouldn't talk about it, but yeah."

SOH OK, I have to ask you this one. Did you ever pray with him?

Bono "Whoaah! (He reaches for his drink.) But I didn't inhale [laughs]. Look, I would always use the scriptures to argue my corner. There are 2,103 verses of scripture pertaining to dealing with the poor. That helps, and it also helps to know that.

"Boy, did my days of Bible study come in handy! And, by the way, it's an offence to me that religious people can close their eyes to this stuff. It's just really not allowed."

and lastly, and most profoundly for me....

"In a way, I guess. I think one of the things that has set our band apart is the fact that we chose interesting enemies. We didn't choose the obvious enemies - The Man, the establishment. We didn't buy into that. Our credo was: no them, there's only us. Think about it. Every other band was us and them. The Clash, our great heroes. Then U2 arrived and it was no them, only us.
What that means is that we picked enemies that were more internal - our own hypocrisy. The main obstacle in the way of our band we always saw as ourselves and our limitations. We never blamed the record company. We never blamed the radio [laughs]. You never heard that from us in 25 years. It was always, can we be better? Can we make the song better, the show? What you're really dealing with then are the obstacles to realising your own potential. They are nearly always of a psychological, if not a spiritual, nature. The spectres that hold you back, they were our enemies. It was always, 'You're supposed to be in a rock'n'roll band. You're supposed to be rebellious, but you don't rebel against the obvious.' And we'd go, 'No, we don't. That's the point.'"

Father Musallams Letter

2009-02-13T01:25:00.002Z

Here is a very special song, written by Garth Hewitt around the words of a recently received letter from the Latin church parish priest of Gaza, Father Manuel Musallam.

Here is a link to the letter in full, and an extract below.

Please view and watch, listen and share.

Tell the story my friends......

bj
x

"From this valley of tears, from Gaza drowning in blood, the blood that has stifled the happiness in the heart of one and a half million people, I bring to you these words of faith and hope. I do not use the word "love", that word has been stuck in our throats even in the throats of Christians. The priests of the Church raise the banner of hope so that God will have mercy and compassion on us and to give Him a chance to rest in Gaza, in this manner the light of Christianity that was ignited in the early church, by Deacon Felipe will continue to shine. May the compassion of Christ raise our love up to God, even though at this time it is in "critical condition".

orange twigs from jupiter

2009-02-10T02:11:00.003Z

If you, like we do, are blessed with wee ones, under the age of 10, then you will probably recognise the title of this blog right away.... if you do not, then read on as all shall be revealed....

First, a heads up to this campaign (oh no, another campaign i hear the cry!!!)

Stay Up Late is the campaign headed up by a band named Heavy Load that were featured in a documentary on BBC4 tonight, Storyville

Yes I know, BBC c***ts I called them, and still have not forgiven them for their bullshit of late, but it was stumbled upon whilst flicking around the channels trying to avoid the shite that was on the Grammys on ITV4 (only tuned in to that to see U2 and Radiohead).......

I digress - anyhow, this band just has to be checked out, they are made of of some very interesting characters, and it was pure magic mixed with heart string pulling moments of angst and 'raised expectations' shall we say. I think though, despite everything, maybe because of everything, they are going to pull it off... whatever 'it' is. Check them out, trust me.

Also earlier I had to tune in to the Panorama from Gaza with Jeremy Bowen - of which I am still processing, and wondering about, not managed to formulate a response yet, other than, something from the BBC is surely better than nothing..... isnt it? What about if that something is still loaded and on the side of somehow disturbingly and cruelly making excuses that what Israel has just done there can actually be deemed to have been just......... and not war crimes

Anyway, back to the plot..... orange twigs from jupiter

are, of course, carrots, as charlie so wonderfully disguises them, under the guise of something wonderful from another planet, to his sister, in the brilliant Charlie and Lola childrens books, written by the very talented Lauren Child.
In this world, Charlie does it of course, not out of malice in any way, but he merely re-names food that his little sister just simply will not eat, or even contemplate eating.... he does it because he knows that eating carrots is good for you / her.
He wants her to eat carrots for this reason, and tricks her into thinking they are something totally different, exciting, other-wordly..... but he does this for her own good.

Now, is this wrong - she is prejudiced against carrots, and nothing will make her eat them if all they ever are to her is evil orange things that are pulled out the ground. Its not only carrots he re-names, but I think you get the picture - that sometimes we must dress things up differently to get them across to other people, to get their attention, to get them to consume, what we know, is ulitmately good for them.......
Or, of course we could just take the approach of trying to ram the carrot down their throat, so to speak, telling them to take it or leave it.
I dislike this approach as it definately shows a lack of due care to the carrot-haters.......

So, today, and tomorrow I am in the business of promoting Orange Twigs From Jupiter...... care to try them? I am told they can miraculously help you see in the dark........

peace xxx

Screencasts Online

2009-02-03T15:17:00.002Z

My favourite podcast for 'How To' understand and 'work' software for the Mac is called Screencasts Online - if you click that link, your life will be transformed, and many of your questions on 'how do i do this' when it comes to all manner of Mac based dosftware such as iLife09, iWork, Garageband, iPhoto and tones of other stuff that ease your online existance.....

Don Mcallistar is the fella who does the screencast tutorials, and he gives loads away free in terms of tips and trick via his website (click the link) or iTunes podcasts.

Sign up to his xtra shows, and even more insight and in depth beauty will be revealed - i just have and now i am working my way up from happy amateaur to seasoned professsional (I wish......)

have fun.....

03700 100 222 : BBC complaints dept

2009-01-26T11:26:00.001Z

update on my latest complaint to BBC.

Last night's 10PM news on BBC specifically -

Immediately after the newscaster reported the BBC was 'sticking by' their decision not to broadcast the appeal by DEC for GAZA, they followed it up, without a breath by 'reporting independently and apolitically' (my words not theirs), that Hamas leaders were yesterday on the streets of Gaza handing out money to people whose houses have been bombed. This report was accompanied by images of Hamas politicians handing out envelopes with cash inside.

What this callous piece of editing did was to subliminally suggest to the viewer that if the BBC DID show the appeal, look what would happen to the money that the viewer would be sending - the BBC subliminally suggested that by supporting the DEC appeal, by sending aid to Gaza, that the cash would end up in the hands of Hamas.
In presenting this piece in the way they did I believe that the BBC is actively discouraging its viewers from supporting the DEC appeal, and lending support to the Israelis claim that there is no humanitarian crisis currently in Gaza.

Number again to complain is 03700 100 222

When you get through, you will be presented with an option 1 to 'listen to a pre-recorded message' that spouts some spiel about freeing up the operators time if you are ringing to complain about the decision not to show the appeal by taking this option, and that your listening to this pre-recorded announcement will be noted.

I did that, then I rang back and held on for 10 minutes to register my complaint properly with a real (scottish) person.....

It was politely noted (I could hear her typing it up), and explained to me that it would be forwarded to whoever........

Get on those phone guys, today is the day, make the BBC reverse its decision.

Made In Palestine

2009-01-25T21:50:00.005Z

My friend called Wisam has just opened a brand new website that is just fantastic......

It is called Made In Palestine Shop dot com

You can order exclusive stuff from the land once called Holy, by artists such as Banksy and Bingo and Trash

Sculptures, Olive Oil, Books, Embrodieries, much much more

Please consider visiting the website, and making a purchase if you can..... you will be supporting local people from the Bethlehem area in their ordinary lives if you do.....

BBC? - BBsChmee

2009-01-25T01:02:00.003Z

I have never really given a toss who runs the BBC or what they broadcast really, all my life, just accepted it, and watched it, good and bad.
Kind of trusted them in a way.
Listened to their news, Match of the Day, Dad's Army, Morecambe & Wise....you know all the usual....enjoyed the cosy-ness and British-ness of it, BBC is part of me, who I am.

Until this week, now my eyes are open and suddenly, like I have been shaken awake from my slumbering years of TV hypno-pathos.

Now the BBC, and more specifically those who are running it, have been outed for what they are.

They are wrong not to broadcast the DEC appeal, and in not broadcasting it, have merely given the appeal more publicity than it would have ever generated by a single BBC showing.

But at least now we know where the BBC stands on the subjects of justice and compassion, and I can now all remove those rose-tinted BBC-trusting x-ray-poisoned TV specs that I didn't even know I had on these past 44 years.

I am angry and really want to swear. BBC. Cunts. There, I did it.

BBC blocks Gaza Appeal

2009-01-23T17:35:00.001Z

1) BBC BLOCKS AID TO GAZA: PROTEST 24 JANUARY
BRING DOLLS TO LAY OUTSIDE THE BBC
BRING SHOES WITH A MESSAGE FOR GORDON BROWN
(Full details below)

If the BBC was not tarnished enough by its coverage of
Israel's attack on Gaza -- in the words of Tony Benn, "often
looking like a propaganda wing of the Zionist lobby" -- its
decision yesterday to block an appeal for emergency aid to
Gaza would be reason enough for making the BBC a focus of our
demonstration on Saturday 24 January.

While the media is now saturated with reports showing the
scale of Israel's barbarism over the past three weeks and the
humanitarian disaster it has created, and while the United
Nations, the Red Cross and all the other aid organisations
involved are saying that immediate emergency aid must be
rushed to Gaza, the BBC has blocked a joint appeal by a wide
range of organisations from being broadcast after all the main
news programmes on every TV channel.

These emergency appeals to populations in desperate need of
aid have been organised frequently in the past 48 years and
not once in that time has one been blocked. It is agreed by
all the channels that a decision to support an aid appeal must
be unanimous among the broadcasters and so the BBC's decision
not to agree scuppered the whole aid appeal, which it is
estimated would have raised at least £10 million -- aid which
would have been used immediately to help Palestinians in Gaza,
now barely surviving in catastrophic conditions.

One in six buildings have been destroyed or badly damaged by
Israel's bombs and missiles, many dead are buried underneath
and still being dug out, the country's infrastructure has been
destroyed, one million people have no electricity, half a
million people have no access to clean running water, the
hospitals are crammed with people who have suffered horrific
injuries without enough basic medical supplies for them to get
the treatment they need.

A spokesperson for the organisations which wanted to broadcast
the prime time appeal, said, "Agencies are already providing
food, drugs and blankets as well as delivering clean water.
But we will soon reach the limit of what we can do, without
more money."

And the BBC's response? "The decision was made because of
question marks about the delivery of aid in a volatile
situation and also to avoid any risk of compromising public
confidence in the BBC's impartiality in the context of news
story."

This has nothing to do with "impartiality" - the appeal was
for humanitarian aid to a devastated people. How can you be
"impartial" about that? Either these people need the aid or
they don't.

We have seen throughout these weeks of barbarism how Israel's
spin machine has been indulged by the BBC in particular. We
know, as the Guardian reported two weeks ago, that the BBC
management instructed its journalists to enable this to
happen. The result was Israeli spokespersons given frequent
opportunity to justify mass slaughter, including the deaths of
over 400 children.

Our demonstration on Saturday assembles outside BBC
Broadcasting House. To register our disgust at the BBC's
capitulation to Israel's manipulation and intimidation of the
media, we are asking protestors to bring children's dolls,
wrapped if possible in white shrouds, to be laid on the steps
of the BBC, as a memorial to the hundreds of children who died
and as an act of solidarity with the Paletinians in Gaza
denied urgently needed aid because of BBC "impartiality".

DEMONSTRATE FOR GAZA: SATURDAY 24 JANUARY
END THE BLOCKADE: STOP ALL ARMS SALES
BRING THE WAR CRIMINALS TO JUSTICE
Assemble 2.00pm BBC Broadcasting House for rally
Portland Place, London W1A 1AA
Nearest tubes: Great Portland Street or Regents park.
March starts at 3.00 pm. Ends with rally in Trafalgar Square
4.30 pm.

BRING CHILDEN'S DOLLS WRAPPED IN WHITE SHROUDS TO LAY ON THE
STEPS OF THE BBC

BRING SHOES WITH MESSAGES TO GORDON BROWN INSIDE TO DELIVER AS
WE MARCH PAST DOWNING STREET
Instead of banning all arms trade with Israel and breaking all
diplomatic relations, Brown has offered to send the British
navy to help Israel tighten its blockade on Gaza.

MARCH ROUTE:
Assemble and rally Portland Place, March to Regent Street,
Piccadilly, Lower Regent Street, Trafalgar Square,
Northumberland Avenue, Embankment, Parliament, Downing Street,
Trafalgar Square (End rally)

(taken from www.stopwar.org.uk)

Unseen Gaza

2009-01-23T01:27:00.001Z

If you missed the programme on Channel 4 tonight, Unseen Gaza, a report on the recent media coverage, please try to watch it online, it will be available for the next month on watch again channel4.com

Its not what I was expecting in some ways, and it is quite subversive, in a positive way I think, in showing just how elaborate and sophisticated Israel have been / are / are becoming in their manipulation of what used to be known as the truth.

The images are shocking and disturbing to the point of gut wrenching and for me, wailing out loud, something that came from a place I didn't realize could make that kind of sound.

Please take the time to watch it, if you are in any way able.

the opposite of a hard act to follow......

2009-01-20T23:52:00.002Z

oh happy happy day.....

mark this day with a short blog.

My interest in politics or America, until recently, used to be minimal....... now I am excited and hopeful, and amazed that although the USA can sure get things well messed up, the good people there really can come together and do one great thing, and that is to elect Mr Obama to lead them through the next 4 years, and beyond.

History will reflect this call by the people of the USA as a good one, of that I am sure.

And I think of the luggage awaiting collection at the back door of the Whitehouse.... with the initials G.W.B on the labels....... bye bye baby, baby goodbye........ :-)

And that makes me happier than anything tonight.

Taxi for George W.

A Blessing for Leaders

2009-01-19T10:47:00.000Z

May the gift of leadership
Awaken in you as a vocation,
And keep you mindful of the providence
That calls you to serve.
As High over the mountain the eagle spreads its wings,
May your perspective be larger than the view from the foothills.
When the way is flat and dull in times of grey endurance,
May your imagination continue to evoke horizons.
May you have the wisdom to read time clearly
And know when the seed of change will flourish.
In your heart may there be a sanctuary
For the stillness where clarity is born.
May your work be infused with passion and creativity
And have the wisdom to balance compassion and challenge.
May your soul find the graciousness
To rise above the fester of small mediocrities.
May your power never become a shell
Wherein your heart will silently atrophy.
May you welcome your own vulnerability
As the ground where healing and truth join.
May integrity of soul be your first ideal,
The source that will guide and bless your work.

John O’ Donohue

My Way

2009-01-15T18:54:00.003Z

is the song my mam chose as her last... the one that played as literally the final curtain closed

Bono, in his recent stint as guest colomnist for the New York Times, discusses that song, and of course, Sinatra, the great singer what sung it.. here

2009-01-12T18:41:00.002Z

save the children

2009-01-12T18:16:00.001Z

Unprecedented response as British public signs up to Save the Children's 'Enough is Enough' Gaza ceasefire campaign

Monday, 12, Jan 2009 12:00

In an overwhelming gesture of support for Gaza ceasefire, tens of thousands of British people have responded to Save the Children's 'Enough is Enough' texting campaign, launched on Friday. By Monday morning, 100,000 texts had been received, and at its peak on Saturday night, the organisation was receiving a text every second. Save the Children believes this is the biggest response yet to a charity texting campaign.

Adrian Lovett, Save the Children’s Director of Campaigns, said: “This is an unprecedented response and the message from our text campaign is loud and clear – the British public want an end to the bombing in Gaza. A huge number of the British public care what is happening in Gaza and have taken action. Politicians are well aware of those messages and we will continue to ensure their voices are heard. Right now the fighting is still going on and one child dies in Gaza every three hours. Public support can and must make a change.”

As the campaign continues, Save the Children will take the message to Downing Street this week that the British public have clearly indicated that enough is enough, and that the British government must respond to their call by pursuing an end to the violence with the utmost vigour. 189 children have been killed, after 15 days of bombing. The humanitarian needs are immense. People in Gaza are in desperate need of food, medical supplies and access to clean water and good sanitation. Currently 80% of all drinking water is not fit for human consumption and sewage is flooding the streets and refugee camps, leaving thousands at risk of water-borne diseases such as diarrhoea, one of the biggest killers of children.

Throughout the crisis, Save the Children has continued to work in Gaza delivering much needed food and medical supplies to the children and families whose lives have been damaged by the continuing bombardment.

To add your voice to the petition text CEASEFIRE to 81819.

For more information visit www.savethechildren.org.uk

Notes to editors:

Save the Children has staff on the ground in Gaza, Jerusalem and London. To arrange interviews or for more information please contact Susannah Parker on +44 (0)207 012 6848 or, out of hours, +44 (0)7831 650 409.

Save the Children has launched an Appeal to raise £6.8 million for the people of Gaza.

· £25 can provide enough Plumpy’nut (high protein food) to feed eight malnourished children for a week.

· £50 can provide warm blankets for 16 children which are essential to keep them warm through the night now that it is winter in Gaza.

· £70 can buy 10 large tarpaulins to repair homes damaged by the air strikes.

For more information visit www.savethechildren.org.uk

*** Explore the community of Kingsville on our new interactive website. Watch videos with Davina McCall as she meets the residents. Discuss, delve deeper, and donate today, to give Kingsville residents a brighter future.

In a country where one in nine children don't make it to their fifth birthday, children like Prince, Doyee and Francis are lucky to be alive. With The Sunday Times Appeal, and your help, we'll be making a real difference to their lives.

Explore www.savethechildren.org.uk/kingsville now.***

This email has been sent from Save the Children (a company registered in London number 178159 and limited by guarantee, registered charity England and Wales (213890), Scotland (SC039570))or from Save the Children (Sales) Ltd (a company registered in London number 875945). The information in this email is confidential and may be legally privileged. It is intended solely for the addressee. Access to this email by anyone else is unauthorised. If you are not the intended recipient, any disclosure, copying, distribution or any action taken or omitted to be taken in reliance on it, is prohibited and may be unlawful.

Internet communications are not secure and therefore Save the Children does not accept legal responsibility for the contents of this message. Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Save the Children, unless otherwise specifically stated. If the content of this email is to become contractually binding, it must be made in writing & signed by a duly authorised representative of Save the Children.

Save the Children, 1 St. John's Lane, London, EC1M 4AR
Telephone +44 (0)20 7012 6400 Fax +44 (0)20 7012 6963
www.savethechildren.org.uk

garth opens gaza demo

2009-01-12T18:13:00.001Z

John Pilger

2009-01-12T09:20:00.002Z

An excellent article by John Pilger entitled The Lying Silence of Those Who Know gives great clarity to the truth behind the current killing in Gaza

Please take a few minutes and read if you can......

michael rosen

2009-01-11T16:19:00.003Z

Children's poet laureate Michael Rosen read this out at the demo at Hyde Park yesterday, followed by the reading out of 30 names of children killed this week, read out by children from the UK

In Gaza, children,
you learn that the sky kills
and that houses hurt.
You learn that your blanket is smoke
and breakfast is dirt.

You learn that cars do somersaults
clothes turn red,
friends become statues,
bakers don’t sell bread.

You learn that the night is a gun,
that toys burn
breath can stop,
it could be your turn.

You learn:
if they send you fire
they couldn’t guess:
not just the soldier dies -
it’s you and the rest.

Nowhere to run,
nowhere to go,
nowhere to hide
in the home you know.

You learn
that death isn’t life,
that air isn’t bread,
the land is for all.
You have the right to be
Not Dead.
You have the right to be
Not Dead.
You have the right to be
Not Dead.

2009-01-11T15:51:00.000Z

From: healthcare@j-diocese.org [mailto:healthcare@j-diocese.org]
Sent: 10 January 2009 15:16
To: Hisham Nassar MD
Subject: Update on Al Ahli Hospital Gaza from the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem

Saturday, 10 January 2009. Al Ahli Arab Hospital continues to receive and care for many patients each day who are injured, wounded, or burned from the current conflict. Up to 40 new patients are seen each day and many of them require hospital admission and surgery. This increased surgical load places strains on related hospital departments – anesthetics, suture material, operating room linens and equipment, bandages, and surgeons themselves. Until relief is available from additional healthcare personnel, the hospital staff works long intervals without rest and struggles against exhaustion. Some hospital staff are now staying in the hospital around the clock, adding to the hospital’s obligations.

In addition, Al Ahli is now receiving patients referred from Shifa Hospital in Gaza City – up to 15 per day. Patients are also being seen, especially children, who are experiencing the effects of fear and psychological trauma.

Large-scale efforts are underway to deliver needed material assistance to the hospital, but the procedures required for safe delivery impose security-related limitations on the amounts of supplies that can be delivered and the time required to get them to the hospital. The hospital is short of fuel which is required to continue operating the electrical generator because little electricity is available in Gaza. Without the fuel for the generator the hospital would have no electricity, which would greatly impact its ability to operate.

Glass in windows and doors at the hospital was shattered by nearby rocket and missile strikes. Glass is unavailable in Gaza at the present time for permanent repair, so the windows are temporarily covered with plastic rubbish bags until plastic sheeting becomes available for better protection from the cold.

Food is in increasingly desperate need. Our efforts at this time are focused on providing nutritional products for the most vulnerable people; for example, children and nursing mothers.

An additional scarcity in Gaza is cash. Many banks are closed for lack of cash. During this time, the Diocese is providing the cash necessary for the hospital to carry out its work and is also providing assurance that any debts incurred by Al Ahli Hospital will be honored.

# # #

The Diocese will continue to provide updates on Al Ahli Arab Hospital as the situation warrants. For further information kindly contact the Diocese of Jerusalem (www.j-diocese.org):

J. Harry Gunkel M.D. at healthcare@j-diocese.org
Mobile Phone: 972 (0)52 600 0263
The Rev'd Canon Samir J. Habiby at Specialassistant.sjh@j-diocese.org
Mobile Phone: 972 (0)57 246 1016

Health Care Department
The Episcopal/Anglican Diocese of Jerusal

love your enemy

2009-01-11T00:01:00.002Z

i am just back home from the march from Hyde Park to the Israeli Embassy...
350 miles there.... 350 miles back

My first ever march or demo.

It was amazing, and i have audioblogged which i will edit and upload tomorrow, describing my feelings of the day

they said at the event maybe 100,000 was there, the pathetic reports so far on the bbc radio news only seem to be advertising the lies that have become the norm from the bullshit spout mouth of dirty bloodstained state of Israel currently, and are simply highlighting the 'trouble outside the Israeli embassy' with a few police hurt...... last thing i saw at the demo heart, the heavy duty riot squad were just getting ready to rumble, bastards couldnt wait to wade in.... I made my exit before it kicked off.....

I know now why Israel is hated as a nation, especially by Muslim people.
I know and understand.

Yet I cannot allow myself the comfort of hating and that is what is so troubling.

Listen to me blog tomorrow, maybe it will make sense, probably not......

But if we are to follow the man called Christ, then we somehow have to love these fuckers called Israeli's. Help me, cos at the moment I just don't know how Lord........

A Prayer For Gaza by Garth Hewitt

2009-01-08T19:18:00.001Z

A prayer for Gaza

O God our prayer today is more like an inarticulate cry and our hearts ache.

We saw a man in Gaza weeping beside his three little dead children -
innocent beauty now bloodied in death

A massacre that started on the eve of Holy Innocents Day claims more and
more women and children’s lives.

UN schools bombed, where families had sought refuge.

The people of Gaza with nowhere to run.

They are imprisoned under a harsh siege, bombed by the most sophisticated
new weapons and then attacked in their own streets and houses.

O God where can they find refuge. No one has listened to their suffering for
over 60 years.

O God of the oppressed and suffering we see you in the wounded of Gaza -
we hear your cries of pain - we share your tears. May we never be silent in
the face of such pain.

O God may world leaders at last hear the cries of the children and the
suffering of Gaza.

May the siege be removed. The gates be opened. May they be allowed to
have food, water, medicine, human rights, dignity, justice, democracy.

O God hear the cry of Gaza.

May freedom come - may healing come - may hope come.

May they be treated as we would like to be treated.

And we pray for the people of Israel because there will be no peace for them
until the occupation ends and the siege is over - no peace for them until
justice comes to Palestine.

And we pray that peace will come soon and that each person will recognise
the value of the other and Israel and Palestine become a Holy Land once
more.

Amen.
Garth Hewitt
Director, Amos Trust
Canon, Jerusalem Cathedral
January 2009, www.amostrust.org

an eye for an eyelash

2009-01-08T10:41:00.002Z

Great Guardian article here from Avi Shlaim -

How Israel brought Gaza to the brink of humanitarian catastrophe

An appeal for the People of Gaza here from Amos Trust, who do great work in the area, and if you want to help, please visit the link and support them in their work

Saturday 10 January

2009-01-07T11:02:00.002Z

National Demonstration: Saturday 10 January

Stop theMassacre : Israel Out of Gaza

Assemble 12.30pm Speakers Corner, Hyde Park

March to Israeli Embassy, High St Kensington, London

more info here

2009-01-06T22:47:00.004Z

AHLI HOSPITAL UPDATE , MONDAY , JANUARY 5TH

2009-01-06T22:39:00.001Z

----- Original Message -----
From: Fr. Charles Cloughen Jr.
To: AFEDJ- MISSIONERS
Sent: Monday, January 05, 2009 12:12 PM
Subject: AHLI HOSPITAL UPDATE , MONDAY , JANUARY 5TH

Dear Missioners,
I was able to speak to Suhalia Tarazi , Director of the Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza this morning.
I took notes and I am sharing with you as best I can her situation in Gaza.

" The situation is terrible. The injured are in their homes and unable to get to the hospital and the International Red Cross can't reach them. Gaza is now divided into three areas. 20% of the staff including 2 doctors are now unable to get to the hospital. Unfortunately a bomb went off in Jerusalem Square, right outside the hospital , only 30 meters away and it blew a hole in the hospital wall.

One of the aid's husbands was unable to reach his children. Later he discover that 1 child died and other members are all injured because a bomb destroyed a neighboring building.

The 19 year old son of one of the surgeons volunteered to work in the government ambulance. He was killed when his ambulance was hit by a missile. Three ambulances have been hit by Israeli missiles , five have died.

There is no electricity and no water. Fortunately the International Red Cross has provided Ahli Hospital with some food.
It is terrible and not safe to walk on the street.

After the invasion , Ahli Hospital on Sunday received 17 cases. Twelve were admitted to the hospital and 2 to government hospitals.

Today Monday morning 5 cases were received with 4 admitted for surgery. One doctor has slept in the hospital for the last 4 nights. Our staff is now working 2 -12 hour shifts, two shifts no days off.

Streets are covered with blood. - bloody time.

Staff members have taken people in their homes, with 20-30 people for re fuge. The ambulance driver has 80 living in his home.

We all have received leaflets and telephone calls " you have to leave your home, we will attack it" Where to go for the 700,000 people in Gaza City?"

I feel very fortunate and blessed to be able to speak to Suhalia and I have promised her that I will tell her story and the story of the innocents. Thank you for all you are doing to circulate these messages. Please feel free to forward them the family and friends.
Peace, Love and Joy ,
Charles

The Rev. Charles Cloughen, Jr.
President Emeritus, American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem
PO Box 313
Hunt Valley, MD 21030

For A Mother

2008-12-31T12:31:00.002Z

For A Mother

Mother
Your voice learning to soothe
Your new child
Was the first home sound
We heard before we could see.

Your young eyes
Gazing on us
Was the first mirror
Where we glimpsed
What to be seen
Could mean.

Mother,
Your nearness filled the air,
An umbilical garden for all the seeds
Of longing that stirred in our infant hearts.

You nurtured and fostered this space
To root all our quietly gathering intensity
That could grow nowhere else.

Mother,
Formed from the depths beneath your heart,
You know us from the inside out
No deeds or seas or others
Could ever erase that

John O'Donohue, from Benedictus, A Book Of Blessings

flowers and a collection

2008-12-31T12:23:00.003Z

I was cheeky yesterday and asked for a collection, in memory of mam, to send to Willowburn Hospice, and also to support the Crows Nest Playground in Bethlehem, the only playground in Beit Sahur, a part of Bethlehem, which I visited earlier this year.
I was amazed to find out today that people gave almost £500 in that collection. Stunning. The church was full.
I am planning to hand over the share of the money to the Playground appeal at the end of January at a special event in Stockport, with a note explaining the donation from the family and friends of mam.

You can read more about that event here:

You can also support it here

in bits

2008-12-30T20:04:00.005Z

hey, as you can well imagine i am in fucking bits here

apologies for the profanities but please excuse and try to read past them its the way we talk here in this part of the world

and i just buried me mother.... so be brave and read on

i want to talk of leadership

who we follow

today i reluctantly found myself in the position of leading because that was the role take it or leave it.

i could have left it

but i am too curious and needy to pass the opportunity by

today is a day i have dreaded and tried to ignore

tough shit

get on and deal with it is all my faith allowed me

i am thankful for that in then aftermath

i spoke with brilliant words from a brilliant book...... benedictus by john odonohue

of mother
of grief

the biggest gig of my life

the priest was apathetic he did not know my mother... he got her name wrong from the outset

i cried out and put him straight J.O.A.N.

and took a lead and did not want this role

i was thanked by family and friends alike afterwards for bringing some real into the event

death is not an event says john o'd

not for yourself says i

for others it is massive

i never wished for this day
i am thankful i was in the company of angels and wise words of those gone before

and friends who hold you just as you are about to fall

god bless them all xxx

i drink from the fountain

it is alcohol laced

and welcome

water into wine

rejoice in the life that produced me

and the people i encounter along the road less travelled

you are my guiding lights

shine on

if i had a rocket launcher

2008-12-28T22:25:00.001Z

sometimes you just wanna hug your daddy
sometimes you want to kick his arse awake and ask him to step in

if not now, when.

2008-12-27T00:32:00.001Z

turned tender by circumstance

2008-12-23T18:46:00.002Z

i am touched by, and grateful to, all the people who have sent messages by email and on facebook and txt and phoned and visited.
thankyou - every one of you.

mam's funeral will be on 30th december at St johns church, dipton at 1.15PM.

i am in a spaced out zone at present, caught up between the reality of organizing the things one must arrange after a death, and the unreal spectacular that is called shopping-christmas.

I always like to buy a big ham for christmas eve, and that means a trip to Grainger Market in the toon. Job done - but found myslef also wandering with all the other last minute present-buyers and bargain hunters.

A moment in Woolies, that's Woolworths to those of you not in UK - whose demise is now imminent, and being in there was really sad, in a number of ways.

The shelves are half empty and hanging off the walls (and even the shelves themselves are for sale!), stuff piled here and there willy nilly, it was described today on the radio by someone as 'third world - like' and i got a sense of that. But also, Woolies is where mam used to shop when i was a kid..... especially at Christmas... that and Doggarts, (long gone now), a kind of downmarket John Lewis' in those days.

I hear on the radio also, that we all must now become 'consumer bullies' and in the dog eat dog world of the high street, those shops who will survive this mega tough period will be the ones that 'look after their customers' and 'provide exceptional service'.... and other similar pap
Its for sure that many many people will be feeling vulnerable this Christmas..... unsure of their jobs and careers, worried for their families, scared even.

I saw also, a homeless person huddled on an alley corner, and was overcome with a mixture of guilt and thankfulness.... guilt for not walking up to them and handing over everything i had in my pockets... thankfulness that i have a warm house, and wonderful family waiting for me when i got home.

Am I bringing you down?

I ain't done yet.....

Was Christmas always nostalgic?

I guess it will always be the time when most of us remember as being the best ever, all those presents and family (at least trying) being specially nice to each other. Great food, best telly, new toys....
Seems to me that the industry of Christmas survives completely on the nostalgia trip, feeds on it, and for me, whilst in some ways it does offer that warm glowy mix of feelings that are purely nostalgic, in the main it makes me feel really sick.
Like eating way too many of these awful giant tinned sweets that will undoubtedly show up somewhere around a christmas tree near you soon....

And today the sickness turns to anger on hearing the message from the so called Gods' representative on Earth - his homophobic attack, so perfectly timed to really take advantage of all the good catholic souls' in-built self flagellating sense of themselves at a time when he should really just be on outstretching his arms to the heavens in thankfulness for the birth of the child.
Really good of Gods' representative here on Earth to set back Gay and civil Rights about 50 years with one sentence.

If we do attend the carol service tomorrow night at the church where my boy was christened, and where my grandad was buried, it will be done wearing pink.

Wishing you all a very merry Pink Christmas and an extremely fabulously camp new year.

May God rain you with glitter.

And may his light be reflected by all that and glitter you can never wash off.

Hallelujah indeed

xxxxx

a christmas to remember

2008-12-21T18:49:00.002Z

we all have special ones, and this will be; is already becoming one.

Not for reasons I would have chosen.

My mam sadly passed away yesterday morning, and we are all in mourning here.

I wish everyone who reads this the most joyous Noel - and to remember those who suffer at this time of present giving and celebration.

Especially to those who have recently lost loved ones, and to my own family and friends.

And to those who live in the Land once called Holy.

In Palestine, my broken heart is because of them also at this time.

To Joan, to whom I owe my existence, and to God.
I am sure you both are having words this very moment.
Be kind to Him, mam.

I love you xxxxx

still haven't found

2008-12-18T08:49:00.001Z

still haven't found
still haven't found
still haven't found
still haven't found
still haven't found
still haven't found

what I'm looking for

Pearls of Wilson

2008-12-03T23:04:00.002Z

Can be heard here

pip on de iTunes, wonderful and wisdom filled.

heyhey

Stories From A Land Once Called Holy

2008-11-29T04:51:00.003Z

48 hours ago, almost to the minute I decided I needed to learn Apple Keynote 08 to produce something that would continue the process of me unloading some of the stories from our recent trip to Palestine.
I wanted to create something new, spectacular, but with simplicity at its core.
And truth.
Plenty of editing and frustration and tearing my hair out, and a few hours kip later, here it is

Palestine - Stories From A Land Once Called Holy - Preview

a preview of more to come I do hope, much more.

Thanks to Keynote, Logic Studio, iTunes, Visual Hub and youtube.
And pips old iPhone, which most of the video and all of the music was made on.
Thanks to the people of Palestine for allowing us to photograph, video and record to mp3 their stories, and thanks to you for lending your ear to them, especially at this time of year when we think of that place called Bethlehem, not just an ancient biblical town that we sing of once a year, but a real place where all of this is going on right now.

And, they say, there is always a price to pay for getting involved with change and action.
So I apologise to my wife and 2 lovely kids for being a total pratt these past 2 days while I try to deal with what needs to be done with all this stuff.

tongue tied and twisted

2008-11-25T00:41:00.002Z

yep, thats me
just an earthbound misfit
i

just back from a midnight raid on a retail park (salvaging, re-recycling....)
cardboard and foam if you wonder are my prizes.

doing the things that need to be done to keep the big bad wolf from the door.

pottering...... tinkering..... grabbing...... offering..... blagging

yep thats me

just an earthbound misfit

i

solidarity

2008-11-19T05:29:00.003Z

Though I won't be able to be there in person, I will be spending the day, all day, in solidarity with those who seek justice in Palestine.

Working on audio and feelings brought home with me from that beautiful, incredibly broken place.

If you are able please attend this :

Lobby of Parliament - 'Justice for Palestinians'

2-6pm on Wednesday 19 November 2008

Followed by a public meeting 'Time for Government Action' 7pm, Committee Room 10 in the House of Commons.

A lobby of parliament is being organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, the Council for Arab-British Understanding and Jews for Justice for Palestinians on Wednesday 19 November to mark the UN international day of solidarity with the Palestinian people. Previous lobbies of parliament have attracted a significant level of support from solidarity organisations, faith groups, trade unions and other groups. This broad support is very important in demonstrating to MPs and the British government the wide range of organisations calling for peace and justice.

This year the lobby theme will be 'Justice for Palestinians', and will take place from 2-6pm on Wednesday 19 November.

2008-11-11T22:47:00.002Z

gravity... how giraffes get pregnant.... and other methods to dream up a festival

2008-11-11T22:34:00.002Z

so, i am on de train

national express.... when your lifes in a mess
it will make you smile

as Divine Comedy so well put it

Of course they were talking about when the National Express used to run the busses.
Now they got de trains as well.

I am currently on a one that I have seen before - it was from an early episode of The Likely Lads, first aired in the late 60's or early 70's.
But it goes and it tekkin me yem.

What takes me away from my comfy seat back in Tantobie is the Table group - a Greenbelt production.
Unsure of what it is or where it came from or where its going, I found myself taking notes on me macbook as the lovely gay Ben has left that role open since his departure to Performing Arts or some other fancy area of the festival.
I dont think i can fill your shoes Ben in this role as well as you, mainly because I am a size 10 and those lovely glittery heels dont quite fit me. I am saving up for a pair of me own though, dont worry.

So the discussion is...... well I guess its not for me to say here.
Something about venues and campaigning.

Lots about venues and campaigning actually.
And food and wine and a more than a nod and a wink to the Table from whence this group was born out of.

Where there was 13 souls
And bread and wine
And discussion about venues and campaigns...... no doubt.

We try to leave a few places open at the Table just in case you drop by...... you know you are always welcome here......

God give me patience...... and another glass of wine

2008-11-07T03:16:00.003Z

"another glass of wine my dear
another little prayer
just a little patience
another little care

falls away in sorrow
falls away in time
god just give me patience
and another glass of wine...."

thanks for the inspiration and title katie.

dont vote

2008-11-04T17:19:00.006Z

wtf you might well ask.

just my advice, don't get involved in that kind of thing myself, as it only encourages them.

However, I don't live in the USA, and if I did then of course I would have to totally go against my own advice and queue up early doors to make sure I got my big fat X in the Obama box....

You know it makes sense.

Now, if you can please take the time, and go and read these diaries from a wonderful lady who was on the recent trip I was on, you know the one, its all over these pages.
She has managed to pen such beautifully eloquent pieces to acompany each of the visits we made to different people and places, so do yourself a real favour and go read and absorb, please, .... tell her john the big sent you......

So, the song playing now here is "Peace on Earth" by U2, and Bono, who was invited to come on the trip, and said he would have loved to, but the boys in the band had him locked up in some studio trying to finish some record they are doing at the moment...... maybe next time.... hopefully....

Heaven on Earth, we need it now
I'm sick of all of this hanging around
Sick of sorrow, sick of the pain
I'm sick of hearing again and again
That there's gonna be peace on Earth

Where I grew up there weren't many trees
Where there was we'd tear them down
And use them on our enemies
They say that what you mock
Will surely overtake you
And you become a monster
So the monster will not break you

And it's already gone too far
Who said that if you go in hard
You won't get hurt?

Jesus can you take the time
To throw a drowning man a line
Peace on Earth
Tell the ones who hear no sound
Whose sons are living in the ground
Peace on Earth
No whos or whys
No one cries like a mother cries
For peace on Earth
She never got to say goodbye
To see the color in his eyes
Now he's in the dirt
Peace on Earth

halfway

2008-10-28T16:11:00.002Z

woke early again, 6am seems to be the body clocks' alarm all of a sudden,
Didn't have a clue where on earth i was.
for a short time i was in this exotic place in a half light, then realised i was on me own settee (which is quite exotic, i should add....)

working through photos and audio and some video form the big trip, important to get it out there while it is hot.
look out for some tasters here in the bjtv screen, and youtube, my facebook, and a new flick group thats being set up for this specific project.

Visit Israel..... Discover Palestine......

2008-10-26T11:38:00.002Z

25 hours after we left Galilee yesterday, by coach, air and car, I am home.
I knew I was on home soil when i woke in the car in the early hours, in a lay-by, and it was pissing with rain.

No matter, a minor inconvenience that could not fail to stop the music and words and pictures that are flying around inside my head.
Lyrics, tunes, prayer, faces, walls, temples, mountains........

2 things are clear

We have a message from Palestine, 2 actually.

Number 1...... we are asked to tell the stories of the Palenstinian people, to give them a european and worldwide voice..... to set free individual stories from the land behind an 11 metre high concrete wall. Stories of and from people, who, oddly enough, are just as human as you and I.

This process we shall begin by us processing dozens of hours of captured audio and video, thousands of photos, and reams of pages of scribbled words.
We shall try to turn them into simple, understandable messages for you to soak in.
As we did
In Palestine
The land behing the wall
11 metres high
with electified razor wire as its' cake icing
and castle turrets and checkpoints at every corner, of which there are hundreds
with guns and video cameras and teenage and twenty-something soldiers
waiting for you to look at them in the wrong way.

Number 2 message is an invitation, from the heart of Bethlehem.
A way ahead, of which we can be a real part.
We have been invited to come make festival.
In Bethlehem, Palestine.
The land behind the wall
11 metres high
With graffiti art so beautiful in its temporary disguise of its oppressive background canvas

We have been invited home.
Greenbelt has been invited home to make festival.

The kingdom is coming
I have a deep feeling its gonna be one hell of a party.

2008-10-25T05:59:00.005Z

sunrise over Galilee

2008-10-25T05:56:00.001Z

i cant belive i am watching the sun rise up over the sea of Galilee in front of me
there are a few, maybe 3 or 4, who have beaten me to claim the title of original witness to this glorious morning, but i bear them no grudge, and stare in pure wonder....

2008-10-24T14:48:00.002Z