1. Great to see that Per from the excellent 'Mystery of Existence' blog is now writing for Gen Sit.
2. Inspired by Per (see above), I've been reading up on Bryon Katie's 'The Work', and tried it out on an outstanding 'issue'. And by golly it worked! More on this to follow.
3. It took me 8 clicks to get from a Integral Naked email to the advertised MP3 download. Why are all Ken's websites are so poorly designed? From a usability and accessibility point of view they are just awful.
When I started this blog none of my friends knew about it and I felt happy to be more or less open about everything. Now a number of my friends do know about it, and read it everynow and again. On one hand I like this, on the other it creates a problem, which is I'm now more likely to censor what I write than before. But that's only a problem if I allow it to be...what the fuck should I care what any of my friends think? Jeezus, I'm so tired of this hiding things away bollocks, I'm fucking fed-up with it, do you hear?
MEMO TO SELF: SO FUCKING WHAT?
MEMO TO SELF: SO FUCKING WHAT?
Stuffed away in a cupboard in my house is a box of vinyl 45s. Many of these singles are absolute classics and unavailable on CD. This is a poor situation and I’m determined to do something about it.
So, from now on (or until I run out of 45s), I will post an MP3 of one of these great, lost 45s for the world to re-discover.
The first single is called “You Never Heard Anything Like It” and is performed by The Freshmen, an Irish ‘showband’. The single was released in 1979 and quickly picked-up by John Peel, who played it many times, becoming one of his favourite singles. I heard the track thanks to Peel and found it in a cheap singles box for the princely sum of 10p.
It’s a swinging little number about a fed-up teenager complaining about his family to an agony aunt. Full of lovely lines and a great chorus that you’ll soon want to join in with.
The Irish Showbands website has this about The Freshmen:
So, here it is:
The Freshmen - You Never Heard Anything Like It (MP3 3.8 mb)
Go on, download it. Play it, play it again and again. It’s a wonderful single. Any comments?
Next month I’ll feature another forgotten gem, stay tuned to this station.
(with thanks to F)
So, from now on (or until I run out of 45s), I will post an MP3 of one of these great, lost 45s for the world to re-discover.
The first single is called “You Never Heard Anything Like It” and is performed by The Freshmen, an Irish ‘showband’. The single was released in 1979 and quickly picked-up by John Peel, who played it many times, becoming one of his favourite singles. I heard the track thanks to Peel and found it in a cheap singles box for the princely sum of 10p.
It’s a swinging little number about a fed-up teenager complaining about his family to an agony aunt. Full of lovely lines and a great chorus that you’ll soon want to join in with.
The Irish Showbands website has this about The Freshmen:
"Though they featured the classic showband line-up and they played for dancers in ballrooms throughout Ireland, the “showband” tag didn’t sit lightly on the shoulders of The Freshmen from Ballymena. More than most bands, they epitomised the divide between urban and rural Ireland, drawing their biggest crowds in cities like Cork, Galway and Waterford....”According to once source, the single got as high as 17th in the Irish pop charts!
So, here it is:
The Freshmen - You Never Heard Anything Like It (MP3 3.8 mb)
Go on, download it. Play it, play it again and again. It’s a wonderful single. Any comments?
Next month I’ll feature another forgotten gem, stay tuned to this station.
(with thanks to F)
Naropa are offering an online course on the Diamond Approach (DA), taught by John Davis a senior student of AH Almaas. If I had the time and money available right now I'd certainly like to take part, especially since the DA group based in the UK is run on the basis of two 7-day retreats per year, which is pretty much impossible for me to even consider, at least for a few years (ie when Harry is older).
So perhaps I'll do the online course next year, I'm really impressed by the work of AH Almaas and his school. I found a good article on the Diamond Approach today, worth reading if you're interested in finding out more about yourself, and the world, and life and oh...all of it.
So perhaps I'll do the online course next year, I'm really impressed by the work of AH Almaas and his school. I found a good article on the Diamond Approach today, worth reading if you're interested in finding out more about yourself, and the world, and life and oh...all of it.
Hmmm, I can now sit for 35 minutes without fidgeting or checking the clock. This is a good thing. On the other hand my ability to concentrate has more or less vanished. My mind is everywhere except the breath. Hard not to feel frustrated and not start somehow forcing the sitting, making the concentration happen.
All I can do is sit, let the meditation happen...don't push the river, it flows by itself.
All I can do is sit, let the meditation happen...don't push the river, it flows by itself.
- My years of indoctrination are at last showing fruit. Today I found Harry playing with a marble. He looked up and said to me: "Chelsea and have 9 goals. The baddies have no goals". Ahhhh, my job here is done.
- Going to see my beloved Freakwater play tomorrow night in London. I am so excited about this gig, I've waited for so long (five years) to see the gals do their wonderful thing, live, on stage. If I could only take three CDs with me to a desert island, one would be by Freakwater (the Clash and Bird supplying the other two).
It's been a good start to the year in many ways. I feel focused, have mediated everyday for 35 minutes, planning to push on through to the 45 minute stage, where, so I've been told, 'things start to happen'. Haven't had a drink since new year's day and plan to stay on the wagon for the next three months, excepting next Friday when I'll probably get somewhat drunk at the Freakwater gig.
Took Harry down to London to see The Gruffalo at Hampstead Theatre with his beloved pal Hamish. The play was great a fine adaption of a pre- bedtime favourite. The boys had a great time shouting and singing.
Last night I had a lucid dream. I found myself walking down a shopping street with my old mate KC. Somehow I became aware of my dreaming state and mentioned this to KC. 'Look, I'll show you this is a dream', I said to him. I picked up a dustbin, walked up to a shop front and threw the bin at the window. The bin bounced noisily off the window without breaking the glass. 'If I had been daydreaming that then it wouldn't seem so real' I remarked to KC.
My last three lucid dreams have seen my dreaming-self test the dream state by acts of vandalism! Next time I really must do something more interesting, like flying, summoning Joe Strummer for a jam session or, or...anything rather than just smashing stuff up (as fun as that is).
Well done Chelsea, Orient, and Burton!
Took Harry down to London to see The Gruffalo at Hampstead Theatre with his beloved pal Hamish. The play was great a fine adaption of a pre- bedtime favourite. The boys had a great time shouting and singing.
Last night I had a lucid dream. I found myself walking down a shopping street with my old mate KC. Somehow I became aware of my dreaming state and mentioned this to KC. 'Look, I'll show you this is a dream', I said to him. I picked up a dustbin, walked up to a shop front and threw the bin at the window. The bin bounced noisily off the window without breaking the glass. 'If I had been daydreaming that then it wouldn't seem so real' I remarked to KC.
My last three lucid dreams have seen my dreaming-self test the dream state by acts of vandalism! Next time I really must do something more interesting, like flying, summoning Joe Strummer for a jam session or, or...anything rather than just smashing stuff up (as fun as that is).
Well done Chelsea, Orient, and Burton!
I'm a bit miffed with Google.
A while ago, a search for 'martin black' bought back my website (www.martinblack.com) as the top link (not for any particular good reason, but it pleased me - dosen't take much!).
Then along came the other martin black (www.martinblack.net) who bumped me off the top spot. Hell, I didn't mind that much. Being number two to an 'Eclectic Horseman', a real western dude, was ok. After all, he has a business to promote and a herd to raise (or something) and I just have an erratic blog and a few pages of out-of-date banalities.
But what I can't stand is dropping right-off the first page of results and ending up on the seventh page (along with 'Martin Extreme Multivolt Scanner MX10 - Black')
What have I done to offend Mr Google? (sniff, sniff, sniff)
A while ago, a search for 'martin black' bought back my website (www.martinblack.com) as the top link (not for any particular good reason, but it pleased me - dosen't take much!).
Then along came the other martin black (www.martinblack.net) who bumped me off the top spot. Hell, I didn't mind that much. Being number two to an 'Eclectic Horseman', a real western dude, was ok. After all, he has a business to promote and a herd to raise (or something) and I just have an erratic blog and a few pages of out-of-date banalities.
But what I can't stand is dropping right-off the first page of results and ending up on the seventh page (along with 'Martin Extreme Multivolt Scanner MX10 - Black')
What have I done to offend Mr Google? (sniff, sniff, sniff)
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