What I've been up to lately...

It feels like ages since I posted some of my thoughts/feelings on the ol' nanolog - thanks for your patience.

I've been busy... busy being part of a family... and busy with a few personal projects (which I'll talk about later).

We've been to a garden festival (the Viewpark Garden Festival)...

celebrated our Dayna's birthday... went for a walk to see the Falls of Clyde and Peregrine Falcon chicks... and picnic'd with Janey at the Calderglen Park. Truly good times.

Olly and I have both been working hard... Olly has been working full time while her boss takes some overdue leave... and I have been trying to get my head around the finer points of foreign exchange... and studying for a Business Analysis qualification.

I have also been connecting with more folks using skype and enjoying it. The above screen dump was taken when I connected with Jonathan and he couldn't speak. So I did the talking and he responded with words typed onscreen and the odd laugh. That was a fun conversation. Chats with Paul E and Chris have been beneficial and improved through the use of skype. I am "headphonaught" on skype if you want to talk with me sometime. Please give me some notice... and consider any potential time difference... but otherwise would love to chat.

As for personal projects... 4 things come to mind:

(1) I have been examining my understanding of church based on what I have experienced and what I know/believe/hope is possible.

Forgive me first love, but I’m tired.
I need to get away to feel again.

Adele from her track "First Love" on her "19" album - this is how I feel about my church at the moment (please note - my first love is Jesus and not the church). This examination is ongoing.

(2) I have started a podcast with my friend Jonathan using the wonder of skype - it kind of came about through a random conversation and a joint love for the Nick and Josh podcast and Homebrewed Christianity (both great pods that I would heartily recommend). We dreamed of a podcast where we both shared in conversation with people... ordinary radicals... who have stories worth talking about. The name :: something beautiful :: comes from a line in Brian McLaren's book - Everything Must Change...

If we believe, we can be transformed into agents of something beautiful that is trying to be born in our world. We can be caught up in the unfolding, emergent, spiraling process of God giving birth to a beautiful whole, the kingdom of God.

We'll see where it goes... but I am excited. For a deeper explanation go to http://somethingbeautifulpodcast.com/ or head straight to iTunes for the podcast. Give us your feedback and your suggestions for improvements - its still young and needs to grow. Edition 1.1 uses audio from the videos from ((deep)) which will spread the word that wee bit further. I am also interesting in stories from members of the ol' nanolog community. Want to share? Let me know... would love you to be part of this new journey.

(3) I have been in communication with a wonderful couple called Chris and Michaela (again using skype) about the possibility of bringing interested "emerging" people together for an ongoing/regular time of sharing, inspiration and support. I will keep you posted on progress but I am quietly confident that this is something inspired and encouraged by the Spirit... and will happen.

(4) Lastly... I have been asked by Jen & Paul to be involved in organising a gathering in June. The Essential Band have a gig in a cafe in the City Centre and I was hoping to bring Adam Howie through to show off some of his work... gallery opening style. Its still early days and I will keep you posted... all I can say just now is keep Friday, 20th June free if you are in or around Glasgow.

Oh and I have joined Jaiku too through an invite from a good pal in Geneva. If you are a member... please hook up with me and say "hi".

So anyway... here's to the weekend.

Stories from Dan & Laura...

Stories from Dan & Laura from thomas mathie on Vimeo.

Taken from the 5th ((deep)) gathering on the 24th May... Dan and Laura speak openly of who they see Jesus as.

Worship from ((deep)) -- no.5

((deep)) worship [240508] from thomas mathie on Vimeo.

The Essential Band bring a 3 song "unplugged" set featuring...

1. Open the eyes of my heart
2. In the secret
3. The splendour of the King

Enjoy!

((deep)) -- no.5

I like the way each ((deep)) is different. The Spirit shows up and makes the evening His own. Saturday night was no exception.

The Essential Band were without a drummer for the evening... but they made some beautiful lemonade with this lemon they were thrown - they stripped it down and played an "unplugged" set... with Paul on acoustic guitar... Jen & Laura on vocals... and Stuart & John on bongos... with John playing the trumpet too. Special times.

Another reason why this ((deep)) gathering was special - Adam Howie joined us to express his worship through paint. He produced 2 paintings - the one at the top of this post (which was purchased after the gathering by an anon benefactor and my sincere thanks go to them) and the picture below entitled "deep" ::

I received very positive feedback that reinforced my gut feeling - watching a painting unfold connects with visually stimulated people thus keeping their attention while folks are speaking. Adam did a sterling job and I hope he will join us again.

After worship... we had a period of testimony... where various folk spoke of who they thought Jesus is... along with an open mic for participants who wished to speak. This was another special time. Hearing testimonies is always moving... but to hear from folk who I haven't heard speak before is wonderful - Stuart's testimony was simple... Jesus is his best friend... and yet he spoke with a heartfelt eloquence that proved for me, there and then, the power of testimony. Peoples' stories move mountains. My thanks to Dan, Laura, John, and Stuart for their preparation. Moving.

It was fab to see Jon, Leeanne, Bobby and Dan... as well as those not pictured including Lorna, Ian, Kirsty, Lauren and the other Bobby. Thanks to you all for making the effort to be there.

Thanks too... to Gary and the youth group from Hamilton who were in the neighbourhood. Thanks for being part of the gathering.

All in... another great night. Last word of thanks goes to Lucy who is a top notch organiser and number one responsible person... and I am glad she is part of this.

Here's to the next one in August.

((deep)) -- tonight's team thought...

The following is my thought for the ((deep)) team...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am presently rereading Shaine Clalborne’s “The Irresistible Revolution” and this jumped out at me...

“...few things have more transformative power than people and stories.

...The things that transform us, especially us “Post-Moderns” are people and experiences. Political ideologies and religious doctrines just aren’t very compelling, even if they’re true. And stories disarm us. They make us laugh and cry. Its hard to disagree with a story, much less split a church or kill people over one. And certainly no one hurts others with the passion of those who do it in the name of God, and its usually over ideologies and doctrines, not stories. Besides people seem to loosen up after a good story. I think that’s why Jesus told so many stories - stories about ordinary first-century Mediterranean life, stories of widows and orphans, debts and wages, workers and landlords, courts and banquets.”

((deep)) is about storytelling. Its about opinions. Its about who I say Jesus is... either as the guest speaker or as one participant coming alongside another. Its about the power of personal experience... in the here and now experience... what God is doing right here... right now.

The Salvation Army has a great tradition for testimonies... and tonight, in a way, we are having a testimony meeting. An open mic and a sense of the spirit working... and I, for one, can’t wait.

We read in Matthew 13:10-17 (The Message) the following...

The disciples came up and asked, "Why do you tell stories?"

He replied, "You've been given insight into God's kingdom. You know how it works. Not everybody has this gift, this insight; it hasn't been given to them. Whenever someone has a ready heart for this, the insights and understandings flow freely. But if there is no readiness, any trace of receptivity soon disappears. That's why I tell stories: to create readiness, to nudge the people toward receptive insight. In their present state they can stare till doomsday and not see it, listen till they're blue in the face and not get it. I don't want Isaiah's forecast repeated all over again:

Your ears are open but you don't hear a thing.
Your eyes are awake but you don't see a thing.
The people are blockheads!
They stick their fingers in their ears
so they won't have to listen;
They screw their eyes shut
so they won't have to look,
so they won't have to deal with me face-to-face
and let me heal them.

"But you have God-blessed eyes—eyes that see! And God-blessed ears—ears that hear! A lot of people, prophets and humble believers among them, would have given anything to see what you are seeing, to hear what you are hearing, but never had the chance.”

Stories don’t just loosen people up... but prepare the way... just as a farmer prepares the her soil... stories prepare the ground for the seed that is God’s good news for the poor.

Tonight... we are storytellers... we have our own unique experiences that are valued. Please use them. Don’t rely on doctrine or a sales pitch - that’s done and gone... tonight is about stories... Let’s release the transformative power that God has given each and everyone of us for His benefit.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

((deep)) tonight... from 7pm...
@ Salvation Army - City Centre Corps... 1 Houldsworth Street... Glasgow

This is WAY cool :: the latest Indiana Jones film

Just in from taking Olly and the girls to see the latest Indiana Jones film :: The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull :: and all I can say is... go see it! Its awesome. Intelligent... heartwarming... exciting... visually stunning and just plain ol' fashioned good fun!

I wasn't let down... and neither were my family who all thoroughly enjoyed it. Check it out.

New Tunes :: DJ Walkman : Milk Und Herring (Sutemosmix1)

One of my fave netlabels :: Sutemos :: have released their first mix... its from their head honcho DJ Walkman and its looks fab - haven't heard it yet but the blurb speaks to me...

DJ Walkman is one of the most active persons on the Lithuanian electronic scene. He is mostly known for being founder and runner of this gorgeous web site and net label (sutemos.net that is). He is also a host of Sutemos Live gig series. By breaking stereotypes of one-day projects Sutemos web site has become a symbol of idm and minimal music not only in Lithuania but also abroad. Our releases are warmly met in Japan, USA and Western Europe../

../The idea behind Milk Und Herring is really simple and well reflected in its title - to connect things that seem to be inconsistent from the first glance. And to do this as good as possible. because there is nothing worse than a monotonic mix that makes the listener die out of boredom.

Can't wait to dig in. Check it out.

Happy Birthday Dayna!!!

Our wee girl, Dayna, is 9 years old today... and we can't quite believe it. To celebrate we bought her an iPod shuffle and filled it with the kind of cool music 9 year olds listen to like Mika... Brooke Fraser... and A-HA.

Happy Birthday Dayna... I hope you have a lovely day!?!

This is cool :: Irn Bru's new advert

Makes sense if you are Scottish. Thanks to Laura for the heads up. Sweet!

This is cool :: Radiohead - not for profit

Huge thanks to Darrin for the heads up on the fantastic Radiohead - not for profit website. Basically its a place where you can download bootleg recordings of Radiohead gigs. Here's the skinny ::

this site is for radiohead fans who enjoy their music and like to listen to them live. You won't find any albums or official releases, just live tracks of their performance for your pleasure. Please, do not buy any bootlegs (audio or video) from anyone.

Works for me... although I am not sure what the band will think of this.

Personally I think it is a very pro-fans kind of thing. I don't buy bootlegs... the quality isn't always that great... and I see this as a great way to kill the market for bootlegs - give them away.

Thing is... this is very much an add-on... an extra... the icing on the cake! I will not stop listening to the Radiohead albums I have bought... nor will it ever stop me from going to see them live (I haven't seen them live yet... but intend to someday).

This doesn't devalue their music... but makes it more valuable. It provides new takes on familiar songs... distills the temporary excitement of the unfamiliar... encapsulates the very essence of the live experience, even though it is still the lousy second to actually being there.

What devalues music is artists like Sir Paul McCartney giving away his album "Memory Almost Full" for free in "the Mail on Sunday" (thanks Rob) - you could argue he is giving back... but is he really? Its a platinum seller already. This is just a gimmick to create a buzz... and in doing so... his music is relegated to the status of "free" in the minds of everyone who hears of the promotion.

If you want to encourage people to value your music then make good music... and build a good reputation with your fan base. Celebrate the fans you have instead of always chasing the new. Give them something for free, sure, but give them something they will treasure... something different or something unique. Not the same album that they have already paid for!

Let's face it... the Mail on Sunday buying demographic will seriously overlap the McCartney fan base demographic... afterall ::

it's no surprise that Britain's number one artist should choose the nation's favourite Sunday newspaper, the Mail On Sunday, to give away his latest platinum-selling album, Memory Almost Full.

Bands like Radiohead with their webcast on Hogmanay, their doomed free gig at Rough Trade, fab concerts for BBC Radio and their approval for Amplive's remixes; and Nine Inch Nails with their direct distribution and free content (The Slip - their latest totally free album is fab) are doing far more to encourage fan loyalty and the appreciation of their music than the record companies ever could. The irony is that neither of them have a record company. Hmmm...

This is cool :: "Children" by Robert Miles

I love this track... reminds me of good times around '96 - '97. Beautiful.

Thinking out loud :: Hebrews 10: 24-25

Let's see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching.

Hebrews 10: 22-25 [The Message]

I am meditating on these words from Paul's letter to the Hebrews. I will post my thoughts later... but I thought I would reach out to the Nanolog Community to ask for your views/ opinions/ ideas on this.

This is WAY cool :: Again & Again" by the Bird & the Bee

Great song and A W E S O M E video... fantastic! Makes me happy.

Yesterday...

Something happened yesterday that I want to talk about. You see... yesterday I got hurt... but that's not what I want to discuss. What I want to talk about is the aftermath.

I sent the following tweet at 1415hrs yesterday:

" heading out Lanark way with the family after problems at church... needing time out."

Olly and the we'ans were wonderful. Their presence and support was priceless. We talked... they listened... they gave me big hugs and said reassuring things. They lifted me up.

Thing is... theirs wasn't the only support I received. Not long after I sent the tweet, I received a number of responses - tweets... texts... facebook messages... emails... and phonecalls - all to see how I was and to provide support. This bowled me over. I was literally speechless.

That's why I thought the above joy of tech cartoon was genius... because... try as I might... I can't imagine a world without facebook... twitter... texting, phonecalls and emails. They may be timewasting procrastination toys for geeks in the eyes of some people... but for me... they are meaningful ways to connect and interact with likeminded friends.

I would therefore like to say thanks to all my friends out there... the ones on facebook... the ones using twitter... the ones who I speak with through email, instant messenger and text... as well as via the phone or face to face. Thanks for being there! Thanks for connecting! Thanks for paying attention!

Presence is important... extremely important... but a lot of meaning can be put in 140 characters or less!

Thank you all!

More on Pangea Day

More on Pangea Day from Current TV ::



Check it out... I'll be watching with Olly and the bairns... who will you be spending Pangea Day with?

Storytelling...

I love stories... and found a couple of interesting links:

First off we have Pangea Day > its scheduled for 1800hrs GMT tomorrow [10th May 08] with contributions from all over the world. So what's it all about?

Pangea Day is a global event bringing the world together through film.

Why? In a world where people are often divided by borders, difference, and conflict, it's easy to lose sight of what we all have in common. Pangea Day seeks to overcome that – to help people see themselves in others – through the power of film.

Starting at 18:00 GMT on May 10, 2008, locations in Cairo, Kigali, London, Los Angeles, Mumbai, and Rio de Janeiro will be linked for a live program of powerful films, live music, and visionary speakers. The entire program will be broadcast – in seven languages – to millions of people worldwide through the internet, television, and mobile phones.

The 24 short films to be featured have been selected from an international competition that generated more than 2,500 submissions from over one hundred countries. The films were chosen based on their ability to inspire, transform, and allow us see the world through another person's eyes.

The program will also include a number of exceptional speakers and musical performers. Queen Noor of Jordan, CNN's Christiane Amanpour, musician/activist Bob Geldof, and Iranian rock phenom Hypernova are among those taking part.

I'm going to check it tomorrow night (its on Current TV, Sky Movies :: Indie and online) and I am inspired by how stories can connect and unite people.

If you consider the building blocks of life :: education... faith... experience... culture... science... relationships & family... :: they all revolve around stories as a means of communicating shared norms and values. I wonder what the common themes and messages will be... and welcome the concept. There is a definite need for the sharing of a global message... one that isn't controlled by unaccountable corporations or brands... but by people for people.

I subscribe to the Moth's podcast [I have never had the opportunity to visit the club in NYC (its held on a week night)] and some of the stories told are hysterical! Not for the faint of heart - they contain bad words but thats because they are heartfelt and real... and, more importantly for the listener, very funny stories from the experiences of the storytellers - the way good stories should be.

The Moth, a not-for-profit storytelling organization, was founded in New York in 1997 by poet and novelist George Dawes Green, who wanted to recreate in New York the feeling of sultry summer evenings on his native St. Simon's Island, Georgia, where he and a small circle of friends would gather to spin spellbinding tales on his friend Wanda's porch. After moving to New York, George missed the sense of connection he had felt sharing stories with his friends back home, and he decided to invite a few friends over to his New York apartment to tell and hear stories. Thus the first "Moth" evening took place in his living room. Word of these captivating story nights quickly spread, and The Moth moved to bigger venues in New York. Today, The Moth conducts six ongoing programs and has brought more than 2,000 live stories to over 60,000 audience members.

My personal favourite is from Malcolm Gladwell... who recalls the time he started in journalism and competed with a colleague to insert phrases into the news. Had me crying on the train home one night recently. Well worth the 15mins or so per pod.

Check them out.

the more new things we try... the more inherently creative we become

HABITS are a funny thing. We reach for them mindlessly, setting our brains on auto-pilot and relaxing into the unconscious comfort of familiar routine. “Not choice, but habit rules the unreflecting herd,” William Wordsworth said in the 19th century. In the ever-changing 21st century, even the word “habit” carries a negative connotation.

So it seems antithetical to talk about habits in the same context as creativity and innovation. But brain researchers have discovered that when we consciously develop new habits, we create parallel synaptic paths, and even entirely new brain cells, that can jump our trains of thought onto new, innovative tracks.

Rather than dismissing ourselves as unchangeable creatures of habit, we can instead direct our own change by consciously developing new habits. In fact, the more new things we try — the more we step outside our comfort zone — the more inherently creative we become, both in the workplace and in our personal lives.

Janet Rae-Dupree :: NYTimes

Interesting reading. Check it out... and feel free to discuss in the comments section. What do you think... can new habits make you more creative?

For me? Well... I believe my habit/obsession with blogging has made me more creative. I look at the details more... see things other people might miss... and have enjoyed taking photos along this journey. I learn new tools... and talk about them.

Consuming... producing... sharing... as Shirky says... using my cognitive surplus.

So yes... for me... new habits make for increased creativity.

Cibelle on Current TV

Just watched this... and thought it was worth sharing. I love Cibelle's music... and thought this pod on Current TV was fab. It represents all I have come to love about the station... relevant content... well shot... nice.

Thinking out loud :: reliance on conventional wisdom is damning

There is a somewhat healthy tendency in every discipline to defer to the knowledge of elders. Starting with the original “apprenticeship” structures of the 19th century to the traditional corporate hierarchies that permeate our life today, societies are built on collective wisdom from the past. Major conferences around the world gather industry “experts” to share their wisdom. We painstakingly listen to our elders’ projections as if they were coming from an oracle.

However, for the small portion of society that is tasked with innovation and pushing the edge, a reliance on conventional wisdom is damning. We must seek advice with a dose of skepticism, and we must always consider the merits of developing new platforms rather than just derivatives.

Behance Magazine

I came across this golden nugget of advice while working through the 100+ feeds I read on an almost daily basis (Google Reader is a wonderful invention) and it challenged me.

In all I seek to do... am I relying on conventional wisdom? and if so, whose?

Behance goes on to offer 3 tips for avoiding over reliance on conventional wisdom and experience:

1. Don’t judge someone based on age... but on skill.
   
2. Question the correlation between past accomplishments and present knowledge.
3. Beware of conventions... anything can be improved.
   

I'm not suggesting that we should repeat the mistakes of the past. What I am suggesting, however, is that life is like the stock market and shares :: previous performance does not predict future performance. Just because it worked... doesn't mean it will continue to work.

"...being like your grandfather, is not wearing HIS hat, but going out and buying a new one, like he did..."

An old friend once said this (or words to that effect) > conventional wisdom would suggest that if the hat worked for my grandfather... then I should get one like his... BUT... I need to get my own hat. I need to get one that works for me... that suits me... that's my style.

Prior to reading the article... I watched the wonderful Evan Almighty... the comedy where an ordinary Hummer-driving Congressman called Evan Baxter is called by God to build an ark... like a modern-day Noah. Conventional wisdom... the advice of his peers and his elders... was pretty much... pack it in... leave it alone... walk away.

As Evan shows... sometimes you have to do your own thing. When it comes to this life... we need to stop following convention... experience... guidance. We need to stop relying on abstracts like security (physical and financial)... and prosperity... and start following God. That's the true meaning of faith... but hey... don't take my word for it.

My thanks to Behance Magazine for their continued inspiration... upon which I will build upon :-)

What I've been listening to...

I haven't posted a this is what I have been listening to post for a while and their has been a ton of interesting stuff out of late... so while Miriam watches Maggie and the ferocious beast and I am reasonably lucid on my flu medicine... I thought I'd do a quick recap.

Apologies if this is too brief... I would encourage you not to take my word for it [I'm not a critic but a fan] and check out the stuff for yourself.

The pursuit of illusion by Troy Donockley

Troy is the pipes man in my fave band Iona and I arrived at his album by accident... found it when hunting for CDs for Olly in the GLO in Motherwell.

This is not an Iona album... although Joanna Hogg contributes with vocals. It is less and yet it is more. It is less in that it is one part of the overall sound... it is heavily based on orchestration, strings and traditional instrumentation and less rocking. This is what makes it more... it has a beautiful ambiance... a spiritual quiet about it that is just lovely.

Its very much an album and should be listened to as an album... from start to finish... Tracks like fragment and the colour of the door (part 2) stand out... but only in the context of the greater whole.

All in... its a good album. Worth digging out for the ambiance and spiritual vibe.

Offline Remixed (Sutemos021) by Leon Somov ft. Jazzu

Sutemos keep the standard high... and keep releasing quality content. Their latest is a collection of remixes of the fantastic Offline EP (Sutemos 018) from Leon Somov ft. Jazzu. Tracks have been remixed by a variety of players renown for their own quality output... folk like AM-Boy, Sleepy Town Manufacture, Sabi and ijo... along with some new names to watch and learn... such as Joel Tammik and Monoceros.

For me... this is electronica at its very best. Vibrant... diverse... ambient yet engaging... sonically enthralling and vocally enticing. A great addition to the Sutemos catalog and a worthy addition to your iPod. Download it for free at the Sutemos website... along with the original EP.

Ghosts by Nine Inch Nails

I'm not a NIN fan... or at least I wasn't until Ghosts came along. I deeply respect Trent Reznor's business acumen in creating a product that reaches to all fans and newcomers like me. I downloaded the free tracks - the first 9 tracks - as a sampler for the album... with the option to download all 36 tracks for $5... or buy the music on CD for $10... or buy one of 2 deluxe boxsets that include vinyl, CDs, DVDs and the kitchen sink, by the looks of it.

I was attracted to this album for 2 reasons... the novelty (the same novelty that introduced me to Radiohead) and the fact the tracks were instrumental. I have heard earlier NIN and I wasn't that impressed... and dismissed the music as too dark for me.

The Ghosts album has changed that prejudice. This is vibrant, intelligent and diverse music... expertly crafted to create a delicious ambiance with guitars, electronics and percussion. It is dark... but in a late night kind of way. Its more of a soundtrack in approach than anything else... and for that I rate it.

Ghostly Swim soundtrack for the [adult swim] TV show.

Thanks to Cool Hunting for the heads-up on this album... which is, all in, fab. The music is predominately electronic with a glitchy, hip hop slant... but individualistic nuances.

Recognisable names include Dabrye and Matthew Dear contribute fantastically catchy tracks... Temper and R+S respectively. The rest of the contributors provide top quality tracks... making their names worthy of watching.

It is a fab, cohesive and elegant soundtrack... that provides immersive sounscapes and entertaining ambiance. My fave tracks include Carlos Walter Wendy Stanley by The Chap (a cheeky wink of a reference to the electronic music pioneer Wendy Carlos) and Light Powered by Deastro with its 80s synth grandeur.

Well worth checking out... for free from the Ghostly Swim page.

Earth Monkey Production's The Resting Bench Remix Project - Vol. 1

Simian Shaun has raised the bar with this fantastic collection of remix from a spoken word project [the Resting Bench] that I have been embarrassingly negligent in not checking out.

Basically the original Resting Bench was a collaboration between poet Ann Wilson and Clutter's Shaun Blezard for a mixed media exhibition which was held at The Nest in Barrow-in-Furness from May-July 2006. The resulting tracks were offered out for RE-MIXERS, BOOTLEGGERS, DUB VERSIONISTS, MASH UP MERCHANTS, GLITCHERS, JUNGLISTS, TURNTABLISTS, SONIC ARTISTS, SOUND TERRORISTS AND ANYTHING INBETWEEN!!!! to manipulate / remix... with the final output being this 30 track compilation.

What can I say about the diversity of this compilation other than WOW!!! This is EMP at their very best. Creating something new and something beautiful. Stand out tracks include the contributions from a couple of my favourite EMP artists - Cousin Silas and Adrian Carter... with other excellent tracks from Kristain Diod and Binary Girl.

The consistent use of Ann Wilson's poetry makes this project a cut above... her vocals add an ethereal, other-worldly nature to this first class collection. I would heartly recommend this compilation - download it for free from EMP.

--------------------

This is just a taste of the music I have been listening to of late... beds of sickness are great opportunities for listening to new music... although I wouldn't recommend some of the Resting Bench remix project while sporting a fever.

Check them out... give them your support... expand your listening.

This is cool :: ROYGBIV

Possibly the best boards of canada track... in my opinion... ROYGBIV... nice!

This is a pretty good fan-made video. If you search youtube... you'll see a number of vids by fans which is a nice reciprocation... and another way the industry can learn from web2.0 > let fans create content inspired by your work.

This is cool :: Free wifi on the Scarborough waterfront

Olly and I are huge fans of Scarborough... and I was delighted to hear that the beautiful waterfront has just received a hook up of free wifi - its not like we need a reason to go... but free wifi is an added bonus.

Coverage is pretty extensive on the seafront.

Someone is thinking big in / for Scarborough and that makes me happy... it is a fab place to spend time.

Via Electric Angel

This is cool :: Tweet Tees

Thanks to Jake for the heads-up on Tweet Tees. Guess how I found out about these tees??? From a tweet from Jake.

I especially like this tee... especially as it is screened on a American Apparel tee. I probably tweet too much and I get the irony of this tee.

Check them out.

This is cool :: iGoogle Art

I use iGoogle instead of the normal Google page... and I thought this was cool :: iGoogle Art - headers from some fab and interesting people such as Coldplay, Nigo, Michael Graves, Philippe Starck and the world famous Rolf Harris.

I am using the Nigo art just now... but Rolf's art is calling me.

The Ballad of El Goodo

Years ago, my heart was set to live, oh
But I've been trying hard against unbelievable odds
It gets so hard at times like now to hold on
My guns they're waiting to be stuck by
At my side is God

And there ain't no one gonna turn me round
Ain't no one gonna turn me round

Theres people around who tell you that they know
The places where they send you, and its easy to go
They'll zip you up and dress you down
Stand you in a row
But you know you don't have to
You can just say no

And there ain't no one gonna turn me round
Ain't no one gonna turn me round
Ain't no one gonna turn me round
Ain't no one gonna turn me round

I've been built up and trusted
Broke down and busted
But they'll get theirs and we'll get ours
Just if we can
Just, ah, hold on
Hold on
Hold on
Hold on

Years ago my heart was set to live, oh
But I've been trying hard against strong odds
It gets so hard at times like now to hold on
Well, I'll fall if I don't fight
And at my side is God

Ain't no one gonna turn me round
Ain't no one gonna turn me round
Ain't no one gonna turn me round
Ain't no one gonna turn me round
Hold on
Hold on
Hold on
Hold on

[alternate lines of last verse:]
Years ago I was all set to go
And I've been trying hard against long odds
It gets so hard at times like this to even hang around
I can either stand or fall
And I believe I'm gonna stand tall

Big Star - The Ballad of El Goodo

This song is dedicated to everyone who is trying hard against strong odds... in whatever it is you do. Keep God at your side and hold on... you are not alone!

My sincere thanks to Matthew and Kerry... who will be together soon... and to Olly for all her love and encouragement. Hold on!