The Secret

A friend of mine sent me a link to the above, a film called "The Secret", it's a documentary style educational movie, which looks deeply at the laws of attraction, manifestation, visualization and self empowerment. It uses some of the top philosophers, theologians, free-thinkers, entrepreneurs, and physicists on the planet today to explain the basic principles of an age old technique which has been passed down through generations of powerful secret society's and wealthy groups, and has only just emerged in the public arena in the past few decades with the rise of interest in spiritual matters. It's nothing new if you have gone into these areas before, writers like David Icke have been talking about the laws of attraction for years. But what this film will do is bring it to a world-wide audience in a medium which will inspire, move people emotionally, and ultimately bring forth a mass change in the way we think of our everyday lives.
The laws of attraction are simple. What-ever you think of, dwell on, feel and expect to happen, will ultimately happen. If you dwell on the negative things in your life, more of the same will turn up, however, start focusing on the things you want, imagining and believing you will have these things, and hey presto they turn up one way or the other. It works with anything apparently. A new job, a new relationship, a new car a change of home, all can be willed into existence with daily doses of focused energy on what it is you desire. Basically that's the crux of the film, and it's beautifully made, graphically/visually and orally it's an challenge to the norms we all live with every day. I have known about these laws for years, but never really thought about really using the technique, but after watching the film today online, which incidently uses a fabulous streaming technique to bring almost DVD quality pictures to your PC, I am inspired to start experimenting with some of the ideas in it.
So, do yourself a favour, go to the web site http://thesecret.tv/ and view the film. I guarantee it will make you think of life in a whole new perspective.

Live from Storyville 13/10/2006

Another audio blog from Moscow
Live From Storyville 13/10/2006 direct download

Live from Storyville 11/10/2006

An update on our visit to Moscow
Live From Storyville 11/10/2006 direct download

Letters From Moscow

Thought I'd write a blog inbetween these bits of audio. And I haven't really gotten round to recording any more audio yet.
So our visit to Moscow so far...Saturday our flight was delayed by an hour because someone failed to board the plane, and the authorities at BA had to search for his baggage and remove it from the plane in case it was a bit suspect. So we arrived an hour late, and waited ages for our bags to appear on the re-claim, after which we were hurriedly taken to Ira's folks flat and had a bite to eat and a few vodka's. On Sunday we pretty much slept until midday, later in the evening we went to a restaurant to celebrate Vladimir's 60th birthday, I'm not sure which one, maybe both as he has two, an official and un-official, I think it has something to do with the fact he was born in the small town and wasn't registered until some days after his birth. So the restaurant was very nice, loads of food, most ate a small pig which had been cooked especially for our party, I'm glad to say we didn't have to see it slaughtered. I opted for lamb with apple and mint which was very nice, unfortunately I can't remember how nice, as my taste budds by that time had been severely stunted by the continual shots of vodka. Vladimir had taken no chances and had brought a bag full of alcohol (which incidentally we nearly lost by leaving it in the taxi we arrived in), including some expensive voda, about 6 toasts into the evening everything started to become hard to remember. We did dance though, to music supplied by local heart throb no doubt, a young lad giving it his all to several rock power ballads, at least he sang in tune and didn't over cook any of the performances, even though he sang to backing kareoke tracks. The evening finished around midnight, when we were still the only party in the place, I think maybe Vladimir had brought out the entire place.
When we arrived back at the flat, Vladimir and Ivan (Vladimir's brother, aka Uncle John, and before you ask I have no idea why he's called Uncle John) decided they hadn't yet consumed enough Vodka to make them fittingly ill, so broke open another bottle, calling me into help them out. How could I refuse, I had a couple of shots and decided that was quite enough, after they had gone to bed I stopped up a little and watched TV before retiring to the stool in our bedroom, where I sat for about an hour contemplating whether I would be throwing up. I decided to get into bed and after closing my eyes, my next memory is of Ira waking me the next morning.
Not a lot happened Monday, me and Ira took a walk in Moscow, through red square and around Arbat where we brought several much needed items. Cornflakes and tea bags for me being a couple. It's just the tea Ira's family make is without milk and to weak when I add it. And being an avid tea drinker I really need to have something which doesn't resemble a kind of cloudy milky mass.
Everytime I come to Moscow to visit with my wife's family I have to prepare myself for Vladimir's relentless hospitality, he's hospitable to the point of irritation, he will offer you twenty things at once and not even think of the consequences of you having them. So this morning I had breakfast of ham and eggs, Vladimir offering me Vodka and Beer, and Ira's mom giving me tea and coca cola. There is no point at which Vladimir will stop his onslaught of Vodka pleeese, and although I love him as my father in law and a decent enough man, one or two weeks of him are more than enough in any one go. He's very active for his age, and from the moment he wakes in the morning until the moment he closes his eyes at night, he's constantly on the go, trying to impress, offer the best, be a gracious host. I commend him for this, but wish he would just relax a little sometimes, take a chill pill and give his guests some space.
Today, we went to buy a present for him, he wanted a printer, and settled for a lazer copier from the local supermarket "Metro", the place is hugely impressive about three times the size of our local Asda and is a combination of Asda, B&Q, Homebase, MFI and Ikea, you can most of everything there, including baths, tires, laptops, office furniture, and all manner of food. It's pretty incredible really. It's wear we will later pick up several bottles of Vodka to bring back home. Later in the evening Ira visited the local dentist to see if she could get a filling redone. I've never seen a dentist like it. Extremely up market, very clean, posh, modern looking, soft music plays in the hall way, as you await your dentist to call you in, you sit on plush soft furnishings, it really is home from home, and apparently cheaper than the UK private dentists too, and you don't have to wait for an appointment for weeks. The UK really had a way to go to compete with it.
Tomorrow night we will be visiting what I've read is one of Moscow's best kept secrets, a small but friendly blues club. More on that and the rest of my trip coming soon in written or audio format, plus I still have to record a podcast later on for Homegrown. Providing I survive the Vodka.

Live from Storyville 09/10/2006

Here is some audio recorded during my drunken state last night. Luckily I managed to survive this bout of vodka.
Live from Storyville 09/10/2006 direct download

Live From Storyville 06/10/2006

I've created an audio blog feed through clickcaster called Live From Storyville, I intend to post links to the mp3 files here for your audio pleasure, hopefully do some of these while away next week. Here's my first, a kind of test.
Storyville Live 06/10/2006 direct download

Day Sweats

Of late of I found that I am prone to breaking out into what can only be described as "day sweats" - these can be broken down into three distinct categories;
1. Shopping Sweats - it's that moment when you walk into a shop and are faced with a product that you really want, but really really don't need - it's that long lost Ivor Cutler CD, it's that special edition of It Came From Outer Space, with the 30 seconds extra footage of the flying saucer, it's that useless gadget - the clip on book reading light and it's that one off exclusively made shirt with the frilly sleeve. Oh yes, these items can send you to the edge of despair in a single lunch time. The sweat begins to form as you weigh up the possibilities, buy or not to buy - and nearly always you end up at the counter facing the sales assistant, your face awash with sweat, looking like you've just stepped out of the shower, you hand over the offending item from your sweaty paws. Later that night you play, wear or use the item for the first and last time.
2. Normal Everyday Exertion Sweats - These are simply sweats which come about by doing nothing out of the ordinary. Walking up a steep street on a sunny Autumn day in a poorly chosen coat can bring on said sweat. So can a bit of house hoovering. Not to mention carrying a full bag of swag from the meat market after Saturday auctions.
3. Psycho-Sweats. These little blighters can let the cat out the bag at forty paces if your not careful. They can be brought about by...Realizing you were supposed to meet a friend for lunch an hour ago, while you are eating the sandwiches which you brought ten minutes ago. By being woken up in the middle of an important business meeting by the phrase, "are you getting all this down!!" And of course by your wife, when she remarks, "Why don't we get a new kitchen" In fact the mere mention of any kind of DIY connected subject can reduce yours truly to a slippery wet puddle on the living room carpet.
So, am turning into a compulsive shopper, getting to old, or developing a deep embedded decease of the brain. Jesus, I'm getting a sweat on, I better stop...

Aliens Over Stourbridge

I know it's hard to believe but according to the premier UFO group(UFORM, UFO Research Midlands) of the West Midlands, the area is presently experiencing what those in the know fittingly call "a flap". Yes, for reasons only known to bug eyed off worlders, lone people dressed in all weather cagouls, standing in remote car parks and sporting night vision binoculars, are seeing all manner of strange lights in the skies.
I learned this when I attended UFORMS recent meeting, come lecture, where their was an excellent presentation by leading Italian researcher Paola Harris. I normally hop down to the monthly meetings when something takes my fancy. Paola has certainly been around the UFO block a fair few times, having met and put up in her home, many of the heavy weight researchers who have visited Italy, including Major Phillip Corso, Nick Pope and Dr John Mack.
She had a good start though, by being mentored by J. Allen Hynek, the founding father of UFO research. You name it and she's got an opinion on it. Her web site http://www.paolaharris.it
is well worth checking out if you want to keep up with happenings in Italy and other parts of Europe. If your in this neck of the woods and you feel like checking out UFORM, then nip over to http://www.uform.org/main.htm
In the meantime, if I see anything the least bit strange in the skies, I will try and get a pic up on these pages.