My weekend....................

Saturday night was a crap bummer of a night.................
Sunday was a lazy day, went to church in morning but skipped evening service.......bad!!
Monday: cherith and i went to belfast for a bit of retail therapy as i was off work for the day. First, though and more importantly we had to stop and buy the new Oasis album. Yep its darn good stuff..................i have to admit that if they released a cd of shouting or crying or anything i would probably buy it and love it.

Its a fascination and passion that goes back 12 years now and i often wonder will they go on like the Rolling Stones and become even more of a global circus than they already are?
So this cd differs from others? not really, its still oasis as most people know them but with a more determined driving vibe than has been seen for years..............produced excellently by an "american" and featuring 3 fabulous songs written by Liam, the finest voice in Rock! The best track has to be "Guess God Thinks Im Abel," written by liam and as close to Revolver as you could imagine........finally they REALLY sound like the fab four.
Well done lads on a proper come-back album that should etch itself on millions of listeners this month...........if you dont have it yet buy it now........
the weekend was not just about 2 loud legends from manchester though and we had a good one............bought some clothes and had fun just chilling out with the "blade"
here goes another week..............

Darth Vader......................

The Darth Vader blog has now ended.....................ahh!
I have to say that it has been an amazingly funny yet scary blog to read. If you have not checked it out it will be in my links for the forseeable future so check it out..............it is a lot of amazing writing......but a lot!!
As a result of that page i found out that "jedi" is becoming a big thing in religious terms.........yea its true people are taking it that serious!
http://www.explorefaith.org/news/05_17_05.html

read the link..........scary

Let me clarify for you.......................

I have got into so many arguments about Bono and u2.............."is he a christian?" "oh he couldnt be, look at how he acts" blah blah blah....
read this for clarification....
http://www.stocki.ni.org/news/items/item-566.phtml

You would'nt guess that i feel strongly about this subject would you?
I hate when people assume.................it makes an ass out of you and me!
The famous christian is actually a subject i find fascinating....i will list some below and then stop to consider how we feel about that. I bet like me you will have a little question mark hanging over at least one of the names......why?
Alice Cooper (rock legend)
Mc Hammer (rap...er..legend)
Cliff Richard (pop....er..haha pratt)
Jimmy Carter (ex-u.s president)
Gary Busey (mad actor)
Chuck Norris (action movie legend)
George Foreman (the guy with the grill.....i mean Boxing legend)
Bernard Langer (golfing legend)
Bob Dylan (the man)
So i have discovered the hard way that it's easy to be critical and question a persons actions if they call themselves a christian. Its even easier if that person is famous and screws up on t.v or whatever.................so next time Bono says f@#k on MTV i will not say a word..........if that is the worst he does then he is better than i am.................let this be the end of the matter!!

Big Brother...............

It's mad i know but i probably will watch this often for the next whatever amount of weeks. Why do we like to watch people, their habits and traits etc etc? I mean, these people are evidently all attention seeking freaks.....are they not? Its weird how millions of people will watch, become captivated and spend money to vote for these "crazy's"

So why do we let these people on T.V.? They will ruin my faith in humans and make me wonder about where our race is headed..........but yet i will watch.
Above, we have a Gay speechwriter, a cardiac nurse, a psychic from "atlantis" and a teacher from Italy..................yawn!!! there are 13 nuts in total!
If you are across the atlantic and want a good laugh, check it out, read their profiles....................ah t.v'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">t.v is so good!!
http://www.channel4.com/bigbrother/

I'm so excited...........................oh ok i am exaggerating. Will watch though, can't help myself!!

Revenge of the Sith..............

Ok i know i am a little behind on my story but i just saw the film last night..........yea it is pretty cool.

Actually, it is awesome if compared to the previous 2 installments of the saga. So much is revealed about what we see in Star Wars: a new hope and suddenly i found myself going "ahhhh i see"
There are of course some ridiculous moments that had my head reeling...........too much moving on screen at once...grrr, but all in all i was blown away by the slick special effects and lots of light saber battles.

So now Star wars is over.............can another series of films ever re-create the effect that the Lucas trilogy has had on millions of fans since 1977. oh yea i was born in 1977............so i have never known a world without "The Force" or "The Dark Side"

Spiderman...............................

I just spent the afternoon clearing out some junk from my room and discovered some old artwork....................

Yes its Spiderman and i cant remember why i did this but its all done with ball point pen...........took me ages to do, i remember that much! So if anyone has any ideas about how i use this gift or what direction i should take it...............answers on a stamped adressed envelope!

mmm it aint actually finished........the web is kind of non-existent!

Marc Cohn........................

So i have placed Marc Cohn's debut album in my "currenyly playing" spot twice now...........whoa it must be good. I was introduced to Marc's music by our good friend Wendy who had The Rainy Season playing at her house one night. So, anyway another friend (a post will be dedicated to John soon) recently passed on Marc's self titled debut and boy its good...........forget about Walking in Memphis folks, the rest of it is far more memorable.
I just love that he writes about his family and love and life in such a passionate way whilst producing beautiful melodies.........So now i must get his long-awaited new album.........
Now I’m just another traveller
On another winding road
I’m trying to walk some kind of line
I’m trying to pull some kind of load
Now sometimes I move real easy
Sometimes I can’t catch my breath
Sometimes I see my father’s footsteps
And man it scares me half to death
But one day
Marc Cohn: Rest for the weary/the rainy season

Video Games....................

I remember fondly plugging in my first games console excitedly, anticipating a wondrous gaming experience. It was a sega Master System and by todays standards it sucked big time. Now we have X box 3 on the way and games consoles will never be the same again but what about the games............
Games nowadays are not little circular characters chasing and eating whatever it was Pac-man ate. Instead we have realistic virtual reality type lifestyles in a game with violence and gun toting almost essential, demons, dragons and amazing amounts of death also abound.
Reverend Ralph Bagley, 41, is a man with a mission. "I have always been a gamer since the days of Pong and Pacman,"
Earlier this year, the father of two founded the Christian Game Developers Foundation, aiming to drag Christian games from obscurity to the mainstream.
mmmm could this work?
A new release, announced on the fringes of the ES gaming expo in Los Angeles last week, is lighting the way to the next level.
Crave Entertainment's The Bible Game casts players as contestants on a game show, answering questions on anything from Noah's Ark to David and Goliath.
"Wholesome fun" say the makers, who hope it will encourage families to play together when it is released for the PlayStation 2 and GameBoy Advance in October.

Industry experts, however, are not convinced...........as a christian i don't think i'm convinced either. I agree that the games of today are often ridiculously violent but i am not so sure if this will work too well on the market as a whole......we shall see!

Coffee in the Bible...................

what do you think??

Most New Testament scholars and coffee connoisseurs are unaware that there are a handful of places where the actual word “coffee” appears in the text of the New Testament. Most overlook these passages because the word appears only in the original Greek. Scholars with knowledge of Greek also pass over them because of their blinding presuppositions and reliance on faulty lexicons.. According to the New Testament, suffering is an honor, a virtue, and a means of sanctification. We are to endure it with joy. Drinking coffee helps our sinful flesh to prepare for joyful suffering. It upsets the stomach and has a diarrheic effect on the digestive system. It can irritate ulcers and causes a jittery nervousness. Withdrawal from long coffee binges causes dreadful headaches that no amount of medication can relieve. Besides this, any honest coffee drinker will admit that coffee is a horrid beverage. If the brew is too weak, it tastes like dirty water; if it is too strong, it tastes like motor oil. To temper the inherent and unavoidable nastiness, one must add cream, milk, sugar, blue stuff, pink stuff, clumps, lumps, drops, syrups, froth, or foam. The whole ordeal can cause mental or emotional anguish to the indecisive and possibly separation anxiety when a failed mix of coffee and condiments must be poured down the drain.
However, it is also joy. It stimulates the body and the mind. It acts as an anti-depressant and creates a bond of fellowship and community among consumers. A hot, steamy cup warms the heart on a frosty day; a cold, icy glass cools the soul when it’s hot. It wakes us up and keeps us alert. It gives us something to hold firmly in our hands and sip soothingly with our lips for peace and security in uncomfortable and stressful times.
passages to read:
Isaiah 51 and 52
Matthew 14
Love these thoughts.....

inspired...kinda.......................

Recently i have been checking out a blog on and off by a guy called Randy Elrod. I really love this guys passion for painting, in fact i am inspired by his passion for all he writes about. I really just stumbled upon his blog through Jeremy (downhere) and .......yea so i know little about the guy but i like his posts.
So i am playing over in my mind how to start doing something with my "artistic talent."
I do not, as you may expect, rate myself too highly but.........there is a talent in here just dying to get out so how do i do that? I ask myself this genuinely so i have to carefully consider how to go about this. I really really need to do this.
A couple of weeks ago a guy i know challenged me big time to do what i enjoy, what i get a buzz out of...........im not talkin about drugs!! So now thats got me thinking................
thanks to Mervyn and Randy....................Merv, i just met a week ago and Randy i do not know at all.......FUNNY THAT!!!!!!!

p.s Randy's blog is in my links called Ethos, check it out

Bob...........................................

Bob Dylan.......................eh? what can you say? I actually wont say anything other than i truly admire this man's art...........a legend.
His words, his songs...............i really would love to know what is going on in his head.
"Most of the time
I'm clear focused all around,
Most of the time
I can keep both feet on the ground,
I can follow the path, I can read the signs,
Stay right with it, when the road unwinds,
I can handle whatever I stumble upon,
I don't even notice she's gone,
Most of the time."
Most of the time: Oh Mercy (1989)

Movies to suit the moment..................

what about when you are happy or tired or...............whatever! what fits your mood? Movies to watch when..............
you are having a bad hair day?
Samson & Delilah (1949)
The Fly (1985)
you are too tired to think?
Dumb & Dumber (1994)
Yellow Submarine (1968)
Your planet is being invaded?
E.T. (1982)
Barbarella (1967)
you are pregnant?
The Omen (1976)
The hand that rocks the cradle (1992)
you are on a diet?
Alive (1992)
Willy Wonka & the chocolate factory (1971)
and finally, if your significant other leaves you?
Jaws 2 (1978).......................because there are always more fish in the sea!

another great evening.............................

another class night at the washbasin....................
"Gary Witherall and his wife, Bonnie, were missionaries in Lebanon providing medical assistance, aid and the Good News until Bonnie was killed by a Muslim extremist on November 21, 2002. Gary spent nearly 10 years on the mission field and plans to continue the mission God has given him, preaching and doing all he can to promote missions and the needs of the poor around the world, especially in the Middle East."
well, he came to the washbasin last night to speak and it was a great evening.
A guy from the area who has just got out of rehab got saved..............class cuz about 2 months ago i sat in work with Tony while he rambled incoherently as a result of severe alchohol abuse................so happy he came to Jesus last night.
Look up Gary witherall on the net, his story is unreal......................

so i should have known better than to get annoyed this morning....................yep
Looking back, this last week has been amazing................

Gog give me strength......................

Yea yea its a great song by Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach but its my theme this morning...........in a very real and meaningful way. I hate when people just take advantage. They just think its fine to please themselves and they don't care how this affects people around them.
I actually cannot go into the specifics...............believe me, i want to, Bigtime!!
But when i am trying to set up the restaurant for what could be a very busy day i do not need wasters who should know better coming in and screwing up my routine. It pisses me off like nobody's business...............any locals will know what i mean..............

Afternoon update: It got better................typical! denise, how did you know???

The thoughts of an Alien...............

So an alien appears on earth and he studies us humans and this what he says:

"Humans, as a species, are constantly trying, and in every way, comparing themselves to one another, which, given the brief nature of their existence, seems an oddity and, for that matter, a waste of time. Nevertheless, this is the driving influence behind every human's social devolopment, their emotional health and sense of joy, and, sadly, their greatest tragedies. It is as though something that helped them function and live well has gone missing, and they are pining for that missing thing in all sorts of odd methods, none of which are working. The greater tragedy is that very few people understand they have the disease. This seems strange as well because it is obvious. To be sure, it is killing them, and yet sustaining their social and economic systems. They are an entirely beautiful people with a terrible problem."

quote taken from Searching for God knows what by Donald Miller

Woody in London...............

The title of this post could easily be mis-construed as something else but i must dissapoint your horrible minds and admit its about Woody Allen. Its official, i am a fan. I have mentioned it often and occassionally quote from his library of insane comments. Anyway, im starting to sound like him in this post!!
Allen's new film "Match Point" was recieved well in Cannes last thursday and strangley its about high society people in London. Apparently it has become difficult to finance a film in the U.S. and Allen decided to come to London.
"I want the money in a brown paper bag and to give them the film a few months later, and that's that.In London, that's the way it was,"

I often feel like trying to contact the guy and asking him to come to Ireland, make a movie and generally just tell it to the world like it is. Through his neurotic paranoid eyes Ireland could look quite good, it could boost tourism greatly!

Guinness.....................

Some facts about the black stuff........

A unique mix of nitrogen and carbon dioxide helps create GUINNESS® Draught’s liquid swirl that tumbles, surges and gradually separates into a black body and smooth creamy head.

GUINNESS® Draught is best served at 6°C (that’s 42.8°F), with the legendary two-part pour. First, tilt the glass to 45 degrees and carefully pour until three quarters full. Then place the glass on the bar counter and leave to settle. Once the surge has settled, fill the glass to the brim. It takes about 119.5 seconds to pour the perfect pint. But don’t fret. It’s worth the wait.

Cherith is revising for exams right now so me and stevo went out to see our mate's jonny & browner's new house and then we went up to their local for an hour. Occasionally i have a Guinness, not often though but i savoured in its rich depth this evening..................just one, then home.
Its a totally fantastic invention..........cheers Arthur

Manchester United......................

So whats with this Tampa bay owner guy Malcolm Glazer? I have not mentioned it yet because i am not just as dedicated a fan as i once was. Glazer, owner of Tampa bay Buccaneers has stalked the club for 2 years and now has 75% of the clubs shares. At that level, Glazer now assumes control of the club, and will be able to end United's 13 years as a public company and turn it into his own private business. The remaining stockholders, even if they are not bought out, will have nothing to say about the future running of the club. Three months ago, United was named - for the eighth year in a row - the world's richest soccer club, with a $324-million income for the 2003-04 season. Closely following the business success story of ManU were Glazer and his three sons, Joel, Edward, and Brian. Not just the business end of things, but the soccer success, too, it seems.
I just dont know what to make of this situation but i struggle with having an American owning the club. It is not that i dont like Americans, its just wierd.
Mr glazer..................."DONT SCREW UP"

ass-holes in our town.......................

This sort of crap sucks big time................
"A number of cars parked outside a Catholic church in Ballymena have been damaged as their owners prayed. Bricks and stones were thrown at the cars, parked in the grounds of the church at Harryville, as the owners attended Mass on Saturday night.
Ballymena SDLP councillor Declan O'Loan said there had been some "inter-community" tension recently. As we approach the summer season, everyone needs to be aware incidents can feed off each other, he said. It's very important that everyone who is well disposed towards the well being of this community should act in a very cautious and considerate fashion."
We have some serious bigot's in our town who feel that his is real fun. The sectarian crap is still a huge problem..............it really angers me when i see our politicians getting huge salaries to argue about crap and meanwhile this "inter-community" nonsense is still going on.
I am not in any way politically minded but sometimes our politics makes me want to just thump some of these guys........................

all good things.................

All good things must come to an end................what a crap statement that is!
Tonight was the last night of our "40 days of purpose" small groups after church........awh! To be honest i am sad, because it was really good, with lots of people sharing their thoughts about God and where they stood spiritually. The promising aspect is that loads of us are enthusiastic about keeping it going and how we facilitate that idea. We are considering using the "nooma" bible teachings of Rob Bell as a study aid in the future which would be excellent but we shall see where God directs.........
So it was fun serving coffee and tea in work on a sunday night even though im there all week. Thanks jeremy for asking me to be involved and to karen and wendy for their amazing help and great chats.
Oh yea...........check out the new link on my blog to "jonnny." He is our 2nd chef in work and a real stand up guy so pop by and say hello!

coffee?.............................

I have often mentioned coffee and of course, my coffee machine in work. I should clarify that it is not actually mine but i care for it as if it was my very own!
I stumbled across this really interesting news story that made me consider the effects of my "Coffee habit." read on.............
Coffee drinkers around the world could be helping to save what is left of the threatened wildlife of El Salvador.
The original forests of the tiny Central American republic have virtually disappeared, but its high-altitude coffee plantations provide refuge for a surprising variety of birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians.
Now environmental organisations are hoping that an eco-friendly coffee label will help to prevent the mountainous landscape from being stripped bare of its remaining habitats.
When i hear stuff like this i just think........."hang on man what are you doing to aid this?" So i will keep an eye out for this coffee. And i may buy it, i should buy it, yes i will buy it! In work we use Fair Trade espresso beans and Fair Trade tea and sugar but i dont bother outside of that work enviroment..........i think i have to change that attitude.
To be honest people asssume that Fair trade stuff is crap and in some cases it is but our coffee at work is so so good and is proof that it aint all bad.
Look at the facts..............
Between 1999 and 2002, the price of coffee fell by 50% to a 30 year low. Taking inflation into account, the 'real' price of coffee is now at just 25% of its level in 1960. This is probably its lowest price in 100 years.
Low coffee prices have a long-term and widespread impact on communities in countries where coffee is a major export.
and hey i dont have to support fair trade or a big worldwide cool thing that Bono or chris martin supports, its about more than that
i have been challenged.......... now what will i do about it?
To find out more about one way to help visit www.maketradefair.com

I give in to the force.....................

Ok i just cannot go any longer on my blog without mentioning the new Star Wars movie..........the hype is unreal and i have been seduced by the force in the last couple of days! I had to watch The Empire Strikes Back and am now really excited about seeing the new film. I have fond memories of childhood and the Star Wars films being a major part of growing up. I reckon anyone who grew up in the late 70's or 80's will know what i mean. The toys, the books, the Force, the Dark side...........it was all so cool.

I have to be honest and say that the original movies are by far the best and even though the hype surrounding Darth Vader's arrival is unreal i don't reckon the first 3 can be beaten...............hot topic!! Anyway, i have posted pics of my favourite characters just cuz im sad like that.....................
May the force be with you

amazing.................................

Tonight was a truly amazing evening, we played at the last night of "pulse" for this year in the washbasin. We basically mixed worship songs in with some blues tracks and just had immense fun as a group.........
This guy was there to speak and it was amazing what followed. I'l be honest, the band, myself included did not listen to him speak and were all quite tired but anyway he ask us to come up and play one song to finish because he wanted to end with an appeal and one worship song..................so thats ok we did that and whoa.............about 40 people came up to the front while we played. I think we were not expecting such a response, shame on us.
The guy is from www.crownjesus.org and he was appealing first and foremost to non-christians to come to Jesus but also to christians that they would follow Jesus on the path of discipleship. It was amazing to see so many young people who want to do something for God and it was a privelege to be asked to play tonight and be a part of what happened.
10 people got saved and at least 40 others came forward for prayer.
I have to say it was awesome for us as a band to experience that, obviously God was in the room
anyway its late and i wanted to post this before i went to bed, God is good

thanks to merv for the chat today (il talk about that another day) and cheers to everyone who came tonight..............we may just stick it out as band for a while! Rock n roll........
God gave Rock n roll to you, put it in the soul of everyone

stevo's blog!........................................

so i got the wee bro to start a blog.................well i didnt really have anything to do with it but anyway take a peek and laugh at his musings......
its on my links

Official staff photos.................................

This morning the staff of the Washbasin and upper room went for official staff photgraphs.......................so i had to look tidy and believe me that is not an easy task for me. It was one of those times together that reminds you of friendship and fun. These things as many of you will know sometimes get cast aside unintentionally in the workplace..............even in a "christian" workplace! So it was fun, the guy was very professional.
check him out http://www.boydmcclurg.co.uk
Anyways when they get sorted i will hopefully be able to post them on the blog....................
Another lovely day here in Ahoghill, the sun is shining and the coffee machine is busted...............darn.
AHOGHILL pronounced a-hock-ill for readers in other lands!!

The Rolling Stones.......................

What about the Rolling Stones? They are getting on a bit as we know but man you have to hand it to them for having stickability. They have said this will not be their last tour but its hard sometimes to know how they can keep going..............with a combined age of 245 they defy all the odds again and again.
I love most of their stuff.........sure they had a few guff albums in the 70's and 80's but who has been around as long as they have and not churned out some crap from time to time.
Guys..........keep rockin on til you drop.

I love footballers...............

Don't you just love it when sportsmen get so carried away?
I am a Manchester United fan, have been since 1983 and oh they seem to always be in the news for one reasoon or another!lol
Roy Keane? what a character, a typical hard dedicated Irishman who loves a good fight or in this case a good row. Recently when coming up against Arsenal he had a bit of a yap at Patrick Viera because Viera alledgedly got stuck into pint sized Gary neville..............ah Grown men behaving like children!
Anyway here is the link...............
http://www.putfile.com/media.php?n=Un-edited Tunnel
(you may have to copy and paste it into your address bar)
So what about it then? Sport is a serious thing.
Just to clarify that i think Roy is an awesome competitor and hats off for sticking up for little gary!

random actions............

Tonight i was feeling a bit random so i gave myself a haircut....................

It was quite liberating actually...........................lol
Of course, the obligatory "artsy" photo was totally neccessary to prove that my messy locks had been shorn!
I had posted a lot of guff on here about how my saturday night was but man........................it was boring. So i have edited big time!! I should explain that on saturday I tried to inject some fun into our evening by asking the "new girl" lots of random questions but i think it backfired! Reckon she is scared of me now! Emma knows im mad though so its fine, she can explain!
Anyway, our "purpose driven life" campaign is coming to an end next week and i have to say its been really good. I have been at work every sunday night for the last 5 weeks and to be honest its been cool. The initial thought of this scared me a bit but its so cool to see so many people from church coming along and talking about God and his purpose for their life.
I have heard a lot of criticism of the Rick warren Book recently and to be honest i am now having a laugh at those same people who criticise everything. I have posted about that before so sssshhhh i wont mention it again!
Anyway, the church now is looking ahead for the 18+ section of the congregation, the future is bright i reckon. Ideas for where we take the "small groups" in regard to bible study and teaching are being discussed and yep yep bring it on.........................................

new cd/dvd................................

Live, intimate and raw, both electric and acoustic is what the cover says! yep!
This an amazing collection of Robert johnson's songs as performed by Mr Clapton and his awesome band, a must for any blues fan. It aint just Clapton going through the motions though, in the interviews we hear him talk passionately about his love for the blues and Johnson's music. This passion is visible in the performances as they roar through 16 legendary tracks. The band is simply amazing ..........
Eric Clapton-guitar and vocals http://www.ericclapton.com/
Doyle Bramhall II-guitar http://www.doylebramhall2nd.com/
Nathan East- bass http://www.nathaneast.com/
Steve Gadd- drums
Billy Preston- Hammond organ http://www.billypreston.net/
Chris Stainton- Piano
So you have to check this out................................then check out the original recordings......

I went to the crossroad
Fell down on my knees
I went to the crossroad
Fell down on my knees
Asked the Lord above
"Have mercy now,Save poor Bob, if you please"
"Crossroad Blues"
- ROBERT JOHNSON

God the artist................................

This post is in response to an article on Steve Stockman's website, been meaning to type my thoughts on it for a while now so here goes...........................................
"And every angle on the same horizon
Gives another new and beautiful scene
There ain't no words written across the hills
Yet we still know what they mean."
This short poem was written by Stockman in response to the beautiful scenery in Connemara, West Ireland.
God and art? what is that about? God's mountains are his witness?
God is an artist and straight away we see that in scripture, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." (Genesis 1v1)
When we were in Connemara at easter i was in awe of a lot of the scenery. It was not what i would call unreal or really all that breathtaking so you may ask why i was so taken by it? To be honest i think i can say in retrospect that i had been working so much and was so tired that i needed some time away from home. A couple of days was all it took to revive me, still my heart and refresh my view of God. You see it's ok to admit that sometimes we get carried along with the buzz of life, we forget about God sometimes and suddenly he re-appears! bang crash wallop!! Doh...............................he was there along and we had ignored him. あなたの目を開けなさい (thats japanese for open your eyes)
Often i find this comes in the form of "Art". This however, does'nt just mean creation. So what do i mean by "art" then? A voice, a song,a painting? If i am made in the image of God then i can reveal that image in my own creativity? Yep sure thing so i will let you know how that plays out for me.............................

yea.........................

folks check out the new link on my blog to "darth vadar's" blog! it is so funny and quite a work of genius to be honest........................anyway, long day and i'm out of things to say tonight. Til we blog again

Damn right i've got the blues..........

Every once in a while i feel it my duty to mention a great record, cd, album that i have been listening to so here goes...........................its Buddy guy's classic blues album "Damn right i've got the blues" and its Damn good!! So go and buy the Damn thing!! Sorry about the excessive use of the word damn!
Mr Guy is a legend, an entertainer who is so so unpredictable. His vocals alone are amazing but then of course he plays guitar like a possessed man, his sound is just "Buddy guy's sound"....................genius. Check it out

darn it the camera is busted........................

Well annoyed! My camera is mis-behaving big time.............................tonights little gig went really well. Everyone had a blast, the crowd was pretty small but we had fun, good to be playing.
So my photos suck because the camera is being weird, doin loads of blurry crap again. Unfortunately they look bad but.........................whatever!

we set up differently tonight, had the drums facing the rest of band in a side on position . You may see that in the blur!! So we were all looking at each other as we played.
So anyways we are playing again next friday night at the washbasin so bang bang 2 weeks in a row!lol
Ok i wanted to also quickly say that today was a pretty good day....................restaurant was reasonably busy and "BOLLOCKS" to the fact that i am working saturday night again!! needed to get that off my chest!!

p.s thanks again to the band tonight and especially "stagesound" for the sound gear and brian for setting up and making us sound good! oh and cheers martin for reading my blog and popping in after a no doubt boring day of elections!!

I forgot my darn camera......................

Yep..........darn it! Last night we had a last minute practice for a gig this friday night and i had meant to take my camera for some pictures but i forgot!! We have a great ability to put together "one off" bands for gigs but this time i wanted to photograph the fun! Anyway a friend of stevo's is fundraising for a summer mission trip and she ask us to play at an event in her school so we have had approximately 3 hours prep for it and bang bang we are up for it. So thats tomorrow night!
We are doing some worship stuff and a few instrumental jams that worked good last night.
Its nice to be able to just click with other musicians without any effort.........sometimes it just works!
I will post how it went as soon as i get a chance............maybe some photos.

p.s. thanks to jeremy, richard, andy and leigh for helping stevo and i make up a great band!

Penguins!

In response to the quotation "it is almost impossible to look at a penguin and get angry" i would like to say "Bring on the penguins"
We humans are pretty complex, i watched a programme last night about human mutation and.....well, it was gruesome!From watching it though i have to say i am still blown away by the complexities of our bodies. Absolutely amazing and totally way over my head so i won't pretend to know about it or try to explain our molecular structure!! What i was left thinking though is how people can think we are an accident or that we have evolved?! I am not going to get into the evolution argument............i don't do that!
Throughout the whole program i found myself just in awe of my creator.
So anyway back to the penguins.......
why is it that a penguin would not make you angry? what makes that quote valid? I for one believe it..............

see what i mean???
So i am going to apply for a job with the penguins at the zoo........bring it on!!

ouch ouch ouch.............

I spent today reading sporadically for my next assignment, in between the reading i watched "the eternal sunshine of the spotless mind" (awesome) and typed up some stuff to help me memorise the stuff i need to learn!
However, i am now in a bit of pain! It's 11.15pm and to be honest i reckon i've just sat about too much today. My shoulders ache and my neck is a bit stiff....................damn it!
So as you will see from the X-Ray................

Im kidding!!! LoL
Anyways............more excercise needed on my days off i think! I will take Kat's post on being careful more serious now! Careful not to laze about all day and end up crippled as a result!
until tomorrow.................................

Rock legends Cream play it again........................

What a Band! After 36 years Cream reunited to share their magical sound once more at the Royal Albert Hall, London. Cream have always lived under the shadow of Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. I reckon that is abit unfair to be honest but hey who am i?? So it was last night and Eric Clapton emotionally thanked fans for showing their appreciation before announcing that they would play all they knew and for as long as they could! Clapton had agreed to the show due to the failing health of the other 2 band members.
Their star-heavy line up of Clapton, drummer Ginger Baker and bassist Jack Bruce gave birth to the notion of the supergroup, in which already-famous rock musicians struggle to squeeze their collective egos into a confined space, usually with artistically disastrous results.
These guys are legendary, producing such awesome classics as Sunshine of your love, Strange Brew and White Room. Ginger Baker was and from early reviews of the gig, still is an awesome drummer. The same applies to Jack Bruce who's bass playing and voice are timeless and astounding on all that Cream did. We all know about Clapton...................................what can you say that hasn't been said about the man they once called "God"
So if you aint heard them before try and check out their version of "Born under a Bad Sign" and marvel at these guys.......................................
4 letters is all it takes to describe...........................ROCK

danger on the net................

Folks there is all sorts of crap on the net, we all know this. Sometimes i worry about when i hear "yea i looked it up on the net" or "check out this website." Especially if it is "christian" or "religious." Unfortunately it is hard to sort out the good from the bad....................thats where wisdom, common sense etc comes into play!
A while back i heard about a particular site that was totally off the wall...........................so i checked it out and YES it is crazy! NO it is not pornographic so you can look it up................but beware....their beliefs and teachings are "out there somewhere." I'll be honest, i still am not sure if it is serious or if it's a sick joke. There are sections that are ridiculous but others that an unsuspecting reader may suck in.
you decide.........http://www.landoverbaptist.org/ be warned it may offend you if you are alive and able to read or if you are human! it so bad. i don't know whether to laugh or be offended actually!!
I guess what i'm trying to say is i need to be careful what i read or look at on the net. Go easy folks and don't believe all you read.

may day so far........................

Today has been fun although our dinner plans have changed tonight.......oh well!

We went for breakfast in "rain city" at "Junction one" ........ http://www.junctionone.co.uk/
Then we went for a walk and Cherith got all adventurous by climbing onto an old "felled" tree!! i love saying that......"a felled tree!!" So as the picture above shows she was feeling energetic!!!
When i am out and the sun is shining i cannot help have a "wee" marvel at creation in some way and quite often its just looking up at the sun that does it for me..................................Cherith laughs at me for taking pictures of the sun as it shines through tree's or reflects on something...................i do it a lot!!

Ah well.........dinner is now cancelled so thats that. Been a good day so far, nice to be off work and just chilling out with Cherith, talking bout "stuff"
Life is good...................amen

mmm its may day...........................

So tomorrow is "may day bank holiday"...................is that something you have in Canada or U.S.A.? if indeed you are from there!!!
Anyways.....i am off work tomorrow and tuesday which i have to say is pretty cool so cherith and i are for getting breakfast in the morning and chilling out all day before meeting a couple of good friends for dinner in the evening. It will be nice to catch up with Rodney and Glenda, lovely couple and great people. Strange cuz they are both in our worship group but we are always passing each other and never seem to get a chance to talk properly. I really need to work on that and give people more time instead of rushing on by.
This morning in Church my Minister who i don't think would mind if i called him Russell from this point onwards!! Anyway, Russell briefly mentioned how he kept a journal for years and it helped him get out his thoughts on how he was progressing spiritually and such like.........................so i'm thinking, yea i have been kinda doing that on my blog. I like to just post whats been in my head or what i've just heard about and enjoyed but it is nice to post things i have learned or been challenged about. Russell's brief mention of this encouraged me to keep doin the blog. I was'nt considering not blogging but you know how it is...............sometimes i stare at the screen and wonder why i waste my time!
I have met some wonderful people on here and through "Downhere's" msgboard and i hope that i can encourage, provide insight or just entertain some of you in the same way that you guys have done for me. Thanks to all who read my blog and take time to comment...........................yea thats you!!!!!