OFF FOR 2 DAYS.............

I am off work, officially BUT i will no doubt end up doing some sort of "work" whilst chilling out!! I will find myself logging on to check emails & before too long i'll have opened photoshop and will be changing some Crave artwork or coming up with some Compass ideas or........................its hard to ket go of it!! I will definately be away for one of the days so thats a good start i suppose. I will post some of the work iv been doing soon, if the guys allow me!

Tragic...........

This has been weighing heavily on my mind since Tracy got a phone call about it last thursday night in Starbucks......

Clough woman Pamela Hayes married 30-year-old Christopher Buick just 13 days ago – but has returned to the Province a widow, after watching the tragedy unfold from the shore at the resort of Zell am See. It is thought the couple were nearing the end of their stay in the scenic area after travelling there for their honeymoon following their wedding on July 17.
Read the local news story here...............

I couldnt help but think about it, having just got married and knowing about all the excitement that comes with that. The tragedy of what has happened in this girl's life and in the lives of the 2 families and the people who attended this wedding and the list goes on and on, it is horrific, unimaginable. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Pamela and to all the family connected to this tragedy.

Reading over & over & over...................

Randy Elrod..............i have been reading his blog since not long after i began blogging in 2005. His watercolour paintings are fantastic, his photography is often beautiful and his thoughts are never boring. As far as blogs go, he is the real deal! So, his book Choosing The Right Path To Your Creative Summit arrived with me last week & ive read through it a few times already, its just under 20 pages so im not some mega speed reader!! Despite its size though it is a little gem of information that is inspiring and valuable. Randy says; "The book explains that although there are many paths to creativity, only one will enable you to summit successfully and avoid burnout and disappointment. It also contains a list of my favorite creative hacks (ideas)." So, do you have a creative streak and yet you strive for better creativity in your work? Randy's book will guide you towards the correct path with a personal look at his own path towards discovery. I am sure i will read this over & over again.........................buy it here.............

Randys blog.............

DRUGS DEATH IN BALLYMENA...........

A teenager has died from a suspected heroin overdose in County Antrim. The 19-year-old man was found dead in a house in Dunclug Gardens in Ballymena shortly after 0920 BST on Friday. Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the discovery of his body. A post mortem examination is being carried out. A PSNI spokesperson said early indications suggested that the man's death may have been drugs related. His name has not yet been released. Ballymena deputy mayor PJ McAvoy said it was "absolutely horrendous that someone's life should be lost through drugs at that age". "The people who are selling drugs should be dealt with very severely by the law, because if there were no dealers, there certainly would be a lot less consumption," added the SDLP councillor.

and also in local news:

Cocaine with an estimated street value of at least £150,000 has been seized by police in Ballymena.
it was discovered in a rural area to the north of Ballymena on Friday night, a PSNI spokesman said.
The police said they were investigating the incident.

Goats Milk...............

"Goat's milk is a very good source of calcium and a good source of protein, phosphorous, riboflavin (vitamin B2) and potassium. Perhaps the greatest benefit of goat's milk, however, is that some people who cannot tolerate cow's milk are able to drink goat's milk without any problems. Allergy to cow's milk has been found in many people with conditions such as recurrent ear infections, asthma, eczema, and even rheumatoid arthritis. Replacing cow's milk with goat's milk may help to reduce some of the symptoms of these conditions......................"

I thought you might like to know this, now im going to have a wee glass & go to bed!

Is your lunch Biblical?

This week my wife and some other family members have heard me waxing lyrical about healthy eating. Now, i am not a great example of a healthy eater but i think now that i am having a hand in what we buy on a weekly basis, i am a little bit more conscious of the food i eat. Before i got married i ate what was in the house, basically what my mother & father purchased. I was grateful for it and am not in any way complaining but its different now.........anyway, i tried out some goats milk this week and generally we are eating a lot more vegetables & less junk. Cherith actually overdosed on carrots a few weeks ago!! After seeing this product earlier this evening i feel like iv been missing something, like my diet is not complete...........



Read about it here...... Its not a joke!!

My reaction to this is lodged in between curiosity and horror. The product seems fine, its ingredients and the benefits of them etc etc BUT who markets something like this? Do you think some guy suggested it as a joke at a board meeting and the watched in horror watched as everyone else in the room thought it was the idea of the century? I betcha there is a "mega church" somewhere who is handing these out at their services or selling them in their "superstore massive mega mall of mucho christian products," ..........you can find them in aisle 2173, just beside the "St Paul Pasta sauce" and opposite the "King David Diet soda"

The mind continues to boggle................................

HEALTH WARNING...................

Click here to view the official website.............

Thanks to my wife for blogging this first!

EXCUSE ME...........................

The BBC says: Prime Minister Gordon Brown is considering plans which could see the minimum wage reduced in Northern Ireland, it is believed. The minimum wage is set at £5.35 across the UK, however, if the plans go ahead it will be reduced in NI, Scotland, Wales and the north east of England. Ok so the gesture he appears to be making in the image is probably a good way to describe most of our politicians but this little git will stoop to a new level if he does this. I expect i may have to correspond with the Prime Minister for the first time ever if he cuts my wages. And by the way whats wrong with the rest of England?? Why the North east??? whats that about?? I read today about how my Tax payments would contribute to housing a family of 7 whose parents have never worked in a house worth £1million!! They are getting everything paid for...................the government wants us to pay taxes that are handed out to what can only be described as a bunch of free loaders. I am also paying taxes so that persistant drug offenders and criminals can be given iPods to try and bribe them into good behaviour!! What on earth is that about? So, Gordon Brown i am not pleased and i am kind of hoping that you catch Leprosy ......................you scottish........ .......... ........(add rude phrase if so desired)

Uk Flooding........................

The Pictures say it all really...........................






From the BBC: "Rain, rain and more rain - the summer of 2007 will go on record as a washout. But is this a sign of summers to come - another unhappy portent of global warming - or simply an old-fashioned blip in Britain's notoriously fickle weather?" Jim Dale, a risk meteorologist at British Weather Services, says it's down to bad luck, not global warming.
"It's a sexy subject and people like to stick labels on things. Global warming is the latest bandwagon going past so whenever we get a heatwave or floods they blame it on that."

ooooh whatta ya think eh??

The Ulster Fry.......................................

An Ulster fry is a dish of fried food that is popular throughout the province of Ulster in Ireland. Some, such as Jack Higgins, claim it as the emblematic dish of Northern Ireland. It has evident similarities to the "traditional" English breakfast.
Wikipedia says: A traditional Ulster fry consists of bacon, eggs, sausages (either pork or beef), the farl form of soda bread (the farl split in half crossways to expose the inner bread and then fried with the exposed side down), potato bread and tomatoes. Other common components include mushrooms, baked beans, wheaten bread and pancakes. All this is traditionally fried up in lard. Despite, or perhaps because of, the popular comic reference to the dish as a "heart-attack on a plate",[1] many people in Ulster have taken to grilling most of the ingredients, or use healthier alternatives to lard such as sunflower or vegetable oil. A small Ulster fryThe Ulster fry is not just a breakfast dish, although it may well be served for breakfast, and it is often served up for lunch and dinner in households and cafés around the province.


This post was created in response to much demand for an official description of the Ulster Fry...................Glenn!!! haha YOu have not lived until you eat one of these, the fact that you may not live much longer afterwards needs to be carefully considered though!!

Chuck Storms.......ouch!!!

Typical..................

Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.

My Creative Process..................

Tonight we went out on a photoshoot with Connor! He was taking pictures for local rock outfit CRAVE! I will see the pictures in a day or two, i would have had some of my own if i hadnt left my camera at the office!! doh!! Anyway, i am designing the artwork for their soon to be released 2nd cd so more on that soon. We are cracking on nicely with the ideas & i think we are almost ready to complete everything.

The creative process can be very troubling, any artist will understand! I am not calling myself an artist BUT i think i am qualified to talk about the creative process & its pitfalls!! I will have an idea and begin working on it, adjusting colour and contrast countless times until i get what i want. Then we will add text & other vital information. This will involve many fonts, colours and sizes. I can look at a design for hours, even days and not be happy with it but unable to fully realise what it is i dont like.............THEN i wipe some of it, or maybe all of it and start again, suddenly it works and i like what i see!! This process of change can go on for days or weeks and it can be mind numbing. I recently did artwork for a local artist and it was painful, a long & distressing experience BUT when it was finished & went to print i was happy. 3 weeks later when the order arrived and i was looking at the boxes of cds i sat down, opened up the first case, leafed through the book and my first thought was "could have been so much better"................when i look at it now i cannot say i dont like it but there is just something.
Is this a character trait in creative people? I hesitate to call myself an artist but i am happy to say i am creative, i like that i have creativity in my blood BUT it comes at a price. The flyers & posters for Chris Tomlin?? Loved what i did with it, everyone approved and we printed enough to decorate a house with.................NOW after a few months, i think i could have done better!!!

NOw i have another theory about this!! I was always very lazy at school. I believe now in retrospect that i was unable to fully realise my artistic qualities at school, my creativity was stifled! I resent that terribly and for a while i hated the teachers who i felt held me back. I still have a wee chip on my shoulder about this!! Anyway, the most common expression directed at me during my school years was "could do better"...............it was on countless end of term reports, my parents were told this at every parent/teacher meeting!! And now, it is the dominant thought when i do anything......................have i been brainwashed?? Maybe, maybe not but its a possibility eh?

Anyway, more on the CRAVE artwork soon...............................

New Dining Room Table.................

and chairs!!!!

THE END........................

The Sopranos ended tonight on this side of the Atlantic.................



LATEST NEWS FROM THE BBC: The final series of hit mob drama The Sopranos has received 15 nominations at America's prestigious Emmy TV Awards. Its stars James Gandolfini and Edie Falco are up for best actor and actress respectively, while the long-running show is also up for best drama series. The Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony will be broadcast on 16 September at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.

Got me some P-F Flyers.............

In 1933, canvas footwear pioneer BF Goodrich patented the Posture Foundation insole, an innovation in comfort and performance, and began adding the new technology to its action shoes. Goodrich shoes with Posture Foundation became known simply as "P-F" in 1937. Today, PF Flyers action shoes have returned, with the original synergy of good looks and active comfort stronger than ever.

Have you lost your MOJO......................

"Excitement, anticipation, a feeling of movement, a sense of purpose and direction, of going somewhere........everything just seems to click" Have you experienced this at work? I am intriqued by some of the things iv read in the opening pages of the book i blogged about yesterday and yes i seem to have a drive right now to know more about business. Not in a "i wanna be a player" sense!! The combination of recent reads like The Long Tail by Chris Anderson, The No asshole Rule by Robert Sutton and now the book i blogged about yesterday is making me realise a lot of people in business do NOT HAVE A CLUE! They do NOT know how to treat people, both in their company and outside of their companies. They no longer have the passion for what they are doing, they lost that a long time ago in the search for "success!" They measure "success" by how "big" their company is and in a nutshell they have lost their MOJO. Their business has no soul!!

"Soul can't exist unless you have active, meaningful dialogue with stakeholders, employees, customers, the community, suppliers and investors"

I could go on and on, there is lots of this stuff flying around in my head. I want to apply it at my day job and at atiG..............i hate the thought of just applying any theory or any action in business to get "big" or to "get ahead." Is the next step in line with our vision? Does it compromise our integrity? Does it make a positive statement about what we are doing as a business? Or does it simply make us look like our only motive is money or getting "BIG?"

So, "Excitement, anticipation, a feeling of movement, a sense of purpose and direction, of going somewhere........everything just seems to click" Have you experienced this at work? If not you should start asking why not. These issues may even apply in some way to Church, they certainly apply to Christian businesses, a world that is equally fuelled by the "need to be big" and is equally blighted by people who have lost sight of their vision.....................i guess where people are involved this will always be the case but its very serious and damaging when you splash GOD all over your business and then leave him outide of the boardroom! BUt more on that another time perhaps..............................don't lose your MOJO!

Disclaimer: This post is not a criticism of any particular workplace. It is not based on my experience in my current workplace & is not related in any way to Faith Mission Bookshops or atiG event management. It is a general observation relating to the business world.

Who wants to be BIG anyway.................

Amazon says: "This well-written book should inspire thousands of entrepreneurs to reject a mantra of growth for growth’s sake in favor of a passionate dedication to becoming the absolute best. Bo Burlingham reminds us of a vital truth: big does not equal great, and great does not equal big."

See what im talking about here........

Rain & X-Files................

The BBC says: "Heavy rain has been causing havoc in the north-east of Northern Ireland. There have been several landslides near Ballygally on the Antrim Coast Road, which will be closed overnight. At Belfast International Airport a mopping-up operation is under way after water gathered in the arrivals area, causing two flights to be diverted. On the north coast the fire and rescue service have freed several people trapped in their cars in Portrush."

When will the rain end? Cherith has some thoughts on this....

BUT wait for this!!! A new film reviving the cult 1990s TV series The X-Files is moving closer to being made, according to reports. David Duchovny, one of the show's stars, has told reporters he will receive a script next week. Duchovny and co-star Gillian Anderson are both "on board" to reprise their roles as alien-hunting special agents Mulder and Scully, he said.

Now thats good news.......................i was gonna put up a pic but im scared to search for Mulder & Scully on Google!! Lets not get into the whole Gillian Anderson is hot debate eh!!

Free Prince.................

Around three million copies of Prince's new album, Planet Earth, have been given away with the Mail On Sunday. The album is not scheduled to go on sale until July 24. So, is this an insult to the Record Industry & to the Record Stores who have helped to sell the estimated 80million records that Prince has so far notched up in sales? Its clear that Prince is doing this because he can do it, yes he has motives that are fuelled im sure by his long running fued with the Record Industry & with Labels in particular but he CAN do it & its brilliant marketing. Sometimes when i hear an artist or a band saying that its just "about the music" or that they only want to "share their songs" i instantly want to slap them & say "you are kidding right?"
Prince is fortunate enough to be able to give his album away free! What a way to prove that its all about the music eh?? Its a big argument with many valid points from the 'crying' and angry "Record Industry People" but i like his stubborn & single mindedness on the matter, i like that he has given the album away free and i think its a far better idea than taking away his name and replacing it with a symbol..............that was absurd!!

Folding Stars: Biffy Clyro

I dont think there is a better song about right now...................



..............................................Hurray for the Scottish Rockers!

James Nesbitt wisecrack upsets..............

The BBC says: He's never been to Vietnam, but his comments on the County Antrim town of Larne have left actor James Nesbitt with a little local difficulty. It started while he was on the BBC programme Something For The Weekend.After reminiscing about how spending some of his youth in a loyalist marching band had helped him bond with his father he took part in a cooking segment on the show. While helping prepare a Vietnamese dish he was asked if he had ever visited the Asian country, the Jekyll star said that he hadn't - but that he had visited Larne which, in his view, was much the same. Cue local outrage in the town, with the area's DUP MP Sammy Wilson hitting out at the Northern Ireland born actor. He told BBC Radio Ulster's Talkback programme: "He is one of many people who leave Northern Ireland, make good and then find that the only thing they can do is denigrate the country they came from.

The programme asked the actor for a comment, to which he replied by text message.
"Just got off a flight in LA to hear your message re-Larne. Jeez it was a joke. First thing that came into my head. Is Larne in arms? Wouldn't be the first time." It should be noted that the port was the scene of the Larne gun running in 1914 when loyalists imported guns and ammunition from Germany to prepare to resist Home Rule for Ireland.

I am with Nesbitt on this one i have to say. Sammy Wilson has never regained his sense of humour since being caught with his pants down a few years ago by a sunday paper & if anyone has a right to make a joke about this country then surely it is someone who is from the place. And anyway, Larne is worthy of a joke or two, as is my home town of Ballymena, as am i probably..................so wise up Mr Wilson, at least he wasn't taking the mick out of you!!

July 13th in the Ghetto..........

Its a collage of our afternoon stroll......................



Cherith's blog is way cooler than mine.............

Peaceful..................

The BBC says: The police have praised "the work carried out by all communities" after the Twelfth passed without major incident. Tens of thousands of Orangemen and supporters attended parades across Northern Ireland. Assistant Chief Constable Alistair Finlay said all of the marches had passed off peacefully. "I would like to commend the work carried out by all communities so far this summer," he said.

However, the BBC also says: Windows have been broken on several buses carrying loyalist bandsmen in County Armagh.
Stone-throwers attacked the buses as they travelled along Friary Road in Armagh at about 1615 BST. Orangemen said a number of supporters' cars were also targeted by a crowd of about 30 to 40 people. Earlier, two Orange halls were attacked overnight.
Paint was thrown over the walls of an Orange hall in Claudy, County Londonderry and one in Rasharkin in County Antrim.

and: Police say they believe dissident republicans planted a pipe bomb which exploded at the back of Strabane police station.
The device went off without warning at about 2115 BST on Thursday.

So, the "peaceful" marches were an achievement but the other trouble that surrounds these 2 days of "protestant holidays" is still simmering, its not gone away and there are other stories that won't have made the news.......................thats the truth!

Usually.................

Not this year though, peaceful so far apparently!!

Suck a Lime...............

If you are a Tequila drinker then this will be a perfectly normal practice for you, i do not drink Tequila so i do not often suck Lime or Lemon or any other crazy ass bitter fruit! Heres what happened when i did..............



ooooh how we laughed at my Lime sucking antics!!

"In Use" ...............

Today i noticed one of those silly things that doesn't really make much sense............

When in town this morning i found myself having to use a public toilet. I cannot explain how terrible an experience i find this to be but il try for the sake of this post!! Firstly, it was in the Fairhill Shopping Center which is reasonably acceptable in my eyes. The toilets there are usually clean & they dont have weird freaky people hanging around outside them which is a great start. They are, in typical shopping center style, at the end of a long corridor! This keeps the smell away from the mall i guess, because both you and i know that regardless of how clean they may appear to be, there is always a "public toilet smell" that jumps up your nostrils when you get within 30 yards of it. So, cherith went into a nearby clothes store and i wandered towards the toilets, hoping that it would be empty. I do not care how much i need to go or what i need to do but i ALWAYS wait for a cubicle. I should clarify that i would never use a cubicle for what it is intended for but theres too much graphic detail needed to explain the reasons for that!! Anyway, i wandered in and YES YES there was nobody there so the "transaction" between me and the toilet was a success and stress-free. Its an old joke/story that you will have heard but i CANNOT even contemplate going to the toilet with a guy standing beside me doing the same...........this is not right in the same way that chatting to the person in a cubicle beside you as you both go about your "business" is not right, its vulgar!!

So, heres the point of the story. I washed my hands and stepped over to the hand-dryer and as i rubbed & dried i noticed on the Hand-dryer it had instructions on where to put your hands to get it started and then below that was a red light and underneath the light it said "In Use" .......................................when i removed my hands the light went out, when i put my hands below it shone red!! WHY? WHY? I know its "in use" because im using it, anyone else would know its "in use" because im standing in front of it drying my hands......................SO WHY?? That little red light is fine i guess but why tell me that its "in use?"

What is the world coming to eh?

Huh......................?

So, cheers to Brody for putting this on his blog and forcing my curious mind to do this test!! I cannot say no to this sort of thing when i see it...........thing is, i am not so happy with the results!! lol!! I have low confidence, im an extrovert, i put loads of trust in others and ..................heres the best part!! I am more feminine than masculine!!! So, i will NOT be moving to Seattle to hang out with Mark Driscoll and his manly butch men, i will instead be staying here and continuing to be "chickified" & well..........just GAY! apparently!!

read for yourself........... im off to buy a lemon yellow sweater vest!!
take the test.............if you dare!!

avoiding an orange..................

Today was pretty much just a usual sunday for us. We went to Church, had dinner & chilled out all afternoon. This evening we went to Church again and on the way home we pulled up to a set of traffic lights thats about 2 minutes from our house! I suddenly noticed people standing about on the side of the road & then a police bike appeared & we looked at each other and ARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHH NO NO NO NOT A BAND PARADE!!! So, Cherith kept saying "change change change" in a kind of frantic mantra to the traffic lights & i slowly felt the possibility of a rage coming on! BUT, the lights changed we moved away and avoided the parade that was appearing on our left.........................relief!! I do not want to be disrespectful to anyone but id rather eat some rusty nails than endure watching a parade of the orange kind! As a kid i had to sit thorugh this boring and silly event once, it was mind numbingly painful & left me with a mental scar that will never heal.
This Friday, thousands of people will get up early & will either march in a parade or watch a parade. It doesn't matter whether it rains or shines, they will line roads and streets for the whole day. Oh yea and in the build up, on Thursday night there will be huge piles rubbish set alight all over our land...........11th night bonfires, an excuse to get drunk and burn some crap!!
So, you guessed it, im not into this little part of our culture...................i do not get it. This week will be avoiding an orange!!

AL GORE & LIVE EARTH............................

Ok this evening Madonna will call for Mass Global Change to reduce carbon emissions and to tackle 'climate crisis'. How noble of her and all the other super rich stars who are performing across the globe today. Madonna has vowed that she will 'speak to the planet' at Wembley. On todays evidence so far these celebs are all in this frame of mind. They will Change The World today apparently!! The motives of Al Gore and his army of stars may be genuine but seriously are you buying this rubbish? Experts have reported that the extravaganza of concerts worldwide will generate a huge fuel bill, acres of garbage, thousands of tonnes of carbon emissions and a mileage total equal to the movement of an army. Many of the stars including Madonna are some of the worst polluters in the world. World Tours, private jets etc etc are a huge mess of destruction to the earth.................as i type this Duran Duran are singing Ordinary World & Simon le Bon's chemically altered hair is single handedly burning a hole in the ozone directly above the stage, its hideous!! AH but its ok says Bon Jovi, another highlighted & chemical head featured green rocker, because "we wrote a cheque, we took care of our footprint"............................what a bunch of pretentious a-list a-holes!!!

and oh yea they have been having technical problems..........Johnny Razorlight was yapping about not hearing themselves (never good eh?) and Simon Le Bon is having problems singing but thats not really anything new for him!!!

Hope: Foy Vance

If you only buy one cd this summer you MUST make it this one.......................

Facebook anyone?

Facebook is a social utility that connects
you with the people around you............that it is!! I wonder what wonderful web "networking" device will leap into the spotlight next? This one is awesome, i really like how it works. I remember liking Bebo as well though & for me that crashed and burned a long time ago so what will happen with Facebook? Lets wait and see, but for now i really dig its simplicity & its capabilities.

Alan Johnston

BBC correspondent Alan Johnston has been released by kidnappers in the Gaza Strip after 114 days in captivity.
Mr Johnston, 45, was handed over to armed men in Gaza City. He said his ordeal was like "being buried alive" but it was "fantastic" to be free.

And he described how he had been unable to see the sun for three months, and had once been chained for 24 hours.

Why i stayed at home............

Last weekend was Summer Madness, which is "Ireland's largest Christian festival and is rapidly becoming one of the largest in Europe with over 5000 people coming together for 5-10 days for a mixture of worship, teaching, bands, coffee, sports"
Ok, so COMPASS played a set at the event & i guess that was a reason for going but there were too many for not going. I am of course way too old to be at this kinda thing but i had reservations about some of the speakers who were going to be there.
Bart Campolo, who Connor had a chat with afterwards has been criticised in the past & is ..............yea, he has some controversial views, like this:

"his belief that everyone will be redeemed and no one will perish… He believes that, if God loves everyone, and God wants everyone to be with him, and God has all the time in the world, then God will not let anyone perish because it would be against His will…"

Connor did chat to him about this & yes i agree with Connor & cannot accept this...............heres the thing though. I mentioned in a recent comment repsonse, the "hip" pastor trend that is going about. We have all these "cool" guys who have "trendy" hair and can "communicate" in new exciting ways like we've never seen before & we are lapping it up. We love it, its entertainment but they are talking about God, so we buy this! We embrace it!! We get so caught up in the "cool" and the "trend" that we miss the fact that they could be subtly frying our brains & feeding us garbage. Wow, i dont usually use such strong definitions in my posts but it concerns me that we are being blinded by our own desire to "enjoy" our spiritual "experience"..............because, as some will try to tell you, its all about experience isn't it? It "doesn't matter what you believe" apparently, as long as you "experience"...............this is RUBBISH! Brian McLaren was also at the event as a speaker, most people are well aware of the controversial aspects of his theology..................i have not got the time to go into the wonderful world of McLaren but i was torn between wanting to go & hear him & wanting to warn people not to go hear him!! I guess you could say he confuses me...................and along with Bart Campolo's beliefs thats why i stayed at home!!

COMPASS........................

The guys performed tonight at an outdoor event that has ran for several years now at the Washbasin. The fun night is as the name suggests full of fun & stuff for all the people of the village in which its situated. Anyway, Compass played to a distracted crowd BUT the guys did a sterling job. B.T. is seen enjoying himself on top of some speakers in the picture. They are really energetic performers, full of enthusiasm & their music reflects their passion for Jesus. So i hope that we will be hearing lots more from the guys, i also hope that you will be hearing lots more from the guys as well...........thats the plan anyway. I have to say that i cant quite put my finger on it, maybe its the "scandinavian factor" but there is something about these guys that excites me. Anyway i don't want to sound too gay so il leave it at that!!!

COMPASS@myspace......................

Touring in Ireland perhaps....................

We have endured Terrorism at its worst for 30+ years in Northern Ireland. When i read about the latest terror attacks in London & Glasgow & watched the news i was naturally concerned but felt safe in the knowledge that we are far enough away to be safe from the mayhem that may develop. However, it would seem that the threat of attack is much more widespread than first indicated. It would seem that al-Qaeda could have been on tour in Ireland and therefore this has happened.

The BBC says:
Northern Ireland is on critical terror alert following three attacks in London and Glasgow in recent days.
New NI Secretary Shaun Woodward said the threat level was the same across the UK - the highest of five states of alert in a system introduced last year. Calling for vigilance, he said: "We are taking all the appropriate steps to protect people in Northern Ireland." Security was stepped up at Belfast's two airports following the Glasgow airport attack.
Passengers flying to Glasgow with Flybe from George Best Belfast City Airport have been told to check in earlier due to increased security. Belfast International Airport advised customers to check with Easyjet about Glasgow arrivals and departures.
Mr Woodward said times had changed as, in the past, any references to terrorism in Britain were "absolutely specific to Northern Ireland".

Its no fun remembering what it was like to watch an uncle check below his car for a bomb as he left for work. Every time the news headlines would mention a murder it could have been someone you knew. The fear of being in Belfast in case a bomb or a shooting would take place. The bomb warnings & evacuations in shops, of which we were part of on a few scary occasions..........................this was life growing up in Northern Ireland so a part of me might worry about this latest craziness but another part of me thinks that these al- Qaeda dudes are not going to upset me, we are hardcore in Northern Ireland, we get up & get on with it, we dont know any other way!

Appropriate..................

I know some folks who are right here at the minute.....................



and who will win?? watch this space!!