Snacking

A snack of yummyness, absolute yummyness:

Cookies - cheap shop's own brand will do nicely
Peanut butter - again cheap shop's own is fine
Spread peanut butter on cookie, place cookie in mouth and chew. Voila, a snack of dreams. Obviously, if you don't like cookies and / or peanut butter, then erm avoid this snack.

Minterooney.

xx

Please sign this petition

Please sign the petition by following the link below. Help the women of Iran to obtain the equality that every human deserves.

Thanks,


http://www.protectthehuman.com/petition_actions/a-million-signatures-equality-for-women-in-iran

xxx

Life trains

I spend much of my time on trains. A hefty percentage of my life at present seems to be the journey to and from. Of course, life itself is a journey. We start at point A and end at point B. We hope that point B will be old age without too much pain. We hope that we will have achieved much joy and greatness between points A and B. We hope that when point B finally arrives, that we will have had the time to look all the way back towards point A and say ‘my life was good’. We hope that the distance between point A and B will be large.

I currently live out of a bag. That’s not to say that I live through a bag. I just tend to carry a large bag with me about 80% of the time. The bag holds belongings that I need to negotiate daily living. I’m fortunate enough to sleep in houses. Currently the choice of house tends to focus around a main 3, which is steadily decreasing to a focus on a main 2. I’m in the process of slowly moving material items from one house to another house and when complete, I will have successfully reduced my houses to 2. I may give the impression that I am rich and own many homes. I do not and am not. I’m just in that transitional period, when part of your life ends and a new chapter begins.

I suppose where a person lives, in real terms, is irrelevant. At a basic level, we want to be warm, sheltered, clothed, watered and fed. I recently had a clothes downsize, in that I filled bags with clothes to sell (too big, too small, never worn etc), clothes for the charity shop, clothes for recycling. I have now found that my wardrobe is so empty that I could actually move into it. I’m soon to have shoe downsize. I’m trying - through recent Buddhist discussions and the early stages of reading Robert Thurman’s ‘Inner Revolution’ - to move my thoughts away from materials wants, away from possessions. I’m trying to de-clutter my life and my mind. It’s slow process but the journey has begun. I wonder if shoes will one day hold no value for me other than foot protection. I wonder if I will ever forget about the desire for beautiful home interiors and simply surround myself with items that enable me to survive. It’s hard to imagine. Yet, I want move in that direction.

I’ve been something of an eco-warrior for some time now. Though, when a friend once described me as such, I said really I’m more back-room staff than warrior. I didn’t really see myself as someone fighting for a new and better way of life. I was just making small changes and trying to encourage others to do the same. Yet in truth, if we all make small changes, if we all strive to be a better person, all those small changes have a big impact when combined. We could all make our life’s journey a wonderful and wise one. We could make our journey through point A to point B really make a difference. A path carved, is a path remembered.

xxx

Man in the mirror

Mark played 'Man in the mirror' by Michael Jackson today and I listened to it with new ears (try not to think shopping trip, new ear purchases here). I really heard it for the first time. I have liked much of Jackson's earlier music but have tended to be rather disparaging about the more recent stuff. I really enjoyed 'Man in the mirror' today. Not just musically but lyrically. The song has a good vibe. There is an element of happy-clappy in there, in other words, you could argue that it's a little sugar-coated but actually if you really listen to the words, there is a great message. Everyone would benefit from really looking at themselves and trying to be a better person.

I also enjoyed seeing Mark half dance on his chair whilst typing away on his lap-top. He sang the lyrics at the top of his voice and waited impatiently for the obligatory SHAMONE! I thought it was very cute.

XX

Mmmm chocolate

I LOVE CHOCOLATE, this statement needs capitalisation. So great is my love for chocolate, that I have to exercise iron-will to prevent myself from eating it many, many times a day. I have brief periods of chocolate absence, these usually occur when I notice that my waistline has grown beyond acceptable levels. I love the way it melts in your mouth, the way it smells, the shiny wrappers, the sweetness oooh the sweetness. I particular love the way it prevents me during times of PMT from hiring a gun and shooting anyone that bumps into me, talks too loudly, walks too slowly in front of me etc etc. Chocolate is my weapon during these PMT'd moments. Yet it does very little to help me towards a body of slimness. Why haven't special scientist type people come up with calorie, fat free chocolate? That would be wonderful. I would be prepared to accept some loss of flavour for the greater health good. I write this whilst eating chocolate. Well, I nibble in between keyboard clicking. I say again, mmmm chocolate. I sound like Homer and indeed will start to look like him soon (not the yellow, constant stuble element). I need to find a way to reduce my chocolate intake. Any suggestions? Going cold turkey is not a favourable option.

xxx

Shotokan podcast

Mark aka Shotokan Disco was chosen to be part of a podcast, after being played on Tom Robinson's BBC 6 show. The link to his blog is below:

http://shotokandisco.blogspot.com/2009/08/tom-robinson-bbc-introducing-podcast.html

xxx

Free Tibet

Join this facebook group and try to help with this cause, in any way you can.

http://www.facebook.com/groups/edit.php?members&gid=150777498641#/group.php?gid=150777498641&ref=mf

Freedom should not be a luxury that some of us enjoy, it's a basic human right.

xxx

Save money!

Telephone numbers that are preceded with 0870, 0845 and the like are expensive to call from mobile phones, avoid them and save yourself money!

This website lists alternative landline numbers: http://www.saynoto0870.com/search.php

Mark Dixon's blog on an expensive rail enquiry call: http://shotokandisco.blogspot.com/2009/08/rail-enquiries.html

xxx

New words

New words for your consideration.....

As far as my chum Gemma and I were concerned, we invented the words Minterooney and Turnerooney. Minterooney is an extension of the word Mint (when Mint means that's very good rather than the Mint with a hole for example) and Turnerooney is an extension of the word Turn. I have found one reference to Minterooney on Google, written in May 2007 so sadly we can't take credit for its invention, god damn it. Turnerooney was first uttered when my friend Gemma needed to do a U-turn because I had failed to direct her appropriately. I exclaimed, you need to do a Turnerooney here. We laughed for quite some time. Though some would say, we laugh easily. All credit to us, I would say.

Another new word is Bollu. Looking at Google, Bollu is a surname for some but for others it's a typing error, when you mean to write the word bollocks. Written by my friend Sam some months ago on Facebook and laughed at by her brother Kieron and I. Sam's a writer and I do think that she should find a way to use Bollu in her new book.

So Bollu, Minterooney, Turnerooney - use these words, they are Minterooney!

xxx

Bob Cartman

I wasn't aware until quite recently that Bob Dylan presented a Radio 6 show. Where have I been, you may ask. I often wonder the same thing. Anyway, Bob Dylan is a lyrical genius. Poetic achievements abound. Yet, and I say this with huge admiration for the man, he sounds remarkably like Eric Cartman, the rotund character from South Park. If you are unfamiliar with Dylan's voice, tune into his show on BBC Radio 6 and you'll see what I mean. In fact, tune in anyway, it's a good show. If you're unfamiliar with Cartman's voice then erm this blog is probably lost on you (I'm assuming audience here). :-))

Tom Robinson (of Tom Robinson Band fame) occupies the same radio station as Mr Dylan, as does Bruce Dickinson (of Iron Maiden fame). Do try to catch Tom Robinson's show, he plays some great new music including the lovely Shotokan Disco. Another b/f plug! Well he's good and I would definately plug him, even if I wasn't going out with him.

Love to Bob, love to Cartman, love to Bruce, love to Tom,

xxx

On air

Mark aka Shotoan Disco will be played on BBC radio 6 music at approximately 2.30am on Monday morning (24th August). The track to be played is Astronaut.

For more on this go to: http://shotokandisco.blogspot.com/2009/08/bbc-radio-6-music-airplay.html

Bloody fantastic!

xxx

Theme tunes

I had a bit of a listen to Barry White today. 'Your the first, the last, my everything' and his cover of Billy Joel's 'Just the way you are'. Good times, good tunes.

'Just the way you are' is my theme tune. If you've ever watched Ally Mcbeal, you'll be familiar with the idea of having a theme tune. However, if you're unfamiliar, I'll enlighten you (ahem) ;-). When Ally was in therapy, she was told by the character played (strangely enough) by Tracy Ullman to get herself a theme tune. A song that Ally would hear in her mind whenever she needed a boost (which, for the neurotic, elfin-like lawyer, was pretty often!). The song picked by Ally was 'I know something about love'. Good choice. Yet, probably the more familiar theme tune was the tune belonging to the character John Cage - Barry White's 'Your the first, the last, my everything'. Indeed, Barry White featured heavily in the series. A motivational muse for John Cage. It probably sounds a little strange that I have a theme tune, although if you know me, it probably sounds completely 'normal'. It's actually very helpful to sing an uplifting song in your minds voice or out loud (as appropriate). My theme tune serves to remind me that I should be happy with the person I am.

Get yourself a theme tune. It will be one of the most emotionally motivational decisions you'll ever make!

You know it makes sense, cushty.

xxx

Yellow and purple pictures

The pictures below were taken whilst on holiday in Wales, at a place called Plas Cadnant in Anglesey (although I believe that people say 'on Anglesey'). It was one of the most peaceful and beautiful places Ive ever been to. I felt very spiritual there. A magical place.

Our cottage had a sort of conservatory area - my friends and I called it the Fairy Grotto. We decorated it with candles, solar lights, beer cans and ash trays. We played music into the small hours and looked out into the dark garden area.

The cottage had a real fire and was decorated in a traditional style. I have a preference for the contemporary - clean lines, nothing fancy but in this case I felt completely at home behind patterned curtains. I found myself feeling quietly contemplative when listening to the sound of old style clocks.

I hope to go back one day.


xxx

Yellow

Purple

Good stuff

For Shotokan D.

;-)

xx

Siesta Project - Shotokan Disco

100 blogs

I have nothing of note to say (quite possibly no change there then) but felt inclined to increase my blogs to a nice round figure of 100! 100 blogs and I only started towards the end of April this year. If only my essay writing was this prolific.

xxx

Renegade explanations

I would just like to point out that I'm not really a fairy. I just pretend to be one. I know, I know, it's horribly disapointing but I don't really have wings and spread glitter wherever I go. Actually, I do occasionally spread glitter, as troubled boyfriends past, present and future will testify to. Girlie glitter gets bloody everywhere.

Anyway, I decided to call myself a Renegade Glitter Fairy for the following reasons:
- I'm slightly odd
- I recently spilt glitter all over my keyboard at work whilst applying makeup (my working day had finished so I wasn't taking the piss out of my employers)
- I like to think of myself as something of an anarchist
- I enjoy the idea of fairies and think they may exist in another dimension (they are the only logical explanation for disapearing socks following a wash cycle)
- Renegade Glitter Fairy is a much better alternative name than Hazel Nut, the imaginative label often given to me at school (who said children have no imagination - ahem)

;-)

xxx

Random singing

That post-ill sicky feeling still hasn't really left me. It has, no doubt, been heightened by the chocolate bar I half-ate earlier before realising that it was past its best before date (see earlier blog). As a result of sickness and a general weak feeling, I decided that I needed more recovery-from-illness-sleep. I climbed into Mark's bed and waited for the sicky feeling to diminish. Sleep did arrive eventually but not before a long, long, long and unexpected serenade from Mark's neighbour. His neighbour decided to enjoy some seriously loud singing at the same time that I decided I needed sleep. At one point I deemed that she must have been singing into the wall with a loud hailer. Sadly, I can only assume that the walls here are very thin which worries me somewhat for reasons that I won't go into. She actually has a very beautiful voice. I enjoyed it but it's very difficult to sleep when someone is belting out the R & B. However, the singing did end and I fell into a short but helpful sleep. I still feel slightly off but I'm improving all the time.

Now where is that good luck I'm due.....

Bad luck

I'm not so much having a run of bad luck as a marathon of bad luck. Bad things, I believe, are meant to happen in threes, not multiples of threes. I must have done some pretty shitty things in a past life because I try really hard to be lovely in this one and yet the bad luck keeps on coming. Like (to quote Biffy Clyro) I'm caught in a shit tide.

It all started when I discovered that some horrid person had taken just over 300 quid from my bank account. A bank account that was already overdrawn and made more so by this person, whoever they may be. My card wasn't stolen so my card details must have been accessed in some other way. I'm still waiting for my bank to credit my account with this money. I chased them up early last week and they sugested I wait a little longer! Yeah don't worry about me, it's just my money that's been stolen from your bank. I'd be better off stuffing it in mattress and paying for everything by cash.

The next piece of bad luck was receiving a phone bill of just over 500 quid. Yes you read that correctly! My mobile phone contract is with orange but they can rest assured that when this contract ends, I will be moving elsewhere. Upon checking my orange phone bill, all calls belonged to me (oh bum). I'd been using my phone quite a bit to ring my boyfriend Mark, my mate Gemma and a guy I briefly spent some time with prior to Mark. There were some long phone calls to other networks but surely their calls charges are excessive. I should have been vigilant, should have monitored my call usage but even so! Initially I queried the charges and requested a direct debit indemnity with the bank. The bank agreed. I have since discovered, following numerous phone calls to the bank and orange that the direct debit indemnity did not go through. The upshot of this is that orange still have the money. They tell me that a cheque has been raised for my bank but there is a problem with their cheque signing machine, so the cheque hasnt yet been sent (do you smell bullshit because I sure as hell do). Orange still want me to pay this phone bill, even though they already have the money! The icing on the shit cake is that my orange phone has stopped working. The sim wont register in my phone. So I have two phone bills of astronomical proportions for a phone that I can't use.

Another item to add to the bad luck list is swine flu. I had it or rather was deemed to have had it a few weeks ago. I wasn't swabbed but my symptoms matched the list. I was prescribed tamiflu and quarantined. It wasn't fun but I can honestly say that it wasn't a bad as media would have you believe. I thought that it was only possible to get a particular flu once. Yet for the last two days I have had almost exactly the same symptoms as I had before. Perhaps slightly milder and not quite for as long but otherwise the same. I was even sick a few times yesterday (at my boyfriends house again but this time I made it to the bathroom). Today, I felt somewhat better. My appetite returned and I thought mmmm treat myself to a nice fairtrade chocolate bar. About two pieces in, I thought this tastes odd. I checked the best before date - 7 months beyond it! So now I feel sick again. Wonderful.

About half way through writing this blog, my laptop crashed. No reason, fully charged, just a random switch off. Luckily blogger autosaves quite frequently. To what extent I can call that good luck, amongst all the bad luck, I'm unsure but never mind.

I must be due a truck load of good luck. Watch this space.....

xxx

Shotokan successes

Mark aka Shotokan Disco has been invited to be played on BBC Introducing: Fresh On The Net, Tom Robinson's show which is aired on Sunday nights. The track of interest is Astronaut. Damn fine track.

http://shotokandisco.blogspot.com/2009/08/shotokan-disco-astronaut.html

Wooh wooh woooooooh!!!

Not his first musical success but certainly very good.

He also has a gig at the Saltwater Restaurant and Bar in Nottingham at the end of month.

Exciting times.

Love to him, love to all,

xxx

Cycle of kindness

Keep Britain tidy was a slogan that you once saw everywhere, particular next to bins (sensible location for such signs). I have never been someone that litters. It bothers me when I see people throw their waste items to the ground without a moments thought for the consequences. I have often felt inclined to make comment but fear of repercussions / self-preservation prevents me. My boyfriend Mark is kind to the environment, it’s one of the reasons that I’m with him. He smokes (not so kind in that respect) but puts his cigarettes butts in a bin or down a drain (depending on the type). He even pockets the cigarettes butts to take home and dispose of in his own bin. How many people take the time to do that? I sometimes feel that Western society is so self-obsessed that many forget to think about issues beyond those of their back-garden. I mean that in the figurative sense.

All issues affect us directly or indirectly. If we think of cause and effect then it leads us to make more holistic decisions. If I drop a tin can on the ground - it may cause harm to an animal, it probably won’t get reused or recycled unless a more holistic thinker deals with the tin can appropriately, it doesn’t rot down, it remains part of the environment for years to come. If ten people drop a tin can on the ground imagine the effects of that and so on. All has consequences.

If you kick a wall you will hurt your foot, most people can see the effects of random wall kicking because it effects the self but if I shout at someone in the street, if I am cruel to them, if my words are harsh, I may walk away and forget it but will they? Will they go home and shout at their children who will in turn shout at their friends? There is a very good chance that they will and so the cycle of cruelity continues. Kind words and compassion have the power to improve things in the short-term and may start of cycle of kindness.

I try to behave with kindness. It's not always easy. It can take effort at times but it's truly worth it. Kind to the self, to others and to the space that we call home. By home I mean earth, all of it. Not just our house (if we are lucky enough to have one), not just our street, our town or country but all of the earth and all the people in it.

xxx

Marmaduke sex

Marmaduke duke, those rambunctious rock-electro-punk-poppers from sexy scotland make various sexual references in their dazzling new(ish) album Duke Pandemonium. There are more than I have yet spotted, I don't doubt but some of the naughtiness is detailed below:

'Everybody dance' - the line hole rimmin' appears to refer to the physical act of love. Upon further inspection, google (yah google, see earlier blog) alerted my enquiring mind to the following startling fact - hole rimmin' is in fact the licking and the sucking of the arse hole! I did not know that.

'Rubber lover' - I would say is making comment on plastic sexuality and of course at a more basic level, the use and appreciation of a plastic doll. During the song we hear the line '666'. Many have thought that the line was in fact 'sex sex sex'. Indeed it certainly sounds like 'sex sex sex'. I prefer 'sex sex sex' to '666' but maybe that says more about me than it does about the song. Ahem.

Interestingly enough, upon my quest for hole rimmin' (not the act of it but an explanation) I found the following link '7185.803.208 - Silhouette Island Sink With 3-Hole Self-rimming'. The link itself is rather boring but I found it amusing because the words 'Silhouette' and 'hole rimming' are in the same place - they can also both can be found on Duke Pandemonium! Concidence, almost certainly. Interesting, well it was for me. Shall I stop blogging now, I probably should.

Thank you and goodnight,

xxx

Todays playlist

Aint it great when you work part-time, plenty of time for music exploration. If it wasnt for the obvious money downsides, Id love it and embrace it forever. Anyway todays playlist:

Aerosmith Run dmc: Walk this way
Tone loc: Funky cold medina
Tracy chapman: Fast car
Faith no more: Epic
Pearl jam: Jeremy
Cinematic orchestra: Every day
Michael jackson: Man in the mirror
Pete doherty: For lovers
Steve miller band: Abracadabra
Deelite: Groove is the heart
Salt 'n' pepa - Push it
U2: In a little while

The time now is 19.38 on a Monday evening, am expecting many tunes before sleep time arrives.....

xxx

Freestyle experiment

I'm feeling somewhat blue today - no reason, just blue. The trick to negotiating blue days is to remember the big picture. Life has its ups and downs. Remember this and ride the wave of life.

I have decided to write a blog as each word lands in my mind. No error checking, thinking about grammar, meaning - just think and type. I can hear my boyfriend on the phone to his mate. He is discussing music and music production technology - I think. The view is quite pleasant. I'm sat behind him and he is bending to use the lap-top! The problem with typing as you think, is that you never quite know where your mind will take you. A risky business. Thank goodness I commented on my thoughts before my mind landed in the realms of sexual thought processes.

Actually too late, thinking about sex, talking about it and the ultimate - having it, is somethig that is still somewhat taboo amongst the so called fairer sex, by that I mean we can have it but we are still supposed to pretend we only have it with the right one and not whoever takes our fancy and we are definately not supposed to chat about it openly. Yet I feel it should be out there - a topic of much focus, as often as possible really. My close friend and I often take our sexual discussion to the extreme of what others would deem to be inappropriateness. Nothing is sacred - all exploits are analysed and described in detail. She is the only person I do this with. I'm less open with other friends (people that know me well will shock at this because I'm pretty open all round, it's all relative so Gemma my partner in sexual conversation crime, gets the hardcore, uncensored version of events). Dont get me wrong, I respect my relationships, have certain experiences that I share with my romantic partner only - I have a levels check but I do feel that its good to talk. Like Salt 'n' Pepa once said "lets talk about sex baby". Moving on and away from sex chats with my friend, I arrive at sex chats with your partner. You can feel your way through sex and indeed that is definately a good thing but you have got to discuss your desires, what turns you on and off. Verbal confirmation of "oh yes, like that" is applaudable and vital. I'm a very vocal person - I air my thoughts on a regular basis and sex conforms to this pattern. (I do hope my parents, family members, employers dont stop by and read my blog - ahem). Anyway, further thinking about sex reminds that it is important to have fun - obviously you could say well thats a given, sex is fun, its fun to have sex yet I mean its important to have a laugh. Sex doesnt often play out like cinematic moments - you fall over (well I do), clothes won't come off, we are not all ripped and toned like movie icons (or rather we dont have the body doubles or technology to make us look like we think they look), you have to reach for the condoms (depending on circumstances), insecurity and paranoia can take the edge off pleasure sometimes. So laughing, not taking the act of love so seriously helps. God, Im starting to sound like a not very impressive good sex guide!

I have just found myself wondering why my boyfriend is almost always top-less - I'm not complaining but its odd that he continually has his top off. I wish I could. Actually no, it gets cold sometimes - mind you, it would solve that problem of having nowhere to hang our coats (he hangs his coats on the floor, or the other day over his bike which was leaning against his lounge wall). Interesting.

I'm off to meet his family soon. Oh panic gulp. Met his brother briefly before and spoke to his mum via web-cam but havent done an offical meet yet. Today, Im told, is the day. I feel unprepared for such an occassion. Preparing oneself for 20 questions, spot-light, interaction with the Spanish inquisition (no one ever expects the Spanish inquisition). I always sound vague when I talk about my career - in no small part, this is because I am vague - havent a clue what I'm doing. I am wandering around the career taspestry of life aimlessly - god I need some direction. Just chatted to boyfriends mate on the phone - spouted total random shite at him. Shyness and being caught off-guard is not a good combination. He sounded nice, interesting bloke. I have a feeling that I sounded like a total plonk.

Moving on, I feel I have typed enough, have emails to check and essays to read through. It remains to be seen whether or not this type / think experiment has been successful. Anyone that stops by and reads this blog, feel free to comment on my randomness.

xxx