Euphrosene Labon

…are a nifty way of speed-reading the relevant bibliography - meaning he provides enough quotes and salient points to avoid having to plough through the books myself. But I still managed to disagree with him, several times before I finished chapter three of Super Consciousness.

As he may go on to refine his view, I´ll comment further later, though I have a feeling his view of the peak experience is nothing at all like the deeper mystical ones I have had. I can say that with firm conviction, as it is easy for me to tap into the `ordinary´ peak experience when I put my mind to it. But I´m jumping ahead.
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As Sundays go, it has been much like a normal working day - scanning and framing art, filing and sorting, though I did watch two DVDs while reading the papers. That´s how good they weren´t.

The self-portrait only works if viewed at the same angle I drew it - ie the mirror was tiny, half in the dark, and the paper was flat - hence the face looking slightly longer than it is. But the doodle (aimed at testing a dip pen) was meant to be abstract shapes and curls and turned out rather differently. No doubt a psychologist would have a field day with it.
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Art is informed by the life we lead, by our thoughts, experiences and desires. My blog posts are either streams of consciousness, wrestling with spiritual concepts or other experiences on this particular spiritual journey. For examples of how this translates into my art, please visit my gallery. Euphrosene Labon Mind Body Spirit Artist Author Writer

peak experience, self-portrait

…with peanut butter, or Nutella, seemed to do the fibre trick for a few days, but increasing my fat intake didn´t appeal, so I bought the liquid variety. I had started the morning with a flat, relatively toned tummy; took slightly more than a teaspoon of the flaxseed liquid - and, for the rest of the morning, no problems.

Got back from Saturday shopping and my stomach was so bloated (no pain though) that I looked about six months´ pregnant. Frantic excercising and increasing my water intake made it go down - the next morning! But, taking a smaller amount the next time, again made my tum look blobby. It certainly shook me into doing spot exercises, specifically round the waist and lower body, and holding in my tum at every conceivable opportunity.

The image of tum over knicks is not one I ever want to see ever again - on my body (or anyone´s else´s for that matter). Tummy is currently back to normal, though I am continuing irregular one minute isometrics. It´s about all I can stand before getting bored.
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The long-awaited bonfire of the quangos mentions lots of outfits I´ve never heard of - not that it stopped most of their chief executives coining it in at public expense. And what do we get for our enforced generosity? A bunch of bureaucratic prats telling us how to run our lives. Goodbye. Forever, I hope. However, there are still far too many remaining. And far too many with massive salaries and benefits packages which border on the immoral. (That’s you, BBC.)

Unlike others, I don´t think we will sink back to ‘uncompassionate’ times. Sometimes compassion means being tough. How else will people discover what they are really capable of if they never turn within to find out?

Indeed I often think most have a completely wrong idea of what Jesus really taught. Even John could only assume what Jesus thought in Gethsemane, for example.
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Finally got several lots of paperwork out the door today (discovered three outstanding invoices in the process!), put art head back on though it needs a bit of a reboot, and still suffering from this heat rash, which seems to disappear overnight and then re-surface at various times during the day. Washing my hair every day to avoid scalp itch is a pain, as is soaking it in an Indian hair oil, though it seems to be working. But, oh joy, at least I work from home so only have to frighten the postie.
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Art is informed by the life we lead, by our thoughts, experiences and desires. My blog posts are either streams of consciousness, wrestling with spiritual concepts or other experiences on this particular spiritual journey. For examples of how this translates into my art, please visit my gallery. Euphrosene Labon Mind Body Spirit Artist Author Writer

flaxseed, quangos, BBC, Jesus

…are more common in those with mental illness in the family, it seems. I´m going to take that positively. Pity my creative output has been so low this week. I seem to be too tired to do more than arrange and re-arrange my list of things to do, or practice in my head. There again, Segovia practised in his head so it´s still valid.

Despite not firing on all cylinders, I have ordered labels for a postcard mailing. Better to do something, although mailings really need to be done quite frequently to have any real effect, yet I have been so spasmodic with marketing efforts.

Part of the reason is wanting to get the Wise El words and cartoons done but it is a far bigger task than I realised. And that´s just the words. Plus I haven´t even got anywhere near the cartoons for the motivational stuff.

It would be good to have help - which is in part the reason for one lot of marketing mailers.
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Cameron´s `Big Society´ was and is too nebulous a term. Things have to spelled out. This is how much money there is; this is what it is currently being spent on; what is absolutely vital; what is useful; what is nice to have.

Panorama´s programme on public sector cuts last night really shocked me - but not for the most obvious reasons. I had no idea local government spent money on music lessons, wardens for the reasonably healthy (if they can go on protest marches and rant ad nauseam, they are reasonably healthy in my book!), yet some interviewed felt it was their right - ie vital. This is surely where people need to be re-educated.

When money is plentiful, then yes, have some of the `nice to have´ things that add to social harmony and cohesion. But if a community centre is so valuable, there is a case for the community itself to run and fund it themselves. It´s not much of a community if it needs outside impetus, is it?

Where people do need help, in my view, is with ideas - in fact almost more than money - though the ideas should be pragmatic. Fanciful ideas spring from endless funds but tighter reins on money flow tend to make for more workable ideas.
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Another programme, on Five, this time about the Cameron-Clegg lovathan. Neither really registered much with me till last week. Shallow and grasping on a Blair scale - maybe not as high as His Tonyness.

Then, last week, Cameron changed in my eyes. It may all be smoke and mirrors, but I got a strange feeling that he had the potential to be great - and part of that potential greatness was an even greater gift as a poker player. As of now, I still hold that view.

Clegg remains an ambitious pretty boy, who needs his party as well as the Tories, but will probably behave. He still looks and sounds like he is swimming out of his depth. A measure of Cameron´s potential greatness will be if he helps Clegg when he no longer needs to.

Not yet sure of Osborne. Even when he talks it is as if there is more we are not yet aware of. Cameron could have dumped him in this coalition but he still seems to have greater power than Clegg. Interesting times.
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There´s a smell of privet, or a similar hedge, that invariably takes me back to walking along Sutton Court Road on the way back from school - St Bernadette´s in Hillingdon - to RAF Uxbridge where we lived at the time.

I was very young - it was a primary school - but remember the long roads and feeling free. But in my mind, it is only the warm days I really recall. I must be getting old.
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Art is informed by the life we lead, by our thoughts, experiences and desires. My blog posts are either streams of consciousness, wrestling with spiritual concepts or other experiences on this particular spiritual journey. For examples of how this translates into my art, please visit my gallery. Euphrosene Labon Mind Body Spirit Artist Author Writer

postcard mailing, Wise El, Cameron´s `Big Society´, Panorama, public sector cuts, Cameron-Clegg, St Bernadette´s in Hillingdon, RAF Uxbridge