Esteemed magazine “Elsewhere Journal” is carrying a blog with extracts from my book-in-progress “Wilding the Urban Garden.
reasons to be cheerful
Reasons to be cheerful, Part 1:
- we’re still alive
Our wildlife garden
How to Create an Amazing Urban Wildlife Garden
– what we’ve learned in 15 years
Gerry Thompson
In 2002 we moved our family home from Brighton UK to a nearby town. The reason? – we didn’t have a garden. Our new home had two gardens, neither very large. The rear would be the domain of our lively cocker spaniel Rosa, and the front space would be for …wildlife!
Now, 16 years later, that front patch is a wildlife paradise – a veritable jungle among many houses with more sterile gardens or hard-standings for their cars. So what better than having wild nature right where you live? Continue reading “Our wildlife garden”
Euro-English: where is it going?
The European Commission has just announced an agreement whereby English will be the official language of the European Union rather than German, which was the other possibility.
As part of the negotiations, the British Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a 5- year phase-in plan that would become known as “Euro-English”. Continue reading “Euro-English: where is it going?”
Community response to Lockdown
The Ballad of Connaught Avenue
In Shoreham town there is a road
It’s great to be a member of
Where friendship dwells in each abode
In Connaught Ave there’s so much love
This lockdown thing has brought much grief
And things there are no stockpiles of
But human contact brings relief
For Connaught Ave has so much love
We formed a WhatsApp group right quick
‘Twas started off by Sas n Dav
To give support with just a click
There’s so much love in Connaught Ave
It helps us all to borrow or beg
Or give what we have too much of
To swap a plant, or lend an egg
For Connaught Ave has so much love
This social distance thing’s a pain
But metres gap’s the thing to have
While social closeness is our aim
There’s so much love in Connaught Ave
It’s great to live in Connaught Ave
They treat you like a sis or bruv
They range in type from posh to chav
Yes, Connaught Ave has so much love
If life’s to you a bitter cup
And hopelessness is all you have
The friendship here will lift you up
There’s so much love in Connaught Ave
And after all this lockdown’s gone
The thing that we’re all thinking of
Is: stay connected, carry on
With Connaught Avenue’s Big Love!
Evolution: going the wrong direction
Human evolution is going backwards!
courtesy of Lucid Nation
How to be successful in 10 steps: text
10 key steps to success
by Gerry Thompson
It ‘s not rocket science…. Continue reading “How to be successful in 10 steps: text”
Learning from comedians for brilliant public speaking
Gerry Thompson offers nine powerful things you can learn from stand-up comedians in order to be a better, more confident and more impactful presenter or public speaker. This video was recorded at Amex Stadium, Brighton.
Nonsense relationship mythology
Okay, here’s why it all goes wrong….
Society offers us a fairy-tale mythology about romantic relationship, and most of us buy into it. It’s surprising how deeply rooted yet this mythology can be in many of us – even though we might not admit it. Here are the basic points: Continue reading “Nonsense relationship mythology”
How to be successful, in ten steps: video
Gerry Thompson sets out the 10 key steps to take in order to be extremely successful, in any field or venture
The transformative principles of Buddhism
The powerful transformative principles of Buddhism, for life, work, happiness, fulfilment and success
“Do not pursue the past; Do not idly hold out hopes for the future. The past is already discarded And the future has not yet arrived. Thoroughly discern the nature of the present, in the midst of reality. Simply set your heart on doing What must be done today”
– Shakyamuni, the historical Buddha
People think that Buddhism is all about giving things up, and sitting still all day, meditating – but that’s not necessarily the case. Many people also think that it’s about humble pennilessness and austerity – it isn’t. Continue reading “The transformative principles of Buddhism”
Irish Car Recovery
Practical happiness – getting your life to work better
This is the start of a series of investigative articles about getting your life to work better in a wide-ranging and holistic way. Continue reading “Practical happiness – getting your life to work better”
Bad psychiatrist’s answering machine message
New Age parody
Astral Sex – Zen Teabags, an illustrated New Age spoofapedia comes out in Europe in March and in US in June, so here to celebrate are a few of my favourite bits.
It’s a tongue-in-cheek dictionary of all things new-agey – designed to amuse, whether you love it or whether you hate it. Comments welcome……
Affirmations
Things which people repeat ad nauseam about what they would like to have happen in their lives, instead of actually doing something about it.
Archetype
Nobody actually knows what this word means, but it is now so widely used that no-one can afford to admit that. Other terms which no-one will admit to not know the meaning of but use a lot to pretend they do: paradigm, process, gestalt.
Assertiveness
Pretentious term for being rude
Beaverweaver
Male who poses as a shaman purely in order to pull women.
Signs of a gentleman
Top signs of a modern gentleman today, as required of the modern woman*:
1) Carries you home from a night out if your feet are hurting
2) Calls you in the morning to make sure you got up in time
3) Tells you if your skirt is tucked into your knickers Continue reading “Signs of a gentleman”
Learning with Ice Cream
Depressed, or just British?
DEPRESSED MAN DIAGNOSED AS “BRITISH”
George Farthing, an expatriate British man living in America, was recently diagnosed as clinically depressed, tanked up on anti-depressants and scheduled for controversial Electro Shock (convulsive) Therapy when doctors realised he wasn’t depressed at all – only British. Continue reading “Depressed, or just British?”
learning from comedians: dealing with fear
dealing with fear, part 1
“A lot of people are afraid of heights. Not me; I’m afraid of widths” – stand-up comedian Stephen Wright
Perhaps the single most commonly admired attribute of stand-up comedians is their demonstration of courage and management of fear – preparedness to stand alone in front of an unknown, potentially hostile, and sometimes huge audience – risking failure: not amusing them, not being liked, being heckled or boo-ed off. This is a visceral and quite fundamental fear, which feels like it’s about one’s very survival. Not for nothing is a bad comedy experience on stage termed ‘dying on your *ss’. Continue reading “learning from comedians: dealing with fear”
Learning from comedians: creative comedy thinking
“I once had a leather jacket that got ruined in the rain. Why does moisture ruin leather? Aren’t cows outside a lot of the time? When it’s raining, do cows go up to the farmhouse, calling out ‘Let us in! We’re all wearing leather! Open the door! We’re going to ruin the whole outfit here!'”– Jerry Seinfeld
One of the chief reasons we appreciate comedians – and one of the major reasons that they can exert influence on us, is that they continually make us think about things in ways we have never thought about them before: everyday things, trivial things, important things, life-and-death things, all kinds of things. Continue reading “Learning from comedians: creative comedy thinking”