evenin' all
fireseed back in the big smoke
after a few days soaking the old bones
and admiring the snowy seoraksan mountain vistas
at the hot spa we brave the sub-zero temperatures
to enjoy the various outdoor pools
hurrying up n down steps from spa to spa
the steam streaming off our bodies
we plunge in for blessed relief
sink up to our necks in the hot water
as the jacuzzi jets pummel and massage our muscles
in the 'mountain spa' the waters cascade down from above
beating down on my stiff neck and shoulders
later as night falls
hannah and i bathe in the dark waters
gaze up at the bright sliver of moon
and count the stars
31/12/06; 9:37pm
and so the sands of time run out...
for bad old king saddam at least
some might say he got his just deserts
(ooh, that's black!)
but killing is killing
whoever is doing it to who
so nothing is achieved except more hatred and more bloodshed
another seventy innocent mutilated carcasses
from another senseless bad-dad car bomb attack...
just a few hours left of 2006 for the rest of us
another year over
and a new one just around the corner
time to reflect
fireseed takes down the neatly typed list of last year's revolutions
posted to the door of this here spare room
and surveys the balance sheet...
well, it aint a complete debacle
but it aint exactly a roaring success either
'it's never as good as i hoped - or as bad as i feared'
as steve k sang
dontacha worry, seeds
i aint gonn boar ya silly by going through all fourteen of 'em!
a few plus points:
getting 'Manifesto' album finished
not to mention keeping up the momentum
with 'Elephant in the Room'
getting rid of the 12-year-old pony
giving up the high street cosmetiks
keeping a daily diary
well 'daily' might be pushing it a tad
then again i had no inkling about the joys of this here blog...
now for the minus points:
getting up by 8 o'clock each morning - i think not
arriving on time for appointments n meetings - cue embarrassed laughter
voluntary work - voluntary work?!
etcetera etcetera
less said about that little lot the better
nobody's perfect, huh?
specially not ya humble fireseed
promise to share the revolutions for 2007 with y'all 2morrow
once ive made 'em, that is
thanks for tuning out and dropping in this year, my loyal seedlings
come 12 o'clock tonite
be assured i'll be raising my glass to y'all
so don'tcha forget our to give old fireseed a clink
and have a hippy new year!
love
f
xxxx
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Monday, December 25, 2006
LOST
my poor neglected bloglets
a very merry crimbo to you all
it must have felt like a long long while watching this space
october fizzled out
november came and went in a windy autumnal blur
new fashions were all the rage
then suddenly became the height of uncool
governments rose to power
and were overthrown
civilizations mysteriously vanished...
a bit like fireseed's blog
'the art of disappearing'
out of circulation
writer's prerogative...
and now suddenly i find myself
coaxing the dying embers of the year that was
(hannah thrusts a copy of 'little bear's visit' into my hands
'daddy, did you see this one?')
welcome to chrismess chez fireseed
nine of the clock this morning feels a tad groggy
as daddy was up till four last night
carrying out present-wrapping and santaing duties
then burning the midnight oil into the small hours
laying down some guitar tracks for 'hot shampoo'
five our slater it's presents round the tree
hannah's stocking and pillowcase mysteriously filled overnight
so excited that she tears open everyone else's presents as well
minibeast finger puppets, pink rabbit
and a set of disney dvds for h
jewellery and an exotic south-east asian top for j
some nice big swishy-swilly wineglasses for fs
the kind you only have to refill once to empty the bottle
'non-violence - the history of a dangerous idea'
looks like a tres interesant read courtesy of s, d & i
hannah's in the mood for cartoons after brekky
and big nose (pinocchio) and big ears (dumbo)
take us through to lunchtime
j's tired from having the in-laws round yes-a-day
so hannah and i hit the local playground
then go for a wander along the river
its uncharacteristically mild for this time of year
and the river glows orange as the sun sets sedately
behind the apartment blocks on the opposite bank
then on the way back
h and i stumble upon a dejected-looking little mongrel
huddled on the concrete steps leading down to the water's edge
as we draw closer the poor little varmint is shaking
its big sad eyes look up at us helf emptily, half pleadingly
several curious passers-by come up and take a bit of a look
then move on
there are no signs of an owner
hannah wants to know where the doggy's mummy and daddy are
now i'm not particularly crazy about canines at the best of times
especially when it comes to being drooled on or licked
but there's something about this little lost soul
- it being christmas and all that -
that makes me reluctant to leave it there
so i do the good samaritan bit
and tentatively stroke its side
hannah elisabeth takes courage and follows suit
the dog doesn't bite a chunk out of my hand
and doesn't maim my daughter for life
so to see if it can walk
i pick it up and put it down again on the promenade
and hey presto!
off it trots and disappears among a load of cars and trailers
parked alongside the prom
it may be a stray but it's not on its way out just yet
fireseed breathes a huge sigh of relief
and hannah is happy too
home we go to watch snow white and the seven dwarves...
i wish it could be christmas every day
probably my numero uno candidate for least fave crimbo ditty
not sure which is worst - the words, the sentiment or the tune
bah humbug!
that's one i'd definitely cut from the xmas song compilation tape
on the other hand
one i actually quite dig is the one that ends:
'oh what a laugh it would have been
if daddy had only seen
mommy kissing santa claus last night!'
fifties american fluff, admittedly
but at least it's witty
and doesn't take the whole christmas malarky too seriously
cf slade!
what's your chrissy stocking-filler or shocker?
hope santa has something fun for you in his sack
love fireseed
a very merry crimbo to you all
it must have felt like a long long while watching this space
october fizzled out
november came and went in a windy autumnal blur
new fashions were all the rage
then suddenly became the height of uncool
governments rose to power
and were overthrown
civilizations mysteriously vanished...
a bit like fireseed's blog
'the art of disappearing'
out of circulation
writer's prerogative...
and now suddenly i find myself
coaxing the dying embers of the year that was
(hannah thrusts a copy of 'little bear's visit' into my hands
'daddy, did you see this one?')
welcome to chrismess chez fireseed
nine of the clock this morning feels a tad groggy
as daddy was up till four last night
carrying out present-wrapping and santaing duties
then burning the midnight oil into the small hours
laying down some guitar tracks for 'hot shampoo'
five our slater it's presents round the tree
hannah's stocking and pillowcase mysteriously filled overnight
so excited that she tears open everyone else's presents as well
minibeast finger puppets, pink rabbit
and a set of disney dvds for h
jewellery and an exotic south-east asian top for j
some nice big swishy-swilly wineglasses for fs
the kind you only have to refill once to empty the bottle
'non-violence - the history of a dangerous idea'
looks like a tres interesant read courtesy of s, d & i
hannah's in the mood for cartoons after brekky
and big nose (pinocchio) and big ears (dumbo)
take us through to lunchtime
j's tired from having the in-laws round yes-a-day
so hannah and i hit the local playground
then go for a wander along the river
its uncharacteristically mild for this time of year
and the river glows orange as the sun sets sedately
behind the apartment blocks on the opposite bank
then on the way back
h and i stumble upon a dejected-looking little mongrel
huddled on the concrete steps leading down to the water's edge
as we draw closer the poor little varmint is shaking
its big sad eyes look up at us helf emptily, half pleadingly
several curious passers-by come up and take a bit of a look
then move on
there are no signs of an owner
hannah wants to know where the doggy's mummy and daddy are
now i'm not particularly crazy about canines at the best of times
especially when it comes to being drooled on or licked
but there's something about this little lost soul
- it being christmas and all that -
that makes me reluctant to leave it there
so i do the good samaritan bit
and tentatively stroke its side
hannah elisabeth takes courage and follows suit
the dog doesn't bite a chunk out of my hand
and doesn't maim my daughter for life
so to see if it can walk
i pick it up and put it down again on the promenade
and hey presto!
off it trots and disappears among a load of cars and trailers
parked alongside the prom
it may be a stray but it's not on its way out just yet
fireseed breathes a huge sigh of relief
and hannah is happy too
home we go to watch snow white and the seven dwarves...
i wish it could be christmas every day
probably my numero uno candidate for least fave crimbo ditty
not sure which is worst - the words, the sentiment or the tune
bah humbug!
that's one i'd definitely cut from the xmas song compilation tape
on the other hand
one i actually quite dig is the one that ends:
'oh what a laugh it would have been
if daddy had only seen
mommy kissing santa claus last night!'
fifties american fluff, admittedly
but at least it's witty
and doesn't take the whole christmas malarky too seriously
cf slade!
what's your chrissy stocking-filler or shocker?
hope santa has something fun for you in his sack
love fireseed
Monday, November 20, 2006
LAUREL & HARDY
daddy: aw, hannah - wotcha do that for?
hannah: i don't know, daddy
daddy: well, i don't know either
hannah: well, i don't know either too!
hannah: i don't know, daddy
daddy: well, i don't know either
hannah: well, i don't know either too!
Sunday, October 29, 2006
FLUX
six o'clock anti meridian
an orange horizon merges into an azure sky
the 63 building winks knowingly across the rooftops
the stars are still bright
a new day dawning
all is flux
a fleeting moment of crepuscular serenity
before the sun rises
before i brave the arteries of this restless city
all we have is now
then it's gone in a flash
like they say democracy isn't something that is
it's something that has to be fought for every day
still we cling to our certainties
we lament our pasts
impatiently await our futures
covet status and luxury
nurture our self-importance
scorn humility
oblivious to the glories of nature
blind to the simple pleasures of our immediate surroundings
and while we think only of what we can gain
we forget too easily what we lose
an orange horizon merges into an azure sky
the 63 building winks knowingly across the rooftops
the stars are still bright
a new day dawning
all is flux
a fleeting moment of crepuscular serenity
before the sun rises
before i brave the arteries of this restless city
all we have is now
then it's gone in a flash
like they say democracy isn't something that is
it's something that has to be fought for every day
still we cling to our certainties
we lament our pasts
impatiently await our futures
covet status and luxury
nurture our self-importance
scorn humility
oblivious to the glories of nature
blind to the simple pleasures of our immediate surroundings
and while we think only of what we can gain
we forget too easily what we lose
THE PRICE OF $ELEBRITY
$elebrities
faces and images
etched on our collective consciousness
not so much cult as modern obsession
the ultimate goal
the pinnacle of success
satisfying our desparate need for idols
for hero-worship
(cosmic?) father figures
dear leaders
brave warriors
political saviours
icons
not mere mortals like you or me...
like wrapping around a comfort blanket
popping a valium pill
undergoing anaesthesia
something to ease the insecurity
of our impermanence
in an insecure world...
self-idolatry performs a similar function
everyone wants their 10 minutes of fame
the attention
the flattery
the ego massage
the fleeting impression
that life in this world of corporate consumerism
really is important and meaningful...
fireseed logging on to give ya the lowdown
on this week's brush with $elebrity
(senior member of the cabinet, no less, my seeds)
well, $elebrity aint wot it's cracked up to be
it sure don't cure dandruff
but does wonders for boosting the retinue of hangers-on
acolytes
security dudes
bodyguards
the journos and the hacks
the dreaded paparrazi
the mockers who will distort every word
as long as it $ells
constantly playing on your insecurities
nobody ever seems to acts natural around you
insincerity abounds
red carpets are rolled out
ingratiating smiles flashed
photo opportunities squeezed in to hectic itineraries
every last drop squeezed out
welcoming parties fidget nervously
ushers fawn obsequiously
no-one knows quite what to say
is it ok to depart from the script?
everyone wants an autograph
a photograph
a paragraph
a piece of the $elebrity pie
bees around a honey pot
(or flies around a turd?)
appearances to keep up
sponsors not to upset
a party not to embarrass
a mum likewise
the next gaffe only ever a tongue of the slip away
(oopsadaisy, there goes another one!!)
up on that pedestal
it's a long way down when you fall
a distraction
a freak show
a symbol of the shallow ambitions of 2006
the face-lift slipping
the chest sagging
nowhere left to go but D-O-W-N
nothin' sadder than the faded glamour of a has-been
a 'where are they now?' of 2016...
faces and images
etched on our collective consciousness
not so much cult as modern obsession
the ultimate goal
the pinnacle of success
satisfying our desparate need for idols
for hero-worship
(cosmic?) father figures
dear leaders
brave warriors
political saviours
icons
not mere mortals like you or me...
like wrapping around a comfort blanket
popping a valium pill
undergoing anaesthesia
something to ease the insecurity
of our impermanence
in an insecure world...
self-idolatry performs a similar function
everyone wants their 10 minutes of fame
the attention
the flattery
the ego massage
the fleeting impression
that life in this world of corporate consumerism
really is important and meaningful...
fireseed logging on to give ya the lowdown
on this week's brush with $elebrity
(senior member of the cabinet, no less, my seeds)
well, $elebrity aint wot it's cracked up to be
it sure don't cure dandruff
but does wonders for boosting the retinue of hangers-on
acolytes
security dudes
bodyguards
the journos and the hacks
the dreaded paparrazi
the mockers who will distort every word
as long as it $ells
constantly playing on your insecurities
nobody ever seems to acts natural around you
insincerity abounds
red carpets are rolled out
ingratiating smiles flashed
photo opportunities squeezed in to hectic itineraries
every last drop squeezed out
welcoming parties fidget nervously
ushers fawn obsequiously
no-one knows quite what to say
is it ok to depart from the script?
everyone wants an autograph
a photograph
a paragraph
a piece of the $elebrity pie
bees around a honey pot
(or flies around a turd?)
appearances to keep up
sponsors not to upset
a party not to embarrass
a mum likewise
the next gaffe only ever a tongue of the slip away
(oopsadaisy, there goes another one!!)
up on that pedestal
it's a long way down when you fall
a distraction
a freak show
a symbol of the shallow ambitions of 2006
the face-lift slipping
the chest sagging
nowhere left to go but D-O-W-N
nothin' sadder than the faded glamour of a has-been
a 'where are they now?' of 2016...
Monday, October 23, 2006
EMPTY3 OK!
what's this, bloglets
two blogs in one day?
surely knot!
well, your firebeef likes surprises
look out for your fave blogger wearing a funny hat next time!
so here i am
in this here empty3 service sent-her
getting my empty3 player fixed
been broken for six months
fireseat been doing without the travelling music show
ripeseed been dreaming up own music instead
but this is one of those things that sk excels at
just can't imagine wondering into such a place
in rip-off britain
fireseed approaches desk timidly
bearing in mind korean pro-fish-n-sea
girl at desk asks what problem is
seedy boy proffers empty3
and explains in broken korean
girl smiles sweetly and tries to put f-seed at his e's
while simultaneously answering three phones
girl says that empty3 problem can be rectified in fifteen minutes
fifteen minutes?!
my poor empty3 ain't seen no action in six months, sister!
empty3 is passed to demure welder gurl at different desk
meanwhile happy f-seed logs on to this ear handy terminal
and starts blogging
hardly a chance to get going before coy s g is calling me over
more like five minutes!
wow! its my lucky day!
well, not quite - it's a test she's offering
but empty3 sure sounds great
clean as a whistle
no sound cutting out left, write and centre!
sometimes this country drives me mad
don't get me started on bus drivers or musak, seedlets!
but i try not to dwell too much on the negatives
life is too short
other times sk sure delivers!
half full or half empty?
the choice is hours, ain't it!
luv
f
two blogs in one day?
surely knot!
well, your firebeef likes surprises
look out for your fave blogger wearing a funny hat next time!
so here i am
in this here empty3 service sent-her
getting my empty3 player fixed
been broken for six months
fireseat been doing without the travelling music show
ripeseed been dreaming up own music instead
but this is one of those things that sk excels at
just can't imagine wondering into such a place
in rip-off britain
fireseed approaches desk timidly
bearing in mind korean pro-fish-n-sea
girl at desk asks what problem is
seedy boy proffers empty3
and explains in broken korean
girl smiles sweetly and tries to put f-seed at his e's
while simultaneously answering three phones
girl says that empty3 problem can be rectified in fifteen minutes
fifteen minutes?!
my poor empty3 ain't seen no action in six months, sister!
empty3 is passed to demure welder gurl at different desk
meanwhile happy f-seed logs on to this ear handy terminal
and starts blogging
hardly a chance to get going before coy s g is calling me over
more like five minutes!
wow! its my lucky day!
well, not quite - it's a test she's offering
but empty3 sure sounds great
clean as a whistle
no sound cutting out left, write and centre!
sometimes this country drives me mad
don't get me started on bus drivers or musak, seedlets!
but i try not to dwell too much on the negatives
life is too short
other times sk sure delivers!
half full or half empty?
the choice is hours, ain't it!
luv
f
Sunday, October 22, 2006
TRUE OR FALSE?
a spectacular inkblot sky to report this morn, bloglets
seeping blue-black into the horizons
after yes-a-day's claustrophobia
the sun breaks through the grey blanket
and the mountains are sharp, clear and in ya face!
BOO!
3 sentences about riffseede - true or false?
1) i've never tried 'kalbi' (korean barbecued meat dish)
2) i've got ma own blog
3) if i won the lottery, i'd buy myself a flashy sports car
answers on a postcard please...
(big clue: two truies, one falsie - shame there aint 2 falsies!)
fireseed feelin' good this morning
despite the sleepless knight
and the unsociably early alarm clock
yes-a-day manidged to clear way through debris in spare room
squeeze self onto computer
and lay down backing track to new ditty
composed only on friday
'can it while it's fresh'
being the order of the day
not without obstacle
survived being half throttled by hannah e
wantin' attenshun
as free-year-olds do
climbin' on ma shoulders
gettin' headphones around ma throat
the things a home-muso dad has to carry!
but the song is luvly, seeds
gettin' better all the time
as paul once sang
in ma humble opinion, o'course
let others be the judge
when new album comes out...
well, best be off, my delicate little seedlings
and if ya not having a good day
try takin' a look up at the magical sky
marvel at the far off winking star
take in the wonder of the perfectly-formed leaf
admire for a moment the beauty of the young child
remember what matters, my seeds
remember how fortunate we are, you and i
to be sent out to navigate this incredible universe
and remember how much we have to lose
luv ya
f
x
seeping blue-black into the horizons
after yes-a-day's claustrophobia
the sun breaks through the grey blanket
and the mountains are sharp, clear and in ya face!
BOO!
3 sentences about riffseede - true or false?
1) i've never tried 'kalbi' (korean barbecued meat dish)
2) i've got ma own blog
3) if i won the lottery, i'd buy myself a flashy sports car
answers on a postcard please...
(big clue: two truies, one falsie - shame there aint 2 falsies!)
fireseed feelin' good this morning
despite the sleepless knight
and the unsociably early alarm clock
yes-a-day manidged to clear way through debris in spare room
squeeze self onto computer
and lay down backing track to new ditty
composed only on friday
'can it while it's fresh'
being the order of the day
not without obstacle
survived being half throttled by hannah e
wantin' attenshun
as free-year-olds do
climbin' on ma shoulders
gettin' headphones around ma throat
the things a home-muso dad has to carry!
but the song is luvly, seeds
gettin' better all the time
as paul once sang
in ma humble opinion, o'course
let others be the judge
when new album comes out...
well, best be off, my delicate little seedlings
and if ya not having a good day
try takin' a look up at the magical sky
marvel at the far off winking star
take in the wonder of the perfectly-formed leaf
admire for a moment the beauty of the young child
remember what matters, my seeds
remember how fortunate we are, you and i
to be sent out to navigate this incredible universe
and remember how much we have to lose
luv ya
f
x
TRIVIAL PURSUITS
a grey sun day arvo
hangs over mangwon-dong
like a hangover
sod's law, aint it, my seeds?
yessaday arvo
was luvly and sunny
perfect whether for sittin' up on the roof garden
spendin' some dream time with little hannah e
but no!
fireseede was senselessly workin' overtime
trapped in a 4-square box room
earnin' more of that cold hard cash
those trivial little digits mountin' up
somewhere on somebody's computer system
the root of all evil, so they say
greedy fireseed's flesh burnin'
ya seedish boy goin' up in smoke
as another one rolled meaninglessly off production line
and the muscles in fireseed's neck tightened another notch
(been slacking with the yoga n stretchin', my seedlings)
dosh, dough, notes, readies
aint wot it's all about, bloglets
they got us all well-sussed
those captains of industry
those corporate execs
those realpoliticos
they got us all eatin' out of their hands
one scooby snack, two scooby snacks...
they got us worshippin' at the consumer cathedrals
flockin' like sheep to the supermarkets n shoppin' malls
bowin' down at the altar of atheism
to declare there aint no other god
gettin' off on that retail therapy
then wonderin' why there's still a big empty hole in our lives
here in sk
they got the citizens flockin' to the traditional churches as well
prayin' to that number one dude in the sky
that all-powerful cosmic overlord
that's gonna look after em and save em
and forgive em their sins
they don't realise it's the same thing, my seeds
atheism n the bearded dude in the sky
power religion, my seedlets
no need to question
no need to search
no need to think too hard
cos these power merchants, these high priests will do it all for us
rupy murdoch
georgie boy soros
condi rice
they know what's right for us
dontcha worry
just keep reciting the mantra
free trade good, fair trade bad
capitalist good, communist bad
economic growth good, environmental hairshirters bad
(keep notin' the limited choice, my seeds
- it's one or the other, baby!)
trivial good, serious bad
chat show small talk good, honest debate bad
american good, un-american bad
british good...erm...un-british bad
canadian good...?
you're either for us or you're against us
atheist good, god-squadder good
hey! can't both be good!
(ah , but note the importance of limitin' the choice, bloggers
to distract attenshun from the real tissues))
orwell good, chomsky bad
our various despot chums good...
(what's the name of that nigerian fella again?)
...saddam, milosevic, mugabe n kim jong ill bad
(notice the emphasis on the nasty hateful figureheads here, my seedlings
that way it don't matter
if we bomb the shit out of the un-people
who actually live in these countries
- 650,000 of em in eye-rack!!!
never mind, eastenders on in a minute)
okay, okay
you've made your point, fireseed!
ya wanna play a little game?
wanna know how to get from fireseed
to andy partridge of xtc in 2 moves?
well, was talkin' to someone i work with the other day
who once got chatting to andy in a pub in swindon
and was invited back to play trivial pursuits
with andy and hangers-on
so there ya have it...
here's another one
how many moves from fireseed
to aforementioned despot kim jong ill?
well, mr ill meets former sk pres kim dae jung
(of famous 'sunshine policy')
and gives gift of puppy
kdj no want pup and passes on to pal
pal likewise passes on pup
to girl we met on holiday down in cholla namdo
so that's f-seed to mr ill in just 4 moves
impressive, huh?
fireseed can also get to the queen in 2 moves
by virtue of meetin' and greetin' prince andy last year
(rubbin' shoulders with royalty, dontcha know?)
one more i like
this fella i know visits a village in burma
and on the wall of this hut is of all things
a poster of 'westlife'!
well, this fella's uncle is a part-time musician
plays at weddings and stuff in ireland
and it so happens that the uncle gets to play at the wedding
of one of the westlife boys
so westlife to burmese hut and back again in just 3 moves!
so, bloglets
how many steps from ya good selves to fireseed?
apologies for the trivia interlude, my seeds
guess we all need a bit of escapism
see ya soon
rifeseed
xxxx
hangs over mangwon-dong
like a hangover
sod's law, aint it, my seeds?
yessaday arvo
was luvly and sunny
perfect whether for sittin' up on the roof garden
spendin' some dream time with little hannah e
but no!
fireseede was senselessly workin' overtime
trapped in a 4-square box room
earnin' more of that cold hard cash
those trivial little digits mountin' up
somewhere on somebody's computer system
the root of all evil, so they say
greedy fireseed's flesh burnin'
ya seedish boy goin' up in smoke
as another one rolled meaninglessly off production line
and the muscles in fireseed's neck tightened another notch
(been slacking with the yoga n stretchin', my seedlings)
dosh, dough, notes, readies
aint wot it's all about, bloglets
they got us all well-sussed
those captains of industry
those corporate execs
those realpoliticos
they got us all eatin' out of their hands
one scooby snack, two scooby snacks...
they got us worshippin' at the consumer cathedrals
flockin' like sheep to the supermarkets n shoppin' malls
bowin' down at the altar of atheism
to declare there aint no other god
gettin' off on that retail therapy
then wonderin' why there's still a big empty hole in our lives
here in sk
they got the citizens flockin' to the traditional churches as well
prayin' to that number one dude in the sky
that all-powerful cosmic overlord
that's gonna look after em and save em
and forgive em their sins
they don't realise it's the same thing, my seeds
atheism n the bearded dude in the sky
power religion, my seedlets
no need to question
no need to search
no need to think too hard
cos these power merchants, these high priests will do it all for us
rupy murdoch
georgie boy soros
condi rice
they know what's right for us
dontcha worry
just keep reciting the mantra
free trade good, fair trade bad
capitalist good, communist bad
economic growth good, environmental hairshirters bad
(keep notin' the limited choice, my seeds
- it's one or the other, baby!)
trivial good, serious bad
chat show small talk good, honest debate bad
american good, un-american bad
british good...erm...un-british bad
canadian good...?
you're either for us or you're against us
atheist good, god-squadder good
hey! can't both be good!
(ah , but note the importance of limitin' the choice, bloggers
to distract attenshun from the real tissues))
orwell good, chomsky bad
our various despot chums good...
(what's the name of that nigerian fella again?)
...saddam, milosevic, mugabe n kim jong ill bad
(notice the emphasis on the nasty hateful figureheads here, my seedlings
that way it don't matter
if we bomb the shit out of the un-people
who actually live in these countries
- 650,000 of em in eye-rack!!!
never mind, eastenders on in a minute)
okay, okay
you've made your point, fireseed!
ya wanna play a little game?
wanna know how to get from fireseed
to andy partridge of xtc in 2 moves?
well, was talkin' to someone i work with the other day
who once got chatting to andy in a pub in swindon
and was invited back to play trivial pursuits
with andy and hangers-on
so there ya have it...
here's another one
how many moves from fireseed
to aforementioned despot kim jong ill?
well, mr ill meets former sk pres kim dae jung
(of famous 'sunshine policy')
and gives gift of puppy
kdj no want pup and passes on to pal
pal likewise passes on pup
to girl we met on holiday down in cholla namdo
so that's f-seed to mr ill in just 4 moves
impressive, huh?
fireseed can also get to the queen in 2 moves
by virtue of meetin' and greetin' prince andy last year
(rubbin' shoulders with royalty, dontcha know?)
one more i like
this fella i know visits a village in burma
and on the wall of this hut is of all things
a poster of 'westlife'!
well, this fella's uncle is a part-time musician
plays at weddings and stuff in ireland
and it so happens that the uncle gets to play at the wedding
of one of the westlife boys
so westlife to burmese hut and back again in just 3 moves!
so, bloglets
how many steps from ya good selves to fireseed?
apologies for the trivia interlude, my seeds
guess we all need a bit of escapism
see ya soon
rifeseed
xxxx
Saturday, October 21, 2006
THE ART OF SONG
wrote my first ones when i was fourteen
about the time i laid down the pencil and paintbox
a twin-pronged attack
strumming on my mom's classical guitar
having learnt to play a few major n minor chords
one finger tapping on my bontempi electronic organ
hardly able to play at all
what were those long-lost titles again?
'mr reid' - a strange ditty about a neighbourhood tramp
'dear jane' - a soppy tale of lost and refound love
with some imaginary teenage sweetheart
'i'll only tell you one more time'
hard day's night-era beatles rip-off
with trivial words with some organ chords i thought were clever
e flats and b flats...
as i only ever listened to early beatles lps at that time
the lyrics were pretty trivial
though the tunes weren't too bad
twas my little brother
who started showing me how you could be a bit more ambitious
putting poetry to music
'dancing in the breeze', 'the dark woods decay'
moving away from the hackneyed romantic stuff
to something a tad more meaningful
must be old tapes of this stuff lying around somewhere
overdubbed by plugging a couple of cassette decks together
pretty hissy
accentuating adolescent fireseed's reedy adenoidal voice
what's new?...
strange to think now
but over the years the songs have come and gone
the urge to write all but disappeared
while travelling across continents
though did keep a diary travelogue
the thrill and excitement of america n australasia n asia
somehow did not translate into songs...
before coming out here
living in boringmouth and londinium
hardly picked up a guitar in anger for years
didn't even bring a 6-string with me to sk
till i met mr rawlings - the talented troubadour
who turned me on to dylan n cohen n other poets
(was turning on to dylan anyway)
gave me the necessary kick up the ass
to install a little studio in the spare room
and suddenly the songs started a-flowin' again
like rivers after rain
nothing quite like writing a new song
giving birth to new melody and verse
that the universe has never heard before
that moment when a lyric springs into being
or an intresting title
or a little riff or tune or bassline
or sometimes several at once
a clever little snippet that just demands attenshun
or maybe a whole fully-formed song
that just comes bubbling out - if you're really lucky
at times you have to work hard at it
at times it just flows oh so natural
like being the conduit or receiver
of something god-given
something religious
something wondrous
the way songs happen has changed though over time, though
a function of the lifestyle, i guess
used to spend a lotta time
messing around on the geetar or keyboard
playing with chords and notes
the pretty tunes wood come
the words wood often be secondary
something to fill up the space
hence, 'i'll only tell you one more time'
and its primitive pubescent siblings
these days, don't have that luxury
i am in transit
on the bus
gazing out the window
or even staggering in the aisle
as the gears crunch in rush-hour traffic
perhaps strolling along a seoul-less boulevarde
getting high on some commuters' petrol fumes
but there's definitely somethin' about the movement
that does it for me
the sense of straight-ahead rhythm in 4/4 time
the body helping the mind to function
the changing vistas
a notebook helps
as does the dictaphone
it used to drive me crazy when i forgot a good tune or couplet
a bit more organ-ised these days, seedlings
the home studio is great for jamming along
coming up with a harmony
or solo
or bassline
to the main action
revising and editing
chopping and changing
nudging and nurturing the song along
sometimes songs or fragments don't seem to make any sense
till years later...
crossing a bridge over a river in bangkok
spring 1991
out of nowhere
the guitar riff for 'to kill or to die'
leaps into my head
exccept at that time there is no 'to kill or to die'
(this being only episode numero uno of 'the gulf war', my seedlets
georgie w's daddy at the helm of this nasty little battleship)
then walking through a forest
up in the himalaya
some months later
somehow the riff has attached itself to some lyrics
written a few years before at univercity
about the events at tianenman square
WWWHHHOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
fast-forward 14 years
it's now gulf war numero dos
and fireseed has the horrors of eye-rack on his mind
and somehow T-square mutates into bad bag-dad
a mother's ordeal at the hands of the aggressors
tory and bushy's soldiers
messing up mesopatamia
messing up their own lives
messing up our lives
messing up everybody's goddam lives
aint these dudes never heard of bad karma?
despite the black subject matter
something quite satisfying
about piecing a song together like that over the years
though it's usually a real leaf to get things out of the system
while they're fresh as a daisy
if you ever get to hear any of the songs
hope they mean something to you...
b flat never
b natural sometimes
b sharp always
about the time i laid down the pencil and paintbox
a twin-pronged attack
strumming on my mom's classical guitar
having learnt to play a few major n minor chords
one finger tapping on my bontempi electronic organ
hardly able to play at all
what were those long-lost titles again?
'mr reid' - a strange ditty about a neighbourhood tramp
'dear jane' - a soppy tale of lost and refound love
with some imaginary teenage sweetheart
'i'll only tell you one more time'
hard day's night-era beatles rip-off
with trivial words with some organ chords i thought were clever
e flats and b flats...
as i only ever listened to early beatles lps at that time
the lyrics were pretty trivial
though the tunes weren't too bad
twas my little brother
who started showing me how you could be a bit more ambitious
putting poetry to music
'dancing in the breeze', 'the dark woods decay'
moving away from the hackneyed romantic stuff
to something a tad more meaningful
must be old tapes of this stuff lying around somewhere
overdubbed by plugging a couple of cassette decks together
pretty hissy
accentuating adolescent fireseed's reedy adenoidal voice
what's new?...
strange to think now
but over the years the songs have come and gone
the urge to write all but disappeared
while travelling across continents
though did keep a diary travelogue
the thrill and excitement of america n australasia n asia
somehow did not translate into songs...
before coming out here
living in boringmouth and londinium
hardly picked up a guitar in anger for years
didn't even bring a 6-string with me to sk
till i met mr rawlings - the talented troubadour
who turned me on to dylan n cohen n other poets
(was turning on to dylan anyway)
gave me the necessary kick up the ass
to install a little studio in the spare room
and suddenly the songs started a-flowin' again
like rivers after rain
nothing quite like writing a new song
giving birth to new melody and verse
that the universe has never heard before
that moment when a lyric springs into being
or an intresting title
or a little riff or tune or bassline
or sometimes several at once
a clever little snippet that just demands attenshun
or maybe a whole fully-formed song
that just comes bubbling out - if you're really lucky
at times you have to work hard at it
at times it just flows oh so natural
like being the conduit or receiver
of something god-given
something religious
something wondrous
the way songs happen has changed though over time, though
a function of the lifestyle, i guess
used to spend a lotta time
messing around on the geetar or keyboard
playing with chords and notes
the pretty tunes wood come
the words wood often be secondary
something to fill up the space
hence, 'i'll only tell you one more time'
and its primitive pubescent siblings
these days, don't have that luxury
i am in transit
on the bus
gazing out the window
or even staggering in the aisle
as the gears crunch in rush-hour traffic
perhaps strolling along a seoul-less boulevarde
getting high on some commuters' petrol fumes
but there's definitely somethin' about the movement
that does it for me
the sense of straight-ahead rhythm in 4/4 time
the body helping the mind to function
the changing vistas
a notebook helps
as does the dictaphone
it used to drive me crazy when i forgot a good tune or couplet
a bit more organ-ised these days, seedlings
the home studio is great for jamming along
coming up with a harmony
or solo
or bassline
to the main action
revising and editing
chopping and changing
nudging and nurturing the song along
sometimes songs or fragments don't seem to make any sense
till years later...
crossing a bridge over a river in bangkok
spring 1991
out of nowhere
the guitar riff for 'to kill or to die'
leaps into my head
exccept at that time there is no 'to kill or to die'
(this being only episode numero uno of 'the gulf war', my seedlets
georgie w's daddy at the helm of this nasty little battleship)
then walking through a forest
up in the himalaya
some months later
somehow the riff has attached itself to some lyrics
written a few years before at univercity
about the events at tianenman square
WWWHHHOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
fast-forward 14 years
it's now gulf war numero dos
and fireseed has the horrors of eye-rack on his mind
and somehow T-square mutates into bad bag-dad
a mother's ordeal at the hands of the aggressors
tory and bushy's soldiers
messing up mesopatamia
messing up their own lives
messing up our lives
messing up everybody's goddam lives
aint these dudes never heard of bad karma?
despite the black subject matter
something quite satisfying
about piecing a song together like that over the years
though it's usually a real leaf to get things out of the system
while they're fresh as a daisy
if you ever get to hear any of the songs
hope they mean something to you...
b flat never
b natural sometimes
b sharp always
THROUGH THE METAPORTAL
wasn't what i learnt at school
wasn't what my parents said
wasn't what my friends discussed
wasn't in the books i read
so misled
but fighting back now
truth-seeker, mind-reader, soothsayer, faith healer
disillusions, confusions, self-delusions, no conclusions
sold on an outrageous lie
distracted by a glittering prize
seduced by the high priests of power
deceived by an endless stream of propaganda
come with me
through the metaportal
truth-seeker, fire-eater, stargazer, lion tamer
mistaking, god-foresaking, all-embracing, my mind racing
wrong-doer, see-througher, heinous sinner, no winner
heretic, genetic, apathetic, kinetic
synthetic, poetic, stoic, heroic
truth-seeker
wasn't what my parents said
wasn't what my friends discussed
wasn't in the books i read
so misled
but fighting back now
truth-seeker, mind-reader, soothsayer, faith healer
disillusions, confusions, self-delusions, no conclusions
sold on an outrageous lie
distracted by a glittering prize
seduced by the high priests of power
deceived by an endless stream of propaganda
come with me
through the metaportal
truth-seeker, fire-eater, stargazer, lion tamer
mistaking, god-foresaking, all-embracing, my mind racing
wrong-doer, see-througher, heinous sinner, no winner
heretic, genetic, apathetic, kinetic
synthetic, poetic, stoic, heroic
truth-seeker
Saturday, October 14, 2006
NASCENCE
nascence
a seed carried by the breeze
settles in the ground
the earth incubates
a root extends
a shoot emerges
feeling its way toward the sunlight
photosynthesis
the stem thickens and arches
tiny leaves erupt and grow
a bud forms
a flower blooms
petals a riot of colour
a bubble rises to the surface of the water
a ripple silently crosses the pond...
fireseed talkin' about creativity, my seedlets
that mysterious frontal lobe activity
a natural trait or a learnable technique?
a serendipity?
(ask newton!)
thinking outside the box?
left brain or right brain?
words and language or symbols and images?
logical and analytical or intuitive?
the detail or the big picture?
introverted or extroverted?
where to start?
inspiration
conception
a split second
often the easy part...
incubation
editing, adapting and reworking
sleeping on it to forget the misleading and irrelevant
cultivating the idea
evolution
hard work...
birth
reward
creativity is individualist and non-conformist
rule-breaking and risk-taking
marching to the beat of a different drum
living dangerously
curiosity and fascination and challenge
no assumptions
updating and reassessing
fusing and cross-fertilising
oscar wilde said
'talent borrows, genius steals'
a seed carried by the breeze
settles in the ground
the earth incubates
a root extends
a shoot emerges
feeling its way toward the sunlight
photosynthesis
the stem thickens and arches
tiny leaves erupt and grow
a bud forms
a flower blooms
petals a riot of colour
a bubble rises to the surface of the water
a ripple silently crosses the pond...
fireseed talkin' about creativity, my seedlets
that mysterious frontal lobe activity
a natural trait or a learnable technique?
a serendipity?
(ask newton!)
thinking outside the box?
left brain or right brain?
words and language or symbols and images?
logical and analytical or intuitive?
the detail or the big picture?
introverted or extroverted?
where to start?
inspiration
conception
a split second
often the easy part...
incubation
editing, adapting and reworking
sleeping on it to forget the misleading and irrelevant
cultivating the idea
evolution
hard work...
birth
reward
creativity is individualist and non-conformist
rule-breaking and risk-taking
marching to the beat of a different drum
living dangerously
curiosity and fascination and challenge
no assumptions
updating and reassessing
fusing and cross-fertilising
oscar wilde said
'talent borrows, genius steals'
Thursday, October 12, 2006
FLAT-EARTHER
'the earth is flat
the myth is real
there's a level playing field
chomsky fresh in from neptune
there ain't no elephant in this room
gm soya
processed food
natural, healthy, fresh and good
pigs might fly
pie in the sky
day is night and black is white'
i just met a flat-earther
talkin' through his hat
he must think i'm stupid
talkin' to me like that
'you think too much
this world is sane
there ain't no proof of climate change
there's no such thing as god above
all you need is love
the iraqis had WMD
the coalition set them free
we value our integrity
you need some retail therapy'
i just met a flat-earther
talkin' through her ass
she must think i'm stupid
talkin' to me like that
the myth is real
there's a level playing field
chomsky fresh in from neptune
there ain't no elephant in this room
gm soya
processed food
natural, healthy, fresh and good
pigs might fly
pie in the sky
day is night and black is white'
i just met a flat-earther
talkin' through his hat
he must think i'm stupid
talkin' to me like that
'you think too much
this world is sane
there ain't no proof of climate change
there's no such thing as god above
all you need is love
the iraqis had WMD
the coalition set them free
we value our integrity
you need some retail therapy'
i just met a flat-earther
talkin' through her ass
she must think i'm stupid
talkin' to me like that
Monday, October 09, 2006
OFF THE HOOK
evenin' all
in case you didn't know
your humble seede doth belong
to a diminishing band of brethren
those without 'handpone'
as they call it in s korea
cell phone
mobile
irritating beeping gadget
whatever you wanna call it
i am in this indian restaurant where we have to wait for a table
and they ask for my mobile number to give us a ring
'i ain't got no handpone', says your fave seed
'no handpone?!' comes the shocked response...
guess you already cottoned on old fireseed's basic creed
your fave blogger's penchant for doing the opposite to what everyone else's is doing
f-seed's little attempt - however unambitious and unimaginative -
to break out of the crushing conformity
that straitjacketed me as a little seed
and still straitjackets me now
the 'successful compliance'
that dictates the society of big seeds
that squeezes the spontaneity and creativity out of kids
how about a few examples of the fireseed creed
calmly crossing the road with the man on red
in full gaze of a gaggle of shocked pedestrians staring into the middle distance
giving them the permission to dare to be different
taking the staircase to work off some calories
overtakingthe hi-cal crowd clogging up the upwards escalator
giving the tired old elevator a break
leaving the paisley shirt hanging out
instead of tucking it in
letting it all hang out
'hey - nice pyjamas, fireseed!'...
why then doth this trendy little piece of hardware irritate me so?
this innocuous piece of gadgetry that we all did without until recently?
how do i survive without this machine glued permanently to left ear?
what's the big objection, fireseed?
well, maybe it's the fact that nobody in this country seems to read anything
not unless it's a text massage, that is
not likely to be a great piece of literature in that case, is it?
or anything of great substance?
or maybe it's the non-stop tapping of said massage
the cheesy ringtones constantly invading my aural space
with a nasty MIDI version of johanne sebastian bark
ratcheting up the levels of noise pollution
in this cacophanous metropolis
or maybe it's just the mindless chitter-chatter
'i'm on the bus'
'just passing shinchon'
'where are you?'
'what are you doing?'
do i wanna be on call 24/7?
my boss ringing me up in the pub
being assailed by cold-call advertising
in my most private of momentos descuidados
(no, i sincerely do not)
a handpone ensures no commitment
ring to say you're on your way
ring to say you'll be a little late
ring to change the rendezvous point
ring to say that you can't make it after all
you've had a change of plan
you're not feeling too great
you're going home
in a cafe
a group of friends is sat at the same table
each talking to someone different on their mobiles
man, these people losing the F2F connection
conversations and thought processes constantly in...ter...rup...ted
concentration spans shrinking to zero
till it becomes an addiction - gotta check if i've received a massage
in the last two mins
since i last looked
(email can be like this too, my seedlings, as i know only too well
but at least it's a tad more difficult
to carry a whole computer with you on the bus!)
fireseed is forgetting the planned obselescence
last year's pone can take an instant piccy to send to ya gurlfriend
this year's pony got a cool swivel screen a whole 33% bigger than y'old one
next year's pony'll make a cup o' tea for ya
the environmental damage caused by the limited shelf-life
i dread to think about what it's doing to pristine lands
the consumer treadmill
work more
to consume more
the old hamster wheel
the health risks
the low wavelength radiation
the brain tumours
the dodgy transmission masts
built on the roofs of kiddies' schools, would ya believe!
now fireseed sure ain't no technophobe
but now you know what NOT to buy him for chrissy
that is if you were intending to buy anything at all!
clunk!
duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!
(fireseed hangs up and line goes dead)
in case you didn't know
your humble seede doth belong
to a diminishing band of brethren
those without 'handpone'
as they call it in s korea
cell phone
mobile
irritating beeping gadget
whatever you wanna call it
i am in this indian restaurant where we have to wait for a table
and they ask for my mobile number to give us a ring
'i ain't got no handpone', says your fave seed
'no handpone?!' comes the shocked response...
guess you already cottoned on old fireseed's basic creed
your fave blogger's penchant for doing the opposite to what everyone else's is doing
f-seed's little attempt - however unambitious and unimaginative -
to break out of the crushing conformity
that straitjacketed me as a little seed
and still straitjackets me now
the 'successful compliance'
that dictates the society of big seeds
that squeezes the spontaneity and creativity out of kids
how about a few examples of the fireseed creed
calmly crossing the road with the man on red
in full gaze of a gaggle of shocked pedestrians staring into the middle distance
giving them the permission to dare to be different
taking the staircase to work off some calories
overtakingthe hi-cal crowd clogging up the upwards escalator
giving the tired old elevator a break
leaving the paisley shirt hanging out
instead of tucking it in
letting it all hang out
'hey - nice pyjamas, fireseed!'...
why then doth this trendy little piece of hardware irritate me so?
this innocuous piece of gadgetry that we all did without until recently?
how do i survive without this machine glued permanently to left ear?
what's the big objection, fireseed?
well, maybe it's the fact that nobody in this country seems to read anything
not unless it's a text massage, that is
not likely to be a great piece of literature in that case, is it?
or anything of great substance?
or maybe it's the non-stop tapping of said massage
the cheesy ringtones constantly invading my aural space
with a nasty MIDI version of johanne sebastian bark
ratcheting up the levels of noise pollution
in this cacophanous metropolis
or maybe it's just the mindless chitter-chatter
'i'm on the bus'
'just passing shinchon'
'where are you?'
'what are you doing?'
do i wanna be on call 24/7?
my boss ringing me up in the pub
being assailed by cold-call advertising
in my most private of momentos descuidados
(no, i sincerely do not)
a handpone ensures no commitment
ring to say you're on your way
ring to say you'll be a little late
ring to change the rendezvous point
ring to say that you can't make it after all
you've had a change of plan
you're not feeling too great
you're going home
in a cafe
a group of friends is sat at the same table
each talking to someone different on their mobiles
man, these people losing the F2F connection
conversations and thought processes constantly in...ter...rup...ted
concentration spans shrinking to zero
till it becomes an addiction - gotta check if i've received a massage
in the last two mins
since i last looked
(email can be like this too, my seedlings, as i know only too well
but at least it's a tad more difficult
to carry a whole computer with you on the bus!)
fireseed is forgetting the planned obselescence
last year's pone can take an instant piccy to send to ya gurlfriend
this year's pony got a cool swivel screen a whole 33% bigger than y'old one
next year's pony'll make a cup o' tea for ya
the environmental damage caused by the limited shelf-life
i dread to think about what it's doing to pristine lands
the consumer treadmill
work more
to consume more
the old hamster wheel
the health risks
the low wavelength radiation
the brain tumours
the dodgy transmission masts
built on the roofs of kiddies' schools, would ya believe!
now fireseed sure ain't no technophobe
but now you know what NOT to buy him for chrissy
that is if you were intending to buy anything at all!
clunk!
duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!
(fireseed hangs up and line goes dead)
I READ THE NEWS TODAY, OH BOY...
...one big hole in the peninsular
not good news today, my bloglets
appears the norf koreans have exploded a new-clear bomb
on this here little rabbit-shaped spit of land
which is way too close for comfort
couple of miles underground, fortunately
but that doesn't reassure your faithful fireseed too much
old kim jong ill playin' with fire, my seeds
that hot shampoo i was talking about before
right here on this here blogge
can't really blame the north koreans too much
they just doing what anyone else would do
backed into a corner as they are
by the 'international community'
(read pax america and its poodles, my seedlings)
what's the alternative for 'em if they don't go new-clear?
some good role models around at present, are there not?
iraq - ooh, yes please!
afghanistan - ooh, that'd be luvly, dear!
and they may not inhabit a big country
but they're tenacious people, the koreans
history shows that they're in it for the long-haul
pushed around by the chinese and japanese
who wanted to steal their land
nope - not ones to give up easily
'Oh, alright, George, we give in 'cos you don't wanna be our friend'
not likely, mister!
washington will turn into a ring of fire first
ok, so mr ill and chums are hardly a saintly regime
but who's in a position to engage with 'em?
(i'll give you three guesses)
who insists on struttin' around
like they took out the patent on virtue and altruism?
(i'll give you three guesses again)
who's stockpiled enough hot shampoo
to blow up the planet about six times
and resisted practically every attempt
to move in the opposite direction?
(three more guesses?)
ain't it just a little hypocritical, my seeds,
this outrage that's been expressed by the 'int'national community'?
well, fireseed would like to express his outrage
at these dudes who are so quick to cast the first stone
they got a lot of gall...
well, don't spose they gonna take a lot of notice of me
tony bland didnae take much notice last time
when i sent him a couple of tracks off 'mustard seed'
to number ten downer street
and asked him politely to keep the hell out of iraq...
'over the hills
across the desert
over the water
across the sky
over the oil wells
across the desert
into death and out of light
where the flowers grow no more
sponsor a war of mindless destruction
pointing your weapons
to search and destroy
blood on your hands
you steal their black gold
leave them to till
the poisonous soil
where the flowers grow no more...'
are you listening, tony?
TONY??
TOOOO-NNNNYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
not good news today, my bloglets
appears the norf koreans have exploded a new-clear bomb
on this here little rabbit-shaped spit of land
which is way too close for comfort
couple of miles underground, fortunately
but that doesn't reassure your faithful fireseed too much
old kim jong ill playin' with fire, my seeds
that hot shampoo i was talking about before
right here on this here blogge
can't really blame the north koreans too much
they just doing what anyone else would do
backed into a corner as they are
by the 'international community'
(read pax america and its poodles, my seedlings)
what's the alternative for 'em if they don't go new-clear?
some good role models around at present, are there not?
iraq - ooh, yes please!
afghanistan - ooh, that'd be luvly, dear!
and they may not inhabit a big country
but they're tenacious people, the koreans
history shows that they're in it for the long-haul
pushed around by the chinese and japanese
who wanted to steal their land
nope - not ones to give up easily
'Oh, alright, George, we give in 'cos you don't wanna be our friend'
not likely, mister!
washington will turn into a ring of fire first
ok, so mr ill and chums are hardly a saintly regime
but who's in a position to engage with 'em?
(i'll give you three guesses)
who insists on struttin' around
like they took out the patent on virtue and altruism?
(i'll give you three guesses again)
who's stockpiled enough hot shampoo
to blow up the planet about six times
and resisted practically every attempt
to move in the opposite direction?
(three more guesses?)
ain't it just a little hypocritical, my seeds,
this outrage that's been expressed by the 'int'national community'?
well, fireseed would like to express his outrage
at these dudes who are so quick to cast the first stone
they got a lot of gall...
well, don't spose they gonna take a lot of notice of me
tony bland didnae take much notice last time
when i sent him a couple of tracks off 'mustard seed'
to number ten downer street
and asked him politely to keep the hell out of iraq...
'over the hills
across the desert
over the water
across the sky
over the oil wells
across the desert
into death and out of light
where the flowers grow no more
sponsor a war of mindless destruction
pointing your weapons
to search and destroy
blood on your hands
you steal their black gold
leave them to till
the poisonous soil
where the flowers grow no more...'
are you listening, tony?
TONY??
TOOOO-NNNNYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sunday, October 08, 2006
COUNTING STARS
lying on my back
supported by my elbows
feet high in the air
in yoga pose
soft yielding mat
cushioning the rough concrete
rush of blood to the head
gazing up at the twilit sky
black in the centre
fading to bright edges around the horizon
counting the little pinholes of light
peeking out at me
from their far-off place in the cosmos...
[buzzzz!!!! bite!!! itch!!!! curse!!!!
yep, you've guessed it, my seeds
another nocturnal visit
from the deadly mossie invasion force
sweeping ruthlessly and invisibly
across the rooftops of seoul
armed and sent by the Lord Almighty
to try the patience of a simple unassuming peace-loving vegan
inducing him to flail pitifully about in the darkness
as he furiously scratches his shins...]
evenin' all
or maybe just evenin' adam
who, judging by comments,
(not the best measure perhaps)
appears to be my sole surviving seedling
at the minute
keep addin' 'em, adam, mate
i luv ya!
got a bit of a nostalgia trip going on ye olde high-figh
'of skins and heart'
first album by my heroes, my blurred crusaders
the choich
from way back in '81
when i was nowt but a lad
and they was just a simple catchy new-wave guitar pop band
sporting duran duran haircuts and paisley shirts...
well not quite, ac-chew-ly
the intriguing surreal lyrics are already there
the inventive song structures
'is this where you live?' for instance
the dense texture of those dual interlocking guitars
the pulsating swooping basslines of mr kilbey
and that deep resonant voice, a bit hard on the ears at first
but deeply addictive thereafter
the atmosphere evocative of a balmy evening
on a slightly sinister bondi beach...
i've lost touch with them at times over the years
but 25 years on
these guys are still creating works of great beauty
albeit of a more mature and subtle bent
you can hear a few tracks off of the latest album here
wow! 'unified field' must be the catchiest thing they've done for ages!
your fireseedy boy feeling proud of himself again tonite
yep! won't be able to get head thru door of flat soon
the 'quarium's lookin' a treat with all the new plants in it
fish seem happy and all have survived, touch wood
latest upheaval to their peaceful water world
fireseed christened new yoga mat, too
up on yonder roof
as the sun went down and the gloom (and mossies) gathered
the trick now is to get into a proper roo-teen
what with going back to the old 9 to 5 tomorrow
or sometimes the old 6:30 to 9
or the 10 to 11
which has got to S-T-O-P!!
fireseed's chuseok resolution, friends
to keep a sense of balance to all things
to spread the energy evenly
not shoveling it all into the bottomless four-letter word bucket
where it aint appreciated anyway
then feeling washed up and hung out to dry the rest of the time
like at the start of these chew-sock holy days
not getting any new songs recorded
(and the's plenty of 'em, too!)
you promise me you'll turn over a new leaf, fireseed?
i promise
really?
cross my heart, old bean
attaboy, fireseed!
night, friends
f
xxxx
supported by my elbows
feet high in the air
in yoga pose
soft yielding mat
cushioning the rough concrete
rush of blood to the head
gazing up at the twilit sky
black in the centre
fading to bright edges around the horizon
counting the little pinholes of light
peeking out at me
from their far-off place in the cosmos...
[buzzzz!!!! bite!!! itch!!!! curse!!!!
yep, you've guessed it, my seeds
another nocturnal visit
from the deadly mossie invasion force
sweeping ruthlessly and invisibly
across the rooftops of seoul
armed and sent by the Lord Almighty
to try the patience of a simple unassuming peace-loving vegan
inducing him to flail pitifully about in the darkness
as he furiously scratches his shins...]
evenin' all
or maybe just evenin' adam
who, judging by comments,
(not the best measure perhaps)
appears to be my sole surviving seedling
at the minute
keep addin' 'em, adam, mate
i luv ya!
got a bit of a nostalgia trip going on ye olde high-figh
'of skins and heart'
first album by my heroes, my blurred crusaders
the choich
from way back in '81
when i was nowt but a lad
and they was just a simple catchy new-wave guitar pop band
sporting duran duran haircuts and paisley shirts...
well not quite, ac-chew-ly
the intriguing surreal lyrics are already there
the inventive song structures
'is this where you live?' for instance
the dense texture of those dual interlocking guitars
the pulsating swooping basslines of mr kilbey
and that deep resonant voice, a bit hard on the ears at first
but deeply addictive thereafter
the atmosphere evocative of a balmy evening
on a slightly sinister bondi beach...
i've lost touch with them at times over the years
but 25 years on
these guys are still creating works of great beauty
albeit of a more mature and subtle bent
you can hear a few tracks off of the latest album here
wow! 'unified field' must be the catchiest thing they've done for ages!
your fireseedy boy feeling proud of himself again tonite
yep! won't be able to get head thru door of flat soon
the 'quarium's lookin' a treat with all the new plants in it
fish seem happy and all have survived, touch wood
latest upheaval to their peaceful water world
fireseed christened new yoga mat, too
up on yonder roof
as the sun went down and the gloom (and mossies) gathered
the trick now is to get into a proper roo-teen
what with going back to the old 9 to 5 tomorrow
or sometimes the old 6:30 to 9
or the 10 to 11
which has got to S-T-O-P!!
fireseed's chuseok resolution, friends
to keep a sense of balance to all things
to spread the energy evenly
not shoveling it all into the bottomless four-letter word bucket
where it aint appreciated anyway
then feeling washed up and hung out to dry the rest of the time
like at the start of these chew-sock holy days
not getting any new songs recorded
(and the's plenty of 'em, too!)
you promise me you'll turn over a new leaf, fireseed?
i promise
really?
cross my heart, old bean
attaboy, fireseed!
night, friends
f
xxxx
Saturday, October 07, 2006
LIFE OUTSIDE THE TENT (CHEW SOCK ON THE ROOF WITH A LOUD BANG)
in the spare room
and the mossies are rampant
somehow the little buggers are squeezing in around the screens
insect kamikaze pilots, wreckless specimens
hurling themselves fearlessly at my defenceless flesh
come to fill up on my vegan blood
and blood sports, my seedlings,
are one thing i can't stand...
anyway, back in the O2 tent
after a chew-sock spent with the outlaws / inlaws
over at changmonim's place in gaebong
j's sis, minja, and her hubby
turn up unexpectedly with their 2 daughters
(h's cousins, yoora and jeewoo)
we tuck into some hearty chuseok fare
changmo has got me in some delicioso green bean pancakes
from the local market, bless her soul
(worth the admission price in themselves)
deep-fried mushrooms and courgettes
veggie buckwheat noodles
yummy mountain vegetable side-dishes
sticky purple rice with beans in it
marinated tofu
who says it's hard to be vegan?
dive-bombing moquito hits its target
fireseed's compassion for all sentient beings is rapidly crumbling
don't know what it is about these occasions
might well have a lot to do with stuffing
unusually large quantities
of tasty and wholesome but heavy food
down my gullet
but fireseed always come down
with an acute case of sleeping sickness!
may also be the shock of being unceremoniously chucked out
of my O2 tent
all that colloquial korean zinging about
the tv blaring out its holiday vacuous entertainment specials
but at some point i manage to escape the food and din
to take h and yoora up onto the roof to see the full moon
and the sea of tranquility
(fireseed startin' to get real fond
of these handy rooftop vantage points)
our lunar friend does not disappoint
as round and bright as i can ever remember
'why is it round tonight?' asks h, intelligently
daddy wishes he'd paid more attention at school
we climb down and the whole family
heads down to the local norae bang
korea's answer to kareoke
the funny thing about norae bang is
i always hate the idea of it
but always ending up enjoying it
of course it's naff as hell
locked in a room with the in-laws
thumbing through a book of hits
by musical heavyweights of the likes of cliff richard, westlife and englebert humperdink
(not a trace of bowie or bolan)
horrible digital echo on the mike
which amplifies every flat note and mistimed entrance
about 10 times
four tv screens showing the same bizarre visuals
always out-of-sync or totally unconnected with the song
the mock 96% score out of 100
which you get even if you don't sing anything!
and yet, and yet...
it somehow brings everyone out of themselves
changmonim does a heartfelt and surprisingly well-sung rendition
of some 60's korean ballad
minja and hubby do a slightly off-key duet arms linked
the kids shake the tambourines and have their turns
even my feeble attempts
at some jaurim and a couple of korean folk songs
gain nuff respect from changmonim
to get her asking j why i can't speak korean
when i can sing in it!
after leaving changmo's place
and taking leave of the outlaws
la famille watton take in a kids' play at a little teatro in hongdae
'mr wolf and one little pig'
mainly in english
a confusing musical take on the trad story
with pretty much zero plot
but some expressive acting by the main character
then we brave the hoards of trolley-pushers
at the world cup stadium super
to pick up a yoga mat
and a new bubble thingy and some plants
for our aquarium
can't say fireseed's completely relished his unfamiliar role
as aquarist...aquatist?
a good/bad number of the little friends
we inherited from the previous owners
have since gone to their little fishy graves in the sky
then alarmingly one day out of the blue
the bubble thingy just stops
and the water starts stagnating
thought our little aquatic companions
were all gonna bite the dust
but against all odds, there haven't been any more fatalities
fireseed been doin' his level best to clean the tank
and scrape off the algy with a toothbrush
fireseed, not renowned for his pet-pampering skills,
feeling quite proud of himself...
"sunday morning
praise the dawning
it's just a restless feeling by my side
early dawning,
sunday morning
it's just the wasted years so close behind"
be proud of yourselves, two, deer readers!
laters
f
and the mossies are rampant
somehow the little buggers are squeezing in around the screens
insect kamikaze pilots, wreckless specimens
hurling themselves fearlessly at my defenceless flesh
come to fill up on my vegan blood
and blood sports, my seedlings,
are one thing i can't stand...
anyway, back in the O2 tent
after a chew-sock spent with the outlaws / inlaws
over at changmonim's place in gaebong
j's sis, minja, and her hubby
turn up unexpectedly with their 2 daughters
(h's cousins, yoora and jeewoo)
we tuck into some hearty chuseok fare
changmo has got me in some delicioso green bean pancakes
from the local market, bless her soul
(worth the admission price in themselves)
deep-fried mushrooms and courgettes
veggie buckwheat noodles
yummy mountain vegetable side-dishes
sticky purple rice with beans in it
marinated tofu
who says it's hard to be vegan?
dive-bombing moquito hits its target
fireseed's compassion for all sentient beings is rapidly crumbling
don't know what it is about these occasions
might well have a lot to do with stuffing
unusually large quantities
of tasty and wholesome but heavy food
down my gullet
but fireseed always come down
with an acute case of sleeping sickness!
may also be the shock of being unceremoniously chucked out
of my O2 tent
all that colloquial korean zinging about
the tv blaring out its holiday vacuous entertainment specials
but at some point i manage to escape the food and din
to take h and yoora up onto the roof to see the full moon
and the sea of tranquility
(fireseed startin' to get real fond
of these handy rooftop vantage points)
our lunar friend does not disappoint
as round and bright as i can ever remember
'why is it round tonight?' asks h, intelligently
daddy wishes he'd paid more attention at school
we climb down and the whole family
heads down to the local norae bang
korea's answer to kareoke
the funny thing about norae bang is
i always hate the idea of it
but always ending up enjoying it
of course it's naff as hell
locked in a room with the in-laws
thumbing through a book of hits
by musical heavyweights of the likes of cliff richard, westlife and englebert humperdink
(not a trace of bowie or bolan)
horrible digital echo on the mike
which amplifies every flat note and mistimed entrance
about 10 times
four tv screens showing the same bizarre visuals
always out-of-sync or totally unconnected with the song
the mock 96% score out of 100
which you get even if you don't sing anything!
and yet, and yet...
it somehow brings everyone out of themselves
changmonim does a heartfelt and surprisingly well-sung rendition
of some 60's korean ballad
minja and hubby do a slightly off-key duet arms linked
the kids shake the tambourines and have their turns
even my feeble attempts
at some jaurim and a couple of korean folk songs
gain nuff respect from changmonim
to get her asking j why i can't speak korean
when i can sing in it!
after leaving changmo's place
and taking leave of the outlaws
la famille watton take in a kids' play at a little teatro in hongdae
'mr wolf and one little pig'
mainly in english
a confusing musical take on the trad story
with pretty much zero plot
but some expressive acting by the main character
then we brave the hoards of trolley-pushers
at the world cup stadium super
to pick up a yoga mat
and a new bubble thingy and some plants
for our aquarium
can't say fireseed's completely relished his unfamiliar role
as aquarist...aquatist?
a good/bad number of the little friends
we inherited from the previous owners
have since gone to their little fishy graves in the sky
then alarmingly one day out of the blue
the bubble thingy just stops
and the water starts stagnating
thought our little aquatic companions
were all gonna bite the dust
but against all odds, there haven't been any more fatalities
fireseed been doin' his level best to clean the tank
and scrape off the algy with a toothbrush
fireseed, not renowned for his pet-pampering skills,
feeling quite proud of himself...
"sunday morning
praise the dawning
it's just a restless feeling by my side
early dawning,
sunday morning
it's just the wasted years so close behind"
be proud of yourselves, two, deer readers!
laters
f
Friday, October 06, 2006
ART GALLERY
morning seeds
a resplendant chuseok morning it is too
in hazy but sunny seoul
been up on the roof garden
exercising the muscles
putting up the sun umbrella
activating some dormant vitamin d
breakfasting and reading storybooks
with h and j
(make mental note to purchase mat and try some yoga up there)
h has just made one of those enormous breakthroughs
which transform the life of a 3-year-old
learnt how to hold a crayon properly
between fumb and forefinger
by watching daddy drawing
and checking all the while
'daddy, is it right? like this, daddy?'
'yes, my peach, you're doin' great!'
and sure enough
the extra control has helped her to make a huge artistic leap
people with eyes, noses, bodies, arms n legs
so here is h's first art exhibition
dig daddy's hairy forehead and big ears...
daddy
mummy and hannah
monster
a resplendant chuseok morning it is too
in hazy but sunny seoul
been up on the roof garden
exercising the muscles
putting up the sun umbrella
activating some dormant vitamin d
breakfasting and reading storybooks
with h and j
(make mental note to purchase mat and try some yoga up there)
h has just made one of those enormous breakthroughs
which transform the life of a 3-year-old
learnt how to hold a crayon properly
between fumb and forefinger
by watching daddy drawing
and checking all the while
'daddy, is it right? like this, daddy?'
'yes, my peach, you're doin' great!'
and sure enough
the extra control has helped her to make a huge artistic leap
people with eyes, noses, bodies, arms n legs
so here is h's first art exhibition
dig daddy's hairy forehead and big ears...
daddy
mummy and hannah
monster
Thursday, October 05, 2006
LIFE IN THE OXYGEN TENT
a good evening to you, my bloglets
your faithful fireseed checking into the cyber motel once again
at your fave cyberport
'the art of living'
cheers for giving me a few mins
of your preshus day, my seeds...
tonight is chuseok eve
that time of year when the thoughts of kindly korean son-in-laws
turn to presentation packs of spam
a thoughtful gift for their dear mama-in-laws
(needless to say one that this seed's m-i-l shall go without)
a bright harvest moon waxes high in the seoul sky
lighting the way home for many a cheerful beerful drunk
fireseed treating hisself
to the remainder of a bottle of aussie white
chez moi
had a lovely day
invited some friends round for lunch
kris and gulcin
ate heartily
lentil curry & couscous
olive oil and balsamic vinegar
bulgar wheat and berkera
a tasty aussie white
fine jasmine tea and good espresso
sat out on our lovely roof terrace
as the sun sank over seoul
balmy temperatures for october
h having a good time riding her trike
and showing off for the guests
pretty as a picture in her summer dress
took her to the playground afterwards
to burn up some of that energy
that only 3-year-olds have
(i wish i had it)
now h asleep on the couch
j out with a pal...
don't know bout you guys
but this seed been enjoying some much needed r 'n' r, friends
some productive internet surfing
unearthed this little gem of an interview
off tony dushane's pirate cat radio show
a chat with 'the man':
steve kilbey
lead singer-songwriter of 'the church'
a big musical inspiration
since i discovered em over 20 years ago
monsieur kilbey is one cool druid
(and it turns out he's a vegan too!)
just listen to what he's got to say about
ageing rockers
ageing gracefully
playing acoustically
artistic integrity
nurturing creativity
etcetera, etcetera
i could listen to that cat all day...
life in the oxygen tent
cut off from reality
the boy in the bubble
that's how it feels for fireseed
living in sk most of the time
staying in the comfort zone
home to work
work to home
on the #9 bus
off the #9 bus
on the #271 bus
off the #271 bus
past the parades of slim, mini-skirted, sleek-haired agassis
holding hands
gawky four-eyed teenage boys
in their under-sized school uniforms
puppy fat toilet brush-haired girls
in their ankle socks
in the shower and iron a shirt
espresso n toast for brekky
(clunk!!!! h falls off sofa in lounge
and lands on floor
daddy picks her up
and nestles her on lap
in front of computer
then thinks better of it
and puts her into bed)
...rewwwwwwwwiiiiiiinnnnnddddddddddd...
espresso n toast for brekky
another espresso in the local cafe
no lunch as a rule
mushroom pasta or bean paste soup for dinner
speaking ze english all day
except for trotting out the survival korean
"ah - hangungmal chal hashineyo!"
"what good korean you speak!"
(embarrassed chuckle) "komapsupnida"
"thank you"
('ive only been living 'ere 5 years -
you should hear my feeble attempts to extrapolate
on the political and economic injustices
of corporate-lead globalisation',
thinks fireseed, grinning nervously)
"so big deal," you say
i guess we all got our own comfort zone...
speaking of the old CLG
fireseed knocked out once again
by the contrariness
of the twisted world we inhabit
went to buy some kimbap the other day
rice rolled up in seaweed - the 'korean sushi'
normal price 1000 won
ham, egg, maybe some fishcake or crabstick,
pickled radish, pickled root vegetable
of course fireseed asks the disapproving ajumma for 'salad kimbap'
take out the ham, egg, fishcake and crabstick
(that's most of the main ingredients)
add a bit of mixed salad
and what is the asking price for this downsized veggie version?
a whopping 2500 won, that's what
- only a 150% premium!
never mind the unsavoury practice of eating dead pigs and sea creatures
but where's the incentive
to avoid supporting the hugely wasteful business
of producing feed for export
chucking subsistence farmers in poor countries off their land
to make way for huge cash-crop farms,
then transporting the stuff thousands of miles
and feeding it to unfortunate creatures
crammed into tiny inhumane spaces
so that we can 'enjoy' a little bit of third-generation protein
which took a catastrophic amount of the earth's resources to produce?
not much incentive at all, is it, my seeds?
...ok, rant over
been good communing with ya as always
here's the key
i'm checking out
a very happy chuseok to you and yours
love
f
your faithful fireseed checking into the cyber motel once again
at your fave cyberport
'the art of living'
cheers for giving me a few mins
of your preshus day, my seeds...
tonight is chuseok eve
that time of year when the thoughts of kindly korean son-in-laws
turn to presentation packs of spam
a thoughtful gift for their dear mama-in-laws
(needless to say one that this seed's m-i-l shall go without)
a bright harvest moon waxes high in the seoul sky
lighting the way home for many a cheerful beerful drunk
fireseed treating hisself
to the remainder of a bottle of aussie white
chez moi
had a lovely day
invited some friends round for lunch
kris and gulcin
ate heartily
lentil curry & couscous
olive oil and balsamic vinegar
bulgar wheat and berkera
a tasty aussie white
fine jasmine tea and good espresso
sat out on our lovely roof terrace
as the sun sank over seoul
balmy temperatures for october
h having a good time riding her trike
and showing off for the guests
pretty as a picture in her summer dress
took her to the playground afterwards
to burn up some of that energy
that only 3-year-olds have
(i wish i had it)
now h asleep on the couch
j out with a pal...
don't know bout you guys
but this seed been enjoying some much needed r 'n' r, friends
some productive internet surfing
unearthed this little gem of an interview
off tony dushane's pirate cat radio show
a chat with 'the man':
steve kilbey
lead singer-songwriter of 'the church'
a big musical inspiration
since i discovered em over 20 years ago
monsieur kilbey is one cool druid
(and it turns out he's a vegan too!)
just listen to what he's got to say about
ageing rockers
ageing gracefully
playing acoustically
artistic integrity
nurturing creativity
etcetera, etcetera
i could listen to that cat all day...
life in the oxygen tent
cut off from reality
the boy in the bubble
that's how it feels for fireseed
living in sk most of the time
staying in the comfort zone
home to work
work to home
on the #9 bus
off the #9 bus
on the #271 bus
off the #271 bus
past the parades of slim, mini-skirted, sleek-haired agassis
holding hands
gawky four-eyed teenage boys
in their under-sized school uniforms
puppy fat toilet brush-haired girls
in their ankle socks
in the shower and iron a shirt
espresso n toast for brekky
(clunk!!!! h falls off sofa in lounge
and lands on floor
daddy picks her up
and nestles her on lap
in front of computer
then thinks better of it
and puts her into bed)
...rewwwwwwwwiiiiiiinnnnnddddddddddd...
espresso n toast for brekky
another espresso in the local cafe
no lunch as a rule
mushroom pasta or bean paste soup for dinner
speaking ze english all day
except for trotting out the survival korean
"ah - hangungmal chal hashineyo!"
"what good korean you speak!"
(embarrassed chuckle) "komapsupnida"
"thank you"
('ive only been living 'ere 5 years -
you should hear my feeble attempts to extrapolate
on the political and economic injustices
of corporate-lead globalisation',
thinks fireseed, grinning nervously)
"so big deal," you say
i guess we all got our own comfort zone...
speaking of the old CLG
fireseed knocked out once again
by the contrariness
of the twisted world we inhabit
went to buy some kimbap the other day
rice rolled up in seaweed - the 'korean sushi'
normal price 1000 won
ham, egg, maybe some fishcake or crabstick,
pickled radish, pickled root vegetable
of course fireseed asks the disapproving ajumma for 'salad kimbap'
take out the ham, egg, fishcake and crabstick
(that's most of the main ingredients)
add a bit of mixed salad
and what is the asking price for this downsized veggie version?
a whopping 2500 won, that's what
- only a 150% premium!
never mind the unsavoury practice of eating dead pigs and sea creatures
but where's the incentive
to avoid supporting the hugely wasteful business
of producing feed for export
chucking subsistence farmers in poor countries off their land
to make way for huge cash-crop farms,
then transporting the stuff thousands of miles
and feeding it to unfortunate creatures
crammed into tiny inhumane spaces
so that we can 'enjoy' a little bit of third-generation protein
which took a catastrophic amount of the earth's resources to produce?
not much incentive at all, is it, my seeds?
...ok, rant over
been good communing with ya as always
here's the key
i'm checking out
a very happy chuseok to you and yours
love
f
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
THE FRUITS OF EXPERIENCE
'Experience is not what happens to you,
it is what you do with what happens to you.'
Aldous Huxley
'O Lord, remember not only the men and women of good will but also those of ill will. But do not remember all the suffering they have inflicted upon us, remember the fruits we bought thanks to this suffering: our comradeship, our loyalty, our humility, the courage, the generosity, the greatness of heart which has grown out of this. And when they come to judgement, let all the fruits that we have borne be their forgiveness.'
Prayer found written on a piece of wrapping paper in Ravensbruck, largest of the concentration camps for women in Nazi Germany
it is what you do with what happens to you.'
Aldous Huxley
'O Lord, remember not only the men and women of good will but also those of ill will. But do not remember all the suffering they have inflicted upon us, remember the fruits we bought thanks to this suffering: our comradeship, our loyalty, our humility, the courage, the generosity, the greatness of heart which has grown out of this. And when they come to judgement, let all the fruits that we have borne be their forgiveness.'
Prayer found written on a piece of wrapping paper in Ravensbruck, largest of the concentration camps for women in Nazi Germany
Saturday, September 23, 2006
MY INVISIBLE FRIEND
have you heard about my invisible friend?
he helps me out when i'm in a jam
he wipes my conscience clean, does my dirty work
my loyal friend always carries the can
he signs my cheques with his invisible ink
takes the dock to take the blame
i do not ask what he does with my capital
but the profit margins swell day by day
he got no body, he got no head
ain't got no mind to reason with
ain't got no heart, he ain't got no soul
ain't got no home, ain't got no clothes
but he'll protect me if things go awry
take the flak when the bullets fly
his hands tug the important strings
he'll wear the cuffs when they reel him in
my invisible friend
i'll vanish into thin air when the bubble bursts
like a shadow fading with the light
and when they sniff around for the evidence
i'll slip away into the night
he got no body, he got no head
ain't got no mind to reason with
ain't got no heart, he ain't got no soul
ain't got no home, ain't got no clothes
but he'll protect me if things go awry
take the flak when the bullets fly
his hands tug the important strings
he'll wear the cuffs when they reel him in
my invisible friend
he helps me out when i'm in a jam
he wipes my conscience clean, does my dirty work
my loyal friend always carries the can
he signs my cheques with his invisible ink
takes the dock to take the blame
i do not ask what he does with my capital
but the profit margins swell day by day
he got no body, he got no head
ain't got no mind to reason with
ain't got no heart, he ain't got no soul
ain't got no home, ain't got no clothes
but he'll protect me if things go awry
take the flak when the bullets fly
his hands tug the important strings
he'll wear the cuffs when they reel him in
my invisible friend
i'll vanish into thin air when the bubble bursts
like a shadow fading with the light
and when they sniff around for the evidence
i'll slip away into the night
he got no body, he got no head
ain't got no mind to reason with
ain't got no heart, he ain't got no soul
ain't got no home, ain't got no clothes
but he'll protect me if things go awry
take the flak when the bullets fly
his hands tug the important strings
he'll wear the cuffs when they reel him in
my invisible friend
Thursday, September 21, 2006
DON'T BELIEVE THE TRUTH
greetings my seedlings!
tis 11:17 post laborum in sk
fireseed clocking in again here
after yet another lengthy absence
from the cyber airwaves
fireseed real sorry not to be seeing you more often
fireseed been burning the candle at all ends, you understand
so 'apple logeys' to all those peeps out there
who aint been getting no responses to their massages
not even a dismissive grunt
from your well-meaning
but oh-so-weary fireseede...
to senor roberts, my man in cathay
to herr duncumb, my very own java correspondent
to mr k, my malay insider
to monsieur edwards, my kindred spirit
and fellow alumnus of the goat & tricycle
to doctor russel, who opened my taste buds
to the joys of the dark frothy stuff in the first place
i love you all...
and so once more to the shadowy theme of corporatocra$y
the great disease of our times, o my seeds...
'The twentieth century has been characterised by three developments of great political importance: the growth of democracy, the growth of corporate power, and the growth of corporate propaganda as a means of protecting corporate power against democracy.'
Alex Carey, 'Taking the risk out of democracy,' University of Illinois Press, 1995, p.ix
...i have such great fear about what we shall reap
from this plague of unbridled G-R-E-E-D, my seedlets
for these ruthlessly efficient beasts of capitalism
will tear us luddite herbivores limb from limb
even as we flee towards our simple burrows...
...as know-all gallagher (of all people!) said:
don't believe the truth!
tis 11:17 post laborum in sk
fireseed clocking in again here
after yet another lengthy absence
from the cyber airwaves
fireseed real sorry not to be seeing you more often
fireseed been burning the candle at all ends, you understand
so 'apple logeys' to all those peeps out there
who aint been getting no responses to their massages
not even a dismissive grunt
from your well-meaning
but oh-so-weary fireseede...
to senor roberts, my man in cathay
to herr duncumb, my very own java correspondent
to mr k, my malay insider
to monsieur edwards, my kindred spirit
and fellow alumnus of the goat & tricycle
to doctor russel, who opened my taste buds
to the joys of the dark frothy stuff in the first place
i love you all...
and so once more to the shadowy theme of corporatocra$y
the great disease of our times, o my seeds...
'The twentieth century has been characterised by three developments of great political importance: the growth of democracy, the growth of corporate power, and the growth of corporate propaganda as a means of protecting corporate power against democracy.'
Alex Carey, 'Taking the risk out of democracy,' University of Illinois Press, 1995, p.ix
...i have such great fear about what we shall reap
from this plague of unbridled G-R-E-E-D, my seedlets
for these ruthlessly efficient beasts of capitalism
will tear us luddite herbivores limb from limb
even as we flee towards our simple burrows...
...as know-all gallagher (of all people!) said:
don't believe the truth!
Monday, September 11, 2006
ANTI-NOSTALGIA TRIP
dunno why i was thinking about this today, friends
fireseed's fertile mind
dredging up a forgotten fragment
of a bashful half-remembered kindergeist
that time when i was
a frightened little kid in a big scary world
(instead of a frightened big kid in a big scary world)
but guess we've all been there...
suppose it would be somewhere around 1975
(end of the vietnam war and start of pol pot's rampage
- to put it in a historical context!)
back at the old grey school
northfield manor junior and infants
our house backed onto the playground
one morning
we was in the little school assembly hall
which doubled as a kind of gym
they had this weird kind of climbing apparatus
the kids used to carry it out into the middle of the room
well one day our class is clearing this apparatus away
after PE
and i guess i'm just sitting there on my own
in my shorts
in the middle of the floor
minding my own business
just daydreaming as usual
wishing i was somewhere else
where i could call the shots
playing footy or cricket with the gang
in the park or something
anyway suddenly this huge heavy weight falls on me
like a baby elephant losing its footing
takes the wind out of me
almost knocks me senseless...
and suddenly i realise what it is:
its the teacher
miss jones
a big lady in flared trousers
shes gone and fallen backwards on top of me
not looking where she was going
as she was putting away the equipment
and right then she starts shouting at me:
'you stupid little boy
what do you think you're doing
sitting there in the middle of the floor?!'
not worried about my welfare
more concerned about her dignity
god, what an awful experience!
one of a few at that time in my life
the enforced socialisation
with people i didnae wish to socialise with...
give me the child for the first seven years of his life,
they say,
and give me...what?
fireseed's fertile mind
dredging up a forgotten fragment
of a bashful half-remembered kindergeist
that time when i was
a frightened little kid in a big scary world
(instead of a frightened big kid in a big scary world)
but guess we've all been there...
suppose it would be somewhere around 1975
(end of the vietnam war and start of pol pot's rampage
- to put it in a historical context!)
back at the old grey school
northfield manor junior and infants
our house backed onto the playground
one morning
we was in the little school assembly hall
which doubled as a kind of gym
they had this weird kind of climbing apparatus
the kids used to carry it out into the middle of the room
well one day our class is clearing this apparatus away
after PE
and i guess i'm just sitting there on my own
in my shorts
in the middle of the floor
minding my own business
just daydreaming as usual
wishing i was somewhere else
where i could call the shots
playing footy or cricket with the gang
in the park or something
anyway suddenly this huge heavy weight falls on me
like a baby elephant losing its footing
takes the wind out of me
almost knocks me senseless...
and suddenly i realise what it is:
its the teacher
miss jones
a big lady in flared trousers
shes gone and fallen backwards on top of me
not looking where she was going
as she was putting away the equipment
and right then she starts shouting at me:
'you stupid little boy
what do you think you're doing
sitting there in the middle of the floor?!'
not worried about my welfare
more concerned about her dignity
god, what an awful experience!
one of a few at that time in my life
the enforced socialisation
with people i didnae wish to socialise with...
give me the child for the first seven years of his life,
they say,
and give me...what?
Sunday, September 10, 2006
THE GOLDEN ARCHIES
alright my seedy stars?
so how is life in your galaxy?
talk to me some more
my loyal bulbs
it can be awful lonely gazing out at planet earth
from out here in cyberspace...
to be honest with you
your faithful fireseed feels more like burnt out ash today
(been doing a tad too much of the four-letter word recently
since my slight return to S-E-O-U-L)...
ever since we moved to this part of the city
your fire-bellied boy has been compelled to pass those golden archies
(that's muckdonalds, dontcha know, my seeds)
on his way to and from the underground stay-shun
and every time i do
the same little subvert
runneth involuntarily through my brain circuitry:
'muckdonalds...
eat shit...
feel like shit...
look like shit!'
i can just envisage the poster
(complete with unfortunate but obliging grinning obese stooge)
embellishing the windows of that plastic fodder factory
we (well, some of us!) love to hate...
and while on the theme
of giving the place a much needed makeover
well im afraid it wouldnae go down too well in sk
oh my precious seeds
but this little bit of rebranding would be a bit of fun!
so how is life in your galaxy?
talk to me some more
my loyal bulbs
it can be awful lonely gazing out at planet earth
from out here in cyberspace...
to be honest with you
your faithful fireseed feels more like burnt out ash today
(been doing a tad too much of the four-letter word recently
since my slight return to S-E-O-U-L)...
ever since we moved to this part of the city
your fire-bellied boy has been compelled to pass those golden archies
(that's muckdonalds, dontcha know, my seeds)
on his way to and from the underground stay-shun
and every time i do
the same little subvert
runneth involuntarily through my brain circuitry:
'muckdonalds...
eat shit...
feel like shit...
look like shit!'
i can just envisage the poster
(complete with unfortunate but obliging grinning obese stooge)
embellishing the windows of that plastic fodder factory
we (well, some of us!) love to hate...
and while on the theme
of giving the place a much needed makeover
well im afraid it wouldnae go down too well in sk
oh my precious seeds
but this little bit of rebranding would be a bit of fun!
BELIEVE NOTHING
'Believe half of what you see...
and nothing of what you hear.'
keith smith, dad of an old pedigree chum from not-in-gum
and nothing of what you hear.'
keith smith, dad of an old pedigree chum from not-in-gum
Saturday, September 09, 2006
FIRESEED THE CONKERER!
hi there dear bluddies
here i am a-reviving
the noble art of conkering
with me pal eddie
misfortunately he was about to shatter my dreams
with a deadly hit!
WIDENING THE CIRCLE
'Our task must be
to free ourselves
by widening our circle of compassion
to embrace all living creatures
and the whole of nature and its beauty.'
Albert Einstein
to free ourselves
by widening our circle of compassion
to embrace all living creatures
and the whole of nature and its beauty.'
Albert Einstein
HOT SHAMPOO
x-ray machines
belt off, frisk you
standing in an endless queue
close surveillance
sniffer dogs in your face
looking for that hot shampoo
cruising through the sky
eight miles high
keep an eye
out for a dodgy guy
reaching for his hot shampoo!
hot shampoo
what is going through
the mind of this agent of death?
what's going on in his head?
is he a martyr to the cause?
or a psychopath who pours
oil on a flaming fire
stoking the funeral pyre?
don't we get what we deserve
playing with that hot shampoo?
goldfish memories
talking up the enemies
sending them the recipe through
diplomatic ties
cosmetic exercise
and pretty soon
between me and you
it could be raining down hot shampoo!
hot shampoo
what is going through
the minds of these agents of death?
what's going on in their heads?
are they fighting for our cause?
or psychopaths who pour
oil on a flaming fire
building the funeral pyre
ever higher?
belt off, frisk you
standing in an endless queue
close surveillance
sniffer dogs in your face
looking for that hot shampoo
cruising through the sky
eight miles high
keep an eye
out for a dodgy guy
reaching for his hot shampoo!
hot shampoo
what is going through
the mind of this agent of death?
what's going on in his head?
is he a martyr to the cause?
or a psychopath who pours
oil on a flaming fire
stoking the funeral pyre?
don't we get what we deserve
playing with that hot shampoo?
goldfish memories
talking up the enemies
sending them the recipe through
diplomatic ties
cosmetic exercise
and pretty soon
between me and you
it could be raining down hot shampoo!
hot shampoo
what is going through
the minds of these agents of death?
what's going on in their heads?
are they fighting for our cause?
or psychopaths who pour
oil on a flaming fire
building the funeral pyre
ever higher?
Saturday, September 02, 2006
SHAW THING
"Reasonable men adapt themselves to the world.
Unreasonable men adapt the world to themselves.
That's why all progress depends on unreasonable men."
George Bernard Shaw
Unreasonable men adapt the world to themselves.
That's why all progress depends on unreasonable men."
George Bernard Shaw
Thursday, August 31, 2006
CROSSWORD PUZZLE
(1 across, 2 cross, 3 across, 4 across)
in a phonebox on hope road
it's eating up the money!
give me some clues to where you're at
forgive me for the hurry
(1 across) creative cellar/seller
(2 down) two cool cats
(3 across) a ransom for a king
(4 down) tranquility for the skin
you're going right up to your room at the top
you're going right up and you ain't gonna stop
no, no, no, no!
crossword puzzle - trying to work it all out
crossword puzzle - trying to work it all out
on the top deck - bristol road
adding up the money!
crunching through the gears to where i'm at
trying not to worry
(5 down) difficult questions
(6 across) inconvenient truths
(7 down) unconventional wisdom
(8 across) discomforting news
i'm going right up to my room at the top
bump my head but i ain't gonna stop
crossword puzzle - trying to work it all out
in a phonebox on hope road
it's eating up the money!
give me some clues to where you're at
forgive me for the hurry
(1 across) creative cellar/seller
(2 down) two cool cats
(3 across) a ransom for a king
(4 down) tranquility for the skin
you're going right up to your room at the top
you're going right up and you ain't gonna stop
no, no, no, no!
crossword puzzle - trying to work it all out
crossword puzzle - trying to work it all out
on the top deck - bristol road
adding up the money!
crunching through the gears to where i'm at
trying not to worry
(5 down) difficult questions
(6 across) inconvenient truths
(7 down) unconventional wisdom
(8 across) discomforting news
i'm going right up to my room at the top
bump my head but i ain't gonna stop
no, no, no, no!
crossword puzzle - trying to work it all outcrossword puzzle - trying to work it all out
BACK FROM SOMEWHERE
a good day to ya, my little fireseedlings
and cheers for bearing with me
holding out for your sweet fireseed boy
during such a long empty silence!
was sincerely hoping to blog to ya whilst in ingerland
but the folks' local publick library in brum
was without an internet connection
which didnae allow me to go make a cuppa tea
in between each click
so even ya meek 'n' mild fireseed boy lost patience...
so how can i give y'all a snapshot
of the lass phew weeks?
well, first and foremost
twas grand to ketchup with a lot of luvly people
scattered across the sceptered isle
(crossing swords with virgin train buffet staff once again in the process):
the old folkies at home, o' course
(nanny 'barbiya', granddad, uncle johnny, aunty jean)
sabine, duncs and little ivy in norridge
canny lad colin - over veggy pub food mountain / real ale heaven in york
steve and minny in manchester
(cheers for the musical inspiration - i'm ever the musical expeditionist!)
dave, eunjin, jade and erin in stamford
eddie, tomako, tyler & ricky
alas, janice, me old aussie mate, twas not to be this time...
ingerland was:
overwhelmingly bushy and verdant
after the concrete fields of seoul
- green and pleasant even...
cool and wet
(in a nice kind of way)...
good for stocking up the threadbare wardrobe
(zara have some nice kit!)...
pricey - 30p to make a fonecall, £1.20 to jump onto a filthy brummy bus into town, 27 squid for a train-ride to manchester (but then what d'ya expect?)
twas luvly to be able to understand
what people were saying to ya
and talking about
(i miss eavesdropping!)
people are intresting - even when they're boring
like the walsall / forest footy fans on the train through lestersheer
30 mins of discussion about respective teams' first division fixture lists
- from memory:
'Who've ya got new years day?'
'Away at scunthorpe. You?'
'Home to darlington.'
etcetera, etcetera...
back in korea
jetlag with a vengeance
a lost suitcase
with all me clothes and camera in it
which turned up after three days
phew!
moved across the road
from mangwon il-dong
to mangwon i-dong
a snug little villa on the fourth floor
with a sexy roof garden
nailed our seahorse sculpture to the wall
to greet visitors with a wave (ha! ha!)
back to the steel and glass birdcage
back off the streets
back from somewhere
the journey continues...
bfn and see y'all soon, my seedlings
love f
x
and cheers for bearing with me
holding out for your sweet fireseed boy
during such a long empty silence!
was sincerely hoping to blog to ya whilst in ingerland
but the folks' local publick library in brum
was without an internet connection
which didnae allow me to go make a cuppa tea
in between each click
so even ya meek 'n' mild fireseed boy lost patience...
so how can i give y'all a snapshot
of the lass phew weeks?
well, first and foremost
twas grand to ketchup with a lot of luvly people
scattered across the sceptered isle
(crossing swords with virgin train buffet staff once again in the process):
the old folkies at home, o' course
(nanny 'barbiya', granddad, uncle johnny, aunty jean)
sabine, duncs and little ivy in norridge
canny lad colin - over veggy pub food mountain / real ale heaven in york
steve and minny in manchester
(cheers for the musical inspiration - i'm ever the musical expeditionist!)
dave, eunjin, jade and erin in stamford
eddie, tomako, tyler & ricky
alas, janice, me old aussie mate, twas not to be this time...
ingerland was:
overwhelmingly bushy and verdant
after the concrete fields of seoul
- green and pleasant even...
cool and wet
(in a nice kind of way)...
good for stocking up the threadbare wardrobe
(zara have some nice kit!)...
pricey - 30p to make a fonecall, £1.20 to jump onto a filthy brummy bus into town, 27 squid for a train-ride to manchester (but then what d'ya expect?)
twas luvly to be able to understand
what people were saying to ya
and talking about
(i miss eavesdropping!)
people are intresting - even when they're boring
like the walsall / forest footy fans on the train through lestersheer
30 mins of discussion about respective teams' first division fixture lists
- from memory:
'Who've ya got new years day?'
'Away at scunthorpe. You?'
'Home to darlington.'
etcetera, etcetera...
back in korea
jetlag with a vengeance
a lost suitcase
with all me clothes and camera in it
which turned up after three days
phew!
moved across the road
from mangwon il-dong
to mangwon i-dong
a snug little villa on the fourth floor
with a sexy roof garden
nailed our seahorse sculpture to the wall
to greet visitors with a wave (ha! ha!)
back to the steel and glass birdcage
back off the streets
back from somewhere
the journey continues...
bfn and see y'all soon, my seedlings
love f
x
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
THE CRAZY ONES
'Here's to the crazy ones.
The misfits.
The rebels.
The troublemakers.
The round pegs in the square holes.
The ones who see things differently.
They're not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status quo.
You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them.
About the only thing you can't do is ignore them.
Because they change things.
They push the human race forward.
And while some may see them as crazy, we see genius.
Because the people who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.'
(Jack Kerouac)
The misfits.
The rebels.
The troublemakers.
The round pegs in the square holes.
The ones who see things differently.
They're not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status quo.
You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them.
About the only thing you can't do is ignore them.
Because they change things.
They push the human race forward.
And while some may see them as crazy, we see genius.
Because the people who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.'
(Jack Kerouac)
Thursday, August 17, 2006
THE WAY THE WORLD IS
"...state and business interests...gain from our being bemused, confused, diverted, distracted but, above all, resigned and passive in the face of 'the way the world is'."
(Extract from 'Free to be Human' by David Edwards)
(Extract from 'Free to be Human' by David Edwards)
Sunday, August 06, 2006
NAKED WOMAN SPREADEAGLED ON KITCHEN TABLE!
yep
got home tonite to find a naked woman
lying spreadeagled on my kitchen table!
...hannah really will have to stop leaving her barbie dolls
lying around in a state of undress!
yes my little seeds
barbie has even invaded the household
of your favourite corporate-bashing eco-warrior
heavens to mergatroyd!
whatever next!
off to blighty tomorrow at dawn
love
your faithful fireseede
xxxx
got home tonite to find a naked woman
lying spreadeagled on my kitchen table!
...hannah really will have to stop leaving her barbie dolls
lying around in a state of undress!
yes my little seeds
barbie has even invaded the household
of your favourite corporate-bashing eco-warrior
heavens to mergatroyd!
whatever next!
off to blighty tomorrow at dawn
love
your faithful fireseede
xxxx
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
RAINY DAY WOMEN #12 & 35
hi friends
its been a while
fireseed here at his early morning window seat
looking out as is his wont over the six-lane highway
commuter traffic streams by
the mists swirling furiously over inwangsan
the rain teaming down yet again
unfortunately there's no women here (not even a girl)
except for the ones i spy in the street below
heads down clutching their umbrellas:
'when the rain comes
they run and hide their heads
they might as well be dead'
lennon once sang somewhat uncharitably
(now there's a candidate for the best B-side ever)
as for the rainy day women
been reading some interesting speculations
on where that title came from
though it has always been one of my least favourite dylan songs)...
the mists shift again
pukhansan momentarily appears
just peeking its head above the ugly bank of fiveteen-story luxury apartment blocks
which ruin my view...
been meaning to head down to the riverside park
jogged down there a week or so back, friends
to find my usual route for jogging
and taking h for a cycle ride
totally submerged under two metres of flood water
dread to think what the riverbank looks like now!
spoiled by a rising tide of human waste
discarded plastic bottles
bits of dirty polystyrene
all manner of rubbish
washed up sadly
as a testament to human folly / folie
the jog i was talking about
ends up like a kind of weird dream sequence
the awforities close the eight-lane expressway
along the other side of the river
so there am i
running along a deserted seoulless highway
normally packed with little four-wheeled metal boxes
completely alone...
rain's getting heavier
acid rain
but its luvly to watch
therapeutic to hear the sound of na-cha
drumming on my windows
easing the incessant traffic roar
not much else to say for now, friends
ye olde fireseed's become a dull boy recently
all work and no play, you understand...
spare a thought for the lebanese
write a message on a banknote
write a letter to the prime minister
don't be silent
don't just accept it
hope in the dark
f
xxx
its been a while
fireseed here at his early morning window seat
looking out as is his wont over the six-lane highway
commuter traffic streams by
the mists swirling furiously over inwangsan
the rain teaming down yet again
unfortunately there's no women here (not even a girl)
except for the ones i spy in the street below
heads down clutching their umbrellas:
'when the rain comes
they run and hide their heads
they might as well be dead'
lennon once sang somewhat uncharitably
(now there's a candidate for the best B-side ever)
as for the rainy day women
been reading some interesting speculations
on where that title came from
though it has always been one of my least favourite dylan songs)...
the mists shift again
pukhansan momentarily appears
just peeking its head above the ugly bank of fiveteen-story luxury apartment blocks
which ruin my view...
been meaning to head down to the riverside park
jogged down there a week or so back, friends
to find my usual route for jogging
and taking h for a cycle ride
totally submerged under two metres of flood water
dread to think what the riverbank looks like now!
spoiled by a rising tide of human waste
discarded plastic bottles
bits of dirty polystyrene
all manner of rubbish
washed up sadly
as a testament to human folly / folie
the jog i was talking about
ends up like a kind of weird dream sequence
the awforities close the eight-lane expressway
along the other side of the river
so there am i
running along a deserted seoulless highway
normally packed with little four-wheeled metal boxes
completely alone...
rain's getting heavier
acid rain
but its luvly to watch
therapeutic to hear the sound of na-cha
drumming on my windows
easing the incessant traffic roar
not much else to say for now, friends
ye olde fireseed's become a dull boy recently
all work and no play, you understand...
spare a thought for the lebanese
write a message on a banknote
write a letter to the prime minister
don't be silent
don't just accept it
hope in the dark
f
xxx
Sunday, July 23, 2006
IGNORANT PROTECTIONISTS?
Extract from Alternatives to Economic Globalization - A Better World Is Possible
"The issue is governance. Will ordinary people have a democratic voice in deciding what rules are in the best interests of society? Or will a small ruling elite, meeting in secret and far from public view, be allowed to set the rules that shape the human future? If the concern of the decision makers is only for next quarter's corporate profits, who will care for the health and well-being of people and the planet?
These are increasingly serious questions for a great many people who live with the violence and insecurity that spreads through the world in tandem with growing inequality, unraveling social fabric, and the collapse of critical environmental systems. It is this reality of social and environmental disintegration that has brought millions of people together in a loose global alliance that spans national borders to forge what may be considered the most truly global and inclusive social movement in human history."
"The issue is governance. Will ordinary people have a democratic voice in deciding what rules are in the best interests of society? Or will a small ruling elite, meeting in secret and far from public view, be allowed to set the rules that shape the human future? If the concern of the decision makers is only for next quarter's corporate profits, who will care for the health and well-being of people and the planet?
These are increasingly serious questions for a great many people who live with the violence and insecurity that spreads through the world in tandem with growing inequality, unraveling social fabric, and the collapse of critical environmental systems. It is this reality of social and environmental disintegration that has brought millions of people together in a loose global alliance that spans national borders to forge what may be considered the most truly global and inclusive social movement in human history."
Sunday, July 16, 2006
CORPORATOCRA$Y
money talks, money walks
blood spills, money kills
grasping hands, insane demands
power games, ill-gotten gains
blind faith, fail-safe
mesopotamia laid to waste
time bomb ticking on
in god’s name, what a crying shame!
hungry mouths, death shrouds
nuclear dread overhead
market forces, scarce resources
global warming, early warning
downsized, globalised
dislocated, terminated
biotech, genetic mess
GMO’s and fake logos
logging on, scrolling down
text a message, can't slow down
desktop breakfast, caffeine hit
skipping lunch, no time to quit
destress, detox
relationship is on the rocks
medication, pop a pill
wonder why it makes you ill
bulls and bears, stocks and shares
all your worst nightmares
M & A’s, FTA’s
hear-says and numbered days
focus groups, closed loops
ever feel like you’ve been duped?
legislate dissent as crime
permanent global summertime
death knell, rotten smell
whole damn planet gone to hell
the great machine on its knees
caught a terminal disease
empty spin, taken in
hair shirt dragged through the dirt
non-stop grid-lock
shareholders in the dock
carbon trading, power saving
unreality all pervading
monopoly, tautology
everything is greek to me
calamities, fatalities
hidden externalities
deunioni$ed, brutali$ed
brainwashed, airbrushed, neutrali$ed
corporatocra$y
everthing's for sale
everyone's available
every place the same
everywhere the corporation reign$
blood spills, money kills
grasping hands, insane demands
power games, ill-gotten gains
blind faith, fail-safe
mesopotamia laid to waste
time bomb ticking on
in god’s name, what a crying shame!
hungry mouths, death shrouds
nuclear dread overhead
market forces, scarce resources
global warming, early warning
downsized, globalised
dislocated, terminated
biotech, genetic mess
GMO’s and fake logos
logging on, scrolling down
text a message, can't slow down
desktop breakfast, caffeine hit
skipping lunch, no time to quit
destress, detox
relationship is on the rocks
medication, pop a pill
wonder why it makes you ill
bulls and bears, stocks and shares
all your worst nightmares
M & A’s, FTA’s
hear-says and numbered days
focus groups, closed loops
ever feel like you’ve been duped?
legislate dissent as crime
permanent global summertime
death knell, rotten smell
whole damn planet gone to hell
the great machine on its knees
caught a terminal disease
empty spin, taken in
hair shirt dragged through the dirt
non-stop grid-lock
shareholders in the dock
carbon trading, power saving
unreality all pervading
monopoly, tautology
everything is greek to me
calamities, fatalities
hidden externalities
deunioni$ed, brutali$ed
brainwashed, airbrushed, neutrali$ed
corporatocra$y
everthing's for sale
everyone's available
every place the same
everywhere the corporation reign$
Monday, July 03, 2006
'MUMMY BUYED IT FOR ME'
...so said hannah today...
having read the theory
(skinner, chomsky, krashen, donaldson et al)
its fasinating to observe our own little one
taking her first linguistic steps
hannah has never heard anyone say 'buyed it' of course
but she's learnt that when we talk about the past
we often stick a 'd' sound on the end of a verb
like 'play' changes to 'played'
so the clever little thing's applying the same rule
another great example:
hannah talking about an empty glass of orange juice
on the kitchen table
'I had no all,' says hannah
she means 'I didn't drink it all, (daddy finished it off)'
but i much prefer hannah's version!
having read the theory
(skinner, chomsky, krashen, donaldson et al)
its fasinating to observe our own little one
taking her first linguistic steps
hannah has never heard anyone say 'buyed it' of course
but she's learnt that when we talk about the past
we often stick a 'd' sound on the end of a verb
like 'play' changes to 'played'
so the clever little thing's applying the same rule
another great example:
hannah talking about an empty glass of orange juice
on the kitchen table
'I had no all,' says hannah
she means 'I didn't drink it all, (daddy finished it off)'
but i much prefer hannah's version!
THE TIPPING POINT
lessons learnt from rereading The TP...
1) focus your resources on the connectors, mavens, and salesmen
2) focus on the stickiness of the message
3) consider your context carefully
4) test your intuitions
5) keep believing that real change is possible
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
CO2NNED!
hi there bluddies
to misquote a sex pistol
ever had the feeling youve been co2nned?
well, fireseed been reading up about carbon trading
carbon offsets
plantin' a few trees to save the world
whatever ya wanna call this little scam
the 'new internationalist' magazine has done a great expose
funny how ive always had this nasty little uneasy feeling
about the jolly idea of buying our way out of a consumption-fuelled problem
ye olde climate change, you understand, my dear cyberchums
anyway friends - it turns out weve been serously bio-fooled
led down the kindergarden path by those crafty corporate whores
who will have us pissing around making donations
to the Coldplay monoforest
while the uberbiodiverse amazon goes up in smoke
(is there no end to the deceit and duplicity of big biz?)
corporate social responsibility, dontcha know
biggest oxymoron in the whole book!
nah, carbon offsets aint gonna solve climate change
theyre probably gonna make it a hole in the ozone layer lot worse
selling us the comforting idea that we can carry on our fossil-fool frenzy
like a bunch of neroes
fiddling with our direct debits
while rome and the rest of the planet burns
so whats the real deal, friends?
well, carbon credits from tree planting are a nasty little fake
cos carbon stored temporarily in a tree is of limited use
when carbon released into the atmosfear by burning f***** fuels is permanent
yep, once its burnt its burnt
and im afraid there aint no going back
so dont buy this CO2N, my little fireseeds
the only solution is to keep the black stuff in the ground
(might help us to avoid another iraq-style bloodbath too)
for the sake of ourselves and fyoocha generations
whoever they may be...
hannah elisabeth (our little peach)
kai
naya
little ivy
jade
megan
hawon
jiwon
sohyun
baby bouncer
and all the unborns who havent even had the chance
to take a gulp of luvly fresh unpolluted air
who wont thank us for our greed and selfishness
or our feeble attempts to justify pissing our beautiful earth
and all the creechures in it
up a toilet wall
just so that we can have our weekend break in gay paris...
so just like the 'oral contract'
in that great dodgy video cine ad of yesteryear
carbon trading?
aint worth the paper its written on, mate!
love ya
over and out
your slightly vexed but still sweet fireseedy boy
xxxx
ps: a very happy birthday to my not-so-little bro'
miss ya!
to misquote a sex pistol
ever had the feeling youve been co2nned?
well, fireseed been reading up about carbon trading
carbon offsets
plantin' a few trees to save the world
whatever ya wanna call this little scam
the 'new internationalist' magazine has done a great expose
funny how ive always had this nasty little uneasy feeling
about the jolly idea of buying our way out of a consumption-fuelled problem
ye olde climate change, you understand, my dear cyberchums
anyway friends - it turns out weve been serously bio-fooled
led down the kindergarden path by those crafty corporate whores
who will have us pissing around making donations
to the Coldplay monoforest
while the uberbiodiverse amazon goes up in smoke
(is there no end to the deceit and duplicity of big biz?)
corporate social responsibility, dontcha know
biggest oxymoron in the whole book!
nah, carbon offsets aint gonna solve climate change
theyre probably gonna make it a hole in the ozone layer lot worse
selling us the comforting idea that we can carry on our fossil-fool frenzy
like a bunch of neroes
fiddling with our direct debits
while rome and the rest of the planet burns
so whats the real deal, friends?
well, carbon credits from tree planting are a nasty little fake
cos carbon stored temporarily in a tree is of limited use
when carbon released into the atmosfear by burning f***** fuels is permanent
yep, once its burnt its burnt
and im afraid there aint no going back
so dont buy this CO2N, my little fireseeds
the only solution is to keep the black stuff in the ground
(might help us to avoid another iraq-style bloodbath too)
for the sake of ourselves and fyoocha generations
whoever they may be...
hannah elisabeth (our little peach)
kai
naya
little ivy
jade
megan
hawon
jiwon
sohyun
baby bouncer
and all the unborns who havent even had the chance
to take a gulp of luvly fresh unpolluted air
who wont thank us for our greed and selfishness
or our feeble attempts to justify pissing our beautiful earth
and all the creechures in it
up a toilet wall
just so that we can have our weekend break in gay paris...
so just like the 'oral contract'
in that great dodgy video cine ad of yesteryear
carbon trading?
aint worth the paper its written on, mate!
love ya
over and out
your slightly vexed but still sweet fireseedy boy
xxxx
ps: a very happy birthday to my not-so-little bro'
miss ya!
Monday, June 26, 2006
MESSAGE ON A BANKNOTE
i am the toothless beggar gurning in your face
i am a mountain people abandoned to their fate
i am the crying toad who lost his livelihood
i am the zero-fighter hiding in the jungle
i am the prisoner of conscience languishing in jail
i am the lonely widow her face behind a veil
i am the stooping hunchback
i am the circus freak
i am the blinded child who saw his destiny
my message on this banknote is written here to show
that money cannot buy me
that hatred wont prevail
that lies cannot defeat me
that ignorance will fail to deter me
i am the faceless woman dishonoured and disgraced
i am the refugee dispossessed and displaced
i am the lonely soldier drumming out his beat
i am the sleeping orphans dark flowers on the street
i am the restless ghost howling in the night
i am the silent witness to a genocide
i am the weeping mother in mourning for her child
i am the kazoo player on his endless circle ride
my message on this banknote is written here to show
that money cannot buy me
that hatred wont prevail
that lies cannot defeat me
that ignorance will fail to deter me
so dont you look away
no dont you look away
this message on a banknote is written here to tell
that all is not well...
i am a mountain people abandoned to their fate
i am the crying toad who lost his livelihood
i am the zero-fighter hiding in the jungle
i am the prisoner of conscience languishing in jail
i am the lonely widow her face behind a veil
i am the stooping hunchback
i am the circus freak
i am the blinded child who saw his destiny
my message on this banknote is written here to show
that money cannot buy me
that hatred wont prevail
that lies cannot defeat me
that ignorance will fail to deter me
i am the faceless woman dishonoured and disgraced
i am the refugee dispossessed and displaced
i am the lonely soldier drumming out his beat
i am the sleeping orphans dark flowers on the street
i am the restless ghost howling in the night
i am the silent witness to a genocide
i am the weeping mother in mourning for her child
i am the kazoo player on his endless circle ride
my message on this banknote is written here to show
that money cannot buy me
that hatred wont prevail
that lies cannot defeat me
that ignorance will fail to deter me
so dont you look away
no dont you look away
this message on a banknote is written here to tell
that all is not well...
Sunday, June 25, 2006
CHANGMA!
welcome back to ye olde blog faithful 'bluddies' (blog buddies)
its been a while
good to return to the comfy realm of cyberworld
after an exciting few days in the damp wilds of chollado
have acquired a new addishun to me beleagured korean vocabulary
and what a beauty it is...
'changma'
the rather dull and insipid english translation is 'seasonal rain'
which really doesnt do justice to this lurvly word
seems like most of this summers changma has fallen on me since we last hooked up...
on our bus journey down to the south coast on wensday
i thought we might be needing a boat rather than wheels
on thursday the rain never stopped
thankfully we escaped with a mere sprinkling on friday
but the uninvited clouds burst again with a vengeance on saturday
back in seoul today the sun is out to spite us
still every cloud has a silver lining, if youll pardon the pun!...
back to soggy thursday
having given up on plan A (mountain hike in duryunsan)
and ruled out plan B (fun on the beach)
we come up with plan C - a bus ride through the downpour to 'ddanggut maul' (lands end)
more like the end of the world, friends
mist descending from the verdant hills
wrapping its chilly fingers around us
lands end
wanderin round lookin for somewhere to take shelter from the storm
and to fill our empty bellies
we stumble on a place by the name of 'cape national'
and duck inside
cape national
what a cool place!
an arty surfer-style cafe with a little stage and a piano
stone walls, wooden floor, bamboo ceiling
garish paintings covering the walls
like something out of new south wales rather than korea
the lovely owner, yeorin
smiling n kind
cooks us up some tasty food
graciously accommodates my weird vegan requests
shows us her great cd collection
(sometimes triumph comes out of adversity, friends!)
so here we are sitting there at the end of korea
in this mellow beach cafe
6000 miles from 'home'
munching our delicious fried rice and pasta and salad
cupping our hazelnut coffee
(usually i hate the stuff but it tastes great today!)
listening to king crimson, and belle & sebastian
boy with the arab strap
wow!
now heres a strange question for you:
how do you get from kim jong il to hannah elisabeth in 5 steps?
answer: kim jong il gives a cute little puppy to his pal kim dae jung
kim dj being an octogenarian ex-president of sk
he doesnt really want the hassle of looking after an untoilet-trained puppy
gives it to a friend of his
who is also a friend of yeorin
she takes the puppy down to her cafe at lands end
and introduces it to hannah
anyway, friends, if youre ever passing that way
be sure to check out the cape cafe
stop by for some food
enjoy the minbak with the sky blue walls and balcony looking out over the sea
and find out what great customer service is all about...
heres a few more pics before i sign off
daehungsa temple backdrop
(it stopped raining for a few hours
but not quite long enough for us to reach the summit!)
delicious 'bosot jongul' (tofu n mushroom soup)
a suitable reward for tired mountaineers
dandelion girl at the cape cafe
see ya friends!
its been a while
good to return to the comfy realm of cyberworld
after an exciting few days in the damp wilds of chollado
have acquired a new addishun to me beleagured korean vocabulary
and what a beauty it is...
'changma'
the rather dull and insipid english translation is 'seasonal rain'
which really doesnt do justice to this lurvly word
seems like most of this summers changma has fallen on me since we last hooked up...
on our bus journey down to the south coast on wensday
i thought we might be needing a boat rather than wheels
on thursday the rain never stopped
thankfully we escaped with a mere sprinkling on friday
but the uninvited clouds burst again with a vengeance on saturday
back in seoul today the sun is out to spite us
still every cloud has a silver lining, if youll pardon the pun!...
back to soggy thursday
having given up on plan A (mountain hike in duryunsan)
and ruled out plan B (fun on the beach)
we come up with plan C - a bus ride through the downpour to 'ddanggut maul' (lands end)
more like the end of the world, friends
mist descending from the verdant hills
wrapping its chilly fingers around us
lands end
wanderin round lookin for somewhere to take shelter from the storm
and to fill our empty bellies
we stumble on a place by the name of 'cape national'
and duck inside
cape national
what a cool place!
an arty surfer-style cafe with a little stage and a piano
stone walls, wooden floor, bamboo ceiling
garish paintings covering the walls
like something out of new south wales rather than korea
the lovely owner, yeorin
smiling n kind
cooks us up some tasty food
graciously accommodates my weird vegan requests
shows us her great cd collection
(sometimes triumph comes out of adversity, friends!)
so here we are sitting there at the end of korea
in this mellow beach cafe
6000 miles from 'home'
munching our delicious fried rice and pasta and salad
cupping our hazelnut coffee
(usually i hate the stuff but it tastes great today!)
listening to king crimson, and belle & sebastian
boy with the arab strap
wow!
now heres a strange question for you:
how do you get from kim jong il to hannah elisabeth in 5 steps?
answer: kim jong il gives a cute little puppy to his pal kim dae jung
kim dj being an octogenarian ex-president of sk
he doesnt really want the hassle of looking after an untoilet-trained puppy
gives it to a friend of his
who is also a friend of yeorin
she takes the puppy down to her cafe at lands end
and introduces it to hannah
anyway, friends, if youre ever passing that way
be sure to check out the cape cafe
stop by for some food
enjoy the minbak with the sky blue walls and balcony looking out over the sea
and find out what great customer service is all about...
heres a few more pics before i sign off
daehungsa temple backdrop
(it stopped raining for a few hours
but not quite long enough for us to reach the summit!)
delicious 'bosot jongul' (tofu n mushroom soup)
a suitable reward for tired mountaineers
dandelion girl at the cape cafe
see ya friends!
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
BREAK
just a quickie this one friends
to tell ya not to worry
if you dont here from old fireseed for a few days
tomorrow morn j and h and i are jumping on a bus
off down to the sw coast of this here peninsular
to the province that goes by the lovely name of 'cholla namdo'
for some peace n quiet n fresh air
a mountain and a temple
maybe a beach or two
i cannae wait
(wont escape the 'we are twelfth' tshirts of course!)
so see ya soon friends
and watch this space for more from ye olde fireseede
xxxx
to tell ya not to worry
if you dont here from old fireseed for a few days
tomorrow morn j and h and i are jumping on a bus
off down to the sw coast of this here peninsular
to the province that goes by the lovely name of 'cholla namdo'
for some peace n quiet n fresh air
a mountain and a temple
maybe a beach or two
i cannae wait
(wont escape the 'we are twelfth' tshirts of course!)
so see ya soon friends
and watch this space for more from ye olde fireseede
xxxx
HANGUL
h is learning to read korean 'hangul'
t'is an intresting script designed in the 14th c
by old king saejong and his merry men
to help the general korean populace to read
(them nasty chinese pictograms
were pretty tough to get the hangul of
unlike the korean version
which - famously - can be learnt in a day
although it often isnt!)
maybe we should give it a try in the uk
anyways heres what it looks like: 한글
(oops - guess you may not be able to get that on your computer!)
h's teacher drops by for a short lesson once a week
usually the cue for some frantic last-minute flat-cleaning
but h loves the lessons
particularly sticking the little stickers in her book
t'is an intresting script designed in the 14th c
by old king saejong and his merry men
to help the general korean populace to read
(them nasty chinese pictograms
were pretty tough to get the hangul of
unlike the korean version
which - famously - can be learnt in a day
although it often isnt!)
maybe we should give it a try in the uk
anyways heres what it looks like: 한글
(oops - guess you may not be able to get that on your computer!)
h's teacher drops by for a short lesson once a week
usually the cue for some frantic last-minute flat-cleaning
but h loves the lessons
particularly sticking the little stickers in her book
Monday, June 19, 2006
HOLIDAYS
...are here at last!
went for a picknick in seoul wc park
the morning after the night before
70,000 shaking sanggam stadium to its foundations
(france 1, sk 1 - dramatic korean equaliser right at the deaf!)
no problem hearing the noise from our house...
met up with some friends
christian, basia, kai and little naya
veggy kimbap, raspberries, watermelon and cafe went down well
the kids enjoyed a paddle...
took turns on the bike
here's c and k doing their turn...
but wherever you are at the mo
you cannae escape those red tshirts!
can anyone explain the significance of 'we are twelfth'?!
went for a picknick in seoul wc park
the morning after the night before
70,000 shaking sanggam stadium to its foundations
(france 1, sk 1 - dramatic korean equaliser right at the deaf!)
no problem hearing the noise from our house...
met up with some friends
christian, basia, kai and little naya
veggy kimbap, raspberries, watermelon and cafe went down well
the kids enjoyed a paddle...
took turns on the bike
here's c and k doing their turn...
but wherever you are at the mo
you cannae escape those red tshirts!
can anyone explain the significance of 'we are twelfth'?!
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
MAPPING THE MIND
A technique which organizes ideas around a central key word or concept, mind maps can be used to generate, visualise and categorise ideas as an aid to thinking, study, problem solving and decision making.
By presenting associations between ideas in a radial, non-linear, graphical form, mind maps encourage a brainstorming approach to a task. Maps consist of images, words, and lines. The elements are arranged intuitively according to the importance of the concepts and are organized into hierarchical branches and groupings.
Fireseed's tips
1. Start in the centre of a blank page turned sideways. (This gives you maximum freedom to spread out in all directions.)
2. Use an image or picture as your central idea. (Pictures often help to stimulate the imagination.)
3. Use colour throughout. (Colours are also stimulating, and add vibrancy and life to your mind map.)
4. Draw main branches out from your central image and select a key word or picture for each to establish a basic structure for your thoughts (like branches radiating from the trunk of a tree).
5. Draw secondary branches out from each key word as you associate further ideas.
To keep things simple, try to reduce each idea to just one word or image sitting on its own line. Make the lines the same length as the word/image.
6. Continue generating, associating and branching out ideas. Add more branches where you need to.
7. Add numbers, letters, etc. to finished branches in order to give a logical sequence to the ideas in your completed map.
Some mind mapping applications:
*Brainstorming ideas
*Note-taking (meetings, lectures and talks, conversations, books, articles, etc.)
*Preparing a presentation or talk (see example above)
*Analyzing and solving problems
*Planning a process or project
Sunday, June 11, 2006
SELF PORTRAIT WITH GOATEE
MOTHER'S LITTLE HELPER
maeshil are little korean fruits
good for making sweet fruit tea
hannah got up early this morning
to help mum with the fiddly process of 'destalking'
little h loves her maeshil cha
not so her caffeine-veined father
a peaceful sun day to all
Saturday, June 10, 2006
CRASH!
hi friends!
from my window perch high above the street in the steel and glass birdcage
i have to admit to having a pretty good view of whats going down outside
today there was a nice little pile-up right outside the window
no one seriously injured thankfully
but what tickled me was the two taxis right at the centre of the action
ok - seoul taxi drivers aint quite as bad as their brake-pummelling bus-driving counterparts
but theyre not exactly the most careful of road users!
interesting thing was
when i came back a couple of hours later
the cops had gone and marked the positions of the four sets of wheels on the road
precisely as they were when the vehicles ground to a halt
looked like the scene of a murder investigation
a traffic post-mortem nonetheless!...
well friends
off to catch a bus home
pray for fireseed to get there all in one piece!
laters
F
xxxx
Friday, June 09, 2006
FRESH PINEAPPLE
hi friends
how are ya?
as for yours trooly
well, i had a luvly day!
managed to escape from the steel n glass birdcage
nice n early for a change
(10am - rare feet!)
high-tailed it cross town to a high school near surak mountain
got lost on the subway about three times
sprinted out of surak station
then realised i'd got the wrong exit
which in seoul can mean the diff'rence
between keepin n missin an appointment!
so despite best intentions
arrived 5 minutes late
very unprofessional
draggin ma tail 'tween ma legs
what irony
the lesson topic was 'giving directions'!
but t'was ok - ek was so cool about it
even with all them 'seniors' watchin' at the back!
nice lesson and the kids (16-year-olds) were good as gold
the girls were cute
wanted to chat to me after the lesson
but didnae know how!
(the boys were all cool n just cleared off when the bell went!)
we went to do the feedback
and ek produced this containerful of fresh pineapple
ooh - twas lovely!
quoi plaisir!
givin' feedback to these appreeshative and intelligent teachers
(two of the other 'i-selled' trainees were there too)...
stopped off at daehangno on the way home
had a wander around as the storm clouds gathered
as it started spitting big drops of greasy rain...
thought it would be nice to organise a nite out
in this slightly more cultured n int'restin part of the city
some pasta or pizza in di matteos (real italian nosh/chefs with a proper pizza oven)
some live jazz down the road
ok, fireseed has to admit that hes not a huge jazz fan
though he is partial to the occasional jazz cigarette
(don't you go tellin that to the awf-orities, mind you, friends
- or we won't be friends any more!)
but love live music
specially if there's a guitar or bass player
cos thats my instrument, friends
like to see the chords n runs n riffs that those guys can do
even if it does make me feel like givin up
i have to tell meself:
no, fireseed - don'tcha worry yer ken!
you ain't and never will be a tecnicly good musishun
one of em session musician types
no, fireseed - youre a writer
an arranger
an interpreter of whats going on in the world
a melodist
a harmonist
a rhythm sectionist...well, just about
a shredder? forget it
aint got the patience or the perseverance
aint got the hand-eye-brain coordination
old brain's too slow for any of the old geetar pyrotechnics
i'll leave that to eddie van halen (is he still alive?)
and those amazin jazz dudes in daehangno
anyway, ive had half a bottle of ye olde chilean cabernet
(as may have become clear buy now)
and t'is time i stopped boring ya with ma drivel
so nightie night
and have a good one friends
wherever y'are
n whatever yer doing...
and if ya like footy
enjoy the world cup
hope england
and wayne's meta-tarsal
do emselves justice
even if they get knocked out in the quarters as usual
hope south korea can recreate their little miracle of 2002
night friends
love
yer faithful fireseedy boy
xxxx
how are ya?
as for yours trooly
well, i had a luvly day!
managed to escape from the steel n glass birdcage
nice n early for a change
(10am - rare feet!)
high-tailed it cross town to a high school near surak mountain
got lost on the subway about three times
sprinted out of surak station
then realised i'd got the wrong exit
which in seoul can mean the diff'rence
between keepin n missin an appointment!
so despite best intentions
arrived 5 minutes late
very unprofessional
draggin ma tail 'tween ma legs
what irony
the lesson topic was 'giving directions'!
but t'was ok - ek was so cool about it
even with all them 'seniors' watchin' at the back!
nice lesson and the kids (16-year-olds) were good as gold
the girls were cute
wanted to chat to me after the lesson
but didnae know how!
(the boys were all cool n just cleared off when the bell went!)
we went to do the feedback
and ek produced this containerful of fresh pineapple
ooh - twas lovely!
quoi plaisir!
givin' feedback to these appreeshative and intelligent teachers
(two of the other 'i-selled' trainees were there too)...
stopped off at daehangno on the way home
had a wander around as the storm clouds gathered
as it started spitting big drops of greasy rain...
thought it would be nice to organise a nite out
in this slightly more cultured n int'restin part of the city
some pasta or pizza in di matteos (real italian nosh/chefs with a proper pizza oven)
some live jazz down the road
ok, fireseed has to admit that hes not a huge jazz fan
though he is partial to the occasional jazz cigarette
(don't you go tellin that to the awf-orities, mind you, friends
- or we won't be friends any more!)
but love live music
specially if there's a guitar or bass player
cos thats my instrument, friends
like to see the chords n runs n riffs that those guys can do
even if it does make me feel like givin up
i have to tell meself:
no, fireseed - don'tcha worry yer ken!
you ain't and never will be a tecnicly good musishun
one of em session musician types
no, fireseed - youre a writer
an arranger
an interpreter of whats going on in the world
a melodist
a harmonist
a rhythm sectionist...well, just about
a shredder? forget it
aint got the patience or the perseverance
aint got the hand-eye-brain coordination
old brain's too slow for any of the old geetar pyrotechnics
i'll leave that to eddie van halen (is he still alive?)
and those amazin jazz dudes in daehangno
anyway, ive had half a bottle of ye olde chilean cabernet
(as may have become clear buy now)
and t'is time i stopped boring ya with ma drivel
so nightie night
and have a good one friends
wherever y'are
n whatever yer doing...
and if ya like footy
enjoy the world cup
hope england
and wayne's meta-tarsal
do emselves justice
even if they get knocked out in the quarters as usual
hope south korea can recreate their little miracle of 2002
night friends
love
yer faithful fireseedy boy
xxxx
BIG WIDE WORLD
it's such a big dangerous world out there, baby
there's people dyin' all the time
i don't want to die young, baby
i want to live to see my dreams pass the test
there was another plane crash yesterday, baby
another boy all smashed up in his car
he didn't have the chance to say goodbye
they scraped his guts up off the floor
now they're looking for more victims to insure
out there in the big wide world
they'll eat you up and devour you
out there in the big wide world
beat you up and deflower you
welcome to the big wide world
those bastards'll swallow you whole
out there it's a big wide world
will you let them steal your soul?
it's such a big dangerous world out there, baby
there's people lyin' all the time
don't believe the stuff you read, baby
the system's rotton to the core
an injury to one's an injury to all
out there in the big wide world
they'll eat you up and devour you
out there in the big wide world
beat you up and deflower you
welcome to the big wide world
those bastards'll swallow you whole
out there it's a big wide world
will you let them steal your soul?
put your hands over your eyes
and you will not see the suffering on their faces
you can run but you can't hide
oh, don't forever be resigned to what our fate is
out there in the big wide world
they'll eat you up and devour you
out there in the big wide world
beat you up and deflower you
welcome to the big wide world
those bastards'll swallow you whole
out there it's a big wide world
will you let them steal your soul?
there's people dyin' all the time
i don't want to die young, baby
i want to live to see my dreams pass the test
there was another plane crash yesterday, baby
another boy all smashed up in his car
he didn't have the chance to say goodbye
they scraped his guts up off the floor
now they're looking for more victims to insure
out there in the big wide world
they'll eat you up and devour you
out there in the big wide world
beat you up and deflower you
welcome to the big wide world
those bastards'll swallow you whole
out there it's a big wide world
will you let them steal your soul?
it's such a big dangerous world out there, baby
there's people lyin' all the time
don't believe the stuff you read, baby
the system's rotton to the core
an injury to one's an injury to all
out there in the big wide world
they'll eat you up and devour you
out there in the big wide world
beat you up and deflower you
welcome to the big wide world
those bastards'll swallow you whole
out there it's a big wide world
will you let them steal your soul?
put your hands over your eyes
and you will not see the suffering on their faces
you can run but you can't hide
oh, don't forever be resigned to what our fate is
out there in the big wide world
they'll eat you up and devour you
out there in the big wide world
beat you up and deflower you
welcome to the big wide world
those bastards'll swallow you whole
out there it's a big wide world
will you let them steal your soul?
Monday, June 05, 2006
MANY HAPPY RETURNS
hi friends
how are you this fine monday afternoon?
here in seoul it is warm and humid
summers well n truly here
shorts n t-shirt weather
bbq n cold beer weather
(tofu n lentil burgers only on the bbq please!)
just wanted to say a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
to a dear friend of mine
duncan 'rusty' russel
a scholar and a gentle man
my co-songwriter
and all-round brilliant bloke
congratulations on reaching the milestone, mate!
i miss ya
looking forward to renewing our quaintances
on the fireseeds' happy return to england in augustus
how are you this fine monday afternoon?
here in seoul it is warm and humid
summers well n truly here
shorts n t-shirt weather
bbq n cold beer weather
(tofu n lentil burgers only on the bbq please!)
just wanted to say a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
to a dear friend of mine
duncan 'rusty' russel
a scholar and a gentle man
my co-songwriter
and all-round brilliant bloke
congratulations on reaching the milestone, mate!
i miss ya
looking forward to renewing our quaintances
on the fireseeds' happy return to england in augustus
Saturday, June 03, 2006
WISH-MAKER
hi friends
hope something good happened to you today
here is our hannah elisabeth
making a wish at her third birthday party
(thats a very nice vegan choccy cake by the way!)
Friday, June 02, 2006
WAKE-UP CALL
hey, sleepwalker with your head in the sand
yeah, you with the mobile phone in your hand
yeah, you with the MP3 round your neck
will you listen to me?
i’ll tell you something for free
there’s a vicious war being waged
and the weapon is mass deception
they’ll turn you into a corporate slave
will you be an acolyte or will you misbehave?
tell me what’s gone wrong when the world is run by neo-cons
here’s a message for you all
here’s a wake-up call
here’s a wake-up call
fear, hate and ignorance are deadly terrorists
who are your bedfellows?
tell me who you been sleeping with?
tell me what’s gone wrong
when the world is run by neo-cons
here’s a message for you all
here’s a wake-up call
here’s a wake-up call
here’s a wake-up call
yeah, you with the mobile phone in your hand
yeah, you with the MP3 round your neck
will you listen to me?
i’ll tell you something for free
there’s a vicious war being waged
and the weapon is mass deception
they’ll turn you into a corporate slave
will you be an acolyte or will you misbehave?
tell me what’s gone wrong when the world is run by neo-cons
here’s a message for you all
here’s a wake-up call
here’s a wake-up call
fear, hate and ignorance are deadly terrorists
who are your bedfellows?
tell me who you been sleeping with?
tell me what’s gone wrong
when the world is run by neo-cons
here’s a message for you all
here’s a wake-up call
here’s a wake-up call
here’s a wake-up call
TALKING COMPASSION DEFICIENCY BLUES
it's me again
been a while, crocodile
no particular excuses, man
just busy as ever at the great steel n glass birdcage
sometimes this cyber thing can get a bit lonely
when the comments run dry
IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE????
sitting on an e-cloud?
floating out there on the e-ther?
must give up on these internet puns
they're truly awful...
walked out of the steel n glass birdcage this afternoon
bright sunny seoul pavement
heat bouncing up from the concrete beneath my feet
walked past a 'save the children' stall
those photos hit me hard in the stomach
wham!!!!!!!
pictures of little kids
covered in bruises and scars and cigarette burns
who could do such a thing?
(you could do such a thing
i could do such a thing
we’re all human, friends)
couldn’t help but start making CONNECTIONS...
where do i start?
let's make it within my parents lifetimes:
two whole cities incinerated in japan
dresden reduced to ashes
untold numbers with birth defects in vietnam
(wow! that's MY lifetime!)
hundreds of thousands killed...traumatised in iraq
collateral damage?
a price worth paying?
i dont think so
VIOLENCE!!!!
yobs in the street
racist thugs
refugees go home
youre nickin our f***ing jobs
take that you gypo scum!
bamm!!
VIOLENCE!!!!
train our kids to be meat-eaters
put down your cute little teddy friend
come to the table
eat up that brown lump on the plate
executed in a stinking abbatoir
stuck in a freezer
plucked from a clingfilm-wrapped Styrofoam supermarket tray
thrown in a frying pan
served up for dinner
kind of know where it came from
but don’t really wanna think too much about that
ain't got no qualms about those factory farms
with their inconvenient tales to tell:
the agonised cries of the perma-pregnant cows
the squalid squeals of the pitiful pigs
social animals
jammed so heartlessly into their concrete torture cells
the little male chicks
cast into the incinerator seconds after birth
eat up your peas, love
VIOLENCE!!!!
the rat race
survival of the fittest
stepping on others to get that promotion
sneer at those who look out for others
look out for number one, mate!
don’t worry about the casualties
who aren’t so clever
who aren’t so able
who get fired
who lose their income
who can't feed their families
who lose their dignity
who hit the bottle
who hit their wives, girlfriends
and little kids
who end up with broken arms
and cigarette burns
and bruises
black and blue from head to toe
why is it that we don’t see the connection
between VIOLENCE and VIOLENCE????
between tory blair n george w and that thug who just smacked you in the head
there’s only one way out
gotta reject this apologetic shit
gotta cultivate compassion
gotta cultivate the urge to take action to relieve the suffering of others
thats me done for today
over and out
sorry for the rant
see ya
f
xxxx
been a while, crocodile
no particular excuses, man
just busy as ever at the great steel n glass birdcage
sometimes this cyber thing can get a bit lonely
when the comments run dry
IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE????
sitting on an e-cloud?
floating out there on the e-ther?
must give up on these internet puns
they're truly awful...
walked out of the steel n glass birdcage this afternoon
bright sunny seoul pavement
heat bouncing up from the concrete beneath my feet
walked past a 'save the children' stall
those photos hit me hard in the stomach
wham!!!!!!!
pictures of little kids
covered in bruises and scars and cigarette burns
who could do such a thing?
(you could do such a thing
i could do such a thing
we’re all human, friends)
couldn’t help but start making CONNECTIONS...
where do i start?
let's make it within my parents lifetimes:
two whole cities incinerated in japan
dresden reduced to ashes
untold numbers with birth defects in vietnam
(wow! that's MY lifetime!)
hundreds of thousands killed...traumatised in iraq
collateral damage?
a price worth paying?
i dont think so
VIOLENCE!!!!
yobs in the street
racist thugs
refugees go home
youre nickin our f***ing jobs
take that you gypo scum!
bamm!!
VIOLENCE!!!!
train our kids to be meat-eaters
put down your cute little teddy friend
come to the table
eat up that brown lump on the plate
executed in a stinking abbatoir
stuck in a freezer
plucked from a clingfilm-wrapped Styrofoam supermarket tray
thrown in a frying pan
served up for dinner
kind of know where it came from
but don’t really wanna think too much about that
ain't got no qualms about those factory farms
with their inconvenient tales to tell:
the agonised cries of the perma-pregnant cows
the squalid squeals of the pitiful pigs
social animals
jammed so heartlessly into their concrete torture cells
the little male chicks
cast into the incinerator seconds after birth
eat up your peas, love
VIOLENCE!!!!
the rat race
survival of the fittest
stepping on others to get that promotion
sneer at those who look out for others
look out for number one, mate!
don’t worry about the casualties
who aren’t so clever
who aren’t so able
who get fired
who lose their income
who can't feed their families
who lose their dignity
who hit the bottle
who hit their wives, girlfriends
and little kids
who end up with broken arms
and cigarette burns
and bruises
black and blue from head to toe
why is it that we don’t see the connection
between VIOLENCE and VIOLENCE????
between tory blair n george w and that thug who just smacked you in the head
there’s only one way out
gotta reject this apologetic shit
gotta cultivate compassion
gotta cultivate the urge to take action to relieve the suffering of others
thats me done for today
over and out
sorry for the rant
see ya
f
xxxx
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
TO KNOW WHERE WE ARE GOING
to know where we are going
we have to know where we are
to know that
we have to know where we came from
imagine us all being related
to the same two african ancestors
who walked the earth thousands of years ago
fantastic thought friends is it not
yet in fact its a reality
according to an oxford dna egghead
by the name of steve oppenheimer
so there you have it friends
it appears that all along
throughout modern human history
weve been doing a cain and abel thing
fighting and killing our sisters n brothers
degrading our mums n dads
denigrating our uncles n aunties
exploiting our poor old grandmammies n granddaddies
not knowing the whole time
that we were all family
nazis n jews
whites n blacks
serbs n croats
north koreans n south koreans
well actually we all knew they was family
so i wonder where we are going friends
have our dear leaders sussed
mr oppenheimers message yet
will it make a blind bit of difference
or is it just gonna be business as usual
fireseed
is not
holding
his breath
we have to know where we are
to know that
we have to know where we came from
imagine us all being related
to the same two african ancestors
who walked the earth thousands of years ago
fantastic thought friends is it not
yet in fact its a reality
according to an oxford dna egghead
by the name of steve oppenheimer
so there you have it friends
it appears that all along
throughout modern human history
weve been doing a cain and abel thing
fighting and killing our sisters n brothers
degrading our mums n dads
denigrating our uncles n aunties
exploiting our poor old grandmammies n granddaddies
not knowing the whole time
that we were all family
nazis n jews
whites n blacks
serbs n croats
north koreans n south koreans
well actually we all knew they was family
so i wonder where we are going friends
have our dear leaders sussed
mr oppenheimers message yet
will it make a blind bit of difference
or is it just gonna be business as usual
fireseed
is not
holding
his breath
Sunday, May 21, 2006
OCTOPUS
you launch yourself across your tank
so regal in your water realm
your tentacles like magic arms
reach out to me
reach out to me
your liberty was stolen
as you struggled in a tangled net
now your grisly end awaits
too much for me
too much for me to take
octopus
i'll set you free
deliver you back to the sea
octopus
trust in me
one day you will be free
squeeze your body through a crack
blind your enemy
but there are places you were never meant to go
octopus
you launch yourself across the reef
so regal in your water realm
free to tend your garden home
free to shelter in your briny cave
octopus
swimming free
delivered back into the sea
octopus
trust in me
one day you will be free from it all
free from it all
octopus
you will be free
so regal in your water realm
your tentacles like magic arms
reach out to me
reach out to me
your liberty was stolen
as you struggled in a tangled net
now your grisly end awaits
too much for me
too much for me to take
octopus
i'll set you free
deliver you back to the sea
octopus
trust in me
one day you will be free
squeeze your body through a crack
blind your enemy
but there are places you were never meant to go
octopus
you launch yourself across the reef
so regal in your water realm
free to tend your garden home
free to shelter in your briny cave
octopus
swimming free
delivered back into the sea
octopus
trust in me
one day you will be free from it all
free from it all
octopus
you will be free
DOWN BY THE RIVER
good evening cyber friends
cyber fiends
fibre seeds
fireseeds
yours truly coming online again
this warm seoul evening
wanted to tell you about the lovely time ive had
with lovely hannah elisabeth
bicycling along the river han
the other day we bought me a bike
with a cool kiddy seat you hang from the handlebars
btw j aint a big fan of bicycling, friends
ever since she went flying over the handlebars
in china a few years back
so h and i moseleyed on down to the riverbank
while j went for dinner with friends
m was there but unfortunately not k or l
anyway h and i headed southeast along the river
joining the brigades
of fellow bicyclists
inline skaters
young lovers
old lovers
dog lovers
families et al
past an uninhabited island
a verdant bird sanctuary
under bridges and overpasses
threading our way through the concrete sphagetti
breeze blowing through our hair
cooling our brows
ended up in a field
right opposite the 63 building
gleaming gold in the setting sun
hannah e had nodded off in her perch
so had to stop and rest awhile
lapped up some of my new malcolm gladwell book
blink
then woke hannah e up and rode back to mangwon
towards a perfect orange sun
reflected in the han
disturbed a heron on the bank
flew majestically away across the river into the twilight
something magical about bicycle motion
at least when not slogging up some hill in first gear
saddle digging into yer backside
they say the bike is the ultimate ecological invention
might save us all yet
well anyways me and my little girl had a special Sunday
hope you did too friends
see you again real soon
love to yall
f-seed
cyber fiends
fibre seeds
fireseeds
yours truly coming online again
this warm seoul evening
wanted to tell you about the lovely time ive had
with lovely hannah elisabeth
bicycling along the river han
the other day we bought me a bike
with a cool kiddy seat you hang from the handlebars
btw j aint a big fan of bicycling, friends
ever since she went flying over the handlebars
in china a few years back
so h and i moseleyed on down to the riverbank
while j went for dinner with friends
m was there but unfortunately not k or l
anyway h and i headed southeast along the river
joining the brigades
of fellow bicyclists
inline skaters
young lovers
old lovers
dog lovers
families et al
past an uninhabited island
a verdant bird sanctuary
under bridges and overpasses
threading our way through the concrete sphagetti
breeze blowing through our hair
cooling our brows
ended up in a field
right opposite the 63 building
gleaming gold in the setting sun
hannah e had nodded off in her perch
so had to stop and rest awhile
lapped up some of my new malcolm gladwell book
blink
then woke hannah e up and rode back to mangwon
towards a perfect orange sun
reflected in the han
disturbed a heron on the bank
flew majestically away across the river into the twilight
something magical about bicycle motion
at least when not slogging up some hill in first gear
saddle digging into yer backside
they say the bike is the ultimate ecological invention
might save us all yet
well anyways me and my little girl had a special Sunday
hope you did too friends
see you again real soon
love to yall
f-seed
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