The Year gone by...

The year is almost and an end, it had past me by before I felt it begin… I’ve been reflecting recently on the year gone by, places I’ve been things I’ve done, people I’ve got to know and love.
There’s a lot I wish I’d had the time or made the time to have done. I would have liked to have spent more time with certain friends, and kept more in touch and up to date with what’s been happening in all their lives.

It didn’t all start so busy, but towards the end of the year it all seemed to turn into a mad rush for the finish – trying to fit in all those last minute things you kept putting off. In a few weeks I fly to the UK to visit family and friends over December and January, and right now it feels like I’m in a bit of a rush preparing all I need to have done before the trip. It is something to look forward to though.

So what have been moments for me to remember this year… I met a wonderful woman, I became a very proud uncle, I played some amazing gig’s with the band, The Springboks won the Rugby world cup, I spent some amazing time with great friends. Had deep meaningful conversations with people.
I learnt to open myself up a little sometimes.
I learnt that I can deal with important responsibilities in work and handle them, even if it does make me seem a bit more moody with friends and family.
I learnt that sometimes Keeping quite and to myself isn’t always the best way to deal with things on your mind, and that having a friend to talk to even if they don’t know the answers lightens the load.

I realized that we are all one human population, and the problems we face in the world are ours as a group – but that sometimes you don’t seem to have an impact the worlds problems (and so shouldn’t get frustrated or stressed) but you can impact the world of someone just by taking the time.

Thank you to all my friends, family loved ones and strangers I’ve met who’ve guided me through this year, who’ve taught and tested me.
May God bless you all.

New toon

Here’s the first of a probable series of a strip I’ve been working on - I work for a Caravan and camping magazine and so thought it apt to name my Characters "Toe & Hitch" - I hope you like it let me know what you think.

Favourite Songwriters No. 7

I was driving home from work yesterday when a familiar tune came on the Radio - an old tune but a cover done by Watershed ( a South African Band) and I thought it was a really decent cover too. Though they were working with a really good origianl , though I guess that makes it harder to do a cover when you’re being compared to the original. Anyway I haven’t posted a favourite songwriter in a while and knew that these guys would definitely have to make my list.
Crosby Stills Nash & Young, brought home thier messages using melodic tunes and beautiful Harmonies, I love playing thier songs with all thier interwoven harmonies - If I can find someone to sing them with. So which of thier songs do I choose? There are many, one of my favourite from childhood was always "Teach your children", though I’ve decided to go for the one I heard on the Radio, mostly because it feels a lot more personal to me " when you see the Southern crosss for the first time" though I grew up under the Southern Cross, I remember the way I felt when I returned home after my first soujourn in England - looking up at those 4 bright Stars I knew I was home. So below are the lyrics.

Southern Cross

Got out of town on a boat goin' to southern islands,

Sailing a reach before a followin' sea.

She was makin' for the trades on the outside,

And the downhill run to Papeete Bay.

Off the wind on this heading lie the Marquesas.

We got eighty feet of the waterlineNicely making way.

In a noisy bar in Avalon I tried to call you,

But on a midnight watch I realized why twice you ran away.

Think about how many times I have fallen.

Spirits are using me, larger voices callin'.

What Heaven brought you and me cannot be forgotten.

I have been around the world,Lookin' for that woman, girl,

Who knows love can endure,And you know it will (and you know it will).

When you see the Southern Cross for the first time,

You understand now why you came this way,

'Cause the truth you might be runnin' from is so small,

But it's as big as the promise, the promise of a coming day.

So I'm sailing for tomorrow, my dreams are a-dyin',

And my love is an anchor tied to you, tied with a silver chain.

I have my ship and all her flags are a-flyin'.

She is all that I have left and music is her name.

Think about how many times I have fallen.

Spirits are using me, larger voices callin'.

What Heaven brought you and me cannot be forgotten.

I have been around the world,

Lookin' for that woman, girl,

Who knows love can endure,And you know it will (and you know it will).

So we cheated and we lied and we tested,

And we never failed to fail, it was the easiest thing to do.

You will survive being bested,

But somebody fine will come along make me forget about loving you

At the Southern Cross.

Some Recent Illustrations

We'r kinda going for a bit of a futuristic theme for our guide this year, so I've been having some fun doing a range of Space Camper Illustrations. Here are a couple...

The weekend

I may be getting old, but it doesn’t mean I can stay out dancing Until 5 in the morning – it just means I‘ll only be surfacing from bed at about 5 in the afternoon.
I went out to Red Door with Caroline on Friday evening and we met up with a couple of here friends there, it was a good evening, and as Always Jamie was playing good alternative music and fortunately a fair amount of stuff from my generation that I could rock out to and know the words when I was lip sinking along (as you do – while playing the air guitar – and just totally making a fool of yourself). During the ‘course of the evening Jamie’s voice came across the speakers to announce that Sean from Seether was in the house and had requested to play a set the following night – so it seemed our Saturday night plans were set.
We continued to dance and grab our breaths and some liquid refreshment from time to time, until about close to three in the Morning, then Joe climbed in my Car with Caroline and myself and we proceeded to Joe’s to drop him at home – shortly after this I got a call on my phone from Kyle to announce that he was at the Red Door and where were we. We managed to convince ourselves to go and join him for a short while, seeing as it was on the way home.
It was during this period that I decided to approach Jamie and offer my services to open for Sean the following evening (which was in fact that evening) not really giving much thought to the fact that it was already after 4am and I might have a little trouble getting myself up and prepared for such a task that night.
In the end I didn’t go, though it was a last minute decision and one (seeing how tired I was) I don’t regret – so I didn’t open for Sean (was hoping for my big break – he he he)
, or watch him (if he played) there are rumors he didn’t pitch (much like me) – but I definitely can’t confirm them, I can confirm he was there the night before, when I made plans I had to break.
The reason I did – well Mom’s friend from Kenya is out with her family including two boys – one of whose birthday was being celebrated, and so instead of pushing aside my weariness and going out to play like a rock Star would, I decided I’d far rather spend my evening comfortable at home eating Ice cream cake and chips.
Sunday was much as you'd imagine, ntothing to energetic being done. We had a sit down Brunch with our Kenyan friends and the Family - then the folks and Jeremy whicked them down to Durban for the evening to put them on an early plane - and while Caroline fished off an assignment, I spent most the rest of the day sprawled outy on the couch with my face buried in a Novel... there still are advantages of not being a student anymore.

Caught Up in the Traffic of Life…

Caught Up in the Traffic of Life… ...I think that pretty much sums me up lately, in fact I think it would relate to a lot of us – we get so caught up in work, and doing our daily living routines – that we don’t realize that at times the road we’ve been diverted onto, that is building up more traffic, is actually a very scenic one, one we’ve not been on before and so should be enjoying a lot more. Instead we are focused on the road and getting to the end of it.
Why when we’re living our lives is our focus to get to the end of the week – to get to the end of an assignment or project, to get to the end of the journey that’s leading us somewhere, but when we talk about living life and it’s ideals, we complain that we never have enough time – when we’ve wished it away.
In case you didn’t pick it up I’ve been trying to use a bit of an analogy here – and using it as a main reason why I haven’t posted anything – I’ve been caught up, and truthfully, a little uninspired by my life – that’s not to say that I don’t have a great life and I am surrounded by amazing people who I love to share it with, I guess sometimes you just don’t feel you have anything exceptional worth sharing. The thing is sometimes you don’t know what you have to share until you open you’re mouth – and then you catch yourself thinking “where did I get that from?” Everyone has a part so play in one another’s life no matter how small and sometimes it’s not the part you’d have liked to have played. At the end of the day you realize that you can be no-one but yourself, and some will love you for it, and others… well they won’t.
Don’t get too caught up with the task of life, rather get lost in the small detours.

Fire, Fire, Burning bright!

Wow sometimes you realize just how fragile you are and utterly insignificantly impotent against the natural forces of this world.
Last night as we stepped out of my room for a break from band practice, Colin noticed above the roof of the house (we were stood in the courtyard) an orange glow in the sky - we climbed onto the roof to survey the damage that was being dealt by the fearsome runaway fire.
Looking at the width and size of the fire and seeing that our little town was in it’s intended path, just left us a little muted and beyond fear, it makes you realize all you can do is pray sometimes, and if that fails come to terms with the fact that everyone’s time must come.

I know it sounds fatalistic but that’s basically what I did last night as I got into bed, said my prayers and consigned myself to the fact that staying up the whole evening wasn’t going to turn aside that fire - the brave people who are trained and have the equipment to deal with it were just managing to minimize the damage that inferno was wreaking. As the one official was quoted this morning - there’s no way to fight a fire like that, you do your best just to bring it under some kind of control.

We did manage to get some pictures on Jeremy’s camera, but I failed to put them on disk to bring in, probably because due to the fires our electricity was playing up, the lights dimmed and we’re still dimmed when I left for work this morning.
As we drove out of town the destruction the fire had and almost had wreaked was evident, ashes and charred remains of trees and whatever else that managed to have the misfortune of being in the Fire’s Path, not more than 300-400 meters from our home.

Thank God for the brave Souls that fought off the worst of the blaze through the dark and smoke and heat of the hell that last night would have been for them, may he bless and keep them, and those whose lives were lost in the ‘cause, may he take and keep them always.

A dream with wings

I’ve just now remembered part of a dream I had last night, its strange how you can have a memory of it later, and I takes you a while to remember it was a dream. Well in this case not so long, ‘cause flying is just impossible – pity that.

It’s been a long while since I’ve flown or floated in my dreams and I really love it, I wish I could take a dream flight every night – I tried googling the meaning of flying in dreams and got a whole lot of stuff, a lot of which is contradictory, but they say it’s a from of lucid dreaming, when you’re aware and awake in you’re dream and can control it.

All the times I’ve had flying dreams, I’ve started flying in different ways – in the one I start by taking bigger and bigger jumps, and end up taking massive high strides 10’s of meters into the air, in the one I was falling and ended up swooping before I hit the ground, and there have been various other ones. In this one I started kind of jumping not even a meter up and flapping my hands at my side, and rotating slowly, before I put my feet back down. It was almost like I was weightless in space, then realizing this (and obviously realizing I was in a dream I started floating around… then soon I was swooping and soaring… I can’t wait to dream again tonight.

What the Numbers Reveal...

As A distraction from work today, I was looking up chinese year signs and so on, and then found a link to this Numerology site, wherer they offered to do a "short" free reading - so I thought why not and while later I got a reply, they did a reading on three numbers they work out for you, - your life path - your expression and your soul urge or hearts desire. They let you know how they work it all out, but I haven't put that here as it's a bit long winded with the bulk of my reading which I've already included. This entry links through, so if you want you can link through and try it for yourself.

I'm not the type of person who holds a lot of stock with Star signs and all the rest, though I do enjoy reading them - saying that though, I was pretty amazed at how accurate some of this report was, most of what's written below applies to me.



"Your life path says a lot about you, so please read the following very carefully ...

Liam, your Life Path of 2 ...

As a '2', you are all about peace, harmony and finding balance in everything. You are happiest when you are with a soul mate or at the very least, a really good business partner or friend. Your concern for others and diplomatic ways assure you of popularity and plenty of friends and supporters throughout your entire life.If you are a number 2 you have an uncanny ability to understand others. Many of you are blessed with enhanced intuition and you make great doctors, psychiatrists and healers. As so many are willing to support your biggest belief, which is that "justice should prevail" many of you also end up becoming beloved politicians or columnists. You are at your best when working in a team rather than a leader. Your perfect position is the leader's right hand man or woman. You make a great husband or wife! The reason you often fail at being a leader is because you want to please everyone and don't have the heart to say no! Your ability to cooperate with others often pays off handsomely for you. Your prime concern is not being rich, but "doing what you love so the money will come." You have a humane and humorous approach to life that others find very attractive. However, you are often self-sacrificing (sometimes to a fault) because you also need the approval of others. Being a two, this is because you see others reactions to you as being a mirror of who you really are. If others are unhappy with you, you risk experiencing an unhealthy dissatisfaction that can lead to a lack of confidence or low self-esteem. The number 2 life path usually includes one other person that is with you or is a heavy influence on you for your entire life. You might have a tendency to see your lover and yourself as one soul or one person. Depending on how healthy this connection is you might be with this person your entire life or waste a lot of your life yearning to be with this person. Unrequited love is more painful for you than other numbers. Love, beauty and art are also very important to you. You love the idea of symmetry and this leads to a love of classic art, poetry and of course music. Your surroundings are also very important to you, as they are a reflection of who you are. You love old things, sentimental things and collect objects that touch your heart. If you are not an artist yourself, then you will at least have an interest in the subject. Many 2's often find a soul mate in another artist and become the patron. This is because you love it when others hold up beautiful mirrors of society. Sometimes 2's are vulnerable to obsessive compulsive behaviors because they are so addicted to perfection. In fact the karmic path of many number twos is to learn not to become depressed or disappointed when people or situations turn out less than perfect. You are sensitive to other's feelings but are also easily hurt when others are incapable of returning the consideration. Many 2's spend their early years learning how to not take the actions of others personally. You are the best friend that any other number in numerology could possibly have are often self-less to a fault. Others sense your deep faith in human nature and are so touched by it that they often fulfill your desires just to see you smile.


Your Expression - which describes your potential natural talents and abilities - works out to be a 5.

What a '5' Expression Means About You
Now that we've done the calculations, what does this actually mean?
Liam, your Expression of 5 ... Your Potential Natural Talents and Abilities
You are optimistic, inquisitive and embrace change. You are a freedom-loving individual who expresses their love of independence often through a bohemian or unusual life style. You are blessed with a brilliant creative mind that is never at a loss for a solution to a problem. As your independence is so important to you, you thrive best in creative occupations that allow you a great deal of travel. You have an eye for design and appreciate the good things in life. In fact, you may spend a lot of your time trying to figure out how to get these things without having to work too hard. If you are a typical five then you will meet with the most success by selling some aspect of yourself or your talent. The height of your personal expression is in your talent for persuasion. This is why you are best suited for jobs in media, marketing and design. You very much believe that a person is defined by what he does and not what he wants to do so any business or project that you start will be very much branded with your personal flair. It is a number 5 that tends to name a business after himself or send out a resume with a photo. When it comes to business you also tend to have a "hands on" approach as you rely a lot on your wit, charm and good looks to get what you want. Once the deal is sealed, however, you sometimes have difficulty seeing it through to completion. This is because your brilliant mind is captured by so many other interests that it is difficult for you to focus sometimes. Sometimes your need to express your independence brings you to a critical point in both your professional and personal relationships. You are terrified of being stuck in one place or having your free spirit suffocated by labels and possessiveness. For this reason many of you feel quite suffocated in relationships or are unable to hold down a day job for any length of time. You are very popular socially because you are the life of every party. You have light nimble mind and have excellent verbal skills. You also have enormous powers of analysis that gives you an edge when it comes to investing money, judging others and avoiding harmful situations. You are also very accepting of new people and new ideas. The last thing that could ever be said of you is that you are closed minded. You will try anything once and you often respond willingly to a dare. However, sometimes your permissiveness leads to relationships with odd or unstable individuals. Romantically others may find you hard to get close to as you would rather sit and chat than get intimate. Others fail to understand that the most valued expression of your love is the expression of your hopes and dreams to another. You are also very pragmatic when it comes to all of your relationships and believe in treating everyone equally. Deep down you are very philosophical about relationships and believe that no person should be so important that he or she should have the power to make you happy or sad. This can often distress your soul mate who doesn't feel that special in your presence. Part of your challenge might be showing through your actions, how loving all without sacrificing one can be achieved.


Now, Let's Examine Your Soul Urge(also known as your "Heart's Desire")
In your case Liam, this totals 9.

Liam, your Soul Urge of 9 ...What You Desire To Be, To Have, and To Do In Your Life
The highest expression of your soul's urge is to connect in a mystical way with others. Although your aspirations are lofty, you are also a humanitarian who is often gifted with a sharp intuition and keen analytical skills. Often you give up opportunities that should be yours, simply to help another. This is because your faith in yourself, god and the future is so strong that you live by your conviction that the universe is always unfolding as it should. Others simply do not possess your spiritual sophistication and may be amused or repelled by what they see as your irrational talk or beliefs. You may be accused of being stupid or foolish simply because you won't take the bait (of a job or money) at the expense of your ethics. Compared to the other numbers, you excel at letting go of lovers or opportunities simply because you know you can't take emotions and material goods with you when you die. As you are driven more by compassion than common sense, you are the first to fall on your sword for a worthy cause. You may often be broke because you see money only as a tool of change. You would much rather spend money on art, charity or a trip. In fact, ostentatious displays of wealth anger and disgust you because your ideal is a world where all humans are equal. You might appear very eccentric to others who don't quite understand your fascination with the spiritual world or your insistence on being a seeker of truth. Furthermore nines tend to get carried away when it comes to trying to heal or connect to others. The biggest mistake you could make is to try and be an "agent of karma" by meddling or interfering in other people's affairs. As you are so talented psychically, you often become a liability in business simply because people in authority resent your ability to perceive their secrets. You rarely rise very high on the corporate ladder simply because others see you as a threat to their cloak of political intrigue. You have a soul that must be continually assured and fed with new sources of spiritual information. To stay healthy, your psyche may require that you make special trips to holy or mystical places. You may have to seek out special teaching to help you understand and cultivate your talents so that you are in control, as opposed to terrorized by them. Being able to foresee the future or see through other people is often painful, so some therapy might be required in your life to help you detach from your own sensitivity. One of the sins you are most vulnerable to is spiritual pride. This can bring you situations that cause your faith to be seriously tested or where your pride can take a big fall. Many nines often find themselves subject to a lesson in becoming humble by the cosmos simply because they were too boastful of their talents. Making money off of your psychic talents may also cause you some problems, as part of your path is to heal without the expectation of reward. If you are working professionally as a psychic and are a nine, then remember to tithe at least one tenth of your earnings towards a worthy cause. However the highest calling of your soul urge is to share your intuitive talents for free."

My Stylus & Me

It really gets to you when you don’t have the time – or are to tired to make the time to do the things you want, I wouldn’t say I’m being overworked – but I’ve been pretty busy between work and music, there’s so much I’d really like to do and get in order, like doing some illustrations.
A friend of mine has written a children’s story and has asked me to do some illustrations for it, which I’m really keen to do, but I haven’t done anything besides a couple of doodles while I’m on the phone.
I also want to use my Genius tablet at work more (thingy that allows you to draw straight onto you’re computer) – sigh! I think I need to do some time management to fit in stuff I want to do.

Alongside is a quick sketch a managed to scribble out with it today when I had a moment – it’s actually amazing how similar you can allow it to be to regular sketching, even the amount of pressure you use, giving you the lighter and darker strokes – it’s pretty cool.

My Bonsai

I’ve been growing a bonsai for about 5 years now, I pulled this “Chinese Maple” sapling that was growing into our fence and decided I would try my hand at making it into a bonsai. I’m definitely no expert, and I initially followed the advice of a friend of mine who is pretty clued up. Apparently when you first uproot it you need to let it sit in whatever you potted it in for at least one to two years, so the new root hairs can take. Only after this period can you re-pot it.

It’s a very long process and you only see it taking shape over the years, I don’t know all the traditional shapes they’re supposed to take, so I’ve just been shaping it as I go, twisting the trunks and branches around one another into a shape that I think fits my little tree.

It’s a very calming process, I guess anything to with gardening is, but it’s nice to have a little project, and a project that could span a lifetime – maybe one day I can pass on a 40 or 50 year old bonsai onto someone.

I managed to get this picture before all the leaves had fallen off for winter.

Winter

A few days ago, it seemed summer was reluctant to leave, getting cooler, but still getting fairly warm during the day, now it seems winters just barged in and taken over – over night, I woke this morning with stalactites hanging from my nose – well not really – but it was a real feat of will power to get myself out that bed.
Even though it’s cold I still do like cold days (not constantly) – you tend to feel more energized and alert, less likely to drift off while working. Then you’ve got all the things that you can do and use the weather as an excuse to do them, like lying in bed reading or getting all cozy under a blanket while you watch a movie, sipping on some hot drink… oohh Gluewine, or mulled wine, mmmmm. The rubbish thing about winter is trying to get up in the morning, and that’s about my only downside, I don’t mind being cold, I’ll just put on more clothes.

Busy but Good

Okay it’s been over a week since I’ve written anything here, shocking I know, it’s like nothings been happening in Liam’s life, nah that’s not the case - Between work and the band, and my very limited social life I’ve been stretched pretty thin. Though I’m not complaining it’s been a pleasant type of busy, I’ve managed to find some enjoyment in my work again, probably because I’m avoiding the stuff that makes me bored and usually takes ages to do, though eventually I’m gonna have to get back to it, but for now I have other distractions and am doing those, because I seriously can’t face redrawing maps at the moment.

The Bands Just finished doing their Demo Recording (you can hear the tracks if click here to link through to our myspace) which I’m happy with. Now the next step is to start working on the actual tracks for an eventual album release and practicing for our upcoming Gigs. So life is busy but good.

I think I’ve realized that you can’t let all the stresses of life get on top of you; you can only tackle one task at a time and do your best to juggle your time to fit everything in. But if you let it stress you out;
1. You’re not going to enjoy life as much
2. You’re not going to be great company to be around
3. You’ll be too distracted to notice the amazing and beautiful things that are happening right under your nose.
4. You’ll probably put yourself in an early grave.
5. you’ll probably end up taking your tension out on those nearest and dearest to you.
So make peace with the fact that stressing over things doesn’t get them done any quicker.

Favourite Songwriter No. 6 - the peoples Poet

Growing up with my parents such as mine there was no possible way I could have avoided being exposed to Bob Dylan, a poet and voice of there generation, I doubt you’ll find anyone who grew up in that era who doesn’t have at least one copy of Mr Dylan’s work.
Un-afraid to tackle political and world issues with his cutting lyrics and punchy tunes, he captured the attitude of a generation and became a sound behind which they could rally.
I know I haven’t posted one in a while, but thought it would be wrong for me not to include this man as one of my Favourite songwriters.
Though there are so many more songs to choose from to represent his works, “the Hurricane” and “blowing in the wind” I thought I’d made up my mind on which song to place the lyrics of below, then I thought of another that I also really loved the lyrics too, so I decided on both. Below you’ll find the lyrics to “Just like a woman” and “Forever Young”.

Just Like a Woman

Nobody feels any pain
Tonight as I stand inside the rain
Ev'rybody knows
That Baby's got new clothes
But lately I see her ribbons and her bows
Have fallen from her curls.
She takes just like a woman, yes, she does
She makes love just like a woman, yes, she does
And she aches just like a woman
But she breaks just like a little girl.

Queen Mary, she's my friend
Yes, I believe I'll go see her again
Nobody has to guess
That Baby can't be blessed
Till she sees finally that she's like all the rest
With her fog, her amphetamine and her pearls.
She takes just like a woman, yes, she does
She makes love just like a woman, yes, she does
And she aches just like a woman
But she breaks just like a little girl.

It was raining from the first
And I was dying there of thirst
So I came in here
And your long-time curse hurts
But what's worse
Is this pain in here
I can't stay in here
Ain't it clear that--

I just can't fit
Yes, I believe it's time for us to quit
When we meet again
Introduced as friends
Please don't let on that you knew me when
I was hungry and it was your world.
Ah, you fake just like a woman, yes, you do
You make love just like a woman, yes, you do
Then you ache just like a woman
But you break just like a little girl.

Forever Young

May God bless and keep you always,

May your wishes all come true,

May you always do for others

And let others do for you.

May you build a ladder to the stars

And climb on every rung,

May you stay forever young,

Forever young, forever young,

May you stay forever young.

May you grow up to be righteous,

May you grow up to be true,

May you always know the truth

And see the lights surrounding you.

May you always be courageous,

Stand upright and be strong,

May you stay forever young,

Forever young, forever young,

May you stay forever young.

May your hands always be busy,

May your feet always be swift,

May you have a strong foundation

When the winds of changes shift.

May your heart always be joyful,

May your song always be sung,

May you stay forever young,

Forever young, forever young,

May you stay forever young.

Toon for the day

Sometimes traffic really just doesn’t go your way, it seemed at every turn this morning people we’re turning and holding you up everywhere and every shorter route you try to take just ends up being work -*sigh*!
Hey but if you never had a bad start to the day, you’d never appreciate the fact that humour can lift you up, so here’s my toon for the day. I actually read it in the paper on the weekend and it had me in stitches, so I thought you all might like something to lift you from your Monday blues. Enjoy!

Autumn Winds - spontabulous

Life is spontabulous - (spontaneously fabulous - a word a friend came up with after one of my spelling errors).
It’s a beautiful autumn/early winter here in the midlands of KZN, the sun is shining down, and not in the overly oppressive way it can in summer, but in the soul and heartwarming way it does in winter.
Soon the grass will turn gold and the leaves will shed their autumn coats, the bright blue sky will stand out in contrast to the bare stark landscape and for a moment all will stand silent.

For now we have autumn and its rich rusty colours, and I’m loving it, still warm enough to wear shorts and slops - but cool enough to wear longs if you’d like. Sleeping in or reading a book in bed is comfortable, because it’s nice to be warm and snuggled up, but you’re arm doesn’t freeze when you take it out from under the covers to turn the page.

This is autumn and I love it’s pastel beauty, below are the lyrics to one of the earliest songs I ever wrote, I guess even back then Autumn held something special for me

Autumn Winds

Autumn winds often blow
First comes summer and then snow
But I’m leaving my seasons of change.

Seeds of thought are planted deep
In the autumn for the winters sleep
and they’ll blossom with springs bright avail

Crazy lady different man
Take the right path if you can
and I’ll see you on the other side of life

My seasons of change pass me everyday
and the reasons of faith leave me open to say
I’m going home with autumn winds
and with the first snow a new year begins
Springtime arrives and there’s a girl in your eyes
but the heat wave comes and you wave goodbye
but I feel at home with autumn winds

See the leaves fall to the ground
The autumn winds blow them around
Till the gather like thoughts in my head
Pastel colours wrapped in brown
Catch them children and throw them around
Till they scatter like memories left behind

My seasons of change pass me everyday
and the reasons of faith leave me open to say
I’m going home with autumn winds
and with the first snow a new year begins
Springtime arrives and there’s a girl in your eyes
but the heat wave comes and you wave goodbye
but I feel at home with autumn winds

I feel at home with autumn winds

Beautiful Evening

Driving home in traffic is normally always a drag, you just want to get out of the hustle and bustle and back to the comfort of you’re own home.
Sometimes though, if you’re not paying attention though you may miss something really fantastic like the afternoon sky. Yesterday however you’d have to have been blind not to have seen the bright rainbow splashed across the sky; unfortunately I was driving, so I never got a really good look as mom and dad we’re stretching to get better views from their windows.
I did get a bright reflection of it in my rearview as we started heading up town hill though bright colours up against a deep blue sky. Wish I’d had a camera, i did manage to snap off this one when we got home of the clouds reflecting the suns orange glow.
Ah to live in Africa is beautiful, I find the sunsets (and sunrises when I manage to get up that early) in winter are so much more vivid.

The Long Wet Weekend!

I’ve lost my voice, I have a sore throat, I got wet and muddy over the weekend, but as I sit hear I realize haven’t felt as relaxed and centered as this in a long time.
Yes Splashy Fen promised to be the long weekend I was hoping it to be, I wasn’t expecting it to be so wet and muddy but people slipping and slopping around in the mud can be very entertaining even when it’s you.
I think the biggest thing you need to leave behind when going to Splashy (it even indicates in the name that it’s not likely you’ll remain dry) is your vanity and reservations, take everything for what it is and you won’t be disappointed.
What did I love so much about Splashy outside the Music, the general populace that attended it (there where and always will be the unaccountable few, who you’d rather not get along with even if you do pride yourself on tolerance), meeting and chatting to random strangers, wandering around with no specific destination but waiting to see what entertainment may pop up, reconnecting with friends, taking a dip in a cold berg river and letting the few minutes of morning sunshine warm your skin.

My brother and I after he’d finished his test that afternoon, chucked our gear into our faithful old corolla and headed for the hills of Underberg, and happily we’d managed to find our camping friends and pitch our tents before the first of the rains set in. On those first two evenings we managed to watch very little music but did a fair amount of wandering, with the live music blaring out of the music tents. You can’t say you’ve experienced Splashy without a good wander around the festival shouting out greetings to the random people you’ve met.
We did watch our share though, and I really enjoyed the quality of music that was on show, the night that stood out for me was the last night and overall the quality of bands playing that evening.

Bands that stood out for me this splashy were;

Tony Cox (guitaring Genius)
Rory Eliot (Easy on the Ears)
Undone (In their own genre)
Chris Chameleon (Different but amazing)
Lark (Something weird something beautiful - my brothers favourite this weekend)
New Academics (Footstompingly Funky)
Harris Tweed (Beautiful Lyrics, and beautiful voice, probably my favourite this weekend)
and The Parlotones (showing their experience and ability t o write great songs)

As much as I enjoyed the weekend and as much fun as it was it was great to spend last night asleep in my bed and mud free!

Bring on the long weekend.

Tomorrow can’t get here quick enough, at the moment work has been a bit of a long slow trudge through a bog. I’ve got a lot of work to do and it’s all one big chore... sigh! The only thing that seems to get me through it all is the great line up of songs playing to me through my earphones via my iTunes.
That’s why tomorrow can’t come soon enough, a long weekend of sitting back and listening to live music, and rocking out to music, and playing music around the campfire.
Yup it’s splashy time; expect a full report next week.

Inside my Head

A song that I wrote triggered a email debate, no debate’s to strong a word, an email conversation between a myself and a friend. She’d listened to it on our bands myspace, the general conversation was about tolerance, and I ended up having a conversation in my head about it afterwards.
I think tolerance is vital in this day and age, we have to be able to tolerate all people and cultures if we are to have anyway of working together in this world.
Be careful however interpreting what I’m talking about when I say tolerance, and this was her main point in the conversation. Tolerance should never be at such a point where it takes our voices away, we should still be able to speak and act our beliefs, and to say when we don’t agree with something, and applaud something we do.
Strangely the songs not really about tolerance though it does have that underlying message, it’s actually called "Stand up" and that’s more what it’s about, standing up and taking your place in the world. Standing up and making a difference in the world, not to be bowed by what society feels is right or the friends and family around you may feel. You have to be and do what you know and feel are right, what calls out from the heart of you, just because people might look at you strangely for stopping to help someone who’s down and out on the street doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. There’s a lot of other reasons that generally stop you from doing that, especially crime, but other peoples perceptions are definitely one of the reasons you wouldn’t.
Anyway that’s what’s been running through my mind, and thanks to my friend for making me think of it.
I've linked this post to our myspace if you want to go and have a listen.

Mid-week feet up

Yesterday so felt like a Sunday, being Human Rights day here in South Africa it was a public holiday - midweek public holidays are a bit strange, you don’t really have the time to plan something, and end up trying to do stuff you’d not have time for during the week.
I personally just put my feet up and enjoy the break - actually I did try to be constructive. I tried putting words to a couple new songs the band has been coming up with and just ended up being really frustrated and decided to go and put my feet up.
Now I’m back at work and tomorrow’s the start of the weekend, I could live like this - only problem is now I need to get myself geared up to working a full week next week.

Favourite Sonwriters No.5

How boldly he wears his scars... I think alot of that boldness comes through in his songs to, he’s not affraid to tackle political issues in his lyrics, then he has a voice which when he sings seems like it break down walls.
I think his composition is also flawless, yup Seal Definitely makes my list of favourite songwriters - below are the words to "Love’s Divine".


"Love's Divine"

Then the rainstorm came, over me
And I felt my spirit break
I had lost all of my, belief you see
And realized my mistake
But time threw a prayer, to me
And all around me became still

I need love, love's divine
Please forgive me now I see that I've been blind
Give me love, love is what I need to help me know my name

Through the rainstorm came sanctuary
And I felt my spirit fly
I had found all of my reality
I realize what it takes

'Cause I need love, love's divine
Please forgive me now I see that I've been blind
Give me love, love is what I need to help me know my name

Oh I, don't bet (don't bend), don't break (don't break) Show me how to live and promise me you won't forsake 'Cause love can help me know my name

Well I try to say there's nothing wrong
But inside I felt me lying all along
But the message here was plain to see Believe me

'Cause I need love, love's divinePlease forgive me now I see that I've been blind
Give me love, love is what I need to help me know my name
Oh I, don't bet (don't bend), don't break (don't break) Show me how to live and promise me you won't forsake 'Cause love can help me know my name
Love can help me know my name.

My Weekend

It started my weekend with wild excitement at the end of work on Friday, - okay maybe not wild excitement, but I’m pretty sure a smile managed to sneak it’s way onto my face. Friday was pretty uneventful, we had some shopping we needed to get done down in PMB, so I had dinner with My family at the mall I was pretty starving by then, so the special the Butcher block had on their 300g Rump washed down with a cold beer went down a treat.
Saturday had me awake with a slight raw nervous feeling, I had to go and put down the rough guitar and Vocal tracks for the album the Band are working on. It was just a rough take on a few of the songs, so I didn’t see any reason why I should be feeling any nerves at all, I told my stomach as much , then it ordered me to go and feed it.
As it was the recording was uneventful and everything went fine, and by the time I left The recording studio in the afternoon, I had a CD with no less than 7 tracks on it.
Feeling very proud of myself, I rushed to meet up with my brother and a couple of friends to catch the kickoff of the Sharks Rugby game against the Cheetahs (sorry non sports fans), which I’m happy to say my team won.
Where I thought the evening would round itself off, at the Music at the Forgotten Falls, the rounding off only started there.
There was some great local talent playing, and then at the end they managed to get myself and my brother up there to do a couple songs - not much arm twisting on thier part , very few musicians will turn down an offer to play in front of an appreciative audience.
It was all fine and dandy still we enjoyed playing and they enjoyed the music, the problem came when we invited half the people there back to our place to end off the night.
Well we ended off the night and made a solid start to the following morning as well before we managed to drag our sorry bodies to bed at 4 in the morning. It was a good evening and you don’t always get to fall asleep to the songs of the early morning birds, but needless to say not much happened on Sunday.

Favourtie Songwriters No. 4 the "Piano Man"

What Can I say he is "The Paino Man" - his music is always easy on the ear and catchy at the same time, and his songs are really versatile. I just plain like listening to his music, so he goes up there with my Favourite songwriters.
I’ve added the Lyrics to "Piano Man", not because it’s my favourite, but it’s up there and it’s a classic.

Piano Man

It's nine o'clock on a Saturday

The regular crowd shuffles in

There's an old man sitting next to me

Making love to his tonic and gin

He says, "Son can you play me a memory

I'm not really sure how it goes

But it's sad and it's sweet

And I knew it complete

When I wore a younger man's clothes

"Sing us a song you're the piano man

Sing us a song tonight

Well we're all in the mood for a melody

And you've got us feeling alright

Now John at the bar is a friend of mine

He gets me my drinks for free

And he's quick with a joke or to light up your smoke

But there's someplace that he'd rather be

He says, "Bill, I believe this is killing me"

As a smile ran away from his face"

Well, I'm sure that I could be a movie star

If I could get out of this place"

Now Paul is a real estate novelist

Who never had time for a wife

And he's talking with Davy, who's still in the Navy

And probably will be for life

And the waitress is practicing politics

As the businessmen slowly get stoned

Yes they're sharing a drink they call loneliness

But it's better than drinking alone

"Sing us a song you're the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
Well we're all in the mood for a melody
And you've got us feeling alright

It's a pretty good crowd for a Saturday

And the manager gives me a smile'

Cause he knows that it's me they've been coming to see

To forget about life for a while

And the piano sounds like a carnival

And the microphone smells like a beer

And they sit at the bar and put bread in my jar

And say "Man what are you doing here?"

"Sing us a song you're the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
Well we're all in the mood for a melody
And you've got us feeling alright

Love Hate

"... sweet like candy to my soul, sweet you rock and sweet you roll..." I’m busy Listening to some Dave Mathews as I work at my Computer - If I’m going to be tied to the damned thing the whole day, then I might as well make the most of it’s better functions.
We’ve got a love hate relationship my computer and I, I hate it when she crashes on me, and the fact that I have to sit at one for the better part of my working day. Without it though my Job would be near impossible, strangely I think I view technology in general in the same way. I love being able to listen to CD’s and MP3’s and watch DVD’s and so many other things it has afforded us, but I don’t like the fact that it we are so dependant on it. That it makes us spend less time outdoors and socializing with friends and family.

Life

Hmmm okay... So as per noodle’s suggestion, I’ve been filling my blog so far with cartoons & music, so here’s a life entry. After all the blog is called "toons, music & life".
I guess the best way I could describe the way I feel about my life at the moment is like breaking the surface after a deep submersion. Which while positive leaves you in the position where you still need to swim to shore and you’re not exactly sure which way it is.
I’ve never been the kind of person that plans their life and know’s without a doubt where they’re going, I live in the moment and the day and try to fulfil my purpose in that moment, (even if it’s having a beer while watching the rugby). Though when you get older you do start worrying about your security, have you got your basic needs covered? You look at yourself now and think "Is this where I wanted to be 10 years ago?".

I primarily leave my Destiny in God’s hands, because ultimately I can’t control life and the world I live in.

There are so many things affecting the world at large that I have absolutely no power on my own to change, there are some things that humans can change but only together as one.

Global warming is here and affecting our world, in South Africa it’s supposed to be the start of Autumn but it’s over 30 degrees outside and has been for the last two weeks.

World Poverty is rife on all the contents, there are children parentless due to Aids.

Probably the worst of all is that Violence is tearing us apart, it’s breeding fear of one another in our hearts - one way to guarantee the human race doesn’t co-operate.

There are people out there who make it their life’s work to help and try and change all of these situations, but not everyone can do this, for life to continue most of us need to plug away at our everyday jobs. We can’t use that as an excuse not to do anything though, we still have a voice and a mind, we can question and expose those in power and we can back up those helping the impoverished.

The hardest thing to accept is that even with these ideals, I find it hard to live life everyday by my own standards, I try though and that’s the important part, a lot of the time I block out the harsh parts of the world out there with Cartoons and Music.

Having said all of this the world isn’t a horrible place filled with toxic gasses and corrupt politicians, it is a beautiful place and you can see it when you look out you’re window, if you can see the sky or a bird, or even if all you see is a weed forcing it’s way through the concrete jungle surrounding you. You can see it a strangers smile of welcome, children’s laughter as they play and you can feel it in the embrace of loved ones and friends.
That beauty can never be destroyed.

Favourite Songwriters No.3

I was watching "Majicat" last night with my family, a live DVD of "Cat Stevens" as he was then known - now he answers to Yusuf Islam. There’s no doubt this man would have to make my list of Favourite songwriters, even though he’s from my parents generation, I think his songs still have appeal today. If you’re of my generation and have never heard him, do your ears a favour, go ask you’re parents if they have an old vinyl or tape of him (he is available on CD), you won’t regret it.
Below are the Lyrics of one of my favourite songs "Sad Lisa".


Sad Lisa Lyrics

She hangs her head and cries on my shirt.
She must be hurt very badly.
Tell me what's making you sad, Li?
Open your door, don't hide in the dark.
You're lost in the dark, you can trust me.
'Cause you know that's how it must be.
Lisa Lisa, sad Lisa Lisa.
Her eyes like windows, trickle in rain
Upon the pain getting deeper.
Though my love wants to relieve her.
She walks alone from wall to wall.
Lost in her hall, she can't hear me.
Though I know she likes to be near me.
Lisa Lisa, sad Lisa Lisa.
She sits in a corner by the door.
There must be more I can tell her.
If she really wants me to help her.
I'll do what I can to show her the way.
And maybe one day I will free her.
Though I know no one can see her.
Lisa Lisa, sad Lisa Lisa.

Favourite Songwriters No.2

Another Band who’s song writing I really enjoy is "Colplay" though with them it’s more the whole musical composition of the band, the simplicity they employ in their songs and how utterly effective it is. My Favourite song of theirs would probably be "Fix You"


Fix You lyrics

When you try your best, but you don't succeed
When you get what you want, but not what you need
When you feel so tired, but you can't sleepStuck in reverse
When the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can't replace
When you love someone, but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

High up above or down below
When you too in love to let it go
If you never try you'll never knowJust what you're worth

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

Favourite Cartoon No.3

One of my favourite Cartoons since I was a kid was Asterix, I ended up building a huge collection of them as a boy. I’m not exactly sure what the appeal of it is, it was never as fall down funny as "Calvin & Hobbes" but you could still laugh at it. Maybe it was the fact that it was a full story in each book, but then I was reading normal books from an early age, so it couldn’t be just that.
I think looking at the way the pictures were drawn and the story was laid out, that it was the way the strips drew you into the cartoon, firstly giving you a broad look at the whole scene and all the small things happening on the side, before focusing on the story at hand. It is like that from scene to scene in each story - much like a detailed story board for a movie.

Favourite Cartoons No.2

http://www.thefarside.com/

Another Cartoonist who can wrap me up in stitches, would be Gary Larson and "The Far Side" - I must say though you generally need to be in the right type of mood for his particular sense of humour, but when it gets your funny muscle going it’s hard to stop.

Favourite Songwriters No.1

I’ve been listening to music while working, then suddenly one of my favourite "Counting Crows" songs came on, "Goodnight Elizabeth" - The main reason I love this band so much is that Adam Duritz the singer songwriter, is definitely one of the poets of his generation. He conveys so much emotion so beautifully in so few words. So I thought I’d Start Listing some of my top Lyricists, here’s the first.

"I was wasted in the afternoon, waiting on a train, I woke up in pieces and Elizabeth had disappeared again, well I wish you were inside of me I hope that you’re okay, I hope you’re resting quietly I just wanted to say - Good Goodnight Elizabeth goodnight Elizabeth goodnight...
.....If you wrap yourself in daffodils - well I’ll wrap myself in pain and ooh if you’re the queen of California then baby I am the king of the Rain"

Favourite Cartoons no.1

With out a Doubt - probably my favourite Cartoon and Cartoonist would have to be Bill Wattersons “Calvin & Hobbes”.
His Drawing style his so simple and expressive, you get the joke before you even read the text. I often find myself just giggling away at the expression on Calvin’s face. If you’ve never read any “Calvin and Hobbes” What planet have you been on and how long have they all been asleep, surely you’ve at least heard of the greatness of Spaceman spiff...


go to http://www.simplych.com/

Proud to be...

I’m about to start work again on our publication, and so have been looking back at what I’ve been doing here (the company I work for) for the past almost year. Though not a great deal as I look back I realized I’ve managed to brand our corporate identity with our countries flag, which is something I’m really pleased with I love this country and it’s people and am proud to be a member of it.
Yeah there’s allot of corruption in our government and there’s crime, but there’s sun and smiles and people who greet you with laughter on our streets. There’s a Nation Proud and pationate about sport, our environment who we are and what we stand for, a people who know their past and dream there future.
People who can laugh with each other, who can make jokes of each races foibles without it having any mean intentions. A country with a dozen different cultures, that intermingle and leaves a uniquely South African taste on your palate.

The Worrier

Often you just start doodling without ever having a clue or a plan where it’s going, you just let the line guide, you and what you feel lies beneath, I guess that’s what doodles really are.

Terminator Tuesdays

Somedays Tuesday's feel a bit like Mondays, sometimes with more of a bite. Especially if you've had a busy weekend. It walks up to you slaps you in the face and says "I'll be back", I must say though, that I've revived a bit since this morning and there's the positive side that the weekend is only four days away. Whooo hooo!

Sad Elly

It's amazing how much eye's affect the charecter of a cartoon, or even a portrait or figure drawing. Here I've left the elephants eyes blank, which gives him a kind of sad reflective lost look.

Step by step Cartoon

I thought I'd let you all in on the basic process I go through when Drawing a cartoon. Firstly I get the basic image, that I have in my head down lightly in pencil, Once I have what basically down, I sketch it properly overlaying the lines I like from the light sketch and adding on where I think Fit.
The next step is much the same, but you’re converting the image into Ink - a lot of the excess lines are erased as well, giving you a cleaner line drawing. The last stage is adding the colour, it depends weather I’m doing this by hand or on the computer and what program I’m doing in it as to how I do it.

Israel Kamakawiwo Ole

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4XhMANcCbM&playnext=1

Have you ever heard a song that

just caught a hold of you the first time you ever heard it, but you had no Idea of who it was that sung it. Well I finally tracked down the artist of one of those songs, his name is Israel Kamakawiwo Ole, though unfortunately he died a few years ago. The song "Somewhere over the Rainbow" has been played during the closing credits of a couple movies, I think the first time I saw it was at the end of finding forester, which is a really great movie my the way aswell.

take a listen to by using the link above, you won't be sorry.

If Friday were an object...

...I’d have to go for a Bottle opener, for all of the obvoius reasons and hidden meanings, it’s opening up the weekend, and ultiumately that drink that’s gonna make you wake up dreading monday.

Toon for the Day - "Angry Mama"

I've been having a bit of fun at work for a change, we've been puting together some games and an activity book, and a bunch of stuff for a compendium of games and things for kids, on the road and camping, so I've been getting to do some illustrations and stuff . So I thought I'd post one of my favourites.

If Friday were a creature...

...or better put an animal. He'd be a rambunctious little fellow who refused to do any constructive work. He’d run around like an over exited terrier exitededly expecting the best to happen. Infecting everyone around him with his crazy exited happy go lucky mood. Always up for a party infact he’s the original party animals -he’s the one that started the party’s that ended up burniong down half of London, and other historical catastrophies like that. All just to piss anoy his nemisis Monday.

Thought for the day

A new Blog

I decided I needed a new blog to post stuff - things I thought were cool, my thoughts, cause at least the blog accepts them, and I don't get no argument. Perhaps some of my toons & tunes. I'll play it as I go along and see how it turns out.