Head Space Daily Words...

On Saturday, due to a combination of tiredness and a beer at the football, I drifted off to sleep during half time of the FA Cup Final. It was that kind of lucid semi-sleep, where you are just dipping beneath the surface, not diving all the way into blackness but almost existing in two worlds at the same time. You might call it dozing off. Around ten minutes into the second half I surfaced, dazed and confused from my slumber to utter the immortal words “we’ve got cheese haven’t we?” As the words were coming out of my mouth, I became aware of what I was saying but it was too late to stop them forming and being released. Where it came from, I have no idea. As I was in my mum and dad’s front room at the time, this crazy drivel provided no end of amusement and bewilderment to my parents, my missus and my boys. What sort of stupidity goes on in our sub conscious? Perhaps I believed I was Wallace from Wallace and Gromit or maybe I was preparing a mental shopping list? Does Barack Obama ever dream of cheese? Who knows…

Head Space Daily Image...

A camp statue with a scarf around it's neck, guarding the disused Royal Victoria Pavilion at Ramsgate. What dreams are made of...

Head Space Daily Tune...

Dream Baby Dream - Neneh Cherry & The Thing

With today's post touching on the idea of dreaming, here is a gorgeous song released last year by Neneh Cherry and The Thing...

Head Space Daily Words...

My boys and me went to Aston Villa’s final home game of the season against Chelsea yesterday. A defining feature of Villa’s season has been the applause that has taken place during the nineteenth minute of every match in support of the club captain Stiliyan Petrov, who is suffering from acute Leukaemia and who wore the number nineteen shirt - hence the nineteenth minute (see Daily Image.) For that sixty seconds of each game, the supporters of both teams united in support and recognition of the fact that some things are more important than twenty two men kicking a ball around a piece of grass. I took my boys to watch Villa play against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on March 24^th 2012, in what was a nondescript, routine 3-0 win for the Gunners.  What we didn’t know at the time was that this would not only be Stan Petrov’s final game in a Villa shirt but his final game full stop. One moment you are the captain of a Premier League football team, the next your life is changed forever, diagnosed with a potentially fatal, rare form of cancer. As a supporter, you feel close to your team, so when that kind of news breaks, you are shocked by the brutality of life being changed in the blink of an eye - the thought of never knowing what is around the corner. The news had a galvanizing effect on Villa supporters. The nineteenth minute applause grew over time. The first time we experienced it personally, was away at Southampton and was a fairly mild round of applause but a few weeks later against Fulham at Craven Cottage, the applause and emotion was immense, beginning in the nineteenth minute, leading to five minutes of singing Stan’s name and continuing vocal support until half time. Football continually holds a mirror up to society and usually reflects back negativity - this season in the form of racism, police lies and incompetence, homophobia and one human being biting another – so it has been refreshing to see some humanity shine through in football stadia and that a shred of decency still remains, in an age of grossly overpaid, egotistical young football players who become ever more removed from the supporters. It is never pleasant to lose to Chelsea, which is what happened yesterday but the overriding sentiment had to rest with Stiliyan Petrov, whose dignity in the face of unimaginable adversity has been a lesson to us all. After the game, he led the squad around the pitch, with his two kids in tow, on what is now referred to as a lap of appreciation – there is no great honour in not yet being safe from relegation. Almost every supporter remained behind, the Holte End still packed to the rafters, to show their respect, gratitude and admiration to someone who has shown incredible strength, courage and determination. Petrov has always been aware, as a sportsman, of how lucky he is to have received a quick diagnosis and treatment and is now devoting himself to establishing a charity to raise funds and awareness of Leukaemia. I must say, I will miss the nineteenth minute round of applause next season but as Stiliyan says in his final programme notes as captain, “it will be hard to let go but in life everything and everybody must move on.” Too true mate, onwards and upwards…

Head Space Daily Image...

This picture was taken at Aston Villa's final home game of the season against Chelsea, during the nineteenth minute, in what became the traditional minute of applause to support Stiliyan Petrov, Villa's club captain, in his battle against accute leukaemia...

Head Space Daily Tune...

Stevie Wonder - Master Blaster (Jammin')

This track is a tribute to Stiliyan Petrov's wonder goal from sixty yards against Derby County - Master Blaster, geddit? Oh well...

Head Space Daily Tune...

Unfortunately no tune this evening due to being unable to load youtube. As the Daily Words revolve around Karma, it would have been Karma Police by Radiohead. It will be added to the Spotify play list at the end of the month...

Radiohead - Karma Police

Head Space Daily Words...

Yesterday I was visited by the Karma Police as the fickle finger of fate pointed in my direction and chose me to be the recipient of some good fortune. It all began last weekend when I was spammed like a fritter, as some techno trickster hacked into my yahoo account and sent an e-mail, apparently containing a video about the benefits of dieting, to everyone in my address book. Pisser. I haven’t seen the video but being tall, slim and able to eat like a horse, anyone who knows me would be surprised to find me supporting a dieting regime. A few people kindly e-mailed to make me aware that I had been sending what they presumed to be spam mail. This included a message on Thursday morning from a friend who I have worked closely with for many years, “I knew you wouldn’t have sent that,” she commented, and then asked what I was up to. I told her it had been a slow year, then, like a guardian angel, she e mailed me back to let me know that there was a networking event taking place at a bar in town that very evening. I was in. It was the first networking shindig I had ever been to and I took to it like a duck to water and before you knew it, I was flinging my business card around like confetti. A few new contacts have been made which could potentially lead to work. If I hadn’t given a business card to the waiter, I would have had one left over for that other potential client. Oh well. What happened yesterday felt as if the stars had realigned and karma had been served. If my e-mail account hadn’t been spammed, my friend would not have contacted me and I wouldn’t have been out last night meeting new people. You never know what is around the corner…

Head Space Daily Image...

The view from the top end of Regent Street on Thursday night following my visit from the karma police and fortune balancing itself out...