Paper, Paper! Read all about it!

Years ago people believed that in the future there would be such a thing as the paperless office. Hah! The truth is that we now use even more paper than ever before and this point really came home to me today.

I spent almost the entire morning printing out every piece of email and copies of every letter etc that I’d written over the course of the last 2 ½ years in preparation for a meeting tomorrow with my solicitor. Helen then spent another three hours filing it in chronological order so that we would be able to sit in a meeting and pull out pieces of paper to photocopy if necessary.

This is the first time we’ve actually got together face to face with the solicitor and of course everything has to be on paper because when it comes to taking the insurer that we’re wrapped up with to court, electronically stored records are inadmissible. How crazy is that?

In this day and age everything has to be on paper and not just once but duplicated to let the other side have copies too! I have used an entire ream of paper, 500 sheets, replicating information that I already have in my PC and that I could easily copy electronically with just a few clicks of a mouse.

I read an interesting article the other day about the development of artificial paper that feels like the real thing predominantly for newspapers that you can then plug in and download. That way you can read it like a real newspaper rather than the version I now receive every day via the internet on screen.

This speaks volumes for me about the lack of trust that we have in technology. Whilst we all crave after the latest thing, whatever it is, we still feel uncomfortable about rocking the boat too much. I suppose we haven’t really come that far from the days when inventors were trying to come up with mechanized horses!

That’s it for tonight. I’m off to read a paperback novel, none of that e-book nonsense for me!

Night Night

Mikey

Alternative Healing

I had a friend come over today for a Reiki session. Essentially it’s “a laying on of hands” type healing process that originated in Japan. It has similar principles to acupuncture in so much as it rely’s on realigning the invisible force that flows through your body. By doing so it helps the body heal itself, reduces stress etc.

Well I had the session. It was very relaxing and certainly makes you feel very different after. Whether it’s the realignment of the forces or just the lying straight and still and focusing on your body, I’m not sure but there’s no doubt I did feel different after.

There is a sensation whilst it’s going on akin to self hypnosis / deep relaxation with all those colours and swirling shapes in your brain. Coupled with this is the (unconscious) desire to move your head a little like the feeling that you have during osteopathy but without the crunching!

So there’s another alternative healing tried. Whether I choose to have another go remains to be seen but it was certainly a pleasant experience.

That’s it for now. I’m off to realign my chakra soon with a few pints of Harvey’s and a curry.

Love and peace man.

Mike

I Pullem: Dentist

Can anyone explain why it is that when your dentist decides to go private you get the exact same treatment but just pay more for the privilege?

We all went en masse today to a new dentist. Our old one decided just before Christmas that he was going to give all his patients the benefit of private dentistry. Now one would assume that there must be something special going on. Maybe he’s going to have drinks and nibbles for you in the waiting room or a comfier chair. Perhaps he’s going to stop drinking coffee and breathing that foul coffee breath all over you from behind a better class of face mask.

No none of the above I’m afraid. In fact no change at all unless you count the prices! The average UK price for a check up on the NHS is £6. The same thing done privately is averagely £35. A filling varies from £6 to £16 on the NHS or £25 to £95 if it’s done privately.

How can they possibly justify such huge differences in the cost? Of course they make it sound like a bargain when they offer you their “carefully chosen” dental plan. A snip at only £15 a month. That’s £180 a year for something that was previously only costing you about £30 if you had a couple of check ups and two small fillings.

The crazy thing is that it’s not as if you have to qualify to be an NHS patient. There are certain categories if you’re looking for free treatment such as under 18’s, the unemployed, pregnant women etc but otherwise it’s available to everyone as long as you can find a dentist who is still accepting NHS patients.

Well we’ve been lucky enough to find another NHS dentist. It would seem that most people are less fortunate. Maybe it’s something you should bring up with your MP. Write him a letter or send him an email. Or better still, go see him in his weekly surgery and give him a smack in the mouth just to make the point!

Night night everybody and don’t forget to brush your teeth!

Mikey

The Turner Prize

Great weekend. Yesterday was spent at the inaugural Staplefield Art Exhibition. I ran the website as an offline experience. (The shame was that if I’d known the password I could have used the school’s wireless network). Lots of interest. Many offers of help and a few people cajoled into submitting information on their various groups.

The exhibition itself was marvellous. It’s incredible how much talent there is in and around the village. I dished out the Turner Prizes. 40,000 Korean Won. Not quite up to the real thing financially but fun all the same.

Bagged myself a bargain on Freecycle as well. A trailer for the car. Huge thing and useful for all sorts of occasions. Looks a little tatty but never look a gift horse in the mouth!

A busy week ahead but I’m determined to keep on blogging. Maybe once the brain settles down I’ll do some proper writing again.

That’s it for tonight.

All the best

Mikey

Webmaster Flash!

Another day without pearls of wisdom but at least I’ve been busy.

They say that website design is easy. I’ve spent the last 8 hours redoing the Staplefield website and can’t figure out how to publish it! I hope that I have it together enough to be able to present as a mock up at the art show tomorrow.

It’s at times like this that I need the services of a fourteen year old computer nerd. Whilst he/she’s at it they can figure out the connections for the TV/Sky Box/DVD Player/VCR.

I’m sure there is some sort of natural law that stops anyone over a certain age from being able to do the most simple of tasks! I haven’t figured out yet whether it’s a lack of basic curiosity or just a question of being out of touch with modern terminology but it’s at times like this that I feel like a “grumpy old man”.

I suppose the best advice I can give myself at 00.42 is to turn out the light and sleep on it. Tomorrow is another day and I can always get the manuals out again!

Good night to you all.

Mikey

Apologies

It’s Thursday. I’ve been mega busy. I’ve had no time to think about today’s words of wisdom let alone write them!

So sorry but normal service will be resumed tomorrow!

Catch you later

Mikey

Alternative Medicine

Last night’s TV and a programme on BBC2 called Alternative Medicine. Granted it’s not the most imaginative name for a television programme but having now seen two of the first three episodes I’ve been impressed. The programme is presented by Kathy Sykes (Of BBC Rough Science fame) who brings a pretty open mind to the whole subject.

I missed the programme on acupuncture but caught the one on healing and last night’s programme about herbalism.

It seems quite appropriate that I should be watching the series right now as I’m in the middle of a course of homeopathy which is complementing the regular medication I’m receiving as a result of an operation on my knee. Whilst not entirely conclusive (because of the regular medications I’m also taking) the effect of the treatment I’m receiving at the hands of my homeopath has been remarkable. In the course of the past few days my bruising has all but disappeared, scars are healing substantially and a haematoma dispersed with the help of gentle massage.

Whilst not yet a complete convert the experience has been enough to whet my appetite to investigate other means of healing.

Whether “alternative” or “complementary” there is an enormous amount of evidence to substantiate the claims made for the various types of “medicine” the programme has investigated so far. I’ve no doubt that as the series progresses and Kathy investigates other methods that further proven cures will come to light.

For the most part we are all guilty of putting our faith blindly in the hands of our GP or hospital doctors. Most of us would no more consider the idea of consulting any other kind of practitioner than biting off our own leg in order to make us feel better. For years though before modern medicine was invented everybody relied on what we now consider to be alternative curative methods. The argument has often run that modern medicine is an advance on old methods but apart from being terribly dismissive this also fails to bear in mind the many advances that have been made in so called alternative methods.

Last nights TV programme highlighted a number of herbs that have now been scientifically proven to the same standards of typical pharmaceutical drugs. The likes of St John’s Wort, Devils Claw, Gingko and Saw Palmetto have all been proven effective in a variety of complaints.

I for one will be watching the remainder of the series with great interest. In the meantime if you want to find out more a good place to start might be the programmes own website.

http://www.open2.net/alternativemedicine/index.html

In the meantime I wish you good health.

Bye for now

Mikey

One step closer

Today I joined ecademy as a full on “power networker”. Quite what this means I have yet to find out but I’m convinced that somewhere along the line the secret to success lies in getting your message across to as many people as possible and in as many ways as possible. It brings to mind the biblical quote about not hiding your light under a bushel for some reason.

By the same token I figure that the more people I talk too the greater opportunity for finding something that works for me.

All of a sudden my head is filled with a million clichés about mud at walls, get on your bike etc. I suppose some inspiration might be found from the apparent honesty and transparency of the people I’ve come across so far in the networking world. There does seem to be a genuine desire to help one another which appeals to my idea of karma. The biblical reference again to do unto others as you would have done to you looms large but makes sense.

I already have a number of people to get back to. Some thinking on my part about what exactly I do want and where I want to go in life. It may seem strange to be thinking this way at 47 but the events of the past couple of years have given me a fresh perspective on life along with a renewed opportunity. Life really is what you make of it.

What’s the point in wasting time? Allcalma is the overriding motive behind my thinking. Now is the time to put those thoughts into action.

Heavy stuff for a Tuesday night but I did set out to write whatever came into my head when I started this blog.

Night Night

Mikey

Quo Vadis

Quo Vadis – Where are you going?

Let’s say you want to take a holiday and you have no idea where to go. Maybe you’ll talk to friends to see if they have any suggestions, you might watch travel programmes on the TV. You may take some professional advice from travel agents. You could be influenced by articles you’ve read or films you’ve seen. You might recall previous holidays or times that you’ve heard about particular locations. You could be influenced by a particular hobby or interest and use that as your starting point. You might be tempted to “boldly go where no man has gone before” or you may wish to take a fully inclusive package option to give you the comfort of knowing that everything has been decided for you and your chances of failing to have a good holiday are marginalised.

Whatever you decide the chances are that you will give it a fair amount of planning and consultation before parting with your hard earned cash. Once you’ve made a decision and paid your deposit there’s a certain amount of further research and planning to make sure that your holiday passes smoothly and to ensure you get the best from it. And when that day finally comes and you step on a plane or get in your car or board a ship or train you will probably feel pretty confident that you’re going to have a good time. You’ve packed your holiday clothes, sun tan lotion, guide books, camera etc. You’ve bought your foreign currency and remembered your credit cards. You cancelled the milk and the papers and you arranged for your neighbour to look after the cat.

But it doesn’t stop there. Whilst you’re away you’ll make decisions every day as to where you go, what you do, how you spend your money etc. You will typically try to ensure that you squeeze every last bit of pleasure possible from your precious two weeks away.

And when you come back you’ll reflect on how good a time you had. You’ll get out your photos, talk to your friends and colleagues. You’ll review whether you would return to the same destination and if so whether you would do anything differently. It may have inspired you to other things and you’ll take those thoughts into consideration for next time.

Doesn’t your future deserve at least a similar amount of care and attention?

Happy Monday

Mikey

Fly me to the moon

Today chatted on MSN to Sarah (my eldest daughter) who was busy filling in an application form for work placement with Unilever. She was struggling with the answers to two questions which involved detailing how her contribution to tasks/events in her life had altered the course of those events or contributed to their success. With a bit of thought she was able to come up with an example and after some consideration I emailed her a reminder of another occasion. I know that with some more thought on her part she’ll come up with more examples because she’s the kind of person who can’t help affecting people around her! One big reason she’s struggling is that Sarah is the kind of person who just seems to get on with the task in hand and doesn’t really consider that her capabilities are anything exceptional. She’s a great girl of whom I’m extraordinarily proud.

Later today Alice (my middle daughter) asked me to print out some research she’d been doing for a school project on Neil Armstrong. Here was an ordinary guy, born on a farm and with an unexceptional childhood apart from the fact that he so much wanted to learn how to fly that he took various jobs to finance his flying lessons and passed his test at the age of 16! Another 16 years later and he became an astronaut and a mere seven years after that and he became the first man to walk on the moon! He now lives a quiet life on his own farm in Ohio.

So what’s the connection? Allcalma! They both have it. Neil Armstrong didn’t wait around talking and dreaming about flying like a typical 15 year old boy. He went out and financed his own way through lessons. By all accounts though he has always considered himself an ordinary guy who got himself into some extraordinary situations.

Sarah has yet to become an astronaut but she’s already an exceptional woman. She’s managing to have a steady relationship, hold down a responsible job and is currently halfway through a degree course in European Politics. (Not quite the easiest option subject wise).

I wish her well.

Night Night

Mikey

That's why I'm easy!

Sometimes you just have to take it easy. Once or twice this week I’ve been up with the lark and posting a blog before daylight. Today was the opposite. A slow start to the day followed by a visit to the doctor as my knee was swelling and possibly infected meant that the morning passed before I even knew it. The afternoon was an easy time. The evening got easier still. Watched “The Talented Mr Ripley” for the first time. La Dolce Vita. It must have been great to be able to do Europe in the 50s and 60s, before the world and his wife caught on to the idea. Altogether a very different life. I’m not really sure that there’s anywhere left to explore with the innocence that we still had right up until the last thirty years or so.

These days everything has to be done at high speed. There is no longer time for La Dolce Vita. In Spain and Italy they’re even talking about changing working hours to do away with the siesta now that everywhere has air conditioning and it’s no longer too hot to work during the day.

Is this progress?

READING FOR PLEASURE

A recent spell in hospital has left me doing a considerable amount of reading over the past two weeks.

I've always read for pleasure and frequently have two or three books on the go but this has been an opportunity to start and finish books in one go or at worst over the course of a couple of days.

I've read all kinds from classics to latest bestsellers as well as a number of "self help / improve your life" type books. I've mostly enjoyed them all but a thought came to me that I'd like to share.

How many times have you read a great book and then seen the film and been disappointed? Conversely how many times have you seen a movie which has inspired you to read the book and had the same feeling?

I'd hazard a guess that more of you would be able to identify with the former statement. So often we feel let down. Generally it's because the film doesn't portray the depth of the book. Occasionally the movie comes up with a different ending or in some cases differs so much that you wonder if it's only the title they share in common.

But what about self help books? Full of promise on the cover. Crammed with the expectation that this will change your life and yet we all of us frequently complain that the book didn't live up to expectations.

Well the cause in the case of a bestselling novel becoming a Hollywood flop is most often down to the director or the producer but when it comes to a "self help" book we have only ourselves to blame.

The truth is that most self help books contain a wealth of good advice. Some of it may be obvious, some obscure. Some of it may need tweaking to personal circumstances but they all depend on one thing. Action! You do have to take it to heart. You do need to follow the rules. You do need to get up off your butt and start actually doing something about your life. You can read all the inspirational literature you like, become an "expert critic" of the genre, but if you don't put the ideas into practice you're never going to make it work.

When attempting to lose weight. "Eat less, drink lots of water and exercise more" are the fundamentals behind every diet but do we follow that advice. Do we hell! Most of us believe it can't be that easy. We find all kinds of excuses and still look like lardy boys months later. It's the same thing in the self help business.

We all know that that's what we should be doing. Take some advice on board and start putting it into practice. If you don't then all you've done is waste time reading a book that's going to end up leaving you as frustrated as if you've just seen another poor adaptation of a bestselling novel.

So next time you pick up a "life changing" book give it a go. At worst you'll do a little bit of good. At best you may change your life for ever. Don't forget it's only those who walk the walk that get to take make the journey. Those who just talk about it will get left behind.

Allcalma - it's a way of life.

Have a fun weekend.

Mikey

A Life Coach Less Ordinary

I'm really getting carried away here. This whole blog thing must be going to my head as it's only 10.30 Wednesday evening and I've already written Thursdays blog. Well at least It's better than 10.30 Thursday night!

Whilst some of you might think it sad that I have sufficient time on my hands to have caught this programme hidden in the depths of Sky TV on UKTV Style others of you will know immediately why I’ve chosen it as the subject of todays blog.

It’s an infuriating programme that appears to have been made for sufferers of short term memory loss (such is the number of times that the storylines are repeated during the thirty minutes show) but the underlying message and the enthusiasm of the Speakmans more than makes up for this.

Whilst Nik and Eva Speakman don’t necessarily make for prime time must see TV it makes a refreshing change from the never ending run of makeover programmes for house, garden, face and finances that usually make up this section of the satellite viewing menu.

There’s plenty of seemingly obvious advice, at which the average sceptic might turn up their noses but I have to say that obvious or not it all makes sense.

If you start your morning with a quick bop around the room to some lively music (the Speakmans favourite being “Show me the way to Amarillo”) then the chances are that you will feel fired up and ready to face anything the day sends you. If you take to heart some of the mantras / Speakmanisms featured in the show and available in just about every self help book you care to read then you will feel good about yourself and start living a more satisfying life.

The trick is of course that you do need to walk the walk. This is classic NLP and there is just no way that this will work for you if you A) don’t believe it and B) don’t act upon it.

The Speakmans are a prime example of ALLCALMA and love them or hate them you can’t knock their success rate.

Take a look for yourself. A Life Coach Less Ordinary is on UKTV Style weekdays from Monday 9th January at 10pm. There’s more information at
http://www.uktvstyle.co.uk/index.cfm/uktvStyle/standardHomepage.article/sID/5335.shtml

I’m off to find my dancing shoes.

Happy Thursday

Mikey

GET YOURSELF A BLOG!

It’s day three on the Allcalma blog quest and today’s pearl of wisdom is quite short and sweet.

GET YOURSELF A BLOG!

There are probably as many different reasons for having a blog as there are blogs on the net but the great thing about them is that they all serve a similar purpose. We all have something to say. It might just be to tell people what you’ve been doing; you might want to share a hobby or interest; you might, like me, want to share your thoughts, views or ideas. Whatever your reason, it’s a great way to keep in touch with the world and it encourages some discipline in your daily routine.

For most of us these days a diary is something we keep only to remind us of future appointments in our busy schedule. It used to be an opportunity to take time out and reflect on our lives. We all could do with a little time each day to do just that. So let me encourage you once again. It’s easy to do. Just click on the link at the top right of the page and follow the instructions.

Have a nice day

Mikey