Remembering the days of a non freezing London

Soon I hope to be back on my bike, whizzing through the streets of the city...

Last of 2009

While this year has seen a range of natural and economic disasters hit our planet, our economy and jobs; I have had a pretty good year. Good music, great festivals. we (ARtE) released an EP, played the Jazz Cafe and Dingwalls, visited the southernmost part of Europe (Gavdos), started Uni, watched my yucca grow even more, met some wonderful people, spent more time with wonderful people, received heaps of love and got myselg a Charge bicycle!

Overall, it's been amazing! So my wishes and love are extended to you all, wishing you peace, love, happiness and above all - health! My resolution is to try and be more focused.


Happy New Year/Καλή Χρονιά (χρόνια πολλά)!!!

Top something...

I was given the difficult task today of compiling a list with my Top 10 albums of all time. At first I hesitated, but then went with the flow of what came out… The list is a selection of albums that I love now, loved when they were out and can imagine myself loving in 20 years time. It’s a strange process:

Ani DiFranco – Not a Pretty Girl
Counting Crows – August and Everything After
Jeff Buckley – Grace
Bob Dylan – Desire
Pink Floyd – Dark Side of the Moon
Bright Eyes – I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning
Radiohead – OK Computer
Ben Harper – The Will to Live
Joni Mitchell – Blue
Elliott Smith – Figure 8

A few more albums I have been listening to heaps and recommend...

Paul Dempsey - Everything Is True
Krystle Warren - Circles
Ah Holly Fam'ly - Reservoir
Golden Silvers - True Romance
Erin McKeown - Hundreds of Lions
Joan as Police Woman - Cover
Meshell Ndegeocello - Devil's Halo

It really has been a brilliant year (for music).

Bicycle Talk?

Really do...

More about my sunflower

As you can see, it just keeps growing and I am constantly amazed at how this can be happening in autumn! The rest of the roof garden is looking just as grand...
Might I add that the seeds were courtesy of Guerilla Gardeners.

It's all Greek to me

Having taken note of recent ‘name observations’, with most English names around me ranging between 4-5 letters (especially abbreviated) it is no wonder that English people think Greek names are endless [long]. A surname averaging at five syllables and first names being a minimum of 5 letters long!

It’s not all about size however; I reckon Greek names have a far more equal consonant to vowel ratio, making the pronunciation a lot easier to slide off one’s tongue.

I’m not being biased.

It’s interesting to observe our habits in speech and pronunciation of words. Living in such a multicultural city as London, leaves us no choice but to hear all names, nationalities and languages. Leaves with 5 letters combined which can be verbalised in 5 different ways.

Note; ignorance is not bliss.

And no, my surname is not a disease!

bloom in autumn

Whoever heard of flowers blooming in autumn? Well, one of my sunflowers finally looks like one! It went through a rather sun-less summer... to a summer-like autumn.

Cats and Dogs

Sadly, there is no metaphor in that title whatsoever. I received a very sad e-mail from my brother yesterday, explaining the departure of his beautiful white cat from this world. She got chased and attacked by a pack of dogs in the neighbourhood. The thought of her struggling against big dogs is shocking and saddening, but when I think about the "natural" cycle of life and how humans [metaphorically] live in a dog-eat-dog society; survival of the fittest... and all these pseudo motivational words, then I guess Beawa's departure from this world really was nothing but an act of nature.

As close as we had grown towards her, as beautiful as her three little kittens are...

R.I.P. Beawa.

"be the change you want to see"

Today is the highly anticipated “Climate Camp”, where environmental protesters and generally conscious people unite to share one worry; the earth and its climate change!

Due to the G20 protests in London getting out of hand, with a tiny number of people resulting in vandalism, police have been taking ridiculous measures to control any form of public speech! It’s not only worryingly oppressive, but resembles the attitudes of an unsuccessful communist rule as opposed to our supposed “democracy”.

Police are now going to be photographing the activists (as seen on Guardian article), almost depicting the situation as criminal. The idea is apparently to keep a close eye on repeat protesters. (My blood boils with anger as I write this!)

Live “Climate Camp” updates can also be found here.

Further reading on other issues

In my opinion, the G20 “flared up” due to police completely closing everyone in and not letting them move and due to three or so people who either felt that vandalism was due, or felt completely trapped by them! People reported asking the police to leave were not actually allowed with the reason being “those are the orders”.

My frustration does not lie with the police [supposedly] doing their job, it lies with the police state that has been created, stripping us away of our fundamental liberties and all we rave to be “freedom” and “democracy”.

Best of...

Since the birth of this blog, I have been wanting to compile a list of some of (if not all, you can count on both hands) my favourite companies, as I feel that we often don’t give enough emphasis on all the great and positive things in life and concentrate on everything that goes wrong. I am not being paid to promote these companies, they are just genuine, down to earth business...

Howies - for their cool and organic (on the sporty side) clothing! Not only are they great, fun and friendly, but I love their blog and their headquarters are in Wales!

Rootmaster - for their delicious, almost gourmet, vegan food in the heart of hip London, on an old routmaster red bus...

Patagonia - for their ethical sportswear, innovative ideas and all around positive impact in the business world.

Pieminister - the most scrumptious veggie pie with mash that I have ever had the privilege of tasting! Good and honest ingredients...

Charge - a UK based, innovative bicycle company with bikes that I cannot afford...

Cole Clarke - an Australian acoustic guitar making company using sustainable materials and wood. Love 'em, but can't afford them yet...

The FleaPit - a very cool little bar(?) in Shoreditch. It had me at "Eco Warrior"

...I am sure I will think of more, but there's some for now.

I guess...

The probability of chance being a possibility, is very likely.

Be

In the plethora of mindless news fed to us on a daily basis, I was surprisingly engaged by the content of the London Paper (Free Publication in London) today! Despite my still lacking knowledge on celebrities, sometimes there is something for everyone...

Which leads me to the thought that life really is what you make of it. You wake up in a certain way and it pretty much stays with you for the whole day. If each day is a metaphor for each life; let's not stick to that one thought we were given when were growing up, that one ideal, that stigma.

Be free.

I go shopping with my bike now

Stickers from my mum, probably not used as intended...



I do heart my bike and my new basket (thanks homie)

Not-Bored At Work...

ask yourself III

ask yourself II

ask yourself I

Inconclusive rant about CCTV (Part I)

“This is a public announcement. This station is constantly monitored by Closed Circuit Television Cameras (CCTV)”; a robotic female voice proudly announces every morning at Finsbury Park station. Followed by “Cycling, skateboarding and ball games are not allowed at this station”, which to my ears might as well translate to “No fun allowed”.

It is a human rights law to make someone aware if you are filming them or recording their telephone conversations. What better way to comply with monitoring people, by making it all to a) monitor them and b) even tell them! But lets face it, it impossible to miss the huge cameras plotted around the city, circulating and monitoring… what?

I am not paranoid, really. I don’t feel I have anything to hide, but it’s all getting far too strange.

A funny conversation this morning brought to my attention how so many people in London are opposed to having ID cards; fair enough. But what about all the cameras following everyone around? What’s next; thought police*? (*George Orwell – “1984”)

London has the most CCTV cameras in the whole of Europe. There’s even a CCTV camera by my flat door. Someone knocked to now be facing the ground sideways and in over 6 months no one seems to have noticed, so perhaps the bulk of what we see is a fear tactic. (or the particular camera owners are a bit slow)

Whether or not you fear the Orwellian predictions or are simply cynical about the excessive use of CCTV in London and the UK, there is always the countryside…

Sarychev Peak Volcano

Some amazing photos from the recent Sarychev Peak Volcano eruption...

click here

Wallis Bird - To My Bones

You just can't help but love this lady!

More random images from daritius

I got this bottle of water free at Finsbury Park... Random and blogged!



This is how Nrab eats his cereal every morning...


And I am off for a while...
Blog you soon.

peg crocodile

On the note of blogging random daily events, here's the peg that Nrab created to be a viscious crocodile today... Graaaarrr.

head home

I often want to walk home, the idea is more a romantic thought of walking through meadows, rather than the realistic view of tar streets and concrete buildings and blocks of flats leading the way to our place.

Nonetheless, the other night I didn't really have the choice. I had to abandon my date with Murakami and embark on the walk to my house from Finsbury Park; a bus wasn't coming anytime soon. Many others had the same idea, and this is what we came across!


Helicopter in Finsbury Park on 16/06/09

VOTE!

We all have a similar sob story; “I remember being 17”. I am sure…

Because, I remember being 17. I couldn’t wait to turn 18 and exercise my right to vote. I really couldn’t wait. It therefore really throws me when people don’t bother voting, don’t bother caring about the decisions that are being on their behalf.

Admittedly, when I was 17 I had a much more naïve take on life and the feeling that I could ‘conquer all’ and that ‘love is all we need’ unfortunately faded and was somewhat tainted by the strangely grim office environment I found myself flung into 3 years ago. What have I learned? Making the boss coffee and sandwiches keeps your job. Fake smiles and back stabbing gets you promoted and unfair treatment of different workers is completely acceptable.

Today though, we should all be voting for British parties entering the European Parliament, in numbers of seats. Not voting for leaders, not voting for a handsome Obama, true. But we are voting for decisions that are being made every week that affect every one of us. Wouldn’t you want to remotely trust a person inputting their ideas? The biggest campaign that most civilians of [at least] London are trying to achieve, is to oust the BNP (British National Front, which is an openly Fascist and Racist party, disguising their views as “Patriotism”, despite obvious praise of Adolf Hitler and close friendships with the Ku Klux Klan). The though of the BNP sends uncomfortable shivers down my spine and makes my stomach turn. Much like the Nazi party did, after WWI, the BNP are using the economic crisis to their advantage and blaming the corruption on the system to lack of fascist policies in the current government.

Below is the list of candidates. VOTE!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8040446.stm

fruit

I hate it when i can't remember which I prefer:

Mandarins,
Satsumas,
or Clementines?

sometimes we do best, going slower...

the slow movement

Um.bre.lla

British Weather = April Showers, May, June, July, August showers. Then autumn and winter!

In a sentimental mood

Good ways to spend a sick day

...if you have a laptop, and so... from bed!

Sip coffee

Listen to new music on last.fm

Read in depth about the Cyprus and Macedonia disputes.

Look at pictures of your home country and make your heart ache

Subsequently, listen to your home's bands

Check your e-mails and actully start replying to them

Twitter something, anything... everything!

Blog (tick!)

Read a book

חג כשר וסמח

(Chag kasher ve'same`ach)
or... Happy Passover!

"It’s your life”

I found this by my foot, on the bus this morning, when I sat down. It caught my eye and I knew instantly it was going to be something intriguing, being the religious cynic that I am. Despite the possible dirty bacteria the pamphlet would have accumulated, I decided to pick it and read through it. As expected, an evangelical booklet on “believing”.

I wanted to scan it through and share with you, but we found a link which explains all.

Brace yourself: http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/1101/1101_01.asp



NB: For the record, in no way do I advocate this way of thinking.

An ode to my friends…

Been here, been through here, are here...

Athens, Caracas, Worthing, Durham, Hampshire, Norfolk, Stoke-on-Trent, Larnaca, Nea Makri, Crete, Cardiff, Melbourne, Malta, Macedonia, Minnesota, Tennessee, Colchester, Grimsby, Manchester, Zimbabwe, Cape Town, Tel Aviv, Rome, Yorkshire, Guernsey, Lisbon, Quebec, Strasbourg, Berlin, Krakow, Jordan, Beijing, Poole, Shropshire, Vienna, Swansea, Edinburgh, Istanbul, Sydney, Tampa, Toronto, Chicago, San Francisco, South Korea, Dubai, Lisbon and many more!

Thinking of you…

Lá Fhéile Pádraig

or... Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Mixin' it up a little...

This guy is pretty spectacular. "Kutiman" takes videos from YouTube, mixes up the audio and visual tracks to create a whole new song... Check it!

Adrian Roye & the Exiles - Telephones & Traffic Lights EP Launch!!!

Had to share...

Green custard thrown at Mandelson:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7927668.stm

(Thanks for the link tip VA!)

Dydd Gwyl Dewi Hapus

or... Happy St David's Day

eARTh

Musically...

...following on from the "summer" theme and the fact that I haven't recommended music all that much (other than pointing you towards my last.fm, this evening I discovered this wonderful UK band, filled with world fusions and has such lifted my [already high] spirits!


You can also listen here.

Have a swell weekend!

Rich in antioxidants

On the bus in this morning, after a long wait and a struggle being pushed onto the bus by convent school girls, I was then sandwiched at the very back of the upper deck, between a pseudo business man and a pseudo chav/”rude boy”; I was thankfully accompanied by Augie March on my ipod and the thought that very soon I would be sipping a delicious cup of coffee and having a slice of the vegan banana cake, I’d hoped wasn’t getting as squashed as I was, in my bag.

I had time to assume people’s professions… The rude woman pushing like a school girl, almost definitely worked for the council – unsympathetic and ignorant. The shy-trying-to-look-cool boy to my left was probably finishing his GCSEs and filled with teenage angst.

Most importantly, I imagined us all acting out what we did, on the bus. A singer singing, an artist sketching, an author reading… a woman with her calculator was obviously an accountant, while the man bored of his nine to five was staring into space. I’d like to think that the man in his twenties, wearing baggy corduroys was a skateboarder, but he was most probably a web designer, who surely skated in his youth. A part-time DJ engrossed in the beats in his cans…

Yes, it was a 7 minute journey turning into 30!

What would you be doing on this bus/tube to represent you?

I think I was doing it all! Observing while listening to music… if only I had space to open my book.

~

And to spice up the blog a little, here’s a very cool link that my very cool friend/colleague sent me this morning: http://www.anightlessordinary.org.uk/

* * *

Also, if you find yourself in South London, somewhere near Stockwell tomorrow, I am playing at The Cavendish Arms around 20:00.

Speaking of dreams

My mind’s all over the place… I’m thinking in past perfect but writing in future continuous. This surely is evident enough to grant me a holiday, outside my 22 allocated. Fully paid with guaranteed relaxation.

There will be a summer festival there, my loved ones and my bicycle. Everyone will be smiling. The wood on my guitar will be mellow from the warmth; my fingers will be flowing to the melodies they long to release. In peace, sipping pineapple juice out of a coconut.

Think about it…

~

Songs for today include:
Kaki King – Happy As a Dead Pig in the Sun
Jon Redfern – I Love the Sun
Joseph Arthur – In the Sun

(You catch my drift)

Bob Marley – Sun Is Shining
Kings of Leon – Milk
Brandi Carlile – Josephine

And

Ani DiFranco – Slide

Just because.

Oh, and then I woke up.

A very helpful guide in these troubling times...

Economic Models Explained with Cows


SOCIALISM

You have two cows.

You give one to your neighbour.

COMMUNISM

You have two cows.
The State takes both and gives you some milk.

FASCISM

You have two cows.
The State takes both and sells you some milk.

NAZISM

You have two cows.
The State takes both and shoots you.

BUREAUCRATISM

You have two cows.
The State takes both, shoots one, milks the other, and then throws the milk away.

TRADITIONAL CAPITALISM

You have two cows.
You sell one and buy a bull.
Your herd multiplies, and the economy grows.
You sell them and retire on the income.

SURREALISM

You have two giraffes.
The government requires you to take harmonica lessons.

AN AMERICAN CORPORATION

You have two cows.
You sell one, and force the other to produce the milk of four cows.
Later, you hire a consultant to analyse why the cow has dropped dead.

ENRON VENTURE CAPITALISM

You have two cows.
You sell three of them to your publicly listed company, using letters of credit opened by your brother-in-law at the bank, then execute a debt/equity swap with an associated general offer so that you get all four cows back, with a tax exemption for five cows.
The milk rights of the six cows are transferred via an intermediary to a Cayman Island company secretly owned by the majority shareholder who sells the rights to all seven cows back to your listed company.
The annual report says you own eight cows, with an option on one more. You sell one cow to buy a new president of the United States , leaving you with nine cows. No balance sheet provided with the release. The public then buys your bull.

THE ANDERSON MODEL
You have two cows.
You shred them.

A FRENCH CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You go on strike, organise a riot and block the roads, because you want three cows.

A JAPANESE CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk. You then create a clever cartoon image called 'Cowkimon' and market it worldwide.

A GERMAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You re-engineer them so they live for 100 years, eat once a month and milk themselves.

AN ITALIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows, but you don't know where they are.
You decide to have lunch.

A RUSSIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You count them and learn you have five cows.
You count them again and learn you have 42 cows.
You count them again and learn you have two cows.
You stop counting cows and open another bottle of vodka.

A SWISS CORPORATION
You have 5000 cows, but none of them belong to you.
You charge the owners for storing them.

A CHINESE CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You have 300 people milking them.
You claim that you have full employment, and high bovine productivity.
You arrest the newsman who reported the real situation.

AN INDIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You worship them.

A BRITISH CORPORATION
You have two cows.
Both are mad.

AN IRAQI CORPORATION
Everyone thinks you have lots of cows.
You tell them that you have none.
No-one believes you, so they bomb the **** out of you and invade your country. You still have no cows, but at least now you are part of a democracy.

AN AUSTRALIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
Business seems pretty good.
You close the office and go for a few beers to celebrate.

A NEW ZEALAND CORPORATION
You have two cows.
The one on the left looks very attractive.

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

The snow fell.

It was so swell.

Everyone smiled and played and we were off work.

Children sledged and adults baked.

It was our February’s Christmas Day!

Blog-Standard Fame

I just got an e-mail from Adrian saying we were featured on a blog... What else could I do but - blog it!

ill and ancient

Obamad!

Everyone’s got it… Started in November and today reaches its finale (I hope) and will maybe start to calm down. A “president elect” (very soon to be "president") has turned into perhaps the most mass media advertised icon since The Beatles! (Don’t quote me on that, I am speculating; though I wouldn’t be too surprised if that’s a fact)

From pens to hats, magnets to coffee mugs, coffee blends to fonts! Every design-freak (you know who you are!) is creating their version of support for the first black American president of the USA; Barrack Obama. They are joining in the craze and perhaps helped convert thousands of people into being “Obama-mad” with their quirky, creative and innovatively eye catching designs.

But is posing him on graffiti as a muscle superman perhaps weighing far too much pressure and expectation on someone who after all is only human and doesn’t grow on kryptonite?

I am not even in the States today and feel quite happy and lifted that Obama is due to be sworn in this afternoon. I nearly even rescheduled my lunch break to coincide with this moment. He’s handsome, he’s smart, he can articulate himself and has ideals and goals that I mostly agree with. He is liberal, handsome (did I mention that already?), was on the Ellen show and was even filmed painting the walls in a homeless shelter yesterday! There’s absolutely no doubt that he’s exceedingly cool…

Let’s not forget, change takes time, time needs patience and patience requires unity. Now, let’s take some weight off his [handsome] shoulders and take a look at these great images! (Yes, all courtesy of the internet, via Apples Anonymous!)

Daritius’ Zen (Part 2)

Don’t judge others on your own actions, sometimes use ‘benefit of doubt’.

There’s no “I” in team, but there’s not “team” in I either; look after yourself, no one else will.

Find a blog you like and bookmark it (now!)

Don’t take yourself too seriously.

Don’t knock it ‘til you try it - Marmite rocks! (Spread thinly)

Listen to your favourite album this week.

Watch “It’s a Wonderful Life” this month.

“A tidy ship is a happy ship” – if you don’t have a ship, use this metaphorically. If you live on a boat, even better, what an appropriate saying!

Make tea not war! (http://teaappreciationsociety.blogspot.com)

Make a map of where you’re going, a map of where you’ve been… Just make sure you notice, where you are in-between.

Barrack Obama

(sung in Michael Franti's catchy tune)

Go Wales!

I love Wales, the Welsh, Welsh mountains, Welsh waterfalls, Welsh cakes, Welsh sheep (alive), Welsh music, Welsh road signs, Welsh Festivals.

OK?

(image borrowed from www.howies.co.uk)

Daritius' Zen (Part 1)

(And a Happy New Year...)

~

If there are going to be exceptions to rules, then they shouldn’t be called “rules”.

“ ‘I’ before ‘e’ except after ‘c’ ”… what a lie!

Don’t complain about meaningless things; deal with your own insecurities before piling it onto others.

If you’re cold, wear an extra layer. You’d be amazed at the amount of heat fabric captures.

Take more photos. There’s only so much your memory can hold.
Buy a new hard drive to store your photos. You never know when your computer will crash.
Don’t upload your photos onto Facebook; that’s so last week…

Try not texting too much when spending time a friend. Time and friendships are precious.

Offer a chip from your pack to your friends, rather than greedily gobble them up in front of them. (You never know when their last meal was)

It’s no one’s fault but your own for being late; there’s always traffic! (Get a watch)

No one likes a constant moaner… Get a grip.

~

Ok… peace!

Eat. Sleep. Folk.

Christmas holidays are upon me and thus less blog posting... I do apologise, it's mostly visual.
Loved this!

...Season's Greetings

For Alternative Christmas Ideas

Click Here

Greek Solidarity Demo at Dalston Kingsland Station

Yesterday was an historic moment in my life, of attending the grave of my English great-grandmother, near Waltham Forest, with my grandmother and mother. A grave that has perhaps not been visited in 60 odd years, sunk under the mud of a British cemetery. I helped my grandmother struggle across the water logged path and helped her throw a bouquet of flowers onto her mother’s grave. Sullen, we laughed at the scene of mud as I was stood by the bloodline of my British heritage. There, by muddy stones.

Meanwhile, Solidarity demos were being held across East and North East London, for the anarchists in Greece (my other bloodline. Greece, not the anarchists). It was only when returning from Brick Lane and trying to make the simple 100 metre walk from one side of Dalston to the other, to reach Stoke Newington that we were informed by a police officer, that there was a protest outside the station and that no one was allowed through. When another pedestrian asked what the logic in that was, he replied that he was merely following orders from high above.

While we jokingly commented on the inconvenience of this, while walking through the meat market (of all places), I wondered how the demo would help either the Greek government or the anarchists in Greece, as I was sure this wouldn’t be publicized in any mainstream media or get half as much attention as it perhaps deserved. Crowds of Greek and non Greek people swamped Hackney on this Sunday afternoon and I was almost glad to feel some kind of revolutionary spirits in the London air.

I found a first hand report on this on the following blog: http://revolutionaryboredom.wordpress.com/2008/12/14/a-quick-report-on-the-greek-solidarity-demo-at-dalston-kingsland-station-141208/

While everyone has their views and qualms on the accounts in [mainly] Athens, I known that there are hundreds of protests happening around the world, I however mention this as it’s happening in my home city.

According to the above blog, the minimal demonstrators were also not allowed to vacate the area.

Further info: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/12/415276.html

Friday

Thanks to “Anonymous” for sending this lovely image.
There’s always something romantic about the rain; just not being caught in it!

Pee Pee Pee

Many things worth noting other than the weather.
Many things worth dwelling on than time.

December is here and my birthday approaches.
I am playing a fundraising gig tonight at a vegan café in Hackney. (check “no borders London” in the links section.)

I watched “Jesus Camp” last week… a really scary, nightmarish documentary. The gist of it is a selection of fanatic Christians, brainwashing children from a very young age into preaching extremism and hatred. Turned my stomach… but then the excessive consumption of alcohol probably didn’t help.

It’s all about P.P.P.

Weather Talk...

...again. Yes! It's 3 degrees Celcius tonight in London!
I am still wrapped up in wool, scarf and hat as I type this...

Good luck for the weekend, I'm off to Greece.

While you read this...

…there’s an amazing band playing to a beautiful sunset; a song is being written; one of your friends is probably lonely and would appreciate your call; someone is sleeping deeply and having a wonderful dream; someone else got soaked by a car driving through a big puddle.

Somewhere else, the sun rose to a gloomy Monday morning, still trees, chilled wind and the sound of duty calling. Not here, although there’s something wonderfully eerie about London’s winters.

The fog, the rain, the damp.

You are probably sitting, looking at a screen... I thank you, but go for walk.

Piece of [my] Mind...

Surreal.
I thought I was dreaming
But I never fell asleep
Counting flying tofus
Cause vegans don’t count sheep
Flickering memories
As I flicked through texts
Seeing pictures of
A man I never met…

They make hole punchers
A hole that fits every binder
And I see each leaf unfold
With each year growing older
Trees get wider…
So do roads
My hair gets longer
As do my days…

Here, I sit again
And spin just one more time
This year at least
I hope I find
Some sense of peace of mind…

Another day, another $

Not sure if it was my imagination, or whether everyone was walking with more of a swing in their stride this morning. It’s the dawning of a new era, a positive light at the beginning of winter and above all – hope. Hope is what drives us to achieve, to move on forth. Makes us realise that change is possible and that we just need to unite.
One person makes a small change, but 10 people make an even bigger impact.

I was reminded of Ani DiFranco’s [once again] prophetic words: “My city is bracing for the next killing thing. Standing by the bridge and praying for the next Dr. Martin Luther King.” (From the song “Hello Birmingham”/album “To The Teeth” © 1999)

Yes, I am still referring to Barack Obama… I think we’ll be talking about this for a long while…

The future’s bright, the future’s blogged

I doubt there is any medium [of media] that hasn’t mentioned the triumphant win of senator Barack Obama being elected, not only as the next President of the United States of America, but also as the first black president in American history.
I shall make no exception; I am mentioning this in my blog as I feel quite chuffed for Americans today. I am happy for them and I am looking forward to change, by this influential nation which no doubt will also have a huge impact on my country of residence as well; the UK.

I will leave the well informed coverage about Mr Obama’s history to the press; however, here are some interesting facts:

~He won a Grammy Award in 2006 for Best Spoken Word Recording. It was for the audio version of his book Dreams from My Father .
~He doesn’t like ice-cream. He worked in Baskin-Robbins as a teenager. That’s where his distaste for ice-cream comes from.
~He loves playing Scrabble. He never commented on how good he is, though.
~He experimented with drugs. Back in his early years he tried marijuana and cocaine. According to his own words he is not proud of it and considers it a mistake as a young man.
~He smokes but wants to quit. After all, there is a non-smoking policy in the White House.

"No such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing."

Indeed!

Puddle Dive

After my friend’s spot-on predictions on the weather yesterday, I too have decided to now swear by the MetCheck.

In Sammy Cahn's words “Let it snow, let is snow, let it snow.”

The Big Green Bookshop

With Christmas fast approaching and advertising campaigns bombarding us from all angles, I can’t help but feel the cynic in me creep through. While we are more likely to believe in Santa Claus than Jesus Christ, perhaps the true meaning and reason for us celebrating this day, is reflected better in our wallets than on the crosses we [don’t] bare.

I do recall times when Christmas was exceedingly exciting and finding stockings at the end of my bed when waking up on Christmas morning with my brother filled me with enormous warmth and joy.
That feeling was somehow recreated when I worked in a bookshop for two years. The retail build up, while tacky and commercial, was filled with the magic of hardbacks and paperbacks filling people’s stockings and wearing a Christmas hat while smiling at children getting their next instalment of magical dosage.

I was reminded of these times, while reading The Big Green Bookshop’s Blog which is now owned by two of the managers that ran the shop after I left (Tim and Simon of Ottakar’s Wood Green). (Needless to stay that the magic of Christmas build up was not enough to keep my interest in the majority of disgruntled customers with [mostly] no manners.)

But anyway.

Not only is this blog (TBGB) an exceptionally good read, it is also an insight on owning and running a successful business, just off the second busiest high street (after Oxford Street) in London, keeping it real and independent. With an array of events always going on and a wonderful shop name, I wanted to take this opportunity to evoke… something.

And on book talk, this is one of my favourite books; Language Older Than Words

Enjoy the last few days of October.
Leaves.
Autumn.

The God Delusion?

Anyone familiar with Richard Dawkins’ book “The God Delusion” will know where this is going. If not, the book is vaguely based around the idea that god is not a higher being and has many chapters of arguing his point. (you can read a further synopsis here

I am not advocating the existence, however a friend threw an article onto my desk yesterday, which was published in The Metro (London) yesterday which she said “is linked to an old blog post of yours”.

The blog and the article

How delightful!

~ * ~

On another note, fingerprints on your monitor! Eh!
And in C#minor… I am inventing many new ways in pretending to work!

Furthermore...

(Thanks to Viks for e-mailing the picture!)

I wish I’d stayed in bed.

With another weekend kicking at my heel, I find myself fresh and anew, at the start of a new page turning over, letting the leaves fall and let some people spend hours each morning sweeping them up. The remnants of a season, sprayed across the city’s streets… across the dull morning sky and the heaviness of Monday morning.

I wish I’d stayed in bed.

This, however, made me smile: Honey

Howies® are officially my favourite company of [at least] 2008!

elgooG

You've got to enterain yourself somehow...

elgooG

Only in America...

Lawsuit against God:

http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7673591.stm

Unanimous Boredom?

I have felt a little “blog-uninspired” lately. So I was searching through an eponymous search engine and decided to at least pass on some positivity through inspirational quotes; or something.

It’s easy to find humour [on eponymous search engine] and found this:

“If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried.” By Susan Ohanian

But really, my favourite was:

“If you wish to live wisely, ignore sayings including this one.” By Anonymous

That sure put me in my place!

Plant More Trees!

This is one of the most exciting ideas, for me, at the moment!!!

http://www.guerrillagardening.org/

"Its passenger is its engine"

With my newly acquired bicycle and my first mamouth cycle-around London completed with the "Freecycle 2008", I am definitelly feeling the cycle culture and am well on the way on being an active cylcist; not just an annual "Freecycler".

This is not a boasting blog, but I was told about "Ghost Bikes", which interested me and thought might interest you!

"Ghost Bikes are small and somber memorials for bicyclists who are killed or hit on the street. A bicycle is painted all white and locked to a street sign near the crash site, accompanied by a small plaque. They serve as reminders of the tragedy that took place on an otherwise anonymous street corner, and as quiet statements in support of cyclists' right to safe travel."
http://www.ghostbikes.org/

I did see a "Ghost Bike" somewhere in London recently; it didn't even cross my mind of why it was there and merely took it to be another random London work of art - which in a way, I guess it is. (random)

We all have dreams of London being a lot more cycle friendly, with cycle lanes bigger than bus lanes. (much like Amsterdam or Copenhagen) But for now will accept what we have and hopefully start moving consciously towards a wheely bright future...

Changes to routines....

I reached the usual traffic lights to cross the road this morning, but as the man turned red I decided to change my routine. I took the plunge, I ventured, I walked to the next set of lights, crossed them...

Nothing different though, just a simple change of scenery.

It's the first day of autumn

The news I was dreading arrived, sadly. They blocked "blogspot" from my work server, allowing this silence to spread across these pages, which I cannot paint with words...

I don't think many employers appreciate how worker's extra curicular activities, help the productivity in a working day. Thus, I haven't been blogging, nor have I been working all that much. I am perhaps exggerating the matters a little, but I am sure you can appreciated the distress of companies blocking our favourite sites. Why oh why!

_ _ _

Today, at 15:44, marks the autumn equinox. The centre of the Sun will spend a nearly equal amount of time above and below the horizon at every location on Earth and night and day will be of nearly the same length.

There's something righteous and beautiful in realising and appreciating Earth's wonders, something that can easily be disregarded or forgotten when living in a city. Covered earth with concrete and cover concrete with more tar and bricks. And you see trees still standing in the little square blocks on the pavement and wonder where the roots lead to, how long they have been standing.

Mama Mia!

Another sweet e-mail from my mum:

Dearest children, I saw this saying recently which I liked.

'Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, It's about dancing in the rain'

Street Talk

Monday mornings in September deifinitelly remind me of school days. Yes, it most probably is due to the fact that kids head back to school in September, filling the streets, pavement and buses; taking over the city! (Exclaimed in an over-exaggerated manner, of course)

As I was crossing the traffic lights at Finsbury Park this morning, I overhead two boys talking as they waited, it made me smile out loud.

“I am not being sarcastic, I am being facetious! They are two very different things.”

To admit to such a statement is noble enough, but to actually hear that sentence coming out in street-lingo-form on a sleepy morning, most probably has made my day. The next generation…

What if no one's watching?

I was struggling up a narrow staircase, carrying things to the top. Balancing my own weight and the “goods” I was carrying and I had a sudden realisation; why am I pulling this face?

I then thought about it more as I made my way back down the narrow stairs; I was pulling a face again!

Truth is, unless you try not to, your facial expressions will depict some sort of grimace with most things you do. Someone once joked about women’s inability to apply mascara with their mouth closed. I have tried this, and it’s indeed difficult…

Drummers often clench their jaws when playing drums. And I often see lead guitarists stick their tongues out during solos.

A facial expression results from one or more motions or positions of the muscles of the face. These movements convey the emotional state of the individual to observers. Facial expressions are a form of nonverbal communication. They are a primary means of conveying social information among humans, but also occur in most other mammals and some other animal species.

I find the above description rather funny, when imagining what one must be thinking during this “nonverbal communication”. Mine was one of ‘struggle’, so you know.

"Fall"

On the first day of every month, we wish people a good month, in Greece.
For me, September is about new beginnings. I guess it stems from school days, going back in autumn, end of summer and leaves start to fall leaving behind the bare skeletons of tall trees. And perhaps the shedding of leaves allows our psyches to also cleanse, replenish… prepare for a cold winter.

This year however, autumn came too soon… The rain poured and the skies emptied onto the tropical isle of England. Hopeful and glorious we soaked…

“Kalo Mina”

08/08/08!

A friend's e-mail subject prompted me to the fact that it's 08/08/08 today!

8 is one of my favourite numbers and I always play it in the lotto, when I play the lotto.

I was born on the 8th and in the 80s.

I have 8 fingers (and two thumbs) - most of us do.

I had a happy year when I was 8.

So... Happy Friday to you on the 8th day of the 8th month from the 8th year passed the millennium..

Meditations

My mother has the sweetest tendency to send my brother and I inspirational messages about life, living and being. The latest e-mail made me smile, because I do lots of it already, but thought you might like to add to your daily life’s routines or possibilities.

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you have to.
3. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, “My purpose is to __________ today.”
4. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
5. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.
6. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
7. Don't waste your precious energy on energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
8. Eat breakfast like a queen, lunch like a princess, and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.
9. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
10. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
11. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
12. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
13. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
14. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
15. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
16. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'
17. Forgive everyone for everything.
18. What other people think of you is none of your business.
19. God heals everything.
20. However good or bad a situation is; it will change.
21. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch!
22. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
23. Each night before you go to bed complete the follow ing statements: I am thankful for __________. Today I accomplished _________.
24. Remember that you’re too blessed to be stressed.

(I am not so sure about 19 but we can refer to earth as god and comply with 12: “Agree to disagree”)

"My name misspelled or misspoken"

Strange thing happened this morning... I typed in the blog URL to check what's happening on here, but misstyped the word "blogspot" and instead typed "blogpsot" and was directed to a bible bashing website! I felt uneasy as my curiosity built and I carried on scrolling, only to find that there are ways to be saved, cause the end of the world is now.

I feel hesitant to paste the entire link on my blog, but feel feel to dig...

Sing To The Tune of Amhurst Park

I woke with the sun and walked towards it
Feeling rays of warmth and sounds of...

Resonating heat and smiles of strangers
Builders staring too long
Jeans hanging too low for comfort
But I smile along

And sing to the tune of Amhurst Park
Dull but glorious
on a summer's day!

Stretching my aches
As I watched the sun rise above the city's haze
Quenching my thirst with "God's water"
-as my dad would say

Drinking, still, with gratitude
healing another routine headache
pounding off another routined day
that I changed the pattern to...

Walking
I smiled at everyone that passed my view.

“Look at where the profits are, that's how you'll find the source.”

It is an endless quest, you may agree, trying to find honest and objective news sources. With the expansion of media, in fact blowing out of measurable proportion, I am never sure what is fact and what is fiction. You can click on www.bbc.co.uk (which I do a few times a week) and think you are reading the news, but it’s all so limited and selective. You can be slightly left wing and eco-minded www.guardian.co.uk (which I also do a few times a week). Or, you can start seeking independent sources, run my passionate politically minded people, who aren’t necessarily driven by funds, targets and the government breathing over their shoulders.

Still, you can’t be expected to check 10 different news sites a day, in order to get a fair and unbiased view of the news, cause even the most “objective” resources are anti something,

This morning I clicked on one I haven’t clicked on for a while, and the opening page made me sit, stare and think for a while… maybe it will have the same effect on you.

http://www.droppingknowledge.org/cms/fw/splash

Other sites I recommend; in your own time:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/
http://www.rinf.com/
http://www.adbusters.org/

My New T-Shirt

I don't really wear or buy t-shirts and the ones I own I rarely wear. You don't care, but I thought I'd dedicate a post on a t-shirt that made me smile (and made me buy it) on Sunday...



In case it's not clear... it's a gun with a guitar head, shooting a plectrum/pick, with a dove sitting on the trigger! I feel a lot more smug than I look in this photo, that my flatmate took this evening, in our kitchen. (for the record, made with organic cotton by 'Howies')

Maybe it's because I'm a Londoner

The roof's concerete growth has sprouted purple blossom. Beautiful... from the kitchen window's angle, blended in with the plant Apples gave us, looks like we have a proper garden going, in the middle of a busy broadway!

On another note...

I also discovered my enhanced dislike, of people who don't stand to let you sit by the window, on buses, and instead once you say "excuse me" eyeing up the huge space to their side they have purposefuly neglected, swerve their legs to one side, barely removing their eyes from their newspaper (The Sun or Mirror)! As a result, you end up squeezing passed them, most likely knocking them a bit and they even tut at you for it!

To be fair, this has been observed but most enhanced on this new Hackney-based route I am on.

Other things people apparently hate, as Londoners:

-People passing through ticket barriers and then standing still in the middle of the flow
-Tourists blocking entrances, of any kind
-Slow walkers
-Queue jumpers

...feel free to add further testimonies!

Women Are Like...

...I could end that sentence in so many ways, some of which may expose me more than I care them to. However, this is about the cutest graffiti and drawings I saw in the women's toilets, in this [pretty cool] club my flatmate and I discovered in Bethnal Green last Saturday. I smiled when I saw these:



"Women r like flowers... they r all beautiful" and "Claire has a beautiful mustache"

The latter may seem more obscure, but is still a positive message to brighten up a peeing woman's evening!

Look mummy... I'm flying!

The below images are pretty cool, in themselves... But what amuses me the most is imagining their parents or camera people to pose, and the kids just going along with it; wicked.

Dreams of flying pictures

Concrete Growth

I am sure everyone has seen a piece of greenery grow in unusual places before. In-between pavement cracks, or off a brick building. (These are just examples of course, I don't know where you might have seen this phenomenon, but testimonies are more than welcome)

My favourite at the moment, is a whole branch/plant, growing on the roof, outside our flat. It appears to have sprouted by a water pipe, but cracked right through the concrete.





According to a friend's theory, the roots will take over sooner or later and the building will collapse! (I think he was intoxicated).

But truthfully, this is just a small example of how you cannot stop nature. Nature takes over, even in the concrete jungle I live in. With out concrete foundations and the concrete roots, blossoming concrete nature.

Fundraising

My mum is doing a fundraising walk for Cancer Research this month and I thought you might wish to donate (I know it's not me doing that walk, but if you are feeling generous, your donations would be greatly appreciated!) She's a good walker, she is...

http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/vivienneleondaritis

Cancer Research UK is the world's leading independent organization dedicated to cancer research. We support research into all aspects of cancer through the work of more than 4,250 scientists, doctors and nurses. Over the past 10 years alone, thousands of lives have been saved through earlier detection and improved treatments. But, much work remains to be done if we are to achieve our aim of beating cancer.

With Gratitude!

Foot In Mouth

My friend and I were laughing over lunch, about abbreviations of names (again). She reminisced about a time her and her friend were calling their [other] friend Jules across the road from where they stood, and kept shouting "Ju! Ju!" trying to get her attention, only to realise how racist that could have sounded ("Jew! Jew!)

This in itself made me laugh out loud… Can you imagine me telling this story to a friend, in the car with the windows rolled down, in Stamford Hill (Europe’s largest Orthodox Jewish Community), and the punch line arrived… I was explaining with enthusiasm and laughter as I exclaimed “Ju! Ju!”, have just happened to be cruising slowly passed a Jew.

I sure hope he didn’t take offence.

God's gift

According to some versions of The Bible (I cannot quote which Testaments), women have menstrual periods and subsequent pains, due to Eve's mistake of eating the apple that the snake tempted her to eat. It was God's punishment to women! Obviously, this is rediculous. The bible doesn't mention how the monthly cycle is in sync with the moon, nor that women are much less likely to have a stroke, as a result of regular monthly blood loss.

But actually, I didn't intend this blog to be about periods. It has been a while since I wrote here and don't want to scare you off. (well, if you are scared of nature, that is)

The Bible came to mind this morning, when I was standing on the stairs of a double decker bus, as it was packed and there we no seats. This is not unusual, but it was enhanced by the fact that I forgot my MP3 player this morning AND book. But really, I am deviating again...

Two teenage schoolgirls boarded the bus, with an attitude that knocked everyone over (proverbially) with every step they took. They barged passed us all and decided to climb the crowded stairs, huffing and puffing and tutting. They were angry with the bus, the driver, the people, the world! My initial thought was "Aaah... why are these kids so aggitated? They're kids!" and then I came to realisation that they were teenagers!

THAT was God's curse to humans: adolescence!

He said, She Said, Jesus said...

If you live in London you will, no doubt, have seen adverts on buses and the Underground with slogans such as "JESUS said: When the Son of Man comes, will He find Faith on the Earth?" followed by the link jesussaid.org

These have been lurking around for a while now and it was only this morning that I remembered to check where this link leads to.

My initial reaction to the poster/ad was that it's probably a metaphor. Surely Jesus preaching wouldn't be allowed on such a big scale, in a city as diverse as London, where people are scared to admit they celebrate Christmas, cause it might offend? But then it's "freedom of speech" (ie. freedom of the Sterling, paying its way through marketing, even the religious kind).

So I typed in http://www.jesussaid.org/ and the "Welcome" page says:
You may have arrived at this site because you have read a Scripture displayed on a London bus or on an Underground train card.
The purpose of this site (and the Scriptures selected) is to proclaim JESUS, His words, and what He has done for everyone.

Having grown up in a Greek Orthodox community and currently living in a Jewish Orthodox community, you might think I would be more tolerant on religious views. But this is not a matter of tolerance, and if I am to call myself a Christian (by default), I find this kind of advertising rather tacky!

So I guess the "Jesus Said Dot Org" crew have accomplished their mission with me and got one extra hit on their website. Ok, maybe their mission is a bit deeper than that, but I'm still not really convinced...

Gordon Clown!

You might remember the blog I posted on the 11th May "When you cut corners you loose the edge" depicting the horrific image of Gordon Ramsey, branding himself for Gordon's Gin.

Well, can you imagine my delight when flicking through The London Paper yesterday and finding the image of the day was this!



Humourous London vandals...

Say my name

I used to find the British tendency to shorten names quite annoying. You'd say "MY name's William" and they'd say "Alright Bill". My name isn't William, for the record. But my point is more that I've grown fond of the tendency now, but more so the outrageous names that come out if. This is not just British, I guess it's friendly.

I get called: Beth, Bethanie, Bev, Beff, Bethlehem, Beverly, Betholomu, Bethly Pops, Bethles, Bee, Bevers, Dariti, Dorito, BD, Ms Beth... just to name a few. All endearing, I am sure you will agree.

Carry me home?

Sitting outside on the brick wall, a friend and I noticed some ants climbing up. One ridge at a time, carrying pieces of wood three times their size. There was one in particular that was struggling. The piece Mr Ant was carrying got caught, but he didn't let it drop. You could see the wood more than the ant and I wanted to help him to his destination. Can you imagine his relief in finding he'd reached his destination so fast?

But I didn't know where he was heading. I could see other ants roaming (ok, perhaps purposefully rushing about) around but all with a mission of their own. Where was the final destination? I could either let Mr Ant and his piece of wood take a free ride on my finger with the risk of doing the complete opposite to help, or I could just let him carry on, since he knew exaclty where he was going.

So I went the latter.

Here's some further reading on one of the most fascination species on earth! Ants!

Ground foundation

This album has been making me happy the past few days...

...You can listen to some here at last.fm, as well as their myspace
Ground roots and reggae, mixed with jazz, latin and afrobeat!

Is there a light at the end of this tunnel?

Lying in bed last night, I closed my eyes and somehow visualised a tunnel. It was a long tunnel and I was in a car driving through it. I thought about how the light at the end of it often seems so much brighter than it is, due to contrast from the constant darkness that comes before it.

"Light at the end of a tunnel" is also a metaphor for death. I was thinking how death really is a release, a relief. The bright gleaming light equals freedom and perhaps eternity. But I don't intend on getting into a spiritual blog today.

Merely that every tunnel has a light at the of it. That bright shining sunlight that you forgot existed. Growing bigger and bigger the closer you get. And once in the open, realise the tunnel was a short cut, it saved you from the winding mountain roads, from climbing up the hill just to come down it again, to get to the other side. You realise how much you prefer sunlight to tunnel lights, dim and dazzling.

Maybe.

I remembered this thought when I saw a hearse driving up the hill with a string of black cars following. This is always a sad moment, when I see these. My heart sinks everytime at the thought of the people left behind and how surreal the actual day seems. Like a floating dream. The people seemed old and I guessed the coffin held an enderly person, who had probably lived a good, long life.

What's happening these days

There are a few things people are discussing these days. A few common grounds of interest, I mean. One of them is the Euro 2008. I am not going to say it’s a male football thing, cause the female who sits next to me at work updates me daily on the happenings of the games.

Another thing people are talking about is that the UK is going into recession. This doesn’t surprise me, but I admittedly know little about the economy (although I am sure bluematter will have comments on this) and since I am not a homeowner, car owner, business owner… I am probably one of the least at risk of being hugely affected by this. I don’t shop much either. In fact, thinking about it, I am probably one of the causes for such economical decline! Exciting.

So, I read this interesting “10 Ways Recession Can Help the Environment” and I found myself doing the godfather-nods-slowly-in-agreement gesture, as there are some fair points. And this is coming from a financial website! You can read it here.

I reckon a recession is a good time for people to contribute less to this culture of consumerism. I know that’s an uninformed opinion on the subject, but it’s my eco warrior opinion, at that.

Marketing Rant!

Complaining about small things is unnecessary. People complaining because they got a mail out about father’s day, and because their father has passed away, think it’s insensitive. How is any database going to sensor such information about customers’ personal circumstances? Generally, companies use email addresses for promoting and advertising themselves. It is not something I agree with and indeed an inbox full of company emails is not the most exciting things to be faced with. However, it happens.

I received an email from Cancer Research, telling me to do something special for father’s day this year. This disappointed me on at least two levels. Most importantly, I guess I was struck with the realisation that C.R. is a just company and they want your money and they are one of those companies that will sent promotional emails. (Albeit for a good cause) The second reason I was disappointed was again with C.R., for not thinking that the probability that a recipient of their email has had a parent pass away from cancer is very high! Most likely how they ended up on their mailing list, right?

Well on that account I thought the father’s day mail out was indeed rather insensitive and thoughtless on their part. Not on a personal level as such, but by the mere fact that C.R. have joined the string of advertising campaigns and commercial holidays and not considered the implications, I guess.

It’s for a good cause though, so my tame vent will not extend further than this blog.

Over and out.

Hangover

Symptoms
An alcohol hangover is associated with a variety of symptoms that may include dehydration, fatigue, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, elevated body temperature, hypersalivation, difficulty concentrating, anxiety, irritability, sensitivity to light and noise, erratic motor functions, trouble sleeping, lack of depth perception and/or hair loss. Many people will also be repulsed by the thought or taste of alcohol during a hangover. The symptoms vary from person to person, and occasion to occasion, usually beginning several hours after drinking. It is not clear whether hangovers affect cognitive abilities[citation needed].

Furthermore…

The term cognition is used in different ways by different disciplines. In psychology, it refers to an information processing view of an individual's psychological functions. Other interpretations of the meaning of cognition link it to the development of concepts; individual minds, groups, organizations, and even larger coalitions of entities, can be modelled as societies which cooperate to form concepts. The autonomous elements of each 'society' would have the opportunity to demonstrate emergent behavior in the face of some crisis or opportunity. Cognition can also be interpreted as "understanding and trying to make sense of the world".[citation needed]

(courtesy of wikipedia)