About

Using various technology – analogue and digital – this website was put together on a rock that some of its locals call Earth . . .

In life on Earth, diversity is a feature, not a bug.

Cat Bohannon Eve

. . . which is rotating and moving in a gravitationally bound system that’s in a galaxy that itself is rotating and moving in a universe that potentially is also rotating and moving (through time, which may just be a human construct anyway!) to potentially allow a multiverse to exist and prove there’s more to the vacuum of space than, well, nothing – a bit like humanity searching for something down the back of the intergalactic sofa.

Western modernity is culturally and spiritually ill. Our way of seeing is deeply unbalanced, and it is wrecking our culture and our world.

Paul Kingsnorth Against the Machine

Breort – anagram of Robert, who himself has been shaken up but has balance and perspective.

In the present tense . . .

1. Likely an otrovert* and definitely not infallible; mistakes he’s made a few, of which some actions get misconstrued; is probably contradictory at times and doesn’t always take the advice he gives to others, himself; has flaws and has always struggled upholding (personal, especially) merit; aims to learn and better understand life, the universe and everything with compassion, humility, integrity and honesty (and reading books); tries to look and approach things to better help others which can then help his own sense of self, perspective and confidence; a livelihood spent trying to appease others through and with accrued skills, knowledge and approaches wasn’t always smooth nor assistive and no doubt presented him as awkward, quiet and unhelpful in teams and on projects at times; gets things wrong; pretty good at writing; likes cups of tea sometimes with a biscuit or two.
2. Aims not to be defined by life experiences, including having survived a medically-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) received through no fault of his own; massively thankful to the police and massively appreciates the great NHS emergency response, surgery and care during and after his being ‘out of it’ initially for nearly two months; the TBI’s repercussions include dealing with cognitive issues like sensory overload, fatigue and executive function difficulties – which, while medically categorisable, behave somewhat specifically to the individual dealing with them – alongside being now visually impaired, predominately because of hemianopia and a third nerve palsy that causes diplopia, all on top of having lived most of his life with myopia (and latterly with some myodesopia) and hearing-wise, tinnitus); and is formally diagnosed on the autism spectrum with ASD-1.
3. Since pretty much his rehabilitation efforts he deliberately doesn’t make much, if any, effort to read, watch or listen to news as he cannot do anything about it and getting enraged about the often reductive, demeaning, filmic presentation and quantifiable nature given to it, is not worth the energy expenditure; long-form perspectives, like those found in books, long articles or podcasts are much more conducive to taking stock and growing and learning from others.
4. These quoted words, delivered by an actor in a film from the late 1990s (that looks even more prescient in the 2020s) are rather concise and apt to giving some things a go: Luck is practicality just waiting for an opportunity.
5. Long-time listener (but not necessarily of every show’s episodes!) of†, in no particular order: Thinking Allowed; In Touch; Word of Mouth; In Our Time; Illuminated (previously, Seriously); The Secret Life of Prisons; Crossing Continents; The Life Scientific; All In The Mind; From Our Own Correspondent; and File on 4. More podcasts are no doubt available but too much choice can mean too little time to take stock and think.
6. Enjoys gardening (even more so since rehabilitation from surviving a TBI) and taking on regular and different tasks to learn, tend, guide and nurture – throughout the seasons – outdoor life for its rejuvenating and inspiring benefits; enjoys a good outdoor walk, almost whatever the weather and almost wherever the location; not too shabby at playing the drums (but not quite to pre-TBI standard) and even in a band every now and then and knows consistent practice does help but does not always attempt; getting better at living in the present and that, as much as he cares and wants to help broader and wider social issues (like reimagining capitalism and ending neoliberalism), remains steadily adapting, rebuilding and living as best he can, alongside gaining new observations and understandings on life’s journey and, feel apt to being . . .
7. A work in progress.

Others’ words that speak a truth . . .

You can always tell the people that have been fucked over. They’re the ones that agree to talk straight away, that don't edit their words; it's not that they’re reckless, but they’re not cautious either. They're not hiding. At least, not anymore.

Hana Walker-Brown A Delicate Game

. . . and of possibilities . . .

The deepest adversity can be our greatest illumination.

Paula Harriott

In the past tense . . .

1. Achieved, in under nine years, over 5,500 miles road cycling many journeys for the fresh air, views and experiences (even weather and hills!) to assist personal – mental and physical – health and a little bit of the planet; most revolutions were produced regularly and locally over short (30km or less) routes across familiar territory but a fair few were Audax (100km – the ‘cheap’ ones!) in different locations that tested navigation skills a little and the quality of refreshment stops where appropriate stamps could also be got to assist official Audax completion; other revolutions happened (and most were longer distances) further afield and included island round trips of Guernsey and Jersey and other countries’ roads and cycling routes of which France and Germany featured; after all that, revolutions no longer get made despite his following the rules of the road and being in and with suitable and appropriate cycling kit so as to be better seen but some idiot didn’t look properly at the junction they were obliged to exercise patience and care, especially in conditions that deserved more attention than usual; just six points accrued from their inability to wait patiently at a junction, give way to oncoming traffic and counter their own natural blindspot by looking, not just glancing which no doubt contributed to them seeing a gap that wasn’t actually there, but for me a life now spent enduring the results of another’s incompetence; they likely still drive (which is to partially blame socio-political and -economic factors, too) and no longer with the six points on their driving licence because of official ways that can be had with tests of ‘good driving’ that get them rescinded.
2. Has been privileged to see, in no particular order, the following artists and bands – live, in various locations of which some are named – with a few of them in their early days: Corinne Bailey Rae; Bloc Party (and totally owning the stage and, at the time, their recent debut album); The Libertines elegantly smashing out the tunes with a certain verve (possibly to just get the pay cheque which was fair enough); Scissor Sisters; Foo Fighters for a few numbers as part of a wider lineup; at the Koko in Camden (circa 2004–5, he thinks) Babyshambles featuring Amy Winehouse for a couple of numbers (with a few celebrity hangers-on on some scaffolding off to the side/back of stage) and many of the audience taking pictures on mobile phones instead of living in the moment; the legend Dionne Warwick; The Rakes; Shlomo; Rodrigo y Gabriela; Razorlight, who just turned up, did the work but owned it; an unexpected and very decent live gig by a blues band (of four or five musicians who were probably just taking the opportunity to rehearse and get paid for the privilege!) in a Soho pub, he thinks on Kingley Street (which is just off the back of, and runs parallel with, Regent Street) for a few midweek-after-work-pints in a not-so-regularly-visited hostelry not known for music; Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings plus Albert Lee; the brilliant Annie Lennox then later The Who in Hyde Park who turned up and delivered, assisted by Starkey junior making a very decent Keef replacement on percussion; The Bad Shepherds; Kaiser Chiefs given it some attitude – after the launch of their debut album – down London town; Spinal Tap at Wembley with a great finish of Big Bottom with other Live Earth attending musicians playing bass; The Futureheads; Status Quo; Kings of Leon at the Hammersmith Apollo, he thinks, but it was definitely their third consecutive gig there, no doubt to make an extra buck (for their management, probably) given ticket demand, so who could really blame them for the somewhat perfunctory live performance they gave; Feeder; The Killers . . . and possibly more, including up-and-coming bands of the 2000s (that likely never made it in the end but had a go) that he cannot recall . . . he was never one to keep ticket stubs, for too long anyway!
3. Have played a few live gigs (and quite a few rehearsals) as drummer in a covers band and had much fun banging away (in time!) alongside some good bandmates in various locations, including indoors and outdoors: pubs and also their bigger community spaces next door; Soho square for a sort of charity gig to raise some funds and just have a good ol’ go at the music in the evening sunshine; and, a true one-off for him, doing a Phil Collins kind of thing as he had booked hotel and flights to attend a stag do weekend but then found out for definite the actual live ‘supporting the community summer public event as the guitarists live there and the band really want to help out’ gig was the same weekend . . . so, splashed out on another return ticket, flew in from Edinburgh (having started a day before up there and not quite from Miami and definitely not on BOAC and sans a paperback on his knee) played the set on a prepared side of lorry trailer set up for the bands attending the local fair and, after a very brief pack-up-and-sort-out-stuff session (read as just leave), had a swift but effective ‘taxi’ journey, driven by the lead guitarist, back to Heathrow in time for his Concorde flight – well, it was with British Airways! – back to Edinburgh for the remainder of the stag do . . . well, one has to do these things as it’s only rock ’n’ roll, isn’t it?

To cultivate is to humanise the wilderness and promote the life-enhancing aspects of the environment. You could say that it marks the very origins of culture. The word ‘culture’, after all, is derived from working the soil and the growing and tending of plants.

Sue Stuart-Smith The Well Gardened Mind