It was all a dream.....

A Dream?

who ever has those..... listened to a song and imagined me singing it up there... Yep I have dueted with Beyonce many a late evening with my Earphones on....

... watched a movie and imagined being me being the wild action hero... Yep I have taken that jump, beat up the bad guys, I dreamed I was the other Expendible.. the one at the back of the photo, you can't really see me but I'm there and as tough as the rest of them ... hehe

I'm not really talking about those type of dreams, I'm seeing a small comment and a picture that's inspired me to dream again about how I am a great writer who can make them all sit up and take notice...

I don't want to write about my vivid imagination about how I can sing, dance, act and be rich and famous because thats just me enjoying a little fantasy, those things are not my dream. But certainly these are the dreams of some people and they are either living them or are striving and struggling towards making them true. And I love to watch them, imagine being them, I love to see them succeed. It inspires me to think about my dream.

Do I have a dream? Do I follow it? Am I living my dream.... can I make my dreams come true, can we all?

Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, explained dreams as manifestations of our deepest desires..... he believed that dreams are real.

"Dreams are successions of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep." ..... I like this idea, because to me it means if you dream it, it is meant to be. Its like a dream is the meaning of your life, if you have a dream then it is suppose to happen, it is suppose to be and it will be. Its like you just cannot stop it...... but somehow we all do. "It was all a dream...." It is there for us to take it, but......

I have to believe my dream will come true. I have to have people believe in me, to support me, to reassure me. Things have to happen so that my dream will start to be real. I have to work towards my dream and things have to fall into place. So many obsticles along the way, so many challenges and struggles. Its hard, I have tried and tried, but its not happening... "It was all a dream....."

The trouble with what I have just written is that all I am talking about is me. I'm thinking about it and starting to realize that the problem is me. It seems like I am in the way of making my dreams come true. The thing is I am guessing is that I don't really believe it.. I have doubts. "It was all a dream..."

How can I believe that my dream is real and not believe it at the same time. If Freud is right then whats my problem?

My Problem is that I am fighting it. I am the one who is trying to stop my dream happening. When I told myself "It was all a dream..." I am being my own worst enemy. My dream is real, it is going to happen, it is meant to be. All that has happened and all that will happen are because my dream is being realized and I have to get my head out of the way and my heart back into the race.

So OK, now I have sorted that out I can get on with the job of letting my dream come true on its own and just do what my dream tells me to do, because thats just the way it is. and nothing will stop it, not anything or anyone. Because my Dream is real. As real as the snot up your nose!

And no matter what YOUR dream is, its going to come true, just let it. A grammy on Mommas hutch is only just a matter of time, so we all better do like she say's and stop dreaming and get back to work.

Stay Lush xx

Ode to Aaliyah

This was written by someone very special to me, who was a huge fan of Aaliyah, I thought I would share it with you ........

"Whats her legacy now she’s gone,
The queen of urban pop,
who redefined whats R&B,
Undisputed queen of midtempo come-on..

A muse in her own right, a total performer,
Cool with being sexy, classy and appealing,
always pushing herself to be aware and be original..
staying true to herself and her style right down to Grandma’s ring.

Learned to work the stage, the audience and have fun, Lessons not forgotten.
An interpreter who took our words and brought them to life.
Trained to sing and dance and laugh, and that's what she did.
remembered as a full on entertainer and good person

Never discussing her private life, keeping certain things to herself,
Admitting at times she couldn’t figure herself out,
just wanting to be by herself,
“If I don't think about it, it won't drive me crazy. “

Leaving it in God's hands,
hoping her fans felt where she was coming from.
To her not sacrifices at all, just doing her best to juggle,
with songs about relationships in every aspect

A life cut short by tragedy,
leaving an indelible imprint on the music industry.
We remember her beauty and purity,
her angelic voice, her originality.

Her love for her Family, friends and especially her fans,
Her legacy is her memory,
Imprinted forever in all our hearts.... "

RIP Aaliyah xx

The Lost Generation, Palindromes and the Ultimate Challenge...

Shontelle Layne posted this video from her twitter today and asked her followers how it made them feel....

A Palindrome is something(a word, phrase, number or sequence) that means exactly the same when read forwards or backwards... this video shows exactly opposite of a palidrome and has a deep meaning for each of us to think about. The sheer brilliance of this poem in itself only amplifies the message for me.
... now for those of us that have followed Shontelle and know of her efforts to connect with her fans and create unity it comes as no surprise that the message in this video has motivated her to ask the question... "How do you feel?"

The video was entered in a competition held in 2007 by the American Association of Retired Persons who were trying to create dialogue between generations, asking the question "How do you see yourself at 50?". The fact that the video above came in second does not take away the fact that it has impacted the lives of millions and shows us that we can reverse the Palindrome in our own lives by taking the Ultimate Challenge.. to make our dreams come true.

In Music... as in all industry, there is the challenge to succeed... to have an impact... to make a difference.. to reap a reward. We all can easily see what is happening in the music world because of it's exposure to us all through the media and the fact that Music is something that is central in all our lives. We mention people and events in Music and everyone can relate. The most successful people in music garnish the sort of admiration that is normally reserved for royalty or the highest religious and political leaders. You can say the most powerful person on the planet is a rapper from New York or the lead singer from an Irish rock band.... and you are not far from the truth.

So one measure of success in Music is adoration from fans... but how are the rest of us going to measure our own success... who is going to adore us? We are the Lost Generation after all.....
Late last year Bloomberg's Business weekly had a article about a Lost generation....
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_42/b4151032038302.htm
...the effects of spiralling unemployment and lack of job opportunity for young people, the long term effect on those who cannot grab onto that first rung in the Career Ladder. Over 46% of young people 16-24 never had jobs. The article studies these effect and talks about ways in which the world as a whole can tackle the problem, what the causes are and predictions for the future. Its not a rosey picture.... it doesnt look like these business people, political leaders, economic forecasters and social commentators are going to be able to help us a great deal...... so maybe its time to do something for ourselves.....

Let me use the Music Industry to give my message and talk about people and things we can all relate too. Lets start dreaming about our future's and making them come true...
We all know who Lady Gaga is... We all know Susan Boyle.... We all know Usher... We all know Beyonce... and we all are starting to know Shontelle. Let me use these examples of people in Music and lets try and find some things to think about...

Are you one of Lady Gaga's lil monster's?.. If you are well you are well on the way to knowing how to dream your own future. The message from Lady Gaga is Be Yourself... Be who you are. Never stop being YOU. Whatever feelings of doubt you have about yourself will be overcome and you just keep being who you are. In the end its what will make you. Being You.

Susan Boyle.. never been kissed. Now here is a lady 48 years old, who spent her life looking after her mother and being thought of as simple. Someone who no one thought would amount to much. Here is someone who one day built up the strength to march out and show the world what she has got. The lady who Dreamed a Dream. She is living proof that no matter who you are and what your circumstance if you have a dream and you can build up the strength in yourself to be brave and have a go, then your dream will come true....

Usher... "I believed it. The world just had to catch up with the reality that I had in my mind" ... and he is right, if you dont believe it no one else will. To have others believe in you is one thing.. its everything to believe in yourself. Usher takes it one step further by sharing his strength of belief with others and showing them how believing in yourself can be so powerful.. Ever heard of Justin Bieber? isnt he Kim's boyfriend?..hehe

Seen Beyonce Live? ... if you have you would of experienced something that is almost surreal. That Lady can actually sing as well live as she does in the studio. She can actually dance flat out and sing at the same time. Two of my most enduring memories ...watching a video of her throwing herself out into her fans in london, and singing perfectly in tune and in time while being tossed about in the crowd... and watching her live on stage sing Ava Maria in Latin..
What is it about her... Thought Number 4.. Practise Makes Perfect
The only reason (apart from her obvious talent) that makes her stand apart is that she knows the meaning of practise makes perfect. She is Legendary for it. So Practise living your dream, be it study, be it action, be it words... Practise.

Shontelle... be prepared to Work... Grind. The message from Shontelle is that it is not going to be easy. Its going to take time and its going to be hard work. But if you have a Dream and it is what you love, then you will love the path to get there and you will appreciate your success so much more when you have earnt what you have got by striving for it. Forget about overnight success.. always remember the goal and strive for it. You will get there in the end, Shontelle is proof of that.

So thoughts for the "Lost Generation" Be yourself.., Be Brave..., Believe..., Practise..., Work Hard.....

Have a Dream.........

Donkeys, Tree's and the Easter Message

Man down, Man Down!!!! I spent the Easter weekend with some fellow employees at our recently departed boss's country property with their family and what an eventful few days it has been!!

On arrival we found that the normally picturesque and delightful country hamlet had a case of the overgrown's !!!! We had forgotten how our dear friend had lovingly kept their little hideaway in tip top shape so that our various weekend visits were always pleasant and full of fun and laughter. And to make things worse as we were surveying the devastation, some neighbours came to tell about about recent heavy storm's that had damaged home's and properties and created havoc in the quiet valley.

So much for that as depression set in with the realisation that a certain someone was no longer around to keep this wonderful haven of tranquillity in the shape that we had all gotten so very used too. In the many years so many of us had enjoyed some "Time Out" with our dear friend, the open fire cooking and wine drinking weekends of "Fattening Up". So our idea to come and pay tribute together had left us a little shaken and disallusioned. But all was not lost......

At least the beautiful house which had been built by loving hand and full of wonderful memories was in good shape so we settled in and raided the wine cellar and partied through the night with stories and laughter and fun. But we all knew it wasnt the same and never would be... until.....

HEEEHAAWWW .... HEEEHAWWWW!!!!!! 5.00am and everyone had forgotten about Macca and Dusty... the two Donkey's that have lived here forever and are the true Lord's of the Manor in this Valley. And to a man we all realised that this early morning HeeHaw alarm was the daily reminder of where we were and where we came from, and was the start of a busy day on the farm of our fallen friend.

So we went to the Garage and Shed... And there was our Challenge.. Ride on Mower, Hedge Trimmer, Whipper Snipper, Chain Saws and The old Tractor with that huge Slasher Blade on the rear. After a fair amount of trial and error and frustration we managed to get everything going and spent the next 2 days doing together what our dear friend spent a lifetime doing... Working, one small step at a time getting done what needed to be done. And in our minds always the words.. " Focus on the Result, Look at the big picture and just do what you have to do, one thing at a time."

After 2 days the place was starting to look like it's old self again.. Several trees had fallen and the boys in our group had broken them up with chain saws and made a huge pile in the top paddock ready to burn off..(Something that cannot happen at the moment because of the season, and the reason for another fun get together here in a couple of months for a "Bon Fire"). But at the end of it all we came to this certain tree...

Now nothing we could find amounst all of the tools, equipment and machinery could deal with this huge tree... a massive old oak that had had somehow spilt down the middle and was left with half still standing and half fallen over. The trunk of the fallen part was almost 3 feet thick and even looked dangerous sitting there perched on the ground. We really had no way to clean this up. I gather its not often that such a large and old tree come's down. I was sitting on the Tractor (of all people I had become the expert on the Slasher and was having a ball mowing all the paddocks.. I am keeping this tractor... its Mine!!!). We had all gathered and were looking at this huge tree.........

Then the strangest thing happened.. Macca., (who we had all come to realise was nothing short of a cheeky little bugger and took great pleasure in annoying the crap out of all of us) just wandered up to the tree and started munching on the nearest branch. We all watched in fasination and he started pulling at the branch and devouring the leaves. Then Dusty wandered over and joined him.. We all started laughing and one of us said.. " He know's what to do.... Lets EAT IT!!!

The big tree is still there, but rather then an impossible task, its now a part of a plan to come here again very soon with the right equipment and make another fun weekend of eating the tree. That is unless Macca hasnt eaten it first!!!

You know, the story of Easter is one which we all know... someone died so that others may live, someone taking on the suffering of others. Someone who has died for what they believe in. For me, Easter has become about faith. Its about believing in something so much that it becomes part of who you are. But this Easter we all realised something new.. if one man can have such an impact because of all the amazing things he did so long ago, if one person can make that much difference... then together we should be able to at least do something good as well. And more important is just doing what you do as well as you can, because everything you do makes a difference, even the smallest thing.

To know true faith, you have to know yourself.... this weekend has been about learning a little about me. I am sure God would be pleased, and so would my friend.

no matter what.... Donkeys Rule!!!!!!!!!!

Twarmy and Tweam... Passion, Unity and the Pursuit of Happiness

"No one can tell you what your passionate about.. your heart tells you"

Passion is a glorious and mystical thing. Some say it drives our universe. It can start and realise life long dreams, it can create permanent unions, it can start wars. Shared Passion can create the kind of Loyalty that is so deep and invokes such Unity that life long friendships are made and others broken. Countries Fall, Religions Start, Icons are Made......Passion is God, Devil and the Deep blue sea all in one.

"One mans passion is another mans indifference"

Its also true that your own Passions are yours only. You cannot make someone passionate about something. No such thing as Forced Passion. Its why Communism, Socialism, and Dictatorships always fail in the end. Attempting to make people passionate about something just doesnt work, what works is being passionate about your own beliefs and finding others who share your passion.

But what is also true is that your own passion and belief's can awaken a passion in others. How you go about showing others what your passionate about and why, and how you focus on your own goals, can motivate others to do the same. If it is a shared passion they will join you. If its some other pursuit they will go their own way. The secret is in knowing and accepting this, respecting yourself and your own desires, while respecting the same in others.
People that awaken the passion in others are what I call the truly "Special Ones"... the whole reason this blogger exists is because one of these special people awakened a passion in me.

Joss Whedon, an American Screenwriter, Producer and the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer(a Fav of this blogger) summed it up so well.....

“Passion, it lies in all of us, sleeping... waiting... and though unwanted... unbidden... it will stir... open its jaws and howl. It speaks to us... guides us... passion rules us all, and we obey. What other choice do we have? Passion is the source of our finest moments. The joy of love... the clarity of hatred... and the ecstasy of grief. It hurts sometimes more than we can bear. If we could live without passion maybe we'd know some kind of peace... but we would be hollow... Empty rooms shuttered and dank. Without passion we'd be truly dead.”

And Will Smith, a truly inspirational person, has told us.. "be willing to die for your belief's" Then you will know true passion.

So OK, you may be wondering what all this has to do with Twarmy and Tweam. Well it has everything to do about it.

We now have in our world two wonderful and talented young ladies who have a shared passion for creating music, performing and sharing with others. Shontelle and Alexandra are two of the truly "Special Ones" They have created a Unity amoung young people, awakened a passion so strong that even the highest exec's in the Music Industry stand up and take notice. In last nights U-stream Shontelle told us how when the Twarmy got her name in the trending topic "All the Blackberry's were going". They just couldn't believe such a thing could happen. I Imagine the times when the Tweam have had Alexandra's name up there exactly the same thing has happened. People see the Passion, the Unity in Young People, and they take notice. I'm sure it scares them, makes them question their own beliefs and their ideas on how to make things work.

Now the fact is, Shontelle and Alex are close friends, this is well known. They support each other in their own pursuits. And while they have a shared passion... the passion that each of them has is their own.. Their music is their own.... the way they are going about pursueing their own dreams, well that is their own too. Some people will love both, some will love one or the other. But both have awakened a passion in all of us. For each of us, me and you and everyone who has been touched by either one of these young ladies Music and Passion, a unity and loyality to one or too both of them has developed that cannot be ignored or denied. And its something that is good and worthy of praise. Its something that can change our world.

One thing we must all remember is that our own passions, well it is just that. Our own. Believe in yourself, respect yourself, love yourself and your own passions. BUT always remember to respect the same thing in all others. Any time and energy that you spend defending your own passion, criticizing others for theirs, fighting over who is right or wrong. That is a waste of your time and energy, it only creates the sort of things that we all know are wrong. Envy, Hatred, Jealousy, Sadness. Its Passion the Devil. It stands in the way of our Pursuit of Happiness.

I have watched and Observed the interactions between Twarmy and Tweam for a long time. I have seen shared passion, unity, friendships, loyalty. Between young people who are part of one, part of both. I have seen Love and Unity between young people which I truly believe can change the world.

So my message is this. Remember to love each other, just like Shontelle and Alex love each other.
"Love is when you take away the feeling, the passion and you still care for that person”

This is what Shontelle and Alex wanted for all of us, I am certain. #Twarmy4Life #Tweam4Life

The Pursuit of Happiness..... Unity in Young People, Music Changing the World

God Bless You All.

Blowy Naps, Fridgina & the new world order

"O.OMG Sorry, I just took an unexpected Blowy Nap and just K'OD on the stairs"

Blowy Nap?.. not what you think.... in the new world order Blowy is not an action or a thing or a place, its a real live person. Well when she is awake that is.. the Angel of the Twarmy tends to go to bed early and needs her rest. Blowy is part of the Twarmy & how she earnt that nickname is a story all of its own. "Sparty" and "Blowy" tweets will entertain you for hours.

Enter the World of Shontelle's Twarmy.. where every Refridgerator has a name, where #stannage and #grannage are a way of life.... where Salsa is not a dip, Oatsy is not a breakfast cereal and Leona only goes with Cola. A world where a Tree is not a Tree, but a girl in Ireland who cant pronounce her "H's". Where Pookie tends her Lady Garden and a Crazzichic has #shoegasm's. Where the Munchkin loves her Puffiedoodle, #Sixteeth was an international event, Food is "FTW" and the holy grail is the Badman.

You "Wutt Wutt" when your happy "Whomp Whomp" when your mad, and you spread the love with your #Emotweets when the mood takes you.

In this world... if your not "G" you'll soon learn to be.

This is a place with a Language all of its own. Where the smallest event can have the largest significance, where everyone is important, where the common bond is Music and Love and there is no hate. The only thing that matters here is your Love for Shontelle and her music, and Shontelle's love for you.

In short.. The Twarmy is the place to be....

If your wondering..."How can I ever be a part of this?" "Will I fit in, could I be accepted?" The answer is YES.. If you are thinking all this is confusing & you'll never understand it all.. have no fear, you soon will understand the language. Once you join the Twarmy you will be part of something that is growing. You will soon understand and then you will be able to add to this colourful world in your own special way. Soon you will be a #Goon, and you will be proud to be one!!!

And then one day when Shontelle comes to your town you can be a Proud member of the Twarmy and go and meet her, just like so many of the Twarmy already has. This is a young lady who loves her Fans. Just ask Blowy, who is now a close Fran!!!

But its not all Chocolate and Roses in Shontelle's Twarmy.. there's the serious business of spreading the word, being a Fan, making sure that you request Shontelle's music on your Radio Stations. Its all great fun and you will be encouraged along the way by your new Twarmy Family and especially by Shontelle.

Shon's latest single "Impossible" is heading up the charts, and with the release of the Music Video its our chance to give a real push & spread the word about Shontelle's awesome Talent. And Impossible is just the beginning, there is so much more terriffic music on the way, and the new album, "No Gravity" will be released in the coming months.

So come on, join the Twarmy now!! Just follow Shontelle on Twitter.. @Shontelle_Layne , register on her official website http://www.shontellemusic.com/ and her official Fansite http://www.shontelleonline.com/ Say Hi to @KedrewBrent (AKA "Hannah" )who runs the fansite. Hit up all the other Goons, Stans, Tards, Grans, and Fans who are part of the Twarmy and are waiting to make friends with you right now!

Join Shontelle's Twarmy!!

Unity in Young People, Common Bonds, Crossing all Boundaries…how Music & a Singers love for her Fan’s can change the world...

There’s a kid in all of us. As I have gotten older and things have changed in my world, one thing I have been less afraid of is my inner child. I can’t help it, I love modern Music, and I love what there is out there for young people to do & get involved with. I love how the world is becoming a smaller place.

Always talk of doom & gloom but not here, not today. There is so much that is wonderful in our world. We mustn’t forget all the things that give us pause. We must embrace the need for everyone to pay attention too all the wrongs in our world. But we must also celebrate what is right and good and worthy of praise.

Twitter is a wonderful medium. Like many I guess, I came along curious about it and was soon having a ball of a time following famous people, and lately not so famous. But today is the day for telling one story.

One of the people I came across was Shontelle Layne, a singer from Barbados. She is most famous for the song T-Shirt, but also has one Album out called Shontellegence and another hit “Stuck with each other” from the movie “Confessions of a Shopaholic”. Over the last year Shontelle has done many wonderful things, including touring with Beyonce in the UK and various other appearances. And amongst this she is recording her 2nd Album,"No Gravity" which is due to be released in the US Summer.

So what makes this Young Lady Different you ask?.. There are lots of Singers on Twitter, with Millions of Followers. But there is very few like this one……

Since I have followed her I have watched her interact with her fans. At first only a couple of thousand, now over 20 thousand, still relatively small. This blog is about changing that. At first, like many celebrities, Shontelle would reply to messages and tweet details of her adventures. But soon it became evident that she was getting to know these young people, would know who they were, would ask after them and even start to follow them. One particular fan, (I wont embarrass people by saying names) started a small campaign for fun to have Shontelle named MsTwitter UK and because it was fun lots of people joined in, including me. And what happened next is nothing short of miraculous. All these followers started becoming friends with each other. Young people from all around the world uniting in a common bond. And Shontelle joined in as well, streaming live to her followers and having great fun with music, grieving the death of MJ, sharing all the good times and bad. The group of followers came up with a name for itself…. “Shontelle’s Twarmy” A name that stuck like glue, there is even wrist bands!!!. This new Twarmy became united behind the fortunes of Shontelle. I remember saying to one of them once.. “Heres a story of true friendship with people you never meet”. People from all over the world that genuinely care about each other, who talk every day, who know each other well. And Shontelle, for her part, is right there with them, a genuine friend to them all.

Its easy to be critical of this sort of thing, an Artist just promoting themselves, not genuine & only a way to get publicity. But in this case you would be wrong. Shontelle genuinely cares about the fans who are linking up with her. There is new members coming along, new friends being made everyday. It’s been a slow process, but it is happening and it is good and worthy of praise. I don’t think there is any limit to this type of thing. A Singer who genuinely wants to connect with her fans and make them friends. A young woman who openly says her dream in life is: “To be successful, so that I can help people. The more successful I become, the more people I can help”. This dream I believe and all the things I have observed have shown me that Shontelle is completely genuine and focused on doing exactly that!

So here’s my message to all young people, who like Music, would like to be part of something wonderful and would enjoy making new REAL friends from all over the world…. JOIN SHONTELLE’S TWARMY!!!!!!!!!

What you will get is not only great music.. Her new single is out now "Impossible”. Its a powerful ballad and leaves you in no doubt about the incredible talent and passion that Shontelle has. Also there's another club song called "Licky". Its fun & infectious and about Food!!!!.. If you were in the Twarmy you would know all about how important food is!! Hehehe. And you would have been lucky enough (Being part of the Twarmy) to hear some of the other songs for her new Album. And the only way to describe all the new Music is “AWESOME”. Lots of Collaborations, one fantastic one with Mr Hudsen.
How do you join?.. Easy. Just follow Shontelle on twitter @Shontelle_Layne , tell her you have “Joined the Twarmy!” Register on her Official Website http://www.shontellemusic.com/ and the awesome fansite run by one of her close fans and friends http://www.shontelleonline.com/

Then start uniting with all the other Twarmy guys. Spread the word. Download the music. Enjoy our talented Shontelle. But most of all be part of something special. Unite with your fellow young people from all over the earth.. Change our World…….