Superstitions are fun.
I hope
trust
&
barely believe.
Bless this day.
Author: Paul O'Mahony
I'm Paul O'Mahony - living in Cork - Father - Poet - member of Toastmasters International - Business storytelling consultant - Podcaster - Blogger - Foodie - Loves to connect with people. .
linkedin.com/in/paulhomahony
This is Bond : “Shaken Not Stirred”
I first met Mr Bond on Periscope & was lured into discovering his background & creative work.
Bernie’s story : Let Mr Bernie Bond’s voice introduce his story.
You hear our 007 reveal
- how he got the name “Bernie”
- his ancestors – the Aird family from the Black Isle on east coast of Scotland …
- how his great great grandfather started a company that became prosperous during the industrial revolution …
- the family story on his father’s side: moved from Scotland to London to Germany to settle in Austria
- his parents were born in Austria …
- how Bernie was inspired by his family’s background
- Bernie’s love of 1960’s music … especially the Beatles
- how he learned to play guitar & played in groups
- how he wrote & recorded songs in his little home studio
- Bernie the keen footballer – still plays today
- how he earned his living playing in bands & was unemployed
- the story of how he got a job in the travel industry as resort rep for 4 years in Austrian mountains
- how his ability to speak German helped
- how he joined a startup that became a market leader in UK
- he now works there as contracts & commercial manager for UK tour operator
- our 007 lives in Mittersill Austria
- he lived in Bath in 1970s & years later uploaded all his songs on to Internet
- his got into video & created videos to go with his songs
- when he heard James Bond crew were filming “Spectre” in villages (where his parents come from) he made this short video, as a tribute to the villages
- his biggest success was the song “Mittersill Forever” to which Bernie added music, harmony voice & video footage (7k views on Facebook + over 2k on You Tube).
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Our 007 Bond in action
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Note:
Huge thanks to Bernie Airds (@airdwaves on Twitter + PeriscopeTV on Bernie Airds on You Tube) for his generosity & collaboration.
ThoughtForToday – 12 November
Explore the socks off the world.
Dig deep into the core.
Forage in the forest of imagination.
There is more to be found
underground.
ThoughtForToday – 11 November
You can recover.
From upset,
disappointment,
damage,
injury,
loss,
fury,
fear,
habits,
hurt,
unkindness,
sloth,
attack,
depression,
shock
– anything.
So long as you keep breathing.
#JeSuisCharlie – poem by Paul O’Mahony
Je Suis Charlie
A few minutes was enough
a smattering of bullets
a cascade of hate
rained down
out of a cloud
loaded with purpose
ammunition
attrition
a mission.
Twelves apostles of humour
twelve souls of freedom
twelve bodies.
In the name of Abraham
and all the shared scars
like wounds from a bloody god
7 January 2015
ThoughtForToday – 10 November
Great experiences include
the smell of freshly cut grass,
the scent of newly baked bread,
rain on a window pane,
warm campfire,
human touch and much more …
Don’t forget good company.
“Sing the song of the flight to life” – new poem by Paul O’Mahony
Sing the song of the flight to life.
Carry your soul in your old kit bag.
Carry your city with every breath.
Carry your loves well packed in tissue.
Carry your fears in a solid box of take-on luggage
Because you will Passover
‘Cause you’ll write your Tablets,
set fire to your gods, cross your river of flowing gold
Because you’ll promise your self
a land of silk and funny dreams
Dreams of immortality
Dreams of eternality
Dreams of sick transfusions that delight your progeny
I am your flight attendant
listening in depth to your vulnerability
cheerleading you on,
throwing high the baton
while you compose your ode to joy.
And
sing your flight to live the life of the travelling warrior,
to explore the way of the choir of pilots who chart their soul’s journey beyond the beyond.
Come intrepid one.
Come board your flight
You are on time,
in good time to be uplifted
into the symphony I have sketched for you
and you will bring to be
the melody of a soulful life
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Notes:
(1) This poem was inspired by AJ Leon, Melissa Leon & all misfits (plus all that love their mission to catalyse revolutionary change to our world).
(2) This poem was inspired by the songs of Walt Whitman & the great friends I’ve gained while live streaming “Leaves of Grass” via Periscope – saved on http://www.Katch.me/omaniblog
ThoughtForToday – 9 November
There are no original ideas
– only fresh ones
Appreciating others – Emerson to Whitman
If you can’t see the audioplayer below – Click here
ThoughtForToday – 7 November
[photo screen shot from a scope by Kate @suntrine1)
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Those shoes you’re wearing are exotic.
That accent you have is exotic.
Your toothpaste exotic.
Discarded cigarette butts exotic.
Weeds exotic.
Hummingbirds exotic.
Prayers exotic.
Farts exotic.
Mona Lisa exotic.
Yourself exotic
– to someone
Charles Bukowski – “Magical Mystery Tour
If you can’t see the player below, click here
Magical mystery tour
I am in this low-slung sports car
painted a deep, rich yellow
driving under an Italian sun.
I have a British accent.
I’m wearing dark shades
an expensive silk shirt.
there’s no dirt under my
fingernails.
the radio plays Vivaldi
and there are two women with
me
one with raven hair
the other a blonde.
they have small breasts and
beautiful legs
and they laugh at everything I
say.
as we drive up a steep road
the blonde squeezes my leg
and nestles closer
while raven hair
leans across and nibbles my
ear.
we stop for lunch at a quaint
rustic inn.
there is more laughter
before lunch
during lunch and after
lunch.
after lunch we will have a
flat tire on the other side of
the mountain
and the blonde will change the
tire
while
raven hair
photographs me
lighting my pipe
leaning against a tree
the perfect background
perfectly at peace
with
sunlight
flowers
clouds
birds
everywhere.
“Making love to my mother-in-law” – poem by Paul O’Mahony
If
you’re going to make love
to your mother-in-law
I have advice for you:
don’t do it on Christmas Day
with her husband
and
your wife
downstairs
in the kitchen
underneath…
(To be continued)
ThoughtForToday – 6 November
Slugs have a lousy reputation.
I’m sure they’re good for something.
We all feeling sluggish some days.
Without being unkind to slugs,
let today be “Abolish Sluggishness Day”.
Maybe “Postpone Sluggishness Day”
would be kinder.
Roger Overall – Cartooning – “the maker’s art”
Roger Overall – Cartooning – “the maker’s art”
Welcome Roger Overall – my great friend & longtime collaborator. [I took the snaps on my iPhone6.]
Roger came to work in my kitchen & we recorded the audio while he did his best to start & complete a cartoon in 20 minutes. This is the story of the work. The phrase “the maker’s story” came up during our conversation.
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Note:
Thank you very much Roger. I feel honoured to publish your work. <img
You can contact Roger on Twitter @rogeroverall
ThoughtForToday – 5 November
Incalculable.
It is impossible to know
the influence you have on others.
The full effect you have
in the world
cannot be known by you
or anyone.
Don’t underestimate yourself.
ThoughtForToday – 4 November
Relief is
one of the most powerful
emotions.
Feeling relief
releases floodgates
plus
a stream of positive energy flows
– you are much better
able to be your better self.
Eh?
ThoughtForToday – 3 November
Ballast is
what’s needed
today
– every day –
except for
the days
you want to list
flounder
capsize
sink.
Any chance you’d prefer an unballasted moment?
A wild risky experience.
Have you 9 lives?
Ballast you.
My ties and ballasts leave me, my elbows rest in sea-gaps
(Walt Whitman)
“Rain” – by Lars Blichfeldt
I made the poem ‘Rain’ while I was thinking about some of the darker things in life.
Mental issues and how they can push anybody to the edge and sometimes even over the edge. Something I recognise from my own life.
My childhood was rather rough. Maybe because of that, I did a lot of crime and vandalism.
Luckily for me, I found a secret weapon to stop it before it got out of control. Drugs.. and many of them. I drugged my brain for 15 years trying to ignore my problems and feelings. But the brain does not easily forget. You can postpone and try to hide, but it will make you deal with it… one way or the other.
In my case, it just ‘turned on’ anxiety in my brain, and, if I did any kind of drugs, it would give me a panic attack.
Effective and without mercy.
It started five years ago, and I’m still fighting. No drugs – only words, a shrink and some good friends.
Most people can’t handle what they can’t see. We get 80% of our impressions thru our eyes, so expect a lot of people to avoid and ignore you.
But face it anyway… Fight it anyway. And when you get your first victory, keep that sweet little moment in mind when the next black cloud starts to rain..
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Rain
When black clouds
rained upon me
I used to feel sorry for myself.
I looked at people around me
popping their one man umbrellas
saving themselves.
unable to see
unable to hear
the suddenly invisible wet people.
‘we learn for as long as we live’
Maybe so.
But I still get caught in the rain
I still get cold
Still haven’t learned
how to unfold my umbrella.
But I do not feel sorry for myself
Not anymore.
Bring on the rain
Bring on the cold
I eagerly await.
Await the return of the sun
await for its shield of warm clear light
to spread thru my cold wet body
for the return of my smile
and the end of my sighs.
ThoughtForToday – 2 November
Death is certain
bound to be experienced
uncertain timing.
The best way
to keep death at bay
is to
breathe…
mindful of your breath
as it sings the song of your life.
From Bath to Cork with baby Grace 
