Today I have a headache (dodgy sinuses and a lifelong issue). It’s not helped by reading about the madness going on generally both at home in the UK and outside it.
So I am not going to mention any particular things that are bugging me as it is a very long list. Rather in particular one thing which seems to be very clear from public discourse at present is the total lack of empathy generally. I am getting way too much deja vu recently as it feels like the 70s again but not in a groovy far out prog festival hippy squatters on lentils way, but rather the those NF leaflets that were ubiquitous. So it’s an uncomfortable familiar feeling seeing mobs with union flags carrying messages of hate. It seems like something has gone every wrong starting with Brexit and the Covid lockdowns it feels to me as though I now inhabit a weird alternate universe on many days. Everybody that’s not ‘us’ is ‘them’ and the enemy to be hated, or despised or belittled. And who is the enemy? You or me perchance in some quarters it would seem judging by recent developments. And it’s everywhere now like some weird virus which the fact averse seem particularly susceptible to. So I shall lean back on a bit of scriptures (hypocritical perhaps as I am not a believer) but there are certainly a few gems in terms of how human beings could be a little bit nicer to each other generally.

Zechariah 7:10 (ESV)
Do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.”

Leviticus 19:34 (ESV)
You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

In a sense all of us are the sojourner, our time on earth is finite and we are often among strangers. We are always them to somebody else at some time so just for our own self interest it behoves us to try and at least do no harm or intend for others.
Those of you that know me may also know that my good friend Vicky Martin was an ordained church minister as well as a band mate for about 18 years and help for me at times when I was in crisis with my mental health. One thing Vicky did well was to try and build bridges between people. I am not so great at that sort of thing and perhaps rather more intolerant despite my best efforts but I salute all those that try.

A tiny drop of empathy can spread along way if you let it.

In other news I am re-working a few things like old videos that Vicky Martin made for the Delta Ladies. They are on youtube but not seen much so they will manifest on TikTok and Instagram and Facebook directly…

@dianastonemusic #lovemymusic #dianastone #violin ♬ original sound – Diana Stone

To honest I wouldn’t know about all that but hey whatever. I am still limping along, but with a few more music projects in the go now, plus my new non-music project. “Can I get my old car through the MOT cheaply” A plan has been drawn up and will commence shortly. I think it is unlikely to work but one never knows unless one tries of course. Go me hopefully.

I always wondered why the ancient greeks never got started with steam power. Heron, the great inventor of Alexandria, described in detail what is thought to be the first working steam engine. He called it an aeolipile, or “wind ball”. His design was a sealed caldron of water was placed over a heat source. As the water boiled, steam rose into the pipes and into the hollow sphere. It was considered a toy apparently. I suspect the Greeks were too busy with Wine, Philosophy, Debating, Sport and bumming each other inbetween wars. Maybe it was something to do with the heat? Who knows. At the time of writing we have rain, its very welcome.

I like this track but it has never really kicked off like some of the others.

Meanwhile at home in the good old U of K I think there is a real threat to stability in the UK now. I am not sure Labour actually knows what to do about it now. They are so desperate to hoover up votes they have put themselves in a position where many moderate Labour supporters are drifting away. The head of the UK security services has stated that currently the biggest risk to UK is Right-wing extremism still followed by influence from foreign actors like China and Russia.
All this loony anti-asylum seekers stuff being stirred up helps no one. Nor does Temu Hitler Uncle Nigel with his divisive rhetoric. Let’s not try to out fash the fash dearest labour party.
A race to see who can vibe with lowest common denominator is really not a great idea.

And what of the Donald, who knows where that is going? Stay tuned folks for the next excruciating episode.

Orchard played a Garden Party at Danesbury Neurological Centre in Welwyn There was music, food and a really lovely atmosphere. The sun was shining; a truly perfect afternoon! I Had great fun performing for the patients, staff and volunteers of Danesbury and QVM hospital today. An honour and a privilege to be asked to play at their summer party.

I am going to try violin with a shoulder rest again. I stopped using one in 2008 when my back collapsed so I need to use one again of I can to help with my posture as my neck gets tired when I am playing then my head goes down. Might take a bit of getting used to I suspect. Its fine if your back is not messed up to be honest, but mine has been curved since I was about 14 years old. Playing it lower is mostly a folk thing. You cant get the notes. The modern violin came about around 1530. They were played standing mostly at first. Seated Orchestras followed a little later.

‘The violin should rest on the collarbone and be supported by the left hand and by the shoulder. Gentle weight from the head, with a relaxed neck, stabilizes the violin on the collarbone. The chin rest protects the top of the violin and adjusts for the length of the player’s neck. As the violin strings are held parallel to the floor a shoulder pad is fitted to fill the slight space between the back of the violin and the player’s shoulder. The shoulder pad should not prevent the violin from resting on the collarbone and should not be used to compensate for the length of the player’s neck. A frequently overlooked function of the shoulder pad is to provide friction so that the violin neither pivots too easily nor slips off the shoulder. The violin may be held briefly by increased weight of the head on the chinrest in order to free the left hand but ongoing support of the violin shifts constantly between the left shoulder, jaw, and left hand, with contact with the collarbone remaining constant. Low density foam pads in minimal contact with the back of the violin will not adversely affect the sound of the instrument.’

The Great Denham Village fete is today so I wandered down to that as it had a few interesting cars among other things.

My brain is working over time again I think. I think I might do a re-edit of Vickys video for the Delta Ladies song Refugee and cut in some contemporary footage of the Farage riots and stuff. to bring it up to date. Then I can post that and lose about another 500 Facebook friends. Widely attributed to American author and social critic H. L. Mencken (1880–1956) but not found verbatim in his published works, so the source and original form of this expression are not known with certainty. Likely a nearly verbatim paraphrase of: “No one in this world, so far as I know … has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people.”

Just a thought in the currant troubled times:

“Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii[c] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.””