Parasols / Umbrellas

Sao Bento / Benedict C

St Benedict/Sao Bento

Benedict Cumberbatch / Stephen Strange

Pope Benedict

Moon Madness / Lunacy

Today is the 50th anniversary of the day Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped foot on the Moon. A chance conversation at a birthday party with the mums of two children in my son's class (a scientist and a skeptic) about; moon landings , the flat earth theory and vaccines (the septic not believing the mood landings or in having her kids vacinated) reminded me how consensus reality can be so illusory.
As a young boy growing we all heard about the man in the moon, but out of my three brothers, I was the only one my mother consistently said was "affected" by the full  moon. Her certainty annoyed me almost as much as my own secret agreement with her view. 

I knew the meaning of the words lunatic and lunacy. I thought I understood the messages in stories of werewolves.It is common knowledge how the moon effects the tides and most women are aware a link between the moon and the menstrual cycle.

As a psychology undergraduate I heard stories of data relating to hospital admission at certain phase of the moon ,data relating to mania in those with bipolar disorder at the full Moon and the phases of the moon being taken into account in the scheduling of football matches.

One of the first rave tunes I bought was Acens trip to the Moon. The year I finished my University  course I threw a house party and used an image from a Japanese manga with the words "Luna Baby" on it   By the time I returned from my summer holiday, a group of friends had  started throwing "Luna Funtasy" parties on the full moon. 

I too have had a brief dalliance with Chapel Perilous. I remember when I first became aware conspiracy theories in the early 90's  regarding UFO's , The Illuminati etc  I remember first hearing the idea that the moon landings were faked and then watching a documentary about it on tv . They had some convincing arguments , but my learned cousin (probably the smartest person in my extended family was quick to provide the counter narrative.) And bring me back to reality
Any encounter with a good stage magician will demonstrate how easily well educated people can be baffled but we don't all end up believing in magic .
However in these days of information overload and fake news we all quickly reach a point where we ask our selves. Who do we trust? What do we truly know ? What do we believe ? or should we just suppose ?

Owl 'n' Mad Morris's

While I was growing up my parents both owned Morris Minors. My dad's "traveller" had the registration "MAD..."while my mother's "saloon" had the letters "OWL..." on its registration plate.
I only recently realised the connection to Howlin Mad Murdoch from the A Team.
In the eighties there was a novelty record taking a nod from the Beastie boys "No sleep till B..... by a band called The Morris Minors and the Majors.

As a surfer I'm not sure Morris Minors were ever cool in the same way that VW Beetles were, but there's a classical English vintage to them which has stood the test of time.
Similarly Morris dancing is not very cool in comparison to Eskrima/Kali (Phillipines) or Maculelê (Brazil). Apparently the name "Morris dance"  comes from "Moorish dance" The earliest dances being performed by vising troups for the aristocracy , the earliest forms used swords. What was once "exotic" and potentially dangerous became "mimicry"

Another English eccentricity was the ambient scene of the early nineties which was spearheaded by The DJ Mix Master Morris/The Irresistible Force) alongside the likes of  Dream Fish, The Orb, The KLF, Coldcut and  Jedi Knights/Global Communications , Morris had a few releases on Rising High but I never quite got over the fact some friends of mine who invited me to dj at their house party replaced me on the line up with Morris a fact he was probably blissfully unaware of.



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