Month: September 2010

1975

On: By: Tony Papard

Together in early 1991. George died on September 29th, 1991.

1975. No not the year – two anniversaries, 19 and 75.

It’s now 19 years today since my life-partner transited to Spirit, and on September 10th we celebrated 40 years together (we were here on the Earth plane for 21 years together). He’s kept in touch ever since his transition, and lately has been very verbose indeed.

His latest messages passed direct to me (not via a human medium) have told me an old friend is about to pass to Spirit (he’s 76 and now has a broken hip, diabetes, dementia, keeps falling over and maybe other problems).

George’s main messages, however, have been to help friends of mine and give them advice and premonitions about their likely future (all dependent of course on human free will). Also predictions about the Diana work taking off.

I don’t feel as though he’s out of my life at all with all these messages coming thru, and although this day holds sad memories of his last hours on Earth, it is also a celebration of his rejoining relatives and friends on the Spirit planes where he is much happier. So over on the Other Side, as I’ve remarked before, today is the anniversary of his rebirth into Spirit.

Today is also the 75th anniversary of the birth of a living legend, Jerry Lee Lewis, who contrary to popular opinion is still alive, still performing, still recording and still having Top Ten hits. Yes it’s true. After his inital success in the 1950s, he has followed up with Top Ten hits in the pop, Country, Indie and Rock charts in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, missing out the 1990s when only one CD of his was released, hitting the Top 10 Rock albums, Top 5 Country albums, #1 Indie and Top 30 pop albums on Billboard in 2006 with his biggest selling album to date – ‘Last Man Standing’ which earned him another gold disk for over half a million sales.

Now he has followed this up with a similar duets album with people like Sheryl Crow, Kid Rock, Mick Jagger, and a host of others. The new CD, released in UK on October 4th, has already hit three Billboard charts, including Top Ten Rock, Top 30 pop albums (Billboard 200) and Top 20 Tastemakers’ chart.

He has also made some great promotional appearances singing and playing piano on several U.S. TV shows, made a guest appearance on the hit Broadway musical (soon to come to UK) ‘Million Dollar Quartet’ about a 1956 jam session with himself, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins. Jerry’s performance at this show brought the house down. He has even more recently been at the Grammy’s in California, and has received worlwide press and TV coverage.

Jerry Lee Lewis at finale of Million Dollar Quartet hit musical, Broadway in September 2010

Jerry Lee Lewis is a survivor, along with his contemporaries Little Richard (recently recovered from hip surgery), Chuck Berry and Fats Domino (in semi-retirement, but also a survivor, feared dead at one time, of the Katrina disaster in New Orleans). Plus many more lesser known names from that era such as Frankie ‘Sea Cruise’ Ford (whose partner is also said to have perished in Katrina – unconfirmed, but his partner/manager has certainly died),  Clarence ‘Frogman’ Henry (both Frankie and Clarence being New Oreleans personalities along with Fats), Sonny Burgess, etc. Also Pinetop Perkins, still singing and playing boogie piano as he approaches his centenary.

Away from the rock’n’roll music scene, we have other long-term survivors like Lauren Bacall who was once married to Humphrey Bogart. Making films in the 1940s, and was still making them over 50 years later.

Then there’s the woman who must have had the longest career in television anywhere in the world – the marvelous Betty Driver of  ‘Betty’s Hotpot’ fame (Betty Williams, previously Betty Turpin)  in Coronation Street. The 90+ year old barmaid of the ‘Rovers’ Return’ retires from the program later this year, but she started out on TV in the BBC broadcasts from Alexandra Palace before the Second World War as a singer.

Away from the famous names, there’s my mother, now 96 and still smoking 20 to 30 cigarets a day. Not to be recommended for longevity it must be added. They could have cut maybe 10, 25 or 30 years off her life I understand!

The Great Divide

On: By: Tony Papard

GDR border installations (Wall) at Brandenburg Gate,

Berlin – Capital of the GDR

I’ve blogged on the subject of the Berlin Wall before, but I’m dong it from a different angle this time.

Suppose London was divided politically at the River Thames, the geographical feature which separates Central and North London from South London. Imagine a Socialist (or Communist) regime south of the River, and a capitalist one north of it, like East and West Berlin in former times.

South London would have subsidized basic foodstuffs, cheap and efficient public transport, guaranteed pensions, full employment, and cheap rents because the social housing would also be subsidized. However luxury goods might well be dearer than in North London, and wages would be lower to reflect the many subsidies and social services, etc.

With an open border across the bridges/tunnels over/under the Thames just imagine what would happen. People living in cheap accommodation south of the River would be attracted to find higher paid jobs north of the River  and commute there daily. If they couldn’t find a job, well they are guaranteed one anyway in the south, since under Socialism jobs are created for everyone regardless of whether it is economic or profitable to do so.

People living in the northern half of the city would be very attracted by the subsidized foodstuffs, etc. available in the southern half. Shops there would be stripped bare, and there would then be shortages, since they weren’t meant to feed both north and south Londoners.

Unless there was some kind of tax agreement between the two political and geographical entities, south Londoners working in the northern half of the city would presumably have tax deducted there, so enriching North London and depriving South London of much needed income.

Quite obviously this situation could not be allowed to continue indefinitely. Two diametrically opposed political systems cannot exist side-by-side with open borders, there has to be restrictions on movement between the two, and on both emigration and immigration.

It is the same with states with vastly different standards of living which exist side-by-side. This is why the USA has erected a border fence between it and Mexico. Without it Mexicans and others from Latin America would stream north unimpeded, and the USA just couldn’t cope with such an influx, while Latin America would be desparately short of much needed labor power.

Only when there is parity in living standards and a similar political system can there be truly open borders between neighboring states. This is becoming clear in the European Union where low-wage countries are starved of labor, while high-wage countries have an influx of immigrants working at or below the minimum wage, causing unemployment and higher benefit bills.

The Berlin Wall was an absolute economic necessity, but minefields and shooting people trying to cross illegaly was wrong and unnecessary. All that was needed was controlled crossings, with West Berliners required to pay duty to the GDR authorities on goods bought in the East, and East Berliners required to forfeit a hefty deposit if they failed to return to the GDR after their visit to the West. This deposit would compensate for their education, free medical services, etc. in the GDR from which West Berlin/West Germany would now benefit without costing them a penny.

If you think the GDR was a vast prison camp from which nearly every ordinary citizen was longing to escape then you have to answer the obvious question as to why more people didn’t leave East Germany when there was an open border in Berlin from when the city was divided into zones of occupation after the Second World War to 1961 when the Wall went up. If things were so bad in the Soviet Zone, which became the GDR in 1949, then the whole population would have fled West. But they had their homes in the East and all the benefits of Socialism mentioned above, which must have outweighed any perceived disadvantages.

Not to mention those who emigrated from West to East of course, including present German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her family, and American Rock singer Dean Reed, born Denver, Colorado but who became a star in his new home, the GDR. Or indeed the woman from the DPRK (North Korea) who was spirited out to the RoK (South Korea) by her sister, but returned to her home in the North because she felt loyalty to the state which had raised her.

You must also ask yourself why today so many in Eastern Germany have nostalgia and longing for many things in the old German Democratic Republic, and even regret it being swallowed up by the Federal Republic of Germany (former West Germany).

Yes people should have a choice which country/political system they live under, but this cannot be an absolutely free choice when it infringes upon the rights of others. It has to be a restricted choice, with possible financial penalties. You certainly cannot enjoy the best of both worlds, such as the high wages of an advanced capitalist state (fought for and won by their trade unions to pay the high prices, rents, insurance, pension contributions and mortgages of capitalism) while living in low-rent accommodation and enjoying subsidzed social services and basic necessities of life in a Socialist state. You can’t, in other words, have your cake and eat it.

Jerry’s new album/Pontin’s Pakefield

On: By: Tony Papard

Jerry Lee’s new ‘Mean Old Man’ CD has followed the success of his last album, ‘Last Man Standing’, which went on to earn a gold disk for over half-a-million sales.

‘Mean Old Man’ has reached #10 in Billboard’s Rock Albums chart, #11 in its Tastemakers’ chart and #30 in its top 200 albums chart. So in 2010, 54 years after starting his recording career at Sun Records, he has another Top Ten hit album as he approaches his 75th birthday.

He has been promoting the album on U.S. TV, and recently closed the ‘Million Dollar Quartet’ musical in New York City by singing three songs backed by the cast playing himself, Elvis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash as the quartet of the title.

As for myself, I’ve just come back from 4 nites at Pontin’s holiday center in Pakefield, Lowestoft with my mother. It was a good holiday, despite the weather which was not brilliant.

They feed you very well (a cooked breakfast if you get up in time, plus a three-course lunch and a three-course dinner), and the entertainment was first rate, well up to the standard I’ve experienced on the cruise liners.

Among the cabarets we enjoyed were a Tamla Motown and Las Vegas show put on by Pontin’s young and talented Bluecoats, an Abba tribute group who were excellent, an equally good Kenny Rogers tribute act, a Welsh female singer and an Ango-Italian singer who performed everything from Tom Jones, thru a rock’n’roll medley to a Pavarotti-style Nessa Dorma operatic aria.

Plus quizzes, bingo and other tournaments during the day and early evening. We’ve booked again for next May for another Gold break (over 50s week), but I’m also booked in with two friends for Ritchie Gee’s Xmas Party with Jerry Lee’s sister Linda Gail Lewis headlining at Pontins, Pakefield in December. I wonder if her daughter MaryJean will be there with her Scottish husband Gary as usual?

Our 40th Anniversary

On: By: Tony Papard

Yesterday, September 10th, was the 40th anniversary of when I met my partner, George. He made the transition to Spirit on September 29th, 1991, so we shared 21 years on Earth in this life together, but he has remained in contact with me from Spirit in the last 19 years.

Back in the days we were on Earth together there were no civil partnerships for gay men, but we did exchange rings. I can’t remember when he moved in with me exactly – sometime in the period January-April 1971 – nor exactly when we exchanged rings. Around that time I believe. So the 40th anniversary of the day we met is what we celebrate.

George taught me a lot and helped my spiritual development while we were together, and this has continued since he transited.

He told me just now he will always manage to keep in touch somehow, and even if there is a break in continuity, the messages from him will continue to flow. He does, after all, have other preoccupations on the Other Side, but in times of need he’s always there to help me and friends.

Those who are interested can read the last chapter of my e-book on this site which describes the many ways George connected with myself and friends after he passed to Spirit. These included a full materialization to one friend, telepathic messages helping me find things he’d hidden away in our flat, saying that posthumous letters to him which I wrote kept us near while apart, some mild poltergeist activity in a friend’s house when they annoyed him and speaking to another friend who was alone in my flat – so real he answered him, turned round and just caught a glimpse of something.

The messages coming from George are now not done in such a dramatic fashion, but they do come in times of need. They are currently helping not just me but a friend of mine who’s going thru a period of change/uncertainty.

So, our Ruby Anniversary. I’ve not received any rubies, but many messages from George worth much more to me than jewels.

Diana – time to move on?

On: By: Tony Papard

I have written several blogs on here referring to Diana Spencer, former Princess of Wales, and how she communicated via her voice-channel Andrew Russell-Davis. It is up to people whether they accept this or not, but they shouldn’t make a judgment till they’ve looked at the Diana Speaks site and listened to at least one or two of the podcasts. This is what convinced me it was indeed Diana communicating.

Things have now reached a crisis point, 13 years after Diana passed to Spirit in that crash in Paris on August 31st, 1997.

In all things people have free will. This is what makes it impossible for psychics or Spirit to accurately predict the future. So much depends on decisions and the free choice of individuals.

I have indicated, as have messages on the Diana Speaks site, that this thing was hoped to take off in a big way. Not just yet another psychic/Diana site, but one which would make news around the world. However I have always felt it would take something pretty dramatic for this to happen – like someone very close to Diana in real life, such as a very near relative, publicly saying they thought it was her communicating thru Andrew.

However people have their reputations to think about, quite apart from the controversial nature of many of the communications which might also make them reluctant to make any public announcements. Diana in life consulted pyschics, but didn’t make this fact public.

The Diana Speaks site, at the moment at least, is still there for those who are interested and wish to peruse this evidence of life after death.

It seems the work may not continue. Perhaps the time has come for Diana and those involved in the work to move on. People have been given the evidence, and it is up to them whether to accept it or not.

My personal opinion, for what it’s worth, is that the way the Earthbound Spirit of Diana chose to communicate thru a single voice channel was perhaps not the best way. I feel it would have been better for her to move on to the Spiritual planes and communicate from there, to many mediums and psychics around the world.

In fact this has happened, the Higher aspect of Diana communicates to many mediums. But it seems an Earthbound aspect remained attached to Andrew trying to achieve a mission to convince the world that ‘she would not go quietly’. It seems the world was not ready to listen.

The reality check we have to take in is that a dead celebrity, even one speaking from beyond the grave, does not have the clout of a real, glamorous live one who can be photographed, filmed and inteviewed in person, not thru a medium. People naturally have doubts about such things, and not everyone takes the trouble to, as Diana says, ‘do their homework’ and check these things out. Obvious fakes,  impersonators and charlatans are usually easily spotted, and Diana comes thru Andrew as being perfectly genuine, not even a Spirit impersonating Diana, but the real thing.

There is a huge volume of evidence for the after-life on the Internet, including many recorded voices of people speaking from beyond that barrier we call death. Apart from the Diana voice communications via Andrew, there are the recorded archives of Direct Voice medium Leslie Flint (who has now passed to Spirit himself), and those of David Thompson, a physical medium now based in Australia. Of course people won’t accept this evidence if they refuse to listen to it or study it and judge its authenticity.

Many psychics and Spiritual leaders have given messages to the human race about all sorts of things, including how to live our lives and make the world a better place. Some people listen to them, some don’t.

Corruption in the world, as Diana pointed out, is everywhere. The peace-loving message of Spiritual leaders like Jesus have often been distorted and used to justify all sorts of horrible things such as the Inquisition and many wars, often both sides claiming they have ‘God on our side’. Again, it is all to do with human free will and choice. Spirit can give us advice and evidence of survival, but it is entirely up to individuals if they accept it.

So now, it seems, is a time of crisis, of reflection and change for all those involved in what has been termed ‘the Diana work’. I wish well to all who are involved in it, including of course Diana, Andrew and Rose Campbell, the medium in America who conducted the podcast interviews on the site with Diana via Andew. Rose also started the site (and the one which became corrupted before the present one), and maintains it. She has done a wonderful job, and it remains quite remarkable and stunning evidence of survival and the afterlife, though from an admittedly Earthbound Spirit so don’t expect revelations of what life is like in the Spiritual planes. This can be found elsewhere on the Internet, a wonderful tool for those interested in such matters, as we all should be.

One day we will all die, so it is prudent to try to find out what, if anything awaits us.  Overwhelming evidence is there that we survive the thing we call death, and from medical people, scientists, quantum physcists, etc. there is increasing evidence to back this up. Reality, as perceived by our five senses, seems to be something of an illusion; it is much more complex than once scientists thought.

I have written about such things elsewhere, so will not expand on it here, except to say that new discoveries are taking place that strongly indicate that consciousness originates from outside the physical body. This would mean all living things survive death, but much more besides. This conscious energy, whether you call it Spirit, God, the intelligent ether (i-ther) or anything else, seems to be what creates and organizes matter, and which guides evolution.

As for Diana and her channeling thru Andrew Russell-Davis, perhaps this has now stopped. That is not to say she, and other spirits, will stop communicating to us in various ways from the Other Side. Keep listening and watching, study all the evidence. The more you learn about the after-life, the more you will be prepared when the time comes.

Jerry Lee Lewis’ new album

On: By: Tony Papard

Still alive, performing and recording, though his live shows are a very pale imitation of those from years ago. He now performs from a set-list which only varies slightly from show to show, and his stage act has all but disappeared. Sometimes he makes a half-hearted attempt at the end to stand and kick the piano stool back, or play a few notes standing up, but all the other trademarks have long gone.

The length of his live shows tend to be about 45 minutes on average, which is considered very short nowadays. In the 1950s and 1960s when there were lots of support acts and two shows a night, the main act would only do about 30 minutes. Now two hours is more the norm. In the 1970s and 1980s, when Jerry Lee included many of his Country hits and album tracks, also launching into Gospel, Blues, etc. as well as rock’n’roll his shows were often 90 minutes or so.

However he did have his biggest selling album ever in 2006, the ‘Last Man Standing’ CD featuring duets with many other artists. This album flopped in UK due to lack of promotion, distribution, etc. but was a roaring success in the USA where it was promoted on all the big chat shows and has sold over half a million copies, earning Jerry another gold disk.

Now he is releasing a similar CD called ‘Mean Old Man’ after the Kris Kristofferson title track, released as a single last year, then on a so-called EP, and now released yet again by i-tunes as a single – the fifth from the album due to be released in the US on September 7th and in UK about a month later.

Whether he can repeat the success of  ‘Last Man Standing’ remains to be seen, and many fans feel he should have done a solo album this time, not another CD with guest artists. Also many of the tracks he has recorded previously.

A European tour scheduled for July had to be postponed due to Jerry’s ill-health at the time (exact details never specified, but shingles was mentioned among other things). He is now scheduled to do some Continental European dates in October and November. A show planned for London on October 26th has been cut from the schedule. He last appeared in London two years ago when he did two gigs here.

I’ll wait and make a judgment on the new album once I hear it in its entirety (there are ‘bonus’ tracks available as with ‘Last Man Standing’). As someone on the fan club sites remarked, however, the real test of an album is time – fans often think the latest album is good, but if they rarely play it years later that is perhaps the real test.

Jerry Lee turns 75 on September 29th this year, but has not worn his age very well. He can still play piano and sing, but now looks like the old man he is, unsteady on his feet, and his enthusiasm for live shows seems to have long gone – they now appear something of a chore.

I’d go and see him again if he were to do a show in London, or somewhere I was on vacation, but his live shows no longer thrill me as they once did because of their predictability and the fact that he often seems to be on automatic pilot cruising thru a set-list.

I always order his new albums, and this one’s no exception. Just wish there was more new material on it which he hadn’t recorded many times before. For instance, one track is ‘Middle Age Crazy’, a Top Ten Country hit for him in 1977 when he’d just turned 42. Very appropriate at that time as it was about a man who’d just turned 40. Is it appropriate, however, for a man of 75? ‘Mean Old Man’ is of course more appropriate, but it is not one of Kristofferson’s best songs as it is very repetitive, and I would have thought they could have come up with more new songs appropriate for a man in his 70s to sing, rather than once again inviting Beethoven to roll over, and singing about a man of 40 trying to prove he can still attract young women.

Oh well, we’ll see what fans and the CD buying public make of it this time compared with ‘Last Man Standing’. If he can repeat the success of that it will be some achievement, and frankly I’ll be pleasantly surprised.