"I felt a certain calm reach me."

THEME: RUSS CONWAY "ROULETTE" (1959)

Happy Friday!

^^ There it is! ^^

That's Foiled - all four 28 minute episodes for BBC Radio Wales. Done (ish).

This Week's Driving Force: Frenzied Laughter.

Last night we had a hilarious first read with the actors (about whom we are VERY excited, but can't breathe a word) in front of a small audience of friends (about whom we are also VERY excited).

So now (after a break to write this and some more descriptions of bicycles) we go back to the Celtx and work on the pages of notes we took, using recordings to listen out for happy laughter and ominous silence.

We've got a month to whip these promising pages into something that will have all you guys weeping with radiophonic laughter. The broadcast date is July and, fear not, you will be first to know.

For now: thank you for your support and feel free to RSVP with your killer hair salon disaster comedies!

Science Paper of the Week: Scientific faith: Belief in science increases in the face of stress and existential anxiety (2013) by Miguel Farias et al.
Take Home Message: It's okay to have "faith" in science; it can help us deal with stressful and anxiety-provoking situations in the same way religious faith helps the devout.

So let's look after our beautiful wilderness with a practical faith.

Inexplicably Popular on the Blog This Week

Vipassana Meditation at Dhamma Dipa: What I didn’t do (2010)

A list of 31 things that I didn't do for ten days. Who'd have thought it would be so popular?

I think it's pure escapism. Almost everyone has a curious urge for the sort of simplicity that makes up our monkish existence during a Vipassana retreat.

It's not easy meditating 17 hours a day, but who hasn't dreamed of spending ten days without anything in their pockets?

Thanks for reading! Now what?

Next weekend it's all about AlterNatives at Braziers Park in Oxfordshire. I'm told there's still space if you fancy coming down and hearing some very clever people talking about medicine - and me talking about microdosing psychedelics for pleasure and productivity. RSVP if you'd like to meet up.

Also: Anna Hughes (and deadline-free Dave) are starting up the famous Sea Cycles again! One for your diary: London to the Isle of Grain on the 29th of April. 50 miles for fish and chips and a salty swim. What's not to love?

Anna is also publishing another book of sensational bicycle exploits and adventures, launching on the 13th of April.

Until then, be.

Reason for Easter: Hot Cross Buns.

d

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