Weekend Trip - Be Here Now!

When I left you yesterday at the end of a dull week in the markets I did suggest that that I might try and do a weekend post about things I had seen and heard this week, although be warned most of this is only tangential to markets and investing.

So first up as it is the Weekend here is a sports related video that I watched this week, although some of the suggestions might be applicable to investing and business in general. This was an interview with George Mumford, a psychologist who amongst other things coached Michael Jordan the basketball player. It is based on a book he has written called The Mindful Athlete: Secrets to Pure Performance.  It is hosted by an interesting character called Tai Lopez who does video book reviews and comes up with some interesting stuff - see what you think.

I found it interesting that in this he mentioned "being in the moment" and the old hippy phrase "be here now". Talking of old hippies the next thing I listened to was the latest in the occasional broadcasts hosted by Jeremy Vine called Being Human. No I'm not calling Jeremy Vine an old hippy, rather this weeks guest Johnny Walker the 70 year old DJ who fronts one of my favourite radio shows Sounds of the Seventies. Any way he gives quite a nice speech and then an amusing review of his life and how he came to be a DJ and he also talks about soul (human rather than music). He also makes reference to being here now the fact that he is a carer and also a patron of Carers Week, a worthwhile cause which is also on this week in case you missed it.

Meanwhile talking of caring, although I'm not sure about it being a worthwhile cause, I note there was a memorial service for those who lost their lives during the Afghanistan conflict, attended by Prince Harry. Now if like me you have ever wondered what the hell we were doing in Afghanistan in the first place - I also stumbled across on the BBC I-Player while I was bored, an amazing Film by Adam Curtis called Bitter Lake. This looks at the history of the West's involvement in the Middle East since the second world war and I found it quite enlightening albeit it a bit "trippy" and disturbing at times, but it does help to explain why we went into Afghanistan and why it was such a mess - well worth the time if you can spare it in my opinion.

With all this talk of souls, being here now and old hippies, it put me in mind of and set me to listening to the late great George Harrison singing Be Here Now on his album Living in the Material World. In addition his album All Things Must Pass is "generally rated" as his finest work according to an article about it on Wikipedia, what a character he was. Alternatively for younger / millennial readers perhaps I guess you might have thought of Oasis and their album - Be Here Now, who of course were influenced by George and the Beatles or maybe Ray LaMontagne if you prefer your music more laid back.

Finally with all the characters I have mentioned today I'll bring this magical mystery tour down memory lane to a close by bringing it back to investment. I see some other characters are being brought back to the future from the 1970's by the Character Group (CCT) - as I read a report that we are going to see the return of the Clangers - now that is far out, bye for now have a great weekend.