My Directors Of The Bored, welcome to another week.
I hope your weekend was fab. Ours rained, and we ended up doing very little and feeling slightly glum about it all, but I think that’s natural occasionally during Lockdown, and you shouldn’t beat yourself up about it.
Onto, another, hopefully sunnier week, and as I’ve been doing on a relatively regular basis at the start of the blog, focussing on items I believe are relevant as we continue to strive and learn more about what we can do to affect the right kind of change. Here’s an excellent chat between James Corden and Gayle King.
Closer to home, my friend Naz posted this the other day.
To be absolutely truthful, I don’t know Naz’s ancestry, and I don’t care. It makes no difference to me. What I love about him is his boundless enthusiasm. Naz has always, for as long as I’ve been aware of him wanted to bring a comedy club to Aberdeen. It started around a decade ago, when he was still a hospital porter, and I don’t think too many folk he spoke to about it took him too seriously. But he persisted, with Comedy Nights, held first in local venues, which he built up in reputation, audience size and number of shows there. Then came one-off events where he’d host the Breakneck Comedy Ball at the likes of The Beach Ballroom. The night included comedy, of course, but also a meal, band and disco. Soon after came the opening of Naz’s own venue on King Street and the idea of hiring local halls and taking Breakneck on the road to villages and towns outside of Aberdeen.
The most nervous I think I ever saw Naz was when, on a whim, he booked the newly refurbished Tivoli Theatre with a capacity of over 500, and had to sell the place out to stay afloat.
Never bet against him.
Of course he made it work, and when the night opened, we recorded this for him to launch the show.
Then came the increase in rates for local businesses, and Naz had to try and move again, which was something he was on the verge of having approved when Lockdown arrived.
But he’ll rise again, just watch.
The reason I mention him today is because I think he could do with a bit of a lift at this point, and also because his was the first page where I saw this item, and I thought it was spot on.
As we start to open up…
You do you, I’ll do me.
That’s what we should be about. None of us have the same circumstances (medically high risk child/family member or a business about to go under, etc.). Let’s all stay in our own lanes and keep the judgement down as we begin to reopen. No one should feel pressured either way.
As government are trying to figure out how to ease back into normal, please remember to be KIND💙❤️
🛑 Some people don’t agree with opening
🏡 Some people are still planning to stay home
🦠 Some are still scared of getting the virus and a second wave happening
💰 Some are sighing with relief to go back to work knowing they may not lose their business or their homes
😳 Some people already lost their jobs and businesses
👩🏾⚕️Some are thankful they can finally have a surgery they have put off
📝 Some will be able to attend interviews after weeks without a job
😷 Some will wear masks for weeks
💅🏻 Some people will rush out to get their hair or nails done
The point is, everyone has different viewpoints / feelings and that’s okay.
Don’t judge fellow humans because you’re not in their story. We all are in different mental states than we were months ago. So remember, Be Kind.
Naz is of the opinion events such as his Comedy Club nights won’t take place this year, and maybe not even next year, because people will be scared to congregate en masse.
I hope that’s not the case, and he can get back to doing successfully what he does best.
Just before we get onto today’s blog, I wanted to mention the #BlackLivesMatter events in Aberdeen at the weekend too.
I know there were many events of a similar nature, but this was the closest to me, and I saw various pictures from it online.
Social Distancing did not seem to be prevalent from what I can tell, and that’s where I have a slight issue.
Ordinarily, I would say it’s your risk to take, and if you believe strongly enough in a cause, you may consider the risk to be worthwhile, but in this instance, it’s not just your risk is it?
I know there’s data which points to the fact that the BAME community is at greater threat from Coronavirus in comparison to the rest of the population, and this is a moment in history where you don’t want and can’t afford to lose momentum or traction, but couldn’t some of this activity be done online for now to reduce the threat of a second wave?
I don’t know. Maybe that’s not enough action for you, and it has to be physical and on the streets, visual and noticed.
Tell me. I’m not picking holes or attacking. I’m genuinely concerned.
I ask to be educated. Teach me, so I can do better.
Let’s get on to today’s blog.
The Useful
You know when you read or hear something and think, y’know, that’s almost perfect? This is one of those times. It’s an ice-lolly mould fashioned to look like a glass of champagne. Works best with apple of grape flavoured water apparently. If only you could do it with actual champagne though, eh.
And that’s where this gets a bit iffy, with most sources referring to the capacity for champagne to explode when frozen and end up a slushy mess. That though surely refers to the concept of freezing it in the bottle, and not in an ice lolly mould?
On balance I’m prepared to let you try first. Let me know.
Things That Make You Go Awwwwww
Considering the fact we’re often told kids and teens struggle to fully convey their emotions, they come up with some truly amazing ways of expressing it. I remember seeing an entire New Zealand school perform a Haka as the hearse of their head teacher passed by, and was immensely moved by the process. This is similar.
Things We’ve Discovered In Lockdown
Parents are paying their kids to do schoolwork at home?!
Each to their own, I suppose. There’s always a carrot or stick method which will work, depending on the child. My little girl likes to focus on her next Build-A-Bear. My son responds to me playing sound effects of a chainsaw whilst simultaneously telling him he won’t get back to his X Box until….
A new study has found that men ignore their partners an average of 388 times a year with “selective hearing”.
Oh for goodness sake, who though we needed this story filtering out around the world right NOW?!
But, but BUTTTTTT….The poll surveyed a total of 2,000 adults and around four in ten respondents said they “know with certainty” that their partner struggles to hear….(your Honour)
I am a man who’s worked with loud noises in his headphones in a radio studio nearly every day for 30 years. There is a very strong possibility I’m in that number.
Or will be.
Let’s say ‘am’.
Moving on…
Doctors are reporting a massive surge in people who’ve twisted their knees or ankles, and they believe it’s down to Joe Wicks.
The truth is, you can never do too much stretching beforehand. I’ve been reaching for the laptop through his series of online PE classes since they started. One day soon I may open it, but right now, it’s still feeling a little tight all over.
It’s time for The Funnies
Today’s News In Brief
Let’s play out with some music.
Thanks for reading.
Stay safe x
#LaughterSpreadsFaster
Sociable Distance 