My Directors Of The Bored, Good Morning.
Today marks Lockdown Day 100 and the start of the 5th month where I’ve been blogging through it.
As it appears there may be light at the end of the tunnel, my inclination is this. I’m going to blog up until and including Friday which marks the start of the school holidays for my kids. If the situation doesn’t worsen through Summer, I’ll come back for one more blog on their first day back, just to round everything off.
If we’re all forced back indoors again, to the same state of Lockdown we’re just emerging from, I promise I’ll come back and try to lift your spirits before then.
If not, and things are fine, we’ll take a Litmus test on what will hopefully be that last blog on August 12th, and I’ll say goodbye.
That’s all assuming I don’t simply just miss it and come back in between times!
Anyway, I’ll mull it over for the next few days and hopefully you’ll enjoy the blog in the meantime. Thanks for reading!
People Are Amazing
Here’s a timely reminder from a woman who’s living proof of the philosophy below. From the very early years of raising her sons, she’d tell stories of how they’d clear a room at home, turn a coffee table on its side as a makeshift net and play tennis with a couple of plastic racquets and a sponge ball.
The Useful
If you’re one of those people who’ve been utterly craving live entertainment again…..a gig….a play….a musical, then this might be right up your street. Six: The Musical (which first premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe 3 years ago) has been adapted for a Drive In audience and is about to embark on a 12 venue tour, including the Royal Highland Showground at Ingliston.
{FYI > Six: The Musical brings new life to the stories of Henry VIII’s six ex-wives in a musical spectacular.}
Tickets go on general sale on Friday.
Now, pay attention to this one because it’s one of our more important bits.
If you’re planning to try and get away on a last minute holiday deal either here or abroad, there are loads of scams waiting to exploit you, some of which deal through legitimate sites for things like holiday cottages which don’t actually exist.
Here’s the guide for how to avoid those scams.
I’ve been re-publishing Josh Gad’s excellent Reunited Apart series as a helpful and entertaining time-waster during Lockdown, which has the added bonus of raising funds for charities trying to assist others during the Pandemic. This one isn’t a reunion, but a tribute to the guy behind so many of the films we watched as kids. I think you’ll love it.
World Of The Weird
Here’s something you definitely don’t see every day – a landlord gifting students with a bonus on top of their deposit when they move out.
He told the group they’d been excellent tenants, and he’d be sorry to see them go. He paid back an extra 50 quid to each of them so they could ‘buy something nice now the shops were re-opening.’
What this should actually tell you is that £350 is small fry compared to what he’s usually had to shell out for repairs at the end of every other student term.
Who on earth came up with this next idea?
It is exactly what you think from the picture. Heinz is launching make-your-own ice cream kits for its Ketchup, Salad Cream and Mayonnaise, amongst others.
The thing is, they wouldn’t be doing this unless they’d researched it thoroughly and knew there was a market for it.
If you’re part of that market, add a couple of miles onto how far you social distance from me.
Thanks.
The world seems to be expressing huge surprise at Anne Hathaway’s story about Christopher Nolan.
Apparently he didn’t allow chairs on the set of the Batman film he directed her in because ‘if there were chairs people sat down, and if they were sitting down they wouldn’t be working’.
So he banned chairs from set.
It’s actually not that uncommon. I’ve had more than one boss who’s done exactly the same, or enforced a working environment where it was impossible to sit and conduct your work.
The first occasion was almost 30 years ago, when the seats were removed from a radio studio so we had to stand to broadcast, the theory being your voice sounds better when your diaphragm isn’t curved through a seated position and therefore you can resonate with more clarity using a different part of your body to project your voice from. Or something.
In later years, when (I think) the law prevented the company from doing the exact same thing, they got around it by raising the level of the broadcast desk so it was impossible to operate unless you were standing.
These days, things are slightly more civilised and technology allows the broadcast desk to be raised or lowered mechanically with the press of a button, so you can choose to stand or sit, depending on the sound and feel of the station you’re representing.
My story is hardly as bad as Anne Hathaway’s though. My day is only ever around 4 hours on air, hers is more like 18, and in this instance a latex catsuit.
I only did that once before the written warning.
Things We’ve Discovered In Lockdown
Scientists have just announced their findings regarding the fact there are two ‘Super-Earths’ in a star system just 11 light years away from our own planet.
And because I’ve made that sound they’re about as close as a day-trip to the beach, here’s someone who knows what they’re talking about to flesh out the finer points.
Also today, there’s a Lea And Perrins Worcestershire Sauce shortage (try saying that after a few margaritas) due to a Lockdown bottling crisis.
I know what you’re thinking. You’ve got a bottle from 1974 at the back of the cupboard. Maybe try fishing it out and selling it on eBay. Let me know how you get on.
It’s time for The Funnies
For my money, this little series has been one of the comedy joys of Lockdown, and it’s been so popular, there’s a book coming later in the year.
Today’s News In Brief
Let’s play out with some music. I’m quite excited by the fact Hamilton begins screening on Disney + from Friday. So this dropped at a good time.
Thanks for reading.
Stay safe x
#LaughterSpreadsFaster
Sociable Distance 