Time is Never Time Enough.

A lot of people seem to be talking about how much time they have to read, or to watch Netflix, or simply to take up a new hobby. Sometime I wish I had that much free time.

I am extremely fortunate to be working in an area that is in demand. I commenced this role in Digital Education only a few weeks before lockdown. Not only did I have the learning curve that accompany most new jobs, but we had a short period of time to get programmes online, and to do it while working from home.

I'm thrilled I am part of a supportive and encouraging team.

I have learned a lot in the past couple of months, and I continue to learn everyday. Which is great, it is setting me up well for my future. I have a broad range of new practical skills to support my experience and education. And it all looks great on a CV - not that I have any plans to move anywhere soon.

I am pelased I have been furloughed, or placed on leave. But wouldn't it be nice just to have one extra day a week off?  Then maybe I could start watching some of those series on my list.

Oh well, back to work. I have an issue with some videos that won't upload properly.

All Mixed Up.

My reading selection has been a real mixed bag recently. A couple of Spec-Fic books and collections, some rock biographies, a memoir from a fan who visited a band while they were recording, and some non-fiction. I'm currently reading some short stories by Victoria Hislop, and I'm really enjoying them. A great selection of vignettes set in Greece.

I've also been ripping through some magazines. The Fortean Times, Popshot Quarterly, Mojo, and an odd little journal called the Teatles. This is not a misspelling, and it is about the Beatles, but mostly drinking tea. If this is your thing, as it is mine, follow them on twitter.

In between all this, are the academic journals, articles and texts I'm reading for my studies. As you can imagine, they are a right hoot to read - especially after a long day at work. But it needs to be done, and there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Every now and then I get an itching to read an old classic. At the moment most of my books are stored away, which saves me from pushing these to the top of the TBR stack. But there are a few I want (and need) to revisit. It's incredible how different these books can be after many years. But for now it's Victoria Hislop in Greece. Somewhere I've never been, but somewhere I will visit one day.

Next on the list, however, is some old fashioned fantasy from Andy Remic. About time I dug back into a world not like our own.

Our Own Exclusive Spheres.

As a teen, I remember spending hours perusing the racks in the record shop before handing over my saved money to purchase an album. Once home I would throw it onto the turntable as soon as I could, and sit and read the album notes. Anything, in fact, that was on the cover, the inner sleeve and even the copyright notices on the label.

The names seemed strange, exotic. Pink Floyd, for example, were Waters, Wright, Mason and Gilmour. There were no photos of the band, they didn't appear on Countdown (Australia's music programme), I didn't have any books about them - I simply had to imagine what they were like based on the music.

The same with Steeleye Span. The first of their albums I bought, Commoner's Crown, had pictures of little figurines, with their names alongside it. Vocals by Maddy Prior. I'd never heard the name Maddy before, and I must admit I imagined the band as living in some kind of medieval village as minstrels.

There was no internet, no way for a lad in the suburbs to learn more about these artists. I knew about the Beatles and the Stones from TV and books, but the libraries and shops I went to didn't have books about anything other than the most popular of bands.

I never dreamed that one day it would be possible to make contact with my heroes, or even to have conversations with them. We moved in orbits in our own exclusive spheres. These days, those spheres can touch.

Recently, I ended up having an online chat with one of my guitar heroes. A guy I listened to in High School, and loved. And when I started playing guitar, spent hours working out a couple of his riffs. And yet, all those years later, here I was having a chat as he shared a few little bits about the album I didn't know.

Also recently I had 'likes' and comments from another hero.  It is a strange, strange feeling when that happens.

The world is a smaller place, because of the internet, and our heroes are now within reach. Sometimes, it can be terrifying for them. We read of celebrities chased from Twitter or Facebook by a rampaging mob carrying metaphorical pitchforks and flaming torches. Some have had mental health problems following harassment by the public.

I just hope that I was respectful, and am extremely appreciative of the time given to me.

On A Mission From God.

My history with the Blues Brothers goes back to the early 80s. SNL didn’t show in Australia, although I had heard of it. I missed the film at the cinema, although I suspect it barely raised a blip on the local radar at the time. A friend mentioned it to me, and we managed to rent a copy. Remember video rentals? Remember Betamax? Yes, we were nerds, and knew it was a better technology than VHS. What we didn’t know was the licensing arrangements that would result in the global dominance of the inferior product.

But we watched it, and loved it, and made a copy so we could watch it again and again. Remember, pre-recorded videotapes were insanely expensive in those days. I certainly couldn’t afford them.


I ended up becoming a regular at the Valhalla Cinema in Melbourne. For several years, until they were forced out, they showed a fabulous selection of cult and art films. And they produced the most wonderful posters. I still have a couple, but they're in storage. Here's one I found on reddit.

This is where I saw many of these films for the first time. But Friday nights at 11pm was reserved for the Blues Brothers. Much like the participation screenings of the Rocky Horror Show in other cinemas, we dressed up, posed, danced and acted in front of the screen. I was one of the main Elwoods for several years. I don’t remember how many times I watched that movie in the cinema, but I remember I stopped counting my viewings (both on video and on the big screen) at around 186.

They had an old ford which they painted up and parked outside the cinema. The manager added me to their insurance, and with a friend, I was able to drive around Melbourne for an hour or two prior to the film commencing. Yep, dressed as Elwood and Jake we got to drive the Bluesmobile. I wish I had photos of that.

So it was with some pleasure I saw this article today. The Bluesmobile lives. During COVID 19 lockdown, it tools around Milton Keynes, playing tunes. While some of the music listed would never be on my playlist, nor Jake or Elwood’s, I like the idea. It should, however, be playing that sweet soul music. Sam and Dave, Otis Redding, Booker T and the MGs.

It’s great to see it’s still on a mission from God.

The Walls Around Me.

I've been working from home for a few weeks now, and whereas others on social media seem to be looking for ways to remain entertained, I don't feel like I have enough free time.

I work in Digital Education for a University, and during this crisis we have been busier than we usually are as we assisted academics in getting their courses online in a hurry. Now we're focussing on assessments, as exams aren't possible, and how they're going to be handled remotely.

And in between times, I continue my studies. And so I'm planning to take a couple of days over Easter to do nothing. Got to stay sane.

I'll read, watch some film, and spend time with my wife.

We exercise daily - either going for a bike ride or a longish walk, as is legally permitted. We're doing our best to follow the guidelines and not go out. Only one of us goes to the shops, and that's generally once a week and only to get our essentials. I still hear of people ignoring the rules. Not only are they risking their own wellbeing, but the health of others around them.

Am I going stir crazy?  A little. I don't mind being at home. I wish I could devote more time to reading and writing fiction, but I have commitments and responsibilities at the moment.

In the meantime, I sure hope NASA is paying attention to the psyche of the people as it plans for 2 year missions to Mars.

I think I'll stay at home and watch it on TV.

Lockdown.

Last night the Prime Minister announced the UK was going into lockdown.

This was not unexpected, and I must confess I thought it would occur on the weekend just gone - maybe Sunday. Once announced, it really hit home exactly how serious the pandemic has become.

Two weeks ago I couldn't have imagined the world as it is now. We seem to be living in a science fiction movie. Last night there were paramedics down the road. They had on the full suits and masks, and looked like those people in films who visit the alien that has been captured. It was a little unsettling.

Two weeks ago I was travelling to my office daily, working face-to-face with the team, meeting with academics and other staff, and generally learning a new role. I've recently commenced as a Digital Education Developer. Little did I know the team and our duties were about to become pivotal to the University. I was just starting to feel comfortable in my job, and then we were suddenly told to focus on migrating all programmes online. We did it. The team I joined have been superb, training staff, running workshops, creating resources and solving all the problems we encountered on the way. Well done.

A week ago we were told to work from home. I set up a desk, replicating the one at work as much as possible. It took a day or so to get into the swing of things, to remain focussed and get used to the work environs. I looted my office, taking home an extra monitor and the chair - both of which helped immensely. We have our online communications, meetings and laughs, but it's not the same as being physically in the same office.

But it's what we must do. This is how the world is for the foreseeable future. One walk a day, not too close to others, most shops closed. We follow the rules, and we adapt.

Last night we had drinks with our neighbours. We have a low gate between our back yards, and we sat at our own tables, with our own drinks and snacks, and chatted and laughed across the fence, all about 15 feet apart.  We plan to do it again tomorrow night. This time, however, we must prepare quiz questions for the other side.

People have several times reminded me that Shakespeare wrote Macbeth (or was it King Lear?) during the plague. What they forget is that was his job anyway, and he would have written regardless of a pandemic or not.  Of course, with people having more time in the evenings, and some people not being able to work from home, it is indeed a time, an opportunity if you like, to let your creative side run free. Paint something, write something, read more, watch films you would never normally consider. Oh, and be good to each other, at an appropriate distance, of course. These are trying times.

And don't forget to wash your hands.

Stay calm and carry on.

Ben's Country Music Show.

I've recently had the privilege of getting to know Ben Atkinson, host of Ben's Country Music Show, author, digital education developer, and all-round good guy.

Ben loves his music - mostly Country and Americana, and those are two areas in which our tastes have some overlap. While I mostly lean towards Americana, country rock and alt-country (Ryan Adams, Wilco, Son Volt, Golden Smog, Gram Parsons, Jayhawks), I do like some country, bluegrass and country swing.

Ben's radio show is now in its 12th year, and is syndicated across a bunch of radio stations as well as online. I've started listening to it, and am really enjoying it. Great music, news and interviews. Seriously, what's not to like?

Do yourselves a favour, (and Australian music fans will get that reference), go and check out Ben's programme.