Coronavirus

[kernelbogey]

If I am to be in virtually complete purdah for the next 2-3 months it will mean catching up on one job which has been outstanding ever since I started blushing every time I thought about it. From the moment I began collecting jazz recordings as a teenager, I have built year-by-year a typed archive, divided between two large ring files: British and non-British jazz; band or leader, album title, personnel. Over the years it has become increasingly defaced as items got crossed out and edited with untidy inserts, up to the point when my old manual typewriter wore out and additions had to be inserted in handwriting that as closely as possible resembled the type font... until most of the chronologically earliest pages have reached a state of only just hanging onto the runners with the help of a lot of now discoloured sellotape.

With advancing years one becomes ever more aware of events one felt almost duty-bound not to miss for fear of losing touch - events which for as long as it takes will now be put on hold. And so, I now have no excuse not to undertake this task.

SA - have you thought about acquiring the bones of a database which you could customise? I imagine such is available as a free download somewhere. Could make an otherwise dull task more rewarding. (I have had this procrastinated thought about some of my books.)
Just sayin'....

[kernelbogey]

....how long could I endure Alice Roberts' vowels?

Sacrilege!

The Blessed Alice?

Well, you could just turn the sound down....?

[Frances_iom]

Wish I could write like a type font...

but you probably do as the 16th + 17th C writing masters whose books showed how to write, based their letters on the modern (at that period) typefaces! (17th + 18th Century hands are generally well written and a joy to read especially compared with the real disaster of early 20th C hands)

[Constantbee]

If I am to be in virtually complete purdah for the next 2-3 months it will mean catching up on one job which has been outstanding ever since I started blushing every time I thought about it. From the moment I began collecting jazz recordings as a teenager, I have built year-by-year a typed archive, divided between two large ring files: British and non-British jazz; band or leader, album title, personnel. Over the years it has become increasingly defaced as items got crossed out and edited with untidy inserts, up to the point when my old manual typewriter wore out and additions had to be inserted in handwriting that as closely as possible resembled the type font... until most of the chronologically earliest pages have reached a state of only just hanging onto the runners with the help of a lot of now discoloured sellotape.

With advancing years one becomes ever more aware of events one felt almost duty-bound not to miss for fear of losing touch - events which for as long as it takes will now be put on hold. And so, I now have no excuse not to undertake this task.

Guard those files with your life, SA, preferably in a bomb proof box Can you remember what you were doing when you first heard the recordings? Perhaps have a go at cross referencing your favourites to personal reminiscences. Any particular jazz landmarks that stand out for you in certain years? Add those in, too. And the gigs. Must have met people. Sounds fascinating

If they ever found their way into some sort of archive they might consider scanning them, so I shouldn't worry too much about giving yourself RSI trying to sort them out. Ever thought of photographing the pages? Probably the easiest thing to do. Watch out for any pages where the ink's fading, though.

[Serial_Apologist]

I hear you’re supposed to wash your hands by singing happy birthday twice.

And you still have to wash them for 20 secs minimum - so speeding up the process merely uses up the soap more quickly.

[Serial_Apologist]

Guard those files with your life, SA, preferably in a bomb proof box Can you remember what you were doing when you first heard the recordings? Perhaps have a go at cross referencing your favourites to personal reminiscences. Any particular jazz landmarks that stand out for you in certain years? Add those in, too. And the gigs. Must have met people. Sounds fascinating

If they ever found their way into some sort of archive they might consider scanning them, so I shouldn't worry too much about giving yourself RSI trying to sort them out. Ever thought of photographing the pages? Probably the easiest thing to do. Watch out for any pages where the ink's fading, though.

Thanks for asking, CB! My most memorable jazz experiences were probably first hearing bebop, which was on the school's record player - it was Charlie Parker's "Kim" - at age 15; and being at Ronnie Scott's to hear Sonny Rollins in 1966. Until "Kim" came along (!) I was in the Trad camp and from limited listening assumed "modern jazz" to be too "up itself" to be of interest. All that changed, and I fell out with my best friend, though we made things up some 12 years ago when we re-united for one single get-together.

[LezLee]

I hear you’re supposed to wash your hands by singing happy birthday twice.

I've managed never to sing 'Happy Birthday' even once in my life and they're not going to make me now!

[Bryn]

I've managed never to sing 'Happy Birthday' even once in my life and they're not going to make me now!

You could always revert to the original, "Good Morning to You". For my part. counting to 20 at the appropriate rate in, in my head, seems more my sort of thing.

[Pulcinella]

I hear you’re supposed to wash your hands by singing happy birthday twice.

Somehow I don't think that merely singing performs quite that function, Bbm!

[Count Boso]

I did a YouGov survey a few days ago and one of the additional questions was: During the past week have you sung Happy Birthday to You twice while washing your hands? I had to admit that I had.

[kernelbogey]

Ring-a-ring-a-roses is about the same length....

[MrGongGong]

Ring-a-ring-a-roses is about the same length....

Which, as i'm sure you know, has nothing to do with the plague.

[kernelbogey]

Which, as i'm sure you know, has nothing to do with the plague.

Alas no...
Just read the Wikipedia article.

Ithankyou.

[Serial_Apologist]

I've managed never to sing 'Happy Birthday' even once in my life and they're not going to make me now!

Were you always too busy blowing out the candles?

[oddoneout]

Email from work late afternoon to say the site is closed, so I am now on (currently) indefinite unpaid leave. Working from home is not applicable. New council tax bill came this morning - very large chunk of my income even with single occupancy discount - and two insurance bills to be paid. Dispiriting shopping trip where locusts had stripped the gluten free shelves in their search for bread and pasta, finishing at the Coop where the 'two of anything' even applied to beer so I had to decide which of the 3 price reduced bottles of locally brewed happiness to give up. I suppose I would fare better if I drank the stuff that comes in multipacks - but I don't like any of them.
On the plus side I have some savings and a roof over my head, the woodstove is fired up, a bottle beer is cooling down, and there is a concert coming up on the radio. Blessings duly counted.