Misfits Mid-Life Crisis Adventures in East London.
Week 318 Saturday 18th until Friday 24th July 2020.
Happy 8 Wedding Anniversary this week to my brother Paul and the lovely Sigrida
“Can you see, Sandra is smiling”.
First this week an update on Sandra the garden snail, who was the star of last week’s ramble. She is recovering in her temporary habitat of an empty yogurt pot in the bathroom. Peering inside, her shell appears to be healing, and I have been pleased to see her on top of the cuttlefish (that wasn’t cheap) or eggshell scattered around, because calcium is very important in her recovery. In another weeks’ time I will check her out and see if she has healed enough to be set free. A further update will follow next week.
“I’ve been locked down so long. I popped to an elderly neighbours house with some shopping in my PJ’s”.
And Now For Something Completely Different….
Lately I have been doing something in bed with lights out for far longer than I should. Especially on week nights as I am up early in the morning for work.
“Next doors cat is looking for an agent. If he keeps appearing in this ramble”.
The above is not as mucky as it sounds. I recently discovered the delight/horror (you decide) of Facebook live broadcasts/videos. There are transmissions with people playing video games, music or spinning vinyl or CDs as part of a DJ set. As expected there is a lot of selling – semi precious gems, CBT oils, bags, scarves, jewellery even on-line Psychics (just don’t tell them your FB profile info). There are also plenty of live auctions which appear to feature unwanted storage locker items, from the condition of many I have seen.
“He really wasn’t impressed with my latest Doctor Who shiz painting”.
There are two types of live broadcast that I have found strangely mesmerising (you really need to watch them – I will never be able to do them justice in the small number of words available here). There are people selling rings (for fingers, and I suppose toes) which are inside bath bombs. And others who open oysters live, if you want to buy a coloured pearl.
“Mr Z broadcasting, while i write this shiz”.
All of the above entertain me from a few seconds to a couple of minutes, until I move on to the next. However, recently on a Saturday and Sunday night between 11pm to midnight UK time (5pm US Central) I have been watching a broadcast from a house in Houston Texas. Let me explain. A few weeks ago I stumbled across a man on screen standing in a room talking to someone off camera. As with a lot of these videos everything is reversed, what caught my eye was a sign which read VT XOF (FOX TV); this prompted me to turn up the volume. I was watching a news broadcast on FOX 26 Houston, being presented by anchor Tom Zizka from his house. That was why he appeared to be ignoring his electronic device because he was reading the news looking down the lens of the professional camera in front of him.
“Mr Z chatting to the Facebook kids, while an advert was on in the Houston area”.
As a lifelong fan of TV and film behind the scenes it grabbed my attention straight away. What makes the broadcasts even more interesting for me is, while adverts, VT clips or the weather are being transmitted, Tom looks into his device and interacts with the Facebook audience who text questions (yes I have said hello and “chatted”). Being a geek, I love it when he shows the FB audience around the equipment he is using to present the news from home, or talks about how the show works.
“Peanut butter straight from the jar. After this i enjoyed toasted Bagel’s smeared thickly with Peanut butter topped with grated cheese (both Canadian Cheddar and Red Leicester). All that was missing to make this a truly wonderful snack was chopped Banana”. This recipe will of course be included in my future Times bestselling Crimbum cookbook”.
On one occasion I brought up the FOX 26 live feed on another screen so I was able to see the actual programme being transmitted. While at the same time on my tablet I had the usual FB behind the scenes view. Sometimes his daughter/s or wife will sit just out of shot of the TV camera but in view of his personal device, the FB audience will text them questions which Tom will read. Being a professional, very little flusters him, such as breaking news or a last minute running order change. This includes his dog barking outside the makeshift studio because it wants to join the FB live party. It’s a really interesting way to spend an hour in bed.
“Everything is growing. Will there ever be a harvest”.
Watching the news has never been so much fun. If you want to watch a FB live video that wont persuade you to buy an artificially coloured pearl, then search for Tom Zizka on Fox 26 (Saturday and Sunday 11pm to midnight in the UK, that’s 5pm US central. Tell him I sent you).
“Night night”.
My Mid Life Crisis Conts……
This week I have mainly been watching:
“Baywatch”, (2017). “Big Jet TV: Live From Headcorn Aerodrome”, (FaceBook)(TX: 24/07/20). “Click”, (TX: 18/07/20). “Doctor Sleep”, (2019). “Donald Trump: All American Billionaire: A Money Programme Special”, (TX: 29/11/10). “Fawlty Towers”, (S2, ep 3 to ep 6). “FOX 26 Houston: News at 5pm (Central US) With Tom Zizka”, (FaceBook)(TX: 18/07/20)(19/07/20). “ISS Spacewalk: Expedition 63: #68 (Astronauts, Behnken And Cassidy)”, (NASA TV Live)(TX: 21/07/20). “Orphan Black”, (S1, ep 1 to ep 5). “Rhod Gilbert’s Work Experience”, (S6, ep 1, TX: 16/02/16)(ep 2, TX: 23/02/16). “The Art Of Persia”, (S1, ep 3, TX: 29/06/20). “The Luminares”, (S1, ep 5). “The Mike Skipper Lockdown Saturday Quiz”, (FaceBook)(TX: 18/07/20). “The Misadventures Of Ramesh Ranganation: From My Sofa”, (ep 2, TX: 19/07/20). “The Young Offenders”, (S2, ep 1 to ep 6)(S3, ep 1 to ep 6). “Warrior Nun”, (S1, ep 9). “You’re Only Young Twice”, (Crimbum Special, TX: 23/12/80)(S4, ep 1 to ep 4).
Doctor Who Watched This Week:
“The Twin Dilemma”, (S21, Prod Code 6S)(ep 1, TX: 22/03/84)(ep 2, TX: 23/03/84)(ep 3, TX: 29/03/84)(ep 4, TX: 30/03/84).
“Attack Of The Cybermen”, (S22, Prod Code 6T)(ep 1, TX: 05/01/85)(ep 2, TX: 12/01/85).
“Vengeance On Varos”, (S22, Prod Code 6V)(ep 1, TX: 19/01/85)(ep 2, TX: 26/01/85).
“The Mark Of The Rani”, (S22, Prod Code 6X)(ep 1, TX: 02/02/85)(ep 2, TX 09/02/85).
“The Two Doctors”, (S22, Prod Code 6W)(ep 1, TX: 16/02/85)(ep 2, TX: 23/02/85)(ep 3, TX: 02/03/85).
This week I have mainly been listening to:
“Coronavirus Global Daily Update”, (BBC World Service)(18/07/20)(19/07/20)(20/07/20) (21/07/20)(22/07/20)(23/07/20)(24/07/20). “CNN, Coronavirus: Fact Vs Fiction”, (ep 102, 20/07/20)(ep 103, 21/07/20)(ep 104, 22/07/20)(ep 105, 23/07/20)(ep 106, 24/07/20). “In The Village”, (ep 6, 03/11/17). “Lazy Doctor Who”,(ep 130, 19/08/18)(ep 131, 04/09/18)(ep 132, 05/09/18)(ep 133, 09/09/18)(ep 134, 01/10/18)(ep 135, 08/10/18)(ep 136, 21/10/18)(ep 137, 01/11/18)(ep 138, 03/11/18)(ep 139, 04/11/18)(ep 140 & ep 141, 10/11/18)(ep 142, 11/11/18)(ep 143, 22/12/18)(ep 144, 26/12/18)(ep 145 & ep 146, 05/01/19)(ep 147, 06/01/19)(ep 148, 07/01/19)(ep 149, 16/01/19)(ep 150 & ep 151, 31/01/19). “NASA: Gravity Assist”, (17/07/20). “NASA: Houston We Have A Podcast”, (ep 153, 17/07/20)(ep 154, 24/07/20). “Nick Abbot (Whole Show)”, (18/07/20)(24/07/20). “Rob Beckett And Josh Widdecombe’s Lockdown Parenting Hell”, (S1, ep 24, 18/07/20)(ep 25, 21/07/20)(ep 26, 24/07/20). “Soundtracking With Edith Bowman”, (ep 203, 18/07/20)(ep 204, 24/07/20). “Sue Perkins: An Hour Or So With…”, (S2, ep 6 (ep 17), 15/07/20). “The Adam Buxton Podcast”, (ep 128, 19/07/20). “The Late Night Alternative With Iain Lee And Katherine Boyle”, (14/07/20)(23/07/20)(24/07/20). “The Nick Abbot Habit”, (24/05/19) (31/05/19) (07/06/19) (21/06/19) (28/06/19) (05/07/19) (20/07/20). “What’s The Problem? With Nick Abbot And Carol McGiffen”, (S1, ep 26, 13/07/20). “Morrissey”, “Right Said Fred”, “Razorlight”, “Coldplay”, “The Frank And Walters”, “Kajagoogoo”, “Haircut 100”, “ABC”, “Heaven 17”, “Sophie Ellis-Bextor”, “Radiohead”, “St Etienne”, “Travis”, “Arcade Fire”.
Misfits Mid-Life Crisis........ 