Today is, I'm presuming in the US, but maybe elsewhere too, "National Repeat Day".
I'll let them explain...
Ever had an experience that was so amazing, it’s worth doing twice? Or said something so brilliant that it simply bears repeating? Well, that’s exactly what this day is all about.
What?!?
National Repeat Day invites people to lean into the oddly satisfying side of doing something again on purpose. It can be as simple as replaying a favourite song or as ambitious as recreating an entire “best day ever” itinerary.
Was this written by AI? What exactly is "oddly satisfying" about doing something you like again? Why do I need a special day to play my favourite song again?
Imagine you’re standing in line in a coffee shop, waiting to
be served. It’s a long line and all the people in front of you are ordering
those silly drinks that involve whipped cream, caramel syrup and heart
attacks. What might you do to entertain yourself?
Now imagine you’re sitting at a bus stop and the bus is
late. These days, lots of city centre bus stops have those little clocks fitted
which tell you how long you have to wait till the next bus arrives. Only
instead of counting down, that number just seems to be stuck… or even getting
bigger. How might you pass the time?
Finally, imagine you’ve arranged to meet friends in the pub,
at the cinema, or somewhere in the centre of town. Only they’re running late
and you’ve got nothing to do but wait. Or… is there something else you could be
doing?
If your answer to any of those questions involves checking
your phone, then you’re suffering one of the major symptoms of the modern
malaise. And hey, maybe you’re not going on Tiktok or Snapchat or the book of
faces… maybe you’re doing some online banking, trying to crack today’s Wordle
or reading a fascinating blog post about how many different bands there are
called The Jerks (quite a few, in case you’re wondering: I’m sure I’ll get to
them in due course). Whatever it is, I can pretty much guarantee you’re not
doing what you would have done in this same situation 30 or 40 years ago.
You’re not allowing yourself to be bored.
And your brain is suffering because of that.
We’ve talked a fair bit about the mental health dangers of
internet and social media addiction during this series.
Part of the problem is ease of access. When the internet arrived on the scene about
30 years ago, you had to sit down at a computer, dial it up (which could take
up to 5 minutes in my house) and then crawl around a clunky, always crashing
cyberspace with limited options and plenty of built-in frustration.
Remember
watching slowly while every image on the page downloaded like one of those
novelty pens you turn upside down to watch the lady slowly lose her clothing?
(I don’t know why that particular simile popped into my mind. It’s not as
though anybody ever used the internet to look at naked pictures.)
That’s all changed. Today, we carry the internet with us
wherever we go, so every possible distraction is available instantly, any time
we want it. Queueing up in a coffee shop, waiting for the bus, killing time in response to ever-delayed friends… we need never be bored again! You see it everywhere you look.
Whenever people are alone with nothing to do, out comes their phone. They don’t
even have to be standing or sitting still. They’re even using it as a
distraction from the interminable emptiness of walking down the street (watch
out for that lamp post!).
“It’s good to be bored sometimes, to have that dead time. That’s when ideas come. If we’re on our phone checking Facebook, we lose some precious time that previously we used for daydreaming: gazing out of the window and having ideas blossom.”
Once you start reading up on this, you'll find hundreds of articles dedicated to the benefits of boredom. Scientists, business leaders and new age hippies all agree - being bored is good for your brain. We all know we get eyestrain if we stare at screens too long. Turns out we also get brain strain.
Scientist Catherine Price, author of How to Break Up With Your Phone runs digital detox sessions for chronic screen addicts to help them repair their brains. Tech writer Kevin Roose of the New York Times consulted her when he became aware of his own addiction...
My symptoms were all the typical ones: I found myself incapable of reading books, watching full-length movies or having long uninterrupted conversations. Social media made me angry and anxious, and even the digital spaces I once found soothing (group texts, podcasts, YouTube rabbit holes) weren’t helping.
In his article, Roose explains how he went about a full digital detox...
If I was going to repair my brain, I needed to practice doing nothing. So during my morning walk to the office, I looked up at the buildings around me, spotting architectural details I’d never noticed before. On the subway, I kept my phone in my pocket and people-watched — noticing the nattily dressed man in the yellow hat, the teens eating hot tacos and laughing, the kid with Velcro shoes. When a friend ran late for our lunch, I sat still and stared out the window instead of checking Twitter.
Since starting my new job, I finally find myself in a privileged position of being able to do nothing at certain times of the day. I mostly teach students 1:1 or in small groups, and in English that will often involve setting a lengthy task (creative writing is best) and then letting students get on with it. In my old job, I would have used that time to circulate the room, answer questions, help people who were stuck... and if time permitted, maybe catch up on a bit of marking or paperwork. In my current job, I get to stare out the window. How wonderful is that? I realise, I'm very fortunate. Most teachers would kill for the same opportunity. I wish I could give them all the gift of boredom... the profession would be in a much healthier state if it was full of bored teachers rather than teachers on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
Although, to be honest, I'm not really sure boredom is what we're talking about here. If you asked me if I was ever bored, my first response would probably be: never. I always have a million and one things I want to do... or think about. The only time I do feel bored is when I'm stuck doing something I don't want to... like a lengthy meeting or an interminable online training session about something I already know. When I talk about giving the gift of boredom, that's not what I want to offer. What I really want is to give you all the chance to get busy... doing nothing.
Allowing our minds to wander can be hugely beneficial to our wellbeing, our imagination and our creativity. Surely this is great news for everyone - doing nothing is good for us!
Sometimes I have an obvious idea for the Celebrity Jukebox and think, "this'll be a quick one, there won't be that many other songs". And then I learn my lesson.
Arthur Lee was born in Memphis in 1945. He first recorded with The LAGS when he was 18. He wrote the almost-hit My Diary for Rosa Lee Brooks, featuring a young Jimi Hendrix on guitar. Then he formed The American Four and wrote for Ronnie and the Pomona Casuals, a band who liked to make records about the dance craze known as The Jerk. And then he fell in Love, and everything changed... forever.
Here are some songs that mention Arthur, starting with Robyn Hitchcock...
The wreck of the Arthur Lee Will never return again The captain and all his men Went up and jumped overboard "Jesus is Lord" they cried Believe in love! Believe in Love And I'll believe in you
In 1996, Arthur Lee was sent to prison "for a crime he did not commit". He spent five and a half years before someone else confessed to the crime, the original prosecutor was found guilty of misconduct, and the charges against him were reversed on appeal. While he was inside, two of his former bandmates died, so a proposed Love reunion was never to be.
Arthur lying down dreaming a dream Woke up to realise life wasn't as it seems Four walls a bed and a wonderful view But he's feeling lonely without the rest of his crew The prison's going down
Walter Schreifels was the frontman of a bunch of New York bands starting in the mid-80s, including Rival Schools, Quicksand and Walking Concert. And here he is on his own...
"Tactics were one of the most celebrated acts on Australia's new wave scene," says their bandcamp page. But that also tells me they're from France, so what do I know?
And those were just the ones I could find links to. Plenty more where they came from... but let's pause to consider a few more well known names. Like Shack. Did you know that in the 90s, Shack were Arthur Lee's backing band? Well, you do now.
How can you shine so bright and still you shine for me? Travelling through the night a million miles with me Listening to Wild Mountain Thyme, The Byrds and Arthur Lee
David Bowie was Hunky Dory Aladdin quite insane Give the sound of Arthur Lee with Forever Changes, I'll remember And more again, don't leave me ever Buddy Holly said, "Baby, please be mine" All the time.
Beware of the man who only shows you the best bits Beware of the band who type out their set lists Sometimes instead of Arthur Lee I’d much prefer some Arthur Lowe And with you by my side I would aspire to ascend Such heights where we’d find Tears and laughter cease to matter And we’d be pleasantly surprised By our annual water bill
All of which brings us to the inevitable. Unarguably the greatest tune ever to name-drop the Love frontman, it's also a highlight of one of the greatest albums of the 80s...
Looking like a born again, living like a heretic Listening to Arthur Lee records, making all your friends feel so guilty About their cynicism and the rest of their generation Not even the government are gonna stop you now But are you ready to be heartbroken ? Are you ready to be heartbroken ?
In my increasingly irrelevant quest to find lyrical references to obscure ephemera, here's a new series in which I dig out songs that mention old TV shows. I realise I'm about to reach Peak Series, or Theme Overload, but it's got to be preferable to any more posts with me whinging like Marvin The Paranoid Android. Hasn't it?
"Dispatch. We have a 9-11. Armed robbery in progress. See Surplus Store, corner People's Drive, 121st Street."
Mike Post's theme tune to Hill Street Blues deserves a post all on its own. Post originally wanted to write something gritty and action-packed, but ultimately decided to go in the opposite direction and compose a "beautiful and serene" theme that took you away from the brutality of life on the Hill. It's one of the most effective and memorable TV themes ever recorded; a Top Ten hit in the US, Top 30 in the UK.
From "beautiful and serene"... to a right old racket.
We're gonna have a TV party tonight All right! We're gonna have a TV party, all right Tonight! We've got nothing better to do Than watch TV and have a couple of brews Don't talk about anything else We don't want to know We're dedicated to our favorite shows That's incredible! Hill Street Blues! Dallas! Fridays!
Next up, here's something that screams EIGHTIES at the top of its lungs. A Jive Bunny-esque Megamix of a bunch of old 10cc songs by Kevin and Lol with added 80s-style rap, because... that's what the kids will love.
I blame the advent of the 12" single for much of this tosh...
I went to a party at the county jail All the con's were dancing, they began to wail They were in the street, dancing in the street But that was indiscreet (what'cha gonna do about it?) The band was playing, there was plenty of booze So they called Furillo at Hill Street Blues There's a riot going on (What'cha gonna do about it? What'cha gonna do about it?) Furillo and his men made it to the jail You should have heard those sirens wail
To clean your palate after that, here's some hard-rockin' Americana... direct from Portugal. Not to be confused with the former Scottish football player who used to play for Wolverhampton Wanderers.
I don't wanna smell your dirty shoes Raise me up and sit me on the window Please take me to the Hill Street Blues Mama sold me as a wind-up toy
Finally, some Swedish rock from a band I was very into back in the late 90s... so that's, what, 25 years ago now? Sigh. Still, I started watching Hill Street Blues 40 years ago...
5. A boy and his Great Pyrenees won't put down these bestsellers.
"Belle et Sébastien is a novel by Cécile Aubry about a six-year-old boy named Sébastien and his dog Belle, a Great Pyrenees, who live in a village in the French Alps close to the Italian border."
