Ugh, the end of last week and the weekend were wiped out by norovirus.  No more details necessary.

I think there’s a long-running series that will emerge here called “I’m not retired but…” because although I’m still doing lots of interesting work, I also have started taking my Audit Commission pension which doesn’t even pay all the bills, but takes some of the pressure off.   Yesterday’s nice bonus was that I got to take a four-hour lunch with some old college pals. Much hugging and chortling in between the stories of “the things my agent put me up for, love!”

Before I started feeling queasy last week, I worked on a quick demo of “Let’s Have Another Cup of Coffee” (Irving Berlin). There’s a political statement in there somewhere… Apart from anything else, I do think it’s ridiculous that the song is still not out of copyright (in the US or the UK) despite being published in 1932.

The two historical references in the lyric are to John D. Rockefeller and Herbert Hoover. Hoover was president at the time of the Wall Street Crash and in 1932 trying and failing to create economic recovery, particularly by scapegoating and deporting Mexicans. Rockefeller was in the last few years of his life, but the equivalent at least in wealth terms of Musk today. He owned 1.5% of US GDP, a benchmark that stood until Musk surpassed at the end of last year. Still, a fun song to play around with.

And suddenly, we’re almost at another Living Culture Coffee Morning. Come and have a natter on Friday if you’re in London.  I think the talk, as everywhere else will end up being about the current situations and circumstances in which we find ourselves [gestures at… all… that…]