Firstly, I'd like to explain that last night took on a surreal tone. After writing about My Death, somehow a sort of tiredness took over, and I managed to wake up at about 2 o'clock in the morning needing to go to bed - just like everyone else managed to at about 11 o'clock. Also, there were seven pairs of boy's shoes in the hall - third born went to a party - but did they all wander in to see dad asleep?
However, I did actually spend an hour or so trying to change the battery in my Oral B "Pulsar" toothbrush. Whilst this venture was fuelled by several glasses of the Isle of Jura's finest export, I was totally sure that it was "really easy" to change the run-down battery. After all, there was a battery in the easily accessible battery compartment.
Now, after un-screwing said apparatus, I found a Duracell battery, which needed a little help in being taken out of its compartment. With the help of a Leatherman tool and a screwdriver, I soon manhandled this out. The little connective thingy was soon bent back to accommodate the easier removal of said artifact, and all would be all right again with the world once I'd actually found an AAA battery. Which I did.
Most of the rest of the hour or so spent on this little job was actually spent trying to bend the little bugger back into shape to make sure that the connection and the battery actually, well - connected. This didn't happen. At all. Eventually, after the little silver connection broke off (possibly due to being bent into the "right shape" by yours truly) I gave up and decided that Oral B can't make modern tools very well.
This morning I had to get up really early (the 2 o'clock bedtime and copious quantities of Jura's finest didn't exactly help) to take Harvey to the garage* but eventually I managed to wander in to town to buy a new toothbrush.
When I got home and ripped off the packaging, I glanced over the small print on the back of the pack. The phrase "contains a non-replaceable Duracell battery" seemed to stand out.
I may have mentioned (I did) Rob Young's rather fine essay in last month's Sight and Sound and today I received his new book Electric Eden. It was obviously an edited chapter from the book. Brilliant. He's a great modern journalist that understands totally where I come from and, unfortunately, he's written the book I probably was going to. So, at least he's saved me a huge amount of time. Now, I have to go and read the 400-odd page tome.
Anyone vaguely interested in folk music (particularly the electric route taken by RT and co) will want to read this.
Be warned, it is a HUGE book. Although the back cover says £17.99, I only paid about £9.99 on Amazon. More on it later. I'm off to read some more of it.
*All's well - fuse blown; world saved.
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