Welcome to the multimedia age
Entry posted by GhostOfClayton
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The arrival on UNRV of news of, (I lost count of how many), new books, highlighted a problem to me. I'm 46 (or am I 47 now? I can't remember) and it already seems like I have enough books backed up to last me the pitiful few decades I (hopefully) have left before my last ever ride in a big car.
To ease this problem, I�ve been experimenting with "multimedia sensory input", as follows:
Medium 1: Good Old 'Ink and Paper'
Having had to call a temporary hiatus to Adrian Goldworthy's "Ceasar" before I suffered from brain overload, I started to read "Richard Herring: How not to grow up". I fear that, with yours truly, he's teaching his Grandmother to suck eggs !
Medium 2: Virtual Ink on Virtual Paper
I am the proud owner of an iPod Touch, and I�ve been using the �iBooks� App to read yet more books. I used to be quite the sceptic about not being able to feel/smell the printed page, and leaf lovingly through an actual bound volume, but to be honest you quickly get used to reading from a small screen. And to my joy, many of the usual sources (e.g. Tactitus, Plutarch et al) are available, and free.
Would I move up to the next level and buy a Kindle? Sadly, I�m not yet rich enough, but if lady lottery smiled . . . then why not? And an iPad? It would have to be a pretty big win.
Medium 3: Audiobooks
Thanks once again to the iPod, Marcus Didius Falco is currently giving me an ear-bashing in my car. Having made the decision to embark on Falco�s adventures, I�m just about at the end of The Silver Pigs (to the uninitiated, this is the first book), and I can see why people rave about him.
. . . and the Audiobook medium allows me to segue almost seamlessly to . . .
Medium 4: Radio
The next 4 Sunday nights, like yesterday, should be a delight, thanks to BBC Radio 3's new series "Becoming Roman". The story of how the 'Britunculi' were or in most cases, were not, Romanised.
Medium 5: The Telly
Not much Roman related telly last week. Time Team were trying to find a villa in a field, and by the end, they thought they had. They�ve had better digs.
Medium 6: DVDs
I finished a second viewing of the complete "I, Claudius". If someone had made it all up, it would be dismissed by critics as being barely credible.
Next, I�m about to embark on the 6-DVD epic that is "Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire" (not to be confused with "Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire", which coincidentally dropped through the letterbox at 'OfClayton Towers' this weekend.) The winters are long, dark and cold around these parts.
Medium 7: Cinema
Only 90 more shopping days until "The Eagle of the Ninth" is released.
Medium 8: T'Internet
Having rid my PC of what it called 'Trojans', I was now able to pick up once more on a little Project-ette that the Trojans had put a spanner in the works of. Now, don�t judge me on this, but I am a Wikipedian. . . I did ask you NOT to judge me! Anyway, I had been systematically been creating separate Wikis for each of the 81 Milecastles along Hadrian's Wall. I can now start them again . . . hooray! 
Medium 9: Telly Streamed Via T'Internet
I was de-light-ed to discover that "Chelmsford 123" (both series) are available on 4OD (Channel 4's free On Demand service). It's been about 25 years since I saw it (it was never repeated). I remember missing one episode because, back when I was a young heart-breaking lothario, I broke up with a girlfriend. She rang me up during Chelmsford 123 in order to berate me, and cry. It took her the full half hour to do this!
Medium 10: Cartography � Simulating the World
Visitors continue to be mightily impressed with the new addition to my wall, viz, the UNRV Roman Empire map. I�ve lost hours of my life looking at it, and it�s barely been up a fortnight.
Medium 11: Simulating Real Life Using Real Life
Living, as I do, just off Ermine Street, I sent an e-mail to the Ermine Street Guard (a reenactment group) the other day. I was hoping to gain associate membership (I like the idea of wearing the Roman armour and playing with swords, but can�t justify the expense to Mrs OfClayton), in order to get the newsletter and see where they�re performing.
They didn't get back to me. Have they got so much money and so many members that they can ignore new requests? Wow! There must be a heck of a LOT of men out there going through mid-life crises!
Medium 12: Actual Real Life.
The company I lead tours for have started to hand out assignments for next year. Having been told in no uncertain terms by Mrs OfClayton, that I am having Christmas and New Year off this year (the first time in I can�t remember how long), my season doesn�t start until April. It kicks off with one of my favourites - a lovely tour entitled "Avignon & Roman Provence". Anyone fancy a holiday?
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