Post, collect, paint or read while taking social distances

Social distance threatens to change our world as drastically as social media. Who knows how long the coronavirus will keep us from coming together for movies, live music, drinking, dancing, dining, or doing daily routines? We have to have fun. We need unity. We must socialize, not from a distance.

But for now, we have to keep our distance, insist health experts and government officials. So we have to find Alternative Entertainment, and that’s what called our new feature that will run in the Style sections Tuesday and Thursday (and Arkansasonline.com) for the rest of our isolation.

BLUES GONNA GET YOURSELF

Bobby Rush, 83-year-old bluesman born in Homer, Louisiana, and raised in Pine Bluff from 1947 to 1953, when his family moved to Chicago, has announced that he will be broadcasting a concert live from his Jackson home, Miss ., On Facebook live Tuesday at 2 p.m. It’s free. To connect, go to his Facebook page, facebook.com/bobbyrushbluesman.

Rush is a member of the Blues Hall of Fame, won the Grammy for best traditional blues album in 2017 for Porcupine meat, and marked his first gold record in 1971 with the song Chicken Heads.

VIRTUAL HUNT

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Editor-in-chief Kelly Brant shared a game that some of her friends played together, but separately, on Facebook. Remember treasure hunts from ancient times? You come up with a list of weird stuff and teams go out looking for them. Whoever collects all the objects and brings them back to the starting point wins first.

Well, it turns out that you can do it online without leaving your neighborhood. Instead of collecting items from the list, Brant reports, we take a picture and mail it to the group. The following is a suggested list to start with, but you can certainly create your own.

Virtual treasure hunt

1. Place where two districts / cities / counties / states meet
2. Bike or pedestrian path / public park sign
3. A bus stop with shelter / bench
4. Public work
5. A stone that looks like a heart
6. Sunrise
7. Quartz crystal
8. A bridge
9. A swing
10. Animal tracks
11. Two different remains of a foundation
12. A historic monument
13. Sasquatch
14. A haunted house
15. A waterfall
16. Directional sign
17. Someone doing a yoga pose
18. A fungus
19. An old rusty car
20. A gazebo or a place with a beautiful view
21. Someone puts trash in a trash can
22. A purple flower
23. An out-of-state license plate
24. Animal waste
25. A crazy tree, rock, plant or animal that deserves a photo.
26. A squirrel, rabbit or other wild animal
27. A wrought iron gate
28. A tombstone
29. A cat
30. A bird’s nest

Enjoy!

PUT THE CHILD AT WORK

It turns out that 20 year olds, and those younger and even slightly older, are just as good as Best Buys Geek Squad at solving all computer problems, even if the young man of 20 years has NEVER used of Mac in his life. But he also made fun of what he calls my old equipment. Instead of Hey Siri, I just have to say Hey, Cal. He’s not responding as quickly as Siri and he’s rather grumpy, but he gets the job done, reports editor and feature star Rachel ONeal.

PICK ONE UP

Another suggestion from a colleague is to get hold of as many books as possible. Good, real and hardbound old books. You probably have at least a few in the house. Blow the dust and open them. Each should be good enough for a few hours of attention. If you absolutely can’t stand the idea of ​​dealing with a physical book, e-books are available, many for free or at an affordable price, in public libraries (the New York Public Library provides 300,000 titles tinyurl.com/suhnajv), university sites and online suppliers.

The Central Arkansas Library System boasts its digital library, with hundreds of books available to consult. CALS even offers audiobooks online, without waiting or waiting. Just follow this link to find one: https://centralarkansas.rbdigital.com.

MAKE A KIDCAST

The invitation from the podcast production company Pineapple (pineapple.fm) reads like this:

Hello children! Help us create a whole new podcast! Just like you, we are stuck at home and we need help. We need your podcasts! We want to do a podcast with kids from around the world who are stuck at home, to hear what it is like where you are what you do to fill the time. Making a podcast is really easy, anyone can do it. You can do it on your phone or on your parents ‘/ guardians’ phone, or on your laptop, or their professional music studio (if your mom is Beyonc, tell her we love her). Heres what to do

1. Ask your parent / guardian for permission.
2. Find an idea and record it using a voice recording app on your smartphone.
3. Name your podcast and tell us where you come from.
4. Send us your podcast; send it to [email protected].

Just follow this link for more instructions: http://pineapple.fm/stuck-at-home

FEEL LOVE

A British online operation called Kegel8 seeks to help spread love and inject passion into our lives during this difficult time by revealing the most popular songs in the world during sex, according to Spotify data. According to their study, [Canadian singer/songwriter] The Weeknd is the world’s most listened artist on Spotify during sex and Neighbors Know My Name by [American singer, songwriter and rapper] Trey Songz is the essential track. (If you’re not familiar with this artist or song, you’re probably too old for that to make a difference.) The methodology involved following different sex-themed playlists on Spotify, using the search terms Sex , Netflix and Chill, Date Night, Make love and make baby. The Weeknd was apparently made famous for providing the lead single on the Fifty Shades of Gray soundtrack, which the Kegel8 press release downplays as a film known for its erotic scenes.

STAINED GLASS FENCE

Spend some time using tape to paint a design on a wooden fence or shed wall. One who suggested on Facebook that a teacher from El Dorado pointed out that it was a large stained glass window.

Then use your best Tom Sawyer charm to get the kids involved. Give them colored paint or chalk to color in the glued shapes. If you use chalk, you can eliminate the evidence. The painting, of course, would be more permanent. So you’d better hope it looks attractive if you let the kids use paint.

LET YOUR HAIR DOWN

From the style editor and columnist Helaine Williams comes this suggestion. Create a disconnected selfie group page on Facebook. Encourage your friends to join a group in which, instead of posting glamorous photos with flawless hair, makeup, clothes and duck lips, Facebook is asking members to take selfies at home what they look like really, sitting in front of these computers. What is there under this makeup? What does the hair on the bed look like? How do these lips not look seductively pouty? Show these pajamas! The most interesting selfie gets the It Just Got Real trophy with the price of a bunch of toilet paper.

TALK TO ANIMALS

Little Rock Zoo tells Arkansans to attend the zoo’s spring break over the Internet. Every day until March 29, head to the Facebook page of zoos for an exciting tour of animals from around the world, as we showcase a different animal every day.

Zoo keepers at Little Rock will provide an overview of the wild residents in their care. Learn more here: littlerockzoo.com/events/around-the-world-safari-virtual-spring-break-2020/

Do you have alternative entertainment ideas? Send them to [email protected].