David M. Brown's Blog
July 13, 2016
Guest Post: 5 Great TV Series to Binge Watch this Summer
We’re joined today by Caroline, who is a blogger for Culture Coverage and a self-confessed Netflix addict! Here are Caroline’s picks for 5 great TV series to enjoy this summer…
5 Great TV Series to Binge Watch this Summer
Let’s face it: binge-watching is a massive part of modern culture that we’re all guilty of. Instant access platforms, such as Netflix, mean that it’s easier than ever to curl up on your sofa and indulge in a TV marathon.
These five shows are some of the best available at the moment. Their intricate plots, creative cinematography and loveable characters means you can easily while away the hours engrossed in their stories.
Orphan Black
When a con artist witnesses the suicide of a police officer, her life takes a turn that she could have never expected. After adopting the dead woman’s identity, Sarah discovers she’s part of a group of clones. The girls group together and, using their variety of skill sets, begin to infiltrate the terrifying and dangerous world of underworld genetics modification and gene therapy, which created them.
This gritty and honest drama explores the future of scientific discover, and the ethical repercussions of human modifications. Its story sees twists and turns at every corner and is so well paced that it will keep you on the edge of your seat for hours.
Peaky Blinders
Set in the largely unknown world of 1920s Birmingham, this fantastic BBC production is as fascinating as it is beautiful. Simon Dennis uses the smoke, fire and dirt of industrial England to create a truly magical visual experience. The story follows the Shelby family, a well-known crime syndicate and illegal bookmakers, as they struggle to deal with the police, the political climate and, worst of all, the trauma after fighting in the First World War.
Giving a truly fantastic insight into this turbulent period of time, the series addresses problems such as Communism, the IRA, the introduction of cocaine and even posttraumatic stress disorder. Almost as if this were Britain’s answer to the American Western, the wild and ruckus nature of this exciting drama has been gripping audiences since its release in 2013. With the third series just out, now is a great time to get stuck in!
Pretty Little Liars
So much can happen in one small town – especially in Rosewood. If you like crime and detective shows then this is the one for you. Masquerading as a teen-girl drama, this loose adaption of book by Sara Shepard is a brilliant who-done-it series. When a young girl goes missing her friends presume her dead. However three years later her body is discovered, just as the girls simultaneously begin to receive texts from a number claiming to be her, and things get more complicated.
With seven seasons available on Netflix, there’s plenty of suspense, scheming, pondering and puzzle solving to be had from this show, so it’s definitely one to add to the list. And, with the final season underway, you might even be able to get to the end just in time for the finale.
Narcos
With only one series under its belt so far, this show is still in its infancy. However, the first season packs a big enough punch that it most definitely deserves a spot on this list. Loosely following the life of notorious Colombian drug lord, Pablo Escobar, this television masterpiece is an essential watch for those who love a bit of learning with their TV.
With sensual music, cinematography and storyline doused in Latin American passion, this retelling is a dynamic and exciting way to get a history lesson. Narrated by famed D.E.A officer, Steve Murphy, who was a real-life player in the Escobar case, you get to see the war from both perspectives – Pablo’s own camp and the American law enforcement team – making it a comprehensive and, equally, entertaining series to get stuck into!
Game of Thrones
If you aren’t aware of Game of Thrones then I’m not sure what planet you’ve been living on. However, it was too mighty a contender not to include on this list. George R. R. Martin has created a fantasy universe that rivals the likes of Tolkien or Pratchett. In a world where several houses battle to take power of the thrown, the wild northern terrain poses a constant threat, whispers of political unrest float in from overseas and a great, far more dangerous worry looms over all, the drama is intense, the fighting is often and the shock factor is spot on.
This series truly is a classic, and deserves the incredible amount of hype and recognition it has been receiving worldwide. Whilst it’s not on Netflix, you can buy or rent the series on Amazon Prime or check out HBO Now for some of the newest releases.
Has your favorite not made the list? Be sure to leave a comment below if there’s any other shows you think deserve to be added.
Caroline blogs about entertainment at Culture Coverage and is a Netflix addict! During the day she writes about technology for Secure Thoughts and after a hard day being techy, she loves nothing more that settling down for a TV and movie marathon.
The post Guest Post: 5 Great TV Series to Binge Watch this Summer appeared first on B-Lines and Felines.
May 7, 2016
Six Cats and a Black Dog: Banana Keyboards and Other Unsettling Thoughts/Dreams
Last year I made a Blog For Mental Health pledge. Sadly, there is no pledge in 2016 and the Blog for Mental Health site is no longer being curated, though it is currently still accessible. However, this was a wonderful project (and it ran for several years) and I’m truly glad it got me blogging about this subject, albeit less regularly than I’d like!
Banana Keyboards and Other Unsettling Thoughts/Dreams
I have never been a particularly good sleeper. I have long since been a particularly good dreamer. Or bad depending on your perspective. I have woken up terrified or in tears or angry or frustrated. Ridiculously happy or buoyed up too, so it’s far from all bad. I thought (hoped?) that the vivid dreams would eventually pass but they haven’t. I’m left wondering if this is such a bad thing. Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise and I need to find a way to make better use of this nocturnal adventuring.
I once had a dream that I was typing my letter of notice on a keyboard but the keyboard was actually a banana. It was rested in my palm and every time it smushed up too much I would rearrange it and then continue. At the time I was having a difficult and frustrating period at work so I understood the notice letter. The banana? Not so much. (Please don’t mention Freud. Please.)
Other very strange dreams I have had include visiting an iceberg with my grandmother where she shook hands with some penguins. This was long after my grandmother had died and I had no idea how we got there or why we were there. But, hey, penguins…
Dave once woke me and got a real telling off. I can’t even remember what I said but something about how I was trying to work out the economics of something for school children and didn’t he understand how important it was. I only know this from what he has told me. It is one of many conversations I have had with him and have no recollection of.
Sometimes, however, I have very vivid and real dreams that don’t include bananas or penguins or economic lectures and for reasons I can’t explain, these unnerve me much more. You know that feeling when you’re sure something really key has happened and you just can’t put your finger on it? They leave me feeling like that. A hollow feeling in the pit of my stomach as the thought ‘What am I missing?’ lingers.
Often I have dreams that I am more than happy to let go. Fear or anxiety dog me over breakfast and I am relieved to shake those off. Some dreams I want to hold on to and maybe those are the most unsettling. I have a life full of possibility and interesting times. I don’t need to hold on to something my imagination has conjured up. Or maybe I do. Maybe that’s how we push ourselves ever further forward. The problem with never really feeling like you can fully trust your brain even in your waking hours means you are far less likely to pay attention to some strange witching hour ideas you might very well have pulled from thin air.
When is a dream not a dream? Maybe when it’s a hope that we’re not brave enough to recognise in our fully conscious times. Maybe a better question is how do we know when to trust a dreaming thought any more than we trust a waking thought? How do I really know I have never had a great idea in a dream that just returned to me more coherently during my hours awake? The more I think about it, the more I want to explore these ideas (perhaps that’s my summer project calling).
Or maybe I just need some more sleep. With no bananas or penguins, thank you very much!
The post Six Cats and a Black Dog: Banana Keyboards and Other Unsettling Thoughts/Dreams appeared first on B-Lines and Felines.
April 25, 2016
10 Fascinating Podcasts: Part Two
As a very big fan of audiobooks, I was probably always likely to love podcasts too. When I tried them I found that I really did and have become pretty hooked. I find them easy to dip into and because I subscribe to quite a few I can often find a 5 minute listen for when I’m making a cup of tea or a 60 minute listen for when I want a nice long soak or walk. Here’s a round up of some of my favourites (in no particular order), although I listen to many others and hope my list will keep expanding!
10 Fascinating Podcasts: Part Two (6-10)
Futility Closet
A celebration of the quirky and the curious, the thought-provoking and the simply amusing. Each episode explores unusual historical events and other curiosities and features a lateral thinking puzzle that you can try to solve along with us.
Try this episode:
Find out more… iTunes Stitcher Patreon
Philosophy Bites
A celebration of the quirky and the curious, the thought-provoking and the simply amusing. Each episode explores unusual historical events and other curiosities and features a lateral thinking puzzle that you can try to solve along with us.
Try this episode:
Philosophy Bites: Thomas Pink on Free Will
Find out more… iTunes Patreon
Cult of Pedagogy
Teaching strategies, classroom management, education reform, educational technology — if it has something to do with teaching, we’re talking about it. On the podcast, I interview educators, students, administrators and parents about the psychological and social dynamics of school, trade secrets, and other juicy things you’ll never learn in a textbook. Other episodes feature me on my own, offering advice on ways to make your teaching more effective and more fun.
Try this episode:
Find out more… iTunes Stitcher
You Are Not So Smart
You Are Not So Smart is a celebration of self delusion that explores topics related to cognitive biases, heuristics, and logical fallacies. David McRaney interviews scientists about their research into how the mind works, and then he eats a cookie.
Try this episode:
Find out more… iTunes Stitcher Patreon
Stuff You Should Know
A celebration of the quirky and the curious, the thought-provoking and the simply amusing. Each episode explores unusual historical events and other curiosities and features a lateral thinking puzzle that you can try to solve along with us.
Try this episode:
Find out more… iTunes Stitcher
Go to top
10 Fascinating Podcasts: Full List
Cult of Pedagogy
Discovery
Futility Close
In Our Time
Philosophy Bites
Point of Inquiry
Psychology in Everyday Life: The Psych Files
Radiolab
Stuff You Should Know
You Are Not So Smart
This is not a complete list of much loved podcasts as I keep adding to my library all the time. This is a pretty good selection though – or at least I think so and hope you do too!
Do you listen to podcasts or do you have your own podcast? I’m always keen to hear recommendations!
The post 10 Fascinating Podcasts: Part Two appeared first on B-Lines and Felines.
April 8, 2016
10 Fascinating Podcasts: Part One
As a very big fan of audiobooks, I was probably always likely to love podcasts too. When I tried them I found that I really did and have become pretty hooked. I find them easy to dip into and because I subscribe to quite a few I can often find a 5 minute listen for when I’m making a cup of tea or a 60 minute listen for when I want a nice long soak or walk. Here’s a round up of some of my favourites (in no particular order), although I listen to many others and hope my list will keep expanding!
10 Fascinating Podcasts: Part One (1-5)
Psychology in Everyday Life: The Psych Files
The Psych Files is a podcast for anyone interested in the topic of psychology and how ideas in this field apply to everyday life. Dr. Michael Britt brings you an upbeat, fun podcast of interest to everyone from psychology majors to those just interested in why people do what they do.
Try this episode:
Find out more… iTunes Stitcher Patreon
Discovery
Explorations in the world of science. A podcast from the BBC World Service.
Try this episode:
Discovery: 1000 Days: A Legacy of Life
Find out more… iTunes Stitcher
Point of Inquiry
Point of Inquiry is the Center for Inquiry’s flagship podcast, where the brightest minds of our time sound off on all the things you’re not supposed to talk about at the dinner table: science, religion, and politics. Guests have included Brian Greene, Susan Jacoby, Richard Dawkins, Ann Druyan, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Eugenie Scott, Adam Savage, Bill Nye, and Francis Collins. Point of Inquiry is produced at the Center for Inquiry in Amherst, N.Y.
Try this episode:
Find out more… iTunes Stitcher
In Our Time
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the history of ideas.
Try this episode:
In Our Time: Bedlam
Find out more… iTunes Stitcher
Radiolab
A two-time Peabody Award-winner, Radiolab is an investigation told through sounds and stories, and centered around one big idea. In the Radiolab world, information sounds like music and science and culture collide. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, the show is designed for listeners who demand skepticism, but appreciate wonder. WNYC Studios is the producer of other leading podcasts including Freakonomics Radio, Death, Sex & Money, On the Media and many more.
Try this episode:
Find out more… iTunes Stitcher
Go to top
Part two coming soon…
Do you listen to podcasts or do you have your own podcast? I’m always keen to hear recommendations!
The post 10 Fascinating Podcasts: Part One appeared first on B-Lines and Felines.
April 5, 2016
#EdNCUCB: Books and papers discussed and recommended
The most recent #EdNCUCB chat, hosted by @JanePothecary, gave us a chance to swap information about some recent reads. Here’s a list of the books and papers brought up during the chat.
From Exam Factories to Communities of Discovery
I loved Coffield Exam Factories… Great suggestions that are ignored by government! #edncucb
— Helen Kerr (@HelenKerr3) April 4, 2016
From Exam Factories to Communities of Discovery passionately calls for educators to challenge the dominant market-led model of education and instead build a more democratic one, better able to face threats such as environmental damage; intensified global competition; corrosive social inequalities in and between nations in the world; and the need for a new, just and sustainable economic model. The book documents how education policy has led to schools and universities becoming exam factories and further education colleges becoming skills factories.
The authors analyse neo-conservative agendas and conclude that solutions pursued in this way will only strengthen social inequalities and corrode the security and professionalism of educators. They then set out an educational balance sheet that captures the strengths and weaknesses of the present ‘system’ of education, drawn from England and from education debates across the developed world. They use this evidence to propose an alternative future for education, which builds ‘communities of discovery’ by realising the collective creativity of students and educators through democracy. They explain how this alternative is better suited to current times and refer to organisations that have embraced this approach to solve problems such as how to re-engage disaffected youth. The authors conclude by asking ‘Can we do it?’ and warn us of what we may face if we don’t act. This book is written as a ‘call to action’ for all educators working in a wide variety of settings – in schools, colleges and universities, in work-based learning and within communities – and for those interested in education policy.
Find out more…
Presence
Lots of things but a few have really stuck with me. 1) Book: Presence by Amy Cuddy. Impressed – love her passion and enthusiasm #EdNCUCB
— Donna Brown (@_mrs_b) April 4, 2016
Have you ever left a nerve-racking challenge and immediately wished for a do over? Maybe after a job interview, a performance, or a difficult conversation? The very moments that require us to be genuine and commanding can instead cause us to feel phony and powerless. Too often we approach our lives’ biggest hurdles with dread, execute them with anxiety, and leave them with regret.
By accessing our personal power, we can achieve “presence,” the state in which we stop worrying about the impression we’re making on others and instead adjust the impression we’ve been making on ourselves. As Harvard professor Amy Cuddy’s revolutionary book reveals, we don’t need to embark on a grand spiritual quest or complete an inner transformation to harness the power of presence. Instead, we need to nudge ourselves, moment by moment, by tweaking our body language, behavior, and mind-set in our day-to-day lives.
Amy Cuddy has galvanized tens of millions of viewers around the world with her TED talk about “power poses.” Now she presents the enthralling science underlying these and many other fascinating body-mind effects, and teaches us how to use simple techniques to liberate ourselves from fear in high-pressure moments, perform at our best, and connect with and empower others to do the same.
Brilliantly researched, impassioned, and accessible, “Presence” is filled with stories of individuals who learned how to flourish during the stressful moments that once terrified them. Every reader will learn how to approach their biggest challenges with confidence instead of dread, and to leave them with satisfaction instead of regret.
Find out more…
Teaching Today
@JanePothecary I have found Geoff Petty's Teaching Today v.informative in terms of practical application of learning theories #EdNCUCB
— Lori-Kate Dickinson (@Lori_Kate) April 4, 2016
This book is a very readable how to teach book with hardly any jargon. It starts from scratch and is appropriate for anyone teaching students in Primary or Secondary schools, Colleges, in work environments and elsewhere. It has been one of the best selling books on teaching for 20 years. Very few books tell you how to teach. Most books on teaching give background knowledge, and if you are lucky will tell you what to do but not how to do it – for example ‘when using questioning, ensure all your students are engaged‘.
But how do you ensure all students are engaged? Especially that one in the back row? Questioning is done badly in most classrooms because most teachers don’t know the best methods. Teaching Today has more than 20 pages on this topic alone. Questioning methods are amongst the most powerful teaching methods we have, and students love class discussion, but questioning is done badly in most classrooms. Other methods are not used well either.
Resolutely practical this book has 24 chapters on practical advice on different teaching methods, giving the detail of how to set active tasks, explain, demonstrate, check and correct learning, and much more. The book is informed by reviews of research on teaching methods. Geoff is also the author of ‘Evidence Based Teaching’ which is a follow on book to Teaching Today for those with some teaching experience already.
Find out more…
Where Have All the Intellectuals Gone?
'Where have all the intellectuals gone?' by Frank Furedi, like the premise but as I read on it's adding little to the start #EdNCUCB
— Lou Mycroft (@LouMycroft) April 4, 2016
The Intellectual is an endangered species. In place of such figures as Bertrand Russell, Raymond Williams or Hannah Arendt – people with genuine learning, breadth of vision and a concern for public issues – we now have only facile pundits, think-tank apologists, and spin doctors. In the age of the knowledge economy, we have somehow managed to combine the widest ever participation in higher education with the most dumbed-down of cultures. In this urgent and passionate book, Frank Furedi explains the essential contribution of intellectuals both to culture and to democracy – and why we need to recreate a public sphere in which intellectuals and the general public can talk to each other again.
The first edition of this book met with urgent and volatile views – both in support and opposition to Furedi’s argument. Here, for the first time, he offers a candid and hard-hitting response to his critics.
Find out more…
Am I a Teacher? Exploring the Development of Professional Identity
2) Article: Am I a Teacher? Exploring the Development of
Professional Identity by Janet Alsup (recommended by @KaySocLearn) #EdNCUCB
— Donna Brown (@_mrs_b) April 4, 2016
Read this paper…
Evaluating the reflexive practices in a learning experience
Then on Sat I read Bruno, Galuppo, Gilardi – Reflexive Practice for the BA and it's rocked my world a little #EdNCUCB
— Lou Mycroft (@LouMycroft) April 4, 2016
@JanePothecary Bruno et al: three types of language: cognitive, emotive, volitive (hopes and aspirations) #edncucb
— Lou Mycroft (@LouMycroft) April 4, 2016
Read this paper…
Teacher Toolkit: Helping You Survive Your First Five Years
3) I am currently reading Teacher Toolkit by Ross Morrison McGill @TeacherToolkit. Love the Vitruvian Teacher concept! #EdNCUCB
— Donna Brown (@_mrs_b) April 4, 2016
Ross Morrison McGill, aka @TeacherToolkit believes that becoming a teacher is one of the best decisions you will ever make, but after more than two decades in the classroom, he knows that it is not an easy journey!
Packed with countless anecdotes, from disastrous observations to marking in the broom cupboard, TE@CHER TOOLKIT is a compendium of teaching strategies and advice, which aims to motivate, comfort, amuse and above all reduce the workload of a new teacher. This beautiful high-spec paperback includes humorous illustrations, photocopiable templates, a new-look 5 minute plan, QR codes to useful videos and flaps with a detachable bookmark.
As anyone who has followed him on Twitter knows, Ross is not afraid to share the highs and lows of his own successes and failures. He strives to share great teaching practice, to save you time and to ensure you are the best teacher you can be, whatever the new policy or framework. His eagerly-awaited new book continues in this vein and is a must-read for all new teachers.
Vitruvian teaching will help you survive your first five years:
Year 1: Be resilient (surviving your NQT year)
Year 2: Be intelligent (refining your teaching)
Year 3: Be innovative (take risks)
Year 4: Be collaborative (share and work with others now your classroom practice is secure)
Year 5: Be aspirational (moving towards middle leadership)
Start working towards Vitruvian today.
Find out more…
bell hooks Teaching Trilogy
@_mrs_b @KaySocLearn Yes bell talks about the nonsense of the mind/body/personality split in teaching #edncucb
— Jane Pothecary (@JanePothecary) April 4, 2016
In a series of short, accessible, and enlightening essays, hooks explores the confounding and sometimes controversial topics that teachers and students have urged her to address since the publication of the previous best-selling volumes in her Teaching series, Teaching to Transgress and Teaching Community. The issues are varied and broad, from whether meaningful teaching can take place in a large classroom setting to confronting issues of self-esteem. One professor, for example, asked how black female professors can maintain positive authority in a classroom without being seen through the lens of negative racist, sexist stereotypes. One teacher asked how to handle tears in the classroom, while another wanted to know how to use humor as a tool for learning.
Addressing questions of race, gender, and class in this work, hooks discusses the complex balance that allows us to teach, value, and learn from works written by racist and sexist authors. Highlighting the importance of reading, she insists on the primacy of free speech, a democratic education of literacy. Throughout these essays, she celebrates the transformative power of critical thinking. This is provocative, powerful, and joyful intellectual work. It is a must read for anyone who is at all interested in education today.
Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom
Full of passion and politics, Teaching to Transgress combines a practical knowledge of the classroom with a deeply felt connection to the world of emotions and feelings. This is the rare book about teachers and students that dares to raise questions about eros and rage, grief and reconciliation, and the future of teaching itself.
Teaching Community: A Pedagogy of Hope
In Teaching Community bell hooks seeks to theorize from the place of the positive, looking at what works. Writing about struggles to end racism and white supremacy, she makes the useful point that “No one is born a racist. Everyone makes a choice.” Teaching Community tells us how we can choose to end racism and create a beloved community. hooks looks at many issues-among them, spirituality in the classroom, white people looking to end racism, and erotic relationships between professors and students. Spirit, struggle, service, love, the ideals of shared knowledge and shared learning – these values motivate progressive social change.
Teaching Critical Thinking Practical Wisdom
In Teaching Critical Thinking, renowned cultural critic and progressive educator bell hooks addresses some of the most compelling issues facing teachers in and out of the classroom today.
Find out more…
What would you add to this list?
Join us for the next #EdNCUCB Twitter chat on 2 May 2016, hosted by @elenchera
#EdNCUCB on Twitter
The post #EdNCUCB: Books and papers discussed and recommended appeared first on B-Lines and Felines.
March 12, 2016
#UKFEchat: Recommendation round up (PDF)
One of my favourite hours each week is the one I spend taking part in the #UKFEchat – most weeks at any rate, though sometimes I have to pass (and never willingly). The amount I’ve learnt so far is staggering and I’m amassing many useful links and resources, several of which have already enhanced my lessons.
Last Thursday was a quickfire chat sharing best practice, best advice and best resources/links. It was amazing! I’ve been back over the tweets and gathered as many of the recommendations as I could into this table. If I missed any from this particular chat, I’m sorry and please do let me know in the comments.
If you’re involved in education at all – even if not FE – I’d recommended searching for #UKFEchat on Twitter. Through this chat and hashtag, I’ve met some of the nicest people I could hope to (both online and in person) and the last few months have been far easier for being part of this immensely supportive community.
I also keep a Pearltees account with many of my finds (both through #UKFEchat and other sources). I have #UKFEchat to thank for many of these finds. Many others have come via other Twitter users or Pinterest. This is really a work in progress and I have been so fantastically lucky to be blessed with great learners who are happy to try many different things. It has made the last few months amazing.
Pearltrees: Education
#UKFEchat on Twitter
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March 5, 2016
Six Cats and a Black Dog: On Talking and Not Talking About Mental Health
Last year I made a Blog For Mental Health pledge. Sadly, there is no pledge in 2016 and the Blog for Mental Health site is no longer being curated, though it is currently still accessible. However, this was a wonderful project (and it ran for several years) and I’m truly glad it got me blogging about this subject, albeit less regularly than I’d like!
I’ve actually had a lot of reason to be talking about mental health over the past few weeks and I wondered how that would be. I’ve been teaching three hours a week on a particular unit and although I can apply knowledge, understanding and experience to it, it was almost painful how important it was to me that I teach it in the best possible way. By which I mean, making it about more than words on a page. I wanted to bring the issues to life – just as, to be fair, I want to bring any ideas or subjects or issues I teach about to life – but in a way that was respectful of what an overwhelming subject this can be.
I have wondered before and after every session if I was giving students too much information with the potential to upset, where the line was between educating and shocking, how I could balance wanting a happy class with a knowledgeable class. I wondered what might happen if I, having a (thankfully ever increasingly rare) bad day, might process the same statistics that left my class agape, if I had to confront them at a bleak moment.
I was fortunate that Time To Talk Day took place not only during the teaching of this unit but on a day I was delivering a session. After weeks of talking about stigma and how key it is to talk, here was something rock solid. We did a huge chunk of the session around it, tying it back to several previous discussion about stigma. ‘Three little words’ has become something of a class line, if you will. Understanding that saying ‘Are you okay?’ or ‘Cup of tea?’ or ‘Look, I’m here’ can more often than not be infinitely more powerful than paragraphs worth of clichés or ‘Well, what I think you should do is slap on a happy face…’ type comments.
As I near the end of the module, I hope they have learnt many things. I have refrained from self-disclosure about my own history, not through any sense of shame but because I think three hours a week digesting the amount of information they have is probably more than sufficient without any personal extras added. The sad point about that, though, is that I cannot tell them a key truth about what I have learnt over these weeks. I have learnt that perhaps you can’t teach compassion as such but with a little information, people’s natural compassion pours forth. That people’s ‘lack of interest’ about mental health problems is not actually that at all but a lack of awareness about many of the issues and much of the stigma. That some people are quite angry that they never realised what was happening to people and that they perhaps even wonder now how many people they have encountered who had a mental health problem that was invisible to others.
You might ask why, knowing that, I am still keeping up a barrier. There are certain professional guidelines about self-disclosure, true, but I could talk about a ‘friend’. Perhaps it’s that I don’t want that compassion to be directed towards one story, one cause. Perhaps it’s because I realise that there is compassion in abundance for many, many people who need some extra help and I don’t want to funnel it in any direction. I am so grateful to have taught this class, though. I am so grateful to have seen the number of people who do care and would care, even about strangers, if they only had the facts.
We have to keep talking.
The post Six Cats and a Black Dog: On Talking and Not Talking About Mental Health appeared first on B-Lines and Felines.
December 1, 2015
The Bleaklisted Movies: V for Vendetta
Many moons ago a despotic cat named Charlie decided that he wanted to be a book critic. It would fit so nicely with his existing roles as food critic, dog critic and owner critic. Thus The Bleaklisted Books was born.
After fifty books Charlie ran out of the limited ideas and inspiration he had and turned his attention to the world of films. We apologise but this dictatorial little beast will not be contained.
Read at your risk… (And beware… SPOILERS!)
V for Vendetta
What happens?
Guy known as V causes problems for a fascist government, falls for some random tart in the process, but it doesn’t stop him kicking some ass in the end. Then he dies. Pitiful.
Reason for bleaklisting?
V’s love of The Count of Monte Cristo. That is a bleaklisted book. V is not as informed as a revolutionary should be. The mask could also do with a hint of orange as well. That pale look is so last century.
What should have happened?
V is a revolutionary intent on bringing down a fascist government. He is inspired by two books – The Bleaklisted Books and More Bleaklisted Books – by some legendary rebel and revolutionary whose name isn’t really worth mentioning but since you’re curious I’m talking about me of course – Charlie the Great. Inspired by my vision, V takes on the establishment, blowing up buildings by insulting them into submission and he manages to overthrow the government by posting pictures of the dictator as a child on his Facebook page. It also doesn’t help that the dictator thinks RT on Twitter stands for “Rioting Time” so whenever he sees people doing it he has them arrested only to be released without charge. With public opinion turning against the government, V makes his move and convinces the dictator to sign up for a pyramid scheme. Exposed as being a bit dodgy, the masses rise up and replace the government with a new party led by Ozzy Osbourne.
Working title?
V for Very Basic Knowledge of Social Media.
Tagline?
People shouldn’t be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of looking stupid on social media.
Who should direct?
Danny Boyle.
Who should star?
Terence Stamp and Whoopi Goldberg.
Mr B compares the stories
V is the ultimate freedom fighter whose Guy Fawkes mask has become a powerful symbol, adopted by the likes of activist group Anonymous. Both the graphic novel and movie are worth a look but due to V’s questionable taste in literature, Charlie has decided to bleaklist this one in favour of another self-indulgent narrative. In this version V is inspired by Charlie’s work (why not?) and manages to bring down a government by exposing their incompetence with the Internet and social media. This might have worked in the early days of the Internet but I think most governments have a grasp of it now. I do like the double act of Terence Stamp and Whoopi Goldberg though. That one works for me.
The post The Bleaklisted Movies: V for Vendetta appeared first on B-Lines and Felines.
October 1, 2015
The Bleaklisted Movies: Once Upon a Time in the West
Many moons ago a despotic cat named Charlie decided that he wanted to be a book critic. It would fit so nicely with his existing roles as food critic, dog critic and owner critic. Thus The Bleaklisted Books was born.
After fifty books Charlie ran out of the limited ideas and inspiration he had and turned his attention to the world of films. We apologise but this dictatorial little beast will not be contained.
Read at your risk… (And beware… SPOILERS!)
Once Upon s Time in the West
What happens?
Three men and a baby (I mean a woman) in the Old West hang out, chat a bit then a couple of them die.
Reason for bleaklisting?
The absence of a theme tune for me. The others are awesome.
What should have happened?
A gorgeous woman named Bill lives on a ranch in the middle of nowhere. The ranch is desired by an evil guy named Hank who initially tries to gain acquisition by sending letters and then spammy emails claiming Bill has inherited a fortune from the King of Purple Toadstools. With Bill resistant to all these attempts, Hank turns to threats and wielding one of those guns that fires a red flag saying BANG! Bill is aided by a mysterious man that plays a mandolin and is known as Mandolin. There’s also a local badass by the name of Walter whose trademark is to rob banks while he and his gang are all dressed as palm trees. All of this is building up to an epic tussle between the four protagonists but things suddenly change. I forgot to mention that the world these characters are in is weird. Sometimes it’s light, sometimes it’s dark, other times it stinks really badly and during the good parts of the day it smells very pleasant indeed. It turns out this world is contained within a single piece of clothing and it’s worn by some athlete who runs a lot, hence the strange smells in the air, the light, the dark and even that quite nice fragrance, a brand of Lynx deodorant if you will. In the end Bill and the rest of the gang realise what has happened and join forces to move to another piece of clothing next time the laundry is washed.
Working title?
Once Upon a Time in a Vest.
Tagline?
There were three men in her life. One to spam her, one to serenade her with a mandolin and one to show her his less than subtle impression of a palm tree.
Who should direct?
James Cameron.
Who should star?
Michelle Pfeiffer, Kurt Russell, Hugh Laurie and Spencer Tracy.
Mr B compares the stories
Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in the West is my favourite Western so to have Charlie transform it into some bizarre combination of David Cronenberg and Clive Barker’s mutual geniuses is a tad concerning. The cast is certainly interesting, rich and varied, while James Cameron has the helm for this one. Somehow I can’t see it being a Titanic or Avatar success.
The post The Bleaklisted Movies: Once Upon a Time in the West appeared first on B-Lines and Felines.
September 24, 2015
The Bleaklisted Movies: Being John Malkovich
Many moons ago a despotic cat named Charlie decided that he wanted to be a book critic. It would fit so nicely with his existing roles as food critic, dog critic and owner critic. Thus The Bleaklisted Books was born.
After fifty books Charlie ran out of the limited ideas and inspiration he had and turned his attention to the world of films. We apologise but this dictatorial little beast will not be contained.
Read at your risk… (And beware… SPOILERS!)
Being John Malkovich
What happens?
Some people find a portal that leads into the mind of John Malkovich. They go in, live as John for a bit, then come out.
Reason for bleaklisting?
The migraine I had trying to understand this movie.
What should have happened?
John Malkovich is enjoying a break from movies because he keeps getting sent really poor scripts. That doesn’t stop an ambitious screenwriter, Drago Winnebago, from sending numerous screenplays. Drago’s efforts are all rejected so he decides to board a plane and head over to John’s address to pitch movie ideas face to face. Approaching the house in the middle of a remote swamp, Drago bumps into an old crone who claims she has magical powers and is the guardian of Malkovich’s home. In order to see the movie star, the old crone demands that Drago bring her something cold, something like poo, something furrowed and some yew. Drago fails to even complete the first task despite trying ice, frozen peas and even the heart of Mary Poppins. When Drago eventually gives up, Malkovich appears at the window and gives the old crone the thumbs up.
Working title?
Being John’s Narky Witch.
Tagline?
Four tasks. Four scripts. Four stars? Not for this shit.
Who should direct?
John Hughes.
Who should star?
Harrison Ford, Estelle Getty and Orson Welles (as John Malkovich).
Mr B compares the stories
Spike Jonze’s Being John Malkovich is weird but wonderful as a selection of people enter the mind of John Malkovich and ultimately control him. Charlie clearly struggled with this one so instead revamped the original story with Malkovich living in the middle of a swamp (he doesn’t) and guarded by some witch (if John has security I doubt it’s an old crone). While I admire Orson Welles I do think even a legend such as him would struggle to play John Malkovich. Charlie would be better with the great man himself but from what I’ve seen of his career, John tends to pick movies that have at least an ounce of quality.
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