#i think its hard to review a show that actively tries to be so unpredictable and strange

[hoursofmylife-lost]

The gist: we’re here to talk about comics!!!

Quick guide: if you want a more-or-less objective rating, look at the tags; there will be a #/10. If you want details, read my notes.

I’m going to be working to make a post for every webcomic I’ve read; that’s going to take a while because as of now my webtoon subscription list is at 235— and then from there I’ll make new posts as I read new comics.

Sites: Webtoon, Tapas, and independent

Below is a list of my rating system for each one, which will be out of ten; I’ll also add any additional comments I have and credits to the creator(s). I’d love any recommendations and feel free to let me know your own opinions of the comics I’m reviewing, just keep in mind that despite doing my best to be objective, everything I say is my own opinion and can be taken with several grains of salt. The majority of the comic on my list are ones that I read or have been reading for a really long time, so most of the reviews will be skewed positively because of that. Even if I give something a generally bad rating, I’ll note that I probably like it anyway, so keep both things in mind.

Also additional preface: I have tried my hand at making comics and it is so so so hard and thankless, I am by no means dissing any of these creators. I am a critic through and through and I like to think I have really high standards— however, I’ll admit, a lot of my favorite comics don’t get great scores. I’m trying to incorporate some objectivity and some personal preference so that it accurately reflects my opinions and a general review, and we’ll see how that plays out. Regardless, all artists deserve more love and just because I didn’t like something doesn’t mean that it’s not good or not worth your time. (I am mainly doing this for myself, because I like making lists and organizing stuff, but if it helps people find stuff they like reading then I’ll take it as a win)

Criteria and guide to my tagging system:

Show-not-tell storytelling: the characters aren’t completely transparent, the plot leaves room for interpretation, etc.

Worldbuilding: doesn’t have to be complex, not every story calls for it, but I like it when some detail and thought is given to the location, social system, politics, culture, weather… anything really.

The backgrounds are drawn by an artist: ideally the same artist making the story, or one working in collaboration with them. There’s a lot of comics, on Webtoon particularly, where the backgrounds are either real images with reduced quality or taken from a reference site and left unaltered. It just gives me the ick. (There’s a whole argument to be made about Webtoon’s commercialization of comics that removes their value in favor of marketing and monetization, to which I say, yeah, Webtoon is the problem, however, I still have standards. Not saying I won’t read comics with this, just saying it looks bad.)

Fun pacing: either the plot itself is interesting and unpredictable, or just the way the comic panels are arranged has a good sense of flow and action. Or both, both is good.

Building themes: they do not have to be complex, but going into a story knowing you want to touch on certain themes is much better than having none; this is so so important for making the story memorable and applicable for the readers (me).

Character depth/ nuanced motivations: characters don’t have to relate to everyone, they just have to be well-constructed enough that their actions make sense. This is so important!!!

Self-awareness: What I mean by this is that the comic understands its intent and audience. If it’s about social justice, they did research into activism. If it’s about romance, they spent time exploring the characters and their chemistry. The comic’s pitch and marketing align with what we get, and there’s a certain level of competence.

Thematically appropriate language: characters who talk like people and have different dialects and speech patterns from each other when applicable. Sometimes they want to swear and they deserve to. Sometimes it’s just not necessary. They shouldn’t all be speaking with the author’s voice. This category also in theory covers grammatical mistakes but I read a lot of international comics and at a certain point you have to accept that broadening your horizons means not getting exactly what you want, so maybe I don’t actually care that much. Idk.

Expressive characters: some comics make their characters look very beautiful at the expense of them demonstrating human emotion. Some comics have every emotion hyper-emphasized to the point that nothing can be taken seriously. Neither is good.

Same face syndrome: I can’t stand comics where all the characters look the same. (it’s always rooted in Eurocentrism) It’s not entirely necessary for a good comic to have incredibly diverse features and character designs, but if you can’t tell who’s who, there’s a problem.

Cookie cutter syndrome: I also can’t stand it when all the characters have either a “male” body or a “female” body. Grow up. Draw fat people, draw androgynous people, draw old people. You will probably be one of those things at some point in your life.

Racial diversity: Ideally you have a handful of non-white characters. Even more radically, make some of them important to the plot! (Specifically, I’m referring to a multicultural cast.) (Call me crazy, but I don’t think you can tell a good story without looking at multiple perspectives)

Bechdel test: unless the story is a yaoi with two main characters and absolutely no one else, chances are there will be women, and chances are they deserve lives outside of the male leads.

Visuals-colors: I love comics with nice colors. This one’s personal.

Visuals- anatomy: this one is also personal. Some artists don’t draw the human body the way I like, and it bugs me a bit. This doesn’t mean the art is bad, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t read it. It’s personal taste.

Extra gorgeous tasty art: sometimes the story sucks but the art is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my life. Sometimes they’re both good, but I think the art should get a little extra recognition.

Particularly satisfying or funny: mostly in reference to the dialogue and pacing. If the point of the story isn’t humor, it can still be satisfying, and that deserves recognition.

Excitement: these last three are very specific to me (any score I give a comic is probably within 3 points, give or take, of what it actually merits, due to my biases. I still have good taste, though, I promise.) This point just means that I get really excited when the comic updates. Sometimes I look at my phone and giggle in anticipation. I’m a silly guy.

Made me think a lot: as with any story, I want to be thinking about it for a while after. I want to want to blab about it to everyone I know because it was so gosh darn incredible.

Made me feel a lot: same gist. Happy or sad. If I cry over a comic, I’ll be thinking about it forever. If it’s a comfort to me during difficult times in my life, I’ll be eternally grateful. That kind of stuff is important.

Tagging

Demographic tags:

poc mc- the main character is a person of color

m mc- male main character

f mc- female main character

nb mc- non-binary main character

trans mc- the main character is transgender

Ship tags: m/f, f/f, m/m, and other variations- the dynamic of the main pairing, if there is one

friendships: m&m&m, f&m, f&f, and other variations- the dynamic of the main friendgroup, if applicable

Sorting tags:

genres: drama, romance, sci-fi, realistic, fantasy, action, adventure, mystery

pretty self-explanatory

feel: coming of age, comforting, charming, familial, supernatural, comedy, queer, slice of life, horror

The vibe, the main themes, the energy it gives, if you will (familial means that family is integral to the plot, not that it’s sweet. See: comforting)

setting: modern fantasy, mundane fantasy, school, office/workplace, historical, futuristic

Modern fantasy means the fantastical elements are the conflict, mundane fantasy means it just happens to take place in a magical world, which is fun and cool; plain “fantasy” is classic high- (or medium-) stakes, adventure fantasy.

elements: fame, teen, sports, magic/witches, hybrids, monsters, androids, royalty, sex, found family, revenge, mental health, mythology, demons, afterlife/death, existential, fairy tale, illogical hair, disabilities, colored text bubbles, mer, disabilities, genderqueerness

Any extra elements, this is mainly for me to find patterns and trends. Send me an ask if you have any questions

format: slice of life, autobiographical, fanfic

If relevant

location: Euro, Asia, Afro, Latinx, Americas

If the story specifically takes place on a given continent or the fantasy world is heavily inspired by a specific culture, I’ll tag that too. Americas and Latinx are separate because Americas means it’s canonically on the American continent, while Latinx means a specific latino culture or influence. (can also be both)

Most of the stuff I read is somewhere between young adult and mature/adult so I’m not going to bother tagging for intended audience; most creators will specify, anyway. If you want to know triggers for a specific comic, send me an ask and I’ll do some reconnaissance for you.

[svankmajerbaby]

i think we may all agree that it appears that its exclusively a fanon thing that vfd as a whole is rotten and cruel, and that the distinction between a good side and a bad side of the schism as presented by the netflix show -especially with their erasure of elements like the kidnappings and the shady things the organization as a whole often did- has been ignored in favor of a theme of “sometimes wrong things must be done for a greater good” and all in all an idea of optimism and faith in the future, if not on authority figures. i honestly thought, though mostly through the discourse here regarding the book series, that this idea of vfd as an actual abusive organization regarding its members was meant to be noticed in the text -i do think its much more hard to miss in the atwq books -but i still think it’s very, very strange that, if there are some very clear clues to this idea of vfd as something that was never worth preserving or keeping up for the future generations, as something that created so much trauma and conflict, why daniel handler, who supposedly had great control over the show unlike with the movie, did not make an effort to have this very important aspect more present (or, like, present at all) in the netflix adaptation.

i think this could be attributed to a desire for happy endings and closure, not in the sense of purely sugarcoating darker subjects, but as a more general need to break from the kind of downer that has become so popular in media. even though i don’t think the core audience of children are particularly brought down by constant grimdark media (and just talking about core audience while talking about this show is hilarious to me, since i don’t think the show knew where it was aiming towards besides the obvious already established fanbase), i understand the almost paternalistic desire to show them a world where the answers are given, where their valiant efforts are rewarded, and where they can finally reach a safe place. i swear i get it. but that wasn’t the point of the books. it didn’t want to tell children that with perseverance and smarts they would thrive. it wanted to warn them of a complex, difficult, absurd world and try to prepare them to face it.

perhaps this show is what this generation needs -i don’t know how the Youth perceives this franchise now, the same way i don’t know how the Youth sees the problems and issues the world faces now (issues that some reviews of the show saw it was directly addressing, like the questioning of authority and the championing of intellectualism), but i do think the message of the books is highly unusual for its medium and very useful for all generations. perhaps i just feel like the netflix ending is a bit too close to the one we got with harry potter -an ending that wants to tell us that the children came out just like their noble parents, to reassure the audience and promise that it was all worth it. perhaps im just out of tune with the times. i just think that an ambiguous, perhaps even a bitter ending would have been both refreshing and sobering. im happy for the fuzzy warm feelings of seeing the quagmires and the widdershins reunited, and of seeing the frankly cathartic image of the victorious, hopeful baudelaires sailing on a sunny beach towards the horizon, but i can’t shake the feeling that i expected this show, that promised there were to be no happy endings, to end with a storm on the horizon and with children who have already weathered quite a few of them to still go determined into the sea.

[introvertguide]

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964); AFI #39

The most recent movie for the group to review was the Kubrick dark comedy, Dr. Strangelove (I am not writing out the whole title each time). This film has some of the most legitimately funny lines of bewilderment, with some occasions involving an actor playing across from himself. For most film goers, this will be Peter Seller’s most famous role since he plays three main characters, all with different accents, appearances, and quirks. The film was nominated for 4 Academy Awards (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Actor) but did not take home any trophies. The film did win best picture at the BAFTAs. This film was definitely in the style of Kubrick, but it was in a genre that I don’t believe he delved into again. I want to review the plot before discussing further, so let me get the usual out of the way:

SPOILER ALERT!!! I AM ABOUT TO GIVE AWAY THE WHOLE PLOT OF THE FILM!!! IF YOU WANT TO WATCH THE FILM ON YOUR OWN WITHOUT HAVING ANYTHING SPOILED, STOP NOW AND WATCH THE FILM!!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!

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At the start, we are introduced to United States Air Force Brigadier General Jack D. Ripper (Sterling Hayden) who is commander of Burpelson Air Force Base. This base houses a group of B-52 bombers armed with hydrogen bombs that are constantly in the air. The planes are constantly within two hours from their targets inside the USSR in case of nuclear war. General Ripper orders his executive officer, Group Captain Lionel Mandrake of the UK Royal Air Force (Peter Sellers), to put the base on alert and to issue "Wing Attack Plan R" to the patrolling bombers, one of which is commanded by Major T. J. "King" Kong (Slim Pickens). All of the aircraft commence an attack flight on the USSR, and set their radios to allow communications only through their CRM 114 discriminators, which was designed to accept only communications preceded by a secret three-letter code known only to General Ripper. Mandrake discovers that no attack order has been issued by the Pentagon and tries to stop Ripper, who locks them both in his office. Ripper tells Mandrake that he believes the Soviets have been fluoridating American water supplies to pollute the "precious bodily fluids" of Americans. Mandrake realizes Ripper has gone insane.

In the War Room at the Pentagon, General Buck Turgidson (George C Scott) briefs President Merkin Muffley (Peter Sellers again) and other officers about how "Plan R" enables a senior officer to launch a retaliatory nuclear attack on the Soviets if all superiors have been killed in a first strike on the United States. It would take two days to try every CRM code combination to issue the recall order, but the planes are due to reach their targets within hours. Muffley orders the U.S. Army to storm the base and arrest General Ripper. Turgidson then attempts to convince Muffley to let the attack continue, but Muffley refuses. Instead, he brings Soviet ambassador Alexei de Sadeski (Peter Bull) into the War Room to telephone Soviet Premier Dimitri Kissov on the "hotline". Muffley warns the Premier of the impending attack, and offers to reveal the positions of the bombers and their targets so that the Soviets can protect themselves.

After a heated discussion in Russian with the Premier, the ambassador informs President Muffley that the Soviet Union had created a doomsday machine as a nuclear deterrent; it consists of many buried bombs jacketed with "cobalt-thorium G", which are set to detonate automatically should any nuclear attack strike the country. Within two months after detonation, the cobalt-thorium G would encircle the planet in a radioactive shroud that would render the Earth's surface uninhabitable. The device cannot be deactivated, as it is programmed to explode if any such attempt is made. The President's wheelchair-bound scientific advisor, former Nazi German Dr. Strangelove (Peter Sellers one more time), points out that such a doomsday machine would only be an effective deterrent if everyone knew about it; Alexei replies that the Soviet Premier had planned to reveal its existence to the world the following week.

Meanwhile, U.S. Army troops arrive at Burpelson, and General Ripper commits suicide. Mandrake identifies Ripper's CRM code from his desk blotter and relays it to the Pentagon. Using the code, Strategic Air Command successfully recalls all of the bombers except Major Kong's, whose radio equipment has been damaged in a missile attack. The Soviets attempt to find it, but Kong has the bomber attack a closer target due to dwindling fuel. As the plane approaches the new target, a Soviet ICBM site, the crew is unable to open the damaged bomb bay doors. Kong enters the bay and repairs the broken electrical wiring while sitting on a H-bomb, whereupon the doors open and the bomb is dropped. Kong joyfully straddles the bomb as it falls and detonates over the target.

Back in the War Room, Dr. Strangelove recommends that the President gather several hundred thousand people to live in deep underground mines where the radiation will not penetrate. He suggests a 10:1 female-to-male ratio for a breeding program to repopulate the Earth once the radiation has subsided. Worried that the Soviets will do the same, Turgidson warns about a "mineshaft gap" while Alexei secretly photographs the war room. Dr. Strangelove declares he has a plan, but then rises from his wheelchair and announces "Mein Führer, I can walk!" as the Doomsday Machine activates. The film ends with a montage of many nuclear explosions, accompanied by Vera Lynn's rendition of the song "We'll Meet Again".

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This is a pretty weird film, but it has some of the funniest lines in cinema. Discussions of not letting a Russian envoy into the war room because he will “see the big board,” the president announcing there is no fighting in the war room, a crazy general constantly talking about a plot to steal American bodily fluids, and a discussion about how the high ranking officials and generals would be hidden in shelters with a 10-1 ratio of hot women to men with the expectation of constant impregnation which everybody suddenly favors: it is all absurd. But I really love it and laugh every time I watch.

The three roles of Peter Sellers is especially noteworthy, as all of his characters are so different. He plays a very British foreign exchange officer (I am not sure this exists), an absolutely whacky former Nazi scientist, and the straight man of the film in the form of the US president. Since Dr. Strangelove was an advisor to the president, there were many scenes in which Peter Sellers was acting across from a stunt shoulder or the back of a head that was supposed to be him. He did a fantastic job of making light of total world destruction during the cold war.

One very notable thing about the acting of Peter Sellers was that he had a couple of ad libs during the movie. Stanley Kubrick is not a director that particularly cares if he gets along with his actors, often times demanding dozens of takes for even the simplest of background scenes. Long dialogue scenes are repeated over and over to the point that many actors did not want to work with Kubrick. And still, the director seemed to like Sellers quite a bit and kept a couple of the takes that were ad-libbed, specifically for the character of Dr. Strangelove. Perhaps the crazy former Nazi character was so unpredictable that random whacky outbursts (like the scream for “Mein Fuhrer” at the end) seemed appropriate.

A little side note is that this was the first film appearance of James Earl Jones as one of the bombardiers on the B-52. He was known for his work in the theatre at the time, so of course he had a bit part in which he was mostly covered in a flight suit and said very little. Now that is a misuse of talent. 

A point about the movie that I was unaware but was pointed out by a follower of the group was that the promotional material for the film shows that the plane was named “Leper Colony” (thank you @themightyfoo). This implies that this group was actually a bunch of screw ups, which is part of the overall joke that this group was given access to world ending bombing capabilities. Maybe it was assumed that the order to drop the bombs would never be given and this group was just given this detail to get them out of the way.

So does this movie belong on the AFI list? Yes, but maybe not ranked so high. It has a lot of name recognition, but I think that is more due to the very distinct naming and the titular role. Maybe the notoriety is also due to the subject matter and the time it was released. It is a fine film with great acting, but I find it hard to put above Jaws, Rocky, or Taxi Driver. I guess that is more my humble opinion, but I agree the list would be lacking without this film. So would I recommend it? Absolutely. It is an interesting story about how red tape allowed one high ranking individual to literally destroy the world. And it is a joke. It is such a well told story that they had to put a disclaimer at the front. A great lesson, even today. 

[anhed-nia]

BLOGTOBER 10/8/2020: PELICAN BLOOD (2019)

If you are reading this and the present date is between October 8 and 11 of 2020, please consider buying a virtual ticket to see Katrin Gebbe’s PELICAN BLOOD, available on demand through the Nightstream festival:

https://watch.eventive.org/nightstream/play/5f6e7e78d6a9bf0036613fa3

I am about to discuss this movie and its conclusion in great detail, but it would be much better for a person to come to it in innocence--not because it’s so reliant on anything as gauche as surprise, but because it is so thoroughly excellent that wading through a movie review first would be like letting your dinner grow cold. And, it simply deserves our support.

When I saw PELICAN BLOOD last year at Fantastic Fest, it became one of my favorite movies before it was even over. I might admit that this was sort of a match made in heaven, as this movie checks almost every one of my personal boxes, but I don’t think my assessment of its value is a simple matter of personal prejudice. I’ve been haunted by it all these months, and deeply worried that somehow I might never see it again. When I discovered that it had landed on Nightstream, I was over the moon.

This is writer-director Katrin Gebbe's second feature, a fact that will astonish you when you see it. Last Blogtober, I wrote about her first feature TORE TANZT, which has the troubling english title NOTHING BAD CAN HAPPEN. That intense indie drama concerns a born-again christian punk who wishes for an opportunity to prove his devotion to god, and finds it in the form of a family that invites him in off the streets, and then proceeds to torture him. That's an oversimplification of what actually occurs, but it is a film that's hard to be brief about. It's cheap and a little rough around the edges, but it is deliberate, intense, and difficult to forget. (In fact it's supposed to be based on a true story, although I haven't managed to pick up that trail) When I first saw it, it certainly made me wonder what else that director might be up to, and I was astounded when I found out. 2019's PELICAN BLOOD emerged six years after TORE TANZT, with little in between besides a television episode and a segment in the anthology THE FIELD GUIDE TO EVIL, and yet Gebbe's artistic evolution is dumbfounding. Her themes are all unmistakably present--faith versus doubt, mystical versus metaphorical experience, and physical martyrdom--but exploded into a grand, elegant psychodrama that holds the viewer captive every minute of its two hours.

Celebrated german actress Nina Hoss plays Wiebke, a stable owner who trains police horses to tolerate the frightening conditions of a riot. She lives at the edge of her pasture, raising her tween daughter Nicolina (Adelia-Constance Giovanni Ocleppo) on her own. Wiebke has a talent for healing the wounded, or perhaps it's more of a calling; she raised Nicolina, a bulgarian orphan, into a bright, balanced, emotionally available tomboy, and the two of them joyfully anticipate the arrival of Nicolina's new adoptive sister. When little Raya arrives (Katerina Lipovska), she first presents as sweet, even solicitous, needing only a mother's love to fully bloom. However, as soon as she determines that she is welcome and wanted, she undergoes a disturbing transformation into a violent and unpredictable creature, possessed by an abject hatred. Wiebke recognizes that her new child is seriously traumatized, which activates her sense of purpose, and she pledges herself fully to the child's recovery--despite the admonishments of Raya's daycare, her doctors, and virtually everyone around them, that the little girl is beyond all but clinical help, and even that promises no guarantee of salvation. Refusing to give up, Wiebke makes a series of increasingly dangerous personal sacrifices in Raya's name, until finally she finds herself at the doorway to what some consider another world, but what is to others only madness.

Gebbe won Best Director in the main competition at Fantastic Fest, and it would have been a crime if this were otherwise. Her control over what are essentially forces of nature is humbling. Extracting a profoundly moving drama from a cast of adult actors is challenging enough on its own, but to get these terrifyingly convincing performances from children, evoking deep trauma and physical violence to self and others, is another level. As if this weren't enough, Gebbe adds animals into the mix, giving the story of Raya a parallel in the troubled career of a police horse who is considered a lost cause by all but Wiebke. The training scenes in which Wiebke guides the volatile animal through fire and smoke, while her own lifeforce is being progressively depleted by her new child, are as harrowing as anything having to do with parenthood, and Wiebke seems to take the horse just as seriously as her child. Friendly single dad Benedikt (Murathan Muslu) tries to flirt with the trainer by remarking on her unusual career, but she spits bitterly, "The horses are not the problem," giving us a glimpse of the philosophy that drives her.

Another of my favorite german films is Werner Herzog's 1976 short NO ONE WILL PLAY WITH ME. This funny and poignant story involves a bullied and neglected little boy, and it is preceded by a card displaying the adage "There are no bad children, only bad parents." This is the principle that drives Wiebke in work and life: Those who are seen as failures, have been failed by others. One has the sense that Wiebke sees herself in these wretches. She has no partner, and balks at questions about her relationship history, shying from physical affection even with people she knows and likes. A tell-tale scar graces one cheekbone; when she finally begins to welcome the benign Benedikt's advances, he strokes it instead of kissing her, acknowledging that he can see who she really is.

Wiebke tries to extend this same empathy toward Raya, refusing to let the child bait her into wrath and rejection. However, this show of pure faith and tolerance does not work, and the right approach becomes less clear as Raya begins to blame her mounting acts of vandalism, arson and assault on an evil entity that controls her will. A psychiatrist aprises Wiebke that this is the "magic period", in which the child uses magical thinking to divert feelings of guilt and responsibility. But, after a fashion, Wiebke begins to sense this malevolent presence as well. Is this etheric intrusion real? Or is she beginning to empathize with the child--with the experience of grappling with a damaged part of yourself--to the point of dissolving boundaries?

The title of the movie refers to a fable about a pelican whose chicks die, and she resurrects them by feeding them her own blood. This is a clear metaphor for Wiebke's trial with Raya, that becomes shockingly literal when, after endangering her home and relationships by prioritizing the new child, Wiebke places her own health on the line by taking an unregulated drug to give herself a bizarre advantage. When Wiebke discovers the shocking nature of Raya's original trauma, she experiments with the radical idea of treating the girl like a little baby, hoping to start from square one with her capacity to be mothered, and in the service of this dreadful proposition, Wiebke starts taking a lactation-inducing pill that proves to be an immediate risk to her health, and puts her in an even more perilous position with Raya.

Although it focuses on a preternaturally devoted mother, PELICAN BLOOD recalls what makes movies like HEREDITARY and WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN so potent. We have the idea that in becoming parents, we are perpetuating our own essence, extending our history and celebrating the precious connection of blood, which is supposed to impart an automatic same-ness. Unfortunately, this only shakes out to arrogance for many, denying the quirks of psychology, chemistry, and the unique impact of trauma--even if minor, or explainable as something benign--on a mind too young to fully comprehend the nature of the experience. Even without abuse in the home, anyone can have a child less like themselves than they could have ever imagined, for reasons beyond their own control. In all this, the child is innocent, and it is the duty of the parent to prioritize the child's feelings, over the vanity of wanting an heir to your own best qualities. Wiebke sacrifices not only her vanity, but potentially her very life, to show Raya love. When this blood sacrifice does not work, Wiebke finds herself facing the realm of alternative belief as a last resort.

The introduction of PELICAN BLOOD's folk horror element can seem a little left field, if you haven't noted the clues scattered throughout the film. Before the revelation of Raya's boogeyman, Wiebke begins to discover evidence of an old pagan tradition still being practiced around her proverbial neck of the woods. Soon, she tentatively entrusts herself and her child to a local witch, who puts them through a harrowing exorcism. Though the process is uncertain at first, its impact forces Wiebke into a direct acknowledgment of the entity harassing her daughter. And ultimately, it awakens in Raya a capacity for love.

While the reality of the supernatural in PELICAN BLOOD remains in question, I think the effect of this ambiguity is specifically meaningful. I usually scoff at any type of "was it all a dream?" nonsense, as this is a tactic employed by directors who think their greatest accomplishment should be getting one over on the audience. I don't see any inherent value in simply reversing the apparent meaning of things, just to make people feel stupid--and worse, this has trained modern audiences to try to defensively predict the least likely ending to any story, instead of just engaging with it emotionally as it plays out. For this reality-bending trick to be worth anything, one must be able to answer questions like, IF this was all a dream, THEN what meaning is added to the story?

In PELICAN BLOOD, the unresolved question of whether magic is real is of great relevance to the whole concept of belief. Human beings crave extranormal experience; we're deeply attracted to tales of ghosts, UFOs, mythical creatures, and parapsychological abilities. Even the skeptics among us enjoy arguing about these things, and many regular folks without eccentric interests read their horoscope "just for fun". Most telling of all is the enduring popularity of stories about the strange and unusual, which require no particular belief system from the audience; the fantasy of this extra dimension to our mundane lives is just so satisfying. Despite all the pleasure we get from these ideas, though, we tend to cling first and foremost to objective truth; we tell ourselves that if there is no "proof", then an outrageous thing cannot exist. But, this is actually contrary to many of our lived experiences. On the basest level, we delight at videos of insane parkour stunts, at the same time that we say these guys are "like" superheroes, but are actually just guys. My question is, what's the difference? If a person can achieve physical feats that most of us can never imagine attempting, then what difference does it make that this person was not bitten by a radioactive spider? If a fortune teller in a carnival is so good at "cold reading" strangers that she gives the effect of being able to read minds, then what is the appreciable difference between a carny and a "real psychic"? If a faith healer "just convinces" someone to become free from a chronic ailment, and the patient goes on to live a happier life, who cares if no "real magic" was in evidence? What is the difference between exorcism and hypnosis, if the end result is the same for a seriously disturbed child and her mother? The only difference appears to be some material confirmation of specific mystical forces and substances--which, admittedly, would be exciting on its own--but this would still only be an alternative version of the events that led up to the same "miraculous" result. We only worry about the existence of God and magic because our definitions of these things tend to be limited to what we think of as literal and scientific. But, if the correct effects manifest themselves, then all that is purely cosmetic. Belief is real. Faith works.

[kylieswesting92]

CBD and Caffeine: The Benefits of CBD Coffee

According to the Chicago Tribune, coffee is prevalent among Americans. Roughly 80% of Americans drink it – although the source doesn’t specify which are regular, semi-regular, or occasional consumers.

Many people swear by the potential energizing benefits of CBD, so it naturally looks like an excellent addition to your morning pick-me-up. But what happens when you mix CBD with coffee?

So far, CBD isn’t known for severe side effects, but it can interact with other substances – including alcohol and many medications.

We know caffeine is a stimulant, but CBD is unpredictable. For some, CBD is a relaxant, while others find it energizing. Before you mix CBD and coffee, consider the benefits and drawbacks of this unique duo.

What Happens When You Mix CBD and Coffee?

If you’re wondering whether clinical studies using CBD and Starbucks exist, then we’re sorry to disappoint. However, a 2018 study in the Journal of Internal Medicine suggests a connection between the endocannabinoid system (ECS) and coffee.

In short, the ECS is a system of receptors that interact directly or indirectly with internal cannabinoids (endocannabinoids) or external ones (phytocannabinoids).

The researchers note that cannabinoids and coffee act through many similar pathways. Theoretically, this behavior could support or improve the mutual long-term benefits of CBD in your cup of coffee (more on that later).

Although coffee and cannabinoids travel along similar roads, their impacts differ. Experiments showed coffee decreased endocannabinoid transmitter activity. Cannabis, on the other hand, does the opposite.

But does this make CBD and caffeine complete rivals? Not in the least. While the ECS reacts differently to the effects of caffeine or CBD, the mental and physical experience can mirror both substances.

We’ll get into the common advantages of CBD and coffee later. For now, it’s important to understand what ultimately determines those benefits.

Ingredients Make a Difference

Cannabis isn’t just about THC and CBD. Most cannabidiol products contain additional cannabinoids and oily aromatic plant compounds called terpenes. These substances dictate the therapeutic benefits of CBD. To learn more about the impact of terpenes, check out this article.

CBD’s impact also isn’t straightforward. Caffeine is linear – the more you take, the more hyperactive you feel. But CBD is “biphasic,” meaning it follows a curve pattern, peaking at a certain point and then losing potency as dosage climbs.

Consequently, the effects of CBD oil or other related products are unpredictable.

CBD Types

Speaking of cannabinoids and terpenes, you need to know the basic CBD types before buying anything. There are three categories based on terpene and cannabinoid content:

Full-spectrum CBD contains the same terpenes and cannabinoids as its source plant, including up to 0.3% THC.

Broad-spectrum CBD is similar to full-spectrum, but any THC filters out during processing.

Isolate is up to 99% pure CBD with all other cannabinoids and terpenes removed (not recommended).

We recommend broad-spectrum since it offers the same benefits as its whole-plant counterpart but without THC. To learn more about why you need other cannabinoids and plant compounds, visit our article on the “entourage effect.”

Dosage Matters

Research continues, but we know so far that low doses and high doses of CBD have opposite effects. The amount of cannabidiol you consume can increase energy and alertness or act as a sedative.

Dr. Bonni Goldstein tells Marie Claire: “It’s unclear at this point in time the exact interaction between CBD and caffeine. At low doses, CBD is a stimulant, and in higher doses, it can cause sedation…Someone’s reaction to a combination of these compounds would not be easily predictable because various doses of each would affect the response.”

In other words, the overall effects depend on how much CBD your body needs – and whether you exceed that.

Benefits of Mixing CBD and Caffeine

It rarely crosses our minds, but caffeine isn’t as benign as we think. The drug is well-accepted, but its damaging effects are established.

Irregular heartbeat, anxiety, insomnia, restlessness, and possibly addiction are a few consequences of short or long-term caffeine consumption.

Interestingly, CBD may offer a solution. Not only does caffeine share some pathways with the endocannabinoid system, but it also metabolizes with the same enzymes as CBD.

The combination helps bring out the best in CBD and coffee.

1. Promotes Alertness

Being tired doesn’t just apply to physical exhaustion – although it’s definitely a common symptom. Mental fatigue is as debilitating as physical, with the former often triggering the latter.

Just like a tired body can’t perform its best, a drowsy mind impacts job performance increases stress, hinders communication, and makes every hour feel like a year.

Conventional coping methods include coffee, but some people rely on energy drinks. These sugary beverages are loaded with caffeine, but their effects are short-lived. Within an hour or two, you feel even worse than before.

But as Dr. Goldstein points out earlier, adding a smaller amount of CBD to coffee can amplify its stimulating effects.

2. Extends the Effects of CBD and Caffeine

CBD metabolism is the driving force behind its relationship with caffeine. Again, the drug and CBD share the same metabolic enzymes. So what does this mean? To put it bluntly, this means a heck of a lot.

The conflict creates a bottleneck, as CBD and caffeine compete for the limited room. In turn, this biological traffic jam slows down metabolism, making the effects of CBD and caffeine last longer.

3. No Anxiety or Jitters

For many, caffeine’s side effects can be too much to handle. Anxiety, jitteriness, hyperactivity, and rapid heart rate are some examples that people prefer to avoid. Unfortunately, it can be a tough position for people who just want one or two cups of coffee a day.

Some simply choose to deal with the jitters and other side effects, but that just sets them up for long-term caffeine-related health issues.

But surprised coffee drinkers often say CBD reduced or prevented caffeine’s unpleasant complications.

4. Fewer Bathroom Trips

Does coffee send you to the bathroom seemingly the second you swallow it? You’re not alone. Caffeine is a diuretic, so your body expels it quickly. It increases urination and also irritates your intestinal lining, possibly leading to diarrhea.

Diarrhea occurs due to an inflammatory intestinal response, which prevents the digestive system from absorbing liquid. Coffee works the same way, which is why many people use it to stay regular.

Research on CBD seems promising. A 2016 study in Expert Review of Gastroenterology and Hepatology notes that cannabinoids could be promising for patients with chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs).

It’s possible that adding CBD to coffee or other caffeinated drinks may help reduce the inflammatory response and prevent diarrhea.

5. Adds Amazing Health Benefits

Although we’re discussing CBD and caffeine, don’t let that cause tunnel vision. Cannabinoids and coffee are just the beginning.

Covering all the suspected advantages would be impossible, but CBD reportedly may help against pain, insomnia, inflammation, anxiety, depression, nausea, and seizures.

Adding CBD also promotes homeostasis – a state of internal balance to ensure the body and mind work properly.

What Coffee Lovers Say About CBD Oil and Caffeine

CBD and coffee may not be on the front page of science journals but seem to be at the front of people’s minds. The niche nature of CBD coffee (or the practice of mixing them) means independent reviews are hard to come by. But Reddit once again pulls through.

According to Reddit user u/juansantona:

“I don’t really feel any crazy difference from CBD in [sic] its own, but when I mix it with coffee, it takes away the dread and the feeling of being strung out. I very highly recommend [it] for anyone who loves coffee but is sensitive to caffeine.”

Below, u/gooslim adds:

“I’ve tried CBD cold brew. It works. It wakes you up, but you feel more focused and less shaky or jittery.”

Side Effects of Mixing CBD Oil With Coffee

We don’t have any research available addressing the side effects of mixing CBD oil with coffee. According to Global Health and Pharma Magazine, cannabidiol and caffeine combined won’t trigger any unpleasant reactions.

However, CBD and coffee have side effects of their own. Any of these could still materialize to different degrees. Ideally, CBD prevents anxiety and hyperactivity from caffeine. But as we mentioned earlier, ingredients and dosage matter.

We’ve discussed caffeine’s complications, but CBD has a few of its own. They’re typically mild and temporary, including:

Drowsiness

Headache

Nausea

Dizziness

Diarrhea

Appetite changes

Choose the right product and dose carefully to reduce the chances of side effects from caffeine or CBD.

How to Make CBD-Infused Coffee

You can upgrade your cups of coffee in two ways. The first option is to buy CBD coffee from a local or online vendor. But there’s a simpler, cheaper solution if you have some CBD products on hand.

CBD Oil

Broad-spectrum and full-spectrum CBD oils are more potent than isolate for combining CBD with coffee.

Use the dropper to add a premeasured dose to your coffee. Ideally, you’ll notice alertness and energy without any jitters or psychoactive effects.

However, CBD oil has an earthy cannabis taste, which offsets the coffee’s flavor.

Isolate Powder or Tincture

Since isolate is pure CBD, all of the aromatic terpenes are gone. This seriously impacts potency but also opens up other opportunities.

For instance, CBD powder and tincture combine well with food and drinks. They’re also flavorless, meaning you’ll enjoy CBD without a “hempy” taste.

Like its full and broad-spectrum cousins, just place the desired dose of isolate into your coffee and stir.

Other CBD Products

You don’t have to make CBD coffee to consume CBD with caffeine – even though it’s arguably the best option. But if you’re not a fan of mixing CBD oil with your chosen roast, you can always get your cannabidiol from other sources.

Colorado Botanicals, one of the leaders in the CBD industry, carries a wide variety of CBD products, including broad-spectrum CBD gummies and CBD softgels that you can take with your morning coffee.

But is it safe, effective, or any different from CBD coffee? Let’s look at some common options.

Can I take Caffeine Pills with CBD Oil?

Yes, you can take caffeine pills with CBD oil. The effects will be identical to consuming CBD with coffee.

Can I Vape CBD and Drink Morning Coffee?

Yes, you can vape CBD and drink morning coffee. However, vaped CBD doesn’t pass through the liver. Consequently, its effects are short-lived compared to CBD oil.

Summary: CBD and Coffee Takeaways

Given the beverage’s popularity, it makes sense to create CBD-infused coffee. Not all substances mix well with cannabidiol, but caffeine and CBD seem to get along.

Arguably the biggest advantage of CBD-infused coffee is its natural counterbalance. If you mix CBD and coffee, odds are you’ll experience all the benefits without the unpleasant side effects of caffeine.

So next time you want some CBD in your cup of coffee, don’t think twice. Not only do you get a better caffeine-like effect, but you support your health in the process.

Sources

AI Global Media. (n.d.). Things You Need to Know About Cbd and Coffee. Global Health & Pharma. Retrieved September 9, 2021, from https://www.ghp-news.com/things-you-need-to-know-about-cbd-and-coffee/.

Cornelis, M. C., Erlund, I., Michelotti, G. A., Herder, C., Westerhuis, J. A., & Tuomilehto, J. (2018). Metabolomic response to Coffee consumption: Application to a three-stage clinical trial. Journal of Internal Medicine, 283(6), 544–557. https://doi.org/10.1111/joim.12737

Drell, C. (2018, August 16). How Hard Should We Lean into This Whole Cbd Coffee Trend? Marie Claire. https://www.marieclaire.com/health-fitness/a22730075/cbd-oil-in-coffee/.

Hasenoehrl, C., Storr, M., & Schicho, R. (2017). Cannabinoids for treating inflammatory bowel diseases: Where are we and where do we go? Expert Review of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 11(4), 329–337. https://doi.org/10.1080/17474124.2017.1292851

Schumacher, M. (2020, May 29). What are the Benefits of Mixing Cbd and Coffee? Chicago Tribune. Https://www.chicagotribune.com/Marijuana/Sns-Benefits-of-Mixing-Cbd-Coffee-20200529-twtozpiba5advdz4yz76a7kwfm-Story.html.

U.S. National Library of Medicine. (2021, July 2). Caffeine. MedlinePlus. Retrieved September 9, 2021, from https://medlineplus.gov/caffeine.html.

The post CBD and Caffeine: The Benefits of CBD Coffee appeared first on Colorado Botanicals.

from Kylie Westing https://cobocbd.com/cbd-and-caffeine/

[peter-horrocks]

Inside France review of 2020

People around the world will be thinking that 2020 has been the most testing and unpredictable of years in our lifetime. Yet despite the turmoil, for some it was a good year, though undoubtedly tinged with a sense of sadness, bewilderment as to how insensitive and selfish many humans can be and admiration for how amazing many people are too. On a personal front this was a good year in many ways, though my perspective is not your average as the previous year I was fighting a battle with cancer and practically anything is better than that.

“Real generosity toward the future lies in giving all to the present.” Albert Camus

My best photo of 2020 taken on a bike ride up the Gorge du Loup near Grasse

The obvious dominant subject of 2020 was Covid 19 and I have great empathy for those adversely affected and directly involved. The virus popped up out of no-where and its impact has been incessant ever since. When I first became aware of it I asked my physiotherapist what she thought and if her son who was working in Tokyo was concerned. “Oh Corona, comme la bierre, boff!!” was her flippant reply. And I think that is where most people were at.

I’ve read a number of good books about the plague and how it spread, including Ken Follet’s brilliant World Without End and more recently I enjoyed the French classic La Peste by Albert Camus, French version. Transmission is key and human habits are why it spreads and our inability to adapt and accept change are our shortcomings, poor governance adds frustration. Thank goodness there are also those we acclaim as heroes too. It is so difficult battling an unseen entity which affects some badly but not others and which adapts too, as we all know now.

Home made mask

The media feeds on it and frankly, if I had a euro for every time I’ve seen a cotton bud thrust up someone’s nose on the news (what is news about that!!!) my pockets would be bulging, and of course now its needles in the arm time. Everyone’s become an expert or they’ve chosen to be ostrich’s and stuck their head firmly in the sand, and you can’t blame them really. The tension is palpable when it comes to masks in places where they are obligatory, I can’t help feeling angry when I see people not wearing them or with their noses poking out, as they often seem to have that smug look about them, like they are sooo independent-minded. It frustrates me to feel judgemental but its that wilful selfish thing that makes me angry, that sullen unwillingness to be part of the collective, as if we could survive regardless as an island, though obviously, we wouldn’t last a minute.

We’ve all been finding our way of coping and for some, it is much more difficult than others. At first, it was almost amusing to find oneself running from the back end of the apartment to the front balcony and back, repeat, for an hour in an effort to keep fit during tight confinement. We exchanged improvised mask ideas; I had a ski snood with a coffee filter stuffed down it! Initially, we were told the masks didn’t really work. The truth was they didn’t have enough of them and even worse here in France they had recently binned the reserve stock, so they were trying to hide their embarrassment. In fairness, that apart, the French government seem to have handled managing the virus relatively well so far though now there are vaccination issues aggravated by a vaccine sceptic population and slow bureaucracy.

There was something marvellous about discovering how well you could keep connected with friends and loved ones through WhatsApp video in particular. I hadn’t felt so connected to my elder brother living in South Africa ever. But when he died of a heart attack out walking in the hills with his friends over there the reality hit hard. A big delay in getting him back to the UK, a bigger delay for his wife to follow on and no opportunity to share in the grieving in the direct company of my family. There were seven of us brothers and sisters and I am by far the youngest, it is sad, strange and destabilising being down to six.

Additional anxiety was for my younger daughter who is a recently qualified doctor as is the man in her life. Both were having a small break before taking up their proper postings in the summer. They were enjoying hiking in the wilds of Scotland and a holiday with family in Asia and looking forward to more carefree travel after so many years of medical studies. They both bravely and unselfishly volunteered to work in one of the worst Covid affected hospitals in the UK. Heavily involved with the thankless task of informing families of their loss by video conference and in the testing of the recently approved Oxford vaccine, they were literally in the thick of it. Within two weeks of starting as volunteers, they both caught the virus, thankfully not badly and after an isolation period, they were straight back onto the wards. They have both taken up their proper posts now, in London, as the third wave comes crashing through. Understandably they are tired and don’t want to talk about it, it is very difficult, especially for them.

My elder daughter got caught up in things too. She was on a humanitarian posting in Nepal when the outbreak struck and only got out on the last plane to leave Kathmandu for the UK. Having a day off she had gone hang gliding in the morning, a first for her, an amazing thrill, she had just sent me photographs showing her flying, of stupendous views of the local lake and the Annapurna mountain range. Only to return and be told she had to pack and leave immediately. The next photo was of a night-time, deserted, frightening-looking Kathmandu where she managed to find one of the last hotels still open, a rough one. To say I was relieved when she got home and met up at the airport with her sister who similarly got the last plane out of Shri Lanka is an understatement. Thankfully, she managed to see out the first wave and much of the summer with the family of her friend who owns a nice property in the countryside near the sea, well away from it all.

Kathmandu in lockdown taken by my daughter

My anxiety and personal need were a desire to help them. Being stuck here in France and relatively at risk myself my options were limited. My main concern was for their mental health as my guess was that Covid was likely to affect everybodies. Shortly after my cancer treatment, my French wife’s sister gave me a couple of books by a French author, meditation master and philosopher Fabrice Midal. One was an introduction to meditation for westerners, non-religious and based on attention, more of an awakening and relevant to actually living life actively, not at all mind closing and definitely not relaxation. I found it very wise and tried the meditation in addition to my gentle yoga which is for my relaxation when I’m not out for a walk, playing football or cycling up a mountain. I still meditate and have found it fascinating, paying attention to the functioning of the most important thing of all, the one we nearly all neglect, the brain. Its no cure for anything but I found it a good exercise and felt it may help my girls.

Meditation book by Fabrice Midal, in french.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t exist in English. So I contacted the author and asked if he would mind me translating it, explaining that I thought it would help my daughters. To my surprise, he promptly replied and agreed saying he could probably then use it to publish it online. So, I set about translating it and explained what I was doing to my daughters and the eldest volunteered to proofread. Its nearly done and I can say that my eldest daughter found it very helpful and the youngest has at least read some of it. I had never translated a whole book before and I found it an interesting experience especially as a philosopher weighs his words and each one counts. Fabrice Midal appears regularly on French television as he is one of the country’s leading philosophers and authors. I have read a fair bit of Greek philosophy and have always had some interest in the subject as I find it helps make sense of life, up to now I was not aware of any contemporary philosophers worth reading. I have found him to be a real ray of light, someone I can relate to and admire and learn from. I think he deserves to be read more throughout the world; he is a man of the moment in my opinion. I never thought I’d see the day when I would sit on a meditation cushion, I don’t buy into the way most of it is practised at all, but I’m glad to have found one that suits me and I’m very glad to have been able to help my daughters if only in a small way.

Brexit end game After an anxious wait it's done and dusted, well nearly. I have made my permanent residency application, which was relatively simple and not too onerous, and I have a holding number and a statement that my rights in France continue as before. The only problem is a final processing delay of at least three months so still waiting to cross the t’s and dot the i’s when the administration is ready.

The mood in France Given the circumstances its not too bad and whist the government has its detractors they are less visible due to the various constraints at the moment and the more pressing business of dealing with the Covid crisis. There is moaning when things are obviously wrong but there does seem to be reactivity too as well as a good degree of solidarity, responsibility and helpfulness.

Best cultural moments Well, there haven’t been any as everything is shut and even when a few things like cinemas were open there was nothing much good on and certainly nothing worth risking being indoors with other people.

First day on the beach at Fréjus after lockdown number one

Best experience Stepping back out onto the football pitch in Saint Cezaire-Sur-Siagne was enormous for me. During my cancer treatment, I never thought I would be able to play football again. It’s a very simple thing kicking a ball around with fellow human beings, but I’ve always loved it to bits. Also in between lockdowns we managed to get down to the beach at Fréjus a couple of times in the morning when there were few people around and it was a real tonic to be able to enjoy the sea and sun, it was equally uplifting to be able to ride up into the mountains on my bike occassionally though hard getting the muscles going again each time.

Looking down towards the Gorge du Loup

Precious family moments The top was a visit from my elder daughter who managed to stay with us for a couple of weeks before getting back to the UK on the last flight before the second lockdown. A huge pickup, I enjoyed catching up with her work teaching online and coaching and being able to be there for her as well as visiting some nice places outdoors, especially the observatory at Caussols. 

And we also managed a lovely stay in a chalet in the high French Alps at Les Menuires in August along with my French wife’s daughters, son in law and five grandchildren, the sun shone on the verdant valley by day and the stars lit up our evening walks up the mountain, it was quite magical and great fun, I felt privileged to be part of it.

Selling my Dordogne property

I’ve finally given up on the idea that I might do something with my property in the Dordogne one day, so I’m selling it. It is composed of a beautiful big barn which I had re-roofed and opened some window openings at the start of a conversion (which I had planning for, now lapsed, but easy to re-new). Also a ruined small farmhouse. There is electricity and water but no drains (I did get permission for a septic tank but we never got round to installing it). Both are set on 1 hectare of land, mainly secluded, just one neighbour masked by trees and bushes on my side. 3km from the village of Montagrier near Périgueux. Price is 120,000 euros. If you know anyone who might be interested please let me know.

Classic 2cv It has been very enjoyable working with Classic 2cv again this year. We have brought lots of rusting old parts back to life and supplied enthusiasts far and wide with the means to keep their charming old French cars on the road. I have learned a lot and continue to grow in experience on the classic car front. Oddly its thrived during lockdowns as folk have channelled their time and energy into restoration of their cars.

So, as we head into the new year after a year like no other, the future looks uncertain, climate change and a biodiversity crisis are looming large in addition to the Covid virus. It feels important to survive, work, make the most of things, care about loved ones and to try and help.

Best wishes

Peter H

[complexion-me]

Interview : Dr Anjali Mahto, Dermatologist

Dr. Anjali Mahto is a UK-trained consultant dermatologist. Her medical training took place in South Wales, where she also obtained a degree in Pharmacology. She completed higher specialist training in dermatology in a competitive London rotation. During this time, she gained experience in some of the UK’s leading teaching hospitals including Imperial College Healthcare and the Royal Free Hospital, Hampstead.

1) Who or what inspired you to be a dermatologist?

I have had a long history of my own skincare issues – eczema as a child which still flares intermittently, chronic acne, urticaria, and polymorphic light eruption to name a few.  My interest in skin has largely come from learning to manage my own battles, particularly with acne, which has been part of my life since my teenage years. People often underestimate the psychological distress that having and living with a visible skin condition can cause.

Unfortunately, many skin problems continue to be stigmatised and can have profound effects on one’s mental health.  For chronic skin disease i.e. those which can be controlled but not cured, even if the skin problem is going through a “good” phase, sufferers still live with the unpredictability of when flare-ups will next occur.  Being able to work as a dermatologist but see things from both the perspective of a doctor and a patient significantly impacts my medical practice and approach to my work.

2) You've recently came up with your own book 'The Skincare Bible'. Could you tell us more about it?

The Skincare Bible is a complete guide to how to look after your skin. The book covers the medical side of skincare – including the commonly diagnosed skin conditions such as acne and rosacea – as well as the available cosmetic treatments, and also the best day-to-day routines to keep your skin healthy and in its best shape! It’s intended for everyone, so each section discusses what you need to know regarding the different skin types, colours and ages. This is exactly what I see daily in my clinics, and in fact the approach is very similar to how I actually run consultations with my patients. So although all the material represents the latest in dermatological science, the tone is quite informal, so it’s approachable and informative for the non-specialist. Actually, it was a lot of fun to write for that reason!

3) Dermatologists are often on the frontline when it comes to diagnosing polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Could you shed some light on the condition and how it affects skin?

PCOS is a common hormonal condition with estimates suggesting it affects 8% of women of reproductive age.  It is characterised by irregular periods, blood tests which show high levels of “androgen” hormones, and a scan which shows large numbers of follicles or fluid filled sacs in the ovaries.  You need to tick a number of boxes before you can be diagnosed with this condition and it can take time to gather information about symptoms and combine this information with bloods tests and an ultrasound scan if needed.

Dermatologists often see PCOS in their clinics as there are a number of skin changes associated with it. Sometimes, the diagnosis has already been made and we manage the skin aspect; other times, the patient is troubled with a specific skin issue, which a dermatologist then flags and investigates further to make the diagnosis.

Skin manifestations of PCOS can be lumped together into two main categories:

1.    hyperandrogenism - acne, hirsutism, hair loss

Hyperandrogenism relates to raised levels of hormones known as androgens. It is diagnosed on hormonal blood tests. Raised androgen levels result in a number of changes to the skin and hair:

·     Hirsutism refers to increased hair growth in a “male” pattern.  Women with hirsutism often notice increased hair on the the upper lip, chin, around the nipples, chest, back and lower abdomen.  Upto 60% of women with hirsutism have underlying PCOS.

·     Acne can be another common sign of PCOS if it is persistent, starts for the first time in adult-hood or is resistant to treatment with conventional therapies.  Studies show that 19-37% of women with moderate or severe acne will meet the criteria for PCOS.

·     Alopecia - PCOS can result in hair loss affecting the scalp - often in the central “parting” or at the sides near the temples.

2.    Insulin resistance

Insulin resistance occurs when the body’s cells become less sensitive to the hormone insulin resulting in raised blood sugar levels. In PCOS, insulin resistance can result in thickening and darkening of the skin in areas such as the arm pits or nape of the neck (acanthosis nigricans).  It also predisposes to weight gain, stretch marks, and skin tags.

Dermatologists often advise a number of methods to control the skin and hair signs of PCOS.  The common methods we have at our disposal include anti-androgen tablets such as cyproterone and spironolactone, isotretinoin for stubborn acne, metformin for insulin resistance, waxing and laser hair removal for hirsutism and lifestyle measures for weight management to reduce insulin resistance.

4) Accutane often gets a bad rep in the media. Do you think about this drama-ridden medication?

Isotretinoin (accutane or roaccutane) has received significant negative media attention in the press.  In my opinion, this is a real shame and can often create unnecessary fear.  The medication is safe and effective in expert hands when prescribed by a consultant or board-certified dermatologist. Like every medication, it has potential side-effects but close monitoring and weighing up its risks and benefits are important.  On a personal note, I have taken the drug and wouldn't hesitate to do so again if the need arose.

5) What exactly is good skincare?

Good skincare to me means a routine which is both cost-effective and time-effective.  I want products which deliver results but equally do not take me a huge chunk of my day to apply. As a result, there are a number of active ingredients I think we can all benefit from incorporating into our routine.  These include a good broad-spectrum SPF, an AHA (e.g. glycolic acid), and a vitamin A based product (retinoid).  If these are used regularly, I would also suggest adding in a vitamin C antioxidant serum (ideally L-ascorbic acid minimum 10-15%).

6) What are the top three most common skin care myths we should know about?

·      Pores do not open and close. Pores are simply the openings of our hair follicles and their size is often genetically determined.  They do not have muscles around them allowing them to constrict (or become smaller) or dilate (get bigger).  Products can reduce the appearanceof pore size (e.g. chemical peels, retinoids, lasers) but not change their actualsize.

·      Drinking 7 glasses of water in a day will not reduce wrinkles.  Whilst drinking water is an important part of your general health, drinking more does not magically plump up the skin reducing wrinkles.  On that note, drinking more water will also not “flush out toxins” from your  skin and reduce acne either.

·      Facial mapping for acne has no scientific evidence to back it up.  The concept suggests that acne in a certain part of your face is linked to a body issue elsewhere e.g. forehead acne related to digestive issues.  Acne occurs on the face, chest and back simply because this is where we have the highest density of oil producing glands.  Facial mapping shold be treated with caution.

7) As a dermatologist, what are your favourite desert island beauty products?

As I have always struggled with acne and break-outs, I’ve always tried to draw attention to my eyes to take away from my skin.  There are three things I would need to take away with me: Sunscreen (obviously!), mascara (Laura Mercier full blown in black) and NARS creamy concealer.

For someone just starting to think about injectables and lasers, what is your best advice as to how to choose the right procedures?

Medical treatments such as injectables and laser therapies can produce excellent results when done by an expert.  Unfortunately, neither of these types of treatments are well-regulated so practitioner selection is vital.  I would suggest a number of things to bear in mind:

·      credibility of the medical professional (especially with injectables) – what training do they have in these treatments? Are they a member of a professional body e.g. in tne UK – are they a member of the British Cosmetic Dermatology Group or British College of Aesthetic Medicine?  Ask the question – anyone that is properly training will be open and willing to tell you  about their expertise.  Do not get lured into cut-price deals.  Enquire how long they have been doing these treatments.

·      Word of mouth – have they treated friends, familiy, neighbours?  Does your family practitioner or GP suggest them?

·      Recommendations and online reviews – this is a tricky area as reviews can often be faked but if there are overwhelmingly a large number of positive reviews this can be helpful.

·      Do they have any further online presence? What is their social media like?  Do you like their approach?  Does their ethos fit with what you are looking for?  Or do they come across like they are trying to go for the hard sell?

·      With injectables, this is more of a controversial one but I would also suggest looking at the person who is doing the injecting.  Do they look “overdone” themselves?  If yes, this could be a sign they have lost their “aesthetic eye”.  When injectables are done well, they shouldn't look obvious. Natural results are key.

8) You're the definition of looking good while doing what you do. How do you stay inspired and empowered to make that happen every day?

This is a really kind statement – thank you.  To be honest, when you have suffered with a significant skin problem in your early adolescent years, there are still times it can be difficult to realise you still aren’t stuck in that time or place.  If people tell me my skin is good, I often will still look in the mirror and see a 12-year old with severe acne and scarring – your brain often does not let you move on!  However, I think we can all get to a place where we are in control of our skin and that our skin does not control us.

How do I stay inspired and empowered?  There are a few key things that keep me grounded.  The first is that I truly enjoy what I do and am incredibly grateful for all the wonderful people I have met through my job as well as the opportunities which come with it.  Maintaining good personal relationships (good friends and family) and looking after my own health – both physical and mental – through regular exercise are extremely important to me.  Lastly, there are just things that I strongly believe that I feel I need to speak up about (issues around skin, gender, race).  These don't always make me popular as sitting on the fence can be so much easier.  But if we see things which are wrong and say nothing, the world will never change – hopefully for the better.

Credits

https://www.instagram.com/anjalimahto

https://twitter.com/dranjalimahto

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Skincare-Bible-No-Nonsense-Guide-Great/dp/0241309107

[husheduphistory]

Book of the Dead: A Oujia Board, a Claim, and Mark Twain

It's a thrilling moment for any author, the first time they can look into their hands and see an officially published copy of their work, ready to be unleashed for mass public consumption. Arriving at this moment can be hard-fought and visions of the outcome can be grand. Will be a best seller? Could it become a blockbuster film? Will this be the title to make them a household name and enter their work into the hallowed halls of classics?

But, there is another way it can turn that is filled with potential nightmares. Financial failure? Bad reviews? Accusations of plagiarism? All of these have the power to ruin an author but when Emily Grant Hutchings was accused of publishing someone else's ideas she was not surprised. In fact, she fully acknowledged that the story was not hers. According to her it was the a brand new offering from beloved American author Mark Twain who, according to Hutchings, fully supported her publishing his work. This was because he was unable to, he had been dead for seven years.

Emily Grant Hutchings was born in Hannibal, Missouri, the youngest of six to her doctor mother and minister father. She attended the local high school and returned there after college to teach multiple languages including Latin, Greek, and German. While she taught foreign language to her students, she also was a proficient writer in her own tongue and in August 1896 Hutchings moved to St. Louis, Missouri to take a position as a writer for the St. Louis Republic. The position was for only six months but while traveling to Memphis to gather information for an upcoming story Emily met Charles Edwin Hutchings. Charles was an admirer of her work, having enjoyed a piece she authored in June 1897 focusing on an interest they both shared, another writer from Hannibal Missouri named Samuel Clemens, better known as Mark Twain. By the time Emily was due to move back to St. Louis, she and Edwin were married.

Emily Grant Hutchings.

The Hutchings pair had the opportunity to meet their mutual figure of admiration in June 1902 when Twain came to St. Louis to address the Art Student's Association at a luncheon held in his honor. Mr. Hutchings wrote down the speech given by Twain and proceeded to send the author a copy of the words he spoke that afternoon. On June 12th Twain wrote back to Mr. Hutchings thanking him for the record stating "I ought to be very grateful to you for making that verbatim report and printing it, and I am." It was this letter that began a string of correspondence between Twain and both the Hutchings, a connection that may not have been overly enjoyed by Twain given a note written on an envelope from Emily where he scrawled simply, "Idiot! Preserve this.”

Samuel Clemens AKA Mark Twain.

When Mark Twain died on April 21, 1910 most of the world was forced to resign itself to the fact that one of its great literary minds was gone. But, there was a large number of people that raised the question ".....is he though?"

Beginning in the 1840s Americans became deeply enveloped in the practice of Spiritualism, a belief system that the spirits of those departed were not only present among the living, but were fully capable of communicating with them and evolving far beyond what their earthly selves ever could have dreamed. After experiencing such mass tragedies like the Civil War, the practice exploded with people desperate to make contact with those departed. A common tool used by Spiritualists were talking boards engraved with the letters of the alphabet and numbers which were selected with a planchette to form messages from the dead. In 1890 the Spiritualism field gained it's signature tool with the invention of the Ouija board.

Ouija board circa 1915.

With death being so abundant and often unpredictable it only made sense to the believers in Spiritualism that all those departed would still have something to say, or in some cases, unfinished work to complete. According to Emily Hutchings it was March 1915 when she was asked to attend a meeting for a "small psychical research society.” The scheduled speaker failed to show so the hostess asked another  woman named Lola V. Hays to entertain everyone with her talking board. To their amazement the spirit introduced itself to the group as none other than "Samuel L. Clemens, lazy Sam.” Being from his hometown, Emily was asked to say something but she fell silent. She later asked for another meeting with Hays and when the two again sat together some rules were laid out. Hays would have her hands placed on the planchette with her eyes closed while Hutchings recorded the messages coming through. Almost immediately Twain came through and he had a odd request, "I tried to write a romance once, and the little wife laughed at it. I still think it is good stuff and I want it written..." After a few minutes of exchanges Hutchings claims it was revealed that after many attempts at fining a living human to bring his unfinished work to life "a twenty-minute test with me seemed to convince him that in me he had found the negative side of the mysterious human mechanism for which he had been waiting.”

This last story that Mark Twain reached across the veil to write was entitled Jap Herron, the tale of Jasper James Herron, a boy born to a Missouri family after the Civil War. Born into poverty, Jasper James, nicknamed "Jap", finds himself under the wings of a well-to-do newspaper family and through many trials and tribulations, is able to find success and help revive his struggling town. The story is filled with the unique flavors and mannerisms found in Twain's other classics like The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, but the method through which this tale allegedly came to light was anything but familiar. 

According to Hutchings, the transmission from Twain through Hays was not a smooth process with Hutchings and her husband needing to modify the board to add punctuation, numerous chapter revisions, Twain expressing disgust with the type of tobacco being smoked by Mr. Hutchings during one session, and Twain scolding them "...don't try to correct my grammar. I know what I want to say. And, dear ladies, when I say d-a-m-n, please don t write d-a-r-n. Don t try to smooth it out. This is not a smooth story."

The story of Jap Herron was published in the fall of 1917 by book dealer Mitchell Kennerley and while the authorship was granted to Hutchings the full title of the work read "Jap Herron: A Novel Written From The Ouija Board" with a sketch of Twain placed next to the title page. Also included in the volume was an introduction entitled "The Coming of Jap Herron" where Hutchings described in detail how this last story of Mark Twain came to her through the talking board. 

The title page for Jap Herron.

The claim of a book written from beyond the grave should have raised immediate questions, but this was not the only book to do so. Only a year earlier in 1916 national attention was given to the book "Patience Worth: A Psychic Mystery" which was allegedly the collected writings of a spirit named Patience Worth that were dictated via Ouija Board to a woman named Pearl Curran, who just happened to be friends with Emily Hutchings. In the October 14th 1916 edition of the magazine Literary Digest the rumor of the upcoming postmortem book by Twain was mentioned with the quip

"Nearly everybody in St. Louis is monkeying with "weejie-boards" and talking to dead novelists! The call for the little heart-shaped things on wheels, known as ouija-boards by the elect, has sent prices shooting skyward, and shipments of them are coming to St. Louis from all over the country. Mark Twain is the latest author said to speak to those on earth by this unearthly means, and it is whispered there is discord among those spooks who are seeking possession of the mental pipe-lines to the mystic pointers.”

Once released, Jap Herron was not the recipient of kind words and the book review from the September 9th 1917 edition of the New York Times reported "If this is the best that 'Mark Twain' can do by reaching across the barrier, the army of admirers that his works have won for him will all hope that he will hereafter respect that boundary.” But, the strongest blow to Hutchings's release did not come from a book reviewer, but from Twain's daughter, Clara Clemens.

Clara Clemens.

Clemens, the Mark Twain estate, and publishing house Harper & Brothers had the sole rights to all of Mark Twain's work and the publication by Hutchings and Kennerly threw various wrenches into established copyright law. Could a dead person be recognized as an active author? If so, what about the copyright on Samuel Clemen's pen name "Mark Twain" which was also held by Harper & Brothers? Would it be legal if it was under the Clemens name? Twain was not listed as an author but having his picture alongside the title page and the detailed description of him communicating through Hutchings and Hays clearly pointed at his authorship of the work. Hutchings was backed into a difficult corner. The book's claim to fame (and sales) was that it was written by well-known author Mark Twain and not the relatively unknown Emily Hutchings. But, the more Hutchings and Kennerly stuck to the story that this was an original story by Mark Twain the stronger they made the case against themselves putting legal victory firmly in the hands of Clemens and Harper & Brothers. The Ouija board wielding authors simply had nowhere to turn.

Twain's publishers and Clemens, who in a February 1918 interview with the New York Times called the publication "silly, foolish, stupid, and crazy", filed a lawsuit with the Supreme Court on June 8th 1918 and requested that all copies of the book be prohibited from being sold and subsequently destroyed. The lawsuit became the talk of major newspapers with articles teeming with speculation. Would Hutchings be required to use the Ouija board in court? Could the spirit of Mark Twain be made a witness? Is spirit testimony valid in a court of law, especially the highest court in the land? While there were eagerly awaited answers for these questions, they would never get to be formerly asked. Before the case could ever get to a courtroom Hutchings and Kennerly agreed to quietly pull the book from further publication and most copies were destroyed.

One surviving copy of Jap Herron with missing dust cover.

The disappearance of Jap Herron from further publication accompanied the name Emily Grant Hutchings which quickly faded into obscurity. She never retracted her claims of having the work dictated to her by Mark Twain.

Today, physical copies of the book are rare and sell for large sums of money.

The text of Jap Herron can be read here 

[jasonwwf-blog]

Deliverable # 6 Concept Art

Team #22

Wai Fung, Wong 301217379

Title: Your life your story

Character design

Saul is the protagonist, he is an international student who is currently studying in Canada. He is an outgoing person who spends lots of time hanging out with friends. Although his life seems like a mess, and he does not believe in school, he likes to take opportunities to try out different challenges.

Stacy is a friend of Kelvin. They were studying at the same university. She spends most of her time reading books and reviewing her class materials. She is introverted, she does not actively seek friends during her university life because she thinks that friendship is not a priority in her stage of life. She does not want to waste time making friends while she can use the time to learn useful skills. She has no idea why she was attracted by Saul. From the moment she met him, she fell head over heels.

Kelvin is a friend to both protagonists. Kelvin and Saul start living together as roommates from the day they arrived Canada. He is a person full of ideas, and he likes helping like-minded people. Even though he is a person full of ideas of his own, he respects other people’s thoughts/ideas and admire those who try to pursue their dreams.

David is the antagonist in the narrative. He is very mature. His ability and work experiences are respected by other employees, not so much his personality.

Story world and sub-setting

- The coffee shop where Saul meets Stacy

- The interview room

- Saul’s Bedroom

- Street

This story is based on real life experience where people often learn from experience. The main theme of this play is the theme of courage where one needs to be able to do what they believe is right. The play is meant to enlighten the audience that life is a learning process and that for one to be able to develop, they need to take to take bold steps and go against what the society expects. The good thing about this play is that it shows that there are times when taking these bold steps may not be rewarding as people often expect. However, it also shows that failure is not fatal and that when one door closes another one often opens and we need to be ready to switch our attention to the newly opened door. In the current society, many people often shy away from taking risks, and those who take these risks often fail to learn something when they encounter failure. The most important thing in life is to learn from our past mistakes and to try and make something good out of what they perceive as failure.

Narrative or gaming elements

Each character in this play has a particular trait, and these play a huge role in defining the plot of the play. Saul, the main protagonist, is a person who is determined ambitious and at the same time rebellious. This is because he does what he thinks is right and this sometimes involves questioning the existing rules and standards set by the society. He questions the necessity of his studies and is unable to resist the urge of challenging the interviewer. Stacy, on the other hand, is the type of person who likes to live according to the societal expectations. She tries to convince her boyfriend to have a change of heart when it comes to his studies since she has been taught the importance of taking her studies seriously. When things between her and her boyfriend hit a rough patch, she decides to move on and starts dating someone else. The narrative is straight forward, and the audience is in a good position to guess the traits of the characters simply by monitoring their choice of actions and use of words. 

Interactivity & users role and point of view

The interactivity of this play is simple since the story is not complicated and the characters are also few. This, therefore, presents the audience is presented with various points of view. For one they can look at life through the eyes of Saul who believes that university education does not necessarily mean that one will be successful in life. This is the reason why he tells his girlfriend that he is sure he can succeed without finishing his studies.

Secondly one can look at the world through Stacy’s eyes. This is because Stacy can be compared to the type of person who believes that to succeed in life one has to follow the rules.

She is concerned when Saul tells her that he is not taking his studies seriously because he does not see its essence. She is also seen as a typical which is ready to cross the street in search for greener pastures because after she sees things not working out well with Saul, she starts seeing someone who can give her the type of life she desires.

The audience is also presented with the third-party point of view where they can easily make out the inner meaning of the play. By looking at this play from a third-party point of view, they can see that the real aim of this play is not only to entertain but to also motivate people to be ready take courageous steps in life and not to be afraid to question the authorities from time to time. The third-party point of view also allows people of view to look at the story differently and interpret it differently depending.

Interactivity: User Engagement

The play is designed in such a way that it keeps the audience guessing what is about to happen next due to its unpredictability. For instance, a normal story that often starts when a boy meets a girl often looks like a cliché since the audience can expect what will happen at the end of the end. However, this play defies these ethos as it takes a new plot where the boy and the girl end up being a part at the end, and the boy who was expected to either fail miserably or succeed tremendously ends up joining politics where he is free to object and query whatever he feels is not right. This unpredictability is thus enough to warrant the audience to invest their time in the play.

Users can engage in the story through the interactive video. Audience will be able to participate in two different story lines. Users can pick one option that will lead them to the different respective story lines. After the introduction at the beginning of the video and some background information about the characters, the users will be led to choose which path they would like to enter(whether the girl fell in love with the boy right in the beginning or not). When the users has pick an option, the story will start to unfold.

Medium and platform

I will use social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter to help create the necessary public attention. In these platforms, we will post some of the catchy phrases of the play and some photos which will help attract the attention of the target group. The video will also be posted on our Facebook page, and Twitter handles. The benefit of using these social media platforms is the fact that many people can easily see the video and we can get comments from our audience and thus we have the chance to converse with them. We will also post the videos on our YouTube channel and on sites like Vimeo so that people from other parts of the world can freely watch the play. To be able to generate finances from our video we will monetize our account so that when people want to watch our video, they will have to watch a twenty-second advert first before they can watch the performance.

Overview of premise and purpose

The premise of the story is to encourage the youth to be risk takers and open minded when it comes to life. In the recent past, the number of school dropouts has decreased since students have seen the importance of completing their studies before joining the corporate world. However, there are so many stories of people who dropped out of school to pursue their dream. Some of these drop outs succeeded while others ended up regretting their choices. The story is also aimed at encouraging people that if at first, you don’t succeed one should just continue trying.

In a nutshell, this interactive work is aimed at teaching the youth that the easiest way in life is through education, however, it is important to try and follow your dreams. In most cases, some of the dreams often entail using our talents more like in sports. To be able to follow your dreams one needs the courage to do what people do not expect of them. For instance, Saul is the type of person who likes to question everything around him, he questions the value of education, and he even challenges his interviewer. At first, he does not succeed, but after a couple of tries, he eventually becomes a senator which suits his nature.

Features and intended Audience

My primary target audience is the youth aged between 18 and 25 years because is at this stage where most of them often try to define their career paths especially the boys. This play advocates for the youth to be able to be wise when choosing the courses they intend to pursue in future. This is because making a wrong choice of career often ends up making many students to question the value of what they learn in class since their passions lie somewhere else. The second thing being advocated by the play is for the youth to remember that failure is neither final nor fatal and one should never give up trying because it is hard to know when we will finally find what we have been looking for. Lastly, it advocates on the need to be true to one self and for onto be courageous when fighting what they believe is right even if it means questioning the people who don’t like to be questioned.