Diabetes-Not So Sweet After All.

By Louise Weeks


George, a typical, elderly man sitting in his chair.


Photographs of family in the South of France beam from behind the glass of photo frames. Unrecognizable artwork done by grand children that resembles abstract art, decorates one wall. No doubt these items adorn your grand-parent’s home, these possessions make George Bullock and his wife Rose appear to be a normal, elderly couple. Piles of doctor’s prescriptions are kept in a disordered arrangement on the living room table. Tangerine and mud coloured pill bottles opened and unopened, are scattered across the majority of surfaces in the house. This is the only indication that they are not a normal elderly couple.

“I would like to see my wife’s face again, it is the one thing I truly miss”.

What makes this couple, in particular George Bullock so different, is the severity of the diabetes they have. George knows more than anyone the cruelty that diabetes can inflict upon its sufferer. Ten years ago George became blind, an affliction which has dulled his wife Rose’s face. The one thing he wishes he could see again. He squeezed his wife’s hand in a silent recognition of affection between them and mumbled “I would like to see my wife’s face again, it is the one thing I truly miss”.

If in another cruel twist of fate, in 2009 from an ulcer growth on his foot George was admitted into hospital, near death, with his organs gradually shutting down from the poison circulating his body. This traumatic episode lasted nine months, in this time George was confined to his bed. Due to the length of his confinement, his leg muscles deteriorated and he was unable to walk. Furrowing his grey, bushy eyebrows he commented with a tone of urgency, as if he was desperate not to relive the experience. “It was terrible, I couldn’t breathe properly, and I had an ulcer on my foot that they couldn’t heal, I thought I was going to die”.

In hospital George had three operations and a skin graft. The first two operations were a failure, whereas the skin graft and third operation, as I am told, were a success. However when I looked down at his two bandaged feet, that were barely visible, and still swollen, I couldn’t help but question how much of a success the operation had been. Before me sat a man in his wheelchair shrunken by the operations and ravages of diabetes, when in his youth, George had been a commanding presence. Only the slight feistiness in his voice echoed this once overpowering persona.


George sitting in his wheelchair with nothing but time to fill his days.

George’s poor quality of life made my composure falter slightly when I asked about his life since coming out of hospital. He replied with no sadness, but acceptance that he does not have “a very good one, because all I do is sit in a wheelchair all day”. It sounded like any lingering vitality for life George felt had disappeared. Just like his ability to walk properly.

“I feel afraid for my children, because I wouldn’t wish this disease on anyone”

When asked about his dependency on his wife he searched for her hand that was right next to him. This was also where she had remained throughout the interview, at his side. George talked with a bitter tone regarding his dependency on his wife, as if the burden was upon him rather than his wife. “It’s awful, because to have someone look after you all the time, it’s not fair”. The way he had his hands folded neatly over his chest, and the slightly upward tilting of his chin made it obvious that George was a very proud man. This confession of weakness was clearly difficult for him to admit.

Looking at a magazine lying open on the coffee table in front of George, it reminded me of the various diabetes campaigns that I had seen. All of the advertisements I had seen had failed to capture the seriousness of the condition. Where was the sufferer’s with stumps where a foot should be exhibiting the extreme repercussions of this condition? I felt overwhelming sense of annoyance growing as I thought more, and more, about this. I asked George whether he thought that Diabetes was taken as seriously as it should be, and what he would say to those people. He replied with unprecedented fierceness that made his voice shake with the strength he was embedding in every word. “People should know that diabetes is serious, because its life threatening, you can die with it”. Until people like George are used in these campaigns of awareness I can’t help but feel that diabetes will continue to be portrayed as a mild condition. A condition that only discomforts it sufferer’s slightly. Rather than something that completely alters the sufferer’s life.

Looking off to one side, George looks as if he is trying to locate a point or place in time that he cannot see. He stares off at the bare, magnolia, painted wall. Trying to see a time when diabetes may be considered more of a serious condition, than it is by most people now. George cannot see five centimetres in front of him, let alone five years into the future. This concern with the future is something that seems to be bothering George as his brow furrows in thought, maybe worry. Finally after a long moment of silence, he expresses that which has kept him silent, by saying with a hushed voice, barely audible “I feel afraid for my children, because I wouldn’t wish this disease on anyone”. Leaving George and Rose I was left with a less than sweet feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Further Links:
Diabetes Uk- http://www.diabetes.org.uk.
NHS Diabetes- http://www.diabetes.nhs.uk.
Diabetes Support Group- http://www.diabetessupport.co.uk.
Information and Diagnosis- http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/common/diabetes/basics/327.html.

A Day in the Life of...A Mechanic

The mechanic was chosen as the focus of the collection of photos because of the admirable nature that is embedded in his work routine, and the importance to draw attention to a person whose selflessness goes unnoticed , because of its roots in common practice. The intended message of this photo essay is to convey the hardships this man endures such as the cold and dirty conditions in order to provide for his family, and how his routine even though considered normal is very admirable.

The angle of the photo between the bars, in which the mechanic is centered between them, was created to imply that he is imprisoned by his job, as the bars resembled those of a prison cell, in addition the stripes and pools of light which were created with the bars complemented the imprisonment image. The photo filter on this image was adjusted to add an orange tint to the photo this was done to add brightness to the image, to complement the plain expression on his face to imply that he is at ease with his job and his environment, despite being under a car.

This photo was staged with the intention of creating some variety in his position, by having him lying down as opposed to standing up; similarly the camera angle was taken so that the mechanic was raised above it slightly to convey that despite his vulnerable position that he is powerful and proud. To create a dark image the mechanic was placed under the car to make the photo appear darker in order to communicate a feeling of restriction with the dark lighting and car on top of him. All colour was taken from this photo and replaced in black and white. so it matches the rest of the collection. The photo was cropped to get rid of the feet and draw further attention to the mechanic. Another change to the photo was the decreasing of the brightness by 108% and the increase of contrast by 100%, this was done to add more clarity to the photo, as before the image appeared fuzzy.

The angle of this photo was taken so that the camera was looking down on the mechanic whilst he was on the phone to give an insight into the relationship of power between the mechanic and his customers, in which he is powerless, the muted lighting in the office also shows the lack of power because it created a softness to his face. The colour of the photo has been taken away and replaced with black and white to match the rest of the collection, creating unity. The image has also been cropped cutting off the background in order to ensure that the mechanic is the clear focus of the picture.

This image was staged because it can be argued that it was interesting to show in a backdrop of metal a delicate disposition to the mechanic through his crouched position whilst he ate, this was done to show his modesty respectability. The camera angle was positioned so that it was level with his position to convey modesty; the mass of light on him was used to complement the modest look. This image has been cropped to eliminate the car parts on the right so that it creates an interesting geometric element to the photo, with vertical lines in the background , and only a hint of curves from the car parts on the right . This picture has also been converted into black and white to match the rest of the collection.

To create a sense of perspective, in which the shot started off looking wide and narrowed gradually, was created by photographing from a great distance from the subject, so that the position of the car and the wall created a natural narrowing effect. To get a darker image the subject was placed at the back of the workshop where it was darker, to create a feeling of sincerity. This picture was not staged because the mechanic looked awkward when he tried to pose, therefore when left to act naturally he looked more at ease. The contrast was increased by 92% and the brightness was decreased by 30% using photo shop, this was done to add more clarity to the picture and highlight the darker tones and white. This effect was created to show the duality of the workplace , as it can be considered both a strenuous hardship and a positive method of providing for a family.

The photo was taken so that it captured a dark space of the workshop with light spilling through the door, this lighting was used to create a duality between hope and hopelessness, this impression was further created by using a wide shot to capture the varying light in the room. The brightness was decreased by 27% to make the workshop appear darker, this technique was used to imply that the workshop is an unpleasant place to be in , and that outside lies the promise of happiness when he leaves , which is conveyed by the light filtering through the door , another effect highlighted by this alteration.

A Day in the Life of....A Mechanic

The mechanic was chosen as the focus of this collection of photos because of the admirable nature that is embedded in his work routine, and the importance to draw attention to a person whose selflessness goes unnoticed, because of its roots in common practice. The intended message of this photo essay is top convey the hardships this man endures such as the cold and dirty conditions in order to provide for his family , and how his routine even though considered normal is very admirable.

Adama Smith Vs John Maynard Keynes

Finally! Economics that I can mentally grasp without the creation of a mind numbing migraine. However all of this doesn't help in understanding the credit crunch. The theories that are about to be discussed are either labelled as localised or national, by this I mean that the ones I have deemed localised do not seem to consider the nation as a whole, instead they seem more suitable for small populated areas, not necessarily urban, whereas the national are suitable to be adopted by all. Adam Smith it can be argued, who represented the classical economic branch, had some valid points such as economic success is determined by sun spots and trade, this makes sense as it infers production conditions and distribution play key roles, however this perspective seems like it is best suited locally, as individual areas conditions are only considered, and important factors like money are only considered tokens. This shows that only small scale things are considered, whereas John Maynard Keynes ideals seemed best suited nationally as it had principals that were not dictated by area, and could be controlled by all regardless of the poor or high trade channels in certain areas or high or low productivity. Keynes believed that money was good for the economy and that the market should not control the value of money; that its should be set by the government who effect it by spending money, thereby effecting interest rates.

Von Hyak on the other hand can be placed into another category it can be suggested that he falls into the more practical group, rather than the academic theorists, as his approach to economics was dominated by a form of area planning, for example if a road was to be built it would be considered how many people live in that area, therefore how many people may use it. This seems like a very good idea as it implies that economics should be interchangeable and adapt to suit all areas.

Upon researching this topic the names mentioned above seemed the architects of economics, however a name not mentioned in the lecture was Thomas Robert Malthus, who agreed with Keynes by claiming that in order to stimulate the economy and generate jobs money must be spent, if money is saved it will cause high unemployment. I just thought I would mention this as it seems like they are from similar schools of thought, and I felt the need to impart some wisdom before I finished this blog.

The Vienna Circle/ logical positivism

A lot of heavy concepts to grasp, especially after the Easter break, when most people have let their minds lapse into laziness. However one thing in particular interested me the most, which was the 'law of non contradiction', which is the law of logic which states that something cannot be and not be at the same time. Confusing stuff. Upon researching this concept I discovered some stuff not discussed in the lecture, which I think may be relevant, so I will disclose this to you now. There are another two laws closely associated with this: the law of bivalence, which says something is either true or false, whereas the law of the excluded middle is similar but states that if something isn't true then its opposite is, this law can also be logical or in semantic form. Three laws which seem very similar, however they dictate the form of an answer, I can see how this relates to journalism as it focuses on the validity of a statement, which is what journalism does, and what we as journalists have to do.
Aristotle's argument on this subject is interesting, however I disagree, he stated that if we did not consider the law of non contradiction that we would not be able to distinguish differences, but I find this to be a little condescending, as everything has some form of duality, white and dark, life and death, surely through natural observation this can be learnt, I think the law of non contradictions is more suited to a form of arguments or debate, not something as simple as distinguishing the difference between a metal table or a wooden one.

It is also important to note that this subject is closely associated with religion, which is what accompanied it in my numerous Internet searches on the subject.

Gonzo journalism assignment: Bordon and Whitehill residents weren't seduced by the words of Damian Hinds.

The hall where the local conservative Mp for East Hampshire was about to hold a conference for the residents of Bordon and Whitehill was partially bare, with chairs only filling half of the hall. At the front there was a table and chair ready for the guest speaker, with a conservative campaign poster propped up against the table leg, other than that there was no conservative campaign posters to be seen. Placed on all of the chairs were leaflets, on one side depicting David Cameron and a quote, and on the other side five bullet points telling the reader what they intend to do. The residents attending the meeting were all greying, wrinkled and noticeably disgruntled. Damian Hinds entered the hall with a confident stride, shaking hands and introducing himself to every single person in the room, until he reached the table at the front of the room. A surprisingly youthful appearance was present on the Mp, with only a few traces of grey indicating his maturity; the formality of the meeting was shown through the sophisticated suit he wore. As he reached the front of the room he stared down perplexed at his watch and said: “let’s give it another five minutes, give others a chance”, despite this, ten minutes passed before he was forced to start the meeting. It was easy to detect the slight disappointment he felt at the number of people in the room, as in the minutes that were spent waiting for others to appear he mentioned that “at the meeting in Binstead there were not enough seats”, clearly he thought this would be the case today.
To re-establish the formality of the meeting Damian reintroduced himself with his political title included this time. Before he even started, he made a brief observation on the noise next door, as a constant thud could be heard, which was a blend of feet stamping on the floor and the prominent bass of music speakers, a woman shouting could also be heard during the intervals in the music. This prompted Damian to make a guess at the on going activity next door “it seems we are competing with an aerobics class next door” he added. To add structure and give a rough time guide of each segment of the talk he went on to outline the direction of the meeting stating that his approach was not to “waste time slagging off the labour party, which they seemed to be doing a lot of at the moment”. This joke to break the ice caused a wave of laughter through the room, melting the icy disposition of the meetings participants, transforming serious expressions into toothy grins, which after a minute or so transformed back into frosty stares. Through out this, he looked bold and enthusiastic, despite the grim faces of the local residents, who held his gaze unconcerned with his intimidating presence. However when he moved on to talk about the three key areas of the conservative manifesto his confidence seemed to falter, he was vague going into little detail and merely stating what they would change, but at no point did he mention how they would create these changes. Economic policy was the first thing he mentioned in which he said “We are opposed to the national insurance scheme that Labour is proposing” general nods of approval followed this comment. Then listing what they intended to change he stated “we will give help to small businesses, restrict child tax credits” he listed just a few points from the manifesto, with animated hand gestures, he did this for his topic on family, again listing what would be done. The final topic followed the same structure, but this time a sincere apology was embedded in the plans “we intend to restore people’s faith in politicians, and recover from the expenses scandal” he announced, to which he then added "that this will not happen again". A firm edge in his tone makes it clear that Damian is trying to distance not only himself, but others from being associated with the scandal. This seemed to increase the tension in the room, as this brief overview did not seem to inspire any confidence.
The main bulk of the meeting focused on the issue of turning Bordon and Whitehill into an Eco town. Damian started this topic off by stating that the armies plans to move out of the area provoked the plans and that the land was to be used for housing. This sparked outrage as the mutterings “not big enough” of the residents spread through the room, showing the general view was that the town was not big enough for this kind of development. The mention of a referendum by Damian helped to ease the distaste for the project as it offered some form of hope to those present that the plans may still fall through, to show his position on the matter he quickly announced, “I am in favour of a referendum”. However this offered no reassurance, an elderly gentlemen with thick rimmed glasses, a knitted green jumper that partially covered his brown trousers asked “what can you personally do about this”, to which Damian replied: “I personally can’t do anything about this, it is a decision made by the local council”. To try to settle the outbursts of droning “mmmm’s” he tried to reassure the less than impressed listeners with this statement “that only when the army moves out of Bordon and Whitehill will the Eco town be a possibility”.
Eyeing the clock at the back of the hall nervously his speech slowed, as he muttered in between his closing comments “I need to go”, to which he drew the meeting to a close before apologizing for his departure, thanking people as he power walked out of the hall to his next local meeting. The unsatisfied looks upon the faces of those vacating the building conveyed the impression that the promises made had not completely seduced them, and that doubts still remained surrounding the controversial issue of turning Bordon and Whitehill into an Eco town.

Wilhelm Reich's impact during the 60's and seventies on American culture

Unintentionally disturbing, some of the clinics patients enactments of their inner self's natural and baser instincts was rather comical, as they resembled that of a child playing monsters. The idea that by transforming yourself could result in a change in society and politics, is a plausible concept, because if you change yourself to become a more caring or less materialistic person, in order to better yourself, your political views may change from capitalist (materialistic and consumer driven) to communist as you have abandoned your old, more selfish character that embraced capitalism into someone who embraces equality. Now if this happened on a colossal scale it could lead to a dramatic change in society. However the idea that you can change or better yourself, by indulging in your less than respectable characteristics seems ludicrous to me, I prefer the German philosophical movement epistemology, which emphasizes that one must use experience to gain a sense of who they are, this it can be argued is a more positive method.
Another idea the documentary explored that I thought was a good plan, was the controlled confrontational group sessions between racist people, as this gives people the chance to voice their opinions, expel any negativity and resolve their problems. The fact that these sessions proved unsuccessful shocked me, because it gives people a chance to work through their differences in a safe environment, but I guess it didn't offer a method to undo prejudice. Perhaps I underestimated the power of hate?

Wilhelm Reich

How refreshing. After a semester in which Freud's theories dominated the course it was a welcoming change to learn the views of Wilhelm Reich, which countered those of Freud's. However the idea that the orgasm is the universal principle, which explains everything, is a view I strongly disagree with, I agree that the orgasm does propel most people's behaviour, but not everything can be reduced to this simple formula, for example how can you explain or reduce the September the eleventh terrorist attacks to this principle. It is my view that people are more complex than the way we are portrayed by Reich, with conflicting issues and uncertainty driving our actions rather than just desire, this gives a very primitive impression. In addition I found the debate about whether we should release our repression and unconscious, causing a division within my own mind, as both arguments are valid. I agree with the fact that we should rid ourselves of any inner turmoil as it regulates our well being, however, Freud's theory of the dangers of acting on our unconscious I agree with too, because if people acted on every impulse it could lead to random and constant acts of selfishness, which cannot be the dominant factor within a society, which is dependent on charity and compliance.
Finally the pairing of repression with a brief mention of dictatorship was a logical compliment to the topic, because it is the device used to establish control, and if you consider it the Nazis even used sexuality and child birth to create fear and control families, for instance the Nuremberg laws dictated who it was appropriate to marry and have relations with.

The Ascent by Larisa Shepitko

Once again due to the delights of food poisoning I missed the lecture and the screening, now trying to watch The Ascent online with subtitles was proving difficult, so my own observations of the film based on what I have read will have to suffice. The obvious connection I spotted was the biblical parallel which is shown when Rybak betrays Sotnikov and then tries to hang himself, because of the overwhelming guilt he feels at betraying his comrade, this to me mirrors the story of the last supper in The Gospel of Matthew, in which Jesus is betrayed by Judas of Iscariot who then commits suicide by hanging himself. This I thought was done to show the frailty of comradeship and loyalty, and the natural human instinct to do whatever is necessary to save ones self, this also reminded me of the issues brought up in Space Odyssey, which also looks at the things (war and violence) we resort to in order to preserve our own existence. I also thought the theme of betrayal, which I liked, was very unique in a World War two set film, as most portray an image of unfaltering loyalty between comrades.
A differing view on the biblical reference made in the film is that of Dave Kehr who states that it works on many deeper levels, but there is the presence of a redemption through suffering theme. This I do agree with, but because of the betrayal of a comrade is so out of place in a film like this I believe that this is the dominant reference, because it is almost like Shepitko wants it to deliberately stand out.

Counter culture and exsistentialism

Due to my erratic health I was unable to attend this lecture, however I will attempt to discuss the topic of the lecture to the best of my ability. First of all the subject of counter culture I found to be an easily understandable concept as there are examples of it in our own culture, for example the racial gangs in particular in London that fight for territory and hierarchy in terms of organised crime, this represents youth culture that goes against the established order of the labour party and shows more of liberal individualism.
I thought linking this concept to the sixties was a good example of this, as every aspect of the sixties represented this, for instance the anti Vietnam war protests went against America's capitalist image, as the protests in a way encouraged Communism and its right to be established, so that peace may be maintained. Finally the frequent drug use and hippy movement went against the American cultural ideal of the 'American Dream', as it encouraged people to be unproductive and lazy, stopping them from achieving great things with hard work and ambition.

Existentialism works with counter culture as it encourages people to follow their own path and break the established culture if necessary. I am not sure whether this was touched on, but does the philosophy also acknowledge the repercussions of people doing whatever they want to? As it seems to me that counter culture and existentialism could be quite destructive, by encouraging people to act selfishly and not consider others could lead to break downs in society, the home, workplace etc. Therefore although this is a rather pleasant philosophy on a selfish scale it cannot work on a wide scale level, as it works against the needs of the majority.

Space Odssey

Probably one of the most complex films I have ever watched, with messages and ideas embedded in every scene, making it hard to watch it for entertainment value, instead I found myself analyzing it constantly. Two scenes in particular left a rather strong impression upon me. The first being the scene where Dave is disengaging H-A-L who has betrayed them by murdering Frank and boycotting the mission, this leads Dave to shut H-A-L down and in the process he is shown to be dismantling human logic, by destroying the computer built by man comprised of human knowledge. Now this struck me as mirroring the first scene, as man is having to start from the beginning and develop alone without the aid of technology, is this commenting on technologies overwhelming grip over the human race? Or is the film saying that we don't need technology in order to advance? Either way I couldn't help but feel that this film was slightly opposed to technology, because it eventually showed it betraying man, also by featuring food in paste form, new age toilets etc it conveyed technology as being responsible for creating a bland and sterile existence.

The second scene is the apes discovery of the bone as a weapon; which results in their progression and the act of war. This I thought was a very truthful representation of how we as humans have progressed, which is what I feel the film was trying to show, in particular how we use acts of war to get what we want and define our progression, for example the Iraq war which in my opinion was a war created to obtain their oil, and enable the continuation of our own progression .The use of an obelisk I found also to be very interesting as the obelisk symbolizes in Egypt the beginning, where the first rays of light shone on the earth, this is significant as its appearance at the beginning and later on in the film poses the question: are we really advancing? Or are we just constantly rebuilding after failed attempts to progress?

The compatibility of art and science

A brilliant opening debate for the first lecture and something which I have often thought about myself, however I would say that the lecture has caused my view to change and consider that there can in fact be no unity between science and art. To simplify, based on the notes I have reviewed this incompatibility seems to me to be present because science sticks rigidly to rules and principles, which outlines its theories, whereas art is about breaking boundaries in order to explore new possibilities of beauty. In addition the artists themselves often pursue lives that satisfy every spontaneous whim often breaking rules which people are bound by. Just a few examples of how I came to this conclusion include: Kant's idea that the common people should be bound by morality, except artists, leaders and creative people who should make their own rules. Also the mention of religion and beliefs causing tension between the two spheres further shows the incompatibility between the two, as the artists with their Buddhist or like Schopenhauer Hinduism beliefs, are looked down upon by the traditional christian scientists.

I would just like to comment on Kant's view of equality before I conclude, the view that artists are not bound by morality is something which I strongly disagree with as I understand that it is necessary to explore new domains to create and understand beauty, but I don't see how ones profession raises them to the status of a god, as that it can be inferred one becomes if they are not bound by the laws and conscious ties of most people, like all things there should be boundaries which should not be crossed by anyone. For example the poem 'The Laboratory' by Robert Browning is about murder out of revenge, does this mean that artists should embrace murder to better understand it?

Written video blog

For an advert not to be considered Orwellian these days seems to be suggesting a laughable concept. By this I mean they all impose an image upon the consumer seeing it by controlling their desire and how they think. All adverts employ short euphemisms called newspeak in order to brain wash, by telling the consumer that the product is what they are telling them they need to have, whether that is due to the products efficiency or essentialism; thus eliminating any negative connotations or words associated with the product to project this positive image. A particular advert that illustrates this point is the advertisement surrounding Dasani water which was produced by the Coca Cola company, which slogans included: 'Dasani water. Can't live without it'. This creates the image that you desperately need it, this means that the Coca Cola company is telling you what you need because they know what's best for you, another of their tag lines which is Orwellian in its controlling voice is: 'Dasani. Treat yourself well. Everyday'. This means the company is having an input in your everyday life style by telling you what to drink, furthermore by using a healthy, smiling, young person in its advertisement it reinforces the message that the product is good and beneficial to your health. By using Dasani in the slogans it emphasizes its importance to you the consumer almost as a figure of authority, which can also be deemed as part of an Orwellian advertisement tool because it makes it into an icon for the consumer to listen to, much like the Coca Cola company itself.

The scandal that surrounds the product which resulted in the recall of 500,000 bottles and the abandonment of the launch. Due to traces of bromate chemicals in the water caused by adding calcium to Dasani; which with long term consumption can cause cancer, the recovery from this scandal also shows the effectiveness of the Orwellian newspeak in the advert as the notoriety of the scandal doesn't match the debacle itself, this is due to the efficiency of the Orwellian advert as all the negative connotations surrounding the scandal has been pretty much dispelled. However it could be argued that its continued launch and sale in Europe also helped its recovery as the advertisements continued to circulate spreading the positive image intended.