tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5501746738767165872024-03-18T03:01:49.513+00:00Cultural Geography BlogCultural Geography and Geography in the Media.
For students and teachers of Geography.Alan Parkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528013029514239163noreply@blogger.comBlogger1191125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-550174673876716587.post-65722135057697549122024-03-10T19:26:00.003+00:002024-03-10T19:26:37.054+00:00400 000 page views<p><i>Thanks for your continued interest in the blog.</i></p>Alan Parkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528013029514239163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-550174673876716587.post-12912433664923303832024-03-03T16:26:00.002+00:002024-03-03T16:26:42.731+00:00Dune Part Two<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh92rnBWFzdWLR1cymwUMUGCliRv9ul4lyMfFxipXG1ktEOLOpEB8AWefFGOKMoFqzr3hw9HyNY68UGhnfLsI6q1vHJ8EbCTooGIN5ODu18QsbEICFEJVj36yA_ecjsJwV8wPPzmUaxIxIAJdn-w_Wz5QCWrp0lEwgp585wdwcczH9AkGzAUhJdCtlhqIcu/s1064/Screenshot%202024-03-03%20at%2016.23.06.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="842" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh92rnBWFzdWLR1cymwUMUGCliRv9ul4lyMfFxipXG1ktEOLOpEB8AWefFGOKMoFqzr3hw9HyNY68UGhnfLsI6q1vHJ8EbCTooGIN5ODu18QsbEICFEJVj36yA_ecjsJwV8wPPzmUaxIxIAJdn-w_Wz5QCWrp0lEwgp585wdwcczH9AkGzAUhJdCtlhqIcu/w506-h640/Screenshot%202024-03-03%20at%2016.23.06.png" width="506" /></a></div>This weekend, I managed to make it to London despite the best efforts of the train companies, and headed down through the city to the <b>BFI IMAX to see Dune Part Two.</b><p></p><p><b>This is the largest screen in the UK, and also the only place to see a 15: 70mm film projection in true aspect ratio.</b></p><p><i>I've been waiting for this book for almost fifty years. Denis Villeneuve has done a wonderful job, although there are quite a few changes, which purists don't like of course.</i></p><p><i>The venue was epic as always, and the image was even 'bigger' than when we saw 'Oppenheimer' - you frequently had to look down at the image as well as up. The screening was sold out. There was a nice introduction from a staff member, and the film was excellent. <b><a href="https://geography24timesasecond.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">More on my Geography on Film blog.</a></b></i></p>Alan Parkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528013029514239163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-550174673876716587.post-72588975453697973652024-02-17T20:39:00.006+00:002024-02-17T20:39:48.391+00:00Swiftonomics<p><i>This video forms part of a resource which I have been putting together over the last few months following the amazing scale and financial clout of <b>Taylor Swift's ERAS tour,</b> which is on course to raise over $1.5 billion - more than any other music tour in history, and that's without all the associated money that is spent on accommodation, travel etc. connected with the concerts - people even travel without a ticket just to stand outside the stadium while the concerts are on.</i></p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hZ3yCYwBbsU?si=t4nC3zlO-UQKMy9T" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><p><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-14/why-is-taylor-swift-so-popular-eras-tour-australia/103459744" target="_blank">Another useful video on this web page which has the title: 'Why is the world obsessed with Taylor Swift"'</a> It mentions a <b>Swiftposium meeting.</b></p><p><b>There are also links with the demographic influence she has.</b></p><p><i>The effect is already affecting Australia, as can be seen in<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-15/taylor-swift-eras-tour-australia-sydney-melbourne-economy/103438046" target="_blank"> this article here, which suggested a few other industries to benefit, including tattoo artists.</a></i></p><p><a href="https://www.thrillist.com/news/nation/taylor-swift-europe-tour-travel-economic-impact" target="_blank">She's also heading to Europe as well.</a></p><p><b>At the AAG</b>, which this year takes place in <b>Honolulu (happy to accept some support for me to get there in person),</b> there is a panel session discussing Taylor Swift and the geographies related to her activities. More on that at the end of the presentation I'm creating. I've been working on this resource, which will be shared when it's ready. <b><i>There are lots of ideas in its contents to use as a stand alone look at cultural geography.</i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBplgHO744A8vdWsEFNnQw4Yb_-7k-t4daqD59aif3tM5vel4JjYKbz-loneNojEeVfxuMqszCrYbA9ROKbO5HYsCiega9Rrtz6Pn4MSD5973iGf34z5WvIdmGA_ZlOcs6dmF9_wtJVpAMeo0ezJhZez-oZYD9aUPpnpHkoT4js25heqP2Al_U2alBZMY/s1238/Screenshot%202024-02-17%20at%2017.12.32.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="740" data-original-width="1238" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBplgHO744A8vdWsEFNnQw4Yb_-7k-t4daqD59aif3tM5vel4JjYKbz-loneNojEeVfxuMqszCrYbA9ROKbO5HYsCiega9Rrtz6Pn4MSD5973iGf34z5WvIdmGA_ZlOcs6dmF9_wtJVpAMeo0ezJhZez-oZYD9aUPpnpHkoT4js25heqP2Al_U2alBZMY/w640-h382/Screenshot%202024-02-17%20at%2017.12.32.png" width="640" /></a></div><p>I've also referenced the multiple versions of albums which are being released - at a cost of anything up to around £50 for a vinyl LP. This links with our Year 8 work on Consumption and the geography of our stuff.</p><p><i>Swift also has political influence as well, with both Presidential hopefuls trying to secure her support.</i></p>Alan Parkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528013029514239163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-550174673876716587.post-50113011155588536842024-02-10T20:11:00.004+00:002024-02-10T20:11:34.357+00:00Geography and Gaming<b><i><span style="font-size: medium;">The geography of video games is an area which has received attention from geography researchers over the years.</span></i></b><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlW0n5QE8nrAsUAHjrXQRPnMFagRSdb-lrTbElvAr8dWC5L-Hmc8viBuPbJkONG1UOMbh0reg5WZZ6tG5qag7tqU1mcmpOqZPAo29fzlhFWOAyth9ndZlKDQICEDP5crhX2PThshvSI9or9vUzyt7ZejZwGMlijgABXHjWKbKhV-VZzHPmuZ1pIz9RDJQ/s1990/Screenshot%202024-01-10%20at%2017.45.10.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="930" data-original-width="1990" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlW0n5QE8nrAsUAHjrXQRPnMFagRSdb-lrTbElvAr8dWC5L-Hmc8viBuPbJkONG1UOMbh0reg5WZZ6tG5qag7tqU1mcmpOqZPAo29fzlhFWOAyth9ndZlKDQICEDP5crhX2PThshvSI9or9vUzyt7ZejZwGMlijgABXHjWKbKhV-VZzHPmuZ1pIz9RDJQ/w640-h300/Screenshot%202024-01-10%20at%2017.45.10.png" width="640" /></a></div></b></span><br /><i> Last year some 3.2bn people played video games, about four in ten people worldwide. The number has risen by about 100m a year, with a big jump during covid lockdowns in 2020. In rich countries two-thirds of people play, nearly half of them women. And though gaming is disproportionately a young person’s hobby (nine out of ten British 16- to 24-year-olds play games) older folk are picking up the habit, including half those aged 55-64. Worldwide, there are more console owners aged 35-44 than aged 16-24, says Karol Severin. </i></div><div><i>As he puts it, gamers are no longer just “young guys covered in crisps”.<br /><br /></i><a href="https://www.economist.com/special-report/2023/03/20/ready-player-four-billion-the-rise-of-video-games" target="_blank">Source: The Economist.</a><br /><b><br /><a href="http://www.philjonesgeography.co.uk/" target="_blank">Phil Jones</a></b><a href="http://www.philjonesgeography.co.uk/" target="_blank"> has written about the sense of place that can be evoked by a game, and I attended an excellent session that he presented.</a><div><br /><div><i><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-67155047" target="_blank">There are also some additional elements to add accuracy, including the representations of weather according to this article.</a></i></div><div><b><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-67155047" target="_blank">It features geographer Chris Esaki</a></b></div><div><br /></div>Chris says accurate simulation boosts immersion.<br /><br /><b><i>"There's this storytelling that happens with lighting and weather," he says.<br /><br />"Those two conditions coming together can create drama, create tension."</i></b><br /><br />Chris, who studied environmental science before becoming a games developer, says the next generation of games will be able to take things even further, more closely copying how weather forms in our real world.<br /><br /><b><i>"Things like evaporation rates, low and high pressure zones and cloud formation and what that actually means for the gameplay experience and how immersive that world can be."</i></b></div></div>Alan Parkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528013029514239163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-550174673876716587.post-34604453687071763312024-02-01T07:54:00.003+00:002024-02-01T07:54:36.520+00:00Met Office Stamp Issue<p> </p><p>A new stamp issue with a geographical theme is always something that I can get behind. In recent years, I've bought stamps linked with the Windrush Generation, UK Wildlife, National Parks and Polar explorers.</p><p><b><a href="https://shop.royalmail.com/special-stamp-issues/weather-forecasting/weather-forecasting-stamp-set" target="_blank">The latest is celebrating 170 years of the Met Office and weather forecasting.</a></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyoX7IM_pSMrNgyodM6hvbsoetCsTQ6J0wmSbdethJSX_qkpewD3U4FTAEI-ZoaRJ8mUoFRw4QvpX-HRoxP-hG71uRFXBfsVqL_RY-yco0RvXrdH1jHDmrJeNumgJbLB05HKvxxhrBTNjjh1oKERoQEH7CZhOJrk_jz6nyCIsdRmPKsk6Nra6zkuTNFS0/s1624/Screenshot%202024-01-31%20at%2021.58.48.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="688" data-original-width="1624" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyoX7IM_pSMrNgyodM6hvbsoetCsTQ6J0wmSbdethJSX_qkpewD3U4FTAEI-ZoaRJ8mUoFRw4QvpX-HRoxP-hG71uRFXBfsVqL_RY-yco0RvXrdH1jHDmrJeNumgJbLB05HKvxxhrBTNjjh1oKERoQEH7CZhOJrk_jz6nyCIsdRmPKsk6Nra6zkuTNFS0/w640-h272/Screenshot%202024-01-31%20at%2021.58.48.png" width="640" /></a></div><p>They feature a number of important people and events, including <b>Luke Howard</b>, who invented the classification for different cloud types.</p><i>Second Class Luke Howard, pioneer meteorologist, classified clouds in 1803<br /><br />Second Class Storm barometer of Robert FitzRoy, founder of the Met Office in 1854<br /><br />First Class Terra Nova Expedition studied extreme weather in 1910-12<br /><br />First Class Marine buoys collect data for the Shipping Forecast, first broadcast in 1924<br /><br />£2.00 Weather observers were vital to the success of the D-Day invasion in 1944<br /><br />£2.00 Radar and computers improved forecasting accuracy from the 1950s<br /><br />£2.20 Barbara Edwards became the first British female TV weather presenter in 1974<br /><br />£2.20 Supercomputers and satellites help track the Earth's weather today</i>Alan Parkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528013029514239163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-550174673876716587.post-34074311626546310112024-01-21T10:21:00.002+00:002024-01-21T10:21:57.206+00:00The End we Start From<p><a href="https://geolibrary2013.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A cross posting from my GeoLibrary blog - over 500 books and other resources for geography teachers have been placed on the shelves of the library so far.</a></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjixQkJW2D_TposWrunGOKjjDZULm-U4tp2DifYcBydghsPUiFsALYw8mDq3za37mxCLnjsS_fOFTjF4cAJ9UtJP7-Fmstvbr3YCcKmFvzgw40OYeeKlslKUfTiWwU3_ERhdGgwuMJosbdYjfTd07uWukycsGDVkqWzaJxUrictLXbvdKfOy09zV3ZAe4c/s4032/53477749579_1f04fa2971_o.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjixQkJW2D_TposWrunGOKjjDZULm-U4tp2DifYcBydghsPUiFsALYw8mDq3za37mxCLnjsS_fOFTjF4cAJ9UtJP7-Fmstvbr3YCcKmFvzgw40OYeeKlslKUfTiWwU3_ERhdGgwuMJosbdYjfTd07uWukycsGDVkqWzaJxUrictLXbvdKfOy09zV3ZAe4c/w480-h640/53477749579_1f04fa2971_o.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><b><i>A cli-fi novel, which has been turned into a film, which is now out in cinemas.</i></b><p></p><p><b><i>The original book was published in 2017. I read it yesterday in one sitting.</i></b></p><p>It features a mother who gives birth at the same time as a disastrous flood inundates London (and presumably other areas in the south of England) leading to a breakdown in society, and martial law style interventions with refugee camps in Scotland and riots and fights breaking out over food. She is separated from her partner and family and fights to protect 'Z' - her child. All characters are identified only by a letter, and the text is broken up into short snippets and sections of just three or four lines in one go at most. It mostly works, and certainly creates a pace to the read. As things slowly start to improve, she aims to return 'home' to see what is left.</p><p>The text is interspersed with extracts from various creation myths - the idea of Noah and a refuge from the rising waters is threaded through the book.</p><p>My copy was published by Picador in 2017.</p><p>Paperback, 127pp</p><p>ISBN: 978-150943985</p><p>Here's the trailer for the film</p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MciSEbkTkXw?si=yI_tiXD94cnx6Ad0" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>Alan Parkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528013029514239163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-550174673876716587.post-28760879431827651922024-01-17T21:19:00.001+00:002024-01-17T21:19:27.320+00:00Making Space for Sand<p> </p><p><b><a href="https://www.makingspaceforsand.co.uk/" target="_blank">Making Space for Sand</a></b> is a project I was made aware of recently.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxH-Ii5wSq69iIa8YJtKvFie9U0h-ZHRYA2tDRoGhnDINVlAiePT5npuR0nZncq-Chivho7Ek2leTwUJaOOtc_kEz4TYJ6XhbipRWf43KQ62yesuDKhaWn4ABttcZaaSYzl1kzPqrScFI1MKB5asRjMiLRMclgYNEQHCZI1LhJhCrBpB35A6FG6zEk-LI/s2454/Screenshot%202024-01-17%20at%2020.18.12.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1274" data-original-width="2454" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxH-Ii5wSq69iIa8YJtKvFie9U0h-ZHRYA2tDRoGhnDINVlAiePT5npuR0nZncq-Chivho7Ek2leTwUJaOOtc_kEz4TYJ6XhbipRWf43KQ62yesuDKhaWn4ABttcZaaSYzl1kzPqrScFI1MKB5asRjMiLRMclgYNEQHCZI1LhJhCrBpB35A6FG6zEk-LI/w640-h332/Screenshot%202024-01-17%20at%2020.18.12.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><i>The ‘Building Community Resilience on a Dynamic Coastline by Making Space for Sand’ project (also known as Making Space for Sand or MS4S) is one of 25 national projects funded by DEFRA as part of the £200 million Flood and Coastal Innovation Programme (FCRIP). </i><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>The programme will drive innovation in flood and coastal resilience and adaptation to a changing climate. </i></div><div><b><a href="https://www.makingspaceforsand.co.uk/sand-dunes/" target="_blank"><br /></a></b></div><div><b><a href="https://www.makingspaceforsand.co.uk/sand-dunes/" target="_blank">The project website</a></b> has an excellent section outlining the formation of Sand Dunes, particularly within the located context of Cornwall.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.makingspaceforsand.co.uk/sand-dunes/" target="_blank">Sand Dunes are an important part of the coastal defences</a> in the locations where they are found. I am particularly familiar with the dunes on the North Norfolk Coast at places like Holkham. </div><div>I've previously carried out fieldwork on those dunes with both GCSE and 'A' level students, and also </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzb9cMQeBmApdJjx2Mne-PEy6wJHmH4PQsQQYW0iWmGo3nGJ7KiSd-IxtV1nHhlTicluKvCYcC33BvvbpZkoejRVZTh5C77gfWGvO3O5DG9dEbXEp664sCbjFmo827VR-wTrvg29u231fP4r2e3LJplyYGl0KgF8sBvp0bhCBjjQQ_yncN2u0aQ4nDyTs/s2336/Screenshot%202024-01-17%20at%2020.21.32.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1172" data-original-width="2336" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzb9cMQeBmApdJjx2Mne-PEy6wJHmH4PQsQQYW0iWmGo3nGJ7KiSd-IxtV1nHhlTicluKvCYcC33BvvbpZkoejRVZTh5C77gfWGvO3O5DG9dEbXEp664sCbjFmo827VR-wTrvg29u231fP4r2e3LJplyYGl0KgF8sBvp0bhCBjjQQ_yncN2u0aQ4nDyTs/w640-h322/Screenshot%202024-01-17%20at%2020.21.32.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Wn1bhJpd5oU?si=eMqxfV40B1g-hdRX" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.geoconnexion.com/in-depth/coastal-concerns-how-data-can-help-us-understand-the-pressure-of-climate-change-on-the-coast" target="_blank">Atkins has provided GIS support</a> and created some visualisations of future landscapes.</div>Alan Parkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528013029514239163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-550174673876716587.post-62676582027196679102024-01-15T07:53:00.003+00:002024-01-15T07:53:24.980+00:00Orchestrion and Pat Metheny<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T32wjS92e_s?si=YJ-azAw-NYeA-nAb" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><p>I was there at the London concert featured at the end of this piece... and I still have the t-shirt...</p><p><br /></p>Alan Parkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528013029514239163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-550174673876716587.post-45664934732234180712024-01-14T19:08:00.004+00:002024-01-14T19:08:46.250+00:00The world of 'Poor Things'<p> </p><p><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://geography24timesasecond.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A cross posting from my Geography on Film blog.</a></b></span></i></p><p><i><span style="font-size: medium;">The new film by Greek auteur Yorgos Lanthimos is called <b>'Poor Things' </b>and it's a remarkable piece of work.</span></i></p><p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirnyMtts7i0cseKv3fRoIukxU7o7J-P94G9Q2Eh6SVaD9zm-95l9CKMy_foXLjyJtr1CGTgyS-bgm0wi2Ky1O_kXiw_5DcOWPhH2TIDm77o5RT1Ni2P9JYDyAm9_uGiVxDykklhOqCVtg61shToqBfu555gnx4lO0gvIikxNKxf6I28zaI8h0ONrUvzHY/s1090/53461735609_6c013b2b28_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="1090" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirnyMtts7i0cseKv3fRoIukxU7o7J-P94G9Q2Eh6SVaD9zm-95l9CKMy_foXLjyJtr1CGTgyS-bgm0wi2Ky1O_kXiw_5DcOWPhH2TIDm77o5RT1Ni2P9JYDyAm9_uGiVxDykklhOqCVtg61shToqBfu555gnx4lO0gvIikxNKxf6I28zaI8h0ONrUvzHY/w640-h366/53461735609_6c013b2b28_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></i></div><i><span style="color: red;"><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Warning: may contain spoilers.</span></span></i><p></p><p>It is based on a book by <b>Alasdair Gray</b> - the original book was generally thought to be unfilmable, and like a lot of his work is structured in an unconventional way and heavily illustrated. Check out 'Lanark' as another example of his style.</p><p>The book is a mix of a cyber-punk world, where a Frankenstein-style experiment plays out and is unleased on the world in the shape of Bella Baxter, played by Emma Stone.</p><p><i>There is a lot of sex I should warn you - don't watch it with your mum and dad.</i></p><p>Bella visits Lisbon, Alexandria and Paris - as well as London. In fact the versions of these cities she visits are realised in great detail, as is the ship she travels on, and is a different version of these places, much like the variation on Oxford in 'His Dark Materials'.</p><p><b>Here's the director on the origins of the film:</b></p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8TJXpkDcBlQ?si=WK_VXxpKdZe4nLnU" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div><i>I wanted to know more about the design as it produces a very detailed and beautiful mise-en-scene and sense of place for the film to take place in. There are some beautiful reimaginings of the places where the action takes place and the production design is incredible. Even the house where she is confined with Godwin is beautifully rendered. This is the start of the 'world building' that goes on in the film.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>A key resource to read more is the <b><a href="https://lwlies.com/reviews/poor-things/" target="_blank">special edition of the film magazine 'Little White Lies' </a></b>which goes along with the film. This goes into the many cinematic influences, some of whom were quite obvious, and others less so. Gray's artwork also makes an appearance. There are miniatures and other creative camera work. There are interviews with the creative team.</div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Chronicle Text G1 A", "Chronicle Text G1 B", Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18px;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Chronicle Text G1 A", "Chronicle Text G1 B", Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18px;"><i>"Robbie Ryan’s plastic cinematography shows us how life seems to her, with warped fisheye, ravenous zooms, and all."</i></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Chronicle Text G1 A", "Chronicle Text G1 B", Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Chronicle Text G1 A", "Chronicle Text G1 B", Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">It explains that the padded walls of Baxter's house are designed from a Victorian 'endless landscape' card set which can be placed in any order. I have one of these.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Chronicle Text G1 A", "Chronicle Text G1 B", Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Chronicle Text G1 A", "Chronicle Text G1 B", Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="https://ew.com/poor-things-yorgos-lanthimos-making-of-world-8404852" target="_blank">This article goes into more detail.</a></span></div><div>Of the amazing ship in the film:</div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.95); font-family: CaslonDoric, Times, serif;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">The ship itself was a 10-foot miniature, around which Price and Heath used LED screens to create colorful skies and real smoke. The deck and room sets were built with optical illusions and visual details included to make them seem larger than they really were. </span></i></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.95); font-family: CaslonDoric, Times, serif;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.95); font-family: CaslonDoric, Times, serif;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.thewrap.com/poor-things-creative-team-design-interview/" target="_blank">More on the design process here too.</a></span></i></span></div><div><br /></div><div>Here's the trailer finally:</div><div><br /></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RlbR5N6veqw?si=i7GCf-uEL7b2qKER" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>Alan Parkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528013029514239163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-550174673876716587.post-9812863222705667392023-12-26T12:50:00.001+00:002023-12-26T12:50:44.946+00:00Brand Antarctica<p><b>This book looks excellent!</b></p><p>Out now from Hanne Nielsen. </p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Happy <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AntarcticaDay?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AntarcticaDay</a>! The anniversary of the signing of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AntarcticTreaty?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AntarcticTreaty</a> was the perfect date to launch my new book <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Brand?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Brand</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Antarctica?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Antarctica</a> - published in the <a href="https://twitter.com/UnivNebPress?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UnivNebPress</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Polar?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Polar</a> series <a href="https://t.co/PU1SLAXx9h">https://t.co/PU1SLAXx9h</a> <a href="https://t.co/5CEa0wb6Ke">pic.twitter.com/5CEa0wb6Ke</a></p>— Dr Hanne Nielsen (@WideWhiteStage) <a href="https://twitter.com/WideWhiteStage/status/1730518476832595975?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2023</a></blockquote><p>Cover image is here:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx52yQe5H444-PoU8rFZCYL5et2VUmf_BWW4W-lsI-Xio95_909Q8TKhSluoov7KEmIXh84K5oqsetv-nuCnRn4MoxpO4PFNmDS7ZGRSJ_Qb63pssgret-Vf-Q5NVfDx_kctPHUJHQ-njFcC2jtjxeq9P5K0QH6LjCVRAIMkrDB7tVDOIx4jSu209gsjCH/s1360/BA%20Cover.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1360" data-original-width="855" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx52yQe5H444-PoU8rFZCYL5et2VUmf_BWW4W-lsI-Xio95_909Q8TKhSluoov7KEmIXh84K5oqsetv-nuCnRn4MoxpO4PFNmDS7ZGRSJ_Qb63pssgret-Vf-Q5NVfDx_kctPHUJHQ-njFcC2jtjxeq9P5K0QH6LjCVRAIMkrDB7tVDOIx4jSu209gsjCH/w402-h640/BA%20Cover.jpg" width="402" /></a></div>Description of the book from Hanne:<div><br /><i>Antarctica is, and has always been, very much “for sale.” Whales, seals, and ice have all been marketed as valuable commodities, but so have the stories of explorers. The modern media industry developed in parallel with land-based Antarctic exploration, and early expedition leaders needed publicity to generate support for their endeavors. Their lectures, narratives, photographs, and films were essentially advertisements for their adventures. At the same time, popular media began to use the newly encountered continent to draw attention to commercial products. These advertisements both trace the commercialization of Antarctica and reveal how commercial settings have shaped the dominant imaginaries of the place.<br /></i><br /><i>By contextualizing and analyzing Antarctic advertisements from the late nineteenth century to the present, Brand Antarctica identifies <b>five key framings of the South Polar continent:</b> </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><b><span style="font-size: medium;">a place for heroes, </span></b></i></div><div><i><b><span style="font-size: medium;">a place of extremity, </span></b></i></div><div><i><b><span style="font-size: medium;">a place of purity, </span></b></i></div><div><i><b><span style="font-size: medium;">a place to protect, and</span></b></i></div><div><i><b><span style="font-size: medium;"> a place that transforms.</span></b> </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Demonstrating how these conceptual framings of Antarctica in turn circulate through our culture, Hanne Elliot Fønss Nielsen challenges common assumptions about Antarctica’s past and present, encouraging readers to rethink their own relationship with the Far South.</i><p>Hanne has clearly been developing this book for a while as there is a range of papers on ResearchGate exploring some of the stories from the last century which connect with this idea of Antarctica as a brand, and <a href="https://figshare.utas.edu.au/articles/thesis/Brand_Antarctica_selling_representations_of_the_south_from_the_heroic_era_to_the_present/23238185" target="_blank">her PhD thesis from 2017 (available from this link) forms the backbone of the book one imagines,</a> with some more recent additions.</p><p><i>At the moment it's out of my price range, but I've downloaded the PhD thesis and will be exploring this over the Christmas break.</i></p> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div>Alan Parkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528013029514239163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-550174673876716587.post-12645423389585765382023-12-26T12:49:00.004+00:002023-12-26T12:49:42.535+00:00Storyville: Songs of Earth<p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp_Z6cRG8TW8gFwa3uffKNSjjZWMaCkz2xlMiADqXPM2ilVIRwqAYdbY8vovfsKFXRZZPW8Un7fd-N4xe8Mn-BPxxWX3FbD8p6elk_CslluMIfsEQBgPD3Xc5liqccVIfd0DKaCAIrsCoqYv75gnBQkw1NgFsOUFEus9GTwP8Nhq4DDoj1jMfk_oRO6Ws/s890/Screenshot%202023-12-25%20at%2022.32.14.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="890" data-original-width="886" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp_Z6cRG8TW8gFwa3uffKNSjjZWMaCkz2xlMiADqXPM2ilVIRwqAYdbY8vovfsKFXRZZPW8Un7fd-N4xe8Mn-BPxxWX3FbD8p6elk_CslluMIfsEQBgPD3Xc5liqccVIfd0DKaCAIrsCoqYv75gnBQkw1NgFsOUFEus9GTwP8Nhq4DDoj1jMfk_oRO6Ws/w399-h400/Screenshot%202023-12-25%20at%2022.32.14.png" width="399" /></a></div><b><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001tv79" target="_blank">Storyville: Songs of Earth </a></b>was a highlight of Christmas Day and a great example of what might be called Slow TV.<p></p><p><i>Here's a description of the film.</i></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>The dizzyingly beautiful mountainous landscapes of Norway provide the backdrop for this immersive story of a family whose lives are linked intrinsically to their environment. </i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Set in the valley of the Jostedalsbreen Glacier, in the north of Norway, it is a portrait of the director Margreth Olin’s parents, in particular her father and his life-long and intimate relationship to the land he lives in.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Filmed across the seasons, she takes the viewer on an existential journey, from family folklore to the best place to plant a Christmas tree.</i></span><br /></p><p><b>Produced by Wim Wenders and Liv Ullmann.</b></p><p>I travelled to Norway some years ago, and managed to make my way close to where this film was made, and some similar glaciers, but not the particular one featured here.</p><p><a href="https://rebekkakarijord.com/works/" target="_blank">The soundtrack by Rebekka Karijord</a> is on Spotify.</p>Alan Parkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528013029514239163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-550174673876716587.post-74330327537009233912023-12-23T14:22:00.005+00:002023-12-23T14:22:47.115+00:00Fantasy: Realms of Imagination<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQhHuX2Hpbj52GtZueHLwSp6-dYRZkJE6riu4It1QRVyyooNDD7_uO7gUybZ8z4noIUjdljxBJ4TaTxND8KRCea1EcJ3MSjQwwhmZQ1wHSASVoLE9F1s3YknufT8qEKZjr9yCoW2-XPRrDU82BBJheh0edWdW4zBWgJB9-NQDZor_xONQjCZq-4ciesvs/s1854/Screenshot%202023-12-23%20at%2014.04.55.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1092" data-original-width="1854" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQhHuX2Hpbj52GtZueHLwSp6-dYRZkJE6riu4It1QRVyyooNDD7_uO7gUybZ8z4noIUjdljxBJ4TaTxND8KRCea1EcJ3MSjQwwhmZQ1wHSASVoLE9F1s3YknufT8qEKZjr9yCoW2-XPRrDU82BBJheh0edWdW4zBWgJB9-NQDZor_xONQjCZq-4ciesvs/w640-h376/Screenshot%202023-12-23%20at%2014.04.55.png" width="640" /></a></div><p><b>Fantasy: Realms of Imagination </b></p><p><a href="https://fantasy.seetickets.com/timeslots/filter/fantasy-realms-of-imagination" target="_blank">I need to see this in the New Year at the British Library.</a></p><p>There's also a free exhibition of work from Mervyn Peake, which will be great to see.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">'She wants to be flowers, but you make her owls. You must not complain, then, if she goes hunting.'<br />The plate that triggered the plot of The Owl Service, at the Fantasy exhibition at the British Library. I stared at it for a long, long time... <a href="https://t.co/wSPKsAqZP9">pic.twitter.com/wSPKsAqZP9</a></p>— Lissa Evans (@LissaKEvans) <a href="https://twitter.com/LissaKEvans/status/1738268725038457016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Alan Parkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528013029514239163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-550174673876716587.post-323847761855476852023-12-18T09:19:00.001+00:002023-12-18T09:19:09.506+00:00End of the Pier Show<p> <i>This is not another post about <b>David Rogers'</b> current Pier2Peer fundraising through December 2023, <b><a href="https://www.justgiving.com/page/david-rogers-pier2peer" target="_blank">See his Fund raising page here for that.</a></b></i></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Last night I went over to <b>Cromer Pier</b> for a special screening of Jens Meurer's film <b>'Seaside Special'.</b></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgWOeFq2JffdHwmJwq4MCw0cMUzg3JvxKGiYxNAJCfc5BfrmLn34Cob2A7YVlE_0BDUUqTlYHLxhyiz6ADrxccXFag20yGQOyKGgMlab-DncO_K3XiUhyw3sxtpKJBmeahTbqjbpD_l0L0jD3T-6JygB8M2s0XVqP6sISH4vCKMr9R_ftS-T22aa91zOE/s2048/53404297137_522148e855_k.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgWOeFq2JffdHwmJwq4MCw0cMUzg3JvxKGiYxNAJCfc5BfrmLn34Cob2A7YVlE_0BDUUqTlYHLxhyiz6ADrxccXFag20yGQOyKGgMlab-DncO_K3XiUhyw3sxtpKJBmeahTbqjbpD_l0L0jD3T-6JygB8M2s0XVqP6sISH4vCKMr9R_ftS-T22aa91zOE/w640-h480/53404297137_522148e855_k.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><b><br /></b><p></p><i>This is a documentary which was shot on crisp 16mm Kodak film, which gives it a special 'glow'. <br /><br />'Seaside Special' follows Norfolk’s Cromer Pier Show over the course of a year, from the perspective of the performers, and the seaside town’s locals. It is 'narrated' by Olly Day - a local legend. The film has had <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/mar/31/seaside-special-review-a-heartfelt-time-capsule-of-brexit-divided-britain" target="_blank">excellent reviews.</a><br /></i><p><b>Here's the synopsis of the film on a German film site:</b></p><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/seasidespecial/" target="_blank">SEASIDE SPECIAL</a> is a love letter to Brexit Britain: a consciously warm-hearted look at Britain's only remaining “End-of-the-Pier” variety show – far away from London – as the town of Cromer and the cast prepare for the 2019 summer season.<br />The film portrays a town from a different time, full of quintessentially British types, but which also offers a highly topical outlook: It's about attitude, craftsmanship, and authenticity. It’s about community and values, about the humor of our British neighbors, their originality, and their quirks – which we as Europeans will sorely miss.</span></i><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>It also ends with the arrival of COVID-19, which threatened to mean the end of the show altogether.<br /></i></span><p>The trailer, made for its<b> Premiere</b> at the <b>Cambridge Film Festival</b>, can be seen below:</p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3NnKllBoOXY?si=sJhwmxAS7Xt6I1-z" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div><i><span style="font-size: medium;">This was a 'seaside' special screening because it took place in the very <b>Pavilion Theatre</b> where the show takes place, and which was at the centre of the film.</span></i></div><div><br /></div><div>There was a collection for Macmillan Cancer in honour of <b>Cromer</b> fisherman and councillor <b><a href="https://www.northnorfolknews.co.uk/news/23787523.funeral-cromer-crab-fisherman-john-lee-announced/" target="_blank">John Lee.</a></b> He ran a <a href="https://campaignerkate.wordpress.com/2018/12/29/cromers-crabsters/" target="_blank">crab stall on New Street</a> and was a regular fixture of the beach for many decades, and he appears in the film. His family were in the audience. He passed away a few months ago. </div><div>The director was also there, along with Olly Day, for a Q and A, along with other people who appear in the film. </div><div>The theatre staff who put on the Summer and Christmas specials were also present, up in the balcony.</div><div><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></div><div><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;">This was a lovely example of topophilia. </span></i></b></div><div><br /></div><div>The director has a family connection with Cromer, and he has been welcomed into the town and become great friends with many of the people connected with the making of the film. He has returned numerous times. </div><div>The film communicates the special sense of place that the town has - closer to Amsterdam than to London - and a definite community. The Pier and the end of the pier show is an integral part of that identity, and the fishermen on the beach are too.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>If you get the chance to see the film I can heartily recommend it. And as Olly Day said, there are still tickets available for this year's Christmas show.</b></div><div><br /></div><div><i><span style="color: red;">Image: Cromer Pier, December - Alan Parkinson - shared under CC license</span></i></div></div>Alan Parkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528013029514239163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-550174673876716587.post-9413527326612190142023-12-03T20:46:00.002+00:002023-12-03T20:46:25.854+00:00John Denver - Rocky Mountain High and others<p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3JfPj-0LzJhZ8cHLNLMW3uvz1ktMrUNzNl2LgHnAGPobef27ihjrGv11tAp7GkdQYcerJhxx2AkommWhqeG3HnVdYb8ALa8cvQY1zFp7z4Xu_-Cuqgw9vKrt5sK8STwQGVpgjSUY-Xl6EU0zwoAf7i_nGqDtfNrmD2MGJW6BzMxGdEfrYnCxRLri6p4o/s1162/Screenshot%202023-07-01%20at%2020.38.02.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1162" data-original-width="898" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3JfPj-0LzJhZ8cHLNLMW3uvz1ktMrUNzNl2LgHnAGPobef27ihjrGv11tAp7GkdQYcerJhxx2AkommWhqeG3HnVdYb8ALa8cvQY1zFp7z4Xu_-Cuqgw9vKrt5sK8STwQGVpgjSUY-Xl6EU0zwoAf7i_nGqDtfNrmD2MGJW6BzMxGdEfrYnCxRLri6p4o/w494-h640/Screenshot%202023-07-01%20at%2020.38.02.png" width="494" /></a></div><div><div><br /></div><div>One of my (many and varied) guilty musical pleasures is the music of <b>John Denver: </b>the stage name of Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr.<div><i><br /></i></div><div> <i>He was a fascinating person with a great many interests, including the development of aircraft, which ultimately led to his early death.</i><p>When I was younger I had a certain look of <b>John Denver</b> with my long blonde hair and round glasses. </p><p><i>You will have seen my picture in Year 7 if you came to any of my lectures in the last three years as part of my <b>Everyday Geographies series of lectures.</b></i></p><p><i>John was a superb live performer who my dad got to see play live, but I never had the chance.</i></p><p>He has written some classic tunes which have hundreds of millions of Spotify streams, and many of them will be familiar to people. </p><p>Many of them link to his interests in <b>environmental conservation.</b></p><p><b>Calypso</b> was inspired by the work of French adventurer Jacques Cousteau, who invented the 'aqualung' and travelled the world making films.</p><p>His work was the inspiration for <b>Wes Anderson's film 'The Life Aquatic with Steve Zizou'.</b></p>Here are some of the lyrics:<br /><br /><i><b>To sail on a dream, on a crystal clear ocean<br /><br />To ride on the crest of a wild raging storm<br /><br />To work in the service of life and the living<br /><br />In search of the answers to questions unknown</b></i><div><br /></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/q3EE83q6tzw?si=YZeft0R37l0k8uCI" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><b>Next up is Rocky Mountain High.</b></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocky_Mountain_High" target="_blank">This one is about his own move to Colorado.</a></i></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Lyrics:</i></div><i><br />He was born in the summer of his 27th year </i><div><i>Comin' home to a place he'd never been before </i></div><div><i>He left yesterday behind him, you might say he was born again </i></div><div><i>You might say he found a key for every door </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>When he first came to the mountains his life was far away </i></div><div><i>On the road and hangin' by a song </i></div><div><i>But the string's already broken and he doesn't really care </i></div><div><i>It keeps changin' fast and it don't last for long </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>But the Colorado rocky mountain high </i></div><div><i>I've seen it rainin' fire in the sky </i></div><div><i>The shadow from the starlight is softer than a lullabye </i></div><div><i>Rocky mountain high<br /></i><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><b>John Denver performed at a special Wildlife Concert.</b></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><b>The seventh stanza describes the despoilation of the mountains:</b></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><i><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Now his life is full of wonder but his heart still knows some fear </span></b></i></div><div><i><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Of a simple thing he cannot comprehend </span></b></i></div><div><i><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Why they try to tear the mountains down to bring in a couple more </span></b></i></div><div><i><b><span style="font-size: medium;">More people, more scars upon the land</span></b></i></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/k_WyUwNPOzQ?si=SjLBgcF8GjRHXsR_" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div><i>I recommend that you check it out.... and this is just a tiny sample of many more songs whose lyrics speak to a desire to protect the Earth and its wild places.</i></div><div><br /></div></div></div></div>Alan Parkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528013029514239163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-550174673876716587.post-74562596389074015862023-11-28T18:42:00.001+00:002023-11-28T18:42:01.844+00:00Live and Let Live<p>After a year of releases each <b>Full Moon</b>, the final track on <b>Peter Gabriel'</b>s new album was released a few days ago. He saved the best 'til last. <b><i><span style="font-size: medium;">More people need to live and let live.</span></i></b></p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XNUvHa0xfhc?si=EWJg2xA-x_G3I2U2" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div>Some thoughts on the song from Peter Gabriel:</div><div><br /></div><i>‘Music can be like a box of mood pills that we can use to treat ourselves and a lot of the work of the Reverberation project is focused on that sort of idea. When someone suggested that forgiveness might be a topic to write about, at first, I thought, ‘that's not interesting to me,’ but then I remembered two things. Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who was the chair of The Elders and a real mentor for me, led the Truth and Reconciliation Committee in South Africa and that really allowed people to expose, report and maybe feel again some of the horrors of the apartheid era. I remember he always said that listening made a huge difference, just making sure people felt heard and recognized. Then, sometimes, it created a space for forgiveness. </i><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>There's also a description that Nelson Mandela gave when he was released from jail after 27 years in prison and found himself about to become president of South Africa, standing next to some of the people who'd been responsible for keeping him in jail all that time. He said he felt some of the old fear and hatred swelling up inside him but when he thought hard about it, he realized that he needed to find a way to work with these people, to build what he called his rainbow coalition. He needed to feel their humanity and ultimately to find a way to forgive them. He was quite sure that if he couldn't forgive them and find a way to work with them, that he would remain their prisoner for the rest of his days. </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Now, I know if we look at what's happening in the Middle East now or in Ukraine, all sorts of places around the world where there's still violence and brutality, to walk around with a bunch of flowers, preaching forgiveness seems trite and pathetic, maybe. But in the long run, I think people have to find a way. ‘Peace only happens when you respect the rights of others’ is a quote from the Peace University in Costa Rica and I think that's a really important message for me and for my life. You either belong to that hurt or you free yourself and forgiveness is clearly a super effective way of freeing yourself.’</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>The lyrics:</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Lay the burden down<br />(Lay the weapons down)<br />Lay the burden down<br />(Lay the weapons down)<br /><br />It takes courage (Courage)<br />To learn to forgive<br />To be brave enough to listen<br />To live and let live</span></i></b>Alan Parkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528013029514239163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-550174673876716587.post-90521943982576709972023-11-08T19:50:00.003+00:002023-11-08T19:50:21.900+00:00Werner Herzog's Cultural Life<p> <b><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Werner Herzog is a truly remarkable person.</span></i></b></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGQHuPxZvXcZ0U0qaIlZbh0frSmGcUNqDq2hnkhfQ80Ep3-aYItMaY_0XdmMYatH4dxFc-icQZPTEnkQF2g0lSEF1-oaU-novQCfRmbbadxK3IV5rbnbNGEunsgnFqoAL9Ujc5rudYJDyMAwzE27_xzrIcmw-X4Q-4MstosifVqPmiCGGgLD3SGvtHU2c/s2058/Screenshot%202023-11-08%20at%2018.58.25.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="2058" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGQHuPxZvXcZ0U0qaIlZbh0frSmGcUNqDq2hnkhfQ80Ep3-aYItMaY_0XdmMYatH4dxFc-icQZPTEnkQF2g0lSEF1-oaU-novQCfRmbbadxK3IV5rbnbNGEunsgnFqoAL9Ujc5rudYJDyMAwzE27_xzrIcmw-X4Q-4MstosifVqPmiCGGgLD3SGvtHU2c/w640-h196/Screenshot%202023-11-08%20at%2018.58.25.png" width="640" /></a></b></div><b><i><br /></i></b><p></p><p><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001ry77" target="_blank">This BBC Sounds programme</a> profiles his life, told in an extended interview, and was recorded to coincide with the release of his memoir, which is called <b>'Every Man for Himself and God against All: A Memoir',</b> which I need to get a copy of.</p><p><i>Werner Herzog recalls his impoverished childhood in a remote Bavarian valley at the end of the Second World War. </i></p><p><i>He says that, as a teenager, his discovery of a book about the <b>Lascaux cave paintings</b> was ‘like a bolt of lightning’ to his creative imagination, and led to him making a documentary film about prehistoric cave art many years later. </i></p><p><i>He describes how his films often start with a vivid or unusual image, and how he seeks to capture a sense of awe at the power of the natural world. </i></p><p><i>Werner Herzog discusses the extremely arduous and dangerous conditions in which he made some of his best known films, including Fitzcarraldo and four other films starring the temperamentally volatile lead actor Klaus Kinski. </i></p><p><i>He talks about the importance of his film on the Chauvet caves.</i></p><p><i>He also talks about the importance of walking. </i><i>He wrote a wonderful book <b>'Of Walking in Ice'</b> which he describes as being one of the books carried by<b> Bruce Chatwin.</b></i></p><p><i>He also describes the making of the film 'Fitzcarraldo' with Klaus Kinski - you have to watch this movie. And also <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burden_of_Dreams" target="_blank">'Burden of Dreams' </a>- on the making of the film.</i></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I have a connection with one of his films. <b>He made a film called 'Encounters at the End of the World'</b>. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I was asked to produce some educational materials for the film, and was invited to the UK premiere.</span></p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Earlier listened again to this extraordinary interview with Werner Herzog, just to be sure I'd heard it all correctly. Should he ever die, and I'm not sure it's a given, we'll all notice. Electrics will flutter, the sky will turn dark at noon...<a href="https://t.co/P8WVvz8cbp">https://t.co/P8WVvz8cbp</a></p>— NOT QUITE LIGHT - NQL (@NotQuiteLight) <a href="https://twitter.com/NotQuiteLight/status/1722324772657267022?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 8, 2023</a></blockquote><p><b><i><span style="color: red; font-size: medium;">You really need to give this a listen... </span></i></b></p> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Alan Parkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528013029514239163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-550174673876716587.post-86573613428979708902023-10-24T19:42:00.004+01:002023-10-24T19:42:38.654+01:00Blue Sky thinking<p>For the last few months I've been keeping an eye out for invites to <b>Blue Sky</b> - an alternative to Twitter / X, where I have a large number of followers (almost 8000) which I have built up over a period of 15 years.</p><p><i>The changes since Elon Musk took over have degraded the experience, increased the pointless ads, and also connected the experience of using Twitter - now renamed as X for some pointless reason - with the views of Elon Musk - someone with the money to change the world for the better... but whose businesses are changing it for the worse.</i></p><p>I even offered a free copy of my book: 'Why Study Geography' for a working Blue Sky code.</p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/JulianHoffman" target="_blank">Finally, thanks to the author <b>Julian Hoffman</b></a>, who is working away on his latest book, I received a code earlier today and<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/geoblogs.bsky.social" target="_blank"> set up my new account.</a></p><p><b>My follower account is currently rather lower than 8000... but I'm finding a few familiar names there, and will connect with others in the weeks and months ahead I'm sure.</b></p><p>I'm also taking the chance to widen the accounts that I follow to have an alternative network experience.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkAYD3mnQ6yqiwujsJWlUzoDq4WkebwlKghMFVM4U1UxNaS_Vyhs1aqLYpE4DJVHzYE9SqQp7NsrtXfIdLiOkdavpoKgjO-vxigaiYasBAq9zZupKWyEWKkJqWmvhvN1gPan_5c0R9axMH8zJ2eJBk33mz3TUyhK-pRmPy7YbuqmwH8-KhgkcXPFm6SQo/s1202/Screenshot%202023-10-24%20at%2016.51.42.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="694" data-original-width="1202" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkAYD3mnQ6yqiwujsJWlUzoDq4WkebwlKghMFVM4U1UxNaS_Vyhs1aqLYpE4DJVHzYE9SqQp7NsrtXfIdLiOkdavpoKgjO-vxigaiYasBAq9zZupKWyEWKkJqWmvhvN1gPan_5c0R9axMH8zJ2eJBk33mz3TUyhK-pRmPy7YbuqmwH8-KhgkcXPFm6SQo/w640-h370/Screenshot%202023-10-24%20at%2016.51.42.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><i><b><span style="color: red; font-size: medium;">See you there perhaps - please follow if you are and I'll follow you back. </span></b></i></p><p><i>Hopefully I'll get some invite codes to share in due course.</i></p>Alan Parkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528013029514239163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-550174673876716587.post-88708623393671504462023-10-20T20:03:00.004+01:002023-10-20T20:03:43.090+01:00OFSTED Subject Report Livestream<p><a href="https://portal.geography.org.uk/event/view/E000083" target="_blank">A GA event, with Mark Enser, Alan Kinder and Denise Freeman, </a></p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">I am very much looking forward to this! <br /><br />A chance to talk to <a href="https://twitter.com/The_GA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@The_GA</a> members about the new <a href="https://twitter.com/Ofstednews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Ofstednews</a> geography subject report. <br /><br />Book your place and come with questions. <a href="https://t.co/7S4s20GRCr">https://t.co/7S4s20GRCr</a></p>— Mark Enser 🌍 (@EnserMark) <a href="https://twitter.com/EnserMark/status/1715348563939508490?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 20, 2023</a></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWPA-SXWRXAvSw2Iu8AdP4Y3FFsupaLRTTG7oGXFqVJzU7MDXu1GdKyhVK_FiL5caG-5Mm86orQXi5wF8TzzebyzMiYFnwfnlqfL5TUgEO-OWrvcU0ygBbJ0f3iy1DuqNyoWWUBsdqGJb9ThBBOzOARGoAb4OiBiTonaFCbYBwrS33dQuL3TlkCjCOHUQ/s1942/Screenshot%202023-10-20%20at%2020.00.37.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1324" data-original-width="1942" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWPA-SXWRXAvSw2Iu8AdP4Y3FFsupaLRTTG7oGXFqVJzU7MDXu1GdKyhVK_FiL5caG-5Mm86orQXi5wF8TzzebyzMiYFnwfnlqfL5TUgEO-OWrvcU0ygBbJ0f3iy1DuqNyoWWUBsdqGJb9ThBBOzOARGoAb4OiBiTonaFCbYBwrS33dQuL3TlkCjCOHUQ/w640-h436/Screenshot%202023-10-20%20at%2020.00.37.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p> </p> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Alan Parkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528013029514239163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-550174673876716587.post-64735502481898339072023-10-11T16:52:00.000+01:002023-10-11T16:52:20.532+01:00The Cuillins<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS2W2nuVVJ9km1fXe4yhKmimJcgTgzGHsOP4fHM-n-2MsOM-LUch6on78sRSuCTF9gslO-n0-ueS5STdfEUTYLr5daPB-43S-Cupa0qHBwTx0EkKcukEe0tO0UDJbDbm5P9UYRoGZzlin3N38HVfkfhTcNtyzehpQbNC3kZTeAnvE5Z1obGDQ9bI13jjxr/s2048/15317645829_d63bd9eb54_k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS2W2nuVVJ9km1fXe4yhKmimJcgTgzGHsOP4fHM-n-2MsOM-LUch6on78sRSuCTF9gslO-n0-ueS5STdfEUTYLr5daPB-43S-Cupa0qHBwTx0EkKcukEe0tO0UDJbDbm5P9UYRoGZzlin3N38HVfkfhTcNtyzehpQbNC3kZTeAnvE5Z1obGDQ9bI13jjxr/w300-h400/15317645829_d63bd9eb54_k.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>New from Robert MacFarlane<br /><p></p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The great <a href="https://twitter.com/juliefowlis?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@juliefowlis</a> & I worked together on a new song/single, “Who Is This?”, inspired by mountains, Gaelic poetry & Skye.<br />It’s just been released & we’d love our song to find listeners.<br />You can stream here: <a href="https://t.co/wxaJTEjruS">https://t.co/wxaJTEjruS</a><br />& download here: <a href="https://t.co/im6jJGmx9G">https://t.co/im6jJGmx9G</a> <a href="https://t.co/HNMf9myG0C">pic.twitter.com/HNMf9myG0C</a></p>— Robert Macfarlane (@RobGMacfarlane) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobGMacfarlane/status/1708206978625855803?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2023</a></blockquote><p> </p> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Alan Parkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528013029514239163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-550174673876716587.post-63014874134604878482023-10-11T16:48:00.003+01:002023-10-11T16:48:32.451+01:00Simon Armitage in the Arctic<p> </p><p><b><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/oct/07/washy-clouds-and-a-weepy-sky-floating-upside-down-simon-armitages-arctic-expedition?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other" target="_blank">This piece in 'The Guardian' </a></b>looks at a recent visit made by the Poet Laureate (and geography graduate) <b>Simon Armitage</b> to <b>Svalbard.</b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMvMgpeu3V-Vd2R6esmJbbye4xKSu5-tbl_6Vrt7GXFL0TxvvyF0hNzuz7pkS9rMHXJXJcqfhedfPFnI23LdqcrvaubcNgoLC19KV4beti6zY0jgbJirA_B_-MnjC_MQWUEKyFo-U-3BXyLoLcnHNl3meV6Is6yRuExeJGviP3fkvWC75fVDqlrqgekD4/s1520/Screenshot%202023-10-07%20at%2019.59.49.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1190" data-original-width="1520" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMvMgpeu3V-Vd2R6esmJbbye4xKSu5-tbl_6Vrt7GXFL0TxvvyF0hNzuz7pkS9rMHXJXJcqfhedfPFnI23LdqcrvaubcNgoLC19KV4beti6zY0jgbJirA_B_-MnjC_MQWUEKyFo-U-3BXyLoLcnHNl3meV6Is6yRuExeJGviP3fkvWC75fVDqlrqgekD4/w640-h502/Screenshot%202023-10-07%20at%2019.59.49.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b><p></p><p><b>It talks about a new poem called 'The Summit', which is featured in the piece.</b></p><p>He travels with Jemma Wadham, whose recent book 'Ice Rivers' is excellent...</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">How it was poetry - not quite <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/geography?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#geography</a> - that took <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SimonArmitage?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SimonArmitage</a> to 4 points of the compass<br /><br />"I’m a <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/geography?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#geography</a> graduate. Part of the attraction was exotic field trips, though I ended up monitoring bus-stop activity in Portsmouth - not the Atacama" <a href="https://t.co/pGf8HD2K1T">https://t.co/pGf8HD2K1T</a></p>— Steve Brace (@SteveBraceGeog) <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveBraceGeog/status/1710656746149011508?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2023</a></blockquote><p><a href="https://www.faber.co.uk/product/9780571389063-the-cryosphere/" target="_blank">The poems from the series are available in a special signed Faber pamphlet</a> which I have a copy of. </p> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Alan Parkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528013029514239163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-550174673876716587.post-35827653366037894232023-09-29T19:40:00.000+01:002023-09-29T19:40:04.269+01:00Humanities 2020 Podcast<div style="text-align: right;"><i><span style="color: red;">The humanities prepare students to be good citizens and help them understand a complicated, interlocking world. The humanities teach us critical thinking, how to analyse arguments and how to imagine life from the point of view of someone unlike yourself.</span></i></div><div><div style="text-align: right;"><i><span style="color: red;">Martha Nussbaum</span></i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">It was a pleasure on Wednesday afternoon this week to sit and chat with <b>Anthony Barlow</b> to record a podcast for the <b><a href="http://www.humanities2020.org.uk/" target="_blank">Humanities 2020 website and project.</a></b></span></p><p><a href="http://www.humanities2020.org.uk/manifesto" target="_blank"><b>The project has a manifesto.</b></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipp66ob1u7GXYFpaygFelDb6aCJf2Az87wo_7m3UwD2IEiTFuRPzLwyrSzHhKif-Un1oyLjAV5lZBeD6IFhufqQC31tw4scgwr5iwN7tQ03oHBIRxHk94DU5fwxLud4jKV6zxcE-RlXJ8dVpdO_SxEocdrO1gfNh_aJfTHtNKvHUKpCNe7CE1wD2To9Ew/s1742/Screenshot%202023-09-29%20at%2019.34.43.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1016" data-original-width="1742" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipp66ob1u7GXYFpaygFelDb6aCJf2Az87wo_7m3UwD2IEiTFuRPzLwyrSzHhKif-Un1oyLjAV5lZBeD6IFhufqQC31tw4scgwr5iwN7tQ03oHBIRxHk94DU5fwxLud4jKV6zxcE-RlXJ8dVpdO_SxEocdrO1gfNh_aJfTHtNKvHUKpCNe7CE1wD2To9Ew/w640-h374/Screenshot%202023-09-29%20at%2019.34.43.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><i>Primary schools have a duty to equip children for the challenges of the 21st century. We believe that the primary school curriculum in England is failing to do this or to fulfil the legal requirement for a balanced and broadly-based curriculum. Literacy and numeracy dominate the curriculum while other vital aspects of learning are often ignored. This is wrong.<br /><br />We want young children to be literate and numerate, but much more than that. We affirm that every child is entitled to rich, stimulating and engaging learning experiences.<br /><br />We want children to have more opportunities to be creative and to build on their sense of curiosity. We would like to bring more joy and imagination back into the classroom.</i><div><i><br /></i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNkSWAXk5SfDaa_NZ0BNR0fdzM5yBePX0aS8zwB1M5EFXZhil3W54IG3-HHU8ZLW5mNM97ERZaXPnFZvsu17pcM0MOWfeJ8vN7S7Fasr8gR5uLEPdPUQy3YunLnNVFHmrCMj_GEf-KcJs6zYECm9UE1tnXCQkbf7SDSU6wVWasuzuxzSASNkWbb2sRh0c/s1926/Screenshot%202023-09-28%20at%2021.09.26.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="910" data-original-width="1926" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNkSWAXk5SfDaa_NZ0BNR0fdzM5yBePX0aS8zwB1M5EFXZhil3W54IG3-HHU8ZLW5mNM97ERZaXPnFZvsu17pcM0MOWfeJ8vN7S7Fasr8gR5uLEPdPUQy3YunLnNVFHmrCMj_GEf-KcJs6zYECm9UE1tnXCQkbf7SDSU6wVWasuzuxzSASNkWbb2sRh0c/w640-h302/Screenshot%202023-09-28%20at%2021.09.26.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div><b>The podcast I recorded seems to have been the longest to date. Which I guess is a good thing...</b></div><div><br /></div><div><b>You can listen here if you have 55 minutes to spare... thoughts welcome. It was a bit of a ramble at times.</b></div><div><br /></div><iframe allow="autoplay" frameborder="0" height="110px" src="https://embed.acast.com/$/6492d7293da39f0011b4ca0d/humanities-2020-alan-parkinson?feed=true" width="100%"></iframe><div><br /></div><div><b><i>Thanks to Anthony for the invitation.</i></b></div><div><i><br /></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9_bttB94jFTZt8fw27ZvwtD7JLMvRdYg6zLYK9tdxCCwqheWMlOk95FXHknTvSWcpxm6t11a9w2HghSdd3JYIxYVHZez0-J9R2p4kslhSOovLnMF4kUDOD9lPVkpGY7qWdNkgAirAdBrBe3vmwjC29UhqT3U-PS-GAXeVnVEyRnNw5zvVoa7DFF8nKUY/s2484/Screenshot%202023-09-27%20at%2020.50.03.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="368" data-original-width="2484" height="94" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9_bttB94jFTZt8fw27ZvwtD7JLMvRdYg6zLYK9tdxCCwqheWMlOk95FXHknTvSWcpxm6t11a9w2HghSdd3JYIxYVHZez0-J9R2p4kslhSOovLnMF4kUDOD9lPVkpGY7qWdNkgAirAdBrBe3vmwjC29UhqT3U-PS-GAXeVnVEyRnNw5zvVoa7DFF8nKUY/w640-h94/Screenshot%202023-09-27%20at%2020.50.03.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><i>After I'd recorded it, I also checked out the <b>ACast podcast hosting system</b> which was being used for the <b>Humanities 2020 podcast</b>, and signed up for a free account and <b><span style="color: red;">created the site for a podcast of my own which I'm going to call 'Living Geography'. </span></b></i></p><p><i><b><span style="color: red; font-size: medium;">Look out for the first episode coming when I can find the time to record it.</span></b></i></p></div></div>Alan Parkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528013029514239163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-550174673876716587.post-32837851852628163372023-09-27T20:03:00.000+01:002023-09-27T20:03:39.864+01:00Voyager<p>I've blogged previously about the space probe <b>Voyager,</b> which left the solar system a while ago. It has featured in one of the early <b>Star Trek</b> movies and elsewhere. It carries a <b><a href="https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/golden-record/" target="_blank">Golden Record </a></b>which provides details on the location of the Earth and sounds and images representing life on earth.</p><p><i>The contents of the record were selected for NASA by a committee chaired by <b>Carl Sagan of Cornell University,</b> et. al. Dr. Sagan and his associates assembled <a href="https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/golden-record/whats-on-the-record/images/">115 images</a> and a variety of natural sounds, such as those made by surf, wind and thunder, birds, whales, and other animals. To this they added musical selections from different cultures and eras, and spoken greetings from Earth-people in fifty-five languages, and printed messages from President Carter and U.N. Secretary General Waldheim.</i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5HrwsQjk99uaAmeIewWPBoSCaqj0dTlAPqaDcG49wvQkZtR5hP6FjvDfx5exkTbvDj0U5eeVuOsfU9UUTm6MO2q2PHnGf9JCuLyCOi_8sWBObuSHLO_oFB2UDJseZghBDmlyIMHw4JyyWcsRxfjzGUAw25UYD_r3U1yyawMqmIEoEYx9SSObHFcgAiIJC/s733/record-diagram.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="386" data-original-width="733" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5HrwsQjk99uaAmeIewWPBoSCaqj0dTlAPqaDcG49wvQkZtR5hP6FjvDfx5exkTbvDj0U5eeVuOsfU9UUTm6MO2q2PHnGf9JCuLyCOi_8sWBObuSHLO_oFB2UDJseZghBDmlyIMHw4JyyWcsRxfjzGUAw25UYD_r3U1yyawMqmIEoEYx9SSObHFcgAiIJC/w640-h338/record-diagram.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><i><br />The band Big Big Train have a track called Voyager, which is all about the space probe.</i><div><i><br /></i><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gY2RmRNcmFU?si=OMPIy0c2bTzwX9wB" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /><b>Some selected lyrics:</b><br /><br /><i>Heading further out</i><br /><i>To reach uncharted shorelines</i><br /><i>Setting sail for the distant stars</i><br /><i>The wonder of new worlds</i><br /><i>Beyond the next headland</i><br /><i>Over the far horizon</i><br /><i>Out into the open skies</i><br /><i>To find out what we are</i><br /><i>How far we've come</i><br /><i>How far we can go</i><br /><br /><i>Lyrics: Gregpry Spawton</i></div></div>Alan Parkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528013029514239163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-550174673876716587.post-60864694191764750122023-09-27T19:56:00.006+01:002023-09-27T19:56:56.619+01:00Sápmi and tourist authenticity<p> <a href="https://www.cntraveler.com/story/can-a-mark-of-authenticity-help-to-protect-indigenous-cultures-in-tourism/amp" target="_blank">An interesting read in Conde Nast traveller</a> exploring the idea of <b><i>authenticity in tourist experiences... </i></b></p><p>I'm reminded of this as we get closer to Christmas and families start flying to 'Lapland' to see where Father Christmas lives. One for units on tourism and cultural geography.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ05a3UwVWMpfdIep1PXqblPWgXnIW3fJwK0S4Lq3B3leOr6l98IkMFCPokXLAspFekFzwVsAezjybWDR5FlYipb4PhRD1IF2qRYVK4s14GKXDYbMgtPkJSh3Ach7X0sNKN0UjafON4gve3i0Rw01Q6EYMPxZL9iAFUxQzI6tR2MOZOWGy1sdXoyNhxd8/s1304/Screenshot%202023-09-22%20at%2021.02.21.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="744" data-original-width="1304" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ05a3UwVWMpfdIep1PXqblPWgXnIW3fJwK0S4Lq3B3leOr6l98IkMFCPokXLAspFekFzwVsAezjybWDR5FlYipb4PhRD1IF2qRYVK4s14GKXDYbMgtPkJSh3Ach7X0sNKN0UjafON4gve3i0Rw01Q6EYMPxZL9iAFUxQzI6tR2MOZOWGy1sdXoyNhxd8/w640-h366/Screenshot%202023-09-22%20at%2021.02.21.png" width="640" /></a></div>Alan Parkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528013029514239163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-550174673876716587.post-16330589529781022832023-09-23T21:15:00.006+01:002023-09-23T21:15:46.333+01:00World Rivers Day<p>For World Rivers Day - a Jethro Tull rarity from over 30 years ago... on the theme of river pollution...</p><iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="352" loading="lazy" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/track/11gVzgDSuyuGg3aBa1Gfwu?utm_source=generator" style="border-radius: 12px;" width="100%"></iframe>Alan Parkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528013029514239163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-550174673876716587.post-35482172230322281652023-09-22T19:31:00.000+01:002023-09-22T19:31:33.549+01:0025th May 1973<p><i>Sometime in the mid 1970s, my long-haired Uncle Steve played an album while I was at my nana's house in Rotherham. It was unlike anything I'd heard before and I was immediately fascinated by it. It turned out to be an album that was quite new, and was selling thousands of copies. </i></p><p><b>The album came out on the 25th of May 1973, and had its 50th Anniversary earlier this year. I went to a special orchestral performance at the Royal Albert Hall, with </b></p><p>It had been recorded by one person, who had spent weeks multi-tracking himself playing a whole range of instruments - particularly guitars - a young man called Michael Gordon Oldfield. It was the first issue on a new record label called Virgin records. Friends also liked it very much.</p><p><i>I bought a copy when I was in my record-buying phases and also had a copy on cassette tape. I consequently bought every release from Mike Oldfield in at least one format. He was still my most-listened-to artist according to my end of 2022 Spotify statistics.</i></p><p>The album cover is particularly distinctive with imagery from <b>Trevor Key.</b></p><p>Here's the first tour that he did.</p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DxTfUpYF4qQ" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><p>Here's the use of the track in the film<b> 'The Exorcist'.</b></p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2GCcj0KZSfE" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div><i>I've always wondered whether it was a constructive or a destructive wave on the cover...</i></div><div><br /></div><div>The album's name inspired a map of Wainwrights in the Lake District: <a href="https://www.stridingedge.com/tubular-fells-map-225-p.asp" target="_blank">Tubular Fells.</a></div><div><br /></div><div>For me, Oldfield's masterpiece isn't Tubular Bells but his album 'Ommadawn', released in 20</div><div><br /></div><div>I was fortunate to see Oldfield play live four times. This included three times when he had the wonderful French drummer Pierre Moerlen in his band.</div><div><br /></div><div>In 1983, Oldfield played live at Glastonbury to a crowd of 45 000 people.</div><div><i>It was turned into a film, and shown at a cinema in Rotherham in 1984ish. The only way I could see it though was a second feature paired with a slightly soft-porny film... awkward...</i></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Further reading.</b></div><div><a href="https://theconversation.com/50-years-since-mike-oldfield-began-writing-tubular-bells-the-pioneering-album-that-changed-the-sound-of-music-162254" target="_blank">A Conversation piece on how Tubular Bells changed music, and how it came about.</a></div>Alan Parkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14528013029514239163noreply@blogger.com0