Piece for Radio Northwick Park's 2011 magazine: Arthur

For over 40 years Radio Northwick Park has brought patient broadcasting entertainment to thousands of people at Northwick Park Hospital. However, the radio station provides more than just music, it is also a patient-visiting service.

Our volunteers go to the wards not only to take song requests from patients but to speak to them. Luckily, most patients see their family or friends during the visiting hours in the evening, even if they have little contact during the day. Unfortunately, for Arthur Aplin, his family were scattered all over the globe with relatives in France and Canada.

When he suffered a stroke his daughter-in-law contacted Radio Northwick Park to ask if our volunteers could visit him once in a while and bring him a newspaper to read. We sent volunteers to visit him almost every night to speak to him and give him some company. He was even interviewed by one of our presenters.

Arthur has since recovered and left the hospital. Here is some of his interview where he wanted to raise awareness about suffering from a stroke and the help he was given.

“I’m doing pretty well. I’m impatient to make progress and getting out the people supporting me here, the nurses and the guys working on my rehabilitation. My voice needs training as well but it’s little by little, day by day.”

On the issue of regaining movement down the side of his body that was affected he said: “Try and do it yourself and try again and again, if you’re not making much progress then perhaps get a bit of help. If you can make some progress yourself if helps personally and it shows something…well, I’m stubborn.”

Arthur was unsure about whether he had had a stroke. It was only after speaking to his daughter that he called an ambulance and was told what had happened. He urges others who may be feeling uncertain may have suddenly developed limited use down one side of their body to go to hospital and get checked.

He also reflected on his stay at Northwick Park and the help he got: “It’s appreciated, the friendship and support I have received is helping me towards recovery and getting back onto a normal basis and I hope for full physical ability in my body and your support from the radio staff that have come to see me time and time again. Some people might think you’re a pest but you’re not. I have had good support and encouragement and somehow I feel that there’s going to be a lot of positive coming out of this.”

“It works against me sometimes but in the situation I think it’s in my favour that a bit of stubbornness and to think: ‘Well, I’m not going to let this beat me’”.

For more information about Radio Northwick Park visit: www.radionorthwickpark.org

Self-help can work

Earlier this week I read Johann Hari’s piece “Thatcherite chicken soup for the soul” which recounted the evils of Paul McKenna’s latest self-help offering: ‘I Can Make You Happy’.

Hari’s piece spent a great deal of focusing on a few choice phrases from the book. On top of that he suggested that McKenna is telling readers to abandon friends who are suffering from depression because they are detrimental to your own happiness. This assertion was out of context and rather ridiculous. As someone who has met McKenna and benefitted from his self-help techniques, it only seems right to present another view.

A few years ago I went along to one of McKenna’s seminars entitled ‘Change your life’. I was sceptical. However, during those three days I learned numerous exercises that helped me think more positively and become more aware about negative thinking.

McKenna’s work uses Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP) which is about re-programming the way we think and emotionally react to situations. It’s basically about getting in touch with your internal dialogue and changing what that little voice inside your head tells you.

One of McKenna’s techniques is imagining an unpleasant situation that you may have had in the past. In your mind’s eye it may initially be a big and vivid image but what McKenna suggests is to gradually visualise it getting smaller and fading until there is nothing left. The final step is to repeat this process as many times as you need to.

For example, I found I would beat myself up if I made a mistake or said something wrong at work or in a social setting. I would keep re-visiting the situation in my head and feeling bad despite the fact that I could not change it. This exercise helped me move on from that and essentially let it go. It all goes back to the core of NLP and re-programming how we think.

At the end of that course I felt a lot better about myself and more equipped to deal with the obstacles life threw at me. Whether it’s changed my life completely I can’t say. My existence is certainly not a paragon of bliss and I don’t walk around with rose-tinted spectacles on. But I now realise when I am over-thinking and amplifying negative thoughts. This level of self-awareness is useful and it helps me to focus on the positive things in my life.

As to cutting friends out of my life who “bring me down”, I have friends who suffer from depression and I am always here for them. Like most of McKenna’s readers, I would never discard a friend because they were not the life and soul of a party and I would help them.

The majority of people who seek self-help are not sociopaths hell-bent on achieving happiness at any price. Instead they may feel lost and these books can offer them a form of support that they do not have. McKenna books and NLP have helped so many people and it seems wrong to be so dismissive of it. In the end it’s simple, commonsense advice and for some people it works and for others it doesn’t. I suppose in the end it is the view with which you approach it.

My favourite covering letter

As a journalist one must be tenacious and apply to anything and everything. In my pursuit of journalistic glory I have written a covering letter or two in my time but here is the one I enjoyed writing the most. It was an internship for a television and films listing website which I applied to last year. Needless to say I didn't get the placement but the key is to keep at it.

Dear Sir/Madam,
I am applying for an internship with your website and attach my CV and some of my work for your perusal and consideration.

The application called for individuals who “idolise Charlie Brooker to a level of God-smiteable proportions.” I fall into this category. My commitment to Charlie’s columns, articles and TV shows has formed the most significant and meaningful relationship I have ever had.

My need for a daily dose of Brooker is comparable to a coke addict. Be it an episode of ‘Screenwipe’ or ‘You Have Been Watching’, or a ‘Screen Burn’, I can’t get through the day without a little bit of Charlie.

Apart from being a Brookerite, I have the relevant skills and experience for this role. I was part of the editorial team at LondonCareers.Net, a weekly magazine published by the Independent. My responsibilities included writing film and album reviews as well as sub-editing, laying out and proofreading pages.

While I was studying for my undergraduate degree I was Deputy Film Editor and Film Editor, respectively for the student newspaper, inQuire. In these positions I brainstormed feature ideas, wrote and edited articles, liaised with PR companies for film screenings and DVDs. More recently, I was a film reviewer for www.6degreesfilm.com which involved attending screenings and writing features.

Despite my dalliances into financial journalism my passion will always be in film and television journalism. I am available from 1st August – 30th September.

Examples of work:

Review for ‘500 Days of Summer’
Review for ‘Superhero Movie’
Film festival feature
Blog post on ‘Secret Diary of a Call Girl’ – Series 3

Thank you for your attention.

Yours faithfully

N. Debnath
Neelanjona Debnath

Enclo. CV

Review of episode 4 series 4 of 'The IT Crowd'

Beware! Here be spoilers for episode 4 series 4 of ‘The IT Crowd’.

A theme that runs through ‘The IT Crowd’ is the extraordinary yarns that the characters spin and the lengths they go to in order to maintain their little white lies. Usually, these porkies end up blowing into huge convoluted messes with unexpected consequences.

This week’s episode is no different. Jen’s blagging has now branched out from her knowledge of I.T. to her extensive linguistic skills. Over-worked and under-appreciated, Jen convinces Douglas and her senior colleagues that she can speak Italian. Her apparent skill makes her vital to Reynholm Industries' efforts to build a relationship with Silvio Bernatelli, the most successful business man of the year. As per usual Jen lands herself in trouble but sadly her fibbing has all too predictable results which are just not as funny as they could be.

While Jen is busy blagging for her life Roy has developed an obsession with the death of his girlfriend’s parents. It’s not as grim or as dark as it sounds. His new girlfriend, Julia, explains that her family were killed in a fire at Sea Parks, a water park like Sea World. However, after recounting the tragic tale of her parents’ demise she refuses to talk about it ever again, sparking Roy’s morbid curiosity.

Roy’s quest to discover “the truth” about Julia’s parents is hilarious, particularly when he re-creates a model of Sea Parks from mash potato and gravy. Also, Roy’s excuse for a late night internet session is explained away by masturbation in order to hide the real reason he is sitting in front of his laptop in his underwear. Even though his explanation is more than credible it couldn’t be further from the truth.

One final touch of genius worth mentioning is the iPhone worship. Douglas congratulates a female colleague not on the birth of her baby but the fact that she has an iPhone. The satire shows the unnecessary sycophancy and awe that surrounds Apple’s smart phone, something which has been happening in meeting rooms across the country.

‘Italian For Beginners’ is a memorable episode more for theme parks made out of mash potato than anything else. Although Moss takes more of a back seat in this episode it is still a cracker with Roy’s storyline trumping Jen’s Italian misadventure.

It is nice to see Roy has finally found a girlfriend after his crippling heartbreak at the start of the series. Now I am waiting for the episode where Moss gets a long-term girlfriend and I still have high hopes for a Roy-Jen relationship.

Quotes that will live in infamy:

“I so think of her as Julia the orphan.” – Moss

“Maybe they’re not really dead. Maybe she doesn’t know what the word ‘orphan’ means. Maybe she just thinks it means ‘house proud’.” – Moss

“First you make me want to go to the toilet, now you make me want to be a better person.” – Douglas

“All these lies Jen, this is exactly what happened with the Iraq war.” – Moss (in comparison to Jen’s fib about speaking Italian)

“It’s not that much of a lie because I have always wanted to speak Italian and I can sound like I’m speaking Italian, so it’s more or less the same thing.” – Jen

“If she said her parents had drowned I would be the happiest man in the world.” - Roy

“But it’s an iPhone Jen. I may be able to get an iPhone without giving any money to Apple.” – Moss

How hyperlocal could resuscitate town hall debate

A stint at the local newspaper is often seen as a mere stepping stone on the path to journalistic greatness. It is a mind-numbing chore of writing endlessly about saving pet rescue centres and village fêtes, or so I thought before I embarked on a journalism course. All of this changed after I completed a module in local government for my course. Far from a being tedious trawl, the whole experience made me realise the wealth of the material sitting outside my front door.

Given the decay of local newspapers, any aspiring journalist should consider it their duty to cover their local patch. Even if an individual does not work directly for their paper or undertake work experience there, a personal hyperlocal site or blog is still a form of journalism. The contribution is still beneficial and for those looking to build up a portfolio of work and hone their craft: it is perfect.

I know my local area inside out. It is where I grew up: it is my beat. Many local newspapers are understaffed and overstretched, to the detriment of the residents. There are so many stories out there that are just not being covered. These days there is very little reporting on court cases or council meetings.

My local paper has been in a spiralling cycle of decline for some time and whenever I get the opportunity, I try to report on local news. Each time I write something I feel a little better for supporting local news. I see my work, even if it doesn’t make it into the paper, as a way of creating important information on my local area. I am supporting my paper. I can still post a blog covering a local issue and publicise it on Twitter and Facebook.

Then there is the issue of David Cameron’s proposals to put the powers of accountability back into the hands of the people. Without a strong local press to process and deliver this information to the people, how can the electorate effectively hold local authorities to account? They can’t.

These days I follow my local papers on Twitter so I get their breaking stories as they happen. I follow my local authority, local charities, hyperlocal sites, I add councillors on Facebook. I try to keep eyes and ears open as I walk down my local high street. The camera on my phone is sufficient to capture any impromptu shots. I am by no means the ideal journalist but I am endeavouring to be.

This is my rallying call to all those who want to be journalists. There is nothing stopping us. The tools and technology to publish our work is all there. All that remains is to go out there and commit acts of journalism.

Review of episode 3 series 4 of 'The IT Crowd'

Beware! Here be spoilers for episode 3 series 4 of ‘The IT Crowd’.

Roy’s bottom seems to be getting a lot of action this series. In ‘Jen the Fredo’, he got his behind smacked following a pimp-prostitute-style pep-talk. This week Roy gets his arse kissed by a masseur and not metaphorically.

After the incident Roy naturally files a sexual harassment suit and prepares to make his case in court. While Moss and Roy are busy playing law and order, it seems that Jen’s time down in the basement of Reynholm Industries is having an effect on the type of men she goes out. She ends up dating Norman, a bespectacled keyboard player in a band, who is even more socially inept than her colleagues in the I.T. department.

Jen’s relationship with Norman turns her into a wannabe rock star and makes her sing endlessly in a shrill voice that could shatter wine glasses. However, and I may be alone in thinking this, but Katherine Parkinson’s high-pitched warbling is not too bad, and in fact, “there might be something there”, as Simon Cowell sometimes says.

Then there is a small subplot involving Douglas who has discovered Space Star Ordering, founded by Beth Gaga Shaggy, a relation neither to Lady Gaga nor Shaggy. The concept involves stars representing wishes and if a person wishes really hard then they might just get what they want, or something along those lines. It's all a bit wishy-washy. It would appear this is Linehan’s knock at Scientology, and he takes aim at the shaky authoritative scientific principles and spawning information centres.

It was always going to be tough to follow up on Moss’s foray into ‘Countdown’ with something just as comically brilliant. Although ‘Something Happened’ has some great lines, it is merely an average episode when compared to ‘The Final Countdown’ which is undoubtedly the best episode of series 4. I would go so far as to say that it is a contender for the best episode ever of the ‘The IT Crowd'.

There is far less action in this instalment and the parody of Scientology could be taken much further, possibly with a slight nod to BBC Panorama journalist John Sweeney losing his cool. Despite this, it is not at all a write-off and is still funny with quirky, surreal humour.

A highlight was the courtroom scene where Roy is indicating exactly where on his posterior he was violated via a version of pin the tail on the donkey. I even learned that “the line that goes down the middle” is called the Cleftal Horizon, although after a quick Google search I am unsure as to whether it is an actual term. Also, the use of “Did you see that ludicrous display last night?” from ‘Are We Not Men?’ in series 3 fitted in perfectly. The phrase has become Moss and Roy’s filler when caught in awkward social situations involving other men and brings to mind so many embarrassing moments for the pair.

Even though ‘Something Happened’ does not hit the same heights as ‘The Final Countdown’ it has some golden nuggets.


Quotes that will live in infamy:

“You’re right, it’s not music I hate, it’s swimming.” - Moss

“Jen’s going out with a geek.” – Moss

“When did mosh pits become so unruly?” – Roy

“Did you see that ludicrous display last night?” – Roy after being sexually violated

“You’ve just got to ask yourself one thing: if you don’t take the stand, how many more unsolicited bum kisses will be administered by that lip-happy b*****d?” – Moss answering Roy’s question of whether he has to testify in court about getting a smacker planted on his behind

Review of Toy Story 3

Written in the style of Sky Movies Online.

Director: Lee Unkrich
Stars: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Ned Beatty, Michael Keaton
Year: 2010 Running
Time: 102 mins
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
CERT: U

It’s been 10 years since Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz (Tim Allen), Jesse (Joan Cusack) and the others were last played with but with Andy soon to leave for college the fate of his toys hangs in the air.

This is the third offering from the Toy Story franchise but a cash cow it is not. Unlike some Hollywood blockbusters that seek to milk off their previous success, this is the next logical step in the story. But more than that, it has a heart to it and will take audiences on a trip down memory lane.

After being described as “junk” and accidentally thrown out with the trash Andy’s dejected toys resign themselves to the box destined for day care, while Woody will be taken to college.

Upon arrival at Sunnyside day care nursery the toys are promised a life of playtime by Lots O’ Huggin’ Bear (Ned Beatty), a pink, strawberry-scented teddy.

However, the toys soon realise that the strawberries don’t smell as sweet as they first thought. Lotso has tricked them into the toddlers’ room where they literally end up in pieces and it is up to Woody to save them.

Pixar has outdone itself again as it hits all the right emotional buttons in its exploration of growing up, remaining accessible to adults and children alike.

Despite being the pioneer of CGI feature films Toy Story scripts have always been sharp without a sole reliance on graphics and this is movie is no exception.

Saying this, with the advent of high definition and 3D it is an aesthetic masterpiece and shows the developments in technology since the first film.

Toy Story 3 is a wonderful blend of comedy, drama and action that revisits a million golden childhoods, making this threequel the perfect finale to the series.